London's Burning - Ghost Watch - Introducing Chapter

Written by: Gemma
Date first published online on: 21ST December 2002
Spoilers: None
Archive: Just ask me
Authors notes: I really can't think of what to write with the newer characters at the moment and they are depressing me because that was the series that ruined LB, so, I'm writing a story featuring older characters and might even write some more featuring different characters.
Disclaimer: 'Heath Green fire station' is fictional and isn't really a part of London Fire and Rescue. Carole Webb is copyright of London's Burning and all other characters are copyright to the author and are not based on anyone.
Summary: A trajedy happened at Heath Green fire station in East London and the new Station Officer is left to pick up the pieces...

NEW CHARACTERS

Leading Fire fighter Darren Downing - Late thirties, married with a daughter. Has been stationed at Heath Green for the majority of his career.
Fire figher Marc Arun - Young and enthusiastic, Marc has been in the brigade for a couple of years now.
Fire fighter Bryan Phillips - Early thirties, Bryan is engaged, although his girlfriend doesn't want to set the date.
Fire fighter Andy Bacon - Late twenties, this is Andy's second career after he resigned as a paramedic wanting a job that was a bit more challenging.
Fire fighter Gavin Austin - Mid - thirties, Gavin has been stationed at Heath Green for the whole of his career. He was best friends with Craig Hobbs, who was the former Sub Officer who lost his life. Gavin developed a drinking problem, which his fellow Watch mates are trying to help him get out if.
Fire fighter Bob McCallum - Late thirties, Bob is the caring member of the watch. He's married and has a son who's training to be a fire fighter.

On a mild autumn day in September 2002, disaster stuck. The Green Watch at East London's Heath Green were called to a shout at an old disused chemical plant, which was well and truly ablaze. Backup from all over London were soon called to assist as the crumbling building didn't want to be dampened down and it did want to be steadied in any way either.

BA crew upon BA crew rigged up and entered the burning inferno in an attempt to tackle the blaze and locate and rescue a group of squatters who had been seen leaving and entering the building on a regular basis. Locals to the plant thought that they were living there.

The Station's Station Officer - Mickey Grant pleaded with the division officer who was in charge, he and his Sub Officer, Craig Hobbs needed to try to tackle the flames for themselves as their team was having no luck whatsoever in tracking down the person's reported inside.

The divisional officer finally agreed to let them in, after stating the safety regulations and procedures; and needing to have senior officers outside. When the two entered, the fire worsened. Unknown the the crews inside, certain canisters filled with God only knows what, caused an explosion, which caused a huge flash over, causing a whole area of the building to collapse.

Mickey Grant... Craig Hobbs...

After the fire was finally put under control again, the clearing operation went underway. They Station Officer and Sub Officer were pulled out dead.

Blank expressions, that was all the Green Watch at Heath Green fire station seemed to display those days. A couple of months later and they still hardly communicated, certain members in particular especially. The crew blamed themselves, thought over alternative endings to the shout - if they had exited the building a minute earlier, if they had discovered the canisters...

A lot of them were having councilling, although one, Fire fighter Gavin Austin, considered it to be a load of rubbish and wanted nothing to do with councillors and therapists, especially Brigade councillors. Austin turned to drink, it was his comfort, it seemed to keep him sane. Most night's he found himself alone in his flat, with a bottle wiskey, before he passed out until morning.

"Role call in two minutes," Fire fighter Bryan Phillips called up over the tannoy. He'd been calling at minute intervals for the last five minutes or so. The Watch had a new Station Officer, who was a woman, much to their dislike, who, as much as she tried, couldn't get them to talk, laugh, smile; they couldn't move on.

The bells went down for role - call and the Watch slowly pushed their chairs out from the mess table, before making their way down to the appliance bay.

Station Officer Carole Webb stood waiting for the Watch to get in line as Leading Fire fighter Darren Downing, stood next to her as he stood in as acting Sub Officer until the new bloke arrived.

The Watch finally got into line and Downing began to call out all their names, "Fire fighter Arun..."

"Sub..."

"Fire fighter Austin..."

There was no reply, the Watch just stood in line, glancing from one another with the odd person whispering to another asking where Gav was, before they all came to the conclusion of where he was in their minds.

"Fire fighter Austin!" Dowling repeated, before sighing loudly and glancing sideways at Carole.

"Does anyone know where Gavin is?" Carole asked, looking at their blank faces.

Bob McCallum stood forward, he seemed to be one of the sensible members of the Watch, who wasn't in an officers position. "He was in a bad way last night Guv," he informed Carole, "You know what he's like... can't seem to control the..."

Carole cut him off, "Drink," she sighed, "When Fire fighter Austin decides to grace us with his presence, tell him I want to see him in my office!"

The Watch went completely silent for a minute, before Carole turned to look at Downing, "Carry on Sub..."

"Fire fighter Bacon..."

"Sub..."

"Fire fighter McCallum..."

"Sub..."

"Fire fighter Phillips..."

"Sub..."

Downing then turned to Carole, "Guv?" he prompted her to carry on.

"As you know, or probably don't, seeing as most of you don't actually seem with it lately, the new Sub Officer is starting somewhen today. So until he arrives and is sorted, the pump is going off the run," Carole then stopped, turning to look at Downing, "Carry on Sub..."

"Green Watch, Green Watch 'shun for your duties, fall out!"

The Watch fell out of line and wandered towards the appliances in the semi - modern appliance bay as Gavin Austin stumbled through the doors of the station's front entrance yelling at the top of his lungs...

"...comes a thousand Chariots of Fire... Chariots of fire emerge, Spreading pure hell on earth as they pass over water and land, All living to ashes turn, All creatures alive they burn, They die as they lay and stand..."

"Will someone shut him up?!" Downing yelled, knowing that Carole had probably reached her office by now, but then she could probably hear all the comotion going on downstairs.

Bob approached Gavin and took hold of him by the arm to try to steady him, but he just flipped his arm up, "Get the hell off of me!"

"Come on mate, you can't keep on doing this to yourself," Bob told him softly.

"Doin' what?!" Gavin asked ignorantly.

Bob sighed, "The Guv'nor wants to see you upstairs mate," he informed Gavin.

Gavin over - exaggerated a sigh, "Madam wants a word huh?" he muttered, "Probably in for a bollocking ain't I?"

Bob sighed yet again, "Just get up there sharpish hmm?"

Gavin finally found himself upstairs after about ten minutes of stumbling up the stairs and entering wrong rooms. He lifted his hand to knock the door of the Station Officer's office, only to find it move itself as Carole opened it, hearing him coming.

"You're drunk," she stated dryly, as she walked back into her office, "Shut the door behind you," she told him, as she walked to her desk and sat down.

Gavin stopped at the front of the desk, fidgeting every - so - often.

"Well?" Carole prompted.

"Well what?!"

"What's your reason for being late for duty?" she asked.

Gavin tried to think of a reasonable excuse. But staying in the pub until closing time the night before, then going into the off - license on the way home to buy a bottle of Southern Comfort, which he drank until he passed out, then finished off when he woke in the morning, really wouldn't go down well. He decided to resume quiet.

Carole shook her head disgustedly, "You don't even have an excuse," she murmured, "... or more to the point you don't want to tell the truth. You're drunk Fire fighter Austin and you're not fit for duty, go home, get out of my sight and you're on your final warning. If you turn up drunk again the D.O. will be informed."

"But Guv," Gavin tried to object, but gave up. He turned swiftly and made his way to the door. He pulled it open, then left the office, slamming the door behind him, before making his way out of the station. Cursing the world's existance.

Back in the appliance bay, Bob and Downing discussed Gavin's alcohol problem as they cleaned BA sets and Arun, Phillips and Bacon cleaning the appliances with soapy water and sponges.

Gavin stepped down into the appliance bay, resuming from where he left of with his singing, as he passed his fellow Watch members.

"So...?" Marc Arun prompted Gavin, wanting gossip on what happened upstairs.

"She's only sending me home ain't she?!" Gavin yelled, looking at the Watch members one - by - one. "The bitch is sending me home!" he yelled, hoping that Carole would hear. "So I guess I'll see you all tonight in the Hope yeah lads?"

Bob sighed, glancing sideways at Downing, who was probably thinking the same thing as him, they really needed to sort Gavin out.

Gavin then passed the two of them and the appliances, kicking over the buckets of soapy water, drowning areas of the floor of the appliance bay in a puddle of soapy suds.

As he stepped out of the station, singing song lyrics over and over again and not in any tune at all, a car pulled up outside the station...

Ghost Watch - Gemma Lambourne© 21ST December 2002