Station 19: The Unbreakable Team

Rubble of Skyhigh Collapse - Chapter 4

Dr. Grey walked around the hospital bed, and took a seat where my dad had been sitting moments before, she looked me sternly in the eyes and said "Andy I need you to understand just how critical your condition was, I know you have a lot of questions and are probably confused, but I need you to focus. Can you do that?" I nodded and said "Okay? I'm focusing." Dr. Grey's stern gaze softened momentarily before hardening again, she said "As you've been told you were kept sedated for a full twenty four hours after admission. The forty eight hours following that are the reason that we are being careful to avoid putting you through more stress than need be." She paused and sighed closing her eyes briefly before she opened them and said "Andy, after we took you off sedation, we expected you to wake up as the effects wore off naturally, that however wasn't the case. You have spent the last few days in a state between that of hypersomnia and comatosed. Where you would only stir and seem to "wake" only long enough to mumble something inaudible before slipping back into the state. At one point we had defibrillators on standby because your BP was so low. I was beginning to think you wouldn't pull through, but I was relieved when you were reported as currently stable when I got in this morning. You are very lucky to have survived, and without your teams quick thinking, we would be telling a very different story." 

Dr. Grey paused allowing me a moment to fully comprehend everything she had said, and after a minute or so she said "I want you to spend at minimum another week and a half under observation. Just so that we can be sure that there are no more complications to hinder your recovery." I stared shocked and said "Another week and a half? I've already been out for basically a week! The station-." Dr. Grey cut me off with a sternly said "Andy." I let out a heavy breath through a clenched jaw before I said "I know! I know. It's just my job is the only thing thats ever on my mind and being stuck here like a caged bird is-." Dr. Grey "Torture." She finished my sentence for me, to express her understanding. I smiled and said "Exactly." Dr. Grey then went on and said "Well if there are no more complications after a week and a half, then you will be free to go home, I'm sure that you and your dad can take care of each other. If not those two young men that have been hounding the nurses with questions will probably be more then willing to help." I chuckled amused, then winced as the action brought up sparks of pain. A voice from the door said "So would your best friend, sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear." Maya stood in the doorway a huge grin plastered across her face. Dr. Grey smiled "So Andy, from there we can see about physical therapy and a return to work date, but I mean it you need to take things slow, take time to recover, don't push yourself, and absolutely no strenuous activity."

 I said "I understand, and will try my best to avoid stressful activities." With a smile Dr. Grey got up and said "Nurse Emmitson should be back any minute now. I'll be back to check on you in a few hours." Maya walked to the bedside and carefully sat down on the edge of the bed, she reached to cover my hand with hers but pulled back and changed her mind last second. She said "I was so worried and I didn't know if you'd make it... I just - I'm so glad you're awake... The sound of your pass device going off still haunts me, and I've had this image of what you looked like when Vic and I were pulling you from the rubble of the structural collapse ingrained in my mind... There was so much blood, and god Andy, you looked so pale, it was like you were..." She trailed off to choked up to continue, I said "Hey, Maya, breathe okay. It's okay. I'm okay. Everything is going to be okay." Maya took a deep breath and whipped away the tears that had rolled down her cheeks, she took a moment to compose her herself and said "If that had been you that had found me buried under rubble in a stairwell, if you hadn't know I was even there until Vic told you to "be quiet and listen" right before my pass device went off. I don't think you'd be optimistic that everything would be alright. Andy you don't know how, I was covered in your blo-." 

I cut her off as I forced myself into a upright sitting position, I swallowed the pain that sprung up as a result and said "Hey. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere, and nothing is going to change that. No matter what, it'll always be you and me, together. You got that?" Maya placed one hand on my shoulder and the other on my side, her firm grip keeping me upright, she said "I copy." I grimaced the pain of sitting up improperly supported becoming too much, Maya said "Okay, stop trying to pretend your not in pain, and just lie back down, you're making me hurt just looking at you." She helped me to lie back down in my semi-sitting position and said "I've missed you." I smiled and said "I'd be mad if you didn't." She gave a small laugh and said "Promise me you won't ever put yourself in a position like this again, I hate seeing you like this, so..." She trailed off and gazed down at me deeply concerned. I finished her sentence for her, I said "Weak, injured, in pain..." I sighed and then said "Maya, you know I can't make that promise, I do this job because I love it, I know the risks that come with it, I accept them completely, without a single shred of doubt. So if I'm destined to go down in flames trying to save lives, helping people, then so be it. I'm not going to stop becuase on the off chance there's a rough day, or we get trapped in a inescapable garage, or there's an explosion. I will push through and come out stronger. We're seattle firefighters, station 19 is our home, where I choose to be, and I wouldn't have it any other way." Maya smiled and looked down at the floor before she locked eyes with me and whispered "I know."