Silent Night

Author's Note: Thanks to Kathy's Sis for the idea of how to entertain kids on Christmas morning. The idea is from her story "The Bells of Christmas" and is used with permission.

*****

He just wanted to get warm; the flannel shirt he had on gave little protection from the drafty walls. Even though it was Southern California, it was still December, and the temperature fell into the cooler range during the night. He found a pile of dirty rags in a corner alongside some pieces of broken wood that appeared to be drawers from an ancient desk sitting nearby. He also found some old newspapers and a few cardboard boxes a few feet away. The largest box, he would use for his shelter, hoping to add a little more warmth within the protection of the warehouse. The smaller boxes he tore apart into more manageable pieces. A few of the other people there helped him, hoping to enjoy the heat of the impromptu fire themselves.

A middle-aged man in a worn varsity sweater produced an old Zippo and touched the flame to one of the rags and tossed it onto the pile of paper and rags. The resultant explosion took everyone in the immediate area by surprise. The man in the flannel shirt and the man in the varsity sweater, along with a few others, would never have to worry about the cool Southern California winters ever again.

A wave of panic went through the homeless who had found shelter in the abandoned warehouse. Many were awakened by the smoke, making it hard for them to breathe. Others were awakened by screams and the activity of those near them trying to grab what meager belongings they could salvage before they fled the building.

The klaxons sounded in Station 51, waking the six firemen from a sound, but too short, sleep. This had been a busy Christmas Eve shift for them.

There were several motor vehicle accidents, for the most part caused by drivers who had too much to drink at the company Christmas party or at a friend’s house and decided they would drive home anyway. Luckily there was only one fatality, but quite a few victims were transported to Rampart Hospital with serious injuries.

Christmas tree fires were also high on the list, although, so far, there hadn’t been a loss of life from any of those fires, but quite a few families had to find other places to stay and a lot of kids wouldn’t be getting their presents, at least not tonight.

Heart attacks from stress or excitement and a few suicide attempts, some of them successful, were all part of working the holiday season.

“Station 51, Station 110, structure fire with injuries; forty-twenty-seven Industrial Boulevard, 4-0-2-7 Industrial Boulevard, cross street, San Gabriel. Time out 0446.”

The men were up immediately, pulling on their turnouts and heading for the apparatus bay and their respective vehicles. Captain Stanley acknowledged the call with the familiar “Station 51, KMG-365,” and climbed into the right hand seat of the large Ward LeFrance engine. Roy DeSoto started the engine of the squad as the bay door opened. The engine followed the squad down the driveway and turned left onto the road. At almost five in the morning the traffic was light and the two vehicles reached their destination in just over four minutes. 110's hadn’t arrived as yet, so Captain Stanley became the incident commander. He immediately assessed the situation and deployed his men for the most efficient use. The top priority was getting the victims out quickly and safely and to keep the fire from spreading. He also called in a second alarm.

They had come to work on Christmas Eve and the men were hoping to be able to get off on time the next morning and be with family for Christmas day. An alarm like this, early in the morning, didn’t bode well for a timely end of shift.

Hank Stanley, Captain of 51s, and his wife, Emily, had a big day planned with their two daughters and Emily’s family who flew in a few days ago from Wisconsin, hoping to spend the holiday in warmer weather. They were lucky to get on a plane when they did. The airport was closed a few hours later due to bad weather. Hank liked his in-laws and was glad to see them after almost two years. Emily and her mother had been baking and fixing goodies for days. It was going to be a wonderfully happy day.

Roy, the only other married member of Station 51, also had a big day planned with family. No in-laws though, for him, for which he was eternally grateful. His partner, Johnny, was going to be there and he was a favorite of his two kids. Chris and Jenny called him ‘Uncle Johnny’, a fact which delighted him to no end. Joanne had also done a lot of baking with the ‘help’ of six year old Jenny. Jenny wanted to make Uncle Johnny’s favorite gingerbread cookies, so with her mother’s help, two dozen of the delicious cookies were decorated and carefully placed in a plastic container so that no heads were accidently broken. They had to be perfect.

Johnny had no family except for the men of 51s and he considered them all brothers. He grew up on an Indian Reservation in Montana where his parents died when he was just a child. At the time, being half white and half Native American caused him a lot of grief, until an aunt found him and brought him to live in LA with her when he was teenager. She passed away a few years ago, but he was always thankful that she was there for him and supported him, helping to make him the man he was today.

Marco Lopez and Chet Kelly both had large families in LA and went all out for Christmas, starting with Midnight Mass for each family. Decorations abounded at each house. Danny, Chet’s oldest brother, was a police officer in Carson and was working Christmas Eve, having gone in at midnight. His next oldest brother, Colin, was also a fireman and was going in for his shift at 110s in the morning. If he was lucky, he would get to see his daughter open a few of her presents before he left. The two youngest of the Kelly clan were his twin sisters Anita and Andrea, both married with two kids each.

Marco would join his two brothers and sister and their families, including seven nieces and nephews, at their parents’ house when he got off shift. The trunk of his car was filled with brightly wrapped packages. There were so many gifts to buy, that he started in September to make sure he had something for everyone.

Mike Stoker was the quiet one of the station and considered one of the best engineers in the county. His parents had driven down from Santa Barbara to spend the holiday with him. His mother, who he swore was the best cook in the state, if not west of the Mississippi, was probably already up and doing some last minute baking. He smiled at the thought of going home to the smells of his mother’s outlandishly good food. It would be just the three of them, but that was fine with him. He wondered how many more years he would have with them. His parents were already in their forties when he was born, so they were getting up there in years. He often thought about moving them closer to him or, if necessary, he would move back to Santa Barbara, not something he really wanted to do, but he would, for them.

The squad from 110s pulled up less than a minute later, followed closely by the engine and ladder truck. Cpt. Frazier jumped out of the engine almost before it had come to a full stop, and hurried to where Cpt. Stanley was standing for a report. Once he was briefed, he saw to it that his men were in the right place on the east end of the building. His paramedics, Sylvester and Gillardi, set up a triage area a safe distance from the action. Two linemen were sent to the roof to ventilate while two others were tasked with pulling an inch and a half and dousing the flames coming from the side entrance and windows.

Roy managed to stop one of the fleeing victims and asked if there were more people inside. Frightened eyes looked back at him, and a small nod of the head told Roy what he needed to know. Flames and dark smoke were pouring out of the broken windows, but Cpt. Stanley knew he had to send his rescue paramedics in. Roy and Johnny were donning their SCBA gear even before Cap instructed them to go in. They entered the dark abyss of the warehouse with the backup of Chet and Marco, spraying a fog pattern to protect them.

They could hear moans and coughing to the far left of them so that’s where they headed. Three people, two women and a man, were crouched down behind an overturned table. They could all walk, so John and Roy got them out and into the waiting hands of two firefighters from 8s who responded to the second alarm.

Roy and Johnny went back in, knowing there were at least two more people in there, thanks to the woman he had just helped outside. Chet and Marco were there again with the hose adding what protection they could in the hot, smoky building.

They went to the left when they entered the building as that was the general direction the woman had indicated. Roy and Johnny led the way as Chet and Marco sprayed the area in front of them. The fire had caught on good, due to all the trash that had accumulated in the abandoned warehouse over the past few years. Old boxes, papers and broken furniture littered the whole place.

Eventually the four men reached what appeared to be an office; a small room that at one time had been enclosed in metal and glass. Now it was just a ragged metal frame with a door. Broken glass still littered the floor and shards of metal poked out from the frame. Roy was able to pull the door open and he and his partner entered, calling for any survivors that might have been in there. There was no answer so they poked around as best they could. The smoke was getting denser, making it hard to see. Well, harder than before. Chet and Marco were doing a great job of keeping the actual flames at bay until they were finished searching.

The noise came suddenly and loudly. The four men inside lifted their heads, alert to the sound. Before they could do anything, the building shook and they knew nothing.

Outside, the Battalion Chief had command of the situation. He had found out that at one time the building housed flammable liquid and chemicals. The owners were made to clear it out and a subsequent inspection showed that they indeed had done just that. What the fire department didn’t know was that just a few months prior, the company had started storing overflow containers back in the warehouse, unloading the chemicals at night so no one could see them.

Chief McConnike relayed the information to the Captains and told them to pull their men from the building. Cpt. Stanley and Cpt. Frazier were immediately on their HT’s, ordering the men from the building. Neither one got the whole message through when they heard the sound, too.

The men manning hoses nearest the building were knocked down. Burning debris flying through the air added to the danger. Men who weren’t injured, or who could still walk, helped those who couldn’t and soon the triage area was full of casualties.

Cpt. Stanley was on his HT, calling to his men, but receiving no answer in return.

Inside the building it was hot and smoky and wet. The four men who were, just a moment ago, standing by the little office were now lying in jumbles under metal and debris, but luckily they were unconscious, so they weren’t aware of their plight.

Marco was the first to become aware of his surroundings. Well, first he was aware of the fact that he couldn’t move his left arm and leg and that the pain made him cry out when he tried. He took a few deep breaths before he tried moving his other parts. He reached up to wipe some wetness from his head and felt the thick warm fluid, knowing it was blood. He called out to the other three men, but the only answer he received was a low moan, probably from Chet.

Chet could hear his name being called, but he couldn’t figure out where the voice was coming from. It sounded like it was from far away, but he couldn’t mistake the urgency in the voice. Maybe he just needed to move closer. He opened his eyes to see if he could at least see who was calling to him, but all he saw was…nothing. His first thought was that he was blind, but as his eyes remained open, he could see jagged shapes. At least he thought he could. He couldn’t keep his eyes open for very long. His head ached worse than he could ever remember; even worse than that time when he was eight and Danny dared him to jump off the garage roof and he landed in his mother’s prize flower bed hitting his head on a decorative rock. Just as Marco did, he tried to move his extremities. Arms were okay, but legs, not so much. He heard his name again and without opening his eyes he answered back. Marco sounded relieved to hear his voice.

Neither man was sure what exactly happened, but they were just glad to hear the other’s voice. Johnny and Roy had still not answered the shouts.

Cpt. Stanley grabbed his HT, again trying to reach his guys in the building, but all he got in return was static. He looked at Mike, who was standing by the engine and imagined he had the same look on his face that his engineer did.

Police officers were trying to contain the civilians who looked on. Danny Kelly had seen the vehicles for 110s and 51s when he drove up in his car right before the explosion. He knew this wasn’t a time for a brotherly reunion; there would be time for a quick wave or nod when this was all done, so he just did his job, praying that his kid brother was alright. He had mixed feelings about being at a scene where either of his brothers was fighting a fire. He was proud of Chet and Colin, and knew their crews looked out for each other, but he also knew that walking into a burning building goes against nature and he never stopped worrying until it was all over and the Kelly firefighters were safe once again.

It looked like chaos had taken over after the explosion, but in reality, it was a very controlled and organized situation. Each man had a job and did it. The captains from all the company’s there reported to the Chief, and plans were made for rescuing the trapped men. It was going to be a hard job because the fire, although becoming contained, still burned and the smoke was still thick with an acrid odor.

Cpt. Stanley saw the police officer walk toward him and stop a few yards away, waiting for him to complete his tasks. Hank recognized him as Chet’s brother, the stocky build and dark curly hair were hard to miss, and motioned him over. He didn’t really want to have to tell him what he knew so far. It was Christmas Day and he didn’t want to report any deaths among his men today. And until there was evidence to the contrary, his men were alive.

Hank put his hand on Danny’s shoulder as he talked, explaining what had happened and what was in the process of happening. He didn’t want to downplay the seriousness of the situation, but he wanted to give Danny all the hope he could. Danny nodded his understanding and took a deep breath. There was nothing for him to do but go back to his duties and pray. And maybe call Colin. But as it ended up, he didn’t have to.

It was another hour before the building was clear enough for rescue work to begin; and another hour before a definite plan could be put into place. Heavy steel had to be moved and it wouldn’t be an easy task. The men from 110s who were ventilating the roof had apparently dropped down on top of the debris. They were found first and except for a broken ankle and dislocated shoulder and the usual contusions and lacerations that accompanied such a fall, they appeared to be fine. Sylvester and Gillardi had two more patients, but had a hard time convincing the injured men that they could not go in and help in removing the debris to find the trapped men from 51s.

The sun was barely up this early in the morning, but the kids didn’t care. The Stanley girls, even though they were now teenagers, were jumping around hoping to ‘accidentally’ awaken the adults in the house. Grandma was the first up and put on a pot of coffee and then placed a pan of already prepared cinnamon rolls in the oven to bake. This was Christmas morning tradition on the holidays that Dad had to work. They would have coffee or milk along with the big, fluffy rolls full of cinnamon and raisins and wait until Hank got home at eight-thirty to open presents. There was always at least one roll left for him. The girls had eaten and were sitting on the floor in front of the tree checking out all the brightly wrapped packages. They found their Santa presents, the ones that weren’t there last night when they went to bed. Santa always gave great presents. Emily kept glancing at the clock, trying not to seem worried, but her parents knew otherwise. It was after eight-thirty and Hank wasn’t home and there had been no phone call. The station must have had an early call-out.

Jenny and Chris Desoto were also up with the sun. They had a harder time waiting for Daddy to get home because they were younger. Joanne gave each child a Christmas morning hug and went to get breakfast while they brushed their teeth. She had set up three trays with bowls, spoons and a box of Frosted Flakes for the kids, and regular Corn Flakes for her. Milk and juice were set on the trays and a banana was cut up and divided into each bowl. Three pieces of toast with strawberry jam were added to the tray. They had a little picnic on Jenny’s bedroom floor and Joanne read Dr. Seuss books to them. She had to read 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas' three times. It was close to nine o'clock and Roy still wasn't home, and there had been no phone call. She sighed and hurried after the kids as they ran into the living room, excited to open their presents, but wishing Daddy could be there, too. Joanne assured them that he would be home later with Uncle Johnny and they could all play with the toys. She laughed to herself when she thought of the little tea set Santa got for Jenny, and was glad she had film for the camera to snap a picture of Daddy and Uncle Johnny sipping tea with her.

The Lopez family, all thirteen of them counting Marco’s new little niece, would soon be gathered around the large tree. Papa Lopez would read the story of the birth of Christ from his wellworn Bible. They always made sure the younger generations knew the real meaning of the day. Gifts would be passed around and words of thanks in both English and Spanish would be heard above the laughter of the younger members. But it was early and each of her children would have their own celebration at their homes before meeting at their childhood home for more presents and good food. Surely, too much good food. But right now the senior Lopezes were alone in the kitchen. Mama Lopez said a little prayer for her Marco, the only one of her children who was not married or had kids of their own. She had thought he would be here by now; he was supposed to be coming over after his shift, but it was late and there was no answer at his apartment. Maybe he had a busy night and wanted to take a little nap and didn’t hear the phone. Maybe. Papa Lopez stood and went to sit next to his wife and put his arm around her, a gesture that usually calmed her, but not this morning. Her mind went to the only other reason she could think of for why her son wasn’t there on time. Somewhere there was a fire or accident and he was doing his job. She said another prayer for her son and the rest of his shift mates and for whomever it was that needed them on Christmas morning.

Mrs. Kelly thought about the Midnight Mass the family had attended the night before. Christmas Eve Mass was always special, but she couldn’t help the nagging feeling she’d had throughout the service. Now, all three of her sons, one police officer and two firemen, were at work. Chet and Daniel should have been home by now. Surely, if something had happened, she would have known. She walked quietly into the kitchen on the pretext of checking on breakfast. She pulled a rosary from the pocket of her skirt and said a prayer.

Colin Kelly hugged his wife and daughter and left his house a little later than usual. He did get to see his daughter open a few of her many gifts. While he was at work his little family would be having dinner with the rest of the Kelly’s at his parents’ house. He listened to the holiday music on the radio as he drove. The news came on and he hardly paid any attention until he heard something about a fire and explosion. He arrived at his station just before roll call. The large bay was empty except for the men on his shift and he knew where the crew from his station was. Captain Cabrera stood in front of his men and told them what was going on at the warehouse. Colin knew that meant that Chet was there, and if four of the men from 51s were trapped, then Chet was most likely one of them. He wondered if Danny was also involved. Right now, he wanted to be there more than anything. He got his wish. The crew was told to get their gear and that they were being picked up by a fire department van and taken to the scene. He debated on calling home, but decided to wait and see what the situation was first.

He could hear someone calling for him, but they weren’t calling his name. The little voice was calling out for her Daddy. She needed him and he had to go to her, but he was stuck where he was. He tried to move, but he couldn’t. His head hurt. In fact everything hurt. More noise assaulted his ears and this time he could hear his name. Maybe he could speak. It was little more than a squeak he had never heard before, but it was something. He heard his name again and this time he answered the familiar voice and it all came rushing back; the fire and the explosion then nothing. How long, he wondered. He finally opened his eyes to a faint, gray light. That’s when the nausea hit. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, willing the sensation away. It worked, at least for the time being. His concussion must be worse than he thought because now there were two little voices calling for their daddy. Maybe, if he lay quietly he would be able to see them.

Marco remained alert, much to his dismay. He wasn’t sure how long he’d laid there with nothing but the slight snore and occasional moans from his friends. Chet had spoken a few words before he lost consciousness again and he was sure that it was Roy who tried to answer his calls a while ago. One thing was sure, though, he hadn’t stopped praying since he woke up. It was his job to make sure that he, and the others in the building with him, got out safely. Chet and Roy at least survived the explosion. Now he needed to hear from Johnny. He hoped Cap and Mike were okay. They should have been outside, away from the most imminent danger. He would pray for them, too, and all the others working outside. That was a lot of prayers, but it was Christmas and maybe prayers had special strength on this day.

Danny saw the fire department van pull up and ten men climb out. He immediately saw his brother and ran over to him. Cap acknowledged Danny and let Colin take the time to talk to him while he got a report from the Chief. Danny confirmed his fear that Chet was one of the men who had been trapped in the warehouse. They hugged, holding onto each other for a long moment, then Colin went to join his crewmates.

Jenny and Chris unwrapped a few presents, but something was missing. Jenny started crying and asking for her Daddy and soon Chris joined her. Joanne took them into her arms and held them close. She felt like crying, too, but knew she had to be strong despite her own fears. She only let them go when the phone rang. She grabbed the receiver hoping to hear Roy’s voice on the other end. It was Emily Stanley and the news wasn’t good.

Mr. Kelly answered the phone at his house. He slumped down in the chair as he listened to Danny’s story. His wife and the family members who had already arrived looked on, anxious to hear which brother was injured…or worse. No, if it was worse, someone would have come to the house in person. Okay, it’s not the worst thing, then, but bad.

The horse was flying across the open field. A small sprinkling of snow covered the ground and the boy could see his breath in the air. It felt so good he never wanted to stop. He had dreamed of riding forever, feeling the muscles of his quarterhorse as they strained with the effort of running. But he always went home where he was loved. The small ranch house loomed in the distance. He could hear his mother calling him to come home. She stood on the small porch with his father who was waving at him. He loved his father’s hands. They were strong and calloused from hard work and he pictured his own small hands being swallowed up in their grip. He felt a tightness in his chest and it was becoming hard to breathe. Why were his mom and dad here? They were dead, they were; he remembered the day like it was yesterday. He had the feeling they were leaving again and he wanted to go with them. He didn’t want to be alone anymore. He got down off the horse and ran up to the porch and into his parents' embrace. It lasted far too short of a time and his mother finally held him at arm’s length and looked into his eyes. He had to go back no matter how much he wanted to stay because it wasn’t his time, yet. She didn’t call him Johnny. He was Little Hawk and he knew she was serious, and she wanted him to grow up to be a good man. He was meant to be brave and caring of his fellow men. He wanted them to be proud of him. He felt tears on his cheeks as he backed away. The house faded into the light, his horse was gone and there was no more snow. There were only tears.

A cheer went up in the crowd outside the destroyed building when word came that the men had been found and they were all alive. Mike slumped against the engine and Cap looked suspiciously close to tears as they smiled and nodded to each other. It had been a long night.

Paramedics from two different stations worked to stabilize the men of 51s. Danny and Colin Kelly stayed close to Chet while he was being treated, and followed the ambulance in Danny’s police car so they could be at the hospital for him.

Families were called with the good news and soon the waiting room at Rampart Hospital was crowded with family, and not a few firemen, waiting on word of their condition.

They all had to spend at least a few nights in the hospital. It took Johnny a few more hours to wake up, but he found a gingerbread man on the table by his bed and he smiled. Jenny always remembered. A tear escaped down his cheek; he did have family who loved him.

Everyone mourned the senseless loss of life, but everyone agreed that it had turned out to be a truly wonderful day.
 

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