NOTE:

I want to say this first off. I now know that there were no female firefighters or firefighter-paramedics in the time frame that Emergency was set. I realize that. So therefore I know this story is not historically or politically correct. If you would rather read one that is, I suggest you skip this story. I just really wanted to write a story about a female firefighter coming to Station 51. It sounded like a good plot, even if it wouldn't be correct historically. This is just a warning. ;-) Thank you if you choose to continue to read this story.

Chapter One:

Kelly Brackett turned from the large green chalkboard and looked at the ten paramedic students who were completing their final exams before being placed at a station. He smiled, ever so softly, as he considered each one. They had all completed their one-day training sessions with other paramedic units all over LA about two weeks ago.

Daniel Martin had gone with Squad 51. While Kel didn't like to play favorites, he had to admit that Daniel was the best one out of the class. He was sharp, knew his stuff, but wasn't stuck-up about it like Craig Brice was. While Brice was a good P/M, he tended to go a little overboard every once in a while.

His eyes continued to drift over the class, and then he stopped, biting the inside of his lip as he considered the student who sat in the far back on the right. Joy Harris. The first woman to have ever made it to the final exam paramedic training in LA county. There had been a couple other women who had applied, but they had all chickened out after being in the field with training for a day. Joy had gone with Squad 57 for her field day. He knew they had given her a lot of flack and had not let her help out as much as she should, but she had taken her post-field day test and passed with flying colors. Joy had gotten a lot of flack from the nine men in the class as well. They all expected her to fail. Kel admitted to himself he had had the same feelings at the beginning, but after a sharp talking-to from Dixie, and watching Joy work, he realized she was as good as any man in the field.

The buzzer startled him out of his reverie and the paramedic-trainees all sat up instantly and turned their test papers over. Brackett shut the buzzer off and smiled at his class. "Good job, everyone. I'll let you know the results tomorrow. Um, Harris, can you gather up the papers?"

Joy instantly stood up and quietly gathered up all the papers. Kel sadly noticed that several of the men gave her goofy looks as she took their tests, but she steadfastly ignored them and presented the papers to Kelly with a smile and not a twitch of a grimace or anger. Kel had to give her credit for her self-control.

"You're dismissed." Kelly said, and watched as the students streamed out of the room.

Joy Harris was just barely containing herself. She knew all the guys in the room disliked her, and the fact of it was driving her crazy. She had taken so many backwashes from everyone…well, almost everyone, Dr. Brackett was nice and Dixie understood, but all the firemen and paramedics she had been with were treating her like dirt. She knew she just had to give it time, let them get used to her, and be able to prove herself, but it almost made her reconsider. She had been a firefighter at the small station up in the hills…Station 232. It was in LA County…barely. There were three men, herself, the captain, and an old dog named Stan. They were lucky if they got a run a day.

But then, there was a fire and a man died because the closest squad was thirty miles away. She had decided then and there that she was going to become a paramedic. She knew that she would be leaving 232 and it would be hard because all those guys were used to her and she would be going out into the big city, and the real world.

When she had first applied, the LA chief told her that it was highly unlikely she would get placed in a two-man squad because frankly, he didn't think she had the stuff to co-man a whole district. She said that was fine. She would be a third person in a squad. She just wanted to help people, to be able to save a life to make up for the one they had lost.

"Hey." Dix grabbed Joy's arm and gently pulled her into the break room. "How'd it go?"

Joy sighed as Dixie filled a mug with the warm black liquid and handed it to her. "Okay, I guess. Dr. Brackett is so nice. He and you are the only reasons I don't just quit the whole thing right now."

"That makes me feel special." Dixie grinned, and rubbed her shoulder. "You're doing well. I talked to Kel…Dr Brackett last night and he thinks you are going to be one of the top students."

"One of. No one could beat out Dan Martin. He's the best. And he's the only one who treats me with a little bit of respect. I still get the feeling he doesn't think I can take it, but at least he doesn't treat me like a doormat." Joy sipped the coffee.

"You just give it some time." Dix comforted. "It'll take a little bit before they will get used to you. But I've seen you work. You can save a person's life, and some."

Joy nodded. "Do you mind if I sit in here a little while? My mom's garden club is meeting this afternoon. And I know none of them approve of me and they don't resort to goofy looks…they just say straight out they think I'm really stupid. They should be gone by four o'clock and its three thirty now."

"Sure, go ahead." Dix stood. "I have to get back to work, or someone's going to be calling me names." She patted Joy on the shoulder and headed out of the room.

Joy set her coffee mug on the table and stood, smoothing out her blue shirt and navy blue pants that still marked her as a firefighter.

As she turned to look out the window, she slipped so deep into thought she jumped when she heard the door open and suddenly there were voices in the room.

"Oh, sorry." One of the firefighters who walked in said. "Didn't know anyone…"

His voice slowed as he looked at her a little bit more carefully.

Joy braced herself. Here it comes.

"You're a fireman?" The dark-haired one looked at her incredulously. "I mean, well, a firefighter?"

Biting back a sarcastic response, Joy placed a well-rehearsed smile on her face and stuck out her hand. "Joy Harris, Firefighter, Station 232."

Dark-Hair slowly shook his head. "Oh. Uh, John Gage, Firefighter-Paramedic, Station 51."

"Pleasure." Joy nodded.

"Roy DeSoto…same as him." The other fireman shook her hand as well. "232, that's up in the hills, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Joy nodded, suddenly realizing that her mother's garden club didn't seem half bad. "I'm…I'm in Paramedic training."

John's mouth opened a little wider, but Roy didn't lose his presence of mind. "Oh, really. That's nice."

Joy twitched. 'That's Nice'. She thought. I bet if I was a man he wouldn't be saying that to me.

"Where are you in the program?" DeSoto asked her again. Gage still looked rather stunned.

"Just completed final exams." Joy grinned, hoping it didn't look too fake.

"Really?" Roy was obviously surprised. "I didn't realize…I mean…I mean, that must be quite an accomplishment. I mean, you know, no other woman…I mean…"

"No other woman in LA County has ever completed the Paramedic Training Program past the field day." Joy nodded. "I know. Listen, it was nice meeting you guys, but I have to get going. See you later." She quickly scooted out of the room.

Roy watched as the young woman hurriedly made her exit, and realized what a dope he had probably sounded like. "That's nice." He repeated to himself. "I bet she's heard that one enough."

"Wow." Johnny looked first at the door, and then at Roy. "I can't believe that girl. She's like…amazing!"

"You sure were friendly to her." Roy said, glancing at him at as he picked up Joy's discarded coffee cup from the side table and placed it in the sink.

"I couldn't help it. She's a firefighter! And a paramedic, or at least, going to be in the next couple days. A girl! And a cute girl, no less."

"John."

Johnny glanced at Roy.

"Do not get mixed up with that girl. For your sake, do not ask her out. For my sake, do not even try to get her phone number." Roy shook his head. "I've seen that look in her eyes before. It's the look of a woman who's a woman in a man's business and who's got a lot of backwash and flack from it, and she's got a chip on her shoulder that big." Roy held his hands out about a foot apart.

"That's certainly antiquated of you." Johnny looked at him.

"I'm not saying its wrong she's in a man's business, but I'm saying that other men think that it is, and that they're treating her like heck because of it. For your own sake, I wouldn't try and rub up to her or anything."

"Hm." Johnny looked at the door again. "Alright, fine. But I'm going to go talk to Dix and see if she knows anything more about that girl."

"Alright, fine. But just don't get involved with her." Roy warned him.

"Okay, okay!" Johnny held up his hands, and pushed open the door and headed for the nurse's station.

"Hey, guys!" Dixie greeted them with a smile.

"Hey, so do you know anything about that new paramedic?" Johnny launched right in.

"I assume you're talking about the girl." Dix said; a saucy look on her face.

"No, I'm talking about Dan Martin." Johnny glared at her. "Of course I'm talking about the girl. Joy Harris."

"Let me tell you this. I've talked to her a lot. She's cried on my shoulder once. And I know on her shoulder there's a chip for firemen. All the guys in her class, except, maybe for Dan Martin, treat her like dirt."

"Told you." Roy muttered in Johnny's ear before moving behind the desk and pouring himself another cup of coffee.

"When she went out on her training field day, the paramedics at station 57 hardly let her do anything. And went they went on a structure fire response, the captain barely let her out of the squad. I know he was trying to protect her, but she knows the risks and she has to do her job." Dix took a folder from a nurse who was passing by.

"Wow." Johnny looked rather subdued. "I think I'll take Roy's advice on that one."

Roy spun around. "What did you say?"

Johnny looked confused. "I just said I would take your advice."

"Dixie get a doctor, I think this man is ill." Roy stared at John with all serious.

"Get out of here." Johnny smacked him on the shoulder and Roy's cup of coffee lurched forward and splashed all over the white tile floor.

Johnny froze, glancing down at the floor and then quickly back at Roy.

Roy was glaring at Johnny with a look that could turn the coffee on the floor to ice.

"I'll get a towel." John quickly said, making a fast getaway.