This story takes place immediately after "The Morning After"
Squad 51 backed into the station and parked beside the engine. Everyone felt like they were walking on eggshells. The cap was mad; so mad he wasn't even yelling. His scowl was permanently affixed and his lips were a thin white line.
Once everybody got out of the trucks he said stonily, "Roy, Chet, see to fixing us something to eat. Lopez, Stoker, Gage, my office NOW !"
They all shared concerned looks. Roy dragged Chet into the kitchen while the other three reluctantly followed the cap into his office.
"Damn, Roy," Chet gasped. "I've never seen him so mad. This is all Cassie's fault! Even I can't believe what she did and I know what brat she is!"
"How do you know this has anything to do with her?"
"She admitted it! She knocked him down and cussed at him. You don't know her, Roy. She can swear like a sailor. Man! I don't believe this!" Chet was visibly shaken by this turn of events.
***
Inside the cap's office Stoker, Gage and Lopez were lined up in front of the cap's desk. They stood in silence while he banged things around. He opened the filing cabinet and pulled out all of their personnel records. He slammed them down on the desk then flung himself into his chair.
"SIT DOWN!" he barked.
There were only two extra chairs in the office. Marco and Stoker each grabbed one so Johnny sat on the arm of Marco's chair right between them. They waited nervously for the cap to finally speak.
"What I really ought to do is write you each up for this," he finally said evenly.
They all blinked in surprise but none of them dared to speak.
"Well, what have you got to say for yourselves?"
They looked at each other helplessly.
"You haven't the slightest idea what I'm talking about, do you?" The cap was shocked. "Let me refresh your memories -- a few short hours ago when the shift began I had the distinct impression that you three were a tad bit under the weather, shall we say -- no, let's not pussyfoot around -- you three were hungover. You showed up to work in that condition! How exactly do you explain that?"
"Ah, Cap," Johnny began nervously. "I really can't. I mean we didn't get drunk last night. We had a few beers at the party -- I had one they had two. We'd all eaten. We were fine. Then at the bowling alley we had one round and you know how they water the stuff down there. Mike won a bottle of wine. We each had some but -- frankly we didn't like it. We sold the rest of it to the guys from 36's. Marco went up to the bar to get more beer, he met a girl we all had some -- what was it, Marco?"
"Sangria," Marco admitted sheepishly. "We shouldn't have done that, Cap. We -- I should have known better. They never had it before, but it was pretty awful and we didn't drink much -- none of us. We never even got the second round of beers. We weren't drunk at all. I never expected to have a big head today."
"But you did and yet you came in anyway." The cap was still shaking slightly in his anger.
"I --uh I tired to call in sick but they couldn't cover for me," Mike said miserably.
"Oh and did you tell them you had the stomach flu?"
"Yeah," Mike admitted.
"I thought that by working your asses off around here you'd sweat the stuff out of you system so that when a real situation came up you'd be all right but you weren't, were you, Marco?"
"No," Marco admitted.
"He may have breathed---" Johnny began in Marco's defense.
"Bullshit, Gage! Chet and his sister were breathing in the same thing he was and they were fine! It was because of his condition that he got into trouble. He endangered his own life and the lives of the other two. You guys don't sail a damn desk you HAVE GOT to be in good shape and ready to handle anything when you walk through that door!"
"I'm sorry, Cap. You're right. I didn't even realize how out of it I was but I could barely even handle the hose. Chet was covering for me."
"I should have sent you all home the minute I saw you but no, I figured it would be okay but I was wrong, gentlemen. At the incident McConnike came up and told me how he admired the fact that three of my men were still on duty even though they were obviously suffering with the flu. What do you suppose he meant by that? Huh? I'll tell you what it means -- it means he knew about the boneheaded stunt you three pulled and he knew that I knew about it too and I didn't do anything about it. How do you suppose this is going to look for all of us in the Chief's report? I was going to write you all up but I don't think I'll bother -- a Chief's reprimand will look so much better in your records!"
"It was an accident, Cap," Johnny said in a husky voice. "I-it won't happen again."
"You got that right, Gage! We'll probably all be fired so the opportunity won't present itself. You three just get the hell out of my sight! I'm gonna just sit in here and wait for the ax to fall."
They each tried to say something but the cap's icy glare made the words stick in their throats. They left the cap's office looking like whipped pups. They were still in something of a state of shock when they walked into the kitchen.
"I'm really sorry, guys." The sincerity in Chet's voice startled them back to reality.
"What are you sorry about?"
"That idiot sister of mine. She's the one that pissed him off. Don't worry, though I called over there to lambaste her. They're not back yet but I'll call again, don't you worry about that."
"What the hell are you talking about, Chet?! This had nothing to do with her. This was because of ---well it's none of your business but don't you dare drag Cassie into this and you stay they hell out of it too. Do I make myself clear?!" Johnny grabbed him by the collar and shook him hard. He quickly let go of him figuring he didn't need any more trouble.
"Jeez, Gage. I'm just trying to be helpful and supportive." Chet was shocked by Johnny's attack.
Just then there was a knock at the backdoor. Mike answered it and nearly fainted when he saw Chief McConnike standing there.
"Hello, Stoker," the Chief greeted. "How are you feeling?"
Stoker tried to answer but no sound came out.
Luckily the Chief didn't really wait for an answer. He looked at the others. "Good job at the fire, guys. We could have had a real disaster if that had spread to the rest of the hospital."
They all tried to say something appropriate but only Roy could speak intelligibly, "Thanks, Chief."
"Well where's your fearless leader?"
Again only Roy could supply the information. "Ah, he's in his office, sir."
"Thanks, DeSoto. Don't worry I know my way to his office. You guys really look lousy. Maybe you should just sit down and take it easy. You never know what might happen next." With that McConnike left for the cap's office.
Chet looked at Johnny. He was about to make a crack about the Chief witnessing Johnny's attack on him but when he got a good look at him, he changed his mind. There was no color in Johnny's face and he looked like he was about to faint. Chet grabbed his arm. "Hey, Roy -- I think we need a paramedic here."
"Sit him down." Roy slid a chair over to them and Chet forced Johnny into it and Roy pushed his head between his legs.
Both Marco and Mike sat down also.
"What the heck is going on here?" Roy demanded.
"Nothing much, Roy," Johnny said sadly as he sat up. "Some of us are getting fired, that's all."
"WHAT?!!!!" Roy and Chet said in unison.
"Gee, McConnike didn't sound mad," Mike commented.
"No he didn't," Roy agreed. He was certain that there was some major over-reacting going on. Johnny could certainly win a gold medal in that department any day of the week and where McConnike was concerned the cap was a close second.
"I mean at the fire. I was there when he talked to the cap right after -- right after he had his little run in with Cassie."
"McConnike saw and heard that?" Chet gasped.
"Yeah, he seemed to think it was funny and it sorta was......"
"FUNNY?! A paramedic tells a captain to get the fuck out of the way and that's funny?" Chet's voice cracked with emotion.
"She didn't exactly tell him. She told me."
"She told you to get the fuck out of the way?" Marco asked.
"No. She said that captains should know enough to stay the fuck out of the way when there was a medical emergency."
"What medical emergency?" Chet snorted.
"You, ya jerk. You were out cold she was running for the equipment," Johnny told him. "Time is of the essence in any medical emergency and the cap should have known enough to get out of the way."
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, Gage," the cap said stonily, walking over to the coffeepot. "Oh and, Gage, the Chief would like to see you now."
"Me?" Johnny suddenly looked panicky.
"That's what the man said --- after trying to lull me into a false sense of security making small talk about the fire, that is. He thinks I don't know what he's up to but I know. Yes indeed, I know," the cap muttered.
***
Squad 18 backed in beside the big engine they had nicknamed Bertha.
"Oh man," Cassie bitched as she got out. "I hate soggy shoes. And clothes." She peeled her wet shirt away from her back.
"Kelly, go grab a hot shower and get into a dry uniform before you catch pneumonia. Debriefing in ten minutes." Captain Tacy went into her office and closed the door.
"Debriefing -- sounds like something out of a spy movie." Cassie shook her head.
"It's a military thing. Just do what you're told, girl," Pidge snapped and walked into the kitchen.
"What's with her?" Cassie demanded.
"She was worried about you. We lost you. You were reported missing during the fire," Tinker told her.
"I wasn't lost. I knew right where I was all the time."
"Yeah messing around in the can with a couple a guys from 51's. Howdya manage that one, Kelly?"
"I wasn't -- we were cut off -- oh go piss up a rope, Crenshaw!" Cassie angrily headed for the showers.
"Y'all better shower off. I ain't completely convinced that little pool y'all found wasn't from a broken sewer pipe," Lila called after her.
"What would you know about sewer pipes coming from HeeHawville and all?"
"You snotty, little bitch! I oughta---" Lila threatened.
"Cassie -- go! You come and help me with these hoses!" Barb commanded. It was just like living at home again and having to referee her two younger sibling with those two half the time.
Cassie went into the shower room. She hated it when that jerk got to her. She was lost in thought so she jumped a mile when she heard a voice.
"So, Cassie, what were you doing in that bathroom?" Tinker grinned.
"I'll never tell."
Ten minutes later...
They were all sitting around the table. Pidge had whipped up a pasta and veggie dish and the pitcher of her mother's secret recipe ice tea. The cap liked it so they all quickly acquired a taste for it. Pidge was still slamming things around. Finally Cassie said, "It wasn't my fault, you know. I didn't get cut off on purpose. The fire broke through at one end and the ceiling collapsed at the other."
"You shouldn't have been doing a search on your own."
"Well they needed you in the ER and the search still needed to be done -- besides I wasn't alone. The guys from 51's were up there too! I'm not the heavy here and you have no reason to be pissed off at me!"
"Poor ol' Captain Stanley, now he has every reason to be pissed off at her," Lila said with mock innocence.
"What the hell did you do to Captain Stanley?!" Pidge demanded.
"Yes, I'd like an answer to that too, Kelly," Captain Tacy said evenly. No one had seen her come into the room. She sat down at the table and waited for an answer. Everyone knew she wouldn't wait long.
"Well," Cassie began a little nervously. All eyes were on her. She decided she might as well just say it and let the pieces fall where they may. "Well, there was a medical emergency. He was in the way so I said he should get the fuck out of it."
"There was a medical emergency?" Tacy asked in a voice that did not betray her feelings.
"Yes."
"Then he shouldn't have even had to be told to get the fuck out of the way. Onto this fire," Tacy dismissed the whole incident. "As you may or may not have noticed we were in a primary position and 51's backed us up for once. Don't get your garters in a knot over it. The Chief told me he was holding 51's back because half the men had the stomach flu ---"
Cassie suddenly started to choke on a piece of macaroni that she had been swallowing when she heard the cap say that those guys had passed off a hangover as stomach flu. Tacy would have never fallen for that.
Pidge handed her a glass of tea and Lila banged her on the back enthusiastically.
Cassie waved them both off.
"You all right, Kelly?" Tacy asked, obviously annoyed at the interruption.
"Fine. Sorry, Cap," Cassie gasped for breath and shot Lila a threatening look.
"As I was saying, for whatever reason, we were given a lot more responsibility than usual today and we lived up to everyone's expectations. Chief McConnike has expressed -----"
She was interrupted by the alarm.
Station 18 kitchen fire at the Happy Panda Restaurant, Rosewood Shopping Center 14475 Rosewood --One --- four -- four --seven --- five Rosewood Time out 3:05
They ran to the apparatus room. The cap acknowledged the call "Station 18 KMG 968"
Cassie jumped in behind the wheel of the squad. Pidge grabbed for the map.
"I know where it is," Cassie said.
"Chinese take out place -- I should have known."
"Hey, I like Chinese food."
"And you can't cook."
"That too," Cassie grinned.
"Look, Cas," Pidge began uncomfortably, "about before..."
"Don't worry about it. I'm used to you and your PMS."
"My WHAT?!!"
"You heard me."
"You're impossible and by the way -- what do you know about 51's flu?"
"It came out of a bottle. Looks like some people had a real good time at my party."
"I'm surprised you didn't have ‘51 flu' yourself, the state you were in."
"I wasn't in any state. I don't know what you guys are talking about ---"
***
Johnny flashed Marco and Mike a terrified look and headed toward the cap's office. The cap was muttering to himself. Chet was totally speechless as he took it all in. Roy decided he was in a looney bin.
Johnny knocked hesitantly on the cap's door.
"Come on in, Gage. Sit down," the Chief said kindly.
McConnike sat in the cap's chair but he seemed a whole lot more relaxed than the cap had earlier or than Johnny felt at the moment. He'd never been fired before so he wasn't sure how the other person was supposed to act.
"Seems like only yesterday that I was a captain," McConnike said. "I was Hank's captain. Did you know that?"
"Ah, yessir, I believe I've heard him mention that." Johnny concentrated on keeping his voice from shaking.
"You have any aspirations about becoming a captain, Gage?"
"Ah , um -- I ah I haven't' given the matter much thought. I really -- really like being a paramedic, sir." Stop babbling , you fool, he told himself.
"That's all well and good but a guy can't do that job forever. So tell me, Gage, you one of the guys that's got the stomach bug?"
"I - ah I feel a lot better, sir." Johnny's mind was racing. What the hell was this guy really saying? He must know about the whole hangover deal. Maybe it was a veiled threat that he couldn't be a paramedic forever. Maybe he was really saying shape up or ship out -- but why would he make that threat if he was planning to fire him right now?
"Well, I won't waste your time, Gage. It looked like you were getting ready grab a meal. I wanted to talk to you about the fire."
"The fire?" Johnny's mind had wondered so far he didn't have a clue what McConnike was talking about.
"At the hospital. Are you sure you are feeling all right?"
"Oh yessir. I'm feeling fine."
"Good. Now I have interviewed several people about this. Nurse McCall and the paramedics from 18's but I'd like to hear your story. What exactly happened -- from the very beginning."
"Well, ah we were at Rampart picking up supplies -- we'd just come from an obstetrics call. An impatient little girl decided to be born while her folks were stuck in traffic trying to get to the hospital." Stop rambling and answer the man's questions before he decides you're a complete lunatic!
"Go on."
"Well, anyway while we were getting supplies we heard this explosion. We went and looked out the window then Roy -- he's my partner -- he told Dixie - er Nurse McCall to call it in and what equipment to ask for and he got us -- us and 18's going on evacuating the building." Johnny wasn't exactly sure what the Chief was looking for. Had Roy done something wrong? Was he ratting on his best friend?
"That story exactly matches all the others. Your partner's quick thinking got things rolling in the critical first few seconds of the incident; possibly saving countless lives and the hospital itself. I now have enough eyewitness accounts to put him in for an accommodation. Which I will get in the works as soon as I get back to my office." McConnike stood up and reached across the desk to shake Johnny's hand. Then he walked around the desk and to the door. "I'll let myself out through the bay door. For some reason I seem to make your captain nervous," McConnike chuckled.
"Thanks a lot, Chief," Johnny grinned broadly. I think the cap has this guy all wrong. And Roy thinks I'm a paranoid nutcase!
Johnny watched as the Chief walked out into the back yard and got into his station wagon. Then he went back into the kitchen. He resisted the overwhelming urge he had to whistle. The guys were sitting in front of a meal but no one was touching it. All eyes immediately snapped onto Johnny.
"Well?" Marco finally demanded.
"Well what?" Johnny asked innocently sitting down and grabbing for things to fill his plate with.
"What the hell did McConnike want, ya twit!!" the cap demanded furiously.
"Oh that," Johnny said calmly "It didn't have anything to do with -- with what we were discussing before, Cap."
"Well what did it have to do with then?"
Johnny wondered if the cap realized he was making threatening motions with his knife. In case he did Johnny decided he'd better quit playing games. "It was about the fire at the hospital --"
"That's what he tried to tell me too but I know better -- what kind of info was he trying to wheedle out of you, Gage. I know he's out to get me."
"No, Cap, he's out to get Roy."
"Roy?"
"What the hell did I do?"
"You told Dixie to call in the fire and exactly what kind of units to ask for. McConnike figures that's what saved the whole place -- getting the right units on scene so quick. He wants to give you an accommodation. Congratulations, Partner -- all that clean living you do is starting to pay off."
***
The rest of the day was pretty quiet at Station 51. There were no more calls that afternoon. Captain Stanley stayed pretty much in his office under the guise of catching up on his paperwork. By dinner time things had returned to normal. Since Roy had refused to do it, Johnny had called Joanne and told her about Roy's accommodation. Chet had decided to cook something extra special to celebrate.
During dinner, conversation had steered away from hangovers and McConnike. All signs of the stomach flu had disappeared and Gage, Stoker and Lopez dug in hungrily to whatever it was Chet had created.
"Well glad to see your appetites have returned," Chet commented. He was about to add a smart remark but Johnny kicked him under the table and shot him a threatening look. "Great Grandmother Kelly would be happy her recipe is a hit it all I was going to say." He shot a look right back at Johnny.
"Is she the one that was abducted by the Indians?" Marco asked oblivious to the daggers both Chet and Johnny shot him.
"No," Chet said snidely.
"What's the matter, Chet?" Johnny relaxed once he realized that this conversation was annoying Chet. "At least now we know where this Indian blood of yours comes from although I doubt very much it would have been Cherokee."
"Shut up, Gage or I'll ----"
"You'll what?!"
Before Chet could answer or the cap could intervene the alarm sounded.
Station 51 dumpster fire with reported injuries behind the Rent-A-Party store Rosewood Shopping Center 14475 Rosewood Avenue. One-four-four-seven-five Rosewood. Time out 19:22
"Station 51 KMG 365," the cap acknowledged.
Soon the Squad pulled into the alley behind the shopping center. The Engine pulled in behind them. The dumpster that was on fire was easy to spot. There was a small cluster of people up against the back of one of the stores. The Squad pulled over to that side to give the Engine room to operate putting out the dumpster fire.
The cap jumped out the engine and ordered Chet and Marco to dowse the fire with the reel line. It didn't look like much of a fire. He and Roy approached the nervous knot of people. "All right, folks, let us through, please. What's going on here?"
The by-standers moved back revealing a middle-aged man laying on the ground clutching his chest and gasping for breath. Roy went right to him. There was a younger, Oriental man sitting up against the wall. He held his arms in the air. An older Oriental woman was yelling at him and anyone that would listen. She saw the cap and ran to him and continued her tirade. Unfortunately she was yelling in Chinese.
"Ma'am. Ma'am," Cap tried to calm her while desperately looking around for an interpreter. A ten year old Oriental boy was riding his bicycle nearby. The cap caught his eye and he shyly approached.
"She is asking for the fireladies."
"Fireladies?"
"The ones who came before and could speak Cantonese."
"Must be Station 18," Roy shrugged
"That's right the Engineer is Asian." The cap said.
"NO! Not Japanese lady. She speaks Japanese," the boy said. "None of you speak Cantonese?"
"'Fraid not so you suppose you could tell me what happened?"
"Same as before -- trouble. Someone start a fire in the dumpster. Uncle Li Hong tried to put it out by closing top but he burned his hands. Then Mr Thompson, he saw strange man and tried to chase him but he got a big pain and the lady at the beauty salon she called you -- again.."
"Again?"
"Had fire before at our place. Someone had done something to the gas connection. When Grandfather turn on stove and BOOM. Big flash of fire. Fireladies came that time. Somebody is trying to make big trouble here. Big trouble."
The cap didn't like the idea he was getting from what the boy said. Roy and Johnny were busy with the heart attack and burn victim. He went over to the dumpster. The fire was out and Chet was poking around in the dumpster with a pike to be sure there was nothing that could flare up later. "Hey, Cap," Chet had poked the pike into the remains of a gasoline can. The remnants of the rag that had been stuffed into it were still visible to the naked eye even though they were scorched.
"That seals it. Don't touch anything else, Chet. Between that and what the kid said I'm betting we are looking at arson. I'll call for an investigator."
By the time the ambulance pulled away with the two victims and Roy, the Fire Marshall and an arson investigator were on scene. A member of the Sheriff's department vice squad was also looking into the incident.
None of the shopkeepers had been approached for protection money and there was no trouble between any of them and the owner of the strip center. They all agreed the attacks looked too amateurish to be the work of a professional arsonist and they were probably dealing with a vandal with a grudge of some sort. Station 18 was also questioned about the earlier fire but no solid leads developed. The heart attack victim was too ill to be questioned by anyone and no one else seemed to have seen the suspect. It was decided to step up police patrols around the shopping center but little else could be done.
***
The klaxon sounded waking everyone from a sound sleep.
"Station 51 Station 18 Engine 110 Engine 127 Battalion 14 structure fire Rosewood Carpet Warehouse 12066 Rosewood One ---two-- -zero---six-- six Rosewood Time out 1:12"
"Isn't that near those arson fires they had earlier today?" Johnny asked as the squad pulled out of quarters.
"Yeah," Roy agreed seriously, "Two blocks south. I know this place. Joanne and I bought out new living carpet there last year. It's huge. This isn't going to be any dumpster or kitchen fire."
"Tell me about it. Look at all the companies they called out," Johnny added with an involuntary shudder.
They could see orange flame showing against the night sky several blocks away from the incident.
McConnike had a command post already set up when they arrived. Engine 127 and Engine 110 were beginning an assault on the fire. The carpet center was closed and there were no reports of anyone inside. Stanley assigned Roy to back up Chet on one hose and Johnny to back up Marco on another. Stanley went with them into the fire to co-ordinate the firefighters' efforts from inside the building for as long as it would be safe for him to do so.
"Marco, you and Johnny see if you can get up on that catwalk and douse this area from above. Chet, you and Roy go over and back up 127 on that main blaze. This stuff is really going up and remember there's bound to be toxic fumes coming off the carpets." He looked around the cavernous warehouse. Carpets were stored in bins that were stacked from floor to ceiling. This fire would have a lot of fuel to burn if they didn't get it knocked down fast. Along the back wall were several large storage units. Suddenly one of them exploded with a huge force. Stanley didn't want to even think about what kind of chemicals might be stored in them but from the looks of it they were highly flammable. He ordered Marco and Johnny get over that area to give some aerial support to the firefighters on the main floor.
Marco and Johnny made their way across the catwalk to the area of the storage bins. They had not quite reached the one that had exploded when a second unit exploded right under them. This unit housed something that was stored in 55 gallon drums and suddenly several of them were airborne. They hit the catwalk with enough force to loosen it from the wall. Marco and Johnny had flung themselves flat down on the walk and covered their heads against the falling debris.
Marco got up on his knees and looked around. He could see the wall supports of the catwalk had been bent and the structural integrity had definitely been compromised. It was only a matter of time before the heated metal failed. "Go back, Johnny! This thing is going to go down!" Marco yelled but Johnny didn't quite understand what he was saying. His words were muffled by his mask and by the roaring of the fire. Marco turned off the hose he had managed to hang on to and dropped it gesturing for Johnny to drop it also and turn around and go back to the staircase they had climbed to get up on the catwalk.
Johnny had not seen what Marco had seen but he now understood that they were to get off the catwalk. If Marco was abandoning the hose something was up. He got shakily to his feet and ran back toward the staircase. Marco was hot on his heels.
They were not fast enough. Another explosion sent large pieces of metal from a storage cabinet into the bottom of the catwalk. This loosened it completely and the momentum of the explosion carried it skyward as well. Both men leaped off the catwalk and into one of the wooden bins that was half-filled with rolls of carpet.
Johnny landed first smashing his shoulder into one of the metal supports and Marco landed on top of him.
As soon as he was able to Marco rolled off of Johnny. "Johnny, I'm sorry. Are you okay?"
Johnny wanted to make some glib remark but the fiery pain in his shoulder prevented it.
"What is it? Are you hurt?" Marco didn't like the way he looked. By the light of the fire he could see the grimace on Johnny's face. He was very pale and sweaty. Marco reached into his pocket. "Hang on, Pal. I'll get us some help." He pulled the handy talkie out of his pocket. "Engine 51, this is Lopez."
"Marco! Are you guys alright?!" Captain Stanley's excited voice crackled from the HT.
"I am, Cap but Johnny's hurt. Is it your shoulder?" Marco noticed him rubbing his shoulder.
Johnny nodded.
"Okay, Marco, don't move him. I'll get a paramedic up to you as soon as we get the blaze pushed back a little."
"Sure thing, Cap. But hurry, okay?"
Captain Stanley has seen the two men literally blown off the catwalk. He could tell from what Marco said that Gage needed medical attention. He looked around for Roy. Just then Kelly and Pigeon walked by him muling spare tanks to the guys on the line. "I'll take some of that. I need a paramedic up there," he pointed to the bin his men were in. "Two guys were blown off the catwalk."
"I'll go," Cassie said handing him the tanks she carried. There was a metal ladder bolted to the wall. She climbed up it till she was at top level of the bins then she reached out and grabbed the side of one of the bins. She pulled herself up onto it and worked her way across six of the bins till she got to the one the Captain had said the injured men were in.
"Marco," she grinned. "We can't go on meeting like this."
"That's for sure. It's bad for my image to keep on getting rescued by a girl."
"You want me to leave?"
"No -- at least it not quite such an embarrassing place as last time."
"I don't know this looks like a pretty dumb place to be, if you ask me?" she continued to tease.
"Well we didn't have too many alternatives," Johnny said weakly.
"Johnny banged up his shoulder real good," Marco explained.
"Cut off his tank," she told Marco as she took off her own tank.
"Careful, Marco," Johnny gasped.
Marco cut off Johnny's tank. He could understand why Johnny's tank had to go so his shoulder could be examined but he had no idea why Cassie was removing her own. He was further surprised when she also ditched the turnout coat. But he was astounded to see that she was wearing a backpack backwards so that the pack was in the front.
"What the?..."
"My med kit."
"How in the heck did you climb all the way up here with that rig on?!"
"Marco, a woman's body was designed to be completely functional with excess weight there. Can I help it if men were poorly designed -- of course, I suppose they were merely the prototype. The newer, improved model fixed all those design flaws."
Marco wasn't sure if he dared answer but a groan from Johnny ended the conversation anyway.
"Marco, see it you can set up a relay to Rampart with the handy talkie. He's gonna need MS."
Pidge and Captain Stanley had anticipated the request. As Marco passed information to the captain he passed it to Pidge who was on the biophone with Rampart.
"Rampart, this is Squad 18, how do you read?
"Read you fine, 18. Go ahead," Dr Brackett replied. Pidge thought it strange that Brackett was on duty at that hour.
"Rampart, we have an injured fireman. At the moment he is trapped by a fire but we have a paramedic with him and have set up a relay. Please hold for further details."
"Standing -by, 18." Brackett fidgeted. He hated having so few details to go on. He couldn't even have a room set up until he knew exactly what he was dealing with. He supposed it couldn't be helped and pretty much went part and parcel with pulling a 24 hour shift in the ER. He hadn't had to do that in quite a while but they were shorthanded and there was no reason why he shouldn't take his turn at it just like the rest of the staff had had to do.
Cassie examined Johnny's shoulder. It was certainly dislocated and there was a possibility of a fracture. He was in a lot of pain. She had Marco pass his vitals and all her findings on to the captain and went about preparing an IV. Pidge had been a combat nurse and had learned to set up a field pack with anything she might need and she had taught this trick to Cassie. She had bandages, splints, burn treatments and IVs and a sample of their most often used meds. When they got the word that Rampart had okayed morphine she was ready to administer it.
"This'll help, Johnny," she promised. "Then we'll immobilize that and see about getting you out of here."
"I'd kind of like to lay down," Johnny admitted.
"Let me get this sling on you and then you can lay right back here on this carpet."
"Looks like we're on the carpet again, eh Marco?" Johnny grinned broadly. The MS was already taking affect.
"Looks that way, Johnny," Marco agreed.
Cassie shot him a questioning look.
"We - ah we were sort of in a little trouble with our captain earlier," Marco explained nervously.
"Oh you'll get used to that. I'm always in trouble with my captain -- and today I even got in trouble with yours. I must be having a good day -- or else he's having a bad one."
"Marco," Captain Stanley's voice crackled on the HT. Marco was so startled he almost dropped it.
"Si? -- I mean yes?"
"Marco, they are going to be cutting through the corrugated tin roof just over your position and hauling you guys out that way. Rampart wants Johnny out of the fire and at the hospital ASAP. Is there any kind of cover you guys can get under?"
"We can unroll some of this carpet."
"I suppose it'll have to do. Engine 51 out."
Marco slit the bindings on one of the rolls of carpet and rolled out enough to make a tent over Johnny, Cassie and himself.
"Too bad we don't have any marshmallows. That's a really righteous camp fire we got going there," Johnny commented. "You sure you don't have any in you back pack?"
"Damn! I knew I was forgetting something!" Cassie said as she helped Marco cover them with the carpet.
"Maybe next time, Johnny," Marco grinned. "He's really out of it."
"Hey, he's happy. Leave him alone," Cassie laughed.
They had just taken cover when they heard a new sound above the fire. It was the sound of the roof being cut. First a hole was started with an ax then a K-12 was used to make the hole big enough to get victims through. Then someone was lowered down on a rope. The next thing they knew the carpet was pulled back. Lila Crenshaw stood there.
"Damn it to hell, Kelly. Why is it everytime we are working a fire y'all manage to slip away and get cozy with a coupla fireman? Just what were y'all doin' under that rug?"
"We were making out, Gritsbreath, what do you think? Some of us got it and some of us ain't."
"You guys were making out!!!!" Johnny was shocked "Wait till I tell Chet!! And Rosita!"
"You just keep your mouth shut, Johnny!" Marco warned.
"Don't worry. He'll pass out soon and he probably won't remember a thing," Cassie assured him.
"Well he'd better not or Chet is liable to be and even bigger pain in the butt than usual."
"Are you worried about Chet or Rosita?" Cassie teased. She had heard all the stories about Marco's fiery tempered girlfriend including the one where she had chased Marco around Station 51 wielding an ax when he had forgotten her birthday. Or the time she ran his underwear up the station flagpole when he had been late for some big occasion.
"Hey, I'm off the hook. She now has eyes only for a Chippie named Poncherello. He can have her as far as I'm concerned. At least he has a gun to protect himself with."
A stokes had been lowered down the hole and the three of them carefully put Johnny into it. He was just beginning to sing cereal jungles so it was lucky they were getting out of there.
***
Outside the now contained fire the ten year old boy and the old lady from the earlier fire approached the command post where Captain Stanley and the Chief were conferring. The boy tugged on the cap's sleeve.
"Fire boss?"
"Oh I'm not the boss, son. That would be this nice gentleman right here."
"No. Firelady told us person in charge has black hat with white stripe -- just like skunk -- that's you."
"Sounds like he's got you there, Hank. Suppose you just tell the man in the skunk hat whatever you wanted to tell him."
"Okay. Uncle Li Chow see man in crowd who has been hanging around. Maybe start fires for fun. See Uncle Li Chow in blue shirt?" the boy pointed slightly with his head.
The cap and the chief followed that line. They found an oriental man in a blue shirt. Once that man had their eye he nodded to the man in front and to the left of him. The man was standing transfixed staring at the remnants of the fire. Captain Stanley called Vince Howard over and within minutes the firebug was in custody.
After they had answered all the official questions the cap and the chief were excused and they walked back to the staging area.
"Well another firebug is off the streets. Pretty good night's work I'd say," Captain Stanley said enthusiastically to the Chief momentarily forgetting who he was talking to.
"Amen to that, Hank. I'll just never understand people that set fires -- be they in kitchens, in dumpsters, in carpet stores, in hats. They are just a strange lot, wouldn't you say, Hank?" the chief walked off so that Stanley couldn't see the huge grin on his face.
Stanley just stood there in shock with his mouth opened. He was too tired to wonder what it all meant at the moment but he'd figure it out one day.
