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FULL MOON BLUES |
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| PAGE EIGHT |
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Gage immediately frowned. "Chet, did you go and do something stupid like yell at Bonnie over some infraction or anything?" Kelly stopped working out with his hand held barbells on the exercise mat next to the mop cupboard. "What?Huh?" Then he noticed Bonnie laying low too. "I haven't moved from this mat buddy since your phone call. I'm innocent this time. Maybe she's mad at you. It's your bunk she chooses to use as territory marking post on occasion." "Very funny.." Johnny said. He walked over and noticed Cap watching Bonnie too from his black recliner. "Cap, what do you make of it?" "I don't know. Maybe she's sick or something. Her food's hardly touched. Why don't you two go check her out? You and Roy are the stationhouse paramedics here.." he said in a no nonsense tone of voice that was also an order and he arched an eyebrow before turning back to his stocks page. Johnny began a protest, "Cap I..." Hank briskly folded his paper to another page loud enough to drown out Gage's remark. Then he said, "Do I hear a little bird in here? Sounds like it's tweeting too hard or something.. Marco, why don't you go to the shed and open the main doors so it can get on its merry way.." Chet sniggered and so did Marco and Mike. Roy just rolled his eyes at his long time partner and was the first one to get up out of his chair to amble over to where Bonnie was cowering under the couch beneath Marco's legs. DeSoto knelt on his knees and peered into the darkness under the leather cushions. "Come here Bonnie.. Come on, girl. I just want to take a look at you.." he started baby talking when she picked up her muzzle from the floor and dipped her head at him, rising to her feet. "Yes, let me see you..." The tiny Yorkie whined a bit, and timidly wagged her tail but came finally into his hands. Roy picked her up, scratching her head and sat on the couch with her. |
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Johnny sighed heavily and pushed back with a linoleum wood squeal in his kitchen chair and made a production of joining Roy with Bonnie. The dog was just as shy but affectionate with Gage as she was with Roy and that puzzled both men when nothing seemed amiss with her physically. Johnny said, "Now, Cap. I've been down this doggy exam route before. There's nothing wrong with her that we can tell.." "There must be Gage. Have you ever known Bonnie to cower and hide before??" Cap countered. Chet piped up, "Not even after she's been using Gage's sheets as a latrine..." The guys laughed. Johnny glared at them. "Ok, all right you guys..So you've had a good laugh off me. Now be quiet for a sec.."Then he lifted Bonnie's chin and went nose to nose with her. "Bonnie..Hey, I'm not annoyed at all here.. At least, not with you..." and he shot a look at Chet. "So what's your problem you little wriggling ball of fur?" Bonnie whined again and licked his nose bashfully. Gage caught his breath and pulled away, wiping doggy kiss off. "Yeah,.. love you too.." and he got up again. "Listen, Cap, I don't know what her problem i--hey... I know, maybe she's sick of her food. You know, maybe she wants a change.." "Yeah, a change like staying away from you, Gage.." Kelly said, unrelenting. "Why else would she be singling out your bunk and not anyone else's?" Cap threw an "end of fun" look at Kelly and replied. "Worth a shot there, Gage. Why don't you try some of that bacon from the crisper. There's some left over in there from breakfast." Mike said, "You mean, Marco didn't finish it all?" Lopez vigorously shook his head. "My throat's still rawer than anything. I only wanted a few bites.." "Ok. All right.." Johnny said holding up surrendering hands. "I'll bribe her, just like I do with the cookies at night to keep her from howling.." Bonnie watched Johnny go to the frig, listening to his babytalk tempting, right up until the bacon was held under her trembling nose. Her whine cut off and she sneezed with tension, jumped off the couch and retreated underneath it once more. The whole gang heard her whimpering start up all over again.. |
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Johnny threw up his hands in resignation and shrugged. "I tried.." Then he looked at the bacon in his fingers and decided it looked pretty good so he dropped some of it into his mouth and the rest he slid under the couch with his foot. Cap concluded. "Chalk it up to another Bonnie personality quirk. Michelle did say Bonnie would be very like her mother that way." "Spitting image..." Gage grunted. Roy said, still slumped quietly on the couch. "I don't know.. This Bonnie's got more class. When she has a bone, even Steger on B shift can't get it away from her." "Heh. That's true.." Gage chuckled. Then he put his hands on his hips. "Why don't we just wait and see how she does for the rest of the day. If she's still off by shift change, we can just have them call the V-E-T later.." From under the couch, Bonnie's soft, incessant whines shut up. "Smart dog.." Marco said. "The old Bonnie never caught on to us spelling that word out l-.." Right then the doorbell on the side entrance rang.. "Ah, it's the school kids.." Mike said, "They're here with their teacher to get a tour of the firehouse.." "All right everyone.. Neaten up. Gage, tie your shoe.." Cap ordered. Gage lifted a knee and did so, losing his balance in his haste. Then all stood as Mike led their guests into the kitchen. "Hello. Glad you could make it.. Everyone..this is Miss Cindy Thorne.. and these, running around us in figure eights, are seven students of hers from the Grover Middleland school.. " Stoker introduced. |
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A short pixie like blond in a scarlet red dress came through the door and took off her sunglasses. "Fireman Stoker. Nice to see you again.. I hope it's not too busy a day today for that tour we prearranged." she said, shaking the hand of the man she had only heard on the phone before. "Not too busy.." Stoker grinned, letting go of her palm. "Glad you made it over. Traffic must have been a bear.." And at the same time.. Gage spoke too. "No, no.. it's ok. In fact, we've done nothing much in the way of runs today.. except a few alley burns and a bunch of thugs who made off with the sq--" Johnny started up, but Roy nudged him subtly in the ribs in a hint. "Ah,..helped us get a lot of cleaning done today..." Cindy stayed focused on Mike, the one fireman she knew and replied to his comment. "The usual. I had the school van take us over instead of using the bus. I parked it in the back lot, is that ok?" "Sure.. that's fine. That's where we park our own cars.." Marco said. "That's right.." Cap brightened eagerly. "We have uh, milk and cookies for the kids if you'd like after the tour... Fireman Lopez's mother brought some over with lunch just two hours ago..." he said thoroughly gentlemanly. All the gang's faces lit up when the kids excited laughter and chatter about being in a real station house brought back childhood memories of their own and they gathered around the happy throng of seven children. "That's ok, captain. I made sure the kids had eaten before bringing them over. Last thing they need is more sugar. They're rowdy enough as it is.." the pretty teacher said as clusters of girls and boys ran in circles in a good natured tag game around them all. |
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FULL MOON BLUES |
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Click Rescue Squad to Goto Page Nine :) |
