I'll See You When the Smoke Clears
The Delirium Threemen
July 2010
Don't own the copyright to any of the characters depicted in Emergency they are the property of Universal Studios/Mark VII Productions. Content from the show is the property of the original creators. No copyright infringement intended.
All original characters and story content is the sole property of The Delirium Threemen and may not be used without permission.
Actual dialog from the episode Brush Fire will be in bold formatting. Character thoughts will be in italic formatting.
Chapter 7
Johnny and Roy had spent most of their day hanging around the Command Post tending to the minor injuries that some of their fellow firefighters had incurred. If I had a nickel for every eye I washed out today I'd be rich, Johnny thought glancing over at Roy who was sitting on the running board of the squad looking at the ground between his legs. He wasn't sure if Roy was lost in thought, tired, bored or perhaps all three. Johnny sat down beside his partner on the running board as the air he expelled from his lungs whistled through his teeth.
"So how much longer do you think we'll have to hang out here?"
Roy leaned his head against the squad door and letting out a bit of a grunt, "Before nightfall I'm guessing. Fire is pretty much contained".
Johnny and Roy weren't released from the Command Post until around 3:00 pm in the afternoon. Engine 51 was still stationed at the fire as they pulled the squad into the station. Both men headed into the kitchen. As they neared the table Roy suddenly grabbed Johnny by the back of his shirt causing him to come to an abrupt stop.
"Do you mind?" Johnny spoke, irritation resonating in his voice.
"Nobody cleaned up the broken glass before we left," Roy replied pointing to the broken shards that still covered the floor near the kitchen table.
"Ohhh…yeah…umm thanks," Johnny muttered awkwardly realizing that Roy prevented him from stepping in it.
"Why don't you walk around the mess and see if there is anything in the fridge we can make a stew or something out of," Roy said as he began to head towards the door, "I'll take care of this mess".
Roy returned with a broom and a dustpan. He quickly cleaned the broken glass on the floor while Johnny was going through the refrigerator. He joined Johnny over by the fridge to see if there was anything still suitable for human consumption. Damn, we're gonna have to run to the grocery store. It's pretty iffy whether most of this stuff is edible or not. Roy grabbed the garbage pail and began tossing the questionable food into it.
Johnny turned to Roy, "I suppose our first run is going to be the supermarket".
"Look at the bright side Junior, maybe the check out girl with the glass eye will be a little nicer to you," Roy smile back as he sat down at the table and began writing in a notepad.
Johnny sat down beside Roy and let out a heavy sigh, "It was you she had 'the hots' for".
"You sure she wasn't playing hard to get," Roy replied as he continued writing out a list.
"Naaww, she seemed pretty hostile to me," after a small pause Johnny decided to change the subject, "So what are you planning for supper? That 'Beef Burnsaholeinyourbutt' dish again?"
"As I recall, you guys liked it".
"So what are you planning on cooking up for tonight 'Montezuma's Revengeful Delight'?"
Roy got up from the table and gave Johnny a menacing glare, "Come on we've got groceries to get. If you're a good boy maybe I'll let you ride the little pony outside the store".
Some of the chores around the station had remained half-finished or unfinished so both men kept busy for the next couple of hours completing most of them after returning from the grocery store. Roy headed to the kitchen while Johnny finished cleaning the dorm. After Roy had peeled the potatoes and put them on the stove tidying up the kitchen area while he waited for them to boil.
Roy had just finished sautéing the onions, carrots and ground beef when Johnny re-entered the kitchen. He pulled out two baking pans and lightly oiled them before he began mashing the potatoes. He spooned out the mixture of ground beef and vegetables into the pans before topping them with the potatoes. Covering both pans with aluminum foil he set them into the oven and began cleaning the utensils he used in preparing the dish.
Johnny joined Roy at the kitchen table just as the dispatcher came over the radio to announcing several stations and engines newly released from the fire. Engine 51 and her crew were among them. They figured none of them would be going home until the regular shift change in the morning.
"Looks like you got supper on just in time," Johnny commented.
Roy looked up from the paper he was reading, "Yeah and by the time they're done showering they'll be a'wanting to eat".
"So what's that stuff in the oven called again, 'Shellacked Pie'?"
Roy ignored him and continued looking through the newspaper. He wasn't really reading what was in front of him but more or less glancing through it. He turned the page where an advertisement near the bottom caught his eye. That's it. It's perfect…under ten bucks, it's cute and Jo will actually love it. He ripped out the advertisement and folded it up placing it in the breast pocket of his uniform.
Roy and Johnny had just returned from a run and entered the kitchen to find the rest of the crew finishing supper. Roy was relieved that he didn't hear any complaints on his Sheppard's Pie. There was still some left in one of the pans for Johnny and him. Roy served out the remaining portions onto the two clean plates on the table. Captain Hammer gave them the duty of doing the dishes before getting up from the table.
Roy gently grabbed Johnny by the forearm and led him towards the sink before he could protest while Captain Hammer headed to his office. He tossed Johnny a tea towel as he began running the dishwater. Marco and Chet went to the couch in the rec room and turned on the TV to watch the some of the coverage on the fire. Mike read the newspaper after helping them clear the dirty dishes from the table. Johnny and Roy joined Mike when they were finished doing the dishes.
"I bet Joanne will have a nice big breakfast waiting for you when you get home, huh?" Johnny said giving Roy a light nudge with his elbow.
Roy thought a moment before answering, "That's not always a given".
"Isn't Joanne going to be with Gayle tomorrow?" Mike mumbled from behind the newspaper.
"That's right. Tomorrow's Thursday and they have to go through all those items for that auction," Roy replied back.
"They're cataloging the stuff," Mike softly corrected.
Johnny looked over at Roy who could almost see the light bulb materializing over his head. "I have a great idea, pally. Why don't the two of us go out for breakfast tomorrow morning?"
"Well…I kinda have a few stops to make".
"Aww come on. We can have breakfast first at that new place down the road. What do ya say".
Roy sighed, "Yeah sure, why not".
A large grin materialized across Johnny's face. That's the same grin he gets when a Rampart nurse agrees to go out with him and most of those dates don't end well. Somehow I have a feeling that my morning tomorrow is going to be far from normal.
Roy slowly finished buttoning up his shirt before bending down to retrieve his shoes and place them on the bench. The rest of the crew stood in front of their own lockers in various states of undress. Roy removed the advertisement from the pocket of his uniform shirt before stuffing it in his duffle bag along with the rest of his dirty uniforms. He removed his wallet from the shelf of his locker and stuffed the folded piece of paper inside of it before stuffing it in the back pocket of his pants. After breakfast with Johnny then it's off to the record store first and then onto JC Penney's.
"…it's just up the road. Seems like a good place to go," Johnny said.
"Ah, yeah, sure. I'll follow you there," Roy said after missing most of what Johnny was saying.
Turning towards Marco and Chet, Johnny continued telling them about the elderly gentlemen they got called out for the middle of the night. "Unbelievable, this old tricycle's front wheel almost came up to my shoulder. Three in the morning and old Auggie decides to take this rusted old tricycle for a ride. Then he peddled the damn thing right in front of the path of an on coming car…"
Roy sat down on the bench and began putting on his shoes. He recalled the old man seemed a little confused and disoriented even though there was no indication of a head injury. Good old Augustus J. Younge and his old-fashioned tricycle. He was pretty lucky he only suffered a fractured elbow and minor scrapes on his face. Those scrapes sure bled a lot. He scared the hell out of the driver of the car that hit him.
By the time Johnny was finished telling the tale of their early morning run, Chet had finished dressing and was now waiting at the door of the locker room for Marco to finish dressing.
"Come on man. I don't have all day".
Marco muttered softly under his breath as he finished tying his one shoe, "Espero que mi coche se solucionará en breve. Odio conducir con Chet en esa máquina del sexo sobre ruedas".
"Come on Frito Bandito hurry it up," Chet said impatiently.
"Bésame el culo, Chet," Marco said as he headed towards the door.
Chet smirked as he held the door open for Marco, "You're welcome, Marco".
Mike exchanged 'good-byes' with Johnny and Roy before heading out him self. Roy sat down on the bench while Johnny continued getting ready. Johnny still was only half dressed. I wonder if Joanne's still pissed off at me. Not that I blame her. Roy's thoughts were interrupted by Johnny who had just given him a sound pat on the shoulder.
"Ready to roll, partner," Johnny said exuberantly.
Roy followed Johnny to a little restaurant just down the street from the station called 'Mae's Café' and parked his car along side Johnny's Rover in the lot. He couldn't really remember he last time he had eaten breakfast at a restaurant. Joanne usually cooked up a small brunch for the three of them on the Sunday's he wasn't working.
He slid into a booth at the far end of the café while Johnny sat across from him at the table removing his pair of Cool-Rays he hung them from the unused top button hole of his blue paisley shirt. Roy grabbed a menu from behind the napkin dispenser and opened it. After several minutes Roy closed the menu as both men waited for the waitress to come over to take their orders.
Johnny grinned, "They make a mean ham and cheese omelet here".
"I think I might just stick with eggs, bacon and hash browns," Roy replied as the waitress poured them both a cup of coffee before taking their orders.
They remained uncomfortably silent for several moments before Johnny finally broke the ice. "So umm, you mentioned you have a few stops to make this morning?"
Roy shrugged his shoulders, "Well I wanted to stop off at a record store but I'm going to JC Penney's and they have a record section there…"
An excited Johnny interrupted Roy before he could finish. "You really should check out that store…uummm…oh yeah…'The Vinyl Groove' on the corner of Torrance and Vermont Avenue".
"What's so special about that particular store," Roy said slowly.
"It is THE record store. EVERY record imaginable that store carries. You name the song this store will have it".
"Really," Roy said with a raised eyebrow.
"Now you strike me as kind of a country-western type of guy. They have George and Tammy, Jim Reeves…", Johnny started.
"Hold it right there," Roy interrupted, "What makes you think I'm into country western".
"You know, George and Tammy are playing at Knotts Berry Farm next month in the John Wayne Theater. NOW I KNOW Joanne would be eating outta your hand if you took her to see them".
"You've only met Joanne THREE times and you've got her pegged as a country-western fan too. Joanne can't stand country music and neither one of us thinks George and Tammy are gonna last".
"Oh," Johnny said like a boat that lost the wind out of his sails. "So…umm…what do you like?"
"Lawrence Welk. Joanne finds his bubbles quite stimulating," Roy said with a sly wink.
Johnny looked mortified at the though of ANYBODY finding Lawrence Welk entertaining let alone romantically exciting. He's even more square than I thought. In fact, Roy's a total cube.
Roy couldn't help be burst out into a light laugh at the pained expression on his partner's face. He would take that seriously.
"Well Johnny, I'm thinking about picking up something by Sam Cooke or Otis Redding," Roy said as he pushed his empty plate away.
Johnny gave him a relieved smile, "Hey pally, there's hope for you yet. So you're looking for something the two of you can 'cut a rug' to?"
"No I'm looking for something slow, something a little soft and sweet".
"You know what's a really nice song that one by Bob Dylan…um..ahh…," Johnny hummed a few notes quietly to himself until the name came to him, "Oh yeah, 'Lay Lady Lay'".
Roy could almost feel his heart seize at that suggestion, he was familiar with that song.
"You know Johnny that really isn't the type of song I had in mind…I mean it's a really nice song and all but it's not the kind of song I'm looking for. It figures Johnny would know the most perfecting getting laid song out there. That pretty much is what that song is about.
Johnny signaled for the waitress to come over with their bills. Yeah he's right that song is sooo not him.
Roy thumbed through the selection of 45s for Otis Redding. He was familiar enough with all of the songs but nothing seemed to fit what he was looking for. 'These Arms of Mine' was pretty close but something told Roy that he should still go over and see the selection of 45s for Sam Cooke. Roy glanced over at Johnny who was thumbing through some records nearby.
"Hey, how about this one Roy?" Johnny said holding up a 45, "You know 'Peace, Love and Bobby Sherman' and what chick doesn't dig him".
Roy moved in a little closer to read the label and blanched when he saw it. "Johnny, two words I swore to Jo I would never, ever say to her and you manage to pick a song with those two words. Jo vowed to kill me if I EVER called her 'Little Woman'. She would smother me with a pillow and bury my body in little pieces in her flower garden. Fergie would spend the rest of his doggie years digging up bits and chunks of me.
He headed down a couple of rows over scanning through the 'C' until he found a collection of 45s on Sam Cooke. He started flipping through them. 'Another Saturday Night' fits Johnny's love life, 'Chain Gang' sounds too much like work, 'Cupid' to sappy and rhymes with stupid. Great now all I can hear now is that 'stupid' song repeating itself in my head, "Stupid draw back you bow…".
Roy turned to see Johnny was still near the spot he had left him before continuing to sift through the records. 'I Love You For Sentimental Reasons' next, 'Only Sixteen' definitely not, 'Tenderness', 'Wonderful World'…wait a minute. 'Tenderness' looks like a keeper. Roy took a step backwards and was momentarily startled as he felt someone's nose lightly poke him in the back of the head.
"Hey watch it pally! You just about done, Roy? I'd like to sack out before noon today" Johnny said directly into the back of his head.
Roy stepped to the side so he could face his 'tailgater'. "Yeah, I'm done," he said then he grabbed one of the first records in the section and held it up to Johnny. "This sounds like your next weekend off?"
"Ha ha, very funny," Johnny said noticing Roy was holding up 'Another Saturday Night'.
Johnny's face suddenly lit up, "Hey that would make a great 'gift' to leave in Chet's locker next shift".
Roy felt the dread coating his stomach in the same manner as a dose of Pepto-Bismol, "Junior, don't start something that's going to make the rest of us suffer".
"Come'on Roy this is too good to pass up," Johnny triumphantly smiled as he grabbed the record from Roy's hand. "Thanks pally, I owe you one".
I have a feeling I'm going to be the one paying over the next several shifts over that little gift you have planned for Chet…
Author's Notes:
This is Spanish translation of what Marco said. I will admit I used the software translation feature in Microsoft Word and one from the Internet so there may be inaccuracies in my Spanish.
I hope my car gets fixed soon. I hate driving around with Chet in that sex machine on wheels.
Kiss my ass, Chet.
Cool-Ray sunglasses were manufactured by Polaroid not to be confused with the Ray-Ban sunglasses originally developed by Bauch and Lomb.
