4 months later
"Did you drop off the rent"Charlie questioned walking into the apartment and droping his bag by the door.
Joe raised an eyebrow"I droped off my half of the rent".
"didn't I give you csh for my half"Charlie asked.
"Nope"Joey said as he wandered into his bedroom and shut the door,Otto was sprawled out on his bed.
"crap"Charlie heard Joey mutter as walked into his own room and there on the dresser was his half of the rent. Charlie reached over and banged on the wall, "sorry man I got it I'll drop it off in the morning"
Joey sighed and shook his head, "it was due today moron"
"I know and I apologize for not realizing I hadn't given it you to drop off with your half"Charlie muttered.
Joey leaned further back into his pillow, "yeah and when we lose the apartment because we cant ever seem to get rent in on time it is not on me"Joey replied angerly.
"when's Kara coming up"Charlie asked.
"She's here shes at her dad's"Joey mumbled through the heavy oak door.
"she coming over tonight"Charlie asked.
"Yeah she is"Joey replied.
"alright I'll go to Em's give you the place to yourself"Charlie said as Joey opened the door now dressed in kaki shorts and FDNY paramedic polo.
"you don't have to do that,I'm actually headed into to work till 11" Joey said as he walked into the kitchen and made himself some coffee.
Charlie nodded, "you covering for someone"
Joey shook his head, "Nahh I started to pick up medic day shifts for the money"Joey replied.
"must be nice to work days" Charlie commented
Joey shook his head, "ehh not really,and I wont be around this weekend so you can have as many girls here as you want just keep them out of my room"
Charlie poured himself some coffee "where you going"
"my parent's just to visit"Joey replied.
"you don't see them enough"Charlie questioned.
"nahh I don't think I do"Joey said as he wlked back to his room and grabbed his bag.
"is your stethoscope Pink" Charlie asked as he watched Joey make sure he had all of his stuff.
"yeah it was gift"Joey replied.
Charlie let out a laugh, "why wouls someone give you a pink stethoscope"
Joey smiled, "one of my college roomates Derek thought it would be funny so he got it for me for when we graduated"
"very nice,and you use it"Charlie questioned.
"Sometimes, I have Uncle Bobby's to,his mom gave it to me when I finished high school and got my certification so I actually use his more than my own" Joey replied
Charlie nodded, "he passed when we were kids right"
Joey hung his head, "yeah we were 7 it's been 14 years,it'll 15 years 2 days before my 23rd birthday,that'll be super rough on my mom"
"I bet man,it's gotta be rough anyway"Charie said.
"man I was 7,he was like my second father,my dad wasn't always there when I was a kid so bobby stepped in and helped my mom out,then all of a sudden he was gone,someone who was there everyday for so long was just gone,I've always struggled with that but I never told my mom because she struggled so bad after losing him"Joey choked out as tears began to fall.
Charlie embraced his roommate in a hug, "I'm sorry man thats really rough"
Joey nodded, "yeah it sucks but it's life,I gotta get to work man"
Charlie hugged Joey again, "alright have a good shift man and let me know if you need anything"
"I will"Joey said as he stepped out the door.
8:15
"you late" Nolden barked.
"rough morning man i just gotta through pants on"Joey said.
"alright well move it"Nolden quipped.
A few minutes later Joey came down with Bobby's stethoscope on his neck,using Bobby's stethoscope made his job eaiser.
2 hours later after an MVA
"oh god" Joey said as the bus startedto drive away.
"what"Nolden questioned.
"stop the bus"Joey said from the back as Nolden pulled over andwatched the younger medic bolt back to the accident scene.
"has anyone seen a light blue stethoscope"Joey asked as he ran over to the spot where he had been treating paitents, "I'm not kidding squad 55 has anyone seen a light blue Stethoscope"
Lucky for Joey Danes had taken a day shift and was there, "what's wrong"
"my stethoscope is missing and this is where I was last"Joey said looking around.
"Regan where'd you put that stethoscope you said was over there"Danes questioned
"it's in the rig"Regan responded and Joey took off for the truck.
"oh thank god thank you so much for grabbing it"Joey said as he ran back to the bus.
"you alright"Nolden asked.
"yeah I lost my stethoscope and I had to go get it"Joey replied.
"you know you could have just gotten another one instead of trying to find that one" Nolden said
They were transporting patients with minor injuries to Mercy.
"you were a medic on days about 15 years ago right"Joey questioned as Nolden pulled into Mercy.
In the lounge
"yeah I was"Nolden replied.
"do you remember Bobby Caffey"Joey asked.
"Yeah he was a medic on afternoons"Nolden replied.
"He was like my second father,he was my mothers best friend until the day he died,when I got my certification Bobby's mom gave me his stethoscope"Joey said
"oh wow"Nolden said.
"Yeah that's why I had to go back"Joey commented.
Nolden nodded,"you were young right"
"it was two days before my 8th birthday"Joey replied.
Nolden nodded, "awful birthday present"
Joey let out a sigh as they headed back to the fire house, " yeah it was and then I nearly lost my mom"
Nolden nodded, "did you almost lose your dad in 2004"
Joey nodded his head as he sat in the kitchen, "yeah he got trapped in a fire Dk and Walsh pulled him out"
The restof the day was pretty quiet a few call'shere and there but nothing really big. Joey got off at 3 and wasn't working that night so he decided to stop by the cemetery and visit Bobby.
At the cemetery
"Hi Uncle Bobby I know it's been awhile actually I think I was 18 the last time I was here,right after your mom gave me your stethoscope,I just I guess I needed to come see you and tell you what's going on with my life even though I know you watch over me. I finished College in May and now I live on my own I moved out of Mom and Dad's Charlie Yokas and I have our own place in Long Island City,Kara and I have been back together for almost a year and things are pretty serious,man I wish you could be here with me,I use your stethoscope almost every shift,the one I have that is my own is pink my roommate got for for graduation. I'm not sure I like being a fire fighter,being in the bus is more my thing,I saved a little girl last week,she was with her big sister who was driving her somewhere the sister got distracted and they got T-boned by a taxi on the little girl's side of the car,I was on the squad that day but was able to stableize the little girl as best I could before the medics showed up,I don't really know what else to say Uncle Bobby but I know your with me everyday,I almost lost your Stethoscope this morning but someone found it and I got it back,it means the world to me to have it and use it almost everday,like I said I love what dad does but I think I want to stick to being a paramedic, I love you Uncle Bobby I promise not to wait so long to visit again"
Joey finished up talking and tears began to stream down his face,he quickly wiped them away and tried to smile just a little. Joey then decided that instead of seeing Kara he needed to see to his mom.
"Mia is my mom around"Joey asked walking up the nurses station outside the NICU at Brooklyn Hospital Center.
Mia nodded, "Yeah I think she's with a paitent let me check"
Kim had gone back to school and got her nursing Degree and had finished right before Lexie was born,she was now a NICU Nurse and loved it. Kim came out of the NICU a few minutes later dressed in Eeyore Scrubs.
"I got you those for Christmas" Joey commented upon seeing his mom.
Kim nodded, "to what do I ow this pleasure".
Joey droped his head and began to stare at his feet, "I went and saw Uncle Bobby today"
Kim bit her lip a little and then hugged her son, "aww buddy"
Joey hugged his mom back, "I haven't been since I was 18 it was kind of surreal but I talked to him for an hour,and I told him everything that's been going on,I almost lost his stethoscope this morning"
Kim sighed, "it seems like you had quite the day did you pay your rent"
"I dropped off my half this morning,and Charlies taking his tomorrow because he didn't give it to me for today which means they will say rents late again"Joey grumbled.
"I have a few minutes if you want to go grab some food and we can sit"Kim replied.
"that sounds good mama,I miss living at home sometimes"Joey said.
Kim nodded, "we miss having you there"
"i plan to visit this weekend"Joey said.
"Good"Kim smiled as they sat down to eat quick.
"I don't like being a fireman mama,I thought I would but I really like being a medic instead,do you think Uncle Derek will understand"Joey questioned
"I'm sure he will"Kim said.
"I hope so,it's not that I don't like it but I would rather be a medic I guess,I saved a little girl last week when I was on squad got her stableized until Carlos and Jake got there, I've been working days with Nolden,and when I take an afternoon shift I work with this girl Colleen" Joey said.
"Just talk to them"
After spending a little more time with Kim Joey headed back to the firehouse to talk to DK.
"Hey Uncle Derek,Hey Aunt D "Joey said knocking on DK's office door,and finding His Aunt and Uncle talking.
"what's up kid"DK asked.
"I was wondering if I could switch back to bus perminitly for awhile don't get wrong I love the squad and all but I love the bus a lot more"Joey replied.
"your like your mother"DK replied.
"Yeah I guess so"Joey replied.
"NIETO"DK barked causing carlos to jump a little.
"Yeah Lieu"Carlos said wandering into DK's office.
"can you move some things around so Doherty can be back on bus in the afternoon"DK questioned.
"Yeah absoloutly i actully tried to call you in today we are short I got someone from the 68 though but you can take over and I'll send them home" Carlos suggested.
"absoloutly let me just text Kara"Joey said as Carlos went and sent the other medic home.
Joey quickly sent Kara a message and then went to get changed, "thanks Uncle Derek"
1month later
Kara had finally moved back to the city and was now working a dental hygentistin pediatiric dentist office. She was living with Joey's cousin's Lilly and Rachel. Rachel was currently attending Nursing school upstate and was in her junior year. So she wasn't living at home right now and was barely at the apartment when she was home.
Joey and Charlie still lived in their small two bedroom apartment and it didn't seem like they were leaving it anytime soon.
