Coup 51

With Mike's prompting, the guys revisited one incident that left all the men snickering…..and the Station in chaos.

The squad was being backed into the apparatus bay by Roy as he and Johnny were returning from a call in a rather remote area of their jurisdiction.

"Roy, please….I'm begging you…..do NOT tell Chet about the pig, ok?"

"My lips are sealed, partner." Roy made a motion that resembled turning a key in a lock in front of his lips as he exited the vehicle. Johnny got out and slammed his door headed around the back of the squad toward the kitchen when he heard a noise he recognized…but one that shouldn't have been coming from the back of the squad.

"Uh, Roy…..was that you?"

"Was that me what, junior?" asked the older man with a somewhat quizzical expression.

"Oh it was you, cut it out will ya?" Johnny smirked. The two men met at the back of the squad and while he was still looking at Roy, he heard the sound again…in fact they both did….and ever so slowly each man, wide-eyed, turned his head toward the back of the squad. There, perched on top of the light bar was a large Rhode Island Red.

"What the hell?" Johnny said as he and Roy stood staring in disbelief.

"How, uh, I mean, where did that chicken come from?" Roy stammered.

Johnny began to creep back around toward the hood of the squad. "Quick, get it, don't let Chet see it or…"

"Don't let Chet see what?" asked Chet coming out of the kitchen eating an apple.

"Hahahaha, oh …uh….hey fellas!" He yelled turning back toward the kitchen. "Come see what Roy and John brought back with them from their last run."

The sound of chairs scraping the floor didn't drown out the laughter of one Chester B. Kelley as he stood back watching two paramedics trying to capture a chicken.

"Hurry guys, I think she's a jumper!" Shouted Marco bringing another round of roaring laughter from the engine crew.

"Guys, please tell me you did NOT just drive around the streets of Los Angeles with a CHICKEN on your light bar." Cap was trying to be serious but with his two paramedics crouched on the running boards of the squad and the rest of his crew heaving in belly laughs against the wall, he couldn't keep his face straight.

"Man, I'm gonna have to request a transfer if you did…don't want my Big Red to be partnered up with some chicken squad," Mike joked.

"Coup 51" laughed Marco; again bringing on roars of laughter from his cohorts.

"Very funny…..don't just stand there, help us!" yelled Gage.

Just when Cap thought the scene couldn't get worse, it did. Roy lost his grip on the side mirror and slipped. Reaching out to catch himself, he shoved his arm through the open window to grab hold of the steering wheel. He missed and landed on the squad's horn. The loud blast alarmed the chicken and signaled the onset of what could only be described as total pandamonium! In what appeared to be choreographed chaos, the chicken took flight inside the apparatus bay…..and headed straight for the engine.

"Hey, it flew!" Gage yelled in surprise.

"It's a freakin' bird, you twit!" Responded Cap, still trying to sound angry but failing miserably.

"Not on MY engine" shouted Mike – which in itself startled the rest of the guys. Mike was not prone to shouting …nor was he accustomed to having a chicken roost on the roof of his engine.

The scene repeated itself a couple of times with the chicken flying back and forth between the engine and the squad while five highly skilled firefighters tried to 'rescue' her. The sixth firefighter was crouching in a fetal position on the floor trying to catch his breath – having lost it to laughter - as the wayward bird wreaked havoc in the station.

"Chet, get your sorry ass up and help us" shouted Gage as the chicken once again flew over his head back towards the squad. He jumped to try to catch her but missing, fell straight into the arms of Marco, knocking both men down between the squad and the engine. Roy came running around the front of the squad swatting at feathers the chicken was shedding as she was squawking and flapping around. Mike was standing protectively beside his engine; his eyes locked on the chicken as if he were trying to figure out her next move. Cap was trying to help Marco and Johnny to their feet when a noise startled them all. No one had noticed Chet making his way over to the bay doors and opening them. The poor traumatized bird saw daylight and took off again, this time finding freedom outside of Station 51. Johnny reached behind him to give himself some leverage to stand up and felt a certain squishy something on the palm of his hand.

"Aww, shit" he mumbled as Chet walked up behind him with his half eaten apple still in his hand.

"Yea Gage, that's exactly what it is!"

"Man, first I get knocked down by a pig that was running OUT of the door of the house we were responding to and then I get pooped on by some crazed chicken!" Gage was obviously having a bad day. Then realizing what he'd just said, looked over at Roy. Roy was turning around shaking his head while Chet continued chomping on his apple – with a very devilish grin spreading across his mustached face.

"Chet, don't even think about it."

"Aww John, you've hurt my feelings." He said in a very sarcastic tone. "Where did you guys get called out to?"

"I don't know, Chet…..it was like a nightmare version of Old McDaniel's Farm!" said an exasperated Gage.

Suddenly another round of belly laughs broke out in the apparatus bay as the men were doubled over; well, all except Johnny. He had no idea why they were laughing but knew that once again, it was somehow related to something he'd said or done.

"Ga, Gage" laughed Hank as he wiped tears from his eyes. His stomach and sides hurt so bad he wanted to cry but this whole scene was just unbelievable. "Gage, I think you mean Old McDonald's Farm don't you?"

-x-

There was another round of laughter inside Johnny's hospital room but they managed to keep it subdued for the sake of their sleeping comrade. They had truly enjoyed reliving the whole chicken episode. It had taken an hour to clean up the mess on the back of the squad. Obviously, the chicken had stowed herself away near the oxygen tanks on back of the squad. She left a number of reminders back there. They surmised that the noise of the slamming doors had startled her and made her fly up to the light bar where she felt less vulnerable. No one ever saw her again after that day but it did not escape the men of the station that it was Mike's turn to cook that night – his signature fried chicken. They all agreed that watching Johnny sit and stare at his plate that night was almost as funny as watching the entire group chase a chicken around the apparatus bay.

"Old McDaniel's Farm" Cap laughed shaking his head. "Oh Johnny, you've given us a lot of laughs, Pal."

He gazed then at the still form of his younger paramedic and the laughter quickly died down; each man hoping in his heart that Johnny would be back to his old self again soon.

Roy was the next one to speak. "Man, I'd give anything if you guys could have been with us on that run with the elderly lady with dementia – you know the one waiting on the bus to Detroit?"

Smiles seemed to be contagious then as the five friends were reminded of one particular run that Roy and Johnny would never forget.