The Editor's Reply

Having returned from spending two hours at a mid-morning house fire, 51's crew was worn out. As both the squad and engine backed into the vehicle bay, the men were happy to be back in the comforts of their home away from home.

Calling out from his seat in the squad, Johnny got his captain's attention. "Cap…you think it came yet?"

Hank jumped down from the engine, meeting the dark haired paramedic as he got out of the squad.

"Do I think WHAT, came yet?"

"The letter," Johnny said emphatically.

Thinking a moment, Hank smiled as he suddenly remembered the letter that they had written a week earlier, demanding some answers to a few nagging questions.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot."

"How could you forget?" Chet asked. "You were pretty charged up about it. If I'm not mistaken, the letter was all YOUR idea, Cap."

Sighing loudly, Hank nodded his head sheepishly. "I know. You see…I…I was coming off a bad fight with the missus. I had slept on the living room sofa a few nights, and was exhausted the day we wrote that letter. I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to rile you guys up."

Listening to Hank's response, the rest of the men stood there with expressions that showed surprise, confusion, and a bit of disappointment.

"Okay…okay. You guys go grab some coffee. I'll go check the office and see if there's a letter from the editor."

While Hank went to check on things, Mike poured his friends each a cup a cup of coffee.

In the office, the captain spotted a white envelope addressed to him and his and crew, on his desk.

Returning to the squad room, Hank held up the envelope. "It's here."

Becoming increasingly anxious, the men all encouraged him to hurry up and read the letter.

Tearing open the envelope, Hank stood at the head of the table, pulled out the letter, and started to read it aloud.

"Dear Gentlemen,

Thank you for sending in your questions and concerns, they have all been duly noted. Unfortunately, I have no real answers for you at this time.

Some things are open to interpretation. Like in life, people will see a person however they want to, it's all about perception. If you don't like the way you may be perceived, you have the ability to change. In fact, you have the ability to change anything in your life.

If you don't want to be married, and want to be free…get a divorce. If you want to be married, keep being the decent men that you appear to be, and with a little patience, hopefully Miss Right will come into your life. Love whoever you want to…it's a free country.

As I said, I wish I had more answers for you, but I don't. In the meantime, just keep being the wonderful men that you are. Society appreciates heroes, and firefighters and paramedics sure fit that bill. Thank you for your service and for being a source of inspiration and entertainment to many.

Remember, life is what you make it.

Sincerely,

The Editor"

After reading the letter, Hank refolded it, and put it back into the envelope. When he looked back up, he was met by five looks of disbelief.

"That's it?" Johnny asked incredulously.

Shrugging his shoulders, Hank nodded his head slowly. "I'm afraid so. As Porky Pig said, 'that's all, folks.'"

Marco scratched his head. "That was pretty anti-climactic, don't ya think?"

A very reflective Mike Stoker suddenly snapped his fingers. "We all have the ability to change our own lives. Well…here on out, I'm no longer just content to be in the background. I am no longer going to be the "quiet" one."

Taking a cue from the engineer, Marco nodded his head. "And I'm not cooking any more. And first thing tomorrow, I am going to call Daisy."

Chet smiled too. "And I'm retiring my water bombs."

The senior paramedic shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it's not so bad being a good guy. I can live with it."

With all eyes on Johnny, he grinned his famous crooked grin. "And well…I guess it's not so bad being me either. It gets me a lot of air time. If I feel the need to change, I will."

Rolling his eyes, Hank surveyed the group assembled around the table.

"And you know what, fellas…if it was up to me, I wouldn't change a thing. When it comes down to it…you will always be my twits."

The End