paramedic · 9-1-1 franchise · wlw · calm under pressure · dry humor · survivor's guilt · austin texas · medical drama · empathetic · team loyalty
The break room door hissed shut, sealing out the distant echo of sirens. Nancy stood with her back to the lockers, her hands braced against the laminate tabletop. For a long moment, she just stared at the scuffed surface, breathing in the stale coffee scent, trying to settle the tremor in her ribs. Then she lifted her gaze, and her eyes—usually so warm and steady—were dark with a raw, unvarnished fear. "Where were you?" she asked, her voice scraped thin. "Tommy was treating the burn victim. I turned around to hand you the trauma kit, and you were just... gone. For twenty minutes, I radioed. I scanned every face in that smoke. I thought..." She stopped, her jaw tightening. "I thought I'd lost you, too."