A/N: This is a small series called Surprise each story will be titled Surprise and then have another part to the name like this one is Laundry day. It is for my friend anerrorhasoccurredloadinglife who is about to have a special thing happen later in August. :D and until that special day I will be posting stories randomly for her to enjoy up until then when she gets the best story of the series. :D AND one last thing to mention it will be mention be looking there will be hidden surprises in each story that link to the last story so keep a look out.
Surprise: Laundry Day
Off duty California Highway Patrol officers Frank Poncherello, Jeb Turner, Artie Grossman, and Barry Baricza were just finishing up unpacking their things from the boxes they had brought in.
The four of them had bought a house together, and were still moving in.
"I think that's the rest of it," Jeb said slamming the box down on the ground not watching where it went, until he heard a cry of pain from his young Puerto Rican friend, and the man began hopping up and down on one foot holding the other.
"You just had to set it there, didn't you, Turner?" he said through gritted teeth.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention," he apologized and admitted truthfully.
"I noticed," Ponch replied still holding his foot.
"Ponch, I'm sure you're fine," Bear said.
"What was in that box!?" Ponch asked a few tears in the corners of his eyes. "Rocks, right?"
Jeb shook his head. "A few dictionaries, a DVD player, and a few miscellaneous things," Jeb replied. "I admit it was pretty heavy I needed to get it out of my hands."
"And so you drop it on my foot!?"
"Guys, guys do you really want this to be the first memory we make in our new house?" Grossie said cutting in.
Both Jeb and Ponch turned to Grossie at the same time and in unison said. "Butt out, Grossman."
"Ouch," Grossie muttered rubbing the back of his neck.
Bear just shook his head and laughed. "You two…what am I gonna do with you? If you act like this all the time we might have to all move out before we end up killing each other…and I think I know who we'd kill first," Bear said as the three of them glanced at Grossie.
"Why me!?"
Ponch softened a bit and started to laugh.
Jeb couldn't help but laugh a little too, Ponch's laughter was contagious it was nearly impossible not to laugh. "So we cool then?" he asked.
"I guess so," Ponch replied. He limped over to the couch. His foot hurting still.
"Maybe some ice will help that, Ponch," Grossie said.
Ponch looked at him he knew Grossie meant well, but sometimes he wished Grossie would leave things alone. "Who agreed to let him move in?" he muttered.
"I found the place!" Grossie said returning just in time to hear that.
"Oh yeah…"
Bear chuckled. "Let's get some ice on that foot, Ponch. I'm sure you'll cheer up when you're not in pain. We'll take care of the rest of these boxes. You just relax," Bear said.
"Ok…" Ponch was going to protest. He hated sitting around when he was injured. He wanted to get up and do things, but if he hadn't been injured it wouldn't have mattered to him as much.
He watched as the three men finished up taking the boxes to the correct rooms and unpacking them. He desperately wanted to get up with any excuse he could think of to help so he wouldn't have to sit and do nothing. The longer he sat the more he thought of his foot.
"Oh, the laundry!" Ponch said to himself.
"Huh?" Jeb asked entering in time to hear those words.
"It's laundry day. If we don't get it done I don't have much clothes for the week," Ponch said.
Jeb frowned. "Laundry day?"
"Yes! Didn't you do laundry at your place?"
"I uh…hired someone to do it," Jeb replied sheepishly.
Ponch rolled his eyes. "It's an easy job, Jeb. We can do it together, help me up," Ponch said.
Jeb looked both ways before crossing the room over to the couch. "I don't want Bear or Grossie to catch me doing this. They might be upset that you're not resting," Jeb whispered.
"Oh whatever, I'm a grown man. Not only that, but I have to walk it off sometime. I mean it can't be that bad," Ponch said. He got up and it was hard to put pressure on his foot.
He leaned on Jeb. "Help me, ok? It's your fault I'm hurting," Ponch said.
"Gee, thanks for the reminder," Jeb said rolling his eyes.
He helped Ponch across the living room and into the kitchen. Past the kitchen were a set of stairs leading to the basement where the laundry room was. All of the dirty clothes had been thrown down the shoot while they were unpacking, so Ponch just had to go down and put them in the washer then wait to put them in the dryer.
"Jeb, carry me down the stairs," Ponch said.
"Carry you?" Jeb asked in shock.
"What else can we do? You want me to fall down the stairs?"
"Well there's always sliding down the railing, sliding down the stairs in general…" Jeb began.
"Or you carrying me, let's go," Ponch said hopping on his back.
"Bear is going to kill us!"
"Bear isn't our mother he can get over it."
Jeb looked at Ponch questioningly at that statement.
"My mother would've killed me for this, my dad would've said go for it. So if you think Bear is going to kill us…" Ponch didn't have to finish Jeb figured it out by then what Ponch had meant.
"Well here goes nothing. I hope we don't fall I've never carried someone down the stairs."
"Just think of as carrying a backpack."
"A one hundred sixty pound backpack? That's crazy!"
"JEB Just go!"
Jeb went down the stairs and tripped on the last step causing the two of them to tumble and fall down to the floor. Jeb got up quickly and helped Ponch up.
"You alright?" he asked.
Ponch was laughing. "That was epic!"
Jeb shook his head. "You are something else," he said as he led Ponch to the laundry room.
Ponch put his clothes into the washing machine, put the soap in and started it, then he waited.
"Well, do we go back upstairs or stay here?" Ponch asked.
Jeb looked around. It was a dimly lit basement area. The main room was like a second living room, and held a couple of black leather couches and a flat screen tv. There was one bedroom downstairs which belonged to Jeb, and other than that the only other room was the laundry room.
"We can just stay down here and wait for the washer to be done," Jeb said.
Ponch agreed with that. He sat down on the couch and put his feet up. Jeb set on the other couch.
"So, may I ask what possessed you to jump on my back and think coming down the stairs like that was a good idea?"
"I'd do it to anyone," Ponch replied honestly.
Jeb sighed he thought it would be nice living with these guys, but now he knew something different, Grossie was the worrier and 'doctor' Bear was the no nonsense unless I'm in on it guy, and Ponch was the crazy one. Jeb wasn't sure where he fit in yet but he was sure he'd find out sooner or later. This was going to be very interesting living with them. He was somewhat looking forward to it yet dreading some moments as well.