life or death 

In the evening, Buck was stationed at the counter in Josephine's kitchen cooking dinner. Amid placing the last touches of seasoning on the salmon, he stole a glance at Josephine sitting across and nursing a beer. He tugged a tiny grin and reverted to the pan before storing it inside the oven. While prepping the salad, they continued to share glances.

Josephine had a smirk play upon her lips with her eyes practically ogling him. She went for another swig of her drink.

"You're free to take a picture of me anytime, Santiago."

"I'm the type of person who likes to be present and bask in the moment." Josephine cheekily replied to causing Buck to suppress a chuckle. "But I can say I've been enjoying this view."

Buck finished the salad then took his beer for a sip. He exhaled then leaned forward on the counter. "I could say that I agree too." The two clinked their bottles together laughing.

A rapid sound of knocking on the door earned the couple's attention. Sharing a perplexed look as neither expected visitors, Josephine slid out of the stool to answer the door. Buck had trailed behind her to discover Albert on the other side.

"Albert?"

"Hey guys, I'm not interrupting, am I?" He sheepishly greeted the couple.

Josephine graced an inviting smile, "No, do you want to join us for dinner? Buck put the salmon in the oven."

His eyes lit up, "Sure." Josephine pulled the door open for Albert to enter further in her place.

Buck interjected, "Not to be rude but I thought you had a date with Veronica?" The woman mentioned is a tenant in their apartment complex where Albert crossed paths then hit it off immediately with her.

Albert grimaced, "I had to cancel on her. Chimney called me to drive him and Maddie to the hospital because they thought the baby was coming."

"But it was a false alarm." Josephine assumed to which Albert confirmed by nodding shortly.

"So, since my plans fell through...I was hoping the invite was still open to watch the newest episode of our favorite reality dating show." He and Josephine have shared their obsession with the most popular reality tv show that has captivated the world.

She laughed, "You're always welcomed, Albert. Plus, it would be nice to have someone where I don't need to explain the drama." She narrowed at Buck.

He surrendered, appearing offended by his girlfriend. "There's all these love triangles or squares happening. I can't keep up."

"Hey, anybody got baby names. Not your names."

Josephine and the rest of the 118 members gathered between the vehicles after pulling in from a dispatch call. She shared perplexed looks with everyone at Chimney's abrupt question. He sent a pointed look at Buck at the last part he said. They soon assumed Maddie texted about picking baby names since he was looking at his phone. More to the fact, Maddie continues to have false labor surpassing her due date.

Buck shut the compartment door to the ladder truck. "I thought you were just going to put names in a hat?"

"Yeah..." Chimney reminisced the failed attempt the other night. Eddie and Josephine stifled a laugh when he mentioned what happened.

Eddie leaned back against the ladder truck, crossing his arms. "Shannon and I didn't know what we were going to name Christopher. Then we saw him. We knew." He told.

"Right. We're way ahead of our skis here." Chimney typed a response to Maddie after gaining reassurance from the brunette.

The four were walking away from the apparatus floor when Chimney's phone chimed. Peering on the paramedic's shoulders, they read Maddie's text.

"Norman Bates?" Josephine mused.

Next to her with his arm around her, Buck spoke. "Uh, she didn't like that idea."

"I think she just called me a psycho." Chimney assumed with an uncertain tone. Given the name with no explanation. The trio bit off a laugh, departing his side while Eddie gave him a pat on his back.

A serious accident took place on the freeway in the evening of the shift. Apparently, a car entered the wrong side resulting in a huge collision down the line. First responders reported down to the scene to enable their aid to the victims and prevent any other incidents from occurring. The 118 arrived at the car had been the cause. They gathered from the call center's intel that a young boy called in visibly scared due to his mother's sudden reckless driving.

Athena spotted Bobby at the scene, walking up to him.

"Make sure everybody stays back until the cars have been de-energized and all the airbags have been checked." Bobby ordered the firefighters.

"What's the count, Captain?" Athena called out, earning her husband's attention from the scene.

He gestured to the firefighters lying a cover on a body. "Well, three causalities so far. At least a dozen injured." He noted and then spoke into his radio. "Dispatch, send another 10 RA units here asap."

The duo went further into the scene merely distraught in witnessing it all. Being on this job never gets better when tragedy strikes with innocent civilians involved. Bobby was leading his wife towards the car where his team were working on.

"All this because of one driver. I take it this is the offending vehicle?"

"What's left of it. Still working on getting in there."

Athena surveyed the wreckage, "Sure there's anyone in there left to save?"

"No verbal response. Can't see past the side airbags." Eddie shared. "But we picked up a heat signature."

Josephine confirmed on the brunette man's behalf. "Definitely a live occupant in the front. Smaller heat signature in the back." She told the couple.

"Dispatch says they got a call from the driver's son, Jacob."

Chimney interjected in disbelief, "The kid's still in the car?"

The 118 moved within the next second, Bobby ordered for jaws to wedge the door open to rescue the child. He and Chimney worked together already starting on the door. Buck snatched the jaws and went towards the driver's side where he got the visual of the unconscious mother. However, the roof being too dense made it difficult for the team to break through the doors.

"Let's cut the whole top off."

"Let's get the saw!"

"Let's go!"

A chorus of voices belonging to the 118 shouted to resolve the issue imminently.

Josephine and Eddie used the saws and worked rapidly to split the roof from the car. Once finished, the team removed the top in a cautious matter.

"I got eyes on the boy! He's still breathing." Hen told once peeking into the window of the unconscious young boy laid out on the floor of the backseat.

"All right, Buck, get that Halligan." Bobby ordered the blond.

Buck was able to break through the door. "It's a miracle she's in one piece. The car's hugging her like a glove." He exclaimed before stepping out of the way for Chimney to take over.

"Okay. Young male victim. Possible vertebrae break." Chimney declared, catching a glimpse from hovering the roof. "Eddie, get me a neck brace."

"Pulse is steady. Multiple lacerations. Airbag burn." Hen declared after checking the mother on the other side.

The mother in the driver's seat began to regain consciousness. "What ha-happened?" she weakly asked, clearly unaware of the state she's in.

Besides Hen, Athena pondered. "You think her slurred speech is a symptom of her injuries?"

"Can't be too sure yet."

"Dispatch says she was acting odd before the crash, too."

Bobby called out, "Chim, how's that kid looking?"

"Upper vertebra seems intact, but his systolic blood pressure is skyrocketing...could be a TBI. Probably best to transport him in the seat." Chimney suggested after analyzing.

"All right, make it safe and get him out."

"Copy that."

Bobby went ahead to call into his radio. "Dispatch, contact the Children's Hospital ER. Have them prep for neurosurgery. We've got a patient, Jacob, approximately seven to eight years old, coming in with a possible TBI."

At the mention of her son's name, Rachel's head shifted in search of him in the backseat. "Jacob?"

"Uh, Jacob is still in the back seat. We're working on getting him out." Buck assured the woman.

"Ma'am, were you experiencing any pain, disorientation that may have led to your confusion?" Hen questioned.

Before Rachel could conjure an answer, Athena cut in. "I think I got something..." She pushed the passenger door investigating. "...that added to her confusion." She propped up an alcoholic beverage, leaving Hen speechless.

She let out a rough sigh, "How many people have to die tonight because she was drunk and stupid?" a disgusted sigh left Athena's mouth. Her mind halted when she locked eyes with Bobby stunned.

Nevertheless, she didn't mean to attack her husband with her remark. She was infuriated by the danger this woman placed her son and many others now either casualties or injured because of her. As a mother herself and Jacob being a few years younger than Harry, it struck a chord.

Again, these scenes were never easy to digest and to suppress.

"Details to add to my report." Athena proclaimed to Bobby, stalking off from the scene.

They were able to transport Jacob and send him off into an ambulance. Despite the rescue, tensions ran high from unveiling to what initiated the destruction of the site.

"Drunk driving with your only child in the car...." Hen said in a harsh tone.

Bobby approached the paramedic, "You good here, Hen?"

"Not one bit, Cap." she truthfully said. "But I got it. It's our job, right?"

The 118 and the rest of the first responders proceeded to help the victims of the pileup. Some were assisted to be removed from their vehicles and others tagged as a casualty. It was definitely going to be a long night for everyone.

Bobby and Athena were talking until dispatch interrupted where their exchange will remain unsaid then.

"Captain Nash, can you spare a paramedic for a woman in labor at Dispatch Metro?" Sue asked on the line.

Perplexed by the demand, Bobby replied. "Pretty sure there are some paramedics a lot closer to your location than we are."

"Yes, but none of them are the baby's father."

Josephine and the rest of the 118 stopped then directly stared at Chimney at the comment. All of their faces turned into smiles for the father to be. The day had finally come for his baby girl to decide to be welcomed in the world.

"We've got it from here, Chim. Go meet your daughter." Bobby said filled with pride for his friend.

"You sure?"

Athena quipped, "I'm following that ambulance. You can ride with me." Chimney dropped everything and followed the older woman to her car.

The victims who were accounted for in the pileup appeared to have a miscalculation when Sue radioed Bobby about a driver claiming to be trapped in his car from the accident. Yet to Bobby's belief they didn't miss anyone else on the scene. It was explained that the line went dead before receiving any more details from the driver. And when May dialed the number again, it went straight to voicemail by a familiar voice and name that rang through her ears.

"Bobby, the call came from an Albert Han. Isn't that Chimney's brother?"

"Are you sure? I thought the call was dropped."

May responded, "I called the number back, and it gave me his voicemail."

Worried looks were shared amongst the 118 who stood around.

Buck intervened the conversation, "What did the message say?"

"He said his name and to leave a message because, um..." May tried to recall the rest of the voicemail though it was no need for Buck to piece it together.

"Cause that's what texts are for." He finished.

When May confirmed, Bobby and the team raced in search of Albert through the cars and calling his name. Unbeknownst to Chimney, occupied in assisting Maddie during the labor that his brother was in a life threatening situation.

Running back and forth looking thoroughly in each car, it felt like a dead end.

"Cap! We've been up and down this road twice." Buck shouted. "He's-he's not here."

Josephine refused to give into defeat so easily. "No, he's here. We've had to miss him somewhere."

"Dispatch, this is Captain Nash. That very first caller reported seeing the vehicle. Which exit were they calling from?"

May typed into the system, scrolling through the reports. "It says Exit 43 exit ramp."

Everyone's gaze darted at the freeway sign: Exit 46

"He wasn't in the pile up."

"He was in front of it." Bobby said in realization. "Everybody on me! Come on, we're on the move!" He and the 118 ran off to the firetruck to drive towards the exit ramp where Albert was located.

The firetruck pulled to a stop, everyone jumping out in haste. Josephine and Buck were the first to survey the scene.

"Albert!"

"Albert!"

Josephine slapped her arm onto Buck's chest. He followed her gaze where the tire marks headed off the lane. "Hey, hey, we found tire tracks!" She yelled out to the rest.

"Let's go!"

"Let's go!"

They followed down with their tools to find Albert's car flipped over on the pavement.

Lights flashed onto Albert's head where blood streamed down his face. Hen perked her head up, "I see him!" She ripped the door open and crawled inside. "Looks like he's lost a lot of blood. His pulse is racing." Eddie wrapped a neck collar around Albert's neck before he and Buck were able to transport him safely.

The ball was in Albert's court when Hen and Eddie were doing everything to keep him stabilized in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.

"So, he's all right?"

"Yeah, Albert's surgery went well and he's recovering in the hospital." Josephine answered Whitney's question after entailing her and Lucas about the accident on the freeway. It had spread all over the news considering how massive of a story it was, especially the number of victims who experienced such a tragedy.

The trio were sitting outside in the patio at the couple's house. Josephine decided to make a visit to not only see her friends but basked in the love of her godson, Nathan. The eight month old slept soundly in his godmother's arms after much crawling and screaming around. Nathan is such a delight and adores Josephine who spoils him to bits.

Lucas leaned back with his arm on top of the sofa, hovering on his wife's shoulders. "That's good. I can't imagine the emotions that Chimney experienced that night. Feels like a double whammy. But I'm glad you guys were able to get to him in time. And that he's doing fine." He swallowed at the mere thought of losing Bryan.

Bryan was his brother. He wouldn't wish on anyone to lose their sibling like he did before his son was born.

Josephine and Whitney immediately understand the underlying context of Lucas' words. Whitney placed a comforting hand on her husband's leg.

"Yeah," Josephine simply said. Her gaze fell onto her sleeping godson. He nestled into her body with one hand gripping onto her shirt for reassurance. She can remember when she nearly cried after Lucas and Whitney told her his name. Nathan's middle name honored his godfather's who he'll never get the chance to meet. His father's beloved brother.

She caressed his blond locks. "Which is why I was desperate for some baby cuddles." Her lips elicited a small smile merely enamored.

Whitney smiled at the duo. "Obviously, you're always welcomed. He loves his auntie who spoils him too much and makes it easier for us to put him down for bed." She humored, narrowing at the brunette.

"And with him walking, he's going to be running around soon." Lucas commented.

"Well, I can't wait because we're going to have so much fun!" Josephine happily stated. 

-Unedited. Been meaning to post a new chapter. Finally sat down and started writing. Hope you like it! Tell me what you think! Don't forget to comment and vote! Stay tuned-

WRITTEN: 2/23/24

PUBLISHED: 2/24/24