The Boot
Chapter Four
By GCS
DISCLAIMER: "Emergency!" and its characters © Mark VII Productions, Inc. and Universal Studios. All rights reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction. This story is only written for entertainment. No financial gain is being realized from it. The story, itself, is the property of the author.
After watching a little bit of the movie, Johnny decided it was not the kind of movie he enjoyed. Yes, it involved sports, but one of the main characters suffered from a fatal disease, and that certainly did not appeal to him as what he wanted to watch on TV. No doubt, it would be a classic. People would watch it for years to come, but he didn't care. Slipping quietly from the room he descended the stairs in search of something to drink before going to bed. He also needed to get his boots and turnouts from his locker and set them up beside his bunk as he had been trained.
Passing through the bay he again marveled at the sheer beauty the equipment possessed.
The Ladder Truck stood before him ready for its next deployment with the massive white extendable lengths stacked a-top the long red bed, Los Angeles County Fire Department stenciled in easily read letters along the length of the vehicle. Glancing down the length of the long bay he noticed the Engines with their polished rich red paint reflecting in the moonlight streaming through the bay door windows. Engines silently waiting for the call to duty with turn out coats hanging from the open doors, ready for the men to climb aboard.
Finally, his eyes settled on the smaller red truck at the front. For some unexplainable reason that little truck always seemed to draw his attention, it fascinated him.
At the academy, the instructors briefly touched on the role of the Rescue Squad, and there had been a chapter in the manual addressing the duties of the Rescue Men, but it had only served to offer a hint at the depth of how they supported the department. The chapters on Engineers and other specialty positions had been equally as brief. As a Boot, these specialties were not an option. Years of training and experience usually proceeded transition into a specialty. Recruits simply needed to understand how they functioned at the station and in the chain of command.
Johnny walked up beside the red truck running his hand along the polished silver rail that ran along the top of the compartments lining either side of the bed. He walked around to the passenger side feeling the smooth perfectly waxed hood as he passed. His hand drifted along the window frame on the door feeling the rubber seal and back up to the coolness of the silver rail on the passenger side. His fingers slid easily down the door to the rounded indention that surrounded the handle to the compartment. He grasped the handle and turned it feeling the click as the latch allowed the door to open. Reflexively he glanced over his shoulder like a kid sneaking a cookie from the off limits cookie jar. He felt a thrilling sense of adventure and discovery racing through his veins.
Once he had the doors open, he could see all of the rescue equipment lining the shelves inside: oxygen, blankets, and a first aide kit. All firefighters went through training in basic first aide and CPR just like boy scouts, but Rescue Men used those skills every day. His hand softly brushed against the green oxygen container and drifted to the plastic bag that held a folded yellow blanket.
Saving lives, that's what had drawn him to the fire department to begin with. Saving people's lives and their homes, giving back what he had lost a long time ago. Keeping families together had been his inspiration.
"She's really something isn't she?"
Johnny jumped, startled out of his musings, quickly pulling his hands back. He'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Um…yeah…yeah she is."
"I'm Tony. You're John right?"
"J…Johnny." He stretched his hand out in greeting. "Uh…you ride Rescue?"
"Yep she's mine. Are you thinking on Rescue?"
"No. I don't think so. I'm…well I think I'll be better at hauling hose." Johnny shrugged.
"Don't sell yourself short Johnny. Don't close the door on possibilities." Tony could see the glimmer in Johnny's eyes as he admired the Squad. He had stood watching him for a while. "You never know what the future will bring. I'm heading back up to the movie. You coming?"
"Nah, it's not my kind of movie." He reached for the compartment door. "I'll just…um…shut this back. I'm gonna get my gear and turn in."
Nodding his understanding Tony turned and walked away. "Take your time, Johnny. She won't break."
Johnny smiled, stepping back a bit to get a better view of the truck. 'She's definitely a beauty.' Slowly he turned and went toward the kitchen and that drink he'd come down for.
He passed by the front of Engine One, his engine. He tapped the front of the rig on the number emblem on the front, 10 his new home away from home. Pride welled in his heart. 'I made it!'
Whistling happily, he walked into the kitchen and up to the refrigerator so into the moment he hadn't noticed his Captain sitting on the sofa across the large day room. He picked up the only carton of milk and shook it slightly to see how much it still had inside.
Captain Jones watched as the whistling died and Johnny's shoulders slumped.
Johnny slowly put the carton back. He closed the door and turned to the sink. Water would have to do. Pulling a glass from the cabinet, he stood momentarily staring at the faucet. He really wanted milk. It had always been his drink of choice.
"Tony." Captain Jones called from the couch and Johnny jumped, startled for the second time in the past few minutes.
"Yes sir?" Tony said from the doorway.
"Get your partner and run down to the corner store before they close. Get a couple of cartons of milk. I think we're out. Gage just finished it off." He smiled at the young man.
Tony smiled at the confused look Johnny had on his face. His mouth hung open and his eyes were wide.
"Yes sir." Tony said turning on his heels and disappearing from view.
"Tony!"
"Yes sir?" His head popped back into the door.
"Better make it three."
"Yes sir." Tony disappeared in search of his partner.
"Drink up son. Milk is good for growing boys like you." He chuckled. 'If he gets much taller he'll need new pants.'
Johnny just stared wide eyed at Captain Jones.
"Well go ahead. Finish that carton. We'll need room for the others."
"Th…thank you." He said softly as he walked over and opened the fridge. "Thank you, Sir."
"No problem. A happy crew is a good crew, Gage. Remember that." Captain Jones stood and stretched. "That movie should be just about over. Lights out in thirty." He walked out the door leaving Johnny standing with his full glass of milk in one hand and the empty carton in the other.
Shaking himself from the awareness that he had just had a casual conversation with his Captain and back to the realization he still had to get his gear, he gulped down his milk, threw the carton away and quickly washed the glass. Walking fast across the bay to the locker room he felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck. 'Will there be another prank? Another "surprise" in my locker or have the Graves brothers had enough for one day?'
He slowly pushed the door open looking into the room first. 'This is crazy. I can't tip toe around expecting some stupid joke to be waiting around every corner.' He walked with new resolve to his locker, grabbed his gear, and left the room without incident. Smiling as he again crossed the quiet bay he heard the doors start to rise. Tony and his partner backed into their spot, back with more milk. He resumed whistling the happy tune from earlier as he climbed the stairs to the dorm, taking the two at a time. He felt at ease. Thanks to Captain Jones and one silly glass of milk, Johnny felt a strong sense of belonging that he hadn't felt since he was younger.
When he walked into the dorm he noticed that every bunk save his had boots and turnouts positioned at the ready. 'When did they do that? I'll have to remember not to wait so late.' At the academy, they had always done it right before lights out. Their days had been so busy with training they didn't have time any earlier to get it done. Now that he thought about it there was no reason to wait. Besides, if they were late getting back from a fire it would be quicker getting to bed if his gear were already in place.
He walked over and sat the boots at the end of his bunk. Then he positioned the bunker pants over them and pooled them around the tops with the suspenders lying out to the sides. Looking around the room to check that his gear matched the others he pulled down the covers and fluffed his pillow. He could hear Captain Jones calling lights out to a round of grumbles. 'It must be difficult to get twenty or so guys to all agree on a time for bed.'
Settling into this bunk Johnny threw his arm over his eyes blocking out the overhead lights and drifted towards sleep. He could hear the soft footsteps of his crewmates as they walked past his bunk respectfully trying not to disturb him or the others already asleep. He knew when the lights went out, because he could no longer see the red lines they produced along the length of his arm where it rested against his face. A quiet calm fell on the room permeated only by soft snores and the deep breathing of sleep as it claimed the men.
The night would not afford them much rest. After about an hour, the tones rang out through the station rousing the men from their dreams. Throughout the dorm, men scrambled from their tangled covers and stepped into their turnouts. Johnny nearly fell out of his bunk after jerking his arm from over his eyes letting in the light from the lights that came on instantly with the tones. Squinting in a disoriented haze it took him two seconds to remember where he was before he jumped up and into his boots. He grabbed for the suspenders that would secure his pants in place and grabbed his jacket as he followed his crewmates to the pole.
When his feet touched ground on the concrete bay floor, he jogged to his Engine grabbing his coat as he climbed aboard. The Engine began moving as soon as his foot left the ground. He slid into his seat and buckled the coat while listening intently to the many stations called out in response to a fire at the harbor. 'This is a big one…hope I get to do more than watch.' He settled in for the ride.
Streetlights raced by the side of the Engine as they barreled down the almost empty streets. LA was never quiet, but on a weeknight, the traffic was definitely lighter.
Johnny listened as orders began coming across the radio from the first arrivals at the scene. The closer they came to the harbor the more sirens they could hear echoing through the night and red flashing lights lit up the darkened skies.
When they arrived on scene Captain Jones received their assignments and dispersed his men, "Gage, I want you and Cody Graves to man a hose here by the dock and keep that fire from those boats. Don't get too close to the building in case of an explosion. There are a lot of flammables in there."
"Yes sir!" Johnny couldn't believe his luck. He would get to man a hose tonight.
"I'll take the nozzle," Cody snidely commented as he grabbed the two and a half from Engine One.
"Okay Cody, no problem." Johnny didn't really care if he was first on the nozzle or not. From the looks of the fire, they would have plenty of time to switch positions later. He stepped up behind Cody placing one hand on his shoulder and grabbing the hose with the other.
Cody shot a signal to Scotty to charge the hose and flipped the nozzle to open. Together they moved up step for step toward their assigned target. Johnny pulled the heavy hose along behind as they moved forward. "Come on Gage! You're holding me back. Try to keep up."
Johnny smiled behind his SCBA mask and nodded his head. 'Some people never learn. Fighting fires is not something done in haste. You have to move where the fire tries to move. You don't control it. The fire controls your moves, and it is sneaky. But don't you worry Cody. I've got your back even if you are a jerk.' Shaking off his own thoughts, Johnny turned his concentration to the task at hand.
Dark smoke rolled across the night sky blocking the light from the moon and stars; the red glow from the fire cast eerie reflections in the pools of water that began collecting on the pavement. The clanging of ropes against masts and the rocking of boats against their docks remained the only sounds around them other than the constant noises from the firefighting apparatus and the orders from HTs mixed with the crackling of the fire as it consumed everything in its path.
Flames shot high above the roof to the boat repair shop. Ash swirled in the gentle night breeze. It was the job of the perimeter to protect the surrounding structure. Cody pushed closer to the side of the building. Johnny thought he was moving closer than Captain Jones had wanted them and he tapped Cody's shoulder. "Hey Cap said stay back, away from the structure."
"I know what I'm doing. If he didn't trust us, he wouldn't have put us on a hose. Just keep up." Cody yelled over his shoulder and continued pushing forward fanning his hose against the side of the main structure.
Knowing it was his duty to offer support to the lead man Johnny kept pace with his partner even though he felt like they were in the wrong place. "That's far enough Cody." He gripped Cody's shoulder and held him firm. Cody shook Johnny's hand from his back and kept moving forward. Johnny stopped and looked back at the Engine. Scotty had watched the exchange. "Look Cody…either you stop or you're going it alone."
"Go ahead Tonto, but remember it's your butt that will be in trouble for leaving your post." Cody smiled. "Cap will be pleased with my performance."
Unsure of his decision Johnny hesitated only for a few seconds then he stepped back and dropped his hand from Cody's back leaving him with the full force of the hose. "No, Cody. You're disobeying a direct order. Now either stop or go on alone." He stepped back another few feet and waited.
'Okay Johnny now hold your own. You know he's wrong. He's too close. Wait him out.' Scotty thought to himself as he backed off on the hose pressure so Cody could handle it alone.
Before Johnny had time to reconsider or Cody had time to comply, an explosion rocked the building throwing them both through the air. Cody flew off the dock into the water and disappeared beneath the surface, pulled down by the weight of his quickly filling turnouts, boots and the heavy SCBA equipment.
Johnny landed hard against the asphalt stunning him, but he shook it off and crawled to the edge looking into the water for Cody. When he didn't see him resurface, Johnny quickly pulled off his coat and SCBA in one swift move and shucked out of his boots. If he had been behind Cody, he wouldn't have gone in the water. If only he hadn't left his position. Cody could drown and it would be his fault. Without thinking or waiting for instructions, he jumped into the water feet first. His partner was down and he would do everything he could to save him.
Captain Jones ran over to the edge and called into his HT for the Rescue Squad to report to him immediately. Up to now they had not been needed.
Scotty shut off pressure to the hose and ran up beside his Captain.
Captain Jones watched the black water for any sight of his men. Johnny came up for air a few feet away.
"There Cap!" Scotty pointed to the ripples in the surface where Johnny's head broke through, but Johnny disappeared again.
Tony and Joe, Station 1O's Rescue team came running up. "We have two men in the water, Cody Graves and John Gage. Gage is attempting to find Graves. Get in there and get him out. He took quite a hit himself."
"Gage jumped in?" Tony couldn't believe his ears. Most guys would have stayed down or waited for the Rescue team. Gage might just be a good candidate for the Rescue Squad. Joe was planning to move out of the county soon and Tony would need a new partner.
"Yeah…crazy kid." Captain Jones rubbed his hand across his brow. "Now get him out of there and find Graves."
Johnny searched blindly through the cold dark water, reaching into the blackness, probing all sides, hoping to brush up against something. He dove further down the second time, kicking with everything he had pushing deeper into the murky depths. He knew Cody was sinking fast. He reached out with his long thin arms fanning them out as he swam. The dirty water burned his eyes, but he forced himself to keep them open in hopes the reflective strips on Cody's turnouts might catch some light. He swam deeper still. His lungs starved for air. Then he felt something brush against his hand.
Tony and Joe both jumped in the water and immediately dove under trying to locate the two men. The murky water and darkness of night made visibility non-existent. They both came up again to try to formulate a search plan. Johnny had come up once more for air, but now both men were under the surface. "Where did Gage come up?" Tony yelled to Captain Jones.
Captain Jones pointed the area where Gage had been searching and the Rescue Men moved to the same area. As they were about to dive Johnny came up dragging Cody from the depths. Coughing and sputtering he called to Tony, "He isn't breathing."
Tony swam over and took Cody from Johnny. He clamped down Cody's nose and blew breath into his mouth; then he began the trip over to his Captain. He paused several times blowing breaths into Cody's slack mouth.
Exhausted and weak Johnny struggled to swim over to the side. He couldn't do it. He slid beneath the surface. "Gage!" Captain Jones yelled. "Joe get Gage."
Joe immediately grabbed Johnny's arm and pulled him to the surface. Johnny gasped for air as soon as his head broke through. "Come on John. Let's get you out of here."
Once all the men were on dry ground and Cody had started breathing on his own they were sent to Rampart General Hospital to be checked out. The ambulance attendants lifted the stretcher into the back of the ambulance just as Jim Graves ran up. "Cody? Is he gonna be all right? What happened?"
Tony put his hand on Jim's shoulder. "Easy Jim, he swallowed a bunch of nasty water, but Johnny here got him out. He's breathing on his own, but we need to take him to the hospital so he can be checked out."
"Okay Tony. Thanks." Jim turned and looked at Johnny who was sitting on the back of the Squad wrapped in a yellow blanket. "Um Thanks, Gage." He walked over and held out his hand. "Really, thanks for pulling my baby brother out. You probably saved his life."
Johnny shook his hand, nodded and climbed into the ambulance. He sat on the bench and leaned against the wall pulling the blanket closely around his thin body. He had put his turnout coat and boots back on trying to get warm, but a chill had settled in his bones. He couldn't believe so much had happened on his first shift at Station 10. He just wanted to sleep. He shivered and coughed up more water. His eyes drooped and closed slowly. He felt like he weighed a ton. The ambulance started moving, rocking, lulling him to sleep.