Chapter 14

Another fire occurred over the evening, this time in an abandoned house. Station 51 was dispatched to put the flames out and after a long night they returned to base for breakfast. Upon entering the living and kitchen area the men found a pleasant surprise. In the corner sat a collapsible blue wagon loaded with food for the men.

Captain Stanley pulled the cart out of the corner. He found a note. "It's from Chet." he told the men. "Sorry I'm not there to help. Hope you enjoy." A grin crept across his face. "Chet sent us breakfast."

The men dug into the boxes and coolers.

Roy noticed. "Donuts!" he grasped the box.

Marco found. "Hey some giant muffins. Bagels."

The Captain opened the cooler. "Alright! Bacon and eggs." he cheered.

Johnny opened another cooler. "What's this stuff?' he reached in a found a cup of Greek style yogurt. He made a disgusted face. "Yogurt?"

Sam grasped the cooler. "My yogurt! I asked him to send me some. Oh good, he got the good stuff."

Roy teased. "You mean that two dollar a cup yogurt you like?"

She nodded. "Yup!"

Sabrina looked in at the yogurt. "Two dollars a cup! That's really expensive for yogurt, Sam."

"They don't have my brand here and all the stores have is the regular. I like the thick yogurt." she told her. "Yeah, it's pricey but I like it."

"Two dollars a cup it should be gold." The Captain stated.

"Two dollars isn't that much money in the future." Roy told him. "Inflation! Two dollars is like twenty cent now."

"Yogurt is around ten cents." Sabrina recalled. "Still double."

Sam asked. "Would you like to try one?"

"If you insist." she shrugged.

She handed her a strawberry. "Here."

"I'll try it." she promised. "Those are some very big muffins." she noticed. "Want to split one with me, Sam?"

"Sure." she agreed.

The Captain rolled his eyes as he found the discussion mind numbing and boring. Men don't share muffins and discuss yogurt. Not real men anyways.

Marco dished up his plate. "Dang. Eggs are getting cold."

Roy stated. "Just pop it in the microwave."

"How long?" Marco wondered.

"Oh, fifteen second or so." he guessed. Before Roy knew it there was a line of men warming the breakfast at the microwave. He pondered. "Maybe I should have old me send us another one?"

Marco gathered his rather warm plate. "You mean get two microwaves?"

He nodded.

"Sounds good to me." he stated and took a seat. He started to dig in. "What other neat gadgets can you get us from the future?"

Roy shrugged. "I don't know."

The Captain asked. "Anything we could use fighting these fires? In fifty years they have to make some advances."

"They have thermal imaging cameras and personal alarms and such. But it's all bit out of the price range of an old guy on a fixed income." Roy informed.

Sam added. "Not to mention if other stations see you using it, they will started looking a lot closer at Station 51."

Sabrina nodded, "And a few will step into a wormhole and find themselves in the future looking at an engine for spaceships."

"Then the CIA shows up, steals my engine, kills off everyone and then fake an alien invasion to install that one world government those sick rich, elitist want." Sam added as if common knowledge.

Everyone paused a bit taken by the remark.

Marco asked. "What?"

Roy explained. "There are a few billionaires who have called for a one world government and a one world currency."

"That sounds nuts." The Captain told him.

"We know." Roy agreed.

Johnny pondered. "You think they would go as far as to fake a space alien invasion, Sam?"

"Heck, they would not only fake it, if real space aliens show up, they would sell us out to the highest bidder." she added.

Roy chuckled. "So much for E.T. phone home, huh?"

Johnny laughed. "E.T. run for your life."

Sam's skeptical nature shined. "More like E.T. porn sites."

Johnny broke out laughing. "Oh lord!"

Sabrina and the firemen all stood rather baffled. She asked. "E.T.? What are you three talking about?"

Johnny asked. "When did E.T. come out?"

Roy stated. "In the 80's."

Sam stated. "I think there is a copy in stack of movies Chet sent back with the player."

Roy suggested. "I guess we are watching E.T. tonight."

Few Days Later

Few more days had passed and Station 51 responded to yet another call. This call for to the county fairgrounds as the stage for the weekend concert was compromised and half collapsed.

Engine 51 and Rescue 51 rolled onto the scene. Work trucks were about the area. What stood out was an old school bus that was painted a patchwork of colors.

Johnny took not the bus. "That's an old 1957 Chevy 6800 series." He wrinkled his nose. "Why did they paint it like that?"

Roy shrugged. "Don't know."

Sam sat between them and suggested. "More hippies."

"Could be." Roy agreed.

She complained. "I can't stand the bell bottoms. Whoever thought that was a good fashion statement. Must have been high or stoned." she suggested.

The Rescue truck pulled up on scene and they disembarked. Roy and Johnny grabbed the equipment and went right to work as Sam tagged along with the clipboard to fill out the forms.

They soon found one of the men building the stage was injured during the collapse. The other works pulled him to safety but he was injured. Roy and Johnny began to asses the man.

Johnny glanced at Sam. He instructed. "We got him. Go make sure no one else was injured, Sam?"

"Okay." she agreed. She walked over to the other men. "Anyone else hurt?"

A large brown haired man with a thick beard shook his head. "None of us. Check on the kids. They were setting up equipment when the collapse happened."

Sam found a family standing off the side near the patchwork painted bus. She approached. "Anyone hurt?" she asked.

"I think we are all fine, thank goodness." the mother replied. She had short blonde hair and wore a yellow pants suit.

The youngest, a boy with red hair about ten years old spoke. "I bumped my head."

Sam knelt down to his level. She figured she knew enough about first aid she could assess the boy. "My name is Sam? Is it okay if I take a look?"

"Right here." he pointed to the side of his head above his temple.

She gently touched his head and found a bump. "Got a bump there." She removed a pen light. "I'm going to check the pupils of your eyes." she quickly shined the light. "Equal and reactive." she found. "What's your name?"

"Danny." the boy replied.

"What day is it?" she asked.

"Saturday." he told her.

He placed her fingers in his hand. "Squeeze my fingers at the same time."

He complied.

She took notes. "You have a headache, Danny?"

"No." he shook his head.

"Blurred vision?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No."

His mother asked. "He's alright?"

"I think so." she replied. "But Danny. If you get a bad headache, blurred vision, feel like you are going to throw up. You need to get to a doctor. Okay."

"Okay." he agreed.

Sam stood up and began to write out her form. "His full name?"

"Daniel Partridge." his mother stated.

"You are mom?" Sam asked.

"I'm his mom. Shirley Partridge." stated.

"Address?"

"We're from San Pueblo. We're to perform at the county concert." she told her. She then gave her street address and phone number for the records.

The oldest boy, a teenager around seventeen with light brown hair asked. "They let women be firemen now?"

Shirley rolled her eyes embarrassed. "Keith." she scolded.

Sam grew tired of the "woman fireman" remarks. She shook her head and with a straight face she looked directly at the boy and stated. "Oh no. You see women can't be fireman. We're just here for eye candy. For my real job, I'm a stripper at a nightclub."

His mouth dropped. "What?"

Danny called her bluff. "No way you are stripper."

She looked down at young gen x'er. "Why do you say that, Danny?"

"Because no stripper would work as a fireman." he told her. "Not enough pay."

The boy reminded her of her father. She held up the palm of her hand. "Hi five, Danny!"

He gently slapped her hand as if they shared they were cut from the same cloth. He asked. "Will you be coming to see the concert?"

"Actually, I am. I have a ticket. The Brady kids invited us." she mentioned.

Shirley mentioned. "We known the Brady kids. They are very nice. Great group."

Keith recalled. "Marcia is hot."

The mother rolled her eyes.

Sam simply gave a nod. "Nice to meet you all." She looked to Danny. "Remember, if you start to feel ill, get to a doctor." She told Shirley. "Just ice the bump. I'll see you all at the concert." she bid her goodbye.

Shirley smiled. "See! Women can do a man's job."

Keith nodded. "I know, Mom."

Danny proclaimed. "I like her. She's hot."

Shirley scolded. "Danny!"

Meanwhile, Roy and Johnny had tended to the injured worker. He was loaded into the back of the ambulance and taken to the hospital with a injured ankle. The ambulance declined the paramedic as the man was stable and was a basic level call.

The three then climbed back into the rescue truck for the ride home.