Chapter Text
Fire trucks, police cars and animal rescue vehicles line the street, representatives from all the local animal protection leagues and shelters are gathered ready to assist in the worst case of Animal Hoarding the AFD had ever seen. Weeks of planning, securing the correct warrants and gathering the necessary personnel to triage and secure over a hundred hundred cats and dogs, five alpacas, a miniature donkey and whatever other small animals were hidden amongst the outhouses.
Early mornings were never one of your favourite times of day, but when the health and safety of so many animals were at stake, you pulled yourself out of bed before the sun and went over every piece of equipment you owned. Double and triple checking harnesses, crates and counting the blankets, puppy pads and disinfectant wipes. A particulate mask, disposable gloves and aprons were added to the back of your vehicle just as the sun poked its head above the horizon.
Stopping by your local convenience store you added several slabs of water bottles, tubs of electrolyte drink and a bulk pack of baby wipes to the front seat. The animals weren’t the only ones who were going to need to be taken care of out there today. The heat was already ramping up and the longer the day got, the more danger everyone was in of succumbing to heat stroke. Sure there would be EMT’s on standby, but prevention is always better than cure when it comes down to it.
As you pull up you can see the ladder and truck crews from the 126 next to another ladder and truck crew you don’t recognize, milling about and talking to several police and rescuers. You grab a slab of water bottles and make your way to the group smiling at the 126 Captain as he talked animatedly with your boss.
“First Responders, you may not know this but today water is going to save your life. If you have never worked a rescue like this I’m going to prime you for the most basic of truths; water is your friend, food is not. Between the physical exertion, the heat and the smell your going to get the best core workout of your life. There is no shame in vomiting, if it gets too much step aside and take a beat. Then drink some more water and get back into it.” Your boss Jess was a powerhouse. Single mother of three rambunctious kids, tireless rescue and rehabilitator of animals in need and today she was the lead for the operation.
“We are starting in five, so check the lists here with Captains Strand and Vega, find your crew and grab a water bottle before you go!” She waved you over and gave you a quick hug before shoving a bright orange vest at you.
“Head of the orange group, you got a firefighter from the 126, a medic and firefighter from the 122 and the very attractive police officer Reyes. He requested to be on your team. What’s the deal with him, I feel like I’ve met him before?”
“Carlos and TK were in the promo shoots for the fundraiser, that adorable profile shot of the two guys kissing the husky with the big grin? That’s them.” I raised a hand to wave at Carlos as he kissed TK goodbye, walking over to Jess and I.
“Carlos, you will be happy to know, is in a very loving and committed relationship with his boyfriend. He and TK were the first to volunteer for the photo shoot and I’m pretty sure the rest of the 126 followed them just so they couldn’t get all the glory.” Laughing as Carlos gave me a one armed hug and Jess grinned at the pair of us, getting into what he could expect on this particular call, and what his duties as a police officer entailed on the job.
I startle as a water bottle is pressed against my spine, condensation dripping through my shirt and chilling my skin. I turn round to face the warm brown eyes of Paul Strickland, a shy smile on his face as he held the water bottle out to me. Taking the bottle I smile back, crack the lid and take a long drink. Pressing my eyes closed as the water slips passed the corner of my lips and spills onto my neck I try not to think about Paul watching me, and I fail, choking slightly on the next swallow.
“Too cold. Trust me when I say by ten am you will be wanting to drink tepid water not chilled. Too cold and your insides constrict and make you want to vomit. Tepid water slakes the thirst and doesn’t make you want to choke. Also good for getting rid of the taste of bile.”
Paul’s smile grows wider, showing his pearly teeth and sending your imagination into overdrive.
“They teach us that one at the academy.”
“But do they teach you this one at the academy?” I ask, raising my eyebrows as I pull a tiny jar from my pocket, opening it and smearing a thin coat above my top lip, right below my nose. “Its a blend of pungent essential oils and petroleum jelly. Helps to keep your mind off the smell.” I hand the jar over and motion to Carlos and the rest of my group who had gathered with their bright orange armbands declaring them my team. Addressing the group directly I look around their somber but smiling faces. Time to hit them with the reality of the situation.
“Everyone uses this stuff, so pass it around. I never would have made it through my training without it. Bodily wastes have a bad smell, but the smell of fresh bodily decay has a way of staying with you. If you need a mask, use one. If you need a break, take one. This job is going to be unlike anything you have ever experienced. Animals cant tell you where they hurt, my job is to be their interpreter. If I tell you to move, you don’t think you just move. If I tell you to stay still, for the love of everything you hold dear you best stay still. Every animal here, from the biggest to the smallest can potentially hurt you, and I have an almost perfect record to uphold.” I take the time to look each person in the eye as I gear up for the hardest part of the reality versus expectation talk.
“Total honesty people, you are going to see animals in conditions that will make you question if there is a god, even if you aren’t religious. These animals are scared, some will react by shutting down, some will act out, and I am sad to say, not all of them will make it. Our job is to assess the cases as they come, triage and remove for treatment where possible. We have Vets or Vet Techs on each team to euthanize if there is no other choice. That call can only be made by the Lead, so that’s my call.”
I swallow a mouthful of water and wait for the information to sink in, the moment of realization passing over each face before I continue.
“If you need it, and I am telling you now, you will need it we have numbers for counselors and licensed therapists to help deal with the aftermath. Its free of charge and I recommend you use the service even if you don’t think you need it.”
I split my group in two, sending the medic and rescue workers to the trucks to collect our supplies, and taking the firefighters and Carlos with me. The buildings we had been assigned included stables, a barn and an open sided storehouse that had seen better days. Wire pens lined the walls to head height, most with emaciated cats and feral looking kittens hissing their displeasure at us as we passed. A few curious dogs slunk around the outer perimeter and as I led the firefighters into the barn I stopped short. The smell of wet rot and dead bodies was almost overwhelming.
“Ok, this is where you boys earn your pay. I need you to use those skills to find me a safe path to each of those stalls. I need to have at least a two foot wide path that isn’t going to give way under us. And by us I mean me and what appears to be some very angry looking alpacas. I’m going to go and get my gear ready and set the others up with the cats.”