Johnny's thoughts when going to fight a brushfire.
Disclaimer: I do not own EMERGENCY! the characters, Mark VII Productions, Inc., or Universal Studios.
I only own this fictional story.
Johnny Gage surveyed the darkening sky as he climbed into the squad. The northern sky wasn't turning grey due to an incoming storm, at least not a typical storm. This was more of a fire storm. This fire had already burned several acres and it was still growing.
Glancing over at his partner, Roy DeSoto, Johnny figured he had some of the same thoughts running through his mind. Before facing a fire like this, there were mixed emotions: excitement, confidence, and some fear.
Excitement and confidence went hand in hand because this was what they were trained to do. They all knew it would take some time, but they would eventually get the job done. It was hard work, but it was also rewarding, satisfying to put out a fire. Especially a large fire like this one promised to be.
There was always some fear. You were lying to yourself if you didn't have a hint of it, thought Johnny. Fire was a monster that required a healthy respect. Fire was too unpredictable. Even knowing how to read fire, there could be an unknown involved. But the fear of the fire couldn't overpower you, paralyze you. That could be deadly, not only for yourself but for your team and anyone else around you.
Times like these, fear for family also entered your mind. On the way to the site, there's plenty of time to worry.
Johnny didn't have to worry about family. He was the only one on A-shift who didn't have any family to speak of. Cap and Roy were married and had kids. The others had parents and/or siblings. Johnny lost both of his parents when he was still in school. He did have an aunt, but they'd grown distant. She didn't live in the area, so Johnny didn't have to worry about her, not where the fire was concerned. Johnny didn't even have a pet to worry about. He just had his apartment and Land Rover. While he didn't want those destroyed by a fire, they could be replaced.
Johnny didn't have a family to worry about like Roy did. He knew it was wrong but Johnny was relieved.
While Johnny didn't have to worry about anyone, he had no one to worry about him. It did hurt knowing if he got injured or killed, no one would care.
Shaking his head slightly, Johnny knew he had to get out of that frame of mind. Now was not the time to be morbid.
His thoughts turned to his crew, his team, his…family. Hey, wait a minute. The firefighters were his family, especially the men on A-Shift. Their families were also his family. Angela and Joanne, Cap's and Roy's wives, often made a fuss over him. And Marco's mother always made sure he had enough food, often more than enough.
Johnny's lips twisted into a slight grin. Hmm, maybe he wasn't as alone as he thought.
Roy asked, "What are you grinning about?"
"I was just thinking about how we're gonna knock down this fire."