Re: engine 26 -- roosevelt ER
[Clem heard said ornery cuss of a damn brother before she saw him, and she smiled some as she slid up on the stretcher beside Mikey. There was something about living with folks days on end, while risking your life alongside them, that made folks close fast. She'd realized that early in her days in a firehouse, and for the girl who'd relationships had always been Sunday Come Calling, it was a real nice change. No one at home would understand her liking it, sleeping on some twin bed and men all around, nothing designer and not a damn one of them knew a thing about waltzing. But Clem liked it plenty, and she liked Carroll, gruff and sweet like he was, like some teddy bear. He reminded her of Graham some, and she leaned her head against his good shoulder as he made fussing sounds about her stitches. Oh, and she pressed a big old kiss to his cheek first, like that was close enough to his hurt shoulder to go counting for kissing it better.] I'm glad your brother's good. You need help hunting for your sister, you just say. [She meant it.] Think my folks are fine. They all took off for another door until it was over.
[She nodded toward the approaching grump in the wheelchair.] All save that one.
[Much as she sounded teasing, Clem didn't like that hurt and exhaustion in Declan's eyes, and it made her frown hard enough to hurt her head. Her gaze slid on down to Declan's legs, looking for whatever had him in that chair. She wasn't wise to Declan's fondness for pills, or she would have worried herself more over it. Seemed growing up some, it came with fretting more than usual. Just like she was fretting over Joy, over in some strange place with an errant daddy and a cousin watching with too much on her hands.]
You take a crutch if they say, Dec. What'd you hurt, honey? [She asked it soft as she could, though she didn't have a voice made for softness much, not if she wasn't dealing with someone dying hard on her stretcher.] We're fine. Your concern is real overwhelming, so tone it down some. [She smiled some, tired and red around the eyes.]
One good thing. I think we got us a new house mother. Name's Evie, y'all talk her up to the Chief tomorrow.