Returning the Favor
Chapter 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The new paramedic tentatively walked up to the firehouse located at King and Arthur. Before going inside, he'd paused to look across the street to the police station, remembering his time there. He looked around at the police officers coming and going to see if he could spot Officer Boscorelli, but he didn't. He continued inside and heard voices and laughter coming from the rear of the building.
He straightened his uniform, slung his bag over his shoulder and walked toward the noise. He approached the doorway and smelled the fresh coffee brewing and the good-natured teasing that was going on at the expense of someone named Carlos. He stood in the doorway listening to the banter for a moment to try to get a sense of the people he would be working with.
"Carlos, I swear! You are too easy to bust on," came the taunt from a dark-haired man with deep dimples on both sides of his face. He wore a FDNY sweatshirt over his work uniform.
"Yeah, well don't feel that you have to take advantage of it so often," argued back the man at the table with the stethescope dangling from around his neck. The new medic assumed this was the man taking the brunt of the teasing.
There were a bunch of other guys standing around and two women; one a blonde who was sitting on the counter in the corner sipping a cup of coffee and trying not to giggle. The other had longer brown hair and was high-fiving the dimpled firefighter as she walked over to the other female. She glanced at the doorway and saw him standing there.
"Hey," she said with a smile and walked toward him. "You must be the new guy. Welcome to the 5-5. I'm Kim Zambrano," she said, extending her hand in greeting. He took her hand and shook it as she gently pulled him into the room while they were shaking hands.
"Hey," replied the medic shyly. "I'm Littrell Griffith and I guess I'm supposed to be working here," he said, looking around and noticing the warmth that radiated from everyone in the room. He immediately sensed that this was a close group. He hoped that he'd be able to fit in with them. He wasn't too used to being friends with a lot of people at the same time.
"Well, you couldn't have gotten assigned to a better house than this," said Jimmy Doherty as he stood up and introduced himself to Griffith. He continued around the room. "I'm Jimmy Doherty. The other firefighters are Joe Lombardo; D.K.; Billy Walsh; and Captain Anderson; The others here are the medics: Doc Parker; and you met Kim Zambrano. This person is kind of a hybrid - somedays she's a firefigter and somedays she's a medic; Alex Taylor," Jimmy said finishing up as each person introduced either nodded or waved at the new medic.
"Hey! What am I, invisible?" asked Carlos, looking at Jimmy.
"Oh, sorry. That's our house mascot, Carlos Nieto," Jimmy teased again. Carlos promptly threw a wadded-up napkin at Jimmy, who dodged it causing it to hit Doc.
Doc stood up, trying not to laugh and attempting to come to Carlos' defense. He made sure that the napkin connected with Jimmy and walked over to shake Littrell's hand, "Actually, Carlos is one of our medics also. I'm the supervisor of the shift. You're going to be riding with Alex and Kim today. They'll show you where to store your gear and then give you a tour of the bus." Doc patted the man on the back and shook his head in sympathy. Carlos got up, shook his hand and as he stepped around him to follow Doc, Littrell heard him quietly say, "Finally, new meat."
Kim and Alex heard the comment and looked at Littrell. "What does that mean?" asked the new medic.
"Well, I'm sorry to say that it means that you're the new guy," Alex started to explain.
"Yeah, and the new guy, or the probie as we call them, takes all the abuse," Kim finished.
At the nervous look on Littrell's face, Jimmy stood up again, "Yeah, but I think you're probably safe, because Carlos is just too easy a target. But, don't get me wrong, you'll take your fare share also." Jimmy laughed and slapped the new medic on the back as the rest of the guys chuckled.
"Great. I can hardly wait," Littrell replied, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.
"C'mon. We'll show you around," Alex said as she and Kim walked out of the kitchen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC...
Chapter 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The new paramedic tentatively walked up to the firehouse located at King and Arthur. Before going inside, he'd paused to look across the street to the police station, remembering his time there. He looked around at the police officers coming and going to see if he could spot Officer Boscorelli, but he didn't. He continued inside and heard voices and laughter coming from the rear of the building.
He straightened his uniform, slung his bag over his shoulder and walked toward the noise. He approached the doorway and smelled the fresh coffee brewing and the good-natured teasing that was going on at the expense of someone named Carlos. He stood in the doorway listening to the banter for a moment to try to get a sense of the people he would be working with.
"Carlos, I swear! You are too easy to bust on," came the taunt from a dark-haired man with deep dimples on both sides of his face. He wore a FDNY sweatshirt over his work uniform.
"Yeah, well don't feel that you have to take advantage of it so often," argued back the man at the table with the stethescope dangling from around his neck. The new medic assumed this was the man taking the brunt of the teasing.
There were a bunch of other guys standing around and two women; one a blonde who was sitting on the counter in the corner sipping a cup of coffee and trying not to giggle. The other had longer brown hair and was high-fiving the dimpled firefighter as she walked over to the other female. She glanced at the doorway and saw him standing there.
"Hey," she said with a smile and walked toward him. "You must be the new guy. Welcome to the 5-5. I'm Kim Zambrano," she said, extending her hand in greeting. He took her hand and shook it as she gently pulled him into the room while they were shaking hands.
"Hey," replied the medic shyly. "I'm Littrell Griffith and I guess I'm supposed to be working here," he said, looking around and noticing the warmth that radiated from everyone in the room. He immediately sensed that this was a close group. He hoped that he'd be able to fit in with them. He wasn't too used to being friends with a lot of people at the same time.
"Well, you couldn't have gotten assigned to a better house than this," said Jimmy Doherty as he stood up and introduced himself to Griffith. He continued around the room. "I'm Jimmy Doherty. The other firefighters are Joe Lombardo; D.K.; Billy Walsh; and Captain Anderson; The others here are the medics: Doc Parker; and you met Kim Zambrano. This person is kind of a hybrid - somedays she's a firefigter and somedays she's a medic; Alex Taylor," Jimmy said finishing up as each person introduced either nodded or waved at the new medic.
"Hey! What am I, invisible?" asked Carlos, looking at Jimmy.
"Oh, sorry. That's our house mascot, Carlos Nieto," Jimmy teased again. Carlos promptly threw a wadded-up napkin at Jimmy, who dodged it causing it to hit Doc.
Doc stood up, trying not to laugh and attempting to come to Carlos' defense. He made sure that the napkin connected with Jimmy and walked over to shake Littrell's hand, "Actually, Carlos is one of our medics also. I'm the supervisor of the shift. You're going to be riding with Alex and Kim today. They'll show you where to store your gear and then give you a tour of the bus." Doc patted the man on the back and shook his head in sympathy. Carlos got up, shook his hand and as he stepped around him to follow Doc, Littrell heard him quietly say, "Finally, new meat."
Kim and Alex heard the comment and looked at Littrell. "What does that mean?" asked the new medic.
"Well, I'm sorry to say that it means that you're the new guy," Alex started to explain.
"Yeah, and the new guy, or the probie as we call them, takes all the abuse," Kim finished.
At the nervous look on Littrell's face, Jimmy stood up again, "Yeah, but I think you're probably safe, because Carlos is just too easy a target. But, don't get me wrong, you'll take your fare share also." Jimmy laughed and slapped the new medic on the back as the rest of the guys chuckled.
"Great. I can hardly wait," Littrell replied, wondering what he'd gotten himself into.
"C'mon. We'll show you around," Alex said as she and Kim walked out of the kitchen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
TBC...