I stood downstairs, my eyes glued to the entrance. Lieutenant Johnson's squad hadn't come out yet.
Several times, I tried to rush past the yellow tape, only to be held back by other firefighters.
Heat stung my eyes, tears cutting through the soot on my face, but I didn't blink.

Behind me, a cheer erupted.
"We got him! The kid is out!"
I whipped my head around.
I saw Michael holding his ex's son, Lucas. He'd rushed the boy to the safe zone, his own gear still smoldering.
Unlike my past life, this time, I had managed to divert a significant portion of the rescue force to Building B.
Without the entire team focusing on him like last time, the boy named Lucas had clearly taken some damage.

He lay weakly in Michael's arms.
Good.
I let out a cold snort.
I would never forget my first life, kneeling here while my son burned, only to turn and see Michael lifting his ex's unharmed boy in celebration.

"Medic! This child needs immediate attention!"
Johnson's shout pulled me back.
I spun back around. His squad was emerging from the smoke.
Lieutenant Johnson led, my son Noah cradled against his chest.
"Noah!"
I sprinted forward, taking my boy from him.
"Ambulance is two minutes out. I'm handing him to you, I need to get checked out."
The sleeve of Johnson's protective gear had been burned through.
His skin was severely scorched.
My eyes welled up.
"Thank you... thank you so much..."
"Ma'am, the child is unresponsive!"
A paramedic checked Noah's vitals and immediately shouted over his shoulder.
"Captain! Noah needs immediate..."
His voice cut off abruptly.
I followed his gaze.
Not far away, Michael was on his knees, performing CPR on Lucas.
"Lucas, stay with me! Breathe!Don't you quit on me!"
He was screaming his ex's son's name like a madman, completely ignoring the blood dripping from his own injured arm.
A crew member stepped forward.
"Captain, let me take over. Your hand is injured!"
Michael shoved him away violently.
"Back off! I can't let anything happen to this boy!"
The paramedic who had tried to call him stood frozen in place.
Michael's own son was barely alive just fifty feet away.
with plenty of others ready to assist, was obsessively guarding someone else's child.
I wanted to rush over and scream at him.
But I grit my teeth, lowered my head, and laid Noah flat on the ground.
I cleared his airway, checked his pulse, and began CPR myself.