Chapter 28
Joe scratched Pouch's head as Pouch decided to sit on his lap instead of Mouch's. "What's up, Pouch?" he asked. "Mouch give you the boot?"
Pouch looked up at Joe, and wagged her tail. Joe picked up the paper, and turned to the Sports section.
"So, Cruz, I hear congratulations are in order," Severide said as he entered the common room and headed for the coffee pot.
"Otis, did you have to tell the whole station?" Cruz snapped. Pouch raised her head, looked at Joe, and whimpered. Joe looked down at her. "It's okay, Pouch."
"I can't help it, Cruz. I'm happy for you, Man," Otis offered by way of an apology.
Cruz sighed. "Ok, everyone… since Otis told Severide, God only knows who else he has told. I'm getting married."
A silence fell over the room. Cruz looked at his coworkers before continuing. "You met her at the Halloween party at Molly's. Her name is Taylor, and she's a flight nurse for UCAN."
Hermann broke the silence. "You mean to tell me someone that pretty wants to marry a lug like you?" He walked over to Joe and held out his hand. Ordinarily, he would have given him a hug, but since he was seated on the couch, it would have been an awkward moment.
"Yeah, she does. We should have done this 20 years ago."
"So, did you take her out for a fancy dinner and ask the big question?" Severide asked.
"No. I asked her on top of the Ferris Wheel on the Navy Pier," Joe said. "She loves the Ferris Wheel."
"Cruz! You should have taken her out for dinner somewhere nice and asked her. What's wrong with you?"
"In case you haven't noticed, Severide, I'm not the fancy dinner type."
"Yeah, but you're only going to get married once in your life. You should have done it up right."
Before Cruz could answer, the familiar sound of tones dropped. "Engine 51, Truck 81, Squad 3, Ambulance 61…."