BREAKING THE RULES

The smoke was thick and heavy, making it nearly impossible to breathe. Officer Jim Reed held the handkerchief over his nose and mouth; leaving only a tiny slit for his eyes. He had tried repeatedly screaming his partner's name, but got no response. It didn't matter now anyway. The thick acrid smoke had stolen his voice and he couldn't yell anymore, not to mention his tumble down the stairs that was sending a scalding pain through his head and side. He had to press on and find him. He couldn't stop.

He didn't know if he would experience his partner quoting procedure and protocol again, reminding him to keep his emotions in check. He knew if Pete Malloy could see him now, he would be reprimanding him for not clearing out of the building and waiting for their commanding officer, the fire department and a host of other infractions. He just wanted to find his friend and partner and get him out of the building before it claimed them both.

Debris shifted beneath his feet, and he nearly lost his footing – again. He tried to call out to Pete again, but it was useless. Only a dry whisper escaped his chapped lips, followed by a hacking cough that took over his body. The flames around him burned higher and hotter by the second, and the old building threatened to collapse with every groan and shudder.

Still, he trudged on.

Disoriented by the smoke, Jim felt a small sense of relief when he bumped into what was left of the stairs. Panic seized him when in clearing away some of the rubble, he saw a gaping hole in the floor. Jim eased near the edge and peered down. He tried to yell for his best friend, but the result was the same. Mindful of the shaky floor and ash, Jim edged himself over and willed his eyes to focus into the opening.

At first, he saw nothing. The entire room was beginning to spin with the amount of smoke he was taking in. Then, as he began to focus, his eyes fell upon a pale hand resting on a pile of ash and debris. His heart quickened at the sight.

He quickly jumped down to his partner's level, and regretted moving so fast, unable to breathe. White hot bolts of pain shot through his head and side at his sudden movement. Unable to stop himself, Officer Reed emptied his stomach of its contents, and tried quickly to control his breathing and regain himself. He knew he had to move fast.

As soon as his vision cleared, he shakily reached for his partner's neck, and closed his eyes in relief when he felt the quick but weakened beat of life there. He began carefully and slowly removing some of the debris that covered his partner's unmoving form, trying to ignore the pain that the movement sent through his own body.

After what seemed like an eternity, several sets of strong arms donning protective firemen gear replaced Jim Reed's shaky arms, and slowly and carefully lifted him and his partner from their fiery prison. He fought with them as they separated him from his best friend, as they began to immobilize Officer Malloy before trying to extricate him. Once outside, Jim sat on the rear bumper of the rescue truck, with his Sergeant at his side. Jim greedily gulped the offered oxygen, not divulging much about his own condition as he waited impatiently for Pete.

It wasn't long before Pete was brought out. A wave of relief washed over Jim, who was very quickly on his wobbly feet - a mistake that wasn't missed by his superior officer.

"Take it easy, Reed. They got him out. Perhaps you should sit down." Jim shook his head.

" No sir, mmm'Okay. If-f it's all the s-same to you, Mac, I w-would like to b-be w-with…" Reed made an attempt to take a few steps toward his rescued partner, but began to stagger and collapse to the ground before he finished his sentence. Sergeant MacDonald caught Jim just before he hit the pavement, and then was lost into his own enveloping darkness.

A12**A12**A12**A12

"Jim? Jim… wake up, sweetheart!" A sweet, familiar voice encouraged. Slowly Jim Reed peeled his heavy eyes open. Jean Reed's beautiful but concerned eyes and glowing smile met his confused expression.

"Hey sweetheart. It's about time you woke up." Jean stroked his dark hair, and Jim tried to smile and attempted to return the greeting, but he ended up coughing instead. Jean quickly spooned a few ice chips into Jim's mouth, and the cool, melting liquid brought some much needed relief to Jim's throat.

"T-thanks." He painfully stuttered out. Jean lovingly rubbed her husband's arm and kissed him gently on the cheek.

"Pete…how's Pete? He was in bad shape… his l-leg…" Jim began to panic about his partner.

"Shhh, Jim. You need to take it easy. Pete's resting. He's going to make a full recovery. You need to recover yourself…"

Before Jean could finish her sentence, Jim was trying to disentangle himself from his bed sheets and move his legs over the side of his bed.

"W-where is he? I have to…" Jean tried her best to push her stubborn husband back down.

"JAMES REED! YOU LISTEN TO ME! Pete is right there!" Jean gave her head a toss to the right, and stepped to the side a bit, bringing Jim's attention to the stilled sleeping form of his partner, safe and sound, in the bed across from him.

"Now you get back into this bed right this minute! I figured you'd be difficult, so I requested that you two be put in the same room. I knew between you and Pete, the two of you would give the staff a run for their money worrying about each other!" Jim released the tense breath he had been holding. He winced uncomfortably as he let himself settle back into the pristine bed sheets. Jean smiled, re-tucking the sheets in around her husband.

Jim couldn't resist the pull of sleep that was tugging at his weary body, and let himself drift away.

Jean gazed lovingly at her sleeping husband, so very thankful to have him safely tucked back in bed, and silently said a grateful prayer for sparing his life, and that of his best friend and partner.

A single tear slid uninhibited down her cheek, and then another. Soon, she couldn't stop herself as her shoulders began to shudder with emotion. She let her thoughts wander about what could have been. She finally drew a deep cleansing breath as she gathered herself, and tried to quickly replace her thoughts with the reality of what was true and now, and feelings of pride for her husband covered her like a cozy warm blanket.

She knew that both of these men would always protect the other no matter what, and that she could rely on that - even if it meant breaking the rules.

END