Fire Meet Gasoline

'awakening'

CK sits by tk's bedside in the hospital zoned out focusing on tk as owen and his date Zoe stand in the doorway owen having put judd as acting captain whilst he needed to be with tk and ck having swapped with someone from b-shift.

CK almost instantly turns her gaze back to tk stroking his hair when he begins to stir.

"Dad?, Carter?" tk whispers, "TK?" owen reacts instantly leaning over tk as his son jumped grabbing his hands, "hey, hey" owen comforts, "dad" tk asks, "it's all right" owen continues, "where am I?" tk asks, "it's all right" owen reassures, "what happened?" tk asks worriedly, "it's all right, it's all right, you're okay, you're in the hospital, but you're okay, i'm here, I'm here" owen reassures, "what happened? what happened?" tk asks panting, "you were shot" owen reveals sombrely, "you've been out for a little while" ck adds, "is she my doctor?" tk asks seeing Zoe, "no, she's dads new fuck buddy" ck corrects, "Carter!" owen warns, "no she's my date" owen continues, "lovely place for a date where's the third date gonna be on, on one of our calls" ck remarks cockily , "Carter-Kennedy Gwyneth Strand!" owen warns, "Owen Marshall Strand!, just saying" ck retorts sticking her tongue out at their father, "you brought a date?, last thing I remember is being at the station that night, talking to you and ck and petting Buttercup, after that, it's, it's all black" tk explains, "that's probably for the best" owen explains, "dad, what happened? who, who the hell shot me?" tk asks, "we were responding to a possible cardiac event behind a locked door forced our way in, and a seven-year-old boy with his grandfather's gun shot you, he thought we were intruders" owen explains, "he was terrified because one of the previous home owners who has dementia broke in thinking he still lived there" ck explains. "oh, that poor kid, does anybody know how he's holding up?" tk questions, "I hear he's been meeting with APD counseling, he's come from a good family, goes to a nice church, it's so like you to be sitting here with a hole in your chest and still thinking about somebody else" owen chuckles, "right, I'm, I'm gonna go home tomorrow, but I-I can't even remember it, is that kid gonna be able to forget it?" tk asks sighing deeply, "okay, there, there is one more thing I have to ask you, but you got to promise to give it to me straight" tk warns, "sure, anything" owen confirms, "what's the deal with that hot babe, Zoe?" tk asks, "yeah I wanna know as well" ck interjects, "first of all, she is not just a hot babe, she is the head of the psychology department at UT, oh and she is a really hot babe" owen explains laughing, "yeah, she is" tk agrees, "so are you gonna tell us how long you've been seeing her?" tk asks, "when you tell me how long you've been seeing the cop" owen hits back, "oh, god" tk complains, "he's been to see you whenever he can" ck explains before continuing.

A day later tk was home true to his doctors word, laying on the couch with a half full bottle of water on the coffee table, ck lounging on the chair across from him.

"Here you go, son" owen places another bottle on the coffee table, "I'm not even halfway done with this one" tk complains, "you heard the doctor, you can't overhydrate, if your" owen gets cut off by tk, "don't tell me what color my pee should be again" tk warns looking at his father, "what?" tk asks knowing owen was about to do something, owen picks up a pillow making tk sit up as he places it behind him, "you need a pillow" owen says, "I'm fine" tk warns, "no. no, you look uncomfortable, last thing you need is a stiff neck" owen hovers, "I said I'm fine, do you really plan to hover over me like a mother hen for the next three weeks?" tk questions cocking his head, "they said you might heal up in ten days, but, yeah, I talked to deputy chief radford, he said to take as much time at home as I need" owen explains sitting on the coffee table, "dad, that's crazy, you should get back to work" tk instructs, "what are you gonna do about food?" owen asks trying to find an excuse to stay home, "you, you stocked the fridge, ck meal prepped for me and I got a delivery app on my phone, I'll be okay, I promise" tk assures, "I can cook for us I just choose not to after I prepped meals for him" ck points out, "you sure?" owen questions his kids, "I'm sure, you could probably make next shift" tk confirms, "all right, I'll go get changed" owen stands up from the coffee table as tk sighs, "listen, TK, you'll be back in no time two weeks or less" owen says, "yeah, we'll see" tk answers, "I might come back during shift" ck quickly says, "whatever you want" owen confirms.

CK sits at the island messaging the 126 crew when the doorbell rings, tk opens the door.

"Hi" tk greets, "hey" zoe greets smiling, "thanks for coming by, please, come in" he offers opening the door slightly wider, "yeah, don't mention it, I actually teach a, uh, a grad seminar down the road, I really love this whole new look you got going, without all the tubes coming out of your face" zoe jokes as she enters the house, "oh" tk mutters confused, "that's a joke, I do that, I joke" zoe explains, "oh, right, well, good one" tk says awkwardly leading zoe into the kitchen, "uh, so you're a psychology professor, that must be pretty fascinating, diving deep into people's heads, figuring out what motivates them and stuff" tk finishes as zoe gives him a confused look, "I dig it, yeah" zoe nods, as tk went to get a glass out, "hi sorry he's very abrupt like that" ck greets, "no it's fine" zoe assures, "you know, firefighting's the complete opposite, always something new and unexpected, we never get to, you know, really drill down on anything, um, can I get you an iced tea?" tk explains offering the woman a drink, "sure, yeah, but I have to admit, no one's ever reached out through my dot-EDU email for iced tea before" zoe explained, "right, um, so" tk trails off placing an iced tea in front of her placing a bottle of water in front of his sister, "thanks" zoe says, "you and our dad" tk trails off again, "sorry, was that a question?" zoe asks, "you guys are good, right?" tk asks, "we're having fun" zoe confirms, "but do you think it could be something that turns into something?" tk asks, "what's going on here?" zoe asks, "I just want my dad to be happy, in case, for some reason, I'm ever not around" tk explains, "he means our dad and he's being protective" ck jumps in, "are you planning on going into another coma?" zoe asks.

"No, no, to be fair, this is the second time this year that I've almost died, that's a long story" tk explains, "what's going on?" zoe asks, "he's playing 21 questions" ck offers, "what do you mean?" tk asks, "you've been kinda confusing to be fair teek" ck offers, "why am I here?" zoe asks, "honestly?" tk asks, "uh-huh" zoe nods, "I'm not sure, you know, I feel like I-I really need to talk someone and my sister at the same time, and, well, you're a psychologist, so, I, mm" tk trails off, "I'm a professor of psychology with a focus on human sexuality" zoe explains, "I'm a dual certified firefighter/fire medic and your younger sister" ck adds, "oh" tk sighs directing it at zoe, "but I'm also a really good listener" zoe continues, "I always listen cause you listen to me" ck explains, "well, thank you, I appreciate any professional advice" tk says, "okay, so who do you normally talk to about these things?" zoe asks, "well, like, um, I guess there is my boyfriend, oh, who I don't even really know is my boyfriend, boyfriend" tk explains, "uh-huh" zoe leans on the counter her hands under her chin, "it's all kind of new" tk explains, "um, not a professional diagnosis, but I-I think I see what's happening here" zoe informs, "you do?, what's, um, what's, what's happening?" tk asks, "well, it's common when you have a near-death experience... or two" zoe adds quickly, "mm-hmm"tk nods proving he was listening, "um, you question your life choices" zoe explains, "but all I've ever wanted was to be a firefighter, ever since I was a kid" tk offers, "I didn't mention that, actually, but interesting you did" zoe confirms.

The two strand siblings enter the firehouse appearing from behind one of the rigs as marjan scolds the other 3, buttercup noticing the two instantly getting up to greet them, tk bends down to give the dog some affection.

"Well hi buttercup I missed you" ck tells the dog, the team come to greet the two siblings mateo hugs tk a bit too hard causing some pain in his shoulder, tk asks if the family could talk in his office having gone over it with his sister before they decided to go for it and tell their dad, owen being supportive as ever especially when tk tells him he plans to visit the kid who shot him, doing just so the next day bringing the kid out from the darkness.

season one episode nine