Work Text:
The explosion comes from deep within Ladder 118. She feels her walls expand and contract and she’s barreling through the pavement sending everyone inside flying. She ends up on her side, collapsing in the middle of the street.
She tries to keep tabs on everyone and she senses most of her firefighters are out safe.
Most.
She panics when she realizes someone is missing from the headcount and a teenager is running around her with a bomb strapped to his chest.
Buck wiggles underneath her and Ladder 118 groans in frustration. She has landed over own of her own.
Maybe even her favorite firefighter.
And she might be killing Buck, but there’s nothing she can do about it.
“Get me the captain!” the teenager yells.
Ladder 118 knows Captain Han is here. She has faith in him, he will save them all.
Then the teenager sees Captain Han, but he doesn’t want him… he only wants Bobby and Bobby is not-
“Freddie.”
A wave of relief takes over her the moment she hears Bobby’s voice.
That’s the boy from that restaurant fire. Ladder 118 doesn’t know him, but she’s heard Bobby talk about him and his father.
“Thought you’d be on the truck.”
“I’m here now,” Bobby replies.
Ladder 118 slips in and out of consciousness. She fights it, but can’t stay aware of her surroundings for more than a few seconds at a time.
“What about him?” Bobby demands and Ladder 118 only wants to keep Buck safe right now. She knows she’s gone, but Buck still has a chance. “He’s got parents, a sister, a girlfriend and he never did anything to you. He wasn’t even a firefighter when your father burned down that restaurant.”
Everything turns black again.
She wakes up with Captain Han standing beside her.
It’s over.
Is it over?
“Just hang in there, Buckaroo.” Captain Han’s voice gives her a sense of security. A certainty that Buck will be alright.
“Alright. Let’s try to lift this off him, yeah?”
They are trying to move her, lift her up but she’s too heavy, they know she’s too heavy and she can’t help them at all.
“We got anything on the truck we can use for leverage?” Bobby asks, but no, she doesn’t have anything in her to help.
She’s helpless and she’s going to end up taking Buck with her.
A swarm of civilians surround her after a few minutes and Buck screams in agony.
“He’s almost clear. Hold it.” Captain Han yells while still holding on to Ladder 118.
“Keep pulling!” Someone else eggs them on.
“All right. We got him out. We got him out,” Eddie reassures the group of people.
Buck is safe in Eddie’s hands and nothing else matters anymore.
Darkness unfolds around her as she hits the pavement one last time. It’s Eddie’s turn to take care of Buck.
Ladder 118 can rest now.