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I head toward my office to drop off my stuff. It’s pretty bare since I don’t keep mementos, but I have a small desk on one side of the room and a cot on the other. Even though I don’t quite fit in my cot due to my size, it’s nice to have my own space to sleep in when I’m on shift. We’re usually on for twenty-four hours and then off for forty-eight.
I sit down at my desk and see I’ve got about twenty minutes before we’re scheduled to do a training session. I think about calling Natalie and asking her out again, but I’m worried my advances weren’t wanted. I don’t ever want to push myself on a woman. I’m a little embarrassed at how crazy I got thinking about her with other guys. Most of what I said wasn’t even planned; I just threw it out there without thinking.
Should I reach out to her and make sure I didn’t upset her? She practically ran away after the elevator doors opened, so maybe I made her uncomfortable and should apologize. What if my apology makes her more uncomfortable?
Jesus. I feel like a hormonal teenager hoping a girl likes me. I shouldn’t care about any of this… but I do.
Shaking my head, I leave my office in search of the guys. I want to make sure all of our equipment checks are done before we head out to the training site. Plus, I need the distraction to stop obsessing over Natalie.
* * *
The truck rumblesunderneath us as we drive out to our training site. It’s only a few miles outside of town, so if we’re called out, we’re still close.
The SFD took over the old middle school when they moved to a bigger building. The parking lot is huge, giving us enough room to run drills, and the building is three stories high, which lets us train on everything else from working the ladders to maneuvering in and out of a window with a body.
Once we get the trucks parked and our guys set up, we let Brody do his thing. He’s attempting to place a kettlebell that’s hanging off a ladder rung into a five-gallon bucket on the roof of the school. Once he finishes training, his skills will be tested, and then he’ll be a certified ladder engineer.
“Nice and easy, Brody,” Sam says next to me. We’re both on the roof watching his attempt.
He gently moves the ladder and just barely clips the bucket, sending it over the ledge and onto the rooftop next to me and Sam. A chorus of groans sounds out from everyone watching.
“Good try, man. A few more attempts and you’ll have it,” I say over the radio.
“Thanks, Cap,” Brody says, disappointment ringing through his voice. I feel for the guy. He’s been working on this for weeks, and it can get frustrating, but when you’re in the middle of a house fire, you need to be able to rely on your guys to do their jobs perfectly. A partially completed job leads to accidents, which is the last thing we need during a call.
Sam and I leave the roof and meet back up with the guys on the ground. They’re all standing around Brody, making sure he doesn’t get too down on himself. That’s one of my favorite things about being a firefighter, we’re a family. We support each other and will always have each other's backs, whether it’s during a call or just in life. For someone who grew up without a family, it’s nice to have people I can rely on.
“Let’s load up, boys. I have a feeling tonight will be a long one.” The guys go to their designated areas, and like a well-oiled machine, we pack up and head back to the house. There’s a warning in my gut telling me something big is about to happen. I’ve learned it’s always best to heed those feelings.
