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Page Seven Note: Music soundtrack is high quality and slow loading in some cases. Patience. :) |
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Kel smiled, "Sure. That's right. I forgot. Sorry." he winced. Dixie narrowed her eyes. Brent and Kel saw the better part of wisdom and kept silent for the trip out to the patient pick-up entrance. "You are going to relax..." Dixie warned. "Of course." Brackett grinned widely. "Would we lie to you .. of all people?" Brent blinked innocently as both men spoke at the same time. Just as quickly, Kel escaped Dixie's wheelchair. Kel and Brent hastily loaded their gear into the copper colored truck. There wasn't much of it, and the truck still had plenty of room just in case they needed it for anything else. Kel finished stashing his duffle and he said, "I'll be right back, dad. I'm going to grab my water.. I forgot it in the--" Dixie held up his bottle of spring water that she had put into her pocket. "Looking for this?" she said, waving it before his eyes. Brent nodded, "Yes, he was. We're gonna need it for his Sphagonium.." the elder Brackett said, taking it from her playful hand. "Here, Kel. Water it if you wouldn't mind." "His what?" McCall asked. "The get-well plant I got him from the gift store.. See?" said Brent.. and he reached into the back load hauler and pulled out a blue foil wrapped large tropical leaved plant. Almost startling, he used his other hand to swiftly cover up the fishing poles that had become exposed from the wind where the tie down tarp had slipped before Dixie's prying eyes could see them. Neatly, he jumped into the driver's seat, as Kel got in, who was shaking out the excess water he had poured into the plant's potting soil. "Ready?" asked Kel. Brent grinned broadly, "Yep." "Do nothing!" Dixie hollered out as they pulled away. "We'll do nothing....." Brent said, calling after her. "....much!" said Kel, mischieviously added. They left behind Dixie's mortified, I-was-fooled expression behind in the darkness of dusky sunset. ----------------------------------------------------- Brent pulled onto the freeway and headed for their destination. Brent was quiet, which concerned Kel. "Dad, is everything okay?" Brent quickly recovered, "Everything's fine, Kel. Just a bit whipped from the week at work." Kel sighed, "I hear that. Why don't we trade spots now that Dixie's not here. Then you can lay back and catch a few zzzz's. It'll be a bit before we get to our destination." Brent stifled a yawn. "Sounds good. Wake me up if you need anything." Kel smiled, "I will, dad." Soon, the truck was silent except for Brent's soft snoring. Kel kept a close eye on the road, his senses heightened as usual when he was out in traffic. Two hours north of Torrance, Kel pulled off the paved road on to a dirt one. The change in terrain woke Brent who had been sleeping sound. It took a minute for the elder Brackett to regain his bearings before he asked, "Where are we?" Kel smiled, "Almost there, dad." Brent woke up more and took in the scenery. He was stunned silent. Minutes after Kel pulled off the paved road, he stopped. In front of him was a lake shore. Around the car on the other side, was a small clearing, in a grove of pine trees. Kel shut the car off, turned to his dad and said, "Dad, we're here." Brent was stunned as the duo climbed out of the truck. "K-Kel, this is amazing. This isn't where I thought we'd be." Kel just grinned, "Glad you like it, dad." |
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Brent smiled, "I don't just like it, I love it!" The sun was already long gone as father and son unloaded the truck. Kel said, "Hey dad, do you want to just eat what we brought tonight and hit the lake in the morning?" Brent looked around appreciably before he answered, "Yeah that's probably best. That'll save battery power on the outboard's running lights." Kel and Brent went to work making a fire outside the cabin Kel had reserved and the two started cooking dinner. In no time flat, they had eaten Dinty Moore stew and were headed for the sack. Both were fatigued from the trip in and all their sneaky planning to get away from Dixie's clutches. -------------------------------------------------------- Kel was awake the next morning before his father. He quickly set to work making breakfast and packing the boat for the day on the lake. Brent awoke to the smell of brewing coffee and a freshly made meal. Kel smiled as his dad finally exited the porch. "Good morning, dad." Brent blinked to adjust his eyes to the light. "Morning Kel, sleep well?" "Yeah, you?" "Some of the best sleep I've had in quite a while." "Better than mine has been for the last week. The beds at the hospital are atrocious. Breakfast is ready." "Aren't they made that way to hurry up recovery periods?" "Most likely.." Kel laughed. "Go ahead and crush my ego. I thought my patients got well fast because of my skill in medicine." "It's in combination.." the elder Brackett finessed. Brent smiled as Kel handed him a fresh cup of coffee. "Thanks. It smells good. What are we having?" "Eggs and bacon with this coffee chaser." Brent smiled, "Sounds wonderful. But isn't coffee off your menu now?" "Shhhh.." said Kel. "How can I get a pressure spike surrounded by all of this? It's a tranquilizer just being outside.." As the duo ate, Brent finally asked the question that had been bugging him since the day before, "Kel, how did you find this spot?" Kel smiled warmly, "Honestly, dad. One of my friends, Captain John Gage found it for me. Not long after he was promoted, he dragged me up here after a really h*llish week. Then I came back up here after mom died last year to get my head back on straight before I went back to work. We're in Santa Rosa County." The mention of Kel's mother and Brent's late wife quieted them down some but both shook the feeling off. Breakfast and cleanup was peaceful as they woke the rest of the way up. Once all was in order and put back away, Kel asked, "Ready to hit the lake?" Brent smiled, "You bet. We've a lot of hours to make up." he said, peering at the sun rising over the trees. "About twenty years worth by my reckoning." Kel grinned. Both doctors met eye to eye and a moment of unspoken deep devotion passed between them. The first in a very, very long time. The older Brackett held out his hand to help the still tired Kel over a large root on the path. "Shall we get started then, son?" "Sounds good to me, old man." his son winked. Brent laughed out loud. "Let's go!" beamed Kel. ------------------------------------------------------- Kel had already loaded the gear in the boat along with a small cooler of sandwiches and soft drinks. Father and son headed down to the lake. In minutes, the boat was launched and the new fishing day had begun. Brent asked, "Kel, how are you feeling?" Kel knew his dad was still worried after his hypertension scare. "I'm good. I took my medication like a good pre-senior citizen and I'm ready for a day on the lake and hopefully I'm also gonna bag a lot of fish." Brent looked Kel in the eye and smiling softly, he said, "You will." Kel and Brent made their way to the middle of the lake and threw out the anchor. Once their lines were baited and in the water, it was time to just sit back, relax and talk. Only distant muted birdsong, the lulling melody of rippling waves and the scent of warming pine needles filled the air. |
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A brief, slightly awkward moment intruded over them before Kel looked at his father with a complex expression. "Dad..." Brent softened quickly, "Yeah Kel?" Kel's voice softened, "Thank you." Brent was stunned, "For what?" "For coming out here with me. We've needed to do this for so long. Then I got sick and I got to thinking about things. I actually didn't know if we'd ever get the chance to do this again." "Come on, Kel. You weren't dying." "Sure felt like it. I felt like WE were, dad. Our relationship. And I'm glad we decided to change that." Brent squeezed Kel's arm, "You're welcome, my boy. You're the only son I've got and we're the only family we have left. Each other." Kel burst out laughing. "That's until Dixie joins the fray.." Brent went goggle eyed. "You didn't." "Not yet. But I'm going to." "Good. She's sassy, foxy, and I know she's got what it takes to keep you in line. A woman's touch. That was my mistake when I tried to do the same thing while you were growing up..." Kel's smile faded. "Can you ever forgive me?" Brent said, not looking away from his bobber. Brent's breath caught in his throat. Brent's words tore at Kel's heart. He hadn't realized how much his own mortality had worried his father. "Dad, I never meant to make you worry. And let me make another confession. I've known for years that everybody was telling me I needed to slow down and take it easy. Especially after I went from the emergency room to the head of cardiology. I never listened until my own body said that's it either rest or I'm going to quit on you." Brent's voice cracked at Kel's words. "Kel, I lost my best friend because HER body quit on her, I know I wouldn't be able to handle your death, too. A son should never die before his father.. Especially not like his mother did." Father and son grew quiet as each got lost in memories of Anna Rose, the now lost, third side to their private trio for over a year. As one, both looked up to the sky and each whispered a few words to Anna. As they finished, the sun brightened even more and lit up a flurry of snowy pinion feathers on a soaring eagle, who began sounding a single fluting cry as he greeted the dawn. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Kel took a deep breath. He hoped he didn't open a very old can of worms with his next question, but it had been weighing on his mind for far too long to go unasked. Brent relaxed and looked over at Kel, his face still filled with delight at the sight of the tiercel wheeling overhead. Immediately, he could tell something heavy was on his son's mind. "What is it, Kel?" ::Here goes nothing:: thought Kel as he asked, "Can I ask you something that was bugging me while I was in the hospital?" Brent became immediately concerned and completely focused on Kel. "Of course son, go ahead and ask anything, always..." he licked his lips, controlling old habits. "What's on your mind?" he finally asked simply, without the abrasiveness of old. ::Hopefully he takes this well so I don't end up swimming back to shore:: was the next thought that crossed Kel's mind, "Why did you want me to follow you into psychiatry? You never did explain that to me. I remember how we fought tooth and nail about that for way too long, but what I never understood.... was why." Brent was stunned by Kel's question. Then he was saddened when he realized that Kel was right ::My boy wants a straight answer that he deserves that. Not just professional to professional, but as father to son.:: Brent looked Kel in the eye. Before he could answer the question though, both lines tightened up at once. The heavy question was quickly interrupted by the shouts of "I've got mine!" that echoed completely across the lake as they wrestled their catches into the boat. A sleek pair of speckled brownies danced on the metal, drumming out their anger inside the hastily cast net. The rest of the day was just ..like.. that. Each time Brent would go to answer Kel's question, the fishing lines would get busy. As the sun when down over lake, the question still hung in the air. Kel wanted to know the answer, but then both became refocused on future days' dinner whenever one tried to escape from the gill leader cord they had floating in the water. Kel finally headed for the shoreline when they couldn't take any more trout. He was about to speak when the anchor was fully aboard, but he held his tongue when he saw his father trying to fight off his emotions. Kel made it obvious that he had noticed and he said gently, "Dad, talk to me." Brent looked up with pure pain in his eyes. Kel immediately shut the boat off roughly, two hundred yards from shore. He squeezed his dad's shoulder, but stayed silent. Brent was in the old, still fresh agony and Kel knew it, too, just as sharply. |
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Finally Brent spoke, with his voice full of emotion, "I...I miss her, Kel. I miss her every single day... And it's not fair. We fought off everything together. You, Anna Rose, and I, but we couldn't win that final fight." Kel's rough exterior crumbled to the bottom of the boat as he bear hugged his father. Brent didn't resist the hug, but fell into it as he fought a long hidden, still losing battle with his emotions. Kel tightened his grip on his father's neck and he whispered, "I miss her, too, dad. I miss her every minute. But I know she'll be there .. when I finally get off my butt, and propose to Dixie. But what I wouldn't give to hear her voice again when I finally call you to tell you when the official day is when Dixie and I begin our new lives together." Brent now spoke through tears, "She'll be thrilled son. She always did love Dixie. But I know one other thing." Kel picked his head up, but kept the grip on his dad. "What's that?" Brent smiled through the tears, "No matter how much neither of us wants to admit it, she was the top boss of us all and she still is. We've got to take care of each other or your mom's gonna give us a heaping load of cr*p when we see her again." Kel chuckled as he wiped his moist eyes, "You've got that so right." Brent chuckled as he calmed down. "Getting hungry yet?" Kel smiled lightly, "After burning off all this energy on sappy emotional stuff? What are you trying to get at? Convincing me to be a lawyer again?" "That was just an inside joke. Everybody knows lawyers aren't heroic about anything." "And doctors are?" "As psychiatrists aren't.... That's my point. Back then. And now. You're something special, son. Never forget that." Brent smiled, "How 'bout us city boys get ourselves in long enough to go fry some fish. Then afterwards, we can hit the sack if we get tired." Kel's smile brightened, "Do you feel tired?" "No. I feel alive. I think, for the first time in my life." They finished the trip to shore. The night went on with dinner and then lights out, without that earlier annoyingly interrupted question, being answered. Kel really wanted to know it. On the other side of the fire and the Brackett fence, Brent didn't quite know how he was going to give his answer to his newly aging son. |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------- The next morning was time to head home. Father and son laughed and joked anew as they packed the pickup. The cooler was full of the catch they hadn't eaten all of from dinner, the night before. Kel and Brent took in a few last deep breaths of fresh pine pitched air, and headed out. The truck tire-rocked Brent to sleep as Kel drove. Kel glanced at his father and smiled....and was jolted when a screeching of tires ahead of them billowed clouds of stinking burning rubber when a nail blew open the driver's rear tire on the car a few lengths ahead of them. They watched in horror as the small blue Pinto careened into a bush. Kel slammed on his brakes and followed its path onto the margin. "Dad! Call in for help from that call box. I'm gonna go check them out!" Kel said, running for the other car with a kit in hand. Brent made the call, reporting what they had seen. A minute later, Kel returned, dusty, but smiling ruefully. "They're okay. Shaken but in one piece. Nobody hurt." Then he noticed his father's complexion. "Dad, you okay?" |
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Brent was stunned, "I'm fine, Kel. Wow. That could have been bad." Kel smiled, "Yep. Man, I forgot the rush you get when you think you're gonna have to use your emergency medicine on scene." Brent took a quick breath and thought ::Here it goes.:: "Kel, you remember the question you asked me yesterday that I never got to answer because the lake started jumping?" Kel took a quick breath unsure of what his dad was getting at. "Yeah dad, I asked you why you wanted me to follow you into psychiatry." Brent took another breath, "To be honest son, I've been trying to answer that question myself for quite a while. I always dreamed of the two of us having a practice together, so I was thrilled when you wanted to get into medicine. I was floored when you got into Johns Hopkins, but then as you know, I got angry as a beehive when you told me you were going into general and emergency medicine." Kel said quietly, "Uh,..I know you were, dad. That's all old hat." Brent looked at out of the corner of his eye at Kel. Kel turned to face his dad when he felt his gaze as Brent spoke. "Kel, please. Just hear me out. I...I've come to realize over the past day and night, that I was... probably being a selfish, ignorant windbag back then." Kel was caught off guard, "Oh?" Brent continued, "I still wanted to have a practice with you, but just now, after watching you in action a few minutes ago, I realize you definitely went into the right field for you. I don't know many people who could do what you just did without a second thought for their own safety. I mean you stopped and were already halfway out the door before you even asked me to call the dispatcher's." Kel blushed to his toes. "Dad, it was instinct. Even though I now work most of the time upstairs, my heart is always going to be with emergency medicine and the paramedic program I started a decade ago. To think I almost put the kabash on the program in the beginning... Each day, I realize that there is an ever growing need for it. I've even come up with a new line of rescuers. Have I ever explained what an EMT is to you?" Brent smiled warmly as he closed the lid on the call box. "Your heart's in the right place, Kel. Don't let anybody ever tell you different even if it IS me." Kel smiled warmly as he realized his father really had finally come to terms with his chosen field and his heart's passion. Brent shut their truck off. "Now, Doctor Brackett.. Go take care of your almost-patients." Kel turned to Brent, "Thanks, dad." Kel smiled, "On my way, Doctor Brackett. But, eh, I'm sure they could use the comforting hand of a shrink just now. They did suffer a shock or two emotionally." "Quite right." Kel got out of the truck and was followed back to the steaming car by his father. Brent watched proudly as Kel jumped into his work, making sure no injuries were cropping up. Brent looked up at the trill of an eagle's call and thought to himself ::Anna Rose, I know you always said it, and I realize now that you were right all along. Kel never belonged upstairs with me, he belonged right in the middle of the chaos of an emergency room or out here in the street helping others. Remember that I love him like I love you.... Always:: Brent cut through the brush to go pluck a screaming toddler out of his automatically functioning mother's hands. "Give me the little guy, ma'am. I know just how to handle sons." "You sure do, dad. You sure do." Kel whispered, smiling. --------------------------------------------------------------- |
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*************************************************** Subject: Let The Games Begin!!! Date: Now From: Patti and Erin ETL Hosts USA Roy, Johnny and Hank liked visiting so much in the impromptu way they had worked the system, that they decided to do it again, right after the next captain’s meeting, which ironically, had been held at Station 51’s. "How’s Kel Brackett doing?" asked Hank, when all the other captains and his own regular men had left. "He’s been discharged. No problems." Roy sighed with relief. "But Dixie’s real mad for some reason about it and neither Johnny nor I can fathom the reason why." Gage just started chortling. "I know why. They’re fighting again. Just like we figured a long time ago." "What makes you think that?" DeSoto said, getting on the defensive. "Just because two people are effianced doesn’t mean they’re immune to having disagreements anymore..." Roy said in exasperation. "Well, why not?" Gage asked. "They love each other, don’t they?" Roy started to say something, but then he just threw up his hands. "Hank, you’re a married man, too. Why don’t YOU tell him..." "Don’t look at me. I’m out of this one for my continued sanity’s sake." Both Roy and Gage sighed in frustration, irritated. Cap just raised his eyebrows and shrugged, long immune to the effects of his old crewmates’ manipulations. Tired of the silence, Johnny looked up and saw a lone deck of cards laying on the far end of the table. Johnny smiled, "Hey, Cap." Hank smiled at Johnny’s use of his nickname. "Yeah, pal?" Johnny eyed the deck of cards, "You guys still play?" Hank and Roy both looked up and followed Johnny’s line of sight. Hank grinned, "Actually, yeah, we do Johnny." Roy chuckled, "What, Captain Junior? Did you finally figure out how to win without dish pan hands?" Johnny laughed, "Nah, Captain Pally, I was just remembering an old call we went on." Roy looked surprised, "Oh no! You don’t mean that idiot M.I. who didn’t want to go into the hospital until you agreed to play that poker hand for him, do you?" Amused, Hank sat back remembering the aftermath of that call, but curious to hear more about it since it had been a paramedic squad only call. "I just remember what little I read on your very short incident report. Can you guys fill me in?" Roy and Johnny smiled. Roy spoke first, "I’ll start and then let Johnny finish since I wasn’t there for the end of it." Hank smiled, "Okay." |
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Roy said, "We got called out to a possible heart attack. When we got there we found this group of guys that had been playing poker all night. The one guy was not looking good at all. We worked him up and he needed to go to the hospital. And he actually fought with us about that, ... like a kid fights with the dentist." Hank chuckled. Johnny picked up with a far away look in his eyes. "The only way the guy would go in, was if one of us played the end of his hand for him. I knew he needed to be at Rampart so I... volunteered." he said, looking for all the world like a jogger who just ate a fly. Hank couldn’t bite back a comment, "Gage, I know your history with poker here. Why did you go and do a stupid thing like that?" he asked, rolling his eyes. Roy chuckled. Johnny blushed to his toes, "Cap, the guy had to go in. He was gray and throwing off PVC’s faster than.. well, faster than anything. I thought I might have better luck for him since none of those there knew me at all." Hank coughed on a sip of coffee and waved the guys off, trying not to laugh. Roy was biting back one, too, as Johnny continued, oblivous to his friends’ actions as he fidgeted with the deck of playing cards in his hand. "Anyway, " Johnny muttered distastefully. "I sat down and was under the impression this guy had a decent hand or something, because of the way he was fighting to leave so hard, so I grinned. Man, was I wrong! He had a pile of garbage bigger than I EVER had here, and I was stuck with my promise to that guy. I couldn’t fold." Gage suffered an immediately flashback to the game and suddenly it was back to the moment it happened. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Johnny sat down at the table and looked at the cards he picked up. ::Oh my G*d, this hand smells worse than Chet’s cooking. I did this to save somebody’s life?! If he doesn’t kill me later on for messin’ up, these guys will now!:: His eyes wandered over the money and chip pile and in his head, he began adding up everybody’s ante’ed dollar amounts. ::Holy cow! Seventy hundred five dollars are in the pot?!:: The bet came around to Johnny. He limped into the pot with the minimum bet. Johnny’s face reflected pure professionalism even though the alarmist part of his weaker brain knew that he was in deep trouble. The dealer chain smoking to his left said, "I call." Everybody at the table flipped over their cards. Johnny had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping. The guy had bluffed seriously. On his right, the guy had ten high. Across the table the guy had king high. The dealer had queen high. Johnny was stunned, he held ace high. Only just. |
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And by doing nothing, he had managed to win the night long covetted pot. Gage tried very hard to keep the rest of his body from shaking as badly as his hands were doing. The rest of the table grumbled when they realized their dear departed friend had bluffed them out of some major bucks. The thick black framed eyeglassed dealer voiced everybody’s opinion. "I don’t eff-ing believe it. That little sh*t was actually bluffing us for the first time ever!" Johnny stood as the guy across from him gaped. "He didn’t just bluff you, he took you to school. I’m calling the game for today. I can’t play any more. By the law, I can’t accept or lose any cash. Besides, I’m on duty..." Gage grinned lopsidedly. The others nodded, quite respectfully. Right then, Marco sailed into the house. "Johnny, they’re gone, ready to go? I got the squad idling." he said, tipping his helmet up. "Yeah, I’m ready." he hollered back. "Go wait in the cab for me a sec!" Johnny smiled apologetically. "Sorry guys, gotta go." he said, grabbing his HT, helmet and turnout. "Uh, .. who’s gonna save the goods?" he asked, indicating the money he hadn’t touched. "I will. I’m his banker. He trusts me with his life." said another player, who was rising from the table and putting on his hat. "No, he actually trusts my partner today, who’s saving his.. ...heh." Gage said, unable to resist the temptation. The dealer said, "Hey, man. We’re not arguing. Listen, Mickey’s gonna give him his money. You guys go take care of his heart. We’ll take care of the rest of this game and take Bradley to the cleaners the NEXT time we get together." he said, sounding for all the world like a gangster. Gage didn’t wait around to find out whether or not there was a gun in somebody’s lap that was getting its safety cocked back into place. He bailed. Johnny nodded as cordially as he could, grabbed the rest of the gear Roy had deemed non critical, and said, "Yes, sir." Clearing his hands to cover his butt, Johnny made tracks out of the room. ------------------------------------------------------------ Hank and Roy had to catch each other to keep from falling out of their chairs for laughing so hard. When they regained the ability to speak, Roy spoke first. "You told me he was bluffing, but I didn’t realize it was that bad. That’s insane." "Hey, I didn’t deal the cards. I just played them and hoped I wouldn’t lose my shirt." Johnny scoffed. "Or my life’s blood. Literally." he said seriously. Hank chuckled. "Hey, pal, maybe you should play more hands like that at other mafia houses. You might have better luck at the games here." Johnny scowled. Roy’s mirth tearing eyes caught the very worn red USC sticker affixed on the top of the TV set in the corner, that was miraculously, somehow, still working. "Speaking of games we should of had better luck with..." and he began to point. Johnny spun around and followed Roy’s sight line until he, too, saw the familiar sports emblem. He coughed on his drink. "Oh man, that thing? I’ve been tortured with not knowing THAT answer for six whole years now.. Geez.." Hank had a rough idea what his former paramedics were talking about but he wanted to make sure. "Boys, are you remembering that debacle that you guys suffered when you worked the big Stanford Cardinals game all day but never learned who won?" Roy and Johnny groaned as they turned back to Hank. Johnny replied, "The one and the same, Cap." Hank blinked for several seconds, and commented, "I felt bad for you guys about that." Roy said, "Thanks, Cap." He began to gesture gimme hands, but Stanley seemed not to understand his drift. Hank smirked, "Yeah, that’s right." he sighed, leaning back into his armchair. "When we watched it, I was wondering if you guys were going to come back in one piece. Gage that tackle you took must have smarted something fierce, didn’t it?" The trio got a far away look in their eyes as they remembered back to the game that nobody got to see the end of. |
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------------------------------------------------------------------- Johnny turned to Roy, "Man, partner, can you believe our luck? The one game we end up working this year is the biggest one around." Roy grinned, "No, I can’t , Johnny. I’ve been looking forward to this game since they announced the schedule for the Trojans." The guys grabbed some basic gear from the squad, locked it up and headed for the Coliseum. Johnny looked around at the growing crowd and commented, "You weren’t the only one, Pally. Man, would you look at this crowd? There must be ten thousand people here." Roy looked around and then mumbled, "At least. Let’s just hope they play nice so we can enjoy the game, too." The boys checked in and were excited to learn they were going to spend the first half on the field, the second they would trade with another squad and head for the stands. They were stunned when they found out that not only were on the field, they were on the fifty yard line. The two couldn’t wipe the grins off of their faces as they headed for their posting. After the pre-game colors ceremony, the boys settled in for the rest of the day. They cheered right along with the crowd, but were always on alert in case something happened that wasn’t caught by spotters in the announcer’s booth for on the field or either sideline. Just before half time, the away team quarterback handed off to his running back. Johnny and Roy had moved to standing on the team bench to see better once some of the bigger lineman started standing in their way. The new vantage point provided them with a better view, but proved that it had absolutely no stability to it, at all. The running back headed toward the out of bounds, blinded by the sun, with a head full of steam. The Stanford safety bowled into the running back and set him flying even deeper into the out of play zone. Roy yelled, "Watch it!..." but he was cut off before he could say more as the two players plowed into their bench. The force of the impact sent the guys and the players toppling over each other into one big flailing heap. |
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The players quickly sprang off of the paramedic, murmuring apologies. Johnny sat up first. "Hey, Roy, you okay?" Roy sat up and brushed himself off. "Yeah, Johnny, you?" Johnny stood up and smiled, "Yeah, although I’d rather fly in a plane than off a bench." Roy groaned at Johnny’s humor as he got back to his feet. The rest of their medical calls for the first half proved to be steady, but satisfying. Every once in a while Roy and Johnny would catch a bit of the crowd’s enthusiasm over a hot play or two. ----------------------------------------------------- But the big game’s second half, kept the boys futilely hoping, and deep in the stands. The game was getting closer and more tense and energetic as it neared the end. And neither sunburned fireman wanted to even mention getting a call so they didn’t jinx themselves. With less than three minutes left, the score was 21-20 home advantage. Suddenly, their HT called them out to a possible cardiac, in their own crowd medical monitor booth. The boys swiftly booked through the stands and cared for their male patient. And later, as they loaded the sick announcer into the ambulance, Johnny took a look back toward the roaring stadium. ::I wonder if we’ll get back here today in time for the outcome?:: |
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---------------------------------------------------- The sports reverie faded out and everything righted itself back to present day station 51. Hank asked, "Did you guys get to see the end of the game?" Roy shook his head, "Nope, Cap..." Johnny cut Roy off, "The place looked like a ghost town by the time we got back. We never did find out who won either." Hank grinned slyly, "I know who did..." he dangled. "I read about it a few months after the fact." Johnny and Roy’s jaws dropped. Johnny said, "Out with it, Cap, we’ve waited long enough." Hank’s grin grew, "Stanford held on, 21-20, but it was a real nail biter of a heart attack, no pun intended of course." Roy and Johnny grinned as Johnny drummed his fingers on the table. "So we DID see what mattered in the end. Good deal!" |
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The guys refilled their drinks for a fourth consecutive time. Hank commented as they sat back down, "Boys, I wish I could get us all back together every week. This has been truly awesome." Roy smiled, "Hey, Cap, how ’bout my place this weekend? We haven’t gotten our old group together since..." Roy’s voice dropped off and his smile faded quickly. Everybody knew right then, the reason for the downward change in mood. And nobody wanted to revisit that past with any relish. Sighing, the captains pushed away their coffee mugs without lifting them again, and entered pain. *************************************************** From: patti keiper <pattik1@hotmail.com> Date: Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:57 pm Subject: The Dark, and The Light "That day started happily enough, didn't it?" Gage asked, his eyes filling. "It sure did. That was also the day that basket of Boot's get was handed over by that angry house owner. Wasn't it only a couple of hours then before she arrived, too?" Roy recalled. "Yeah. Who can ever forget Felicia.." Cap smiled gently as all of them drifted away into her still sharp memory.. *************************************************** From : Roxy Dee <laterrapincabesa@hotmail.com> Sent : Thursday, December 21, 2006 12:49 AM Subject : Puppies and Partners~~ (From Episode Forty, Canine Capers ) Chet Kelly's mouth dropped open when he found the cause of all the scratching they had been hearing echoing through the vehicle bay off and on all morning. "Say, Cap. You're not gonna believe this." "I'm not gonna believe what?" Hank hollered from inside his office. "Did you set those d*mn*d mouse traps like I asked you to, yet? I don't want those nasty germ ridden vermin to get anywhere near those pups of Roy's. Got it?" "I'm afraid you're going to have to come out here and see the cause of all the noise for yourself, Cap." There was a hasty rustle of paper and a firm bang from a hastily hung up phone receiver before Hank finally joined Kelly and the rest of the gang by the back garage door, now auto-retracted open. Cap skidded to a halt half way across the open floor where the squad usually parked. "How'd they get here? I- I.. I thought Bonnie was with her real owner and Boot was still holed up at 110's." Henry woofed a sudden greeting as he trucked out the kitchen door to greet the two "old" newcomers to what was now his fire station. |
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Boot and Bonnie gleefully began to chase him, recognizing his current king-ship with an all out play feint, darting around and around the gang's legs, and wildly dashing in and out under the Ward fire engine. "Hey, knock it off all you hairy, four-legged twits. You'll wake the puppies!" Hank roared. All three dogs screeched to a halt, and regarded Cap's face with surprise. Then their mouths fell into happy grins and they made an immediate beeline for the bunkroom, with Henry leading the way, to where the basket of dalmation puppies was being kept inside Henry's doghouse. "Oh no, no.. no.. no.. no!" hollered Cap in a vain attempt to stop them. "Cap, let em go. They're all fire dogs. They know better than to wake sleeping babies, don't they?" Marco asked. Hank ran a hand through his hair in irritation. "Let's just hope you're right, Lopez. Last thing I need is a pack of overexcited puppies running around the station, piddling all over the place." "Yeah, aren't we glad we've got just the concrete and tile flooring." Chet quipped. Hank nailed him with a glare. "For that you've got puppy bottle feeding and their latrine detail until the pound gets here to take them away for Adoption Day on Friday." he fumed. "Hey, take it easy. I'll do it. I'll do it. Geesh, what is there about today to get all worked up about? It's not like we've had any engine calls yet to go on this morning." Kelly groused. "You want to know why I'm all worked up? I'll tell you why I'm all worked up. Your ever loving crewmates just agreed to Wish host a little girl at the station for a week so she can learn enough to write a final semester report for her fifth grade class about firemen lifesavers. That's why.." Stoker, Marco and Kelly all went thoughtful. Then... "Cool." said Stoker. "She'll be someone nice for all the dogs to play with. And the puppies, too." said Marco. "Right on, man. She's more than welcome here. I'll hang the privacy curtains myself." declared Chet. "When's she coming?" "She's on her way right now." Cap said, all of the hot air leaking out of his sails in the face of his men's open and honest enthusiasm for the added complication to their day to day routine. Then he sneezed. Hard. "OhHHhh. Not again." he grimaced, snatching a hand up to his face quickly to catch a trickle from an active bloody nose. Mike whipped out a handerchief and handed it to Hank. "Did you forget to use the Vaseline Roy and Johnny left out for you last night to coat your sinuses from all the dry winter air, Cap?" "Yes. I had a ton of paper work to do last night and this morning." Hank grumbled. He coughed wetly when blood finally worked its way back and into his throat. "I don't have time for this.." he sputtered. |
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The guys led him over to the radio receiving alcove and over to the garbage can resting there under the writing shelf. "Spit it out. I'll go get some ice." said Kelly. " Then sit down on the bench. Stoker went to grab more dressings so we can pack you off on that side before you drip out onto your uniform." Kelly ran off and disappeared into the kitchen. The engineer began digging through the engine compartments for their road side first aid kit. Cap sighed, watching him, and then he sat dutifully. He began leaning forward to clear out his mouth into the garbage can they had given him. He was still sitting there when the front doors opened to admit the squad, Roy, Johnny and a tiny new passenger sitting in between them. "She's here already. Ah, isn't she a little darling." said Marco, rising from where he had been crouching next to Cap. "Well, hello there little miss. Welcome to Station 51. What's your name? Como te llama?" he asked. |
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*************************************************** From: "Patti" <pattik1@hotmail.com> Date: Thu Dec 21, 2006 11:09 am Subject: The Angelic Act.. The girl before Marco was pale, but she smiled like the sun only an instant after he did. "Am I really here?" she asked excitedly, brushing long wavy curls out of her tom boy like face. Her eyes were brown and she seemed to be of half Italian descent. Johnny Gage, seated next to her, took off his helmet and hung it on the hook behind him in the cab. "Yep. You sure are. And your mother's right behind us. She went to go park your station wagon in the back." said Johnny, getting out of his side of the squad. The petite girl frowned briefly and made a small face of disappointment. Roy clarified matters. "Don't worry. Your ma'll only be here for a little while to sign some permission papers. Then it'll be just seven of us, for a week, like we promised." He wiggled fingers to get the girl's attention in order to help her climb across the middle seat into his arms for a lift down. "And this handsome gentleman fireman addressing you.. is Mr. Marco Lopez." "Hola, Marco. I'm afraid my spanish isn't so good yet. But I keep trying." she said, accepting Marco's greeting handshake. Lopez chuckled. "That's all right. I can give you a few handy pointers over tacos. You like those? That's what's for lunch in about fifteen minutes." he offered. "Thanks, Marco. I like tacos. I'm Felicia. I'm sorry I can't tell you my last name. Mom says only the captain gets to know that. And any doctors, if I gotta go see some for another tune up while I'm here. Thank you everybody for granting my Wish. Don't worry. I'm an A student. I promise I'll write a really, really good report and I won't say anything bad. I can't if I want to get to the sixth grade. I'll let you read it before I hand it in to my teacher, Mrs. Mulligan." "Sounds like you have everything squared away except for putting down the actual words, Felicia." said Marco. "I've been thinking about what to say for a long time, but I know I need a little more time seeing how everybody here works at their job to get everything exactly right." said the little girl, touching the side flasher on the squad's door with undisguised curiosity. A new voice piped up. "You've come to the right place. We're the busiest fire station around these parts." Mike Stoker slammed shut an engine door loudly and that was when the three of them noticed that he had a portable first aid kit in his hands. Johnny looked up, casting a glance around for the reason why. A few seconds later, they noticed a forlorn Cap parked on the wooden bench next to the soda machine by the large wall map near the office. "What happened to him?" Gage asked Marco, when he spotted the blood soaked cloth in Hank's hand as it sat over his nose. Roy's eyebrows went up, too. "Did he lose a tug of war rope game with Henry or something?" "Nah. He forgot to apply his schnoz lube last night." Stoker shrugged. "Things aren't too annoying yet. Chet's getting some ice for him to put on his forehead." Felicia's mouth fell into an "O" of concern and she padded quickly across the garage space to get to him. "Oh, I'm sorry." she said to Cap. "I get nose bleeds, too, on my bad days. Here, I know just how to handle them. Want me to help you with it?" she asked Hank. "I know just how to get them to stop. Fast." Cap's eyebrows furrowed into brief puzzlement before amusement began to surface. "Be my guest." he told their young charge as he kicked the bloody garbage can under the bench where she couldn't get too near it. Felicia reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a plastic sandwich bag which she put on like a glove to wear. Then she dug that thumb against the side of Cap's nose until it closed off just his one bleeding nostril. Then she used her free hand to hold and grip the back of his neck gently. "I'm going to squeeze a bit back here, ok?" she said, digging her fingers deeper into his thick curly hair. "Sure..Anything you say." Hank told her, trying not to laugh out loud. He even leaned forward further so she could reach the back of his head even easier. Hank held still when she began to lightly massage the area where his skull met his neck bones. "Ughhff. Ow?" he said when he began to feel a tingling pressure under his skin and the tightening of muscles he didn't even know he had somewhere deep inside his forehead. "That means it's working." Felicia told him. "Only a little bit more." she told him quietly. "My bleeds quit right away when I do this." Roy and Johnny gathered around, pursing their mouths shut in growing amusement where they stood watching the whole affair as they both leaned against the side of the squad. |
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"Here you go, Cap." said a returned Chet a few seconds later, handing off the ice bag. He only hesitated briefly at the sight of the girl who was apparently effectively treating Cap. Hank took the bag from Kelly but he didn't use it. He let it stay dangling between his knees. Felicia let go when Cap began to clench his eyes shut against the tingling. "Ok. It's stopped." she told him, letting him go. Cap instinctively brought the handkerchief up to his face again but the strong trickling didn't return. He breathed in experimentally. "There's not even a clot inside." he told the paramedics. "Thanks miss. Wow, I feel like a new man." he said, standing back up onto his feet. Roy and Johnny's eyes grew wide and they both briefly examined the truth of what Cap reported with their probing penlights. "Really? The bleeding's over?" Gage asked. "Yep. Incredible. Usually these last a half an hour or more for me. How did you do that?" Cap asked the little girl. "I just want people to get better. And then they just do." she shrugged. Stoker smiled. "Sounds like Dixie at the hospital's been a big influence on you." "Oh, she has. But this is something I've always been able to do." said Felicia. "Then I'm very glad you got here. We wouldn't have had any fun at all if I couldn't eat lunch because of my nose." Hank said, tweeking hers. He peeled the blood smeared bag off Felicia's hand and tossed it away into the waste can along with the unused ice bag. Then he shoved the whole mess into Chet's stomach. "Here, Kelly. Make yourself useful and go clean that up for me. I've got an introduction to make. Come on, miss. Let's go find a sink to wash off a bit first. Then let's go meet your mom for that necessary meeting before we chase her away for good. Are you ready for a lot of company besides us? There are nine fire dogs hiding someplace around the station. And six of them... are puppies." he told her. "Puppies? I like puppies almost as much as I love horses." Felicia crowed. Gage cleared his throat. "Yeah, well, we'll get your horse fix in sometime this week, too. And that shopping spree on our off days. I've got a ranch and four mustangs just waiting around, bored, at home." said Johnny. Felicia giggled and nodded eagerly at the suggestion. Then she followed Cap politely into the locker room. A woman who could only be the girl's mother came out of the kitchen where Marco had fetched her at a ring of the doorbell. "You think she'd have chosen Disneyland or Universal Studios for her final fling at the world." said the woman bravely. "But no, she wanted to stay in a firehouse and shadow some paramedics whom she considers her heroes." "Hello, ma'am." DeSoto and Gage greeted her. "We'll take good care of her. Dixie McCall's taking this time off to be able to stop by each day every few hours to make sure Felicia's vitals stay normal and that all of her medications are taken properly. Does your daughter have any dietary restrictions or other situations we should know about that might effect her ability to get up with us at all hours of the night when we get called out?" "None that really matter at this point. She has no real physical restrictions, either. Her body tells her when to slow down. The first thing she'll do when that happens is that she'll ask permission to quit whatever's she's doing long enough to go take a nap somewhere in the sun or under a warm blanket. I'm just worried that she'll effect how you'll be able to carry out your normal jobs." said the sad, dimly haunted woman. "We've got that covered." said Gage. "You see, we have a fireman who's not actually one who drives a truck that's just like ours. His name's Charlie and he's one of our fire department's mechanics. He'll be chaparoning Felicia at all of our response scenes, including watching over her and he'll keep her from the things that she shouldn't be observing as situations warrant. If you'd like, we can have Dixie ride along with the two of them, too, if that'll make you feel more comfortable. We won't be placing her in any danger. Not even in the slightest. For a fact, Dixie's the one who trained both of us when we first started out in the paramedic program five years ago." Felicia's mother shook her head. "I trust you. Please do whatever you feel's best. For some background, Felicia's father was a....fire chaplain." she breathed deeply. "But he was killed in a freak car accident when Felicia was five. She was in the car with him. That's probably where she got the idea to want to go see the places where he lived his working life when he wasn't off duty and at home with us. Then.. when my daughter got sick a year later, I.... didn't know what to do to help her with that. Not until Dixie came to me last week and told us about the Foundation. Then everything just got miraculously clearer and clearer. And now we're here. I want to thank you for taking her in." said Felicia's mother seriously, but then unbidden tears filled her eyes. She brushed them impatiently away. "We're glad you came." said Johnny, taking her hand. Roy smiled. "Did you know your daughter's real good with first aid?" The mother's eyes remained clouded. "Umm, she was in the girl scouts once." "Well, she helped out Cap a couple of minutes ago with an intriguing new way to handle a nose bleed. Johnny and I were actually struck speechless and I'll have to admit we were completely dumb founded with the results she ended up with." The mother dropped her head. "Oh, her "healing." She been doing that since she was a baby. It doesn't matter if it's.... a skinned knee or a headache. When Felicia's around, everybody's pain and suffering seems to...just disappear. You know what I mean?" "Yeah." said Johnny softly in awe. "We saw that." |
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The mother looked up with shining eyes when she saw Cap returning from the bathroom with her daughter. "Some days, I think it's so entirely not fair that she'll never grow up to become a nurse or even a doctor. No, it seems like Felicia's one angel that G*d wants back to His side far, far earlier than most." With a sharp honk, Charlie the mechanic's horn jarred them as it sounded from the rear. Marco jogged over there, after showing Felicia the way to the kitchen as Cap went into the office with Felicia's mother, and popped open the doors for him. "Howdy, boys. Is she here yet? Boy am I ready for a day out on the town with a beautiful young lady." Charlie said, polishing his fire department badge nervously. "Which way did she go?" |
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the present, Captain Gage chuckled. "Now wasn't Charlie the mechanic a nervous wreck for no reason? I mean, Felicia was a perfect doll. And she didn't misbehave at all with us using her illness as an excuse." "There was something very special about her, even when she was scared." Roy said thoughtfully. "I remember." Johnny said, looking at Roy and trying not to choke up. "What, uh, what are you guys referring to?" asked Hank. "Let me tell you, Cap. She had.. such a wisdom about her ...that belied even her tender age." DeSoto said. "We talked about ..the unthinkable. That should never happen to a child." Roy shared his story of the moment his life had been re-galvanized. **************************************************** From: Voyagerliveaction Staff <theaterhost@voyagerliveaction.com> Date: Wed, Jan 3rd, 2007. 6:00:00 pm Subject: Spotty Situation "So what we were on was called a mass casualty incident?" asked Felicia to Roy. "Yep. And we didn't even know we had one until we actually looked into that smashed car. It happens that way sometimes when you least expect it." "Well, I think you did a nice job running it, even though Captain Stanley hasn't told you that yet face to face. I thought I'd be the first to tell you that since it was my first one ever." she smiled with a derisive no nonsense nod. "Thanks." said Gage, checking the copter's cabin out and resupplying everything he had used on Mary's grandpa's previous flight from his supply box he had received on landing. "You didn't do so bad yourself. We were so surprised and so was Mr. Suder, when Mary started talking again. How'd you convince her to open up again?" "I knew she wanted to, so I told her by taking her hand that it was her choice. Everyone else she knows always orders her to talk before she's ever ready. She doesn't like that very much. She feels pressured." said Felicia. "Wow, a budding psychologist, too. I'm impressed." Gage said, patting the cot. "Wanna see what makes up one of these birds as far as patient care? Come on, I'll give you a tour." |
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"Ok.. I...oh, " and Felicia sat back down again. "Sorry. I ....think I'm getting a little tired on you." she sighed, gasping. Roy's eyebrows raised. "Short of breath?" Felicia finally nodded. "Huh, maybe it's our altitude." DeSoto guessed. "We are up kinda high." "That's all right. Easy fix." Gage said. "Come over here and we'll have you to rights in a couple of minutes. We'll be done with ya long before we touch down so don't start freaking out on us." he said, patting the cot. Felicia eyeballed DeSoto getting a hissing mask ready. "Ohhh, not the O2 therapy thing....again. I thought I .....was doing great....all this week.. not needing it.." she puffed. "Hey, You think I wasn't puffing today hacking that car apart? I was you know. Look..." and Gage sucked in a few lungfuls on the mask himself, filling his chest. Then he wove and faked a faint on the caretaker's bench. "Whoa.. I think I took too much.." he said, acting dizzy. "Roy, I think I'm kicking the big one..Uhhhhh." And he fell over. Then his eyes opened. "Here Felicia, your turn to take a hit." he said miraculously recovering. "I think I'm better." he told her. Felicia cracked up, laughing so hard that she made the pulse oximeter Roy slipped onto her finger bleep in warning. "Ok, but just for a little while." "That's cool." said Gage. A few minutes later Felicia opened her eyes where she lay on the made up cot. "Johnny, Roy? Can I ask you a personal question. You..you don't have to answer it if you don't want to. I..wouldn't want to make the two of you feel uncomfortable..but, I have to ask this, since...you both see this happening alot...with other people." she said, lacing her hands across her chest. She seemed very small under the oxygen mask and for the first time, strangely vulnerable to the two paramedics. It made something deep inside of them, vaguely ache in a pang of emotions. "You can ask us anything, Felicia. We're friends, aren't we?" Johnny finally said, breaking the silence. He fussed with her hair and pulled some strands out that were tangling the elastic strap of her oxygen mask. Then without asking, he began to braid some pleats up one side of her head. "Go ahead, we're both listening and we don't have to share this with your ma if you don't want us to." Felicia stared at the ceiling of the chopper and a faraway look filled her eyes as she went someplace that only she understood in her mind. "I want...to ask you...what it's like...to die." she said finally, meeting their eyes with her own suddenly haunted ones. |
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