Fire Meet Gasoline

Back in the saddle

After the solar flare, the team learning of the strands past in new york and a virus causing a worldwide pandemic and lockdowns, ck finds herself hoping now the lockdown was over calls would be different than the general people burning cakes and etc calls that the team had dealt with other the lockdown, however luck would have it the other way with the team being called out to help evacuate a va hospital.

"Where do you want us, Sergeant?" owen asks sergeant stokes via the radio, "hell if I know, we got no idea where he's going, and we can't talk to him, apparently, everything on that tank works except the radio, and he's not picking up his phone" sergeant stokes explains, "so you know who he is" owen asks, "lieutenant john vasquez, he was a tank gunner at desert storm, wife says he's been despondent since they buried his daughter on Friday, she was 27, served two tours in afghanistan" the sergeant explains, "she died in afghanistan?" owen asks, "no, she died here" the sergeant finishes sombrely, "we'll keep pace, strand out" owen finishes.

"The poor bastard" judd comments, "yeah, first the world ends, and now this" tk agrees, "plus, there hasn't been a decent military funeral in a year" marjan explains, "no wonder he's pissed" mateo comments, "we went into a pandemic couldn't really be helped but still the military deserve decent funerals" ck shrugs, "cap, I think I know where this guy's going" paul reveals looking at an article on the ipad passing it over to owen, "he's headed to the VA Hospital" owen radios.

"All right, come on! let's move it! move, move, move, move!" owen instructs hurrying things along, "we're not gonna do it in time, dad" ck explains, "there's still a lot of sick folks in there, cap" marjan says, "cap, we haven't even hit the east wing yet" judd reveals from next to the two women, "we should call it, we need to consider our people's safety too" stokes instructs, "what about his people?" owen asks, minutes later owen is speaking to the man through his radio, the team form a line next to him with his kids on either side of him as more people join them, the tank stopping but briefly touching owens face as his kids fall back to be with the team.

Later the crew attend an incident at a roller rink with the new paramedic captain being witnessed as she proves her strength in the field.

"I knew judd wasn't lying when he said you were badass but I had no idea he meant that badass" ck compliments, "well thank you I know you all saw me freeze up but I'm glad I could prove myself" tommy explains gratefully, "didn't need to prove anything best ems captain in all of texas" judd compliments the woman

The strand siblings walk into the 126 hang full of tension, mateo opens the door as tk knocks.

"Hey" tk greets, "you get the cheese balls" mateo asks instantly as his teammates walk past him, ck sits on the arm of the couch as marjan and paul play a video game, "no I didn't get the cheese balls" tk explains, "cheese balls are overrated anyway, normal non ball shaped chips are better" ck announces causing the group minus mateo who was more concerned about said cheese balls to laugh at her description of the chips, "why not?" mateo asks as tk enters the kitchen, "because mateo, my boyfriend goes to a lot of trouble to make us healthy snacks and provides us with a safe place for us to gather so we can at least have some human interaction in this uncertain age, and I'm not gonna spoil that with cheeseballs, also, I forgot" tk rants opening a packet of chips pouring then into a bowl before going into the fridge pulling the orange juice out, "did you remember the orange juice?" paul asks, "yeah, I got it" tk confirms carrying a platter over to the coffee table, "more like my sister the less organised one wrote me a checklist with the necessary stuff on it" ck remarks earning a playful shove from tk, "oh, you remember the orange juice, but you forget the cheeseballs" mateo comments, "it's not like they have all the orange stuff in the same corner of the market, probie" marjan retorts as tk walks over to the dining table with a face on him, "you seem a little stressed" carlos comments, "is it that noticeable?" tk asks as he eats a chip, "I noticed, and I'm pretty sure I haven't looked at you or your sister since you both walked in" marjan comments, "I noticed her noticing" paul says as tk sits down on the stool, "I had some trouble getting out of the house so did she" tk reveals pointing to his sister, "again?" marjan asks, "that's still going on?" paul adds, "oh, if anything, it's worse" tk says popping a grape in his mouth as carlos rubs his shoulders, "much worse like I try and avoid any room with the two of them in at the same time otherwise they'll bring me into their arguments" ck explains as she and tk begin to recall the mornings events.