As it went inside the cab of 55, Tommy was shaking while gripping the wheel, extremely shaken by what just happened. Michelle was somewhat fine but pieces of glass came falling down and onto Tommy.
Behind, Dean and Donovan sustained cuts and bruises, while Travis was in bad shape with blood on his face…
The sirens of Squad 55 wailing as the horn blared from a distance and near the accident site.
"Lieutenant! Up ahead!" Cruz told his Lieutenant. Arnold immediately went on his headset. "Mayday! Mayday! Squad 55 to dispatch! Truck 55 and Truck 66 have collided on the corner of 56th and Shore Drive! Send as many Aid Cars as you can! THIS IS BAD!"
"Just a block from us!" Vic looked at Cutler and took a sharp right U-turn. "Dispatch, this is Aid 55, we're on our way to the accident site!" She radioed.
Squad 55 sharply stopped as everyone got out.
Arnold got on his radio. "Dispatch, confirming both Truck 55 and 66 are out of action, requesting that Squad 55 stay! Please reassign other units to the high-rise fire!" He looked at his crew. "Alright, Murray, Suarez, check 66, Cruz you're with me! We're short-handed with McCaffery gone so let's hustle!"
"Alright!"
"Got it!"
Arnold and Cruz soon climbed up on Truck 55 and stood on the side of the rig.
"GUYS! CAP! EVERYONE ALRIGHT? ANY INJURIES?" Arnold yelled.
"LIEUTENANT, WE'RE ALL FINE BUT MONTGOMERY'S BLEEDING!" Donovan yelled. "TRAV, TALK TO ME!" Arnold shouted.
Travis groaned as his left eye was closed. "AUGH- AH! I- I THINK I MUST'VE HIT MY EYE ON THE DOOR FRAME OR SOMETHING…!" Arnold saw where Travis was bleeding. "ALRIGHT, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU! DEAN, GRAB YOUR JUMP BAG! Cruz, get in and help out!"
"Copy!"
"You got it!"
Dean got out as Cruz went in where Smith climbed out from. Michelle looked down at Tommy, who was still inside.
"TOMMY!" He looked up to his Captain. "We'll get you out!" Michelle told him as Arnold jumped down to check with 66. The front of Truck 66 was crushed and somewhat caved in with the windshield broken entirely. The front grill was also missing with several rear compartment doors opened.
"What do we got?" Arnold asked Suarez. "A whole lot of injuries! Driver's not responding and pinned in badly!" He replied.
Arnold went to the driver's side and saw the driver of 66 bleeding from his head and unconscious. "Hey, Welch, what's his name?" Welch was still dazed by the head-on hit. "WELCH!"
Welch finally looked over. "Jason!"
"HEY! JASON! CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Arnold tried checking for a pulse but found nothing where he was. "I can't find anything here, you try reaching in!" Welch tried checking his neck. "I- I- I feel something but barely! We gotta get him out!" Welch told Arnold as he tried getting the door open despite it being wedged.
Suarez used his halligan to pry open the rear door on the passenger's side. Michelle came over. One of the members hopped out in pain with blood on his cheeks.
"It's alright, we got you!" Michelle and Suarez helped him. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine! Parish has a busted-up leg! Bone showing and everything!"
Suarez guided him away with Michelle, but he suddenly retaliated. "Why don't you guys learn how to drive?! I mean, damn, Captain! What the hell?!" The guy exclaimed at Michelle while Murray was in the background trying to pry open the Lieutenant's door.
Murray was prying it open while Welch banged against it. The door finally opened and Welch nearly fell out. Michelle and Murray grabbed him.
"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH, WOAH, WOAH, SLOW DOWN. HEY!" Welch shoved them off as he went back inside the rear passenger door of the truck. "PARISH, JUST HANG IN THERE!" He got out again and ran around the truck.
Soon, sirens approached as the first Aid Car arrived, Aid Car 55.
"Vic! Over here!" Michelle called her over. "We got a lot of guys who need help! Possible broken arm and multiple lacerations," She pointed to the guy sitting down near a streetlight. "Guy in the back with a broken leg and bone showing, driver's unconscious and in bad shape. Travis is in bad shape."
"Copy, Captain!" Vic went to check on the guy from 66. "McFarland, you okay?"
Tommy finally came out of the truck and soon started crawling down slowly.
Travis was seated against the trashed aerial ladder. Cutler came over. "Montgomery, you alright?"
"Been better…" Travis replied as Dean cleaned off his injury, revealing a big cut just above his eye. "Oh, jeez, I can't see…! I C- CAN'T SEE!"
Tommy then spoke. "I- I- I- I don't even know what happened, came out of nowhere…" Tommy has blood on the side of his face and jacket. He then saw the crews trying to extricate Jason. He walked over to Michelle. "Put me to work, Captain."
"Grab a side!" She grabbed the stretcher.
"What about the high-rise?" Tommy asked. "They're dispatching more companies, don't worry about it." Michelle replied as the rear door was opened.
Parish was slid out onto the stretcher. Bone just above his knee was exposed. He was taken away to an Aid Car.
McFarland and Vic soon came over.
"NICE DRIVING, GENIUS!" McFarland exclaimed in disappointment.
Travis was escorted by Dean and Donovan to an Aid Car. "Easy there, Trav…" He climbed inside and sat down.
"Oh, God…" Vic grimaced. "I know… It's bad…" Travis replied.
"Real simple, 55 blew the fucking light…!" McFarland frustratedly mentioned, not letting it go.
"We did NOT BLOW THE LIGHT!" Travis angrily replied.
"Oh, yeah? WHICH WAY DOES YOUR SEAT FACE? HUH?" McFarland retaliated. Travis rolled his eyes. "... BACKWARDS, BUT-"
"EXACTLY, YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" McFarland exclaimed. "HEY, LISTEN-"
As the two started to go at each other's throats, the doors to the Aid Car closed. Vic soon got in the driver's seat and the Aid Car sirens started wailing while it took off. As it made a right turn, two Battalion vehicles came up with tires screeching. One Battalion Ford pickup, and a Ford SUV. Battalion and Deputy District Chiefs.
Stella hopped out of her pickup and put on her helmet while walking to Michelle. "McShay, are you men okay?" She asked.
"All but Montgomery, his eye's messed up. Vic's taking him to Med." Michelle replied. "Is it serious?" Stella asked. "I don't know, but he's alive and in one piece, and that's all I'm thankful for right now." Michelle emphasized her gratitude.
"What about Jason?" Stella asked again.
"He's non-responsive, his legs are crushed, and losing blood. We've been trying to get him out but with the front of the truck being crushed in, it's wedged the door shut and made it more difficult." Michelle replied while multiple firefighters were trying to pry open the door. Not even the hydraulic spreaders were taking effect. Murray was on the roof using a halligan.
Stella looked at Tommy. "Tommy!" She called him over. "What happened?"
"I- I don't know, Chief, t- they came out of nowhere!" He replied. The Deputy District Chief stepped in. "Who had the light?"
"We did!"
"Are you sure?" The Chief asked to make sure.
"I- If it wasn't green, then it was yellow. There's no way it was red!" Tommy replied while crews still worked on Jason's wedged door.
"You don't know what color the light was?" The Chief asked. "Tommy, did you see the light?" Stella asked.
"Must've. I know I did! I- It just happened all like that!" Stella scoffed and walked to Truck 66.
"Watch his arm, you're too close!" Murray told Arnold. "I see his arm. I got it! Alright, Murray, go ahead!" Arnold gave the go-ahead.
Murray suddenly froze, dropping his halligan. He grabbed onto the ladder but…
CLANG
THUD
Murray fell from the roof of Truck 66.
"MURRAY! HEY!" Arnold shouted. "DAMMIT! MURRAY!" Arnold stepped over to him. "The hell happened, man?" He helped up Murray. "Suarez, you relieve Murray on the roof! Murray, you take a breather!"
"Let's do it!"
"No, no, I can do it!"
Welch grabbed the spreaders. "CAN'T YOU DO ANYTHING RIGHT? I GOT A GUY DYING HERE!" Michelle and Arnold stopped him. "HEY! HEY! THEY'RE DOING ALL THEY CAN!"
"That's my best friend-"
"I know! We'll get him out!" Michelle replied and shifted back to the wedged truck door.
A police officer came by. "Who was driving this one?" He pointed to the overturned truck. "Right here. Tommy." Stella told the patrol officer.
"Tommy, you want to step aside with us?" The officer asked. "Now, we're in the middle of a rescue!" Tommy replied.
"It's alright, we're with him." Stella replied. Tommy shook his head and went with the officer.
"ONE MORE! WE'RE ALMOST THERE!" Michelle shouted.
Arnold had the spreaders ready while Murray had his halligan on the roof.
"GO!" The spreaders were activated, opening the wedged door more and more.
CRACK
The door was finally opened, and Welch was the first to hold Jason, who nearly slumped out of his seat.
"ALRIGHT, LET'S GET A BACKBOARD AND STRETCHER OVER HERE!" Arnold shouted.
The stretcher was brought over as a C-collar was placed around Jason's neck. Soon, he was carefully placed onto the stretcher.
"Easy!"
Tommy was taking a breathalyzer test even though it frustrated him.
The stretcher was rolled to an Aid Car, while Welch approached Tommy.
"YOU DID THIS. YOU DID THIS, YOU SON OF A BITCH! YOU! YOU, YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Welch yelled in anger as he went with Jason to an Aid Car.
Tommy only stood there as the scene slowly backed away, showing the entire crash site. Police cars surrounded the area, an Engine company was there, several Battalion vehicles, and the two trashed trucks… Tommy would only stand there in the middle of everything with his hands on his head…
Later At MedStar…
All of 55 except Michelle were there while Travis was in a treatment room.
"I guess they were trying to cut across from Michigan but they knew we had to come up to Wabash, right?" Dean asked about the intersection.
Arnold shrugged. "Either way, they had to slow down and have a look. Everyone knows that." He said while a doctor walked by. "Unless they had the green." Suarez said.
"Please. They did not have the green." Dean replied. "The hell, man?"
"Are the cops still all over Tommy?" Murray asked.
"Yeah, now they're demanding piss and blood…" Donovan answered his question. "It's procedure, man." Dean added.
Donovan then looked over to a distraught woman. "Is that Jason's wife?"
A young woman, like Jason, was held up by Jason's friends as the woman cried learning what happened to her husband.
"Poor kid…" Dean referred to Jason.
Meanwhile, with Travis…
His left was examined. "There's a lot of debris, I'm going to have to clean that out, but the debris didn't penetrate the cornea, and that tissue will heal quick." The doctor said.
"S- So, I'll be able to see out of that eye?" Travis asked while pointing at his eye. The doctor nodded. "Vision should fully restore, yes."
"Thank God…" Travis let out a sigh of relief.
Over with Michelle…
"I'm not denying there's been bad blood between Lieutenant Welch and House 55, but that didn't play a role in this accident. Not on our end, anyway." Michelle told the group of Chiefs.
"Are you sure 55 had the right of way?" Stella asked. "I didn't see the light." Michelle replied as the District Chief rolled his eyes. "But I trust Tommy implicitly."
"Even though he doesn't remember seeing the light either?" The Chief asked.
"If he would've saw the light, he would've come to a controlled stop." Michelle answered. "He's good at his job."
"But here's the thing, Captain, cops still haven't found a credible eye witness, and there wasn't no traffic cam at that intersection." Stella told her. "And out of the two drivers, one can't remember what color the light was and one might not even make it through the next few hours." A different Chief said.
"I stand by Tommy." Michelle stood her ground.
The group of Chiefs soon walked away. With Michelle walking away, Tommy came out from having his blood drawn and saw the angry group of 66.
"Alright, 55, let's move out. Nothing more we can do here…" Stella told her team. They only nodded.
While they walked away, Arnold met up with Murray. "Hey."
"Hey, what's up?"
"Nasty spill you had back there. What happened?" Arnold asked. "I- I guess I got sloppy." Murray replied while adjusting his radio.
"Not buying it, you don't get sloppy, your record shows it." Arnold replied. Murray sighed. "I- I've been feeling dizzy lately." Murray answered.
Arnold stopped him. "Since when?"
"I honestly don't know. I've been feeling this way the past couple of days, even having headaches." Murray said while picking at his ear for a moment.
"I will if these symptoms don't g-" Arnold interrupted. "Before next shift, and I can't afford to lose another Squad member. And you know that…" Murray only nodded. They soon went to join the rest of their team-slash-friends.
At Station 55
Back at the firehouse, Squad 55 was the first to roll in. The Aid Car was already there while Engine 55 was still out. Squad had to bring home the guys from Truck since there was no third rig and fifth. vehicle overall.
Everyone started getting out.
"We should have a spare truck from the shop soon." Michelle told Stella. "That old beast with the bad clutch?" Tommy asked.
Michelle only nodded while Arnold's turnout coat hung on the mirror of Squad in the background.
"So who will fill in for Travis?" Dean asked.
"I'm rehiring. You guys are done for today." Stella told them. "Chief, it's not necessary." Michelle replied.
"You've been rattled. Go home and rest." She soon walked away to her office.
The engine bay was now in silence…
In her office, Stella met up with her son.
"Hey." She smiled. Arnold smiled. "Hey, Mom."
She sat at the front of her desk. "Something on your mind?"
"Yeah, uh, about what you mentioned earlier, regarding my wedding date…? Well, first off, could you check in on Engine? Since Michelle moved to Truck as Captain, Spinelli is now Lieutenant on Engine."
Stella grabbed her radio. "Dispatch, I need a 20 on Engine 55."
"Engine 55 is still working at the high-rise fire." Dispatch replied.
"Anyone reported missing or downed?"
"Negative, Battalion 55." Stella and Arnold sighed with relief.
A woman working the office came in. "My sincerest apologies, Chief, but Chief Tiburg is here to see you."
"Thank you, Connie." Stella gave a nod. Connie nodded back and stepped out.
Minutes Later…
"Michelle, Tommy, over here now…" Stella called the two over after they were in street clothes. The District Chief had a tablet in hand.
"What's this?" Michelle asked. The Chief showed her what was on the screen.
"I thought there was no traffic cam at 56th and Shore Drive?..." Michelle looked in confusion.
"This is four blocks South…" Stella told her.
"And there's 55 racing through a red light. Forty seconds before the collision." The Chief added.
The footage showed Truck 55 clearly speeding by a red light at a busy intersection. The siren lights flashed while the American flag waved. No sign of controlled stoppage or anything in the slightest. Truck 55 sped through the red light.
"That was a controlled stop, best we could last second!" Michelle replied.
"Controlled stop, my ass! You blew that light by thirty-thirty-five miles, at least!" The Chief replied angrily. "Chief, but everyone breaks the controlled stop rule, you pretty much have to!" Tommy exclaimed.
"That's your defense? 'ALL THE KIDS ARE DOING IT'?!" The Chief wasn't having it.
"Chief, aren't you gonna back me up here?" Tommy looked at Stella. "I'd stop talking now, Tommy." She sternly replied.
"We were on our way to a fire! If we made a controlled stop at every light-" Chief Tiberg interrupted. "Then Jason would be back at his Firehouse instead of on life support!"
"Talk to your union rep before you say another word…" Stella suggested while her eyelids were lowered in concern.
"Better yet, a criminal lawyer. If Jason dies at the hospital, you're facing manslaughter charges!" The group of Chiefs, except Stella, walked away, leaving Tommy alerted…
Later That Afternoon…
At home, Arnold was home, in the dining room while holding Andy and both his pets by his side, sitting quietly, which was unusual. Both Bandit and Diesel were sitting there in silence rather than playing and barking since they noticed the concern of their owner.
Spinelli and Pep finally came home from their shift.
"...Good thing you weren't on Truck or otherwise… I don't know…" Pep shrugged. Spinelli only rolled her eyes as she set her bag down and went to the dining room.
There, she found Arnold, her little girl, and two pets awaiting her.
She gave a relieved look once she saw Arnold. "Arnold, Oh, thank goodness!" She got close, putting her hand behind his head, and leaned over for a kiss on each other's lips.
After their kiss, Arnold briefly reached out to hold Pep's hand to express his gratitude knowing she was also home.
"Am I glad to see you two? Oh, I missed you, Spin." Arnold briefly nuzzled against her. "We heard what happened through the radio. How's everyone?" Pep asked.
"Most of them are alright except Travis. Poor guy. Sustained a massive cut above his eye and from what Phoebe told me, he has debris in his eye. No damage to his cornea so the tissue will heal and he'll regain full vision in his left eye, thankfully." He expressed his gratitude.
"Oh, thank God for that." She sighed in relief.
"What about 66?" Spinelli asked. "Most likely infuriated with us, especially with Tommy but they're holding up except their driver, Jason. Guy was pinned in badly. The front of the truck was crushed in and it wedged in the door." Arnold replied. "One thing I'm happy about is how you two weren't on Truck since you transferred to Engine." Arnold got up to kiss Spinelli's cheek.
"Any idea what caused the collision?" Spinelli asked.
"I had a quick word with my Mom. After saying there weren't traffic cams, turns out the Deputy District Chief found a traffic camera four blocks South of the crash." Arnold shrugged.
"What did the footage show?" Pep asked.
Arnold sighed sharply. "Clearly shows that Truck was speeding through a red light at the intersection." The two girls only gave disappointed looks. "I wish I had better news but that's not all."
Spinelli scoffed and put her hands on her hips. "What else could you say to worsen this?"
"If Jason, the driver for 66, doesn't pull through, Tommy could be facing criminal charges, specifically, manslaughter charges from the crash…" Arnold added with disappointment.
The two only sighed and scratched their heads.
"Listen, just get cleaned up and relaxed for now, Cap said we'll meet at Med in 30." Arnold told the two. Pep and Spinelli nodded.
While Pep walked away, Spinelli pulled Arnold aside.
"You okay? I know you worked that call with Squad, so are you alright?" Spinelli rubbed his right shoulder since he was holding Andy. Arnold caressed Spinelli's cheek. "I know it was rough, but at least everyone's okay, and I'm more than happy that you weren't on Truck. I love you, my little Ashley." Arnold nuzzled against her nose.
Spinelli blushed and looked around. "Arnold!…" She lightly frowned while Arnold gave a small smile. Spinelli eventually gave in and smiled.
Arnold gave a light kiss to her forehead. He then looked at Andy. "I believe someone was waiting for her Mommy to come home." Arnold smiled at her. Spinelli smiled and took Andy. "Hey, there, sweetie! Did you miss me? I missed you so much, honey! I'm blessed to be able to come home and be with my little girl and such a loving husband like your father." Spinelli smiled and then kissed Arnold on the lips.
"Will your parents swing by later tonight? Remember that we still have to talk with them." Arnold reminded Spinelli. She only nodded while she toyed with Andy, who was letting out her cute baby laughter.
Half Hour Later
Soon, at MedStar, an ambulance parked out front was there while Tommy, Dean, and Warren were walking to MedStar to check up on Jason, and discussing Tommy's possible legal situation.
"Probably a smart move, you know, getting a criminal lawyer? But of course, Tom didn't show up." Warren said. Tommy shook his head. "I don't need a lawyer. I didn't do anything wrong…" They walked inside Med as a black Ford pickup was seen in the background.
Inside…
"What's the word on Jason?" Dean asked, meeting up with Spinelli, who was holding Andy, and Arnold.
"Jason's out of surgery but they're keeping him under due to brain swelling." Spinelli replied. "Doesn't look good." Arnold added.
"Damn…" Warren shook his head.
Tommy then saw Company 66 outside Jason's ICU room. "Hey, I'll be right back." He walked to Welch.
"Lieutenant Welch."
"Yeah?"
"I just wanted to… let you know I feel awful about the accident…" Tommy started as Arnold, Dean, and Ben came to back him up.
"Yeah, I should hope so…" Welch frowned. Tommy crossed his arms. "Look, I just came by to say, if there's anything I can do for Jason's people or you and your guys-" Welch interrupted. "Sure, there is. Get your eyes checked!" He pointed at his own eyes.
Tommy stepped forward, confronting him. "You know what? I feel for Jason, I do, but none of this is our fault." He calmly said.
"Jason is a hundred times the firefighter you are, coward." McFarland said while pointing at Tommy.
Dean soon grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away. "Aye. Come on."
Tommy scoffed. "I didn't do anything wrong! I'M SICK AND TIRED OF GETTING THE 'STINK-EYE' EVERYWHERE I GO!" He exclaimed.
"I know!" Dean said.
"Come on, guys, why hash this out now? Let the white shirts handle this." Warren added.
"Keep that bald-headed douche away from me or I'll put HIM in a coma!" Welch angrily said, aggravating Tommy and making him step forward.
"Hey, HEY." Warren stopped Tommy.
"Hey, HEY! Welch! We're all here for the same reason! We want Jason home safe and sound, and then God willing, let him be back on the job as soon as possible." Dean said.
"Back on the job? The guy could be brain-dead right now!" McFarland pointed at his room. "Look… What are you guys even doing for his family rather than going after a bounty on Tommy? Huh?" Warren asked.
Most of them didn't answer.
"We're still figuring that out…" Welch replied.
"Alright… Then at Silver Tiger's Bar, we'll host a thing, both houses. You guys in?" Dean offered.
McFarland then asked, "Is he gonna be there?" Pointing at Tommy.
"Everybody's invited. Do you want to help out Jason or not?" Dean asked in a serious tone.
"Of course…" Welch soon walked away from his group and into Jason's room.
Warren then looked over to Tommy. "I think you should go now."
"What? No. I have every right to be here. I leave now, I look guilty!" He replied. "Tom, you'll be the bigger man if you do. Come on…" Warren urged. Tommy only shook his head and walked away.
After Tommy walked out of the hospital in frustration, in a different hospital room….
"Just keep your eyes open. Lie down…" Phoebe was checking out Murray per Arnold's request. "Hold this position…" She slowly turned Murray's head to the right. "Holding…. Still…" Murray's eyes suddenly started jerking left and right rapidly. "There it is!" She let go of him and helped him sit up.
"Now, that eye movement is called nystagmus, and what it tells me is that you've gotten Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo. BPPV, for short." Phoebe told Murray. "That also explains my headaches?" Murray asked.
"It should." Phoebe nodded while her hands were in her pockets.
"But… how did this even happen? I didn't suffer an injury on the job since we started like what? A couple of days ago?" Murray asked.
Phoebe grabbed her tablet off the counter. "Well, given your history as a firefighter and part of Squad most of your career, and given your MEDICAL history of several traumas from explosions, I'd say it doesn't play TOO MUCH of a part here. But what I do think is that you suffered blast trauma recently. Any idea from where?" She looked at him.
"Only earlier today at a house fire where a big explosion went off. I did feel a bit of ringing in my ears after but I thought I was fine. Well, I was, at least." Murray replied. "I've also had bad earwax buildup lately." He added.
"That could explain why headaches are more constant…" Phoebe kept looking through his history.
"Now that we know, what do we do?" Murray asked as his smile faded once he saw Phoebe's unsure expression.
"Murray, I uh- I hate to say this but… I can't clear you for Squad duty…" She set aside her tablet. Murray's expression dropped into disappointment. "W- Dr. Heyerdhal, come on, isn't there ANYTHING you can do? Surgery? Medications? Anything?" Murray asked in desperation.
"The two types of surgeries are intended to deactivate the part of the ear to get rid of the dizziness and leave the rest of the ear functioning. And medications also mask the symptoms. I can't let you climb ladders, do rope work, or even scuba dive." Phoebe gave a somber look.
"What the hell do I do then? I S- So, is my career over?! In other words?!" Murray climbed off the table. "My father was one of the best in the HFD before he died in the Line of Duty, and all I've ever wanted to be was to be a firefighter and follow in his footsteps! And if I'm not a firefighter… then what am I?" Murray stood there for a moment before he decided to step out. After he stepped out, he saw Scott in the waiting area.
"Gibson, right?" Murray asked. Scott nodded. "How'd you know my name?" He asked.
"We work the same house together, well, at least we're in the same house but never worked together since you weren't cleared. I'm not cleared for duty anymore… and that'll leave Squad another man short…" He went to the receptionist for his discharge papers.
After a minute, Murray was already gone, Phoebe came out and called for Scott.
"Hey!" He gave a cheery smile. "You look a lot better than you did a week ago!" Phoebe noticed his expression. "Just one final check-up before you're cleared to return to duty!" She added.
"Great! I've been bored out of my mind just sitting around at home." Scott chuckled. "Yeah, well, I'm afraid that'll be someone else who'll be sitting around at home since he was unlucky to be cleared for duty…" Phoebe hung her head. Scott only raised an eyebrow at what she meant.
The Next Morning
The garage doors to the engine bay of House 55 opened, revealing Tommy, Dean, and Warren coming in for their shift.
"Welp, you were right, Smith, they gave us the old beast with the horrendous clutch…" Warren mentioned.
The new Aerial Ladder was there, but as Warren mentioned… Horrendous. The entire trust was rusted around several areas, mainly the compartment doors. Several bullet holes were there, and scratches all around. The entire rig was just about beaten up.
"I think they did it to punish us… They have better rigs than this in the shop!" Michelle added while checking the equipment compartments with a clipboard in hand. "This thing is a bitch to drive…" Tommy slapped the door.
"Uh, about that… Y- Your driving privileges have been suspended pending the investigation. Dean, you're driving until further notice.
"W- Wow…!" Dean saw Tommy's frustrated expression. "Hey, it'll all work itself out. Jason will make it, and someone will testify you had the light." He patted his shoulder.
Soon, Travis and Scott came walking into the engine bay. Travis had an eyepatch for his right eye.
"If it isn't Gibson and Montgomery, I don't know who it is!" Michelle smiled.
"Gibson! Great to see you once more, brother!" Dean hugged his closest friend. "Been a long time since I've last been here." Scott smiled.
Travis shook their hands.
"Aren't you supposed to be at home resting?" Michelle asked Travis. "I need to be around my brothers and sister, why else am I here?" He chuckled.
"How's that eye, Montgomery?" Ben asked.
Travis shrugged. "Well, I'm dealing with a serious corneal abrasion, and all that entails…"
"What does that entail?" Smith asked.
"Eyedrops, mainly…" Travis shrugged while the others were quiet.
Meanwhile, at the Chief's office…
"Hey, uh, Chief?" Arnold came in.
He supposedly had the day off, but unfortunately, Squad was too short-handed so he had to come in, leaving Spinelli and Andy at home.
"Is Murray out sick or something? I'm two members short now!" He asked.
Stella sighed. "I'll explain the McCaffery situation in a minute, but…" She grimaced. Arnold took over. "I forgot to talk with Phoebe whether he went to see her or not. Any idea where he could be?"
"Daniel Murray failed his medical examination and is off Squad…" Stella soon let out what she had to say, leaving Arnold surprised. "W- What?"
"Reach out to him, see what you can do. And also, gather everyone in the engine bay. I want to explain why McCaffery hasn't shown." Arnold only nodded as he walked out.
Within a minute, everyone was gathered in the engine bay and gathered in front of Stella.
She let out a deep exhale. "Ok, so, um… Many of you noticed why McCaffery hasn't shown up, and I'm afraid he's been on leave for personal reasons… But mainly because his father passed away from terminal cancer. Former Battalion Chief of this very house many years ago. Funeral preparations are yet to be made with McCaffery still away, but he should be back within these next three days." She put her hands on her hips and sighed. "Now, with Murray failing his medical examination and not being cleared for Squad duty, that leaves Squad two men short. Our other shift groups are tight, and that means I'll be making rearrangements. Clemente and Smith, you two will be joining Squad until McCaffery and another replacement are here."
"Woah, Chief, a-are you actually serious?" Pep asked.
"Gibson will take your place on Truck, Smith. And Clemente, your spot will be filled by Alexander with you moving to Squad. And now, unless I'm able to find a fifth member, I'll notify you guys. Dismissed." Stella soon walked out of the engine bay, leaving most of them rather surprised.
Arnold smiled and wrapped an arm over Pep. "Back under my command, Clemente." He chuckled, briefly ruffling her hair and then kissing her forehead. "Reminds me of the time when I first arrived on Truck." She chuckled.
Arnold let go and soon looked at Scott. "Hey, Gibson, welcome back, man. Glad to have you back." He smiled. Scott smiled back. "It's great to be back, Lieutenant." They shook hands and hugged. Soon, everyone else joined in for a group hug. Even Stella came back to join her team for a group hug. All Scott could do was hug them and take in the moment...
So, now that things are starting to calm down, Gibson is back while Murray is, unfortunately, gone... And following the accident, we will be back next chapter and see what happens next... Will Jason pull through? Will Tommy face charges? What'll be of McCaffery and his father's funeral? Find out in the next couple of chapters... I will say this, the funeral of Russell's father will be soon, and not a time skip or anything lame, I promise that. One thing I'm excited about is getting back to the firefighting action once this section is wrapped up! Anyhow, with that being said, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and I'll be seeing you in the next!