ASHES (Part 1)
WARNINGS BEFORE READ: contains blood, burns, fire, dead, strong lenguaje and bad english lol.
NOTE: The character of Mavi is created by me, but you can ignore that and imagine the female character however you like. Enjoy it and tell me if you wanna other part or another imagine!Â
SUMMARY: Where Mavi has a seemingly normal call at work and meets the love of her life OR Where Max and Daniel get trapped in a burning bulding and a hot firefighter saves them.
12 MAY, 2021
MONTE-CARLO, MONACO
Red priority. Structural fire.
Station 76's speakers blared out briefly detailing the situation in which they will find themsleves in a few minutes. The firefighters climbed quickly to their respective trucks, trying to remain calm as the directions ere transmitted via radio.
"Looks like a big one, Mavi" The voice of her boss, Derek, filled her ears.
"Expand the information, Hudson" Indicated the lieutenant of truck 33 while fastening mechanically his fire jacket.
"A twenty-story building. in the center" That was enough for Mavi to leave a snort. It really looked like a challenge.
They did not take more than thirty minutes to arrive and the initial image was devastating. Screams, wounded and despair everywhere. It was definitely a place concentrated quite a few people inside since there was a large part of the door trying to get out, piled on top of each other. The windows were broken his sides and blood gushed as she passed her bule eyes analyzing the whole scene.
"Okay, let's make this nice and easy" Hudson yelled, turning to see his team already ready to receive orders. "Squad, relase those people grouped over there. Truck, do a primary search inside the place. Machine, prepare the water and extinguish key places inside. Ambulance, start triage zone" Pointed out each of the mentioned sites and saw the grups run separately to start work. At the same time, he made a general call about the incident and requested the need of more ambulances and trucks.
Mavi shouted to get the attention of her members, who followed her without doubts. They entered after searching for a secure entrance for a few seconds. For the part of behind, a wooden door was intact, so the girl put her body sideways to open it quickly. Once inside, she estabilished different trips to search for missing people who could be heard in the distance.
Together with her partner Cooper, Mavi investigated room by room without any answer, so they decided to leave. A blaze of fire forced them apart abruptly, being separated in the middle of a large wide space. Cooper looked to Mavi, to then hear the voice of a small girl from the boy's side.
"Go. I'll take care of this part" Mavi determined, nodding as she watched her partner run towards the high-pitched tone that was getting louder. The girl continued going through the place opening door to door, without success again. When she entered the hallway, another flame of fire greeted her, driving her back. The image of a young girl piqued her interest. "Are you okay? You can go out?" Asked in a scream, looking at the female who was in shock.
"I think so" Murmured the young with a trembling voice when she saw that the fire had stopped momentarily.
Mavi encouraged the young woman to walk towards her, but suddenly another giant flame color orange sprouted from the ground causing the inevitable to happen. The girl put a standing right at that moment, so the raging flames caught her body generating in her agonizing screams. Mavi wanted to go over to help her, but the fire made her turn back. She breathed heavily through the mask that covered her face and closed her eyes for a moment, to then see the figure of the girl totally charred.
The flames continued to burn with each step she took, and the atmosphere was beyond annoying. Mavi searched for more victims with her blue eyes, but found nothing until, from a dark corner and faintly, heard sobbing. She approached towards where that noice came from and found a young boy with dark blonde hair crouched with his legs hugged to his chest. He was crying with his head between them and his body trembled.
"Hey" Said Mavi, slowly approaching him. The boy raised his head upon hearing her voice and hugged himself tighter. He was scared. "Calm down, I know that you're scared. I just want to help you"
"I'm not scared" He blurted out, though his wet and red cheeks said the contrary.
"Is not safe for you to be here" She shook her head and lightly took his left arm. He moved abruptly, releasing her hold.
"I need to find my friend" He informed, getting up from the ground. Both crossed glances, the two with the same turbulent ocean. "I lost sight of him, I don't know where he is"
"My colleagues will surely find him" Said the firefighter, hoping to calm him down. "But now you must go..."
"Max!" Shouted a boy with the brown hair, towards the direction where the two were. The named boy dodged the flames as if he had a superpower and engulfed him in a hug. He must be his friend, Mavi thought.
Before Mavi could say anything to them, a new flare was activated and began to move to where they were. Dávalos quickly scanned her surroundings and saw an open door. Without much thought, led the boys there.
Once inside, she locked the door. The two young boys sat on the ground, still shocked by what had happened. Mavi left out a long sigh, and quickly tell on the radio hanging from her chest the news.
"Dávalos is speaking. I'm with two victims in a room on the west side of the building. The flames are starting to come out in droves, they are oranges and green"
"Stay here with the victims, I'm going to send Lancaster over there with a ladder" Reported the boss and Mavi ended the communication with a positive response.
"So firefighter, huh" The blond muttered, with a shy smile.
"You have to make a living from something, right?" Replied Mavi sarcastically, winking an eye at him.
Mavi moved to investigate the window to their side. There wasn't too much height, but they definitely needed a ladder. She turned once she heard the groans from one of the boys.
"Did you burn yourself?" Mavi questioned towards the chestnut, who only emitted moans of pain.
"I dont't know" He hissed. Mavi patted the floor hoping to find something sharp and once she found a cutter under the dust and ashes, cut off a piece of his jeans. "Hey!"
"Sorry, I need to see what causes you pain" The girl's cheeks blushed slightly but instantly her face changed as she saw a burn on a part of his leg. "You have a burn. It doesn't look that serious, but it's still fresh"
"What do you mean?" Questioned the golden-haired boy. Mavi looked at him incredulously.
"That it is only a burn that with treatment in a hospital will improve?"
"I mean, yes. But for how long?" His tone was concerned.
"I don't know, it depends on how he get to the hospital" She shrugged. It is very unpredictable. "Why?"
"He is a Formula One diver and he needs to be okay for next week" The two's eyes met momentarily.
"Mavi, Hudson talking. The flames are appearing faster and faster and the fire is coming out too dark. I don't like this at all. They don't have much time left"
"But did you send me the ladder?"
"Yes, but it won't help you at all" Derek spoke on the radio and left a heavy sigh. "They will have to jump"
"No, I can't do that, boss. I need the ladder, even if it is for them to go down" Mavi explained firmly. The two boys looked at each other slightly scared.
"Dávalos, they don't have time. They will have to jump if they don't want to burn alive"
Mavi swallowed hard ad didn't answer. She knew, from the moment she saw those greenish flames, that they were on a tightrope. She was hoping they would have time, but this one was treacherous.
"You heard it, we have to..." The female began to speak holding carefully both of them shoulder's boys. She felt a creak on the floor.
And at once, the floor exploded and broke, leaving the three one the ground surrounded by full darkness.
(...)
Mavi woke up slightly thanks to the beeps that her radio repeated over and over again, non-stop. She realized that she had fallen, and that was not good at all. Her body was numb and she couldn't see it because was trapped in a mountain of rubble that covered it completely. She did not have her mask or her helmet, they were meters away from her.
With painful moans and too much body strength, Mavi managed to get out of the rubble without being able to believe it. She looked into the wide space and she found only more dust, blackness and ashes everywhere. Her blue eyes inevitably searched for the two young boys who were with her, but it took her a while to locate them because her vision was still blurry due to airborne particles.
She found Max with his arm crushed by a large stone, probably originating from of the roof and debris. She quickly walked towards him, while her voice called him through an acute cough from inhaled smoke. Upon arrival he listened to her complaints and Max looked worried. His arm was bent between the stone, giving a clear indication of that he had it dislocated.
"Fuck" She cursed under her breath, running the stone with all the strength she had left and helped the boy to sit. "Your arm is dislocated, Max" She reported, looking at the blonde who was terrified by her words. "On the count of three I'm going to settle it for you, okay?"
Max nodded quickly and after the count, he let out a deafening scream when his bones returned to normal. Once he managed to recover, he thanked the girl.
"Dávalos! Are you here?" Mavi heard the loud voice of Rhodes, the Rescue Squad's lieutenant, approach the place.
"Here!" She yelled, as she helped Max to get on his feet. "Do you know where your friend is?" Mavi asked to him, but he just denied.
"Mavi! Are you okay?" Questioned his partner once he was in front of her. The girl nodded.
"Everything's fine. The ceiling fell in unexpectedly" She explained, her gaze shifting to each corner of the space. "I'm going to take him outside. Look for all around the place, there has to be another boy here"
The lieutenant nodded and instantly called his team to start the search, while Mavi carried Max outside.
"I want to go back, he needs me..." Max stammered, looking back.
"Don't worry, they will find him" Mavi assured with a smile that reassured the boy.
Once they got out, they found a usual scene of any fire accident: firefighters and paramedics from many districts working non-stop, the sirens in the trucks that kept ringing, the curious people, wounded in droves and of couse the cupporters who helped to make the work more enjoyable. Mavi quickly left Max with one of the paramedics of her station, Luna.
"The roof collapsed before we could get out, probably because of things fuels and green slats from the place" Mavi explained to her boss as she took out the dirt of his face. Derek looked at her sternly. She knew that she made a mistake. "There is no one else iside, only a boy who was with me in the room. Rhodes and Zander are looking for him"
"I gave you an indication on the radio, you heard it, right?" Hudson asked with a firm tone of voice.
"Yes..."
"Then why didn't you just jump? Or did ypu use the rope as soon as I told ypu the situation?" Derek sounded angry, but he also didn't seemed interested in generating a major problem.
"You said you were going to send me a ladder" justified Mavi, adjustong the braids that held her now disheveled hair together. A cold wind ran down her back while she was looking at her superior. "It was not safe to go down with a rope or less go down"
"It wasn't safe to bring a ladder either" Hudson countered. "Furthermore, in any moment it was going to explode because it did not feel safe. You should have known it by the flames. And also, you didn't have too many options, Dávalos"
"I know, but I couldn't just jump in with two scared young boys out of nowhere and one of them being wounded" The brunette spoke with a sigh.
"And why you didn't warn on the radio? That would have made things easier"
Mavi was about to reply, but the words came to nothing when a Rhodes' scream drew attention to the working minefield. Could see that they were carrying a body in their arms and she identified Max's friend by the curly hair. She look how they tried to take him with other paramedics, but Mavi called hurriedly to Luna and Emma, the paramedics in their disctric, to make charge of him. Decided to let them deal with the situation and was left with a restless and worried Max.
"Is that Daniel? Is he okay?" Asked the young boy trying to spy on the other ambulance where his friend was. Mavi grabbed him carefully by the shoulders and locked his eyes in her.
"Yes, but you have to let them work" She tried to explain in the calmest way possible. She was still in shock over what had happened and the mistake she made. "Tell me, what were you doing in the building?"
"I had to get some important papers and data abut the last races I had. It is getting difficult to me to fight for the championship with the seven-time world champion" He explained with a slight laugh, infecting Mavi. The boy had a nice and tender laugh, the opposite of what his dark clothes and menacing eyes seemed. "Are you okay?"
"Yep, why do you ask?" Mavi questioned, struck by her curiosity as she placed special bandages on the superficial wounds from his head.
"I saw how that man over there was talking to you. He didn't seem very happy and your face changed so quick as us falling off the ground" He said humorously, causing Mavi to let go a smile. She liked how he looked for the funny side of the tragedy.
"Oh, don't worry about it. He's my boss" She shrugged nonchalantly. "It happens to me all the time. I tend to do things my way most of the time. Although this time the punish has been correct because I have made a mistake and it has given me a kind of warning"
"What mistake are you talking about? You've been brilliant in there"
"I should have jumped with you two before everything blew up. I knew the floor was going to fall off eventually but I let it go thinking I had time" She clicked her tongue, dimissing it.
"Daniel was hurt and you tried to stay calm for us. I don't see anything wrong with that, you were protecting the victims" Max muttered from ignorance, trying to make her smile. All he gpt was a grimace. "Besides, a mistake doesn't makes you better or worse person. In my career I had and have manu, perhaps more mistakes of I which would like. Think of your coworkers, they must have passed too for the same. You are lieutenant for a reason, right?"
Mavi opened her mouth to reply, but her colleague's voice interrupted her:
"Dávalos, the boy is going to go the hospital because he inhaled too much smoke and has several burns that need treatment. Is stable for now" Warned Lancaster, one of the truck members. "Luna told me to let you know so the other boy comes"
Max got up from where he was stitting and looked at Mavi, who instantly nodded. The blond thanked them and ran to the ambulance where his friend was, like this accompanying him and then leaving for the nearest hospital.
Mavi called her team and motioned for them to follow the ambulance, despite Hudson's stern look. She wasn't going to leave those two boys alone, scared of what might happen after an accident like this. It wasn't in her blood. And furthermore, she convinced herself along the way that she had donde what she should to do.
Upon arrival at the medical center, the smell of desinfectant, the specialists coming and going, the saddness and indignation of the people and the predominant white color in each tile and wall welcomed them like always. Mavi looked at the pilot, she needed to see how he was. She found him sitting in an uncomfortable blue chair in the waiting room of the emergency room.
"Max, how is everything?" She greeted gently, so the named turned to see her with a shy smile.
"Hey, everything alright. They are seeing Daniel, I still don't know anything" He reported, seeming a little worried.
The female took her gaze to the general counter, where Luna and Emma were talking to the receptionist Jennifer. Mavi said goodbye to Max quickly, and let him know that she would speak with the paramedics and return.
"Hi, how was Daniel?" She asked kindly toward the two girls after greeting them.
"Daniel? Do you mean the boy we brought?" Luna looked confused. Mavi nodded mechanically. "Oh, he's okay. Just inhaled too much smoke. I suppose they are going to treat the wounds that worsened and the others that appeared recently, with a couple of days on observation, he will be as good as new" She commented and Mavi took a second to let out all the aire she had been holding for a while.
"Is he Max Verstappen?" Emma questioned curiously, with an eyebrow raised. Luna let out a laugh.
"Yes, I guess" Mavi replied amused, while laughing to see how her friend looked at him not so discreetly. "I don't know much about him to be honest"
"How is possible you don't know who is Max Verstappen a.k.a Super Max?!" exclaimed Emma in a whisper, suprised.
"Yes, I know him, Emma. But I don't follow his life in great detail either" Mavi long a little laugh.
"Ayways, he's looking at you like he wants to undress you right here" Assured the paramedic accompained by a playful tone. Luna hit her lightly with her glove of latex that she was removing from her hand.
"He's just worried about his friend and must still be shocked by what happened" Mavi mentioned, and her two friends looked at her in disbelief. "You two are incredible. I fed up"
After the teasing and funny comments of the girls, Mavi walked over where the boy was. He briefly thanked her for being there and they both stayed there unitl the doctors moved Daniel to a nearby room. He has to stay in the hospital for a few more days to monitor his lungs and burns, but he was perfect. Maybe he could even be fit for the next Grand Prix.
"Dávalos?" Chief Hudson's voice echoed through the room. Mavi apologized to Max and went to were her superior was, who lead her to the hospital exit.
"Look, boss, If you come to tell me something about my choice in the..." Mavi started speaking, but was interrupted by Derek's gaze. She stayed silent, wating for him to spit a sermon.
"Mavi, I'm going to be honest with you. I shouldn't have adressed you like that, because with my years of experience I know that when you are in a fire ypu have to look for quick fixes even though you might be putting yourself in danger" He apologized. Mavi could see sincerity in his eyes and nodded quickly. "I know that always your priority is to keep the victims safe and you have done the same thing today. You don't deserve it after dealing with the stress of making a heavy decision with two young people on the brink of fear"
"You don't have to apologize, I know that I'm not flawless and I'm trying to get better at every call I have to go" Mavi admitted, her voice almost breaking.
"You are the best lieutenant I know, Mavi. You are passionate about you work, I have never seen someone as brave as you. Yes, you made and will make mistakes like any other person in this world, but that doesn't make you a bad lieutenant. You simply have to face difficulties, and you know how to do it"
Mavi smiled and Derek opened his arms before encircling her in a warm hug. The brunette cosidered him as well as an example to follow, an inspiration to make an effort every day in what she does. The relationship between the two came form years, where Mavi recently was starting to form and never broke thanks to the constant talks and sincerity between them.
After saying goodbye with other smile, Mavi returned to the room where they were alreday Rhodes and the paramedics talking. Once they noticed her presence, they moves their eyes to her.
"We are going bak at the station, are you coming?" Rhodes questioned and before she could answer, she heard a call from Max. His hoarse voice and broken English could not go unnoticed.
"Can I talk to you before you go?" His cheeks sudently turned crimson.
"Sure" She smiled and turned to see his coworkers. "Go to the truck, I'm will got there in a few minutes" Her friends told her a couple of teasing comments and she just laughed.
He walked towards Max, who was quite nervous in his seat. Mavi dedicated another smile and the boy stood up, both of them facing each other.
"I just wanted to thank you for what you have done today. It was very brave" He mentioned with his hands in his dirty jeans pockets.
"It's my job" She clicked her tongue.
"Would you mind telling me your name?" Max asked, earning a questioning look form the girl. "Daniel wanted to know it" He let out a nervous laugh, and Mavi clearly didn't believe it, but she also imitate his action because it caused her tenderness.
"MarÃa Victoria, but everybody calls me Mavi" She said with a shy smile.
"So, It's a pleasure to meet you, Mavi"