The Computer Date

By Marty P.

Johnny Gage loped into the station looking like an eager child bursting to tell a secret and greeted everyone with an enthusiastic, “good morning!”

“Why are you so happy today?” Chet frowned when he discovered he’d missed a button on his work shirt. With a sigh he undid it and started over. His day got worse when he reached into his locker for his badge. “Not again!” He groaned and climbed in to perform an all out search.

Johnny pulled a bulky envelope from behind his back and waved it in the air. “I’m glad you asked Chet, because I’m gonna give computer dating a try. This company has a money back guarantee, so I figure I can’t lose!”

“Good for you Johnny. Lemme know how it goes, okay?” Marco slapped him on the back, giving him a huge grin as he left the locker room.

Roy zipped up his pants and threaded his belt through the loops. “Good luck, Johnny.”

His partner reminded him of an old prospector out seeking gold, who often came home empty-handed. Perhaps this time it would be different. Keeping his thoughts to himself, he bent down to retrieve his shoes.

“I think it’s gonna be a disaster!” Chet’s voice echoed from inside his locker. “There you are!” Chet exclaimed in triumph, holding his badge up to the light. He strolled over to the bathroom mirror and after several attempts, he patted the slightly lopsided badge and muttered, “it looks just fine if I lean a little to the left.”

Johnny watched Chet amble away and turned his attention to his partner, “Roy, ya wanna see the application? I have a bunch of questions to answer.” Johnny plucked the package off the bench and tried to hand it to Roy.

“Not right now, Johnny. We have work to do.” Bending over to lace his shoe, Roy missed the look of disappointment that flitted across Johnny’s face.

“O… kay.” Johnny reluctantly put away the envelope. Well, he thought this computer dating was a great idea. Still feeling upbeat, he smiled at Smokey the Bear and shut his locker.

At 8:00 a.m. Captain Stanley strolled out of his office carrying his trusty clipboard. “Roll call,” he proclaimed as the crew scurried to retrieve their caps. The last ones in formation were Chet and Johnny, who elbowed each other jockeying for the same spot in line. When their movements finally ceased the captain cleared his throat and asked, “are you through?” Sheepishly, they nodded.

The five men stood at attention while the captain inspected them. “Kelly, your badge is crooked. Fix it.” Johnny smirked until he saw the captain giving him a fierce look. Not wanting to get singled out, the paramedic pasted a stern look on his face and Captain Stanley moved on.

“We have a busy day ahead of us. There’s a hose drill this morning at 10 a.m. and we need to test the hydrants in our area. Now, listen up, here are your assignments.” When he’d completed the list, he dismissed the crew.

After the men scattered, Roy went over to the squad and unlatched the compartment door. Reaching in, he pulled out the biocom and placed it on the floor. Rampart, this is Squad 51. We’re ready to test the radio.

Go ahead 51, Dixie’s voice said from the base station.

How do you read, Rampart? A noise startled him. Johnny had been tinkering with the engine and decided right then to slam the hood right then. Distracted by his partner, Roy repeated his question, how do you read, Rampart?

While Roy was busy with the morning checks, Johnny inspected the drug box. As soon as everything was in order, they put away the equipment and went into the deserted kitchen for coffee. After giving Johnny a cup, Roy watched the warm liquid fill his own mug and took a long swallow, “okay, why are you so excited about this computer dating service?’

“I thought you’d never ask!” Johnny replied with such zeal that he nearly spilled his coffee. “One of the guys over at 126 tried them and got hooked up with someone he really likes. This isn’t a typical application; it has some really interesting questions.”

“Oh?” Before Roy could say more, Johnny vanished and returned a few seconds later carrying the envelope.

He dumped the contents out on the table, scanned the form and stopped at number seven, “here’s one, which do you prefer sunrise or sunset?”

Roy leaned over and tried to read through Johnny's hand to see for himself. “So, what was your answer?”

“I wanna know what you think first.” Johnny put the sheet of paper over his chest, making it impossible for Roy to glimpse his answer.

Roy weighed the choices. “You’re right, that one takes some thought. I like mornings but you asked me to compare sunrise and sunset. While I enjoy both, there’s something about watching the colors fade away at sunset. I get this feeling of awe and there’s such an indescribable grandeur…”

“See what I mean? Not as simple as you thought they’d be, huh?” Johnny interrupted him with a smile of self-satisfaction on his face.

Roy took a final sip of coffee and then walked over to the sink with his empty cup. “So, what’d ya put?”

“After considering it for a few minutes I decided I like sunsets more.” Johnny told him as he opened a canister that held saltines and crammed some into his mouth.

“Johnny, we better get back to work,” Roy gathered up the morning newspaper that was strewn on the sofa and out of the corner of his eye he saw his partner put his paperwork back into the manila envelope and lope away. As Roy watched him disappear, the klaxons pealed.

Johnny bolted from the locker room to the passenger side of the squad while Roy whipped past the captain and clambered into the driver’s seat. Quickly donning his helmet, he fired up the engine.

Squad 51, KMG-365, Captain Stanley notified the dispatcher. After scribbling down the address, he shoved it into Roy’s hand. The paramedic grabbed it, flipped on the lights and made a sharp left out of the station.

Ten minutes later the squad arrived at the scene. As they pulled up, a frantic woman in her late forties rushed up to them. The flowers on her housedress swayed with every movement she made, reminding Roy of a wind-tossed field of daisies. “Thank heavens you’re here! Follow me!” she cried, grabbing Johnny’s arm.

Johnny yanked the drug box out of its compartment with his free arm. “Can you tell us what happened, ma’am?”

She pulled harder on Johnny’s elbow. “It’s my husband. He was trying to repair our chain link fence when something jabbed his wrist. Hurry, he’s bleeding!”

“Why don’t you show us the way?” Roy suggested in a calm voice. At last Johnny moved toward the backyard, much to her relief.

“Bert, we’re coming!” she called out to her husband, who was sitting on the ground in front of them. He wore garden smudged trousers and a threadbare plaid shirt. Long strands of thinning gray hair made a feeble attempt to disguise the bald spot on top of his head. As they got closer, Johnny noticed a blood-soaked handkerchief wrapped around his right wrist.

“Hi, my name is Johnny Gage and I’m a paramedic with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Lemme take a look there, Mr…?”

“Smithers, Bert Smithers,” he supplied, blanching as Johnny examined his bloody bandage.

Johnny pulled out a dressing, placed it over the discolored fabric and then wrapped a curlex around it. “Well, Mr. Smithers, we’re gonna take good care of you.”

Meanwhile Roy had opened the biophone and contacted the hospital. Rampart, this is Squad 51, how do you read?

Go ahead, 51, Dr. Morton’s voice answered back.

Johnny put the BP cuff around Mr. Smithers’ left arm and inflated it. After getting a reading he told Roy, “blood pressure is 100/60, pulse is 120 and respirations are 20. His skin is pale and clammy and his pupils are equal and reactive.” Roy relayed the vitals to the base station.

51, start an IV with Ringer’s Lactate, monitor vital signs and transport as soon as possible, Dr. Morton ordered.

10-4, Rampart, Roy acknowledged, repeating the instructions. As he handed the IV to Johnny he heard the wail of the ambulance siren. “Johnny, you need help?” Roy saw his partner had already placed a tourniquet around the man’s arm and was ready to insert the needle. Johnny shook his head.

“Mrs. Smithers?” Roy latched the biocom and stood up.

The woman slowly focused her attention on Roy. “Will he be okay?” She asked in a quavering voice. “Bert never gets hurt.”

He saw tears glistening in her eyes. “He’ll be fine. The doctors at Rampart will take good care of him.” Roy saw her searching for a handkerchief and produced his, “now would you like to ride in the ambulance with him?”

“Could I?” with a look of surprise, she stopped dabbing her eyes.

The ambulance attendants hauled the stretcher into the backyard and lifted Mr. Smithers onto it. “I’ll go in with him, Roy,” Johnny announced as he followed his patient. Within seconds they loaded the injured man into the waiting ambulance. Roy handed Johnny their equipment, and then guided Mrs. Smithers to the front seat.

After watching the emergency vehicle pull away, he walked over to the waiting squad, put away the gear and started the engine. Seven minutes later Roy stood at the charge desk waiting for Johnny to appear. As usual the Emergency Room bustled with activity.

Dixie strode up to the desk with a friendly smile on her face, “well good morning Roy. Are you staying as busy as we are today?” She slid a chart into its slot and scooted the stool out from under the desk.

“I’m fine. How’s Mr. Smithers?” Dixie opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by a paramedic unit calling the base station.

A few seconds later, Roy saw Johnny come out of Treatment Room 4. When he reached the desk, Roy inquired, “how’s Mr. Smithers doin’?”

Johnny parked the biocom by his feet and stretched, “Doctor Morton says he’ll be fine.”

“Glad to hear it.” Roy went behind the desk and retrieved the supplies they needed. He jotted down what they were and signed for them. Tucking them under his arm, he picked up the drug box and asked, “ready?”

Johnny snatched the biocom off the floor and scampered after his partner. “Yeah, let’s head back to the station.” As they climbed into the cab, Johnny made them available and turned his attention to Roy, “now, about that dating service.”

“Oh, we’re back to that discussion again?” Roy knew Johnny would keep harping on this topic the entire shift.

Johnny plunged in, “whatcha think about this question? You win $1,000,000. Do you quit your job?” He sat there gazing out the window and then turned toward Roy.

Roy thought for a moment while they sat at a stoplight. ““Never really thought about it. I like my job. I guess I’d keep working,”

Johnny hadn’t heard what Roy answered because he’d been lost in his own thoughts. “Sure would be great to have the money to spend, wouldn’t it?”

“I can always find ways to spend money, Johnny.” Roy glanced in the side mirror as the light turned green and tapped his foot on the accelerator.

“Well, I’m gonna tell ya what I decided to answer.” Johnny put his arm on the back of the seat and watched the car in front of them change lanes. “At first I thought it would be great just to have the money.” He envisioned a boat, a new car, and a comfortable house. “But the more I thought about it the more I realized saving lives gives me a feeling of satisfaction that money can’t buy. Oh, I‘d definitely enjoy the money but I’d keep working.”

Much to his surprise, Roy discovered he was intrigued by the questionnaire. “Got any other questions from that application?”

“Yeah, listen to this one. What is your favorite day of the week?” The sound of the radio suspended their conversation. Station 86, fire at 1422 Adams Street.

Roy drove in silence, pondering the question. “That’s not easy for a firefighter to answer, is it? I mean we don’t have a five days on, two days off schedule like many working people.”

Johnny looked pleased that Roy was expressing an interest in his latest obsession.

“Yeah, that’s why I haven’t figured out what I wanna put yet.”

Roy backed the squad into the apparatus bay and the two men made their way into the dayroom. Chet sat on the sofa reading the sports section but when he spotted the paramedics he folded up the paper and followed them over to the table. “How was your run?”

“The man’s gonna be fine,” Roy informed him, picking up the front page and scanning the headline.

“So Gage, tell me about this dating thing,” Chet tried to act nonchalant but wasn’t able to hide his curiosity.

“Kelly, this company asks some really deep questions. Lemme get the forms to show ya.” Johnny galloped out of the room and quickly returned to Chet’s side with the envelope.

“Deep? Deep questions? Ya gotta be kidding me! I don’t think you’d know a deep question if it stared ya in the face,” Chet needled, knowing Johnny would rise to the bait. He wasn’t disappointed.

“Chet, I’m gonna show you!” Johnny told him with indignation as he slid the papers out onto the table. He scanned the pages and pointed to number 37. “Here, read this one,” he demanded, jabbing his finger at it.

When Johnny finally moved his finger out of the way, Chet read the question, “you finally get an opportunity to meet your favorite movie star. As you enter the room, a child is crying. Who do you approach first?”

Johnny tapped his foot impatiently and waited for Chet to reply. “Okay, Kelly. Tell me your answer.”

Chet kept repeating the phrases while he debated what to do. “My favorite movie star? Have I ever met her before? A kid crying?”

“Uh huh, now what would you put?” Johnny was enjoying Chet’s discomfort.

“How hard is the kid crying? Is he hurt? Is he lost?” It was obvious Chet had no clue how to answer.

Johnny took a banana out of the fruit bowl and peeled it and stuffed it in his mouthwolfing it down. “C’mon Chet, I don’t have all day.”

Chet broke out of his reverie and looked at Johnny. “Well, I guess I would go up to the kid first and then I’d rush over to the movie star. Okay, these questions are different than most.” Chet admitted with reluctance as he went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of milk.

“See, I told ya so,” Johnny replied with a grin of satisfaction. It wasn’t often Chet admitted Johnny was right. Roy stopped reading an article on water polo and watched the two men with interest.

Chet opened the cupboard door, got out a glass, and poured milk into it. “Well, how do you fill out the forms?”

“Oh, it’s all computerized. I decide what I wanna put and then fill in these little circles with a number 2 pencil.” Johnny found the answer key and handed it to him. While the fireman studied it, Johnny leaned over and picked up Chet’s glass.

Reaching for his glass of milk, Chet gave the form back to him. When he realized Johnny had drunk it he uttered, “Gage!” in an exasperated voice.

Johnny gave him a mischievous grin and then wiped his hand across his mouth to remove the white mustache he’d just created. He started to give Chet a smart remark but the tones sounded and the dispatcher’s voice blared over the loudspeaker.

The captain moved to the microphone and acknowledged the call. While he jotted down the address, the two paramedics scrambled into the squad and got ready to leave the station.

A few minutes later they pulled into the fire lane at the school. The assistant principal, a rotund gentleman in his early fifties, stood at the curb waiting for them, “there was an accident on the baseball field during P.E. class. I’ll take your there.”

“What happened?” Roy asked, following the overweight man to a nearby field.

The administrator stopped to catch his breath, “they were playing ball and the catcher got hit in the nose.”

Roy and Johnny saw the teacher waving them over and passed their guide. “Hi, I’m glad you’re here. I keep telling them to they need to wear a mask but kids never think anything will happen to them.”

Johnny took off his helmet and gave the injured student his attention. “Let’s take a look. My name is Johnny Gage and you are?”

The teenager tried to back away from Johnny’s probing fingers, “Joseph, Joseph Douglass.” Johnny completed his palpation and then checked the boy’s pupils.

“Well Joseph, it appears you broke your nose.” He pulled his green pen out of his pocket and opened his notepad. “Did he black out?”

“No, I’ve been keeping a close eye on him.” The teacher noticed the rest of the class hovering around them and blew his whistle. “Hit the showers, boys. There’s nothing to see here.”

Roy positioned the blood pressure cuff and pumped it up, “Johnny, “BP is 128/88, pulse is 84 and respirations are 16.”

Johnny switched on the biophone. Rampart, this is Squad 51, how do you read?

Unit calling in repeat, Dr. Early’s voice boomed over the airwaves.

This is Squad 51. We have a sixteen-year-old male who was hit in the face with a baseball and has a broken nose. Vitals are: blood pressure: 128/88, pulse: 84, respirations: 16. Pupils are equal and reactive.

10-4, Rampart. Johnny replied. When the ambulance attendants arrived Johnny helped lift the student onto the stretcher. “I’ll go in with him,” Roy told Johnny as he picked up the drug box and followed his patient.

Johnny placed the biophone by Roy, slammed the door shut and traipsed over to the squad. Ten minutes later he parked the squad at the emergency entrance and entered the hospital.

Dixie came up to the base station and saw Johnny standing there nursing a cup of coffee.

“Hey Johnny, how are you?” She came around the desk and pulled out her chair.

“Fine Dix.” Hey, did Roy tell you I’m trying a computer dating service?”

“No Johnny, he didn’t.” Dixie sank into the chair, wondering why this young, bright and handsome paramedic wanted to use a computer to assist him with dating but she was too tactful to say anything. “It’s not your average dating service. The application has some really unusual questions.” He put down his empty mug and moved to stand in front of her.

Dixie’s curiosity was piqued. “Oh? Like what?”

“It’s a blustery day. If you had a choice would you want a strong tail wind or a brisk head wind?” An attractive woman walking down the hall distracted Johnny.

Dixie grinned when she saw his eyes light up. “That is pretty thought provoking. You could interpret it in several ways.”

Johnny’s face fell when a man came up and kissed the young lady. “Huh? Oh, yeah, I still haven’t decided what I’m gonna put.”

Roy left treatment room 4 and strolled up to Johnny and Dixie. “How’s the baseball player doin’?” Johnny asked when he was within earshot.

“I think he’ll wear a catcher’s mask whenever he plays now. Doc says they’ll keep him overnight for observation but he should be fine.” Roy saw a spot on the back of Johnny’s trousers and tried to brush it off.

Johnny glared at his partner, “what are you doing?”

“You got some dirt or something on you, Johnny.” Roy explained as he watched Johnny turn clockwise and then counterclockwise in an attempt to see the stain.

“Do you see anything, Dixie?” Johnny stood with his back to her and craned his neck to discover what was on him.

“Yeah, it looks like you picked up some mud or something somewhere.” Dixie informed him as she rose to leave the nurses’ station.

Roy gave Dixie a farewell nod and strolled toward the exit, “let’s go.” Johnny scurried after him, muttering about having to change his pants.

On their ride back to the station Johnny brought up his favorite topic once again, “Dixie was impressed when I told her about the dating service.”

“That’s nice,” Roy replied absent-mindedly. Chris had been having nightmares and he and Joanne had tried everything they could think of to reassure him but he still woke them up nightly.

Johnny, oblivious to Roy’s inattentiveness continued, “You know, I’m learning some things about myself. These questions make me think.” He paused, expecting Roy to jump in with a comment.

Roy came out of his reverie, “what?” What makes you think?”

“Roy, the questions on the application. Aren’t you listening to me?” Johnny gave him a disgruntled look.

Roy put his thoughts about Chris’ nightmares on hold and decided to take the diplomatic approach, “I am now.”

“Take this one for instance. Your best friend needs a ride home. You have a date with someone for the first time. Do you keep the date or take your friend home? I mean it made me think about what I thought was important,” Johnny explained.

Roy concentrated his attention on backing the squad into the station while Johnny answered him, “so, what’d ya choose?”

“Actually, it was a no-brainer. My best friend would come first,” Johnny told him loyally.

The two men headed to the kitchen, hoping lunch was ready. Chet had his back to them and was using a spatula at the stove. Johnny groaned when he saw the ketchup and mustard on the table. “Are we havin’ hamburgers again?” He complained, chomping on a carrot stick.

“C’mon Gage, tell me what you usually order at a fast food restaurant!” Chet slapped Johnny’s hand away as he slid the hot French fries from a cookie sheet into a serving dish.

John nabbed a hot potato slice out of the bowl and popped it in his mouth.

“A burger, what’s your point?”

In the middle of the meal, the engine was called out to a brushfire so Johnny and Roy put away the food and cleaned up the kitchen. “How soon will you get a date after you complete your application?” Roy asked as he wiped grease off the stove.

“I guess in a few days. Oh, did I tell you, they put you together solely on what you put on your form? You don’t even see a picture of the person before your first date. I think that’s kinda cool actually.” Johnny gave the plate he was drying a few quick swipes and stuck it in the cupboard.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the engine returning to the station.

They heard doors slamming and then Marco came into the kitchen. “Hey Johnny, Chet told me you showed him your dating questions. Lemme know how it goes for you; I might wanna try it too.”

“Sure Marco. Would ya like to hear a few of the questions right now?” Johnny tossed the dishtowel on the counter and headed toward his locker before Marco could respond. He returned in a flash with a bunch of papers in his hand, “here, take a look at number 62.”

Marco took the wrinkled page he was holding out and read, “which activity are you more likely to choose? Attending a baseball game or going for a hike with a few close friends?

“Man, that’s a tough one. Whatcha gonna say?”

“I guess if I only had a few seconds to debate I would choose hiking.” Johnny opened his mouth to say more but the tones cut him off.

Station 51, fire at 295 Cantrell. Two nine five Cantrell. Time out 1421.

Within a few seconds everyone was on board and the equipment pulled out of the station. When they pulled up a young teenager dashed out the front door and ran up to them. Her long, straight brown hair covered the embroidery on her square-necked Mexican blouse and her sandaled feet were hidden by the fraying on her bell-bottomed blue jeans, “it’s okay. The fire’s out.”

“Are you sure young lady? The captain looked for signs of smoke from the residence,

“since we’re here we’ll take a look around. Kelly, grab a fire extinguisher and check the…” he gave the teenage girl a questioning look.

“Kitchen,” she watched Chet jog into the house. “The fire was in the kitchen.”

Cap took her by the arm and moved her closer to the street, “now, can you tell me what happened?”

“Well, I baby sit these two boys. While I was watching The Young and the Restless, they found some matches in the kitchen. The six-year-old decided to light one and he dropped it into the trashcan. As soon as I smelled smoke, I called the operator and then I poured water on it. It’s out.” Her facial expressions showed how frightened she was when she discovered the fire.

Roy had put his helmet on the top of the squad and returned just in time to hear her describe the fire. “What’s your name?”

“Shelly, Shelly Adams.” She looked down at the ground and scowled when she saw the red nail polish on her big toe was chipping off.

“Shelly, where are the boys now?” As Roy asked his question he and the other members of the crew scanned the yard for them.

Her head flew up and they could hear the anger in her voice, “I told them to sit on the sofa and not move ‘til I got back. They knew they were in big trouble!”

“Let’s go talk to them,” Roy led everyone to the front door and held it open so Shelly could go in first.

As they entered the house, Chet came out of the kitchen. “She was right. Fire’s out.”

Roy walked into the living room and spied two boys sitting on the sofa. The five-year-old wore blue jeans and a red and white striped shirt that was decorated with chocolate stains. His brother, who appeared to be about a year older, was dressed in a faded white T-shirt with a picture of Lee Majors and the words “The Six Million Dollar Man” on it. He gazed defiantly at the men. “Hi boys, I’m Roy, and this is my partner Johnny. Can you tell us your names?”

“I’m Joey, this here’s my brother Sam,” the younger boy replied, pointing to his sibling.

“You realize you shouldn’t play with matches, right?” Johnny reminded them. “They’re very dangerous.”

“Well, I never saw fire hurt Steve Austin on TV!” Sam told him belligerently, puckering up his face in disgust.

Roy stooped in front of him and made eye contact, “Sam, television shows are make-believe. Fire can hurt you very badly.”

Joey’s eyes widened, “I sure got scared when the fire got big so quick!”

“Sam, we need you and Joey to promise you won’t play with matches anymore,” Roy said gently. All of them saw Joey start to agree until Sam shook his head at him. The room became silent.

Chet shifted the fire extinguisher to his other hand and smiled at them, “tell ya what Sam, you promise and we’ll show ya our fire station,”

“Really?” Sam’s face brightened. “And I can make the siren go, too?”

“Yeah, but you have to keep your promise to us,” Chet’s smile vanished and Sam knew the firemen would check on him.

Sam sprang eagerly to his feet, “okay, can we go now?”

“Sorry kid, your mom or dad hafta bring ya. We hafta follow rules too,” Chet told him as he patted his shoulder.

Sam pleaded with his whole being, “but you promise?”

“You betcha. I’ll call your house tonight,” Chet pledged, solemnly shaking hands with the young man.

Captain Stanley studied everyone in the room, “I think our job here is done. Let’s go.”

When he got to the door, the captain eyed the babysitter and her charges, “we won’t get called back here, right?”

“No mister,” Sam answered for all of them. Satisfied, the Captain motioned to his crew and they returned to the station.

Johnny, Roy and Chet sat around the kitchen table working on some of the never-ending paperwork that came with their job. “Hey Chet, how’d you know that kid would want to come to the station?” Johnny asked curiously as he got up to sharpen his pencil.

Chet chomped his last bite of apple and threw the core into the trash. “Well, I once knew this kid who thought it would be cool to play with matches. A fireman asked him to visit the station and the kid grew up to be a fireman.” He left the room to see if Marco needed help rolling hose.

“Roy, do you think Chet was talking about himself?”

“I dunno Johnny, with Chet it’s always hard to say.” Roy, struck by a possible solution to Chris’ nightmare problem, got up to phone Joanne.

The crew stayed busy the rest of the shift. Two days later when Johnny came in, he walked past Roy and swung open his locker. Roy heard him rifle through it until he exclaimed, “there it is!” Delighted, he held up the dating application envelope so Roy could see it. “Man, I was sure I took this home with me. I turned my apartment upside down looking for it!”

Roy caught Johnny’s excitement and grinned at his partner, “so, you gonna finish it this shift?”

“You better believe it. I wanna find out who they set me up with!” Johnny put the precious documents on the bench next to him and slipped into his work shoes.

Roy took his work shirt off the hanger. As he shrugged into it, he asked Johnny, “how many questions do you still need to answer, Johnny?”

Johnny tightened his shoelaces and stood up, “around ten I think.”

While Johnny finished dressing, Roy wandered into the kitchen. “Mornin’ Roy, nice to see you,” Marco licked his pencil stub and added hot peppers to the grocery list.

“Hi Marco, you make the coffee?” Roy found a cup and filled it with the steamy, aromatic brew.

Marco opened the refrigerator to check on the milk supply and to see if there were any vegetables he could use for dinner, “yeah I did. Hey Roy, would you rather have enchiladas or burritos for supper?”

“How ‘bout enchiladas but whatever you make always seems to taste great,” Roy complimented the best chef on their shift.

“Thanks, I’m glad you like what I fix.” Marco told him in a pleased voice as he moved over to inspect the canned goods, making sure they had tomato sauce. “Is Johnny here yet?”

“Yeah, he’s still filling out that computer dating application. I hope he finishes it today.” Roy knew what Johnny would keep bringing up the topic for the rest of the day.

The subject of his thoughts breezed into the room, “howdy Marco! Where is everybody?”

“They’re all around somewhere,” Marco informed him, returning his attention to his list.

Johnny tossed the envelope onto the table and pulled out a chair. After removing its contents he searched for a pencil. He finally spotted one by the television and got to work, “let’s see, number 21: do you like to travel?” He mumbled to himself as he filled in his answer. He turned the page. “Number 42: do you prefer dining at a fine restaurant that requires formal attire or wearing casual dress to a family establishment? This one’s easy too.”

Johnny’s mention of eating establishments caught Marco’s attention, “oh? “What’d ya put for that one?”

Roy whispered to him, “he’s gonna say casual dress.” He drained his cup and reached for the coffeepot so he could refill his cup.

“Huh?” Marco’s chuckle broke Johnny’s concentration, “what’d ya ask me, Marco?”

“I told him you would pick casual dining,” Roy replied with a twinkle in his eye.

Johnny looked at his partner and smiled, “yeah, I did! I guess ya know me pretty well, don’t ya?”

“Roll call gentleman,” Captain Stanley announced. Johnny scooped up his paperwork, shoved it in the envelope and hurried to his locker. He was the last one to slide into position in front of the captain. “Glad you could join us, Gage.”

“Sorry Cap,” Johnny apologized. He shoved his cap on his head and stood up straight while he watched the captain pace in front of him.

“Well, in honor of your tardiness I’ll give Kelly a break on latrine duty and let you fill that role.” The captain watched Chet’s face as he made his pronouncement.

Chet beamed and looked mischievously at Johnny. “Thanks Gage, would you be late more often?”

“Shut up Chet,” Johnny mumbled under his breath, tempted to cuff the man next to him.

After covering the activities and duties for the day, Captain Stanley released the crew. Johnny reluctantly went to the closet and gathered the cleaning supplies he needed. As he finished polishing the mirror, the claxons went off and Sam Lanier’s voice came over the speakers.

When the crew stopped at the scene, they caught sight of a badly mangled bicycle lying next to the tire of a white Rambler. The thrown rider was several feet away, facedown on the pavement. Roy and Johnny hauled their equipment out of the squad and rushed to his side. Just as they began their assessment, a woman wearing a green shirtwaist dress and a yellow gingham apron ran over to them. She knelt over the boy and tried to gather him in her arms, “Aaron! Aaron!”

“Ma’am, don’t touch him. You might injure him more!” Johnny commanded as he grasped her shoulders. “We’re paramedics with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. I’m Johnny Gage and that man over there is my partner Roy DeSoto.”

“What’s your name?” Roy asked her as he handed Johnny the BP cuff.

“Mrs. Rogers, that’s my son Aaron and we live across the street. I heard the sirens but I didn’t know they were for him!” She bit her quivering lips while she watched Johnny take Aaron’s pulse.

Engine 51 checked the vehicle for fuel leaks and stood by ready to provide further assistance. The captain noticed a distraught woman wearing a blue dress and a matching pillbox hat standing near the sedan, “is this your car, madam?”

She pulled off one of her white gloves and fumbled with the clasp on her handbag, “yes, I can’t believe I hit that little boy! I just didn’t see him. Maybe I’m getting too old to drive! Is he…dead?” After searching for a minute, she located a lacy starched handkerchief and wiped her eyes.

“No ma’am, he’s not dead.” The captain pointed out Johnny and Roy, “see those men?

“They’re trained to give medical assistance.”

Motioning Mike over to her side, he instructed, “Stoker, keep an eye on her. She’s pretty upset.”

“Sure Cap.” The engineer guided her to some steps nearby and helped her sit down.

“My name is Mike Stoker. I’m a firefighter with the Los Angeles County Fire Department. What’s your name, ma’am?”

“Mrs. Johnson,” Mike hovered over her while they watched the scene in front of them.

“It’ll be okay, Mrs. Johnson. Those paramedics treating the little boy know what they’re doing. They’ll take good care of him.” As he spoke Roy activated the biocom.

51, standby, Dr. Brackett’s voice crackled over the line.

10-4, Rampart.

Go ahead, 51, Dr. Brackett told him a few seconds later.

51, start an IV with Ringer’s lactate and transport as soon as possible, Dr. Brackett ordered.

10-4, Rampart, Roy removed the IV setup and the Ringer’s solution from the drug box for Johnny to use.

Mike, who had been distracted by Roy’s communication, turned his attention back to Mrs. Johnson and saw that she looked very pale. “Roy! I need you over here!”

Grabbing the drug box, Roy galloped toward Mrs. Johnson. Just before he reached her she collapsed. Thinking quickly, Mike caught her just before her head hit the pavement. The two men laid her on the grass and Roy began ministering to her. Wha…happened?” she asked a few seconds later when Roy checked her pupils.

“You fainted Mrs. Johnson.” Roy explained as he unwound his stethoscope and draped it around his neck. Mike got up and brought over her hat, which had flown off when she fell over.

“Oh…the accident!” She remembered with distress.

Roy patted her shoulder and said in a calm voice, “don’t worry about that. Let’s take care of you right now.”

Vince Coleman came toward them with a boy tagging after him. The child sucked in his upper lip and made a smacking sound. The officer gently pushed him toward the woman. “Ma’am? This is Donny, a friend of the boy who was hurt. He has something to tell you.”

“Lady, we were goofing around on our bikes. Aaron saw your car coming and bragged that he could get across the street before you came.” Donny stood first on one foot and then on the other, swaying as he told his story. “It wasn’t your fault. We yelled at him to stop but he wouldn’t.” Donny looked down at her and she saw his lips trembling.

Her grandmotherly instincts surfaced and she was tempted to hug him. She murmured, “thank you, Donny.” But her thoughts were interrupted when she felt the blood pressure cuff tighten on her arm, “what are you doing?”

“It’s okay ma’am, he’s just taking your vital signs.” Mike Stoker said, setting her handbag and her crumpled handkerchief on the ground next to her hat.

Roy took the stethoscope out of his ears, “Mrs. Johnson, I’d like you to go into Rampart with us.” Without waiting for her to respond he called over to Chet, “bring me the biophone!” Chet grabbed the orange box and carried it to Roy, who reopened communications with the hospital.

Rampart, this is Squad 51. We have a second victim at the scene.

Go ahead, 51, Dr. Brackett nodded to Dixie, who began taking notes on another chart.

Victim 2 is a 60-year-old female. She had a syncopal episode. Her vitals are: BP: 130/90, pulse is 120 and respirations are 24. Her pupils are equal and reactive.

51, is the patient complaining of pain anywhere? Dr. Brackett heard Squad 16 contact the hospital and begin their report.

Roy spoke to Mr. Johnson again, “do you hurt anywhere? Are you having any trouble breathing?” He asked as he palpated her abdomen. She shook her head.

10-4, Rampart.

“You had quite a scare today so we’re gonna take you to the hospital and make sure you’re okay.” Roy gave her a reassuring smile and glanced up to see how Johnny was doing. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the ambulance pull up to the scene.

They loaded both patients into the ambulance and Roy handed Johnny the biophone. After the unit left, he went over to the squad, slammed the compartment doors, and drove to Rampart. He entered the hospital just as they were taking Mrs. Johnson’s gurney into Treatment Room 5. Following her into the room, he greeted Joe Early and Dixie McCall.

“Good morning Doctor Early, this is Mrs. Johnson. She fainted at the scene. I told her you’d check her out.”

Dr. Early gave her a warm smile and adjusted the lamp over the treatment table. “Hello, Mrs. Johnson. What happened?”

“Well, I ran into this little boy!” Her voice rose as she replayed the scene in her mind.

Dixie consoled her, squeezing her hand, “there there, Mrs. Johnson. It’ll by okay.”

Roy watched while Dixie comforted the woman, “you still need me Doc?”

“No, we’re fine here Roy,” Doctor Early waved him off and returned his attention to Mrs. Johnson.

As Roy went into the hall, he saw Johnny exiting from Treatment Room 4. “How’s the boy?”

Johnny held the biocom out for Roy to take while they walked to the nurses’ station, “they’re taking x-rays right now. They’ll have to surgically set his femur and he’ll be here for a while. Hey, did Vince tell you the woman was only going 10 miles an hour?”

“No, I hadn’t heard that.” Roy thought of the sweet lady he’d just left and didn’t say anything for a minute.

“Can you imagine what injuries that kid mighta suffered if she’d been going faster?” Johnny’s face conveyed his thoughts.

“Well, let’s be glad she wasn’t. She’s really blaming herself for hitting him. But a kid at the scene told us Aaron was playing “chicken” with the car. Vince brought him over while you were with the boy.” Roy pulled the antenna up on the handie talkie. Squad 51 available. He hooked it on his belt and started walking down the hall, “ready Johnny?”

“Yup, let’s go,” Johnny moved over to the right to make room for a gurney and sauntered out to the squad. Can I drive?”

Roy stowed their gear and opened the passenger door, “fine with me.”

As they pulled away from the hospital, Johnny exclaimed, “Now, I can get back to that application!”

“Johnny, we have to go over the specs for that new paint warehouse they just completed on Wellburn,” Roy reminded him. When the two men strolled into the dayroom, they found the rest of the crew waiting for them.

The captain pointed to the diagram on the board behind him, “have a seat gentlemen.” He discussed the construction of the building, identified all the exits, and described how materials were stored. By the time they finished it was lunchtime.

In the late afternoon Johnny finally got back to the application. He worked quietly for a few minutes contemplating his answers. “Okay guys, I have two questions left, wanna hear ‘em?” Without waiting for a reply he began to read, “is your glass half-full or half-empty?”

“Did they ask whether your brain is half-empty or half-full?” Chet smirked at his smart remark and moved Henry off his lap so he could go sit near Johnny.

Johnny frowned at the fireman as he slid into a chair beside him, “cut it out, this is serious!” Ignoring the paramedic’s reaction, Chet stayed right where he was.

Roy noticed some cookie crumbs on the table and wiped them off with a damp rag, “what do you think Johnny?”

“I think I’m a pretty positive person. I’m gonna put half-full.” Johnny picked up his pencil and carefully filled in the matching dot on the answer sheet. “This is the last question. Do you tend to act and then think or think first before acting?” He looked around the room, expecting the crew to provide assistance.

After a long pause, Captain Stanley answered for everyone, “Johnny, you tend to leap before you look.”

“Huh? I guess you’re right, Cap.” He quickly blackened in the appropriate number and shuffled the papers into a neat stack. Then he slid them into the envelope, “all right, I’m done!” He rose from the table with a gleeful look.

“It’s about time, Gage.” Chet drummed his fingers on the table, “now can we talk about something else?”

“Fine, what do you wanna talk about?” Johnny retorted as he left to deposit his treasure in his locker.

Calls kept the men busy the rest of the shift. As they changed into their street clothes, Johnny turned to Roy, “can I call you when I hear from the dating service?”

“Sure Johnny,” Roy told him, glad that he was no longer looking for that ‘special someone.’

“I hope they call me later today. I think I’ll drop off the application on my way home.” Johnny babbled on, tucking in his shirt. He grabbed his jacket and waited for Roy to join him. When they got to their cars, Johnny unlocked the Land Rover and hopped in. After rolling down the window he backed out, waved to Roy, and sped away.

At the beginning of the next shift Johnny trudged into the station. “Oh boy, I don’t think Romeo’s heard anything yet,” Chet commented after spying Gage’s somber face.

“They promised they’d call today. Gimme a break!” Frustrated, Johnny tossed his jacket into his locker. “I can’t figure out what’s taking them so long!”

“Maybe you broke their computer,” Chet speculated. The glaring look Johnny gave him made him put up his hands in self-defense. “I was just kidding!”

An hour later the crew sat in the kitchen chomping on donuts Mike had picked up on his way into work. Just then the phone rang. Johnny leapt out of his chair and galloped over to it. “Hello,” he mumbled, nearly choking on the food he was trying to swallow. “It’s them!” He leaned against the wall, plucked the green pen out of his pocket, and flipped open his notebook, “her name is…Meg Fredericks.” After repeating her phone number, he hung up. Rubbing his hands together he said to no one in particular, “I wonder if it’s too early to call her?”

“I’d wait, Johnny,” Roy suggested, wondering if she was even awake.

When the dinner dishes were done and the floor was mopped, Johnny went in search of Captain Stanley. He found him in his office. “Hey Cap, could I use your phone?”

The captain shoved the telephone to the corner of the desk, “Go ahead Gage,”

“In private?” Johnny pleaded, pulling out the sheet that held the phone number.

“Alright.” Captain Stanley rose from his chair and went to join the rest of the shift who were sitting in front of the television watching a show on bears.

A few minutes later Johnny came into the dayroom beaming, “She’s going out with me tomorrow night! I can hardly wait!”

“That’s great, Johnny. I’m happy for you.” Marco flashed a smile at him and saw Johnny get out the yellow pages to look up restaurants.

As they bedded down for the night, Johnny whispered to Roy. “I thought we might go to an Italian restaurant. You know, the kind with the red and white-checkered tablecloths and the candle stuck in the wine bottle. Whatcha think?”

Roy yawned at his partner and rolled over, “sounds good.”

“Go to sleep, Gage!” Chet bellowed from his bunk.

Several days later, Johnny pulled into a parking place behind the station. As he got out of the Land Rover, Chet joined him. “So, how was your date, Johnny?”

“Nice Chet,” Johnny shrugged and walked past him.

Chet’s eyes twinkled and he went for the jugular, “nice?” He caught up with Johnny, “that means it was a flop!”

Johnny tried to evade further questioning by entering the locker room. “Leave me alone, would ya?”

Glancing up when the door opened, Roy asked, “hey Johnny, how’d your date go?” Roy saw Johnny shake his head quickly.

“He said it was nice,” Chet marched to his locker and untucked his shirt.

“Johnny? Roy probed, “wanna talk about it?” He put his foot on the bench and gave Johnny an opportunity to speak.

After opening his locker, Johnny began, “she really was a very nice lady. We had a lot in common but there was just one problem.”

“Was she married?” Chet sat at the end of the bench in front of his locker, eager to hear the rest of the story.

“No, actually she’s a widow.” Johnny took a seat in his locker and cupped his chin in his hand.

“Okay, so what was the problem?” a very interested Chet Kelly wanted to know. “C’mon Gage, I don’t get it.”

With a sigh, Johnny finally answered his question, “her age. We really had a lot in common but there was a huge gap in our ages.”

“Like what?” Chet forgot all about changing into his uniform, “five years? Ten years?”

“No, like twenty…” Johnny mumbled into his locker.

Chet came up next to him, “what’d ya say? I missed that!”

Johnny stood up and gave him a fierce stare. “I said she was twenty-five years older than me! Happy now?”

Chet’s humor kicked in and he burst out laughing, “gonna get your money back? Huh?” Johnny inhaled, trying to control his frustration. “Gage, you musta been in shock when you met her. I can’t wait to tell the rest of the crew.” Chet pictured the look on Johnny’s face when he introduced himself.

“Lay off, would ya Chet.” Roy spoke up, coming to Johnny’s defense. Chet put himself in Johnny’s shoes and then shut his mouth. After he finished dressing, he left the two paramedics alone.

“Johnny? Wanna talk about it?”

“Roy, she really was a very sweet lady. We both felt bad. As soon as I got home I called the dating service but there was no one there. I’m gonna call when they open and find out what happened.” When they had time for a break, Johnny grabbed the payphone and dialed the number of the dating service. They transferred him to customer service and he explained what had happened.

“My application said my age was what? I did?” Johnny’s voice got louder as the conversation continued. “You’re saying this was my fault?” When he hung up the phone, Johnny looked stunned. “You know the application had all those circles you had to pencil in? Well…they told me I gave my age as 52, not 25! Man, I don’t believe it.”

Johnny buried his head in his hands unable to comprehend what he’d done. He reached for the phone again. “I promised I’d call Meg and tell her what happened.” Johnny leaned against the brick wall and watched Henry snoozing on the sofa. When he heard the other party pick up the phone he jolted upright.

“Hello? Meg, this is Johnny Gage. I’m fine, thank you. I wanted you to know I got an answer from the dating service.” His voice trailed off as she replied.

“They told me I made an error when I listed my age. Hard to believe, isn’t it? I’m really sorry.” Marco and Roy couldn’t hear the rest of their conversation but when it ended Johnny wore a happy grin.

Just then Chet, who had been emptying the garbage, came into the room. “So Gage, what’d they say?”

“I made a mistake when I gave my personal information,” Johnny went to the cabinet and took out a brown mug. “I listed my age as 52.”

“Gage, only you could make a mistake like that! Chet looked puzzled, “but you’re smiling? Why’s that?”

“Oh, that’s because Meg wants me to take her daughter out. He filled the mug with coffee and took a long drink, “she thought we’d get along real well!”

Chet processed the news, “you’re kidding!” He shook his head in disbelief, “I can’t believe it!” He sputtered, “she wants you to date her daughter? Only you Gage. Of all the luck!”

“What’s luck got to do with it? She liked me!” Johnny set his empty cup down and started making plans, “bowling might make a nice first date or going to a movie or …”

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May Picture 2015            Stories by Marty P.