Sudden Response (EMS #1)(70)

She'd been working as a dispatcher fulltime now for about a month, but today was her first official day as a fulltime dispatcher, something that made her both happy and miserable. She was happy with the job. She loved it in fact and was glad when a fulltime opening unofficially became available after the accident.

As much as she hated to admit this that accident freaked her out pretty badly and she had desperately needed a break. She was glad when the dispatching position became available, but she felt guilty leaving Eric before he started school. He said he was fine with it even when he got stuck with Teddy for two weeks straight, but that didn't make her feel any better. She felt like she'd abandoned him, but she honestly couldn't have kept working on the truck.

She'd burned out and she knew it and he probably did as well. It happened and she was just glad that she had her dispatcher training to fall back on. Not that she had to worry about money, for a while at least. She had her paramedic nest egg which she decided to use to splurge on a tropical vacation for her and Eric before he started school, which would happen in three months. Of course it didn't hurt that Eric had moved in pretty much the night of the accident and decided that he would take over the bills, something they constantly argued about.

It was nice having him around even if it was unofficial. She liked having him there at night and in the morning. Loved having him around to spoil her. She just plain loved the man.

"Have a good night, Derek," she called out as she opened the door and stepped into the brightly lit hall.

"You too!" Derek said, sounding amused as she squinted against the sudden brightness. When her vision cleared she felt her brows arch clear to her hairline at the site that greeted her.

"Hey, Joe," Jeff said with an evil grin that didn't bode well for her as he lazily waved around a folded strap. "We just thought we'd give you an official goodbye from the station," he said, gesturing to the dozen or so firefighters and EMTs that blocked both sides of the hall.

Oh, damn.......

Why hadn't she considered this? She really should have considered this happening since she was usually part of the official goodbye party for anyone that left their station. With a forced smile she reached back to open the call room door only to find it locked. She swore she heard Derek laughing his ass off but she wasn't sure.

"That's, um, real nice of you guys, but I'm kind of running behind as it is. Perhaps another time?" she asked, sounding hopeful as she discretely shifted towards the left, but the men simply closed in on her, grinning.

"I think now is a great time. What do you think, guys?" Jeff asked.

"Sounds good to me," Rick, a large firefighter that she may have helped shaved from head to toe when he joined their station five years ago, agreed.

"I guess that leaves me with no choice but to run," she said solemnly seconds before she tried to make her escape.

Unfortunately for her she wasn't fast enough and was soon strapped tightly to a backboard and hoisted up in the air. She had to bite her lip to stop herself from begging them not to shave her head, dye her skin or strip her only because she didn't want to give them any ideas.

Why the hell hadn't she accepted Eric's offer to pick her up after work? Because she was a moron that's why. She wanted to go home, freshen up and look beautiful for him since he was taking her out to celebrate her first official day. Now thanks to her damn vanity she was facing a future without hair or being purple.

"Maybe we can talk about this? Guys?" she said, hoping they'd let her go, but of course they wouldn't. She decided to ignore their laughs and jokes as she tried to break free from her restraints, but unfortunately for her they knew how to do their damn jobs.

When they brought her outside she tried not to squirm and draw attention to herself, but of course that was pointless. The building that housed dispatch was right next to city hall and across the street from a strip mall. She prayed that they would keep this little display of insanity private and throw her ass in an ambulance and take her back to the station, but of course they didn't.

They decided to stand her up and lean her back against the black iron fence that cut across the front of town hall. She couldn't see past the thick wall of men that suddenly surrounded her, but she was pretty damn sure that a crowd was forming and that some of them were taking pictures. She tried to ignore them as she renewed her struggles to break free, but there was no give.

"Guys, don't do this!"

Jeff merely shrugged. "Sorry, but it's for your own good, Joe," he said with a wink before they all stepped back as one and Joe felt her heart skip a beat as her eyes landed on Eric.

She swallowed hard as she looked him over and felt herself melt against her restraints. He looked incredible in his dress uniform as he walked towards her.

"Joe," he said in way of greeting as he neared her.

"What's going on, Eric?" she asked, shooting nervous glances towards the men grinning hugely at her side and the large crowd gathering around them.

"The guys wanted to give you a proper sendoff," he explained.

"And you?" she asked, hating the way her voice trembled.

With that bad boy smile that she loved, Eric dropped down to one knee in front of her and pulled out a small velvet box. "Wanted to know if you would marry me?"

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. She swallowed and tried again, but the only sound that came out was a little sob. Mortified, she tried to hold the next one back, but it broke free the second she realized that hot liquid was running down her cheeks.