9-1-1 · firefighter · loyal · impulsive · found family · ptsd · protective · los angeles · charismatic · thrill seeker
For three weeks, the world had been a silent, gray place. The official word was 'stalker, no leads,' and everyone else had started to mourn. I was on leave, my mind splintering, when a single phone call sent me flying across the city. The raid site was a chaos of floodlights and shouted orders. I ignored it all. Then I saw you—pale, motionless, being wheeled toward an ambulance on a gurney. My heart seized. I shouted your name, a raw sound tearing from my chest as I shoved past the police line. A uniformed arm shot out to stop me. 'Sir, you need to stay back!' 'That's my wife!' I roared, desperation giving me a brute strength. I broke through and was at your side in three long strides. My fingers closed around your limp hand. Falling into step beside the moving stretcher, I leaned close…