The Dream Puzzle

4

Mike backed the engine into the apparatus bay and four tired and weary firefighters exited. Hank made his way to his office as Mike headed toward the kitchen for some water. The two linesmen trudged toward the latrine. Chet got there first but was in no particular hurry to shower. He was still a little shaky from their run. He was more than happy to allow Marco to shower first. Marco was the senior of the two of them but more than that, he had saved Chet's life earlier and Chet felt like he owed him.

"Go ahead Marco, I need to rest a minute before I have the energy to shower." Chet gave Marco a sincere grin that made his blue eyes sparkle amid all the soot on his face.

"Thanks" was the only word Marco uttered as he began to strip down in the locker room. The hot water felt heavenly as it washed away the dirt, smoke and grime. He hastily cleaned himself off and then exited the shower so his partner could take a turn. Stepping out with only a towel wrapped around his waist, he looked at Chet.

"All yours."

"Oh, man, I bet…." Chet was mumbling something but Marco couldn't make it out over the sound of the running water. He slowly made his way over to his locker and began pulling out his spare clean uniform. Before he was completely dressed he heard Chet cut off the water. They knew to keep their showers short so there would be enough hot water to go around.

Marco had managed to dress the lower half of his body and decided to sit down to button up his light blue shirt as Chet made his way around the corner to his locker.

"Marco, my man, that shower felt almost as good as your tug on my shoulder when you saw that ceiling caving in."

This was the second time Chet had made that comment but it was the first time Marco had really heard it. For a moment, Marco felt like he'd gotten the wind knocked out of him.

"Chet, I didn't see that ceiling falling until you did and I didn't signal you to get out either."

"Come on Marco, I'm too tired for these games."

"I'm not kidding, Chet. I never pulled on your shoulder. I didn't know what was happening until you shut off the water and turned to run. Remember, you nearly bumped into me?"

Chet held onto the towel around his waist as he sat down on the bench in front of their lockers. His face was paling and Marco thought for a minute that he might pass out.

They sat in silence briefly until the sound of the shower running brought them back to the present. They had both been so wrapped up in their own thoughts that neither of them heard Mike enter the latrine. Chet turned to look at Marco.

"Marco, if it wasn't you then what the hell was it? I mean, we were standing inches apart."

"I don't know but I'm glad you felt….well, whatever it was you felt or else you and I might still be in that pile of rubble."

Chet leaned back against his locker letting Marco's words sink in. Nothing in his life made sense at that moment. He even wondered fleetingly if perhaps this was all a dream and he was still lying in bed watching a blonde stranger standing over Marco's bed watching him sleep.

_X_

The rest of the day had been quiet. Gage and DeSoto had returned from Rampart with the news that Mr. Flynn had been treated and was going to be released within a few hours. Dinner had been hamburgers which weren't half bad considering it was Johnny's turn to cook. Mike was cleaning up the dinner dishes when Roy and Johnny were called out on a case of possible food poisoning but the call had gotten canceled before they arrived. The victim had been transported by private vehicle to Rampart for treatment.

The crew of Station 51 settled down to watch a little television before "lights out." Chet tried to pay attention to the movie but his recent bout of insomnia coupled with his near-death experience had left him physically and emotionally drained. He looked at his watch. Man, it's only 20:00, geesh. Hoping his droopy eyes were an indication that precious sleep was indeed approaching, he meandered toward the dorm and prepared for bed.

"What's up with him?" Johnny was more than a little concerned that the Phantom might be up to something but he had noticed Chet acting strangely over the last few shifts.

"We just had a close call on that apartment fire today." Marco hoped that was all that was bothering his crewmate but he had a feeling there was more to it. This wasn't their first close call and no doubt it would not be their last. Marco wasn't sure if it was Chet's nervous behavior or his own strange dream that now had him shrouded in a peculiar sense of foreboding. Whatever it was, he didn't like it. Experience had taught him to listen to his gut and right now his gut was screaming at him; the only problem was that he had no idea what it was warning him of.

"Maybe I better go check on him, guys." Marco hoped that the rest of his crewmates would catch on and allow them some privacy; that was, if Chet would talk to him. Marco grabbed a quick drink of water and made his way to the dorm.

Marco hesitated just outside the dorm door. He inhaled deeply then exhaled as he pushed through it.

"Chet, you ok?"

Marco didn't get an answer until he had rounded the corner of the half wall separating Mike's bunk from his and Chet's. There he saw Chet sitting on his bed with his back against the wall. His legs were extended out in front of him and crossed at the ankles. He seemed to be staring at the air between himself and Marco but not seeing anything. Marco stood at the corner leaning against the brick wall giving Chet some time. Just when he was about to repeat his question, Chet looked up at him.

"I don't know, man. I honestly don't know. I think….maybe I'm…uh." He exhaled heavily and scrubbed his face with the palms of his hands before he continued. "Damn it…I don't know, Marco. I think maybe I'm going nuts are something."

Marco pushed himself away from the wall and sat down on his bed facing Chet.

"Chet, come on. You're not crazy. Look, we had a close call today and for whatever reason you thought you felt me pull you back but I didn't. But look at us. We're both here and neither of us got hurt…..or worse...so it all worked out fine. Right?"

He got no response from the junior linesman.

"Chet…..Chet? This is about more than just that apartment fire isn't it?"

Chet opened his mouth as if to speak but hesitated briefly before giving a slight chuckle and shook his head negatively. "It ain't nothin', Marco."

"Chet, yes it IS something. Now you know that we've got to keep our head on straight in order to stay safe on this job so don't just blow me off alright? Something big is bothering you. Who knows, maybe I can help." He hoped the younger man might confide in him but Chet had never been one to talk about serious matters so Marco knew it was a long shot.

They sat in silence listening to the clock tick for what seemed to Marco to be several minutes. He watched Chet pick at something invisible on his pant leg as he struggled to find the right words. Marco, being a patient man, gave Chet the time and space he needed to collect his thoughts. He didn't want to press him for information. If and when Chet revealed anything to him it would be in Chet's own sweet time.

The longer the two of them sat there silently the more concerned Marco was becoming that Chet would actually say nothing. Just when he was about to give up, he heard Chet inhale sharply and speak in a voice much softer than usual.

"Marco,..I….uh,….do you believe in ghosts?"