I stifle a chuckle.
Hallie turns to Dustin. “Give me that.”
She snatches the radio away from Dustin.
We all quickly and covertly click off our radios.
“Engine One, radio check,” she says.
No one’s radios receive.
Hallie looks around, pointing a finger at each one of us in turn. “What’s going on here?”
“Did you depress the override button?” Patrick asks, his voice deadpan.
I can’t even look at Patrick. There’s no such thing as an override button.
“The override button?” Hallie’s face contorts with confusion. She turns her unit over in her hand, thumb brushing along the casing like maybe—just maybe—there’s something she’s missed.
“Rookie mistake,” I add, reciting the line they gave me.
Hallie shoots me an annoyed look mildly laced with daggers.
If I didn’t think we’d all be laughing later, I would not put her through this, but she’s the rookie. She doesn’t want to be treated any differently than any other rookie. This is part of how we initiate the new guy—or woman.
“Let me try,” I say, stepping across the bay to the spot where she and Dustin are standing.
Everyone discreetly flicks their radios on. I pretend to press a pad at the back of the radio. Then I say, “Engine One, radio check.”
My voice rings through the radios of every crew member.
Patrick speaks into his radio. “Engine One, copy. Override works.”
“Copy that,” Dustin says.
“Loud and clear,” Cody says from the office.
Hallie grabs the radio out of my hand. “Engine One …” she says before anyone can flick their radios off, but then radios go silent as each man thumbs his power button.
Cody’s voice comes through. “You’re breaking up, Engine One.” He pauses. “Try standing on one leg.”
Hallie’s foot momentarily comes off the floor. But then she looks around at each of us and stomps it down. “Oh, no. No you don’t.” She squints her eyes at us like a mom who just fully busted her children.
My ears heat, and I suddenly find the concrete floor extremely fascinating.
Dustin shakes with suppressed laughter.
Hallie extends her hands. “Radios. Now.”
Each of us hands over our radios—one by one. Hallie inspects each one carefully—quietly.
When she looks up, there’s a note of triumph in her eyes.
“I think I found the problem,” she says, smiling around at the three of us.
Then she proceeds to flick on each power button in turn.
“Engine One,” she says slowly, hearing her own voice come loud and clear through all the units simultaneously. “Radio check.”
