The Boot

Chapter Nineteen

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 took a long draw of his beer. The mug was so cold ice crystals slid down the sides and melted against his hand. The cold heady brew eased the tightness in his throat. He wiped the dampness on his hand across his jean clad leg and glanced around the table at the men he trusted his life with on the job; off the job too. 'I wish they would just get to the point. I hate this.' He thought as he watched the idle chatter among his friends. He had arrived at McGill's a good twenty minutes ago and still no one had brought up the subject they all knew had brought them together. It seemed that his friends were all very relaxed and happy to be there while he shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

The group of men seemed to be enjoying each other's company. They always did. Spending twenty four or forty eight hours together tended to make them more like brothers. It only made sense that they hung out together in their off time.

Tony looked over and met his gaze. Jim quickly dropped his eyes to the darkly stained, wooden table top. For what he thought was a very good reason, he was extremely uneasy about being with them today. Instead of continuing to watch his friends he studied the moisture that dropped from his mug and beaded up on the highly shellacked surface. Absently, he circled his fingers through the droplets and watched them separate into smaller beads that speckled the table top with shiny glimmers.

"So Jim, what's Cody doing today?" Tony asked.

Jim looked up abruptly, "Last I saw he was at home, alone watching the ball game and getting wasted. Why?" He couldn't help the sarcasm in his voice. Cody had been wanting company to watch the game, but no one…not even himself…had opted to hang out with him. Jim had heard them discussing the game, so he knew they had watched it together. He and Cody hadn't been invited which said a lot about what they thought about his brother right now.

Tony shot a glance at Scotty before answering. He knew that Captain Jones was going to call Cody to come down to Rampart so Dr. Early could check him out again. Now he also knew that Jim must not know that. He didn't want to be the one to break that news to him. "Hey relax Jim, I was just asking." He shrugged.

"Listen Tony, guys, I know you didn't invite me here just for the beer. Why don't we cut to the chase?" Jim looked at Scotty expectantly. "Why, exactly, did you ask me to come?" Everyone stopped their conversations and turned their attention to Scotty. He was second in command on their shift which usually made him the one in charge when their Captain was not around. That spilled over into their personal lives too. Scotty was a natural born leader and an all around good guy.

"Listen Jim, we didn't call you here to hassle you about Cody." He hesitated long enough to sip his beer trying to sooth his suddenly dry mouth. "We just want to talk about what's been going on. You've been a member of our crew for a long time. We respect you a lot." Scotty started explaining.

"Member of your crew!" Jim bit out. "And here I thought we were friends."

Scotty's eyebrows rose. "Whoa, wait a minute pal." He held his hands out in a stopping motion. "You are one of my best friends. I'm sure all the guys would agree." He waved his hand towards the others, "We're family, Jim; Cody too. That's why we asked you here. Cody's been around us for such a long time he's like our little brother too, but I gotta tell ya, he's been giving Gage hell. I don't think that kid deserves it. Johnny is a good fireman. He's a nice kid, smart, and can read a fire better than most of the older guys at our station, hell, in the whole department."

"So what are you saying?" Jim was still aggravated at his so called friends questioning him about his little brother.

"What we're saying…" He paused, sighing, "what we're asking is…do you think that Cody put that nail in Gage's tire?"

"I don't know." Jim answered quietly dropping his eyes to his hands. "I hope not, but I…I just can't be sure."

The orderly pushed Cody's wheelchair into the elevator. He was thankful that he hadn't been made to ride on a gurney. "We'll have you settled in no time." The overly jovial orderly assured Cody.

"Yeah…thanks." He answered less enthusiastically.

"I understand you'll be rooming with one of your buddies." Cody heard over his head. The orderly had moved back around behind his chair. 'Why does everyone think we're buddies just because we work together?' Sure he was friends with his shift mates and even some of the guys on the other shifts, but not Gage. He didn't have anything in common with Gage. 'I doubt we'll ever be friends. He's just too much of a suck up to the department. Always has to be the best at everything. Always doing things 'exactly' how Cap tells him to. I bet the guy's never been in trouble a day in his life. Probably calls his mother every day, and takes the trash out for his father without being asked, stupid suck up.' He felt the bounce of the elevator as it stopped on his floor. The orderly started pushing him out of the elevator before the doors were even completely open.

"Evening ladies." Cody grinned at the sudden flirty tone in the orderly's voice. "I brought you another hero." The nurses smiled. The prettiest one giggled. Cody sat up a little straighter. 'Hero huh, well I guess I'll have to try looking a little stronger. Have to keep up that 'hero' image.' He rubbed his hand on his achy chest. 'Even if I don't feel very much like a hero right now.'

"Come on handsome, let's get you settled." The cute nurse came around from behind the desk and walked up beside him. She pointed to a room a few doors down from the nurse's station. "Right this way." She directed the orderly.

"Yes ma'am, right away ma'am." The orderly teased.

'Maybe this won't be so bad after all.' Cody smiled as he watched the cute nurse move ahead of them and hold the door open. 'Man she's a doll. Wonder if I can get a date out of this hospital stay?'

"My name is Darcy, Mr. Graves. I'll be your nurse for the rest of the day and then Belinda will take over for the night shift." She smiled at him as she turned down the bed. "Now here is a gown. Do you need any help getting into it?" She innocently asked.

Cody thought about it for a second. 'Help might be fun.' But then he decided it might be more embarrassing than fun. "No, I can manage." He rose slowly from the chair. "Um I'll just duck in here and take care of things." He moved toward the bathroom.

"Hold it mister." Darcy placed her hand on his arm. Cody looked questioningly at her. "Let me take this out so you can get your shirt off." She slipped the IV out of the port. "I'll put it back when you're done." Cody nodded his understanding and walked over to the bathroom and closed the door.

Darcy turned to the other patient in the room. She gently took his wrist to check his pulse. He turned sleepy eyes to her. "Hey there sleepy head." He blinked a few times. "I brought you some company." She watched his eyes look over toward the other bed. "He's getting changed. I understand he's a friend of yours." The brown eyes moved back to look at her. "Cody Graves"

His eyes slowly closed and he turned his head away. Darcy didn't think anything about his actions. She just assumed he was trying to go back to sleep. She brushed her hand across his forehead to test for temperature. He still felt warm, but he didn't seem to be coughing as much.

Cody chose that moment to re-emerge into the room taking her attention away. "All set?" She asked gaily.

"I guess." Cody said softly. 'If you call getting into a gown that has no back…all set.' He grasped the back of the gown as he carefully walked over and sat down on the side of the bed hoping she didn't see anything. He hadn't planned on staying when Cap had called him to the hospital. His mother had always told him to be sure he had on clean underwear when he went out. The one's he had on were clean, but they were old and threadbare. If anyone looked they would see as much as if he hadn't worn any at all. The first thing he planned to do when she left the room was call Jim and have him bring him some newer ones. His cheeks flushed at the thought.

"You look a little flushed. Are you going to be sick?" Darcy asked in concern.

"I'm fine."

"Oh yeah?" She giggled. "That's why you're in the hospital…right?" She patted his shoulder. "Now lay back and relax while I restart this IV." She gently pushed him down on the bed.

He lay back without argument. His eyes wandered around the room finally settling on the man in the other bed. There seemed to be extra blankets on his bed. He had his back to Cody and the covers were pulled high on his shoulders. Darcy watched him looking at his friend. "He'll be all right. He's got a bad case of pneumonia in both lungs, but Doctor Early will take care of that as soon as we figure out the right antibiotic for him. I don't think we'll have any trouble getting you better either. According to your chart you've never had pneumonia before. That makes fighting it easier."

Cody looked at the beautiful woman fussing over him. "I hope so." He smiled. "The quicker I get out of here the quicker I can ask you out." He ended with a coughing spell that took the wind out of his sails.

She simply smiled at his flirting and patted his shoulder, her eyes twinkling at the intended compliment. "Well let's get you better first, okay." Unable to speak without coughing he nodded instead. "I'll be back in a little while to check on both of you. Try to get some sleep." She smoothed his covers and turned to leave. "Oh and that little button there hanging on your bedrail will call me if you need anything. Keep an eye on your friend for me too."

Cody's eyes traveled back to the man in the next bed.

Captain Jones stepped into the darkened room and looked around for anyone he recognized from his crew. What met his gaze surprised him.

Jim stood in front of an overturned chair and appeared to be shouting in Scotty's face. Captain Jones could hear him yelling above the loud music that seemed to make the glasses behind the bar clink to the rhythm. The rest of his crew was standing as well; staring open mouthed at the altercation in front of them. Whatever the argument was about it was tearing up his crew and he would not allow that to happen.

"He's my little brother Scotty. Even if he did put that nail in Gage's tire, he's still my brother. Don't ask me to go against my brother for anyone, especially some boot that has no ties to the department!"

Scotty stepped back trying to put some distance between himself and Jim. How had things gotten so out of hand so fast? One minute Jim was quietly saying he didn't know if Cody was guilty and the next he was shouting in his face. Scotty held up his hands in surrender. "Okay Jim, let's not do this here. Sit back down and let's talk."

"I'm through talking. You called me here to this lynch mob to hang my brother out to dry, and I won't stand for it. Ever since my pop died, firefighting is all Cody has wanted. I will not stand back and let you or anyone else take that away from him. You have no proof! There is no proof it was him!" Jim continued yelling. He had lost control of his anger and now rage had taken up root in his gut.

Scotty knew this was not Jim's normal behavior. He was usually quiet and reserved. Cody had always been the vocal one. "Jim, no one is out to get Cody." He continued to try to calm his friend.

Captain Jones strode purposely across the crowded bar and stepped between the two men. In a calm authoritative voice he spoke to the group. "Whatever is going on here…this is not the time or the place." He turned toward Jim. "Now I expect you to remember that we are all friends here. Let's not forget that." Jim backed away and righted his overturned chair.

"Sorry Cap."

Captain Jones turned to Scotty who sheepishly looked away. "Yes sir."

Then he turned to each of his men and received a nod of understanding. "Now does anyone care to enlighten me as to what has caused this public display of emotion?" He turned back to Scotty.

"No sir. It's just a little misunderstanding among friends. Nothing to tell."

"I hardly believe that Scotty, but if you don't care to tell me, then I'll respect that. Let me tell you one thing though. You are all public servants. When you signed on to that job you put yourself in the public eye on and off the job. You will not behave this way in public again while serving on my crew, understood!" Captain Jones spoke in his most commanding voice.

"Yes sir," came from every man around the table.

"Uh…what brings you here Cap?" Scotty asked what everyone was thinking. Captain Jones did not usually join his men at McGill's. Sure they might go out for breakfast after a long shift or have a gathering at someone's home, but he didn't frequent the bar.

"I came here to let you know Jim that Cody has been admitted to Rampart. It seems that he and Gage ingested some sort of bacteria the other day when they were in the water. Gage has full blown pneumonia in both lungs and Cody is pretty close to it as well. He didn't want me to call your mother, so I told him I would find you and let you know."

Jim didn't even speak. He looked at Scotty with hurt in his eyes, turned and left for the hospital. Guilty or not, Cody was his brother. He knew why Cody didn't want to upset his mother if there was no need. He would be there for his brother no matter what. He knew that now. Cody would not have to endure any more ball games or anything else alone.