Chapter 12

Roy slid the mic back into the holder after notifying the LACOFD dispatcher of their intent to head to the hospital. Throwing the squad into drive, he felt the dog adjust her head as he moved his leg to accelerate. She heaved a contented sigh, closed her eyes, and judging by the soft snores that were now emitting from her half opened mouth, fell asleep within seconds. He raised a surprised eyebrow and bestowed a quick glance towards the other human on the seat; Johnny appeared equally relaxed, his lanky body slouched down in the seat. His head was turned towards his window but DeSoto knew he wasn't dozing because over the noise of the wind rushing through the windows and the crunch of the gravel under the wheels, he could hear snatches of humming. The tune sounded suspiciously like the one Gage had been whistling hours earlier in the yard of the cat guy.

He allowed himself a smile as the words to the song filtered unbidden into his mind and brought back a memory of watching the Dr. Doolittle movie upon its release with his wife at the Norwalk Drive-in. Only married a couple of months, they had very little money but really enjoyed their weekly trips to the outdoor theater. A tub of popcorn, a couple of sodas, and that spacious bench seat in his 1960 Chevy Impala had all combined for a romantic evening out.

"That guy from Station 14, what the devil was he going on about before he got in their truck? Could you see what he was waving above his head?" Johnny's questions broke his pleasant reminiscing.

"Uh, I think that was a piece of barbed wire…I guess Kelly collects it or something," he finally answered as he remembered the incident as well as the name of the lineman who was subbing for that station. He slowed the squad, and made the turn onto the paved road.

"Kelly, Kelly, is that Chet Kelly from over at Hollywood? I've bumped into him a few times at responses but I don't think I've ever met him."

"Yeah that's him." Roy decided to keep his lips firmly sealed as to the rumor flying about that Kelly was going to be their A shift lineman, as well as the gossip that Mr. Kelly was a serious prankster. Johnny was already complaining about the mild jokes being pulled on him by their temporary shift mates; he could only imagine what shenanigans Kelly was going to pull when he caught sight of the often naïve medic next to him.

Johnny went back to his humming, one hand still stroking the sleeping dog and the other tapping the song on his bent knee. The tune stopped as he leaned forward and dropped his foot to the floor. "That truck doesn't have crates of chickens on the top, does it?" He asked, squinting, trying to see what the vehicle in front of them was carrying.

"No, it looks more like bales of hay," DeSoto decided out loud as they moved closer and their headlights illuminated the green bales stacked upon the flatbed. The words were no sooner out of his mouth when one of the two stranded, fifty pound bales slid from its precarious purchase at the top of the stack and flew towards them. There was no time to do anything but step on the brakes; if he jerked the wheel either way DeSoto was afraid that the hay would go through the window and smash one of them to oblivion.

The chunk of fodder hit the squad's hood square in the center and then proceeded to bounce up and over the windshield.* Roy bit his lip and pulled the truck onto the shoulder of the road before looking over at Johnny; his partner returned the same relieved expression. They got out at the same time, Roy half rolling the window up and closing his door to keep the dog inside. Standing shoulder to shoulder near the rear compartment of the squad, they scanned the road but the bouncy bale was nowhere in sight. Johnny slowly turned in a half circle and nudged his partner.

"Look at that, would ya?"

Roy followed the direction of the pointing chin and located the hay sitting astride their air bottles. He shook his head at the sight and strolled to the back of the squad and climbed up. John moved over to the driver's door and leaned casually against it watching as DeSoto moved forward and scrutinized the bale.

"What do you think we should do with it?"

"Weeelllllll, after you get it off our bottles," Johnny drawled lazily; he bent his arm and flexed his muscles with a cheeky grin as if challenging Roy's ability to shift the bale. "How about we drop it off at that ostrich farm? It's around here somewhere, isn't it?"

Running a hand along the rough edge of the hay, Roy ignored the muscle challenge and nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, it sure is. It'll only take us a few minutes out of our way…"

"Good deal….." Johnny paused in whatever he was about to say as the dog inside the cab suddenly shot her head out of the driver's window and growled low in her throat. "What's the matter…..oh no!"

A wild scramble and Gage grabbed the chrome bar and swung himself with amazing strength and agility up and over, landing on his knees on top of their equipment filled compartments. The older paramedic lifted a questioning eyebrow but then noticed the cause of John's haste. Five coyotes, their eyes glowing with menacing yellow intensity in the predawn light, had loped silently across the adjoining field and were now ten feet away. The stealthy approach that had gone unnoticed by the medics had not escaped the apparently sensitive hearing and smell of the stray.

"Tricksters," the dark haired man muttered under his breath, resting a knee next to the rail and leaning towards the half opened window. "Stay….girl….stay!"

"I wouldn't imagine that would be a good mix, dog and coyote," Roy theorized uneasily. "Especially when dog is outnumbered by…."

Johnny interrupted with a rude snort. "Yeah, but she isn't seeing it that way."

The dog in question was struggling to squeeze her body through the window, growls still emitting from her teeth bared mouth. Johnny spoke sharply to her again and she subsided somewhat, dropping back onto the seat with a low whine, but remaining vigilant.

"Ok, now I'm wishing you really COULD talk to the animals."

"What?" Gage asked, straightening back up and shooting a confused look over his shoulder. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Roy ran a weary hand over his face, wondering if he looked as bad as his partner did. Probably not, especially with the faint but obvious black eyes the other man was sporting. "You know, Dr. Doolittle, that song you were humming earlier?"

"Humming, I don't hum!" He declared indignantly, thumping a hand against his chest. He dropped down onto both knees and leaned back on his toes; Roy instinctively threw out a hand to keep John from falling over backward into the narrow space he was currently occupying next to the air bottles and already sharing with the green fodder. Johnny shot another look over his shoulder but this time he was grinning as he repositioned himself. "Thanks, forgot where I was for a moment. Yeah, I guess I was humming, wasn't I?"

He turned his head back to watch the coyotes, who were circling around the truck with ears flat and mouths closed. Definitely hungry, or they wouldn't have approached this close, he mused. He tilted forward and scanned the animals a little closer before rising to his feet and walking over to the other side.

"Are the keys in the ignition?" He asked.

DeSoto smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yes, they are. What exactly do you have in mind?"

Johnny turned away without answering, leaned over their light bar to scrutinize the animals, and then dropped to his knees once again next to the rail. The coyotes, as if sensing his intentions, gathered by the front fender on his side and stared at him. He paused and rested an arm across the hay as he noted their undivided attention.

"Ummm, maybe you could cause a diversion, you know, get them over to the other side of the squad?"

"And miss whatever it is you're planning on doing, Junior?" Roy inquired mildly, having his suspicions but slightly miffed that his question was being ignored. He looked at the five air bottles lined up and dismissed that idea; he briefly contemplated throwing his new partner overboard but decided that defeated the purpose of both of them getting out of their odd predicament. Shaking his head and smiling at his thinking, he maneuvered to the end of the truck and unfastened the fire extinguisher.

Emulating Johnny, he hauled himself up onto the polished paint of the squared off, u-shaped top of the bed and proceeded to the cab. He swung a leg up over the light bar and awkwardly worked over the other leg, standing upright with his legs against the windshield. Making sure he didn't stomp on the wiper blades, he inched his way over to the right side of the hood, hoping the coyotes wouldn't jump up to join him.

"Are you ready?" He hissed out of the side of his mouth, keeping his eyes trained on the animals, unwilling to turn his head and check Gage's position.

"Oh yeah, fire away!" Johnny responded eagerly. He waited for the distinct sound of the extinguisher and the hurried scrabble of toenails on the hard road before swinging his legs through the open window. He poured the rest of his body inside, bumped the dog onto the floor, and took up position in the driver's seat. Firing up the engine, he paused long enough to let his partner plop butt first down on the hood, threw it into drive ,and slowly accelerated back onto the road.

The coyotes scattered across the adjoining field and Johnny grinned at Roy's position; he was sitting cross-legged and wielding the extinguisher like a machine gun. The last straggler shot into the scraggly bushes and Gage drove another three hundred yards before stopping. Roy scrambled off the hood and pushing the dog aside, settled into the cab with a loud grunt. He placed his weapon on the floor and looked over the now sitting dog's head at his counterpart.

"That was…wild, wasn't it?" The shepherd cocked her head at the question, extended a paw, and laid it delicately on Roy's thigh.

"That it was! Good idea, man, using the extinguisher for a distraction," Johnny agreed, snickering at the dog's actions. He resumed driving at a cautious pace, thinking about the hay bale still teetering on the bottles. He cranked down the window the rest of the way and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, paying close attention to the side roads that intersected the paved one that they were traveling on. Roy busied himself with flicking his pen light over their Thomas map book, checking for the road they needed.

Several more minutes of driving brought them to the washboard roughness of the side roads and then the equally bumpy driveway they had traversed earlier that day. Mr. Childes, pitchfork in hand, met them at the doorway to the barn and accepted the hay bale graciously. They commiserated about being awake and working at that early hour, cheerfully admitted they hadn't had a chance to try their ostrich egg yet but would hopefully cook it when they returned to the station, and asked the older man to give their hellos to his pigtailed daughter. He admired the dog that had followed them out of the truck; their canine friend sprinkled the bushes off to the side of the barn before obediently returning and sitting at the paramedics' feet. She lapped delicately at the pan of water the man set in front of her while they finished their conversation.

Mr. Childes watched them turn around and trundle slowly down his driveway, waving a hand in farewell before returning to his chores. Johnny, who had been too slow to grab the driver's side, was watching the retreating farm in his side mirror. He waved a hand out the window in response and settled back sulkily in his seat, yawning widely and then unconsciously rubbing his hands up and down both arms, scratching. He focused on the sun as it exploded fully over the horizon and dispelled the last of the night shadows.

"Whatcha gonna do when you get off shift?"

"You mean after I get some sleep, right?" Roy queried back, his words muffled as his mouth stretched in response to John's contagious yawning.

"Sure, and whatever else the married life routine entails…" he waggled his eyebrows in a fair imitation of Groucho Marx as he spoke, mouth twisted with amusement.

DeSoto scowled but then grinned at his bachelor partner. "Someday you'll find out, Junior."

A short pause ensued while Johnny muttered "oh pleaseeeeee"; he broke out laughing when Roy added in a monotone, "all about the dishpan hands, dirty diapers, putting the seat down on the toilet…."

"But seriously Johnny, I love being married, you do know I was kidding right?" The words rushed together in a long sentence when Roy realized Gage didn't know him well enough to consider that a joke, plus there was the fact that he was staring thoughtfully at him, all traces of mirth gone.

"Oh sure, no problem," he assured him, nodding emphatically to emphasize his answer. "I mean, what do I know anyway about being married? I don't have time to think about it what with the all night parties, the girls hanging all over me, and a zero maintenance apartment. Know what I mean, old man?"

Roy frowned at him, choked on the sarcastic retort that somehow stuck in his throat, and was startled and amazed when the dog immediately whined in concern and slapped a wet tongue across his cheek. He had to pull over the squad, not so much as to get his coughing under control, but to ward off the saliva bath and the thumping Gage was delivering flat handed to his back.

"I'm okay, I'm okay!" He protested, squirming sideways to avoid both the tongue and the hand. Johnny subsided and the shepherd followed suit, lying back on the seat with her nose against Roy's thigh and her coffee with milk eyes following his every move.

Clearing his throat, he pulled back onto the road and glanced down at the dog. She had closed her eyes but as soon as he moved his hand she immediately resumed her watchfulness. "We probably should name this old girl," he pondered, ruffling her ears. **

"Umm, yeah, that's a good idea, why don't you have your kids give her a handle?" A wide smile graced Gage's face as he realized the stray was going to find a home with his new partner.

"My son maybe, I don't think my girl is up to the task yet…" Roy mused, wondering what his wife was going to say when he sprang this surprise on her. Christopher was going to be over the moon when he saw the new addition; that reaction would probably go a long ways to jump starting JoAnne's acceptance.

They joined the rush hour traffic on the city streets, heading towards the hospital for the long delayed first aid to their multiple scratches, bruises, and any other minor injuries they might have accumulated. A bit of smoke inhalation too, Johnny realized, as he coughed and felt the familiar irritation in his throat as well as the ominous rumble in his chest. Roy flashed him a sympathetic look at the sound and threaded the truck through the parking lot at Rampart. He backed it into an end spot close to the Emergency entrance but not in their normal spot to the side of the doors.

"Think she'll be okay in here?" He asked as he climbed out, leaving his window half rolled up. The dog, whose attention had focused on Johnny at his first cough, turned her head and raised the black eyebrows. Roy laughed, figuring his question had been answered even though it was unlikely she had understood it.

Extracting himself from the vehicle after softly commanding their concerned guardian to "stay", John wiped the drool off his face and closed the door. He caught up to Roy at the sliding doors where he was standing to the side and hesitating.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. What's wrong?" Johnny asked, looking his partner up and down but not seeing anything obvious.

DeSoto pulled at a suspender and tapped his fingers against his t-shirt. "It's weird, but I feel kinda under dressed."

With a snicker, Johnny hooked his thumb back towards the truck. "If it's bothering you so much, you can use my turnout coat."

"No, I think I'll pass, but thanks. I'll just lay low and hope nobody notices my lack of, uh, proper attire?"

"Nothing wrong with what you're wearing; we come in here all the time at night wearing our turnouts." Done with the conversation, Johnny stomped on the mat and activated the doors, feeling his stomach rumble with hunger. He strolled inside and down the hall, hearing the thump of boots behind him. He rounded the corner, just missing the sharp corner of the wall mounted cupboard.

"They really need to park something here, or take that thing down," he complained, slapping an annoyed hand against the offending storage cabinet and rubbing the side of his face that had just missed it.

Roy nodded and grabbed a gurney that was parked against the opposite wall. He lined it up with the corner and locked the brakes on the wheels. "That will do for now and maybe Brackett or Dixie can come up with something more permanent."

The scowl on Gage's face disappeared to be replaced by a crooked grin. Roy thought his actions were the cause of it until he saw the direction in which Johnny was staring. An attractive nurse was standing next to the admittance desk sorting through paperwork.

"Hey, give me just a minute, would ya?" John said absently, taking a step in the direction of the siren's call.

Roy grabbed the hem of his blue jacket and tugged, effectively halting the forward progression. "You might want to go look in the mirror before heading over there; unless she goes for the pitiful look, I'd say you don't have a chance."

Gage whirled, mouth open in horror. "Aw man, you're right! Let's get out of here…"

"The only direction you're going is towards the supply counter, partner. Keep your back to her and maybe she won't notice you. Come on, Romeo, and don't you have a date with Delores after we get off work?" He tugged on his arm and towed the unwilling man towards the desk, happy to see Dixie McCall already seated there. She looked up as the bedraggled duo appeared in front of her.

"Oh Johnny and Roy, this is a nice surprise! Although from the looks of you both…" she paused, rose to her feet, and came around the counter. "What in the world have you two been doing?"

"It's a long story, Dix, one that requires some beer and a lot of time to tell it," Johnny explained, purposely keeping his head lowered and his body angled away from the new nurse.

"Oh, well then, some other time I guess. Joe is in two if you boys want him to look you over," the head nurse replied, keeping her disappointment in check. Roy asked if something could be done about the hazard on the corner; after they had her reassurance about fixing the problem, the men said their goodbyes and headed for the treatment room.

Dr. Early looked up from a medical tome he was perusing when the paramedics entered. He smiled, closing the heavy book with a thud. "Saved from hours of boredom by Los Angeles finest…what can I do for you?"

~eeeEEEeee~

Wearily leaning against the wall, the older medic watched as the doctor finished his partner's exam. He wondered about the subtle flinching and pulling away that Johnny had exhibited when Early had started, as well as the suddenly zipped lips. Not rude but just completely quiet, as if his mind had wandered far from the sterile environment of the room. Trying to stifle a yawn, Roy shrugged and leaned harder, thinking that it was probably nothing more than adrenaline, energy, or whatever draining from both of their bodies.

"Well, John, nothing broken and your lungs sound about the same as Roy's, not bad enough for a breathing treatment but congested enough to let me know if it gets worse. Keep coughing the gook out, and try to rest as much as you can on your days off." Dr. Early hung the stethoscope back around his neck and stepped away from the table, picking up the tube of antibiotic ointment and handing it to his patient. "Keep on top of those scratches too, you have some deep ones."

Johnny accepted the tube, laying it down next to him while he pulled his dirty t-shirt on over his head. Picking up his jacket and the ointment, he nodded as he slid off the table. "Sure Doc, no problem."

As Gage's stomach rumbled once again, Roy checked his watch and straightened up from his lazy position. "Plenty of time to get back and scramble that egg up, Johnny, don't you think?"

"How does one egg feed your whole station?" Early asked, plainly confused. Johnny, his energy apparently back, started to explain using his hands as an indicator for how big the egg was. He was backing towards the door as he spoke when a thunderous noise erupted from the hall outside; the men froze for a second as the sound of what sounded like many booted feet, screams, and masculine yells filled the small room.

"Man, no way, but that sounds like a stampede!" John yelled incredulously over the increasing din, turning towards the door. He was pushed back by it swinging inward, knocking him backwards into Joe, who in turn was propelled all the way to the wall. Roy, who was still standing off to the side, stared in disbelief at the black and white apparition that had caused the domino effect.

"By God, Johnny, you're right! It is a stampede, a stampede of milk cows? Milk cows in Rampart Emergency, what in the world?" He stuttered out, unable to get around the cow; she placidly turned her head and gazed at him with huge, dark eyes.

"She's a Holstein cow to be precise," Dr. Early informed them just as calmly, watching as Gage disentangled himself, shot him a sheepish grin, skirted around the exam table, carefully nudged the cow's hind end over, and slipped through the door. He twisted the ring on his finger before reaching out and scratching the cow's forehead. "Do you know that cows can go up the stairs, but have great difficulty coming down?"

"Uh, no, I didn't know that," the medic admitted, relieved to hear the roar beyond the wall had already subsided. He tentatively pushed against her side but she wasn't as eager to accommodate him as she had for Johnny and remained firmly planted in place. He leaned back to dodge the swishing tail and started to go around; Dr. Early asked him to remain in the exam room.

"It sounds like they have everything under control out there and I don't want her spooked by any more movement in here." He explained quietly.

Roy rocked back on his heels but remained where he was, curious as to how the doctor knew so much about cows. He was relieved after several more long minutes to see the door swing open enough to allow his partner to slide back in. "How's it look out there?"

John smiled, eyes flashing with mirth. "It looks pretty much under control, although Dixie was still standing on the counter swinging her purse like a lasso. There's about six or seven of those cows being herded by, now get this…. that intern Mike Morton, down the hall and out the doors. I guess Animal Control was close by and made a corral out in the parking lot using cars. Here, Doc, I grabbed a rope out the squad so she can join her friends."

Joe Early chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief at both Mike's and Dixie's actions. He eyed the door, wondering if he would have time to catch a glimpse of her playing rodeo queen. Patting the cow's shoulders, he took the rope Johnny handed him and slipped it around her neck. He paused and looked under her.

"Mm, this little lady is in distress. Hand me that pan over there, John, and Roy, hold her head would you?"

He moved over to the sink and washed his hands while a quizzical look shot between the paramedics. They did as requested, Johnny retrieving the clean bowl from the wash station; the other one was dirty with the soapy water they had used earlier.

They were further astounded when the highly trained medical man casually knelt down next to the Holstein, placed the bowl under her udder, leaned his forehead against her side, and began milking her with practiced moves. There was no sound in the room for a long moment except for the out of place sound of milk streaming into the pan.

"Doc, where'd you learn to do that?" Johnny finally asked, his expression a mix of disbelief and laughter.

"I grew up on a farm where we had a handful of cows, chickens, and a bull of course, as well as a pair of draft horses. That was a wonderful way to grow up," Joe reminisced fondly. "You fellas ever had fresh milk?

Roy replied in the negative while John conceded that it had been a long time. After Early had finished, he lifted the almost full basin up to the gurney and set it down carefully. "Shall we give it a try, and see if it is as good as I remember?"

Opening cupboards, Gage grabbed a package of IV tubing and opened it. He cut the piece into three sections with his scissors and handed them off. Grinning, they stuck their makeshift straws into the sterilized pan and tried the frothy liquid.

"Oh brother, now I've really seen everything!" Dixie's exclamation broke up their slurping taste test; she stood in the doorway, one hand holding the door away from the back end of the cow and the other on her hip. All three men looked up guiltily.

"I assume you're referring to the black and white lady standing in the middle of the treatment room?" The doctor asked cautiously, smiling even wider as the paramedics dropped their heads and resumed their drinking. He winked and joined them.

"Oh, that's exactly what I meant," she snorted, tossing her head. "I suppose I should be glad that you didn't use a bedpan for the milk. Could we perhaps remove the animal so I can get this room disinfected before shift change?"

Johnny choked, snickered, and pulled his tube out, licking the end so it didn't drip. He wiped his mouth and tossed the straw into the trash. "Sure thing Nurse McCall, want to give me a hand, Roy? Thanks for the demonstration and the milk, Doctor Early, it's pretty tasty."

DeSoto concurred, throwing away his trash and pushing one end of the gurney against the cupboards while John did the other end. They somehow managed to turn the cow around and the younger medic led her from the room. Dixie, who had stepped into the hallway, shook her head.

"Hey, so what's the story on these cows anyway? Who brought them in here, and why?" Johnny asked curiously, pausing once the beast was completely out of the room. Roy hovered in the doorway, waiting, while Joe peered over his shoulder and listened.

"It was a handful of college kids; one of them was in here for treatment after a party, and his father told him he had to pay the bill. So he got the wonderful idea of raiding his family's dairy farm and dumping the poor animals off to pay it."

"Sounds like we got the better end of the deal," Early observed wryly as the cow began to lift her tail in preparation for a further mess on the floor.

Johnny noted the movement and hurriedly pulled her rope, followed by a trotting Roy as they hastily clomped out of sight. Dixie looked at the doctor and pointed a finger at him, her smile finally appearing. "You better have saved me some of that milk, Joe Early!"

~eeeEEEeee~

After leading the cow into the parking lot and adding her to the herd already gathered in the makeshift corral, the medics returned to the hospital to wash up. No further interruptions delayed them from returning to the Carson station, except for two quick stops - one to let their squirmy passenger do her business in the weeds and another for Gage to buy a bag of dog food. He fed her several handfuls as they approached the barn, wisely limiting her intake since they were unsure of when she had last eaten. Both men were quiet as they backed into the apparatus bay, looking forward to the end of shift, showers, and clean clothes.

Johnny sniffed as they climbed out, the German shepherd on his heels. "You know, that smells suspiciously like eggs cooking. Or to be more precise, one egg cooking!"

They looked at each other and bolted into the day room, where they were surprised to see Captain Hammer standing at the stove with an apron on and a spatula in his hand. Another glance passed between them and they moved closer to the breakfast chef.

"Good morning, Captain, what smells so good?" Roy asked diplomatically, leaning sideways to see what was in the large skillet.

"I have been assured by the knowledgeable engine crew that I am scrambling up an ostrich egg, along with potatoes and bacon. I was doubtful about whether that's what it was, as I was leaning more towards dinosaur, but I think they are spot on with their expertise. Soup's on, boys….." he called, and the rest of the crew sauntered in from the garage, checking out the stray. Johnny had her lie down near the couch; aside from lifting her head to watch his progress back to the table, she remained in place, nose quivering.

The meal was consumed quickly, with satisfied grunts acknowledging both their Cap's good cooking as well as the acceptable taste of the odd egg. Since Johnny had again missed his cooking duties, he tackled the cleanup with his partner offering assistance, while the crew dispersed to the locker room to change. They soon joined them there and as the next shift trickled in, one by one the engineer and linemen left.

"Gotta say, that was one weird twenty four hours." Roy commented, gathering up all his dirty clothing and stuffing it into his bag. He felt better after eating, and the coughing had subsided to an occasional clearing of the throat.

"It sure was. Wonder where our replacements are?" Johnny closed his locker door, tossed his bulging bag on the floor next to his turnout pants and boots, and hopped clumsily over to one of the mirrors. He finished pulling on his shoe and peered at his face in the mirror, sighing at the sight.

As if in answer to his question, Captain Hammer strolled in. "Roy, John, I need one of you to stay for about an hour longer. Smidtz is running late."

DeSoto looked at Johnny's reflection; his partner stared back and then shrugged his shoulders. "I'll do it, Cap, no problem."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. DeSoto, Garcia is already in the kitchen, in uniform, so you can leave. I'll see you next shift." He paused at the door and half turned, surveying the medic as he toed off his shoes and flung his button down shirt onto the nearest bench. "And Gage?"

"Yes, sir?" The words came out muffled through the fabric of the black t-shirt he was now pulling over his head.

"Like I said, I appreciate you working over, but …..Get a haircut!" Their leader commanded and exited the room, smiling once he was out of sight.

Johnny groaned and tossed the shirt into his locker. He snagged a new white tee from the package and yanked it on. "Sounds exactly like how my shift started, the captain telling me to get my act together."

"You WERE pretty disheveled when you showed up twenty four hours ago," Roy consoled softly, zipping up his bag. "You'd better call your date, let her know you're going to be running late."

Another roll of the shoulders and Gage smiled as he stepped into the heavy pants and yanked them up. "She'll know when I don't show up on time. I called her earlier and told her we couldn't go to the beach, so she's just meeting me at my apartment."

"You're going to let her hang outside waiting for you?"

"Delores has a key, Roy. What kind of guy do you think I am?" Yanking up his suspenders, Johnny glared at him and almost tripped over the shepherd, who had rose to her feet at his tone and moved up behind him. "Come on girl, you can hang out with me some more before I drop you off at the vets for a checkup. At least someone around here isn't judgmental."

Roy halted the duo with a raised hand. "I think you're a great guy, Johnny. And I also think we're going to make a terrific team."

"You do, huh? Well, thanks I guess." A grin appeared on his face as he thought it over. "Yeah, you're right; we've had a pretty good beginning, haven't we?"

"That we have."

They headed out into the garage and stopped as the tones and the dispatcher's voice interrupted their camaraderie.

"Squad 51, man trapped by an alligator, 1632 Adams Street, cross streets Williams and Ames, William and Ames, time out 08:10."

John Gage's yell echoed through the area, followed by a mournful howl from his sympathetic canine. "You have got to be kidding me!"

~FINI~

A/N * Yep, one of those true experiences – mine was pretty much the same, on a dark country road, my fiancé driving, and a hay bale flying off the truck in front of us. Luckily, the only damage was a small dent in the hood as it bounced up and over the car.

** Names for the dog – I need suggestions folks, both ones that a small boy would suggest, as well as names that a firefighter would come up with!