It's Not My Job
These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I am done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.
Thanks for the encouraging comments. This has been fun.
CHAPTER 2
Hank was ready. He was actually past ready for them to get out of the building now. Something in his gut told him that things were going to go sour soon and he didn't want them in there when it happened. The weight of his responsibility for this group of men was weighing heavily on his shoulders.
"HT to Gage. Get out of that building now." It was a strong urge that he had to yell but he remained calm and in control.
Johnny heard the radio calling him to leave right away but he continued to race through the maze desperately trying to find Roy. Stay together. Cap told us to stay together. I really messed up this time partner. Cap's gonna have my head for this. God Roy where are you? Rounding a right corner at high speed, Johnny went into a graceful slide heading, on the slick floor, straight into a stack of boxes. It was his saving grace that this one stack was small but being so wet they were not very forgiving to his shoulder as he crashed into them then to the floor.
Hank didn't know whether to be concerned or furious over the fact that he was getting no response from Gage. He glanced over at Mike who he realized was quietly watching him. I know I'm new to the crew and they have a right to keep a close eye on me but damn it, I'm doing my best here. All I need is one hot headed young'un to screw it all up.
"HT to Squad 51, do you read me?" He called again, looking back to the building.
Johnny sat in a puddle of water pushing a box away as the HT went off again. Not the way to make a good impression Gage. Cap already sounds ticked off at ya. He picked up the radio.
"51 here Cap. I'm trying to find Roy then we will be out." Johnny cringed at the words, find Roy.
Hank looked at the HT then over at Mike again with a look of shock. "What do you mean FIND ROY?" The octaves of his voice were growing with every word. He started mumbling to himself….knew they should have been out by now…..told um to stay together….apparently didn't listen to that…..what does find Roy mean?
The words had already cut into Johnny more than his Captain could know. He was new to working with Johnny and Roy so their close bond of friendship had not truly shown itself to him. At least not yet. He took a deep breath and continued, "Cap we got separated and I can't find him. We're in the large warehouse room on the south side."
"Gage, I want you out of that building now."
"Cap, Roy has to be close to me. I need to find him."
Hank looked around, the fire was pretty much out and the engine crews were beginning to clean up at this point. Marco and Chet had moved over to the engine with Mike. "What's going on Mike?" Chet asked Mike as he worked on shutting down the water lines.
"Johnny and Roy are still in the building. Apparently they got separated and Johnny can't find Roy." As the words left Mikes lips they all turned to a rumbling behind them.
"Out of the building now Gage!"
The loud announcement came over the HT for everyone to hear, "It's coming down. EVERYONE OUT!" The rumbling grew in intensity until the entire front of the building came crashing down with a plume of dust and soot rising in a great cloud. Mike, Marco and Chet went running over to Hank as he spoke into the radio again.
"Gage. Are you alright?" It seemed like an eternity of silence as the group of men began to become restless.
"Yea, Cap. I'm ok. We are on the other end but we won't be able to get out the same way." The men listened as Johnny coughed where soot had spread through the old building.
"John stay right where you are. Don't move. We're coming in to get you two out." Hank moved away from the other men towards the Battalion Chief. "Chief my 2 paramedics are still in there and I need to get them out."
"Ok Hank. You'll have to enter from the south end. Make it as quick as possible before the rest of it decides to come down."
"That's where they were searching when the collapse happened. Gage say's he not hurt but apparently DeSoto is missing. We'll have to find him." The two men nodded at each other then Hank moved back to his crew. "Ok, grab ropes, the axe and the porta power and let's go get um out." Hank didn't like the feeling growing in his gut. Damn that Gage, if he had just stayed with DeSoto like he was supposed to and left the building when I told um to we wouldn't have to be doing a rescue. Then Hank shook himself out of it. He was not the kind of man to so quickly judge someone before really knowing them. Realizing that his frustration came from his deep worry about the wellbeing of his men he paused to take a deep breath.
The first sense that was overwhelming to him was the smell of wet paper. He reached up to push the wet cardboard box off his face only to be met with resistance. It was too heavy to move. He paused a moment to figure out what had happened trying to clear his head. Boxes. Very wet boxes fell on me. Oww... my back. Roy was lying on his side but knew he had landed on his tank. Elephant. He tried to move his legs but felt like he was in a steel cocoon. Elephant sitting on me. Legs not broken. Arms ok. He tasted salt in his mouth. Blood from somewhere, did I bite my lip? His arms were trapped in front of him. God, those boxes must weight a thousand pounds. Hard to take a deep breath. Headache. Johnny, where are you partner?
"10-4." Johnny replied. Standing up he regained his footing on the wet floor. He stretched out his left shoulder feeling the ache of the muscle strain creeping on him. Cap didn't know exactly where he was and he had no intention of sitting around waiting for them. I'll find Roy then when they reach us they can get us both out. "Roy?" Johnny called, over and over as he worked his way through the now many fallen boxes. They were incredibly heavy with water and he couldn't just gently push them out of the way. For a moment he panicked, what if Roy is under all this stuff? He could be crushed.
The 51 crew moved towards the south side entrance and had to break into one of the back entry doors. They entered a complex maze of hallways with many doors which appeared to be offices. "Ok, Gage said they were in the large storage warehouse somewhere back here." He looked up as the building groaned. Mike, Marco and Chet moved a little faster, checking all the doors to see which one led to the warehouse.
Johnny continued to pull boxes left and right to work his way through the rubble. It was exhausting work because they were all so soaked and heavy. He rubbed his aching shoulder but knew that nothing could stop him. "ROY!" He continued to call for his friend and partner.
Elephant. Elephants, Jenni likes elephants. At the zoo, she wanted to ride on one. Roy chuckled to himself, rather be on one than under one like this. Focus Roy. Never gonna get out of here at that rate. "Johnny?" Great, like anyone can hear that. Can't take a deep breath to make enough noise. Noise. Now what kind of noise does an elephant make? …….Maybe he can call for help.
Johnny heard something ahead of him and moved faster but it just wasn't fast enough for him. He didn't want to just jump and climb over the boxes knowing that Roy might be under some of them. Also he knew that if he hurried too much he could easily go right past him.
Behind Johnny his fellow A-shift crew had found the entry door to the warehouse. "Ok, let's get that jack over here and see if we can get this door opened up." Hank knew that time was running out. The building talked to him, telling him soon it would come down the rest of the way and it didn't care who was still inside its abandoned walls. His main worry was that time might be running out for DeSoto. They still had heard nothing from him. He debated about pulling out his HT to call Gage again then decided to wait until they entered the warehouse. He had told him to sit so he should be easy to find.
Did he call for help? Wait who? God, I have to have a head injury. I'm lying here waiting for the elephant to call for help. I need you Junior. Too heavy feel like I'm being smashed flat. Breathe in, breathe out. In through the trunk, out through the mouth. Trunk? Who has a trunk? Oh yea, the elephant does. But that's ok, he's supposed too. Just gonna nap a little bit then I'll go get Jenni to help me move the big fat Dumbo sitting on my chest. Roy smiled contently; at least he had a plan now.