A Fireman's Love

Kangaroo Jerky

The next night I arrived at the station a little more anxious than normal. I had texted Ana asking her if she minded that I was on with her and she just seemed angry- I assumed because of family problems she had told me about on Sunday. She was talking about resigning from rescue.

I carried my stuff into the station, setting everything on the table, seeming as all of the other seats were taken. There had been a recent accident that the rescue chief had been on a little while ago. She was chatting about it and it was a pretty bad tractor trailer accident. I'll spare the details on this one, other than the fact that the driver was found dead when they arrived.

A few moments later, Ivan popped his head in for no more than two seconds, "Hi!" then darted back outside of the door. I messaged him on Facebook, "Really? You show up for 2 seconds?!" I sighed, falling back in the chair.

I thought that maybe he was out in the bay. So, as the rescue chief and her AIC ventured to grab their stuff off of the truck, I grabbed my helmet and vest. We walked out into the bay and the chief waved goodbye to me before I slipped into the ambulance, placing my equipment in the proper areas. I looked around the area before sighing in disappointment. No sneak attack from Ivan. I wondered where he had went to.

I walked back into the day room, plopping back into my former seat. I heard a bang on the door and noticed that Keith was staring into the room. He waved before walking to the outside door and peering in. I pushed the door open when he left.

"I was watching your television," he said almost anxiously.

"I know... I just didn't feel like sitting in there anymore," I nodded. We chattered for about ten minutes before the wagon pulled into the back driveway. Several firefighters climbed out, including Ivan and Jack who came over to chat with us.

Another guy came out shouting, "Can you get Dylan to move his car?"

I went inside to knock on Dylan's door. He cracked the door open, only to where i could see his face.

"Sure, no problem," he nodded and I walked back out to the picnic table, listening to Jack talk about the accident.

He shared some gruesome details about what he saw, but talking about it definitely helps people deal with it. Ivan and Jack took turns, sharing silly stories about calls they had been on. Crazy accidents and fires like one where the wagon ended up in a pile of horse shit or something like that.

Jack sat his Redbull on the ground next to where he was standing to describe a story and every time he would speak, I would end up distracted because they constantly stepped over it. It made me anxious because they almost knocked it over.

Shortly while they were talking, Ana came outside and took a seat next to me on the picnic table. "She keeps talking in her fucking sleep," she muttered to me. She was talking about one of Dylan's preceptees that was with us that night.

"Just take some gauze and wrap her mouth shut," I laughed.

Jack mocked her before giving her a big hug as well.

"I'm fucking hungry," she growled, no humor to her voice. "You know what, I have food in the truck..." she lifted herself off of the picnic table and wandered to Dylan's truck. When she reappeared, she had what seemed like beef jerky in her hand. "Have you ever eaten kangaroo?" she turned towards Ivan.

"No, have you ever eaten alligator?"

"Yup," she nodded before taking a bite of her kangaroo jerky.

"I've never had kangaroo," Jack said, leaning in to rip a bite from her jerky. She allowed him but he didn't say anything.

A few moments later, Ana handed me a piece of ripped off kangaroo jerky. When I put it in my mouth she whispered in my ear, "Now you have a piece of Jack inside of you..."

I laughed. They learned that I had a little thing for Jack, so then everyone at the station made fun of me about it.

"Wow, I just zoned out of what he was talking about," Ana muttered to me a few minutes later, "I think I'm going to try and go back to sleep..." she climbed off of the picnic table, using my key before handing it back to me.

I zoned back into what the guys were saying and heard, "Yeah, I know she likes me. I'm just waiting for her to turn eighteen," Jack smirked at me and I kept my mouth shut.

Yeah, you just wait... I have no problem with no commitments to that man, I'd do him in a heartbeat.

"Look, she got all quiet again!" Keith mocked me and I crossed my arms, scowling at him.

And the night faded on.