a direct sequel to The Second Alarm
Chet walked into the station and headed for the coffee pot. As he poured himself a cup he looked around at the table.
"What a sorry looking bunch. What did you guys do, close the place down last night?" he asked sitting down and trying to wrestle the part of the newspaper from Stoker.
"For your information, Chet," Johnny started to yell and then thought better of it. He held a cold can of V-8 to his head and groaned. "For your information, we all left shortly after you and the birthday girl did."
"Right, Gage. So how come you're so hungover? Man, close your eyes or you'll bleed to death."
"He's telling the truth, Chet," Marco mumbled quietly. He was resting his head on his arm contemplating making out his will.
"You too?!" Chet laughed.
"Shut up, Chet. I'm trying to die."
Just then Roy walked. "Morning all," he greeted cheerfully.
"Shut up, Roy," Marco, Johnny and Stoker all said.
"What's with them?" Roy asked Chet.
"Beats me, Roy. They claim they left right after I did but they were nowhere near drunk enough at that point to be in this kind of shape. So I figure they are lying. As usual."
"Everybody did leave right after you did," Roy told him.
"Really, Roy? Well I'm flattered and I certainly do realize that I'm the life of the party, but really you guys should have stayed and had a good time ---"
"It had nothing to do with where you were," again Johnny tried to yell again he regretted it. "But the sprinklers went off and----"
"The sprinklers? Ha! What did somebody light the candles after all?"
"No there was some kind of malfunction," Roy explained. "Joanne and I went right home after dropping off our passenger."
"What passenger?"
"The cap. Mike went bowling with these guys -- you guys did go bowling, didn't you?" Roy asked.
"Without me?" Chet was hurt.
"Well you were busy. I bet Cassie feels worse than we do," Johnny groaned. "I still think it was mean setting her up like that. And she has to work with the Iron Maiden. At least our cap is a pussycat."
"Who's a pussycat?" an all too familiar voice screamed behind Johnny's head. He swore he could actually feel his blood vessels exploding.
"Oh, Cap," Johnny winced. "I didn't mean anything by that. It's just that Captain Tacy -- well she's so -- you know, hard to get along with and you're -- you're like one of the guys," Johnny smiled praying the cap wouldn't yell again.
"I don't think so, Gage," the cap began evenly but he was interrupted by the noisy arrival of C-Shift.
Once the pleasantries were exchanged and C-shift left the cap just glared at his men. Before he could speak, Chet did.
"Stoker, aren't you going to run out and look at the engine?"
"I've seen it before," Mike said weakly.
In shock Chet pulled the newspaper out of his hands.
Stoker's skin was absolutely green. "‘Scuse me," he suddenly clapped his hand over his mouth and ran out of the room.
"Roy, make sure he doesn't choke to death. I don't want and accidental deaths around here," the cap snarled.
Before too much longer every rotten task the cap could think was being performed by one of them.
"Thanks a lot, Gage," Chet griped as he mopped his way into the dorm where Johnny was up to his ears with a major sheet changing detail.
"What'd I do? You'd think these guys would shower off the mud at least before going to bed."
"What'd you do?! ‘The cap's a real pussycat,'" Chet repeated in a high falsetto voice. "Now he's lion, thanks to you."
Johnny ignored him staring longingly at the beds he had to change but couldn't crawl into.
"Are you listening to me?" Chet demanded.
"No."
"Well you should be. This is all your fault, you know. If you guys hadn't all gone out and gotten looped this never would have happened. It serves you right if you feel lousy."
"We didn't get looped. We had a few beers and stuff while we bowled. No more than usual. I can't figure out why we all feel this way? I wonder if it was food poisoning."
"Right, Gage." Chet's bad mood was not all faked. He was not thrilled to have drawn mopping detail. He and Cassie had had to do enough mopping at the bar after everybody left. How the hell had that damn Smokey known? Well at least no one else knew. Smokey wouldn't tell. He never did. Then something Gage said registered. "What kind of stuff?"
"What?"
"You said you had some beer and stuff. What stuff?"
"Just some wine -- Stoker won a bottle picking up a 7-10 split. Then some girl Marco met at the bar invited us to join her and her friends for some Sanna something or other. I didn't care much for it but it would have been rude ---"
"Sangria! You mixed beer, wine and that stuff -- it means blood you know!!!"
"What are you talking about?"
"Sangria. I can't believe even you are that stupid!"
"Oh we didn't have that much. You're just jealous because we met some girls and you weren't there."
"Ha!" Chet snorted but made mental note to get even with his sister for that. She's lucky she just has a birthday once a year.
"So what did they look like?"
"Who?"
Just then the alarm sounded. It was just for the squad. As they drove off Roy looked at Johnny out of the corner of his eye. "You'll give me plenty of warning if you're going to be sick, won't you? I mean I could pull over."
"Just drive, Roy," Johnny growled.
"Mike and Marco both got sick and I figure---"
"Well, you figure wrong!" Johnny snarled, concentrating all his efforts into making sure Roy was wrong.
The rescue turned out to be a baby who decided to be born while traffic was gridlocked. Within the hour Roy and Johnny were standing in front of the nurses' station in the ER at Rampart. Roy was happily giving all the details. Johnny was wishing he'd just shut up.
Just then Squad 18 came in. Cassie and Pidge were arguing. But it was their slightly disheveled appearance that was what got Dixie's attention. "What happened to you two?"
"We've been in jail," Cassie said.
"In jail?! What it in the world for?" Johnny hollered and then regretted it.
"We were called in to patch up a couple of inmates who had a difference of opinion," Pidge glared at Cassie.
"And now you two have one," Dixie surmised.
"My partner doesn't feel that hookers should be in jail." Pidge shook her head with disbelief.
"No I don't think that just hookers should be. The johns always get off. It takes two to tango. If it's a crime for her, why not him?"
"I'm afraid that they way the world has always been, Cassie," Dixie said.
"Don't you think it's about time that changed?"
"It's too early in the morning for women's lib," Pidge said. "What happened to him?" Pidge looked at Johnny.
"We just delivered a baby. I don't know who came closer to passing out. The new dad or my partner," Roy laughed.
"Knock it off, Roy. That didn't bother me."
"That's true. Marco and Stoker are in the same shape he is."
"Little too much birthday party last night? By the way, Cassie, Happy Birthday. I thought I'd say it again now that you're sober and will remember," Dixie smiled.
"Hey I remember last night -- well most of it."
They all laughed but Roy pointed out that she looked like she was in better shape then Johnny or the other two. "Johnny figured you'd be in really bad shape," Roy laughed again.
"Why?"
"Because you were bombed," Johnny told her.
"No, I wasn't I was just uninhibited," Cassie defended herself.
"I'll say you were," Dixie said under her breath. She tried not to smile and wished she could have seen the look on Johnny's face when Cassie made the remark about Indians being such great lovers. She had that filed away for future reference.
"How much do you remember?" Johnny thought to ask.
"I remember the good stuff. You never did answer my question," Cassie teased him right back.
Before Johnny could answer or think of a good excuse not to, they heard an explosion and felt the shock wave.
"What the heck was that?" Roy asked.
They all ran to the window that looked in the direction that the explosion had come from. It was a small two story building that was connected to the hospital.
"The Path labs!" Dix gasped.
"We got smoke showing it two places. Grey and Black. Dix, call it in. Ask for at least two engines and a foam truck. Come on, people our turnout gear is in the squads. We gotta get in there and look for victims," Roy commanded with ease.
***
Engine 51 pulled up to the staging area next to Rampart. The cap approached Chief McConikee and Captain Tacy.
"Here's the situation, Hank, there was a primary explosion and there have been two smaller secondary ones. The smaller ones started fires but both were put down with fire extinguishers by lab workers. The primary is the real problem. 18s is attacking it from the east and Pumper 12 and her crew are on the west. Due to the construction of the new helipad there is no available water on the west side so I'm keeping the pumper busy there and have called for a second unit. There is a foam truck on the way also but until they get here, water will be our best weapon. There is water on the east side so I want your guys to work this side too. 18s was first on scene so they will work the fire which at this point is confined to first floor. I want you guys to soak the second floor and then if possible work the fire from above. We gotta get this thing knocked down before it reaches the oxygen that is stored in the building."
Captain Tacy did not fail to notice that for the first time since Station 18 was established they would be doing the primary work and 51 would be backing them up. There was no time to ponder that or to celebrate. Right now they had a fire to fight.
"Chief," Hank said, "My paramedics were here....."
"Yours and 18's. They called it in and got the proper units rolling. Hospital administration says they are working evac on the building. Let's get to work, people."
***
Roy had been less liberal than the chief and had assigned Pidge and Cassie the second floor. They had come upon a problem right away. A middle aged man was in cardiac distress due to the fire. They had no equipment so they got him back to the ER. It was a mad house. Less serious cases were being referred to other facilities and preparations were being made in case the entire hospital needed to be evacuated. Pidge stayed to assist Dr Morton with their patient and Cassie returned to search for victims. Luckily most of the lab's employees seemed to be taking an early lunch today.
***
It was hard work toting the heavy hose up the stairs. Marco could tell that Chet was shouldering most of the weight. He knew he'd owe him big time. They had just gotten situated and began dowsing the floor when there was another big explosion. This one was behind them. They both fell forward but got up immediately. They turned back ready to take on the new blaze but soon their pressure died and the water slowed to a trickle.
"The hose must have been cut or something awful heavy is sitting on it somewhere," Chet hollered. "Turn it off and I'll go see what I can find out."
Marco nodded. If Chet was able to free the line and he had it wide open he'd get knocked on his ass. Actually sitting down sounded pretty good at the moment. There was some dry floor over by the wall. He gave into the temptation. He may have even nodded off because Chet seemed to return almost immediately
"That whole area is blocked. I can't even get through to find out what's with the hose. I found a fire hose in a wall but there's no water. Water main must have ruptured. Looks like we gotta get out the other way."
"Nope not that way, Guys," Cassie joined them.
"Where the hell did you come from?"
"No time for a biology lesson right now, Big Brother. I would have thought someone would have explained all that to you by this time."
Chet glared at her so she expalined, "I've been checking the labs and offices for victims. Nobody here."
"You're sure there's no way out that way?" Chet asked seriously, ignoring her earlier jab.
"Not unless you're wearing asbestos underwear. There's a wall of fire you can't even see beyond. Right now most of the smoke is going out through a hole in the roof but I'd advise us moving our cute little butts out of here."
"Well, it's no good behind us either. Looks like the ceiling caved in. It'd take hours to pick through the debris. How about busting out a window in one of the labs?" Chet suggested.
"No. This building was designed for AC. What few windows they have are only six inches wide," Cassie explained as she looked up and down the hallway. Her eyes fell on Marco. He did not look well. "Is he all right?"
"He's hungover."
"He definitely needs some fresh air. Hey, I have an idea," she said as her eyes fell on the ladies' room door. There would be real windows in there. "You guys up to boldly going where no man had gone before?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Chet demanded.
She squatted down next to Marco and pulled his arm around her shoulder. "Come on, help him, Chet."
"I can walk."
Chet ignored him and got down and pulled Marco's other arm across his own shoulder. "Where are we going?"
"Three doors down to the left."
"That's the ladies' room!" Marco squawked.
"Well there's no ladies in it. I just checked. Come on!" Cassie kicked the door open but they still held back. "I already gathered up all the venomous snakes and deactivated the testosterone alert systems. You're both perfectly safe."
"You're a laugh a minute, jerkoid," Chet snarled as he and Marco came in two steps behind her.
"Just watch out for the land mines."
"Keep it up," Chet threatened.
"Sit him over here on this bench. He doesn't look too good."
"Man, we don't get upholstered couches in our johns," Chet complained.
"No but you get those funny little sinks on the wall," she teased back knowing full well that neither of them would have a comeback. She then became serious. "Let's get him out of this gear. He's way overheated."
"I'm a fireman, let me clue you in on something. Fires are hot ---"
"And I'm a paramedic and I know a syncopal episode about to happen. Help me, damn it!" They got Marco's tank, mask helmet and turnout coat off him. He was very flushed. Cassie put her hand to his brow. "Take slow, deep breaths, Marco. Chet wet some paper towels."
There was very little water pressure but Chet did as he was told. Applying cold compresses brought Marco around a little. Cassie took his vitals.
"He's okay, isn't he?"
"He's dehydrated. Marco, have you been throwing up today?"
"Um -- sort of --"
"Marco, barfing is like being dead or pregnant either you are or you aren't. There's no sort of," Cassie told him.
Suddenly Marco got up and ran into one of the stalls.
"Guess that answers your question. Did you have to ask?" Chet was disgusted.
"Yes, smart ass. I needed to know why he was so dehydrated. That helps explain it."
"Mixing beer, wine and sangria -- that's what explains it," Chet said making sure Marco could hear him.
"Well, you're moving like the poster boy for arthritis. How do you explain that? I'm telling you it's the way you mop. You make it a battle instead of going with the flow and----"
"How did you know he was mopping?"Marco asked when he returned. He was pretending to feel a whole lot better than he did.
Both Cassie and Chet froze. They couldn't let on that they had to mop up the mess at the Second Alarm. If the others in the department ever found out that the soaking they got was intentional it would end a long family tradition of firefighting and quite possibly two Kelly lives.
"He told me," Cassie said. It wasn't exactly a lie. Chet had told her he'd been mopping other times. She grabbed Marco's arm and steered him back to the couch.
"Am I gonna die?" he asked her not completely in jest.
"You deserve to after what you put into you system but that won't kill you. It'll just make you wish you were dead," Cassie told him.
"I was afraid you'd say that," Marco said glumly.
"We'd better work on getting out of here. Chet, break the window."
"Why me?"
"Because I said to and I know 63 ways to kill you that won't even leave a mark. Here drink something, Marco." She handed him a small paper cup of water.
"Ninja witch," Chet muttered, picking up a metal trash can and throwing it at the window. The window did not break and the trash dumped all over Chet's head.
Marco almost choked on the water trying not to laugh at the expression on Chet's face. "Maybe you should have emptied that first, Chet," he suggested helpfully.
"Shut up, Lopez," Chet growled. He picked up Marco's tank and tossed it at the window. The results were about the same and if he hadn't moved quickly he would have been hit by the tank as it careened off the still intact plate glass.
"God, Chet, how the hell did you ever sneak off campus after homeroom in high school," Cassie shook her head in disbelief.
"All right, Piss Ant -- you try it!" Chet exploded.
She stood up and walked over to the large window. She put her right palm on the window a minute. "Stand back, Chet. Go over by Marco."
"This ought to be good," he muttered. "What are you going to do -- bond with the window?"
"No. I'm going to break it." She concentrated hard for a minute then she pulled her arm back and with a strange yell she put the palm of her hand through the window. She quickly pulled her hand back and hunkered down as large pieces of glass fell over her, landing first on her helmet then being deflected harmlessly to the floor by her turnout gear.
Both Chet and Marco were sure she'd be killed or badly cut. Chet reached her as soon as the window fell. He was pale as a sheet and for once in his life speechless.
"Is she all right?!" Marco was nearly as frantic.
Chet grabbed her hand. There was no sign of a cut anywhere. Not even a red mark. "What the hell did you do?"
"I broke the window. What's the bid deal, Chet? I can break stacks of concrete blocks. A window is a breeze. Okay, genius. I don't see anybody around and this is the second floor -- any ideas?"
"How about the handy talkie?" Marco suggested.
"Pidge has ours."
"Chet has one in his pocket."
"Oh yeah. I forgot." Chet pulled it out and turned it on. "Engine 51?"
"You're supposed to say who you are too," Cassie told him.
"Will you shut up!"
"Engine 51. Repeat last message please" the cap's voice squawked over the transmitter.
"Uh -- Cap, this is Chet."
"Where are you? We lost you after the last explosion and the second floor is now fully involved. Is Lopez with you?"
"Yes. I mean 10-4," Chet fumbled. He never could figure out the 10 system or any of the radio codes. It was probably why he blew the Engineer's exam."We kinda got cut off at both ends"
"Hey, Chet, ask him if he knows where he could lay his hands on a ladder," Cassie said seriously while winking at Marco. She knew how rattled he got even on a handy-talkie. He was a regular one man show on a CB.
"Ah, Cap you wouldn't know where there might be a ladder---" As soon as Marco and Cassie started to laugh he realized he'd just asked one of the world's all time stupid questions. "You're as bad as she is, Lopez," he growled.
"Come again, Chet."
"Never mind, Cap. I'm trapped with two crazy people and need to be rescued -- bad."
"Two crazy people? Is there a victim with you?"
"Soon to be," he muttered. "Cassie is with us too."
"Good. She was listed as missing too."
"She's missing all right. Missing her marbles."
"You two will have to fight later. You're both still on company time. Where are you? I have a blueprint here."
"On the north side of the building, on the second floor -- in the ladies' room."
"Don't tell him that!!"
"Don't be such a prude, Marco," Cassie and Chet said in complete harmony.
"What did you say, Chet?"
Marco grabbed the handy talkie. "Just tell them to look for the busted out window. They can't miss it."
"Sit tight. Help's on the way. Engine 51 out."
***
Captain Stanley looked around the staging area. 18's had been relieved and were taking a break awaiting another assignment. He walked up to them.
"Maggie, I found your missing paramedic and my two men. They all got cut off by that last explosion. Need a ladder rescue to the north side of the building. They said to just look for the broken out window."
"Thanks, Hank. We're on it. Yates, Crenshaw, ladder rescue. Let's move it!"
***
Roy and Johnny left the building for the fifth time. Johnny was really dragging behind this time.
"Come on, Junior." Roy grabbed his upper arm to hurry him along.
"Roy," Johnny gasped. "Pull over."
"What?" Then Roy remembered their conversation in the squad and stopped. Johnny staggered into the high bushes that surrounded the building.
"Feel better?" Roy asked hopefully when he returned.
Johnny nodded but looked duly ashamed.
"How about if we take the long way back?" Roy offered kindly. They had been going nonstop since this incident began and every time they returned to the staging area someone came up with something else for them to do. Roy felt he could use a break and he was sure that Johnny could.
The long way took them around the north side of the building. They noticed Barb and Lila setting up the long extension ladder.
"Looks like someone's in trouble," Johnny said and began sprinting over to them. Roy reluctantly followed. Maybe he would take the Captain's exam, after all.
***
"Chet, I don't want to be rescued from the ladies' bathroom," Marco mumbled.
"Marco, usted está actuando como el asno de un caballo sobre esto!" Cassie said in exasperation.
"Sé. Sé. Soy tan cansado."
"Excuse me, folks -- how about speaking English?" Chet said sarcastically.
"She told me I was a horse's ass and I agreed," Marco yawned.
"I said you were acting like one. Stay awake, Marco." She wet another papertowel and shot Chet a worried look. "You want another drink? You need fluids." The water was only dribbling out of the faucet now.
Chet went over and cleared the excess glass away from the window. Where the hell was the cap? Marco was starting to look like hell. Cassie had him laying down on the bench. He was being way too compliant. She was taking vitals and looking worried. "Marco, wake up!"
" Déjeme dormir. "
"No, Marco. Estancia despierta!"
Suddenly a voice from the ground called up to Chet. "Hey, Loverboy, Y'all call for a ladder?"
"Oh no, it's Jugs!"
"WHAT?!" Cassie demanded angrily.
"You know -- the pool hustler. Look, Cas, no time to argue about semantics. Poor Marco looks like galloping shit. We gotta get him out of here! HEY HURRY WE HAVE A GUY WHO NEEDS MEDICAL ATTENTION UP HERE."
"And one who will," Cassie snarled.
Barb and Lila set up the ladder just as Roy and Johnny were walking around the side of the building. Barbara steadied the ladder while Lila went up it.
"What the hell are y'all doing in the can with these guys, Kelly?"
"Waiting for some bubble butt to get here with a ladder. Marco? You awake?"
"What's wrong with the cute little guy?"
"He's severely dehydrated."
"Give him here. I'll mule him on down."
"Good choice of words," Chet muttered under his breath and helped get Marco up. They walked him over to the window and folded him across her shoulder.
Barb saw Roy and Johnny and knowing they were paramedics called them over. "Hey, Roy, we need a medic over here!"
Both Roy and Johnny ran up to join her.
Chet and Cassie waited until Lila had cleared the ladder with Marco.
"Go ahead," Chet said.
"You go ahead," she argued from force of habit.
"Come on, you two. Quit clowning around," Barb hollered up to them.
"Who's clowning around ?" they both asked in shock.
"Just come on. They are talking about more explosions. We may be needed to help real victims."
"Who's she calling a victim?" Chet was indignant.
"Just get on the damn ladder unless your planning to be found dead in the ladies' room."
"Fine. I was going to help you -- but have it your own way," Chet muttered.
Once Chet was partway down the ladder, Cassie climbed on it too. She tried to pace herself like they'd been taught at the academy but Chet's sore muscles were slowing him down and she was within a body length of him in no time.
Suddenly an explosion did rock the building blowing the ladder away from the building. Chet crawled up and surrounded his sister's body with his own and held onto the ladder with all his might as they fell backwards down to the ground.
They landed hard twenty feet beyond the building. The ground that they landed on was soggy. In fact, they were in two to three inches of standing water. This must be where the water pipe broke that had robbed the building of its water.
They had barely hit the ground. Johnny, Barb and Lila were running over to them. Cassie exploded with fury. "What they hell did you think you were doing, you stupid ass!! I could have jumped clear." She angrily kicked at the ladder. She had landed on Chet and it had landed on her.
Barb and Lila moved the ladder and Johnny knelt by them. "Are you all right?"
"Of course I am -- soaking wet-- thanks to this bird brain," she fumed, getting up to prove to him that she was fine.
"What about you, Chet, you okay?" Johnny asked.
Chet had not moved.
"Chet?" Johnny checked his eyes. "He's out cold." Chet's head was turned at an odd angle. Johnny checked his neck.
Cassie grabbed his wrist to check his pulse. He felt very limp. "He's not faking," she muttered in disbelief.
"They okay, Johnny?" Roy hollered over to them. He had checked Marco over. He was a little groggy but the cool air of the December morning had gone a long way to revive him. Roy had remembered he had a package of salted peanuts in his pocket and was having Marco eat them to help replenish his salt and to make sure he would be thirsty enough to drink fluids. It was an old trick he'd learned in the service. He was almost never without the peanuts. They'd saved his life once. Joanne teased him and called him an elephant. They were sure helping Marco come around now that he was in the fresh air.
"Chet's out cold. I need the equipment," Johnny called back.
"I'll get it," Cassie took off at a run for the side of the building where the action was. She was concentrating so hard on getting to her squad that she didn't see Captain Stanley and ran right into him knocking him to the ground.
He was taken completely by surprise. So was Stoker as he went to help his captain up. Cassie didn't even look back she just ran to her squad and yanked the compartment doors open in search of the equipment they would need.
By the time she headed back Captain Stanley was on his feet and none too happy. "Hold it right there, Young Lady!"
"Cut the ‘young lady' crap this isn't a cotillion," she yelled right back taking him even more by surprise than when she knocked him down.
"Cassie, it's frowned upon to knock down captains in the fire department," Stoker said pretending to take this a lot more seriously than he really did.
"When there's a medical emergency, captains should know enough to get the fuck out of the way," she stepped around Stoker and ran back the way she came.
She never looked back or gave the encounter another thought. As she ran back to the scene she was delighted to hear Chet yelling.
"Let me up outta the damn water, Gage!"
"Not without a c-collar. You hurt your neck in the fall and you're NOT going to do any further damage as long as I can do something about it."
"Well who says you can?" Chet challenged.
"I do," Cassie told him. "Lay still and shut up. What an old lady!"
Chet fumed while they played paramedic on him. He was soaked and he was cold, but mostly he was mad.
Finally they allowed him to move.
"It's about damn time!" Chet growled as they walked him over to Roy and Marco. Marco was now sitting up and looking a lot better.
"Guess we'd better get back," Barb suggested.
"What's the hurry?" Cassie asked innocently.
"I know that look. What the hell did you do, Kelly?" Lila accused.
"What makes you think I did anything? Well, there is the slightest of possibilities that there might be a sort of angry captain over there," Cassie confessed with a sick smile.
"An angry captain? Oh and just why would there be an angry captain over there?" Chet demanded.
"I'm pretty sure that captains don't take kindly to being knocked down and told to get the fuck out of the way."
"YOU IDIOT!!! You didn't!" Chet shrieked what each of the others also intended to say.
"I was in a hurry," Cassie said in a small voice.
"That's no excuse to make your captain mad!" Chet declared with certainty.
"Oh it wasn't my captain. It was yours."
"WHAT?!" Johnny, Chet, Roy and Marco yelled.
"He was already mad as hell earlier today because of Gage!" Chet snarled.
"Well he might be even a tad bit madder now," Cassie cringed.
"How could you do such a thing?!! What are you picking on our cap for -- you have your own," Chet laid into her.
"What can I say, Chet, I'm an equal opportunity annoyer," she flashed him a grin and he took a swipe at her.
"Tell ya what, guys, I'll make it up to you. I'll buy you all a drink at the Second Alarm after work. How's that?"
They all looked around for something to throw at her.
