Luna rushed over and requested a PAR. Vanessa waved her away with the tactical worksheet. “I have everyone accounted for in 15 and 19.”
Williams was not happy. “Your post was at Medic. You did not have permission to trade positions with Hudgens or signal an evac.”
“I saw a change in fire condition,” Luna argued.
“That’s what radios are for. Back to Medic,” he ordered before addressing the rest of the team. “The fire is vented. Move Ladder 15 and 19 in line for extinguishment from the exterior.”
Battalion Chief Leary, arrived, parking on the street. Two more engines and another ladder pulled up to assist. Williams went directly to Leary for hand-off. The battalion chief was nodding.
Luna and Theo made a MetroGen run to drop off the child before returning to the site. Another hour was spent putting out the remaining flames. It wasn’t that difficult after the fire self-vented, leaving little left to burn. The battalion chief shook Williams’s hand and excused 15 from overhaul on account of it being his first day. The other companies could search for pockets of fire in the wet, smoking house.
“You guys did okay,” Williams remarked, climbing into Ladder. “Hudgens, next time clear reassignments with me.”
Back at the firehouse, they started taking inventory of the equipment, noting the ‘Cleveland FD’ markings again. Williams had retreated to his office, so Theo asked Erin about 19. “Was your boy-toy Jensen there?”
“Not this shift,” Erin said. “I hope I’d have better taste in these idiots.”
Luna helped examine the Halligan tools for prohibited labels. “Day drinking tomorrow? Please?”
“Not me,” Theo said. “Day off with Drew.”
“Because I’m your friend, yes,” Vanessa said. “You have that look that Miss New Jersey had when she threw up on my shoes.”
“Was she in bed with you at the time?” Erin was an old hat in the usual direction of a Vanessa pageant story.
“I didn’t say they were my onstage shoes.”
Luna kept her voice low. “After this shift, I need a Sunday drunk brunch. Wanna try the North Star Cafe? I’m not sure what Alternate Timeline Pancakes are from the ad, but it’s worth a try.”
“Day drinking might be better than sex,” Vanessa considered.
“Nothing is better than sex,” Erin countered, though a good vodka tonic was good competition for Jensen-sex.
It didn’t hold a candle to the imagined Chief-sex she craved, though.
“Except maybe white flour,” Luna quipped.
* * *
Abby:Get your ass home.
His sister came come to town after all to celebrate his big changes and record her soundbites for the news. Abby was at his house watching Netflix and restocking his fridge with frozen casseroles. Every time she visited, she bemoaned his single status and worked to make sure he didn’t starve to death in the absence of female companionship. He usually retorted that cooking decades of family-style meals in the firehouse guaranteed his ability to feed himself.
Instead of being with her, though, he was stuck at his desk completing paperwork on the three new battalions that became official today. Haskells was moved from co-chief of Battalion 8 to chief of Battalion 9, Floyd became chief of Battalion 8, and Cordova kept his job as assistant chief while overseeing Battalion 10 of Rescue Alpha until it was more established.
He’d spent an entire day doing photo ops with the hospital, the mayor, and Rescue Alpha at the behest of Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick loved having a young photogenic chief compared to Chief Pegg who had been seventy at his retirement. Noah wasn’t a huge fan of PR, but he recognized it as a necessary though time-consuming part of his job.
Williams had returned at the perfect time. Noah would have been spread too thin if he were captaining 15, covering Battalion 2, and being Fire Chief.
Speaking of 15. . .
He dialed the direct number of the captain’s office. Williams could have called it a day at 1700 or so, except he wasn’t that type. Just as Noah wasn’t.
A once familiar voice answered formally, “This is Captain Williams, Firehouse 15.”
“This is Chief Baker.”
“What can I do for you?” the stranger who had been his best friend asked.
