_ Chapter Four
After watching a little bit of the movie, Johnny decided it was not the kind of movie he enjoyed. Yes, it involved sports, but one of the main characters suffered from a fatal disease, and that certainly did not appeal to him as what he wanted to watch on TV. No doubt, it would be a classic. People would watch it for years to come, but he didn't care. Slipping quietly from the room he descended the stairs in search of something to drink before going to bed. He also needed to get his boots and turnouts from his locker and set them up beside his bunk as he had been trained.
Passing through the bay he again marveled at the sheer beauty the equipment possessed.
The Ladder Truck stood before him ready for its next deployment with the massive white extendable lengths stacked a-top the long red bed, Los Angeles County Fire Department stenciled in easily read letters along the length of the vehicle. Glancing down the length of the long bay he noticed the Engines with their polished rich red paint reflecting in the moonlight streaming through the bay door windows. Engines silently waiting for the call to duty with turn out coats hanging from the open doors, ready for the men to climb aboard.
Finally, his eyes settled on the smaller red truck at the front. For some unexplainable reason that little truck always seemed to draw his attention, it fascinated him.
At the academy, the instructors briefly touched on the role of the Rescue Squad, and there had been a chapter in the manual addressing the duties of the Rescue Men, but it had only served to offer a hint at the depth of how they supported the department. The chapters on Engineers and other specialty positions had been equally as brief. As a Boot, these specialties were not an option. Years of training and experience usually proceeded transition into a specialty. Recruits simply needed to understand how they functioned at the station and in the chain of command.
Johnny walked up beside the red truck running his hand along the polished silver rail that ran along the top of the compartments lining either side of the bed. He walked around to the passenger side feeling the smooth perfectly waxed hood as he passed. His hand drifted along the window frame on the door feeling the rubber seal and back up to the coolness of the silver rail on the passenger side. His fingers slid easily down the door to the rounded indention that surrounded the handle to the compartment. He grasped the handle and turned it feeling the click as the latch allowed the door to open. Reflexively he glanced over his shoulder like a kid sneaking a cookie from the off limits cookie jar. He felt a thrilling sense of adventure and discovery racing through his veins.
Once he had the doors open, he could see all of the rescue equipment lining the shelves inside: oxygen, blankets, and a first aide kit. All firefighters went through training in basic first aide and CPR just like boy scouts, but Rescue Men used those skills every day. His hand softly brushed against the green oxygen container and drifted to the plastic bag that held a folded yellow blanket.
Saving lives, that's what had drawn him to the fire department to begin with. Saving people's lives and their homes, giving back what he had lost a long time ago. Keeping families together had been his inspiration.
"She's really something isn't she?"
Johnny jumped, startled out of his musings, quickly pulling his hands back. He'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Um…yeah…yeah she is."
"I'm Tony. You're John right?"
"J…Johnny." He stretched his hand out in greeting. "Uh…you ride Rescue?"
"Yep she's mine. Are you thinking on Rescue?"
"No. I don't think so. I'm…well I think I'll be better at hauling hose." Johnny shrugged.
"Don't sell yourself short Johnny. Don't close the door on possibilities." Tony could see the glimmer in Johnny's eyes as he admired the Squad. He had stood watching him for a while. "You never know what the future will bring. I'm heading back up to the movie. You coming?"
"Nah, it's not my kind of movie." He reached for the compartment door. "I'll just…um…shut this back. I'm gonna get my gear and turn in."
Nodding his understanding Tony turned and walked away. "Take your time, Johnny. She won't break."
Johnny smiled, stepping back a bit to get a better view of the truck. 'She's definitely a beauty.' Slowly he turned and went toward the kitchen and that drink he'd come down for.
He passed by the front of Engine One, his engine. He tapped the front of the rig on the number emblem on the front, 10 his new home away from home. Pride welled in his heart. 'I made it!'
Whistling happily, he walked into the kitchen and up to the refrigerator so into the moment he hadn't noticed his Captain sitting on the sofa across the large day room. He picked up the only carton of milk and shook it slightly to see how much it still had inside.
Captain Jones watched as the whistling died and Johnny's shoulders slumped.
Johnny slowly put the carton back. He closed the door and turned to the sink. Water would have to do. Pulling a glass from the cabinet, he stood momentarily staring at the faucet. He really wanted milk. It had always been his drink of choice.
"Tony." Captain Jones called from the couch and Johnny jumped, startled for the second time in the past few minutes.
"Yes sir?" Tony said from the doorway.
"Get your partner and run down to the corner store before they close. Get a couple of cartons of milk. I think we're out. Gage just finished it off." He smiled at the young man.
Tony smiled at the confused look Johnny had on his face. His mouth hung open and his eyes were wide.
"Yes sir." Tony said turning on his heels and disappearing from view.
"Tony!"
"Yes sir?" His head popped back into the door.
"Better make it three."
"Yes sir." Tony disappeared in search of his partner.
"Drink up son. Milk is good for growing boys like you." He chuckled. 'If he gets much taller he'll need new pants.'
Johnny just stared wide eyed at Captain Jones.
"Well go ahead. Finish that carton. We'll need room for the others."
"Th…thank you." He said softly as he walked over and opened the fridge. "Thank you, Sir."
"No problem. A happy crew is a good crew, Gage. Remember that." Captain Jones stood and stretched. "That movie should be just about over. Lights out in thirty." He walked out the door leaving Johnny standing with his full glass of milk in one hand and the empty carton in the other.
Shaking himself from the awareness that he had just had a casual conversation with his Captain and back to the realization he still had to get his gear, he gulped down his milk, threw the carton away and quickly washed the glass. Walking fast across the bay to the locker room he felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck. 'Will there be another prank? Another "surprise" in my locker or have the Graves brothers had enough for one day?'
He slowly pushed the door open looking into the room first. 'This is crazy. I can't tip toe around expecting some stupid joke to be waiting around every corner.' He walked with new resolve to his locker, grabbed his gear, and left the room without incident. Smiling as he again crossed the quiet bay he heard the doors start to rise. Tony and his partner backed into their spot, back with more milk. He resumed whistling the happy tune from earlier as he climbed the stairs to the dorm, taking the two at a time. He felt at ease. Thanks to Captain Jones and one silly glass of milk, Johnny felt a strong sense of belonging that he hadn't felt since he was younger.
When he walked into the dorm he noticed that every bunk save his had boots and turnouts positioned at the ready. 'When did they do that? I'll have to remember not to wait so late.' At the academy, they had always done it right before lights out. Their days had been so busy with training they didn't have time any earlier to get it done. Now that he thought about it there was no reason to wait. Besides, if they were late getting back from a fire it would be quicker getting to bed if his gear were already in place.
He walked over and sat the boots at the end of his bunk. Then he positioned the bunker pants over them and pooled them around the tops with the suspenders lying out to the sides. Looking around the room to check that his gear matched the others he pulled down the covers and fluffed his pillow. He could hear Captain Jones calling lights out to a round of grumbles. 'It must be difficult to get twenty or so guys to all agree on a time for bed.'
Settling into this bunk Johnny threw his arm over his eyes blocking out the overhead lights and drifted towards sleep. He could hear the soft footsteps of his crewmates as they walked past his bunk respectfully trying not to disturb him or the others already asleep. He knew when the lights went out, because he could no longer see the red lines they produced along the length of his arm where it rested against his face. A quiet calm fell on the room permeated only by soft snores and the deep breathing of sleep as it claimed the men.
The night would not afford them much rest. After about an hour, the tones rang out through the station rousing the men from their dreams. Throughout the dorm, men scrambled from their tangled covers and stepped into their turnouts. Johnny nearly fell out of his bunk after jerking his arm from over his eyes letting in the light from the lights that came on instantly with the tones. Squinting in a disoriented haze it took him two seconds to remember where he was before he jumped up and into his boots. He grabbed for the suspenders that would secure his pants in place and grabbed his jacket as he followed his crewmates to the pole.
When his feet touched ground on the concrete bay floor, he jogged to his Engine grabbing his coat as he climbed aboard. The Engine began moving as soon as his foot left the ground. He slid into his seat and buckled the coat while listening intently to the many stations called out in response to a fire at the harbor. 'This is a big one…hope I get to do more than watch.' He settled in for the ride.
Streetlights raced by the side of the Engine as they barreled down the almost empty streets. LA was never quiet, but on a weeknight, the traffic was definitely lighter.
Johnny listened as orders began coming across the radio from the first arrivals at the scene. The closer they came to the harbor the more sirens they could hear echoing through the night and red flashing lights lit up the darkened skies.
When they arrived on scene Captain Jones received their assignments and dispersed his men, "Gage, I want you and Cody Graves to man a hose here by the dock and keep that fire from those boats. Don't get too close to the building in case of an explosion. There are a lot of flammables in there."
"Yes sir!" Johnny couldn't believe his luck. He would get to man a hose tonight.
"I'll take the nozzle," Cody snidely commented as he grabbed the two and a half from Engine One.
"Okay Cody, no problem." Johnny didn't really care if he was first on the nozzle or not. From the looks of the fire, they would have plenty of time to switch positions later. He stepped up behind Cody placing one hand on his shoulder and grabbing the hose with the other.
Cody shot a signal to Scotty to charge the hose and flipped the nozzle to open. Together they moved up step for step toward their assigned target. Johnny pulled the heavy hose along behind as they moved forward. "Come on Gage! You're holding me back. Try to keep up."
Johnny smiled behind his SCBA mask and nodded his head. 'Some people never learn. Fighting fires is not something done in haste. You have to move where the fire tries to move. You don't control it. The fire controls your moves, and it is sneaky. But don't you worry Cody. I've got your back even if you are a jerk.' Shaking off his own thoughts, Johnny turned his concentration to the task at hand.
Dark smoke rolled across the night sky blocking the light from the moon and stars; the red glow from the fire cast eerie reflections in the pools of water that began collecting on the pavement. The clanging of ropes against masts and the rocking of boats against their docks remained the only sounds around them other than the constant noises from the firefighting apparatus and the orders from HTs mixed with the crackling of the fire as it consumed everything in its path.
Flames shot high above the roof to the boat repair shop. Ash swirled in the gentle night breeze. It was the job of the perimeter to protect the surrounding structure. Cody pushed closer to the side of the building. Johnny thought he was moving closer than Captain Jones had wanted them and he tapped Cody's shoulder. "Hey Cap said stay back, away from the structure."
"I know what I'm doing. If he didn't trust us, he wouldn't have put us on a hose. Just keep up." Cody yelled over his shoulder and continued pushing forward fanning his hose against the side of the main structure.
Knowing it was his duty to offer support to the lead man Johnny kept pace with his partner even though he felt like they were in the wrong place. "That's far enough Cody." He gripped Cody's shoulder and held him firm. Cody shook Johnny's hand from his back and kept moving forward. Johnny stopped and looked back at the Engine. Scotty had watched the exchange. "Look Cody…either you stop or you're going it alone."
"Go ahead Tonto, but remember it's your butt that will be in trouble for leaving your post." Cody smiled. "Cap will be pleased with my performance."
Unsure of his decision Johnny hesitated only for a few seconds then he stepped back and dropped his hand from Cody's back leaving him with the full force of the hose. "No, Cody. You're disobeying a direct order. Now either stop or go on alone." He stepped back another few feet and waited.
'Okay Johnny now hold your own. You know he's wrong. He's too close. Wait him out.' Scotty thought to himself as he backed off on the hose pressure so Cody could handle it alone.
Before Johnny had time to reconsider or Cody had time to comply, an explosion rocked the building throwing them both through the air. Cody flew off the dock into the water and disappeared beneath the surface, pulled down by the weight of his quickly filling turnouts, boots and the heavy SCBA equipment.
Johnny landed hard against the asphalt stunning him, but he shook it off and crawled to the edge looking into the water for Cody. When he didn't see him resurface, Johnny quickly pulled off his coat and SCBA in one swift move and shucked out of his boots. If he had been behind Cody, he wouldn't have gone in the water. If only he hadn't left his position. Cody could drown and it would be his fault. Without thinking or waiting for instructions, he jumped into the water feet first. His partner was down and he would do everything he could to save him.
Captain Jones ran over to the edge and called into his HT for the Rescue Squad to report to him immediately. Up to now they had not been needed.
Scotty shut off pressure to the hose and ran up beside his Captain.
Captain Jones watched the black water for any sight of his men. Johnny came up for air a few feet away.
"There Cap!" Scotty pointed to the ripples in the surface where Johnny's head broke through, but Johnny disappeared again.
Tony and Joe, Station 1O's Rescue team came running up. "We have two men in the water, Cody Graves and John Gage. Gage is attempting to find Graves. Get in there and get him out. He took quite a hit himself."
"Gage jumped in?" Tony couldn't believe his ears. Most guys would have stayed down or waited for the Rescue team. Gage might just be a good candidate for the Rescue Squad. Joe was planning to move out of the county soon and Tony would need a new partner.
"Yeah…crazy kid." Captain Jones rubbed his hand across his brow. "Now get him out of there and find Graves."
Johnny searched blindly through the cold dark water, reaching into the blackness, probing all sides, hoping to brush up against something. He dove further down the second time, kicking with everything he had pushing deeper into the murky depths. He knew Cody was sinking fast. He reached out with his long thin arms fanning them out as he swam. The dirty water burned his eyes, but he forced himself to keep them open in hopes the reflective strips on Cody's turnouts might catch some light. He swam deeper still. His lungs starved for air. Then he felt something brush against his hand.
Tony and Joe both jumped in the water and immediately dove under trying to locate the two men. The murky water and darkness of night made visibility non-existent. They both came up again to try to formulate a search plan. Johnny had come up once more for air, but now both men were under the surface. "Where did Gage come up?" Tony yelled to Captain Jones.
Captain Jones pointed the area where Gage had been searching and the Rescue Men moved to the same area. As they were about to dive Johnny came up dragging Cody from the depths. Coughing and sputtering he called to Tony, "He isn't breathing."
Tony swam over and took Cody from Johnny. He clamped down Cody's nose and blew breath into his mouth; then he began the trip over to his Captain. He paused several times blowing breaths into Cody's slack mouth.
Exhausted and weak Johnny struggled to swim over to the side. He couldn't do it. He slid beneath the surface. "Gage!" Captain Jones yelled. "Joe get Gage."
Joe immediately grabbed Johnny's arm and pulled him to the surface. Johnny gasped for air as soon as his head broke through. "Come on John. Let's get you out of here."
Once all the men were on dry ground and Cody had started breathing on his own they were sent to Rampart General Hospital to be checked out. The ambulance attendants lifted the stretcher into the back of the ambulance just as Jim Graves ran up. "Cody? Is he gonna be all right? What happened?"
Tony put his hand on Jim's shoulder. "Easy Jim, he swallowed a bunch of nasty water, but Johnny here got him out. He's breathing on his own, but we need to take him to the hospital so he can be checked out."
"Okay Tony. Thanks." Jim turned and looked at Johnny who was sitting on the back of the Squad wrapped in a yellow blanket. "Um Thanks, Gage." He walked over and held out his hand. "Really, thanks for pulling my baby brother out. You probably saved his life."
Johnny shook his hand, nodded and climbed into the ambulance. He sat on the bench and leaned against the wall pulling the blanket closely around his thin body. He had put his turnout coat and boots back on trying to get warm, but a chill had settled in his bones. He couldn't believe so much had happened on his first shift at Station 10. He just wanted to sleep. He shivered and coughed up more water. His eyes drooped and closed slowly. He felt like he weighed a ton. The ambulance started moving, rocking, lulling him to sleep.
After watching a little bit of the movie, Johnny decided it was not the kind of movie he enjoyed. Yes, it involved sports, but one of the main characters suffered from a fatal disease, and that certainly did not appeal to him as what he wanted to watch on TV. No doubt, it would be a classic. People would watch it for years to come, but he didn't care. Slipping quietly from the room he descended the stairs in search of something to drink before going to bed. He also needed to get his boots and turnouts from his locker and set them up beside his bunk as he had been trained.
Passing through the bay he again marveled at the sheer beauty the equipment possessed.
The Ladder Truck stood before him ready for its next deployment with the massive white extendable lengths stacked a-top the long red bed, Los Angeles County Fire Department stenciled in easily read letters along the length of the vehicle. Glancing down the length of the long bay he noticed the Engines with their polished rich red paint reflecting in the moonlight streaming through the bay door windows. Engines silently waiting for the call to duty with turn out coats hanging from the open doors, ready for the men to climb aboard.
Finally, his eyes settled on the smaller red truck at the front. For some unexplainable reason that little truck always seemed to draw his attention, it fascinated him.
At the academy, the instructors briefly touched on the role of the Rescue Squad, and there had been a chapter in the manual addressing the duties of the Rescue Men, but it had only served to offer a hint at the depth of how they supported the department. The chapters on Engineers and other specialty positions had been equally as brief. As a Boot, these specialties were not an option. Years of training and experience usually proceeded transition into a specialty. Recruits simply needed to understand how they functioned at the station and in the chain of command.
Johnny walked up beside the red truck running his hand along the polished silver rail that ran along the top of the compartments lining either side of the bed. He walked around to the passenger side feeling the smooth perfectly waxed hood as he passed. His hand drifted along the window frame on the door feeling the rubber seal and back up to the coolness of the silver rail on the passenger side. His fingers slid easily down the door to the rounded indention that surrounded the handle to the compartment. He grasped the handle and turned it feeling the click as the latch allowed the door to open. Reflexively he glanced over his shoulder like a kid sneaking a cookie from the off limits cookie jar. He felt a thrilling sense of adventure and discovery racing through his veins.
Once he had the doors open, he could see all of the rescue equipment lining the shelves inside: oxygen, blankets, and a first aide kit. All firefighters went through training in basic first aide and CPR just like boy scouts, but Rescue Men used those skills every day. His hand softly brushed against the green oxygen container and drifted to the plastic bag that held a folded yellow blanket.
Saving lives, that's what had drawn him to the fire department to begin with. Saving people's lives and their homes, giving back what he had lost a long time ago. Keeping families together had been his inspiration.
"She's really something isn't she?"
Johnny jumped, startled out of his musings, quickly pulling his hands back. He'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Um…yeah…yeah she is."
"I'm Tony. You're John right?"
"J…Johnny." He stretched his hand out in greeting. "Uh…you ride Rescue?"
"Yep she's mine. Are you thinking on Rescue?"
"No. I don't think so. I'm…well I think I'll be better at hauling hose." Johnny shrugged.
"Don't sell yourself short Johnny. Don't close the door on possibilities." Tony could see the glimmer in Johnny's eyes as he admired the Squad. He had stood watching him for a while. "You never know what the future will bring. I'm heading back up to the movie. You coming?"
"Nah, it's not my kind of movie." He reached for the compartment door. "I'll just…um…shut this back. I'm gonna get my gear and turn in."
Nodding his understanding Tony turned and walked away. "Take your time, Johnny. She won't break."
Johnny smiled, stepping back a bit to get a better view of the truck. 'She's definitely a beauty.' Slowly he turned and went toward the kitchen and that drink he'd come down for.
He passed by the front of Engine One, his engine. He tapped the front of the rig on the number emblem on the front, 10 his new home away from home. Pride welled in his heart. 'I made it!'
Whistling happily, he walked into the kitchen and up to the refrigerator so into the moment he hadn't noticed his Captain sitting on the sofa across the large day room. He picked up the only carton of milk and shook it slightly to see how much it still had inside.
Captain Jones watched as the whistling died and Johnny's shoulders slumped.
Johnny slowly put the carton back. He closed the door and turned to the sink. Water would have to do. Pulling a glass from the cabinet, he stood momentarily staring at the faucet. He really wanted milk. It had always been his drink of choice.
"Tony." Captain Jones called from the couch and Johnny jumped, startled for the second time in the past few minutes.
"Yes sir?" Tony said from the doorway.
"Get your partner and run down to the corner store before they close. Get a couple of cartons of milk. I think we're out. Gage just finished it off." He smiled at the young man.
Tony smiled at the confused look Johnny had on his face. His mouth hung open and his eyes were wide.
"Yes sir." Tony said turning on his heels and disappearing from view.
"Tony!"
"Yes sir?" His head popped back into the door.
"Better make it three."
"Yes sir." Tony disappeared in search of his partner.
"Drink up son. Milk is good for growing boys like you." He chuckled. 'If he gets much taller he'll need new pants.'
Johnny just stared wide eyed at Captain Jones.
"Well go ahead. Finish that carton. We'll need room for the others."
"Th…thank you." He said softly as he walked over and opened the fridge. "Thank you, Sir."
"No problem. A happy crew is a good crew, Gage. Remember that." Captain Jones stood and stretched. "That movie should be just about over. Lights out in thirty." He walked out the door leaving Johnny standing with his full glass of milk in one hand and the empty carton in the other.
Shaking himself from the awareness that he had just had a casual conversation with his Captain and back to the realization he still had to get his gear, he gulped down his milk, threw the carton away and quickly washed the glass. Walking fast across the bay to the locker room he felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck. 'Will there be another prank? Another "surprise" in my locker or have the Graves brothers had enough for one day?'
He slowly pushed the door open looking into the room first. 'This is crazy. I can't tip toe around expecting some stupid joke to be waiting around every corner.' He walked with new resolve to his locker, grabbed his gear, and left the room without incident. Smiling as he again crossed the quiet bay he heard the doors start to rise. Tony and his partner backed into their spot, back with more milk. He resumed whistling the happy tune from earlier as he climbed the stairs to the dorm, taking the two at a time. He felt at ease. Thanks to Captain Jones and one silly glass of milk, Johnny felt a strong sense of belonging that he hadn't felt since he was younger.
When he walked into the dorm he noticed that every bunk save his had boots and turnouts positioned at the ready. 'When did they do that? I'll have to remember not to wait so late.' At the academy, they had always done it right before lights out. Their days had been so busy with training they didn't have time any earlier to get it done. Now that he thought about it there was no reason to wait. Besides, if they were late getting back from a fire it would be quicker getting to bed if his gear were already in place.
He walked over and sat the boots at the end of his bunk. Then he positioned the bunker pants over them and pooled them around the tops with the suspenders lying out to the sides. Looking around the room to check that his gear matched the others he pulled down the covers and fluffed his pillow. He could hear Captain Jones calling lights out to a round of grumbles. 'It must be difficult to get twenty or so guys to all agree on a time for bed.'
Settling into this bunk Johnny threw his arm over his eyes blocking out the overhead lights and drifted towards sleep. He could hear the soft footsteps of his crewmates as they walked past his bunk respectfully trying not to disturb him or the others already asleep. He knew when the lights went out, because he could no longer see the red lines they produced along the length of his arm where it rested against his face. A quiet calm fell on the room permeated only by soft snores and the deep breathing of sleep as it claimed the men.
The night would not afford them much rest. After about an hour, the tones rang out through the station rousing the men from their dreams. Throughout the dorm, men scrambled from their tangled covers and stepped into their turnouts. Johnny nearly fell out of his bunk after jerking his arm from over his eyes letting in the light from the lights that came on instantly with the tones. Squinting in a disoriented haze it took him two seconds to remember where he was before he jumped up and into his boots. He grabbed for the suspenders that would secure his pants in place and grabbed his jacket as he followed his crewmates to the pole.
When his feet touched ground on the concrete bay floor, he jogged to his Engine grabbing his coat as he climbed aboard. The Engine began moving as soon as his foot left the ground. He slid into his seat and buckled the coat while listening intently to the many stations called out in response to a fire at the harbor. 'This is a big one…hope I get to do more than watch.' He settled in for the ride.
Streetlights raced by the side of the Engine as they barreled down the almost empty streets. LA was never quiet, but on a weeknight, the traffic was definitely lighter.
Johnny listened as orders began coming across the radio from the first arrivals at the scene. The closer they came to the harbor the more sirens they could hear echoing through the night and red flashing lights lit up the darkened skies.
When they arrived on scene Captain Jones received their assignments and dispersed his men, "Gage, I want you and Cody Graves to man a hose here by the dock and keep that fire from those boats. Don't get too close to the building in case of an explosion. There are a lot of flammables in there."
"Yes sir!" Johnny couldn't believe his luck. He would get to man a hose tonight.
"I'll take the nozzle," Cody snidely commented as he grabbed the two and a half from Engine One.
"Okay Cody, no problem." Johnny didn't really care if he was first on the nozzle or not. From the looks of the fire, they would have plenty of time to switch positions later. He stepped up behind Cody placing one hand on his shoulder and grabbing the hose with the other.
Cody shot a signal to Scotty to charge the hose and flipped the nozzle to open. Together they moved up step for step toward their assigned target. Johnny pulled the heavy hose along behind as they moved forward. "Come on Gage! You're holding me back. Try to keep up."
Johnny smiled behind his SCBA mask and nodded his head. 'Some people never learn. Fighting fires is not something done in haste. You have to move where the fire tries to move. You don't control it. The fire controls your moves, and it is sneaky. But don't you worry Cody. I've got your back even if you are a jerk.' Shaking off his own thoughts, Johnny turned his concentration to the task at hand.
Dark smoke rolled across the night sky blocking the light from the moon and stars; the red glow from the fire cast eerie reflections in the pools of water that began collecting on the pavement. The clanging of ropes against masts and the rocking of boats against their docks remained the only sounds around them other than the constant noises from the firefighting apparatus and the orders from HTs mixed with the crackling of the fire as it consumed everything in its path.
Flames shot high above the roof to the boat repair shop. Ash swirled in the gentle night breeze. It was the job of the perimeter to protect the surrounding structure. Cody pushed closer to the side of the building. Johnny thought he was moving closer than Captain Jones had wanted them and he tapped Cody's shoulder. "Hey Cap said stay back, away from the structure."
"I know what I'm doing. If he didn't trust us, he wouldn't have put us on a hose. Just keep up." Cody yelled over his shoulder and continued pushing forward fanning his hose against the side of the main structure.
Knowing it was his duty to offer support to the lead man Johnny kept pace with his partner even though he felt like they were in the wrong place. "That's far enough Cody." He gripped Cody's shoulder and held him firm. Cody shook Johnny's hand from his back and kept moving forward. Johnny stopped and looked back at the Engine. Scotty had watched the exchange. "Look Cody…either you stop or you're going it alone."
"Go ahead Tonto, but remember it's your butt that will be in trouble for leaving your post." Cody smiled. "Cap will be pleased with my performance."
Unsure of his decision Johnny hesitated only for a few seconds then he stepped back and dropped his hand from Cody's back leaving him with the full force of the hose. "No, Cody. You're disobeying a direct order. Now either stop or go on alone." He stepped back another few feet and waited.
'Okay Johnny now hold your own. You know he's wrong. He's too close. Wait him out.' Scotty thought to himself as he backed off on the hose pressure so Cody could handle it alone.
Before Johnny had time to reconsider or Cody had time to comply, an explosion rocked the building throwing them both through the air. Cody flew off the dock into the water and disappeared beneath the surface, pulled down by the weight of his quickly filling turnouts, boots and the heavy SCBA equipment.
Johnny landed hard against the asphalt stunning him, but he shook it off and crawled to the edge looking into the water for Cody. When he didn't see him resurface, Johnny quickly pulled off his coat and SCBA in one swift move and shucked out of his boots. If he had been behind Cody, he wouldn't have gone in the water. If only he hadn't left his position. Cody could drown and it would be his fault. Without thinking or waiting for instructions, he jumped into the water feet first. His partner was down and he would do everything he could to save him.
Captain Jones ran over to the edge and called into his HT for the Rescue Squad to report to him immediately. Up to now they had not been needed.
Scotty shut off pressure to the hose and ran up beside his Captain.
Captain Jones watched the black water for any sight of his men. Johnny came up for air a few feet away.
"There Cap!" Scotty pointed to the ripples in the surface where Johnny's head broke through, but Johnny disappeared again.
Tony and Joe, Station 1O's Rescue team came running up. "We have two men in the water, Cody Graves and John Gage. Gage is attempting to find Graves. Get in there and get him out. He took quite a hit himself."
"Gage jumped in?" Tony couldn't believe his ears. Most guys would have stayed down or waited for the Rescue team. Gage might just be a good candidate for the Rescue Squad. Joe was planning to move out of the county soon and Tony would need a new partner.
"Yeah…crazy kid." Captain Jones rubbed his hand across his brow. "Now get him out of there and find Graves."
Johnny searched blindly through the cold dark water, reaching into the blackness, probing all sides, hoping to brush up against something. He dove further down the second time, kicking with everything he had pushing deeper into the murky depths. He knew Cody was sinking fast. He reached out with his long thin arms fanning them out as he swam. The dirty water burned his eyes, but he forced himself to keep them open in hopes the reflective strips on Cody's turnouts might catch some light. He swam deeper still. His lungs starved for air. Then he felt something brush against his hand.
Tony and Joe both jumped in the water and immediately dove under trying to locate the two men. The murky water and darkness of night made visibility non-existent. They both came up again to try to formulate a search plan. Johnny had come up once more for air, but now both men were under the surface. "Where did Gage come up?" Tony yelled to Captain Jones.
Captain Jones pointed the area where Gage had been searching and the Rescue Men moved to the same area. As they were about to dive Johnny came up dragging Cody from the depths. Coughing and sputtering he called to Tony, "He isn't breathing."
Tony swam over and took Cody from Johnny. He clamped down Cody's nose and blew breath into his mouth; then he began the trip over to his Captain. He paused several times blowing breaths into Cody's slack mouth.
Exhausted and weak Johnny struggled to swim over to the side. He couldn't do it. He slid beneath the surface. "Gage!" Captain Jones yelled. "Joe get Gage."
Joe immediately grabbed Johnny's arm and pulled him to the surface. Johnny gasped for air as soon as his head broke through. "Come on John. Let's get you out of here."
Once all the men were on dry ground and Cody had started breathing on his own they were sent to Rampart General Hospital to be checked out. The ambulance attendants lifted the stretcher into the back of the ambulance just as Jim Graves ran up. "Cody? Is he gonna be all right? What happened?"
Tony put his hand on Jim's shoulder. "Easy Jim, he swallowed a bunch of nasty water, but Johnny here got him out. He's breathing on his own, but we need to take him to the hospital so he can be checked out."
"Okay Tony. Thanks." Jim turned and looked at Johnny who was sitting on the back of the Squad wrapped in a yellow blanket. "Um Thanks, Gage." He walked over and held out his hand. "Really, thanks for pulling my baby brother out. You probably saved his life."
Johnny shook his hand, nodded and climbed into the ambulance. He sat on the bench and leaned against the wall pulling the blanket closely around his thin body. He had put his turnout coat and boots back on trying to get warm, but a chill had settled in his bones. He couldn't believe so much had happened on his first shift at Station 10. He just wanted to sleep. He shivered and coughed up more water. His eyes drooped and closed slowly. He felt like he weighed a ton. The ambulance started moving, rocking, lulling him to sleep.
_
Chapter Five
Rocking in the back of the ambulance did nothing for Johnny's aching head, and now he felt sick to his stomach. He opened his eyes and looked around the small compartment, but quickly closed them, willing himself to not be sick.
"Johnny?" Tony looked over at him noticing his paleness. Johnny licked his lips and swallowed repeatedly. "You okay?"
Not wanting to lose the battle with his stomach Johnny slowly nodded. He wasn't okay. He was cold to the bone, exhausted, and sick from swallowing all that filthy water. "Is…um," Johnny swallowed, surprised at how dry his throat felt after swallowing so much water. "Is he going to be okay?"
Tony glanced over at the young man. "I think so. How are you feeling?"
"Tired." Johnny couldn't suppress the yawn that escaped. "How did you become a Rescue Man?"
Tony chuckled, "Well Johnny Boy it kind of happened in the same way you just did."
Johnny's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He turned his head slowly from side to side. "Oh no…not me…no way…I'm a hose man."
"Sure you are for now Johnny, but I'll be willing to bet in the next few months after Cap's seeing what you did today that he's gonna send you in with Joe and me for back up whenever the opportunity arises. He's on the lookout for Joe's replacement."
"Where's Joe going?"
"He's moving out of the county in a couple of months. He and his wife are expecting their first child and want to move closer to family. I'll be getting a new partner." He reached over and adjusted the mask on Cody's face. "A lot of what we do is go in and pull people out of bad situations and try to get them to the hospital. Of course, we administer basic first aide and CPR, but first we get them out. It's hard work and dangerous. I mean fire fighting in general is dangerous, but we go in the middle of it. We go down the side of cliffs, drop out of helicopters, and climb up to some pretty high places to help people get down. I love my job, John."
"I can see that, but what makes you think I would be good at it?"
"I saw you jump in that water after Cody without even thinking of yourself. That's what it takes." Tony looked over at Johnny studying his face.
Cody chose that moment to wake up. He reached up and pulled the mask from his face. "Wha…wha…hap..pened?"
"You got yourself blown into the water and Gage here pulled you out. He saved your life." Tony smiled at Johnny.
"He di'n back me up. Iss his f…fault. He left 'is post." Cody slurred and glared at Johnny who simply closed his eyes and leaned back again.
Tony looked from Cody to Johnny and then back again, "Well what matters Cody is he pulled you out and thanks to him you're still alive. Now calm down and put this mask back on."
The ambulance swung around and backed into the Emergency department at Rampart General Hospital. The doors flew open and Tony helped the attendants lower the gurney to the ground. Johnny watched them wheel Cody through the automatic doors.
He slowly climbed out of the back of the ambulance and followed the group inside. The bright lights in the emergency room hallway assaulted his eyes making his head swim. He squinted down the hallway looking for the direction they had taken Cody. He followed them to the treatment room.
Everyone moved in high speed pushing patients in wheel chairs and on gurneys. Doctors called instructions to passing nurses.
Suddenly he felt hands on his chest stopping him from entering the treatment room Tony had just disappeared into, "You can wait for them in the waiting area." The petite nurse smiled up at him and pushed him in that direction. "Right down at the end of the hall." She didn't know he had been in the explosion at the docks. She didn't ask him if he had suffered any injuries.
Too tired to discuss it he simply turned and trudged slowly to a hard plastic chair in the far back corner of the waiting area. There were no other chairs available. His hurting head throbbed along with each wail from the crying children also sitting in hard plastic chairs, and his heart beat in tune with the tapping feet of the parents already at the end of their patience. Johnny squeezed his eyes shut and rested his head against the coolness of the wall beside him. He folded his arms tightly against his chest hugging his turnout coat tightly trying to ward off the cool air-conditioning. Slowly the loud noises around him faded to buzzing. Then he drifted off into an exhausted slumber.
In the treatment room, Tony explained to Dr. Brackett how Cody had been blown into the water stunned and weighted down by his gear and quickly sunk below the surface. He told Brackett about the new fireman who had dove in after his crewmate and pulled him up including details about the CPR he'd performed and oxygen therapy following. "His vitals are good now Dr. Brackett."
"Thank you Tony. We'll take it from here. You can wait outside. I'll let you know in a few minutes if we need to keep him overnight." Dr. Brackett ordered x-rays of Cody's lungs, neck, back, and skull, blood samples and a repeat vitals check as Tony left the room.
Tony walked over to the nurse's desk to inquire about Johnny. "Hello Ms. McCall."
"Well hello Tony. What brings you by tonight?" Dixie McCall asked.
"I brought in a couple of boots from our station hurt at a dock fire. Cody is in with Dr. Brackett. I was wondering which room they took Johnny to." He glanced at the opening door to one of the other treatment rooms. Dr. Early came out and walked over beside him.
"Hey Tony, how's the rescue business tonight?" He patted Tony on the back.
"It's busy Doctor Early. Did you check out my other Boot?"
"Unless your Boot has long blonde hair and is wearing a mini skirt. I don't think I've seen them." Dr. Joe Early laughed at his own joke.
"Ah no, Doc, he's about six feet tall and is wearing turnout gear. I wonder what room he's in." Tony looked down the hall.
"Well Tony let's find out." Dixie got up from her stool and started down the hall. She pushed open the first door and glanced inside. "Nope not in here." She moved to the next door and peeked inside. Letting the door close she looked at Tony. "Not here either. Are you sure he isn't waiting for you in the waiting area?"
"No, but I'll check." Tony started toward the waiting area.
"Well wait up I'll go with you." Dixie followed Tony.
When they reached the waiting area, they looked around. At first, they didn't see Johnny. He had managed to pull another chair over, curled his thin body into a tight ball huddled beneath his turnout coat, and was sound asleep.
Dixie walked over and brushed the thick wavy black hair away from his face to get a good look at him. "What happened to him? He's cold." She looked up at Tony and then turned her attention back to Johnny. "Hey sweet heart, it's time to wake up." She shook him slightly. "Come on now I need you to tell me what happened to bring you to Rampart." She lightly pinched his ear causing him to flinch. "That's right. It's time to wake up." She reached for his wrist to check his pulse.
Johnny squinted at the vision of beauty before him. What he saw were the most beautiful sparkling blue eyes he'd ever seen and a brilliant smile. He blinked several times trying to clear the sleep from his eyes.
"He dove in the water and pulled out the other guy. He was under for a while…swallowed some water. Cap thought he should get checked out." Tony explained.
"Well I think the first thing we need to do is warm him up. He's pretty cold. What did you say his name is?" Dixie again brushed the damp hair from his forehead.
"J..John…Johnny." Johnny answered her slowly. "Johnny Gage ma'am."
"Well Johnny let's get you into a treatment room and out of these wet things." Dixie stood and held out her hand to help him up.
Johnny took her hand and rose slowly. He immediately felt at ease with her. He thought he would follow her anywhere.
Once in the treatment room Dixie helped him out of his turnout coat only to discover the shirt beneath was even wetter than she thought. She watched him fumble with the buttons for a few minutes and then took over for him. "Let me." She pushed his hands away. Johnny blushed a deep red and lowered his gaze to his feet. "Don't be embarrassed. Your obviously too chilled to be able to do it." She raised his chin so she could see his eyes and she smiled a reassuring smile and winked at him. He rewarded her with a smile of his own. "Now that's better. Can you get your pants or do you need help with them too?"
"Uh I…um…they…ah…" Johnny turned even redder and looked to Tony for help.
Tony shrugged and laughed. "I can't help you Johnny Boy. Nurse McCall is in charge here. I'll just wait out here." He pushed out of the room leaving Johnny alone with Dixie.
"I assure you Mr. Gage, I am a professional, and I have seen more than I care to describe at this time. Now you can either drop those wet pants or I'll have to cut them off." Her hands went to her hips and her foot tapped as she waited for him to move.
Johnny turned his back to the nurse, pulled his turnout pants down, and slipped out of them and his boots. Now colder than he was a few minutes ago he stood shivering in just his regulation black socks and his red boxers.
Dixie noticed the bruises on his back from the high-pressured water at the drills earlier in the day. "On the table mister and give me those socks. When I get some warmed blankets on you I will let you slide out of those fancy red boxers too." She spread a very toasty blanket over the shivering man and held out her hand for the under garment.
Johnny slid out of his boxers and held them out to her, but he diverted his eyes to the other side of the room. He felt warmer, but still shivered. Dixie added another blanket. "T..th…thanks."
"I'll be back in a few minutes with a doctor and some scrubs you can put on after he checks you out." She smiled at the very young looking man.
Now warmer and dry, all-be-it nude beneath the warm blankets, Johnny put his arm over his eyes to block out the bright lights and promptly fell back to sleep.
Dixie returned to the room with Dr. Joe Early in tow. "He's slightly hypothermic, but I think now that he's dry and under the warming blankets he's doing better. His color is definitely better. He has some significant bruising on his back."
"Get me some vitals Dixie." Joe requested as he listened to Johnny's chest.
Johnny began stirring. He woke up and lowered his arm so he could see what was going on around him. A doctor with white hair stood over him listening to his chest while the pretty nurse took his arm and wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his thin arm.
"Well hello there Johnny. I'm Dr. Early. I heard you went for an unplanned swim today." He smiled.
"Um yeah."
"Your chest sounds a little congested. Can you sit up for me? I want to listen back here." Johnny sat up. "What happened to cause these bruises? Did you hit yourself when you went into the water?"
"No sir, that was from a high-pressure water blast during some hose drills this morning. They don't hurt much." Johnny flinched a little when Dr. Early probed his back.
"I don't think they're anything to worry about. They will be sore for a day or two. Your congestion may be another matter though. I think we can give you some oral antibiotics to help with that. Have you ever had pneumonia before?"
"When I was little I had it a couple of times on the res…um back home." Johnny stuttered. He'd almost said something he didn't want to say. He really didn't want people knowing he grew up on a reservation. The Indian jokes were bad enough as it is without anyone knowing that he'd actually lived on the reservation for the first twelve years of his life.
"Are you allergic to any medications?" Dr. Early made some notes in his chart.
"Penicillin."
"Anything else?" Joe made another note in the chart.
"No sir, not that I know of."
"Okay, I'm going to let you finish out your shift, but if you have any other symptoms or your congestion gets any worse I want you to come back and see me." Dr. Early gave a prescription to Dixie. "Have this filled and then he can go." Dixie took the paper and left to get it filled. "It's nice to meet you young man. I heard that you saved your friend today."
"I didn't do anything special." Johnny didn't think he deserved any praise. After all, he had left his position behind Cody. If he'd done his job of backing the man up he might not have gone into the water in the first place.
"Well that's not what I heard. You saved his life. You should be proud of yourself for that." Joe patted him on the shoulder. "Now I'll get out of here so you can get dressed. When Dixie comes back with that antibiotic you're free to get back to work."
"Yes sir."
Joe paused outside the treatment room door and thought about the young man inside. 'That one's seen a lot in his young life. There's something about him…I just can't put my finger on it, but I bet we'll be seeing a lot of him in the future.'
Chapter Five
Rocking in the back of the ambulance did nothing for Johnny's aching head, and now he felt sick to his stomach. He opened his eyes and looked around the small compartment, but quickly closed them, willing himself to not be sick.
"Johnny?" Tony looked over at him noticing his paleness. Johnny licked his lips and swallowed repeatedly. "You okay?"
Not wanting to lose the battle with his stomach Johnny slowly nodded. He wasn't okay. He was cold to the bone, exhausted, and sick from swallowing all that filthy water. "Is…um," Johnny swallowed, surprised at how dry his throat felt after swallowing so much water. "Is he going to be okay?"
Tony glanced over at the young man. "I think so. How are you feeling?"
"Tired." Johnny couldn't suppress the yawn that escaped. "How did you become a Rescue Man?"
Tony chuckled, "Well Johnny Boy it kind of happened in the same way you just did."
Johnny's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. He turned his head slowly from side to side. "Oh no…not me…no way…I'm a hose man."
"Sure you are for now Johnny, but I'll be willing to bet in the next few months after Cap's seeing what you did today that he's gonna send you in with Joe and me for back up whenever the opportunity arises. He's on the lookout for Joe's replacement."
"Where's Joe going?"
"He's moving out of the county in a couple of months. He and his wife are expecting their first child and want to move closer to family. I'll be getting a new partner." He reached over and adjusted the mask on Cody's face. "A lot of what we do is go in and pull people out of bad situations and try to get them to the hospital. Of course, we administer basic first aide and CPR, but first we get them out. It's hard work and dangerous. I mean fire fighting in general is dangerous, but we go in the middle of it. We go down the side of cliffs, drop out of helicopters, and climb up to some pretty high places to help people get down. I love my job, John."
"I can see that, but what makes you think I would be good at it?"
"I saw you jump in that water after Cody without even thinking of yourself. That's what it takes." Tony looked over at Johnny studying his face.
Cody chose that moment to wake up. He reached up and pulled the mask from his face. "Wha…wha…hap..pened?"
"You got yourself blown into the water and Gage here pulled you out. He saved your life." Tony smiled at Johnny.
"He di'n back me up. Iss his f…fault. He left 'is post." Cody slurred and glared at Johnny who simply closed his eyes and leaned back again.
Tony looked from Cody to Johnny and then back again, "Well what matters Cody is he pulled you out and thanks to him you're still alive. Now calm down and put this mask back on."
The ambulance swung around and backed into the Emergency department at Rampart General Hospital. The doors flew open and Tony helped the attendants lower the gurney to the ground. Johnny watched them wheel Cody through the automatic doors.
He slowly climbed out of the back of the ambulance and followed the group inside. The bright lights in the emergency room hallway assaulted his eyes making his head swim. He squinted down the hallway looking for the direction they had taken Cody. He followed them to the treatment room.
Everyone moved in high speed pushing patients in wheel chairs and on gurneys. Doctors called instructions to passing nurses.
Suddenly he felt hands on his chest stopping him from entering the treatment room Tony had just disappeared into, "You can wait for them in the waiting area." The petite nurse smiled up at him and pushed him in that direction. "Right down at the end of the hall." She didn't know he had been in the explosion at the docks. She didn't ask him if he had suffered any injuries.
Too tired to discuss it he simply turned and trudged slowly to a hard plastic chair in the far back corner of the waiting area. There were no other chairs available. His hurting head throbbed along with each wail from the crying children also sitting in hard plastic chairs, and his heart beat in tune with the tapping feet of the parents already at the end of their patience. Johnny squeezed his eyes shut and rested his head against the coolness of the wall beside him. He folded his arms tightly against his chest hugging his turnout coat tightly trying to ward off the cool air-conditioning. Slowly the loud noises around him faded to buzzing. Then he drifted off into an exhausted slumber.
In the treatment room, Tony explained to Dr. Brackett how Cody had been blown into the water stunned and weighted down by his gear and quickly sunk below the surface. He told Brackett about the new fireman who had dove in after his crewmate and pulled him up including details about the CPR he'd performed and oxygen therapy following. "His vitals are good now Dr. Brackett."
"Thank you Tony. We'll take it from here. You can wait outside. I'll let you know in a few minutes if we need to keep him overnight." Dr. Brackett ordered x-rays of Cody's lungs, neck, back, and skull, blood samples and a repeat vitals check as Tony left the room.
Tony walked over to the nurse's desk to inquire about Johnny. "Hello Ms. McCall."
"Well hello Tony. What brings you by tonight?" Dixie McCall asked.
"I brought in a couple of boots from our station hurt at a dock fire. Cody is in with Dr. Brackett. I was wondering which room they took Johnny to." He glanced at the opening door to one of the other treatment rooms. Dr. Early came out and walked over beside him.
"Hey Tony, how's the rescue business tonight?" He patted Tony on the back.
"It's busy Doctor Early. Did you check out my other Boot?"
"Unless your Boot has long blonde hair and is wearing a mini skirt. I don't think I've seen them." Dr. Joe Early laughed at his own joke.
"Ah no, Doc, he's about six feet tall and is wearing turnout gear. I wonder what room he's in." Tony looked down the hall.
"Well Tony let's find out." Dixie got up from her stool and started down the hall. She pushed open the first door and glanced inside. "Nope not in here." She moved to the next door and peeked inside. Letting the door close she looked at Tony. "Not here either. Are you sure he isn't waiting for you in the waiting area?"
"No, but I'll check." Tony started toward the waiting area.
"Well wait up I'll go with you." Dixie followed Tony.
When they reached the waiting area, they looked around. At first, they didn't see Johnny. He had managed to pull another chair over, curled his thin body into a tight ball huddled beneath his turnout coat, and was sound asleep.
Dixie walked over and brushed the thick wavy black hair away from his face to get a good look at him. "What happened to him? He's cold." She looked up at Tony and then turned her attention back to Johnny. "Hey sweet heart, it's time to wake up." She shook him slightly. "Come on now I need you to tell me what happened to bring you to Rampart." She lightly pinched his ear causing him to flinch. "That's right. It's time to wake up." She reached for his wrist to check his pulse.
Johnny squinted at the vision of beauty before him. What he saw were the most beautiful sparkling blue eyes he'd ever seen and a brilliant smile. He blinked several times trying to clear the sleep from his eyes.
"He dove in the water and pulled out the other guy. He was under for a while…swallowed some water. Cap thought he should get checked out." Tony explained.
"Well I think the first thing we need to do is warm him up. He's pretty cold. What did you say his name is?" Dixie again brushed the damp hair from his forehead.
"J..John…Johnny." Johnny answered her slowly. "Johnny Gage ma'am."
"Well Johnny let's get you into a treatment room and out of these wet things." Dixie stood and held out her hand to help him up.
Johnny took her hand and rose slowly. He immediately felt at ease with her. He thought he would follow her anywhere.
Once in the treatment room Dixie helped him out of his turnout coat only to discover the shirt beneath was even wetter than she thought. She watched him fumble with the buttons for a few minutes and then took over for him. "Let me." She pushed his hands away. Johnny blushed a deep red and lowered his gaze to his feet. "Don't be embarrassed. Your obviously too chilled to be able to do it." She raised his chin so she could see his eyes and she smiled a reassuring smile and winked at him. He rewarded her with a smile of his own. "Now that's better. Can you get your pants or do you need help with them too?"
"Uh I…um…they…ah…" Johnny turned even redder and looked to Tony for help.
Tony shrugged and laughed. "I can't help you Johnny Boy. Nurse McCall is in charge here. I'll just wait out here." He pushed out of the room leaving Johnny alone with Dixie.
"I assure you Mr. Gage, I am a professional, and I have seen more than I care to describe at this time. Now you can either drop those wet pants or I'll have to cut them off." Her hands went to her hips and her foot tapped as she waited for him to move.
Johnny turned his back to the nurse, pulled his turnout pants down, and slipped out of them and his boots. Now colder than he was a few minutes ago he stood shivering in just his regulation black socks and his red boxers.
Dixie noticed the bruises on his back from the high-pressured water at the drills earlier in the day. "On the table mister and give me those socks. When I get some warmed blankets on you I will let you slide out of those fancy red boxers too." She spread a very toasty blanket over the shivering man and held out her hand for the under garment.
Johnny slid out of his boxers and held them out to her, but he diverted his eyes to the other side of the room. He felt warmer, but still shivered. Dixie added another blanket. "T..th…thanks."
"I'll be back in a few minutes with a doctor and some scrubs you can put on after he checks you out." She smiled at the very young looking man.
Now warmer and dry, all-be-it nude beneath the warm blankets, Johnny put his arm over his eyes to block out the bright lights and promptly fell back to sleep.
Dixie returned to the room with Dr. Joe Early in tow. "He's slightly hypothermic, but I think now that he's dry and under the warming blankets he's doing better. His color is definitely better. He has some significant bruising on his back."
"Get me some vitals Dixie." Joe requested as he listened to Johnny's chest.
Johnny began stirring. He woke up and lowered his arm so he could see what was going on around him. A doctor with white hair stood over him listening to his chest while the pretty nurse took his arm and wrapped a blood pressure cuff around his thin arm.
"Well hello there Johnny. I'm Dr. Early. I heard you went for an unplanned swim today." He smiled.
"Um yeah."
"Your chest sounds a little congested. Can you sit up for me? I want to listen back here." Johnny sat up. "What happened to cause these bruises? Did you hit yourself when you went into the water?"
"No sir, that was from a high-pressure water blast during some hose drills this morning. They don't hurt much." Johnny flinched a little when Dr. Early probed his back.
"I don't think they're anything to worry about. They will be sore for a day or two. Your congestion may be another matter though. I think we can give you some oral antibiotics to help with that. Have you ever had pneumonia before?"
"When I was little I had it a couple of times on the res…um back home." Johnny stuttered. He'd almost said something he didn't want to say. He really didn't want people knowing he grew up on a reservation. The Indian jokes were bad enough as it is without anyone knowing that he'd actually lived on the reservation for the first twelve years of his life.
"Are you allergic to any medications?" Dr. Early made some notes in his chart.
"Penicillin."
"Anything else?" Joe made another note in the chart.
"No sir, not that I know of."
"Okay, I'm going to let you finish out your shift, but if you have any other symptoms or your congestion gets any worse I want you to come back and see me." Dr. Early gave a prescription to Dixie. "Have this filled and then he can go." Dixie took the paper and left to get it filled. "It's nice to meet you young man. I heard that you saved your friend today."
"I didn't do anything special." Johnny didn't think he deserved any praise. After all, he had left his position behind Cody. If he'd done his job of backing the man up he might not have gone into the water in the first place.
"Well that's not what I heard. You saved his life. You should be proud of yourself for that." Joe patted him on the shoulder. "Now I'll get out of here so you can get dressed. When Dixie comes back with that antibiotic you're free to get back to work."
"Yes sir."
Joe paused outside the treatment room door and thought about the young man inside. 'That one's seen a lot in his young life. There's something about him…I just can't put my finger on it, but I bet we'll be seeing a lot of him in the future.'
_ Chapter Six
Dixie returned to the exam room a while later and found Johnny once again sleeping.
He had put on the scrubs as requested. Now he lay on top of the exam table on his back. His long slender legs disappeared into the firefighter's boots and crossed at his ankles. The bulky firefighter's boots seemed overly large when not covered by the turnout pants. One arm rested along side of his body with his hand loosely gripping the side of the table. The other hand lay on the turnout coat resting across his chest.
She stood quietly, looking at the young man before her, watching his chest slowly rising with each breath. He had a striking appearance. He had a long slim nose and high cheekbones that appeared slightly flushed with a possible low-grade fever, a strong jaw line and the longest dark eyelashes she had ever seen on a man. His thick dark hair, now completely dry, framed his pale features. He definitely had the markings of a Native American heritage.
Though right now in sleep he reminded her of a young innocent boy, John Gage was one of the most gorgeous men she remembered ever seeing.
She walked over beside him. 'Too bad you're too young for me.' She smiled as she reached up and stroked his forehead. 'I think we're going to be very good friends.' She continued stroking his hair as his eyes began to flutter and slowly open.
Beautiful brown eyes peered up at her and a crooked grin spread across his face. "Hi," he shyly said. "Time to get up?" He pushed up onto his elbow, turned his long legs around and slid off the table.
"Here are the antibiotics Dr. Early prescribed." She pushed a small brown sack into his hand. "If you have any reactions stop taking them and come back to see us."
He nodded his understanding. "Yes ma'am."
"Oh and be sure you take all of them, even if you feel better." She patted his arm. "It's very good to meet you Johnny."
"Yes ma'am." He looked at his boots. "Um..it…it's good to meet you too. Thank you for helping me." He tried to stifle a cough. He cleared his throat. "I better find Tony."
Dixie watched him as he disappeared out the exam room door. Then she turned to her duties of preparing the room for their next patient. "Take care of yourself Johnny." She whispered to the empty room. Somehow she knew he would get worse before he got better. She sensed that the young man she just met didn't look out for himself like he should. He was too thin.
Out in the hall Johnny looked up and down the long corridor for Tony. He found him leaning over the nurse's desk talking to a pretty, young student nurse. He walked up and stood quietly behind him waiting for a chance to make his presence known. When it didn't seem like either Tony or the blond haired beauty had noticed him he cleared his throat. "Ahem."
Tony abruptly stood and turned to face him. "Oh Gage. You cleared for duty?"
"Yeah, what about Cody?"
"He'll be a guest here at Rampart at least until morning. I…um…Johnny this is April. April this is John Gage."
"Hello Mr. Gage." She smiled up at the handsome man.
Tony looked from April to Johnny and back. "Well let's go." He grabbed Johnny's arm pulling him away from the student nurse. "I better get you out of here before you steal all the nurses away from me." He whispered to Johnny as he ushered him down the hall.
"What?" Johnny glanced back at the pretty nurse.
"Didn't you see the way she looked at you? Man Gage you're ruining my chances for this Saturday night."
"What are you talking about? I didn't say anything. I didn't even ask her out. I don't want to….well maybe, but I don't have any money for dates right now. I wouldn't do that to you. I'm not trying to…" Johnny rambled.
"Relax Johnny, I was just joking man." He continued out the automatic doors where Joe sat on the bumper to the Squad waiting for them. "Let's go partner."
Tony grabbed Johnny's turnout coat and bag of wet clothes and stashed them in one of the side compartments before climbing in behind the wheel. Johnny and Joe walked around to the passenger side and got in.
"What's with the green get up Gage?" Joe snickered as he waited for Johnny to slide to the center of the bench seat in the Squad.
Johnny hit his knee on the radio mounted on the dash. He rubbed the tender spot on his knee and looked at the mike hanging from it's cradle. Reaching up and adjusting it back into place he jumped when it crackled and the dispatcher's voice began calling out instructions to various stations and Squads.
Joe chuckled at Johnny's little boy like awe at the radio. "What's-a-matter Gage. Never seen a radio before?"
"What?" Johnny looked over at him. "No…I mean yes I've seen a radio before. It's just…I've never ridden in a Squad before."
Tony laughed loudly at his last comment. "Well Johnny-Boy it is your first official day on the job. If my hunch is correct you'll get plenty of chances to ride in her."
Johnny looked wide eyed at Tony. "No, I told you before I'm a hose man."
Joe joined his partner in laughter. "Man Gage, if you had seen the wheels turning in Cap's head while you dove for Cody you would know what we're talking about. I'm moving soon and Cap and Scotty are on the lookout for someone to fill my shoes. It will be a hard job, but someone's gotta do it. May as well be you."
"No way." Johnny shook his head, but deep down he thought maybe he would like to ride in this little beauty all the time. Her engine purred as they made their way through traffic. He shook off the thought. He had trained to be a hose man and a hose man he would stay.
Tony turned the Squad and backed slowly into the bay. It was nearly 3 am. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm bushed. I'm gonna grab something to drink and head up to the dorm."
Joe and Johnny followed Tony into the kitchen. Tony and Joe grabbed a soda. Johnny reached for the milk.
"Can I ask you a question Johnny?" Joe looked at Tony and smiled.
"Sure." Johnny felt uneasy. He didn't like answering questions about himself.
"Do you ever drink anything besides milk?"
Johnny's mouth opened then closed. He thought for a minute about his answer. Then a mischievous flicker flashed in his eyes."Milkshakes."
Joe and Tony laughed at that comment.
The three men were just finishing their drinks when Engine One returned from a run. The crew including Jeff Swanson in Johnny's place joined them in the kitchen.
"Hey Johnny I don't think that's department issue?" Scotty said tugging at the front of the green scrub shirt.
Johnny quickly looked down with his mouth open. He'd forgotten he still had on the scrubs. "Uh...I...uh." Everyone laughed at the look on his face.
"You look like the Jolly Green Giant." Jeff poked fun at Johnny.
Before Johnny had time to respond to the comments, Captain Jones came into the kitchen. "So are you clear do work, Gage?"
"Yes sir."
"Well then I suggest you get out of that getup and into proper Fire Department attire. Or at least set up your bunker gear and hit your rack." He walked past Johnny so that he couldn't see the smile on his face. Johnny rushed from the room. Captain Jones joined the others in laughing at his nervousness.
Once everyone finally found their way to their bunks and lights were out Johnny lay in his bunk with his arm over his eyes, but sleep didn't come. His mind kept replaying the explosion that sent Cody into the water. Captain Jones hadn't said anything about it when he came into the kitchen. He must be saving that for morning. Johnny thought about the events of his first shift. First, he got blown off his feet by a water blast, then he abandoned his assignment leaving his assigned partner without proper back up, and finally he watched Cody fly into the water and without thinking about the consequences, he just dove in after him.
Tony and Joe had said he made an impression on Captain Jones, but somehow Johnny didn't think the impression was a good one.
He turned over on his side and tried to find a comfortable position.
All he had managed to do was make a mess of his first shift and probably ended up with pneumonia. He knew he would at least have a bad cold. He could already feel the tightness in his chest. He remembered the way it felt from the times he'd had it growing up. The pediatrician had told his parents that once a person contracts pneumonia they are more susceptible to it. He must have known what he was talking about, because there had not been a year gone by since that he hadn't suffered with it at least once.
Just thinking about it made his throat itch. Burying his face in his pillow, trying not to wake anyone, he coughed harshly. At least the doctor had given him some antibiotics. After today he would be off for two days. Hopefully, since he had already started on the antibiotics he would be well by then. He certainly did not want to add to the list of disappointments Captain Jones most likely already started in his file.
The rest of the night progressed in much the same way. Johnny never did get any more sleep. When the morning tones went off he was the first man out of his bunk.
He hurried down the stairs to the locker room and changed into his uniform. He went out in the back lot and leaned against the brick. Morning was his favorite time of day. He wanted to smell the fresh morning air and needed to feel the air on his face. He was practically asleep on his feet. When he got home this morning he planned on sleeping all day. The door opened and Captain Jones came out, walked over and leaned on the wall next to him sipping coffee. "Sleep well?"
Johnny nodded.
"Didn't sound like it with all that coughing I thought I heard." He sipped more of the hot coffee.
"I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to keep anyone awake." Johnny said softly ending in another round of coughing.
"Did the doctors at Rampart give you anything for that."
"Yes sir."
"Well I wanted to tell you how impressed I was at your actions yesterday."
"Impressed sir?" Johnny couldn't believe his ears.
"Well from where I stood it appeared that Cody Graves disobeyed my direct orders not to get too close to that fire. I clearly remember telling the two of you to keep the fire from jumping to the other structures, but to keep your distance. He kept moving forward even after you refused to follow him in disobeying that order." He raised his mug to his lips and hesitated. "That took some courage Gage."
"When I saw Cody blown into the water it didn't feel like I had done the right thing. He could have been killed. I let him down." Johnny took a deep breath and continued. "I had to go in after him. It was my fault he didn't have the proper support."
"No John. That's where you're wrong. Cody Graves chose to go against my directions. You chose to try to put a stop to his actions. He got himself thrown into the water, and if it hadn't been for your quick thinking he probably would have drowned and not been revived. You saved his life, and for that I am very proud of you. There will be a notice of commendation in your file and a detailed letter to the Chief."
Johnny couldn't believe his ears, a letter of commendation. "That's not necessary."
"Well John, I disagree. One of my men could have died yesterday if it had not been for you." Captain Jones pushed off the wall and returned to the station. "Oh and Gage, there's hot coffee in here. I know you said you don't drink it, but it was a long night. You might try some before driving that motorcycle home."
When he went back inside Captain Jones nearly ran face to face with Scotty. "Get that kid to drink some coffee or plan on driving him home. He's dead on his feet."
"Yes sir Captain sir." Scotty gave Captain Jones a mock salute. "Right away sir."
Captain Jones laughed at his friend. "Well see that you do." He went to his office to prepare to turn the station over to the next shift.
Scotty turned toward the kitchen. A few minutes later he again headed for the back door with two steaming cups in his hands. "Good mornin', good morning."
Johnny looked up at his new friend and smiled. "Good morning. Uh…what's that?"
"Well Cap'n Jones said either I help you wake up, or I get to drive you home." Scotty came and stood in front of Johnny. "He's worried about you being too sleepy to ride that crotch rocket over there."
Johnny grinned. "Oh?" He waved his hand at the two cups. "So this is your technique?"
"Well, it was his suggestion."
Johnny raised an eyebrow. "His suggestion?"
"Yep, made me salute him and everything." Scotty joked. "Here at least give it a try. You wouldn't want your old buddy to get written up for failure to follow instructions would ya?"
Johnny reached for the cup. "No…wouldn't want that." He sniffed the cup and wrinkled his nose. "Smells strong."
"Let me tell ya Johnny, firehouse coffee has to be strong. Some guys can get it right where it tastes strong but good and some guys can make a decent cup to save their lives. It's all in the measuring. I'll show you someday." Scotty sipped at the hot coffee. "Now this…" He raised his cup. "This is a great cup of coffee."
"It is, huh?" Johnny sniffed again.
"Made by an expert."
"Oh…" Clarity shown on Johnny's face. "So you made it." He smiled and sipped. His eyes lit up and he sipped again.
"I thought you didn't like coffee." Scotty chuckled.
"Never had any tasted like this." The flavor was robust and smooth. He sipped again. "Maybe you could show me sometime. I might could get to liking it."
"Well you could try it with cream and sugar."
"I don't think I would like that, but maybe I'll give it a try." Johnny continued drinking the hot coffee. It warmed him up and made his sore throat feel better.
Scotty joined him leaning against the wall. "So Johnny…you comin' back next shift?"
"Huh?" Johnny looked at Scotty perplexed. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Well you have probably had the worst first shift a boot ever had that I know of. First, you get razzed about your heritage, then you get wham blasted with that high pressure water at the hose drills, then you end up diving into the water to pull out the guy that got you knocked down from an explosion and end up at the hospital…" He paused and bumped shoulders with the younger man, "and it sounds like all that got you was a bad cold. A shift like this would send most new recruits running from the station."
Taking another sip of coffee Johnny thought about the things Scotty had just said.
He pushed off the wall and looked at his mentor. "Well…" His gaze drifted to the station wall and back to look in Scotty's worried face. "You left out the part about the people I've met and the new friendships I hope have started." He finished the coffee. "And the fact that Captain Jones sent someone out for more milk just so I could have some, and that my trainer corrupted me into drinking this stuff." He held up the empty cup and grinned. He yawned.
"Looks to me like you need more of that…stuff." Scotty reached for the empty cup.
Johnny returned to his spot against the wall.
Scotty ducked into the station returning a few minutes later with more coffee for both of them.
Johnny took his cup and sipped. His face scrunched up in a grimace, and he shot a glance at Scotty. "I'll be back. If nothing else so you can teach me to make good coffee. This is terrible."
"Yeah, I'm guessing Cooper made this pot. It is pretty bad." Scotty turned up his cup.
"How do you drink this?" Johnny tried another drink.
"Years of experience my friend…years of experience."
"Well I hope I don't have a lotta years drinking stuff like this." Johnny tried another sip and poured the remaining coffee on the ground. "Cause if this is what I have to look forward to I might have to reconsider my job choice." Both men laughed heartily.
"Come on kid. It's time to finish this shift."
Inside the dayroom everyone gathered around the table for breakfast. Several people patted Johnny on the back as he found his place at the table with a bowl of cereal congratulating him on saving Cody. His face turned red and he ducked his head embarrassed at the attention.
Jim Graves came over and stood beside him until he looked up. "I..uh…I know I said it before." He held out his hand. "But I wanted to tell you how grateful I am you pulled my brother out of the water. You…you probably saved his life."
Johnny stood, looked Jim in the eyes and shook his hand. "I'm glad he's going to be okay."
The shift soon ended. Johnny pulled out of the station parking lot into traffic. About a block away he pulled over and looked back as the vehicles raced out into the morning traffic with sirens blaring. He could feel the burst of air when the parade of vehicles passed him. He shook his head wondering what would happen next in this new adventure and a crooked grin remained on his face until the last engine roared by. He pulled his bike back into traffic.
He would definitely be back next shift.
Dixie returned to the exam room a while later and found Johnny once again sleeping.
He had put on the scrubs as requested. Now he lay on top of the exam table on his back. His long slender legs disappeared into the firefighter's boots and crossed at his ankles. The bulky firefighter's boots seemed overly large when not covered by the turnout pants. One arm rested along side of his body with his hand loosely gripping the side of the table. The other hand lay on the turnout coat resting across his chest.
She stood quietly, looking at the young man before her, watching his chest slowly rising with each breath. He had a striking appearance. He had a long slim nose and high cheekbones that appeared slightly flushed with a possible low-grade fever, a strong jaw line and the longest dark eyelashes she had ever seen on a man. His thick dark hair, now completely dry, framed his pale features. He definitely had the markings of a Native American heritage.
Though right now in sleep he reminded her of a young innocent boy, John Gage was one of the most gorgeous men she remembered ever seeing.
She walked over beside him. 'Too bad you're too young for me.' She smiled as she reached up and stroked his forehead. 'I think we're going to be very good friends.' She continued stroking his hair as his eyes began to flutter and slowly open.
Beautiful brown eyes peered up at her and a crooked grin spread across his face. "Hi," he shyly said. "Time to get up?" He pushed up onto his elbow, turned his long legs around and slid off the table.
"Here are the antibiotics Dr. Early prescribed." She pushed a small brown sack into his hand. "If you have any reactions stop taking them and come back to see us."
He nodded his understanding. "Yes ma'am."
"Oh and be sure you take all of them, even if you feel better." She patted his arm. "It's very good to meet you Johnny."
"Yes ma'am." He looked at his boots. "Um..it…it's good to meet you too. Thank you for helping me." He tried to stifle a cough. He cleared his throat. "I better find Tony."
Dixie watched him as he disappeared out the exam room door. Then she turned to her duties of preparing the room for their next patient. "Take care of yourself Johnny." She whispered to the empty room. Somehow she knew he would get worse before he got better. She sensed that the young man she just met didn't look out for himself like he should. He was too thin.
Out in the hall Johnny looked up and down the long corridor for Tony. He found him leaning over the nurse's desk talking to a pretty, young student nurse. He walked up and stood quietly behind him waiting for a chance to make his presence known. When it didn't seem like either Tony or the blond haired beauty had noticed him he cleared his throat. "Ahem."
Tony abruptly stood and turned to face him. "Oh Gage. You cleared for duty?"
"Yeah, what about Cody?"
"He'll be a guest here at Rampart at least until morning. I…um…Johnny this is April. April this is John Gage."
"Hello Mr. Gage." She smiled up at the handsome man.
Tony looked from April to Johnny and back. "Well let's go." He grabbed Johnny's arm pulling him away from the student nurse. "I better get you out of here before you steal all the nurses away from me." He whispered to Johnny as he ushered him down the hall.
"What?" Johnny glanced back at the pretty nurse.
"Didn't you see the way she looked at you? Man Gage you're ruining my chances for this Saturday night."
"What are you talking about? I didn't say anything. I didn't even ask her out. I don't want to….well maybe, but I don't have any money for dates right now. I wouldn't do that to you. I'm not trying to…" Johnny rambled.
"Relax Johnny, I was just joking man." He continued out the automatic doors where Joe sat on the bumper to the Squad waiting for them. "Let's go partner."
Tony grabbed Johnny's turnout coat and bag of wet clothes and stashed them in one of the side compartments before climbing in behind the wheel. Johnny and Joe walked around to the passenger side and got in.
"What's with the green get up Gage?" Joe snickered as he waited for Johnny to slide to the center of the bench seat in the Squad.
Johnny hit his knee on the radio mounted on the dash. He rubbed the tender spot on his knee and looked at the mike hanging from it's cradle. Reaching up and adjusting it back into place he jumped when it crackled and the dispatcher's voice began calling out instructions to various stations and Squads.
Joe chuckled at Johnny's little boy like awe at the radio. "What's-a-matter Gage. Never seen a radio before?"
"What?" Johnny looked over at him. "No…I mean yes I've seen a radio before. It's just…I've never ridden in a Squad before."
Tony laughed loudly at his last comment. "Well Johnny-Boy it is your first official day on the job. If my hunch is correct you'll get plenty of chances to ride in her."
Johnny looked wide eyed at Tony. "No, I told you before I'm a hose man."
Joe joined his partner in laughter. "Man Gage, if you had seen the wheels turning in Cap's head while you dove for Cody you would know what we're talking about. I'm moving soon and Cap and Scotty are on the lookout for someone to fill my shoes. It will be a hard job, but someone's gotta do it. May as well be you."
"No way." Johnny shook his head, but deep down he thought maybe he would like to ride in this little beauty all the time. Her engine purred as they made their way through traffic. He shook off the thought. He had trained to be a hose man and a hose man he would stay.
Tony turned the Squad and backed slowly into the bay. It was nearly 3 am. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm bushed. I'm gonna grab something to drink and head up to the dorm."
Joe and Johnny followed Tony into the kitchen. Tony and Joe grabbed a soda. Johnny reached for the milk.
"Can I ask you a question Johnny?" Joe looked at Tony and smiled.
"Sure." Johnny felt uneasy. He didn't like answering questions about himself.
"Do you ever drink anything besides milk?"
Johnny's mouth opened then closed. He thought for a minute about his answer. Then a mischievous flicker flashed in his eyes."Milkshakes."
Joe and Tony laughed at that comment.
The three men were just finishing their drinks when Engine One returned from a run. The crew including Jeff Swanson in Johnny's place joined them in the kitchen.
"Hey Johnny I don't think that's department issue?" Scotty said tugging at the front of the green scrub shirt.
Johnny quickly looked down with his mouth open. He'd forgotten he still had on the scrubs. "Uh...I...uh." Everyone laughed at the look on his face.
"You look like the Jolly Green Giant." Jeff poked fun at Johnny.
Before Johnny had time to respond to the comments, Captain Jones came into the kitchen. "So are you clear do work, Gage?"
"Yes sir."
"Well then I suggest you get out of that getup and into proper Fire Department attire. Or at least set up your bunker gear and hit your rack." He walked past Johnny so that he couldn't see the smile on his face. Johnny rushed from the room. Captain Jones joined the others in laughing at his nervousness.
Once everyone finally found their way to their bunks and lights were out Johnny lay in his bunk with his arm over his eyes, but sleep didn't come. His mind kept replaying the explosion that sent Cody into the water. Captain Jones hadn't said anything about it when he came into the kitchen. He must be saving that for morning. Johnny thought about the events of his first shift. First, he got blown off his feet by a water blast, then he abandoned his assignment leaving his assigned partner without proper back up, and finally he watched Cody fly into the water and without thinking about the consequences, he just dove in after him.
Tony and Joe had said he made an impression on Captain Jones, but somehow Johnny didn't think the impression was a good one.
He turned over on his side and tried to find a comfortable position.
All he had managed to do was make a mess of his first shift and probably ended up with pneumonia. He knew he would at least have a bad cold. He could already feel the tightness in his chest. He remembered the way it felt from the times he'd had it growing up. The pediatrician had told his parents that once a person contracts pneumonia they are more susceptible to it. He must have known what he was talking about, because there had not been a year gone by since that he hadn't suffered with it at least once.
Just thinking about it made his throat itch. Burying his face in his pillow, trying not to wake anyone, he coughed harshly. At least the doctor had given him some antibiotics. After today he would be off for two days. Hopefully, since he had already started on the antibiotics he would be well by then. He certainly did not want to add to the list of disappointments Captain Jones most likely already started in his file.
The rest of the night progressed in much the same way. Johnny never did get any more sleep. When the morning tones went off he was the first man out of his bunk.
He hurried down the stairs to the locker room and changed into his uniform. He went out in the back lot and leaned against the brick. Morning was his favorite time of day. He wanted to smell the fresh morning air and needed to feel the air on his face. He was practically asleep on his feet. When he got home this morning he planned on sleeping all day. The door opened and Captain Jones came out, walked over and leaned on the wall next to him sipping coffee. "Sleep well?"
Johnny nodded.
"Didn't sound like it with all that coughing I thought I heard." He sipped more of the hot coffee.
"I'm sorry sir. I didn't mean to keep anyone awake." Johnny said softly ending in another round of coughing.
"Did the doctors at Rampart give you anything for that."
"Yes sir."
"Well I wanted to tell you how impressed I was at your actions yesterday."
"Impressed sir?" Johnny couldn't believe his ears.
"Well from where I stood it appeared that Cody Graves disobeyed my direct orders not to get too close to that fire. I clearly remember telling the two of you to keep the fire from jumping to the other structures, but to keep your distance. He kept moving forward even after you refused to follow him in disobeying that order." He raised his mug to his lips and hesitated. "That took some courage Gage."
"When I saw Cody blown into the water it didn't feel like I had done the right thing. He could have been killed. I let him down." Johnny took a deep breath and continued. "I had to go in after him. It was my fault he didn't have the proper support."
"No John. That's where you're wrong. Cody Graves chose to go against my directions. You chose to try to put a stop to his actions. He got himself thrown into the water, and if it hadn't been for your quick thinking he probably would have drowned and not been revived. You saved his life, and for that I am very proud of you. There will be a notice of commendation in your file and a detailed letter to the Chief."
Johnny couldn't believe his ears, a letter of commendation. "That's not necessary."
"Well John, I disagree. One of my men could have died yesterday if it had not been for you." Captain Jones pushed off the wall and returned to the station. "Oh and Gage, there's hot coffee in here. I know you said you don't drink it, but it was a long night. You might try some before driving that motorcycle home."
When he went back inside Captain Jones nearly ran face to face with Scotty. "Get that kid to drink some coffee or plan on driving him home. He's dead on his feet."
"Yes sir Captain sir." Scotty gave Captain Jones a mock salute. "Right away sir."
Captain Jones laughed at his friend. "Well see that you do." He went to his office to prepare to turn the station over to the next shift.
Scotty turned toward the kitchen. A few minutes later he again headed for the back door with two steaming cups in his hands. "Good mornin', good morning."
Johnny looked up at his new friend and smiled. "Good morning. Uh…what's that?"
"Well Cap'n Jones said either I help you wake up, or I get to drive you home." Scotty came and stood in front of Johnny. "He's worried about you being too sleepy to ride that crotch rocket over there."
Johnny grinned. "Oh?" He waved his hand at the two cups. "So this is your technique?"
"Well, it was his suggestion."
Johnny raised an eyebrow. "His suggestion?"
"Yep, made me salute him and everything." Scotty joked. "Here at least give it a try. You wouldn't want your old buddy to get written up for failure to follow instructions would ya?"
Johnny reached for the cup. "No…wouldn't want that." He sniffed the cup and wrinkled his nose. "Smells strong."
"Let me tell ya Johnny, firehouse coffee has to be strong. Some guys can get it right where it tastes strong but good and some guys can make a decent cup to save their lives. It's all in the measuring. I'll show you someday." Scotty sipped at the hot coffee. "Now this…" He raised his cup. "This is a great cup of coffee."
"It is, huh?" Johnny sniffed again.
"Made by an expert."
"Oh…" Clarity shown on Johnny's face. "So you made it." He smiled and sipped. His eyes lit up and he sipped again.
"I thought you didn't like coffee." Scotty chuckled.
"Never had any tasted like this." The flavor was robust and smooth. He sipped again. "Maybe you could show me sometime. I might could get to liking it."
"Well you could try it with cream and sugar."
"I don't think I would like that, but maybe I'll give it a try." Johnny continued drinking the hot coffee. It warmed him up and made his sore throat feel better.
Scotty joined him leaning against the wall. "So Johnny…you comin' back next shift?"
"Huh?" Johnny looked at Scotty perplexed. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Well you have probably had the worst first shift a boot ever had that I know of. First, you get razzed about your heritage, then you get wham blasted with that high pressure water at the hose drills, then you end up diving into the water to pull out the guy that got you knocked down from an explosion and end up at the hospital…" He paused and bumped shoulders with the younger man, "and it sounds like all that got you was a bad cold. A shift like this would send most new recruits running from the station."
Taking another sip of coffee Johnny thought about the things Scotty had just said.
He pushed off the wall and looked at his mentor. "Well…" His gaze drifted to the station wall and back to look in Scotty's worried face. "You left out the part about the people I've met and the new friendships I hope have started." He finished the coffee. "And the fact that Captain Jones sent someone out for more milk just so I could have some, and that my trainer corrupted me into drinking this stuff." He held up the empty cup and grinned. He yawned.
"Looks to me like you need more of that…stuff." Scotty reached for the empty cup.
Johnny returned to his spot against the wall.
Scotty ducked into the station returning a few minutes later with more coffee for both of them.
Johnny took his cup and sipped. His face scrunched up in a grimace, and he shot a glance at Scotty. "I'll be back. If nothing else so you can teach me to make good coffee. This is terrible."
"Yeah, I'm guessing Cooper made this pot. It is pretty bad." Scotty turned up his cup.
"How do you drink this?" Johnny tried another drink.
"Years of experience my friend…years of experience."
"Well I hope I don't have a lotta years drinking stuff like this." Johnny tried another sip and poured the remaining coffee on the ground. "Cause if this is what I have to look forward to I might have to reconsider my job choice." Both men laughed heartily.
"Come on kid. It's time to finish this shift."
Inside the dayroom everyone gathered around the table for breakfast. Several people patted Johnny on the back as he found his place at the table with a bowl of cereal congratulating him on saving Cody. His face turned red and he ducked his head embarrassed at the attention.
Jim Graves came over and stood beside him until he looked up. "I..uh…I know I said it before." He held out his hand. "But I wanted to tell you how grateful I am you pulled my brother out of the water. You…you probably saved his life."
Johnny stood, looked Jim in the eyes and shook his hand. "I'm glad he's going to be okay."
The shift soon ended. Johnny pulled out of the station parking lot into traffic. About a block away he pulled over and looked back as the vehicles raced out into the morning traffic with sirens blaring. He could feel the burst of air when the parade of vehicles passed him. He shook his head wondering what would happen next in this new adventure and a crooked grin remained on his face until the last engine roared by. He pulled his bike back into traffic.
He would definitely be back next shift.