Yet A(nother) Year in Seattle – Week 04 – Coming Back Around

Yet A(nother) Year In Seattle

Sunday – January 17, 2066 – Late Night at the Casey’s

It’s late and I really should be in bed but I’m waiting for Case to finish his shower so I can take a nice long hot soak and get the smell of smoke and burnt wiring out of my hair.

We’re back at the Walkers all in varying degrees of exhaustion. Nathan managed to get to bed under his own power-but it was questionable at times. Jonathan was tired too but he waited until he was sure Michael and Nathan had been taken care of before going to talk to Mom Walker.

We were called out this evening? Yesterday evening? Sunday evening: high rise apartment fire. Charlie was already handling the scene and had forgotten that I still had my pager set up for medic callouts.

I’m not sure if he was happy to see me or not, we’ll have to talk about that later. We’ll have to talk about a lot later-tomorrow… later on today… when I’m awake and coherent enough to string together more than two words.

Right now my thoughts are daughter safe; husband safe; sleep.

Tomorrow… update then.


Monday – January 18, 2066 – Brick

I woke up late, but when I called Charlie he told me, and I quote, “you look like hell boss, get some sleep… I’ll call you when we need you.”

Sometimes I forget how quickly things tend to change around here. Last week I was dealing with all the changes that come with becoming Chief of an operation like Citywide Seattle, let alone Citywide’s North East Regional…

Last night I ended up right back in the middle of the job. The job-the real job has always been saving lives.

The call came in as we were settling down for dinner at the Walkers. The three Citywide Pagers went off first: mine, Ray’s and Dwight’s. Case’s pager went off a minute later as we were calling in and getting the specifics.

I think I had enough time to make sure Case could watch over Bri before he was getting ready to head out as well.

Trina smiled at Bri and asked her if she could help with the twins since we all knew Jonathan would be working with Case.

I was oblivious to everything else while I was conferring with Ray and Dwight but I knew something was going on. I looked up just as Mom Walker looked up at us.

“I will assemble the lodge.”

Her words sent a chill up my spine. Not only was the fire bad enough to send out a third alarm for off-duty medics, she was preparing the lodge to help us out magically.

It was also about that time then when I noticed Nathan and Michael were grabbing their things as well.

I’m glad to say the ride was uneventful, especially since I was riding double with Ray. I think going down on the way there would have been really bad.

When we got to the scene, the three of us trooped into the command center only to be greeted by Charlie, “suit up,” he ordered Ray and Dwight. As they moved out of the way he saw me standing there.

“Miller, it’s your day off. You checking up on me?”

I merely shook my head. “Sorry, this is your scene… Tonight I’m just a medic on call.”

We were suiting up when Case and the others pulled up…

The expression on Nathan’s face when he looked up at the building… at first, I thought it might be the fire-but I’ve seen him stare down a mage bent on murder to save me-something told me it wasn’t just the fire and…

One of the advantages of being ‘non-awakened’ or as Nathan put it… ‘As mundane as a brick’ means that you can’t hear a Building Spirit dying when you’re fighting a fire.

In light of the situation, at least as near as I understood the situation, Jonathan would act as a focal point for the lodge. They would sooth the building while Nathan and Michael would assist and watch over us inside.

The investigators have labeled it Arson-Nathan called it murder.

I know there was a lot more involved but again… brick.

I’m trying not to be curious, to stay focused on the matter at hand… but it’s hard.

I guess that’s what paperwork’s for.


Author’s Note: Nathan appears courtesy of Follower


Tuesday – January 19, 2066 – One of those days.

I’ll tell you one thing if I have another day like today I’m libel to climb a clock tower myself.

You guessed it, someone decided that other people’s bad days weren’t nearly as bad as his, and he also wanted to prove the axiom: ‘It can always get worse.’

Today – I wanted to finish up the paperwork from my part of Sunday’s fire along with requests from Jonathan regarding the investigation; review school options with Case at lunchtime and then schedule meetings with the schools’ administrators.

Changing schools mid-year is bad enough, but try doing that when the press is looking for a story and you weren’t directing the rescue effort two major fire/rescue scenes. Never mind the fact that with the first I started working it but was needed elsewhere and the second started when I was off duty and I still ended up working the scene as a medic.

I guess I should be thankful the shooting incident did take the press’ attention off what I hadn’t done and or what they thought I was doing and let them focus on the situation at hand.

We’d learned a lot since I first got here-sniper scenes now means armored cars and heavily protected medics. Sadly, he’d learned too and it seems that rocket-propelled grenades actually work rather well against the armored cars we were using.

This shooting seemed to follow the one Ray covered on our Trifecta Event, which makes me even less happy. Of course, this means we pull film footage and give the Star our full break down on what happened.

Once is bad, twice is someone either softening you up or studying you for something that will really wreak havoc.

Needless to say, I got nothing administrative done, finished late and felt exhausted. Of course, when I got home I was too tried to evaluate schools with Case.

I think my entire contribution on the subject was “Armored, shielded and very protective.”


Wednesday – January 20, 2066 – Daily ritual, I hope not

Today started with a visit from the Regional CEO.

I’m beginning to think that it’s not a proper day unless I’m either swamped with reporters or visited by the CEO, legal department representative optional. The month isn’t even over and I’ve already met with Citywide’s Regional CEO at least three times.

I’m pretty sure he’s getting tired of seeing me.

The CEO did let me know I’d done the right thing Sunday before he got down to business. He needed to know why I’d called in Jonathan and the others.

When I told him I hadn’t and that they’d volunteered when my pager went off at dinner. He quickly conferred with the lawyer before giving a satisfied nod.

“Samuels, please work with Chief Miller to get this straightened out,” he said.

“Well, that’s auspicious,” I commented half to myself.

It didn’t take long for them to give me the full story. A lawsuit has been filed against Citywide on behalf of the families who’d lost loved ones in a different fire… some three or four months ago where the company did not call in magical help from other governments.

Since everyone had volunteered to go, they were operating under Good Samaritan Laws and safe from prosecution. The company on the hand is being sued for criminal neglect and wrongful death.

We didn’t start the fire- we weren’t responsible for the building’s fire suppression equipment-we simply didn’t call out for volunteers-go figure.

Fortunately, this is where Citywide’s Legal Department shines. I just hope they aren’t tired of hearing from me yet.


Thursday – January 21, 2066 – Of St. Nick and birthdays

I have been advised to say nothing, and since today is my daughter’s birthday, I think I’ll do just that.

My day off was spent working on Bri’s birthday present, which from the looks of things is going to be a school where she’s not going to have to worry about who her parents are or what we do.

Case and I had picked out three potential schools. Okay, Case had picked them out based on my criteria, but then he took it one step further and did a full background check on all the administrators and teachers to whittle it down to exactly one.

Saint Nicholas Preparatory Academy met all his criteria and mine-and of course, it was the school Jenna had recommended.

Saint Nicholas, the Patron Saint of Children… I really hope this isn’t a warning of things to come.

We have a meeting with the Chief Administrator and Monsignor Silvers Sunday.

The evening of course was spent in the Longhouse celebrating Bri’s birthday Walker Style.


Friday – January 22, 2066 – Rare moments

It’s hard to worry about yourself when you’re watching your daughter hand out presents to her friends and extended family for her birthday. This year she insisted on picking out the gifts herself. She even made some of them.

I forget how much she sees, how much like her father she is. I don’t think she even realizes it-she just knows…

A hand painted sunset for her Uncle Nathan, origami paper for Case, a mother ring for Trina, and a grandmother ring for Mom Walker… A Caduceus pendant for me, her choices were amazing.

I don’t know how she does it. Sometimes she is so adult and mature and others so much a child, but she manages to keep the best of both worlds. I hope she always will.

The hardest part of yesterday was heading home afterwards. If only we could keep those moments alive forever, but sooner or later, we have to come back down. True to form, Bri fell asleep on the way home.

I, on the other hand, had a hard time falling asleep-all my thoughts were focused on today’s meeting and the issues we needed to deal with and it was all for naught.

I got to the office early to prepare for the meeting, only to be told I had a Grand Jury hearing to attend.

It took five hours of preparation and waiting before someone actually looked at the case. Not only were there not enough grounds for the case, the parties involved were fined the court costs.

Once we were dismissed, I filled Charlie in and asked how the meeting went.

“Surprising well without you,” he said. “We didn’t get anything decided but we did determine that Hernandez makes the best paper airplanes.”

I’m still trying to figure out if he was kidding or not.


Saturday – January 23, 2066 – of plots and aeroplanes

Judging by the number of paper airplanes in the trash can outside the conference room, I’m beginning to think that the administrative staff hasn’t really grown-up, they’ve just gotten better at hiding it.

I spent the better part of the day reviewing previous Chiefs’ files and notes and I’ve found nothing in the rules that say that the Chief can’t do their job from the field. Hey, I’ve lasted 3 weeks behind a desk and only been sued once….

While I was drafting my proposal Case and Bri showed up with a picnic lunch, it was a great break in the middle of the day, and by the time I came back to the office, some of the pieces were falling into place.

Monday I’m going to get Charlie’s input on the plan but Case just laughed and shook his head when I showed it to him.

Seems there was a betting pool at the Marshal’s office about how long I’d work behind a desk before I figured out a way to do the job from my bike or a bus.

Case and I also talked about the school tour tomorrow. The School’s Brochure indicates that they are equipped to deal with budding shaman and physical adepts… the question is, will they be ready for Bri?


Copyright 2010 M.T. Decker

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