#harold capp

It had been a quiet day at 51, you were playing cards with the rest of squad 3 when the alarms went off, signaling all units to move to an apartment fire. You jumped up and ran to the truck, kicking your shoes off and stepping into your boots. You pulled the pants up, the suspenders over your shoulders, and hopped in your seat. Squad was the first to pull out of the firehouse. Severide taps away on his tablet, “Okay, squad, listen up. The fire is fully evolved. We’ll be the first company on scene, let’s work quickly. When we’re on scene we have to move fast. Let’s wait on Bodens orders, y/l/n you’re with Cruz, Tony with Capp, and Mills you’re with me. Do you copy?” You all let him know that you copy him and mentally prepare for the call you’re about to have.

When you arrive at the scene you can immediately tell that it’s bad. “Alright, people, let’s go to work.” Boden says over the radio. “Truck 81,  primary search on the first floor, Squad 3 you take the second and third. Engine, I want a line on the first floor and raise the aerial in case it’s needed. Ambulance 61, set up triage. Let’s go, people.” You look to Kelly to hear which floor you have to go to. “Cruz, y/l/n, second floor. The rest with me to the third.”

Once arrived on the second floor, you and Cruz go door to door. The fire has already reached this floor too, so you have to kick in all the doors to check for people that might’ve passed out from the smoke. Cruz takes the north wall and you take the south of the massive hallway. You kick in another door and yell, “Fire department, call out.” Into the room. You hear a man call out, “Over here.” They hid in the bathroom. You help them stand up and walk them back to the stairwell. They seemed to be doing fine, so you urged them to walk down by themselves, making sure to tell them to get checked out at triage. When you walk back you see Cruz helped an elderly woman to the stairs as well. “Need a hand?” You ask. He shakes his hand, “No, keep going, I’ve got this one.” So, you do, door after door, you search the room. A lot of the apartments are empty already, people that weren’t home or that walked downstairs at the first sign of something wrong, you were glad there weren’t a lot of people because the smoke started to get thicker and the flames bigger. Cruz was already back kicking in doors as well, when you heard Boden’s voice over the radio. “Attention all units, five more minutes and then I want everybody out.” You look over at the many doors you have yet to check and speed up your pace. 

It hadn’t even been five minutes yet when the next order came over the radio. “Attention all units, I’m calling it. Everybody out!” You hate leaving all these rooms unchecked, but you knew that Boden was right, the fire was strong. You followed Cruz towards the stairs when you heard a faint cry that stopped you in your tracks. When you heard it again, it sounded like a little kid. You had to make a decision, follow orders, or try to save the child. Against your better judgment you turn around and take off in the direction of the cries, leaving Cruz behind. The crying gets louder the further that you walk down the hallway, meaning that you are getting closer.

Cruz walks out the door and takes his mask off to take a deep breath. He sees the rest of 51  standing behind Boden, all looking in his direction. Boden is quick to speak up, “Cruz, where is y/l/n?” Cruz looks around thinking you were right behind him this whole time. “She was right behind me.” He says in disbelief, already putting his mask back on. “Cruz, stand down. I can’t let anyone back in.” He reaches for his radio. “Y/l/n, report. I want you out of this building, right now.” You hear his request on the radio, but ignore it as you’re kicking in the door that you hear the crying coming from. The fire has already made it through the ceiling of the living room, you crouch down making your way over to the crying. When you reach an open bedroom door you find the crying baby. He was lying in the arms of a woman laying on the floor. You quickly check for a pulse, you’re relieved when you feel a regular heartbeat, she must have passed out from all the smoke that was filling the room. “Y/l/n, report.” You hear over the radio again, worry now present in his voice. You don’t have time to respond as you hear a voice coming from underneath the bed. “Is mommy okay?” You look under and find a girl who can’t be more than three years old. Your heart sinks, how were you going to get all three of them out, with the fire getting stronger and stronger. Setting aside your worries, you pull her out from under the bed. “Mommy is okay, the smoke just made her really sleepy, that’s all.” You take the young girl by the hand and pick up the baby, to move them to the bathroom where you’d all have some more room to breathe. “I’m going to get your mommy now. I will be right back, I promise.” You sit down next to the mom, feeling her pulse once again. Still a steady heartbeat. You reach for your radio. “Chief.” You take a deep breath before speaking again. “Chief, is Leslie with you?” Chief Boden ushers Shay closer. “She’s standing next to me. What's going on?” Shay shares a worried look with him. “Leslie, baby, are you there?” You hear her respond with a shaky voice. “Yes, the line is open, you’re scaring me, what’s going on?” - “I love you so much, but I have to try. I just wanted to let you know that I love you, in case I..” She interrupts you, “Don’t say it, you come back to me okay. I love you, please come back to me.” It breaks your heart to hear her like this. “I’ll try my best, I promise.”

You grab the bedsheet and drag the mom towards the bathroom where you left the kids. Once inside you take off your mask. The little girl is crying, you take off your glove and wipe away the tears. “I know it’s scary, but I’m here to help. My name is y/n, what about you?” Between sobs she tells you that her name is Mila. “Okay, Mila, let’s get you all out of here.” You take off your oxygen tank and your coat, before you turn the water on in the bath, drowning the bedsheets. “Mila, honey, come here. I’m going to wrap this around you, okay? And then I want you to climb on my back.” The girl nods. You were trying to create some sort of carrier with the sheet that would hold both Mila and her little brother, so that your hands were free for their mom.” Once you had Mila attached to your back, you picked up the baby and wrapped him to your front. “I’m going to put my coat back over you okay, I want you to be very still and hold on to me, okay honey?” You button up the coat so that both the kids are safe from the fire. With the remaining part of the bedding you wrap up the mom’s body, making sure that she has some kind of protection from the flames before you pick her up and take one last breath of oxygen from your mask, since you had to leave it behind. 

The fire had spread through more parts of the apartment, but there was no going back now. You went around as much fire as possible and jumped through the ones you couldn’t go around. To your surprise you made it to the stairs. You hold the mom close as you decent, quick but careful. The smoke was really starting to get to you, but you couldn’t stop, you made a promise to Mila and you intend on keeping it. 

Outside the team was watching the building, hoping and praying that you would walk out of the door. They didn’t believe their eyes when they saw you exit the building, everyone running your way. Kelly takes the woman out of your arms and lays her down on the stretcher from one of the paramedics. You fall to your knees from coughing so much. Leslie sits down with you trying to calm down your breathing, while Cruz tries to help you up, but you push him off. Between coughs you manage to say, “The kids.” - “We can’t go back in, y/l/n. It’s too dangerous.” You shake your head and open your coat, revealing the improvised baby carrier. You shake off your coat to reveal a second child. Once your teammates take the kids from you to get checked out. Dawson is by your side with an oxygen mask, you eagerly put it over your face and take some deep breaths. “You scared me so much, please never do that again.” Leslie says hugging you tight. 

Chief Boden steps your way. “You did good, y/l/n.” He says. “Get yourself checked out at the hospital, you took in a lot of smoke.” You nod in agreement. Dawson steps up to Boden, “Can Shay and I take her? I know Shay won’t want to leave her side right now.” Boden agrees to let them take you and will let dispatch know that ambulance 61 is out of order for the time being. 

The doctors do some tests, they all go well and you are cleared to start duty right away. Dawson drives the ambulance back to the firehouse where your teammates gather as soon as they hear you pull up. You step out of the back with Leslie, as soon as they see you they’re all relieved to see you’re doing so well. “I’m all good, don’t worry guys.” You walk up to the Chief. “I got cleared for duty, Sir. I did have to leave some of my gear behind, though.” Boden nods, “We’ve got some spare tanks and masks, don’t worry about it. Glad to have you back.” Once Boden walks away you turn your attention back to the team, they all give you a hug or pat on the back. Luckily the rest of the day was slow, just a couple small calls, so you were able to catch your breath a bit more. 

After a night of uninterrupted sleep, you join the team for breakfast. Mills cooked, and it was delicious as always. Boden ordered an inventory check on all the vehicles, so that’s where you headed next. You were crouched down checking equipment when you heard people walking outside. “Mommy, I see her!” You turn around at the familiar voice. Mila comes running up to you and jumps into your arms. “Hi Mila.” You hug her tight, seeing them here meant so much. Since another ambulance company treated them, you didn’t know how they were doing. Mila lets go after a while remembering something. “We made you cookies.” You smile at the little girl, you had only seen her scared on the scene, which made seeing her so cheerful now even more happy. She pulls you over to her mom who was talking with Leslie and Chief Boden. “Hi, I’m y/n, nice to meet you.” You say extending your hand. Instead of shaking your hand she goes in for a hug. “I’m sorry.” She says while stepping back. “Shaking your hand didn’t seem enough, you saved my life.” She looks down at her kids and adds, “Their lives. I owe you everything.” You smile at her, “No need to apologize, and of course, I was just doing my job.” The woman shakes her head, “Everyone that I have talked to has said that you went above and beyond for us. So, thank you. Thank you so much.” Hearing back from the people that you saved was so special. Knowing that you’re the reason they are able to stand right in front of you. “Do you have some time to stick around? I would love to show Mila the trucks, if she’d like.” Mila was already nodding her head enthusiastically, “Please, Mommy.” 

Your girlfriend was watching you in awe as you posed for pictures with Mila on your lap behind the steering wheel of the Squad truck. While Chief Boden was proudly watching you interact with the family that you saved.