The Boot
Chapter Seventeen
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.
Jim sidestepped and passed a very tall thin man as he came into the dimly lit bar. The bright light that filtered into the door with him flashed across the face of the man he passed on the way in. 'Man that guy could pass as Honest Abe Lincoln.' He looked away quickly not wanting to stare. He stopped just inside and looked around for his friends. After his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting he saw the group from Station 10 gathered around a table in the back. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders and began walking in their direction.
Scotty saw Jim as soon as he stepped past Hank. "Hey Jim! We're over here." He waved Jim over to their table.
Jim noticed the others around the table watching him as he approached. 'I guess they've all made up their minds about Cody. I'll just keep quiet and listen to what they have to say. Then at least I can get a clear picture of what's on each of their minds.'
"Hey Gotchalk, why don't you get Jim a beer?" Scotty requested as he slung his arm around Jim's shoulders.
"That's okay Scotty, I'm not that thirsty." Jim said quietly.
"Not that thirsty? This is a bar Jim old boy. Now grab a seat and relax a little." Scotty could feel the tension in his friend's shoulders. It was true they asked him here to talk about his brother, but he was a part of their team and together they would all get through whatever came of it.
At the hospital Cody followed Dr. Early into a treatment room.
"Have a seat up on the table for me." The white haired doctor motioned toward the exam table. He grabbed a rolling stool and pulled it over close to Cody. "I just want to ask you a couple of questions about the other day."
"Okay." Cody answered quietly.
He hated hospitals. Most of his experiences with hospitals came from spending time with his brother and his mother in the waiting room on the many occasions that his father or grandfather had been injured fighting fires. His father had been a lineman with the fire department. During that time he had been caught in many ceiling collapses and suffered a few minor burns and smoke inhalation. But the last time he'd come to the hospital with his mother and his brother had been the worst. His father and two other men had been trapped in a warehouse fire. They had been cut off from the exit by a back draft and subsequent explosion. His father had been severely burned on his face and chest, so badly burned that he didn't make it. Cody decided that day that he would become a fireman just like his father. Jim had always said he would be a fireman and had already signed up for the academy. Cody decided the day his father died that as soon as he was old enough he would join the academy too, and he would be one of the best lineman LA had ever had.
"Ahem." Dr. Early cleared his throat.
"Oh, sorry Dr. Early, did you say something?" Cody shifted nervously.
"I asked you how you ended up in the water unconscious. I wanted to check your response to the notes here in your chart." Dr. Early tapped his pen on the nurse's notes in Cody's medical record.
"Well we were working on the perimeter. I wanted to move in closer and my hose partner didn't want to get that close. 'That's not exactly correct, but the good doctor won't know that Gage was following Cap's orders.' Cody shifted nervously again. "The next thing I knew I was waking up in the back of an ambulance and Gage was on the bench beside me wrapped in a blanket. Tony, one of the rescue guys was taking my pulse or something." He looked at his wrist. "I don't remember anything else."
"Okay, that's pretty much how the notes read. So you were in some water near the fire?" Dr. Early added some notes to the record.
"Yeah…I guess they said I nearly drowned. I mean I wasn't breathing. I guess…he…um Gage pulled me out."
"That's what I heard. Pretty brave thing to do wasn't it?" Joe Early smiled at Cody. "You're lucky to have a friend like him, someone who would risk their life without thinking about it to save you. That's what I call a really good friend."
"We're not that close." Cody whispered.
"Well if I were you I think I would get to know him better. Someone like that is a good person to become best friends with."
Cody looked at the doctor with his mouth open. 'I can't believe this guy. He thinks I should be friends with Gage? The guy practically shows me up at everything I do, and this guy thinks I should be his best friend?'
Before Cody had a chance to respond Dr. Early pressed on, "So did you notice anything about the water?"
"The water?" Cody parroted Dr. Early's question.
"Yes, like was it dirty, cloudy?"
"I…" Cody unconsciously rubbed his chest. It felt tight and achy. "I don't remember. I mean I wasn't expecting to go for a swim you know."
"I guess not." Dr. Early chuckled. "Is your chest bothering you?"
Cody looked at his hand; then dropped it in his lap.
"Let me get a listen." Dr. Early rose from the stool and placed the chart on the treatment table beside Cody. He pulled his stethoscope from his lab coat pocket. "Could you unbutton your shirt for me?" Cody did. Dr. Early rubbed the round disc in his hands to warm it before placing it against Cody's chest. "Take a deep breath for me." He listened and moved the disc to another spot. "Again."
As Dr. Early listened to Cody's chest, Dr. Brackett poked his head into the room. "Joe when you're done here, can I see you in my office?"
"Sure Kel, but do you have a minute? I'd like you to give me your opinion on our young fireman here. He is our drowning victim from the other day. The other fireman, John Gage, has been admitted with pneumonia in both lungs. I asked Cody to come in and let me check him again. I think there may have been something in that water."
"Sure Joe, but what do you think was in the water?" Kel walked purposefully over beside Cody and without even acknowledging him put the cold disc to his stethoscope in almost the same spot Dr. Early had listened. "Take a deep breath."
Cody couldn't help the flinch he made trying to get away from the cold metal disc. 'Man, that's cold! This guy is just a barrel of joy. I wonder what has him so pent-up.'
Joe could see the emotion cross Cody's face and suppressed a knowing smile. "I don't know Kel. If I understand the notes here it was in an industrial area. Maybe the factories there have been dumping waste into the water. I know I have one very sick fireman upstairs and if I am hearing what I think I'm hearing he may have a roommate."
Cody's eyes widened and he glared at the white haired doctor. "I'm not sick!"
Dr. Early placed his hand on Cody's shoulder. "I'm sorry son, but I think you are a lot sicker than you think."
"I think you're right Joe. You had better get him started on some strong antibiotics and get him settled into a bed for at least one night. See me in my office when you're done." Dr. Brackett disappeared through the door and it swished closed behind him.
"Seriously Dr. Early, I don't feel that bad. I just have a little cough. I can't stay here. My brother doesn't even know I came here. I have to work the day after tomorrow. I just got assigned to the station. I can't miss a shift now." Cody started coughing. "I gotta go." He slid off the table and fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.
Dr. Early put his hand on Cody's shoulder again. "Calm down son. I'll go speak with your Captain. Your lungs are very congested. We need to get you started on a round of strong antibiotics and some respiratory treatments. I'll have the nurse call your brother."
"He's not home." Cody slumped against the table. The coughing left him breathless and tired. No one would believe that he was really sick. They would all think he was looking for sympathy and trying to take the attention away from Gage.
"We'll find him. Is there anyone else we need to call for you?"
"No, I don't want my mom to worry. I guess Cap is still out in the lobby. I'll go tell him." Cody tried again to leave the treatment room.
"I'll tell him. You hop back up on the table and relax. I'll have the nurse come in and help you get changed and an IV started." Joe patted the table. Cody did as he was asked. Truthfully he did feel bad and tired, suddenly exhausted and a little short of breath.
At McGill's, Jim found a seat next to Bill McDonald. "Hey Bill."
Bill raised his glass. "Jim."
Jim heard Tony Freeman across the bar. He followed the sound of Tony's voice and spotted him talking to one of the rescue guys that he recognized from 41's. "Oh come on Desoto you know I'm the best rescue man in the department. Who wouldn't want to be my sidekick?"
The tall sandy haired man Tony was talking to smiled, leaned against the bar and crossed his arms across his chest. "Now Tony, I never said you couldn't get a new partner. I mean the department will surely assign someone to your station." He chuckled. "I simply asked you why you would want a boot in your squad."
"Because like I told you Roy, he has something I can't really put my finger on, a knack. I mean he can read a fire better than some guys that have been in the department for most of their adult lives." Tony scratched his head as he went on explaining. He couldn't believe he was telling anyone about his idea of asking Johnny to be his partner. But Roy Desoto had a reputation of being a really good listener. He was also one of the most respected rescue men in the department. "He doesn't seem to be afraid of anything. He dove in the water after a fellow lineman on his first day on the job. Then he crawled in a wrecked vehicle to assess a victim. She…uh she didn't make it."
"That's tough to see even for us old guys." Roy agreed. "But that doesn't mean you should have a boot in the squad Tony. He still has a lot to learn about fighting fires."
"He beat Scotty on the hydrant drill times." Tony stated with pride for his Station's newest crew member.
Roy's eyebrow raised and his blue eyes lit up. "He did? Man no one's been able to do that in at least two years."
"Yep, he sure did." Tony smiled broadly.
"Maybe I need to meet this kid. He must really be something if he beat Scotty's hydrant drill time. Maybe I need to leave 41's and ride the squad over at 10's with him and let you have my spot." Roy teased.
"No way man, I'm not transferring to 41's and besides I don't even know if he'll get a permanent assignment to 10's. I haven't even talked to Cap about considering him for Joe's spot. Kid hasn't even finished his probationary period. Hell he's only been certified for about a week. Maybe I am crazy." Tony laughed with Roy.
"When is Joe leaving the department?" Roy asked.
"I'm not sure. I don't even know if he knows for sure. He wants to sell his house first, probably a couple of months." Tony scratched his head in thought again.
"Well Tony if I were you I would think long and hard about requesting a boot as my partner even if this kid is as good as you say he is. Listen I gotta go. My wife will be expecting me back." Roy turned around and left a twenty on the bar. "Put his drink on my tab."
"You don't have to do that Roy."
"No, you're right, but I want to. Let me know how it goes with finding a new partner. If I hear of anyone looking to join rescue I'll let you know." Roy held out his hand to shake Tony's.
Tony reached out and grasped Roy's hand. "Thanks Roy, for the beer and the advice." Tony slapped Roy on the back. "I'll see you around."
"Yeah, see ya around." Roy turned and headed toward the door. "Hey Tony, if you need any parenting tips give me a call. If you get this kid as a partner I think you're gonna need 'em." Roy laughed heartily before turning to leave again.
Tony smiled and nodded his head. "I won't, Desoto. You just wait and see. I know what I'm doing."