Chester 2

As soon as the four legged Chester B had finished his bowl of water Captain Stanley had a few commands to give.

"With as much water as he just lapped up someone better take him out side for a moment." No one said a word but every eye in the station was on the two legged Chester B.

"Come on boy," the two legged Chet called out, "Let's go for a walk. I don't think anyone but me could understand just how great you are."

The dog made no move so Chet, the two legged one, slapped at his leg and whistled slightly. The Dog just turned to Captain Stanley.

"Go ahead boy," Hank moved his head in the other Chet's direction and the dog gave a short quick bark and followed the two legged Chet out the door.

"That short bark of his must be his way of saying 10-4," Hank scoffed as he watched the dog Chet follow the man Chet out the door. "That dog was running around across some burnt out grasses at the last fire, when they get back, John and Roy I want you to look over his paws good and make sure he doesn't have any burns."

"Sure Cap," John answered for the both of them and moved toward the squad to get a tube of burn cream out of the glove compartment just in case they needed it.

A few minutes later the two legged Chet opened the door and stepped back to allow his four legged namesake to enter back into the common room the dog took stopped just inside and while Johnny was talking to him and moving in to check out his paws when the dog moved into the bay and quickly found the captain's office and with out command lay down on the floor at the side of the captain's chair.

John and Roy followed and stood in the doorway looking.

"What's going on here?" Cap questioned as he looked down at his new rug.

"My guess is that he is taught to follow the captain's command," John responded.

"Do you mind if we check his paws out in there?" Roy inquired.

Hank scoffed and reached down to scratch the dog's ears, "Good boy, now let these guys look at your feet. Okay?"

John snickered at his captain's insecurity and knelt down next to the dog. First he offered his hand for the dog to sniff then he pet the dogs head and moved his hand down the neck to the shoulders and form their down to the dogs feet. By the time the dog quickly moved it's paw out of Johnny's hand Johnny could see the blister of a second degree burn on the dogs pads.

"This should help that just a little there, , Chet ol boy." Johnny calmly chattered as he squoose some cream on his fingers and then placed it on the bottom of the dogs paw. "This cream has a topical anesthetic in it that will take the pain out." John explained as he just held the dog's paw and watched until he stopped pulling away from him.

"Roy," John began to request, "I think we better get some gauze and a roll of two inch Kerlex. He's also got burns on both of his back feet and I haven't seen the other front paw yet. From the look of the one back paw, he's been burned before, a lot worse than anything he's got now."

Roy kept back and handed John the supplies he asked for and soon the four legged firefighter had four bandaged paws and the deep respect of every other fire fighter in that station.

Roy had just returned the trauma box back to the squad when the sound of screeching breaks, honking horns and crumpling metal echoed from the street in front of the station. Two fire fighters raced out the office door while a third ran into the bay and slapped the bay door button. The captain, with a four legged shadow, with four bandaged paws, took hold of the radio and called in, "Station 51 a silent alarm auto accident in front of the station."

The trauma box, drug box and the bio-phone were grabbed from the squad and the fire engine pulled out of the bay and into the street to block off traffic.

"Alright Marco you help Roy with the front Car Chet you're with John on the back car," Hank called out and watched as both Chet's trotted off behind the dark haired paramedic.

The accident was caused when a car was trying to make a left hand turn into the station parking lot and was hit by a car going straight. The driver of the car going straight had been slightly distracted by her two children who were fighting in the back seat. The two Children were basically unharmed; John was sure the bruise on the little girl's arm was caused by her brother's doubled up fist but he couldn't prove it.

"Chet, they seem to be alright can you get them out and take care of them until the ambulance get's here." John instructed and moved to care for the driver as he watched the two Chet's work on the children.

The Human Chet first lifted the little girl out of the car and sat her down on her feet. "Alright sweetheart you stand right there till I get your brother and then we'll all go take a close look at that big red fire engine over there okay."

Once the human Chet climbed back in the car to undue the seat belt on the second child the canine Chet gently lay his head on the little girl's shoulder and allowed her to wrap her arms around his neck for her comfort and security.

Hank had just used the handy talkie to order two ambulances and police assistance when he heard his name called.

"Cap, Cap can you come here for a moment." Roy called while still holding pressure on a cut over the driver's eye and holding her head stable since she was saying that her neck was hurting and her arm was numb.

"What do you need Roy?" Cap called out as he stepped up to his paramedic's side.

"Marco is getting the equipment and the back board Cap. "This is the woman who was coming to pick up our extra Chester."

Cap stood up straight and looked around, suddenly he understood why the woman had been trying to make a left hand turn into their parking lot. "I guess we're going to need to watch after him for a while longer." Cap commented to the woman behind the wheel. It wasn't hard to see that she was going to need to go to Rampart and be checked over. "I was told that you were watching the dog for your brother, is there a way for us to get in touch with him?"

"Yes there is, it won't be easy but he's at a convention that's being held in Anaheim the fire chief I talked to at the fire, the one that found out Chester was here and told me how to get here, he said he knew Roger and all about the convention. Roger is one of the speakers."

Marco arrived with the c-collar and the half back board and the three men worked together to get the woman immobilized and removed from the car. Then Cap squatted down near her head to keep the sun out of her eyes while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

"I'd tell you to call my husband to come get the dog but he and my husband don't get along, Mitch only agreed to let me take him if I made sure the two of them were never in the same room together."

"I'm sure the Chief can help us make connections with your brother and the dog hasn't been any trouble so far. I'm told he's a trained fire dog."

"Yes he is, that's why I loaned him to the police when they said that there were boys lost and possibly in the fire area earlier today."

"He did a real good job of finding them, my men bandaged up his feet a little, seems he got some minor burns."

"If you're going to keep him for a while you better have his uniform and leash and things." The woman explained. By now she was so tied down that she couldn't turn her head so she just explained for the Captain to get into the trunk and take out the duffel bag that looked like it was made out of a turn out coat.

Once Roy was able to take his place at protecting the woman's eyes from the sun Hank did as he had been instructed and taking the keys from the ignition he opened the trunk and found the duffel bag he was directed to. Carrying it back to the woman's side he showed it to her and asked if it was the right one.

"Yes that's it. His shoes are in there to protect his feet and his coat and hat specially designed for him. There's also an instruction book to tell you what he's trained to do and what commands to use if you need him."

"I don't plan to take him with us on any runs ma'am; I don't want to be responsible for him getting hurt while he's in our care." Hank explained, "But we can tie him up at the station until his master comes."

"From what Rodger tells me that might not work so well but you do what you think is best," the woman talked as the first ambulance came onto the scene. "It sounded like your chief was a good friend of Roger's, maybe he'll take him. I'm so sorry; I've made a royal mess of everything."

"Don't worry about it Ma'am, we'll take care of Chester B. you take care of yourself," Cap assured the women as she was being loaded in the ambulance. After shutting the door and giving the ready to go slaps. Hank's attention was drawn back to his engine.

"Mom!" Hank heard and turned to see the temporary Chester sitting on a little boy while a little girl had one arm around the dog's neck and two fingers from her other hand in her mouth."

"What's going on here?" Captain Stanley walked up to his engineer who had just finished pulling battery cables and was now grabbing a pry bar to help get the two children's mother out of the car.

"Johnny asked Chet to take care of the children but he didn't say which Chet so 'he's' doing it." Mike said with the biggest grin on his face. "The boy there keeps hitting his sister, but it looks like Chet found a way to stop him."

Cap rolled his eyes and waved Mike on with the pry bar then proceeded to take charge of the two children namely the one under the dog.

Once John had the driver of the other car packaged and ready to go it was decided that the boy would ride up front with an extra seat belt to hold him down while his little sister rode in the back with her mother and away from her abusive brother. As Hank lifted her into the back of the ambulance she began to cry because Chester, the four legged one, wasn't going with her.

Captain Stanley was ready to yell at Chet and ask him to drive the squad in but suddenly had visions of the dog behind the wheel so he yelled for Marco instead. While Chet, the permanent one, and Mike helped direct the tow trucks in clearing away the damaged cars Hank called the dog to his side and with his duffel bag in his hand headed for his office to give the Chief a call for instructions concerning his temporary Chester.