Spoilers: Some references to "Promotion," as well as spoilers for events at the end of the show, especially "Greatest Rescues of Emergency!"
Disclaimer: I don't own Emergency, though I sincerely wish I did.
A/N: Written in memory of Tim Donnelly who recently passed away. He did such a wonderful job playing Chet, and the show would not have been the same without him.
A/N2: This is a sequel of sorts to a fic I wrote in 2016, called, "A Little Consolation," where Mike and Chet have a conversation during the events of "Promotion." You certainly don't have to read that story to understand this, but many of the ideas in that fic play a role in this one. Thank you to my wonderful beta, LaramieLady51 (a.k.a. Darth Mom), who came up with the title for this fic while rereading that first story.
As always, I also thank my Lord Jesus Christ for his incredible mercy and grace and his many blessings. I would be utterly lost without him.
Up the Ladder
It felt more than a little surreal for Chet Kelly when he pulled into the parking lot of his new station. (And it wasn't just because he was earlier for a shift than he'd ever been before – as early as Mike Stoker had always been at 51s, actually, but if anyone asked, that was purely a coincidence.)
Chet snorted softly at the thought, but he couldn't help the smile tugging at his lips as he opened his driver's side door and started for the building.
He was gonna miss 51s, that was for sure, but honestly, he'd been missing the people there for a while now. Stoker had been the first member of their shift to take a promotion, which hadn't surprised anyone – he'd been on the captain track for years, and they'd all known it was coming. As much as he loved being an engineer, he'd always wanted to command, and it was great to see him get that chance.
Cap – Chet figured that he'd always think of him as Cap, whatever actual rank he held – had been next, becoming a Battalion Chief up at headquarters. He'd wound up taking Battalion Chief McConnike's spot after he'd retired, in fact, much to the amusement of the guys (and Cap's obvious relief). John and Roy had followed, and Captains Gage and DeSoto were already in command of their own crews, though, sometimes, when he was on a call, Chet still found himself expecting to see them pulling up in the squad together.
For a while, Chet and Marco had been the only ones from their old crew left at Station 51, but a few months ago, Marco had, like McConnike, decided to retire from the fire department. He'd never really wanted a command position or been interested in becoming an engineer, and the veteran lineman who'd always loved to cook had decided to try his hand in the restaurant business instead. (Chet made of point of eating at Marco's restaurant at least once a week now. The food was great, the company was even better, and the prices were fair – though Chet planned to keep arguing that he deserved a permanent discount. You never knew - Marco might agree eventually, if just to stop hearing about it.)
After Marco had left, well, Chet had known that it was time to move on himself. The old adage of "third time's the charm" had held true, and he'd passed the test with, not flying colors exactly, but some pretty solid marks. He'd accepted the promotion that followed, and...now, here he was.
Station 78 was a little bigger than 51s, but the layout wasn't all that different. Chet headed for the station's bay first, though it turned out to be empty - the other crew must have still been on a run. That meant that whoever was left in the station was sure to be getting ready for the next shift. Chet let the sound of shuffling paperwork guide him, which led him to the captain's office, and he knocked on the door to introduce himself.
Captain Dale Richards was a big man with a salt-and-pepper beard that was an unwelcome reminder of the gray that was beginning to creep into Chet's own curls, but he seemed friendly and easy-going, and Chet had a feeling they'd get along just fine.
They talked for a few minutes before Richards had apologized – he had a report due the next day, and he needed to make sure everything was in order before then. Chet had told him not to worry about it, and then casually made his way to the kitchen in search of coffee. (If arriving this early was gonna become a regular habit, he'd need plenty.)
He'd finished most of a cup and gotten through about half the sports section in the newspaper before the rest of the crew had started to trickle in. The first man to arrive stopped when he caught sight of Chet at the kitchen table. He was tall with a head of dark brown hair, a square jaw, and a complexion a shade or two darker than Chet's own (though that wasn't really all that hard to achieve, if Chet was being honest).
"You must be the new guy," the other man greeted, walking forward and holding out a hand. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes that Chet recognized. It was the look of a man trying to gauge whether or not "the new guy" was gonna be an easy mark.
Oh, this was gonna be fun.
"Sure am," Chet confirmed, reaching forward and accepting the handshake. "Engineer Chet Kelly. Nice to meet you."
Fin
A/N: The thought of Chet finally getting that promotion to engineer made me smile, even as sad as the occasion is, and I hope it made you smile as well.
My thoughts and prayers are with Tim Donnelly's family and friends.
Thanks for reading, and take care and God bless!
Ani-maniac494