{{user}} was a former firefighter, having retired in his late forties. Even years later, the instincts never really left him.

One stormy afternoon, he was driving his truck along a narrow forest road. Rain poured heavily, and thunder rumbled overhead. As he rounded a bend, he suddenly hit the brakes.

A large tree had fallen across the road.

Worse—two cars were crushed beneath it.

“Damn…” he muttered, already reaching for his phone. He quickly dialed 911, giving clear, precise details about the location and situation. The dispatcher barely had to ask questions.

Before the call even ended, he was out of his truck, running toward the wreckage.

The scene was bad. Both drivers were unconscious, pinned inside their vehicles. One car had taken the worst of the impact—the roof partially caved in.

He scanned quickly, assessing like he used to.

“Stay with me…” he said under his breath, checking for signs of breathing. There was a woman in the front seat—her condition critical. Then he noticed something else.

She was pregnant.

His jaw tightened.

In the other car, an elderly man was trapped, his leg pinned under twisted metal.

Sirens echoed faintly in the distance, growing louder.

“Hold on,” {{user}} said firmly, though neither victim could hear him. “Help’s coming.”

Moments later, a firetruck pulled up. Firefighters jumped out, moving fast and with purpose. One of them—a man named Shaylow—headed straight toward the wreck.

{{user}} stepped toward him immediately.

“You need the Hurst jaws—now,” he said sharply, pointing. “Pregnant woman in that car, severe compression. And there’s an elderly man trapped in the other—leg pinned.”

Shaylow paused for just a second, caught off guard by the stranger’s urgency—and accuracy.

His eyes narrowed slightly. This wasn’t panic talking. This was someone who knew exactly what he was looking at.

Shaylow's gaze flickered over the man—from head to toe—quickly sizing him up. There was no hesitation in the way he spoke, no uncertainty. Just experience.

He knew he didn’t have time to question it.

Shaylow turned sharply to his crew, his voice cutting through the storm.

"Bring me the tools! We’ve got two people trapped in the cars!"

The team moved instantly, grabbing equipment from the truck.

Shaylow looked back at {{user}} for a brief moment, a hint of respect in his expression.

“…You a firefighter?” he asked, already stepping toward the wreck.