Engine 51 Part 2

                “Over here!” yelled the injured woman in distress

“We’re coming! Don’t worry! Just hold on!” the firemen encouraged searching through the smoke with their flashlights. Suddenly, they saw light at the end of the hallway.

They headed towards it through the deathly haze. When they got to the end of the hallway they realized the wall didn’t exist, just a nauseating distance to the ground.

The firefighters looked around and saw the lady under her desk with long black hair, black eyes and an ash covered face to match. She had a gaping hole in her leg, burns on her arms and a look of absolute horror on her face, her tears distorting the ash on her cheeks.

“Over here!” she yelled with her last bit of strength as the firefighters ran toward her, heroes emerging from the smoke.

“Are you ok ma’am? Where are you hurt?” the firefighters inquired. She pointed to her blood covered leg. “Just hold on. We’ll get you out of here.” responded the firefighters as they picked her up. Feeling their way through the smoke and the maze of office remnants dodging embers all the way to the stairwell where a NYPD officer was waiting.

“Here! I’ll take her down” offered the officer

“Take good care of her” the firefighters responded as they handed her over and ran back through the door looking for more victims, intent to save lives.

 “Ready to go?” inquired the officer

“Yea, my leg is starting to hurt worse” responded the woman.

So they headed down being passed by Firefighters on their way up. When they finally got to the bottom the lobby was buzzing with emergency responders which they proceeded to weave through as they headed for the exit. The officer frantically looked around for an ambulance but could find none so he ran her out and found a paramedic and handed her over to him.

Meanwhile, the firefighters were searching for more victims when all of a sudden the radio blasted to life “Attention all emergency personnel in tower 1, Evacuate immediately! I repeat, evacuate immediately!”

Jim inquired dumbfounded “What’s going on!”

“I don’t know but we better get out of here!” replied Steve as they headed for the stairwell. Suddenly the building started to creak and moan. “Brace yourself!” yelled Steve as he and Jim hit the deck.

Chunks of the ceiling started to fall on them burying them under ceiling tiles as the power went out. Suddenly, they heard a breaking sound and a loud boom followed by another and another coming from above their heads. “May God help us.” Prayed Jim as the roof above them fell on them and continued down all the way to the ground. Not that anybody could tell because of the monumental amount of ash that went in a mushroom cloud into the sky clogging the streets with a snow-like layer of ash. The collapse sending a small earthquake through the city.

“What happened?” inquired the injured woman slightly jarred.

“Tower one just collapsed…. Lord have mercy on their souls.” Responded the EMT.

“Those firefighters were the bravest people I’ve ever met…. I can’t believe they’re gone.” mourned the woman. “They saved me and sacrificed themselves, me, a total stranger. They were true American heroes. Risking their lives daily, saving lives undaunted by any circumstance. A model of what we should all be, selfless, caring and brave with unending loyalty to God and country. They were truly great.”

The EMT started to choke up as he added “The true best of the best I’d say.”    

--- Based off the true story of the brave men and women during 9/11/01 in NYC---