Sometimes Stepping Back is the Best Move

The trucking company was just two miles away from the station and as the engine and squad of station 51 rolled around the last corner they could see several men stopping traffic in both directions on the road that ran in front of the loading docks. As they worked around the stopped traffic a large eighteen wheeler barreled across the road into a vacant field, smoke trailing behind from the box trailer. Once the truck was across the road the men who had stopped traffic for it turned and directed the fire department in after it.

The squad pulled into the field and out of the way as the engine pulled past it and to a safe but still attackable distance from the 18 wheeler. While they were pulling hose, the driver of the semi unhooked the tractor from the trailer and quickly drove the tractor away, parking in an area near the engine as two other fire engines were pulling in around the tractor. The driver then got out with a book in his hand and hurried over to Hank's side.

"I've got no idea what's in there or who the driver was." The man stopped next to the person who was clearly in charge at the moment and pulled open the book in his hand. "I took a chance and pulled it away from the dock before it could take everything with it."

"You were taking a chance but it was good work," Hank praised the man as he looked at the book with him.

"Units responding, hold back, we're still trying to determine what the cargo is." Hank spoke into the handy talkie as the man next to him turned pages in the log book.

When the foreman at Hank's side found what he was looking for he held the book out with his finger pointing to the line he needed. The shipment manifest showed pickups at three different chemical companies without delivery information or details as to what was picked up.

The foreman didn't have to be told that the information was inadequate and pulled his walkie talkie, requesting any and all information about the companies listed and a search for the driver of the rig.

While the foreman was getting the information, Hank ordered all firemen to gear up with air tanks and move in cautiously with a fog from all directions. He then asked for the police to back all civilians off.

Once the battalion chief was on site they still had no idea what they were dealing with but the smoke and fumes coming from the trailer were noxious with hints of red tainting the smoke. Without knowing what they were dealing with, and the truck being away from anything else, the best course of action was to contain and stand back.

Finally, the foreman's walkie talkie came to life as he was informed that a driver was found in one of the bathrooms in the building, unconscious. One of the chemical companies in question claimed to be shipping waste products of undetermined nature from a cleaning chemical manufacturer and no phone number had been located on the other two companies listed. The person giving the information didn't even think one of the companies even existed.

What they had on their hands was a fire fighting nightmare that got worse when the foreman started coughing and getting light headed. One of the police officers loaded him into a patrol car and drove him back across the street where the paramedics were working on the man that was believed to be the driver. Both men were taken to the hospital on oxygen and precautionary IV's.

While the doctors at Rampart were running toxicology screens to try and determine what they were dealing with, the fire department took on a 'let it burn' stand believing that to be the best course of action.

It made for a very long day as chemical specialists as well as fire and police investigators were put into action in attempts to determine exactly what they were dealing with. It took four hours before the first flames showed and continued to burn for three hours after that.

When a charcoaled skeleton was all that remained and no smoke or other visible steam was rising, the exhausted fire fighters were finally released from the scene and told to report to Rampart. There they were given a good shower, had blood drawn, every inch of them was looked over carefully; they were fed a nutritious meal and told to take another shower. They were then released to return to duty with instructions to report back to the hospital if the slightest little thing felt off.

By the time the men returned to the station their faces still bore the pressure marks from wearing their masks literally all day long. All of their turn out gear had been traded out so that the ones they had worn, as well as the hose on the engine, could be tested and cleaned. By morning only some of the chemicals involved had been identified and the driver had not regained consciousness.

What had been figured out so far was that cleaning chemicals had been mixed with some pharmaceutical waist. None of it good but none of it overly toxic and none of it explained the spontaneous combustion or the coma the driver was in. They were all advised to stay close to a phone for the next twenty four hours once they were off duty.

Morning also brought a visit from Hank's friend, the building inspector. His report was full of details that none of the men had thought about, but he did find the houses sound structurally. All were lacking in recommended insulation, and he recommended they have the plumbing snaked and the paint tested for lead. The furnace and water heater from Marco's house were missing, believed to have been taken by the last residence three years ago.

The inspector's advice, once he had told them all he knew and listened to them tell him of their intentions, was that the homes were well worth what was being asked but that the family was so eager to sell that he thought they should just wait for a while. After what he had found and detailed in his personal report to the guys, a copy which was given to the real estate agent, who was confirmed to be a family member.

"I strongly suspect that they will have new counter bids later this morning that will be a lot closer to your original bids," Hank's friend suggested. "And as far as the furnace and water heater, I would recommend you tell them you'll take care of it for a lower selling price because I don't think they'll put in good quality merchandise."

The men took the inspector's advice and arranged to pay him for his work, it was learned that he was planning to buy several of the houses to fix up and resell as an investment. "After what I've seen in my line of work, ain't no way I'm getting into the rental business. But these are good houses and at good prices."

The men all went home or, as in Marco's case, grocery shopping and then to Chet's apartment. Some of Chet's neighbors gave a distasteful glare at Marco as he walked up the steps to Chet's place and let himself in.

Marco noticed that Chet had dropped his duffle bag in the chair just inside the door and was now in the shower, given the steam throughout the apartment he had been in there for a while and Marco knew there would be no hot water left for him. When he went to place some groceries in the refrigerator he found a very nice looking young lady sitting at the table finishing up the remains of what looked like a sizable breakfast. It seemed that Chet had a date.

"You must be Marco," the girl called out shyly. "Chet told me that you were staying here since your apartment sort of fell in on you. I'm Tina, an old friend of Chester's. I just got back in town after a long trip."

"Hi, um, nice to meet you, I'll just get out of your way." Marco turned and, remembering something his mother used to say, mumbled quietly, "Dead fish and guests begin to smell after three days." His mind raced to think of someplace to go but the mandate that all the men who fought that fire remain near the phone until the rest of those chemicals were identified, sent him to the guest room and behind a closed door.

Chet knocked a few minutes later and stuck his head in the door and offered to call Tina's roommate and invite her over for Marco.

Marco had never been into blind dates and the noises he heard before the door was knocked on told him the activities of the day weren't the kind he wanted to carry on with in the company of someone he just met. He declined the offer, as politely as possible

Marco stayed in the guest room going over his financial records trying to decide where to come up with the money to make a higher bid on that house. At one point he managed to doze off but he was awakened about noon by the ringing of the phone.

Chet was heard talking on the phone as he walked in the direction of Marco's room. Marco heard the word 'no' several times and then the knock on his door. Without waiting for a reply Chet opened the door and stuck his head in. "Its headquarters, they want to talk with you about how you're feeling. That truck driver from yesterday. . . he just died."

Nervously, Marco stepped to the doorway as the cord of the phone wouldn't stretch any farther. Standing in the hall, Marco proceeded to answer the questions asked of him.

"Do you have a headache?"

"No."

"Do you have any stiffness in your neck or shoulders?"

"No."

"Do you have a sore throat or an ear ache?"

"No."

"Are you experiencing any thoughts of a suicidal nature?"

'Homicide maybe but not suicide,' Marco thought to himself as he looked at Chet standing at the end of the hall watching him, with Tina wrapped around his shoulders. Marco let out a deep breath, "NO."

"Are you more tired than usual?"

"That's hard to say right now," Marco responded, "It was a long shift and no one slept real well last night wondering what kinds of chemicals were in that truck. The phone did just wake me up so I feel fine right now."

Several more questions were asked causing Marco to evaluate his body and when the call was disconnected he honestly wasn't sure how he felt. He handed the phone back to Chet and could see the tell tale signs in his eyes that he felt the same way.

"Hey, we were just about to sit down to some lunch. Do you want to join us?" Chet offered.

"No, that's okay, I don't want to intrude." Marco turned to go back to his room.

"Look, Marco," Chet stopped him with a hand on his shoulder, "You've got to eat, at least for the time being you're living here, too, so you don't need to hide in the bedroom. Besides after what I just heard I'd feel better if we were keeping an eye on each other." Chet stepped away from his lady friend and gave Marco a worried look. "You were the one that opened that hatch, no one else got as close to that trailer as you did."

"I'm fine, Chet."

"I know you are, it's just that I want to keep an eye on you, that's all; a good back up linemen is hard to come by. Besides, lunch is bound to taste better if you help cook it."

Reluctantly Marco agreed to join them for lunch and before the food was ready there was a knock on the door and a young lady by the name of Jennie was introduced to Marco. She was nice enough and asked intelligent questions about firefighting and what it must have been like for Marco to be trapped in his bed for so long before help arrived.

Chet announced that he was buying a duplex and the girls offered him suggestions on how to fix it up. Marco made mental note of those suggestions but didn't say anything about the house he was hoping for.

After lunch the group got together for some table games and Marco did have a pleasant afternoon. Marco wasn't sure he would seek out Jennie's company again in the future but he did have a pleasant afternoon.

Captain Stanley called around mid afternoon with updates on the investigation and to check on each of his men personally and the hospital also called with results from the blood tests which were all were within normal parameters.

The group was just starting to make dinner plans when the phone rang and Chet answered it. "Marco, it's for you, that real estate guy."

Marco held his breath as he reached for the phone. "This is Lopez."

All eyes were locked on Marco as he silently listened to what was being said to him. When Marco's eyes went wide and he slumped against the wall for support he quickly had Chet at his side holding him up with one hand as he pulled a chair under his friend with the other.

Marco cupped his hand over the mouth piece and forced himself to take a deep breath and blow it out. He then closed his eyes and did it again.

Finally he looked up at Chet and let out another deep breath. Removing his hand from the phone and using it to take a firm hold of Chet's arm Marco finally spoke. "Well, Mr. Johnson, I will admit that I'm interested in that house so as far as the present offer I do believe we can make a deal. How soon can I expect to be able to begin the needed repairs?"

As Marco listened he held his breath and his grip on Chet's arm grew gradually tighter, but Chet had heard enough to get the idea his friend was getting good news so he just let his smile grow from behind his mustache and waited for his friend to finish his phone call so he could tell him everything.

Marco then let go of Chet's arm and looked around before motioning with his hand that he needed something to write on and something to write with. Tina grabbed the pencil from the card table and turned the Yatzee score sheet over for Marco to write on the back of it. Information was written down in Spanish so no one could read more than the address and phone number that was written. "All right, I'll see you tomorrow at five then," Marco closed the call and held the handset out for Tina to take it from him and hang the phone up.

Marco took another deep breath and leaned back against the back of the chair he was sitting on. His eyes grew wide again and a smile started to grow.

"I got the house." He nearly whispered, then he made eye contact with Chet, "I GOT THE HOUSE!"