April 1977

"Michelle, Tim and Fran are here." Mike Stoker entered the den to find his wife sitting at the desk with her face in her hands.
"So."
"Well, that movie's about to start. We were all going to watch it together."
"I changed my mind."
"I thought..."
Michelle lifted her eyes. "You thought wrong," she snapped. "Sorry. I know. Just... I can't... Tell them I have a headache." This wasn't exactly a lie.
Mike moved further into the room and sat on the desk. "I know it's rough, but..."
"Mike, I'm just not ready for this kind of 'reminder' right now."
"Okay," Mike relented. He rose and started for the door then turned back. "Anything I can do for you?"
"Yes. Keep the volume on the TV set down. I don't want to accidentally hear anything."
Mike nodded and left the room.
"Where's Michelle?" Tim was settled on the sofa next to his wife.
"She has a headache," Mike told his brother rather absently as he sat at Tim's other side. This was going to be one TV movie he wanted to sit close to his brother. There was a pause. "She's not comfortable about watching this."
"Well, you can hardly blame her," Fran put in.
"It's starting," Tim said.
The three settled back.

September 1975

"Stoker, pal, I don't know how your wife does it," Captain Stanley complimented.
"Who else would walk right into the LA Rams' office and walk out with it set for eleven of their men to play the fire department football team for the exhibition game." Chief McConnike boasted. "This will be our biggest year yet."
Mike beamed. "She just always asks herself what's the worst thing that could happen if she tries. Then she goes for it."
The chief rose to leave. "Well, I don't mind telling you I am actually excited about the exhibition this year. May even get our company ball autographed."
"I have never seen the guys so worked up," Mike told his wife later. "And the guys on 'A' shift aren't even on the team."
"You and Roy are refereeing, though."
"Yes, we will be there. All decked out in stripes and whistles." Mike canted his head to see what Michelle was writing. "What's that?"
"Well, we told the Rams' players that they could bring their families. This the the list. The auxillary needs to know how much food to have on hand."
Mike surveyed the list. "Well, it looks like you've got at least one member of the fearsome foursome. I'd say you'd better double whatever you were planning."
"I think that's a myth."
"About the fearsome foursome."
"No. That all football players have the appetites of Hoss Cartwright."
GAME DAY

Mike Stoker and Roy Desoto draped whistles around their necks.
Roy took a step back. "How do I look?"
"Like you just escaped from a chain gang." Chet Kelly came from behind. Then he turned to Mike. "Hey, Stoker, I don't mind telling you that the next time your wife gets ideas of having the LA Rams hit our little field I think it only fair that the Rams' cheerleaders be included in on the deal."
Mike nodded in his direction. "It's noted and logged." He closed the locker and headed for the door.
"Cheerleaders," Chet called after him. "I'm telling you..." He paused to shake his head. Putting his hands on his hips he reflected, "Nobody appreciates me."
"I'll tell you how you can be appreciated." Johnny Gage's voice was heard as he entered the locker area with Marco Lopez.
Chet turned and waited.
"I know I personally would appreciate it if you would just shut up."
"Thank you for sharing," Chet told him which earned him an extremely puzzled look from Gage. "But seriously," Chet continued. "You'd think after all these years somebody would just show me a little appreciation. I mean, throw me a bone here..."
Marco and Johnny looked at each other. It was too easy.
"And what's the deal about me not getting to play. Me!" Chet was now on a tangent. "Stoker's wife and the chief picked those big guys from some other stations. And what do I get stuck doing? Hauling gatorade. I'm just a little old to be a water boy..."
"Hey, little water boy," Johnny sang.
Marco joined him with, "Bring the buck,,, buck... buckets down ha ha..."
Chet nodded in their direction. "See. No glory."
The duet ended. Marco swallowed a final chuckle before commenting. "Look, Chet, those players from the Rams are pretty big guys."
"Yeah," Johnny put in. "They're pros. Ya know?"
"All I know is I'm getting cheated out of the opportunity of a lifetime."
Johnny threw him a look. "How is that?"
Chet huffed. "The chance to show these guys what I can do?"
Marco and Johnny exchanged a glance before John said, "And what exactly can you do?"
"Come on. You've seen me play."
"Yes, Chet, we've seen you play and I repeat. What exactly can you do?"
Chet rolled his eyes. Obviously he was dealing with inferior intelligence. "Those guys might have size but I've got speed. I mean I can run circles around those big apes. Heck, I could run right through them, between their legs. I'm not scared of a bunch of overgrown meatballs, with no necks...."
While Chet was on his tirade a giant 74 entered the locker area, looming behind him.
Johnny's and Marco's eyes followed the number on the jersey to the face of the bearer.
"Uh... Chet," Johnny implored.
Chet kept right on going.
"Uh, Chet," Johnny tried again.
"Gage, what is your problem. No. You're problem is that you got stuck on first aid duty and you don't want anyone else from our company to get any..."
"But, Chet." Now Marco was trying.
Chet finally relented and followed their line of vision to discover one of the fearsome foursome standing over him. Becoming sheepish Chet raised a hand and gave a slight wave of his fingers. "Hi."
Number 74 just stared.
"Uh, I'd better go check the coolers." Chet backed away and out the door. Marco, Johnny and number 74 burst out laughing.
Michelle sat on the sidelines rubbing her temples, clipboard on the bench next to her. The parade of disgruntled firefighters voicing their unhappiness about not getting to play had come to a close.
"Headache?"
Michelle looked up to see a young boy, probably preteen.
"Hi," she greeted totally disregarding his question.
"I had a headache earlier," he volunteered sitting beside her. "You'll feel better when you watch the game." He must have sensed some skepticism. "I always feel better when I watch my brother play."
"Is your brother with the fire department?"
"He's a Ram," he told her matter-of-factly. He pointed to the field where the two teams were scrimaging. "There he is. Number 22."
Number 22 picked that moment to fumble just as Chet appeared pulling a wagon loaded with coolers and cups.
"Nice try, YoYo," the brother said barely audible.
"Hot shot halfback, " Chet grumbled. "Gotta get big name football players to come in to drop the ball."
Michelle raised an eyebrow and cocked her head in his direction.
"I should be out there," Chet continued. "I was all star quarterback in pee wee league..."
"KELLY," Captain Stanley seemed to come from nowhere.
Chet sensed he was in for it and began his defense. "Aw, Cap, it's not fair. I should get a chance to play. Stoker's wife always gets her own way."
"Does that go for me as well?" It was Chief McConnike. "Because I personally picked the fire department players for this game."
Chet's eyes went wide at this revelation. "It's not that I was complaining," he began. "I just wanted the opportunity to contribute..."
"Chief," Michelle interupted. "I think Chet should have the chance to prove himself."
The chief gave her a puzzled look but she continued. "Perhaps Chet could join one of the practice scrimages. If he can get a first down he can run a couple of plays in the game."
"What?" The chief didn't quite get it. Then a slow grin spread across his face. "You know. I think that is an excellent idea. Don't you Hank?"
Captain Stanley clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't know why I didn't think of it myself."
Chet appeared confused. (so what else is new) He looked from the chief to the captain to Michelle. "You mean I get to play?"
"If you can get a first down in the practice scrimage," Michelle reiterated.
"All right!" Chet was enthused. He slapped a stack of paper cups at Capt. Stanley and headed for the locker room.
Ten minutes later Chet emerged clad in pads and a helmet. He took the field with the fire department team announcing to the LA Rams, "Watch this. I'll teach you a thing or two."
A minute later Chet Kelly was buried under numbers 74 and 77. Number 32 saying to 22, "Yeah, he sure showed us."
"Works for me," number 77 commented.
Chet hobbled off the field carrying his helmet. He approached the four people at the bench, took the cups from Captain Stanley and said, "Guess I'll dispense some gatorade. After all, I wouldn't want to hurt those guys."
The game itself was very well attended. And was there any doubt the Rams clobbered the fire department.
A few weeks later found Michelle at her kitchen table making notations for the hospital Halloween Party. Mike stood nearby sorting through the mail. Having her prior permission he opened an envelope addressed to her. "Hey, two tickets to the Rams- Atlanta game."
Michelle continued making notes. "From the Rams' office?"
Mike was now reading the enclosed letter. "No." He read a little further. "Who's this?" he asked sticking the page under her nose.
Michelle glanced at the scrawl of the first name at the foot of the letter. No last name. Then she read the body. "Oh," she said realizing. "Remember that one running back from the exhibition game. That's his little brother." She returned to her writing. "Do you think you and Tim would be able to carve the jack-o-laterns?"
"Sure," Mike told her but gave her a strange look. His wife was behaving as if people she hardly knew sent her football tickets all the time. "Being a bit nonchallant aren't you?"
"It's just jack-o-laterns."
"I mean the tickets. Why would some kid send you tickets?"
Michelle set aside her pen for the first time. "I don't know. Why don't you ask him." She picked up the pen and continued, speaking to herself, "Pumpkin cookies, um, let's see... caramel apples...."
"Michelle." Mike's voice was a mix of pleading irritation.
"What," she said turning her head abruptly.
"Don't you want to know? I know I do."
"Mike, it's just a pair of tickets. If you really want an explanation you can ask him at the game."
"How do you know he'll be there?"
"Logical conclusion," she answered sarcastically. "Look, Mike, if it bothers you that much we won't go."
Mike grew quiet. "I didn't say I didn't want to go...."

"The game was amazing," Mike told the guys at the station. Rams won 22-7. We had great seats. Sat with that one player's family..."
"Which player?" asked Marco
"You know." Mike gestured vaguely with his hands. "The one from the exhibition... with the long name."
"Which one from the exhibition with the long name?" Roy countered.
"I think it was something Italian, sounded like a pasta dish." The others rolled their eyes as Mike continued. "Anyway, we even got invited to the locker room after the game. It was incredible!"
"Sounds like a good deal," Gage said.
"Yeah," Mike agreed before a sip of coffee. "Only thing I never figured out why that kid sent Michelle the tickets."
Johnny slapped Mike on the shoulder. "Who cares? You got to go to the game."
"And into the locker room," Marco added.
"I know. It just bugs me."
"Look, Stoker," Captain Stanley spoke. "If you were that bugged by it why'd you go."
"Well, I wasn't going to not go," he told them.
The group continued drinking coffee in silence for a few minutes. Then Chet piped up. "Man, you really are one lucky dog, ya know. I mean not only getting free tickets to the game but getting to hang out in the locker room. Probably even got to meet some of the cheerleaders."
"Actually, I did," Mike admitted. "What about it?"
"Lucky stiff," Chet remarked. "How come Stoker gets all the breaks. I mean what does a guy have to do to have some of that wealth land in his lap."
Captain Stanley leaned back in his chair putting his hands behind his head. "Well, Kelly, first you have to marry a woman who works as an event coordinator with clients that do fund raisers. That way she'd be working with the various celebrities. Then they'd have to like and respect her work enough to want to do something nice for her. .."
"Then she'd have to like and respect YOU enough to invite you along on the ride," Johnny interrupted.
"Very funny, Gage." Chet then turned to Mike. "Hey, Stoker, ya think I could borrow Michelle for a couple of weeks. Just long enough to see if her child friend sends her any more tickets."
Mike's response was cut short by the alarm.

April 1976
Michelle sat at the desk in the den jotting last minute notes for a talk she was giving to encourage new firefighter wives to join the auxiliary. The phone rang but she decided to let Mike answer it. It was probably his brother of one of his cousins anyway. She continued to write then had the strange feeling someone was watching her. She glanced up to see her husband looking at her. Again, it was not good.

April 1977
The final score of the TV movie swelled. Mike, Tim and Fran looked at each other. Finally, Fran spoke. "Well?"
Mike shook his head. "I wish I'd stayed in the den with Michelle."

THE END

April 1977

fan fiction by: Michelle Gussow and ?