Chapter Text
Iain was on school pick up that day and he had arrived to total chaos. Smoke billowing from one of the buildings, fire coming through the windows, masses of teenagers piling out onto the playgrounds in a panic, teachers rushing around wondering what on earth they should do.
Approaching one of the teachers, Iain wanted to know if he could help at all.
“Excuse me, what’s going on here?” Iain asked, curiously. He was calm for now, there were thousands of kids out here, surely Luka had to be amongst them?
“You’re Luka’s step Dad aren’t you? I don’t know to be honest, we’re just trying to evacuate all of the children. I don’t even know if the fire brigade has been called…There’s still children in there!” The teacher cried in a panic.
“What?!” Iain said, alarmed. What if Luka was still in there? Iain looked back at the panic stricken teacher and realised that now wasn’t the time to panic. “Look, it’s okay, we’ll sort this but you need to call 999 and ask for the fire brigade and the ambulances, right now, okay?!” He instructed her.
“Okay.” The teacher replied, pulling her phone from her pocket.
Suddenly, cries of ‘Help! Help!’ Could be heard from the building. Iain looked straight away.
“Oh no…” He said to himself, before turning to the teacher infront of him. “How long on the fire crews?”
“They’re just clearing up at a big crash on the motorway. They could be 20 Minutes plus!” The teacher cried.
“That’s no good! Can I borrow your scarf please?” Iain asked, referring to the teachers silk scarf she was wearing around her neck.
“You’re not going in there are you?” The teacher asked.
“Well no one else is going to are they?” Iain replied, and the teacher quickly gave him her scarf, which he tied around his face to cover his mouth and nose as he went running into the burning building.
Back at the ED, Faith had just received a phone call from the school.
“Everything okay Cadogan? Oh wait, or should I say Dean now?” Stevie asked from the reception stand.
“That was Luka’s school…There’s been a fire and they are still accounting for all of the children…Iain’s on pick up today I best let him know…” A worried Faith explained.
“Faith, it’s gone 3pm, Iain will already be there by now. Probably pulling off some crazy heroics.” Stevie said, chuckling to herself.
“Yeah you’re not wrong. I just hope Luka’s okay and Iain doesn’t do anything stupid.” Faith said, her mind quickly going into overdrive. “Do you think you could tell Siobhan that I’ve needed to clock off early?” She asked her best friend.
“Yeah of course. I hope everyone’s okay.” Stevie said as she watched Faith leave the ED in a hurry. Stevie turned to Dylan, who had overheard their conversation.
“Okay, don’t tell Faith I said this but…Iain’s definitely doing something stupid.” She remarked and Dylan gave her a knowing, amused smile.
At the school, Iain was making his way up the stairs of a very fiery and smoke filled building. He could barely see a thing, but he could hear kids shouting for help.
“Hello!” He called between coughing. “Where are ya?”’
“Iain?! Is that you?” A familiar voice came back.
“Luka?! Luka, where are ya?” Iain shouted in reply, coughing after every sentence.
“Up the stairs, first door on the left. Hurry! Please!” A panicked Luka replied.
Iain rushed up the stairs and into the classroom where he found Luka attempting CPR on his unconscious friend. Crouching down next to them both, Iain assessed the situation.
“It’s Harry! He collapsed with all the smoke. He’s not breathing!” He said, but his CPR technique was all over the place.
“Right, Luka, you’re doing a great job there, but you need to calm down buddy, you’re everywhere. Do you remember the songs you were taught to set your pace?” He asked Luka.
“Ummm…Nelly the Elephant?!” Luka replied.
“Yep, or stayin alive but that will do. Now I want you to sing it out loud for me whilst you do another 30 compressions. And I’m gonna see about getting us out of here. How does that sound?” Iain said, staying calm for the sake of Luka.
Luka began singing out loud as he started again with the compressions, this time much more calm and controlled following Iain’s advice.
Iain stood back up and had a wander around the smokey room.
The door he had come through was now completely covered by flames. But there was another door, it would take longer to get out of the building that way, but at least they would be safe from the flames.
“Iain, he did something! He’s breathing! He’s breathing!” Luka exclaimed.
Iain’s attention turned to Luka & Harry straight away. Moving back over towards them, Iain checked Harry’s neck for a pulse and then leaned down, putting his ear close to his mouth to hear and see if he was breathing.
“Yep. He’s breathing Luka. Well Done Mate! You’re so brave.” Iain said, untying the scarf from around his face and handing it to Luka.
“Right, I’m gonna have to carry Harry out of here, so you take this and tie it around your face. It’ll protect you from smoke inhalation.”
And with that, Iain lifted an unconscious, but breathing, Harry onto his shoulders and the 3 of them made their way out into the corridors to try and get out of this burning building alive. They could hear sirens close by, which meant the fire and ambulance crews were arriving. It was a reassuring sound that was for sure.
Down on the playground, Faith had just arrived. She had been frantically making her way through the crowds, asking if anyone had seen Iain or Luka, but no-one had a clue.
Eventually, she came to Luka’s form tutor, the one who had spoken to Iain previously.
“Please tell me you’ve seen Iain & Luka?” She asked, incredibly anxious now, having seen the state of the burning building.
“I haven’t seen Luka. But Iain went in there long before the fire crews arrived.” The teacher informed her.
Faith sighed with worry. “Of course he did.” She said, knowing her Husband all too well.
Suddenly, high up in the building, a big ball of flames burst out, smashing a window and creating a loud noise.
“Come on Iain.” Faith said, out of her mind with worry.
The teacher pulled over a nearby fire fighter. “Excuse me, we’ve got a parent and an unknown number of pupils and potentially some teachers still in the building, please look for them.” The teacher told him, tears falling from her eyes as she spoke.
“Thank You Ma’am. My crews are preparing to enter the building now. We’ll do our best to find everyone.” The fire fighter informed her.
The paramedics had also arrived and Jan had found Faith amongst all of the crowds.
“Faith, is Luka safe?” The concerned paramedic asked.
“I don’t know Jan I can’t find him and no one knows where he is! But Iain’s in there!” Faith said, crying as she spoke.
“Iain?!” Jan exclaimed, kind of shocked but also not really when she thought about the have a go hero that was Iain Dean. “I’m sure they’ll both be okay. And if not, we’ll give them our very best care. The whole crew are here. So whatever happens Faith, we’re here.” Jan said, trying to reassure her friend, but truth be told, she was just as worried Faith was, Iain had been like a second Son to her over the years.
Now at the bottom of the building, Luka came running out, coughing, but seemingly okay. Pulling the scarf loose from around his face, he ran frantically into the arms of some firefighters who were just at the entrance to the building, about to go in themselves.
“Please help! Iain’s carrying my mate down the stairs but he’s struggling to breathe and he can’t carry him much further! Please please help them!” Luka spluttered out, coughing heavily as he desperately hoped that Iain & Harry wouldn’t be far behind them.