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“No need to thank me, but tonight, make sure you’re over at The Cannon. Jake’s working, I’ve checked,” Pete counters, gruffly. “Kennedy and Nate like a party and it will be good for you to meet some people, now you’re here.”
“I’m exhausted,” I say as I try to think of an excuse to get out of it. All I want to do is get into my bed. I’m so glad the place is furnished.
“That’s fine, you don’t have to rush off yet. We’re shutting soon, only opened for orders this morning to be collected,” Simon says, checking around the corner for any customers. “You can't escape the welcome committee.”
“Fine,” I huff out, reaching for the hot mug of coffee Simon hands me before I take a sip. “Mmm, I guess I can’t. Let me finish this and I’ll get the stuff from my car after the grand tour.”
“I'll give you a hand with your belongings,” Simon states, before he blows his own steaming mug and chuckles more to himself. “We’ll let the old man rest up here, ready for tonight’s party.”
“Less of the old man, lad. We’ll see who’s feeling old at 5 a.m. when we’re back out baking in the morning,” Pete counters, stretching back in his chair as he crosses his feet at the ankle.
I have to laugh at the banter between them. I’m starting to like it here already.
“You sure you don’t mind helping? I can do it on my own, you know,” I reply and watch the silent acknowledgement that passes between the two men.
“Yes. I’m sure,” Simon says. “We all help each other here.”
2
AIDEN
Federal holidays; it’s always the same. It seems everyone decides to come out and make a fuss on a day when it’s a celebration. Why always on that one day? People always decide to go on a trip to see friends and family or hold celebrations that are supposed to bring the community together. It seems a recipe for disaster to me, but then it would with my job.
It’s the first day of January and my body hums as it fights the adrenaline that passes through my veins. I count down the minutes left on the clock until I can get my backside out of this place. It isn't how I normally feel. I love my role and position as a full-time firefighter and EMT in the fire service. It’s a job that makes my heart beat that extra thump in excitement, but it tends to lull over the holiday period. It’s always the same struggle to get through the last few hours of the shift when mischief is rife. I know people may think it’s an assumption but no, records show that holidays seem to show more hoax calls to the service than other times. They take precious moments away from where we really are needed. These prank calls could be the difference between life and death for some other person.
I pray that the siren alarm isn’t activated to alert us to an emergency. My body has become weary from the last few days. Whenever the alarm rings, you never can tell how long you’ll be out or what you could turn up to, and then those minutes would certainly extend into overtime. Today I just need to recoup, refresh, and take a much-deserved reprieve.
A few hours and that's it. I'm outta here.
“Liam, you clock watching, too?” I smirk as I ask one of my fellow crew members who is on the same shift as me.
“Yep, I need to refresh for later tonight,” he states as he grabs a cookie from the table before he checks the notice board for any team updates. “You're coming, aren't you?”
“I had planned an early night. I'm beat,” I reply as I stand up and feel the tightness in my muscles of my 6 feet 1 inch frame.
“No chance. It's New Year's Day. Kennedy is having a get together at The Cannon tonight,” Liam says eagerly, with a huge grin plastered across his face after he finishes a huge bite of his cookie.
“Kennedy will never let it go if I don't show my face, will she? Least I can catch up with Nate, I suppose.” I run my hands over my shirt to smooth the creases out as I speak, before I slide my hands into my pockets.
“Exactly. Come on, let's go and help Ember with the safety checks.” He wipes the excess crumbs from his mouth and takes a swig of water as he stands from his chair. “Break’s certainly over.”
I place my cup and empty plate into the sink and turn the tap on. Liam throws his in next to mine and smirks at me. He raises his shoulders before he links his fingers behind his head as he waits for me.
“It's your turn next time, mate. You can get your hands dirty, you know,” I joke while I make quick work and wash up. I’d hate the place to turn into an unkempt mess. I watch Liam head towards the pole to the garage and give me a wave over his shoulder.
“Don't let Chief catch you. You know the rules,” I state as I take the longer route down the staircase outside the adjacent room.
“Just a bit of training.” Liam smirks with a two-finger salute. When I reach him a few minutes later, he holds the door open for me with a bow.Cocky fucker.
I love my job, the thrill it gives me and the way I know I can protect the people I care about around me. I mean, Armstrong is a close-knit community with Firehouse 13 playing a central role. I should be used to the shift patterns of two twelve-hour days and two twelve-hour nights before a four-day break, but unbeknown, I’ve lost focus with overtime becoming a necessity of late, amidst changes within the station. We have a healthy crew of volunteers and full-time staff but it's easy for the crew to become exhausted. Many of the volunteers have other jobs which takes up their time. That means some of us full-time staff have been worked to the bone.
I did raise it with Chief Clark, but it went straight over his head with retirement only weeks away. I'm glad the new guy, Dylan Cooper, seems to have great ideas on how to pull us together when he takes over. It's just a pity he's still in the process of his move from Chicago to here in Armstrong.
I should be full of life, not fighting the urge to drop off to sleep. What I would give for a reprieve, but the coffee on my break will have to power me through the next few hours.
I know every New Year I make the same promises to have a new outlook on my reality, ambitions, and expectations for the year ahead but what can I change? I have a career which is my focus; what else can fit into that lifestyle and make me complete? I don't know, but I do know I don't need a distraction knocking me from my prime.
* * *
