Chapter 33

I woke way past my usual time with a full bladder. When I got up, my ribs protested, but not as badly as I'd expected. The rest of my body was stiff, but not too painful.

I took care of my immediate needs and then got in the shower. The hot needles loosened me up and I was nicely mellow and relaxed as I shaved.

By the time I'd dressed, it was almost nine. I had trouble remembering the last time I'd gotten this late of a start. I decided against a Darvocet, and opted for a couple Naproxens.

I took a look out the door onto a pretty coating of snow, which looked to be a few inches deep. Donning my boots, I went outside and grabbed the broom and snow shovel. It was the work of a few minutes to clear the steps and walk. I put the tools up, grabbed the paper and headed for the Center.

It felt good to be out and moving around. I can be as lazy as the next guy, but I'm really not one to just sit on my butt. Part way there, the sun broke out and made the ground and trees appear to be made of crystal. There is nothing as bright and promising as new fallen snow, and nothing as dingy and depressing as old, grungy, slushy snow.

I swung along at a good clip and made it to the Center in decent time. Once inside, I walked past the "Please seat yourself" sign and found a nice corner booth where I could look out the front window.

Trish, the oldest waitress in the place, came over and deposited a cup of coffee, and a small pitcher of cream in front of me. "Hiya Johnny, what'll you have this fine frosty morning?"

"Thanks, Trish. I'll have the Denver Omelet with home fries and biscuits, and can you bring me some hot sauce?"

"Sure thing Johnny. We all heard about you getting hurt the other day. Sure glad to see you up and around" she said with a big smile.

"Thanks Trish, I was really lucky. Just got some bruises and cracked ribs, and they feel a lot better today."

"Hey- you guys on the Fire Department do a lot for everybody, and sometimes I don't think we appreciate it."

"Trish, I don't know of any of our guys that feel that way. We've always had a lot of support from the people here in town. You helped us raise money for the new Thermal Cameras for all our trucks, and the portable extrication shears for the rescue truck. I think we're pretty lucky to have that kind of support."

She reached out and patted me on the shoulder. "Maybe so, Johnny- maybe we're all lucky to be here, and not someplace where nobody gives a damn about anybody but themselves!"

I put my arm around her waist and gave her a hug. "I couldn't agree more, Trish. That's why I came back here."

Trish blushed and grinned. "I'd better get that order in. Johnny, you take better care of yourself from here on out."

I grinned back. "I will. You take good care, too Trish. This place wouldn't be the same without you."

Trish laughed and swatted my lightly on the back of the head. "Go on with your blarney John Darkscar!" With that she turned and took my order over to hang on the carousel. "Order up, Orv!"

While I waited on breakfast, I sipped my coffee and read through the morning paper. There was nothing particularly exciting in the local news, and I did my best to ignore everything else.

My omelet was as good as always, as were the home fries and biscuits. I took my time and savored it all. People came and went, socializing with me and everyone else. Typical small town.

When I was done, it was pushing ten AM, time to swing by the library and say thank you to the folks that were nice enough to get me the fruit basket.

I drained the last of my coffee, tossed enough money on the table to cover my check and a tip, and headed for the bathroom. Hydraulic pressure relieved, I went back out, said goodbye to Trish, and waved to everyone else.

Outside it was still nice and sunny, but still cold enough that the snow hadn't melted much.

I marched back up town and across the railroad tracks toward the park, stopping at the 7-11 for a couple dozen assorted Krispy-Kream doughnuts to share around.

The Powder City Library had started life as a double portable classroom. I have no idea just how old the large frame building was, but I suspect it dated back to the early '60's It had been used when the county had built the new Junior High in 1969.I'd attended English classes there in 1968 and 1969.

It had housed classes until an addition to the original building had been built in 1976. At that time, the county had donated it to the city, which had moved it over to a parking lot at the park, and converted it to our first library. Eventually the city had acquired another set of portables from God knew where, and doubled the size.

All in all it had made a rather handsome building. We were in the midst of raising more funds to expand it still further, as well as an endowment to help fund acquisitions.

All this ran through my mind as I walked up the sidewalk in front of the library.

I climbed the stairs next to the wheelchair ramp, and stomped the snow off my feet at the landing.

I went inside and paused to take off my coat and hang it on the rack by the door.

I could hear people talking in the center room as I headed that way.

Sherry was behind the circulation desk. She looked up as I walked in and her face lit up with a big smile.

"John! Glad to see you could make it out this morning. How are your ribs doing?"

"Hi Sherry. The ribs are feeling pretty good. Sore, but a lot better then yesterday. I think it is more of sprains than actual breaks."

"That's good news! Hey- let me introduce you to some of the folks that chipped in on the basket."

"I'd like that. I want to tell them all thanks."

Sherry walked around the desk and between the rows of workstations. She was wearing a pink Oxford cloth blouse and a below-the-knee length denim skirt, along with dark socks and flats.

I enjoyed the view as I followed her into the community room. A cheery fire was burning in the fireplace, and about a dozen older folks were sitting chatting with each other or reading.

Several of them looked up as we walked in. I'd say the average age was seventy-five, about sixty-forty women to men.

Sherry walked up to the fireplace and turned to face everyone. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet John Darkscar, the fireman that was injured the other day."

I expect that I blushed a bit, as the old folks smiled and nodded and gave me a nice gentle round of applause.

I gave a half-wave with one hand. "I just dropped in the thank you all for the nice fruit basket and card. It's a nice feeling to know that you were all thinking of me at a time when you had concerns of your own- being forced out of your homes. I'd like you to introduce yourselves to me. I'm terrible with names, but I'll try my best to get them all straight", I grinned.

I went around the little semi-circle and shook hands with everyone and repeated their names. Then I pulled up a chair and spent some time getting to know them.

I heard some interesting stories. Some of them had been students of my grandmother, who had been one of the first teachers hired after the town was built. She had taught Home Economics at the high school for over fifty years, and always amazed me with her ability to remember each of her students and to keep track of them after they left school.

We reminisced about her and some of the other teachers (most of whom I barely recalled). Once everyone relaxed, the talk came easily. Sherry fixed another big pot of coffee, and everyone attacked the doughnuts.

A few people came and went as the afternoon moved along. Some stayed a while and shared their tales. Others used the computers or checked out books.

One old gentleman had been a shipboard firefighter/damage control man in the Navy in the Second World War. He had some hair- raising tales of kamikaze attacks and sea-battles. After the war, he'd been a firefighter in the City, and had been involved in the big Ward's department store fire where 8 firemen lost their lives when the floor caved in.

I made a point to jot down his name and talked with him about getting him in touch with the Historical Society's oral history project, so he could get some of his tales recorded.

That set off a flood of war stories, not just on the part of the men. One lady was a nurse in a Korea, and another had delivered planes for the Air Corps. There were also lots of stories about the war from the point of view of the home front. Some of the men had been in both WWII and Korea.

There was enough good stuff here for a bunch of recordings, and I got Sherry to call the Historical Society right then. They agreed to send some people over in the next few days, and asked that we get a contact list together.

When I asked about their apartments I was pleasantly surprised. It turned out that the sprinkler company had sent out a crew that worked around the clock and got the sprinkler fixed and tested by the next afternoon. A cleanup and recovery crew was hard at work vacuuming up the water and getting the less-damaged units liveable.

Some of the residents were already back, while they expected all but the very worst-damaged units to be re-occupied within a week to ten days.

The time just slipped away, and the sky was darkening with the late Fall sunset, when Sherry finally broke in to say that the library had to close.

People began getting their coats and hats. I helped a few folks that were a little unsteady to get to the van from the apartments, or to their rides.

Eventually, the last of the patrons were out the door, and I offered to help Sherry close up. She locked the front door and smiled.

"That would be great, John. I'm going to walk through the stacks and check the bathrooms. If you'd shut down all the computers except for the one behind the circulation desk, rinse out the coffeemaker and police up the reading room, that would be a big help"

"Sure thing Sherry! How about if I empty the trash cans, too?"

OK! There are trash bags in the closet over there. Just pick the liners out of the cans and put them in one of the big bags. We can put it in the big bin out front when we leave. I'll do the ones in the restrooms and the ends of the stacks" she said, as she straightened up the magazines on the tables.

I got a big bag and a box of liners and went around to each trash can. I also policed the reading room and the workstations shutting them down, and finding a few candy wrappers and bits of notepaper.

I found an upright vacuum in the closet and ran it around the reading room and along the path from the door.

Sherry came out of the far stacks and popped in and out of each restroom. Then came over to me carrying several small trash can liners which she dumped in the big bag. She grabbed the box of small liners and retraced her steps, relining each can. I paused now and then in my vacuuming to admire her figure.

I was just shut off the vacuum and was about to go unplug it when Sherry came up behind me and hugged me. I leaned back into her and them turned in her embrace and hugged her back. She felt good in my arms. I stroked her hair and back, enjoying the vanilla smell of her shampoo or body wash.

"Thank you for doing that John! It will save me a lot of time in the morning, when I usually vacuum."

"Happy to do it Sherry." I leaned in and gave her a serious kiss. She gave as good as she got, and I could feel my pulse rate go up as my cock twitched in my pants.

"I closed a few minutes early, John, so we could have a little private time..."

I grinned "I heartily approve sweetie!" Is there anything else that needs to be done?"

"Nope! I think we should just adjourn to the little lounge in the ladies room where there is a couch. There are too many windows in the reading room for privacy! You put the vacuum up and I'll turn the gas in the fireplace off and log out of the county system for the night."

I did as requested and waited in front of the ladies room door.

Sherry was only a minute or two before she came back. I held the door for her and followed her inside.

The minute the door closed, she hit me like a linebacker. Her mouth found mine and gave me a kiss that made the earlier one seem like a warmup.

I kissed her back. Out tongues dueled hungrily, my hands roamed her back- then lower, cupping her ass, squeezing the firm cheeks.

My cock was totally erect and grinding against her belly as we groped each other. I pulled her skirt up until I could work my hands under it to find her panties, and then under them to caress her naked skin.

"Oh God John, I've needed this! Since the other night I've been on fire whenever I think of you."

"I've needed it too Sherry hon. It just feels right to have you in my arms!"

"Oh Yes! Feels SO good!"

"John, I want to finish what I started the other day in the park."

"Are you sure? We don't have much time, Hon."

"I'm sure! I've rubbed myself almost raw thinking about it!"

"OK Baby- your wish is my command", I said as I started undoing my belt.

Sherry knelt, and pushed my hands aside. "Allow me!"

Sherry fumbled with my belt buckle for a few seconds before she got it undone. She was faster with my button and zipper. She pushed my pants over my hips and let them drop to the floor. My briefs followed very quickly.