The Right Choices

Chapter 3

By GCS

Emergency is not mine and neither are the characters. I don't make any money from them, but I do borrow them for entertainment.

Johnny arrived at the station to find the parking lot full of the familiar cars from both A and B shifts. The only parking spot open was the one he always parked in. That gave him a warm comfortable feeling inside, he smiled broadly.

Coming in the open bay door he paused to take in the sight of the squad and engine, the familiar storage locker, the giant map of L.A. on the wall, and the always open door to Cap's office. Whistling a little off key he turned happily to the locker room. 'I wonder if the Phantom will have a surprise for me on my first day back,' he chuckled to himself as he pushed through the door.

The locker room was empty.

He cautiously opened his locker door to find that it was not rigged with a water bomb. 'Cap must have told him to hold off for a few days,' he smiled again thinking of how protective Cap had become since his accident.

Walking back across the apparatus bay he could hear the group of men in the kitchen and dayroom talking comfortably among themselves. Pausing outside the door he could hear a mixture of laughter and comfortable camaraderie. 'Man I've missed that.'

He placed his hand on the door and a broad Gage grin on his face as he pushed his way into the room, "Mornin', Morn….argh!"

Water poured all over him in a huge splash drenching him from head to toe.

"Chet!" He stood dripping in a puddle of water. Laughter roared from his co-workers.

"Surprise!" they all yelled some coming over to shake his hand or pat his wet back.

"Welcome back Gage!" Dwyer told him as he shook his hand. "Man it's really glad to see you in uniform."

Johnny knew Dwyer meant it, and slowly he began to smile and laugh with the group. "Man Chester the Phantom really got me this time."

"Well he had some help on this one. We all figured you had been dry for way too long," Chet grinned at his pigeon. "The Phantom has been saving water for you for weeks." Everyone laughed again.

"Okay John, get changed. We'd like to eat this breakfast before it gets cold," Captain Stanley wanted to get things going before anyone was called out. His shift didn't start for another thirty minutes, but as had been the custom in the past, if the entire next shift was there and dressed in their uniforms, they would take the call to prevent the departing shift from unnecessary overtime.

Roy got up to follow his partner to the locker room. "Welcome back, Junior."

"Thanks Roy. It's really good to be here." Johnny smiled to his best friend.

"I have a dry uniform for you in my locker if you need it." Roy patted Johnny's back.

"Nah, I have several. I had all mine cleaned while I was off. Man Chet really got me this time."

"Yeah, he did." The two friends laughed again.

After breakfast the B shift filtered out of the station to go home, and the A shift lined up for roll call. It was a good feeling to have them all back together and that showed on everyone's faces. "John, good to have you back. Now for assignments, John the dorm, Roy and Marco hoses, Mike you're the cook today, and Chet…"

"Yes sir, I know latrines thanks to the phantom's tub of water." Everyone laughed, and Chet received several pats of approval.

After roll call they all went their separate ways to start their supply checks and chores. Johnny approached Chet, "I…you know…." As he usually did when he wanted to say the right thing Johnny stumbled over his words. "I…thanks Chet. Thanks for makin' me feel…you know."

"I know Gage. It's good to have you back, real good." The two friends didn't usually admit how close they were, so this was a rare occasion; for them to actually speak about it would tell anyone who knew them well just how sincere the feelings were.

As soon as Johnny joined Roy in taking inventory of the drug box the tones sounded sending the squad on the first run.

Captain Stanley leaned in the driver's side window handing Roy the call slip. Both men had donned their helmets. Hank smiled at his men. "Man, there for a while I didn't know if I would see you two in the squad together again. Good luck on this run guys. I'm real proud to see you back as a team."

The adrenaline raced through Johnny's slender body. They pulled up at the call for a man down and like he had never missed a day he climbed out of the squad placed his helmet on the top rail and opened the compartment doors in one fluid movement. Grabbing the drug box and the oxygen as Roy grabbed the bio-phone they turned together and went up the walk to the front door.

A very distressed middle aged woman met them as they came onto the front porch, "He's in here. He grabbed his chest and fell to the floor. Please help him. I think he's having a heart attack."

Raising the HT to his mouth Roy called dispatch for an ambulance.

The Paramedic team worked in their usual professional fashion. Nods and eye contact their only needed communication. One thing about it they could anticipate each other's thoughts and needs on a rescue call with out the need for words.

After stabilizing the patient they loaded him in the ambulance, "Why don't you ride in with him Johnny."

"Okay Roy see you at Rampart." Johnny climbed into the back of the ambulance and started taking another set of vitals as Roy shut the doors giving them the customary slap.

At the hospital Johnny received more welcome wishes from the passing nurses and doctors as he entered along side the gurney. "Treatment three," Dixie told the group and followed them inside. A flurry of activity immediately took over the treatment room as the medical team worked on the patient. Johnny gave his report and gathered up the squad's equipment, transferring the man to the hospital oxygen. He stood back waiting to see if Dr. Brackett needed his assistance before leaving.

Dixie came over and instead of standing beside him as she normally would the generally always professional nurse grabbed him up in a warm embrace. "I've missed you." She kissed him on the cheek.

The blush started on his neck and rose to his cheeks, "Uh…um……thanks Dix." He grinned shyly. "I missed you too."

"We're all glad to have our best team back together Johnny," Dr. Brackett chuckled. "Now I think you can get out of here now. We can handle it from here."

Having been dismissed Johnny left the room and headed to the nurse's desk for coffee.

There was no question about it, he felt good to be back in his normal routine. He had worried about getting back into the groove, but he had slipped into it with no trouble at all.