Once again . . . 9.8K words. Guess that's what happens when you manage to fit an entire episode into a chapter.
The 126 chases a tank, the Vegas run into a situation, Tim isn't a happy camper, Tommy asserts herself as a badass, Owen and Sylvie hang around, and TK has good aim with a hose. Also, in case it wasn't clear, COVID-19 is non-existent in this universe, so just . . . roll with it, if something doesn't make sense.
Enjoy!
***
Three Months Later
"So here's something you don't see every day," the newscast in the dispatch center announced as dispatchers ran around frantically. "A military tank on the streets of Austin. Sources are saying it's an M1 Abrams first used in combat during the Persian Gulf War. Apparently, whoever's driving that thing stole it from the Texas Military Forces Museum in the last half hour or so. Police should have no trouble finding him. He's left a trail of destruction for more than a mile."
That's something, at least, Grace couldn't help but think with a snort as she looked up from her computer. "His name's Lieutenant John Vasquez," she reported to her supervisor. "The curator at the museum says he volunteers there, helps maintain the equipment."
"Inform Austin PD," Elliot ordered. "See if you can get a number on the guy."
"Copy that," Grace nodded, sitting back in her chair.
***
Carlos was somehow going to find a way to blame the crazy Austin 126 crew for what he was driving into. Somehow he was going to blame them, because Austin had never been this wild before they had showed up.
He whipped the wheel of his car sharply and parked it in the center of the street, right in the path of the oncoming tank. "Park 'em at least two deep!" he bellowed to the cruisers driving behind him.
"We're talking about a 57-ton tank!" one of them protested as the officers piled out of their cars. "You really think he'll stop for this?"
"No," Carlos shook his head, drawing his gun. "But hopefully his treads will get stuck when he tries to go over."
"And if he decides to just shoot us with the cannon?" she asked.
Carlos side-eyed her. He thought it was rather obvious what they would do. "Duck." The woman balked, but drew her sidearm with the others. "Everybody, take cover!" Carlos ordered as the tank came closer. "And get ready to run."
The barricade of police officers held steady, their guns aimed at the tank . . . which, feet before the barricade, took a sharp left turn and plowed through the sign announcing the entrance of a neighborhood. Carlos watched it go, eyes wide, then he clicked on his radio.
"Somebody needs to come up with a new plan!"
***
Of course we're the ones coming up with a new plan, Owen thought with a sigh as he listened to the police incident commander over his headset. "Where do you want us, Sergeant?" he asked.
"Hell if I know," Sergeant Stokes scoffed. "We got no idea where he's going, and we can't talk to him. Apparently, everything on that tank works except the radio, and he's not picking up his phone."
There was an amused snort from the driver of their rig, echoed by a small snicker behind Owen. That would be too easy, Owen couldn't help but agree with his crew. "So you know who he is?" he asked.
"Lieutenant John Vasquez," Stokes confirmed. "He was a tank gunner at Desert Storm. Wife says he's been despondent since they buried his daughter on Friday. She was 27. Served two tours in Afghanistan."
"She died in Afghanistan?" Owen guessed.
"No, she died here."
***
Owen's sigh was audible over the headsets on Ladder 126. "We'll keep pace. Strand out."
Judd shook his head sadly from the officer's seat. "Poor bastard."
"I'd understand what he was doing if she died in Afghanistan," Mateo frowned. "Why steal a tank here?"
"Wonder how she was buried?" Marjan suggested from the wheel. "Military funeral?"
Paul was searching a tablet in his hands, then he straightened. "Cap!" he called through his headset to Squad 9. "I think I know where this guy's going!"
***
Owen frowned, then felt a phone tap his shoulder. He took the phone offered and read the daughter's obituary, and he gulped when he saw the title.
Soldier Takes Own Life After Local VA Denies Treatment.
He hastily reconnected to Stokes. "He's headed to the VA Hospital!"
***
Owen was in the center of a storm of people, yelling to be heard over panicked clamor. "Come on, people! We gotta evacuate! Let's go, let's go!"
Stokes wove through patients being wheeled out of the hospital and first responders rushing to help. "You sure about this?" he asked.
"His daughter was denied care at this facility," Owen nodded, then a distant rumble caught his attention. Stokes's eyes widened comically as the hulking form of the tank appeared at the end of the road. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure," Owen sighed dryly, clapping his hands. "Alright, come on!" he barked. "Let's move it! Move, move, move, move!"
Paul and Mateo burst past him to reenter the hospital, them Marjan stumbled out, panting heavily. "There's still a lot of sick folks in there, Cap," she gasped out.
Judd put a steadying hand on her back, the acting officer of Ladder 126 looking at his captain in concern. "Cap, we haven't even hit the east wing yet!"
"We should call it," Stokes said. "We need to consider our people's safety, too."
Owen watched Nancy rush to help an evacuating patient, and Tim almost crashed into an IV pole as he took over for an exhausted nurse. "What about his people?" he pointed out, walking down the steps of the hospital to put himself in the tank's path.
***
"Elena?"
"Oh, mi amor . . . what are you doing?"
"They forgot about her, Elena! Our baby! Everyone forgot her! I'm gonna make them remember."
"John, stop! Listen to me! These people, they wanna help us!"
"What people?"
Grace took a deep breath, hearing the vitriol and hate in John Vasquez's voice. "Mr. Vasquez?" she said. "My name is Grace Ryder. I'm a 9-1-1 dispatcher. I do have a friend on the line. He has something he'd like to say to you."
***
The click on the radio signaled the line was transferred, and Owen took a deep breath. "Mr. Vasquez, this is Captain Owen Strand, Austin FD. I wanna say how sorry I am for your loss. No one should ever have to feel what you're feeling. I understand you wanna blame the government for what happened to your daughter, for denying her sacrifice. I know how painful that feels."
"You have no idea how that feels!" Vasquez snarled. "No idea!"
"Oh," Owen chuckled darkly. "But I do, Lieutenant. You see, on 9/11, it was the one day this country swore that it would never forget . . . and it did. Those of us who were there that day, we don't have that luxury. We don't get to forget. And I know too many people who survived that day, only to die years later forgotten . . . ignored. Because their problems were too expensive, too inconvenient." He realized he was snarling only a second after he heard a sharp inhale behind him, and he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "So, yeah," he turned to face the blonde, blue-eyed paramedic watching with watering eyes. "I understand your rage."
The tank continued its approach, but Owen stood firm, not taking his eyes off it. Not when TK appeared in his line of sight to his left, Carlos as always not far from his son's side. Not when Sylvie stopped directly to his right, her waterfall-braided hair in slight disarray from her hurry, Buck hovering protectively at her side. With his crew lining with him, Judd and the ladder crew behind them, Tim and Nancy standing at the doors of the hospital, the entire firehouse stood in the tank's way.
And the ranks of officers and firefighters kept growing with them, all standing in the path of the tank. "John," Owen whispered into the radio. "The men and women standing with me aren't moving. How would Sophia feel about you taking down all these heroes? Heroes just like her. How is that gonna honor her memory?" He took a deep, shuddering breath. "Do not make your daughter's life a footnote to something stupid you do here today in her name."
His voice cracked on the final sentence, and TK raised his hand, settling it on his father's shoulder. Owen let his free hand extend to his side; Sylvie's gripped it like a lifeline, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Buck shift, ready to jump in front of Sylvie if need be. All of them braced for impact, Mateo's gaze nervously darting back and forth as the tank rumbled closer and closer . . .
And skidded to a stop, Owen having to lean back just a tad to avoid getting hit in the nose by the cannon. TK visibly sagged in relief, Carlos's grip relaxing on his gun. Sylvie audibly sighed, and Buck let out a small laugh. "Captain Strand?" Grace's voice was hushed.
"Still standing," he croaked in response, squeezing Sylvie's hand.
"Let's move!" Carlos barked, and the officers swarmed the tank.
"John Vasquez!" his partner shouted. "Exit from the tank with your hands in the air!"
A few seconds later, the top of the tank opened. "Please don't shoot!" the man begged, his hands visible as he stood.
The officers rushed to get him out, and Owen sighed, turning around. "OK," he nodded, trying to get in his head what had just happened.
TK whooped in glee, crowding Owen for a hug. Sylvie slammed in on the other side, and Buck, the tallest of them all, wrapped around all of them. Owen burst out laughing as the rest of the 126 dogpiled him.
He loved his firehouse.
***
"A GODDAMN TANK?!"
TK whipped his head back, wincing when he heard Amanda's Southern accent screech in his ear. "Whoa, 'Manda," he frowned, putting his phone back to his ear as he finished loading the dishwasher. "Calm down."
"I just learned from following APD on social media that the entirety of the 126 stood in front of an attack tank and I'm supposed to calm down?"
TK winced. "When you put it that way . . . sorry?"
"Oh, you think you're sorry? I know for a fact that Liv and Fin are gonna be calling your dad when the day is over."
TK paused. "You're calling me while you're at work?"
"Aren't you?"
TK snorted with a grin. "Nope. Deputy Chief Radford called the shift after what happened. I got called for last minute babysitting duty."
"Really?" Amanda sounded interested. "Who did you meet in Austin that you're babysitting for?"
"Friends of Judd and Grace," TK answered, leaning in the doorway of the kitchen and smiling when he saw the Vega twins drawing on the coffee table. "Something's happening at the restaurant the husband owned and they had to take care of it. Since Judd had to go home to Grace, I volunteered to watch them."
He could hear Amanda's smile. "You're a good guy, TK."
"Thanks, 'Manda," he smiled happily. "I'm trying to be." He looked up when he saw the Vegas' car pull into the driveway. "I gotta go, they just got back."
"Alright, TK. Talk to you later?"
"You bet. Hug the girls for me, will you?"
"Absolutely."
TK hung up as the door opened, and he immediately noticed the air of wrong that surrounded Tommy and Charles as they entered the home. "Mama!" the twins dropped what they were doing. "Dad!"
"Hey, girls," Tommy smiled; even that was off, TK noticed, as she bent to hug them. "How about you tell your dad about your time with TK?"
And the girls were off to the races, chatting Charles' ear off, the man nodding with infinite patience as TK followed Tommy back to the kitchen. "What happened, Tommy?" he asked in concern.
Tommy took a deep breath. "We need to shut the restaurant down."
"What?!" TK's eyes widened in shock. "Why? What happened?"
"Honestly," Tommy sighed. "It was expenses. Charles has always been adventurous in what he makes, and it has always paid off . . . until it gets too expensive for the food to make meals, and the income doesn't meet what we need."
"Oh, no," TK swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry."
"Thank you, TK, but there's nothing you could have done," Tommy smiled appreciatively, looking through her wallet and finding the money to pay him. "It just means I'll be back in the AFD sooner than I wanted to be."
TK blinked in surprise. "You're rejoining the department?"
Tommy nodded. "I've worked to keep up with how EMS has changed since I left to be a stay-at-home mom," she said. "Enough that, when I gave Deputy Chief Radford a call on the way home, I can keep my captain rank. I figured I'd go back to work eventually . . . I just didn't expect it to be now."
"Hey, if even a quarter of the stories Judd has about you being a paramedic captain are true, you're gonna be great," TK smiled encouragingly. "Any house would be lucky to have you."
"Thank you, TK," Tommy gave a weary smile back, running a hand through her wild hair. "I just need to find a house first."
TK nodded, then paused, remembering a conversation Owen and Sylvie had had the other day. "You know," he said slowly. "I might have an idea."
***
"Yes," Michelle's voice was decisive the moment TK raised the question the next day. "Absolutely, yes."
Owen's face was thoughtful as he looked over Tommy's records, Sylvie reading over his shoulder. "She has impressive commendations," he finally said. "And the years of experience. The only thing I'm a little concerned about is the gap between 2013 and 2020. A lot's changed medically since then."
"She's kept up," TK said. "When I talked to her, that was the first thing she said. Deputy Chief Radford wouldn't have given you records with her still named a captain if she wasn't up for it."
"True," Owen conceded.
"And she trained Michelle, too," Sylvie said. "She's the Ryders' best friend. She has connections to the house already. She should be somewhere with people who will support her. Nancy and Tim will likely take it better, too, if their new captain has that."
"And they'll have you as the chief paramedic of the house now," Michelle added. "They're losing me, but they'll still have you."
"That'll soften the blow," Sylvie agreed.
"Well, I guess the new chief paramedic should have the final say," Owen leaned back in his chair. "What do you think?"
Sylvie grinned in reply.
***
"Hey, Cruz?"
Joe lifted his eyes from the morning newspaper, and he frowned when he saw Gallo and Ritter standing there, shifting from foot to foot nervously. "How can I help you boys?" he asked, putting the paper down.
"Um," Gallo cleared his throat. "Is there somewhere we can talk? You know . . . privately?"
Joe frowned uneasily, then gestured to the turnout room. The two candidates followed him inside, and Joe folded his arms, turning to them. "Alright, tell me what I need to be worried about."
Ritter gulped. "Members of the CFD potentially letting slip where Brett is when she might not want them to know?"
Joe's eyes widened. "What do you mean by that?" he demanded.
"There's a really badass firefighter from Miami that I follow on Instagram," Gallo answered, pulling out his phone. "I hadn't really checked her posts the past few months, but she added a post that blew up more than others . . . and I know Casey and Severide said they didn't want to know where Brett is, and as soon as I saw this – "
Joe immediately held his hand out for Gallo's phone, which he handed over without hesitation. He checked the post, and his eyes widened when he saw the line of Austin police officers and firefighters blockading the way to a hospital, Sylvie's new captain at the front, Sylvie easily identified at his side.
Firefox: To the brave men and women who serve our country, no matter how big or small your role is, no matter how loud or soft your voice is, we see you and we hear you.
"Wow," Joe breathed, seeing the tank they were facing down. "Holy – "
"Yeah," Gallo nodded. "She's featured in a few posts from the AFD, too. She's . . . well, she's a badass, but we already knew that."
"Agreed," Joe nodded automatically. "Does it say which house she's with?"
"Not from the posts Gallo showed me," Ritter looked at his friend.
Gallo scrolled through his phone, mouthing words to himself. "No," he finally shook his head. "I see her in her turnout gear sometimes, but there's no way to see her house number. I don't know what it is."
"Good," Joe sighed in relief. "We'll just need to make sure Casey and Severide know she's in posts. They're adamant about letting her tell them where she is when she wants them to know."
"I can't believe they still don't know," Ritter shook his head.
Joe sighed. "The more any of us know where she is, the more likely it is that whoever made her run knows where she is . . . and frankly, I don't want to think about what could happen in that scenario."
Both men winced. "Good point," Ritter admitted.
The bells tolled, and Gallo hastily put his phone away when he heard the call. "Truck 81. Ambulance 61. Vehicle fire assist."
Gallo burst out of the door, running for Truck 81, narrowly avoiding getting run over by Violet and Gianna. Joe and Ritter watched them go, then Ritter took a deep breath. "Did, uh . . . did Casey and Severide ever find out what Brett signed to them that one time she took a call here at the house?"
Joe sighed, shaking his head. "No. They never did."
"Do you think that might be part of why she left?"
Joe took a deep breath. "It wouldn't surprise me if it was."
***
In light of Michelle's decision to leave, Radford took one look at the captain Owen and Sylvie wanted to take her place and didn't bat an eye. Instead, he set up the interview, and once it was completed, her position was confirmed. A few days later was her first shift back in the AFD.
Tommy took one look at her reflection in the mirror, complete with her wedding ring secure on a chain around her neck, and sighed. "Lord, help me." She left the room, experimentally twisting to make sure she could still move in her uniform, then did a twirl in the doorway. "Well?" she asked.
Charles, at the skillet in the kitchen, took one look at her and grinned. "Hot damn!" he said appreciatively. "Back in the saddle, babe!"
"Yeah," Tommy snorted. "The saddle's a little tighter than it used to be."
"In all the right places," Charles eyed her appreciatively. "You look like a boss . . . a sexy-ass boss."
"Well, I'm glad I look the part," Tommy fiddled with her fingers nervously. "'Cause I sure as hell don't feel like it."
"What are you talking about?" Charles frowned, watching her get her coffee. "Tommy Vega, you were the best paramedic captain in Travis County!"
"Exactly," Tommy nodded. "Was. That was the better part of a decade, Charles. I mean, what if I just don't have it anymore?"
"Impossible," he shook his head. "Greatness is in your DNA. You got this. You believe that."
Tommy smiled at her husband's confidence in her, then burst out laughing when she saw what he was cooking. "Chateaubriand? For breakfast?"
"Steak and eggs!" he said proudly. "It's classic! Besides, I got 40 pounds of this stuff frozen in the garage." He paused, counting. "Along with five buckets of scallops, two cases of lobsters, and not to mention 15 cases of toilet paper, 70 formal place settings, and stir sticks." He whistled, heading for the refrigerator. "Oh, so many stir sticks."
Tommy smiled. "Well, upside, world ends tomorrow, we're ready."
Charles sighed, wilting. "Baby, I'm sorry about this. I failed you."
"Hey," Tommy shook her head instantly. "Uh-uh. No, you didn't fail, and neither did the restaurant. We were doing great. The place was loved by everyone. We were just too ambitious too soon."
"I know that going back to work isn't what you want right now," Charles began.
"No," Tommy agreed. "No, it isn't. I always figured I'd go back at some point, and I'd hoped that it was when the girls were a little older, but . . . " She shrugged. "That's all. But now? They get their daddy at home to take care of them?" She smiled, slinging her arms around his neck. "We're gonna be OK . . . assuming I don't forget the difference between Dextrose and DuoNeb."
"Ooo," Charles's eyebrows shot up and he gave a saucy smirk. "Oh, that's it. Talk dirty to me, Captain."
"Oh, you like that?" Tommy grinned teasingly.
"I do."
She leaned in closer, smirking. "Dextrose."
"Oh, my God."
"Morning!" a chirpy voice behind them cheered. Tommy turned as their twins entered the room, and Isabella wrinkled her nose. "It smells like dinner."
"It's not," Charles shook his head. "It's breakfast."
"It's steak and eggs," Tommy backed him up. "A classic."
"Hey," Charles pointed his spatula at Tommy. "Doesn't your mama look like a boss?"
"Mama is the boss!" the girls said at the same time.
Tommy laughed proudly, swinging her arms around their shoulders. "I love my girls!"
***
Tim's mug landed on the counter with more force than necessary. "Well, if you ask me, what she did was incredibly selfish."
Marjan eyed the coffee that sloshed over the rim. "What are we talking about?"
"Michelle," Nancy answered.
"Again," Paul sighed, not looking up from his book.
"What'd she do?" Mateo asked worriedly.
"The same thing," TK snorted from where he was watching Buck fill up their coffees.
"She quit!" Tim exclaimed defensively.
"She did not quit," Marjan shook her head. "She gave up her occupation in pursuit of her vocation, and I admire that."
"Don't those mean the same thing?" Mateo frowned.
"Hell, no," Marjan shook her head vehemently. "Vocation is much more than just a job."
"It's more like a calling," Paul elaborated.
"Well, I feel like being a firefighter's my calling," Mateo said.
"And some of us are lucky when the two line up," Paul responded. "But when they don't?"
"You gotta make a choice," Buck finished, clinking mugs with TK.
"Which Captain Blake did," Nancy nodded.
"Which was incredibly selfish," Tim insisted.
"Right, Tim," Nancy rolled her eyes. "She selfishly gave up job security to dedicate her life to helping mentally ill people living on the streets . . . people like her sister. What a monster."
"She abandoned us, Nancy!" Tim snapped. "For some new rando captain who hasn't been on the job in, like, forever! You realize how much EMS has changed since 2013?"
"Hey, Tim," Buck leaned back against the countertops. "Do you trust Sylvie?"
"Of course I trust her!" Tim huffed. "She's, like, the link between paramedics and firefighters in this house. We didn't have that before Squad formed."
"Sylvie sat in on Captain Vega's interview herself," Buck said. "Since she's the chief paramedic now, she wouldn't stick you two with a captain that isn't a fit for this house."
"Not to mention, Tommy trained Michelle," TK pointed out. "When she told me the situation at her house, she said she's worked to keep up with EMS since she left. I think you guys got lucky with who you got."
"Plus, according to Sylvie, she'll be helping out at the academy," Buck added. "She's not gone for good."
Nancy smirked. "Whoever trained Michelle has to be a badass."
Tim sighed. "I give."
***
"And this is your office," Owen gestured grandly to the paramedic captains' office, Sylvie keeping in a giggle when she saw Tommy's stupefied face. "Michelle said it was already large enough for her, there was room for Sylvie to have a place, too."
"So I've been working on moving what I need over here," Sylvie gestured to her desk. "You can take my old place."
Tommy whistled, looking around. "Wow. Well, my last office was more or less a broom closet."
"Well, we have one of those, too, if you'd be more comfortable," Owen offered.
Tommy looked at Sylvie with a questioning face, the girl giggling for real that time. "I bet it's a really nice broom closet," she said faintly.
"Yeah," Owen winked. "It ain't bad to be a broom in my firehouse."
Tommy chuckled, looking out the window. "Well, I'd heard you made some renovations, but I gotta tell you, I've never seen a firehouse like this before."
"Actually, my inspiration was architectural designer John Pawson."
Tommy opened her mouth, then shut it again. "Do we have enough room for all our stuff?"
"I don't have much," Sylvie shrugged.
"Neither do I."
"It's not as big as it looks," Owen gestured. "See, that's the minimalist aesthetic. It – " Sylvie coughed meaningfully, and Owen looked down bashfully. "I'll stop. You'll fill this place easily."
Tommy shook her head. "I wasn't really talking about filling the space. I was talking about the shoes. Michelle was a rock star."
"She comes from a long line of rock stars, then," Owen smiled kindly. "I hear the same thing about you."
Tommy sighed. "Has Judd been talking about me?"
"Hey, girl!" said man poked his head into the office, holding up a cardboard box. "Guess what I just found in your truck."
"Juddy," Tommy chuckled, letting him set the box down.
"Oh, you have no idea how awesome it is to see you in this house," Judd gave her a bear hug. "Owen, if you think you've met this woman, you have not seen her work yet."
"I'm looking forward to it," Sylvie smiled.
Tommy blushed, looking at Judd with a frown. "Let's not raise any unrealistic expectations."
"She's very modest," Judd smirked.
Sylvie smiled innocently at Owen. "You'll balance each other out."
"Hey!" he whined.
Sylvie laughed, turning to Tommy and holding out her hand. "Welcome to the 126, Tommy."
"Thank you, Sylvie," she shook the blonde's hand.
"Get settled in, catch up," Owen shook her hand next. "Welcome to the house."
Judd stepped aside to let the two captains leave, then turned to Tommy as she started unpacking. "He's something, ain't he?" he asked.
Tommy laughed. "He's something," she agreed. "It'll be interesting having another captain on another rig."
"Yeah, that was something to get used to," Judd nodded. "One ambulance of paramedics on one thing, then Sylvie running her own scene elsewhere. The girl's a good fit for Cap, that's for sure."
"And you?" Tommy tilted her head. "Thinking of making that acting captain title more permanent?"
"Eh, I don't know," Judd shrugged. "Felt right sitting under my old captain for so long, it felt natural being Cap's 2IC. Taking orders from one person, then barking them along the line fit me. Dunno if taking that title permanently is for me or not. I just know typically the AFD only has one commanding officer for the house."
"And here we are with two paramedic captains," Tommy pointed out.
"Touché," Judd chuckled. "How're you feeling?"
Tommy snorted. "Like I need a lot of Jesus and a little bit of Jack."
Judd laughed loudly. "I think you'll do great."
He knocked on the doorframe, then left the office. Tommy picked up her next item, a picture of her family, then sighed as she sat down and put the picture up. "OK," she nodded, dropping in her seat.
She could do this.
***
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
"There's been a pile-up!"
"What road are you on, sir?"
"Skate Center Roller Rink!"
***
"Ladder 126. EMS 126. Skate Center Roller Rink."
***
"Please, she's over here!" a girl in a pink jersey and helmet ran to meet Judd and Tommy as they walked across the rink, the crews of Ladder 126 and EMS 126 behind them. Squad 9 lingered behind them; this had been a call for the two other crews, but all four of them had wanted the chance to finally see Tommy in action, especially since she and Judd were close friends. "There's blood everywhere. She slid across the floor. A splinter or something must've bene sticking up. It's my fault," she said miserably as Judd crouched down, examining the girl lying face down on the rink, a sharp stick of wood poking through her back. "I'm her captain. I let her down. I never should've come back. I . . . I wasn't ready. Please help her!"
"Captain," Judd looked up at Tommy, whose eyes were examining the stick. "Scene's medical, it's your lead. Where would you like Fire?"
"Get ready to lift her up," Tommy answered promptly. "Get the floorboard so we can move her."
"Paul, let's get a backboard," Judd ordered. "Marjan, the reticular saw. Mateo, you're with me."
"Your friend," Tommy looked at the captain as Tim and Nancy moved forward. "What's her name?"
"Tonya," she answered.
Tommy nodded, crouching on the ground. "Tonya?" she said gently. "Tonya, my name's Captain Vega. You've gotten yourself into quite a little trip here. I need you to hang in there, OK? We're gonna get you out of this."
" . . . not going anywhere," Tonya mumbled.
"Get her in a C-collar," Tommy ordered Nancy. "Start a line, run it wide open."
"Copy that," Nancy nodded.
Tommy pointed Tim to the wood splinter. "Stabilize that shard with two rolls of Kerlix."
"Copy that," Tim dug through his bag.
"She definitely sounds like she knows what she's doing," TK observed quietly.
"Talking the talk," Owen nodded. "That's good."
"Backboard flying in!" Paul bounded past.
Tommy observed Tim and Nancy's progress, then looked down at Tonya. "We're almost there, Tonya. How are we feeling?"
"I'm so tired," she groaned.
"No, ma'am," Tommy shook her head sternly. "I need you awake. I can't have you going into shock."
"I'm pushing fluids, Cap," Nancy reported.
Tommy nodded in satisfaction, then blinked when she noted the name at the bottom of Tonya's jersey. "Kitten Crusher?" she asked. "What, you have something against cats?"
"I'm a kitten," Tonya ground out. "Who crushes."
Buck's eyebrows shot up, but Marjan chuckled. "Ah, you must be a blocker."
Tommy looked at Marjan in surprise. "How did you know?" Tonya looked blearily up at her.
"I can recognize my own," Marjan said proudly.
"You used to roller derby?" Paul asked, impressed.
"Mmhmm," Marjan nodded. "Back in Miami."
"You should lace up again," Tonya mumbled. "We're gonna be down a blocker."
"Splinter's secure, Captain," Tim brushed his hands off.
"Alright," Tommy looked at Judd. "Lift her up, cut her loose."
"Alright," Judd crouched down, directing the rest of his crew. "Nice and easy, on three. One, two, three!"
He, Mateo, and Paul lifted Tonya, and Marjan slid the saw underneath, cutting through the splinter easily. "All clear," she said.
"Alright," Tommy beckoned for Mateo to slide the board close. "Easy, get her on the backboard."
"Guys, watch the shard," Judd warned. "Keep it clear of the board. Nice and easy . . . careful."
They slid Tonya onto her back and onto the board . . . and revealed her badly mangled, twisted arm. "Oh, my – !" Buck clapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide.
"Oh, my God," Sylvie's jaw dropped.
Mateo scrambled backwards, and the captain of the roller derby team looked close to throwing up. "Oh, my God," she stared. "Her arm!"
Tommy reeled, looking stunned as well, before she gulped. "Alright, get her on the gurney," she ordered.
Judd and Paul transferred her quickly, and Nancy leaned over, checking Tonya's arm. "No radial pulse," she said. "No cap refill. Tissue's about to go necrotic."
"Cap, we gotta restore circulation now or she loses the arm," Tim said worriedly. Tommy nodded faintly, looking Tonya's arm up and down. "Captain, what's the plan?" Tim asked insistently, Judd looking ready to step in and prompt her himself.
"Should you be over there?" TK looked at Sylvie.
"Wait a moment," Owen murmured.
A second later, Tommy straightened. "I reset it," she said.
"You?" Tim balked. "You sure? We only get one shot at this! You haven't been in the field – !"
"Get me the vacuum splint," Tommy ordered sharply.
Tim ducked his head. "Copy."
Tommy took a deep breath, placing both hands on Tonya's arm. "Tonya, I'm not gonna lie . . . this is gonna pinch." She checked to make sure Tim was in place. "Alright, you ready?"
Tonya swallowed weakly. "Yeah."
Tommy took a deep breath, her entire body tensing. "Cap?" Sylvie asked quietly, seeing her hesitate.
Owen simply held out his arm, blocking Sylvie from moving closer. "She's got this," he said confidently.
Tommy gritted her teeth, then sharply twisted. Tonya's bones cracked, and she girl shrieked in pain. "Oh, my God!" her captain paled.
Nancy placed her fingers at Tonya's wrist, then sighed in relief. "We got a pulse, Cap."
Tonya glanced down her arm blearily. "Does that mean that I'm . . . "
"That means she just saved your arm," Nancy said proudly.
"Oh," Tonya smiled dopily. "Thank you."
"That's my girl," Judd smiled proudly, clapping Tommy on the back. "Alright, 126, let's get her outta here."
Marjan and Paul pushed the gurney out of the rink, and Tommy watched them go, her entire body seeming to relax as the tension left her. She jumped, startled, when applause started, and she turned to see Buck and TK cheering, Sylvie smiling proudly. Owen walked forward, a wide grin on his face. "You can breathe again, Captain," he told her warmly, putting a hand on her shoulder.
Tommy did just that, taking a deep breath. "You were right," Buck told Nancy with a grin. "She is a badass."
Tommy straightened proudly at the compliment, walking out of the rink with her head held high.
***
Carlos opened the door to his house, and he snorted, seeing the crowd on his doorstep. "Oh, I see how it is," he quipped. "Date one firefighter, get five free." He paused. "Or is it four and a paramedic?"
A car door slamming caught his attention. "Actually, four firefighters and three paramedics," Sylvie pointed over her shoulder as Tim and Nancy walked over from Nancy's car.
"Someone said they wanted cheeseballs?" Tim held up a huge tub.
Mateo whooped gleefully. "Gimme!"
"You forget one thing, and that's all you hear about," TK griped as he walked into the house.
"At least you remembered the orange juice," Paul teased.
"Yeah, I got that."
"So you can remember the orange juice, but you forget the cheeseballs?" Nancy raised an eyebrow.
"Nance, it's not like all the orange stuff is in the same corner of the market," Marjan huffed.
Carlos tilted his head, eyeing TK as he set the orange juice down more firmly than he should have. "You seem a little stressed."
TK sighed. "Is it that noticeable?" he asked sarcastically.
"I noticed," Marjan raised her hand. "And I'm pretty sure I haven't looked at you since we got here."
"I noticed her noticing," Paul nodded.
"We still live with you," Buck deadpanned, gesturing to himself and Sylvie.
TK sighed. "And you two heard the news."
"What news?" Mateo asked.
TK sat down on the chair, rubbing a hand over his face as Carlos massaged his shoulders. "Dad has a meeting with his doctor after next shift," he answered softly. "It's the results of his chemotherapy."
"Oh, no," Sylvie swallowed.
"Was there any indication about what the results are?" Tim asked in concern. "Good, bad?"
"God forbid, ugly?" Nancy added.
"No," TK shook his head. "We just go in to get the results, and . . . well, we go from there."
"Geez," Marjan sighed. "I hope it's good."
"Yeah, I could do with some good news," Buck agreed, checking his phone. "Athena's back to work tomorrow – desk work, but still work – and May starts at the dispatch center, too."
"That's the police sergeant your former captain is married to, right?" Paul asked.
"Yeah," Buck nodded. "And her daughter."
"First responder family," Carlos smiled. "Must give her ex-husband a heart attack."
"She gave everyone a heart attack when she was attacked live on radio," Buck pinched the bridge of his nose. "Athena's been a mother to me more than my actual mother was." He snorted. "Which makes sense, given that I was a baby they didn't even want and just had for spare parts that ended up defective."
"I still can't believe your parents did that," Paul scowled. "If I ever meet them, I'm gonna punch them in the face."
"Hey, no speak of violence in front of a police officer," Carlos warned.
"You're not wearing a badge, though," Tim pointed out.
Sylvie snickered. "That never stops a cop."
"Nope," TK agreed. "Never does."
"Speaking of never stopping," Mateo wheeled around, looking at Tim and Nancy in excitement. "Your new captain is so cool!"
"She pulled that reset off like a champ," Marjan agreed with a grin.
"Like I said," Nancy said smugly. "Michelle's a badass, she got trained by a badass."
"She . . . knows what she's doing," Tim allowed reluctantly.
"You don't like her?" Sylvie asked in concern, leaning forward and folding her arms.
"Well, I've only had one shift with her, so I can't say much," Tim shrugged, pouring himself a glass of juice. "But Michelle was with Nancy and me for the longest time. I'm still reeling from her leaving."
"She said she's gonna stick around, though," Nancy pointed out.
"That's not the same as her being on shift with us," Tim countered. "I don't know, I just . . . " He sighed. "I got used to Michelle. Now I need to get used to a new captain who, while she did train Michelle, is very different from her."
"I know the feeling," Sylvie nodded. "Since Buck and TK are partners, I guess you can count Owen as mine . . . he's my seventh partner in about as many years."
Tim choked on his juice. "Your seventh?" Nancy gawked.
"My seventh," Sylvie confirmed. "Dawson, Mills, Chili, Borelli, Dawson again, then Foster, Mackey . . . and finally Owen. I know all about changing who you work with. And back in Chicago, we run two-person ambulances."
"Same in Los Angeles," Buck nodded.
"And in New York," TK agreed.
"You and Nancy are lucky you've still got each other," Sylvie said. "You just need to show Captain Vega what it means to be part of the 126 dream team."
Nancy grinned. "Oh, we can do that."
Sylvie smirked. "I'm counting on it."
***
"9-1-1, what's your emergency?"
"A guy working on a cell tower; I think he just had a heart attack!"
***
"Squad 9. EMS 126. Rescue and cardiovascular emergency."
***
Buck whistled, impressed, when he jumped from the driver's seat of Squad 9 to look up the cell tower. "That's high."
"Alright, the phone company said his name's Carl Hubbard," TK told Owen as Tim parked the ambulance behind them. "He's 41 years old. His boss says he's fit as a fiddle, no cardiac history. He said the guy runs Ironmans on the weekend."
"If he does that and he's out like a light, there's something wrong," Sylvie said grimly. "It could be anything. Heart attack, seizure . . . he could've just fainted from dehydration. There's no way to tell without seeing him closer."
"Alright, we gotta get him down so medical can have a look at him," Owen clapped his hands. "TK, get the rescue harnesses. Buck, deploy the rescue bag."
Sylvie shielded her eyes, trying to see if stopping the sun from getting in her eyes would help her. "I have to admit, this is a first for me," Tommy said quietly, stopping by her. "How do we split this up? Squad's got the rescue, you're their paramedic, and you're chief paramedic of the house."
"I make the calls in the field, you guys handle getting him to the hospital," Sylvie answered.
Tommy nodded. "How do we do this?"
"Nancy, radio West Park," Sylvie turned. "Tell them to have their cardiac and stroke teams on standby."
"Copy that," Nancy nodded, pulling her radio off her shoulder. "EMS 126 to West Park . . . "
Sylvie turned to Tim, hearing the clack of harnesses from the rig behind her. "Tim, get two bags of D5 – " She trailed off, seeing something drip onto Tim's shoulder, the black of his uniform appearing darker. She stepped closer, cautiously tapping a gloved finger on the spot.
Her fingertip came away red. "Is that . . . " Tim's eyes widened.
Sylvie's eyes dropped to the ground next to him, speckles of red dotting the concrete. "Blood." She took a deep breath, turning around. "Owen!" she called, making him and TK look up from where they were getting harnesses ready. "I'm gonna need one of those harnesses!"
***
"Remind me the next time I call Kelly," Sylvie panted as she climbed up the ladder behind Owen, "I need to thank him for all of those times I teased him for wanting to do activities like climbing on our days off."
"Noted," Owen chuckled. "How're you doing, princess?"
She sighed; the name Buck and TK had given her had caught on. The only other person she let call her that was Owen, though. Mateo had learned that the hard way, when she had slipped silver dye into his shampoo at the station. "Fine. All that work you and Buck have had me do really pays off when I have to do this."
"Still want the hibiscus blister balm when we get back?" he offered.
She smiled up at him. "You're a life-saver, Owen."
"I try to be!" Owen secured his harness and shifted onto the tower, and Sylvie climbed the rest of the ladder onto the top of the tower, clipping her harness into place, too. "Carl, can you hear me?" he tapped the worker. The man didn't respond, and Owen assessed him as Sylvie slung her bag off her shoulder. "He's in shock," he reported. "He's got a wound in the upper left leg. It's bleeding out pretty bad." He frowned at the blood dripping at a steady pace. "Looks like some kind of a puncture wound . . . from a tool, maybe?"
"Maybe," Sylvie agreed, dangling the last harness down.
Owen grabbed the bottom of it, slinging it securely around Carl. "I'm secured here."
Sylvie nodded, laying on her stomach. "Hold him as still as you possibly can," she ordered.
***
"Honestly, I'm kind of glad Sylvie's taking this one," Tommy murmured. "I'd've been chafing in one of those harnesses."
"Been a while since you've been in one, Cap?" TK grinned cheekily.
She snorted. "Gilmore Girls was still on the last time I was in one."
"Can you see what's going on?" Tim asked Buck as he examined the bloodstain on his uniform.
"Barely," Buck squinted, his hand trying to shield his eyes from the sun. "They've got him."
***
"Can you reach him?" Owen asked.
"Yeah," Sylvie nodded, cutting away at Carl's pant leg. She peeled back the fabric, and she did a double take when she saw the gaping hole in his leg. "Owen, that's not a puncture wound," she said. "That's an exit wound."
Owen blinked, hoisting himself higher to take a closer look. "Maybe from a bullet?"
"I worked in Chicago, I saw bullet wounds," Sylvie shook her head. "That doesn't look like any gunshot I've ever seen."
Something whistled in the air, then a sudden force on Owen's pack sent him slamming into the metal. He lost his grip on the tower, his harness the only thing keeping him from falling. He scrambled to get his footing back on the scaffold, quickly looking up to see Sylvie had plastered herself to the floor of the top. "Get behind the dish!" he yelled.
She moved immediately, pulling her bag with her. "What the hell was that?" she asked.
Owen reached blindly behind him, and he grabbed what was sticking in his pack. He yanked it over his shoulder, then stared blankly at what he found in his hand. "It's a bolt!"
"A bolt?" Sylvie repeated dumbly. "You mean, like, from a – ?"
Another bolt hit the scaffold just under her with a thwack, and Sylvie squeaked, ducking behind the dish. Owen gritted his teeth, grabbing the radio on his shoulder. "126, we're taking fire!" he shouted.
***
Tim and Nancy looked at each other worriedly, and TK grabbed his radio in response. "Did you just say you're taking fire?" he asked. "'Cause we don't hear anything down here."
"That's 'cause it's coming from a crossbow!"
TK blinked in disbelief. " . . . a crossbow? From where?"
He heard clatters and grunts on the other end before Owen responded. "Looks like . . . I think from the south?"
"Behind the rig!" Tommy pointed.
The five ran low to the ground, staying behind the towering rig. "Stay down," Buck warned.
"Look, we have a severe leg injury," Owen said. "He's bleeding out. We're kind of pinned down here."
Tommy pulled her radio from her shoulder, peering out around the front. "Dispatch, this is 126," she said. "We need APD at 4206 Ridgewood. Be quick."
"Why the hell is someone taking shots at a cell tower?" Nancy seethed, looking up at where Owen and Sylvie were pinned.
"Who doesn't hate phone companies?" Tim asked rhetorically.
TK tilted his head side to side, conceding the point, and Buck carefully poked his head over the top of the rig. After scanning the buildings, he finally found what he was looking for. "Over there," he pointed. "Stucco apartment, second floor, third unit from the left."
Three other heads joined him curiously. "Seriously?" Nancy asked.
"How can you tell?" Tim asked.
"The window's open," Buck answered simply.
Nancy sighed. "There are windows open everywhere."
Buck smirked. "Only one window is open next to a running air conditioner unit."
TK watched as a faint figure appeared in the window, then a blurry black streak soared through the air, right for the top of the cell tower. "OK, that's impressive," Tim admitted.
TK watched the bolt hit the dish Sylvie was hiding behind, and he gritted his teeth, jumping from the rig. "Guys, come on, we gotta stop him!"
"Hey!" Tommy watched him in disbelief as he threw open one of the compartments on the rig. "Police are gonna be here in two minutes!"
"Yeah, that's two minutes longer than my dad and my sister have hanging up there," TK snapped.
"TK's right," Nancy nodded, joining him. "That's our captains' asses blowing in the breeze."
"Count me in," Buck held out his hand for one of the axes TK hauled out.
Tim nodded. "Me, too."
Tommy looked at all four of them, then at their surroundings. Something caught her eye nearby, and she straightened. "Hey!" she barked. "Listen up!"
"What?" TK glowered, turning to look at her.
"Yeah, that's your family up there," she said. "If we're gonna do this, we have to do it smart."
***
A knock on the door of the next unit made one of the family members come to the door, and he blinked, seeing the black-uniformed firefighters standing there. "Can I help you?" he asked.
"Yeah," Tommy nodded, TK smiling sheepishly behind her. "We have an . . . unusual request."
***
Owen watched Carl's eyes finally shut, and he looked up. "Sylvie!" he shouted. "We gotta stop this bleeding!"
"I'm focusing here!" Sylvie shouted back.
Owen grimaced, looking at all the places the bolts had (thankfully) bounced off. "Yeah, focus will be good."
Sylvie finally appeared at the top. "Alright, hold him as still as you can. I'm gonna close his wound with this iTClamp."
"Alright," Owen nodded, shifting his hold on Carl.
***
The next time the shooter appeared in the window, Tommy cupped her hands over her mouth and yelled. "Hey!"
The shooter aimed down at them, and TK aimed the garden hose as best as he could. "Suck it!" he taunted, turning the hose on full blast.
It took a few seconds to get the aim right, but the next gush of water hit the shooter in the face, catapulting them back into the apartment. Inside the apartment, the crossbow aim meant the bolt fired just as Buck burst through the door, and he yelped, hastily ducking to avoid getting shot in the head with the bolt that fired. "Nuh-uh!" Nancy burst past him. "No, you don't!"
She tackled the shooter, and Tim grabbed the dropped crossbow. The shooter, a woman, raised her hands in defeat, and Buck whistled, looking from the crossbow to the bolt in the wall. "Yowzah."
***
Carlos sighed, shaking his head in exasperation as he walked over from his cruiser. "You know, if you get yourself shot again, you're never making it out of the doghouse," he threatened TK.
TK smiled tauntingly in response. "Maybe don't make us do your job for you next time."
Carlos couldn't help but smirk. "Firefighters. You really are a smug bunch."
TK winked. "You love it."
Carlos watched his boyfriend disappear around the rig, then Buck bounded up, battering ram under his arm. "So what was her deal?" he nodded to the woman escorted to another cruiser. "Lady Legolas and her crossbow?"
"Conspiracy theories," Carlos rolled his eyes. "She read on the Internet that viruses were being spread by 5G towers."
"Oh, really?" Nancy scoffed. "I thought for a second she might be crazy."
"I told you everyone hates the phone companies," Tim smirked.
Nancy punched him in the arm, making him wince. "Alright!" Tommy announced, and everyone turned to see her pat Sylvie on the shoulder, letting her get up from the ambulance. "Clean as a whistle!"
"Good," Owen grinned.
"Hey, Dad," TK bounced on his feet with a grin. "Captain Vega was awesome."
"Yeah, that move with the garden hose?" Tim nodded. "All her idea."
"We were ready with the axes and everything, and she sees one thing and goes 'I can make this even better,'" Nancy giggled. "A garden hose!"
"We've got a good one," Tim smirked.
"Hell yeah, we do."
They high-fived each other, and Tommy looked touched as the two paramedics chattered between themselves, cleaning up the rig. "You two were doing all the dirty work up there," she told Owen and Sylvie. "Better than I would've done."
"Hey, you could've done it," Sylvie shook her head.
Tommy sighed. "Do you think I would've frozen up again?"
Owen tilted his head innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Tommy smiled sadly. "We all know you saw me choke at the roller derby the other day."
"You were resetting a compound fracture with your bare hands," Sylvie pointed out. "That usually takes an extra breath to prepare for."
Tommy nodded. "Well, I want you both to know that that was a one-time only, first day back kind of thing," she said. "The rust is off."
Sylvie snickered. "I guess I'll stay on my toes, then."
Owen watched her skip towards the rig, TK holding the back door open for her to climb into. As Buck closed the driver's door, he turned to Tommy, a confident smirk on his face. "Hey, Cap?" he called, stopping her from heading into the back of the ambulance. "I think we're gonna have some fun."
Tommy's grin split her face from ear to ear. "You bet your ass we are."
***
Buck: I am officially a little bit in love with Sylvie now.
Buck: I say a little bit only because she's basically my little sister.
Buck: But holy crap, she's such a badass.
Eddie frowned, looking at his phone as Buck's texts rolled through the group chat he shared with the Buckleys. "Oh, boy."
"Oh, boy what?" Bobby asked, the only person in the kitchen as Hen and Chimney were out on a medical call.
Eddie wrestled with what to say, then finally sighed and sat back in his chair. "Buck," he answered.
"Good or bad?"
"Good?" Eddie eyed the chat. "I think?"
Maddie: What did she do this time?
Buck: Oh, she only climbed up a cell tower with our captain.
Buck: Proceeded to do surgery 100 feet up with an iTClamp.
Buck: Did I mention she was getting shot at by a crossbow?
Maddie: A WHAT
Eddie shook his head, putting his phone face down. "He works with some pretty awesome people now," he admitted, a sour tone in his voice.
Bobby raised an eyebrow, walking over to sit across from him. "Sounds like you're jealous."
Eddie stared blankly at him, then snorted. "It's a little hard not to be when he constantly sings their praises and then says, and I quote, 'I'm a little in love' with them."
Bobby smiled softly. "You're jealous you're not out there with him."
"I understand why he left," Eddie leaned back in his chair. "I do, I really do. But it's definitely been hard here with him gone. Lena's great, but she's not Buck."
"No, she's not," Bobby sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "And a good chunk of that's my fault."
"You didn't eavesdrop and rat out a secret to the house, Bobby," Eddie shook his head.
"Maybe I didn't, but while I didn't do my own sharing, I didn't stop Chimney from doing it," Bobby argued. "And I should've. I know better than that . . . and I did it anyway." He sighed. "I don't know if it was mainly the shock of knowing there was something else about Buck I didn't know, or the fact that it was something we should've known."
"Hard to know about it if that something only existed for less than two years of your life," Eddie pointed out.
"Exactly," Bobby sighed. "God, I really haven't been the best captain these past few years, have I?"
Eddie grimaced, trying to think of how to put it lightly. "Not the best," he finally admitted. "But those are rough patches in a lot of other good things, Cap. Yeah, I've been giving Chimney crap about what he did. Hen's getting better, now that Karen's on her ass . . . but you were the one who, right out of the gate, admitted you did something wrong when it was shoved in your face. That's a far cry better than them."
"Not good enough to get me completely out of the doghouse," Bobby grumbled.
"Oh, I've been there," Eddie snorted. "Everyone else can forgive it happened, but the wife? Not so much."
"Who said it was Athena?" Bobby snorted. "I'm talking about May."
Eddie laughed. "She really is a junior bear."
Bobby blinked. "Junior bear?" he parroted.
"Inside joke," Eddie smirked. "You'll get there, Cap. Eventually, Buck will, too."
"I hope so," Bobby sighed.
Eddie patted his arm, taking a look at the chat again.
Buck: In other news, our other paramedic captain is a badass, too.
Buck: Who would've thought you could have such good aim with a garden hose?
Maddie: What the fuck is going on in Austin?
Eddie smirked, typing back.
Eddie: Finally, a city as crazy as Los Angeles.
Buck: Man, you have no idea.
***
"They should've been back by now."
"Hey, calm down," Buck stood up from where he was on the couch, heading to where Sylvie was pacing nervously, the TV white noise behind them. "Who knows how long that appointment could have actually taken?"
"I know," Sylvie wrung her hands. "It's just . . . we've seen how the chemo has affected Owen, how hard he's been pushing through it, and I want good news."
"I do, too," Buck put a hand on her shoulder. "But we don't know what we're gonna get, so . . . pacing isn't gonna help."
She sighed, leaning against him. "I know."
The door to the house opened, and both whipped around as Owen and TK stepped inside. "Hey, guys," Owen smiled wearily at him.
The grin TK tried smothering and the bounce in his step made Sylvie perk up. "Well?" she asked impatiently.
"I want a second opinion first," Owen began.
"The tumor is reduced by 73 percent!" TK interrupted, smiling widely. "Officially remission!"
"What?" Buck's eyes widened.
"Again, I want a second opinion!" Owen insisted.
"But it's good news!" TK cheered.
"Oh, thank God!" Sylvie jumped on Owen, giving him a huge bear hug.
He stumbled under her hug, but laughed loudly, hugging her back. "Thanks, Sylvie. I'm happy with it, too."
"Congrats, Cap," Buck grinned, joining in.
"Thanks, Buck," Owen smiled. "Celebratory drink?"
"Yes!" Sylvie ducked under his arm, heading for the kitchen. "I know we have champagne here somewhere, I know it!"
"Hey, mineral water for me!" TK called.
"I know!" Sylvie's voice was muffled, but it was even more muffled as Owen focused on the breaking news behind them. "Give me a second!"
"Hey, Buck," Owen gulped. "What have you heard from L.A.?"
"Uh," Buck frowned, searching through his pockets for his phone. "Let me see . . . why?"
"Holy crap," TK's eyes bugged wide.
Buck's own eyes widened as he took in the texts he got.
Maddie: Buck, it's likely breaking news where you are, but I'm telling you first.
Maddie: We got hit with another earthquake, and the Hollywood dam broke. We're dealing with mudslides and flooding here. I'm OK.
Eddie: So's the 118. We're heading out in a few minutes to our first call.
Maddie: So much for an easy Duet Day for May.
"Oh, my God," Sylvie stared in disbelief as she came out with glasses.
Buck swallowed, seeing the images from flooded streets of Los Angeles. "Oh, no."
A few seconds later, there was another ping on his phone.
Eddie: {Image: an orange bus hanging out the upper floors of a skyscraper.}
Eddie: In Chimney's words: that does not go there.
Maddie: This is going to be a long shift.
Buck: Hang in there, guys. Take care.
Eddie: We'll be careful, Buck.
Maddie: Love you!
Buck sighed, putting his phone on vibrate and taking the champagne flute Sylvie handed him. "They've got this," he told himself. "They've got this."
"Yeah, they do," Owen nodded. "I know you didn't leave the 118 on good terms, but they know what they're doing."
"Yeah," Buck sighed. "That's what I'm telling myself."
"We'll keep it on," TK promised. "We'll know what's happening as it goes on."
Buck nodded. "Sorry to crash your parade, Cap."
"Hey, like I said," Owen held up his spare hand. "Second opinion before we really celebrate. We'll worry about them for now."
Buck nodded in agreement, dropping onto the couch behind him. Sylvie was right next to him, tucking herself into his side, which Buck felt more relief towards than usual. Owen and TK took the other couch, the four of them camping in the living room to keep track of what was happening in Los Angeles.
At least he had his Austin family with him while he was watching his Los Angeles one fight for their city.
***
We'll drop by Los Angeles a little bit more next time, and we'll get most of (if not all) of the next Lone Star episode, too. I loved the first three episodes of the season, and the crossover . . . man, that was such a hit. I'm looking forward to packing all three firehouses in there.
Speaking of which, I already know who from Los Angeles is heading out to San Angelo. I know for a fact that Matt and all of Squad 3 are heading there, too. The question is, do you think it's believable that with the pull Owen has, he might request for all of 51 to come, even if it's just his way of sticking it to them that Sylvie's found a good home with his house? That kind of sounds like something snarky he would do. Plus, he knows Boden has a good house.
Also, not to worry, folks - like I said, Michelle isn't gone for good. Unlike Liv Tyler, who couldn't be in Season 2, I have creative liberty to drop Michelle where I think she fits. So, while Tommy is at the 126, Michelle is following her vocation while still appearing when she needs to.
Check in soon!
graphic by marvelity