FD Academy, Chicago, 2005
After a long and extraordinary lengthy grilling from Noah, Parker had shipped himself off to Chicago, only two months after being fully discharged from the hospital.
Despite Noah being happy about Parker choosing a career path that was meaningful, but it was such a rash decision and one that he was certain his eldest son hadn't thoroughly thought through.
Parker had spent every second planning, over planning even, every little detail that could happen over the next few months in Chicago. The loan he had taken out would take a while to repay but if he was able to graduate out of the Fire Departments academy in record time, it'd be less of a burden on him.
Knowing how one of his best friends nearly met their demise really pushed Parker into the role of a fire fighter, but it was the thought of something like that ever happening to his own family that really drove it home.
Fear drives people to do the craziest of things, but it can also help with clarity, to clarify to them what matters the most in the world.
The February's in Chicago were unforgiving, the warmth of the sun didn't hit the ground people stood on, but according to the locals, it was better than January's weather. As February rolled into March and then March to April, the weather improved, slightly.
"Candidates!" A loud and domineering voice called out, spooking all of the students who weren't expecting anyone for another ten minutes.
Most of those around him looked like deers caught in a cars headlights, Parker's leg began to bounce. Luckily, he had remembered to place a little bit of card underneath where his heel would hit to mute the sound.
A girl, maybe a year or so younger than him noticed, but said nothing- at least for a while.
As the captain of some fire department continued to grill the new candidates, the girl placed her hand on top of Parker's knee to prevent the sound from irritating her further.
"That's annoying, and I'm Murphy. Eden Murphy."
Murphy, Parker thought to himself, wondering where she hailed from since her accent wasn't identifiable. Though, accents weren't a specialty of Parker's, he hadn't travelled far across the US to notice those.
"Parker Stilinksi, nice to meet you- but I'm not sorry about the tapping." Parker mumbled his response back as quietly as he could before his foot tapping returned.
For once, he did hope that he'd be paired with someone who knew his name, and someone who had an easy one to remember in return. Maybe if he invited her out for drinks after their first day, he could have a new friendship in the works- or, he could do what Parker usually did and make things awkward.
He was the king of awkward, after all.
"He sounds like a right dictator—" Murphy joked, causing a small bout of softened laughter from Parker, who's hand was almost glued to his face.
A dictator wasn't exactly the word of choice that Parker would've used, but the instructor seemed to be an ex-veteran. He sounded like his grandfather whenever he got angry, the words were said with conviction, and a sense of urgency, but not everyone seemed to be listening.
Parker could hear the people in the back row organising a hazing party, and the people in the front questioning if it was safe for the instructors vein to pop out that far from the side of his head.
Four hours of being talked at, yelled at and screamed at went straight through one ear and out of the other, Parker made notes which later turned into scribbles, and then doodles once he no longer heard a collection of words that made sense. Luckily, by the time Parker began to doodle, it was time for an hour break.
"Hey, Park," a nickname already?, wow, "do you want to grab lunch with me and a few others?"
Murphy didn't hesitate to ask a guy she had only known for a few hours, and said barely a handful of words to. She'd be the perfect person to fall victim to a serial killer who had the good looks that Parker did, and the charm and charisma- but she'd be one hell of a fighter.
"Sure— why not. I got nothing to lose."
It was true, despite having a dingy little apartment in Canaryville, Parker had no friends or even acquaintances. A friendly drink wouldn't kill him and he was almost certain alcohol didn't affect him in the same ways it used to.
Murphy- Eden, Parker wasn't sure which one sounded right in both his mind and mouth, seemed like a bubbly person who wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. That should've really been a given since she was training to do the exact same job as Parker, but putting two and two together didn't click on what it should have. At first, he thought she'd go for the Arson Investigation team, but she seemed far more into the fire and rescue side of things.
She was incredibly smart too- could've gone to Harvard, according to a conversation she had with a few other people before the introductory five minutes was over.
"So, Parker, where are you from? That's no Illinois accent, and you use funny words for a magic man."
Parker laughed, he knew he stood out but he didn't think it'd be from his accent. In fact, he didn't even think he sounded that different from everyone else- maybe a little softer around the edges? But not different enough for people to notice after just a few words.
"California— Beacon County, I left the warmth to finally see snow on a yearly basis."
It seemed as though no one picked up on the small joke he had just made until his facial expression gave it away.
"Your humour isn't top notch, Stilinski. But, you are nice to the eyes." A blonde, and also a redhead both said at the same time.
He didn't know of their names, or really care to since he wasn't interested in finding himself a wife, especially at nineteen. Their eyes were staring right through him, like he was a piece of meat instead of a man with a mind and a heart.
"Well, Kennedy and I are both from New Jersey, and Eden is from Hawai'i." The blonde said, and Hawai'i was further than California was- at least this meant they had something they could share and connect on.
Homesickness was a real thing that people had to deal with and oftentimes if it wasn't dealt with properly— Things could go wrong. Both mentally and physically, almost like broken heart syndrome. That was as real as it could get, that and heart attacks.
The girls went back to their mindless chitchat as Parker scouted the arena, wondering whether or not the next person to talk to him would be as stuck-up as those.
As he looked around, he wondered for himself whether he'd be the one standing up at the front giving lectures in ten, twenty years— after retiring from active service. Whether he'd be a good leader or one who breaks the rules to make sure things go the way they were supposed to— or, if he'd go unnoticed as years passed and he aged into oblivion.
By the time Parker had realised, almost everyone except a small handful of candidates and the veteran firefighters were left.
A man, around the same age as Noah, stepped up beside Parker, placing a hand on his shoulder. Although it should've startled him, as it had done to the others who had stayed- he didn't flinch.
"It says in your chart, Stilinski, that you just got out of hospital, after a six month stint, is this true?" The man, Chief Latham, asked. His tone neither accusatory or questioning, but the undertones weren't easy to understand.
Parker nodded his head strongly, it had been eleven months since he had entered the hospital back in Beacon County, and at the start of February, he ran as far as he could the very second he was discharged.
"Yes, Chief. There was an accident on my last day of senior year, and I spent a couple months in the ICU, but I was released in February." Parker paused, taking a small inhale of air before continuing, "I'm fit for duty, and I will continue to see my physiotherapist for the next three months and then I'll be reevaluated."
Despite the last part being a lie, Parker would continue with his physio at home, but he wasn't going to waste his money and a professionals time by going in person. The final exam, of course, he'd go in person for.
"Great to hear! Well, we are all happy to see so many young folk see this as a career choice and not a fall back option. We, at the Chicago Fire Department, wish you the best."
With that, he departed, leaving Parker to go and find Murphy and the others for a quick bite to eat.
Maybe Chicago was a good decision, after all.