Boys Will Be Boys

Part 2

The three men arrived at the station with the squad just as Mike Stoker was backing the engine into the bay. It wasn’t long before each was taking care of his assigned chore, in hopes they could get done before another run.

Johnny swept the latrine floor as Roy wiped down the sinks. After they got this room done, the two would be responsible for the dayroom as well. Neither minded. Three of the engine crew members were busy with the hose rack while their captain looked over papers he’d gotten from headquarters.  Both Johnny and Roy would take their chores over the others, given the choice.

“That was really good to hear how much some of the visitors enjoyed the open house,” Johnny offered as he swept some dirt into the dust pan.

“It sure was.”

“I was really impressed with Mrs. Warren’s class. They seem to be really interested in our job.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few of them as fire fighters one day,” Roy added.

“Or the wife of one.” The remark was followed by a giggle.

The senior paramedic looked up from the sink and into the mirror, where he caught his partner’s smirking image.

“Are you ready to tell me what’s going on between you and Chet? I get the feeling I’m missing something.”

“Nah. . .it’s nothin’ really.”

“I don’t believe you, but I guess you’ll tell me when you are ready.”

“Right now, I just hope we get that class on a tour sometime again. Other than a few that straggled behind at the end of their visit, they were one of the best behaved groups I’ve ever seen.”

“They were the five little boys who arrived several steps ahead of the rest of their class too. Mrs. Warren said they were rather adventurous.”

“Those are the ones who’ll be fire fighters some day. Mark my words.”

“I take it this comes from experience. . .”

“I know it’s hard to believe, but I was kind of adventurous as a kid. You know, like I’d get into ‘situations’ now and then.”

Roy thought about the many close calls his partner had had on the job. Though most weren’t really Johnny’s fault, he did tend to be rather willing to get into risky situations that others may hesitate on. Yep, it was easy to see Johnny as a kid much like those five boys.

E!E!E!E!

 Marco climbed down from the hose rack and stood by Chet and Mike.

“Too bad we don’t have the kids from the open house to do this. I’ll bet they’d have a ball.”

“They’d probably fall off the rack trying to hang the hose,” Chet offered.

“Not to mention, we’d be breaking child labor laws,” Mike added.

“If they have fun doing it, is it still considered ‘labor’?”

Chet and Mike exchanged a glance, then both shrugged as they returned their gaze to Marco, Mike taking the conversation in another direction.

“That sure was a fun open house. I wouldn’t mind if we have to take on the next one.”

“Yeah, but it’ll probably be at a different station,” Chet said. “You know how headquarters likes to spread these things around.” Thinking again of little Mary, he could only hope it’d be held at another station.

Before anyone could agree, the klaxons went off, sending the engine out on a dumpster fire.

E!E!E!E!

With the engine crew gone, Roy decided to use some of his time to prepare lunch. He’d decided on a stir-fry and managed to peel and wash some of his vegetables before Johnny entered the kitchen.

“Need any help?”

“Sure, carrots need cuttin’.”

“Kay.” Johnny reached into a cupboard pulled out a cutting board, grabbed a knife out of the butcher block and began his task.

The two paramedics went about chopping vegetables in companionable silence. Once those were taken care of, Johnny ran some warm water into the sink with a splash of dish soap and washed what few dishes they had already used. Roy took out another cutting board and began working on the chicken. Once that was done, he placed his dishes into the sink for Johnny and began wrapping the bowls of different food with plastic wrap, placing them in the fridge.

The two sat at the kitchen table, Johnny reading the newspaper while Roy worked on the crossword puzzle. Before they knew it they could hear the engine backing into the bay and the voices of their friends as they neared the dayroom. Johnny glanced at his watch. Boy that was a quick morning, he thought.

“You guys are still here?” Marco looked confused.

“Yep, why?”

“Oh, we thought we’d heard you guys get called out. Must not have been listening closely enough.”

“Guess not.”

“We sure are hungry,” Chet slipped into the conversation, not fooling anybody.

Roy took the hint and began making lunch. With Mike and Hank each grabbing themselves a cup of coffee, Marco opted for a huge glass of water and Chet left the kitchen all together. He’d been covered in soot so the guys correctly assumed he’d vanished to clean himself up.

E!E!E!E!

The day progressed like any other. Long periods of down time accentuated with moments of extreme work. When the entire crew plopped into their beds that night they all were asleep within moments of their heads resting on their pillows.

Sadly, they were rudely awoken early in the morning by the sound of the tones and a very alert sounding voice from dispatch.

”Station 51…house fire…1314 Vincent Street….cross street Thomas….1314 Vincent…cross street Thomas…time out 3:21…”

The men were up and in their bunkers before the voice had time to finish. They rolled up to the offending house twelve minutes later, greeted by a man in his early forties.

“My neighbors are out of town, so there shouldn’t be anyone in the house,” he explained to Captain Stanley.

“Are you the one who called it in?” Hank asked.

“Yeah.”

“Kay. Thanks.”

With that out of the way, Hank began dispensing orders. The crew managed to contain the blaze in less than two hours and without another company being called out. The clean up however took almost as much time as the actual containment.

When they arrived back at the station no one went to bed. The time was quickly approaching the morning wake up tones so the crew decided they might as well stay up and eat a breakfast together. Something they rarely did.

Johnny was making a pot of coffee while Mike and Marco began preparing omelets for everyone. Soon the men were seated at the table enjoying an amicable meal and the newspaper. The next shift’s crew slowly began to arrive and joined in with coffee and conversation.  

The Dodgers had beaten the Reds the night before and were now only three games out of first place. This caused great excitement around the table as the two captains left for their office. The remaining seventeen minutes flew by and soon the A-shift was changed into their street clothes and heading out to their individual vehicles.

Marco and Chet were making plans for a double date while Roy invited Johnny over for dinner the following evening. Johnny readily agreed since he had a date that night and would be free the next evening. Then still, he’d be free the night after that to catch up on his house-work and laundry.

E!E!E!E!

“Yes you did,” Marco directed over his shoulder at Chet as he and the curly-haired fireman entered the locker room of the station just before their next shift was to start.

Roy and Johnny looked on from near their own lockers, wondering what the conversation could be about.

“I did not.”

“You did too.”

Johnny exchanged a puzzled glance with Roy, then addressed the others. “What’s goin’ on?”

“Nothing,” Chet responded, but Marco was quick to toss in an explanation as the two made their way to the other wall of lockers.

“Chet forgot his wallet on the double date, so he said he would pay me back for half of the dinner and movie later. But when it came time, Mr. Generous suddenly only wanted to pay me for some of his share.”

Chet’s mouth opened in protest. “That’s because your date ate more than mine. A lot more. It’s not my responsibility to feed ravished Rosa.”

“Ravished. . .!” Marco just shook his head. He was too much at a loss for words to comment.

Johnny tucked his blue uniform shirt into his trousers as he commented, “I always say, never join Chet on a blind date.”

“It wasn’t a blind date,” Chet reminded.

“Oh. . .excuse me. . . any double date.”

“I doubt you’d wanna pay for another guy’s girlfriend’s food.” Chet then looked to Roy. “Would you do it?”

Roy closed his locker and put up his hands in defense. “I’m married. I’m not even up on the singles scene. Just ask Johnny.”

The younger man smiled and nodded. “He’s right.” He then furrowed his brow. “How come you guys are arguing over this now anyway? I thought the date was two nights ago.”

”It was,” Marco said as he buttoned his blue shirt. He then gave Chet another disapproving look. “It’s taken me this long to pin him down again to talk about it.”

Johnny glanced at the door as it closed behind his departing partner, then addressed the curly-haired fireman still getting changed. “Chet, you avoided him just to save a few bucks?” He shook his head and walked toward the door. Over his shoulder, he added, “Let’s just hope poor little Mary doesn’t get wind of this or she’s gonna be shattered.” Johnny giggled as he left the room.

The other two were silent, occasionally glaring at one another as they finished getting ready for work.

E!E!E!E!

Roll call went quickly, with very few announcements from Captain Stanley, quite a change from the previous one where he relayed so many messages about the open house to his crew. But the brief time still allowed him to notice a certain mood among the men.

“Everything all right?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

Roy and Johnny looked to Chet and Marco, while Mike appeared as baffled as the captain. After a moment of silence, Marco answered.

“Everything’s fine, Cap.”

Hank scanned the group as he waited for any other answers. When none came, he could only assume that things were fine, as Marco stated.

“Well, great,” he said as he held his clipboard out. “Then we’ll press on. Mike, Chet and Marco, you three are going to be responsible for cleaning the floor in here. John and Roy, I’ve got an inspection for you two.” He handed them a large slip of paper. “All the information you need is here.”

Roy reached out and took the paper from him. He didn’t know about his partner, but he was glad to be getting out for awhile. Maybe Chet and Marco would settle their differences while working close together. Poor Mike would be the unsuspecting third party though.

E!E!E!E!

When Johnny and Roy returned from the inspection, they were surprised to see Kelly and Lopez playing a friendly game of checkers in the dayroom.

“Well, I guess little Mary can hold her head up high again,” Johnny snickered. “So what made you see the light?” he asked Chet as he pulled out a chair at the table and sat down.

“I didn’t. But Mike came up with a solution.”

Roy and Johnny looked over to the couch where the engineer was reading a section of newspaper.

“Mike?” Johnny said with surprise in his voice. His and Roy’s attention returned to the other two as Chet once again spoke.

“Yeah. First he reminded us we’re role models for a lot of people; the open house showed us that. So we really need to practice being on our best behavior. You might wanna work on that one yourself, John.”

The dark-haired paramedic’s mouth flew open in protest. “Me?” he asked, a hand splayed across his chest. “Who’s the one always setting up--”

“And then,” Chet interrupted before anymore could be said, “he suggested I just pay more on the next double date we have.”

“That’s right,” Marco stated. “And I agreed.”

“So how long till this next double date happens?” Johnny wondered.

Marco suddenly looked worried when Chet didn’t respond. “Chet?”

“Uh—”

But before anyone could say anything else, the klaxons sounded. Station 51, Engine 18 and a ladder truck were being dispatched to an explosion at a local oil refinery on East Sepulveda Boulevard.

E!E!E!E!

As the trucks headed down Wilmington Avenue, the men could see plumes of black smoke rising in the air high above the buildings that lined the street. Once on Sepulveda Boulevard, the refinery was in clear view and the location of the fire easily spotted.

The crew of Engine 18 was already in action, having come from the location of a previous call nearby. They’d felt the explosion due to their close proximity.  

As they trained their hoses on the fire in hopes of holding it while they waited for back-up, the captain trotted over to Hank and his crew as they scrambled from their vehicles.

Suddenly one of the workers in charge came rushing toward them. “Hey! . . .Hey!”

“What is it?” the first captain asked.

The man tried to catch his breath as he explained, “One of my men. . .thought he saw some boys on the grounds. . .not too long ago. . .said they were young ones.  . .”

“Boys?” Hank Stanley asked in surprise.

The man nodded. “Yeah. . .he just caught ‘em outta the corner. . .of his eye. . .he couldn’t find ‘em when he looked. . .but if they’re here. . .and with that fire burning like it is. . .”

“Right,” The first captain agreed.

“So they could be anywhere . . .if they’re still here,” Hank thought aloud.

“Yes, sir.”

He sighed as the ladder truck arrived on the scene. While the other captain went to brief the new arrivals, Hank turned his attention to his men.

“I’d better split you and John up,” he said to Roy. “Better to have two teams searching in this mess and a paramedic handy on each one. Just in case. Chet, you go with Roy, Marco with John.”

“Right, Cap.”

As the men quickly donned their air tanks and masks in the event they were needed during their search in the ever increasingly smoky surroundings, Hank questioned the man as to more detail on what they might be facing.

In the meantime, the captain of Engine 18 contacted headquarters in request for a second alarm.

E!E!E!E!

With the  four men of 51 split into two teams, they began the difficult task of trying to locate the youngsters. Each knew it was critical to find the boys as soon as possible and get them to safety. They were glad a few of the workers at the refinery would be searching in safer areas as well.

"What is it with kids these days?" a bewildered Chet asked aloud. "Don't they know how dangerous it is and that this isn’t a playground?"

Roy gave a short laugh. "Where's your sense of adventure? You can't tell me you didn't sneak into places for the excitement when you were young. It's what kids do. However, If I ever found out my son -- " The senior paramedic never finished his statement as they came upon a utility shed to search.

Stepping into the small, slightly smoky building, Chet jumped when unexpected movement came from the distant darkened corner. It wasn't a child, however, but a pair of rats startled by the light and the smell of smoke.

"Take it easy, Chet," Roy laughed. He couldn’t help it. "Not nervous about running into a couple of kids are you?"

"Very funny. I just wasn't expecting Mickey and Minnie over there. Besides," he added trying to sound casual, "kids don't make me nervous." Another laugh and a knowing look from Roy had him hastily adding, "Well, most of them anyway."

The firefighters used their flashlights to search the rest of the small building. They had mixed feelings when they found it was empty. Chet pulled the door shut and marked it with a big white 'X' to alert anyone else searching that this building had already been checked. Resuming their search, they moved off towards the next structure.

E! E! E! E!

Marco and Johnny weren't having much luck either. They had already cleared two small buildings and a utility van that was parked behind them. No sign of any children.

"You really think they'd stick around?"

Johnny sighed, "Yeah, I do. Crazy as it sounds I really think they would. I just can't think of where they'd be hiding."

"Hiding?"

"They're not supposed to be here on a 'normal' day. Now, they have to worry about the police and fire department catching them, not just refinery workers." Johnny paused. "I know I'd be hiding if I were them."

Marco laughed. "Not like you would ever have done something like this eh?"

"I'm shocked man. You know me. Not an adventurous bone in my body." Both men laughed as they continued their search.

It's not that there was anything remotely funny about the situation but sometimes a good laugh did wonders to relieve stress. The thought of children on the grounds, especially  during a fire, had them all worried.

Looming ahead was one of several rows of storage tanks. Most of them appeared to be sealed but a few had open hatches on top. The two men glanced at each other.

"You don't think -"

"I sure hope not, but we better check them just in case."

Marco pulled the HT from his pocket and called in to Captain Stanley. "We're in front of some storage tanks and going to check the open ones. Will let you know if we find anything."

The captain replied, "Better check them all to be sure."

After acknowledging the directive, Marco slid the HT back into his turnout pocket. Pulling their gloves on, both men prepared to climb to the top of the first tank, first taking a glance at one of the burning structures nearby that they’d had to pass. Everything on fire was related to the processing of oil, and chances were explosions could cause the fire to spread to additional structures that were in close proximity of each other. They knew just the incredible heat from the flames alone could do the same with the right mix of chemicals and fumes. Only a couple of  pumping stations and some empty ground stood between them and this side of the fire.

E! E! E! E!

Chet and Roy were still not having any luck finding the boys. They had checked a few more sheds and an old unused guard shack with no success. They were about to continue on when they spotted something by an opening in the fence. It was a child-sized baseball cap and a package of baseball cards. The cap had gotten caught on the jagged wire of the damaged fence.

"I guess the man really did see some kids," said Chet with concern.

"Question is, are they still here?" Roy pulled out the HT.

"Engine 51, HT51."

"Go ahead, HT51."

"We found a child's ball cap and some baseball cards by the rear fence on the left side of the plant. No other sign of the kids but we're still searching. Might want to let the foreman know they have a hole in the fence."

"All right, Roy. Keep me informed."

The captain sighed. The fire was still burning, the smoke was getting worse, and now there was evidence that some children really could be running around the refinery. Hank walked over to where the chief stood. He told him what his men had found, turning the possibility of kids being on site in this mess into a probability.

E! E! E! E!

The first two tanks had been sealed tight, each receiving a mark at the foot of the stairs that Johnny and Marco had cleared them. The climb up and down was tiring work, not made any easier with the added weight of their air tanks. Still they had to be certain that they left no stone unturned. The next tank was open but a search revealed no signs of anyone inside.

Taking a moment at the bottom of the fourth storage tank, the two tired firemen sat on the steps. Marco gave a start as the HT in his pocket crackled and he pulled it out. Captain Stanley's voice filled the air.

"How's the search going?"

"Nothing yet, Cap. We still have a few more in this row to check."

"All right. As soon as Roy and Chet are through on this end, I'll send them to help you finish the tanks. They did find some evidence that a couple of kids came in through a hole in the fence. Check in with me every fifteen minutes or if you find the boys. The fire is anything but contained and is threatening structures closer to your location."

"10-4."

Johnny looked over at Marco, "Ready to go?"

He nodded and slipped the HT back into his pocket. They readjusted their gear and made their way to the next tank. Halfway up, Marco stopped and pointed to the step. There they saw several baseball cards and a wad of chewing gum.

"I don't know about you, John, but I don't think these belong to any of the guys working here."

They picked up the pace and soon reached the top. The hatch was open and a faint chemical smell was evident as they leaned in and shined their lights around. At first they saw nothing but the large pump on the bottom of the tank and some of the baffles. It was obvious the tank had recently been cleaned and the hatch had been left open to aid in the drying process. Remembering the cards on the steps, the men knew they had to be absolutely certain no one was hiding in the tank before they continued on.

"Hey!" Johnny shouted. "Anybody in here?" They waited and listened. Looking at Marco, he asked, "You hear anything?"

"No," he replied. "Hey, wait!" Faint at first, then a bit louder, they could hear a cough. "Hello! Anybody in here?" he repeated.

Then they both heard it. They heard coughing followed by a child's weak voice. "Help!"

Both men looked around inside the tank again. There were rungs going straight down the inside wall of the tank. They appeared clean although a few were missing.

"We should be able to get to them with no problem."

"Yeah, piece of cake."

"We're coming down to get you," he shouted. "Can you tell me your name?"

"I'm ... I'm Sammy."

"Are you by yourself, Sammy, or do you have friends with you?"

"It's just me and the guys. We always. . .” coughs could be heard before, “. . . do stuff together."

"How many of you guys are in there?"

"Five."

"Is anyone hurt, Sammy?"

"I dunno," he sniffled. "Maybe. I think Donald might be hurt a little."

"We'll be down in a few minutes. Okay?"

"Uh huh."

The smoke was getting darker and more dense as the fire continued to burn and they knew they had to hurry. Marco called the captain on the radio.

"Engine 51, HT51A. We've located the boys in a storage tank. Will let you know more once we assess the situation. Over." His only answer was a lot of static. "Guess we can try again once we get inside and check things out," he suggested.

Neither firefighter wanted to prolong the boys' rescue any more than necessary. Keeping in contact was also a necessity but the sense of urgency to get the boys to safety won out over trying the radio again.

"Yeah. I'd like to have more to report when we call again. More than likely we're going to need assistance getting them out."

The ladder was narrow and ran straight down the inside wall of the storage tank. It was built for maintenance and was not an easy climb under the best of circumstances.

Johnny maneuvered himself inside and began the climb downward with caution. The chemical smell was stronger on the inside, though still not extreme. Several steps down, his foot slipped.

"Careful, Marco, some of the rungs are slippery."

"Thanks for the warning." He was soon starting his trek down the ladder as well.

Halfway down they encountered several missing steps, making their descent even more difficult. As Marco tried to bridge the gap between the missing steps, the rung he was holding onto loosened and shifted.

A small explosion could be heard outside causing their surroundings to shake. The firefighter nearly fell before getting a grip on the next closest rung. Unfortunately all the extra movement caused the HT to slip out of his pocket and smash on the floor below.

"You okay, Marco?"

"Yeah but the HT is history. We are going to need help getting these guys out. This ladder is in really bad shape."

"I sure hope they heard us and not a bunch of static like we got in return. At least they have a general idea of where we are and Cap did say he'd send Roy and Chet to help."

A few more loose and broken rungs later, both firefighters were on the bottom of the tank. Flashlights once more in hand, they scanned for the boys. The pump was in the middle of the floor and obstructing their view.

"Sammy," Johnny called out. He heard a weak cough and then an answer.

"Over...here."

They searched around and behind the three foot high baffles in an effort to locate the young victims. Maneuvering up and over one of the baffles, the two firefighters came face to face with the five boys. Some were sitting, the others lying on the floor and all of them were coughing intermittently with their hands over their mouths.

"Hi there. My name is John and this here is Marco. We're going to get you guys out of here as soon as we can. I guess you know it's a bit rough out there. You guys all right?"

"Yeah, I'm Sammy," he replied, still coughing.

"I guess," said another. "I'm Adam."

The other three shrugged and coughed some more. One of them was coughing harder than the others and was looking more than a little ill.

"You guys want to tell us your names?"

The chemical smell was starting to get to him. Just as expected, it was more concentrated here near the floor than it was on the way down. He eyed the clean smooth walls, then glanced back in the direction they had come from.

"Too bad they didn't fix the ladder while they were cleaning this thing," Johnny said quietly to Marco.

"My name's Jimmy Hatfield," replied a blond boy who was coughing and wiping his nose.

A small boy said his name was Danny. The red haired boy who appeared the most ill was Donald Jones.

Johnny looked up at the access hole again and could see dark clouds of smoke billowing across the open hatch.

At least we don’t hafta worry about it getting *in* here. . .that’s the last thing we’d need.

He knelt down and set to work evaluating the boys while Marco jotted down all the details and names. The firefighter coughed a little between notes.

"Marco, you want to call Cap and relay this information to him -," he stopped. "Sorry man. I forgot."

"Not as sorry as I am. We really need to get some help here."

"And more clean air. We could really use some extra tanks right now. Let's get them on what we do have, taking turns." The paramedic coughed a bit himself. "If it's bothering us already - "

"Yeah. But at least these kids couldn’t have been in here too long. That man said he had just recently spotted them."

Both John and Marco explained what they were asking the boys to do.

"Hey, I remember some of this stuff," said Adam, his voice lacking its usual boyish enhtusiasm.

"Yeah, from the firehouse," added Danny.

"You know," said Marco. "I thought you boys looked familiar. Your class won the fire safety contest."

The firemen exchanged glances. It was always hard when kids were involved but having met this bunch previously only made it harder. They had certainly given their teacher a few more grey hairs that day and to see them this quiet and still was disturbing.

E!E!E!E!

Captain Stanley looked toward the storage tanks off in the distance, flames and smoke from the burning structures partially blocking them from view. He knew the decision of calling off the search from there was inevitable if the latest efforts from new crews on the scene couldn’t stop the advancing fire soon. It was a call he hoped he wouldn’t have to make with the boys still likely on the site and missing.

He was pulled from his thoughts as a brief static noise came across the speaker of his HT that he was holding down to the side in his right hand.

The chief beside him watched as Hank brought the radio up closer and waited for a possible transmission from one of his men. When none came, he began to lower it again when suddenly there was a small explosion inside the flames closest to the tanks. The rumble could be felt through the ground as it rocked the area.

“We didn’t need that!” the captain grumbled.

A hose that had been trained on another part of the fire from a ladder truck was redirected by command of the chief to the new and increasing flames that resulted from the explosion.

E!E!E!E!

Chet and Roy had just gone into the last place they’d need to check, a one-story brick building that housed a few offices and a breakroom for the men on the site, also restrooms, when the small explosion rocked the area.

Both immediately hurried out to see where it had happened.

“It’s not getting any easier,” Chet stated as he shook his head.

“No, it’s not.” Roy chewed his lower lip a moment while he watched the higher flames before following Chet back into the building. He just hoped they’d find the kids here so they could be sure the youngsters weren’t in any immediate danger.

E!E!E!E!

Both Marco and Johnny shrugged off their air tanks and set them on the floor in front of the boys. Coughing more himself, the paramedic placed his air mask on Donald’s face and watched as the youth breathed in the needed air.

Marco placed his mask on Danny’s face and glanced upwards behind them. The fireman then looked to Johnny who’d also taken another glance upward at the access hole of the tank.

The hint of blue sky through the passing billows of black smoke was quickly disappearing and the interior of the tank was growing even dimmer. Both men just hoped to see their shiftmates appear at the opening soon.

What worried Johnny most was if their last transmission had indeed been static on the other end, the captain wouldn’t be aware they’d located the missing kids. Thus the help they needed to get these boys out wouldn’t be coming soon. . .not until Hank became alarmed at the fifteen minute mark when he didn’t hear from them and couldn’t raise them on the HT. By then it could be too late. He sensed Marco was thinking the same thing.

His attention centered back on Donald, Johnny pulled the mask away, again coughing from the fumes.

“Better?” he asked with a forced grin.

Donald nodded. However the youngster looked anything but better. Still, the paramedic knew now wasn’t the time to display concern in front of him.

After taking a couple of quick breaths from the mask himself, he moved to the next boy, Jimmy, and repeated the process like with Donald while Marco tended to Adam. Sammy appeared to be in the best shape out of the five, thus would be after them.

“Hold this here,” Gage said as he placed Jimmy’s hand on the mask. Once he was certain the boy had a firm hold on it, he stood up and motioned for Marco to do the same. With his ‘patient’ holding his air mask in place as well, the fireman joined Johnny.

“I don’t think we can (cough) wait long for Roy. . . and Chet to get here,” Johnny stated in a hushed tone, followed by another cough. “If Cap didn’t get our last transmission, (cough). . . we’re not gonna get the help we need to get these kids up the ladder soon enough (cough).” He swiped away sweat on his brow with his forearm. “And we’re sure not gonna be any better off the longer we’re in here. (cough)  It’s gonna be tough enough getting up and down that ladder with the broken rungs as it is.”

Marco looked in the direction of the ladder, though it was too dark to see, then to the boys in the beam of their flashlights before bringing his eyes back to his co-worker. He knew Johnny was right.

“How much time do we give it?”

Johnny squinted as he once again eyed the hole. “I don’t know, Marco.” (cough) “A few minutes maybe. . .”

With that much decided, they both squatted down with the boys again, each taking a couple of breaths from the air masks before Johnny placed his on Donald again, Marco’s on Sammy.

E!E!E!E!

Hank Stanley was not happy with the latest turn of events. With the fire as close as it was to the storage tanks, he’d been directed by the chief to call Gage and Lopez from their search.

As the chief directed the latest plan of attack with the other units, Hank brought the HT up to his mouth and keyed the mic while off in the distance he could hear one of the men on the ladder truck transmit to their captain over the radio, “Hey, someone needs to get that truck outta there!”

Truck?

But he had to shove that latest development to the side as he continued with his transmission.

“HT51A, pull out. The fire’s getting too close.”

When he didn’t get a response after a very brief moment, he tried again. “HT51A, do you copy?”

With still no answer, he looked toward the storage tanks, an ill feeling in his stomach. As he pressed the button to transmit one more time, he found himself instinctively ducking in reaction to a huge explosion about fifty yards from where the small one had been. The ground shook as the massive fire ball shot up. The captain ran toward the chief as Roy’s voice came over the HT.

E!E!E!E!

Chet followed Roy out of the building after they were done with their search.

“I’ll let Cap know we came up empty and see where he wants us to go next,” Roy said. He pulled the HT from his turnout coat pocket again while Chet eyed the dark smoke still billowing into the blue sky, which now had a trail of gray across it from the smoky remnants.

“Man, that fire hasn’t calmed down much at all. I wonder if—“

His words were interrupted with an even bigger explosion than the last. Both men stood rooted a moment, their gaze locked on the huge ball of flames that joined the smoke far above.

“Holy. . .”

Roy had let the HT down in the instant, but immediately brought it up to his face as he keyed the mic.

“Engine 51, HT 51,” he called with urgency in his voice. The two ran toward the area they’d last seen Captain Stanley while Roy once again tried the HT.

E!E!E!E!

The Chief shouted orders as his eyes surveyed the carnage in front of him. The utility truck parked near a pumping station near the first row of storage tanks had erupted in flames. No one had given the truck much thought at first but then the fire wasn't anywhere near it when they first arrived. But other explosions large and small had helped it progress. Now something in the pumping station had exploded and the truck went up in flames following it.

"Engine 51, HT51 ."

"Go ahead, Roy."

"We're through on this side and on our way back. Where do you want us?"

Hank looked up, that sinking feeling still nagging at him. "Could really use your help, guys. C'mon back to base and we'll go from there. We need this latest explosion under control so we can safely reach the storage tanks."

Hank knew they'd be needed on the lines to help contain the fire before they could continue with any more searching. He wanted to tell them but decided to wait and tell them in person that both John and Marco had not been heard from and were somewhere on the other side of those flames.

The burning truck, as well as the burning oil, made for a very bad mix and the firefighters on scene had a lot to deal with. Add to that a couple of missing men and possibly some children, and tensions were running high. They fought with everything they had to get the fire under control as quickly as possible. A small prayer was sent that there would be no more explosions before they were through.

E!E!E!E!

Marco and Johnny looked up as the latest explosion rocked everything. The paramedic shook his head.

"That was too close," he said in a low voice. He switched the air mask from Jimmy back to Donald. Everyone was coughing more frequently and Donald was looking worse as time went by. "We can’t wait any longer. We’ve gotta get these kids outta here."

Marco nodded. He noticed that it was getting warmer inside. The fire had to be much nearer by now for them to be feeling it in the tank. He wiped the sweat off his face and sighed.

"What are we going to do? I don't think we'll make it back up there alone much less with passengers, and we can't leave them here."

Johnny sighed. “If only there was a way to let Cap know where we are and that we aren't alone."

The men suddenly looked at each other in concern as first John's then Marco's tank alarms sounded. This was not a good time to run out of air.

E!E!E!E!

Roy and Chet arrived at the base of operations as quickly as possible. The look on their captain's face spoke volumes.

"Guys, just letting you know that John and Marco have been out of contact for a while now," he said quietly.

"How long, Cap?" Chet asked. He was already regretting some of his earlier actions where his friends were concerned.

Seeing the worry in his men's eyes he hesitated before telling them. "About twenty minutes. They were checking that line of storage tanks on the other side there when we lost contact. I thought I heard some static but can't be sure it was them. I've not heard anything since. I don't have to tell you how serious this could be."

Hank knew they wanted to go searching for their missing friends but he couldn't let them until it was safe. These last two explosions were too close to where the men should be. He only hoped by some miracle they had found the kids and that they were all okay.

A loss in communication was never good but with this fire, the explosions, and possibly more to come, his concern for their safety quadrupled. Being the boss wasn't always easy and times like these made him feel very alone. He wanted to find them too and the waiting wasn't any easier for him. Hank was about to send them to help man the lines when he heard his name.

"Hank!" The captain looked up to see the chief approaching. He hoped his superior had good news for them all.

E!E!E!E!

With the air supply in their tanks depleted, Marco and Johnny knew they had no choice. One of them was going to have to climb up for help despite the trecherous ladder. And with the boys’ conditions deteriorating, it only made sense being a paramedic, Johnny stay with them.

“Well, here goes,” Marco stated as he headed for the ladder with his flashlight in hand. He had his helmet secured and turnout coat still on, mainly for what they feared he’d face once out. He’d taken off his white undershirt and placed it over his nose and mouth, tying it in a knot in two places behind his head. The cloth was all he’d have to filter out the chemical smell and then smoke once he got outside.

“Be careful!”

The fireman glanced over his shoulder and nodded before climbing over one of the baffles near the pump.

I just hope there aren’t anymore explosions out there, Johnny thought to himself.

The last thing they needed was Marco losing his grip or footing from something like that. He was probably already a little light headed from the fumes they’d been in which would make the climb even more diffcult as it was.

He immediately brought his attention back to the boys when he heard more coughs. Johnny eyed the five boys with their own shirts held over their noses and mouths. He and Marco had them use the clothing as a mask against the chemical fumes. The shirts would help a little, but were certainly no substitute for the air they’d been getting from the SCBA, especially since the material had picked up a hint of the odor.

Johnny wiped at the sweat on his face with his white t-shirt as he felt a quick wave a dizziness flash over him. He just hoped Marco could hang in there long enough to reach help.

E!E!E!E!

"Hank, your men are cleared to search the line of storage tanks,” the chief announced to the captain. “We've managed to keep the flames from advancing."

“Great.” Though it wasn’t a guarantee they’d find his men right away, it was better than nothing. He didn’t have to give the order. Roy and Chet were already set to go, anxious to begin the search for their missing crewmates and possibly the children sighted earlier.

E!E!E!E!

The boys tried to watch Marco climb in the very dim lighting supplied by the slowly clearing access hole, but he was too low yet for them to make out his form. In the meantime, Johnny checked them over again one at a time. He’d started with Donald, being the boy was still the worst off. So far he was holding his own, but Gage was not happy with his vital signs.

“What if he doesn’t make it out?” Adam asked between coughs after pulling his shirt away from his face.

Johnny glanced over at the ladder to see how far Marco had gotten. It was tough for him to even make out his form in the poorly lit area, but it looked like he was beyond half way.

“He’ll make it,” Johnny assured with a forced smile and a few coughs. “Remember, we firemen. . . are old hands at climbing. Just be sure and keep that shirt. . . over your nose and mouth.”

Adam nodded.

Johnny couldn’t stand the heat with his turnout coat any longer. He removed the heavy garment, then began to check Jimmy’s vitals. He tried to make small talk with the boys as much as he could and still keep count on a pulse.

“You guys gotta promise. . .not to do this sorta thing again.”

“Yes, sir.”

“My mom and dad are. . .gonna be mad!” Timmy cried.

“Maybe,” Johnny stated. “But I’m sure they’ll be glad you’re okay.”

We’ve gotta get these kids outta here or they aren’t gonna *be* okay.

He put his balled up t-shirt over his mouth and nose and held it with one hand while he checked the next child.

E!E!E!E!

Marco’s right foot nearly slipped off one of the rungs as he neared the top. It wasn’t the first close call he’d had. Quite a few times he’d either almost lost his footing or had a sweaty palm slip when he grabbed for a rung. Add to those problems, the already broken rungs he’d had to get past. It was a wonder to himself he’d made it as far as he had.

He was incredibly hot underneath his turnout coat, which proved to be slightly awkward for the climb as well. Marco quickly wiped at the sweat trickling down his forehead from under his helmet with one hand.

As he neared the opening, the fireman increased his pace. Being so close to a way out, he had a new surge of energy despite being exhausted from the effort. But another loose rung on the ladder snapped under the weight of his step and he momentarily slipped before he was able to regain his footing on the rung below it.

Without missing a beat, he managed to get his foot up on the higher rung and continued on to the opening.

Marco scrambled out into the thick white smoke. He ran coughing to the edge of the storage tank as he removed the t-shirt from his face and waved it wildly, his voice hoarse as he yelled. The tears in his stinging eyes increased with the heavier smoke.

E!E!E!E!

“Be careful,” Hank told his men as they started to leave and head for the row of storage tanks. They were still only partially visible through the flames and smoke near them. “There’s always a chance of the unexpected or more explosions. I want you guys to do this as quick as possible.”

“Right, Cap,” Roy assured.

Still dealing with some inner guilt over how he’d given his comrades a hard time over a few things lately, Chet just hoped for a chance to make amends.

E!E!E!E!

“Hey, look!” one of the firemen manning a hose from high atop an extended ladder called out. He and another were fighting the blaze from their ladder truck. His voice was muffled by his air mask. “Over there!”

The other fireman followed his gaze. He pulled out his HT and radioed down to the chief that they spotted a fire fighter on the fifth storage tank.

E!E!E!E!

Captain Stanley heard the transmission over the chief’s HT. He anxiously waited while the superior officer completed the transmission.  

Under the chief’s directive, Hank then contacted Roy on the HT and filled him and Chet in.

“10-4, Engine 51,” Roy answered. “We’re on it.”

He stuffed the radio back into his turnout pocket and the two men took off in a fast trot toward the line of tanks.

“I wonder which one is out?” Chet stated, slightly out of breath.

“I just hope whoever it isn’t is okay.”

Chet nodded in agreement as they donned their air masks now that they were approaching the thick of the battle with the fire.

E!E!E!E!

Johnny no sooner finished his checks on the boys when Sammy suddenly cried out, “Donald!”

The paramedic’s head turned in alarm. Donald was slumped over on his side. Gage immediately dropped his t-shirt on the floor and scrambled over to the youth. There was no sign of life in the small body.

He quickly got onto his knees and leaned over the boy. He wished he had the medical equipment that would aid in saving Donald’s life, but without it he could only hope CPR was enough.

E!E!E!E!

Marco could see Roy and Chet off in the distance, running toward the storage tanks. Relief washed over him and he hurried back to let Johnny know.

The fireman leaned over the tank entrance where he peered in. But before he could yell down, he heard Sammy cry out, the voice echoing in the huge empty tank.

“Johnny! What happened? Johnny!”

He couldn’t see in the dark storage tank, but something had to be seriously wrong when the dark-haired paramedic didn’t answer.

E!E!E!E!

The urgency of the situation dictated his immediate attention. There was no time to lose, even the brief time it would take to shout an answer back to his colleague. Gage started CPR.

After several cycles of compressions and respirations, he shouted an answer to Marco's query. He didn't want to frighten the remaining boys any more than they already were so he phrased his answer carefully.

"Marco! I need help STAT. One of the boys is down. I've initiated CPR." He coughed hard but maintained his rhythm.

"Help's on the way, Johnny! I'm coming back down." He knew Gage would need assistance. The warm air and fumes had them all worn out and coughing. CPR was a demanding task even under the best conditions.

Before attempting to return to the bottom of the storage tank, Marco shouted to the men on the ground that help was needed right away. Without a radio and all the commotion on the ground, they didn't catch all the information before he disappeared from view.

They heard 'help' 'urgent' and 'CPR'. These words chilled Roy and Chet to the bone. Halfway up the stairway another explosion rocked the area. It wasn't as close as the previous two but still managed to shake everything around them. The two firemen hurried to the top.

E!E!E!E!

Climbing back down was proving harder the second time around. Just as Marco was about to traverse the first set of broken rungs, another large explosion from farther away shook the ground underneath the tank causing him to slip and miss as another rung pulled free. Frantically grabbing for a handhold, he caught one of the rungs in the chest. The winded firefighter struggled to catch his breath again. He could hear the broken rung clatter on the floor far below.

E!E!E!E!

Johnny was again checking for a pulse when the sound of the metal hitting the floor startled all of them.

"Marco!" He waited for an answer as he prepared to start another round of compressions on the small boy.

C'mon, c'mon… he thought. The other boys were now sitting and sniffling as he struggled to aide Donald.

E!E!E!E!

Once Marco caught his breath enough to shout back all he managed was, "Sorry, guys!"

"Marco?" The firefighter looked up to see two very welcome faces and smiled. "Need a hand, buddy?"

"Yeah but not as much as Johnny…does," he coughed and groaned. His ribs were now sore from his mishap. Marco couldn't recall a time he was happier to see Chet Kelly. "We're going to have,” he coughed, “to find a better way to get these boys out. This ladder (cough) is dangerous."

"You all right man?"

"Just had the wind…knocked out of me. Johnny needs help. He's doing CPR on one of the kids. There are five all together."

Roy quickly made use of the HT as Chet gave Marco his mask to supply him with much needed fresh air. The senior medic requested their equipment from the squad, as well as the portable oxygen, extra air tanks, rope and extra manpower.

Waiting for Marco to stop coughing, Roy tried to see down into the tank. It was too dark. "Johnny! Equipment is on the way! Hang in there partner and I'll be down as soon as possible!"

"It's hot," said Marco. "There's a chemical smell, too. We figure they must have cleaned this one recently. The fumes (cough) are pretty bad. Everyone is coughing." His last statement was punctuated with another round of coughs.

E!E!E!E!

Hearing his partner, Gage felt a bit of relief. Sweat was running down his face. He used his shirt once more to quickly wipe it away and rechecked Donald's pulse.

C'mon. Please don't -  He was rewarded with a faint pulse. He smiled despite the gravity of the situation. The boy needed oxygen and to be out of this mess.

"Donald okay?" asked Timmy between coughs.

"He's better but still not out of the woods. Hang in there guys. Help is here." A moment later several air tanks and the portable oxygen unit were lowered to the floor.

Johnny looked over to Sammy and said, "Keep an eye on him for me, will ya?"

The boy nodded and sat by his friend while Gage went to retrieve the equipment. Hanging by its strap from one of the air tanks was an HT labeled 'HT51-B'.

"Johnny can you hear me?" It was Roy. He quickly released the strap and answered.

"I'm here partner (cough). You think you can (cough) find a way down here and give me a (cough) hand? I think Marco got lost."

"He's still up here. Had a little trouble getting a start. As soon as our backup gets here, we'll be down. Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Pulse is back but still weak. I can really use your (cough) help."

"10-4."

Gage took the HT and oxygen back to the boys. As soon as he got the oxygen on Donald and rechecked the boy's pulse, he enlisted Adam to help him with the air tanks. Once set up, he had the boys start taking turns again.

Donald's color improved slightly and his pulse was a bit stronger after receiving oxygen. It wasn't long before Johnny heard the sound of ropes hitting the floor. Looking up toward the access hole, he eagerly awaited the arrival of his crewmates.

"What took (cough) you so long?" Johnny asked with a tired grin.

"We had a hard time convincing Marco to stay up top," said Chet. Another soft thud heralded the arrival of the drug box and cardiac monitor. "He, uh, probably has a few bruised ribs from that last slip."

"He's okay isn't he?" Worry etched John's tired sweaty features.

"He'll be fine," replied Roy. "What about you?"

Chet had already gone to monitor the boys and help them with the air masks. Roy and John began setting up the equipment beside Donald. "I'm (cough) fine."

"Yeah and I'm a Las Vegas showgirl. Here - " he handed Gage his air mask. "You know what to do with it so please take a seat and let me start helping." He pointed to the cardiac monitor.

Gage knew better than to argue so he did as he was told. The clean air was welcome after breathing the fumes for so long. He watched as Roy started an IV and ran a strip. Donald's rhythm was slower than normal but stable.

He could hear Chet telling the boys how they were going to be pulled up to the top using harnesses and rope. Jimmy was scared but the other boys seemed overly eager about the conclusion of their grand adventure.

"Donald's gonna be really bummed," stated Adam. "He won't get to ride up to the top like us."

Chet grinned at the boys. "He'll be all right. He gets a ride up too but he just won't remember his. You guys can tell him all about it when he's better. Just don't rub it in too hard."

The guys chuckled as the harnesses were lowered to start bringing the boys out of their smoky prison. Johnny helped Chet get the first two boys, Adam and Jimmy, ready. Jimmy was really scared but Chet made him feel better when he strapped his helmet on the boy.

"Thanks, Mr. Fireman!"

"Just send it back down for the next one, okay?"

"You bet! This is so cool!"

Johnny popped his helmet on Adam and the two were off as Chet keyed the HT, "Ready."


 

E!E!E!E!

Marco was helped down and away from the storage tank by two fire fighters from another unit. The three headed for a safer area once it was decided Marco could make it with minimal assistance.

As their distance from the tank increased, Marco glanced over his shoulder and was releived to see two of the boys being lifted out of the access hole. They were still coughing, but were standing on their own once topside. He only hoped the outcome would be the same for two of the others and that the fifth would even survive.

Maybe if we’d tried to get them out earlier. . .

He would second guess their decision not to for awhile and likely Johnny would too.  But reflecting back on his own journey up the ladder, he knew he was lucky he hadn’t fallen off a few times. That would help ease some of his doubts. And on the thought of him not having gone for help soooner, his grandmother’s words came to mind.

Hindsight is always 20/20.

He felt now that he should’ve risked it although conditions outside seemed volatile at the time.

“Hey, pal.”

Marco was brought out of his thoughts by the greeting and nodded toward his captain.

“I’ll get him,” Hank offered, and motioned for the two fire fighters to return to the tank where the boys were being carried down.

E!E!E!E!

Soon Donald was on his way up in a stokes. Roy had gone up ahead so he could stay with the boy once he was out. Chet held onto the basket from below until it was out of reach. He then eyed Gage beside him in the dimness when the paramedic rubbed at his own forehead. Both men had their SCBA gear on, which coupled with the lack of lighting made it even more difficult to assess his condition. But Chet figured the fumes he’d been breathing in were likely catching up to the paramedic now that he didn’t have five little boys in his care.

“You really all right?”

Johnny nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.” The answer was follwed by a muffled cough.

When the ropes dropped back down, the two were pulled up beside each other, the curly-haired fireman never taking his worried eyes off his friend.

E!E!E!E!

Before long, two ambulances were on their way to Rampart. The first carried Marco and four of the boys, along with a paramedic from another squad taking care of them.  The other had Roy with Donald and Johnny. The children’s parents had all been notified and would be meeting them at the hospital.

Donald was still groggy, but much improved. Still on oxygen, the boy squinted in the brightness of the ambulance as Roy rechecked his pulse. The older paramedic smiled down at him.

“That’s quite an adventure you had.”

The boy’s gaze shifted to Johnny, who’d been wondering much the same things as Marco. Shoving the thoughts aside a moment, he smiled as well and leaned forward to give Donald’s shoulder a reasuring squeeze.

“You’re gonna be fine, kiddo.” He still had a headache and lingering cough himself.

As Roy called in the latest vitals on Donald, Johnny leaned back on the bench seat and closed his eyes.

“You okay?”

Johnny opened one eye and looked at his partner. “Yeah. Just a little pounding in the head is all.”

Roy nodded. But knowing his partner’s knack for downplaying injuries, the ‘little’ pounding was probably a lot.

E!E!E!E!

Chet followed behind both ambulances in the squad. Since getting the news that  his colleagues were in danger, he’d been thinking about how he was going to make amends with both Johnny and Marco. Especially the latter.

But with both likely being okay now with some clean air and rest,  he was starting to reconsider. After all, he had a reputaiton to protect. If word got out he had a soft spot. . .

That settled it. Sooner or later he’d pay Marco back, but apologize to Gage?

Not in this lifetime.

He pulled into the lot at Rampart and followed behind the others to the emergency entrance.

E!E!E!E!

Johnny sat on the exam table in Treatment Room Two, Roy nearby, after Doctor Morton had finished his evaluation of the dark-haired paramedic and momentarily stepped out. Though Johnny tried his best to talk Morton into clearing him to go back on duty, his pleas failed. Both he and Marco were going to be on observation until the next morning at the earliest.

The younger man ran a hand through his mussed up hair and sighed. “Man, what a day.”

“It could’ve turned out a lot worse,” Roy reminded.

“Yeah, but it could’ve gone better, too. If we’d just. . .”

Roy eyed him carefully when he stopped. “Just what?”

He shrugged. “Gotten ‘em out sooner. We didn’t wanna chance it with the ladder bein’ like it was. . .but then what good did we do ‘em keepin’ the kids inside?” His question was followed by a cough.

“It was a rather volatile atmosphere just outside those tanks for awhile too. There was a brief time when they were inaccessible.”

“But--”

Roy shook his head. “You and Marco did what you thought was in the best interest of those boys. Don’t beat yourself up over it. It’s not gonna change anything.” After a short pause, he continued. “I seem to remember someone else giving a similar pep talk to me. I’d hate to think after all this time, he was being insincere.”

Johnny knew exactly what he was referring to. There had been a time early in their partnership when Roy had made a judgement call to stop the ambulance he was in when a patient’s condition worsened. The man’s arrival to Rampart was thus delayed and he died. Roy had nearly quit the paramedic program when he blamed himself and Johnny said everything he could think of to bring his friend out of the funk. 

Gage nodded knowingly. “He wasn’t.” He gave a weak smile. “Thanks.”

E!E!E!E!

It wasn’t long after they had arrived at the hospital that the paramedics were given the good news that four of the boys were doing very well in recovering from their ordeal. Though highly doubtful, it was possible they could have some slight complications arise from it later in life, but no one would know for sure until then.

Donald’s condtion also had improved immensely. When questioned why the one boy had been affected so much more severely than the others, Brackett explained, “He’s one of those kids who tends to get sick a lot. Whether it be just a head cold or the flu, his parents said he’s always been one to get what’s going around. They thought they were helping him with medicine each time, but as I told them, sometimes we can over do.” Arms folded across his chest, he furrowed his eyebrows and his mouth twitched as he continued with, “If we don’t give the body a chance to fight the virus on its own on occasion, that can weaken a child’s immune system because it doesn’t give it much of a chance to grow stronger. And there’s a greater chance  of chemicals having a catastrophic effect on a weakened immune system.”

There was no telling if Donald would have long term damage either. More than likely there would be at least something, even if it was minute. But over all the prognosis was good.

E!E!E!E!

A few weeks later, the men of Staiton 51’s A-shift found themselves assigned to a school safety event since they’d been invited in a letter earlier. The engine and squad were stood down for three hours to allow the trucks to be on display at the elementary school, the crews there to answer any questions the children or any adults might have.

The little ones were led out a class at a time. Though the youngest were more interested in just being able to sit in the engine, the older the audience got, the more questions asked. But the fire fighters and paramedics were appreciative of any kind of interest.

Well into their time at the school, a familiar teacher and her students, some with the plastic red fire helmets on their heads, came out to see the visitors. She gave a welcome smile and sincere thanks for saving her five musketeers at the refinery.

“You’re welcome, but really, we were just doin’ our job,” Johnny remarked, knowing he was speaking for the others as well.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more appreicative of what you guys do,” Carol Warren replied. She looked at the five boys, who were still practically inseperable, talking to Marco and Mike. “I don’t think they have either. They’ve shared their story over and over in class. I figure, it’s a lesson for everyone. The only thing I’ve got to watch is that the words ‘farout’ and ‘cool’ don’t slip into any of the descriptions. Don’t want any of the other kids to get the idea they should do it too.”

“We appreciate that,” Roy offered.

Hank joined them as more children filed over. Johnny glanced across the way at the rest of the engine crew, where Marco appeared to be enjoying the time with the five boys as much as they were with him. They hadn’t moved an inch from where they’d stood before. Unusual for boys as adventurous as them. He grinned when he saw Chet’s main ‘audience’ hadn’t moved either. Who he assumed to be Mary, a little girl stood with her gaze fixed on the curly-haired fireman as he chatted with other children, occasionally giving an uncomfortable smile and slight wave to the girl.

“Man, am I gonna have fun with this later. . .”

Mike took notice as well, having been filled in about the ‘Mary situation’. A certain CPR dummy with special attire would likely be visiting Chet again soon. . .only this time with a paper nametag attached. After all, Chet had already gotten him back twice since the last one.

With the captain and Roy now busy handling the school kids gathered around the squad, Johnny made his way over to Marco and the others. It soon became obvious they shared a common bond that would likely last a lifetime for all of them; the five Musketeers in a sense had become seven.

*Click above to send the Twits feedback

Guest Dispatchers          Stories by The Twits