BURNED - A Chicago Fire Fanfiction

Chapter Eleven

FIREHOUSE 51

"Good riddance!" Herrmann called out after Zahra.

"Herrmann!" Boden snapped. "One more word out of you and you'll be next out the door!" The garage instantly fell silent. "Don't you all have jobs to do?" Boden stormed back into the building, leaving everyone gathered in the garage.

"The nerve of her," Herrmann scoffed. "Can you believe that shit?"

"No, I can't," Mouch shook his head in dismay. "I mean, she was completely calm until you went on the attack."

"What?"

"You're an ass, you know that?" Dawson scowled.

"Me?"

"Yes, you!" Shay added.

"Hey, I did us all a favor. She's nothing but trouble and she'd just be another failed candidacy. I mean, do you honestly trust her with our lives?"

"Yes," everyone answered in unison.

"You can't be serious."

"We are," Mills grumbled.

"Do you have even the slightest clue as to what happened in Boden's office?" Cruz asked.

"No, and quite frankly, I don't care. She's gone and that's all that matters."

"Dawson's right, you are an ass," Mouch muttered. The room slowly emptied, leaving Herrmann alone to wash the trucks. "What's for dinner, Mills?"

"Who said I'm cooking?" Mills asked.

"I'd be more than happy to—" Cruz began.

"No!" Everyone interrupted.

"How about chili?" Mills suggested.

"Anything but the Cruz special," Severide smirked.

"Please tell me I did not just hear 'the Cruz special,'" Boden groaned as he entered the commons and headed for the kitchen.

"Relax, it was immediately vetoed," Cruz scoffed. "I apparently need cooking lessons."

"Just need someone patient enough to work miracles," Mills smiled causing the entire room to fill with laughter.

"Did you really have to suspend Zahra, Chief?" Capp asked.

"Yes," Boden nodded as he opened a can of pop.

"Look, I'm friends with the guy, but Herrmann was treating her like crap," Mouch spoke up. "We all heard it."

"And yet no one did anything." Boden turned to everyone. "Do I need to remind you of the childhood rule of 'see something, say something'? You all saw how he was treating her, but no one said a word. But I suppose I'm just as guilty. I was waiting to see if she would come to me before going home tomorrow. I heard what was said, I saw how he treated her, as did all of you, but I wanted to see how she handled the situation, what are your excuses?" The room fell silent. "Casey?"

"Yeah?"

"See me in my office after dinner. I want to discuss a few things."

"You got it," Casey nodded and watched as Boden left for his office. "Great, now I'm in trouble for something."

"I'm sure it's just because you're her lieutenant," Severide reassured.

"He's not wrong," Mills noted. "We're all guilty for not sticking up for her."

"I forced her into telling that restaurant story," Casey informed. "I thought it would've been enough to get him off her back. I'm hard on her, but not harder than I've been on every other candidate."