Date: June 15, 2002

Title: Learning to Live (1/?)

Author: Lara W

E-mail: laraw_124@msn.com

Show: ER

Rating: PG-13

Paring: K/K/Maggie Doyle

Plot: Sandy is fatally injured in a massive fire. Kerry must cope with the loss.

Disclaimer: Christina, Paul, Cassandra jr., Dr. Coleman, Raquel, Shelby and DK are mine. The rest belong to NBC.

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Part 1 Fire May 10, 2005

The rescue siren pulls me from sleep.We rush to the truck. Everyone is alert and wake; well as wake we're gonna get at 1: 34AM.These are the moments I hate not knowing if it's a false alarm or a raging inferno? Is anyone trapped? No false alarm tonight, it's a fully engulfed apartment building fire.Hate knowing people are inside, the risk we'll not save everyone. Captain orders DK, Robins, and me inside.I slip the O2 and mask on, and pray for my safety. Flames roll above me. I feel the heat all round me through my turnout gear. I hear the screams of a mother with her child, they drive me deeper in to the flames. Two lives, innocent lives, I must save them.I hear boards creak under my weight. I'm scared, no, not scared, well aware to the dangers around me.Just like a good firefighter must be.I finally reach them; I gentle lift her baby into my arms.I slip the mask off me face and give her a breath of oxygen. The heat assaults my face.I put the mask back to my face and take some more deep breaths.Then I hurry down the burning hall, sharing oxygen with my rescuees.I get my charges to safety and rush back after another victim.I know we should be getting the not safe call soon, but I have to try.I hear a small child, I run towards the cry.I find a girl no more than four. I think of my own daughter Christina, asleep at my mothers. I pick her up and give her a breath of O2.Then I rush to get her to safety I hear creaks and groans of stressed wood.Then snap! A 6x6 beam falls.I push the little girl to safety, but I'm trapped on my stomach. I feel the pain of broken bones; weirdly I can't feel the debris and flames on my legs.Then it hits me like a wall. I must have a spinal cord injury, not too high I'm still alive and breathing.Paralyzed and gonna burn to death. God, no! Christina's only 1 and my wife Kerry is expecting a son. Then I hear DK and Robins.DK asks, "Sandy, where are you hurt?I tell him, I say, "DK, I think I have a spinal core injury." He pauses and looks at Robins; they get a c-collar on me. Then Bryan and Tom help me out from under the beam. They roll me on the board.I look up at DK and say, "Tell Kerry and Christina I love them."He looks at me, "Sandy, don't talk like that. You're gonna be fine." He's scared. I'm right. I can tell. He's my best friend on the squad and he's scared of losing me.They carry me out on the board.I look Doris in the eyes, "County, please." She knows as I do Mercy is closer, but I want my wife by my side. They load me in the rig, I hear Doris say, "Unit 37 to Mercy."

She gives the bullet, and then she radios "Unit 37 to County General, I need Dr. Lopez-Weaver to meet us at Mercy STAT." I smile I know what she just did. Kerry will be at Mercy with me.