The Boot
Chapter Seven
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.
By the time the next shift rolled around Johnny's cough seemed better, but his voice was hoarse and his chest ached from coughing. To top it all off after stalling as long as he dared, when it came time to leave his apartment it was pouring down rain. He grabbed the only jacket he had from the hook by the door, slung it over his shoulders and slipped his arms in quickly. That was the best he could do. If he didn't leave now he would surely be late. To him it seemed that instead of slowing down like he'd hoped, it now came down in torrents.
Scotty stood at the back overhead doors sipping coffee and watching it rain.
Captain Jones came up behind him with his own steaming cup. "Looks like it isn't gonna stop anytime soon."
"Nope." He sipped the brew.
"What's got you thinking this morning, Dale?" Cap could tell from years of working together and by the crease on his Engineer's forehead that he had something on his mind.
"Just wondering how a guy that rides a motorbike gets around in this." He motioned toward the sheet of rain cascading off the back of the building. About that time, they heard a small engine pulling into the drive out front.
"Well I guess we're about to find out." Cap chuckled.
Johnny pulled around the building and slid his bike into the space beside the dumpster where he'd parked it before. He grabbed the bundle from the back wrapped in a green trash bag. He ran to the building before removing his helmet. His hair was the only dry thing about him. He slowed his pace as his feet hit dry ground. "Morning," he said softly as he slipped by.
"Morning John," Cap returned the greeting.
Scotty looked Johnny over. "You're soaked."
Johnny glanced over at his new friend. "Ya think?" He grinned and moved toward the locker room.
Scotty and Cap both noticed the roughness in his voice. Cap turned to Scotty. "Think he's okay?"
"Hope so. Sure sounds rough." Scotty turned to the kitchen. "Want some more coffee Cap?"
Johnny hurried into the locker room leaving a wet path in his wake. He accidentally brushed against Jeff as he moved through the crowded locker room. "Thanks a lot Gage. I just got dry."
"Sorry." He sat his bundle and helmet on the bench and pulled out of the wet jean jacket.
"Oh look, if it isn't Johnny Gage, fireman extraordinaire." Cody called from across the room. "Whatcha got there, bringing your trash to work?"
Johnny simply continued getting ready for shift ignoring Cody's comments. He was too wet and uncomfortable to care right now. He reached for his locker handle and pulled the door open. As he opened the door, something fell out and hit him on the head. He reflexively closed his eyes and raised his arms. He didn't immediately know what had hit him. Cody burst into laughter. When he opened his eyes, he saw the long stick pulled into a fake bow with string holding it taut with fake eagle feathers tied to the end.
"Man did you see that?" Cody slapped his brother on the shoulders. Jim and the others got up and left the room without comment. "What?" Cody followed his brother out.
Johnny picked up the makeshift bow and put it in the trash then he stopped, rubbed his fingers along the soft feathers, and looked at it thoughtfully. Cody was the only one laughing.
After hanging his turnout coat on the engine and putting his helmet in his seat, Johnny joined the others in the kitchen for roll call. Scotty handed him a cup of hot coffee. "You look like you need that."
"Thanks." He looked that the steaming mug, brought it up and smelled it. He looked at Scotty and raised an eyebrow.
"Relax, I made it." He smiled. "You ready to do this again?"
"Yep." Johnny took an experimental sip of coffee. He still didn't like the taste but it was warm and that felt good. Scotty was amused as he watched Johnny wrinkle his nose at the taste. He thought he saw a slight tremble in the younger man, but he guessed that could be a reaction to the coffee. At least he hoped that was what it was from and not from the cold rain he'd just ridden to work in.
"Okay gentlemen now that everyone's here let's get this day started. The rappelling drills scheduled for this morning have been postponed." The men around the room sat up a little straighter. Captain Jones knew they were glad they wouldn't have to do the drills in the rain. He was glad too. "I know how much some of you wanted to show me how your skills have improved since our last drill, but as your Captain I have decided to keep us available, besides with weather like this I figure we'll get plenty of practice on other skills today."
Johnny leaned over and whispered to Scotty, "What does he mean plenty of practice? What makes today so different?"
Scotty chuckled. "You really are green aren't ya boot."
Johnny's mouth hung open, he pulled his head back, and his eyebrows furrowed. "Huh, what do you mean?"
"Haven't you ever noticed that when it rains it's like people forget how to drive?"
"Well yeah, but what's that got to do with us?" Johnny still didn't understand.
"Well, when you were at the academy learning how to use the jaws and K-12 didn't they tell you why you would need those skills?" Scotty whispered.
"Oh." Johnny smiled at himself. "Oh yeah."
Scotty just smiled.
Captain Jones had just finished the assignments for the shift when the tones called the entire station to a structure fire. Everyone ran for their respective vehicles as the bay doors creaked up slowly revealing the rain soaked streets in front of the station. Rain pelted the vehicles as they raced through the streets dodging the still heavy morning traffic. The air horn blasted loudly as they neared each intersection warning the seemingly unaware drivers of their approach.
Johnny watched out the front window between the swishing wipers at the cars that threw sprays of water at the sidewalks as they passed along the thoroughfare. The normal courtesy given to rescue vehicles seemed nonexistent in today's storm. Johnny wondered if they couldn't hear the sirens or if they were in too big of a hurry to get somewhere out of the rain to pull over and stop for the parade of bright red trucks.
As they approached their destination, they could see the flames that shot high into the overcast sky, flickering, and reaching higher and higher with the wind that fanned the tendrils of the beast. The fire flitted and danced along the roof mocking the rain that poured down on it.
"Gage, hook us up." Captain Jones called back to Johnny.
Moving quickly he stepped down from the engine as it slowed enough for him to disembark and grab the feeder hose. He quickly wrapped it around the base of the hydrant, planted a foot on the nozzle end, and waited until the engine stopped several yards away. Wasting no time, he stripped the cover off and attached the hose. Looking briefly over his left shoulder for a cue from Scotty to let the water flow, he nodded at the signal and released the water. Once he was sure the hydrant was functioning properly, he jogged over beside the engine to await his next instruction.
"Gear up." Captain Jones pointed to him. He nodded and pulled on his SCBA preparing to work the line. "Bill, you and Gage start in the front and cover Tony and Joe. There's a missing worker."
"Yes sir," Bill called back to his superior as he pulled hose from the back of the rig. "Come on Johnny, let's go."
Johnny grabbed the hose and followed Bill to the entrance. He placed his hand on Bill's shoulder and took a firm grip on the hose. Bill motioned to Scotty to charge the line. Johnny could feel the pressure build as the water reached them and filled the hose. Bill aimed the nozzle and opened her up on the flames reaching around the doorway they would be going through.
Inside the building, Johnny could feel the heat rising in his turnout coat. The sweat pooled near his lower back and slid downward. It was hot, and that did nothing for his already sore throat. They pushed forward into the lobby area where there once stood a reception desk, which was now a burnt out shell. Tony and Joe pushed past them and started down the hallway to the warehouse area of the building. Bill and Johnny followed closely behind the two rescue men. The roar of the fire mixed with the constant hissing noises made by their SCBA created a surreal feeling of claustrophobia. Johnny kept his eyes moving around them making sure they didn't miss any errant flames or falling debris all the while pulling the hose along behind them. Anyone watching would have thought he'd fought fires for years.
Bill glanced back at Johnny and tilted his head toward the stack of boxes to their right. Smoke poured from the back of the stack. Johnny nodded his understanding and the two men directed the spray over to the large cardboard boxes filled with they didn't know what. Tony and Joe continued searching the area. Other linemen joined Bill and Johnny in the spacious warehouse and fought the flames from several different directions.
Johnny felt his hose stop and he looked back to see if it was stuck on something. He saw the flames shooting up the wall behind them and dancing along the ceiling above. Then he heard Bill yell to him to retreat. Tony and Joe passed them with the missing worker. Captain Jones had ordered everyone out. The fire would win this battle, but they had found the missing man. That definitely counted as a win for them. Moving quickly all the linemen backed out of the structure just in time to watch the roof fall in where they had just been.
"Surround and drown." Captain Jones ordered through the HT.
As soon as Station 10 finished the clean up at the warehouse, the tones called them out to an MVA on the freeway. Johnny was beginning to understand what Scotty meant about rainy days being busy. When they pulled up the entrance ramp, the back up of traffic went on for miles. Scotty skillfully maneuvered the engine down the shoulder. The engine bucked and rocked along on the uneven roadside. "Watch out!" Captain Jones yelled to Scotty when a motorist shot out in front of him trying to get around the stopped traffic.
"I see him Cap." Scotty didn't seem bothered at all by the intrusion in his continued trek past the line of angry motorists. "Can you get the plate? We'll inform the patrolmen at the scene of his blatant disregard for the law."
"I got it." Cap retorted.
Johnny turned back around and leaned back in his seat. Watching the crazy drivers in this weather made him nervous. He pulled his turnout coat tighter to keep out the chill from the cool damp air. He stayed that way until he heard Scotty whistle at the site before them.
Several cars had impacted at a high rate of speed. One had hydroplaned and flipped before the others had piled onto it. That small car was now upside down, and partially buried by the other vehicles. The only access seemed to be the bent frame of what used to be the driver's side window. When they arrived on the scene, Captain Jones directed his men with practiced ease. "Jim, pull an inch and a half and start working on that gas spill. Gary we need the jaws on that pick-up. Jeff you can start hosing the other side over there. Bill, you and John pull those battery cables. Tony, you and Joe let us know what you need to get these people out. LA we need 2 additional ambulances."
"Cap we have a problem." Tony called as he ran over to explain. "The only access to that car on the bottom is through what's left of that window. I can hear movement in there, but the hole is too small for either Joe or me."
Captain Jones walked over closer to the planned point of entry. He looked around at his men. Making a quick decision he called to the one man he thought to be small enough to fit through the opening. "Gage!"