A Beautiful Day
Disclaimer: I don't own these wonderful men, but they do own a piece of me. I'm not making any money on this and will return them when done.
Chapter 1
John Gage whistled a happy tune as he strolled into the locker room one chilly November morning. Four sets of eyes glared at him in return.
"What? What'd I do?"
"What'd you do", a stocky mustached man practically squeaked in return. "What'd you do?! You're whistling, that's what you did," Chet grumpily continued.
"Oh, sorry I'm whistling. Can I help it if it's a beautiful day?"
"John, it's raining cats and dogs, has been for a week. It is NOT a beautiful day," replied John's partner, Roy.
"Ah, that's where you are wrong Pally, it IS a beautiful day. It's all a matter of perspective."
"The perspective of a warped mind," grumped Chet.
Roy looked at his friend and partner like he was just a little crazy. It wasn't a look John hadn't seen before.
Johnny launched into a soliloquy worthy of any great orator while changing from his jeans to his work slacks and switching out his sneakers for boots. "Look, all I'm saying, guys, is that I'm sick of this rain, I'm sick of it being gray and wet. We live in California for goodness sake, it's supposed to be sunny all the time. Right? Well, I'm sick of it not being sunny. I'm sick of all the calls we get when it rains because Los Angelinos don't know how to drive in the rain. I'm sick of being stuck inside and I'm just ready for it to be a good day. So I got up this morning and decided I was going to have a good day even if it was raining today. So I'm having a good day. Alright?! Or do you all have a problem with that?"
Mike and Marco shrugged their shoulders, finished tucking in their shirts on the way out of the locker room door and never uttered a word. Roy decided that they had the right idea and patted his partner on the shoulder before taking the exit himself. That left Chet shaking his head at the ranting paramedic.
"Gage, baby, sometimes you astound me. I can't decide if that is brilliant or the craziest thing I've ever heard. Knowing you, it's gotta be on the crazy side. See ya at roll call, Gage."
Johnny slumped onto the bench in front of his locker and looked dejectedly at his shoes. He really was sick of the rain and the hard shifts that came with it. His plan had worked fine until he entered the locker room and now he just felt tired. He didn't know if he had it in him to do another rainy 24-hour shift.
"Junior?"
"Don't call me that."
A soft chuckle filled the room. "Sorry about this morning, pal. I know how you feel. These rainy shifts are murder and we've had too many of them lately. Sorry we gave you a hard time about whistling."
"That's okay, man. I'm just so tired."
"I know, I'm feeling it too. I think you had a good plan, though. Come on, finish getting dressed and let's get some coffee. I have a feeling you are going to be right and today is going to be a beautiful day."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. Unless you get latrine duty for being late to roll call. Come on, speed it up. Let's get this beautiful day started."
" 'Kay. Roy?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks."
"Move it partner, we've got things to do."
"Be right out."
John stood up and finished changing his shirt from a soft, plaid flannel to his crisp, pressed, blue work shirt and before he finished buttoning the last button he was once again whistling whatever tune it was that was stuck in his head. He wasn't even sure what the tune was, but it felt happy.
John was still whistling when he entered the day room to get a cup of coffee before Cap called roll call.
"Hey, John, could you at least pick a different song," Mike Stoker's soft voice questioned as he stepped up to stand next to John.
"Huh? Another song? What song was I whistling? I wasn't paying attention."
Mike chuckled before answering, "John, you're whistling 'Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head'".
Mike was rewarded with one of John's trademark crooked grins and a chuckle. "Man, I thought it was just a happy sounding tune. Any requests?"
Mike was about to answer when Cap called, "Roll call, hustle it men, we've got a lot to go over this morning and I know Roy and John are going to have to make a supply run, let's GO!"
Johnny and Mike shared a quick smile, set down their mugs and rushed, with the others, to line up and hopefully not be the poor soul assigned latrines for the day.