Chapter 2
"Herrera" Andy looked up from the carrot she was cutting "I need to speak to you in my office. You can meet me there. I just need to wash my hands." Robert said, walking to the sink.
Andy nods and makes her way out of the beanery, wondering what Sullivan would need to talk to her about.
Andy walks into Sullivan's office and waits for Sullivan to join her. "You wanted to talk to me, sir?" Andy asked when he walked in.
"Dixon wants me to recommend a captain for 19 by the end of the shift." Andy's breath hitched "I'm recommending you as captain for Station 19. Unless you have any objections."
Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. That's all Andy can think. "No, sir." Andy pauses and lets out a smile, it feels weird since she hasn't smiled in days when Ryan and she were babysitting and talking about how she "craps where I eat". "I won't let you down, Chief." Andy told Sullivan.
"Good. You'll finish out the shift as acting captain and then we'll make it official tomorrow morning before shift ends." Sullivan stops talking suddenly.
"What? What is it?" Andy was concerned.
"Andy, there's something you should know."
"Okay? What is it?" Andy asked him.
"I talked to your father earlier today."
"And?"
"He asked me not to name you as captain." Robert saw Andy's face change from worry to betrayal "Andy, I'm so sorry. I know you want your dad to believe in you and he hasn't been doing that but he said something that didn't really make sense."
"What? That'd I be a bad captain or some shit like that?" Andy spat out, tired of her dad butting into her career decisions.
"No. He said that with what happened to Ryan was hard on you and would make it hard for you to be captain and then he said that your year would get worse."
"What the hell does that mean?"
"I really don't know but I do have a big condition to letting you be captain."
Andy just looks at him. "Oh ya? What would that be?"
"I told Pruitt that if I made you captain I would make therpy sessions mandatory."
"Are you kidding me right now?"
"No. Herrera, if you want to be captain and stay as captain of 19 you need to start going to therapy at least once a week."
Andy nods. "So just once a week?"
"Once a week. Any day off. No overtime shifts unless it's a 4 or 5 alarm fire."
Andy sighs and holds out her hand. "Deal." she told Robert as they shook hands.
"Now get to work, Captain." Sullivan ordered her as he shooed her out of his office.
Andy walks out of the office with a smile on her face and when she walks back into the beanery she tries to hide it but it just keeps popping back up.
"What's got you all smiley, Herrera?" Vic asked her.
"Me? What? Nothing. Nothing at all." Andy tried to deflect.
"Very convincing, Andy." Maya said, rolling her eyes. "What's gong on?"
"Nothing." Andy went to walk to the fridge but got blocked by Travis.
"Seriously, Andy." Travis started, looking Andy in the eye "what's going on?"
Andy, touched by Travis' concern felt bad. "It's not something I can talk about right now but I will tomorrow after shift. I promise." Andy told her friends.
Travis looks at Maya and Vic and they nod. Knowing that Andy is telling the truth. "Fine. but you better tell us and not back out."
"I won't, Travis. I promise." Andy told him. "I promise all of you. I'll explain it tomorrow morning."
Andy smiled at her friends, thankful they dropped the topic so easily.
It was close to 10pm when Robert told Andy she's the newest captain of station 19 and since then they haven't had any calls. Throughout the night most fell asleep and others stayed in the lounge, winding down from the day. It was 3am when the bells sounded and Andy, Vic, Travis and Dean rushed up and out of the lounge to get their turnouts on. Andy sat in the front of engine truck and told Maya, who was driving, where she was going.
"Oh, shit." Andy said.
"What? What's wrong?" Vic asked from the back of the truck.
"The address." Andy's voice shakes.
Maya looks at Andy. "Andy, you need to sit this one out." Maya told her, knowing that Andy wouldn't be able to think straight.
Andy doesn't say anything for the rest of the ride but when they get to the address, which turns out to be an old candy factory Andy calls everyone.
"Jack and Maya will be co-captaining this call and I'll be sitting it out. I'll answer questions and explain why I can't take part in this call after." Andy saw Dean and Ben about to ask questions "we don't have time to stand around. Jack, Maya, get to it."
While Maya and Jack are giving out orders Andy gets back in the truck and just burries her head in her hands and tries to keep her breathing under control. When the fire is put out Maya gets in the front seat quietly and everyone else follows. When they get back to the station it was nearly 9am, an hour until they were off shift.
They get back to the station and Andy rushes out of the truck and up to Sullivan's office.
"Herrera? What's wrong?" He asked when he saw tears starting to fall from her eyes.
"I need to tell you something."
