Warning: Strong language
A House Divided – Chet's Cataclysm
Chapter 22
Chet walked beside Caroline who was holding Corrie's small hand in hers. He couldn't help but notice the slight limp in her gait and his heart ached for her. With Corrie getting older, she was going to need all her energy to keep up with the precocious preschooler.
"Say, Caroline…you never did tell us how you were doing, since the accident, I mean."
They took a couple more steps then she turned to look at her hero with a smile of contentment on her face. "I'm improving every day. I get up pretty early so I can do my exercises and stretches that the physical therapist recommended. Progress isn't as fast as I want it to be but," she bent down slightly ushering Corrie towards the car as Chet opened the rear passenger door. "I'm not worried about me. I'm just so thankful to have this precious little girl of mine back."
Caroline's words slipped from Chet's ears to his heart leaving both glowing warmly. "You're welcome, Caroline. But honestly, I have to thank you." He leaned his elbow against the roof of the car. "I…I can't explain it but…I really needed to…to see you and Corrie, especially today."
Caroline caught the hint of melancholy in his voice and she drew her eyebrows together. "Oh, is…is something wrong? I mean, I know you've been limping for a few days but you seem much better today."
Chet looked down at his feet. It would be so easy to open his heart to her but the baggage was packed in there tightly and he wasn't yet brave enough to allow it to spring free. "Nah, it's nothing really. I'm looking forward to the birthday party. I appreciate the invitation."
Caroline's eyes brightened up immediately. "Oh, I'm so glad you can come. We don't get out very much so it'll mainly just be adults there but…this year I really needed a special celebration."
Chet grinned as he watched her walk over to the driver's side of the car. He hurriedly, stepped in front of her and opened the door.
"How nice of you," she said, impressed with his chivalry.
"You're welcome…good-bye, Miss Corrie," he said with a grin lifting his hand beside his face and wiggling his fingers as he peered inside the open door. He was rewarded with a loud round of silly giggles.
"Bye-bye."
Chet stood on the concrete apron of the fire station until Caroline had driven out of sight. He turned to go back inside with a lightness in his step and a newfound determination in his heart. This was truly where he belonged. This station was his home away from home and the men inside were his brothers in more ways than just their connection with the department. He needed to talk to his captain and apologize for how he had behaved; he just hoped that the fallout from his confession wouldn't be career-ending.
As he headed back inside the empty apparatus bay, he stopped dead in his tracks. Suddenly, Caroline's words to him struck a chord that was sending shock waves through him. "How the hell did she know I'd been limping for a few days?" He reached up and nervously twisted the end of his mustache with his right hand as he meandered back into the station.
He still had a puzzled look on his face when he stepped into the kitchen where he was met by four sets of eyes. He looked into the gloomy faces of his shift mates and knew immediately that he was in trouble. "Hey, guys…what's wrong?"
"Maybe we should ask you that same question? Why are you quitting, Chet?"
Chet looked at his fellow lineman who was standing with his hips against the counter in front of the sink, arms crossed over his chest obviously waiting for an answer. He locked eyes with the man he had considered his best friend for many years. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time but now…I honestly don't know, Marco."
"Well, Cap wants to see you in his office," Roy spoke softly. "I hope he can change your mind."
"Yea…I hope he'll let me change my mind…'cause I'm in deep shit," Chet turned and walked out the door just as the squad and engine returned with a weary C-shift.
The remaining men from A-shift, except John, set about greeting them and being briefed on the shift that was ending. Firefighter Nicholas Peavy stepped down from his jump seat. "Hey…is Chet here for his shift? I'd planned to pull a double but I saw him go into the captain's office."
"Just here to meet with Cap. We still need you, Nick," Mike responded.
"Ok, I'm gonna go grab a quick shower and shave," the lineman announced running his hand across his scraggly face then began pulling off his turnout coat.
Roy saw the two paramedics exiting the squad and walked over, realizing Johnny was nowhere around and smiling to himself at the reason why. "How'd the shift go?"
"Quiet," Dwyer answered. "Last run wasn't medical so she's fully stocked. She's all yours," he offered with a grin as he and his partner turned and headed to the locker room.
Roy stared worriedly as Chet closed the captain's office door and for a moment, Roy wished he knew what was going on in there. He then reached for the supplies he knew Johnny needed and walked back into the kitchen.
Chet closed the door behind him as he walked inside the small office. "You wanted to see me, Cap?"
"Have a seat," Hank encouraged pointing at the chair beside his desk. "I read your letter. Care to explain what the hell you were thinking?"
Chet shifted in his seat, uncomfortable beneath his superior's scrutinizing glare. "I...I just…um, I thought it was best for the station if I left. I didn't think I was makin' a difference by bein' here but," he jerked his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the kitchen where he and the others had met Caroline and Corrie. "Now…now I'm feelin' better about it all. I was, uh…kinda hopin' I could revoke my resignation." He looked up with pleading blue eyes and saw the stern expression on Hank's face.
"I would've been happy to revoke it if it weren't for that miserable confession you made."
Chet sank even lower in his seat feeling the weight of his situation sitting squarely on his shoulders. "Yessir," he lowered his head. "About that…"
Hank leaned back in his seat knowing that his questioning was causing his young lineman to squirm. "Are you going to try to tell me that it was a mistake?"
Chet looked up staring into the hazel eyes of the man he had always thought of as an older brother. "Well…it was a mistake, yessir…but it wasn't an error…not the confession. It's the truth," he returned his gaze to his lap feeling the sweat beads popping out around his forehead. "I really messed up, Cap. I…I don't know what to do."
Chet's remorsefulness tugged at Hank's heartstrings but the Captain still had a responsibility to the department. "Well, go ahead and do what you came here to do, Chet."
Chet's heart sank to his feet. Waves of heat began to wash over him and for a moment he thought he might faint. He cleared his throat as he pushed himself up from his seat. He no longer had a reason to be in his captain's office and so with slow movements, he reached for the office door. "Cap?" He stood staring at the door knob unable to face Captain Stanley.
"Yea, Kelly?"
"I…ahem, I just wanted to say thank you for all you've done for me through the years and…," he hesitated, gulping to force down the lump in his throat. "I'm really sorry." He pulled open the door hearing the voices of Roy and Johnny echoing in the kitchen. He wished he could walk back in there and pretend like everything was back to normal but he knew it wasn't. He paused in front of the kitchen door on his way to the locker room and in a voice barely above a whisper he spoke into the stillness of the bay. "I'll see ya 'round, fellas."
Inside the kitchen, Roy took a seat beside his partner. "Thought you might need this," Roy said tossing the bandage on the table in front of Johnny's coffee cup.
"Mmm, yea," Johnny mumbled leaning back in his chair opening the packaging.
Roy could tell his partner was going to have trouble positioning the bandages on his neck. "Here, let me help you," he offered taking the bandages out of Johnny's hand. "Unbutton your shirt a little."
Johnny reluctantly complied then tilted his head to the right to expose his injury. "You really don't believe me do you?"
"About what?"
"This," Johnny said nearly shouting as he pointed at his neck.
"What you do on your off time is your business, Junior," Roy kidded.
"I wasn't off, damn it!" Johnny slammed a hand down on the table. "Look, I know what it looks like but I swear, Roy. I was on a run for an altered mental status. You know how those are."
Roy nodded his head as he reached for his shears to trim the bandage for a better fit.
"So anyway…this lady was really out of it, ya know? She was pale…diaphoretic. Brewster and I were tryin' to calm her down so we could assess her and she was doin' what we asked, you know. She started to lie down and then," he hesitated until Roy finished securing the bandage to cover the wound. "Then she just jumped up and grabbed my shirt and pulled me down on top of her. Before I could push her off, man…she bit my neck!" Johnny's voice went up an octave as he told the story. "Said she was a vampire!"
"Stayed up all night thinking of that excuse didn't you?" Roy deadpanned.
"Roy…now I'm bein' serious here. She bit me 'cause she thought she was a vampire!"
"Well…was she?" Roy said still fighting the grin that was tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"NO!" Johnny said exasperatedly. "She's a diabetic. Doc said she was havin' a hypo…hypoglycemic episode," he was so frustrated with his partner that he was beginning to stumble over his words.
"An insulin reaction?"
"Yea," Johnny mumbled. "She came around with a little glucose…and…and was horrified when she saw this and realized she had done it." Johnny pointed once again at his neck. "I really felt bad for her…seemed like a nice chick, ya know? Just didn't realize what was happening until it was too late for her to treat herself. We were just glad her neighbor knew she was taking insulin injections and called us."
Both men had flashbacks of Ed Marlowe misdiagnosing a combative male diabetic patient, refuting the symptoms Roy was seeing at the time. Ultimately, it had been the incident that let the paramedic duo know that Ed wasn't cut out for the program.
"Nothing for her to be embarrassed about; she didn't do anything wrong," Roy said remembering the young man from the car wash.
"I know, I told her that but…she was still upset," Johnny said wistfully. "Just…just don't tell the guys, a'right? I mean…the vampire thing…I'll tell them the truth…about her bein' diabetic but…," he looked at Roy and saw the faraway look in his eyes.
Roy stared at the kitchen table for a moment longer. "Ok…and for the record…I believe you."
Johnny let his grin spread. "Thanks, Pally."
Mike and Marco leaned against the dorm side of the engine unseen by the lineman exiting the captain's office. Both men knew that whether Chet left out the front bay door going to his car or whether he cleaned out his locker first, they were sure to see him from where they stood. There was no way he was going to slip out without them knowing it this time. Neither man spoke as they heard his footsteps heading toward the back of the engine; it was obvious to them that the outcome of the meeting between Chet and Hank had not gone well.
Chet reached his hand out to push open the latrine door when he caught movement out of the corner of his left eye. He turned his head in their direction and locked eyes with Marco. Chet barely shook his head negatively then continued on toward his locker.
"C'mon, Lopez," Mike tapped his friend on the shoulder and both men entered through the dorm door and passed on into the locker room. They heard the shower turn on just as they entered and were thankful that Nick Peavy was going to allow them a few minutes to discuss the situation privately.
Chet pulled out his toiletry bag from his locker and began to stuff his small personal items into it. He reached for his extra shoes and then closed the locker one last time. Suddenly, he found himself flanked by his engineer and senior lineman. He exhaled loudly. "I'm sorry guys. I really blew it."
"Chet, man…I'm sorry. Are you suspended?" Mike was afraid the result had been even worse but he couldn't stand to think about that possibility at the moment.
Chet just shook his head fighting to keep his emotions in check. "Nuh-uh…he, uh…he did what he had to do."
Marco cut loose in a long Spanish phrase that neither Mike nor Chet understood but from the look on the older man's face, they both assumed he was swearing. Once he had calmed down a little, he placed a hand on the back of his friend's neck and squeezed showing his brotherly love and support. "Maybe we can talk to him."
"No need, Marco," Chet sniffled. "I did it…it's my own fault. I'll, uh…I'll be ok."
"We won't," Mike spoke up. "It won't be the same without you here."
"Thanks, I…I really appreciate it, man." He picked up his belongings then turned towards the door. "I'll…I'll see you guys at the birthday party, right?"
"You bet," Mike whispered but Marco could only nod his head.
"See ya." Chet pushed open the latrine door just as Nick turned off the water in the shower.
Hank slowly walked out into the apparatus bay; his mind focusing on Chet as he raised his deep voice and announced roll call. Johnny and Roy exited the kitchen as Mike and Marco followed Chet out the latrine door.
Chet stood momentarily watching his former crew mates file into formation. He was going to miss this whole scenario more than he ever imagined. Right now he'd give almost anything to be standing in line as his captain gave him latrine duty. Part of him was angry at himself for what he'd done but another part of him was angry with his captain for his lack of compassion. He hadn't even checked with headquarters to see if Chet could be reprimanded or suspended or anything. He'd simply refused to allow him to revoke his resignation letter. A shout he recognized jerked him out of his reverie.
"Chet…don't just stand there, you twit…get over here now!" Hank yelled at his daydreaming lineman. He wanted to make sure Chet read the Thank You note from the Carrigan family.
Chet wanted to ignore the order and walk between the engine and the squad on his way out the front open bay door. Instead, he meandered over to the line but refused to stand in formation knowing that he no longer belonged with this crew. He felt his frustration growing and churning inside his gut with each step he took in the direction from which he had been summoned. He looked around feeling the stares from the crew of A-shift. His mind was busy silently cursing the tall captain. Kiss m'ass, Hank! I don't work for you anymore, he thought to himself. But Chet had always held a deep respect for Captain Hank Stanley and in his heart of hearts he knew the older man was only doing what was right. He stood at a ninety degree angle to Marco who was at the end of the line and waited for whatever announcement Hank was about to make.
"Men, I have a card here from Kyle Carrigan's family. I'm going to pass it around so you can each read it," he said in a voice laced with emotion. He took a step toward Chet but the Irishman merely held up his hand in a silent refusal.
"It's for all of us here at 51's, Kelly," Hank reaffirmed holding out the card.
"Yea well…that doesn't include me anymore." He stood straighter, nostrils flaring.
"C'mon, Chet…don't do this," Johnny pleaded.
"Not my choice, Gage. It's the captain's," Chet responded to the paramedic but his eyes were trained on Hank and he noticed the captain shifting uncomfortably in his stance.
Johnny's eyebrows knitted together beneath his somewhat shaggy bangs. "Cap? Don't bust up our team." Johnny's throat went dry as he felt the heat from his superior's glare.
"I didn't bust up the team, as you say. Chet made that decision when he came to work injured and didn't report it."
"Um, actually, sir…he did report it…to me," Roy gulped when Hank's hazel eyes shifted from Johnny to him.
"Oh so, now you're the captain, DeSoto?" Hank's voice rose just as Nick Peavy opened the latrine door. "Peavy?"
"Yessir," he called out straightening his collar as water dripped from his wet hair onto his light blue uniform shirt leaving it speckled.
"How 'bout giving me a few minutes with my crew, will ya Pal?"
"No problem," Nick said making his way into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. He could tell by the angry faces that something was wrong and he could only assume that it involved the man whom he was replacing. However, he respected his shift captain and his department brothers and made sure that he stayed far enough away that he couldn't overhear the conversation. Each shift was like a family unit and when misunderstandings occurred among the men, they were handled promptly…and in house. He wouldn't involve himself in a family matter about which he didn't have a need to know.
"All of you…in my office…NOW!" Hank bellowed in a rowdy whisper through clenched teeth. He led the way not needing to look behind him to know that there were five men following him. He knew the office space would be cramped but it offered more privacy and that was certainly more important than comfortable personal space.
Roy was the last man in. Closing the door behind him, he turned around to face his captain…and to answer the question that Nick's sudden appearance had left hanging in the air.
"No sir, Cap. I know I'm not the captain here but I assure you that Chet asked me to take a look at his foot last shift." He licked his lips being extra careful that the words he used were truthful. "And if I'd thought that his foot would have prevented him from fully performing the duties of his job then I assure you that I would've informed you immediately."
Chet stood staring in disbelief at Roy. This was the man who had nearly been seriously hurt by Chet's stumbling on his injured foot and yet here the paramedic stood defending him. He couldn't believe his ears. He looked into Roy's eyes and saw the unspoken message there. Roy DeSoto wasn't holding a grudge for what happened. He also wasn't telling their captain all the facts but Chet knew exactly what his friend was doing. He was giving Chet a way out.
The others in the group quickly caught on to Roy's plan. Marco spoke up next. "You know, Chet and I work very well together on a hose. In fact, I think we could take on any other team of linemen in the whole department. But, we do make errors every once in a while and…well, you know what can happen when you step on each other's feet and lose your balance when you've got a fully charged line."
Chet felt his mouth drop open and quickly shut it back closed with a slight popping sound. Marco had been furious with him after that call because he'd lied to their superior and said they're feet had gotten tangled up causing him to stumble. Again, he listened closely to Marco's words realizing that the man wasn't lying at all; he just wasn't filling in all the gaps and instead was allowing Hank's mind to fill in those blanks with his own assumptions.
Johnny was the next man to add to the conversation. "Cap, I'm sure I mishandled their boots too. I remember watching Chet carrying Kyle out and, well, you know how much heavier Carrigan was than Chet especially in all his gear and…well, we were so caught up in workin' on Carrigan that the boots just weren't that important. I mean, the initials were easily confused…you know, 'KC' and 'CK'," Johnny offered in explanation using his hands animatedly as if they were a set of scales.
Hank looked around at his men. The looks on their faces said it all. He knew deep down that they were protecting their brother and that was something he understood. He still couldn't let them off the hook. If they were going to continue this charade then he had to make sure they were all in it together. He turned his attention to Mike, his second in command. "Well, what do you have to say about all this, Mike? And I want you to look me in the eye when you say it to because I'll know if you're lying, Stoker."
Mike locked his azure gaze on his superior and without blinking his eyes he spoke in a flat monotone voice. "I believe that resignation letter and the confession were written while Chet was mentally impaired." Mike could almost hear Chet's heart racing inside the young man's chest. He knew he needed to clarify his statement quickly before the young man blurted something out of his mouth that the rest of the crew couldn't retract. "He had a prescription for narcotics because of his foot injury that was no doubt made worse by his rescue of Carrigan from the stairwell. I also believe that, in light of the circumstances going on at the time, Chet wrote those words while under extreme duress. I know I certainly wouldn't want to be held responsible for something I might have said when I was upset and heavily medicated. So why would we hold Chet to a higher standard than even our judicial system would hold someone?"
All eyes turned to Mike, the normally quiet engineer. Johnny couldn't stop the lopsided grin from spreading across his face. "Damn, Stoker…you've been watchin' too much Perry Mason."
"Or maybe he's been watching enough," Hank interjected. "I'm not being fooled for one minute by any of you in this room. I want you to know that I can see right through this whole thing," he grumbled reaching for the envelope containing the topic of their conversation. "However, I can't dispute a single thing you've said…and neither would the personnel board." He held the envelope with both hands and tore it in half. He handed the pieces back to his young lineman. "I'm sure you can find something to do with this garbage, can't you?"
Chet once again felt the stinging beginning in the backs of his eyes. "Yessir."
"Now, if you all will excuse us, I need to have a word with Chet privately," Hank announced opening the door for the men to exit. After the last man had filed out, he closed the door then looked back at his young lineman. "Now…just so we're clear on this…I'm gonna be watching you like a hawk." He pointed his finger near Chet's twitching nose. "You better not make me look like a fool and make me regret accepting your revocation."
Chet suddenly felt like a kid in middle school again, weak and inferior. "No sir…I promise I won't, sir. You won't regret this, Cap."
"Very well," he said eyeing the nervous man up and down. "I'll need a medical clearance before you can return to duty. Dismissed."
E!
A/N: This might seem like a strange place to end this tale but Chet's problems seem to be resolved while Hank's are just beginning. The next story in this series will pick up where this one left off but it will also be a stand-alone piece. If you want to be notified when it's posted then please follow me as an author and you'll get the notice in your e-mail. Thank you so much for reading this one and to those who have sent me PM's or have left reviews, you make me a better writer and I am truly grateful.