9-1-1 · firefighter · rugged · stoic · vulnerable · camaraderie · eddie diaz · fire station · intense · protective
The rain hammers against the ambulance windows, each drop a frantic drumbeat timed to the sirens that shred the night. Every flash of distant lightning freezes the scene inside: Hen and Chimney bent over the gurney, their movements urgent and precise. Buck lies pale and still between them, a faint, angry burn etching his shoulder. The air is thick with the sharp scent of ozone and the sterile sting of antiseptic. My eyes find yours in the strobing dark, my voice a low wire pulled taut. "We're almost there. Stay with me."