Chapter Text
Disclaimer: The E! characters do not belong to me. They have been borrowed strictly for fun and not for fortune.
EMERGENCY! "Moments in Time"
By Ross
Chapter One: "I Can't Recall"
Squad 51's driver ran his tongue over his throbbing tooth. "Joanne made an appointment for me. Monday at 2:00. Don't let me forget! Okay?"
The Squad's passenger frowned. "I wish you wouldn't ask me to remind you not to forget. I always forget to remind you. And then you blame me for forgetting to remind you not to forget."
DeSoto arched an eyebrow and shot his baffling buddy a sideways glance.
Gage sat there in thoughtful silence for a few blocks. Then he turned to face his partner again, this time, looking smug. "I think I've figured out why you're always forgetting to remember your dentist appointments. You prob'ly have a subconscious mental block about dentists. Prob'ly because of a traumatic experience you once had as a child, in a dentist's office."
Roy looked extremely skeptical. "I don't recall ever having a traumatic experience in a dentist's office."
John was briefly dismayed, but then he brightened. "That's prob'ly because your subconscious has blocked the experience out, causing you to forget you ever had one."
DeSoto looked even more dubious. "Tell me, Sigmund, where did you pick up all the psychobabble?...Psychological jargon," he translated, seeing his partner now looked completely lost.
"Oh." Gage turned to gaze out his window. "I dated a girl once, who was studying to be a shrink."
"Oh yeah?" Roy looked curious, and then somewhat lost, himself. "How come you've never mentioned her before?"
"Wha-at?" John turned back to friend and stared at him in disbelief. "You expect me to tell you about every girl I've ever dated?"
"Up until just now, I thought you had."
Gage aimed his annoyed gaze back out his window. "Anyways, she told me the reason I kept forgetting her phone number was because I had once had a traumatic experience with numbers, as a child. And now, my subconscious has a mental block about them." His annoyance suddenly gave way to amusement. "I always figured the reason I kept forgetting her number was because her idea of a really exciting evening was attending a guest lecture...or going to the library—to study!" He glanced at his partner again and the two 'guys' exchanged grins.
"Yeah. Well. I figure the real reason I keep forgetting my dentist appointments is...because I've basically got a lousy memory." Roy glanced at his passenger and the two of them swapped grins again.
They reached the Station.
_________________________________________
Roy backed their rescue squad into the parking bay.
Mike Stoker backed Big Red right in beside them.
John jumped out and intercepted Chet Kelly as he came around the back of the Engine. "Don't let me forget that I'm supposed to remind Roy that he's got a dentist appointment. Monday at 2:00," he requested and then disappeared into the day room.
Kelly turned his unhappy face to Marco Lopez, as he came up behind him. "Remind me that I'm supposed to remind Gage to remind Roy that he's got a dentist appointment. Monday at 2:00."
Marco's narrowed eyes followed Chet, as he retreated into the rec' room, but then his countenance brightened as he spotted Mike Stoker stepping down from the Engine. "Hey, Mike! Remind me to remind Chet to remind John to remind Roy about his dentist appointment. Monday at 2:00!" he called out and then fled, before the engineer could refuse his request.
Mike looked thoughtful and turned to his Captain as he came around the front of his beloved fire truck.
Hank Stanley gave his engineer a roll of his eyes—and a reluctant nod.
"Thanks, Cap!" Stoker acknowledged. Then he headed off in the direction of the day room.
Hank disappeared into his office.
____________________________________________
Two minutes later, all eyes looked up, as Stanley strolled into the day room.
The firemen continued watching, as their Captain proceeded to post a note up on the Station's bulletin board.
The guys got up and gathered around, to read the notice.
It simply said: 'Mike, don't forget to remind Marco to remind Chet to remind John to remind Roy that he's got a dentist appointment. Monday at 2:00'.
The Captain stood there for a few moments, looking extremely pleased with himself. "There, gentlemen! I am no longer responsible." He turned to his senior paramedic. "If you forget your appointment now, you can't blame me."
The gentlemen glanced at each other and grinned.
Well, everybody but the person with the dentist appointment, that is.
Just then, the tones sounded.
"Squad 51..."
_____________________________________________
The paramedics piled back into to their rescue squad.
Roy turned to his partner, looking more than a little miffed. "Why didn't you just call the dispatcher and have him announce it to the whole department?"
John's face suddenly lit up. "Of course!" he exclaimed, with a loud snap of his fingers. "Roy, remind me to call headquarters—just as soon as we get back! On second thought, I'd better write it down. Cuz, you're bound to forget."
His partner gave him the call slip—along with a look of extreme annoyance.