𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡
"𝖡𝖴𝖬 𝖲𝖳𝖤𝖤𝖱"
𝗧he 126 firehouse arrived at Happy Stan's Used Car Lot on a report of a rogue bull on the loose. Many were injured, with only a few medics tending to them. The team found Malachi the bull with his head trapped inside of a broken car window.
Owen let Adrienne take charge of going inside the car and calming the bull. Adrienne opened the car's trunk door and slowly crawls inside.
"Hey, Malachi. How you doing, buddy?" Adrienne questioned in a calming voice.
"I've dealt with smaller animal rescues but never someone as big as you," Adrienne continued, "Yeah, there's no two ways about it. This sucks, but I promise you, we're gonna get you out, all right?"
Owen stuck his head in, "I would appreciate if you didn't kill any of my team. Good?"
As TK and Marjan used the battery operated jaws, Adrienne tries to calm Malachi even more by petting him. Malachi unfortunately started to freak out due to the noise.
"All right, everybody calm. Don't move," Owen instructed. He motions for Adrienne to continue calming down Malachi.
"It's okay, Malachi. You're safe. We're trying to get you out," Adrienne says.
"I know how it feels to feel like everything's out of control and spinning around and you don't know how you got yourself into this situation in the first place. I've been there. There right now, actually," Owen says as he leaned into the car once more. He pokes his head out again to tell TK to keep going.
"Dad, you sure?" TK asked.
"I'm sure. Yeah, I'm sure. Keep going."
TK and Marjan continued to use the jaws. Malachi started to freak out even more, even with the efforts of Adrienne and Captain Strand. One of his horns got too close for comfort towards Adrienne and she decided to jump out of the car.
TK and Marjan backed up from the bull once they were done.
"All right, Judd," Owen says. Judd took some rope, ties it around Malachi's horns, and hands him over to animal control.
"There, I told you we'd get you out of there. Hey, Malachi, next time, do me a favor. Pick a convertible," Owen called out.
⁂
To say Adrienne was mad is an understatement. She was furious at the fact that Captain Strand decided to retake his CPAT just to prove that he's still an eligible Captain, even with his cancer.
Only problem was... he agreed to do it in under 10 minutes. Adrienne walked into the kitchen to find Paul, Judd, Marjan, and Probie having a conversation while cleaning up the kitchen.
"Look, he and the captain don't approach things the same way, but Billy ain't a bad guy," Adrienne heard Judd explain, "He ain't gonna come through here with a scythe just 'cause we ain't his people."
Marjan puts down the fork she was shining and just stares at him. Adrienne walks over to stand next to Mateo who was leaning on the counter.
"What?" Judd questioned. Adrienne knew a little about this "Billy Tyson" guy. He is the reason why Cap is putting himself up through the test. He is the reason why Owen might lose his position as Captain of the 126.
"We?" Paul replied, "I mean, man, you ain't just his people. You are his people people."
"What does that mean?"
"It just means that you're in the club," Marjan says. Adrienne walks over to the table next to her brother, and holds on to the back of a chair.
She just knew by the end of their discussion that things weren't going to be the same between them.
"I'm in the club?" Judd asked.
"Yeah, man. The good old boys club, all right? You look like Billy. You talk like Billy. You're gonna be fine like Billy," Paul explained.
"So, I mean, yeah, we're both Texans, but I don't really think it matters what I look like," Judd says.
"Tell that to the Probie. He's as Texas as you are and—," Adrienne says, only to be cut off by her brother.
"Ain't nobody gonna be mistaking you for two brothers," Paul says. Judd was quick to defend himself.
"Yeah, well, then they would be mistaken, because we are brothers because we got the same number on our badge," Judd explained.
He turned to Mateo who hung his head low, "Ain't that right, kid?"
"I don't want Captain to die!" Mateo yelled. Margin and Adrienne walked to Mateo. Adrienne places a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, Cap's gonna be all right. Texas has the best cancer doctors in the country," Adrienne replied. Before more could be said, the alarm went off around the station.
⁂
At the scene of the emergency, the 126 followed a woman inside of her house to find a man passed out on the floor.
He had many exposed wires around him which might've caused his unconsciousness. Adrienne, Marjan, and Mateo were tasked with finding the breaker box to cut off the power. Once found, the three returned to the room the rest of the team were in.
"Power's off, Cap," Marjan says. Michelle was examining him and had one of her team members cut open his shirt. There were bruises on the left side of his body.
"Did somebody hit this guy?" Michelle asked.
"I mean, I had to. He was— he was clutching on to the wire," The woman explained, "and there was nothing else that I could do!"
"Wait, if he was holding on to a live wire, how come his hands aren't burned?" Paul asked. Adrienne looked around the room.
"Which wire?" Owen asked.
"It was that one!" The woman pointed to the wire closest to the man. Adrienne walks over to pick it up, only to discover that it wasn't connected to anything.
"This one that isn't connected to anything?" Judd asked, and Adrienne displays the cord to her.
"He was literally vibrating," The woman replied.
"Captain Strand. He's got a medical alert medallion," Michelle informed.
"He has epilepsy," Owen says.
"He wasn't electrocuted. He's postictal."
Adrienne and Judd cover their mouths to hide their laughter. The situation wasn't funny and shouldn't be funny.
"Oh, my god. I beat— I beat an epileptic," The woman was in shock.
"With a 2x4," Paul says.
"Well, that is one way to hit on a guy," Marjan commented.
⁂
For the first time since she was with Estelle's father, Adrienne felt she could finally trust someone she liked. So, when Chadwick finally asked Adrienne to be his girlfriend, she immediately said yes.
Something felt... off ever since that day. Adrienne felt like someone was watching her with every step she took. She didn't tell Chadwick about it because she didn't want him to worry much about her.
It started off with a specific black car somehow parking just a few feet away from her, then it showing up just a few blocks down from her apartment complex.
Paul and Judd were the first to notice her standoff-ish expressions as soon as she stepped into the firehouse.
"You okay, Ri?" Judd asked, "You seem off like something happened to you."
"I'm fine," Adrienne replied. They followed her to the kitchen where she threw her bag to the ground. Paul and Judd gave each other a look before walking over to her.
"Are you sure?" Paul asked.
"Okay, maybe I'm not," Adrienne replied, "I feel like I'm being watched. Whenever I'm out on calls, when I'm grocery shopping, I feel eyes on me."
"I installed cameras inside of my apartment just to be safe," Adrienne continued.
"Have you told your little boyfriend about it?" Judd asked. Judd and Paul had an off vibe about Chadwick, but saw that he made Adrienne happy, so they were peaceful with him. Adrienne shook her head.
"No. Not yet. Not until I find out more," Adrienne replied. They were interrupted by the alarm going off around the house.
⁂
Billy Tyson should've been dead.
The man was literally struck by lightning and that should've killed him. The rest of the 126 were busy pretending to be cleaning the ladder while Owen was talking to the Deputy Fire Chief. Adrienne and TK were on top of the truck keeping watch.
"Hey, TK, Adrienne. What do you guys see up there?" Judd asked. Both Adrienne and TK turned their heads up in sync.
"He's still in there," TK replied.
"Yeah, I know he's still in there, TK, 'cause he ain't come out yet." Judd says, "Who's doing the talking?"
"Deputy Chief," Adrienne replied. She saw the Deputy Chief saw a few words, then stands and extends a hand towards Owen.
Owen stands as well and shook the Deputy Chief's hand. The two men walked down the steps. The Deputy Chief leaves after shaking Owen's hand one last time.
Owen turns to the team, "Missed a spot."
He then leaves them confused. TK and Adrienne jump down from the ladder and follows Owen to the kitchen. He was busy making himself a latte.
"Well?" TK asked.
"Well what?"
"Everyone can relax. When he's this glib, it's—it's always good news," TK reassured.
"Come on, Cap. What did the man say?" Judd asked. Adrienne asked the one question that were on all of their minds.
"Is he still gonna make you take that test?" Adrienne asked.
"Turns out I already did," Owen replied.
"When?" TK asked.
"When I carried a grown man from the 12th hole of a clubhouse in under 4 minutes," Owen explained, "In the rain."
"You saved a man's life," TK says.
"Yeah, broke a couple of his ribs in the process."
"Nice one, Cap," Mateo said, only to receive a 'really?' look from the others. Mateo quickly corrected himself
"About saving a man's life I mean," He says.
"Turns out the deputy chief says that's more than enough demonstration of my fitness in the field," Owen explained.
"Alhamdulillah," Marjan said. Everyone, except for Adrienne, looked at her confused. Marjan explained that it meant "Thank God."
"Well, it also don't hurt that he's, uh, down a captain now," Judd said.
"Yeah, Billy has a long and painful recovery ahead of him," Owen smiled.
"Well, I, for one, am glad that's settled.
Congratulations, Cap," Paul says.
"Now all that's left to tackle is the cancer," Adrienne sighed, "Anything you need, Cap."
"We're here for you, Cap," Mateo added.
"Thank you," Owen smiled.
"All right, listen, you fakers, why don't you go and actually clean that rig for real? 'Cause this is just getting sad," He continued.
⁂
𝗮/𝗻:
Judd is becoming a big brother to Adrienne and I'm here for it.
Only 3 more chapters left until act 2!!!