Braxton (Station 47)

Chapter 1

ONE

brAXTON

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Some days the calls seem never-ending. Today is one of those days. We’re just coming off a call where an apartment complex caught fire because two kids who were left home alone at only eight and ten decided they wanted mac and cheese for lunch. They got preoccupied playing with their toys and all the water boiled straight out of the pot. It didn’t help that they live in an apartment complex with gas appliances and the flame on the stove caught the dish towel left too close to the burner. Now, thankfully, those two kids are safe with an aunt while we’re still trying to locate their mother.

Not even ten minutes after leaving that almost tragedy, another call comes through because we’re the closest rig. According to the operator, a female had what sounds like a medical emergency while driving on a mostly deserted road and ran head first into a tree. The Good Samaritan who saw the accident said the woman is unconscious, but there’s a young boy in the back seat who seems to be fine. He’s currently yelling for his mom and they’re scared to move him in case he actually is hurt.

It takes us less than five minutes to arrive on-scene, and when we do, a cold shiver travels down my spine for reasons I don’t understand. Yes, the car definitely crashed, and there is absolutely damage, but with as bad as this wreck could be, these people are pretty lucky.

Hawk, Hollywood and I are the first ones out of the truck and the first three to make it to the vehicle, a small, blue SUV. It’s hard to see much of the woman in the driver’s seat with the way her body is folded forward, head pressed into the steering wheel and her long, dark hair obscuring her features.

“Hawk!” Hayes shouts, taking charge of the scene as he comes up behind us. “You and Hollywood take care of the woman.” His attention turns to me, then flicks back to the woman in the driver’s seat. “We’ll check on the kid.”

We all nod our acknowledgment and get to work.

I open the back door and am immediately faced with the tearstained face of a little boy who can’t be more than four or five. “Hey bud.” My voice is gentle in an attempt to calm him down. “Can you tell me your name?”

Liquid brown eyes meet mine as he mumbles around the fingers stuck in his mouth, the words to muffled for me to understand. Slowly, I reach for his wrist and slowly pull his hand down. “Let’s try that again. Can you tell me your name?”

This time it’s a little clearer. “Na-fan.”

“Nathan?” I clarify, and he nods. “Good job, bud. Can I ask you another question?” He nods again, his fingers going right back to his mouth when I release my hold on his wrist. “Does anything hurt? Do you hurt anywhere?” His little forehead furrows in confusion, eyes going cloudy as he tries to understand what I’m asking. Fuck . I’m going to have to resort to toddler speak. I loathe toddler speak. It makes me sound so dumb. Releasing a heavy sigh, I change by wording, trying to keep my voice from automatically moving to a higher register. “Do you have any owies?” Hayes’ low chuckle has my jaw tensing, but I refuse to look over at him. He’s going to give me so much shit about this later.

This time he shakes his head, but his focus instantly goes back to the unconscious woman in the front seat. “Mama?” he asks, his words still muffled by his fingers, but the worry is clear. “Mama, owie?”

“That’s right. Your mama has an owie, but she’ll be okay.” I hope . “Do you see those guys?” I gesture towards Hawk and Hollywood and his gaze bounces between them. “They’re taking good care of your mama, I promise.” Nathan looks skeptical, but thankfully, accepts what I said without argument or a tantrum. “Let’s get you out of this seat, okay?” Not waiting for a response, I start unbuckling the car seat he’s strapped into so I can pull him into my arms. He instantly burrows into my chest and something inside me squeezes at the knowledge he’s getting comfort from me.

Grayson, better known as Hawk, and Rhett are getting ready to pull Nathan’s mom out of the car, so I make my way over to the waiting ambulance so we’re not in the way. Nathan starts to squirm when he sees them put his mom on the gurney, prompting me to tighten my hold on him so he doesn’t get hurt. “Hang on. They’re going to bring her right over.” My attempt at reassurance goes unnoticed as he tries harder to get free. Damn , this kid is strong when he wants something.

I’m barely managing to keep him up against my chest as they get closer, and my arms tighten reflexively when they come to a stop at the back of the truck. Now that she’s lying flat, I can see her face and realize the slim body, dark hair, and pixie like features are familiar.

I know her.

Fuck me. It’s Christina . I haven’t seen her in… I can feel the blood drain out of my face.

Almost five years.

No … it’s not possible. It can’t be. Looking down at Nathan, I see all the things that didn’t register before.

Black hair… just like mine.

Brown eyes… the same color as my own.

Olive skin while hers is ghostly pale.

My heart starts to race as the possibilities race through my head.

Is… is Nathan mine ?

“Brax?” Hawk’s voice sounds like it’s coming through a tunnel. “Braxton! You good, man?” His hand on my shoulder registers and I shake my head, not sure if I’m answering his question or denying what I’m pretty sure is my child cries, reaching his arms out for his mama.

When I look over at him, Hawk’s eyes dart between mine, two deep grooves between his eyes, and I have to clear my throat before attempting to answer his question. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry.”

He very obviously doesn’t believe me, but neither of us have time to get into anything right now, so he lets it go. My sigh is audible and my shoulders slump with my relief.

“Uh-huh,” is his only response, because he has to finish putting the gurney with my ex-girlfriend on it inside the ambulance. Once she’s secured, he turns, holding his arms out for Nathan. “C’mon, little man. Let’s go see the doctor with your mom.”

His small body turns further into me and he buries his face in the side of my neck. Grayson tries one more time to take him, but this time it’s me who keeps him from taking him. “Dude, we need to get her to the hospital. She hasn’t regained consciousness, and the medical bracelet on her wrist says she’s a chemo patient. She needs medical attention… now .”

Chemo? Why does she need chemo and what type of cancer does she have? How am I supposed to hand Nathan and her over to Grayson’s care? I don’t know if I can bring myself to do it, but I know I can’t go in the ambulance with them. There’s not enough room, and I’m not a licensed EMT. The best I can do is get to the hospital as soon as I can after we get back to the house and I finish the paperwork for today’s calls. Maybe I can get Hollywood to do it for me. He would in a heartbeat if I told him what was going on, but he’d also want to go to the hospital with me. They all would.

Knowing what I have to do, no matter how much I don’t want to right now, I pull Nathan’s tiny body away from my own and stand him on the edge of the ambulance and bend so I’m closer to eye-level with him. “Hey, Nate. Can you do me a big favor and go with Grayson to help your mom?” Big eyes look at me trustingly and my heart clenches again.

“We’ll get your mom all taken care of, okay,” Grayson looks at me questioningly, making sure he has the right name and waiting for me to nod. “Nathan?” The boy’s focus turns to him when Hawk mentions his mom. He stays quiet and still while my friend and fellow firefighter secures him in the back of the ambulance next to his mom using the seat Hayes grabbed out of their car.

I take a step back when he reaches out to shut the doors, closing me off from Nathan and Christina. His eyes stay on me as he takes his seat and the ambulance starts to drive away. I watch until it goes around the curve and disappears, then run for the truck. Getting to the hospital and being there for them is the only thing on my mind.