Going to Extreme Measures

Chapter 5

Mike was usually the first member of the A-shift of Station 51 to arrive at the station, but today that was not the case. Captain Hank Stanley was first in with Roy following closely behind. Marco arrived just as the coffee that Captain Stanley had started was finished brewing. Chet came into the dayroom next with Johnny following him ranting about something Chet had said in the locker room. Captain Stanley told the group that roll call would be in fifteen minutes as he headed toward his office.

Fifteen minutes later the men lined up in front of the engine missing one member. "Has anyone seen Mike this morning?" Captain Stanley asked the group just as they all heard the squeal of tires on the back lot. Hank looked around the engine and met eyes with his engineer as Mike almost ran to the locker room.

A few minutes later Mike joined the group. "Sorry Cap."

"Well Stoker I don't know when I've had to do this, but you'll have latrines today."

"Yes sir."

"I'll see you in my office after we finish here." Mike nodded his understanding and Captain Stanley continued with the assignments and announcements. "Okay men dismissed." Mike and Cap entered the office. "Take a seat Mike."

"No thanks Cap."

"Everything all right?"

"Um yes sir. I'm real sorry about being late. I um I overslept. I forgot to set my alarm. Johnny and I got in from camping late last night and....."

"It's okay Mike. It happens to the best of us, but as my second in command you really need to keep up the good example you have always set. As long as there is nothing else you need to tell me you're dismissed."

Mike turned to leave without another word which did not surprise Captain Stanley. Mike was a man of few words, and Captain Stanley knew that he felt bad about being late. Mike had always been very conscientious about his performance on the job. Hank didn't know what Johnny and Mike had done on their camping trip, but whatever it was had obviously tired Mike out. Shaking his head at the thought of Mike and Johnny together on a trip, and the thought made him laugh, Mike was the quietest member of his crew and Johnny was the most talkative. He knew that if he spent a few days off with Johnny he too would probably be exhausted from trying to keep up with the younger man.

As Mike left Captain Stanley's office and headed across the apparatus bay Johnny fell in step beside him. "You okay Mike?"

"Yeah Johnny I just overslept. I never dreamed this surfing thing would be so tough. I'm a lot stiffer and sore than I thought I would be this morning. I can't believe I was late. I haven't been late in years. Maybe this whole thing isn't worth it if it's causing me to screw up on the job."

"Mike being late once in a while is not the end of the world. So you overslept. I do it all the time. I mean I don't mean to, but it happens. You're great at this job. Don't beat yourself up over being late one time." He patted Mike on the shoulder.

"Okay Johnny. I have to get busy on the latrine. I want to get that done so I can work on Red."

Johnny went back to helping Roy with the morning inventory and equipment check. "You know Roy some people are just so uptight."

Roy knew the tone in Johnny's voice. He knew that if he didn't get Johnny off this line of thinking and fast he would be hearing a rant all day long. "I know Johnny. How were your days off? Did you and Mike have a good camping trip?"

"Huh? Oh yeah it was great. You know the mountains are beautiful this time of year." Roy smiled and nodded his head glad he had been successful in redirecting Johnny's train of thought. "The sky was so clear. When we hiked up to the ridge to watch the sunset I think I could count every star in the sky. It was amazing."

"Hey Gage what did you do to Mikey to make him late this morning?" Roy cringed at Chet's remark. He knew that it would get Johnny right back on the subject he had just gotten him off of. "You make him hike all the way home or something?"

"Chet I'll have you know..." Johnny stopped himself from saying too much. He had promised Mike that he wouldn't tell anyone what they were up to. "I'll have you know we had a great time fishing and hiking. Why do you think that Mike's being with me on our days off would make him late today anyway?"

"Well Gage the man hasn't been late since I started working with him. Not even once, but he spends a few days with you and suddenly he's late just like you usually are." Chet pulled at the hairs on the end of his mustache as he baited Johnny for one of their typical arguments. What Chet didn't expect was for Johnny to suddenly grow very quiet. Johnny actually took what Chet said to heart wondering if he in fact had done something to cause Mike to be late. Mike had a perfect record with the fire department, and Johnny didn't want to be the cause of him messing up his record.

Mike had just walked across the bay to the cleaning storage cabinet and seeing that Chet had struck a cord with Johnny He wanted to set things right in a hurry. "Back off Kelly. I was late, because I didn't set my alarm. My being late had nothing to do with Johnny or our camping trip. I just forgot to set it. Case closed." Johnny looked very relieved and smiled at Mike. Roy looked back and forth between Mike and Johnny. It was apparent that these two had deepened their friendship in recent weeks. Roy was glad to see them getting along, but he also felt a twinge of jealousy over his best friend spending so much time with the engineer. Before anyone could say anything else the tones went off and sent the station to a call at a restaurant fire.