Chapter 5 - The Inquiry
By Monday morning, the story was no longer a private tragedy.
The Chicago Tribune’s front page didn’t focus on the successful evacuation of eighty shoppers from the department store. It focused on a single, devastating detail leaked from the rescue logs.
“CFD LIEUTENANT RESCUES EX-FIANCÉE FIRST, LEAVES PREGNANT WIFE IN TRAPPED ELEVATOR”
The article was brutal. It detailed the triage notes written by Lucy Miller, a former ER nurse, who had prioritized every single person in that elevator above herself, only to be bypassed by her own husband.
At Headquarter’s, Chief William Vance sat behind his heavy oak desk, looking at the newspaper, then at Alex, who sat stiffly in his dress uniform.
“Do you want to tell me how this happened, Lieutenant?” Vance asked, his voice low and dangerous.
“Chief, the conditions were low-visibility,” Alex said, his voice hollow. He hadn't slept in forty-eight hours. His eyes were sunk deep into his skull. “I identified a victim with a head laceration and signs of severe panic near the entrance. In accordance with rapid-extraction protocols, I moved the first viable victim out to clear the path for the rescue team.”
“Rapid-extraction?” Vance slammed his hand on the desk, making the coffee cups rattle. “Don't quote the manual to me, Davis! I read the rookie’s report. Mark Sullivan states that the elderly male with chest pains was closer to the door. He states your wife was visible, semi-conscious, and twenty-four weeks pregnant.”
Alex closed his eyes. “I... I didn't see her, Chief. My mind... when I heard Valerie’s voice, I just...”
“You lost your focus,” Vance said, his voice dropping to a whisper that was worse than the shouting. “You let your personal history interfere with a life-and-death rescue. You bypassed a critical, pregnant patient because of an emotional attachment. You violated the core oath of this department.”
Alex couldn't speak. The truth was a physical weight crushing his throat. He had heard Valerie scream, and a decade of old conditioning, of her playing the victim and him playing the savior, had taken over. He hadn’t looked at anyone else. He had just wanted to save her.
And in doing so, he had destroyed everything else.
“As of right now,” Chief Vance said, “you are suspended with pay pending a full internal investigation. Hand over your badge and your radio.”
May you like
Alex reached for his belt. His hands shook as he unclipped his lieutenant’s badge. He laid it on the desk next to the newspaper.
Next to the headline that branded him a coward.
