Page 103 of Embers in the Dark

The way he looks at his wife is truly awe-inspiring and I like seeing my friend so enamored.

“She does make me happy.” He smiles.

“There’s nothing wrong with that. How is the semester treating her?” I ask.

“Good. Glad she decided to push those two classes to next semester, delaying her finish to next December. I think this spring would’ve been too much on her if she had taken all those classes right now. Now she can focus on what sheneeds, and still walk in May, but finish the coursework with time in the fall.”

“Good. I bet she’s happier. And her job?” I ask.

“She likes it,” he says, “it’s flexible hours and walking distance from the apartment.”

Baylee got a job at a cafe near their place and she seems to like it. They have early hours, but they don’t stay open late, which Malloy says she prefers.

Right as we’re going inside, Rios approaches and greets us both.

“Good morning,” he says, then looks over at Malloy. “Good morning, Malloy.”

“Morning,” he says back.

Rios walks ahead and Malloy stands at the doorway.

“You okay?” I ask him.

“I guess that’s progress. That’s the first time he’s greeted me in a personal way at work.”

“Baby steps,” I tell him.

“Yeah. It’ll never be what it was before and that’s okay. But hopefully the tension will start to lift for the sake of our families.”

“I agree,” I say as we make our way to the lockers to deposit our belongings before getting a report from the previous crew.

I’m still a probie, with a few more months left of my one-year probationary period. Time’s flying and I’m really enjoying firefighting. I find the work satisfying, and I like the camaraderie. It’s the brotherhood that I was seeking after leaving the military.

The life I had back in Nevada was miserable and I haven’t been back since graduating high school. I have nothing left there. The family I was born into only shares blood with me. Aside from that, they gave me nothing and I haven’t looked back.

Throughout the years, I’ve gotten to pick and choose whowill be in my life and I feel blessed with the people that surround me. These guys are part of that because they have truly become a part of my chosen family. As we prepare for our shift, checking our gear and washing the truck—the laughter and interactions between them—I feel so grateful I survived so much to come back to this life.

We get everything in order, and a few hours go by seamlessly. Right as we’re about to go inside to get some food, the alarm goes off for a call. We make our way to the truck.

The sun is beating down now that the day is well underway. As we drive into the city, I realize the address is an elementary school. My heart accelerates, realizing this might be a child we’re dealing with. Those calls always make me a little more anxious. When a call comes in, the most we know is it’s a medical emergency from the nature of the call, not if the person is an adult or child.

We park the truck outside the school and personnel are waiting for us out front, directing us to where the emergency is. Our captain is getting information and we listen in as we walk through to where the injured person is needing our attention.

“Anaphylaxis in one of our kindergarteners. He was playing after lunch and got stung by a bee. He’s allergic. Seems to have escalated quickly. They gave him a dose of Benadryl. Then they gave him a shot of the EpiPen, but he’s still having a reaction. He’s puffing up really bad. The swelling is everywhere on his face.”

We are all listening in as we make our way through. I’m taking mental notes. Anaphylaxis is a serious issue and can indeed escalate quickly. All those interventions with no relief is worrisome. We pick up our pace as we continue to the nurse’s office.

We see some commotion at a small office up ahead. Now that I take in my surroundings, this school looks like a private one, with state-of-the-art facilities. That being said, thisnurse’s office is tiny, yet so many people are congregated inside, I assume, around this child.

“Alright everyone, please step aside, and let us take a look,” River announces. He can be serious and commanding when he needs to.

Everyone looks panicked, some adults and students are in the small space, and they clear a path.

“Like he said, please step aside. If you’re a nurse, you can stay. But anyone else, please move outside. You can wait there, but we need you out of the way please. Thank you,” Clay says.

I crouch down, my role is to take vitals. I put my equipment by the child’s side and start to evaluate the allergic reaction. The boy is quite puffy. His eyes are almost completely shut and he has hives all over.

“Hey, buddy,” I say. “My name’s Tyler Hunter. But these guys call me Hunter. Can you talk or is your tongue swollen?”

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