ROCK ME GENTLY

By: Lady Gage

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Chapter Nine

They had been digging a fire line for hours when they were relieved and told to report to camp. Four very exhausted firemen boarded their engine and melted into their respective seats. Four sets of eyes slid closed and heads leaned against the side of the cabin or the back of their seats. They didn't move for a few minutes.

Captain Stanley was first to raise his leaning head and pry his gritty eyes back open. "You okay to drive us back?"

Mike raised his head from his folded arms where he had been leaning across the large steering wheel of Engine 51 and squinted over at his boss. He didn't speak but reached for the ignition key and cranked the engine.

"Guess that means yes." Hank Stanley trusted his engineer. Mike had never let him down before, and knowing the man he never would. He slid down a little so he could rest his head on the back of his seat. "Wake me up when we get there." His eyes closed before he could get an answer, but in his mind's eye he knew Mike had flashed him a tired grin. They had played out this scenario too many times to not know how Mike would respond.

Steering the big rig seemed harder than ever with the fatigue in his arms. Thankfully they didn't have far to go. Mike backed the engine in line with the other engines and shut her down. He looked over at Hank and glanced back at Chet and Marco. They were all asleep. The temptation to just lay his head down on the big steering wheel and sleep lasted only for a minute. They were needed on the lines again by sun up unless a miracle happened overnight to contain the beast. "Cap." Mike called out and received no movement to indicate he had been heard. He tried again this time a little louder. "Cap…we're here."

Hank cracked one eye open and looked wearily at Mike. "Here?"

"Camp."

"Oh…okay." Hank shifted and slowly sat up rubbing his face. "Chet, Marco…up and at'em.

Out of habit Marco rose up and swung down from the rig before realizing they weren't at the station. He landed on hard dirt and dust kicked up from his boots. He turned from side to side trying to decide which way to go before turning back to the rig to see where his crew mates were. "Uh, Cap?"

"We're in tent three." Mike told Marco as he climbed out. "There's food in the mess tent. They suggest we eat while we can before bedding down."

Marco looked around at the makeshift tent village and noticed Squad 51 parked among the row of squads. "Hey Roy and Brice are here somewhere." He pointed to the squad.

"They just radioed available. They've been on several runs in the last couple of hours."

Marco looked over at Mike with questioning eyes.

Mike shrugged, "What it's my part of my job to monitor the radio. Force of habit."

Marco smiled back at Mike. "Sure…sure it is." He slung his arm over Mike's shoulder. "Let's see if we can find them." The lineman and engineer walked around to the other side of the engine and waited for Chet and Captain Stanley to catch up to them.

Chet didn't make a sound or any attempt to move. Captain Stanley reached in and pinched his hand. "HEY! Chet called out as he nearly jumped from his seat.

"Come on Kelly. Let's go." Captain Stanley spoke in his no nonsense Captain's voice.

Chet rubbed his eyes and climbed down to join the rest of the crew.

"We'll eat first and then I suggest we get as much shut eye as we can. I'm not sure when they will call us back to the line." Cap gave his instructions as they trudged over to find something to eat. None of them had much appetite, but from experience knew they had to try. Tomorrow it would be hard to keep up the pace if they didn't refuel.

Entering the tent where sandwiches and drinks were set up on a long table the crew grabbed what they wanted on the way past and found Roy and Brice at a table toward the back.

"Hey Roy!" Chet called out as they neared the two paramedics.

Roy smiled at his crew mates. "Good to see you guys." He reached out and squeezed Marco's shoulder as he sat down next to him. "You look beat."

Captain Stanley studied the two paramedics. Roy had worry written all over his face. "Any word on John?"

Roy rubbed his hand over his face and sighed. "No. We never made it back to Rampart. We've been on several runs, but another team handled transport."

Mike studied Roy as he spoke. He knew that if there was something to worry about Roy would know and by the way he looked there was plenty. He took a bite of his sandwich which tasted like cardboard and reached for his drink to try to wash it down. He glanced over at Chet and Marco to see if their sandwiches were as dry and unappetizing as his. They seemed perfectly content with theirs. Instead of more sandwich, Mike reached next for the banana he had picked up and pulled the skin back. There was a dark bruise down the length of the fruit. "Oh man." He whispered disconsolately.

Brice glanced up at the fruit. "It's still okay to eat it you know."

"Yeah, but half of enjoying a meal is the eye appeal." He folded the skin back over the bruised area and laid the banana back down on the table. "You can have it if you want it." Mike reached for his drink again; then picked up the tasteless substitute for a sandwich. "I'll just finish this. I'm too tired to eat anyway."

Hank finished his sandwich and balled up the wrapper. "Okay men, I think we need to find our cots." He slid his chair back and clapped his hands together.

Chet and Marco rose from their seats and cleared their trash.

"Brice and I are still on until 36's gets back from Rampart. We'll meet you guys at the tent." Roy made no move to get up.

Brice, however, began clearing his own trash. He stopped and grabbed Mike's discarded banana, pulled back the peel and ate the bruised fruit. "It is still good." He exclaimed after he finished. "No sense in wasting it."

Mike just silently pushed his chair back and walked away tossing his trash as he passed by the can. "I'm going to check the engine before turning in Cap."

Mike needed some time to think. More than anything he wanted to send up a prayer for Johnny. He crossed back over to the engine and climbed up on the hose bed. The night sky was ablaze with the orange hue from the fire. Smoke lingered in the treetops near the camp wrapping around the limbs and obscuring the view to the upper most branches. The air carried a burnt stench. He lay back on the hose with his hands behind his head and crossed his ankles; within a few moments he was fast asleep.

As his body relaxed and the tension from hours of swinging an axe and shoveling slipped away he began to dream.

He moved closer to Johnny and ran his hands down his arms, back up and across the smooth skin of his chest; then down to his thin waist where he pulled him closer. He could feel the slight tremble as Johnny's body pressed against his. Stopping for just a moment he looked up into Johnny's darkened eyes. "Hey." He said playfully.

Johnny's beautifully masculine eyes were like windows to his heart and were framed by the longest lashes he'd ever seen on anyone, male or female. In them Mike saw acceptance and desire; he also saw love: the love a long time friend develops for another, but even more than that… the love only two souls meant to be together can possess. Mike lost himself in Johnny's eyes. His mouth captured Johnny's sweet, made for tasting full lips in a hungry kiss, pulling the luscious lips between his teeth and sucking lightly, teasing.

Their lips parted but they didn't back away. They stood with their foreheads together breathing deeply; surprised at the force of their desire. Mike noticed Johnny watching him from hooded eyes filled with a mysterious intensity as though he searched for something. He angled his head, slid his hand behind Mike's neck and pulled him in for another kiss.

"Stoker!"

Mike was jolted from his dream by his Captain's call. He sat up panting and sweaty and looked toward the source of the call to see the crew heading his way. Knowing they must have been called out he moved to the rear of the engine. "What's going on Cap?" He asked as he made his way down from the hose bed.

Hank noticed the flushed look his engineer had on his face as he climbed down and the breathless way he spoke. He dismissed it deciding he must have startled the man and right now they didn't have time to discuss it. "There's been a flashover. Fire jumped the lines. Everyone is being called back in." Hank explained as he pulled his SCBA from the engine. "Let's move."

Mike sprung into action with the rest of the crew. As soon as they were all on board he had the engine in motion.

"Did you get any sleep?"

"Uh…yeah…a little. You?" Mike glanced over at Cap. He could tell by looking the answer would be not much, but he waited anyway.

"We were down for about an hour." Hank blew a breath between his lips. "Seemed like five minutes, but it'll have to do for now."

"An hour?" Mike was astonished. It seemed to him like a few minutes. "Are we headed back to the same spot?"

"No three miles up from there and to the east."

The engine followed in line with the other ones also called back to battle. As they drew closer to the new fire line the smoke thickened and in the distance flames could be seen lapping at the tree tops and spinning wildly into the night sky. This would be a long night.