Through All the Years

by Rod Carstens

  "Got a good one Chief."

  Tom looked over to see Brian Wilkes.

  "Brian be careful on this one. Watch the attic."

  Brain glanced up and nodded then led his crew inside.

  Nick O'Neal put down his pike pole and put on his mask next to Tom.

  "They are sending me off with a bang." Nick said.

  Tom looked over at his old comrade and said.

  "You always were lucky. Stick with me I may need that pike pole."

  "Check."

  Tom turned on his air and walked through the front door. Smoke conditions were not bad. The fire was venting itself out the third story windows and roof. He knew where he needed to be, and began to climb the winding staircase to the third floor, followed closely by Rick. As he ascended the stairs the smoke conditions began to worsen, but even as he reached the third floor it was not bad.

  "Primary all clear." A voice over the radio said. That meant they had made one search without finding any residents still in the building.

  "Command check. Primary all clear. Command to all units be advised I have spoken with residents and they state no one is left in the structure."

  Good at least they did not have to worry about that.

  "Nick pull that ceiling." Tom said.

  Nick drove his hook into the ceiling and pulled the dry wall, it crashed to the floor. Heavy fire in the attic showed through the hole. Tom moved down the hall toward the front of the house.

  "Now here."

  Nick again drove his pike pole into the dry wall of the ceiling and pulled down. Again heavy fire roared out of the attic. There was no fire below the attic in this part of the structure. That meant the attic had been burning for some time. If the attic had been burning for a while, that meant the trusses were close to failure, and the roof could come down any second. It was like having a burning lumberyard over your head.

  "Get out now." Tom said to Nick.

  "Check. Let me check the front bedroom to make sure there aren't guys up there."

  Tom pulled the radio mike off his coat and said.

  "Command this is Interior. We have heavy fire in the attic the length of the third floor. Repeat we have heavy fire in the attic the length of the third floor. I am ordering an immediate evacuation. Repeat evacuate the structure."

  Hearing his command over their radio's two firefighters from the rear of the third floor rushed past Tom and headed down stairs.

  "Command check. All units evacuate the structure. All units evacuate the structure. Dispatch sound the emergency evacuate tone."

  The dispatch center gave three tones in rapid succession and the said. "All units evacuate the structure. Repeat all unit evacuate the structure immediately." Again the three tones.

  Tom turned and as he about to go down the stairs when he caught a glimpse of a firefighter entering a bedroom down the hall. Tom strode down the hall and turned into the bedroom he had seen the firefighter enter. The firefighter was on his hands and knees searching the room. Tom did not recognize the name on the back of the firefighters coat he must be one of the new Rookies. He reached down and grabbed him by the shoulder strap of his air tank. He pulled him to his feet.

  "Didn't you hear my order to evacuate?"

  The young firefighter just looked at him. Then he looked up at his white helmet that signified that he was a chief.

  "No Chief."

  "Get out now!"

  The firefighter turned and moved toward the stairway with Tom following close behind. Just as they reached the stairway Tom heard it. It was groan and then a huge crack. The roof was coming down. He turned just in time to see Nick emerge from the front bedroom at the end of the hall. Their eyes met. Nick was too far from the stairs. Nick knew it and turned toward the railing to jump, but just as he turned and before he could jump he disappeared under a flaming mass of debris from the ceiling.

  Tom reached out and shoved the young firefighter down the stairs as the roof came down on him. The roofs trusses knocked him down and pinning him to the floor. As orange flames surrounded him, the last image he saw was the young firefighter rolling down the stairs to safety. He began to feel his legs burn. He screamed into his mask.

  CHAPTER 69

  "Evacuate the structure."

  It was Tom's voice but it was different. His tone was different than Kate had ever heard. That is when the air horns on all the trucks started. Kate would always remember the air horns. Each truck was blowing their horn five separate times to signal the evacuation. The trucks were not in sync, so the sound seemed to go on forever, as they all completed the signal. That was when Kate saw the roof begin to collapse.

  "Fuck." Buckethead said.

  Buckethead's had been standing by as part of the Rapid Intervention Team. They were not to enter the structure unless firefighters were in trouble. He had been explaining what was happening as the crews fought the fire when the roof began to collapse. When the air horns on all of the fire equipment began Buckethead and the rest of his crew moved as one toward the house. That is when she heard echoing over all of the radio loudspeakers on the trucks.

  "Mayday, mayday, mayday! We have firefighters trapped. Repeat we have firefighters trapped. Mayday, mayday, mayday!"

  "Command to Dispatch strike a third alarm we have a collapse with firefighters trapped."

  Kate saw firefighters roll out of the front door their coats smoking. Others were sliding down the ladder from the second floor, and falling away from the bottom of the ladder as other firefighters followed them. As soon as they were out of the building the firefighters began organizing themselves to try and re-enter the building. She saw Buckethead's crew take a hose in the front door trying to make entry. So much was happening all at once that it was chaos to her.

  "Command to all units. I want confirmation you are out of the structure and that you have a PAR."

  Units began to call in reporting their crews were safe.

  "Tower 2 to Command we are missing firefighter O'Neal. He was last seen on with Battalion 2."

  "Engine 2 to Command. We have reports that the trapped firefighters are on the third floor landing. One is Battalion 2 he was last seen on the third floor we are attempting to confirm."

  That is when things began to get fuzzy for Kate. She did not faint, but her reality changed with that radio transmission, more trucks roared pass-blowing diesel into Kate's face. The Chief in charge of the fire was now standing out of the truck staring at the structure as if he were trying to will his men through the fire to Tom and the other trapped firefighters. Additional crews were running toward the structure. Someone put a ladder up to the second floor. More hose lines were being brought into the building. It appeared to be mass confusion to Kate, but she could see all the effort begin to organize itself into a push into the building. She could not understand how they could possibly think that they could push into the fire because now it seemed too big, too fierce. It was the violence of the flames that struck Kate, in the movie fires she had watched on set the flames almost seemed lazy and in slow motion compared to these. The fire seemed to leaping and throwing itself out of the windows as if were trying to escape the building. It almost looked as if it were a living evil thing. Yet the firefighters never hesitated, never slowed their efforts.

  Kate could only stare and pray. The fire was bigger than ever before. The building was almost falling in on itself. Men were smashing windows and climbing into the house. Others were setting up a tower truck. If she could do something, then she might feel better but all she could do was stand there and watch. Images of Tom flashed through her consciousness, a young Tom walking out of the Pacific, a surfboard under his arm smiling as he saw her waiting for him, Tom's face as he stared into the fire one night on the beach. Tom on the deck at the beach house his legs propped on the railing in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, laughing as they reminisced. Now a house fire was burning it all away. Kate put her hand on the hood of the Suburban to steady herself. She was not sure how long she stood there or
how long before she heard on the radio.

  "Command this is Heavy Rescue 1 we have Battalion 2. One firefighter is out. One firefighter is out. We are continuing operations to find the second."

  Kate looked up startled out of her memories by those words. She looked toward the building. Two men were running toward the house pulling a stretcher. All the attention was aimed at a knot of men surrounding something she could not see. Other firefighters were running toward the knot of people with packs and large bags. She could see others kneeling on the ground next to something working frantically. Someone else ran up with a long wooden board and they all slipped it under something. Soon they were lifting a body on to the stretcher on the board. Then four men pushed, lifted and carried the stretcher through the front yard towards her and the Chief.

  "Command to Dispatch we have one patient being transported to the hospital via Rescue 7."

  "Command check."

  The men moving the stretcher rushed past Kate, their faces grim and sweating. She only caught a glimpse of a bare hand as the stretcher went by it was very red and the skin was peeling off of it. She stood there staring after them frozen not knowing what to do. Then she thought he needs me. I can go with him. She turned and started to follow the stretcher. She ran into someone, it was Buckethead he was standing in her way.

  "Kate you can't go with him. They need to work on him."

  "He needs me. Let me go."

  Buckethead held her gently in his huge arms. His coat smelled of the fire and he was covered with soot and ash. His face was red and sweating, his expression grim.

  "No, he needs what they can do more."

  "Let me go please."

  "Kate no."

  It was Brian the nice young man on the set, and Rachel's new boyfriend. He was standing next to Buckhead. His face was bleeding and his helmet was off. He smelled like the fire too. Sweat was mixing with the blood on his face and dripping off his chin.

  "Come on let's get you to the hospital." Buckethead said to Brain.

  "Chief, can Kate catch a ride too?"

  "Yes. I'll have Rescue take her in with you. Your going to need some stitches."

  Kate held onto Buckethead as if he were a rock in a stormy sea. His huge bulk seemed to calm her. The Chief noticed the look on her face and said.

  "Bucket go ahead get checked out too."

  CHAPTER 70

  The doors to the rescue truck were slammed shut and someone outside pounded on them twice. Sirens blaring, the truck lurched forward. Kate had to grab the stretcher she was sitting on to keep from falling over. She was crammed into the rear compartment of the truck with Buckethead and Brian who sat on a bench seat across from her. Their firefighting gear reeked of smoke, they both were red faced and sweating. Both were still breathing heavily after pulling Tom from the burning building.

  Buckethead took off his gloves. His hands shook as he pulled off his helmet, and then his Nomex hood. Fatigue and tension lined his face as he rubbed his fingers through his balding hair. He coughed several times and leaned over, his elbows on his knees, his head down His eyes avoiding Kate's. Brain was leaning back against the wall of the rescue his eyes closed. His handsome face was covered with soot and blood from a cut on his forehead. He pulled off his helmet and hood and wiped his face. It only smeared the blood with the sweat making him look even grimmer.

  "Brian, your bleeding," Kate said.

  He looked down at his hand and realized it was covered with blood.

  "Kate could you hand me some four by fours?" he said.

  "I don't..." she said not knowing what he was talking about.

  "Those square white gaze pads behind you in the cabinet."

  She turned but was the whole side of the truck was a series of sliding plastic doors with all manner of medical supplies.

  "Don't worry. Let me get it," Ray said. He reached over her and slid a door open. He grabbed a hand full of the 4x4's and handed them to Brain. Brian wiped his face with several until most of the blood was gone.

  "That's better," Kate said with a weak smile.

  All three sat silently for some moments. Ray leaned forward again, his face in his hands. He appeared completely physically and emotionally exhausted.

  "He's going to be all right isn't he? Ray tell me he going to be all right," Kate said.

  Ray opened his red-rimmed bloodshot eyes and looked at Brain. Their eyes met for a long moment before he spoke.

  "Kate I learned something a long time ago in this business. You don't lie to people. We tried, we tried so hard. I think we got him out in time, but I don't know. I really don't. He is very badly hurt."

  Tears welled up in Kate's eyes. Not now after all of these years. They had just found each other again, he had survived Vietnam and a thousand other fires, and he couldn't die now. Not like this. She looked at their sad exhausted faces, trying to read some hidden hope in them, but she found none, she only found concern and real sadness. The red lights of the rescue were reflecting off buildings outside the front windshield. The low overhead lights in rescues compartment was almost theatrical as it dimly illuminated the firefighters exhausted faces. Kate kept waiting for the director to yell cut and the crew begin to break down the set, but this was real, too real. The rescue rocked to one side throwing them off balance as it went around a corner.

  "Sorry back there." The driver yelled back.

  "They find Nick yet?" Ray said to the firefighter driving the truck.

  "Nothing on the radio. They would make an announcement if they had."

  Nick was the other firefighter who had been trapped with Tom. He was still missing. Men were still at the scene desperately trying to find him. Nothing had ever prepared Kate for the reality of this moment. Nothing in all her years making films could ever match the intensity of what she was feeling. She had played scenes like this one before, the worried lover of the hero, unsure if he would survive his last adventure. Now she knew she had always played them wrong. The intensity of her emotions was way beyond anything she had ever brought to one of those scenes.

  She was acutely aware of just how out of place she seemed next to these big tough men in their reeking firefighting gear, in her designer jeans, blouse and big gold Rolex. Yet she had become a part of this strange family of firefighting, because she loved one of them, the man they had just risked their lives trying to save. They had without hesitation entered an inferno no movie Kate had ever made came close to portraying. She had seen them throw themselves along with dozens of others at the fire with desperation and determination etched on their faces, because only they knew what those trapped men were going through. When they finally had brought Tom out, she had seen the fear in their swift actions as they urgently worked on him. Then because she loved one of them, they had taken care of her as if she were one of their own. The Rescue lurched around a corner and Kate had to grab the stretcher again. How much longer till they reached the hospital the ride seemed to take forever.

  CHAPTER 71

  The rescue pulled to a stop and someone open the back doors. Buckhead and Brain helped Kate down and lead her into the hospital. It was one of the most startling changes Kate had ever experienced. She had in few short minutes gone from the night filled with red lights and the orange glow of a fire with a night filled with shouts and screams, into a silent rocking rescue truck that deposited her in the bright sterile environment of a hospital. She felt almost disoriented. Someone led them to a room that had been set-aside for friends and family.

  Brian and Buckethead sat her down then began to shed their firefighting gear. As they did more firefighters began to arrive. She was soon surrounded by grim faced men some still in their gear others in civilian clothes who had come from their homes. Kate sat there silently. Every now and then one of the firefighters who had been at the station earlier, would come over to say a few words or place a hand on her shoulder, but she could not say anything there was nothing to say. Then the door opened and Danny and Karen came into the room. Danny rushe
d over to Kate and took her into his arms.

  "Danny I am so sorry. Oh, Danny I am sorry." Kate said.

  Danny just held her.

  "I am going to go and find out something babe." Karen said.

  "Ok. Let us know."

  Karen rushed out of the room.

  "Karen can find out how he is. She let us know as soon as she can."

  Kate only held onto him harder. Finally they sat down holding hands. The firefighters around murmured among themselves but they left Danny and Kate to themselves. It seemed like a long time before Karen returned. Her face was tense as she knelt in front of Kate and Danny.

  "He is in very bad shape. The burns to his lungs are the biggest worry; the rafters from that roof falling on his chest and legs did a lot of damage. He's got a lot of internals injuries."

  Karen paused and looked at Danny.

  "It is going to be a few days before we know."

  "Know what?" Kate said.

  Karen hesitated before she said.

  "Before we know if he is going to make it."

  Danny's arm around her shoulder squeezed her tightly. Karen reached out to hold her hand. That is when Kate realized she could not give in to this. They were not. They were grim faced and composed. She should be taking care of them, not the other way around. She wiped her eyes and said.

  "Can we see him soon?"

  "No. He is headed for surgery and he will be in there for hours."

  "Then can I help with Carri while you two wait for him to come out?"

  Karen blinked a couple of times, obviously not expecting the offer from Kate.

  "No thank you. She is with a friend and it will be better for her there."

  "Good. Look I am all right. I want to help.."

  "You already have." Karen said quietly.