Station 19: The Unbreakable Team

Rubble of Skyhigh Collapse - Chapter 2

Hughes and I burst through the front doors of the skyscraper, and it was no sooner that others swarmed to help as Hughes yelled "Firefighter down, get a gurney over here now!" Hughes and I carefully laid Andy's now very pale form down onto a gurney that had been rushed over mere seconds ago. I took of my helmet and mask following as Andy was loaded into an Aid car, my heart pounding, my focus solely on Andy, on whether we had got her down in time, on whether this was a battle she could still win but likely lose. I knew I had too keep reality in mind, I couldn't let hope creep too far, or I'd drown if Andy... I pushed those thoughts away as I got into the Aid car. I hadn't notice Chief Ripley follow me until he said "Bishop, I need you here, there is a lot to do, and I know Herrera-." I cut him off as I said "Is critical, she needs someone with her, because I'm not sure-." A sob escaped my lips breaking my sentence, I continued after a seconds pause, I said "she'll make it to the hospital." Then I reached forward closing the doors of the Aid car I turned towards the driver stating "Go! We need to get her to Grey Sloan right now, she's bleeding out!" The EMTs who loaded her into the Aid car had already hooked Andy up to a heart monitor, oxygen, and an IV, they were in the process of administering a shot of morphine and removing her turnout When I said "She was found buried under a minor structural collapse, and has already suffered heavy blood loss." I monitored Andy's vitals as the EMT's dressed her injury better, trying to fight her continuous bleeding. Tears filled my eyes as her BP continued to drop steadily, the ride to the hospital seeming to last forever, I reached forward gripping one of Andy's limp hands in mine. The EMT's continued to frantically fight against Andy's condition.

When the Aid car finally arrived at Grey Sloan I burst out first handing off the stretcher to the small heard that rushed to meet us. A women with darker blond hair in scrubs came over, I recognized her as the doctor Andy talked to when she arrived at the hospital after her father collapsed. I said "Female, Andy Herrera, early thirties, started on general IV fluids and O2, was also provided a single dose of morphine. Suffering from crush injuries, possible internal bleeding and asphyxiation, large puncture wound to the left side of the mid torso, heavy blood loss, declining BP, and shallow breathing." She nodded quickly and rested her hand on my shoulder giving it a quick comforting squeeze before she ran off after the gurney Andy was lying limp on. I watched Andy disappear from the breezeway, I hated seeing her so vulnerable, so pale, so... lifeless. Tears I hadn't realized I was holding back streamed down my cheeks, Andy is always so strong, she's supposed to become captain of station 19, but now her life hangs in the balance of an unevenly balanced scale. The fact that I-we, all of us at 19 might lose her forever finally starting to sink in. She and I are supposed to run the station together, it's all I've ever been able to picture. What am I going do if she doesn't make it, it's always been her and I against the world ever since the fire academy, but now... I-I don't know anymore, I feel like my whole world is crumbling, turning to rubble, just like the damn skyscraper.

A gurney being raced past me surrounded by a small herd broke my thoughts, reminding me that I was standing frozen, crying, in the breezeway. I forced myself to breathe slowly, calming my raging thoughts, and inner turmoil enough for me to maintain my composure as I walked into the hospital. I found my feet walking to the waiting area, only to find Warren sitting in one of the chairs looking disconsolate. He looked up as I walked in, I avoided eye contact, tears are breaking through the banks of their barriers. I don't need Warren asking questions, I knew if he did I wouldn't be able to keep from having a mental breakdown. I am too upset to sit down so I stand with my arms crossed to keep my shaking hands out of view. He got up and said "Maya? Hey, what are you doing here? You don't need to wait with me, you should be back-." I sighed and said "Herrera...Andy, Hughes and I found her buried under a pile of rubble in the stairwell, she was on the twenty fourth or twenty fifth floor, she has a piece of rebar jutting out of her torso, heavy blood loss... I'm not sure if she even made it to the operating room. She was so pale..." I felt tears start streaming down my face. I pushed past Warren to sit down in a chair, I rested my elbows on my knees, I knit my hands together and stared at the floor.

Warren sat down next to me and placed a hand on my back, trying to comfort me, I shrugged it off too distraught for comfort. I cleared my throat trying to make my voice strong and said "I want to go help back at the skyscraper. I have to call Pruitt, to let him know what's happened, and I know there are probably still people in the building that need help, but I can't leave... I can't leave her, I-I need to know, I-." Warren interrupted my rant "I understand." He said. I smiled slightly and sat up to finally make eye contact, but my smile dropped as I realized he shouldn't be here, waiting, unless there was a reason. I said "So... Why are you here?" I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear the answer, I couldn't handle the news that another member of 19's life hung in the balance. Warren gulped and said "Montgomery was pretty lacerated by glass when a window exploded, as the fire jumped floors through the panes, the glass cut clean through his turnout. I'm waiting to for news on how severe his condition is, but his life shouldn't be in danger, he'll be alright I'm sure." He reassured me and I smiled as I said "Thats good." Warren continued "It wasn't supposed to be like this..." I was about to reply but thats when a doctor entered the waiting area and Warren stood up, he cast a comforting glance at me as he walked over to the doctor. Who then led him down the hall, probably to see Montgomery.

Warren returned around thirty minutes later and said "Montgomery is going to okay, he has to stay at the hospital for a few days for observation then he will be released, they said he'll be able to return to duty in a few weeks... I um... I am going to head back to the skyscraper, they likely need the Aid car I drove Montgomery here in." I nodded and said "Thanks, for keeping me updated, I'll let you and the rest of the team know as soon as there is news on Andy." Warren gave me a comforting smile before he walked away. I leaned back in the chair, my thoughts racing, I knit my hands together over my chest trying to stop them from shaking with my worry, I did all I could to keep composure. That was when the darker blonde doctor I spoke to entered into the waiting area, she walked over to me and I stood up but she motioned for me to sit. I knew instantly that this wasn't going to be good, and everything in me screamed that this couldn't be happening. The doctor sighed and said "Would you like to talk here, or would you like to go someplace where we can be alone?" I swallowed the lump in my throat and my voice shook as I said "Here is okay."