Yay new chapter!

"And a double milk for this kid!"- Yeah... I think you get it.

Disabled? Permanently?

Noah looked at McClaine in shock.

"You..."

"I'm sorry. There isn't really anything that we can do."

"You..." Noah was sure the doctor could see the rising fury in his eyes.

"Look, there's still a slight possibility that some of the nerves could regenerate and you could regain some movement. Knowing your luck, it could happen."

Noah's temper exploded. "You... You... I nearly die, and the first thing you tell me after I wake up is that I'll never walk again! I can't believe you!"

Sam got up and walked to the side of the bed. "Noah, calm-"

"SAM, STAY OUT OF THIS," Noah hissed. "Just shut up! Everybody, just shut up and get-" Sudden fear lit his gaze as his breath wouldn't come.

McClaine rushed back into surgeon mode. "Get a nurse... What are you waiting for!?"

Gerard was out and back with two nurses in less than three seconds.

"I think some drainage got in where it isn't supposed to. Prep him." The nurses immediately began following instructions.

"What's going on?" Sam looked at Noah. The young deputy marshal was beginning to panic and thrash against the nurses.

"Can't tell for sure yet..." McClaine watched the nurses wheel Noah out. "My best guess is... Something we patched in all of that mess busted when he got all riled up and... he's essentially drowning." Sam followed the doctor out of the room. "I need to drain the fluid out manually, and then find the leaks and put a plug on them. We need to work fast, so if you'll excuse me." He began to run down the hallway.

Cosmo, Biggs, and Savannah all came running from the direction the doctor went.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Savannah looked behind her shoulder.

"We saw Noah being wheeled off- he was putting up a fight, too."

"Something busted. They need to fix it."

"What do we do about it?"

"I don't think there's much we can do, Cosmo." They stood in silence for several seconds.

"Listen, kids, you be here for Noah when we wakes up. I've gotta go meet that newcomer."

"Sammy, he's going to want to see you."

"Just explain it. He'll understand... On second thought... I think Cosmo should come with me."

"ME? Why me?"

"Because. You've been with this team the longest and it's your turn to babysit." He walked away briskly.

"Sam!" Cosmo gave chase.

The next day in the Chicago office...

Sam looked around for an unfamiliar face. He silently cursed himself for not bringing the photo of the new fellow.

He knew that he had been... Ill tempered, but still. He felt rather stupid.

He made his way to his desk. There was no one waiting, so that was a plus. Cosmo was tailing him as he sat down to his desk.

"Cosmo, keep an eye out for anyone who looks new, OK?"

"What do you mean? Lots of people come and go around here." He went to the window and peered though the blinds.

"Kind of like... they look like they belong here, but you don't recognize him." He picked up Ezra's file- minus photograph.

"HOLY-"

"What is it, Cosmo?" He absentmindedly flipped though the pages.

"Sammy, you need to see this. A giant just crawled out of a cab."

"You aren't drunk, are you?"

"I swear, Sam! He's massive!"

"And you're five-feet, nine inches. Is that supposed to mean something to me?

"I'm serious! He's gotta be... six foot six!"

Sam rolled his eyes. "Let me see him." He went to the window. "Woah." The giant went into the building through the double doors and out of their line of vision.

"Was I right, or was I right?"

"You were right, Cosmo. That guy is a giant." He added in a whisper, "And he's probably the replacement, too. He's certainly got the hair and the height."

"I told you so."

"You meet him at the elevator. OK?"

"ME? He probably eats people like me for lunch!"

Sam grabbed his collar and hauled him out the door. "A gross misinterpretation. He's just the replacement. Now go."

Cosmo muttered all the way to the elevator. He hummed to pass the time. Leave it to Sam to stick him with the new kid. It happened with Noah and Savannah, too. Now, Savannah wasn't per say a new kid, but she was the most unfamiliar face on the team.

The doors opened, and before him stood the giant. A very young giant, but a giant nonetheless.

"Hi there."

"Uhh... Hi!" Cosmo laughed nervously.

The boy grinned and let out a roar of laughter. "Yeah, I know. I'm tall."

"You most certainly are!"

They held the stare for a few seconds.

"Before the doors close, maybe you could show me to-" He looked at a piece of paper in his hands. "Sam Gerard, yeh?"

"Oh!... Right this way."

He led the kid through the maze of tables and cubicles."You're sure friendly."

"It helps with business interviews." He looked down to Cosmo with a smile. "And I'm usually amiable anyways."

Cosmo knocked on the door. "Hey, Sammy! Here he is."

Sam looked up from his newspaper. Ezra was a kid. But he was huge. Or, maybe not huge. Just... Tall. And skinny as skinny could be. Sam opened his mouth, but no words came out.

The kid smiled. "I get that reaction a lot."

Sam let out a sigh. "Alright. Err... Back to business. I just need some info for archiving purposes. Bureaucracy stuff."

Ezra let out a laughing breath. "Bureaucracy sucks, actually. The politicians need to know exactly who to call on for their every whim, and everything about them, too."

Cosmo chuckled. "The kid's just as irreverent as we are."

"OK, joking time is over. Really. I need this stuff filled out."

The boy's face changed immediately to somber. "Yes sir."

"Full name and age."

Cosmo walked back to his desk.

"Age: 25."

Sam muttered under his breath, "Rookie kids. Never get good ones." Aloud, he said, "Name?"

The boy looked uneasy, then, "Ezra Markmaster Californius Sherringham McCouliff. Sir."

Sam's pen stopped moving. "Say that again?"

"Ezra Markmaster Californius Sherringham McCouliff."

Sam looked up. "You're kidding. Look, I'm just calling you Ezra Markmaster McCouliff, OK?"

"Could you use Californius? Fewer M's that way." Ezra gave an embarrassed grin.

"Sure." Sam finished writing in Ezra's... Monster of a name, then continued. "How long have you been with the service?"

"Sorry?"

Sam put his head in his hands. "How long have you carried your badge?"

"Six months, sir."

"You really are a rookie." He began to write. "And this is your first assignment?"

"Umm... No, sir. I went through initials with Christopher Rettaman."

"Chris Rettaman? He died, didn't he?"

Ezra's speech became uneasy. "Yes sir... He... Along with the rest of my team... Were... killed in a bomb explosion almost two months ago." Sam looked on with pity as Ezra shuffled his feet. The boy was clearly not ready to speak on that topic freely.

"So you've been a floater ever since?"

"No, sir. I worked with Nathaniel Price and his team in Indiana for two months."

"Nate Price and the Overlanders? I thought they were... Very exclusive."

"Nathaniel took over Chris's case. He decided to let me tag along."

"Most people in this office would kill for a chance with the Overlanders. You turned it down?"

"Well, there was a bit of... Trouble. I transferred out."

"You turned down a major opportunity, anyhow. But anyone who was ever with the Overlanders is probably good."

Ezra blushed. "I heard the same about your team. The MarshalsMen are popular, too. That's why I came here."

"I'm flattered."

Ezra gave a slight smile.

"And..." Sam stopped writing. "You're good to go." He stood up. "Welcome to the team."

They shook hands.

The kid turned to go. "By the way, who is it that I'm... Filling in for?"

"Noah. Noah Newman. He was a good guy. And a great Marshal."

"Well, it seems that I have some work to do." Ezra made a little hop and eagerly ran out of the room.

Sam sighed and picked up his newspaper. This new kid definitely wasn't going to be another Noah Newman.

Speaking of Noah... I need to call Biggs. He reached for the phone.

Yes. I know. It was an awful chapter. I need to get back in the groove.