Carson CA, 2013

A brief glance on the car clock showed her that she was early. It didn't really matter all that much because she knew the place where she was going. For a brief moment she even figured she knew the place better then most of the men and women that were now working at that same station.

She had little difficulty pulling into the parking lot in the back. There wasn't any traffic to speak of on this Monday morning. And a brief glance showed most if not all the vehicles belonging to the assigned firefighters already there. There was one spot still open for her Honda. Right next to that spot, there were two men in uniform, apparently waiting for her. Parking was no effort at all, it even seemed as if she had done it before.

Once her bag with her turnout gear and some of the other required 'niceties' for this line of work were out of the trunk and on her shoulder, the two approached. One of the two was an older man who seemed to have gone prematurely gray. He seemed a little too small in the physical sense to her. She was pretty sure who he was.

The other man was younger and somewhat closer to her age. His body showed that he was in shape and used to working with weights. His brown hair seemed a little unkempt, but she was sure there was a good reason for it.

A quick glance showed both the engine and the squad in quarters. Good, it would help her familiarize quicker with her new command.

Captain Jim Shannon, the C-shift commander and the man with the gray hair, was glad to see his relief come up a little earlier then usual. He also knew the woman now in front of him was the new captain for A-shift. He hadn't met her personally yet and figured that now was as good a chance as any.

A curt yet pretty smile met his eyes as the two fire captains shook hands "I take it you're my relief?" he asked.

"I am." She gave him her name.

"Captain Jim Shannon. Pleased to meet you. I'm sure that we'll get along just fine. Now if you will excuse me." Shannon ran off, a little too eager to get away. The woman had no time to wonder as the other man now wanted her attention.

"You must be engineer Bradley?" she asked as they shook hands.

She got a direct answer "Yes mam, Craig Bradley." There was something about his voice. The way the deep baritone carried would have made her swoon just a little bit during her college years. Now, it was an entirely different matter.

"You have a pretty voice Craig, do you sing?"

"Sorry mam, but I don't sing." She almost believed it. The engineer seemed ready to wanna leave in a hurry as well. She managed to contain her own snickering at his own unease.

"Too bad." There was something else she was going to need from him " Since captain Shannon left in such a hurry you're going to have to show me the office, and, secondly, I wouldn't mind some coffee."

"The office is on the far left corner of the apparatus bay, and I'll get you some coffee." She followed him in through the back. The summer heat still hadn't dissipated enough so the previous shift had kept the rear bay door open as a form of air conditioning it also made it easy to walk in.

It was brief, but it was there in the bay she got that feeling she got way back then, walking into this station with her hand safely in her father's big hand. He had looked at both vehicles that had been there then. The smaller truck he had ridden in had received a gentle pad or two. Then there had been the other firefighters. She remembered a lot of goodbyes, good lucks and words to that effect. After that, it seemed they were living in another world.

The office hadn't changed all that much either. Sure it had been restyled to something a little closer to the 21st century and there was a computer of which she was sure it would have the log of the last runs the previous shift had been on. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, she quickly checked the fire inspection list and printed it. There also were a few annotations by Shannon about equipment checks. She printed that as well, together with the list of other chores for the day. A brief glance at the rather odd looking clock showed her it was almost time anyway.

In the meantime, Bradley had brought her the much desired coffee. He received a "Thank you" as a reply. Just before he was out of the office she called him back.

"Mam?"

"I take it the entire A-shift is in?"

He nodded "Yes mam."

"Get them together, I'll be right out."

Again in that docile fashion "Yes mam." He headed out and not a few minutes later she heard Bradley assemble the shift between the squad and the engine. By that time she had her turnout gear and her class Bs, along with her white hat, out of her bag.

The printouts landed on her clipboard before the white hat even touched her head. The office shutters, the ones that would let some of the sun in were still closed. Despite that, she caught a reflection of herself in the glass.

The white hat made her feel a little stupid, but since this was her first day she saw no harm in wearing it. Other then that, everything was in order. Her own duty uniform was up to specs and she was wearing it as required. There was only one thing left to do now.

7 sets of eyes met her as she left the office and came around the squad with her clipboard in hand.

"Good morning A-shift, as of today, I am your new captain. The name 's Desoto, Jennifer Desoto." Whilst adding the fact that she liked to be called Cap on duty and Jenn when off duty, she saw two sets of eyes widen. Jennifer figured they recognized her last name.

"Oh and one other thing. Those of you that recognized my last name. You're right. My father began his paramedic career here on 51s. It doesn't mean I get to slack off here. Are we clear on that?"

All the heads nodded. Yet Jennifer could only hope she got through to them. Her force of men would depend on her and on each other in the times ahead...Just like her father had done oh so many years ago... She pushed the thought away. There was work to be done.

The next morning,

It was just like the other fire stations she had been to. Wake at the crack of dawn, with the harsh tones and harsh light and grab the radio "Kmg365." After that, it was a simple affair of putting the few strands of loose brown hair back into the regulation knot, and getting into the turnout pants for some coffee, and a chance to really wake up.

If they were lucky, A shift of 51s would not have a run until their shift was over. And perhaps then there was a chance of getting some real breakfast some place and trying to relax until the next shift. Jennifer would have to wait just a while longer. For a brief moment she thought she heard her father's voice coming from the day room.

As she walked into the day room there were indeed two old men in civilian attire looking around as if they hadn't been there at the table in a long while. "Dad! uncle Johnny! What are you doing here?" She was more then surprised to see them. In fact, Jennifer was shocked.

"Well..." her father began "Since this was your first day in command of our old station and our old shift me and Junior here figured we'd surprise you with breakfast." He smiled. So did her uncle Johnny. "Your father called me two days ago and told me you'd be starting here and that he wanted to surprise you. I agreed." Retired fire captain John Gage started unpacking the breakfast bag he and his former paramedic partner, retired battalion chief Roy Desoto, had brought with them.

Ït was the curious look her father gave her that started the new conversation. "It's a weird feeling working here."

Both Johnny and Roy smiled as Jennifer began to talk about her first day...