Joyful Noise
Some holiday fun very loosely based on long-ago, real life events…..
"Deck the halls with bounds of folly, fa la la la la la la la la….." Johnny Gage sang incorrectly as he decorated the small spruce with rows of popcorn and popped the odd unbuttered piece in his mouth.
Roy DeSoto, who was sitting at a nearby table helping to string the popcorn, winced, as much at Johnny's loud, off-key and food-mouthful-assisted singing as with the wrong words.
Chet Kelly, who also snatched the occasional popcorn piece to snack on, was more direct, as usual.
"It's 'boughs of holly' you idiot," he growled at Johnny.
Mike Stoker, who joined Roy and Marco Lopez on stringing duties, smiled. "I think Johnny had it right the first time," said the usually taciturn engineer. "And don't you guys eat all the popcorn."
That stopped Johnny in mid-chew. He looked down and wondered whether the piece he'd popped in his mouth could be rescued, then shrugged his shoulders. "Boughs of holly," he said aloud, then sang it. "Boughs of holly, fa la la la la….."
His Station 51 crewmates had reactions ranging from Chet's annoyance to the others' amused head-shaking.
"What are you reading, Marco?" asked Roy, moving on to another subject.
"'The 12 Days of Christmas.' I have to learn it for my family gathering," Marco replied.
Roy nodded in approval. "That's a difficult song to learn," he said.
"Yeah," Marco agreed. "Especially in Spanish." He stood up to give another string of popcorn to Johnny to decorate the tree. "Dies señores a salto, baile de nueve señoras….(10 lords a leaping; nine ladies dancing)" he started singing, to Roy's amazement.
"Beats Gage's 'bounds of folly,'" Chet chimed in.
"Shut up, Chet," Johnny shot back.
"I don't think that's a Christmas carol, John," joked Captain Hank Stanley, coming into the room. "So how's the tree coming?"
"We'd be going faster if certain linemen would help string these around the tree instead of eating," responded Johnny, glaring at Chet.
"He's not the only one eating," Hank reminded his young paramedic, who had a piece of popcorn in his right hand. It seemed headed up to Johnny's mouth, rather than to the string in his left hand.
"Uh, sorry, Cap," said Johnny, blushing and moving the popcorn piece to the string.
"Well, we just got some nice news from headquarters," Hank began. "During the party, we're going to have – "
He was interrupted as the tones sounded.
"Station 51, accident involving a school bus, Avalon and East Carson," came Sam Lanier's dispatch through the loudspeaker. "Avalon and East Carson. Time out, 9:15."
"Station 51, KMG-365," replied Hank as his men took their places on the engine and in the squad.
It took just a few minutes for them to get to the accident scene. The hood of the bus was worse for wear, with a large tree branch having smothered it. 51's crew could see that a large tree trunk had turned the hood into a U-shape. They could also see steam coming out of the hood.
"Get an inch-and-a-half!" Hank called to Chet and Marco, who complied.
Roy and Johnny turned their attention to a large group of people standing clear of the bus. "Everybody OK?" Roy asked.
A very pregnant woman smiled. "We are, thanks to him." She nodded toward a man in his 50s who was obviously the bus driver. "He got us all out in time."
The bus driver shook his head. "I saw a bunch of green coming at the window, and I just stopped," he said. "I told everyone to duck."
"Good thing you did," Johnny replied. He looked around at the children. "Everyone all right?" he asked.
Shyly, the children nodded.
"And you, Sir?" Johnny asked the driver.
"Uh, I think so," answered the driver as he looked around at his arms and legs.
As he was looking, Johnny felt himself being poked in the thigh. He looked down into a face loaded with freckles and a smile that made him think of the carol "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth."
Johnny smiled at the owner of that face, a little girl. "Hi."
She grinned back. "Hi," she whispered. "Mr. Griffin's hand is bleeding." The smile disappeared, and the little girl's face turned serious as she looked back at the driver.
"You're right, it is," Johnny said.
"I didn't even feel that," Mr. Griffin replied.
"It's not too bad," said Johnny, reaching for the other man's arm.
"Is it OK enough for me to drive a replacement bus?" Mr. Griffin asked.
"How do you feel otherwise?" Johnny asked.
"I feel fine," the driver replied. "Just concerned for these kids, you know. They've got a big show to do."
"It's a concert, Mr. Griffin, not a show," the little girl reminded him sternly.
"Right you are, Mary Louise," answered Mr. Griffin, as Johnny, treating the cut on his hand, tried not to laugh.
Mary Louise watched them. Johnny looked up and couldn't help but smile at her.
"Where are you all headed?" he asked.
"We're singing at a home for old people," said Mary Louise shyly.
"Christmas songs?" Johnny asked.
"Uh huh." Mary Louise closed her mouth and looked around. Johnny looked in the direction the girl was looking, but didn't see anything.
"What's the matter?" Johnny asked.
"I have a solo," she whispered.
"A big solo?" Johnny whispered back. He looked up and exchanged a grin with Mr. Griffin.
"Uh huh," Mary Louise whispered. "It's 'Deck the Halls.'"
Johnny nodded. "That's a good one," he said. "I have trouble with it, too."
"You do?" Mary Louise asked.
"Yeah," Johnny said. "I just learned the right words today." He grinned at the little girl. "You'll do fine."
Mary Louise looked amazed. "You just learned it today? But you're so…old!"
A frown crossed Johnny's face. Thanks a lot, kid, he thought silently.
"You're never too old to learn, Mary Louise," Mr. Griffin broke in.
Johnny gave the driver a silent look of thanks, then looked back at the girl. "He's right," Johnny said. "You'll do just fine."
Roy, meanwhile, eyed the pregnant woman. "Are you feeling all right, Ma'am?" he asked.
She had been looking worriedly at her students, then looked back at Roy. "Oh, yes, Sir, I'm fine," she said cheerfully. "Just watching over my students."
"Well, you look like you're due…." Roy began.
"Any day now," replied the teacher, smiling brightly.
"How about if I take your blood pressure?" Roy asked softly.
"Well, I feel fine!" the teacher reaffirmed. "How are my students?"
Roy looked at the kids and at Johnny. "They all seem to be OK," he said.
"Good!" the teacher exclaimed. " I have to take my students to their performance! Mr. Griffin, have you been able to call for another bus?"
"I'll try in a few minutes, Mrs. Barnett." Mr. Griffin held up the hand Johnny had bandaged.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Mrs. Barnett exclaimed.
"Well, I'll call for another driver, too," Mr. Griffin assured her.
"You're all set, Mr. Griffin," Johnny assured the driver, who found a public phone to call the bus company.
Hank walked over to Roy and Johnny. "No fire threat. We got the tree off the hood of the bus. Chet tried to start it, but no joy," he said.
"Well, the driver's calling for a new bus – and presumably a new driver, too," Roy said. "Johnny had to bandage him for a cut on his hand."
"The kids all right?" Hank asked.
"Yeah, but…." Roy hesitated. He looked over at Mrs. Barnett, who was gathering her students around her. "She's due any day now….."
"Will she let you treat her?"
Roy shook his head in answer to his captain's question.
"Not even to take her blood pressure."
"Then there's nothing you can do, Roy."
"Well, as long as the cleanup's going on, Johnny and I can at least keep an eye on her, Cap."
They were interrupted by singing.
"Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh….."
As they turned to look, their eyes opened in amazement at the vision of Mrs. Barnett leading her students in song.
The crew of Station 51 – and a few curious onlookers – stuck around until the musical group had been put in a replacement bus. Hank gave Roy and Johnny permission to go to Rampart Hospital to pick up supplies.
E!E!E!
Nurse Dixie McCall noted Johnny's glum expression.
"What's with him?" she asked Roy.
Roy grinned. "He got called 'old' today," he said.
Dixie smiled. "Now who would do that?" she asked.
Johnny sighed. "A 7-year-old girl," he replied with his face twisting into a grimace.
"Hey, Johnny, my kids call Joanne and me 'old' all the time," Roy tried to reassure his partner.
"Kids always call parents 'old,' Roy." Johnny crossed his arms and leaned against the desk. "This is different!"
Roy never got a chance to respond, since the HT went off. "Squad 51, what is your status?"
"Squad 51 available," Roy answered.
"Squad 51, woman in labor, Spring Garden Nursing Home, South Main and East Carson. South Main and East Carson. Time out, 10:55."
"Squad 51, 10-4," Roy responded.
"Did they say-" Dixie began.
Roy grinned. "Yes, they did." He looked at Johnny. "Any guess as to who that is?"
"Our music teacher," Johnny said.
"Looks like you're going to run into your younger girlfriend again, too," answered Roy, giving Dixie a quick wave.
"Aw, man….." began Johnny as they raced to the squad.
E!E!E!
Squad 51 got to the nursing home quickly.
"Thank you for coming so fast. It's not a usual type of call for us," the director said as he met Roy and Johnny.
The two paramedics exchanged a glance.
"Is the call for a music teacher?" Roy asked.
"How did you know?!" the director exclaimed.
"We met her and her students earlier today," Johnny replied. "Her name is Mrs. Barnett, right?"
"That's right," the director confirmed as they all walked. "They started singing and for a moment, we thought she was singing with them. Then, we realized she was in pain."
"Where is she?" Roy asked.
"She's in the kitchen," the director said.
Johnny couldn't stop his curiosity. "Where are the students?" he asked.
The director grinned. "The show must go on," he said.
The three men entered the auditorium, where the school's assistant music director was leading the students in song.
Oh, Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel,
I made it out of clay.
And when it's dry and ready,
Oh, Dreidel I shall play…..
Johnny and Roy glanced at the children. Johnny couldn't help but smile at Mary Louise, who aimed her gap-toothed smile back at him.
They continued to the kitchen, where they found Mrs. Barnett on a long table, with one of the facility nurses by her side.
"Hello, gentlemen," Mrs. Barnett said. She smiled tiredly. "I thought I might be seeing you again."
"Hello, Mrs. Barnett," Roy replied.
"You're not going to say 'I told you so,' are you?" Mrs. Barnett asked.
Roy grinned. "Wouldn't dream of it."
"I'm glad you gentlemen are here," the nurse said. "I'm Suzanne Avery, and my specialty is actually our permanent residents."
"Did you have any training in OB-GYN?" Johnny asked.
Suzanne shook her head. "Years ago," she said. "When I was first starting out." She looked at Mrs. Barnett. "Contractions are about 2 minutes apart."
Johnny washed his hands and got all that was needed from the OB kit, while Roy set out the biophone. Johnny smiled at the music teacher. "How're you doing, Mrs. Barnett?"
"Hanging in there," she replied.
"Rampart, this is Squad 51," began Roy on the Biophone.
"Go ahead, 51," came Dixie's voice from the hospital.
"We have a woman in labor," Roy continued. "Baby is full-term. No complications."
"51, has she given birth before?"
Johnny turned to Mrs. Barnett. "Mrs. Barnett, is this your first child?"
She winced with the pain. "My third," she said.
"Rampart, she is bipara," Roy told Rampart.
"You know what to do, 51," came the deep voice of Dr. Brackett.
"I know what to do, too," Mrs. Barnett broke in. "PUSH!"
Both paramedics and Suzanne resisted, with difficulty, the urge to laugh.
Mrs. Barnett tried to pause between breaths.
"Mrs. Barnett-" Johnny began.
"I'm sorry, but I want to listen to my students!" she insisted.
"I understand that, but ma'am, you're delivering a baby!" Johnny replied. He smiled. "You need to work on that! Your kids are doing fine out there."
Mrs. Barnett stopped and listened to the sound of her students coming from the next room. "Yes they are, aren't they?" she responded.
They heard the applause, which was interrupted by a cry from Mrs. Barnett.
"Push, Mrs. Barnett!" Johnny commanded. "I think your baby wants to hear that concert!"
Roy gave a questioning look to Johnny, who responded with a shrug of his shoulders. Suzanne Avery chuckled.
After her next push, they all quieted.
In the background, they heard….
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly, fa la la la la….."
"Atta girl, Mary Louise," Mrs. Barnett murmured.
"'Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la…." The other children began.
"Ahhhhh!" Mrs. Barnett screamed.
In the middle of that came a baby's cry.
Johnny grinned. "It's a girl, Mrs. Barnett. Looks like you've got another singer."
E!E!E!
A few days later, Station 51's A-shift entered a day room loaded with brightly decorated cookies, egg nog, ice cream – and Mrs. Barnett, her choir and her family, which now included little Joy Trudy. As Mrs. Barnett organized her students, Mr. Barnett held the infant.
"This was the surprise from headquarters," Hank told his men about the choir.
They sat down at the table to listen.
"How are you feeling, Mrs. Barnett?" Roy asked.
"Oh fine, fine!" Mrs. Barnett smiled at her husband. "He's been a big help with the baby."
Mr. Barnett looked up from rocking and cooing the child. "The show must go on," he said with a smile.
Chet looked at the students and leaned over to Johnny. "Hey Gage, which one's your girlfriend?"
With a look of annoyance at Chet, Johnny sighed. "Kelly, no one's my girlfriend-"
"That's for sure," Chet chimed in.
"Chet, why don't you go eat a candy cane?" Johnny retorted.
Just as Chet would have responded, Mary Louise came up to them. "Hi!" she exclaimed, and gave a green fir-tree cookie to Johnny.
Johnny smiled. "Thank you." He turned to Chet. "Mary Louise, this is Fireman Kelly. He's just like me." He leaned down to the girl and whispered, "He's old."
Mary Louise looked critically at Chet. "You're right, he is," she agreed, causing Chet's eyes to open wide. "But I'll get you a cookie, too."
"Thank you, Mary Louise," Chet called after the girl as she skipped away. He gave a sarcastic grin to Johnny. "And thanks a bunch, John," he continued with fake sweetness.
Johnny grinned. "Anytime, Chet. Merry Christmas."
"Yeah, you, too," Chet responded with mock grouchiness.
Hank clapped his hands together.
"Everyone, we're very happy to have the choir from the Bixby School," he said. "I'm going to turn it over to them."
"Thank you Captain Stanley," Mrs. Barnett replied. She turned to the entire staff of Station 51. "And I want to thank all of you for the help you gave us last week – first with the accident, then Paramedics Gage and DeSoto with my baby. You truly are blessings."
Everyone blushed, especially Johnny and Roy – more when the cheers of the students went up.
Those cheers were interrupted by a cry from Joy. Everyone laughed.
"Uh-oh, I think we'd better start the concert," said Mrs. Barnett with a grin. "Our first number will be 'Deck the Halls.' Please feel free to sing along."
"Please don't, Gage," Chet muttered.
"Aw, shut up, Chet," Johnny muttered back. "I know the song now."
A little boy handed out sheets with the words.
Mary Louise stepped forward. As she had the day of Joy's birth, she again performed her solo flawlessly:
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly….."
This time, the choir was joined by six firemen, in unison and in good voice: "Fa la la la la la la la la….."
Happy Holidays to all!