Public Relations
After hearing of the recommendation to get their hair cut, Roy stopped at four barbershops on the way home. None had any openings and he was sure at least two of them were more afraid of his after spray effects than were busy. Finally in desperation he stopped at a collage of cosmetology and after explaining his situation to the instructor she was thrilled to bring him into her school to be able to teach her students how to deal with similar situations first hand. Every, none committed, student was instructed to gather around and the instructor talked as she ran her gloved fingers through Roy's hair. She pointed out the hair damage done with the cleaning products that had been used as well as obvious washing more than was advised for hair.
Before Roy knew it he was getting his hair gently washed by no less than four sets of gloved hands and then conditioned, followed by a hot oil treatment and a scalp massage. Then the hair was finally cut and meticulously styled. When he paid for his services he was surprised that all the extensive treatment had only cost the same as he usually paid for a simple hair cut so he bought a gift certificate for a full pamper treatment for his wife to make up for feeling guilty about letting so many women have their way with his head.
JoAnne's first response when he walked in the back door was relief that her husband didn't smell stronger after spending the day in the station.
"I'm either getting used to you or you're making progress on your hygiene," JoAnne joked with her husband as she put her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss. "Now you just need to change your after shave lotion that's all."
"That's good to hear maybe the hair cut helped, or maybe I got some of the enzymes that brake down the smell on me while I was working at the station." Roy responded happily as he wrapped his arms around his wife but was very careful not to pull her closer than she was ready to get.
"What ever it is, I think you can sleep in the house tonight," Jo offered. "The weather report says that it's going to get colder and possible rain tonight. We can't have you catching a cold now can we?" "Dinner is all most ready you can take the tent down after words."
Roy quickly changed out of his uniform and put it in the wash, until the rest of his uniforms returned from the cleaners this was the only one he had and tomorrow he was supposed to track down the medical equipment and check it all out and make sure it was ready to go back on the squad.
Dinner was pleasant conversation about the children's day at school and questions about daddy's day at work and how the other guys were doing. After dinner Roy took the tent and camping gear down choosing to drape his sleeping bag over one of the rafters in the garage to air out for a few days before rolling it back up.
While he was outside the children wrote letters and drew pictures for Uncle Johnny and the rest of the guys still in the hospital and when Daddy was done with his chores they all climbed in the bath tub to get ready for bed. Once they were in their pajamas Roy read them a bedtime story and tucked them in before returning to the living room were his wife was waiting to coax him to lie on the sofa with his head in her lap while they watched the late news. Roy stiffened up as she ran her ungloved hands through his hair.
"That might not be a good idea," Roy reached up and took hold of her hands. "The skunk scent might get on your hands."
JoAnne pulled her hands away from her husbands grasp and held them up to her nose. "I don't think that's going to be a problem." She then took hold of his head and guided it into a position on her lap before starting to run her fingers through his hair again. "Your hair is so soft now; it smells like lavender, I've been dying to get my hands in it since you got home tonight." She added a smile and cradled her husband's head in her arms while she gave him a passionate kiss.
"I'm either getting used to you or all your bubble baths are making some serious headway." JoAnne added with a smile. Roy finally relaxed in his wife's arms and couldn't have told you what was on the news that night if his life depended on it.
00000
At the hospital the only time Johnny was in his bed was when the nurse was putting him there. As soon as the nurse left the room he was out again. Both he and Hank had been making an effort to drink as much as they could in hopes of getting rid of their IV's, which translated into several trips to the bathroom.
The new medications they were giving Marco and Chet were majorly helping their breathing and they had been removed from the oxygen for the time being.
When Dinner was brought in the nurses found Johnny, out of his bed again, sitting in a chair equal distances from each of his blindfolded friends describing bathing suits. Hank lounged in his bed nearby reading a book and fighting not to let himself laugh because he knew Johnny's ramblings were doing his men a world of good even if the magazine Johnny was making sure they heard him turn the pages of was 'US world and News Report'. Hank was sure there wasn't a single bathing suit on any of the pages inside but he had to admit some of the ones his youngest paramedic was describing would be a sight to behold. Others, well, he was sure his other men felt grateful to be blindfolded.
It didn't go with out notice that Chet would have been talking everyone's head off if he only felt a little better. Hank also noticed that Johnny was offering his friends fluids on a regular basis coaxing them to drink by telling them the fastest was to feel better was to flush that stuff out of their systems.
After Dinner a nurse came in and made Hank and Johnny's night, she took out their IV's.
During the night Hank, Johnny and Mike were awaken regularly by the call of nature. Hank was aware of Johnny helping Mike up and to the bathroom and for a little walk around the room to stretch his legs a little before tucking him back in bed.
Dr. Bracket was later than usual making his rounds the next morning but it was no surprise to Hank that Johnny received his discharge papers; He was however slightly surprised that he received his.
The biggest surprise came when the doctor walked out and before the door closed behind him Roy and Emily walked in, each one carrying an arm full of clothes. While Johnny grabbed his clothes from Roy and hurried to the bathroom to change, Emily pulled the drape around her husband's bed a proceeded to help him into his clothes.
When they were both ready to leave the room it only took one look at their remaining crewmates to know they were already feeling left behind and lonely.
"Hang in their guys," Johnny called out, "We'll be in to visit ya,"
"You bet we will," Hank added, "And I'll bet those bandages come off in just a day or two."
"You guys are just a couple of days behind us," Johnny continued to work on their morale, "Before long you'll be looking back at all this as nothing more than a bad memory."
During his ride home Hank learned that part of the reason Dr. Bracket was late doing rounds was that he had called Emily for her opinion on weather he should be sent home where he could rest or kept another day so he wouldn't worry about his men.
When Johnny was freed he made a bee line to the children's ward. After talking with the nurses and seeing if they approved of an idea he had Johnny went into the main play room acting like he was sneaking in with out the nurses knowing it.
"Guys, Guys," Johnny spoke in hushed tones as he kept looking at the door in mock fear, "I need your help."
The children quickly moved closer to their fireman friend so that he could talk softly. "I gotta' know, how bad do I smell?"
All of the children started sniffing him, some closer than others, and finally one little girl broke the silence.
"Well you could smell a little better, when was the last time you took a bath?"
Johnny pulled his watch up to his face, "About two hours ago."
"Did you use soap?" the little girl continued.
"Yeah, lots of it." Johnny answered now sitting Indian style on the floor in the middle of the kids.
"You must have worked a fire at the sewer plant to still smell like this after a bath," One little boy exclaimed.
Johnny was taking the children's comments in stride, he was already sure that he hadn't gotten rid of the skunk smell yet but needed a fresh set of noses to tell him how much work he still had ahead of him.
"I know, I know," a boy about 12 raised his hand in the back of the room waiting to be called on, "Were you one of the firemen who had to take care of all the firemen who got sprayed by the skunks that were hiding in their fire truck? I saw that on the news a few days ago. They had to give the whole fire station a bubble bath, fire trucks and all."
"Actually," Johnny answered as he hunched down to look like he was ashamed, "I was one of the men that got sprayed by the skunks and they had to take care of me and the guys I work with."
"Oh Wow!" "Way Cool!" "Out of sight!" "Did it really stink?" "Was it, like Gross?" "Did the skunks look cute?" "Did you get to pet one?" "Are they gonna let you keep it for a pet?" "How did it get on the fire engine?" and several more questions and comments came bombarding from every direction and Johnny smiled. A Nurse watching over the children had to duck out of the door quickly to hide her all out, side splitting laughter.
After a short nap and a well appreciated home cooked lunch that tasted heavenly, Hank made his way back to the hospital to visit his men. When he walked into the room he found not only his men but three much younger patients. Two in wheelchairs, one listening to Chet tell a tall tale about a fire he worked on, making himself the hero of course, another was interchanging conversation with Marco in Spanish so Hank had no idea what they were talking about but it did appear to be a question and answer session.
A little girl who was sporting a broken arm in a cast and some rather elaborate bandaging around her head and face was sitting on Mike's bed next to him being supported by Johnny sitting at her side. She was telling Mike how the firemen and paramedics pulled the car she was in apart so they could get her out, after a truck smashed into it. Even though Mike couldn't see the hand motions she was making the sound effects that came along with them and her description of the tools they used were bringing a smile to his face.
Hank just smiled as Johnny pulled a chair next to him with a free hand and motioned for him to have a seat, "What's a matter can't you find anyone else to talk to until your de skunked?"
"Me," Hank smiled and spoke softly trying not to interfere with the story being told by the young lady on Mike's bed. "Have you even been home yet?"
"A, no, I'm trying to decide if I should check out the YMCA until I smell better," Johnny replied.
Hank and Johnny just sat and watched the children interact with their friends until a nurse and two candy stripers entered the room announcing that it was time to go back to the children's ward. Following a round of moan and pleas for just a few more minutes the children were all wheeled out but it was clear they weren't the only ones who had enjoyed the visits.
Roy showed up a short time later explaining that he had spent the afternoon in a cluttered storage room in the basement of the hospital going over the medical supplies from the squad and calibrating all the equipment while he put the final touches on the order form for the replacement supplies they would need.
The three visitors stayed to help feed the three patients their dinner before Roy said he needed to get home because his wife would have dinner ready, Johnny turned down an invite for dinner and the offer of a ride home when Roy left but when Cap left he hooked his arm around John's shoulders and he did go with him.
Johnny was dropped off at his apartment and he cautiously made his way down the walk to his door, Mrs. Melborn was talking her small dog for a walk. There were not pet's allowed in the apartment complex but some how Mrs. Melborn had managed to get an exception.
"Well hello Johnny dear, it's been a few days since I've seen you. You must be working a lot lately."
"Yes Ma'am," Johnny answered.
"Were all those firemen that have been in the news after the skunk attack friends of yours?"
"Yes ma'am they were." Johnny answered not going into any detail and feeling that if she couldn't tell he was one of them he wasn't going to tell her.
"Do you know how they're doing; there wasn't much on the news about them tonight?"
"Three of them are already out of the hospital the other three should be in a few days." Johnny again didn't go into any real detail.
"Well that's good to hear, I best take little puky here for his walk." She turned to go but hesitated and turned back.
"John dear, would you accept a little advice from an older and wiser woman?"
"Yes ma'am." Johnny answered hesitantly.
"That after shave lotion you're wearing, let's just say it's not a winner, I'd loose that bottle if I were you."
"Yes, Ma'am," Johnny answered again and hurried into his apartment to make use of some of the bubble bath he had been given.