Heaven Sent

Being a firefighter is not an easy job. That too, being a female fire fighter is not a child’s play. One has to face many objections the moment one decides to become a fire fighter, like, don’t joke around Natasha? Are you up to the job? Will you be able to even stay in a fire that long? Isn’t your manicure going to get destroyed? Will you be able to carry people when the situation comes? Won’t you faint out of fear?

         I have been facing these questions since I was 15 when I had decided to become a fire fighter. I had witnessed a fire in my school and had seen how calmly and perfectly the fire fighters did their job, selflessly saving others’ lives. Everyone had survived save for a few burns and blisters. Since that day, I was determined to be a fire fighter. My parents and older brother had some qualms in the beginning but after seeing how serious I was about my chosen profession, they reluctantly accepted it and even later, happily supported it. I joined the fire academy when I was 18 years old and was one of the two women in there, the other being Lynn. Our teachers were impartial and even called upon the students who mocked us. We were treated the same as everyone else and were not shown any laxness in the training. When we completed our training, Lynn and I joined different fire stations according to our preferences.

         In my fire station, I was the only female fire-fighter. At first, everyone ignored me and left me at the station in case of an emergency and just top clean the tables but after a month, I confronted them about this and got respect for it. Some people still objected but I paid no attention to their jokes. It has now been 5 years since I joined the station.

         One day when I and my team were eating snacks, our shift was almost ending; a call for help came up. There was a huge fire in an old but big bakery. We were informed that 13 people were stuck on there. We took our gear and rushed towards the fire truck. Because of some light traffic, we reached 15 minutes later at the site. We were really worried seeing the extent of the fire. If it was not controlled, many people would lose their lives, not to mention, the adjoining shops would become ashes soon. We quickly devised a plan and were informed by the locals that 6 people had somehow found their way out of the burning building and were now on their way to the hospital. We rushed inside and went different ways, each person having a partner. While wading through the rubble and fire we found a couple, huddled together under a dangerous looking stairs. Me and my partner helped them out of the dangerous area and informed the other about our progress. The others had found a few people too so all of them were busy, so I suggested my partner, Millen, to help the couple out of the dangerously crumbling building. He agreed and went with them. I continued to wade through the rubble. After a few minutes, the team announced that they had rescued the rest of the 6 members and we should head out. I was relieved and had just turned back towards the exit, when I heard a cry for help.

         I turned around and found the source. A man, huddled under a few makeshift blankets was crouching near a nearly destroyed cola dispenser. He was holding, what looked like, an injured swollen arm to his chest. I trudged forward and on the way, informed my colleagues about the situation. When I reached near him, I bent down and lightly placed my hand on his uninjured arm. He was trembling wildly. He looked up sharply. His face was covered in soot but I was startled by how blue his eyes were; like the sky on a clear day. I shook my head slightly and asked him if he was injured anywhere else apart from his arm. He just started at me. I asked him again. He blinked and slowly opened his arm. I was surprised to see an unconscious little puppy there. He told me in a trembling voice that the puppy had lost consciousness a few minutes ago and he was really worried about the little puppy. This jolted me out of my reverie. I slammed into action and borrowed a tablecloth from him and made a makeshift cradle and placed the little puppy there and strapped it across my chest. I then took the man’s arm and started to move forward. He flinched. I checked his arms and found that they were severely burnt maybe from when he protected the puppy from the fire’s rage. I gently grabbed his upper arm and trudged forward trying not to come in the way of the crumbling factory. We were succeeding until I saw something swinging in my periphery and on instinct, swung my arm forward, trying to save the man. I felt rather than heard a sickening crunch but tried not to focus on it as it hurt like hell. The debris was falling everywhere now. I checked the man and the little lump on my chest. When I was sure that they were alright, I trudged forward now paying full attention to any more swinging blocks of concrete.

Suddenly the stairs, under which, I’d found the colour earlier, started to collapse. I backed away with the man in tow. He fell on his knees and started to mutter, “I’m gonna die. I’m gonna die.” Again and again; like a mantra. I crouched to his level and tried to reassure him. He wasn’t focusing on me at all. I placed my hands on his shoulders gently and tried and failed to get him out of his panic attack. I placed both my hands on his face and tilted his face up. He looked lost.

“What’s your name mister?” I asked.

“J-J-Joan.” He stuttered.

“Look here, Joan. I’m Natasha. Focus on my voice.” I pleaded.

He looked at me expectantly.

“We’re going to get out of here, did you listen to me? We ARE going to get out of here. I promise you. But you have to work with me here. You WILL get up and walk safely out of here. Just think of this little puppy.” I nodded towards the little canine, bundled up on my front. “You will NOT give up. You will survive. The puppy will survive. WE will survive. Now get up, hero and let’s get out of here. Let’s go Joan!”

He got up and then held my hand and asked me, “When we get out of here, will you go on a date with me?”

I gaped at him.

“This is not the time for that, mister!”

“Just answer me.”

“O-okay.”

“Yes! It will be a spectacular date, I promise you superwoman. You were sent from heaven to save me.”

I think he is suffering from asphyxiation due to the lack of oxygen because he is acting weird. That thought alarmed me and I tightened my hold on his hand and shouted, “Let’s go!”

We ran past the crumbling rubbles and ashes and little explosions. I started to get dizzy and my vision started to get dizzy. Joan started to lean on me a little, which meant that he, too, was losing consciousness. I dragged him a little faster. Now my vision started to get really blurry. I could see the exit.

Just a few moments more.

I somehow made it past the exit, not one moment earlier, when the entrance collapsed, covering us in dust and rubble. My teammates’ blurry, worried faces appeared in front of me and then I felt someone tugging on my arm and realized that someone was trying to untangle Joan and I’s hands to get us medical help. I loosened my grip on his hand. Three medics appeared in front of me, trying to cover my face with an Oxygen mask. I faintly remember telling them about the precious little puppy strapped on my chest then everything went blank.

         I woke up to a beeping sound and all around soreness in my body. My hands felt heavy, my chest felt constricted and every breath felt like torture. My eyes fluttered open. I was in an unfamiliar room with several medical equipments. Hospital. Then everything rushed back to me. Fire. Joan. The little puppy. I gasped and tried to sit up but my ribs and arm protested. My arm was broken for sure. I was desperately searching for someone to clear all my doubts.

         Then like a miracle, a doctor and a nurse entered the room. They were delighted to see me conscious. I tried to ask them a few questions but my throat felt as if someone had rubbed it with sandpaper. The nurse helped me drink a glass of water. The doctor told me that I had got several blisters, cuts and scrapes along with a broken arm and injured lungs due to heavy smoke inhalation and had been unconscious for four days. The nurse told me that my family had come to visit me but they were now at home for a break and a bath. My colleagues visited me every day. I then asked about Joan and the puppy, to which they replied that Joan was in the ward next to me and had gained consciousness two days prior to me. He had suffered third degree burns from protecting the little puppy from fire, along with several scrapes and injured lungs like me. The nurse told me that he had visited me when I was unconscious. The puppy, Luca, a stray Joan had adopted the same day, was in the veterinary section of the hospital, under observation but had regained consciousness. He had suffered from smoke inhalation, too.

         After the check-up, I requested the nurse to take me to Joan. She agreed after some conflict. She helped into a wheelchair and wheeled me to Joan’s room. Joan sat on his bed, reading a novel. When the nurse wheeled me in, he looked up and a grin spread on his face. My face mirrored his. The nurse mumbled an excuse and left the room. For about two minutes, we stared into each other’s eyes, not saying a single word, just smiling. Then I broke the silence.

“So, what about that spectacular date you mentioned?”