Angels With Dirty Faces
I
17 hours, 47 minutes. That’s how long it had been since the accident, that’s how long it had been since everything had ground to a screeching halt in front of him, she shouldn’t have been there, she was the driver she should have been on the pump. He knew as soon as he saw her tally on the crew board, as soon as he heard sub shout and that stomach churning crack followed by a thud then a deafening silence he knew she was in there.
Then there was the confirmation, a high-pitched screech came from the centre of the carnage. A distress signal unit had been trigged, the wail was undeniable, she was in there somewhere.
He fought, by god did he fight! Shouting, pushing against those restraining him, most of them his friends but their voices were nothing more than white noise,
“Leave it Kev! Calm down it’s going to be alright mate!”
Now he found himself sat at her bedside, watching her, her face still had a dusting of soot, her red hair slightly matted with blood on her temple with bruises becoming more apparent across her body.
--
“A transfer!?” She cried out “To where? When?”
“Blackwall, Blue watch tomorrow 6pm”
And with that the conversation was over, she sat in the office deflated, she had been a fire woman at her station for two years, two years of putting up with the dirty jokes and being patronised, just as she had found her feet and proved herself to be a good firefighter she got pushed to the bottom, having to start again at a new station, having to prove herself again!
As the evening rolled in she approached her new station, her hand tightened around the handle of her kit bag, her helmet hanging by its chin strap from the crook of her arm, she sighed and walked in to the office, an older man glanced at her,
“Can I help love? Are you lost?”
She tried to hide her distain behind a cheery smile
“Erm, No actually, I’m fire woman Scarlett Drummond, I’ve been transferred here” she was met with blank looks “I would have thought the kit bag was a giveaway”
“Ah yes! I remember now! Sorry busy day! Follow me love” she did as she was asked “The rest of them aren’t here just yet, they should start turning up any time now though, what did you say your name was?”
“Scarlett”
“Lovely! I’m Bert, most of them call me sicknote though I don’t mind either” she smiled and nodded “Have you got a nickname? If not, you’ll get one, they’re a nice bunch, barks worse than the bite mind”
After a brief tour of the station, she soon found herself nestled in to the mess room with a tea, using the last few minutes of calm, she cracked her knuckles stretching her arms in front of her, the door swung open making her flinch,
“That’s bad for you that is, gives you arthritis” the man at the front of the group said, “You must be Scarlett, John” he smiled offering his hand “I’m the sub officer” She shook his hand with a smile
The group followed him in, the room suddenly a crescendo of chatting laughing and furniture being moved filled the air and she was surrounded, she felt her pulse raise a little as nerves set in, Sicknote settled in the chair beside her, she sat quietly, observing, remembering names and faces taking note of mannerisms,
“What’s up Dolly?”
One of the blokes goaded, George she believed his name was. She answered with a shrug,
“Nothing, just listening to you lot”
“Deciding which one you want a bit of first?”
The mess room erupted with laughter, she remained silent, adjusting her pony tail, she sat back in the chair raising her eyebrow and clearing her throat,
“Finished?” her eyes locked on to him, the laughter soon quietened “the last person in this room who I’d have a bit of, George, Is you, but then judging from your sense of humour I can’t be the only woman who thinks that”
Stunned in to silence he looked around the table, most had pursed lips trying to stifle their laughter, as if on cue, a shrill ring echoed throughout the station breaking the tension. They all sprung to life rushing towards the pumps and listening for instruction.
--
“Hello Love” A gentle voice jolted him awake, he rubbed his eyes and looked up, Scarlett’s mother stood close to him holding out a polystyrene cup “any news?”
He shook his head,
“Not yet, waiting for surgeons, they’re going to…” he paused his stomach churning as reality washed over him again, he ran his hands over his face, tears making his throat feel tight, “I think they’re going to pin the bones in place, it’s erm, it’s a few bad breaks”
“A few?”
“three they think, two in the legs one in the pelvis” as his voice grew thick his mother in law placed an arm over his shoulder “She had a punctured lung, but they fixed that, she’s breathing by herself now”
“She’s a tough girl is our Scarlett” she took her son in law’s hand “Kevin, she’ll be okay”
Then there was the confirmation, a high-pitched screech came from the centre of the carnage. A distress signal unit had been trigged, the wail was undeniable, she was in there somewhere.
He fought, by god did he fight! Shouting, pushing against those restraining him, most of them his friends but their voices were nothing more than white noise,
“Leave it Kev! Calm down it’s going to be alright mate!”
Now he found himself sat at her bedside, watching her, her face still had a dusting of soot, her red hair slightly matted with blood on her temple with bruises becoming more apparent across her body.
--
“A transfer!?” She cried out “To where? When?”
“Blackwall, Blue watch tomorrow 6pm”
And with that the conversation was over, she sat in the office deflated, she had been a fire woman at her station for two years, two years of putting up with the dirty jokes and being patronised, just as she had found her feet and proved herself to be a good firefighter she got pushed to the bottom, having to start again at a new station, having to prove herself again!
As the evening rolled in she approached her new station, her hand tightened around the handle of her kit bag, her helmet hanging by its chin strap from the crook of her arm, she sighed and walked in to the office, an older man glanced at her,
“Can I help love? Are you lost?”
She tried to hide her distain behind a cheery smile
“Erm, No actually, I’m fire woman Scarlett Drummond, I’ve been transferred here” she was met with blank looks “I would have thought the kit bag was a giveaway”
“Ah yes! I remember now! Sorry busy day! Follow me love” she did as she was asked “The rest of them aren’t here just yet, they should start turning up any time now though, what did you say your name was?”
“Scarlett”
“Lovely! I’m Bert, most of them call me sicknote though I don’t mind either” she smiled and nodded “Have you got a nickname? If not, you’ll get one, they’re a nice bunch, barks worse than the bite mind”
After a brief tour of the station, she soon found herself nestled in to the mess room with a tea, using the last few minutes of calm, she cracked her knuckles stretching her arms in front of her, the door swung open making her flinch,
“That’s bad for you that is, gives you arthritis” the man at the front of the group said, “You must be Scarlett, John” he smiled offering his hand “I’m the sub officer” She shook his hand with a smile
The group followed him in, the room suddenly a crescendo of chatting laughing and furniture being moved filled the air and she was surrounded, she felt her pulse raise a little as nerves set in, Sicknote settled in the chair beside her, she sat quietly, observing, remembering names and faces taking note of mannerisms,
“What’s up Dolly?”
One of the blokes goaded, George she believed his name was. She answered with a shrug,
“Nothing, just listening to you lot”
“Deciding which one you want a bit of first?”
The mess room erupted with laughter, she remained silent, adjusting her pony tail, she sat back in the chair raising her eyebrow and clearing her throat,
“Finished?” her eyes locked on to him, the laughter soon quietened “the last person in this room who I’d have a bit of, George, Is you, but then judging from your sense of humour I can’t be the only woman who thinks that”
Stunned in to silence he looked around the table, most had pursed lips trying to stifle their laughter, as if on cue, a shrill ring echoed throughout the station breaking the tension. They all sprung to life rushing towards the pumps and listening for instruction.
--
“Hello Love” A gentle voice jolted him awake, he rubbed his eyes and looked up, Scarlett’s mother stood close to him holding out a polystyrene cup “any news?”
He shook his head,
“Not yet, waiting for surgeons, they’re going to…” he paused his stomach churning as reality washed over him again, he ran his hands over his face, tears making his throat feel tight, “I think they’re going to pin the bones in place, it’s erm, it’s a few bad breaks”
“A few?”
“three they think, two in the legs one in the pelvis” as his voice grew thick his mother in law placed an arm over his shoulder “She had a punctured lung, but they fixed that, she’s breathing by herself now”
“She’s a tough girl is our Scarlett” she took her son in law’s hand “Kevin, she’ll be okay”