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Johnny's Hair
by Robin R. Neher
Johnny Gage scowled as Chief Hout left the station after informing he and his partner, Roy DeSoto the letters of commendation were given to them in error.
"Don't forget to get your haircut!" Johnny mimicked.
"Johnny, don't be sore." Roy said, joining the dark haired man in the apparatus bay. "The Chief's right. Your hair is getting a little scruffy."
"Roy, the hat wasn't mine!" Johnny argued. "It didn't fit!"
"Johnny, that was your hat. You need a haircut." Roy calmly insisted. "I'll make you an appointment with my barber for tomorrow after shift."
"Okay." Johnny sighed. "I just hate haircuts!"
"Johnny, if you wanna be in the department, you have to obey the regulations." Roy told him.
Just then, the tones sounded.
Station 51, station 86, station 95, truck 127, structure fire. 1289 Rancho Drive. 1289 Rancho Drive. Crosstreet: Davis. Timeout: 21;00.
"Station 51, 10-4-KMG-365." Hank acknowledged, then joined his crew as they sped out of the station.
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Squad and engine fifty-one arrived on scene twenty minutes later. A man rushed out to meet them.
"My wife is still in there!" The man in his sixties yelled.
"Is everyone else out?" Cap asked, pointing to the burning two-story house.
"It's just the Mrs. and me!" The old man coughed as Roy and John joined them in full turnout gear.
"What've we got?" Johnny asked his voice muffled by his air mask.
"There's a lady trapped." Cap informed the medics.
"My Mildred!" The old man coughed and sobbed as Roy and John rushed toward the front door of the burning house, along with Chet and Marco, hose at the ready.
As the foursome entered, Cap was placing other arriving companies where they were needed. Inside the house, the search was underway for the man's wife. The heat and smoke was intense and Roy and John called Mildred's name.
"Mildred!" Johnny and Roy yelled, searching the upstairs by feel and sound, for they were blind due to the dense smoke.
Downstairs, Chet and Marco were doing the same. A few seconds later, the woman was found laying, unconscious on her bedroom floor. Roy and John quickly scooped her up and rushed downstairs and made their way toward the door with Chet and Marco in tow. Just as the were about to exit, a burning beam fell from the living room ceiling, barely missing Johnny, but the flames from the beam igniting the hair that wasn't protected by John's helmet.
Johnny was so busy trying to get the victim out that he didn't realize he was burning until he felt Marco remove his helmet and Chet douse his head with water from the hose. As soon as Mildred was placed in the care of squad 86, Roy rushed over to Johnny.
"John, are you alright?" A worried Roy asked, as John took off his gear.
"Why the fuck was Chet squirting my head?!" Johnny yelled, tossing his turnout coat to the ground.
"Johnny, your hair was on fire!" Roy yelled back. "Didn't you feel it?!"
Johnny quickly placed his right hand on the back of his head and recoiled in horror as he felt the now bald spot near his neck.
"You're not kidding, are you?" John asked Roy as the reality of what had just happened hit him.
"No, Junior." Roy gently replied, as Johnny began to cry.
"John, it's not that bad." Roy assured his partner. "It's just a little patch."
"Tough way to learn a lesson, isn't it, Son?" Chief Hout asked, coming over, just having arrived on scene. "Now, you see why we have the regs we do."
Johnny just glared as the Chief walked away.
"Johnny, you have a first degree burn on your scalp." Roy informed the younger man. "Why don't we go to Rampart to get you checked out?"
"Good idea. I'd rather not be the laughing stock of the whole department!" Johnny griped.
Roy put a comforting arm around Johnny as they walked to the squad. Cap Stanley came over to them.
"Roy, what happened?" Cap asked. "Chet said Johnny was hurt."
Johnny made his way over to the squad as Roy turned to Cap.
"Cap, Johnny's hair caught on fire." Roy informed him. "Chief Hout only made things worse."
"Is John hurt bad?" A concerned Hank asked.
"He has a first degree burn to his scalp." Roy reported. "I'm gonna take him to Rampart."
"Kay." Hank nodded, understandingly as Roy got in on the driver's side of the squad and pulled away from the scene.
"LA, squad 51 10-8 to Rampart." Johnny reported.
Squad 51. Sam acknowledged.
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Twenty minutes later, Johnny emerged from treatment room two, along with Dr. Early.
"Roy, Johnny's gonna be fine." Joe smiled. "He can get back to work. I have him some ointment and a free haircut."
"You had to shave his head." Roy guessed.
"He wasn't too thrilled about that." Joe laughed as John pouted.
"Hey, John, look at the bright side." Roy offered. "You got that hair cut the Chief ordered."
The HT in Roy's hand beeped just then.
Squad 51, are you available? Dispatch came over the radio.
Roy waved at Joe as he and John dashed out the double doors to the squad.
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An hour later, back at the station, Johnny slinked his way to the dorm. When he got there, Chet called from his bed.
"Hey, Gage, nice haircut." Chet teased.
"Kelly, knock it off!" Cap ordered from his own bunk. "John, how are ya feeling, Pal?"
"Okay, I guess." John sighed. "What a hard way to learn a lesson though."
"Sure is." Stanley agreed. "Now you know why the Chief wanted you to get that hair cut."
THE END