Work Text:
Rescue Man
By GCS
DISCLAIMER: "Emergency!" and its characters © Mark VII Productions, Inc. and Universal Studios. All rights reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction. This story is only written for entertainment. No financial gain is being realized from it. The story, itself, is the property of the author.
This story is a missing scene from "The Wedsworth Townsend Act" when Tony and Johnny left Rampart after the electrocution victim died, and returned to L.A. County Fire Station 10.
Tony Freeman backed the bright fire engine red, 1969 Dodge 300 1-ton engine rescue squad into Station 10's apparatus bay. Before he could even get the truck in park his abnormally silent partner, John Gage jumped from the vehicle slamming the door with enough force to rock it and purposefully strode away.
"Oh Johnny Boy you have to stop letting these rescues get to you. You can't save them all partner," Tony spoke to the empty cab. He lingered in the truck gripping the steering wheel, the tension from losing their victim keeping both men in knots. Tony made himself relax his tight grip, wincing as the blood rushed back into his fingertips.
John Gage didn't stop to speak to any of his shift mates.
Seeing the stone cold expression on his face they moved aside giving him a clear path.
He didn't even stop to take off his turnout coat.
He stormed straight through the apparatus bay and out onto the back lot. The only thing he did do was grab the station's basketball on his way out.
He pushed the back door open letting it bang shut. As soon as he reached the back lot he started dribbling. The ball came bounding back from his forceful thrusts slamming back against his hands leaving them stinging from the impact. The burning sensation satisfied him. He dribbled harder.
'Why? Why do I even want to keep being a rescue man? I couldn't even help that guy. All I did was save a corpse,' he thought to himself as he dribbled the ball harder and faster. 'Administer oxygen, do a few chest compressions. Hell a boy scout can do what I do.' He stopped dribbling.
His emotions in a blur he whirled around and hurled the ball in a straight arc. Immediately in motion, running to meet the ball as it careened off the backboard toward him and grabbing the ball in mid flight, he went in for a layup, his legs forcefully pushing against the ground. Swish, the ball slipped through the net and bounced across the lot.
He eyed the basketball goal, the ring with the net swaying in the light breeze.
The simplicity, of the net's movement, pissing him off even more.
Johnny ripped off his turnout coat and threw it across the front of his old beat up car, the buckles clanging against the hood. He planted the palms of his hands on either side of the hood feeling the heat scalding his palms, and stood taking deep calming breaths.
He turned when he heard the ball bounce against the asphalt.
"That backboard do something to piss you off Boot?"
"I'm not a boot Scotty. I haven't been a boot for years," Johnny slowly walked over toward one of the station's engineers Dale Scott. "Besides, that backboard was just there waiting to be used." He waved his hand at the basketball goal.
"Yeah Johnny Boy, I guess you're right. So anyway what's got you all bent outta shape?" Scotty could see the tension in his friend's face, the sadness shown in his expressive brown eyes, and the slight slump to his stance.
"Nuthin'." Johnny nervously ran his hand through his thick dark hair, reached out and took the basketball from the older man.
"Johnny you and I, we've been friends for a long time now. Worked together side by side, keeping each other safe from certain death in many a fire. I know you. Something happened after you got the victim to Rampart, so why don't you just go ahead and talk to me about it." Scotty moved to steal the ball from Johnny but the younger man dodged him and dribbled toward the goal.
Johnny stopped, palmed the basketball, and looked questioningly at his mentor 'How much should I tell you without sounding stupid,' he thought before speaking tentatively. "I saved a corpse Scotty. I mean, I thought he was alive. Hell he was alive when I got him to the hospital, but something happened." Johnny took a shaky breath, "I…I don't know. I'm not qualified to….you know…medically to know what happened. He just…he…died. There was nothing I knew how to do to make his chances better." He carefully dribbled the ball some more.
"Well the doctors at Rampart, they couldn't save him either."
"No I suppose not, but what if I had known what to do when we got there?" Johnny stopped dribbling again and looked at his friend for an answer. "Then maybe he would've had a chance."
Scotty could see by the apprehension in his eyes, and the questioning tilt of his head, Johnny needed reassurance. He needed options, answers. "Maybe that extra training they're talking about is not such a bad idea."
"You mean the Paramedic training Cap was talking about?"
"Yeah Johnny, maybe it would be a good thing for you to do. Then you would have that extra ability. Maybe the next victim would live. If you knew what to do," Scotty snatched the ball from Johnny's hands and dribbled to the goal easily throwing it over the rim in a slam dunk. "That's one for me boot."
Johnny shook off the thoughts and turned to grab the ball as it bounced beneath the basket. "Scotty, if you don't stop callin' me a boot…"
Scotty chuckled, "When you've been a fireman as long as I have Johnny then you won't be a boot. But son two years doesn't stop you from being a boot to me, but I like you boot. You're okay." He was making progress. Johnny responding to his jabs, his speech was slowing and his body showed less tension.
Johnny dribbled back to the imaginary foul line, turned and headed fast toward the goal again. Scotty tried to block him, but he was taller and faster and easily landed his shot. "That's one up old man."
"Old man? I'll show you an old man." He grabbed the ball and took it out past the imaginary foul line and turned. He lowered the ball, spun it between his hands and lifted it with his right palm on the bottom and his left hand steadying it from the side. He thrust the ball to the goal and after a swoosh it fell through the net and bounced across the lot. "Two for me, boot."
Johnny chuckled, "I know what you're up to Scotty."
"Yeah, what's that?" Scotty feigned innocence.
Johnny shrugged and a wide crooked grin spread across his face. Scotty tossed him the ball. He could feel the ribbing along the shape of the ball. He turned it around and around in his palms and then dribbled it. "You think you'll get me to go to that Paramedic sign up this afternoon."
"Why would I want to do that?"
Johnny stopped dribbling and tucked the ball under his arm, "I don't know Scotty, why would you want me to do that?" He furrowed his eyebrows and looked questioningly at the older man. "Do you think I should go talk to them?"
"Two for me, boot."
"What?"
"You're move."
"Oh," Johnny wasn't sure if Scotty was talking about the basketball or the Paramedic training. He moved to take his next shot. Scotty moved to block him again only this time he stole the ball from Johnny. "Hey!"
"You getting slow kid?" Scotty laughed as he dribbled around the lot.
"Nope," Johnny reached around and knocked the ball away from the Engineer. "Not slow, never too slow." He leapt up and tossed the ball through the hoop. "Two up."
"What if you did learn those medical skills? Could you use them in the field?"
"I don't think so. Not yet anyway. Something about a law they're trying to pass to allow it. It could just be a huge waste of time. I like my job Scotty. I just don't like it when people die that maybe could have been saved." His shoulders slumped and once again strain could be seen around his eyes.
Scotty dribbled around Johnny teasing him with the ball. He dribbled left then right. Johnny easily took the ball away from him and tossed it at the goal hitting the backboard and missing the shot. "Aw man." He put his hands on his hips in exasperation.
"Relax boot it's just a missed basket this time." Scotty tried to keep Johnny thinking about his future with the fire department. "Where do you hope to be in six years Johnny? With the department I mean."
"Six years is a long time Scotty. I'm sure I'll still be fighting fires. It's all I've ever wanted to do. Being a fireman means a lot to me." The sincerity of his words flashed in his eyes. When he talked about being a fireman his eyes sparkled.
"What about being a Rescue Man? What made you decide to do that instead of staying on my engine?" Scotty splayed his hand across his chest when he spoke of his engine.
"Well Cap thought I could get in and out of some pretty tight spaces, so he started sending me in to get people out. It felt good, natural, you know?" His eyes sparkled again.
"Yeah, you are a natural at it. Did you ever think maybe it's your destiny to save people?"
"I…I don't know." He wiped the sweat from his eyes. "I don't know."
"Well let's just think about it a minute. You say you always wanted to be a fireman, but when Cap started sending you in on rescues instead of battling the flames did you feel you were any less of a fireman?"
"No, it's just part of the overall job that we all do. You know another part of the team."
"Okay then," he sunk another basket. "That's three to your two." He smiled and walked passed Johnny nudging him on the shoulder. "I'm winning."
"Huh?" Johnny shook off his thoughts and tried to get back into the game. "No fair you distracted me."
"Life's not fair Johnny," Scotty smiled at the younger man. "Now as I was saying. You think being a Rescue Man is just as important as hauling the hose, right?"
"Well actually," Johnny paused nervously running his hand through his hair again. He didn't want to offend his friend, "actually I think it's more important…..I mean….because I'm pulling people out, saving lives, or at least that's what I thought I was doing."
"So you think your destiny is to save lives?"
Johnny passed under the net, tossed the ball over his right shoulder and watched as it slipped through the net again. "Three."
Scotty ran up and grabbed the ball quickly sinking another shot. "Four! I'm on a roll."
Johnny snickered at the older man's excitement, "Well I am letting you get those you know."
"What? You're crazy Gage. I'm a much better basketball player than you will ever be."
"Sure Scotty," Johnny felt himself relaxing. His shoulders weren't taut. Tension flowed out of his fingers every time he threw the ball.
"Anyway as I was getting at. You enjoy working the Rescue Squad, so why not improve on those skills?"
"Improve how?" He dribbled back to the foul line and lined up for his next shot.
"Well that training could be the first step." He moved to take the ball before Johnny could get his shot off. Dodging under Johnny's watchful eye, he slipped the ball away and dribbled fast toward the goal. Johnny was hot on his heels. Scotty lifted the ball and bounced it softly off the backboard and watched it circle the rim twice before falling gracefully into the net. "Five."
Johnny grabbed the ball, dribbled out turning quickly, dribbling back over to the side of the net and sunk another layup. Scotty reached for the ball, dribbled twice when Johnny snuck around him, slipped the ball into his own hands as he dribbled back down the imaginary court and turned, easily sinking another basket. "Five up."
"Okay Gage, let's just say you took the training and nothing ever came of that law. You would have the training. You couldn't actually practice it in the field, but you would be trained when and if the law passed. Also you would be able to recognize and understand the symptoms better, so when you did get the victims to the doctors you could tell them what you saw. Either way you could benefit from the training." He knew he had him this time. Johnny had stopped. He watched as understanding appeared on Johnny's face.
Johnny stopped and looked at Scotty with his mouth open. He closed his mouth and opened it again like he had something he wanted to say, but the words would not come.
"What'sa matter Johnny Boy? Cat got your tongue."
"No…I uh….I think you have a valid point Scotty."
Scotty dribbled the ball again and smiled. "Of course I have a valid point boot. I always have valid points. That's why I'm the Engineer. I am the picture of calm understanding, skill, and reassurance. The Cap values my abilities. Haven't you ever noticed?" He laughed.
"Okay you win," Johnny laughed.
"What you giving up? It's Five up."
"Not the basketball Scotty," he said in his most annoying sing song voice, "the training. I'll look into it. I'll go over and talk to them. See what it's all about," he shrugged.
"Well now you're talking." He turned and sunk another basket. "Six!" He put his hand in the air and whooped loudly.
"Calm down old man, you don't want to hurt yourself or anything. I'm not trained to treat you yet." Johnny chuckled as he grabbed for the ball. He was enjoying the game.
Just as he lifted the ball to take another shot the tones sounded. He ran over to his car and grabbed his turnout coat easily slipping it on as both men ran for their vehicles. It was near their shift end, but that didn't stop the adrenalin from flowing as the men from Station 10 ran for their respective vehicles. It was a big station with several engines, a ladder truck, and the squad among others.
Sliding into the passenger seat of the red Dodge Rescue truck Johnny felt ready to face another rescue. Tony saw a distinct change in his partner. He seemed more relaxed. The stress lines were no longer around his eyes and mouth. His eyes danced with the anticipation of the run.
Johnny had a sense of security about looking into the Paramedic training. He looked over at the engine as it pulled from the station. Scotty looked back at him and raised six fingers smiling broadly, gripped his hands together and raised them over his head in a victory wave. Then he grabbed the big steering wheel and maneuvered the rig into the street with sirens blaring and lights flashing.
The Rescue Squad fell in place behind the engine.
"Feel better?" Tony asked.
"Yeah a little competitive game of basketball can always blow off a little steam." A lopsided grin spread across his face.
"Scotty must have won." Tony toyed with his partner.
"Nah, we got called out." Johnny rubbed his hands together. He could still feel the sting of the basketball against his palms.
"He acted like he won."
"He made a lot of sense."
"Huh?"
"Uh…he made some good shots."
"Made a lot of sense about what Johnny?"
"He thinks I should look into the Paramedic class. Are you going to do it Tony?" He looked over at his partner trying to read his facial expression.
"No, I can't afford to do it right now. My kid is just a baby. It costs a lot to keep him in diapers. I can't afford to miss any shifts. Besides they can't even use what they learn in the field. What's the point?"
"I'm not sure, but I think I'll go over and ask some questions today. You want to come with me?"
"No, I don't think so. You're a lot younger than I am Johnny, you go. If it works out maybe I'll do it next time. I hate to lose a good partner, but I wish you luck."
"I'm not going anywhere Tony, just gonna ask some questions," he said quietly.
"Yeah okay Johnny, sure."
Pulling up to the scene the Rescuer's were assigned to work the hoses with their other shift mates. There was no one to rescue. After they were released from the scene the Station 10 vehicles one by one backed into the bay, and the men departed for their vehicles as the next shift lined up for roll call.
Johnny as was his custom after a late run grabbed a quick shower at the station. He wanted to go straight to the Paramedic training sign up office and ask some questions. Before leaving he stopped by his Captain's office to let him know that he had decided to look into the new program.
He walked slowly up to the door with a hand written sign on the window.
He peeked inside and with a strong desire for change he approached the man assigned to answer questions.