John the Magician?
By Audrey W.
John Gage grabbed his dark blue jacket from his locker, then immediately followed behind his partner Roy DeSoto as the two quickly headed for the door that led to the apparatus bay. They’d been in the locker room at Station 51, Roy offering why John should be in the Firemen’s Olympics track events, when the tones sounded. Both them and the engine crew were being sent out for an explosion and fire, along with other stations.
With his jacket already on, Roy trotted past the back of the trucks to the driver’s side of the squad. John hurried between the two vehicles, about to reach the passenger side of their squad, when he suddenly came to a stop.
The dark-haired paramedic looked at his now empty hands with a baffled expression.
My jacket!
He certainly hadn’t set it down on purpose and he couldn’t recall dropping it. But if it wasn’t in his possession anymore, it had to be somewhere along the way.
His brows furrowed in puzzlement as he glanced back toward where he’d just been. It wasn’t in immediate view.
“Johnny, what’s the hold up?” Roy called out from inside the squad. He’d leaned over and rolled down the passenger window to check on his partner, whose light-blue shirted image he could see in the side mirror. Maybe it was a strange effect of the glass, but for a moment Roy could swear John looked younger. As in a few years younger, shorter hair and all.
That’s impossible. . . he had to remind himself. Still. . .the image was there.
In the meantime, he’d gotten a reply.
“I . . .I think I lost my jacket!”
Man, I *did*! But how? When?
John wanted to peer under the engine to see the floor behind it and near the locker room. Maybe find the missing article of clothing. But he knew every second counted at the moment and there wasn’t time. He’d just have to solve the mystery when they got back.
As Captain Stanley trotted past the fronts of both vehicles on his way to the passenger side of Engine 51, John opened his door and climbed in.
Roy stared a few seconds when he saw that Gage once again appeared to be the age he was while in the locker room, his attire not quite what it had been just a moment ago.
The attention didn’t go unnoticed by the latter.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Roy stated with a shake of his head. He handed him the slip of paper with the run information on it. He wasn’t about to mention what he could’ve sworn he saw. “I thought you said you lost your jacket.”
“I .di. . id. . .” Gage trailed off when he noticed that he had dark long sleeves covering his arms. A further glance at himself revealed he was wearing the rest of his jacket as well. The very one he thought he’d been carrying. . .and dropped. He couldn’t hide the astonishment on his face. He tugged at the front of the clothing as if he had to assure himself it was really there. “Man, how. . .Roy, I . . .it wasn’t. . .I’m telling ya. . .man, how. . .?”
DeSoto listened to his nearly speechless co-worker while he drove the rescue truck out of the station toward the street.
The only thoughts he had were that they either both were in need of a vacation or that maybe his partner was right about the track events at the Firemen’s Picnic not being his calling after all. Maybe Gage was more suited for a little magic at the next Firemen’s Talent Show instead. Only problem was, magicians weren’t supposed to baffle themselves.
I watched the show 'Gossip' the other day and the stock footage sparked this idea. :o)
