Merry Christmas Station 51!
A/N: First, I'd like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, no matter what you celebrate. Second, this will be my last Emergency! fanfiction for the year, and I will be starting another long fic next year. Happy Holidays all!
DISCLAIMER: Emergency! and all subsequent characters are the property of Mark VII productions.
Chistmas in Los Angeles in 1975 was just the opposite of the typical T.V. shows of other places depicted of winter. There were Palm trees, fairly warm weather, and nary a speck of snow unless one were to traverse the mountains.
Johnny and Roy were just finishing their run at Rampart, which usually signaled that they could talk about everyday things. Today's topic was about the upcoming holiday that was just weeks away.
"So, what do you plan to do, Johnny? For Christmas, I mean?"
The dark haired paramedic shrugged, "Dunno, I might visit my aunt in San Diego."
The men reached the base station of the emergency room and were greeted by Dixie McCall and Kel Brackett, who was looking over a medical chart.
"Hey boys," the doctor said with a smile, "good catch with that little girl just now. Apart from a fractured femur, she should be fine. By the way, I heard your station was in a barbershop quartet a few years back."
Johnny grinned, "Didn't work out too well, we got an award for comedy, instead of one for singin'."
Kel chuckled "That's too bad, I was going to ask you fellows if you'd like to participate in a benefit we're giving here at the hospital for patients that will be stuck here over the holidays. The other stations will be here as well."
"Really?" Johnny grinned, "Well, I'm sure the guys of our little singin' group wouldn't mind getting back together for a good cause." He said, straightening up and placing a hand on his hip, "In fact, I've already got an idea. Thanks Doc, Dixie. C'mon Roy, let's get back to the barn and tell everyone."
He picked up the equipment and strode away, leaving Roy a moment to roll his eyes, making both doctor and nurse chuckle.
A week later, Roy joined the crew of Station 51 at the table for coffee, awaiting the arrival of both Johnny and Chet. They had agreed to get their little chorus back together, and had begun practicing the Christmas songs they were going to sing.
"You mean Johnny and Chet are workin' together?" sputtered Marco, "That's loco!"
Roy shrugged, "Seems that way. Johnny won't even tell me what he's plannin'."
"Never thought I'd see the day when the Phantom and his Pigeon would be collaborating on anything." Mike Stocker muttered.
"You know what's really strange though?" Roy said, sipping his coffee, "They're actually being nice to one another."
"I noticed that too," Hank added, "The Phantom hasn't been up to his usual tricks since last shift, and they're not throwing barbs at one another as much."
"Somebody call the Funny Farm, that's just crazy." quipped Marco.
The men shared a laugh before Johnny, followed by Chet, entered the dayroom.
"Watcha all laughin' about?"
"Nothing" came the unified reply by the men at the table.
Towards the evening (only after being interrupted before dinner), there was a lull, which gave the men of 51 to relax. After dinner was finished, Johnny asked, "Uh-Chet? Can I talk to ya outside for a minute?" which lead to more than a few raised eyebrows as the stocky fireman replied, "Sure, Johnny."
When the two had excused themselves from the table, Roy noticed that his partner went to the dorm first and reappeared with papers in his hand.
It was Marco mouth dropped a little. "Johnny? He never calls him Johnny; it's always, John, or Gage unless he gets hurt."
"I know it's rude to eavesdrop," added Mike, "but I'm dying to find out what they're takin' about."
"You know what they say about curiosity," Hank added wisely, "But I gotta admit, I'm a little curious too."
A few days later, while getting supplies from Rampart, and Johnny was getting a cup of coffee in the lounge, Roy stopped by the base station where Dixie was filling out paperwork.
She looked up from her work, "Hi Roy, how goes the singing practice?"
"Pretty good," roy replied, "We've been practicing between runs and when we're off work." He eyed her and in a lower voice continued, "Say, you don't know what Johnny and Chet have been practicin' do you?"
Dixie beamed, "Now Roy, you know that I am not allowed to give out such privileged information. But Kel does know."
"Great." The sandy haired paramedic said rolling his eyes again as Johnny joined them.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention," Dixie said, "Joe's gonna be playing the piano and singing at the concert too. But he won't tell us what he'll be singin' either," winking at Johnny.
A week before the benefit, Station 51 was called out to a structure fire involving a two story house. When they arrived, they saw that the home was fully engulfed in smoke and flames, and neighbors standing around in awe as it burned.
After speaking to one, Captain Stanley yelled so that he could be heard over the inferno, "Roy! Johnny! Witnesses say that there's a woman and her baby trapped on the second floor. Chet, you and Marco cover 'em!"
"Right Cap!" the men responded, and then went to work. The two firefighters moved in first, detaining the growing flames as Johnny and Roy searched the first floor.
When they found nothing, Johnny shouted, "Roy! Let's try the second floor!"
They searched each of the four rooms on the upper floor before finding woman crouched in a corner, holding a bundle in her arms very close to her.
Roy knelt down, "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here." he reassured her. Johnny also knelt and handed his air mask to her, and helped the woman stand, while Roy took the baby.
Together, the trio fled down the stairs they had ascended that were still structurally sound.
Or, that's what they at least thought.
As they descended the steps, Johnny using the railing as a guide in all the thick smoke, it suddenly gave way. Johnny and the remnants of the stairwell went crashing to the ground of the main floor several feet below.
"Johhny!" Roy called out, but knowing that victims had first priority, grabbed the woman's hand and said, "Come on!"
Luckily, Chet had seen the paramedic cataclysmic plummet, shouted at Marco to hold the line, and went to Johnny's side. The smoke filled atmosphere was not good for anyone, particularly for the paramedic, who Chet observed, was not wearing his air mask. Chet threw his arm around the other's shoulder and half carried, half dragged the unconscious man outside to the fresh air.
He didn't get too far when one of the boards underneath his feet gave way and his leg fell through. The stocky firefighter tried to pull himself free, resulting only in a sharp pain that radiated down his trapped limb.
At that moment, Roy reappeared, helping him pull himself up, and carefully aided him outside to the blanket where the woman and her child were being treated.
"Cap!" He yelled, "We have two code I's, we'll need another squad and a ambulance!"
And with that, the sandy haired paramedic turned to retrieve his third victim.
Nearly an hour later, Roy sat at the table of the doctor's lounge awaiting news of his two injured crew members, when Kel Brackett stepped in.
Instantly, his mind began to form questions, one which slipped from his mind into his mouth, "How are they, Doc?"
The physician's smile re-assured him, "Chet's got a fractured Tibula alongside some abrasions, but he'll be fine."
"And Johnny?" Roy asked anxiously.
"He suffered some bruised ribs and some smoke inhalation and a fractured humerus, but again, he'll be fine. We have him on oxygen to clear his lungs. We'll keep him here for a few days, and he'll be able to go home afterwards barring any complications." Kel explained, "They're in room 425 if you want to see them."
"Thanks Doc," Roy sighed, then he put his hand through his hair, "Man, I hope this doesn't keep them from performing in that show or we'll never hear the end of it."
Dr. Brackett laughed, "You know, that's just what they said."
When Roy entered the room where his two shift-mates were recovering, he heard both men arguing. Chet lay in bed with his leg elevated. Johnny was in the bed adjacent to him, arm in a cast and wearing an oxygen mask.
"Man, how am I gonna perform in that show with a broken leg? It's your fault that your so accident prone!" snapped Chet Kelley.
"My fault?" hissed Johnny, "It's not my fault," Johnny gasped after taking off the mask, "that you can't even find your footing properly!"
Everything's back to normal, Roy thought wryly. "Hey!" he interrupted, letting his presence be known, "you two should be grateful that you're weren't more badly hurt than you are. " His glare went to Johnny, "Johnny, you should be thankin' Chet for trying to get you out of there when you fell. He got his leg stuck trying to pull you out."
"Chet saved me?" Johnny chocked flabbergasted.
The stocky paramedic turned a little red, "Well, I started too anyway..." he muttered.
"I had to go in and get both of you." Roy added.
Now it was Johnny's turn to crimson, "Aww man, I didn't know that." Then the dark haired paramedic mumbled something under his breath.
"What was that Gage?"
"I said," the paramedic said in a louder voice, "I'm sorry."
"Good, now that we have that all cleared up," Roy began, "I don't want to hear any more arguing from you two. Johnny," he went to his best friend's side and replaced the oxygen mask, "you need to keep that on. And Chet," he shot a glance at the other man, "no more provoking Johnny into arguing, he doesn't need that stress on his lungs. Both of you, " he now sounded like a father scolding his children, " Stop tearing at each other or I'll get Dixie to come in here and give you a few choice words of her own."
That was enough for both men to settle down and stay quiet for the rest of the night.
The day of the concert was bright, clear, and a little chilly for the season. The crew of Station 51, who were off that day, were greeted by Dixie who was on duty that day. Chet was still on crutches and Marco was holding his guitar, while Johnny's arm was in a sling.
"Hiya boys, nice to see all of you. We made the teaching rooms into an auditorium. There were only about 10 to 20 patients staying over the holidays." Dixie explained as they filed into the elevator. When the doors swished open again, they were in a part of the hospital that there were unfamiliar with. "The day's been really slow, so Kel and I, and maybe Joe and Mike will be joining the party." She explained as they were ushered into a big room where chairs and mats had been placed, and a makeshift stage had been assembled, a piano in the corner.
The room was decorated in red and green, making it very festive and cheerful. Against one wall were several tables in a holiday table cover, and brimming with all sorts of sweets and beverages. Kids were gathered in front of the stage nibbling on their treats and talking while sitting in their regular pajamas. The adults (also in their own set of clothes) were also enjoying the snacks and were chatting cheerfully to some of the men next to them, whom the men of 51 recognized as their brother fireman. Even the Walking Rulebook, Craig Brice was there and seemed to be making pleasant conversation.
"My question is," Mike said, "How on Earth they managed to get a piano into the elevator and up here."
After a short while, the concert began with some fun Christmas carols sung by 45, like Jingle Bells, Up on the Rooftop, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. Brice sang (much to the shock of the other fireman) Silent Night, first in German, and then English, followed by When the River Meets the Sea.
"Geez,"Chet whispered to Marco as the paramedic sang, "It's a nice song, but you'd think he'd pick a less depressin' song for people in the hospital!"
Next it was Station 51's turn to sing. The four men (Cap and Roy had decided not to lend their voices as they were terrible singers) sang Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Little Saint Nick, and It's the Most Wonderful time of the Year.
When they'd sat down, Kel and Dixie came up on stage, much to the surprise of some, and sang Baby It's Cold Outside together. Johnny elbowed his friend and nodded to the pair, who were holding hands the entire time. That brought a more than a few raised eyebrows from not only them, but Joe Early and Mike Morton.
Next it was Joe Early's turn as the graying doctor went to the piano and sang White Christmas, including the melodic whistle accompaniment. The next song made everyone smile; Counting Your Blessings Instead of Sheep.
After this, Chet and Johnny were on stage, and the usually valiant paramedic was seized by a momentary dash of stage fright. He laughed, "Uh, heh, sorry. You'd think a guy who runs into fires is fearless, right?"
The room fell into laughter and the dark haired paramedic felt more at ease and began to sing Happy Christmas War is Over, while Chet accompanied him on guitar. It had, after all, been nearly eight months since the war in Vietnam had ended. Those who knew Johnny couldn't help but hear the emphasis on the "red ones" in the lyrics. Towards the end, the entire room sang. The emergency physicians and head nurse all were grinning ear to ear as they joined in the warm shouts of "Merry Christmas!" that filled the room with holiday spirit.
THE END