another one bites the dust
After Josephine and Eddie recuperated from the life threatening slip up in the hotel room, the trio and Ali retreated to the staircase. Eddie led the four down the dark flight of stairs with Josephine on his trail, and Ali and Buck in the back.
Both Eddie and Josephine were clearing a path by the minimum lighting of their head gear and taking cautious steps as Buck coached Ali through walking on her bare feet. "That's it. You're doing great." He said, observing her taking ginger steps. "You've, uh, you've done this before, haven't you?"
"Yeah. It was, uh, my major at the Rhode Island School of Design." She remarked then retracted. "Sorry. Sarcasm is my fallback for pretty much everything."
Buck nodded, "I totally get it."
Josephine lends hand out to Ali as she and Eddie waited for the latter ahead. "I got you." She assured.
"Okay." Ali pulled forward on the railing to Josephine when she paused. "You think he'll still be on the sidewalk when we get down there?" She peeked over her shoulder at Buck.
The three firefighter's face faltered at the question about the incident. Buck shook his head with no hesitation. "No. And we're not going out that side, anyway."
"Let's hustle up, you three. We don't want to be here for the next aftershock." Eddie quipped.
Ali's eyes enlarged in disbelief. "Wait, what do you mean, the next aftershock?"
"Welcome to California," Josephine mused, raising her outstretched hand in Ali's reach.
Buck encouraged the blond haired woman, "Come on. There we go. You're gonna be fine."
Josephine continued to guide the woman panting in distress. "You're gonna be fine. He's right behind you." She reminded her of Buck's presence.
"Okay." Ali swallowed, gripping onto her hand, and walking down the steps.
Eddie jumped down the to bottom of the staircase when he and Buck flashed their lights at the pieces of debris blocking their pathway. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me. We're not getting out this way." Buck stated.
"Now what?" Ali asked the trio.
Josephine looked up to the flight of stairs they just descended from. She exhausted a sigh, "We go back up." She enthused much to their dismay yet ideal situation to escape this building.
Ali darted at her, "Back up?"
When they turned around, Bobby voiced through their radios. "Ladder 118, respond. This is Captain Nash. I need a head count."
"Ladder 118 responding. Diaz, Buckley and Santiago, we're good, Cap." Eddie accounted.
"Castillo and Jackson responding."
"Paulson, Marcus and Riley responding."
"Chimney responding."
"Hen, do you copy? Hen?" Josephine, Eddie, and Buck halted sharing bewildering expressions. They assumed Hen would be with Chimney and Bobby. "This is Captain Nash for Henrietta Wilson. Do you copy?"
Ali noticed their expression, asking. "Is that a friend of yours?"
Josephine diverted from her gaze as Eddie pressed his lips together. "Let's keep moving." He ordered, gesturing to their long journey on the staircase once again.
"Here you go." Buck motioned Ali escaping the doorway of the staircase and into the hallway. He carefully observed as they moved forward then situate against the wall. "There you go. Easy."
Josephine and Eddie threw themselves from the doorway to the wall. She blew through her lips, growing tiresome while Eddie scanned around. "Miss, there's this egress on the north stairwell of this floor." He mentioned.
"What if it's blocked, too? Can't you guys get a ladder into one of the windows." Ali pondered as Buck unstrapped themselves.
"It's too risky. Building shifted too much." Josephine said, passing the duo. She popped up next to Eddie and examining the blockage to maneuver for a clear pathway.
He casted his eyes on the brunette merely strategizing. "How are you feeling? You've been quiet since-"
"I almost ended up like that old man back there?" She finished, flickering up at him. He shortly nodded in response as she licked her lips still shaken up. "Um, my focus is remotely getting us out of here instead of dwelling about it. Because I'm still here thanks to you, again." She spared her gratitude once more.
"Also, you did the best you could back there." She added, seeing guilt washed over his face at the mention of the man.
He nodded, crouched to grasped on the heavy piece of wall after she pointed it out. "Like you said, we should steer our focus to find a way out."
"Uh, she's in Europe. She's traveling. For the first time, I'm glad she's not around. I don't need the worry." Buck's voice echoed as he approached the duo.
Ali leaned her back against the wall, snatching up one of the small alcoholic beverages from the maid's cart. "Having someone to worry about sounds...nice, actually. All I do is work." She carelessly twisted one open and took a swig.
The three firefighters shared amusing expressions at the sight of the blond haired woman. Eventually, she noticed their stares. "What? It's after 5:00. It's not like it slowed us down."
Josephine let out a faint laugh, "A drink sounds nice after this."
"Hey, hey, hey, hey. Hey." Buck perked at a muffled sound nearby.
A small voice winced through the door. "Is anyone there?"
"You guys hear that?"
The four remained silent to hear the wincing sound of the small voice. "Help! Is anyone there?"
Buck, Josephine, and Eddie quickly moved to the door as Buck used a tool to burst the door open. Josephine grasped onto Eddie's hand before he thrusted inside to attend to the injured man. She followed with Buck's assistance to push out the rolling chair, unveiling the man.
"I knew help would come." The man cried out.
Eddie crawled to the end of his feet, "That's right. We're here, we got you, buddy."
"All right, don't move. Just relax, okay? I need you to stay as still as possible." Buck instructed the man as Josephine cautiously pinned his arm back.
She lifted her eyes at the two, "Okay, we got to roll him over. On three. One, two, three." She and Eddie turned his body to the side while Buck secured the man's head.
He moaned in pain, swallowing thickly. "I...uh, I soiled myself."
"Forget about that, okay?" Josephine remarked as Eddie removed his shoes and socks after checking his spine.
"Not my proudest moment." The man admitted.
Eddie shook his head at the two that the man is incapable of moving on his own. Josephine nodded her head to further in the room to Buck. He complied then slid down the floor with her not too far behind. They scattered the demolished hotel room in search of anything that could supply to carry the injured civilian swiftly.
The latter were joined by Eddie, sliding across the floor. "Numbness in his legs, loss of bladder control." Buck stated.
"Spinal injury." Eddie added.
Josephine sighed, directing her eye to the civilian. "We got to move him out now."
"On what?" Buck inquired, darting at the brunette. "We don't have a backboard, and every millimeter counts."
Eddie scanned the room, "You see anything?"
As they surveyed the room, Ali chimed in. "Guys. What about this?" Their heads whipped at the woman. "Ironing board." She showcased to them.
It wasn't the ideal backboard they would use, though under the pressure of time and the inevitable of this earthquake it seemed the most ideal to utilize. "Could work, but how are we gonna get him down the stairwell?" Eddie inquired.
"Maybe we don't use the stairwell."
Eddie and Josephine pushed the elevator doors open and hovered as Ali appeared next to Josephine surveying the elevator shaft. "At least we're not blocked by any debris." He enlightened the bright side of Buck's slightly crazy idea.
"Or an elevator." Ali enthused. Her eyes followed where the two firefighters shined their lights to where the elevator sat above them. "Um, how much do you think that weighs?"
Josephine hummed, "2,5000. 3,000 pounds?"
Buck popped behind the three, "I like our chances." He commented in an optimistic tone.
"It's the only resort we have to get out here." Josephine deadpanned before lifting herself up in preparation.
Eddie's brown orbs wandered down at the hotel employee known as Batari strapped to the ironing board being glided down the elevator by Buck on top. "How you doing, Batari?" He asked as he and Josephine were climbing down next to him.
Batari answered with a thumbs up. "That's good, we're going to get you out of here in no time." Josephine curved a small smile as she gently pushed off on her toes to go down further.
"You guys are doing great. You're almost there." Buck yelled out.
Josephine looked up, "Eight more feet, Buck." She and Eddie proceeded until breaching the next set of elevator doors.
Eddie raised his fist signaling Buck to stop lowering Batari. "All right. Get down here, Buck!" He peered at Josephine to get a hold of the other elevator door then counting down to push open.
"All right, on my way." He announced before securing himself and Ali.
As Buck and Ali began to carefully descend in the elevator shaft, Josephine and Eddie maintained to keep the heavy doors open to bring Batari through. However, the sound of rumbling soon alerted the duo. "Is the building vibrating?" Batari wondered.
"Josie! Eddie, keep that door open!" Buck shouted, keeping his grip on Ali screaming as the rumbling worsen and elevator on top beginning to shift down.
The brunette cursed under her breath through another aftershock run. She clutched onto Batari swinging on the ironing board before Eddie motioned for her to jump through as the vibrations declined. She threw herself back in the doorway and then across the wall for Eddie to unclasp Batari and pass over into the hallway.
Once they were settled, Eddie poked his head through the elevator doorway. "Let's go, Buck! Move your ass!"
"All right, here we come. Here we come!" Buck swung himself through the doors.
Josephine rushed to the trio's side after Buck and Ali made it within a mere second the elevator roughly dropped down.
"I told you I liked our chances."
Several hours surpassed upon the search for Hen had reached a milestone after pinning her movement appearing to be in the south. As Bobby pronounced to Chief Williams where he and the rest of the rescue team will be heading, she declined the motion as an evacuation would be commencing due to information that the building will possibly be collapsing.
Neither Bobby nor Chimney followed protocol, deciding to defy the incident commander's order and continue to track down Hen.
They traveled to the south side of the parking garage, stumbling upon a pile of debris and cars blocking their pathway towards Hen. With no heavy equipment or extra pair of hands, Bobby and Chimney worked their way with anything around them.
After scouting for tools from the cars in the valet parking, they managed to discover a truck with chains to hook under one of the cars in the pile and ease out. It seemed to be working in their favor until the chain snapped.
"We have any more chain?" Chimney jumped out of the driver seat and met Bobby in the back.
Bobby shook his head, scanning the pathway ajar by their progress. "But I think it's far enough out that we can get back behind it and push it out the rest of the way."
"Looks like we got here just in time, then." Buck interjected, receiving shocked looks from the latter as he, Josephine, and Eddie rounded the corner with tools.
Josephine arched her brow and placed one hand on her hip. "Yeah, seems like they were planning on having all the fun without us."
"Heard over the radio you needed some equipment and available hands down here." Eddie mentioned.
Despite being grateful for their presence, Bobby maintained to speak in a stern tone. "You know you guys are disobeying a direct order."
"And they'll be duly reprimanded, as soon as we're done here." Chief Williams appeared with more firefighters.
"Looks you're gonna have to reprimand yourself, as well." Bobby countered.
She took a few steps forward, "I'm seriously considering it. Your people are very persuasive and persistent. One shot, Captain." She paused, "Either way, no one's coming to rescue us."
Everyone started working together with another chain to hook onto the car and pull it out. They stood on the sidelines watching Chimney driving the truck. "Keep going, Chim, we got to get it clear." Bobby told.
Soon as the coast was clear, support beams were planted to uphold the entry. The 118 members sped their way inside and began removing pieces of rubble down the line. With quick progression, they gathered around to bring down the largest piece revealing an open pathway nearest to Hen.
A few quiet moments, a dog's bark sounded then jumped in front of them. "Hen? Hen, are you there?" Buck voiced for the woman.
Much to their relief, Hen came out of the dark pathway with a young girl on her back. Hen displayed a surprised yet warm smile at the sight of the 118. "Hey, fellas." She coughed out.
They guided her out and fell into a fit of laughter before embracing into one group hug.
The 118 came out triumphant through this major earthquake together undergoing few obstacles of what felt like the longest day of their life. Yet, throwing this uniform each shift ignites this feeling in facing the unexpected day to day dispatch calls.
Surviving and saving the few lives to the best of their ability are the wins that each first responder was merely encouraged then their losses that were out of their hands.
Josephine strolled around the recovery area after cleaning her wound then replacing on her temple. She observed the reunited family, friends, and first responders immersed in their conversations.
She drew in a breath before gravitating her attention to slanted hotel yet to collapse. Her eyes fell directly on the 11th floor.
From there to the ground shown a great distance and perspective of how a life could end within a second of that drop. She casted down to the sidewalk where the old man Eddie was unable to apprehend in time of the abrupt aftershock fell.
"Abuela, when is daddy coming home?" Josephine's tiny voice asked, clutching her stuffed bunny to her chest.
After the earthquake hit, her abuela went to pick up the girls and bring them back to the house. Isabel had been at the venue for the art gala when it happened. She returned about a few hours after her daughters were home.
Josephine and Vanessa remained in the living room with their abuela. The housekeeper, Lucy assisted Isabel to grab the emergency kit and clear out the few damages upon the house from the earthquake.
It had been nightfall; power and phone line receptions were restored, and Isabel paced in the other room to get a hold of her parents and her husband.
"I'm not sure, but I believe he will be here soon. He's probably been busy helping a lot of people that need him today. We have to be patient, mi amor." Alicia entailed, brushing her granddaughter's hair back then pressing a kiss onto her forehead as she cuddled to her side.
A knock on the door gravitated Josephine's attention, she jumped off the couch with her stuffed bunny and rushed out of the room at the presumption of her father's homecoming. Alicia's calls were instantly ignored by the little girl already halfway to the front.
She saw her mother opening the door revealing her grandfather and a uniformed officer, Athena. The two shared somber looks as they informed disheartening news in a low tone. Josephine was too far to gather the conversation between the three adults.
"No, no, no....No!" Isabel screamed out, falling to her knees yet caught in Athena's arms. She sobbed uncontrollably while Matthew diverted from the woman- failing to hold back his tears.
Josephine had not realized that her father wasn't coming home tonight.
Voices nor sounds around her soon became deafening while her heartbeat going at a rapid pace boomed her eardrums. Her throat felt like it was suffocating, desperate for air to breathe. She clutched onto her chest- fingers digging into her shirt.
Her chest continued to heave as she stumbled away to the firetruck. She squeezed her glossy eyes shut, still having trouble to compose herself. She acknowledged long enough this was a panic attack, although confused as to never have one before.
Josephine gripped onto the handle and slid down onto the step of the firetruck as she was hyperventilating. Unbeknownst, a large figure overshadowed her.
He squatted and rested his hands on top of her shoulders. "Josie, it's your Captain. I'm right here with you. Can you look at me?" He softly called out.
Complying to Bobby's order, the man gave a short nod. "Okay, now can you tell me five things that you see?"
Her brown orbs urgently looked around as her lips quivered. "S-Sidewalk, bush, window, police officer, and firefighter badge." She narrowed at Bobby's badge pinned to his shirt.
"Good, good. Tell me about this other life of yours, where would you go on your backpacking trip?" He inquired calmly, maintaining eye contact and a conversation to soothe.
Josephine's eyes fluttered, one hand gripping onto the metal step and the other remained on her shirt. "I would start off in Japan then all over Europe. Ireland and Thailand are up there as well." She heaved, realizing that her vision started to become clear.
She met Bobby's gaze again, stammering out. "I-I don't know why this happened."
"Eddie mentioned what happened back there inside, and with what you experienced today it can weigh on you. Panic attacks often happen from traumatic stress, it's normal."
She licked her lips, briefly shutting her eyes while bouncing her leg. "The last time an earthquake came close like this was the day my dad died." She breathed out. "Everything kept replaying in my head of that entire day."
Bobby firmly nodded, "Maybe you should talk it out with someone. You were a child when it occurred and didn't register it as much. Now that you're a first responder like your father-"
"Walking in his shoes becomes clear what it means to save people. Even if it means the possibility of not walking through the door of my home or see my family one last time." She whispered out. There was a lingering thought of what were her father's last moments, or who he thought of, or known that he wouldn't be waltzing the front door to greet his family again.
Josephine's lips started to quiver again, tears brimming in her eyes. "I thought I was going to die up there, Bobby." She choked on a sob and launched herself into his embrace.
Bobby wrapped his arms around and rubbed her back, letting the young firefighter release the heavy emotions suppressed throughout the day.
A car rolled up in front of a house, one that Josephine grew up in. Many childhood memories in which she treasured the most happened inside. Josephine looked back at Bobby in the driver seat, "You didn't have to drive me, you know."
"It's no problem. Besides, it gives me an outlook of one of the few richest neighborhoods out here." He jokingly said, surveying the street.
Josephine took a deep breath before reflecting to the household, specifically those polished front doors.
It was late at night as the house pouring of grief finally became quiet. Josephine clutched her stuffed bunny to her chest staring at the Vanessa's bedroom wall in the dark since tucked into bed. Meanwhile, Vanessa fell into deep slumber not without shedding more tears a few hours ago.
Josephine looked back at her sister, momentarily. Her feet dangled on the bed as they landed on the carpeted floor. She tip-toed to the door and twisted it slowly to open without making a slight noise to awaken her sister or anyone else.
Her tiny hand grappled onto the large staircase while the other on her stuffed bunny. She descended to the bottom of the staircase where she sat on the very last step.
She placed her stuffed bunny against her chest with her brown orbs staring at the front door in silence.
The corners of her mouth started to quiver as she whispered out. "You promised."
Josephine casted one more look at Bobby before stepping out of the passenger side and looping her duffel into her arm. She took long strides down the pathway, feeling a bit anxious coming up to the door.
She raised her fist to the door slowly then knocked a couple of times. Only a few seconds passed when the door burst open unveiling Isabel visibly stunned by her youngest.
Silence brewed between them until Josephine spoke up, quivering a bit. "Hi, mom."
"Josephine," Isabel's face softened, relieved to see her youngest after this hectic day. She brought her into her embrace to feel her daughter bury her face into her chest and letting out a sob.
Isabel closed her eyes tightly as a few tears streamed down her face.
-Inserted few more flashbacks of Josephine's life. Also, Josephine being a little more vulnerable. Drafting these last chapters was a lot of work remotely motivation to write. Hope you like it! Tell me what you think! Don't forget to vote and comment! Stay tuned!-
WRITTEN: 8/24/21
PUBLISHED: 8/24/21