"I can't believe we got called in for that." Johnny Gage was obviously irritated as he packed up the drug box and addressed his waiting partner and friend.

"I know what you mean partner," Roy DeSoto took the box from Johnny and stood upright. "but we don't know if it's going to be a 'junk call' or not until after we arrive on the scene."

"Yeah, I know. I just wish there was a way to sort out the junk from the legit calls."

"Well, if you figure it out don't keep it to yourself."

"Right..."

Roy began walking down the hallway with the equipment in hand while Johnny took a final sweep of the room in the tall office building. The duo had been dispatched to the scene under the assumption that a man was having a heart attack. As it turned out the man was just fine, and trying avoid some jail time for embezzlement. Unfortunately for him, the officers who were there to take the man into custody made sure the two best paramedics in the county were called in as well. The man's scheme was promptly exposed and he was bitterly escorted out of the building in cuffs.

As Johnny retrieved his H.T. from the ground before exiting the building he spied a young intern struggling to slide the desks that had been hastily pushed aside when the 'man in question' went down, back into their proper places. "Hey?"

"Who? Me?" The intern looked up surprised as the paramedic addressed him casually.

"Yeah. Uh, did you know that guy was a little... shady?" Johnny grabbed a hold of the other side of the desk to help the intern as he asked about their junk call victim.

"To be honest," the intern replied humbly. "I just started here two weeks ago. But I got a bad vibe from him from the start."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I heard that he was going to get fired last week and after that he kept going on and on saying that this entire company would 'pay'. Every time he muttered something about it he got this weird look in his eye. Gave me the creeps!"

"Did... Did he do anything?" Johnny asked next as he and the intern put the dusk back down on the ground.

"Not that I know of."

As Roy exited the elevator into the lobby he unexpectedly bumped into Doctor Kelly Brackett who was on his way up. "Hey Doc. What're you doing here?"

"Oh, hi Roy." Dr. Brackett was just as surprised to see Roy as Roy was to see him. "I have to take care of some insurance forms, the only way I could get it done was to sacrifice my lunch break. What about you?"

"False alarm on the 9th floor."

Brackett just smirked. "I'd rather deal with a false alarm than an actual emergency."

"Except when it takes away valuable personnel from the public."

"Yeah." Brackett stepped into the elevator. "Well, I'm going up to the 9th floor myself. If I see your partner I'll send him your way."

"Thanks. See ya' later." Roy exited the building and placed the equipment in their proper compartments in the Squad before calling into dispatch to clear the scene.

Johnny had finished talking with the intern and was heading toward the elevator himself when Dr. Brackett rounded the corner. "Hey Johnny, I heard you guys had a real 'tough call'." He teased playfully.

"Yeah, it's getting harder and harder to let those people go without sticking them with a needle at least once." He shook his head with bemusement. "I hope they didn't bring you in for back up!" He joked back.

Brackett chuckled as he passed by Johnny, heading toward the office at the end of the hallway. "If it's any consolation I have a mound of paperwork to deal with."

"A little."

"I saw Roy heading out. Hopefully today won't get too crazy."

"Yeah, here's to hoping." Johnny continued on his way to the elevator, waving to Brackett over his shoulder as continued down the hallway.

Roy was sitting in the driver's side of the Squad parked out front. He glanced down at his watch and then looked up at the tall office building. "C'mon Johnny, where are you?"

A sudden, violent blast of sound and smoke shook the block as the office building exploded into a ball of fire. Bits of metal, concrete and glass rained down onto the sidewalk as pedestrian's ran for cover, their arms protecting their heads and faces as they fled from the chaos.

Once the air came to a still Roy exited the Squad with caution and surveyed the scene. Instinctively he reached back in the squad, clicked on the radio and called into dispatch. "Squad 51, building explosion at Western Q. Enterprises; 4061 Main Street. Request Engine 51 to join Squad 51 already at scene."

'Squad 51, 10-4.'

Roy barely heard the acknowledgement over the commotion. He walked over to the compartment that housed his and Johnny's turn-out gear. After he pulled his coat free he saw Johnny's laying right next it. A pit formed in his stomach as it dawned on him that Johnny was still in the building when it exploded.

...to be continued...