Chapter 71
Tristan
Even though I’m trying to keep a brave face, I’m actually nervous as shit about the fact that Fire Chief Shaw is here.
If he really is here in bad faith, if he has some problem with Nick and me dating, that could be very bad.
I’m still just a probationary firefighter. I’m still being evaluated and trained, and though it would be wrong, Shaw could make a case that my relationship with Nick is a liability to my training.
We decide that it might be best if we’re not physically together when Shaw starts his inspection. Nick finds some meaningless paperwork to do. I clean the already spotless kitchen. Charlie and Vinnie work out in our little gym. Mila replaces some of the equipment on the truck.
We’re all busy, busy, busy.
I dare Shaw to say something about us.
I keep one eye on the Fire Chief as he walks purposefully around the station, looking at everything and making disapproving faces. Disapproving, even though there’s nothing wrong here. I’ve learned that Station 27 is one of the most efficient and effective stations in the entire department.
But, as Captain Hyun said, the city also spent a lot of money to get us back up and running six years ago, and Fire Chief Shaw is a notorious penny-pincher.
I take as much time on “cleaning” the kitchen as I can, but it hardly needs the work, and I’m debating trying to clean the oven when Captain Hyun approaches and says, “Can you come to my office?”
? ? ?
Nick and I have both been summoned.
Uncomfortably, Fire Chief Shaw is sitting at Captain Hyun’s desk, while Captain Hyun stands against one wall. Nick and I sit beside each other, facing the desk.
Shaw looks from Nick to me and back to Nick.
“You might be thinking it’s a bit unusual for the Fire Chief to do a surprise inspection like this,” he says.
I catch the expression on Captain Hyun’s face: pursed lips, tense eyebrows. She’s displeased, and not with us.
Nick speaks for both of us. “It’s a bit new to me, but I think it shows how much you care about your fire stations.”
Ever the diplomat. Perhaps he should consider a future in politics.
Shaw clears his throat. “Of course. Well, it might surprise you that this isn’t really a random inspection.”
I raise my eyebrows, feigning surprise.
“Really?” I say, the picture of innocence.
If Shaw catches my facetiousness, it doesn’t register on his face.
“Really,” he says with some level of satisfaction. The oaf. “You see, it has come to my attention that you, Mr. Gutierrez, and you, Mr. Cavanagh, are in a relationship.”
Captain Hyun interjects. “Chief, I would really be more comfortable if someone from HR were present for this conversation.”
Nick raises a hand. “It’s okay, Captain.”
He turns to Shaw. “Yes, we are in a relationship. We are aware of all departmental rules and policies and haven’t violated any of them. We disclosed the relationship as soon as it became relevant. Nothing we have done violates any rules of the department, or is, in any way, inappropriate.”
Shaw nods, but doesn’t look convinced. In fact, he almost looks victorious.
“Are you sure about that, firefighter?” he asks in a voice that is disturbingly triumphant.
Nick doesn’t flinch. “I am, sir.”
Shaw leans forward. “Rules state that there cannot be any romantic or sexual relationship between members of the same station within a direct chain of command, or within a professionally evaluative relationship. Would you not say that you are the senior paramedic at this station, who has largely been in charge of training Mr. Cavanagh?”
Nick’s jaw tenses, and this time, I answer. “Nick helped me get acquainted with everything here, but he was never responsible for my formal evaluations. Captain Hyun did all of those.”
Shaw doesn’t even look at me. He stares at Nick. “And you never completed an informal evaluation?”
“No, I did not, sir.”
The Fire Chief taps a file on Captain Hyun’s desk.
“See, because I was looking through Liza’s reports on Mr. Cavanagh’s performance and progress, and I noticed that, not long after he joined the department, you and Liza discussed his progress.
You said, according to her notes, that you were optimistic about him.
Now, tell me, was that before or after you began a romantic or sexual relationship with him? ”
I don’t like how Shaw insists on referring to Captain Hyun as “Liza,” while he uses our last names.
Racist, sexist, homophobic, geriatric asshole, I think.
Nick’s face is hard—he seems angry, while I feel embarrassed. This conversation is an invasion of our privacy.
“Once again,” Captain Hyun says, clearly seething, “I would appreciate it if a representative from HR were here for this conversation. I do not think this is an appropriate way to have this conversation, Chief. I don’t even think that we should be having this conversation.
As I told you, when I asked Nick his opinion on Tristan’s work, it had nothing to do with any of my decisions. We were just chatting.”
“And yet you made note of it in your reports as a favorable recommendation from a more senior firefighter.”
She nods once. “I did.”
“I cannot help but think that Gutierrez may have had ulterior motives for keeping Cavanagh around the station,” Shaw says.
I feel sick, being talked about like this.
“After all,” Shaw continues, “I know from our call records that Cavanagh failed to save a victim from an automobile accident on his very first call. And yet you, Gutierrez, said you were optimistic about him?”
“Chief,” Captain Hyun says, her voice hard and cold, “I am going to have to ask you to leave. If you would like, we can have a meeting about this with someone from HR present.”
The Fire Chief stands.
“There’s no need for a meeting,” he says coldly. “After this shift, Gutierrez will be transferred to another station. If he can’t maintain a more professional attitude there, we will have to have another conversation about his future with this department.”
Nick jumps to his feet.
“Sir—” he begins, but he doesn’t get a chance to finish, because the emergency tones start going off.