Somewhere New (Yet another 911 Lone Star fic)

S1: E1 Moving to Austin (AKA the pilot)

Perfectionism. It is something that we all strive for in one way or another. Yet no one seems to realise that perfectionism is impossible. That is unless you accept the fact that there will be things that are out of your control. My name is Piper Strand and my life hasn't been perfect. In fact, it was only recently that I realised my life was perfect. After all, my family was broken. My mum and dad divorced when my brother and I were seven and it broke our family. The thing is wounds heal. Right now my leg is twitching. Why? Well, I feel like something has happened to my twin brother Tyler. Call me stupid but I just feel like something is wrong.

"Hey, Seven you look like you are running a mile," My captain remarks.

"I'm worried about TK. I can't shake the feeling that something happened to him," I responded. Before I go any further I should explain myself. Yes, I am a part of the New York Fire Department but, unlike my dad and my brother, I am part of the NYFD's EMS program.

"Sorry Cap," I apologise for good measure.

"Don't be. I am willing to send you home early. You only have fifteen minutes left of your shift and Darnel is already here anyway," My captain dismisses me. I thank him as I leave. After thirty minutes of sitting in traffic, I made it to the apartment that Tyler I shared. I bang on the door. To no one's surprise Tyler doesn't answer. I spring into action as I hear a thud. The first thing that I do is check if the door is open. It's not. I take a deep breath as I muster enough strength to kick down the door. With a loud crack, the door flies open.

"TK? Tyler? I yell as I get to work. The first thing I do is check his pulse. It is weak but it is there. The next thing I do is call 9-1-1. Luckily for me, the closest EMS crew is two minutes out. I quickly hung up. After checking his pulse again commence CPR.

"TK?" A familiar voice asks.

"Dad, TK overdosed. I called dispatch and an EMS crew will be here in two minutes. I have started CPR," I give my report. He is not happy. Neither am I but I can't let my emotions get the better of me. Not yet anyway.

"Let me take over," Dad orders.

"No Dad. I've got this. You make sure the paramedics know which apartment we're in," I counter. I am not going to let my brother go that easily. Come on Tyler. You've come this far. You are not giving up now. As soon as I give my orders the paramedics show up.

"I need Narcan now," My Dad orders before being told to step away. Unfortunately one of the paramedics decided to rip me away from Tyler's body. I fight back as I take the Narcan injector from the other. With a few swift movements, I jab the needle end in Tyler's leg. Only then do I give up. After an eternity later Tyler comes around as his stomach lets loose. He then proceeds to break down. Clutching at Dad's uniform he apologises.

It has been a couple of days since then and Dad has taken us to one of our favourite spots. I am watching the boats drift by as Dad gives TK a talking-to about what he did. After a few minutes of making sure Tyler knows the rules moving forward, he turns his attention to me.

"The station that TK and I will be moving to has an EMS vacancy. I was thinking maybe...," Dad remarks.

"I will take it. Someone else has to protect TK," I half joke. The thing is I know I can't let Tyler go again. Hearing the thud of Tyler's body hitting the ground has reminded me of the fact that I have a lot to lose. Call me strange but Tyler and my Dad are the only blood family that supported me through my training to become a paramedic. My dad looks surprised.

"I'll tell Captain Ruiz that I am transferring tomorrow," I add. Right now I need to gather my thoughts so I can survive what is going to be my last shift as an NYFD paramedic. It is the afternoon after and I am collecting all of my stuff from the locker room. This is it.