The Dream Puzzle-6

Chet stood frozen as he looked down at the older man. Marco looked up wiping his eyes. He knew he owed Chet an explanation but he was having trouble finding his voice.

"Marco?" Chet said nervously as he sat back down on his bunk. "Marco, did you see him too?"

Marco shook his head negatively as he again looked away. It took him a few moments before he was able to speak to his friend.

"I, uh, didn't see him the way that you did. But I did dream about him….Chet, you saw my dream."

Chet heard a gasp and realized it was his own. What had Marco just said? Had he really been dreaming about the man who was standing by his bed that night?

"Marco, please tell me. Tell me what you saw."

Marco finally raised his face to look into the eyes of his crewmate. He found himself not only looking into the eyes of his friend but of the only other person who knew how he was feeling at the moment.

"Chet, in my dream I was standing in front of this fellow. I only saw him from the waist up. He was wearing something like a white robe. The background was orange. I have no idea what that means but it wasn't like flames or anything. He had curly hair and a beard. Both were sort of a gold/metallic color – like nothing I've ever seen. And he was talking to me and I remember thinking that I was going to have to remember all these things he was saying. I mean, it was tons of information. But the last thing I remember him saying was this: 'When you wake up you won't remember anything I've said but when you need it, it'll be there.' I don't know what that means but Chet the weirdest thing is that I couldn't see his face. It was as if I wasn't allowed to look directly at him or something."

"And I couldn't see his face either…..."

Both men were lost in thought for a long moment. Neither knew what to say but suddenly Chet no longer felt like he was losing his mind. "Marco, don't take this the wrong way or anything but I sure am glad you had that dream because at least I'm not nuts."

"Or maybe we both are." Marco was still stunned. He didn't know what to make of this particular situation.

"Hey, maybe what I saw wasn't a ghost after all. Maybe it was an angel."

"Me? Visited by an angel?" Marco shook his head but he had to admit that he had no better explanation.

"Chet, I'm hoping this is all just a coincidence. I mean, maybe you really were dreaming and for some reason, our dreams were similar." Marco knew that it couldn't have been a coincidence. He knew how insane that idea sounded but the thought of him being visited by some angelic being sounded even more insane. He wasn't a particularly religious man which in his mind made the likelihood of a heavenly visitor even more ridiculous.

"Marco, I don't think we should tell anybody. I mean, Cap would think we'd been eating too much smoke or something so let's not tell him ok?"

"Huh, tell him what? That his two linesmen are wacko?"

Chet let out a nervous roar of laughter. Marco never used the term 'wacko' so to hear him say it in reference to the two of them gave Chet the release he so desperately needed. He let his body fall to the side on his bunk as tears of laughter poured from his weary eyes.

"Oh, uh oh Marco, that was too funny. You should've heard yourself now. Oh gosh, haha, oh."

Marco finally gave in to the ripples of laughter that were beginning to bubble towards the surface of his face. He finally grinned and joined his friend in heaving belly laughs.

"Well, well, what'd we miss fellas?" Captain Stanley asked as he led the others into the dorm. It was time for lights out.

"Oh, oh it's nothin' Cap. Honest," heaved Chet.

Hank Stanley didn't push either of them. Somehow, it seemed that Marco had gotten through to Chet and he was glad that the younger man seemed to be more focused and rid of whatever demons had been bringing him down over the last couple of shifts.

Johnny looked at the two of them laughing and then carefully examined his bunk. He looked under it above it and even checked to make sure that it wasn't short-sheeted or filled with flour. "Huh?" he muttered looking over at the two men again. Chet caught a glimpse of Johnny's nervous behavior and rolled off his bed onto the floor laughing.

"Whatever you two are smoking, I want some," came the usually quiet Stoker. His uncharacteristic behavior brought a round of snickers from the entire crew.

"Ga, Gage, the Phantom has not been busy tonight. I promise ya, ok?" Chet finally got the words out.

Johnny wasn't sure whether to believe him or not but he did know that Marco would never participate in the antics of Chet's alter- ego. So, he then confidently set up his turnout gear and crawled into his bunk.

By 23:00, the lights were out and all six firefighters all sleeping soundly in the dorm at Station 51.