2020-04-23 - A-Shift Shenanigans - Buck, Hank, Logan, Gareth and the AFD A-Shift

Buck walks into the  fire station 30 minutes early. He loved his job so between his workaholic nature and his love  for being a firefighter  he was always near super early.
He wanted to be a firefighter since he knew what the word meant . Though it's true a lot  of little  girls  and boys have once dreamt  of this life , to many it just a brief phase. It wasn't  a phase to Buck. He knew with every fiber in his being that this was the job he was made for. Begrudgingly to his parents back in Reno..He stayed with that dream. They were proud of him though but always as parents  are concerned  about  his dangerous but honorable line of work.

He grew up in a poor but loving huge Christian family of 9 kids in the poorer parts of reno. His still married parents are the pillar to neighborhood in Reno they've lived in since they were born there running the missions  there.
This had instilled the self sacrificing and hard work nature Buck had in him that inspired him to be a firefighter

Though they wouldn't  later agree with his bisexuality when he came out as a teen. they still loved him despite that.

He has  a simple black leather  jacket and jeans on . He nods at whoever may be close smiling  and whistling happily. It was a grave time but Buck was always thinking on the bright  side of things. Though he's had some rough  patches his life, he's  always  endured  with an honest but optimistic look on life. He can be heard whistling  happily  as he enters heading towards the stairs to the loker room to change


Chief Hank Stanley arrived at 6am for the 7am shift, as always.  He changed into his uniform when the locker room was at its emptiest, as was his habit.  He was not ashamed of his extensive scarring, but he also saw no reason to display more of them than needed, especially to fellow firefighters.  Then he sequestered himself in the office he shared with Alexandra’s other Captains, for their usual morning meeting.  Today that meant Phineas Ackerman, as Charlie Witherspoon was out sick with Covid-19.  She had called Hank two hours before her shift and, after her kid tested negative, sent him to Lydia Alvin's house, where she would be in good hands.  Phineas had agreed to take her shift for the duration of her illness.  Now the two men sat in the office, having discussed the C-shift and hat needed to be done during Hank’s A-Shift.  Out of the office window, he glimpsed Buck coming in.  Arriving early as never much of a problem.  There were always plenty of firefighters to talk to and, if they got a late call, it left someone to clean up their breakfast dishes.  Precisely ar 6:58, the Captains say goodbye to each other and Hank heads for the kitchen/TV/Briefing area, saying goodbye to C Shift boys as he does.

Logan Reinhardt arrived at the station with a good 15 minutes to spare.  That gave him the time needed to get into his uniform and grab a cup of coffee before the morning briefing.  His mind was only mildly preoccupied with life, but not enough for it to affect anything.  It was technically his second day on the job, but he still loved it.  And Alexandra, despite it all, was still a million times less stressful than Vancouver FD.  Going up to the locker room, he changes out of his street clothes and into uniform, and passes Gareth with a smile and nod as he goes down to wait for the daily briefing.

Gareth is, as always, just on time. He gives himself enough to change but he has to do it fast. He breezes in though, earbuds in, singing along with his spotify daily mix like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He’s listening to Katy Perry and sort of dances by people, grinning at them in greeting.
“You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July
'Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y…”
He fumbles to open his locker as he’s fussing with his phone trying to unplug the ear bugs to listen out loud while he changes. He’s also juggling some sort of green looking smoothie in a container from home. Gareth is wearing his usual rocker style leather jacket, tight skinny legged ripped jeans and an old black Starlord t-shirt from the original Guardians of the Galaxy. Gareth is still at least 40% hair gel and body spray but the scents are well paired and not painful. He likes to smell good. When his stocks run out, it might be a rough go for his ego as it had been for the three years he had to do without before. The homemade local options from the hippies just didn’t understand his brand. As Katy Perry serenades the room from his locker shelf he rapidly jumps into his uniform like something out of a slapstick comedy. He’s suited up and turns around just as it switches to Pink starting to sing Get this Party Started. He doesn’t sing this time but he holds his phone up “Listen to the lady biatches…..”
Get this party started on a Saturday night
Everybody's waitin' for me to arrive
Sendin' out the message to all of my friends
We'll be lookin' flashy in my Mercedes Benz
I got lotsa style, got my gold diamond rings
I can go for miles if you know what I mean…
Aware of the time, he cuts it off after that verse and pockets the phone ready for the briefing and dashes downstairs to be perfectly on time, green smoothie in hand. He gives a little finger waggle as his straw makes a wee slurp.

Buck had changed before the others had gotten there as he strategically had planned. as he dresses he scans each of his fellow coworker's lockers saying  a prayer in his head for their safety.  Alexandra was as big and busy as his reno station  but he liked that he had more of a connection  with a small town. He heads off to the bathroom then to facetime Arthur checking to see if he got up for the day

Arthur answers the call sleepily, his hair sticking  up. "Oh ive been up for ages.." His voice still hoarse  from sleep"  Buck just shakes his head. "Sure. Sport … he says mock buying  it "so you're going for the dude from ancient  aliens.. i like the guy but not a good lock on you .. whatever  floats your boat. Just wake up and start in on your  homework that way you'll be free for a one on one street hockey match with me when i get off."  Arthur looks excited and hangs up to get to work

Buck just chuckles as he dresses ( he may pass Logan  on the way down waving to him happily) to get his coffee  and finish off the dishes left by c shift. As he does the dishes he( may see )  Gareth come in and chuckles softly  at his rendition of katy and just smiles as he enjoys his singing not actual his choice in music as he was more of rock and roll lynyrd skynyrd black sabbath man but loved when anyone was happy and in their element . He finishes up the dishes and goes walking  in to the tv room coffee cup in hand as he greets and chats making pleasantries  with anyone around

Hank comes around the corner from the public waiting room to the more intimate social area for the firemen.  Moving to the table, he makes a  mental headcount.  Burton, Gareth, Reinhardt, Lopez, Smith, Jackson, Shepherd, Janesse...  He frowns and looks first at the clock, which reads 7 am on the nose.  Peterson is not here …  but that doesn’t stop Hank.  Moving to the coffee maker, he pours himself a cup, then turns.  “Good morning, firefighters.” he greets them and moves to sit at ‘his’ place; the chair at the corner where he could see almost everything and not have his back to the public or vehicle bay entrances.  “It’s Thursday, April 23rd.  Another beautiful day in Alexandra.”  he looks at his tablet, glad to have it back.  “But all is not completely rosy.”  he sighs.  “It seems that Captain Witherspoon has tested positive for Covid-19, so she is off for the next 14 days, at last.”  he glances up and holds up a hand.  Theirs was a family, so he elaborated a little bit.  “She is recovering at home, and her kid is staying with Lydia Alvin.”  he sets his tablet down.  “But she can’t seem to figure out where she might have gotten it, so …” he looks in the direction of Logan and Gareth, their EMT’s.  “You two be prepared for that many more calls.”  he goes on for another ten minutes … Alexandra is doing rather well, all things considered.  “And finally, even though the school is closed, we’re going to…”  he pauses and turns towards the public entrance.  Peterson comes flying around the corner and throws himself into a chair.  “Sorry.”  he pants.  Hank arches both of his brows and stares at the late fireman a moment.  Then he continues.  “Even though the school is closed, we’re going to run the semi-annual test on their fire alarms.  And that is the end of today's briefing.”  he turns to Peterson.  “Go get in uniform, son.”   Hank says mildly and Peterson gets up and flies upstairs.   Hank was one of those ‘a whisper is as bad as a shout’ kind of men.  Arguably the calmer he was, the worse things were.  With a sigh, Hank moves to the couch and sits, looking at his tablet.  Henry, their mascot, named after himself, was sleeping on one end, gets up and moves, placing his head on Hank’s lap and going right back to sleep.

Logan listens carefully to the briefing.  He had met Capt. Witherspoon and liked her.  Hearing she was sick with the virus chilled him.  But the Chief’s calming voice reminded him of his mother … calm in the face of disaster.  “Yes, sir.”  he nods at Gareth who has always been pretty cool.  The rest of the briefing is business as usual, but interrupted by Peterson .. he was late on Logan’s first day, too.  Now the Chief reminded him of his father,  Silent and staring .. and then you found yourself confessing your deepest, darkest crimes.  Once the briefing is over, he stands and heads for the coffee maker himself, pouring a cup and reaching for the packaged creamer and sugar … deemed safer in this day and age than a bottle of milk shared among 30 firefighters.

Gareth had walked in and saunted up beside Buck while he did the dishes “Look at you go BB.” He stayed on the fringe of the morning’s banter, walking around the edge of the room and sipping his smoothie. Henry shoved a nose in his crotch as he looked out across the room and he laughed and grabbed the dog gently by the head “Down boy…”

“Bet that’s what you hear Dunham…” Someone quipped back.

“Oy who said that? I’ll have you know...I get few complaints…” He looked around the room to sneers and snorts. The crew falls into a hush when Hank walks in and Gareth also follows.

Hank begins and Gareth gives his full attention to the briefing. When it was time to work, he was on task and dropped the party boy routine. He looked worried for Captain Witherspoon and relaxed a little as Hank explained. When he’s told to brace for more calls he nods “Yes Sir.” He nods back at Logan, glad to have another solid EMT in the mix for god knows what they’d face. Gareth gives Peterson a little you’re in trouble again but feels bad for the guy. He was just bad with time. Sadly this wasn’t the job to have with that.

Peterson was holding a small box but his lateness had made his plan with it become awkward and ill times. He hovered in the door looking conflicted and then dashed off looking like he’d buggered up more than just being late. Smith was right behind him after a quick “Thank you Sir.”as she exited the room. Her voice could be heard calling up the stairs after Peterson “Pat…” Their footfalls ascended the flight and then stopped at the top. Smith came back holding Peterson’s small cardboard box and approaching Hank “Chief...for once it was for a good cause…” Smith was referring to Peterson’s habitual tardiness. She opened the box to a selection of small black ribbons and pins. “For those lost in Nova Scotia and their loved ones, and for our fallen comrade, Constable Heidi Stevenson….” She looks up sadly “Can we wait until Peterson’s back?”

Buck just chuckles at the nickname smiling at Gareth as he sits his black coffee loving how it woke him up. He looks at Hank smiling greeting him back . he listens intently as his boss gives the morning meeting.wincing when he hear that the captain is out sick . he in turn looks over to Durham and Reinhardt sympathise with them. He shakes his head but gives a silent vote of confidence as he gives a fist up to them knowing that they got this. He. curiously watches Peterson runs in. Poor man just had a beef with the clock but observes him with a box. He nods looking down thinking of the many innocence lost as well as their fellow comrade…"The fucking evil nut job""  he says bursting out. He was normally cool about his outburst not losing it in public  He blurted out in a forum that allowed that lack of decorum but blunt when he chose to have them.. They were usually more then warranted .he just looks up not apologetic but his look had a soft empathic look to it.. Knowing he was safe to express himself amongst his firehouse family

Hank hadn’t glanced up when Smith took off.  The meeting was over.  The firefighters could so as they pleased until the klaxons sounded.  But then she comes back and explains that, this time, Peterson had an excuse.  He looks into the box and begins to nod slowly.  “Yes.  Of course we’ll wait.”  and they do.  Peterson rushes down a few minutes later and Hank stands from the couch, earning him an exasperated look from his namesake.  Hank ignores it and moves to his spot at the table.  “Firefighters, gather round.”  he raises his voice slightly, to make sure he is being heard.  No one else went upstairs, but it got everyone’s attention.  Once everyone was either standing or sitting, Hank sets the box on the table.  Then he looks around, meeting any pair of eyes that he can.  “You all know what happened in Nova Scotia.”  he pauses.  Everyone knew about it, except for the comatose.  “Our comrade in law enforcement, Constable Heidi Stevenson, lost her life.”  he reaches out towards Peterson and claps him on the shoulder.  “Peterson here has brought us what we need to show our support.  And I commend him for it.”  he takes his hand back to himself, takes a band and passes the box on to Peterson, who keeps passing it around the table.  As it moves, Hank continues.  “In these trying times it is easy to get lost in our worries and fears.  Times are changing and, because of that change, the usual memorials for our fallen must change.”  he clears his throat, the only outward sign of emotion in him.  “But our rituals changing do not change the feeling of sorrow that we feel when one of us falls.”  his mind moves to Jasmine, the last Alexandra firefighter/EMT to fall; in the earthquake in 2017.  Because of Alexandra’s size, the way police and firefighters honored their dead was slightly different.  However, in this day and age, even their rituals would be impossible.  “So I ask you all to remember Constable Heidi Stevenson and her sacrifice.”  he puts the band around his arm, pausing only a moment to look at the scars on his hand.  It had been so long since he had even noticed them, and squared his shoulders.  “Dismissed.” and he returns to his seat and his position as Henry’s pillow.

Logan gathered on the other side of the Chief and listened.  Things in his family had been so dramatic that he had barely registered the tragedy in Nova Scotia.  Now he took a moment to think about it and think about Constable Stevenson’s sacrifice.  Selecting a pin, he places it on the lapel of his uniform shirt, and when the Chief is done speaking and takes his seat, he returns to his coffee, leaning against the counter and thinking.  Not always the smartest move for someone in his profession.

Gareth notices Smith exit and call Peterson and then nods sadly overhearing what she said on her return. He stands reverently and nods along to all of Hank’s words. His thinks of Heidi Stevenson and all the victims in Nova Scotia and their families. His eyes wander to the seat on the couch Jasmine had favoured. It often sat empty now. No one wanted to occupy her space, even now. He waits his turn on the ribbons and pins and affixes his own black ribbon to his lapel when his turn comes up. As the crowd disperses he walks by Peterson and gives him a little kind squeeze on the shoulder and then passes him and settles in to head to the daily tasks.

Buck looks reverently as chief speaks and nods as he keeps his head down in a moment of silence for all those lost. His eyes opened but looking at his shoes.. After a moment he lifts up his head and waits til everyone has gotten theirs and then gets his own fixing the ribbon to his lapel and passes Peterson clapping him hard on the back "thanks man.." He goes to rinse off his cup settling it on the draining board and goes to tidying up the common area

Hank reads on his tablet a bit.  News articles about the happenings in this new world they had cut themselves off from.  Absently he pats Henry and lets him sleep, but after an hour or so, he stands and displaces the beagle again.  “Sorry, buddy.  Paperwork awaits.”  he stops by the coffee maker on his way out for another cup.  “I’ve got paperwork … some of which I have to print out and take to the post office.  I’ll have my radio with me,but if we get a call I’m taking second to Water Street to the Post Office.  Pick me up on the way.”  he orders anyone who happens to be listening.  “Peterson.  My office.”  It’s never clear what Hank wants when he says ‘My office’ … it would depend.  But Peterson's day had been so mixed, he had no idea.  “Sure, Cap.”  he blows out a breath and vanishes with the chief.

Logan finishes his coffee and then heads into the vehicle bay to check on the equipment on their ambulance.  He needed to make sure anything they needed was there and resupply if needed.  Being the junior EMT, the task fell to him, but he knew Gareth would come at some point and check to make sure he did the job right.

Gareth wanders into the vehicle bay after Logan but sees him near the back end of the vehicle. He  pops open the hood of the ambulance to do some routine maintenance. He was no mechanic but he could check the oil. All systems had to be optimal. “Hey Reinhardt...how’s it going over there? No bodies left in the rig?” He jokes. It had happened once in his early days. It was only overnight but that was a wake up call and that forgetful EMT was a short lived employee. Calvin something. He was kind of a tool anyway.

Peterson puffed up as he exited the office looking pleased with his call in to the chief. Smith  gave him a bump on his way by “Dressed down or promoted?”

Peterson just smiled and shrugged. He wasn’t one to start station gossip or brag. But the attention did kind of go to his head. “Have dinner with me?” He blurted out.

Smith cringed “Oh……..uh…..flattered but can I bring the boyfriend along?”

Peterson deflated. “Sorry...I thought you guys were done….forget I asked…” He saw the stares around him and dashed into the vehicle bay with his hand over his face feeling 2 inches tall.

Buck was done with ritual cleaning up of the area just as Peterson burst out .Overhearing the conservation with raised eyebrows he just chuckles. . He just walk s by patting Peterson's shoulder as he winces "man.. That sucks.. better luck next time "he whispers.

He goes to the vehicle bay with a clipboard as he checks out the fire truck ticking off things
 as he inspects it.

He spots Gareth and Logan."so how was you guys nights. Do anything interesting.  He says as he strikes up office cooler banter.

Logan chuckles.  “Nope.  No bodies.  Franco and Chandler keep a neat rig.”  he continues with his checklist.  Pretty much the exact same as Vancouver, which makes it easier.  He opens his mouth to say something, but then Peterson walks in iht his hand over his face, followed by Buck.  He arches his brows at Peterson and wonders what could have happened in the Chief’s office as he, at least, didn't overhear the exchange.  Then Buck strikes up some small talk.  “You mean my 48?  It wasn’t bad.  A little family drama, but it’s going to get worked out soon …  I hope.”   he sighs slightly and offers Gareth the clipboard which basically says they have all the equipment they need, and don’t quite need a resupply yet.

Gareth grins at Logan, cranes over at Peterson and then sees Buck a moment before he hears the question. Logan answers first and he raises a brow at the family drama “Everyone’s well. I know your brother and sister had Covid And the boyfriend...Victor is it?” He takes the clipboard “Chelle dragged me into a movie marathon. She’s on this weird Shakespeare kick so we didt the Romeo and Juliets from different eras and now it’s the Hamlets. It’s like I died and went back to school.” It was a well known fact that Gareth was a boarder at Michelle Kim’s house and the two were close friends, just friends. Michelle, whom he called Chelle, was the midwife at the clinic. “What about you BB? Any wild stories?”

Peterson had answered Buck with a meek little whimper but was glad someone cared. He collected himself and walked to the fridge, avoiding all residual stares and grabbed a Coke. He slipped around a corner and out of sight, holding the cold can to his forehead.

Buck listens as he sets down the clipboard on the truck and just chuckles "I swear Reinhardt, your family is like the Brady bunch ". He looks at logan encouragingly "it'll sort out. You come from a strong loving family. That means a lot.. Especially in these days. Hey we all got through the isolation there's nothing we can pull through after that. He smiles then looks over to Durham "yeah a regular madhouse. Arthur is on a wrestling kick . " he laughs "between that and rewatching the Batman Lego movie over and over. He laughs.."he's just stir crazy.. And missing playing with the kids. He finished up the checklist. "Just another day at the Burton house"

Logan nods.  "Yea.  They're all better .. and it's Vincent, not Victor.  He's been down because Giovanni was like ... his grandfather.  They were really close and ..."  he thinks back to the Chief's briefing.  "He wasn't allowed to go to the funeral."  he grins at the mention of Shlespere.  He knew Michelle a little bit as she worked with his mother.  He shorts at Buck.  "The Brdy Bunch got nothin on Reinhardts ... believe me they don't.  Just stay tuned to the rumor mill, folks!."  Buck as right.  His family was strong and loving ... although the tests the last few weeks ... it remained to be seen how they came through it.  He laughs lightly at the news of Arthur’s stir craziness.  He could understand.

Hank walks into the space between the vehicle bay and the downstairs common room.  He is holding his tablet.  “Dunham and Reinhardt.  Wellness check at the Cleremorris.  Apartment 2 West.  Possible Covid 19.”  The Covid 19 alarms were all silent, to avoid a panic.  “And the ladder truck is needed at Number 4 3rd Street.  A child is tangled in fishing line on the roof.”  he narrows his eyes and shakes his head.  That’s his son’s house and the child is  most likely his granddaughter Mabel Stanley.  “If she needs the EMT’s call it in.””

Gareth nods along and then gives Buck a little smile when he talks about his kid. He doesn’t get it, but he can imagine the kids being stir crazy from when he was one and he has empathy. He snaps to a highly alert state when Hank comes in to give them their assignment and then grits his teeth just a bit at the words possible Covid. I mean that was everything but in their work it could be very scary. He knows Logan checked off all the equipment and they’re prepared, as prepared as they can be. He has to laugh a little at the child on the roof. He knew it was Hank’s granddaughter. Those Stanley kids were serious birth control inspiration. “Good luck with that BB...we might see ya later…” He climbs in to drive he and Logan to the Claremorris and buckles up. He won’t switch the alarm on until the hit the street.

Buck just nod looking sympathical at the mention of this Vincent's grief and not able to say good bye in the regular Alexandra fashion. "I'll be listening for all the juicy gossip later.." He say chuckling. He quiets down as the chief gives the details of the mornings first call. He just shakes his head chuckling again as he also knew what he was in for "will do..well make sure your little monkeys get down the beans tree just fine." He looks over to Logan and Gareth."We'll call you two if we need ya. He laughs looking abit longer then warranted at Gareth then looks away and clears his throat "See ya later Durham." He adds a quick "Reinhardt.." for measure after seeing Peterson shut down as he gears up and joins the crew on the ladder truck.