911 and 911 Lone Star One Shots

TK Strand - Deaf

This is my interpretation and if any of the technical terms are wrong politely correct it in the comments. 

TK was born deaf, he was in speech therapy from a young age so he could communicate well with his hearing aids but it didn't stop him from learning sign language. FD deemed him 'fit' to be a firefighter and you know the rest. While it was just him and Owen he took his hearing aids out finding them uncomfortable sometimes, Owen discovered the best way to get his attention was flicker the lights, Carlos noticed immediately when he knocked a hearing aid out he took great care to learn sign language. There are some things that just make don't make sense to the average person but make sense in the Strand-Reyes Household like captions on the tv, random batteries on the table, roger pen next to the telly speakers.

TK was sat at the kitchen table reading Jack Reacher The Enemy, he liked the Reacher series but as he liked doing he took out his hearing aids rendering him apart from the outer world. One important note was that he had his back to the door, Owen opened the front door to the 126 raring and waiting for a wild game night. "TK come on lets party!" Marjan yelled, to her surprise he didn't so much as flinch, "Marjan let me handle this," Owen leaned into the kitchen just reaching the light switch, he flickered the lights to gain his attention. TK turned to face Owen analysing what they were saying with lip reading, Owen immediately started signing 'No hearing aids then,' 'No I didn't know we had company two seconds please,' he slid them on starting them up. Going from silence to the racket was alarming, "Jesus christ turn your volume down," "Your the only one who can turn down the volume," "Thanks," he chuckled rolling his eyes, "Since when did you wear hearing aids TK?" "Since as long as I can remember," "Your deaf?" "Yep not obvious I know. FD both in New York and Texas have cleared me I can lip read you do not need to worry about me being a liability," "Why on earth would we think that?" Marjan smiled, "The fact that it took us eight months working together plus you actually showing us for us to finally figure it out. Hate to say it but your something TK you really are," "Thats my boy!" Owen laughed ruffling his sons hair.

Halfway through games night TK heard the quiet beeping alarm of his hearing aid batteries dying, "Sorry guys battery's dying I need to change them, dad where did you put my spares," "TK you told me you had gotten your batteries," "Oh no. When will we stop doing this? Oh well," he pulled them off his ears enjoying the freeing movement, his speech slowed as he had to think about from memory every word he was going to say, "They are useless now." TK followed the conversations through lip reading but he had to stop when he was only getting snippets from dozens and none of it pieced together as a conversation, "Is he alright?" Judd asked very bluntly pointing to TK, "Yeah he gave up trying to follow the convo, 'Son you good they want to know'," 'Yeah I'm fine, I can lip read you know," "Cap?" "He's being sarcastic again, 'Do you know where your old ones are?' For some reason he went through a stage of keeping broken hearing aids," TK rushed upstairs searching for his rechargeable ones, the ones that died so he had to use the batteries, "Oh so you found some?" Owen joked as TK fought them on, "Yep, speaking's not an issue I just prefer not to," "That explains why your so quiet!" Mateo exclaimed but got thumped by Paul, "It's alright Paul had to get used to Mateo having no filter." They continued playing well into the late evening, TK bid them a goodnight first as Carlos was picking him up on the way home from his shift, he found the batteries in the bottom of his bag and also remembered the charger for the ones he was wearing.

"How did tonight go?" Carlos asked as TK leaned across to exchange a kiss, he ran his hand through TK's hair knocking his hearing aid loose, "Sorry T, hold on, there we go," being the gent he his he clipped it back on, "Thanks baby, how was work?" "Quiet if I'm honest Veronica spent most of it teaching me to sign," oh yeah Veronica's sister is deaf, "I can now comfortably hold a conversation," he announced proudly, "I'll expect a demonstration later," "What about now?" Carlos asked smiling, "Fine," "I love you TK Strand," he signed as he spoke, "Good morning baby," "Little lower," TK smiled adjusting Carlos's hands, "You can do wonderful things with your hands," TK smiled caressing Carlos's cheek, "Your in a mood then," he laughed pulling TK's hearing aids off putting them on charge, "For the morning," he signed as they snuggled down.