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| PAGE FORTY FIVE |
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"I know I did. Lydia Montegeaux taught me real good what to do in ah emergency.." he said misquoting an adverb. "So did Sam the dispatch man." That surprised Johnny. "Lydia? I know a Lydia Montegeaux." "She's my best friend.." Robbie said. "She's right outside the station right now. She said her grandpa was here with her." "Is she now?" Chet grinned. "What do you say gang? Should we all go out and meet Johnny's hot date?" Chet and Marco, and Stoker and Cap all nodded eagerly. And Miss Thorne, too, who was a quiet audience. Gage let the others follow him into the yard. There, he knelt before his little blind Big Brother sponsor and grinned. "Lydia.. how come you didn't tell me that Chief McConike was your grandfather?" "I didn't want to spoil the surprise..." she said timidly on her leg braces. The sun shining down on her face made her blind eyes sparkle the purest azure blue. |
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Cap chuckled, lifting Lydia up onto his lap where he crouched with Bonnie in the crook of his other arm so she could meet and pet her. "That was some surprise girly.. Your grandfather managed to buy us a whole new set of firetrucks." and he winked at McConike. McConike laughed loud and deep. "Just wait until you make chief, Hank. Budgeting priority reshuffling's a major chief's rank perk.." |
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Lydia's face was smiling as she hugged Bonnie. "Oh, Bonnie, you're almost as soft as Cinnabon at school." "Who's Cinnabon?" Stoker asked. "I don't remember your classroom having any pets.." "It does now... Jamie from the CDC flew us in a present last week from Atlanta. The kit from the Flying Fox Bat that saved Marco was ready to be weaned and needed a home." "He's here. He's here Mr. Gage. I know you'll like him. I know you will." Lydia said, tugging Johnny's uniform sleeve. Gage started to fidget just thinking about bats. But he didn't let his reaction translate to Lydia. "Well, I don't know abou-- Say Lydia.. Is he in a cage? I think I could probably.....deal with ...him in a..crate or something..." "Chicken.." Chet hissed teasingly. "No, just particular.." he said firmly. Then he trickled.. "Uh oh......" Robbie came running, happily screeching around the corner with a blanketed moving bundle in his hands. Sticking out of it, was the cutest furry face the firemen had ever seen. |
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Bonnie instantly began to lick the baby bat's face, smothering him in kisses. Johnny's bat phobia instantly evaporated as fast as Bonnie's maternal instinct had risen. "Wow, you know.. I think this little guy'd uh,, this tiny thing'd here, would even look cute under a full moon, don't you think gang?" "Ahhhhh!! Don't say those two words!!" Chet said, dashing off for the safety of the newly rebuilt station garage. "You'll jinx us for sure.." Laughs.. abounded. ------------------------------ That night, at the newly repaired station house, still smelling of new vehicles, the gang prepared themselves for sleep. |
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"Hey Roy.." "What..." he mumbled, flopped down on the pillow where he had fallen. He didn't even bother to take off his uniform nor his blue over coat. |
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"Think I can sneak over to the phone to call Lydia tonight?" "You can try.. You know Bonnie'll start howling again when you're more than ten feet away from her.." |
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"Oh. I know. I'll carry her over there with me. That way. She won't howl and she won't be able to take a whiz on the floor again.." John waited for Roy to reply but the reply never came. Roy was out like a light. ------------------------------------------- The next morning, Johnny's sheets were tangled up around him and Bonnie both, but Roy hadn't even moved. |
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Gage's feet hit the floor and he wandered over to grab his partner by the wrist. He eyed his watch and then at Bonnie. "Hey Bonnie.. Look..He IS alive.." he said to the wriggling, all attentive Yorky looking eagerly in play invite at him. "He's only acting dead to the world. Gonna sleep a week for sure.." And he dropped Roy's hand onto his own face to judge reaction. Roy didn't move. "Make that two weeks and a day, Bonnie." A huge yawn split his face into two and he thought about it some. "Man,.. Roy's onto something over there. I think I'll just.. do ...a nap. yeah. All the other guys are still out.. Think I'll...just, close my eyes for just a......." Even when the full moon rose later that evening, the fates kept smiling kindly on the crew of Station 51 long after the silver disk sank below the horizon. They got in an unheard of duration of two days on duty with nothing to do but sleep and enjoy yard basketball games.. At long last.. Bonnie, was the only one unhappy about it. She couldn't get to Johnny's bunk unobserved long enough, for one of her famous sheet marking territory sessions... FIN ------------------------------------- |
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To read End credits to Full Moon Blues... Click Roy and John. |
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