Chapter Eight

Saturday Morning - 0620 A Shift

Joann kissed Roy on the cheek, "Take it easy today Roy." she said. "That brush fire was too close." was unspoken, but he knew what she meant. "Say hi to Johnny for me." she added.

"I'll take it as easy as LA gives it to me." he replied, kissing her back. "And don't worry about Johnny, I'm sure he got home and went straight to sleep." He smiled and closed the door to his car. Joann was not impressed when Roy learned he was still expected to show up for his shift. Johnny never came back to the canteen after running after the engine and never called to say he got home. Rampart hadn't called either, as they were his emergency contact, she supposed no news was good news. Didn't mean she wasn't half tempted to drive over to his apartment yesterday to check. She drummed her fingers on the door frame leading to the garage. The garage door rattled as it closed, stopping with a thud. She retreated to her kitchen, picked up the phone, then put it down. She looked at it for a moment, then sighed. "I'm just being ridiculous," she said to the empty kitchen. The phone rang, and she grabbed it.

"I'm not being ridiculous am I?" Beth Stoker asked. Joann sighed in relief. "I don't want him to go."

"No, I feel the same way." she said, gripping the phone cord, thankful she was not alone in her thinking.

"Mike said they might get called back, depending on how the fire's going." Beth said nervously. "I don't want that to happen." she chewed on her lip, hoping Joann had words of advice.

"Me neither." She chuckled drily, "We'll just go and make more sandwiches."

Beth frowned, that wasn't advice. "Let's have a potluck, for Chet and Marco." Beth suggested. It was something they could look forward to.

Joann nodded, "You gonna see them today?" she asked. "I have stuff for Mama Lopez." she added. Unless they knew their boys went back, the three of them weren't going to volunteer. In fact, it might be a while before either of them made PB&J or turkey sandwiches.

"Most likely around lunch yeah. Hey Jo, there's someone else on my line." Beth said. It was unspoken, but they both suspected it was Emily.

Joann smiled lightly, "See you at the hospital." she said, hanging up the phone.

Saturday Morning - 0705 A Shift

"I'd like to introduce two new boots who are here as Chet and Marco recover." The four original 51 A shift smiled and shook the new recruits hands politely, but there wasn't more than that. "They just graduated academy three days ago." Captain Stanley explained, spelling it out to his crew that they hadn't been at the fire. "We've had a pretty busy past couple days," Stanley continued neutrally, "But we still need to be on top of our game here." Everyone withheld their sighs, except the two rookies. Hank proceeded to hand out chores, adding several hours in the afternoon for mandatory rest, which was abnormal. Finished, he flipped the paper over on his clipboard, "Let's get going men." he took off his hat and walked into his office, letting his five dismiss themselves. Sitting at his desk, he looked out at the engine bay. Big Red and the trusty squad weren't there. They had been replaced by reserves. 51's real apparatus were still at the Klondike Fire, probably staffed by firefighters from another county. "Please don't send us back there." he pleaded with the speaker. "At least we'd be together." he thought. Sighing, he looked down at the new personnel files on his desk. Opening one, he glanced over it. "A little soon to be assigned to a station." he murmured, familiarizing himself with their qualifications and accomplishments. "Not cleared for rescue work either." he noted with a groan. "They why send 'em here, where there's a rescue squad?" he accused the telephone, mentally sending his thoughts to headquarters.

Saturday Afternoon - 1300 A Shift

"This is a K-12, it can cut through almost everything." Mike said, holding the powerful saw up. It was afternoon, and Captain Stanley had ordered Mike, Roy, and Johnny to run through the rescue equipment with the new men, just to get them familiar. Roy stood to the side of the squad, the medical compartment doors open, while Johnny was sorting through the ropes bag, his harness draped over the top of the squad.

"Hey Johnny?" Roy said with a smirk on his face.

Johnny sighed, he knew what that smirk went. "Yeah…"

"You gonna show 'em the ropes?" Roy asked under his breath. Johnny rolled his eyes, he had heard that one before. He sighed and hoped the shift would end quickly and uneventfully. He had run another rescue after getting back from Rampart and didn't get home until mid-evening, where he promptly fell asleep, waking up just in time to get to work. He watched Roy's face, the amusement disappeared and a trace of barely perceptible worry replaced it.

"Roy," Johnny said quietly, correctly reading Roy's worry. Mike was now showing the boots the Jaws of Life. "I'm sorry I didn't call. I didn't get home till 1700." he said, a hint of anger in his voice. "I slept for twelve hours straight."

Roy raised an eyebrow, "Where did that anger come from?" He wondered, Johnny wasn't often angry. He didn't voice his question, but said, "I guessed as much, Joann was the worried one."

Johnny frowned, "I never got back to her, an engine pulled up in front of the tent and I ran off."

"That's what she told me." They both were pulled back to their responsibilities when Mike put the Jaws down with a clatter.

"They're all yours boys." Mike said, passing the lesson to the rescue men.

Sunday Evening - 2010 B Shift

"No way." Troy said, disbelief in his voice. "There's no way that's the truth."

Johnny smiled lightly and held up his right hand in a boy scout salute, "I swear on my mother's soul that every word is truth." Johnny was currently driving 19's squad back to the station, while Troy sat in the passenger seat, mouth gaping open.

"You just went in there, and, and battled a lion?"

"I didn't battle it," John clarified, "Just, tricked it so I could get the kid." he corrected, he didn't want Troy's exaggeration of the story to get out, Chet would get ahold of it somehow." He backed the squad into the enormous engine bay at 19's firehouse. Troy had yet to close his mouth and Johnny smirked. He was grateful Troy didn't need to stay at Rampart long, and was already back at work. "I'll get the log book if you put the squad back together." Johnny half suggested half ordered.

Troy closed his mouth and nodded. "A lion wrangler." he murmured under his breath as he closed the squad door behind him.

"Great." Johnny huffed affectionately. "Is this what I was like when I was younger?" he questioned himself. "How did Roy stand me?" he asked the empty squad.

Johnny had picked up the second half of 19's B shift. Regardless of Jay's outcome. Troy would be out of a consistent partner for a while. That left Troy, a young and brand new Rescue Man and medic, victim to whoever would fill the overtime slot. Johnny tried to take as many of those slots as possible. Troy deserved something good after what happened to him on the Klondike Fire.