Author's Note: This story was posted before but in a much shorter and different version. I rewrote it into a multiple chapter story and changed a lot of things based on the recommendations of some reviewers who kindly suggested that I work more on it and put more into it. I thank those reviewers very much for their advice as it was greatly appreciated and very helpful. Despite the fact that I did change the majority of the story, I did decide to keep its original title.

Disclaimer: Emergency! belongs to someone else. No profit was made in the writing of this story.

It Can Happen to Anyone

1

Marco Lopez tossed and turned in his bunk, trying desperately to fall back to sleep after he and the engine crew had come back from a garbage bin fire. Marco knew that it wasn't the call itself that was keeping him awake - in fact the fire wasn't that serious and they were only gone for fifteen minutes.

The trouble, Marco knew, was due to the way he was feeling since an hour after lunch. He was nauseous and his head throbbed, causing him to feel a little dizzy.

Finally realizing that sleep was impossible, Marco got up and walked quietly to the washroom. He walked to the sink and turned it on, dabbing the cold water onto his face.

Turning around, he sat down on the bench in front of his locker and rested his head in his hands, releasing a deep sigh of frustration. He knew it couldn't possibly be what he had for lunch that was causing him to feel ill, after all he only had a simple sandwich because he didn't feel like having stew, which was what Chet was making.

"You okay, Marco?" came a deep voice from the door. Looking up, Marco saw that it was Captain Stanley.

"Oh hi, Cap," Marco greeted. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just having some trouble sleeping tonight."

Cap sat down next to the man and nodded in understanding. "I know the feeling - the same thing always happens to me after we get woken in the middle of the night for a call, only to find it's a short call, one that doesn't really tire us out and this last call didn't really tire any of us out - or at least it didn't tire me and you out," he joked.

Marco smiled and gave a slight chuckle. "Yeah, that's probably it." He knew he probably should say something to his captain about the way he was feeling, but he also knew that at the moment, other than being a little annoyed with the way he was feeling, it wasn't anything really serious enough to warrant the captain or the stations two paramedic's concern.

Cap patted the man on the shoulder and nodded as he stood up. "Well try to catch whatever sleep you can, Marco," he ordered. "Never know when we're going to get a big call …." he began to say when he was suddenly interrupted by the loud sounds of the klaxons going off throughout the station.

"Never mind…" Cap mumbled as he listened for who the call was for and shaking his head when he heard "Station 51."

"Station 51, respond to house fire with injuries," the dispatcher announced.

Cap, Marco, and the rest of the crew rushed out to the truck bay to their respective vehicles as the dispatcher repeated the address. Writing it down twice and giving one copy to Roy, Cap hurried over to the engine and climbed inside.

The sound of blaring sirens could be heard throughout the night as the two trucks pulled out and raced down the almost deserted nighttime street.

In the back of the engine, Marco rested his head and closed his eyes, slightly clutching his aching stomach as he began to feel even more nauseous than he had before. He opened his eyes and swallowed, praying that he would be able to hold out until this call was over and they were back at the station.