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Root of All Evil
by Robin R Neher
Johnny Gage looked around at his fellow firemen in shock as the drawing of numbers of the state lottery ended.
"Guys, Those numbers match my ticket!" Johnny gasped. "Guys, I think I may have just won some money!"
"Are you sure, Pal?" Captain Henry Stanley asked.
"Cap, the numbers match, see?" Johnny asked, handing Cap his ticket.
Cap scanned the ticket and compared it with the numbers he had written as they were being called out on TV.
"Did anyone hear the last number?" Hank asked his men.
All shook their heads.
"Guess we were talking too much to hear." Chet Kelly replied.
"Cap, what if that is the winning ticket?" Johnny asked. "What would I do with that kind of money?"
"Johnny, you don't know anything yet, so relax." Hank told him. "Just hold on to this ticket and don't lose it! If it is the winner, we'll cross that bridge when we get there."
"Will I have to share it with the guys?" Johnny worried.
"Only if you want to, Pal." Cap assured the young Paramedic. "We're not gonna force you into anything, are we, Guys?"
There was no response.
"I said, are we, Guys?" Hank repeated.
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"No, Sir!" The guys all responded instantly this time.
"We don't want to make John feel as if we're taking advantage of him. He hasn't won anything yet.." Hank reminded his crew. "If Gage has won, the money is his to do as he wishes with it."
"If I do win, you guys will be remembered." Johnny added. "I do have one condition. That you use the money I give you to help others besides yourselves."
"Mine will go to set up a college fund for my kids." Roy grinned.
"That isn't what I meant, Roy." John shook his head. "There are alot of poor folks in LA. People who won't have the opportunities you all have had."
"So you want us to be charitable?" Chet asked.
"Exactly. You see, guys, If I win, the money, all of it, will go to charity." Johnny smiled. "Let it go to people who really need it. I live okay on a fireman's salary."
"But, Johnny, don't you want anything?" Marco Lopez asked.
"Marco, I don't need or want anything more then I already have." Johnny stated, heading for the latrine.
The other guys all shook their heads.
"C'mon, Guys. Johnny's right." Hank said. "Why not let the money go to the needy?"
"My kids aren't needy?!" Roy yelled. "I want them to go to college!"
"Roy, your kids have a roof over their head, food to eat and clothes on their backs. That's all they need now." Hank soothed.
"Yeah, but I want them to have a future!" Roy argued.
"Roy, your kids are just five and seven years old!" Chet hissed. "College is a long way off!"
"Chet, do you know how much college costs these days?!" Roy yelled. "By the time Chris and Jen are old enough, the costs will be astronomical!"
"Roy, it's not Johnny's responsibility to send your kids to college." Mike Stoker told him. "If he does, it'll be out of friendship, not obligation. If Johnny wants to give us something, he will. Like Cap said, Johnny hasn't won yet."
"I hope he remembers his Captain." Hank said. "Maybe he can help me make Chief."
"Cap, that's bribery!" Roy yelled. "I thought you were better then that!"
"Roy, I'll never make Chief with McConnikee in my way." Hank argued. "With him not on the promotions board, I'll have a better chance."
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As Johnny was coming out of the latrine, his mind was awhirl.
If I indeed won this money, my life will change forever! Johnny worried. There are so many who need this money! How will I decide who to give it to? Do I want to help my friends? What about my family? I'd like to bring them here from Montana. If I won, can I be just good old Johnny? Just one of the guys? How will my fellow fireman react?
Johnny was snapped out of his thoughts by Cap's voice from the rec room.
"Gage! Get in here!" Hank called.
John ran to the rec room.
"Yeah, Cap?" Johnny asked.
"I want you and Roy to get down to the lottery commission and have them check that ticket." Hank said.
"Cap, are you sure that's such a good idea with us in uniform?" Roy asked. "I think it'd be better to wait til end of shift."
"Why?" Cap asked. "Don't you want to know if Johnny won?"
"Yeah, but how would it look for us to go to a lottery commission in uniform?" Roy replied. "They might think we're
on the take."
"You're right, Pal." Hank conceded. "Make sure Johnny gets there after shift."
"Yes, Sir." Roy nodded. "Johnny, where's the ticket now?"
"In my shirt pocket." Johnny replied.
"Perhaps it would be better if I held onto it for safe keeping." Cap mused.
Johnny retrieved the ticket from his pocket and handed it to Cap.
"It'll be safe in my desk." Hank smiled as he got up from the couch and took the ticket into his office and shut the door.
Once away from the others, Hank took the lottery ticket and locked it in the top drawer of the desk. Johnny meanwhile had taken Roy out back to talk.
"Roy, I have the feeling that if I win this money, people will have their hands out." Johnny told his best friend. "I beginning
to wonder if I should just throw the damn ticket away?"
"Johnny, that ticket could be a golden opportunity for you." Roy told him. "I think you're worrying too much over this."
"You think so?" Johnny asked.
"Yeah, you have to remember in a lottery, a jackpot is shared among several winners. You may have only won two dollars for all you know. Then again, you could become a multimillionaire. You won't know till you go to the lottery commission." Roy told Johnny. "Til then, just relax and focus on the job at hand."
"We never did hear what the last number was." Johnny remembered.
"That's right." Roy agreed. "You don't know if you won anything at all."
"That's true." Johnny admitted as the tones sounded..
Station 51, station 16, Station 59, battalion 14, Traffic accident with fire. Intersection of Main and Vine. Time out:
10: 01.
"Station 51, 10-4, KMG-365." Hank acknowledged as his men got into their turnout jackets and their respective trucks and rolled out of the station.
Later that afternoon, the crew returned from the traffic accident. As Johnny headed to the kitchen, he came to a realization.
"Cap, get the ticket out of your desk!" Johnny suddenly requested.
"Pal?" Hank asked. "What's wrong?"
"Just get it!" Johnny insisted.
"If that's what you want, Johnny." Hank replied, then walked into his office.
"The rest of you guys, meet me in the bay!" Johnny called as Cap returned with the ticket seconds later.
"Pal, is there something wrong?" Cap asked as he and Johnny joined the others in the apparatus bay.
"Yeah, there is something wrong!" John yelled. "I realized during that last run that I work with five self-absorbed firemen! Over the last couple of days, I've seen sides of you people that makes me sick! Captain, you don't know it, but I heard your little conversation with the guys a little bit ago about bribing the Chief! Cap, McConnikee's on that board! Get over it, or don't take the Chief's test!"
Cap hung his head as Johnny raged on.
"DeSoto, you want you kids to get a college education?! Make them work for it!" Johnny growled. "All I've seen the last couple of days are five little boys with their hands out! Well, I don't want this fucking money if it just makes my so-called friends see dollar signs!"
All watched as Johnny took the ticket and tore it into pieces.
"Gage, are you crazy?!" Chet yelled.
"For the first time since this whole thing started, I'm actually sane!" Johnny replied. "I'm sane enough too get a transfer outta here!"
"Gage, you aren't serious!" Roy cried.
"I'm perfectly serious!" John sneered. "I found out who my real friends were! Too bad it isn't anyone here!"
John went to his locker and grabbed a box containing his things, then rejoined the crying guys in the lockeroom.
"John, please don't go!" Roy sobbed.
"Roy, I can't stay with guys who only see dollar signs!" Johnny replied. "You have just lost a friend, all of you have!"
With that, Johnny left the station for his new assignment at station 8.
"Oh, God!" Cap sobbed. "What have we done?!"
"I guess the bible was right." Mike sobbed, quietly. "Money is the root of all evil."
THE END