"I'll do what I can, but I don't know if I can take anymore probie's. When they turned us into a training facility, I almost resigned." Mercedes looked across her desk to Jimmy, who wore the uniform of a captain. He nodded, looking towards her, then to Kim.
"What do you think of the change?" Jimmy wanted her opinion, not like it would matter in the long run.
"The 55 has always been the first place to send new EMT's. It is no different for me, but you can't send away all the veterans simply because they want the new guys here. The only true training is hands on in your job, you know that. If you have 6 newbies running into a fire, you may as well call it a loss." Kim shook her head. She knew more than 2 probies in one session was too much for anyone, never mind having 6 probies under 1 Lieutenant.
"I will try, but they pretty much have their minds made up. I'll try to keep the vet's here, but if they transfer them, there is nothing I can do Mercedes."
"I know Jimmy. I trained here; I have never left this building in my entire career. I don't mind training, but take my vets, I have nothing. And I won't send 6 untrained men or women into a fire."
"I'll see what I can do." Jimmy stood up with Kim, as Mercedes got up, moving to the door to let them out. Jimmy and Kim walked out as they went their separate ways. Mercedes looked up at Jimmy and sighed. Jimmy started to talk when he saw Charlie, Angelina, Robyn, Joey, Kylie, Carlos Jr., Carlos Sr, and Angela sitting there, looking towards them. Mercedes rolled her eyes and moved downstairs. She walked Jimmy out to his car and looked towards the Precinct.
"See ya tonight? Haggerty's? Maybe we can drink some of the stress away."
"Yeah, Sure. Midnight, I know. See ya then. Tell Bosco I said Hi."
"I will." She watched him drive away and looked up to the Precinct again, seeing her brother, Mo, walk out. She started to cross the street when he moved for her, pulling her into the alley next to the station.
"What the hell, Mo?" She looked up at him as he stared at her.
"Mikey is asking questions about his history."
"What are you talking about?"
"He is asking why Angela, Carlos and Kylie are all tanned, and he isn't. He wants to know why he looks different if he's your son."
"We have to tell him sometime. I'll tell him tonight. After the party."
"All right. He's on Patrol now with Tyrone." Mercedes nodded and walked back into the station. She walked upstairs and looked towards the kids and then to Kim. Kim looked back and shrugged.
"Carlos, can I talk to you?" Mercedes looked at her husband of 28 years. He nodded and got up, petting his daughter, Angela's head and moved into Mercedes' office.
"Mikey is asking about why he looks different than our kids."
"What are you going to tell him?"
"I have to tell him the truth. But for 27 years he has known himself to be our son. This is going to be hard."
"When are you going to tell him?"
"After the party, tonight. You, Mo and me will sit him down and explain everything." Carlos nodded and stood up. His radio went off, calling for a car accident. He kissed her softly and ran down the stairs after Robyn, his niece-in-law. Mercedes came out of the office and looked at 3 of her 4 children. Carlos, Jr. Her youngest son, Kylie, her adopted daughter, and Angela, her baby girl. She sniffed, feeling a cold coming on. Kim looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you all right?" She moved to Mercedes and felt her head.
"I'm find Kim, stop that." Mercedes closed her eyes and leaned on the wall. Kim was like her best friend and older sister since the day they met. She knew she could trust Kim with anything, but she was worried about telling her about Mikey. She just looked down and ran her hands through her salt & pepper colored curls.
"What do you think of the change?" Jimmy wanted her opinion, not like it would matter in the long run.
"The 55 has always been the first place to send new EMT's. It is no different for me, but you can't send away all the veterans simply because they want the new guys here. The only true training is hands on in your job, you know that. If you have 6 newbies running into a fire, you may as well call it a loss." Kim shook her head. She knew more than 2 probies in one session was too much for anyone, never mind having 6 probies under 1 Lieutenant.
"I will try, but they pretty much have their minds made up. I'll try to keep the vet's here, but if they transfer them, there is nothing I can do Mercedes."
"I know Jimmy. I trained here; I have never left this building in my entire career. I don't mind training, but take my vets, I have nothing. And I won't send 6 untrained men or women into a fire."
"I'll see what I can do." Jimmy stood up with Kim, as Mercedes got up, moving to the door to let them out. Jimmy and Kim walked out as they went their separate ways. Mercedes looked up at Jimmy and sighed. Jimmy started to talk when he saw Charlie, Angelina, Robyn, Joey, Kylie, Carlos Jr., Carlos Sr, and Angela sitting there, looking towards them. Mercedes rolled her eyes and moved downstairs. She walked Jimmy out to his car and looked towards the Precinct.
"See ya tonight? Haggerty's? Maybe we can drink some of the stress away."
"Yeah, Sure. Midnight, I know. See ya then. Tell Bosco I said Hi."
"I will." She watched him drive away and looked up to the Precinct again, seeing her brother, Mo, walk out. She started to cross the street when he moved for her, pulling her into the alley next to the station.
"What the hell, Mo?" She looked up at him as he stared at her.
"Mikey is asking questions about his history."
"What are you talking about?"
"He is asking why Angela, Carlos and Kylie are all tanned, and he isn't. He wants to know why he looks different if he's your son."
"We have to tell him sometime. I'll tell him tonight. After the party."
"All right. He's on Patrol now with Tyrone." Mercedes nodded and walked back into the station. She walked upstairs and looked towards the kids and then to Kim. Kim looked back and shrugged.
"Carlos, can I talk to you?" Mercedes looked at her husband of 28 years. He nodded and got up, petting his daughter, Angela's head and moved into Mercedes' office.
"Mikey is asking about why he looks different than our kids."
"What are you going to tell him?"
"I have to tell him the truth. But for 27 years he has known himself to be our son. This is going to be hard."
"When are you going to tell him?"
"After the party, tonight. You, Mo and me will sit him down and explain everything." Carlos nodded and stood up. His radio went off, calling for a car accident. He kissed her softly and ran down the stairs after Robyn, his niece-in-law. Mercedes came out of the office and looked at 3 of her 4 children. Carlos, Jr. Her youngest son, Kylie, her adopted daughter, and Angela, her baby girl. She sniffed, feeling a cold coming on. Kim looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
"Are you all right?" She moved to Mercedes and felt her head.
"I'm find Kim, stop that." Mercedes closed her eyes and leaned on the wall. Kim was like her best friend and older sister since the day they met. She knew she could trust Kim with anything, but she was worried about telling her about Mikey. She just looked down and ran her hands through her salt & pepper colored curls.