"Got the popcorn, Mike?" asked Station 51 Captain Hank Stanley.
Engineer Mike Stoker finished pouring the Jiffy-Pop into a bowl. "Right here, Cap," Mike said. He took the bowl over to the five other men sitting around the television set.
The station 51 crew was watching "Ivanhoe."
"You know, the first time I saw this movie – in a theater - I was 13. It was the first time I'd ever seen Elizabeth Taylor in color. It was a revelation," Hank recalled. His men chuckled.
"I'd be her knight in shining armor any time," Fireman-Paramedic John Gage murmured.
"Gage, the only thing you'd be is the court jester," replied Fireman Chet Kelly. The others chuckled.
"Oh, I wouldn't take that job, Chet…..You'd already have it," Johnny shot back. The chuckles turned into roars of laughter.
"You'd have to learn to juggle, Chet," Fireman Marco Lopez chimed in.
"And if a joke bombs, the job security is zilch," added Mike, making a "cut" motion across his neck.
Hank joined in on the laughter, but then turned to look at the one crewmember who wasn't participating in the merriment or paying attention to the movie.
Fireman-Paramedic Roy DeSoto rested his chin on his hand and stared off into space. He'd been distracted and upset ever since a rescue the station had participated in.
They'd teamed up to get a man out from under a car engine that had fallen on him while he was fixing it. Roy had gone with the man in the ambulance.
But the ambulance driver had parked under a tree. The branches took off the ambulance antenna. Roy had to treat the patient without being able to communicate directly with Rampart Hospital through the biophone; he had the ambulance driver contact the ambulance dispatcher to communicate with Rampart indirectly.
The patient's physician, Dr. Larry Sunderlin, was waiting at the hospital, along with Dr. Kelly Brackett, the head of Rampart Emergency. Sunderlin had let Dr. Brackett – then Roy – know in no uncertain terms that he had no use for the paramedic program. Brackett had defended Roy, but the damage had been done to Roy's psyche; he was ready to request a transfer to Station 98 - a fire station without paramedics.
Hank wasn't the only one concerned; from time to time Johnny would turn from the television to take a worried glance at his paramedic partner.
As the movie ended, Hank informed his men, "Lights out in 15 minutes."
He turned to Roy. "Roy, can I speak with you a moment?"
"Sure, Cap."
Roy followed Hank into the office. Hank shut the door and offered Roy a seat.
As Hank sat down, he thought a moment.
"You know, other than Stoker, I really owe you a lot for helping me feel so welcome in these first few weeks," Hank said.
Roy looked surprised. "Really?"
"Sure." Hank smiled. "You have this oddball guy recently promoted from C shift at 127's" – he pointed to himself – "and you've embraced him."
Roy had a small chuckle.
"You're a good salesman, Roy."
Roy frowned. "Salesman?"
Hank grinned. "A good persuader. I know you persuaded Gage to train to become a paramedic – and convinced him to stick with it before the law changed," he said. "You're good at communicating with patients." Hank motioned outside. "You're also good at communicating with the non-paramedics in this outfit – including me."
Hank leaned back. "My goal has been to make this station into one unit," he said. "I know you worked together with Captain Hammer, but you were still 'The paramedics and the engine.'"
"Well, we are two units," Roy pointed out.
"Yes, but you should be working together as one station," Hank said. "You and Johnny know and have the duties of being linemen. I realize that Chet, Marco, Mike and I can't be paramedics. But we should know more about what you're doing and what it means to patients."
"Maybe I should know what I'm doing," Roy muttered.
Now we're getting to the heart of the matter, Hank thought to himself.
"That twit Sunderlin?" Hank asked out loud. Actually, "Twit" isn't a strong enough word for what I want to call him, he thought.
Roy had a half-laugh in response to his captain's favorite insult.
"He hasn't been out there with you and Johnny," Hank said. "He hasn't seen what you two go through, the obstacles you face."
"Obstacles aren't an excuse, Cap," Roy replied.
"Losing that antenna was a freak and wasn't your fault, Roy," Hank said. "You have the obligation to put your patient first, regardless of circumstances."
Roy had a small smile. "That's about what Dr. Brackett said."
"And he's right," Hank concluded.
They were silent for a moment.
"I don't want to lose a good man, Roy. I don't want 51 to lose a good man. I don't want to see the best paramedic team in the county split up," Hank said softly. "And I don't want to see a good – no, a great – paramedic leave that job. At least sleep on this decision. Think about it."
Roy blushed at his captain's praise. "Yes, Cap."
Hank stood up. "That's a good segue to get to bed, I think," he said.
Nodding, Roy stood up and followed Hank out of the office. Hank switched off the light.
The two men were the last into the dorm.
"You OK?" a sleepy Johnny asked his partner. Johnny was already in bed.
"Yeah," replied Roy. He got out of his uniform and lay down before Johnny had the chance to ask him anything else.
Hank looked across the dorm at his prone firemen and turned off the light. "Goodnight, gentlemen."
"Goodnight, Cap," came assorted voices.
Hank Stanley dozed, but found himself awakened by the sound of rustling – the rustling of bedsheets. He moved his head slightly. It was coming from Roy's bunk.
Hank watched as Roy tossed and turned.
Hank closed his eyes. He knew there was nothing more he could do; Roy would have to figure things out for himself.
The rustling stopped for a while, allowing Hank to fall back to sleep. The captain didn't hear anything more until the tones sounded for a house fire…
E!E!E!E!
A few hours later
"Ha… Ha…. Ha," Hank heard Johnny roar from the engine bay.
Hank was in the office filling out some paperwork after the house fire, in which Roy saved a little boy and the boy's dog.
When Hank heard Johnny, curiosity got the better of him. Johnny was following the others into the locker room.
"Gage, what just happened?" Hank asked. He noticed Johnny holding something in his hand.
Johnny chuckled and opened his hand to reveal two pennies.
"I teased Roy that for two cents, I'd transfer to 98's," Johnny said.
Hank raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Johnny gave his famous toothy grin. "But I was kidding," he reassured his captain. "I'm not going anywhere and neither is Roy."
"Really?" Hank thought a moment. He slapped Johnny on the back. "Thanks, Pal," he said, then walked quickly into the locker room.
Roy waited in line behind Mike and Marco. Chet was already in the shower. Hank frowned. "You guys really let Chet get into the shower first?" he asked.
"It was either that or listen to him complaining while we stood in line," Marco grumbled.
Hank nodded in understanding, then turned to Roy.
"Johnny just said you're staying?" the captain asked.
"Yes, Cap," Roy said.
Both Marco and Mike smiled. "Hey, Roy, that's great!" Marco exclaimed.
"Good to have you staying," Mike said softly.
"What's going on?" asked Chet, dripping wet out of the shower.
"Man, Kelly, cover up," grumbled Johnny, who had walked in behind Hank. "It's like watching one of your favorite horror movies."
"And don't drip all over everyone," Marco added.
Hank stifled a laugh. "Chet, Roy's staying," he said.
"Big deal; I knew he would," Chet muttered. "Night, all."
"Chet, you're all heart," Johnny replied.
"Like you on one of your dates, Gage," Chet shot back.
As Johnny and Chet continued to squabble, Hank leaned over to Roy. "You sure you want to stay in this loony bin?" he cracked.
Roy smiled. "This loony bin has some other good salesman, Cap," he said, looking around. "And you're one of them."