some awful people
"LAFD. Step aside, please." Bobby paved the way for the rest of the members of the 118 followed in pursuit to the scene at the mall parking lot. The dispatch call informed a woman's car rolling back on a woman accidentally.
An old woman in a tracksuit reached out for him. "I didn't know what to do. I was afraid to move the car." She desperately told.
"You did the right thing. We'll take it from here." He assured to bring ease to the old woman feeling guilty and in a state of shock.
Meanwhile, Josephine crouched next to Buck attending to the injured blond woman underneath the car. On the other side, Eddie unzipped the bag to bring out tools for protocol check up on the victim. "Do any of you have a pen? I've got a partial license plate. Somebody should write it down." She groaned out, though concentrated about receiving a big check of this unfortunate yet wonderful situation.
Eddie pulled out a stethoscope, "Don't worry about the license plate, ma'am. It's right here on the back of the car." He pointed out.
"Not this car. The car that hit me." She exclaimed, earning perplexed expressions from the trio then Bobby joining them.
"Uh, wait, this isn't the car that hit you?" Buck questioned, knitting his brows at the one car on top of her.
"No, this is the car that ran me over." She affirmed, pointing at the car on top of her before groaning in pain. "Better be insured."
Josephine decided to reel back to further discuss the details, intervening the conversation. "Let's just focus on getting you out of here first, ma'am." She tried to comfort.
Buck lowered himself for a better sight of the situation. "I think there's enough room. We can slide a backboard under here and pull her out that way."
"Okay, c-can you tell me your name?" Eddie asked while leaning down to have a listen of her heartbeat.
The blond woman moaned, attempting to ignore the immense pain that struck. "Lorraine."
Hen and Chimney approached the scene dropping their bags on the ground, surrounding the woman. A second didn't pass for Hen to furrow at the familiar face. "Hey, wait. Don't we know you?" She inquired as she and Chimney continued to stare with a skeptical look.
"Uh, no, I don't...I don't, I don't think so." Lorraine said lowly.
"Last year, Hancock Park." Hen stated.
Chimney nodded in agreement, adding. "That's right. I never forget a femur."
Athena reporting at the scene peered behind Chimney, humming out. "Hmm. It's the dammed Porch Pirate." She said in disbelief.
Josephine stood between Buck and Eddie watching Chimney, Hen, and Athena strolling to the ambulance truck with Lorraine to "catch up" for this little reunion. She crossed her arms over her chest and then snorted, "Karma is a bitch."
Josephine strolled upstairs in the firehouse with her brown irises glued to her phone when she joined Hen reading a book across on the couch. Throughout this week, she's been more alert than usual because Vanessa was overdue and could go in labor anytime now. During her first pregnancy with Diego, he came a little early than anticipated. Josephine shudders at the recollective memory of running into the bathroom where her sister was in labor. Luckily this time, her mother is watching over Vanessa while the baby seems to take her time to arrive.
She laid back into her seat and typed a response, gravitating the woman's attention by her presence. Once sending the reply, she blew through her lips and then rested her phone next to her.
"Has your sister gone into labor yet?" Hen closed her book, laying it onto her lap.
"Not yet. I'm certain that Vanessa is desperate to do anything to push this baby at this point." She humored from reading the previous text messages from her older sister filled with rants. "With Diego it happened with ease although she had no intention of giving birth on the toilet."
Hen let out a laugh, "Maybe this one isn't ready to be out in the world yet. I wouldn't blame her."
"She has to come eventually. I don't think my mother nor Calvin could handle a pregnant Vanessa anymore."
"How is everything with your mother?" Hen has some knowledge about the distant relationship between Josephine and Isabel. The two have confided about their relationships with their mothers especially Josephine's first year at the 118.
Josephine raked her fingers into her brown locks, sighing out. "It's a work in progress. There's many layers and years of our relationship that needs to be fully repaired...or to mend. No relationship is typically perfect. I'm sure she's still on the fence about me being a first responder, especially now." She emphasized, referring the day of the earthquake that left her a bit startled- reluctant to say traumatize.
"I can get behind about no perfect relationship. What matters the most is that she's willing to fix it now. Feels a little too late when you wished as a child but better late than never." Hen said. "As for her stance about your job, she will soon learn to be okay with it. I doubt it was easy for her to be a wife to a police officer all those years."
"Yet, she took her grief into anything else besides her daughters. But like you said, better late than never." Josephine elicited a sarcastic smile before brushing off the topic.
"Do you think you and Karen will have another one?"
Hen was taken back by the question, one that neither she nor Karen discussed about. Although, she didn't oppose the idea having another little one around the house. "That is a topic in the back burner with our jobs and Denny. I mean, Karen and I were not ready to have Denny. Who isn't prepared to raise a kid?" She laughed. "With Karen, I could see us with another baby in the future."
"What about you? Any kids in the future?"
Before Josephine could answer, Buck hopped on the couch next to her. "Hey, what are we talking about?" He switched gazes between the two women.
"I was asking Josie here if she's going to have any kids in the future." Hen piped, returning her gaze back to the brunette.
She licked her lips and tucked her arms amid dwelling on the question. A hum escaped her mouth, "I was opposed to having kids but there could be a possibility. I haven't put much thought into either- it's in the back burner as well."
The alarm abruptly went off in the firehouse for the team to report a dispatch call. Hen rose to her feet and began heading downstairs to the vehicles. Meanwhile, Buck and Josephine stayed back for a minute after he tugged her arm. "I thought you didn't want any kids?" He quirked his brow.
"Decisions can change, and it's not like I'm having one anytime soon." She shrugged and then stalked away to meet the rest of the team.
The back car door opened to a cranky three-year-old in his car seat rubbing his eye. Josephine reached over his backpack before unbuckling him. "Come on, amor. We're going to meet some people at the park!" She tried to excite him.
She carried Diego out of the car to place him on the ground in the parking lot. However, Diego protested being a little tiresome and whine to be held with his small arms reaching out for her. He nestled his face into the crook of his aunt's neck. Her eyes loomed over at her abuela snickering at the stubborn little boy. She motioned her granddaughter for the backpack to carry.
Josephine sighed in defeat and adjusted her stubborn nephew on her hip after passing the backpack to her aubela.
There was ongoing distinct chatter and noises at an all green spacious park while Josephine and her abuela strolled down the pathway. She scanned around until seeing a hand wave from a picnic table. Her lips curved into a smile as she bounced Diego to direct him to look at the brunette haired man.
"Sorry we're a little late. Traffic in this city can be brutal and so are the drivers." Josephine huffed at the last part having to deal with awful people on the road. "Anyways, this is my abuela and this little guy is Diego. Abuela meet Eddie, my co-worker at the 118." She gestured during the introductions.
Eddie elicited a warm grin, extending a hand. "It's nice to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine, so handsome." Abuela utterly flushed and already commencing match making between her granddaughter and Eddie.
"Thank you," He chuckled in flattery. "Over here is my son Christopher and Carla, his caretaker." He motioned to the latter at the table.
Once getting acquainted with one another at the table, they began eating the packed meals cooked by Josephine's abuela. Eddie proposed the idea for this gathering when Josephine mentioned babysitting her nephew during their shift. Josephine thought taking Diego from Calvin and Vanessa's hands for a day would bring the couple at ease since their baby girl refuses to come out into the world. Plus, it would let Diego to bask in all the attention while his parents concentrated on his new sibling.
"I think my abuela really likes you." Josephine graced a smirk upon her lips to a perplexed Eddie. The duo was cleaning up the table as Carla and Abuela took Christopher to the swing set on the playground and treat them ice cream.
Eddie quirked his brow, planting his hands on the table. "What makes you say that?"
She said nothing and propped out her phone. He leaned forward across the table, squinting at the screen of a message thread exchange between her and Carlos. Apparently, Abuela snuck a candid picture of the two and sent to Carlos to gain some intel or as they say in the family chisme.
Overall, Abuela presumed that Eddie would be the perfect guy for her.
Finishing reading the screenshot of text messages, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, I'm honored." He playfully rested a hand on his heart as his tone laced with sarcasm. "But we should let your abuela know that your eyes are set on someone else?"
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb, Josie. It's Buck." He deadpanned.
Josephine groaned, rolling her eyes having to dwell on the repetitive topic. "Oh god, not you, too. Buck and I are just friends. And just because we hang out frequently doesn't mean anything more. Abby left him and I broke off an engagement, it gets lonely out here." She couldn't understand everyone's interest piqued upon her relationship with Buck. Nor did she want to discuss about it and failed to suppress any conversation about the blond.
"We both know Abby isn't coming back for Buck at all. Plus, during the short time I've been around the 118 I noticed the heart eyes you two have for each other." Eddie reasoned with a smug grin forming on his face.
"We just care for each other like everyone else. The 118 is our family, always have each other's back like you did during the earthquake and Buck introducing you to Carla." She shrugged, utterly baffled at the analyzation. "Now, if we want to dive into my nonexistent love life- how about we examine yours, Edmundo?" She hissed.
He surrendered his hands immediately, backing up from the table. "We're good."
That afternoon, the 118 reported to Parkview cemetery by Athena at the scene of a protest causing a disturbance at a funeral. Josephine rolled up the firetruck and shifted the gear into park before everyone escaped. She jumped out of the driver's seat to catch Bobby approaching Athena on sight.
"Sergeant Grant." He formally greeted.
"Captain. Mr. Personality over here starting coughing, grabbed his side and fell over." She elaborated some intel for him as they walked up to an old white man on the groaning in pain on the grass. "Could be appendicitis. I'm not sure."
Athena pushed civilians aside to pave a way for the 118. "All right, back up."
"Step aside please." Bobby instructed while Eddie, Buck, and Josephine trailed behind him.
Josephine slipped on her blue gloves watching Bobby squatting in front of the man. "Sir, I'm just gonna examine you for a second here." He told, lifting his shirt to which assuming the cause of his collapse. "Oh. Okay, we got a colostomy bag, probably backing up."
"You're gonna have to intubate him." He informed Hen and Chimney besides him. "Sir, just try to relax. These paramedics here are gonna attend to you."
Presuming for this dispatch call to be resolved swiftly, took a slight turn for the 118 to endure a civilian's reluctance for their assistance. He continued to moan in pain when his eyes landed on Hen hovering to begin the process. "Oh, hell no." He protested, astounding Hen to halt. His eyes wandered to Bobby, persisting. "You do it."
Athena averted her gaze to meet Josephine's sharing the same look. Meanwhile, Bobby replied in a stern tone to the man. "Sir, I am not a trained paramedic. I can't intubate you. They can."
"I'm fine." He croaked.
Chimney interjected in disagreement. "Sir, you're not fine. Your bowel is probably obstructed. The contents of your colostomy bag are backing up into your system. You're about to choke on your own waste. You will suffocate and die." He thoroughly stated in the last part of his explanation.
When Chimney tried to reach out for him, the civilian resisted his help. "Get...away."
"Okay, sir, if you refuse care, we cannot administer it by force." Bobby said, profoundly frustrated like the rest of his team standing by.
The man squinted surveying the members until spotting Eddie. "What about him? Diaz. What kind of name is that?" Eddie moved forward and squatted to attend to him.
"My father is from Mexico. My mother is Swedish. I can help you out with the Swedish half. But no one told me which half that is." Eddie enlightened much to the man's dismay immediately shaking his head.
Bobby huffed, "Okay, would you like me to call you another paramedic team so you can have an all-white one?"
"Yeah."
Josephine tilted her head from the sidelines, announcing. "He's gonna aspirate."
On cue, the man turned his body to the side vomiting chunks causing everyone to step back and scrunch their faces in disgust. "And he's aspirating." Hen remarked.
"Actual diarrhea of the mouth. Outstanding." Chimney commented.
"Okay, guys, let's get to work." Hen motioned her colleagues as they began to work on him and place him on a gurney to take him into the ambulance to the ER.
Buck and Josephine started retreating to the firetruck. "Now that was an eventful protest during a funeral service." She spoke out of amusement, reflecting at the finished service as the families and protestors left. "Probably a little karma for disturbing the peace."
"Maybe," A chuckle slipped from his mouth. "I wouldn't dare to play on the grounds of the dead."
Right then, Josephine's phone vibrated in her pocket of an incoming text message. She took out her phone to read as Buck waited for her. "Did your sister finally have the baby?" He asked.
"Not yet," She answered, typing out a response to her irritable sister. "But they're in the hospital since her water finally broke. It might be a while because she's only 2 centimeters along. And the doctor says it might be a while since my niece continues to be headstrong. Vanessa isn't happy about it."
"Can't blame your niece. The real world is filled of awful people." Buck humored.
Josephine slid her phone back into her pocket, humming indecisively to his statement. "Sure, but would like to see you tell that to my sister, currently an overdue hormonal pregnant woman, experiencing tremendous amount of pain of contractions for the next several hours to pop out a baby after carrying nine months."
Buck clamped his mouth, momentarily. "Don't tell your sister I said that." She laughed in response as they proceeded to the firetruck.
"Well done."
A voice caught the duo's attention by Athena's police car. Josephine peered at short haired brunette woman staring at Buck gracing a sweet smile.
"Right, your ride-along was today." Buck automatically grinned at the sight of the brunette, taking strides towards her. They shared a quick embrace before directing Josephine already piecing the relationship. "Uh, Josie, this is my sister Maddie."
"Oh my gosh, hi, I've been waiting to meet you. The prettier Buckley sibling." She exclaimed as Maddie giggled at the compliment before embracing one another. Buck stood back with his arms crossed and rolling his eyes.
Maddie gushed, "And I finally meet the famous Josie that my brother talks about. You're gorgeous yourself. Also, I'm sorry that I couldn't meet you sooner on the movie night. Working at the call center long hours feel more exhausting as working the ER."
The latter immersed in a conversation about Maddie adjusting to Los Angeles and working the dispatch call operating center. Abruptly, Josephine was receiving a call where she excused herself from the Buckley siblings to answer.
"She's cute." Maddie whipped her head at her younger brother after watching the brunette walk away. "And she's single?"
Buck shortly nodded, tearing his eyes from Josephine. "Yeah, I told you her longtime childhood best friend and fiancé cheated on her. They called off the engagement and wedding."
"And this is the very cute, single, colleague of yours the one you spend your movie nights with? Dinner and drink, confiding in each other for the last few months?" She quirked her brow with a slyly smirk.
Acknowledging the knowing look from his older sister, Buck raised his hands in defense. "Don't get it twisted. We're just friends, that's all."
"And you have a terrible poker face."
Parking her car in a garage lot of the hospital, Josephine exited and went inside the building to the maternity ward. The anticipating birth of her niece arrived after the last few days that have been driving everyone crazy, mostly Vanessa. She driven straight to the hospital after clocking out from her shift. As exhausted Josephine felt from the multiple dispatch calls she and the team responded- she couldn't wait a second to meet the new member of the family.
Once approaching the receptionist desk, she asked for directions to locate her sister's room number. The receptionist pointed the young brunette in the direction down the hallway and second door on the left hand side.
She managed to find the designated room number and then bringing her fist to softly knock on the door. A second didn't surpass when Calvin opened the door, sporting an inviting grin.
Automatically, he gestured his sister-in-law further inside the room. Pushing through the curtain, Josephine was met with the sight of Vanessa in the hospital bed with the new bundle of joy wrapped in her arms. Her face softened in awe and utterly loss for words as her hands covered her mouth.
"Want to meet your niece, Josie?"
Calvin had excused himself to let the two sisters have this moment alone together. Josephine quickly nodded and strolled up to the bed to scoop up the baby into her arms. She bounced her lightly while adjusting and then sitting down in the chair near the bedside.
"Longest week and six hours of my life I tell you." Vanessa exhausted a sigh, glancing down at her daughter cradled in her sister's arms.
Josephine flickered down to the baby girl, whispering out. "Looks like it was definitely worth it though. What's her name?"
"Her name is Sofia. Sofia Marie Mitchell."
She caressed her niece's soft chubby cheeks down to the tiny hands eventually grasping onto her finger. "Sofia, a pretty name for a pretty girl. Had to deal with a some awful people this week, meeting you make it ten times better."
-Hope you like it! Tell me what you think! Don't forget to vote and comment! Stay tuned!-
WRITTEN: 9/19/21
PUBLISHED: 9/20/21