GET TO KNOW YOUR FUTURE SELF
by ardavenport
Roy DeSoto looked up from his hamburger and fries and opened his mouth to tell the older man sitting down across from him that the seat was taken and that his partner had just gotten up to go to the men's room.
The sounds and chatter in the Rampart hospital cafeteria faded. All the colors in the room seemed to dim and lose contrast. Except for the bubble of sharp colors around his table. And the genial older man in a dark jacket over a pale plaid shirt.
The hair had gone white and thin on top with only a prominent tuft remaining on top. The waistline had gotten wider. The face was a bit broader, but the blue eyes were the same. Roy suddenly felt disconnected from time, staring across years over plates of hamburgers and fries with a weird double vision that saw forward at the smiling old man superimposed over himself in his blue paramedic uniform shirt.
Young Roy DeSoto stared at him. "Are you . . . . . . me?"
"Yeah, in about thirty years, give or take a few. Maybe it's time to talk about your future."
"So . . . . how'd I do?"
"Not too bad. Kids turn out great. They bring their own families to yours and Joannes' fortieth wedding anniversary not too long ago. You retire at battalion chief."
"Yeah? Do I . . . . . like being a battalion chief?"
"You get used to it. You're even pretty good at it. But retirement isn't the finish line. As soon as you hang up your helmet, you're mother-in-law moves in."
Young Roy's eyes widened in horror.
"It's not as bad as you think. She had to move in because she got Alzheimer's disease. It's pretty hard on Joanne, but you help her through it. You go and get re-certified to help take care of her mother and you rediscover all the things you liked best about being a paramedic. And it turns out she's a whole lot nicer when she doesn't remember who you are."
"Yeah?" Young Roy had no idea what 'Alzheimer's disease' was, but it obviously had something to do with age and senility. Despite Old Roy's assurances, he still didn't like the sound of it. His mother-in-law moving in . . . .
"Yeah. And one thing that you do right is you take care of yourself."
Young Roy's eyes flicked up to Old Roy's sparse white hair. And down toward his paunchy body. But Old Roy just grinned, wiser with experience.
"Don't let appearances fool you. And don't get worked up about trying to keep up with Johnny. He's never going to gain any weight. And he's never going to lose his hair." Old Roy's eyes flicked upward. Young Roy tensed, quite aware that his older self would know exactly how much time he spent in the morning arranging his hair to cover up the increasing thinning on top.
Old Roy shrugged. "Maybe you'll have to get used to that hair thing on your own, slowly. But the thing to remember is that you're more careful and don't get all those injuries that catch up to Johnny."
"Is he going to be okay?"
"Oh, yeah. He always lands on his feet. Eventually. But you'll see that for yourself. Even after you get promoted out of Station Fifty-One, the department kept putting us together; paramedic conferences, PR, training, that kind of thing."
"Does Johnny like being a battalion chief, too?"
"He never got that far. He had to retire early when he got arthritis in his knee – you can only break a leg so many times before the wear and tear catches up to you."
"But he'll be okay?"
"Oh yeah. Both of you invest well. You know that old fire engine you two bought?"
"Yeah." They had just barely started on the old 1930's engine and the more they took it apart, the more work they saw needed to be done.
"It pays off in a lot of different ways. After a lot of work. And a whole lot of trouble, you two finally get it running and looking good. You catch up to a collector who takes it off your hands. And you two split twenty-thousand dollars for it."
"Really?"
"Yep." Old Roy picked up a fry from Johnny's plate and ate it. "Of course, Joanne puts your half into savings for your kids' college fund right away. But that money also gets her started on her own career in investing and . . . . . well, let's just say your family does all right. And fortunately, Johnny was smart enough to let her do the same for him."
"Really? Joanne?"
"Yeah. After the kids get older, she develops a real talent for it. Of course, you know she's smart, but it's still kind of a surprise when you find out how good she really is. But not as big a shock as when Brice and Bob came out." Old Roy cleared his throat and young Roy did not ask him what that last part meant.
"But after all those hours you spent fixing that old engine, Johnny gets to use some of those repair skills after he retires back to the reservation. He works part time for the tribal government. You know what they gave him drive? A 1974 Dodge pick-up truck."
"You're kidding."
"Nope. Must've come off the same assembly line as the squad. I just about busted a gut when I saw it, too. There used to be three of them, but Johnny was using the other two for parts to keep the third one running. Johnny even let me drive it, just for old times' sake." Old Roy sat back and ate another fry.
"Yeah, we were two old guys joyriding around an Indian reservation in a thirty year old pick-up truck. Good times. But you know what I found out? It's not the sirens or the fire truck or the getting up at two in the morning to rush off and rescue someone that you really miss. It's being a twenty-something while you're doing it." He smiled broadly. "But heck, everybody misses that."
Old Roy leaned forward over the table. "Enjoy it while it lasts." The chair scraped on the floor as he pushed it back. "Well, I better get going."
"Where're you going?"
"Got to go upstairs. Johnny had to have that knee replaced somewhere. Might as well be here. And since Joanne's mother died, we've got an extra bed he stay in until he's back on his feet. Be seeing you."
Young Roy watched his older self stroll away, a bright, sharply defined figure amidst the crowded tables where everyone else still seemed to be moving in a muffled, hazy, slow motion. Blinking, he looked down at his lunch. Then back up.
The sudden release of normal sounds and sights surrounded him again. Everything had gone back to normal. Johnny hurried up and took his seat.
"Man, I'm starved." He picked up his hamburger and took a big bite. Then still chewing, he picked up the ketchup bottle, took the top off and started shaking it over his fries. Nothing came out. He kept shaking. He even put his hamburger down and held it up to see where the ketchup was stuck. Miraculously, it did not come out onto his face. He went back to shaking it over his plate and a big splat of red finally appeared. Satisfied, he picked up a ketchup soaked fry and ate it before noticing that his partner was watching.
"What?" Johnny looked back at him, mouth open, cheeks bulging with hamburger and fries.
"Oh . . . . nothing." Roy picked up his own hamburger and took a more modest bite.
The future would have to come in it's own time.
*** Get to know your future self, at Ladies FanFiction Group ***
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mark VII Productions, Inc., Universal Studios and whoever else owns the 1970's TV show Emergency!; I am just playing in their sandbox.