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“A Hero’s Heart”



“After the verb ‘to love,’ ‘to help’ is the most beautiful verb in the world.”- Bertha Von Sutter



**~Chapter fifteen- One Wish~**



-September 7, 2001. 2:35 PM. New York City, New York. 96th street, Lexington Avenue.



The raging fire billows out the small window as the flames eat away at the wood. The rush of water blasts out, shooting the fire in a fierce fight to win. The fire starts to consume the small cottage as the trees begin burning, crying out in pain. The arrow of water drowns out the cries and heals the tree, dispersing the fire out.



A.J. runs around the side of the house and climbs in through the shattered window in the kitchen. Nick and Howie hold the large water hose spraying the gentle cooling water on the harmful flames. The thick intoxicating smoke rises and lingers in the atmosphere as the fire dies out. Brian along with Darrel hold onto another water hose and finish drenching the fire out. A.J. pulls on his black fire coat and jumps into the burned kitchen. The entire area was burnt thoroughly and was left with black soot. A.J. crunches over the splintered wood of the table and makes his way further into the house.



The company received a call that a small house residing near a Citibank was beginning to burn due to an explosive fuse in the house. The company received the call immediately and made their way over to the house which belonged to an elderly couple. A.J. accompanied by Chief Lawrence slipped into the house in search of the missing couple in hopes that they had made it out alright.



“A.J. A.J.! Did you find them?” the muffled voice of Lawrence replied from another room in the house.



“Nothing, everything is burnt.” A.J. states walking pass the small cozy living room that now lied burnt and in ashes. The walls cracked and were turning black as a large puff of smoke reeked in the air.



Lawrence shouts from upstairs in search of the bedrooms and shouts “A.J., I need you to look through the other rooms, hurry this house could collapse in a few if we don’t get out.”



Nodding quickly, A.J. rushes up the cracked and splintered wooden stairs and runs to the first close door on his right. With his foot, he kicks open the door and sees nothing but a small library in which the books now burned, lied in ruins on the floor. A.J. rushes to the other closed door on the right and sees Lawrence making his way towards him still in search of the couple that resides there. A.J. kicks open the door to a room and gasps at the sight he sees before him.



Lawrence hurries over, “What happened?”



“We’re too late.” A.J. states, his voice quivering. He tugs on the thick black fire helmet on his head and shakes his head sadly. The elderly couple lied on their bed embracing each other until they had died. Now their burnt corpses stare back at the two firefighters, the white gleaming bones poking out of the black burnt flesh.



“I heard it was an act of suicide. This fire was planned. They wanted to die in each other’s arm.” Lawrence states quietly. The only sound heard was their soft breathing and the hissing of the last flames outside the house. The inside of the house remained quiet with its deadly secret hidden behind the door.



A.J. felt his stomach rumbling, he knew if he didn’t get out of the house now, he would regurgitate the contents of his lunch. The smell of decaying flesh, smoke and ashes was getting to him and he needed to leave the house immediately. Lawrence understood what was wrong with A.J. and rushed him down the stairs and out the cracked broken front door that he entered through. A.J. clutches his stomach and begins reeling and gagging. Brian and Nick ran to their friend’s aid and pull him over to the corner of the sidewalk where A.J. released the remains of his lunch. Brian pats A.J.’s back and waits for the gagging to stop in his friend. A.J. leans over the end of the sidewalk, waiting to see if anything else would come out of his raw throat.



“Buddy, how you feeling now?” Brian asks concerned.



“Great, feeling just peachy.” A.J. responds sarcastically, turning his head and glaring at Brian.



“Dude, what did you see up there that you’re feeling that way?” Nick asks, coughing and waving his hand in front of his face as the thick smoke invaded his body.



“I found the couple living there. They’re dead.” A.J. states and starts gagging again, spitting out nothing but his saliva.



“Suicide right?” Brian asks, gazing at A.J. who’s rubbing his stomach in pain.



“Yeah, the couple started the fire to die together.” A.J. states, getting sick in the stomach again with the smell of his vomit in the air.



“Wow, that’s horrible, what a way to go man.” Nick mumbles, holding A.J. on one side as Brian held the other side of A.J. wrapping his arm around A.J.’s back to keep his friend steady when walking.



Howie and Kevin rush over to A.J. to see if he’s ok. “J, I heard the news man. I’m sorry you had to see that.” Howie states, concern on his tan face. The bright sun shimmered down on him and the others as the temperature in the summer heat rose to a boiling of ninety-five degrees. Kevin wipes off some perspiration that accumulated on his forehead and takes off his fire helmet.



Darrel shouts to the others that the fire has been taken out completely and that Howie needs to help another one of the firefighters in the company carry out the two burnt corpses in the house. “Looks like I won’t get any sleep tonight after seeing them.” He states glumly. Howie sighs and makes his way inside the damaged house behind another firefighter.



Brian sighs and shakes his head. He makes his way over the sidewalk and sits down in the corner of it staring at the few onlookers and traffic of cars down the streets. He hears someone approach him and not feeling like talking, turns around yelling, “I don’t wanna talk right now!” He wished he could take that back after seeing who it was that he screamed on.



The small golden lock child backs away frighten by Brian’s reaction. Her green eyes stare at him glistened in moist tears. Her sunflower dress blows gently in the warm breeze.



“Summer, oh sweetie I didn’t mean to scream at you. I thought you were one of the guys. I’m just not feeling happy right not.” Brian states quietly.



Summer gulps and her little six year hands brush away a speck of dust off Brian’s cheek. Her soft snowy complexion seemed to be glowing in the bright sunlight today. “It’s ok. I understand. I heard what you guys said about the people who lived inside.”



Brian nods his head and sighs, “Yeah. What are you doing here?” He asks gazing at the small girl.



Summer sighs and gazes back at the burnt house where her sister Skye was sobbing and being comforted by A.J. and Nick.



“Your relatives huh?” Brian asks.



Summer nods her little head, “My grandparents.”



Brian gulps hard, “I’m so sorry to hear that.”



“It’s ok. Grandma used to say she was tired of being sick and tried of seeing grandpa sick. So I guess this is what she wanted to do.” Summer states and sits besides Brian, leaning her little head on his shoulder.



Brian gently throws his arm around the little girl and embraces her. She was stronger than a lot of firefighters and that told a lot about her character.



“Rok.” Kevin shouted near the fire engine, “Come here. We gotta pack up and head out.”



Brian nods and picks up little Summer in his arms carrying her over to her older sister.



Skye had her head buried in A.J.’s arm as he held on to her trying to calm her down. “Skye, listen we gotta go back to the station. If you want, you can come over and hang out if you’re not sure what to do.”



Skye picks her head up and wipes away the tears that fell from her emerald eyed. “Ok, I’ll go with you guys. I can’t go home yet cause I know I have to tell my parents what happened and I’m not ready for that yet.” She states softly, smiling through her tears at her little sister Summer.



Nick smiles softly, “Things will work out, you’ll see.” He rubs Skye’s shoulder gently as he throws his arms over her and guiding her to the engine. Howie and another paramedic throw a large black cover blanket over the two corpses and helps another firefighter carry them on the gurney over to some paramedics who just arrived.

~*~



September 7, 2001. 7:14 PM. New York City, New York. Central Park West, 23rd street. Fire Company Twelve station.



Rose bits on her lower lip as Nick tells her what had happened earlier today near the bank. “Wow, they died in each other arms. How disturbingly sweet.” She mutters under her breath. Her golden locks tumble pass her shoulders as she tugs on one of the stray strands that fell out of her loose bun. Her bright ocean eyes stare back at Nick who’s leaning on the worn sofa in the lounge room. Rose sighs and leans back trying to relax, but the news that Nick told her made her more uncomfortable about the job she’s training for.



“Nick can I ask you a question?” She asks softly, her snowy complexion shining gently from the evening sunlight cascading into the room.



“Yeah, go ‘head.” Nick says, turning his head to face her at full attention.



Gulping, she sighs, “Why did you take this job? You saw so many people die, doesn’t that freak you out?”

Nick intakes a deep breath and grasp his large hands around Rose’s delicate small hands, “Because since I was little I dreamt I could be a hero and make a difference in a person’s life. And yeah it does freak me out but it’s part of the job. I’m still learning that though.”



Rose nods her head and leans back on the sofa. Yesterday the men taught the adolescent firefighters in training about the importance of proper timing when to use the weapons given to them and CPR. Rose remembered she enjoyed that part. It was quite hilarious. Of course the men weren’t gonna be the ones giving them mouth to mouth, instead stuffed dummies were lied on the floor and the teenagers were taught the proper angle and pressure placed on the chest for air to enter. Rose remembered laughing when A.J. practiced CPR on one of the stuffed dummies and acted like he was getting all into it and pretended kissing the dummy.



“What are you thinking about?” Nick asks, breaking her out of her thoughts.



“A.J.” She states smiling, enjoying the look of jealously in Nick’s eyes.



“It seems A.J. gets all the girls. You’re too young for him anyway.” Nick states getting brotherly on her.



Rose smiles and gathering all her courage she finally asks Nick what she was thinking off. “Am I too young for you?”



Nick laughs, “Somewhat.”



Rose rolls her eyes, “So you into anyone?” She asks curiously.



Nick licks his lower lip seductively, “That’s for me to know and for you to find out.”



The lounge door opens and a young Asian woman with long jet black curls and big sapphire eyes peer in.



“Chief Li, hi.” Rose states nervously.



“It’s time to go girl. We have dinner set out and we’re gonna have a little talk about you being alone with this man without supervision.” The young woman states, staring at Nick accusingly.



Nick opened his eyes wide and smiles, “She’s ok if you’re interested. I mean she’s only child. I would never do anything illegal with her if that’s what you’re thinking.”



Chief Li smiles and with her hands, beckons Rose to her. “I understand perfectly Carter, but she is still under my supervision and I’m responsible for her safety at all times especially around men.”



Rose could feel her cheeks burn a bright red as the chief managed to yet again embarrass her when she’s around a guy. “Sorry Nick. I’ll go. Talk to ya later.” She states and almost ran out knocking down the woman at the door.



“Alright, take care.” Nick states causally, his arm on the top of sofa. He makes a quick wave and watches the two young women exit the room.

~*~

-September 7, 2001. 7:20 PM. New York City, New York. Central Park West 23rd street. Fire Company twelve station.



Howie changes the music on the CD player and searches for a song that he would enjoy. “A.J.? A.J.?” Howie shouts sitting on the tiger rug in A.J.’s room. A.J. turns his head away from the television program he’s watching.



“What?” A.J. asks annoyed.



“You don’t have anything here I like.” Howie states, flipping through piles of cd cases A.J. dumped before him.



A.J. shrugs his shoulders, “Sorry D man. I can’t help out in that department. You’re taste in music sucks.”



Howie curls his lips in annoyance, “Whatever man. All you got here is rap and hip hop. Don’t you have anything smoothing I can listen too?” His tan complexion glitters with the evening sunlight as he passes his hands through his dark brown short hair.



A.J. laughs and joins Howie on the rug, rummaging through more than fifty CD’s on the floor. He finally pulls out a Brian McKnight cd. “There.” He states, handing the cd to Howie. “The brother can sing. Now, can you leave me alone so I can watch my show?”



Howie looks up at A.J. and makes a hilarious cheesy smile spreading from ear to ear. “Ok, good. Now I’m happy.”



A.J. sits on the twirling seat and laughs, “Dude you’re such a weirdo.” He smiles and passes his tan colored fingers through his black and now red dyed hair.



“Ah, but not as weird as you. Keep dying that hair and you won’t have much left.” Howie states laughing as he leaves the room ducking out the way from the pillow thrown at him.

~**~

**~To Be Continued…~**