𝐀𝐂𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐌 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐌

Vienna Brian was jolted awake by the clatter of dishes crashing together in the kitchen. She groaned, the sound grating against her early-morning grogginess. Sunlight filtered softly through her thin white curtains, painting streaks of gold across her bedroom. With a heavy sigh, she rolled onto her side, her arm fumbling across her bedside table until her fingers found the cool, smooth surface of her phone. Tapping the screen, she squinted at the bright glow.

5:30 a.m.

Her eyebrows furrowed in disbelief as she fell onto her back. Who wakes up at this hour? Unfortunately, Vienna did as the sound of her alarm started to blare only seconds later. Letting out a long sigh, she sat up, running a hand over her face. The cold wood floor sent a shiver up her spine as her bare feet met it. She stretched, trying to shake off the weight of sleep before padding softly towards the source of the noise.

Walking out from the hallway into the open space of her apartment, she leaned against the wall with an amused but tired smile. There, standing on tiptoes, reaching up for a plate in the high cabinet, was her six-year-old son, Carter. His fluffy blonde hair was a wild mess, sticking up in every direction, and soft grunts of effort escaped his lips as he jumped again and again, fingertips barely brushing the edge of the shelf.

"You're not supposed to be awake for another hour," Vienna said, her voice soft but teasing.

Carter froze mid-jump, turning around slowly. His mouth was open, and he batted his eyes at his mother. "I was hungry," he explained, pointing towards the open bag of bread.

Vienna let out a laugh, the sound warm and affectionate. She walked over towards the toaster, ruffling Carter's messy blonde hair before pulling a slice of bread from the bag and popping it into the toaster. "Here," she said, lifting him up and setting him down on the countertop. "What do you want on your toast?"

"Peanut butter!" Carter exclaimed with a wide grin, swinging his legs back and forth.

She smiled, opening the fridge to retrieve a jar just as the toaster chimed. The scent of toast filled the air in the small kitchen as Vienna served up Carter's breakfast, handing it to the boy. She watched as he eagerly took a bite, leaving smudges of peanut butter around his mouth.

The two ate in companionable silence. After a moment, Vienna glanced at her son, who was happily munching away, his cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.

"Is your suitcase packed?" Vienna asked, her tone soft as she used her thumb to wipe a small smudge of peanut butter off his face

Carter nodded enthusiastically. His joy was infectious, and Vienna found herself smiling despite the early hour.

"Okay," She said as she lifted him down from the counter. She knelt in front of him, brushing his hair out of his eyes. "Let's get the day started." She spoke, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Good morning." Vienna chirped as she walked up the stairs of the 118 firehouse. She received numerous 'good mornings' as she walked over to the kitchen where her captain, Bobby Nash, was cooking. He smiled at her as she rummaged through the cabinets for a coffee mug.

She took a seat on the barstool next to Chimney, deeply smelling the coffee in her hands in hopes that the smell would wake her up.

"She's bored," Chimney complained. "One foot out the door. She's way out of my league, but she's a once-in-a-lifetime. I can't let her go."

"Plenty of fish in the sea," Bobby spoke,

"Not with the bait he's using," Hen teased, walking up behind Vienna. She placed her hands on her shoulders, giving Vienna a tight squeeze. Chimney rolled his eyes. "Cruel but true."

"I don't get why everyone's so obsessed with dating." Vienna spoke, bringing her mug to her lips, she took a long sip of her drink before continuing, "What's wrong with being single?"

"You're hot, and I'm not," Chimney pointed out. "I'm lucky to get a proper date."

"Where'd you even meet her?"

"On a site for cops and firefighters, RomancingTheUniform.com. She's an adrenaline junkie. Foreplay is me telling her stories about running into burning buildings and jumping into frozen lakes—"

"I'm sorry, when was the last time you jumped over anything?" Hen teased as she set the table. Chimney shrugged. "I embellish a little."

"Noted."

"I'm telling you, the uniform is a major aphrodisiac."

The team laughed as Vienna got up to help set the table, as she grabbed a stack of plates, the sound of the fire engine backing into the station caught her attention. She walked over to the lofted railing, rolling her eyes as she watched Evan Buckley hop out of the vehicle.

"The child's back," Vienna announced as she placed the plates down, handing them out. She could hear Hen snicker next to her as Buck walked up the lofted stairs.

"I'll take that," Buck's voice came from behind her as he snatched a plate out of her hands. Vienna glared at him as he scooped spaghetti with his fingers, making Hen pull the bowl away from him.

"Hey!" Hen exclaimed, "Wash your hands, who knows where they've been.

"I could only guess," Vienna mumbled under her breath.

"What if we had a call?" Bobby asked sternly as he set down the last dish. "I was in the neighbourhood, just getting the truck washed," Buck defended.

"They charge you extra for the full detail?" Chimney joked. Buck nodded, grabbing the bowl of veggies from Bobby with a mouthful of food.

"Listen, Buck," Bobby began, "I like you. You're a good firefighter. I know you call me 'Pops,' and I give you a hard time for being a dumb kid—we even went to a Springsteen concert together. But this isn't a family, and it's not a clubhouse. So, I'm writing to you."

"Come on, Bobby, see the fire, put out the fire. The rest is blah, blah, blah."

"No, the system has rules, and they're not arbitrary. First infraction. Two more, and you're out." Bobby grabbed the plate from Buck. "Now wash your hands."

Buck sighed as he left the table. "You're not helping him by going easy on him," Chimney commented.

"He just needs some direction," Bobby explained.

"I'll remind you of that when he gets you killed," Chimeny muttered as the fire alarm started to blare. Vienna slouched back in her seat and groaned before quickly hurrying down the stairs to gear up.

"Are you high?" Vienna asked the man slumped on his couch.

"I'm telling you, I heard a baby crying! Someone flushed a baby down the toilet."

In all her years as a firefighter, Vienna found this situation very hard to believe as she looked over at Hen, who held up a bong. "Oh, you're definitely on something." She scoffed.

"I'm not high," the man protested, looking between the two female firefighters who gave him a knowing look. "Okay, maybe I'm a little high. But it's Sativa! It makes you happy; it doesn't make you hallucinate."

"It could've been a cat," Chimney suggested. "Or maybe rats in the walls?"

Bobby then shushed him abruptly. "Did you hear that?" He asked as he walked into the bathroom. Vienna looked over at Chimney, confused as she followed after her captain.

She watched as Bobby pressed his ear to the wall. "Hand me a stethoscope," He said, looking over at Vienna.

Vienna was about to say something, but sighed as she dug through her medical bag, handing it to him.

Bobby placed the stethoscope against the tile, listening carefully. A faint, muffled whimper echoed behind the wall, making Vienna's eyes widen in disbelief.

"Give me a Sharpie," Bobby instructed. Chimney tossed him the pen, and everyone watched as Bobby marked an 'X' on the wall. "We need to open this up."

"No way, we're getting punked," Chimney protested. "It's probably just a tape recorder or something. Right, Spicoil?"

Hen shook her head. "Maybe not. Maybe a mother gave birth on the toilet and... flushed it."

Vienna wrinkled her nose at the thought. "Okay, first of all, that's horrible. Second, do you even know how plumbing works? There's serpentine piping that—"

"If it's a premature baby, its bones could be soft enough to bend and compress," Bobby interrupted. "We need to act fast."

"Stand back!" Buck spoke as if with an axe in hand. "I've got this." He charged through, nearly taking out half the room, before Bobby stopped him.

"Hey, hey! Did you ever think you might hit the baby?" Bobby said sharply. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Go get the saw."

Buck nodded and ran out of the apartment, leaving Chimney to call after him, "And try to find some common sense while you're at it!"

When Buck returned with the saw, Bobby immediately began cutting through the wall. Vienna and Hen stepped back, watching as the men worked to tear down the wall and expose the pipe.

"Guys, that pipe serves a quarter of the toilets above us. It's going to be messy," Vienna warned. Hen's eyes widened with realisation. "Oh shoot. Even with the water off, if someone flushes the toilet above us, it could drown the baby."

"Go!" Vienna ordered, taking Hen's medical bag off her as she bolted out of the apartment.

"Bobby, what do you need me to do?" Vienna called out as she left, but Bobby didn't look back, focused on the task. "Prep the ambulance. Be ready for anything," he replied.

Vienna nodded. She ran off to the front doors of the building, and once she was outside, she shed off her jacket and helmet quickly, preparing the ambulance for the newborn. Her mind was racing with the uncertainty that this baby could be dead or alive. There were no guarantees, and Vienna needed to be ready for any outcome.

Buck had come rushing shortly after what had felt like an eternity with a baby cradled in his arms. "Vi!" He called out as he jumped into the vehicle.

"Is she okay?" Vienna asked, her eyes on the baby girl.

"She's breathing," Buck said as Hen slid into the driver's seat of the ambulance.

"Hold up, hold up!" Athena Grant shouted, "I've got another one coming." Vienna saw what had to be the mother, a teenage girl being carried by her father.

"Is that the mother?" Buck asked, his anger evident. "Screw her—look what she did."

"She's bleeding out, Buck, get out of my way," Vienna spoke, Buck standing in her way from the mother as she bled out everywhere, his protest holding up the transport.

"What's going on?" Bobby spoke as he and Chimney came into view, as Vienna stuck an IV into the mother's arm. "You need to go!"

"He's refusing to take her," Athena shouted. Vienna shoved Buck slightly as she directed the girl's dad to lay his daughter on the gurney. Buck was visibly frustrated as his eyes glared towards Athena. "If this baby dies, it's on you." He threatened as Chimney slammed the doors shut.

Five minutes away from the hospital, Chimney and Vienna both got to work on the mother and daughter. Vienna checked the baby's vitals. "O2 saturation is 59." She announced when the monitor started to beep. "I can't get a pulse!"

The mother was horrified as tears streamed down her face. "I'm so sorry," She sobbed. "Is she gonna die?"

Vienna didn't know what to say to the distressed teenager when she quickly glanced at her. "It's going to be fine." She spoke, mainly to herself, as she tried to bring back the baby's pulse.

Hen pulled into the ambulance bay, and Buck was quick to jump out, handing the baby over to the doctors who waited for them. Vienna watched as both the mother and daughter were rushed inside, leaning her head against the walls, she let out a long sigh.

The peace didn't last long when she heard tires screech into the car. Vienna poked her head and immediately grabbed Chimeny by the shoulders, dragging him in front of her as some sort of shield.

"Hey!" Athena called out to a smirking Buck. "You do not get the choose who lives and who dies," Athena snapped.

"Really? Because I was under the impression that was kind of my job," Buck shot back.

"That mother was no less a child than her baby. You're going to get someone killed," Athena retorted sharply.

"Well, maybe, but not today." Buck laughed.

"Yeah, keep making jokes," Athena warned. "I promise you, the next time you screw up, it'll be your last." With that, she turned and walked away.

Buck's smirk didn't falter as he watched Athena's retreating figure.

"He's gonna kill us all one day," Vienna muttered.

"Hey, don't you have to go home?" Bobby asked as he walked past Vienna, whose feet were propped up on the coffee table. She was on the verge of falling asleep, but was reluctant to show it.

"I just finished 5 minutes ago," Vienna replied, watching as Bobby sat next to her. "I'll take a 2-hour nap than drive home."

"What about Carter?"

"It's James's week," Vienna answered, and Bobby nodded his head in realisation. He felt sorry for his youngest crew member. He remembered the first time Vienna walked into the 118, she was on the verge of losing a custody battle, and now, after settling for 50/50, it made Vienna spiral, thinking one wrong move and she would lose it all.

"You should bring Carter over again," Bobby mused, and Vienna smiled. "Are you sure?" She asked, and Bobby nodded his head, "He is family, you know, and it gives Buck someone to play with while the adults talk."

Vienna laughed, shaking her head with amusement. "Next week, remind me."

I can't tell if Buck would be a boy dad or a girl dad?