The Quiet One

As always, I don't own anything belonging to emergency. I am just playing. I will return the guys to good working order when I am done.

My take on the age-old question, why is Mike Stoker so quiet. A fluke household problem leads to a revealing conversation.

As the sun continued to climb in the sky, warm bright sunlight shone brightly in a small, well kept living room. On a well-worn, but comfortable couch the room's lone occupant stirred when the offensive light hit his face. "Ugh," groaned the sleepy man. Rather than fighting the light, he shook himself out of his two hour nap.

As he sat up and shook the cobwebs out of his head, the phone rang. He reached over and grabbed it. "Hello."

The bubbly voice on the other end of the line made the man smile. "Hi baby, it's me."

"Hi honey, how was your flight?"

"Thankfully, smooth. We just landed a little bit ago."

"Good."

"I have to get going. Our van is here. I'll call you later. Do you have the number for the hotel?"

"Yes baby, I'll talk to you soon. I love you."

"I love you too, baby. Have a good day."

"You too."

The couple hung up. He stood as a loud noise caught his trained ears. His brief thought of a shower was forgotten as he ran outside. Rather than the fire or car crash he expected to find, he found a geyser spewing with fury in the middle of the street.

To the left of the powerful water was a backhoe. The trained man grabbed his keys and headed toward the machinery. The water created a prism of light that reflected in his eyes. Thankfully, he had slept in a pair of sweatpants he ran across his yard toward the machine.

"Are you okay?" He yelled over the water.

The driver turned and yelled, "Yes."

"Okay. Do you need help?"

"No. I just need to radio my boss."

"Okay."

The tall, wide awake man winced in sympathy for the driver. He wouldn't want to make that call. Convinced everything was okay, the man jogged back to his house. He was irritated because the water main break meant no shower and no coffee.

KMG 365

He reentered his house and sat back on the couch to think. He thought of his friends and co-workers. He knew all of them would open their doors without question. Marco and Chet went to Mexico to help Marco's dad. Roy is headed for San Diego with his family. Johnny was going to the mountains. 'I…I wonder what Cap is doing.'

The final thought made him a bit nervous. While he got along with his boss at work, he was nervous to ask him for help. The other men in his life had always made him feel uncomfortable and useless. "Hank is not them," the nervous man chided himself.

He thought for a second and then picked up the phone. The way he looked at it. There were two options. Either his boss would help, or he was headed to hotel.

Trained eyes scanned the small sheet next to his phone. It was only a second for him to find the number he needed. He grabbed the phone and dialed it.

KMG 365

Across town, another dark-haired man stretched as he finished his coffee. The coffee followed a much-needed hot shower that loosened his tight muscles from work. Hank Stanley looked around his house. It was normally a hub of activity on the weekend. However, this was the rare weekend when he was home alone. His wife had left to spend the weekend in Phoenix with friends. His daughters were spending time in Los Angeles with their friends for the weekend.

The weekend bachelor grabbed a novel he meant to read and headed for his favorite chair. He was only a few pages into the first chapter when the phone rang. A loud sigh escaped his lips as he slipped his bookmark into place. The phone rang twice before he answered it. "Hello."

Engineer Mike Stoker's quiet voice filled his ear. "Hi Cap, it's Mike."

Hank was surprised and concerned to hear his right-hand man's voice. "Hi Mike, is everything okay?"

"Sorta. I am okay, but I have a problem."

"What's wrong, pal?" Hank was thankful his crew knew they could call him for anything. As a young captain he was hopeful to create a comfortable, family environment with his men.

"The water main in front of my house just blew. Some knuckle head hit with a backhoe."

"Twit."

"You said it, Cap." Mike chuckled. "Cammie is in San Fran on business, but…"

Hank cut his right-hand man off, "Pack your go bag, grab your stuff for our next shift and come on over."

Mike was stunned by the quick offer. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. We can be bachelors together. Jamie is in Phoenix with her sister. The girls are in the city with friends for the weekend."

"Well in that case, do you want pizza or wings for dinner? I'll pick 'em up on the way over and we can put 'em in the oven until later."

"Let's go with wings I have an unopened dip that we can use."

"Sounds good, see ya soon."

KMG 365

Both men hung up. Hank set his book aside. He got up and headed for the guest bedroom. It didn't take long before the bed had clean sheets. There was room in the closet for Mike's uniforms. Two warm quilts found the sheets.

Once the bed was made up. Hank headed for the kitchen. He started a fresh pot of coffee and loaded a variety of drinks in the fridge. Hank smiled as everything came together. While he hadn't known his crew long, he had noticed Mike early on. The tall man was quiet, made damn good chicken and spaghetti, and the best engineer Hank had worked with. He was looking forward to getting to know him better. The excited captain returned to his book as he waited.

KMG 365

Mike hung up the phone. He was surprised, but grateful for Hank's invitation. He quickly went back to his bedroom and packed his go bag for three days. Then he grabbed the needed uniforms and shoes. As he slide into a medium weight jacket, he balanced his stuff in one hand, and dialed the phone with other.

After he left a message for his wife with the front desk, he headed out. Careful navigation got him through the maze of vehicles gathered on his street. He headed for his favorite wings place. While he waited for the food, he bought a twelve pack. Armed with the food and drink, he headed for his car. The trip to Hank's was relatively short.

KMG 365

Hank heard Mike pull in the driveway. He put his book down and opened the door. Then he walked outside with a smile as Mike got out of his car. "Hi Mike."

Mike smiled, "Hi Cap." He ducked back into the car and grabbed the food.

When he turned around and found Hank standing behind him. "What can I take?"

"Can you take dinner, so I get my stuff please?"

"Sure and thank you for the beer."

Mike grinned, "What good are wings without beer on a bachelor's weekend?"

Hank laughed, "This is very true my friend."

Hank backed up, but waited for the new arrival. Mike ducked into the car again and grabbed his bag and uniforms. A swift heel kick closed the door as the men headed for the house. As they walked in the door, Hank said, "Let me put this stuff down. Then I'll show you the guest room."

"Okay. Thanks again for letting me stay here."

Hank smiled, "It's no problem, Mike and please call me Hank. We're not working."

"O…Okay." Mike was nervous to relax around his captain. It was going to be an interesting weekend for him. Mike followed Hank into the kitchen. As they made their way through the house, the quiet man made mental notes of the layout. It was a natural reaction when he visited a place for the first time.

Hank watched Mike's eyes and understood what he was doing. He did the same thing. "Hey Mike, do you want some coffee after you put your stuff down?"

"Please. I was about to make some when the main blew."

Hank winced, "Now that's harsh."

Mike smirked, "Tell me about it."

The food and drink were deposited in the oven and fridge. Then the boys headed to the guest room.

Hank asked, "Did you call Cammie?"

"I left a message at the hotel front desk for her. You know what felt strange?"

"What?"

"Leave a message for my wife." Mike smiled.

Hank grinned as he slapped his right hand man on the back. Mike had only been married a few months. His wedding was one of the first group events Hank had attended with his crew. "Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"It sure does."

Hank opened the door to the guest room. "Here ya go, Mike. There is plenty of room in the closet for your uniforms."

Mike smiled, "Thank you." He made quick work of putting his stuff away.

KMG 365

The two men headed for the kitchen. Both grabbed a cup of coffee. Mike asked, "Did Jamie leave you a to-do list?"

"A small one."

"Let's tackle that. I think there's a game on later."

"Sounds good."

The men finished their coffee and got to work. The next few hours saw them tackle the list left by Hank's wife. It was nearly dinner time before they were done. Use to missing meals at work, they didn't mind missing lunch. After taking hot showers, they met again in the kitchen.

KMG 365

Mike chuckled, "Hey, you look human again."

Hank laughed, "Good. I feel human again. How about you?"

"Oh definitely."

"Good. Whaddya say we get some chow?"

"Now there's an idea. A meal without the tones or a round of the Phantom and his pigeon."

Hank belly laughed, "Gotta love the off days."

Mike laughed, "Very true."

The two friends headed for the kitchen. Hank warmed up the wings while Mike got the dip and drinks. As the food warmed, the kitchen filled with a delicious aroma.

Mike smiled nervously. "I hope you like them. I got them from my favorite place."

The nerves in Mike's voice surprised Hank. Something about the tone told the older man, his guest was not used to praise. It was a feeling that hit him a few times in the past. "Mike, if they taste half as good as they smell, I want the name and number of that place."

"Deal," a lingering bit of nerves laced his voice.

It wasn't long before the food was done. Mike grabbed the hanging hot mitt. He took the tray out of the oven. Hank's mouth watered as he used a pair of tongs to fill his plate. Mike followed his lead. Both men put dip on their plates, grabbed a beer, and headed for the living room. The game stared as they sat down. A very nervous Mike watched out of the corner of his eye as Hank took his first bite.

Hank smiled, "Mike, I want the name and number of this place. These are amazing."

Mike visibly relaxed as he started eating, "You got it."

The men ate in a comfortable silence while they watched the game. Hank refreshed the beers after he got a second helping of wings. He was about to say something as he walked back into the room. However, the sight that greeted him cut off the comment.

KMG 365

As Hank got more wings, Mike looked around the room at the various pictures. There were pictures of Hank and Jamie. A lot of them were of their girls at various sports and activities. The one that caught the quiet man's eyes was a beautiful, not posed picture of Hank with his daughters. They were quite young in the picture.

Hank smiled when he saw the picture that his friend was looking at. "I remember that day."

Mike jumped at the sound of Hank's voice. He blushed as he spoke. "Sorry, H…Hank, I didn't mean to stare."

Hank smiled, "It's okay. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"That's okay."

Hank noticed the swirl of emotions in Mike's eyes. His voice was gentle. "Hey pal, this thing," he pointed toward the game, "is a blow out. Why don't I get us some coffee and we can talk for a while?"

'Are you sure? I know you want more wings."

"Positive. We can have more wings later or tomorrow."

"O…Okay." Mike felt bad about changing his friend's dinner plans. Hank left no room for argument. He got up and took the beer and food back to the kitchen. Mike got up and headed for the bathroom. Both men returned to living room at the same time. Hank set the coffee down on the small coffee table in front of the couch.

He sat down on the couch next to Mike. Mike swallowed nervously as Hank shut the game off. "So what were you doing in the picture?"

Hank chuckled, "Drying oof after being voluntold that I was going to take a shift at the one of my first department picnics. The girls thought it was hilarious. They wanted me to get them as wet as possible before they gave Jamie a hug."

Mike chuckled, "Oh she must have loved that."

"Oh yeah," sarcasm dripped from the comment.

Both men laughed before they took a long drink of their coffee. Hank sobered as the cups were set back down. "Mike."

The quiet man looked up into the worried eyes of his friend. "Yes?"

"What's on your mind? Your eyes look like they have the weight of the world in them."

"Sorry, I…I didn't mean to be a downer."

Hank reached out and put his hands on Mike's shoulders. "My friend, you are not a downer, but I can see a lot is on your mind. Talk to me. I promise whatever you say will stay between us."

Mike bowed his head. Hank squeezed his shoulders. "Talk to me, Mike. Get whatever elephant is on your chest out in the open."

Mike slowly raised his head. The pain was clear in his eyes. "I'll be honest, Cap. I have had a lot on my mind. I try not to take it to work, but it all hit when I saw your picture."

"Is everything okay with you and Cammie?" Concern filled Hank's voice.

"Yes. It's just…well we want a….family." Mike stuttered.

"That's great!" Hank was genuinely happy for his friend.

"It is but…" Mike's voice shook. Hank adjusted his grip to more of a hug. The genuine warmth of his friend's arms broke Mike. "Hank, you are the most stable male figure I've ever had. To my dad and uncle I was a mistake. That's why I never learned how to play baseball or anything."

Mike took a shaky breath. "I've been quiet since I was a kid because they'd scream at me when I was asking for help. During the academy, I never made friends because I was always told I wasn't worth anybody's time. When I was lineman I was always a pigeon and my captain was no defense. He used to say I was a big boy, it was only a joke, just deal with it. Then there was Hammer and Smith. To them we were tools not people."

Mike took a drink of coffee. He looked deep into Hank's eyes. "I'm scared to death that if e we start a family, I'm going to turn into those guys." Mike stopped as a steady stream of tears poured down his face.

Hank held the shaking man tightly. He gently rubbed his back. He wiped away a few of his own tears as he spoke gently. "Let it all out, Mike. It's okay, I promise you are not them. Get it all out."

Hank went quiet as he held Mike until there was no more tears. Mike's voice was raw. "S…sorry I couldn't that in anymore." He reached for and drained his coffee.

Hank reached in the drawer of the coffee table and handed him a clean hankie. "Here Mike, this is softer then tissues." Mike took the soft material as Hank continued, "I promise you are not your father or your uncle. You have a heart the size of the state. I've seen you with kids, they love you. Plus, you realize that you have an advantage over Roy and I right?"

"What's that?" Mike sounded surprised.

"You have use to question. You also have two the best damn paramedics in the county when you have medical questions."

"This is very true."

"Does Cammie know about your fears?"

"Yes. She said I'll prove myself wrong when we get lucky."

Hank smiled, "Listen to her. She is a very smart woman."

"That she is."

"Do you feel better?"

"Honestly, yes and about ten pounds lighter." Mike bear hugged Hank, "Thanks for listening."

"Anytime Mike, I mean it. I f you need to talk on shift, you know my door is open. If something comes off-duty, call or come by."

"I will. I promise." Mike tried and failed to stifle a yawn.

Hank yawned, "Hey pal, whaddya say we hit the hay?"

"I hate to say it, but that sounds like a good idea. Sleep hasn't come easily lately when I'm not at work."

"It's okay. Thank you for your help today."

"Anytime. Um, do you mind if I make a long-distance phone call first?"

Hank smiled, "Tell Cammie I say hello."

Mike smiled, "I will."

KMG 365

Mike reached for the phone. Hank left the room to take care of the food. He glanced back and saw Mike was truly relaxed for the first time in quite a while. 'You are going to be just fine my friend.'

Mike dialed the number to Cammie's hotel and requested her room. The connection rang twice before his bubbly wife answered. "Hello."

Mike smiled, "Hi honey, it's me."

Cammie's smile reached her voice. "Hi baby, how are you?"

"Doing good baby. How was your day?"

"Boring, but at least they fed us well."

"That always helps," Mike chuckled.

"Are you and Hank having a good time?"

"Yes, we tackled his to-do list and had some wings. Then we had a needed heart-to-heart."

"You told him, didn't you?"

"Yes and he helped quite a bit, honey. I am feeling so much better about things."

"Good, I am so glad."

"So am I," Mike yawned. "Sorry Sweetie, getting sleepy."

"Don't be babe. Go get some sleep. I'll talk to you in the morning I love you."

"I love you too honey. Sleep well."

"You too, baby."

KMG 365

Mike hung up as Hank walked back in the room. "How's Cammie?"

"Bored, but at least she ate well."

Hank chuckled, "Well then it wasn't a complete bust. I got everything put away."

"Okay."

"I'm going to call Jamie from our room so I will see you in the morning."

"Sounds good, good night, Cap."

Hank smiled, "Good night, Mike."

The two men headed for their rooms. It wasn't long before they were asleep. Finally, the quiet man rested comfortable and peacefully. He was ready for the next chapter of his life and a new title at some point in the future, dad.