Page 46 of From the Embers

I slam my fist into my palm. “Why didn’t she just wait?”

“Because people don’t,” JC sighs. “So many factors at play. Could’ve been a blind spot, maybe she thought she had more time or didn’t calculate how fast the truck was going.”

So many dumb fucking reasons.

I can’t stop seeing the lifeless body of the boy I dragged out of the wreck only hours ago as the memory comes back…

“Marco and Denver, you’re gonna be on the vehicle extrication,” JJ says. “Stabilizing the caravan is gonna be a challenge because of the way the car folded in. It’s on its side, making the extractions more difficult. JC, you’re gonna assist Denver with the jaws of life.”

We’re on our way, being debriefed by our LT, and a cold shiver runs over my spine.

“What the fuck happened?” JC asks.

“A car pulled out and into the oncoming path of a truck. He couldn’t stop in time,” JJ replies. “It’s gonna be ugly, kids inside the car, so you need to brace.”

And he wasn’t kidding.

Once we make it across town and to the freeway, we do our usual checks, then I stabilise the car at the scene with wedges. I check for any signs of leaking, but as the front end is entirely smashed in, disconnecting the battery is gonna be impossible. It’s a wonder the car didn’t explode. It definitely rolled a couple of times. It’s a miracle anyone is alive.

As the car is on its side, we can’t get in through the roof. JC and I cut through the side door, and the carnage inside is hard to stomach.

I clench my jaw, assessing the situation.

“Ma’am,” I say, when I see the woman in what used to be the front driver’s seat. She’s bleeding from her head. “I’m Denver, this is Jasper, we’re here to get you out. What’s your name, sweetheart?”

“My babies!” she cries. “Please, oh my God, please!”

I glance to the rear to find three kids, two aren’t moving.

“Mom!” She tries to reach out to the person slumped on the other side, but she can’t move. “I’m begging you… Help, please help us!”

“Try to stay still. I’m gonna check on the kids first, then get you out, okay? What’s your name?”I try again.

“S-Sally.”

“Okay, Sally, just hang tight, my buddy is gonna help with the kids, then get to you so the EMS team can get in, alright? We have two ambulances on standby.”

“Please, please tell me they’re okay? Tell me they’re okay!”

I tune her out, I have to. I shift, JC standing by as I climb in and feel the first kid’s pulse. He’s already gone. I move across to the girl next to him with no signs of life. She’s gone, too. I look up to JC through the gap and shake my head. Jesus fuck.

Three kids. She said three.

Blue eyes look at me from the corner, tear stained and bloodied, but she’s alive. The kid is miraculously balled up into one corner, the seatbelt still tugged around her. She can’t be more than five or six. “Here,” I say. “Give me your hand, sweetheart, I’m gonna get you out…”

My mind flicks back to the present.

“I don’t know if I’m cut out for this any more,” I say. “Today was fucking rough.”

JC looks at me with concern, crouching down. “It always feels like this when we have a bad day.” He grips me on the shoulder. “Take some time, get your head together, bud. We’re here for you.”

“Appreciate it.”

Jake palms the back of his head, thumbing toward the showers. “I’m gonna get cleaned up, if you wanna talk later?”

I nod, letting the two of them leave. They know to leave me when I’m like this.

The kid’s name who survived is Hope. Seemed kinda fitting. She’s gonna need all the hope she can get to survive these next days, weeks, and so on. My heart breaks for her.