Takin' Care Of Business By Wanda Hargrove

Captain Hank Stanley hung up the phone, and put his head in his hands. "Why me?  Why am I the one who gets to run the booby hatch?" He raised his head and ran a hand through his thick, dark hair, and muttered, "Gage and DeSoto will really love this, especially after the last time." He stuck his head out the door and spotted Mike Stoker leaving the locker room heading towards the day room.

"Stoker," Stanley called. "Are Gage and DeSoto in the locker room?"

"Nope," answered Stoker.

Then he heard the heated discussion going on between Gage and Kelly. He couldn't make out what was being said between the two men. "Stoker, tell them to come into my office."

"Okay, Cap," replied Stoker as he walked into the Day Room.

As he walked in, he saw that Marco was standing off to one side of Chet and rolling his eyes at some of the comments made by his friend; and Roy was sitting in a chair trying hard to keep from chuckling at Marco's facial expressions.

"Look, Gage, I'm telling ya, disco is where the money's at."

"No way, Chet. Disco is nothing compared to the music of Fleetwood Mac. They have some really great songs, and there's no way that disco can compete against that."

"Roy, John. Cap wants you in his office." Stoker stated as he walked over to the stove to get his first cup of coffee for the day.

"Thanks, Mike," Roy rose out of the chair, grabbing John by the arm.

"Roy, let go," Johnny commented while slapping at the other man's hand.

This didn't stop Roy. He grabbed John's arm and yanked; Johnny was almost pulled off his feet. "Cap wants us in his office."

"Okay, okay," ranted Gage as he rubbed his shoulder following his partner out of the room. "You didn't have to try to yank my arm out of socket you know."

DeSoto turned in mid-step. "Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?" he replied sarcastically.

Johnny shot his partner with an icy glare. "NO!" he stated angrily as he walked past the older man.

Both men entered Stanley's office and took a seat. "What's up, Cap?" Roy asked the question that was burning in both the men's minds.

"Guys, I just got off the phone with headquarters, the both of you have a new trainee." Both the paramedics looked at each other wondering what had their Captain looking a bit nervous. "The new trainee is a woman.  Do either of you have a problem with this?"

"No," they both answered simultaneously, and John added, "Just as long as she can function without having a chip on her shoulders."

"Yes, I know how much you both took from Karen when she trained here.  But you have to admit, that once she got the hang of it, she was pretty good."

"I can't complain," commented Roy. He remembered the incident in question, where Karen took charge of the situation after he was electrocuted.

"Is that all you wanted, Cap?" asked John.

"That's it."

Both paramedics rose and headed out of the Cap's office. They headed back into the dayroom, when Chet launched into another one of his tirades about why Disco was better than any kind of rock music.

Johnny, rising to the bait, started arguing with Chet again as the new trainee entered the Day Room.

"I personally like any song by Fleetwood Mac," she commented matter-of-factly.

Johnny and Chet both stop arguing, to look at the new trainee. A smile started to grow across John's face.

Chet looked her over and mumbled to himself, "Women." He turned and stalked off to another part of the room.

John stuck out his hand and she took it. "I'm John Gage, and this is Roy DeSoto."

She took Roy's hand and shook it also. "John, Roy. I'm Shiloh, Shiloh Davis."

Captain Stanley walked into the day room, noticing the new trainee. "I see you've already met Gage and DeSoto. I'm Captain Stanley, welcome to Station 51." He shook her hand.

"Shiloh, Shiloh Davis."

"Davis, as you can imagine, 51 isn't set up to accommodate a mixed crew.  I want you to be comfortable, so whatever arrangements you had at 116's, we'll make here, too."

She gave a small shrug. "Captain, I'd prefer not to disrupt routine or call any more attention to myself than necessary. I know everyone sleeps ready to turn out, so that's not a problem. And if we all agree to knock or speak up before going into the locker room, I don't think there'll be a problem there, either. As the rookie, I know my place in line," she added with a grin.

Cap regarded her steadily for a moment as he considered.  "We'll try it that way, and make adjustments as needed. The locker room is two doors down on your right. The last locker on the left is empty. The dorm is to your left, on the other side of the bay." He returned her grin, "As the rookie, you'll know which bunk is yours. Line-up in ten minutes."

She walked off and found her locker. Slowly she peeled out of her leather jacket and chaps, and winced. Roger had visited her again; why the hell did she still put up with his crap? But that Gage... there was something about him that made her feel safe.

She walked back out and lined up with the other men off of Gage's right.

"We've got hydrant inspections to do today. DeSoto, Gage and Davis, you'll take the hydrants on West 37th. The Engine will take the hydrants on East 37th." He looked over his clipboard. "Assignments here at the station. Gage and Davis you have the day room, DeSoto dorm, Lopez latrine, and Stoker and Kelly you'll have to scrub and hang hose."

Kelly groaned. Stanley took note of his look, "Sorry, pal, but you and Stoker drew the short end of the stick today. Davis since your new here it'll be your turn to cook."

"Okay, Cap."

"All right, let's get to work."

Gage and Davis, along with DeSoto and Lopez gathered up the supplies they needed. Davis offered to mop the floor while Gage cleaned out the oven.

Shiloh began to mop the floor and waited until she knew that Gage’s eyes were on her backside. She began to put a little more emphasis in the hip motions that were almost driving Johnny wild. ‘I've got to think about something else... anything else... other than what she's doing to me right now.’

He looked away and didn't see her smile. 'Almost got him... hook, line, and sinker,' she thought.

At that moment the tones sounded. "Station 51... traffic accident... corner of Burnside cross street Seventh... Time out 9:45."

John, Shiloh and Roy ran to the squad, as the other men of 51's ran to the engine. Johnny held the door open as Shiloh climbed into the squad then John climbed in after her. Roy already had the engine started as Captain Stanley handed him the paper, which was passed over to John. The squad pulled out followed by the engine.

~*~*~

They reached the accident scene in 10 minutes, which looked grisly. A blue Olds and a gray late model Ford pick-up truck had collided. The Olds had skidded into a telephone poll, which was now lying across the road, with it's front end crumpled so much, and it looked like a shadow of its former self. The Ford had flipped on impact and was now lying on its side.

"Johnny, you and Shiloh take the Olds, I'll take the Ford." Johnny nodded as both he and Shiloh climbed out of the squad. John grabbed a pry bar, and pried open the passenger side door. He handed the pry bar off to Shiloh and slid across the seat to the woman trapped behind the wheel of her car.

"Ma’am, can you hear me?"

The woman moaned, and regained consciousness. "No habla’ ingleses."

Johnny easily switched to Spanish. "Senora, a donde dueles?" [Ma’am, where does it hurt?]

She slowly tried to focus where she was hurting. "Mi cabeza, mi parte posteriora, y mi perna." [My head, my back, and my leg."]

He turned to face Shiloh, "Hand me the cervical collar, and you better get the backboard from off the squad, she's complaining of back pain."

Shiloh handed him the cervical collar and then ran to the squad, pulling off the backboard. She ran back to John and placed it on the ground beside the wrecked
car.

After John had placed the cervical collar on the woman's neck and had checked her back for any fractures. He leaned her back in the seat, and began checking her pupils. "Pupils are equal and reactive," he directed to Shiloh. Turning back to the woman he wanted to confirm what she had told him was right.

"Su cabeza, su parte posteriora y sus pierna?" ["Your head, your back, and leg?"]

"Si," she answered and then grimaced in pain. "Madre de Dios!"

Roy ran over to the car. Roy had done everything he could for the driver, but the guy had given up the fight to survive.  "What have you got here, Johnny?"

Shiloh turned to Roy and answered for John who was still busy calming the woman down. "Female, approximately 28 years old, has a fractured left femur, possible concussion, and complains of back pain. She's diaphoretic, pupils equal and reactive, respiration is 15 and weak, and pulse is 100."

Captain Stanley ran over to the car and peeked his head through the driver's side window. "What have you got, Gage?"

"Cap, we need to get the jaws over here so we can get her out. She's trapped underneath the steering wheel, and may have a chest injury that we haven't been able to assess yet."

Stanley turned toward the engine and shouted, "Marco, Mike, get the jaws off the squad. We've got a woman trapped over here."

Both firefighters ran to the squad and got the jaws, and brought the piece of life saving equipment over to the car. Roy ran over to the squad, and grabbed the asbestos blanket, and ran back to the car. He passed it in to Johnny, who draped it over the woman to keep glass fragments from the windshield from cutting her.

"Caida encendido, le conseguiremos de aqui y entonces ayudaremos a conseguirle al hospital del Rampart." ["Hang on, we'll get you out of here and then we'll help get you to Rampart Hospital."]

"Gracias," she gasped in pain.

They freed the woman, John and Roy slid her from what was left of her ruined car, and placed her on the backboard. Once they finished their ministrations they loaded her up in the ambulance and Johnny rode in the ambulance with her.

Once they arrived at Rampart, and John dropped off his patient, he waited with Dixie for Roy and Shiloh to arrive with the squad. "Ahha... Dix, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, Johnny."

"Do you know anything about Shiloh? I mean... well... you know..."

"What are you trying to ask, John?"

"Do you know what kind of person she is?" There he finally spat it out.

"What exactly do you mean, John?"

"I'm not sure but I think she's been hitting on me," Johnny stated seriously.

Dixie completely lost her hold on any composure she might have had, and burst out laughing. "Johnny, you can't be serious!"

"Okay, it's just probably my imagination working overtime," he replied dejected.

Just then Roy and Shiloh appeared from down the hall. "Your ride's here, Johnny," called Shiloh. To John's ears, her voice sounded like silk.

He was brought out of his daydream, by Roy's voice. "Come on, Junior, let's get back to the barn."

Johnny fell into step with Roy as Shiloh joined their light-hearted banter. "We need to stop at the grocery so I can get supplies for dinner."

~*~*~

They backed into the station. Johnny was glad to have the grocery bag sitting on his lap.  Roy went back to finishing his cleaning of the dorm, while Shiloh began getting the food prepared for their next meal.

John finished his cleaning, thankful to have something mindless to do, but the mere presence of her was driving him crazy.  She left the kitchen on the pretext of going to get something, and came back with an eight-track tape player and a tape. Inserting it, he heard the chorus of the song, "Chains, will keep us together," he groaned, and wondered if he was going to make it to the end of the shift before he would have to start taking cold showers.

She was humming to the music when the engine backed in. Marco and Chet went to go get cleaned up while Hank and Mike entered the kitchen, smelling something wonderful coming from the stove. "Hey, Davis, what smells so good?"

"A meatloaf, and vegetables."

Something in her statement had caused a reaction in Johnny that no one had expected.  He took off at a run towards the showers.  

Marco and Chet were almost bowled over as Johnny ran past them. 

"What's his problem?"

"With Gage, nobody knows," wisecracked Chet.

"That's true," Marco nodded.

~*~*~

The rest of the shift was pretty tame, only Johnny couldn't sleep. He kept seeing Shiloh every time he closed his eyes. Finally he got up heading toward the day room, he tried to avoid seeing her sleeping form, but he couldn't.   "What is it about her?" he asked himself as he moved Henry over so he could sit down on the couch.  The Bassett Hound moved over and laid his head down on Johnny's lap, sad eyes looked up at the paramedic begging for a scratch behind the ears.

Johnny gave in and absently began to scratch the happy hound's ears.  He tried to probe deeper into his feelings, there was just something there that he felt he needed to protect.  Tomorrow was another day, and he might find the answer then.  Moving Henry from his lap, the hound protested the movement; Johnny went back to his bunk and slipped off to sleep.

~*~*~

The crew walked into the dayroom to enjoy a cup of coffee, and get a bite to eat before going home. Shiloh walked in her civvies and outfitted in her black leather jacket, and matching chaps. Her helmet slung over her shoulder, as B shift starting filing in to replace A shift.

Tom Dwyer walked in. "Hey, Dwyer," called Roy. "What are you doing here today?"

"Rollins is out with the flu so I agreed to pull a double. I can always use the overtime."

"I could use the overtime myself. The kids may need braces and you know how much that costs. It would take me a month of working my regular shifts to scrape the money together."

Captain Stanley was walking into the day room, when he heard Roy's comment. "Well, pal, Mitchner just called in sick, so how would you like some overtime?"

"Sure. I need to call Joanne, and let her know I'm not coming home today."

Dwyer spotted Shiloh standing next to the stove. "Hi, beautiful, and who might you be waiting for?"

She smiled sweetly at Tom, "Nobody, just waiting for the shift to end so I can go home."

Tom almost choked on his coffee. "What?" he spluttered.

Stanley chuckled as he made introductions to Tom. "Tom Dwyer, this is Shiloh Davis. Our paramedic trainee."

Tom and Shiloh shook hands and were sharing a laugh when Johnny walked into the room. He almost let the little green-eyed monster get the better of him. Shiloh told the other guys good-bye and she walked out the back door to the parking lot.

Johnny waited ten minutes and then followed after her. They were talking and she slipped a piece of paper to him just before the rest of the crew, with the exception of Roy, walked out.

Shiloh climbed onto her 1975 XLCH Custom Chopper High Profiler. She kicked the kickstand away, and jumped down on the starter. The Hog immediately roared to life, then she guided it in a small half-circle turning around in her parking space. Stopping for a moment to put her helmet on, she roared out of the station parking lot leaving Motor head Mike admiring her profile on the big 'cycle.

Johnny climbed into his Land Rover and took off heading for home, but with a different destination in mind.

~*~*~

Johnny pulled up in front of Shiloh's home. It was a small house set back from the street, with the proverbial white picket fence. He climbed out of his Rover and headed for the front door. He stood there a moment, hoping no one would know who he was, and have word get back to the station.

Knocking on the front door he was rewarded with Shiloh standing in the doorway wearing a t-shirt, that she'd ripped the sleeves off, and her jeans and chaps.  "I was just trying to get changed," she noticed something had caught his eye by the frown on his face.  "How'd that happen?" he asked as he referred to a big ugly bruise on her shoulder.

"It's nothing," she lied, "I just slipped the other day while fighting a fire with 116's and got a little banged up." ‘I can't tell John about Roger, it would hurt him,’ she thought. He could tell there was something bothering her.

"Look, you can talk to me."

She realized for once in her life here was a man who was willing to listen to her.  Not treat her as a possession.  "Johnny, I was married to a guy named Roger.  The first few months of the marriage were great," she paused for a moment and led Johnny into the kitchen pouring both she and him a cup of coffee. After they settled down in a couple of chairs she continued with her story.  "The signs of change were there, but I didn't see him.  He'd fly off the handle at all small problems, escalating to beating the crap out of me at times.  See at that time I was bringing home half the money that I do now, and there were times when I was offered overtime that I jumped at the chance.  When I got home he'd accuse me of having an affair."

As she spoke, her mind went back to the final night that she and Roger were together.  The final straw that broke the camels back.

"Roger, I told you I'm tired.  We worked a second alarm for six hours last night and I'm worn out."

Roger's dark eyes grew darker as his anger built to a point where it spilled over.  Deep down he knew she was telling the truth as her clothes still reeked of smoke.  "I don't give a damn, you're my WIFE!"

"Roger go to hell," she replied angrily as she turned to walk to the bedroom.

He reached out and grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back, smashing his fist into her face.  He used her as a punching bag until he was almost spent, letting her fall to the floor unconscious.  As he stormed out he gave her a passing kick to the ribs.

When she regained consciousness, she called Mike Robards, a friend of hers from 116's. She had asked if he would help her move, she explained she was leaving Roger.  Mike reluctantly agreed. He knew they were having problems, but when he saw her face he almost exploded.  Her eyes were so swollen that they barely opened, she had cuts to her cheeks, her lips were swollen and busted not to mention all the bruises which made her face look almost entirely black and blue.  She held her arm tucked in close to her ribs. 

He made her promise that once they moved her out of her and into an apartment with a friend that either she was going to Rampart herself to get checked out, or he would personally make her go. Mike was one of the paramedics at 116's, and he knew she possibly had some cracked ribs. He also told her not to call anybody who knew Roger, cause they may tell him where she was staying.

She had filed for divorce and it was granted, but Roger wouldn't accept that the marriage was over. He thought that he still owned her and to make his point he would follow her home from work to find out where she was to remind her that he was still around.  Which is what had happened on her two days off before starting her first shift as a trainee at 51's.

As she finished her story Johnny knew she was the one for him.  How?  Why?  He couldn't explain it but the feeling was there.  He didn't want to see Shiloh in any more pain. Rising from the table he crossed over to her and spoke softly so that she would know that he was sincere.  "Shiloh, how about you move in with me. I live father out, and Roger would have a hell of a time finding you there."

She looked up into to his eyes, she had had offers before but none of them were ever truly serious. But she saw something, a glimmer of hope. She agreed, and tomorrow was another day. Right now she wanted the here and now.

The End . . .for now. . .