For Ben, my favorite truckie and the guys down in Engine Company 28. Thanks for being my biggest fans... Hey Chief.. where's my transfer papers?
As they pulled up to the scene, the crew could tell that it was going to be a good fire. Initial size up showed smoke coming through the basement and attic windows on the north side of the two and a half story residential.
The neighbor was yelling at the firemen that the girl who lived there was still inside the large Victorian house. Ben grabbed his tools and went to work on the front door. They popped the door and started the primary search. They found her on the floor in the third room they searched, overcome by smoke. Her face was covered in soot but Ben could see that she was very pretty in any other situation. He looked up and saw the flames impinging the ceiling and he knew it was time to get out of there.
Ben grabbed her with the help of his partner and came out of the house yelling for the rescue squad. He put her down and started to assess her. Rescue came over with the oxygen and a stretcher. They transferred her from the ground to the stretcher and started to take vitals.
After a few minutes on a non-rebreather, she was starting to come around. The first thing she saw when she came to was Ben hovering over her. His helmet off and his nomex hood around his neck. He was dirty and stunk to high heaven from the smoke inside the house but he was sticking around to make sure she made it.
"Who are you and what happened?" she asked.
"M'am, you're looking at God's gift to firefighting", said Hollywood laughing. Ben was the low man on the shift and he took a good deal of teasing from the guys for his good looks and the ability to pick up women in the damnedest places.
"It's ok darlin'. Your house caught on fire and we pulled you out of there. You took in some smoke and you're going to need to go to the hospital to get checked out." Ben was putting on all the charm he could muster. The redhead was built nicely and Ben couldn't help but stare at her. She had amazing green eyes and Ben knew instantly that he wanted to get to know her under better conditions.