Why not? - English

11-02 Norman-Man vs. Firedog

"What are you doing, Penny?" I heard Ellie ask as we came up the stairs and I turned to the two of them to see Penny picking up two strips of paper.

"I'm picking up the calendar I tore up earlier," she replied smiling.

"Why did you do that?"

“Frustration that we couldn’t make it a whole month without a fire?” she objected and threw the torn calendar page into the trash. Penny frustrated? I couldn't really believe that.

"But at least it wasn't Norman's fault this time!" I objected with a smile as I reached for the kettle. It was still hot. It probably hadn't been that long since Steele had made himself some tea.

"But mine. I'm really very sorry," Arnold sighed embarrassedly as he sat down at the table, as did our two colleagues, when Elvis joined us with 5 cups and tea bags, which I now filled with water.

"Don't worry, Arnold. Nobody was hurt, that's the main thing, and you meant well. Mishaps have happened to each of us that led to a mission. That can happen to anyone," Penny comforted him, who sat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. For a moment I wished I had helped develop this Firedog 2000.

"Really? What happened to you?" Arnold immediately asked curiously and Ellie also looked around questioningly while I handed out the cups to everyone.

"I've set the kitchen on fire more than once," Elvis chuckled and everyone smiled at that.

“And I overestimated myself and went out on assignments even though I was sick and definitely should have been in bed,” Penny said now, reminding me of that. My heart stopped in my chest at the time. Twice. First when I heard she was in distress and then when I relieved her on Neptune. She really did look terribly ill. She must have felt terrible. At the time, I didn't realize why I had been so worried about her. Today I knew better.

"Why did you do that?" Ellie interrupted me from my thoughts as she asked her.

"Sam had his day off and had a lot going on and we all know how difficult it is for him to switch off from work. Besides, at the time I had a problem admitting any form of weakness. It was stupid of me to act like that. I put myself and others in danger," she explained to Ellie, smiling, and I knew how much it had bothered her at the time. Today she talked about it with a smile. She had learned her lesson and Penny really wasn't one to live in the past.

“Did something bad happen?” Arnold asked hesitantly.

"No, luckily not. I was outside with Neptune when I suddenly felt worse and realized I had a fever. I radioed Steele and Sam had called for Tom to fly him to me."

“So the day off was over, Sam?” Ellie turned to me and I just shrugged my shoulders.

"I didn't really have a day off anyway because I had been stumbling from one emergency to the next all day and when Penny's emergency call came in, I had just come to the station because I had a strange feeling," I told her History as it really was.

"Not because the day was over anyway?" Penny teased with a smile that she unsuccessfully tried to hide behind her cup before taking a sip.

“Maybe a little because of that,” I gave in with a shrug and a smile.

"What kind of mission did you trigger, Sam?" Ellie asked me curiously and I felt all eyes turn to me.

"When Penny first moved here, she needed a little help getting her garden in shape," I said, giving her a smile as well before taking a sip from my cup. Would she respond to me dragging her into it?

"The previous owners of the house left it pretty neglected. It wasn't my fault and I just asked Sam for his advice."

"And where's the emergency? Did he burn down your garden?" Arnold asked her confused and Ellie and Elvis giggled quietly.