Chapter 4 "Under Pressure" ( A few days earlier. October 1984)

(Song suggestion "Under Pressure" by Queen)

Peter Venkman

"Pressure… no man asks for," Freddy Mercury sang through the radio on Janine's desk as I approached it after our freshest busts. Ironically, it was me and not Janine singing.

"I guess after a year and a half of working here, our secretary's habits would rub off of us," I mused to myself.

Dazed, I felt empathy with the song's singer about feeling weighed down by one's responsibilities.

Frowning, I peered down at our red-headed secretary who stated that I had a visitor in my office, inquiring, "EPA? What's he want?"

"I don't know. All I do know is that I've been working two weeks without a break, and you promised me you'd hire more help," the petite lady responded with an extremely sardonic tone.

Puffing on my cigarette, I felt annoyed by her timing.

"Janine, someone with your qualifications would have no trouble finding a top-flight job in either the food service or housekeeping industries," I quipped back, and I asked her if she would answer the phone.

"I've quit better jobs than this," she heatedly responded, then picked up the phone receiver, "Ghostbusters! Whaddaya want?!"

Meanwhile, I sauntered to my office, ignoring that I provoked our already irked secretary. Even though Janine was a superwoman and did two people's jobs for us, I didn't have time to hire another person at this time. We couldn't afford it after taking Winston on as a fourth Ghostbuster a couple of months ago.

This g-man was the last thing I wanted to deal with right now, and I wished Ray was up here to do so since he was the most diplomatic Ghostbuster.

"Can I help you," I inquired politely. Eyeing him up and down, I observed a well-dressed man in a black three-piece suit with a striped maroon and white tie with red hair and blue eyes. He appeared to be a bureaucratic bookworm, and I rolled my eyes inwardly as Walter Peck introduced himself.

"Great! How's it going down there," I answered; in mock enthusiasm, I slapped his back, forgetting that I had some slime on it.

"Ok, I did that on purpose," I thought and concealed a wry smile. This man was pretentious, and I disliked him immediately.

To piss Mr. Peck off, I emphasized the word "doctor" when I responded to his question of whether or not I was Peter Venkman. The prissy man seemed unimpressed by my advanced degrees and persisted in his line of questioning.

Finally, I was getting a rise out of this administrative buffoon as his eyes grew wide in shock at my denial of his request to see the storage facility.

"And why not, Mr. Venkman," Mr. Peck inquired, his voice rising because he thought he had "caught" me on something.

"What a jerk," I thought to myself, eyeing this man irritatedly.

I thought I had to force this nosy man to leave as soon as possible, or I would lose it. Today was not the day to mess with me.

"Yes, asshole. I am humiliating you. You can't come into my place of business and start poking around needlessly," I thought furiously to myself but kept my outward appearance cool as a cucumber. As a result, my facial expression did not betray any emotion.

"You can have it your way, Mr. Venkman," Peck promised me in a threatening way and walked confidently out of the firehouse with a confident swagger.

Standing up, I flew off the handle when Janine fretfully inquired about the man, but my agitation wasn't really with her. I hurriedly went to the downstairs door to the basement to inform my colleagues about our visit from Mr. Peck from the EPA.

Winston Zeddemore

"I'm worried, Ray. It's getting crowded in there (the storage facility). All my recent data points to something big on the horizon," Egon admonished, dressed in his usual gray slacks, white button-down shirt, and sweater vest. To me, he always appeared like a college professor about to give a lecture. Ray and I were downstairs in the basement cleaning the traps from the morning's busts. A package of twinkies was sitting on a table next to him, and Spengler paused to open them.

"What do you mean, big," I inquired innocently as our genius held one of the twinkies out.

"Well. Let's say this Twinkie represents the normal amount of psychokinetic energy in the New York area. According to this morning's sample, it would be a Twinkie thirty-five feet long weighing approximately six hundred pounds," he held it up for display as an example while divulging. Ray coughed violently as he inhaled his cigarette down the wrong pipe.

"That's a big Twinkie," I muttered as Egon raised his eyebrows in acknowledgment and took a bite of it. Everyone knew that Dr. Spengler loved his snacks, no matter the time of day.

"We just had a visit from the Environmental Protection Agency. How's the grid holding up?" Peter announced as he came down the stairs.

"Not good," Egon reported, concerned, turning his back to us so he could analyze the grid's dashboard settings.

As Ray expounded on the situation that Spengler mentioned earlier, I watched our brainiest Ghostbuster scribble some notes on a clipboard about the containment unit system. There was a sizable frown on his face as he used his finger to push up his glasses from sliding down his nose.

"What's our schedule like this afternoon," I inquired of Stantz and Venkman.

"Ray, go check; Janine's aggrieved with me already today, and her Brooklyn attitude is showing in full force," Venkman pleaded.

"I don't want to deal with it any more today," he irritatedly added.

"What did you do now," Ray questioned gravely. Usually, Stantz was easygoing, but not at the present moment. His shoulders tensed up at Venkman's comment, and both he and I noticed that Peter did not want to fess up to it. Even the usually oblivious Egon Spengler had turned around, quizzically, to hear the answer.

"Janine asked if we were closer to hiring anyone yet to assist her because she hadn't had a day off for two weeks. I said no, but she's qualified in other areas if she wanted to go," Peter recalled, purposely leaving details out that would piss off our brainiac.

I knew Venkman well enough by this time to see that he enjoyed getting a rise out of people while Stantz and Spengler exchanged agonized looks.

"Venkman, we can't lose Janine," Ray refuted, severely displeased, "she does the accounting, scheduling, and all of the books. Plus, you forced her to push her graduation back a semester. Please don't provoke Janine anymore today.

"What!?" Dr. Spengler exclaimed in stupefaction and moved to face Venkman very rapidly.

"Uh oh, this isn't good," I thought to myself as Peter's face and neck turned bright red in embarrassment.

Egon's hands were clenched into fists, and his jaw gripped tightly as his body language conveyed extreme alarm. The two friends were almost in each other's faces, nearly nose to nose, and I was afraid it was going to come to blows. In fact, I had never seen Egon so pissed off as I had right now. Now, he repeatedly balled his hands into fists and then opened them almost in a way that dared Venkman to provoke him.

As I observed the scene playing out, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach.

"Peter," he growled in a deep voice, prompting him to disclose more information.

"Last month, I made a deal with Brooklyn that I would pay her tuition for next semester. In exchange, Janine could work up to ten hours of overtime a week and delay her graduation," Venkman acknowledged.

Even though Peter hardly ever looked fearful, he did now. Spengler's face turned indignant, and sweat appeared on his brow.

"What!?!" The genius shouted in a rare display of emotion, his face flushing red like a tomato.

I, too, was astonished by this information and glanced at Ray for direction on whether it was a good idea to intervene. Stantz didn't look ruffled at the situation, maybe because he knew that Peter's time had been coming for a while. At least Venkman was smart enough to be petrified by his close friend's immense anger.

"Out," Egon commanded, icily, in his gruff voice as he stared murderously at Peter. His voice's chill and harshness were almost reminiscent of my drill sergeant in the army during my basic training days. Consequently, I split the basement quickly with Ray right behind him. I observed that Egon seldom displayed emotion during my short employment unless it came to Janine. When the theoretical physicist let any of his emotions out, they were particularly fierce

"Do you know how long she has been working on this degree? Why the hell did you do that, Peter?! You may have...," I heard Egon yell as we shut the basement door closed from upstairs. We could listen to our coworkers' distraught voices but not their words as we put our ears to the door to listen, expectantly.

"This was better than one of Maura's mid-day soap operas," I whispered to Ray excitedly, who nodded with equal enthusiasm.

"What on earth are you doing, guys," Janine inquired, disgruntledly from her desk, her head craned around her computer monitor a few moments later. I guess we looked pretty funny pressed up against the door with our ears to it, but our Brooklynite secretary wasn't impressed. The expression on her face was nonplussed, to say the least, and she appeared to be stressed by her workload.

Clearly embarrassed, Ray straightened up first and motioned for us to speak to her after he realized the door was too insulated for us to hear anything.

"Eavesdropping," I admitted sheepishly, with a blush appearing on my cheeks, and Stantz shrugged. We walked gradually to her desk with our tails between our legs, so to speak.

"What's going on," Janine demanded, her eyebrows furrowing as she caught us acting like little children listening to their parents' private argument.

Ray informed her that Peter confessed to requesting that she push off her graduation this semester.

"Oh. That. Yeah, Dr. Spengler's going to go ballistic because he has been encouraging me to finish the degree for over a year," she replied flatly, peering at the computer screen again. Her cute face showed displeasure as she frowned for a moment.

" For the record, I didn't agree or know with Peter's decision to ask you to do that. He is sneaky that way," Ray remarked awkwardly, shuffling his feet. I realized that I did not know about Egon and Janine either- that he had been inspiring her to complete her degree. Now it was quiet again.

I attempted to ease the silence and uncomfortableness by asking, " Other than that, how's it going today, Janine?"

"Not well, Winston," Janine explained Peter's insensitive comments, then focused on her work again. Silence ensued, and I felt uneasy with Venkman's rude remarks and the tension in the firehouse.

"I hope Dr. Spengler pounds Peter into the ground for his comments earlier. Man, do I need a day off," Janine muttered as she typed.

"I think I may be able to help you a little. A couple of responsible business students interested in the paranormal at Columbia need to complete internship hours. They could come in one or two afternoons a week if you could sign off approving it. Would that help," Ray inquired, hopefully, and I smiled at the idea as it was a good one.

"Maura might be able to come in once a week for a couple of hours, too," I added. She was a nurse who was a medic in the army, which of course, was how we met.

My beautiful fiancee, Maura, was four years younger than me and nursed me back to health after being shot in the upper leg in combat two years ago. People speak of the Florence Nightingale effect, where nurses fall in love with their patients well, and it was right in our case. She was a nurse on the night shift and would speak to me for hours quietly when I couldn't sleep, and our discussions were something I looked forward to each night.

One night before I was released to go home with a discharge, Maura admitted her feelings for me. Even though I already knew: her gentle flirting, the way her eyes dilated when she viewed me, the way she touchedmy arm or shoulder when she spoke to me, and many other factors. I, too, had fallen in love with her, and we agreed to date, although I was going back home to the City to finish out my tour in a desk job until the Spring of 1984. Maura, originally from Jersey City, had another year of service to complete and was stationed in South America for most of that time in 1982.

The previous year, 1983, was our first year residing together in the same city, and I immediately knew that I wanted to marry her. As a result, we moved in together six months later after I persuaded her of my intent to marry her soon. On a weekend getaway this Spring, before my horrible desk job was finally over, I proposed to Maura in the mountains of the Poconos. I wept like a child after we made love in a heart-shaped tub. Instantly, she agreed, causing me to be the happiest man alive. Our wedding date was tentatively set for Spring of 1985.

Joyfully, Janine rose from her desk and rushed over to give each of us a quick, energetic embrace. We both blushed at her genuine happiness, and it was nice to see a smile on her face for a change.

"You two are the best," she gushed, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Tomorrow, I want you to take off the whole day and come in late on Monday, like noonish. I can pull some favors with Lucy to help us cover the phones in the morning," Ray directed thoughtfully.

"Don't you need me here," Janine demanded frustratedly; her blue eyes narrowed into two small slits, then her hands fell to her tiny waist.

"Those glasses really concealed her beauty," I thought to myself, " Why did she hide behind them?"

"Of course, Janine, but your welfare is more important, and you are too significant to us here," Ray replied, grinning at her.

"Now that's what I like to see," I interjected, grinning,"family working together."

Janine gave me a high five, pleased with my comment, and I slapped her hand enthusiastically. She and I got along very well, too, and Ray's act of kindness made an immediate positive impact on her mood.

"Thanks, big brother. I need a break from here," Janine responded, strolling back to her desk with an infectious grin on her face, " what can I help you two with?"

"Do you have our schedule for the afternoon," I hopefully requested of the redhead.

At the same time, Ray dialed the phone to call Lucy. She was a full-time graduate student and had more of a flexible schedule. Smiling brightly, Janine handed the worksheet to me.

Frowning, I studied our afternoon: two class five cases and two class twos making it a long day.

"How are you Winston, do you still like the job," Janine inquired, typing on her keyboard without looking up at me.

"I'm well. Yes, still fascinated by the work. Harder than I thought," I retorted, putting the worksheet down and lighting up a smoke with my red BIC lighter. We spoke about non-work topics as the youngest Ghostbuster negotiated with his sister about covering Janine's job on Monday morning.

Five minutes later, Ray was off the phone, nodded, and then announced proudly, " It is done, J."

"Thanks. I owe ya one," Janine responded, winking at us.

Stantz pointed at the schedule, and I handed it to him. Then, he examined it and put the plan in his pocket.

"Ray, please do me a favor and check on those two," she suggested worriedly. It was oddly peaceful downstairs.

Janine's blue eyes motioned to the basement as she stated, "We can't have Dr. Spengler beat Peter to a pulp, and I am buried in my work; here, or I would intervene."

"You think Venkman would be smart enough not to piss you off because of last year around this time," the chubby Ghostbuster recalled, shaking his head, "but I guess he isn't."

Janine simpered, pushed her glasses up her nose with a dainty finger, and waved goodbye to us as we headed back downstairs.

"What is that all about," I questioned Ray.

"Too long of a story, and it's not mine to tell. Maybe Egon and Janine will tell you one day," he mused.

Yesterday I saw Spengler and her whispering at the kitchen table while they ate lunch simultaneously. During that time, Egon's face lit up as they conversed. Although I attempted to eavesdrop, I couldn't, but I easily read their body language. Janine would tilt her head to expose her neck, gaze adoringly into his eyes or simper softly. Egon, too, displayed signs of admiration by changing his tone to a softer one when he spoke to our secretary and smoothing his tie-down on occasion.

I described to Ray what I had seen yesterday, and he shrugged.

"Yep, that's the Janine-Iggy relationship for you. You should have seen it last year, six or seven months before Egon finally admitted his feelings for her. The flirting was sickening yet cute," Ray admitted, smiling at me.

"Spengler flirts?" I questioned doubtfully, raising an eyebrow, "he barely smiles unless it is at Janine."

"Oh, you better believe it. One day, you will have to ask them about it, and they can tell you their story," he elucidated. Ray snickered to himself with a significant smile as if recalling a private joke.

Ray Stantz

As we descended the stairs, I prepared myself to hear an exchange of more upset words. There was only an eerie silence. Winston, or Z as I call him, and I exchanged shocked expressions when we reached the bottom of the staircase. The two previously feuding GB ceased speaking when we came down, but the basement's heady tension from earlier had reduced to nothing. I could tell that Winston was still preoccupied with the information about Spengler and Janine earlier when I inquired,

"Everything ok?"

"Yes, Raymond," Spengler responded, neutrally, like he wasn't about to kick Peter's ass ten minutes ago, and I had to chuckle at his succinctness.

"That was Egon for you," I thought inwardly as he made notes on his clipboard and deep in thought. His usually blank expression returned to his face as he worked. Venkman needed to make things right with Janine eventually. As we all knew, she had been working diligently on completing her degree while working full time for years.

"Dr. Venkman made a house call, Dr.Stantz," Venkman stated, jokingly, in a deep German Sigmund Freud type of voice, "Anyway, what are we in for today?"

"Two class twos and two class five," Winston replied after exhaling smoke above our heads.

"I will go change," Iggy stated, walking up the stairs with his clipboard in hand, making some calculations.

"Is it true that Egon flirted with Janine," Winston skeptically questioned Peter after the tallest GB was safely upstairs with a loud bang of the door. Venkman answered,

"Spengs? Oh yeah, he had this goofy middle school kid look on his face. I used to call it the 'Gee isn't Janine wonderful' expression."

Peter demonstrated the look. He loved having an audience and elaborated by showing Janine's countenance "isn't Egon wonderful look," too.

"I think I have seen those looks on their faces before a couple of times. What's their story," Z questioned.

"Too long to tell. Let's just say Egon's a genius in many areas. Still, he's an idiot when it comes to Janine," Peter summarized, pulling a cigarette out of his pack.

"One day, you should ask them about it when all of the drama is over."

"How do you know their drama is going to be over," Winston questioned our leader and then peered over to me, baffled.

"It's Egon and Janine; those two are meant to be together. It's like peanut butter and jelly," I compared, grinning at Z.

"True, Ray. But I called it the first day of Janine's interview. Now that's a good story," he admitted proudly, with a significant smile. Laughing, I slapped Venkman's back as we all meandered towards the stairs.

"Let them tell Winston that story, too," I replied, chuckling.