Chapter 26

When John and Elise left the hospital they were still all emotional, John told her about the guys coming by to help unload the moving van and see the place and Elise suggested they stop by a food market to stock up for the crew.

John could count the meals Elise had made for him from scratch on one hand but every one of them was a mouth watering masterpiece. His only explanation as to her culinary excellence was that she spent summers during her teen years helping out in the family restaurant but Elise had told him that her aunt and Uncle were good cooks and taught her a lot especially about cooking over an open fire and many of the Native American cultural dishes that John had grown up on and he had to admit her fry bread was better than his aunts. As much as he didn't want to tire Elise out he was excited to show her and her skills off to his friends. He was sure he could help her out so she wouldn't tire too much and he wouldn't be the lease bit surprised if this gathering didn't turn out to be a pitch in with everyone coming bringing something to eat with them.

When the rest of the crew arrived at 'Station Gage,' as it had been dubbed, they found one of the three front bay doors open and John was just finishing up mopping the bay. Mike backed his truck up to the open door with the expertise of an Engineer and once the engine was turned off both Mike and Chet climbed out of the cab, "Okay where do you want this stuff?"

Elise surprised them when she stepped up from behind one of the closed doors and placed her mop in the bucket next to John's and looked at Mike, "That depends on what stuff you're talking about."

Elise was slightly winded and looked like she had just finished quite a work out as she leaned on the mop handle and looked over what she could see in the back of the truck.

John reached out to steady her and pulled her against his chest for support and looking rather protective as he gave Chet a glare defying him to say a word, but he didn't say anything or in any other way acknowledge his presence.

"That looks like all the boxes Rachel brought. They should go in the office," Elise looked to John for approval.

"Which office?" John smiled and giggled, "we've pointed out so many."

Elise joined his laughter and snuggled into his shoulder as she thought. "We were going to use the captain's office as an entry area/ living room, and we didn't want to use the divided dorm sections until we got everything else worked out. How about the office we talked about putting together in the janitorial supply closet?"

"There's no window in there," John commented, "It could get kind of depressing."

"Na, I'll only be in there long enough to pick up and file folders. Most of the real estate stuff I do is on site, at least for the time being until they remove my spare parts we'll have to see what happens after that."

"Alright then to the Real estate office this way," John spoke with some enthusiasm as he beckoned Mike and Chet to follow him with the wave of an arm at the same time he pushed the mop bucket out of his way with his foot. John kept a hold of Elise and encouraged her to lean against him as they walked to the door that went to a five by six foot closet meant to house a floor buffer and multiple supplies for getting and keeping the fire engine, equipment and house clean and keeping it that way. The room was also designed to store non-medical replacement supplies for the squad and Engine as well as a complete change of hose, since this station had been built to house three engines, a chief car and a squad, it was a slightly larger closet than the one at Station 51.

"We can use that bench type thing in the back of the bay for a desk in here." Elise suggested still letting John hold on to her.

"No that won't work; it doesn't have a flat surface for you to write on." John vetoed her idea, "but there is a door in the weight room and some wooden crates—" John's mind was going but his mouth stopped. Pulling an old chair out of the storage room and setting it next to the door John sat Elise in it. "Stay," he commanded.

"I'm not a puppy," Elise objected.

"No but you're tired and pushing it right now and we both know where that can lead," John spoke with a stern yet tender tone. "Now do you want to spend our first night in our new home together or do you want to spend yours in the hospital?"

Elise sighed and hung her head, "I hate this recovery phase."

"You're coming right along it's just going to take some time." John knelt down in front of her and rubbed her hands and wrists as he talked encouragingly, "What would you be telling one of your patients now?"

"That's just it I'm a nurse this isn't supposed to be happening to me. Where did this patient thing come in and where are my patients."

"I know it's hard right now," John continued, "but this will pass."

Elise looked up at him and for the moment they were the only two people in the room, the two off duty firefighters standing by not knowing what to do or say were just figments of their own imagination as far as John and Elise were concerned.

"I wish I was as sure of that as you are," Elise offered a soft insecure smile. "I'll sit for a minute or two but don't think I'll be staying on this chair all afternoon."

"That's my girl," John smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the lips before he motioned Mike and Chet to follow him.

At a fast pace John ran to the back bay doors and opened one up. Before it was fully raised John pointed to a stack of wooden crates and directed Chet. "Find two of those things that will work to hold a desk top up with."

John then waved his hand to get Mike to follow him and they hurried into another room to find a somewhat battered door leaning against a wall. The two men looked it over realizing that one side would not make a proper writing surface but they turned it over and both agreed the other side would.

"I'm not sure it will fit where you were thinking it will without being cut down to size." Mike commented.

"If we need to cut it then there are some power tools in the back of my Rover." John responded before picking up one end of the heavy solid wood door and waiting for Mike to pick up the other.

To their surprise Chet was waiting for them at Elise's side having found the perfect wooden boxes to hold the desk top up. He was clearly uncomfortable and not sure what to say to his co worker's wife or if he should say anything.

Both Mike and Marco had called him while he was working at 36's, keeping him filled in on what was happening and trying to straighten him out. They had both invited him to help with the moving process hoping he could find it in him to apologize to John. Still they both knew Chet was still very suspicious of Elise and the instant courtship/marriage.

"You're Chet right," Elise tried to break the ice a little.

"Yeah, Chet Kelly, I work at the station with John," Chet responded awkwardly.

"John's told me all about you," Elise spoke again trying to ease the tension, "He tells me you're the station clown, a real prankster."

Chet turned red then responded, "John's just exaggerating he gives as good as he gets."

"I guess you'd tell me he's just exaggerating when he tells me you're good at your job and he feels he can really count on you in the clinches."

Chet looked at John coming with the door, soon to be desk top, and then back at Elise remembering the story about a lineman not tying his knots right and causing her injuries and the death of two others, "I sure hope he feels he can count on me when it really counts."

Fortunately the door fit perfectly between supports against one wall and under a ceiling mounted bank of shelves and the three men made very short work of making a desk. While John looked over the bottom of the desk to make sure Elise wouldn't get a sliver in her knees Mike and Chet started hauling boxes of files to the office.

"Don't carry them from the door." Elise scolded when they arrived with their first arm loads. "Just back the truck into the bay and right up to the door."

"We didn't want to mess up the floor you just moped," Mike responded.

Elise swatted at the air in front of her face, "It's not like I can't mop it again. Consider it part of my physical therapy to get back on my feet."

John came out of the office and took the boxes from Mike, "She's right, I'm sure we're going to have several trucks parked in here today."

Mike backed his truck in and the three men quickly emptied its contents. Chet was handed about every second or third box and directed to take it somewhere else. The good thing about moving into a fire station was that it was easy to direct Chet where to take things.

Before Mike's truck was unloaded Roy, Marco and Hank arrived with two more truck loads, followed by a couple of cars full of family members to help put things in place and just as John had suspected every person that got out of the cars was carrying something to eat. John walked over to shake hands with his partner and noticed his sofa, recliner and bed in the back of his truck before turning a questioning look at his partner.

"We didn't think you wanted to sleep on the floor tonight," Roy answered the silently asked question.

The greetings came to an abrupt halt at the sound from the new office. John turned with a start to see the chair Elise had been sitting on now on its side and Elise on the floor trying to grab onto something.

Sliding in at her side like he was sliding into home plate in a baseball game John scooped her into his arms and pulled her against him. Elise quickly took a firm hold on his upper arm and leaned into his chest.

"Vertigo?" John questioned. Elise just nod against his chest. "Pain?" Elise was quick to shake no. "Nauseous?"

"A little," Elise whispered, "but it's not bad, starting to ease up, just need a minute."

"Do you need some Valium?" John whispered back as he cradled her and gave her a standard to center herself to.

"No," Elise answered quickly, "Just need a minute."

That was when her grip on John's arm released and John could feel the tremors in her arms start, holding her to keep her from hurting him or herself John pulled his watch where he could see it and started timing the seizure. When things didn't stop quickly John unzipped the pouch around Elise's waist and pulled out a pre loaded syringe and after a quick swipe with an alcohol swab John injected the seizure stopping medication into her shoulder and soon the jerking stopped and Elise lay unconscious in John's arms.

Roy was quickly at their side checking Elise's pulse while John started looking around. Realizing that the furniture in Roy's truck was under the bed that would have to be assembled, John tossed Chet his car keys. "Drive the Rover in and park it so that the passenger side is under the overhead power cord."

There were only twelve overhead power cords in the huge bay but John's eyes directed Chet to the one he wanted and Chet was on the run to fulfill his assignment. His heart was swelling and his eyes filling to know that his friend, after all he had said, could still trust him in a moment like this.

Hank, needing something to do, guided Chet into the right place and followed John's instructions to recline the passenger seat as far as it would go and roll out a cooling blanket in the seat.

Once the cooling blanket was rolled out John lifted Elise and gently lay her in the seat making sure to position her to one side as he had been instructed by her doctors while Chet quickly climbed up the outside of the Rover to take hold of the power cord and connect it to the cooling blanket.

John grabbed at special long round pillows in the back of the Rover and placed them to support Elise's neck and head in order to maintain a proper air way. When John was sure she was resting comfortably he rolled up some quilts to support her lower legs and feet before covering her with a light weight sheet and then he checked and recorded vitals.

Convinced all was well John let out a deep sigh then leaned against the Rover looking at all that was ahead of him to do.

John managed to stand not far from his Rover and silently point in the directions everything was meant to go as it came out of the trucks if he needed to leave his spot JoAnne, Emily or Mama Lopez took his place while he was gone.

Elise woke up just before noon and somehow managed to get everyone to let her finish the pulled pork and shredded beef sandwiches she has started for lunch under the supervision of the women, Dixie had arrived about then to get a lay of the station she was going to be working in and Elise was well looked over.

John was getting tired of the repeated questions about what he was going to do with the place so he found the sketches he and Elise had done together and taped them to the wall. Everyone was curious and spent some time looking over the sketches but there was one thing totally left out. There was no plan for the apparatus bay.

As everyone sat down, most of them on the floor, with loaded plates of food Hank found a spot next to Chester Kelly a slight distance from everyone else.

"Look Cap," Chet spoke quietly but with some freedom in his tone since they were off duty, "I know why you sent me to 36's and I'll keep my mouth shut, but I don't think it's fare that John works at the station and then has to come home and spend all his time off taking care of his poor sick wife. It's going burn him out."

"That's why he needs our support not more aggravations," Hank spoke as a friend letting Chet get his concerns off his chest without repercussions. "She's already a lot better than before she had the pacemaker installed, hopefully this next surgery will take care of that much more." Hank tried to explain without letting their hosts know they were the topic of discussion. Fortunately some of the bay doors were open to minimize any echoing.

"What's to keep her from just throwing him out once she's recovered from surgery?" Chet challenged again.

"Not a whole lot and one of the possible complications to the surgery from what I hear is a total personality change," Hank revealed. "But from what I understand this land and fire station is her wedding gift to John and it's in his name. And in my office is a letter in her handwriting reminding her that she promised to let John go if she made him unhappy after the surgery. There are also legal documents in John's personal file signed by a judge saying that if she ends up in a coma she wants the marriage dissolved for his sake so he can pursue happiness with another woman. I've only spent maybe a couple of hours with her more than you have but I think she really cares for John. And there is no one who has set eyes on John since the wedding that can't tell he's head over heels for her."

"Yeah but he's so blind when it comes to women Cap," Chet still questioned what was right for his friend. "Remember that girl he got engaged to after one date only to find out later that she had a whole bunch of mean, undisciplined kids she hadn't told him about?"

"Yeah, I remember," Hank smiled at his lineman, "But whether or not we approve, John's a big boy and can make his one decisions. He is married now, and I for one don't want to be the reason they get divorced."

Chet thought about those words for a moment and Hank was grateful he seemed to be mellowing a little. Maybe after another shift at 36's he could come back and not make John want to punch him in the nose before the first run of the day.

Those who were eating were declaring they couldn't eat another bite and several were looking over the remodel plans for the station and making comments when the door bell buzzed echoing throughout the station. John and Elise headed for the door and John came running into the bay soon after.

"The moving Van's here we better clear the area of this center bay." John called as he hit the button to open the door.

The first thing off the huge 18 wheeler's trailer was Elise's truck. A small Ford Ranger with a shell over the bed. It still contained her rescue equipment that included a back board and Stokes and all her climbing gear. Oh and it was red and had caution lights on top of it.

"Finally a response vehicle for the station," John called out in laughter as he was assigned to drive it down the ramps. "To bad it's got Montana license plates on it."

Everyone laughed a little and joked about dispatch calling them out and the over kill of the station for the one little rescue truck.

John could only look at Elise and understand what she must be feeling. There wasn't much chance at all of her returning to that kind of work ever and at the best she would likely not be able to drive for nearly a year if then.

From there the crew got together to unload the huge van. There were four banks of locker's in the locker room One was labeled 'his' and another 'hers' and the rest they left empty because they would be taken out to make a his and her's closet and remodel the bathroom into a master bathroom later.

The master bedroom was set up in the weight training room and the extra beds that came from John's spare bedroom and Elise's two guest rooms back in Montana were set up in the dorm to accommodate those who would be taking care of Elise when she wasn't staying at their place. Chris and Jenny DeSoto were already looking forward to sleeping in a fire station and John played over in his mind how to make it fun for them.

A double wide recliner replaced John's Rover in the middle of the bay with the cooling blanket hooked up to the overhead power cord. A sofa, chair and coffee table where placed near by forming a sitting area. Nearly everyone commented on how all the furniture went together as if it had been bought to go together. It seemed to be a signal that John and Elise went together as well. The women had taken on the task of putting everything kitchen oriented away and Dixie was soon nearly sitting on Elise getting her to just sit and tell them where they should put stuff.

JoAnne and Emily were making a list of possible wedding gift ideas and crossing them off as more stuff was delivered to them to put away. As was expected with combining two households there was a lot of duplicated items. John and Elise would have to decide how to deal with that later.

When the moving Van was emptied the driver was sat down and his growling stomach was treated with his choice of the left overs.

"I gotta admit this is one of the more unusual homes I've delivered to," the man spoke between bites taking time to swallow first. I gotta ask, what are you going to do with that huge garage in the middle of the place?"

Nearly everyone laughed, "Well so far today it's been a staging area for the move, and an indoor picnic area," John responded with one arm draped around his wife's shoulder.

"I think it will make a wonderful formal dining room," Elise added.

"To bad the department sold the place," Emily thought out loud, "That bay would be a great place to hold the fireman's ball."

"Hey that's an idea." Elise brightened up. "Unless someone took it before Rachel packed up for me there should be a disco ball around here somewhere."

Gradually everyone went their way leaving the newlyweds to their oversized castle. One of the last to go was Chet, he was seen looking over the place for remodel and then around the outside of the place before Mike had to leave so Chet climbed in for his ride back to his car.

Once the guests were all gone John helped Elise take a shower and then settled her in to bed for a much needed nap. Before giving the apparatus bay another quick mop job.

"What are we thinking here?" John asked himself and he leaned on the mop and took in the massiveness of the bay. With a smile on his face he went to lay down next to his wife knowing that he didn't care at all what they did with the place as long as Elise was there to do it with him.

Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay on this my Computer needed a short hospital visit but is now doing much better. The next updates will be sporadic for the next week as I prepare to send my oldest son off on his Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He will be goin for two years so there is a lot to pack and I won't miss a single moment I can share with him before he leaves. To make up for that this chapter is a little longer.