Separated ways

3.Father?

Hello everone! Here it is after a long battle I decide I didn't want to write yet what I had in mind when U ended second chapter. But it will come later as an little add for this story...

The tense atmosphere stopped everyone of asking questions, however it was clearly that Ellie was having aa lot of them at the edge of her tongue at that moment. Hopefully she kept herself from commenting, because in this silence, Sam wasn't sure it would be for good or bad.

"It is not a matter of life and death" Station Officer Steele calmed down the atmosphere when it was even too tense for Radar who hid his head between his paws. "However it is not too good either..."

"What has happened, sir?" Penny took a step forward and Sam felt how her hand slightly touched his, it was cold and Penny's face totally lost colour at that moment. Her voice was trembling but something deep inside Sam told him she was fighting against tears.

"Well, Chief Fire Officer Boyce went on his last call and he..." it was visibly worthless case as everyone began to notice what was on the line. And there was something else, something hid deeper not so easy to hear, but the way the talk went between Station Officer Steele and Penny showed their chief had an information no one of them had. "Fall from the ladder" Station Officer Steele breathed out. "I talked with one of his firefighters and he said he was already back home only a broken rib."

When their chief ended and let them dismissed, Sam noticed how Penny seemed more relived and even more calm now, althought she was the first one to walk out of the office with short:
"Lucky".

"Sam, can you please call Penny back here, I need to talk with her still" Station Officer Steele asked him when Sam was reached the door as the last one.

"Copy that, sir" Sam replied, closing the door and looking around for Penny. He didn't saw her anywhere nearby the office, so he decided to go search upstairs, but he hadn't found her in the kitchen or common space either. The only possible place left was a garage. And that was where he found her, sitting on the bench with her legs pulled up to her chin. She didn't took notice of Sam until he announced: "Station Officer Steele wants to see you." She turned around and was about to stand up and walk away, but Sam caught her wrist when the light fall down on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Why something has to be wrong?" She teased back, but the tensiness in her voice told Sam all he was suspecting. "I'll catch later, I need to explain all this situation to Steele, I guess" and she walked away. But Sam felt something strange hit it, so, even if he knew it is against rules, he followed her to the office.

She closed the door and an awkard silence turned out between her and Station Officer Steele. The truth was only he knew what got into Penny right before and only he knew the answer to her question. But something told Penny that the elder man was fighting against himself to tell her it.

"Do you want to tell me something, sir?" She asked with anciousness still trumbling her voice.

"Better sit down, Penny" he sat down behind the desk as Penny listened to his order and sat down opposite him. Station Officer Steele sighed, but he didn't seem to spill it out.

"Sir, is it about my dad?"

"From where you know that?" He looked at her puzzled.

"He hadn't been answering my calls and it is unusual if he would be at home then" she looked from squeezed eyes.

"To be honest, Penny, I didn't tell you the truth, because I wasn't sure how you would react in frint of the whole team. Your father, Chief Boyce is still at the hospital, they want to make sure everythings alright" the elder man was surprised when he didn't see any slight reaction on Penny's face.

"I told my father to let go, to retire, but he stood his ground" she admitted.

"Maybe you could think of taking a part in this program" he handled Penny a broshur. She took it with disbelief painting on her face and hid it deep in pocket of her uniform.

"Thank you for your honesty, sir. Can I go now?"

"You want to take the rest of a shift off?" Station Officer Steele asked caringly when she turned around to leave.

"No" she refused, standing up and looking in the direction of a door. "I will first end it and later I will have a talk with my father" she decided and took a handle.
But to her surprise, she caught Sam surprised that someone opened the door so quick he didn't have a time to hide and prepere it didn't happen. But after what he heard he couldn't let it go on like he wasn't a witness of this, and that's probably why his mind told this one word out.
"Father?"