Chapter 51: Matt

“Holy shit, Cap.” Vickie’s voice sounded far away, muddled by the chaos that surrounded the scene as our trucks pulled up to the building fire. It was bigger than we’d been expecting, and the concern in my friend’s voice was evident.

“Suit up,” I instructed, turning to glance at Porter, who was speaking to a cop. He noticed my gaze and jogged over, shaking his head.

“Police say they think the building’s clear of people, but a Samaritan is insisting that her child is still in there. If they are, it might be too late, Cap. The structure is coming down.”

I looked at Vickie, who shook her head adamantly at me.

“Don’t even think about it. It’s too dangerous at this point.”

“Standby,” I said. “And don’t come in after me.”

Before Vickie could object, I secured my mask and sprinted towards the towering inferno, the heat already singeing my face and making it difficult to breathe. The fire's deafening roar filled my ears, drowning out all other sounds as I prepared to enter the burning building. I took another deep breath and adjusted my mask, the weight of my equipment serving as a constant reminder of the task ahead. My heart pounded in my chest as I charged toward the flames, ready to risk my life to save another. This was my job, and if there was a person inside this mess, I’d die before I left them alone.

The thick smoke was suffocating as I stepped inside, making it difficult to see anything in front of me. I could barely make out the outline of the building's interior, a labyrinth of burning wreckage that posed a deadly threat at every turn.

“Hello?” I called, squinting into the abyss. “This is Denver Fire. Are there any survivors here?”

Only silence greeted me, but the urgency of the situation only fueled my determination as I pressed on, fighting against the scorching heat and blinding smoke. I could feel the sweat pouring down my face as I searched for any sign of the child, praying above all that the woman wasn’t mistaken. Sometimes, in panic, logic eluded us. But there had been no time to dwell. It was now or never.

“Denver FD!” I called again. “I’m here to help. Is there anyone here?”

As I navigated through the blazing debris, my senses were overwhelmed by the sound of shattering glass and crumbling walls. The flames seemed to reach out for me at every turn, threatening and scolding, but I refused to be deterred. I had a job to do, and I wasn’t about to turn back until I knew damn well that the building was empty.

“Cap, walls are coming down,” Vickie reported through the crackling of my radio. “It’s time to get out of there.” A buzz of adrenaline surged through me and I stopped where I was for a moment, realizing that the front entrance now behind me had been consumed with flames. My exit was now blocked, and I was fucked.

“Not yet,” I responded. “I haven’t found—” my words trailed off and my heart gave a leap of surprise as I caught a glimpse of the lost child huddled in the corner, their small frame shrouded in smoke and debris. “Hold that thought,” I said to Vickie. “I see someone.” My lungs burned as I rushed over, my eyes locked on the child's wide, fearful gaze. They were alive, that was good, but as I drew nearer, I could see the child's tiny chest heaving with each ragged breath. His eyes were filled with terror, and my heart ached at the sight. I knew that every second counted, and I had to act fast.

With a deep breath, I tried to steady myself and maintain a calm demeanor, despite the chaos engulfing us. I offered a gentle smile, hoping to ease the child's fears, even as my own adrenaline surged.

“Hi,” I shouted over the relentless roar of the flames, kneeling down gently next to the boy. He couldn’t have been more than seven or eight, but the fear etched on his face made him appear even younger. “My name is Matt,” I said, reaching out to him. “I’m here to help you.”

I wasn’t surprised when the boy didn’t respond, but there wasn’t time to waste. With a sense of urgency, I scooped the child up in my arms and turned to leave, almost forgetting that the entrance I’d come in was now engulfed in fire, trapping us in.

“Shit,” I muttered, turning the boy’s face into the front of my suit to smother some of the smoke from his lungs. The heat intensified around us, and I felt the sweat drenching my skin as I searched frantically for a way out. Vickie was talking again on the radio, but my brain wasn’t comprehending anything my ears were hearing. I had one thing to do, and that was to get us out alive.

“It’s going to be okay, buddy,” I said to the boy, clutching him to me. “We’re getting out of here, okay?” Desperately, my eyes darted around the room until they settled on a small window, beckoning us to safety. I breathed a sigh of relief, overcome with gratitude as I crossed the floor towards the window, feeling the little boy squirm in my arms. Shielding his body the best I could, I slammed the window with the heel of my boot and then ducked down in case of a backdraft, but none came. There was no more time to think. Fortunately, we were still on the first floor, and I pushed the little boy through the window first, straight into the arms of the paramedics waiting for us just outside the window. As I emerged from the burning building after him, the small crowd erupted into cheers. But my focus remained on the child, who was coughing and crying in the arms of the medic. The gravity of the situation finally hit me, and I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. I took a breath and stepped forward, exhaustion clinging to me like heavy sap as I yanked the mask from my face, drawing in fresh, cool air that had eluded me for far too long. A mere second later Vickie had one of my arms and Boyd had the other, and they were leading me back to the firetruck.

“That was a close call, boss,” Vickie said, depositing me on the step of the truck as Boyd hurried off to find a free medic. “You shouldn’t have gone in alone. You know that’s not the rule.”

“Save it,” I told her, not unkindly. “It had to be done. He would have died.”

“And so could you.”

“But I didn’t, did I?” With a self-satisfied smirk that I knew drove her crazy with irritation, I took the bottle of water she offered and choked it down, feeling like I might never get enough. This hadn’t been the first close call in my line of work, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. Vickie knew that. I knew she was just looking out for me.

“What will Renee say when I tell her you put yourself at risk again?” Vickie asked, taking a seat beside me. I narrowed my eyes at her, but she stared back defiantly, lips pursing, sizing me up. Finally, I shook my head and looked away, because thinking of Renee was getting me all worked up again.

“I wouldn’t worry about that,” I said softly. “She’s been awful busy herself lately; she probably wouldn’t even notice if I didn’t come home.”

“Matt,” Vickie scolded, but I shrugged her off, stumbling to my feet to help my crew clean up supplies. Somewhere in the distance, I heard the little boy’s mother sobbing with relief, holding the boy against her chest. It was difficult to admit, but I was starting to care less and less about what Renee had to think.

I just wasn’t sure why.