Free Chasing the Fire (Backdraft, Fully Involved, Flashover) by Kathryn Shay

legs.
    “Got him.” He drew back, the board scraping
on the floor as it traveled with him. “Bag him again, then grab
hold of the other end.”
    She felt around, found the guy’s mouth and
gave him more air. “Okay, but we’ll have to stop and do this
periodically.”
    “Want me to lead, kiddo?” McCabe asked.
    “In your dreams, pal.”
    She started the slow trek toward the bedroom
door. “Shit,” she said bumping into something. A bed post. Then she
knocked her knee against the door frame.
    “Gonna be black-and-blue for your date,” her
bigmouth buddy said.
    “Shut up, McCabe.”
    She knew she’d reached the top of the steps
because she felt the banister with her knee. No more humor now.
Stopping to bag the guy once again, she asked, “Carry or
slide?”
    “I’d say carry, if you can keep your
footing.”
    “Let’s do it.”
    Her leg brushed against the banister. One
step…two. The heat intensified. Three…six… They reached the
second-floor landing, where they halted once more and provided more
air for the patient. “Wanna rest?” McCabe asked.
    “No.” But, man, she wished she could see
something.
    They took the next flight at a snail’s pace.
She’d reached the last landing and stumbled on some debris. She
fell to her knees and the board slid right into her spine. She
screamed.
    “Duncan, you okay?”
    She could barely breathe for the pain.
    McCabe was at her side. “Can you go on? If
not, I’ll pick him up.”
    “I’m fine.” She wasn’t, but she could finish
this save. “Is the patient?”
    “Same.” He waited a beat. “I’m taking point
then. You fell.”
    “I guess.”
    “You’d do the same for me and you know
it.”
    Of course she would, so she let him get the
front of the backboard and bear the brunt of the weight.
    The muscles in her back screamed as they took
the last flight, where luckily the smoke had cleared some. But each
step was agony. When they got outside, two of the Quint
firefighters took the backboard from them. One said, “Wow, the
guy’s legs are burned. It must have been hotter than hell up
there.”
    Lisa Beth dropped to her knees and hunched
over. She felt someone take off her headgear.
    Ramirez came up to them. “What happened?”
    “We couldn’t see where we were goin’,” McCabe
told him. “We missed the debris on the last landing. The backboard
with the guy’s weight hit her spine.”
    The lieutenant put his hand on her shoulder
and squeezed. “Help her away from the building, then check her
out.”
    McCabe asked, “Can you get up?”
    “Not alone.”
    He drew her to her feet. When she raised her
arm to slide it over his shoulders, she moaned. “I hope it’s not
too bad.”
    “Let’s go see, kiddo.”
    oOo
    LINC SMILED AT the young girl whose
life he had saved. “How are you feeling?”
    She rolled her eyes. “Like a stake went
through my leg.”
    He chuckled because that was exactly what
happened. She’d been rushed in after an accident during Phys. Ed.
class where she’d fallen on a marker that had been put up for
lining the field. Someone had forgotten to remove it. Linc had been
called to operate even though he’d been home sleeping after
returning from Europe yesterday. “Get some rest now, Susan.”
    “Thanks, Dr. Roberts.” Her eyes were already
closing.
    Dr. Roberts . All his life, Linc had
wanted to be a doctor. While his seven brothers and sisters were
growing up, he was the one to treat them for minor scrapes and
bruises. And if they needed medical attention or had a doctor’s
appointment, he invariably accompanied them. The day he’d been
accepted into medical school, he’d been ecstatic.
    As he was leaving the room, his pager went
off. Damn it. Jet lag was catching up with him. Huh! Report to
ER Five . He hoped another patient didn’t really need him, which
was unusual for him to even think, but he wanted to rest for his date tonight.
    Taking the elevator down to ER, instinct
kicked in when the doors opened, and