“Help,” a faint voice called.
“That’s coming from upstairs,” Carter said, and I followed as he moved for the staircase.
The staircase faced the back of the home instead of the front. That made it easier to get to the second floor.
“Fire department,” I yelled again. I could barely see Carter in front of me, but we’d been on hundreds, if not thousands of calls together. I knew what moves he would make, and he knew mine.
“I’ll go left,” he said as we reached the top of the stairs.
A part of me hesitated. An image of Corey, helpless on the floor with a beam pinning him down came to mind.
I grabbed Carter’s shoulder. “Be careful.”
He nodded but quickly shook me off and headed left.
“Anyone up here?” I asked.
“Help,” that same tiny voice called, growing louder as I approached a door on the right side of the hallway.
After feeling for the temperature of the knob, I pushed the door open. While scanning the room, my gaze landed on a pair of brown eyes filled with terror.
“Help,” the little boy said, coughing. “My mom told me to run, but I couldn’t leave her and my sister.”
“Come here. I got you.” I lifted him from the floor and wrapped the blanket around his body even tighter to carry him to the exit.
“Carter,” I called as I reached the top of the stairs.
“I’m here,” he replied.
I sighed, relieved. He had a small child in his arms too.
“Can you take her? The mother’s unconscious, and I have to carry her out.”
I took the girl from his arms and carried both children down the stairs. As soon as he realized what was happening, the little boy began screaming.
“Mommy!” he yelled over my shoulder.
“It’s okay. She’s coming...dammit.”A piece of the ceiling collapsed two feet to my right as I started for the back door.
“Carter. Carter, are you still up there? Status update,” I demanded into my headset as I hiked the two children higher in my arms. I hesitated when I didn’t hear Carter’s immediate response.
“Don, go,” Emanuel said, barging past me toward the staircase. “Get the kids outta here. I’ll help Carter.”
My heart ripped in two. I wanted to be there for my team. I couldn’t let another one down the same way I’d let Corey down. Yet, the children in my arms needed to be my priority.
With determination, I made it to the back door and carried them as quickly as I could to the front. Right as I came to the side of the house, one of the front windows exploded.
The blast startled me enough that it sent me to my knees.
“Mommy,” the little boy shouted while the little girl whined in fear.
“It’s okay,” I tried to console her.
I regained my footing and sprinted as fast as I could out to the awaiting ambulance. I’d intended to hand the kids over to the nearest paramedic and go back in for my teammates, but when I put the little boy down, he tried to dart around me to get back inside the house.
“Mommy! Help my mommy,” he yelled over and over. “She’s still in there!”
I had to hold him back. His cries were so familiar that, at first, I couldn’t say anything.
