Baptized by Fire   -  Part 5

“Hey!  Anybody home?”  Johnny called out as he let himself into the clinic.

“Hi, John!”  Camarin greeted her brother.  We’re back here!”

Johnny walked in the direction of the voice and found Camarin and Justin in the therapy room.  Justin was seated on a weight machine and Camarin sat in a chair next to him.  “Mornin’!  I brought breakfast.”  He handed a large bag to Camarin, who opened it.

“Muffins!”  She smiled at Justin.  “Thanks, John.”

“Yeah, thanks.”  Justin finished his set of repetitions with a grunt and allowed the weights to come to rest on the stack.

Johnny indicated the weight machine.  “Working out, huh?”  He wondered if Justin was supposed to be doing so this soon.

“Yeah…gotta get my strength back.”  He reached for the bag and pulled out a bran muffin.  “This’ll help.”  He started peeling back the thin paper.  “So, you’re not working today…” 

“No, I’m off today.”  Johnny walked over to the other weight bench and straddled it.

“How’s your hip?”  Justin asked, then realized he and Johnny hadn’t really discussed this, and he wasn’t sure if his brother-in-law even knew that he had talked to Todd.

“Not too bad today.”  Johnny took a bite of his own muffin.  “I guess you’ve probably heard by now what’s going on.”

Justin sighed in relief as he exchanged a glance with Camarin.  “Yeah, we’ve heard.”  He didn’t elaborate further.  “Have you talked to the department yet?  I mean, is it official?”

“I talked to Cap the other day.”  Johnny collected some stray muffin crumbs from his shirt and placed them on the napkin he had laid out on the bench beside him.  “But, it’s not official yet.  I’ve been off the past few days anyway.  He was going to call the Chief today and talk to him.”

Justin took the last bite of his muffin and looked over at Camarin again, somewhat uneasily, before speaking.  “You know, John…Cam and I were talking…”

“About what?”  Johnny asked, his words muffled by muffin.

“What if…”  Justin took a deep breath.  “What if you didn’t have to retire?”

Johnny was quiet for a minute, trying to decipher what Justin was getting at.  “That’d be great.  But, I don’t see how…”

“Just…hear me out a second.”  Justin continued.  “Todd said you’re having chronic pain.  That there’s really nothing more he can do for you, but that you decided it’s not safe to keep working.  Right?”

“You talked to Todd?”

“Well, actually, he talked to me.”  Justin paused for a second to watch Johnny’s reaction.  He suddenly felt a little guilty.  “Look, John.  He was just concerned.  That’s all.  We are too…”

“It’s okay…”  Johnny decided.  After all, Todd Andrews was starting to become as much a friend as he was a doctor, and he knew that he and Justin were really tight.

“Well, what if…what if there was a way to relieve the pain you’re having without using narcotics?  If it weren’t for the pain, you’d be able to keep working, right?”

“I guess so.”  Johnny shrugged, downing the last of his muffin and reaching for his second.  “Todd said there wasn’t anything structurally wrong.  But…why?  What are you thinking?”

“I don’t want to make you any promises, John.”  Justin admitted.  “But, if you want…I could arrange for you to meet with my teacher, Mr. Yun.  He’s had some amazing success with diet counseling and acupuncture…But, you’d really have to keep an open mind…”

Johnny looked down at the floor.  “I don’t know, Justin.  I mean, I know you’re into all that stuff, and that’s fine.  But…”

“I’d just hate to see you give up your career without trying everything, John.”  Justin’s passion was evident in both his expression and tone of voice.  “After everything you went through to be able to keep doing it…”

“We went through.  Don’t forget, it was you who helped me get back.  I wouldn’t have been able to do it this long if you hadn’t helped me get back on my feet.”

“Okay, well then you trusted me before.  How about trusting me again?”  Justin paused to see if Johnny would give any indication he was willing to try.  “Come on.  What do you have to lose?”

Johnny sighed.  “Nothing I guess.  It’s just that…well, I’ve already sort of accepted that I’m going to have to retire.  If I try this, and it doesn’t work, then I’ll have to go through that all over again.”

“I can understand that.”  Justin admitted.  “But, what if it does work?”

“I don’t know…I guess I just don’t really believe in it like you do.  I guess because I don’t really understand it.”

Justin appreciated Johnny’s honesty, but he chose not to continue on his line of thinking.  “I could arrange for you to meet with Mr. Yun this week.  He could get started with you.  Then, after I’m feeling up to it, there are some things we could do.  Exercises and massage therapy.  Then, once I’m certified, I could even take over your treatments if you want me to.”

Johnny stood and walked over to the window, processing what Justin had said.  Finally, he spoke without turning around.  “This acupuncture and stuff.  It really works?”

“The Chinese have been using it for thousands of years, John.  I’m not going to say it’s a cure-all for everything, or a substitute for the care you can get at Rampart.  But used in conjunction…or for certain things…chronic pain being one of them…yes, it really works.  I’m not saying it will work for you, but again…”

“I know…what do I have to lose…”  Johnny paused.  “You said something about diet?”

“In Chinese medicine, the idea is to treat the whole person.  If something is out of balance, your body is going to react.  In your case, it’s reacting by making you feel pain.  The trick is to treat the imbalances.  And there are certain foods that can actually cause inflammation, making pain worse.”

“Gee…that sort of sounds familiar.” 

“It should, misu.”  Camarin finally chimed in.  “It’s similar to traditional Lakota medicine.”

Johnny pondered this for a while.  While it was true that the Lakota believed in treating the whole person, and not simply the injury or the disease, he had seen his share of people on the reservation die because they did not have access to modern medications or definitive care.  But, he wasn’t dying.  And, he supposed it could be possible for the two approaches to work in tandem with one another, or possibly for one approach to succeed where the other failed.  “I guess I could give Cap a call.  See if I could just take a leave of absence for a while…”

“Yeah!”  Justin was genuinely pleased to see Johnny considering his idea.

“I’d still have to do something while we see…teach paramedic classes.  Something.”

“But, you were going to do that anyway.”  Camarin reminded.

“Right.”  Johnny walked over to where Justin was sitting.  “What the hell!  Let’s give it a shot.”  He extended his hand for a shake.  “Thanks, man.”

“Not a problem.”  Justin returned the handshake, then winced as an attempt to change positions reminded him his muscles were stiffening.

“You okay?”  Johnny waited for the affirmation, then continued.  “All this talk about me, and you just got out of the hospital yesterday.  How are you doing, anyway?”

Before Justin could answer, Camarin interceded.  “He’s doing okay, but he really should be back in bed.”

“Need any help?”  Johnny offered.

“We can manage, but if you’re offering…”

“Sure.”  Johnny started to position himself in order to help Justin stand with his walker.  But, then he stopped, as if remembering something, and reached for his wallet.  “Oh, I keep forgetting…”  He took Justin’s necklace, which he had kept for him since the night of the fire, out of his wallet and handed it to him.  “Here you go.”

“Oh, thanks.”  Justin took the necklace and squeezed it tightly in his palm as images from last night’s nightmare flitted through his mind.

“Do you want me to help you put it on?”  Camarin asked, knowing how important the necklace was to her fiancé.

“No…”  Justin shook his head.  “No…just…”  He handed the necklace over to Camarin.  “Put it away somewhere…”  Somewhere safe.  Suddenly, Justin remembered something.  “Wait, didn’t you say you found my lockbox after the fire?”

“Yes we did.”  Camarin took the necklace.  “It’s in the bedroom.  Do you want it?”

Suddenly Justin wanted it more than anything, but he couldn’t figure out just why.  “Yeah, but…let’s just…help me up first.”

Camarin and Johnny helped Justin to his feet, then walked on either side of him as he slowly shuffled his way to the bedroom.  Then, they helped him get into bed before Camarin retrieved the lockbox from the closet.

“Here you go.  I cleaned the soot off of it the best I could.  Sorry there wasn’t much more…”

“That’s okay.”  Justin ran his hands over the blackened metal box, a mental picture of what was inside forming in his head.  Suddenly it seemed to hit him that his home was gone, along with everything in it and his throat tightened seemingly outside of his control.

Camarin noticed Justin’s moist eyes and sat down on the bed beside him.  “Justin?  Are you okay?”

Johnny had seen his share of people’s reactions to losing their possessions to fire, and his heart was saddened that Justin had to go through it.  For a minute he was torn between leaving and staying, but for some reason it felt better to stay, although he kept quiet for now.

“I guess I…”  Justin swallowed hard and did his best to keep his emotions in check.  But seeing the box, finally holding this piece of evidence in his hands seemed to bring everything he had been trying to suppress out into plain view.  A tear tracked down his cheek.  “Being in Rampart…and then coming right here…I guess I just didn’t…I just can’t believe everything is…gone.”  He took a shuddering breath then blew it out forcefully.

“I’m sorry, man.”  Johnny finally spoke, suddenly feeling guilty.  “I wish we could have done more to stop it, but it was too involved.”  And my first priority was finding you and getting you out of there.

Camarin gently brushed Justin’s hair away from his face.  “And they got you out of there.  That’s the most important thing.”

“I know…and it’s okay, John.  I know you guys did your best.”  Justin took another deep breath and then seemed to settle into a sort of acceptance again.  “I’d like to…go out and see it.

Camarin understood completely Justin’s need for closure.  “I guess we could do that.  Maybe Thursday on our way to Thanksgiving dinner at John and Hannah’s.”

Justin nodded.

Sensing that maybe Justin could use some time alone with Camarin, Johnny decided to excuse himself.  “Well, I guess I better get going.  You need anything from the store or anything?”

“No, thanks.  We’re good for now.”  Camarin smiled.

“Thanks, John.”  Justin did his best to half smile.  He was really beginning to feel tired and his leg was aching horribly.

“Anytime, man.  You take care and get some rest.”  With a nod to Camarin, Johnny let himself out.

Justin continued to run his hands over the lockbox, which rested in his lap.  “The key was on my key ring.  It was hanging on the hook in the kitchen.”

“I’m sorry, honey.  We didn’t find them.”  Camarin said with regret.  “Is there a spare?”

“There used to be, but I lost track of it a long time ago.”

Camarin wasn’t sure if she should ask the question that sat right on the tip of her tongue.  But, curiosity got the better of her.  “What’s inside it?”  She figured it must contain something very important, but it wasn’t the deed to the house, or Justin’s insurance policies, or his tax returns, or any of his other important paperwork.  All of that was in a safe deposit box at the bank.

The question caught Justin off guard, although part of him knew he should have been expecting it.  All of the letters Abby wrote me when she went away for the summer.  Ticket stubs from the Everly Brothers concert we went to together.  Her engagement announcement from the newspaper.  Her class ring.  “Just…mementos.  Nothing important.”

“I’m sure John could figure out a way to open it, if you want…”

“No…no, that’s okay.”  Justin handed the box back to her.  “Just…put it back in the closet.”

“Okay…”  Camarin took the box and stood, then remembered the necklace in her hand.  “What do you want me to do with this?”

“I guess I’ll just wear it for now.”  The words left Justin’s mouth before he realized what he was saying or how Camarin might receive them.  Luckily, she smiled and reached behind his neck to fasten the clasp.  Then she allowed her hand to linger against the silver pendant on his chest for a moment before depositing a tender kiss on his lips.  What did I do to deserve this woman?

“Get some sleep, honey.”  Camarin whispered.  Then she returned the box to the closet as requested, and closed the window shades.  “I’ll wake you for lunch.”

“Okay…thanks.”  Justin watched Camarin leave and close the door behind her.  His hand moved up to the pendant and he began smoothing it between his thumb and fingers, thinking…

It took him a long time to fall asleep.

Justin heard the door to his bedroom open but he did not look to see who was there.

“Justin?”  Came his mother’s voice from the doorway.

He did not answer.  She was probably here to talk.  And there were no words.  There was nothing anymore.  Nothing that mattered.  The world was cold and dark.

Kathleen Quinn entered the room and sat down carefully on the bed, the sound of her son’s stifled sobs threatening to tear her heart from her chest.  She rested a hand on his shoulder, but said nothing.  It was bad enough Justin had lost his fiancée.  But, Abby’s brother had told everyone Justin was driving the car that ran them off the road…

“I hate him, Mom.  I wish he was dead.”

Kathleen knew Justin was talking about Jonas, the person who was really responsible for the accident.  It was a mother’s nightmare, but what could she say?  And Liam was at work, so she was doing her best to deal with this alone.  “In your brother’s mixed up way, he thought he was helping…”  It was the wrong thing to say, and she knew it.

“He’s not my brother.”  Justin voice reeked of hate.  “Don’t ever call him that again.”

They remained together for quite a while until finally Kathleen broke the silence.  “Mrs. Delaney stopped by.  She wanted you to have this.”

Justin sniffed and turned to look at his mother.  She was holding the engagement ring he had given to Abby.  The sight of it caused him to bolt immediately to an upright position.  “No…give it back!  That’s Abby’s.  I gave it to her.”

“I know you did.  But Mrs. Delaney thought…”

“I don’t care what she thought!  It belongs to Abby.  I want her…”  Tears came more freely now as Justin began to break down again.  “I want her to have it.  I want her to wear it…forever.”

Justin awoke abruptly, his vision blurry and his pillow damp with spent tears.  Immediately his hand moved to the necklace at his throat and he closed his eyes against uninvited memories.  He thought of the conversation he’d had with Dixie a while ago.  The one about moving on, putting Abby behind him.  Well, he was trying, damn it.  But, it seemed his subconscious still had other plans.  Which left him again wondering why.  Did it have to do with the new sense of loss he felt over losing his home and all of his possessions?  Or was he having second thoughts about marriage?  No, that wasn’t it…

“God, maybe I need to see a shrink…”  Justin ran his hand through his hair.

“Justin?  Are you awake?”  Camarin poked her head into the room at the sound of his voice.

“Yeah…”

Camarin took that as her cue to enter and she immediately noticed Justin’s eyes were red from crying.  “What’s wrong?”

“Another bad dream.  I’m okay.”

“You’ve been having your share of bad dreams lately.”  Camarin was determined to mention this to Todd when he came to check on Justin again.

“I know.  It’s probably the meds.” 

“Uh huh.”  Camarin sat down on the bed.  “Except you haven’t had any meds today.”

“Well then it’s withdrawal from the meds.”  Justin sighed loudly.  “I don’t know, Cam.  It’s just…dreams.  I’m fine.  Really.”

“Okay, well, lunch is ready.  How about if I just bring it in here?”

“Sounds good.”  Justin shifted his position with a grunt.  “And while we eat, why don’t we talk about the wedding.”

This was music to Camarin’s ears.  “Okay!  And after that…I’m going to give you the best massage you ever had.”  She leaned over for a quick peck.

But, Justin quickly wrapped his arms around her, preventing her escape, and pulling her back down onto the bed.  “Or, we could just skip lunch and go right to the massage…which could lead to other things…”

“Justin…Quinn…”  Camarin spoke between kisses.  “You’re supposed to…be recuperating.”

“Can’t think of any better therapy.” 

“Well in that case…”  Camarin finally managed to break free and she stood up, smoothing the wrinkles in her blouse.  “You better keep your strength up.  Which means you need to eat.”  She smiled.  “I’ll be right back.”

Justin watched the easy sway of Camarin’s hips as she left the room.  She was so beautiful, and he loved her so much.  And no one…not even Abby…had ever understood him so completely.  He rested his head against his pillows thinking how lucky he was to have found her, and how much he looked forward to spending the rest of his life with her.  His hand moved again to the necklace and he took it off, placing it on the stand beside him. It was time to move on.  Now, he just needed to figure out how to do it.

***

Two weeks later, Johnny came in the kitchen door in a bluster of wind and rain.  “It’s getting bad out there.  There’s one hell of a storm brewing.  At least the horses are in for the night.”

“That’s good.”  Hannah said, not looking up from her work of addressing Christmas cards.

“I’m gonna make some hot chocolate.”  Johnny said, rubbing his hands together.  “You want some?”

“Sure.”

Johnny busied himself filling the kettle with water as he looked out the window above the sink at the rain pellets smattering off the panes and the trees bending to the will of the wind.  “Man, it’s times like this I’m glad I’m not working.”

“Right…although, that might be changing soon.”  Hannah was hopeful.  At first, when Johnny had told her about his talk with Justin and Camarin, she had felt a guilty twinge of regret.  After all, she had gotten used to the idea of her husband working in a safer environment.  But, now that Johnny had started working with Mr. Yun, he was becoming more and more optimistic that he might be able to return to the job he loved.  How could she not be happy for him?

“Yeah…we’ll see.”  He placed the kettle on the burner and came over to sit next to his wife.  “Man, there are a lot of names on that list.”

“Well, that’s a good thing.  It means we have a lot of…oh!”  Hannah’s hands moved to her belly and her face registered a look of surprise.

“What?  A kick?”

“No…not a kick…”  Hannah’s face contorted as the cramp she had felt increased in severity.  “A contraction…I think…”

“A what?  Now?”  Johnny was on his feet.

“Wait it’s…it’s going away…”  Hannah’s breathing slowed and her body began to untense.  “I don’t know…let’s just wait and see.”

“But…but you’re not due for another week!”  Johnny pointed out.

“John…babies have been known to come early…especially when they’re big like our little guy…aaah!”  Hannah’s breath caught in her throat as another spasm gripped her midsection.

“Um…I guess we should start timing these.”  Johnny looked at his watch.

“Might be…a good…idea…”  Hannah panted out.  “Since that was…only a…few minutes.”  Once again her breathing slowed as the contraction dissipated.

The pair sat at the table, engaging in small talk until finally about twenty minutes had passed without another contraction.

“No more?”  Johnny asked meekly.

Hannah shook her head.  “Nope.  Maybe it was just the baby moving into position or something.”

Johnny let out a huge sigh.  “Yeah…let’s hope.”  Lightning flashed and seconds later a thunderous boom rattled the windows.  “Because tonight is not the best night to have to go out.”

“John?”  Hannah said calmly, despite the fact that her hands were tightly gripping the arms of her chair.

“Hmm?”

“My water just broke.”

***

“Look, John, will you relax?  You have plenty of time.  Cam and I will meet you there.”  Justin spoke into the phone as he looked up at Camarin, who was smiling broadly.

“But…she’s having contractions.”

“Ten minutes apart.  Yeah, you said.  It’s her first baby.  It’s a twenty minute drive to Rampart.  You’ll be fine.”  Justin shook his head, smiling.  “But, you better get going.”

“Yeah, right.  See you there.”

“See you there.”

Justin hung up the phone and accepted his crutches from Camarin.  He had recently graduated from the walker, and hardly used the wheelchair at all anymore.  He positioned the crutches under his arms and headed for the door.  “You ready to be an aunt?”

“Sure am!”  Camarin laughed as she held the door open for Justin and followed him outside.

***

Johnny helped Hannah into the Rover, a task that was made even more difficult by the blustering winds and heavy rainfall.  Despite their hooded coats, by the time they were settled in the vehicle and ready to go, they were both drenched.

“How are you doing?”  Johnny asked as he started the engine.

“Okay.  Still about ten minutes apart.”  Hannah informed as she reached for the heat controls on the dashboard.

“Okay.  Let me know if you feel anything uh…”

Hannah couldn’t help but chuckle.  “You’ll be the second to know.”

They drove as fast as conditions allowed down the dirt and gravel road that led out to the highway until something in the headlights caused Johnny to slow down and stop.  “Ah, shit…”  He mumbled under his breath.

“What?”  Hannah asked, panting through her latest contraction.  She hadn’t been watching the road.

“There’s a tree down.  Hang on, let me see if we can get through.”  Johnny put his hood up and stepped out of the Rover.  The rain was coming down so hard it stung his cheeks and seemed to bruise his skin through his parka.  Thunder cracked overhead and as the simultaneous lightning illuminated the area, he could see their dilemma was a lot more involved than he thought.  He quickly got back into the car.  “Tree’s blocking the road, but there’s lines down too.  We’re gonna have to turn around.”

“But, John…there’s no other way out to the highway.  How are we going to get to Rampart?”

“We’re not.  At least not right now.”  Johnny kicked the Rover into reverse and turned back toward the house, fully aware that after years of delivering babies, he just might be bringing his own into the world before this night was over.  And he wasn’t thrilled about that.

“What are we going to do?”  Hannah asked calmly.  She wasn’t overly concerned at this point.  After all, this was her first baby, and the chances were high that he wouldn’t make an appearance for hours.

“We’re going back to the house.”  Johnny reported.  “I’ll call the power company and explain the situation to them, see if they can get the road open.”

“And if they can’t?”

“I’ll call the guys.”  Johnny promised.  “Don’t worry.”

The unrelenting storm stayed with them as they made their way slowly back to the ranch.  Johnny pulled the Rover into the driveway and noticed something.  “Power must be out.”

“Huh?”  Hannah strained to see through the rain splashed windshield.

“The light by the barn is out.”  Johnny pointed toward the exterior light they always kept illuminated.

“Could the bulb just be burned out?”  Hannah was hopeful, but inside she knew this was unlikely.

“No, we left the light over the stove on too, remember?  The kitchen is dark.”

“Great.”  Hannah sighed.  “The candles are in the cabinet by the door.”

“Okay.”  Johnny parked the truck and turned to Hannah before opening the door.  “Just sit tight for a minute.  I’m gonna go in and get some lights on.  Then, I’ll be back for you, okay?”  He waited for Hannah’s nod.  “Just hit the horn if you need anything.”  He grabbed a flashlight from between the seats and made a run up the deck steps and into the house.  Once inside, he retrieved two battery operated lanterns from his camping supplies.  He put one on the kitchen table and carried one outside with him, hanging it from a hook on the deck.  Then, he made his way back down the steps to the Rover and opened the passenger side door.  “At least the rain seems to be slowing down a little.  Come on.  Let’s get you inside before it picks up again.”

Once inside the house, Hannah removed her rain saturated coat and sat down at the kitchen table.  Johnny placed his coat on the hook and immediately picked up the receiver of the wall phone.  When there was no dial tone, he replaced the receiver and picked it up again.

“Dead?”

“Yep.”  Johnny replaced the receiver with a sigh.

“Oh…here comes another one…”  Hannah began panting through her latest contraction.

Johnny knew he was going to have to stay calm for Hannah’s sake.  But, he was not feeling very calm right now.  He paced the floor for a few seconds and then stopped by Hannah’s chair.  “Okay, here’s what I’m thinking.  It’s going to start to get cold in here, so I’m going to go out to the barn and get some wood so I can make a fire in the fireplace.  Why don’t we get you into the living room?  You’ll be more comfortable in there.”  He picked up the lantern, and helped Hannah up out of the chair.

“Here, I’ll take this.”  Hannah took the light from Johnny.  “Go on and get the wood.”

“Okay…”  Johnny started toward the door, then stopped.  “You’re okay?”

“I’m okay.”  Hannah tried to smile as she made her way to the living room.

***

“Shouldn’t they be here by now?”  Camarin asked Justin.  The couple had dropped off the girls with Joanne and had arrived at Rampart’s maternity ward almost an hour ago.  They had expected Johnny would come find them in the waiting room.

“Maybe John’s in with Hannah.  I think fathers are allowed to stay until the mother is taken to the delivery room.”  Justin stood and steadied himself on his crutches.  “I’ll go see what I can find out.”

Camarin walked over to the window and looked outside.  After a brief lull, the storm seemed to be picking up again.  She busied herself with watching the goings on in the parking lot until she heard the door open again.

“I talked to the woman at registration.”  Justin stood just inside the door. “They uh…haven’t checked in yet.”

“Justin…”  Camarin’s eyes grew wide with fear.

“Maybe they’re just delayed by the storm.”

“It’s been an hour.”  Camarin reminded him grimly.

“I know…maybe they had car trouble.”

“What if they were in an accident?  Justin, maybe we should go look for them…”

“Now hang on, Cam.”  Justin moved toward his worried fiancée.  “There could be a hundred reasons why they’re not here yet.  Maybe Hannah’s contractions stopped.  Maybe it was a false alarm.”

“They would have called.”

Justin didn’t know what to say.  Camarin was right.  If Johnny had decided not to bring Hannah to Rampart, he would have called to let them know.  Unless… “Maybe their phone isn’t working.” 

But Camarin wasn’t buying it.  She gave Justin a look that forced him into action.

“Okay, let’s go down to the ER.  Dixie would know if any squads went responding to any accidents or anything out their way.”  It was meant to be a way to rule it out, to ease their minds.  But, as the idea flowed from Justin’s mouth, he realized he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.  He led the way out of the waiting lounge and down to the elevator.

***

Roy Desoto sat at the table in the dayroom, playing cards with Chet and Marco.  He looked at his watch.  “Johnny and Hannah should be at Rampart by now.”

“I bet that kid is born with a full head of shaggy, black hair.”   Marco predicted as he added the recently dealt cards to his hand.

“With any luck, it’ll look like Hannah.”  Chet joked as he fingered a poker chip.

Cap entered the dayroom with an announcement.  “Just got a call from Captain Hayes over at 36’s.  He said there are trees and lines down all over the place.  A lot of people in the northern part of the county have lost power.”

“I’m surprised we haven’t had any calls.”  Chet tossed his chip into the pot.  “I’m in.”

“Oh, that’s just great, Chet.”  Marco sneered.  “You just jinxed us.”

“Come on, Marco.  You know it’s only a matter of time.”  Chet whined.  “Now, are you gonna bid, or what?”

“Or what.”  Marco said disgustedly as he folded.  “I’m going to get something to eat.”

The ringing phone drowned out Chet’s complaint.  Cap quickly answered it.

“Los Angeles County Fire Department, Captain Stanley speaking.  What?  No, we haven’t heard anything.  Yeah, we’ll be sure to do that.  You’ll do the same?  Okay, thanks.”  He hung up the phone and walked over to the table.  “That was Dixie McCall.  She said John and Hannah haven’t shown up at Rampart yet.  She wondered if we had heard anything.”

“Maybe they had car trouble.”  Mike offered from his seat on the couch.

“Yeah…”  Cap’s voice and expression mirrored the concern of everyone in the room.  Yes, it was possible the Rover broke down.  But, there were also at least a dozen other possibilities none of them wanted to consider.  The captain’s hand clap called his men to attention.  “Well, the way I see it, we can all sit around here and wonder…or we can take a drive up to John’s and check it out.”

“I’ll vote for that.”  Roy stood up and downed the last sip of his coffee before making his way to the locker room to let his showering partner know they had to go. 

A few minutes later, Dwyer joined him in the squad.  This scenario reminded the paramedic all too much of another night he had been filling in for Johnny and they were called out to a possible assault at his address.  The look on Roy’s face told him he was remembering as well.  Like that night, Dwyer did his best to lighten the mood, even though he knew Roy would not relax until he saw for himself that his partner…and his wife…and their baby…were safe and sound.  “I bet it was a false alarm and they didn’t have phone service to let anyone know.”

“Yeah…maybe…”  Roy was fairly certain Johnny would have driven to a phone if need be, rather than risk having anyone worry.  But, he supposed it was possible he was reluctant to leave Hannah alone.  He flipped on the windshield wipers as the rain began to fall again.

***

Justin paced about as well as a man on crutches could pace.

“Justin Quinn, you’re going to wear a path in the floor.”  Dixie berated.  “If Todd Andrews comes down here and sees you still on your feet…”  The orthopod had just finished up on a consult when Justin and Camarin had come downstairs.  He had advised Justin to sit down for a while.

“Dixie’s right.”  Camarin halted her fiancé’s pacing with a gentle touch to the arm, careful not to throw him off balance.  “Let’s sit down over here.”

“Better yet, why don’t you go down to the lounge?”  Joe Early, who was manning the base station, chimed in with some advice of his own.  “The couch is a lot more comfortable than those plastic chairs.  We’ll be sure to come get you if we hear anything.”

“Yeah…okay.”  Justin didn’t want to admit it, but his leg was getting pretty sore, not to mention his upper extremities from the strain of using the crutches.

“Remember, you two…”  Joe called after them.  “No news is good news.”

While it was true that some measure of relief could be gleaned from the fact that there were no accidents in the past few hours that involved a pregnant woman in labor, that bit of information only went so far in easing Justin and Camarin’s minds.  Just because no squads had responded to any accidents didn’t mean an accident didn’t occur.  If a vehicle went off the road up near Johnny and Hannah’s, it could be a long time before anyone noticed, especially in this weather.

Justin turned on the television console in the lounge before sitting down on the couch with a soft groan.

“You should probably put your leg up for a while.”  Camarin looked around the room for a pillow or cushion and found none.  “Why don’t I see if Dixie can lend us a few pillows…?”

“No…it’s fine.”  Justin leaned forward and began changing channels, hoping to find some news on the storm.  But, it seemed all the networks were showing their regular programming.  Disgusted, he turned the television off.

“Do you think we should call Joanne?”  Camarin sat down gingerly on the couch beside Justin, careful not to bump his leg.

Justin considered that for a bit.  “Yeah, I guess we should.  She should know what’s going on.”  He started to get up.

“No, you stay off that leg.”  Camarin pushed Justin back down.  “I’ll go use the phone at the base station.”

***

Back at the ranch, Johnny had his hands full.  He was too busy to even think about getting word to his friends and family that they weren’t stranded in a ditch somewhere.  Or worse.

“Okay, honey.  One more time.  Push!”

Hannah was lying on several blankets on the floor in front of the fireplace.  She was propped up against the cushions which Johnny had removed from the couch along with several pillows.  Once she had accepted their baby would be born here at the house instead of at the hospital, she actually started to like the idea.  After all, she trusted her husband.  It wasn’t as if he had never delivered a baby before.  And, she was a doctor too.  She felt confident she could coach him through anything unexpected.  That is…as long as the baby cooperated and she didn’t end up needing a C-section or something.  She didn’t even want to think about that.  At Johnny’s command she took a deep breath and let out a prolonged scream as she put every ounce of energy she had into pushing what felt like a watermelon through the eye of a needle.

Johnny’s breath caught in his throat at his first glimpse of a tiny head covered in chestnut-colored peach fuzz.  It rendered him momentarily speechless.  “Uh…”  Shaking it off, he continued on with renewed determination.  “The baby’s crowning, Han!  Come on now, honey…one more big push!”

Another deep breath.  Another agonizing, exhausted cry.  Followed by a few seconds of silence.  And then a high-pitched wail which Hannah thought was the most blessed music she had ever heard.

“It’s a boy…”

Hannah looked up to see Johnny, tears running down his cheeks, cradling the squirming, paste-covered miracle that was the human manifestation of their love.  Their son. 

“It’s a boy!”  Johnny repeated, as if hardly able to believe it.  In his career he had delivered several babies, but never had the experience seemed as magical as it did in this moment.  He spent the next few moments taking in every detail of his tiny features…from the twenty perfect little fingers and toes to the miniscule covering of hair on his head. 

“John…let me see.” 

As if brought back to reality by Hannah’s plea, Johnny dutifully clamped the umbilical cord and made the cut before settling the still squealing bundle in his wife’s arms.

“My God, John…look at him…”  Tears continued to leak from Hannah’s eyes as she stroked tiny cheeks and slid her fingers inside tiny palms, giving them something to grasp.  “Hi, there…I’m your mommy…”

Johnny knew he would need to get the baby bathed and swaddled soon, but for right now, he chose to bask with Hannah in the delight that could only come from bringing a child into the world.  And, in this blissful moment, he was thankful for the solitude the storm had forced upon them.  To be able to enjoy their son’s first seconds of life alone together, in the comfort of their home, instead of in a cold hospital room surrounded by masked strangers, was truly an exceptional blessing.

But the peaceful moment was soon over.  Hannah’s eyes went wide and a cry escaped her throat as she was gripped by another powerful contraction.

“Looks like you’re getting ready to deliver the placenta.”  Johnny soothed.  “Don’t worry.  This should go pretty quick.”

Another strong contraction ensued and then another, and a more desperate cry tore from Hannah’s throat.

Johnny’s heart began racing.  Something was wrong.  He had never known a woman to have this much difficulty delivering the placenta.  His mind reeled with possible complications.  Did the placenta tear?  Was Hannah hemorrhaging?  He lifted the blanket which lay draped over her knees to take a look and his entire body drained of color at what he saw.  “Oh my God…”

***

“I understand that there are lines down all over the county, but I’m telling you there is a woman in labor two miles up this road!”  Cap was trying to get through to the power company employee that had been dispatched to their location.  “Look, we can take care of the tree.  We just need you to cut the power to those lines.”

The man seemed to consider what Cap was telling him before springing into action.  “Okay, we’ll get right on it.”

Cap turned to Roy, who was busy pacing near the squad.  He planted a firm hand on his paramedic’s shoulder.  “Look, Roy…it’s only a couple of miles back to John’s place.  We didn’t see any signs of an accident on the road up here.  I’m sure they got this far and had to turn around.”

“Yeah…you’re probably right.”  Roy did not sound convinced.

“And Hannah couldn’t be in better hands.”  Dwyer reminded.  “Johnny’s delivered lots of babies!  He knows what to do.”

“I know that…but still.  What if something went wrong?  What if…”

“You’re just gonna make yourself crazy thinking like that, Roy.”  Chet decided to offer his input now.  In truth, he was just as worried as he knew the rest were.  But, he knew that dwelling on the ‘what ifs’ was never a good thing.  “Besides, if I know Gage, he’s…”

The firefighter’s words were cut off by a terse order from their captain.

“The power’s cut!  Let’s get to work on this tree!”

Like a synchronized unit, the men set to their task, each grabbing a tool which would aid in the rapid dissection and removal of the large tree that blocked their path.  None of them seemed to notice the rain picking up again, slicking off their helmets and saturating their turnouts as they worked steadily and continuously toward completion.

***

“I have some news.”  Dixie reported as she entered the lounge.  She was glad to see Justin sitting down, his leg propped on the couch.

“You didn’t say ‘good’ news.”  Justin pointed out, as he sat up a little straighter with a wince.

Dixie walked over to the counter and began pouring herself a cup of coffee.  “Roy called in and said they came across a large tree and some power lines down across the road about two miles south of Johnny and Hannah’s.  They think it’s likely they never made it any farther than that, and had to turn around.”

“But, they don’t know for sure…”  Camarin watched the nurse as she took a seat beside her at the small, round table in the center of the room.

“No, they don’t know for sure.”  Dixie sipped at her coffee.  “He said they were working on getting the power company to cut the power to the lines so they could clear the tree.  We should hear something soon.”

“Meanwhile, they’re still on routine.”  Justin pointed out.  “There was no actual call, so if an actual emergency call comes in, they’ll have to abandon their mission and respond to that.”

“Justin, let’s not worry about that unless it happens.”  Camarin was beginning to worry a little about her fiancée.  He was normally the optimistic one.

“You’re right.  I’m sorry.”  Justin pushed himself up on his crutches and started toward the door.

“Where are you going?”  Dixie asked, rising in an attempt to cut him off at the pass.

“I’m going to the base station.”  Justin explained.  “Roy should be calling in soon, and I want to be there when he does.”

“I just passed the base station, and I’m sure either Joe or Kel will let you know if and when there’s any news to report…”  Todd Andrews had been just about to enter the lounge when he overheard Justin’s plan.  He entered the room cautiously, so as not to bump into his recuperating friend or Dixie, who quickly made her departure and headed down the hall.

But, Todd…”

“No buts, Justin.”  Todd didn’t like lecturing Justin in front of Camarin, but if he wasn’t going to give him a choice… “Look, you’ve been out of the hospital, what?  Two weeks?  And you weren’t technically ready to be discharged.  The only reason we agreed on it was because we trusted you to take care of yourself and give yourself plenty of time to rehab at home…”

“And I have been…”

“And, you’ve been doing a good job of it.  Yes, I know…”  Todd looked over at Camarin with an expression she correctly read as requesting a few minutes alone with her fiancé.  She immediately got up and made an excuse.

“I need to use the restroom.  I’ll be right back.”

But Justin could see right through it.  “You don’t have to go anywhere, Cam.  Whatever Todd has to say…”

“I really have to go.”  Camarin smiled, then leaned in for a quick kiss before excusing herself and stepping outside.

Once they were alone, Justin sighed.  “Todd, really…I haven’t been doing too much.  I’ve been sitting over there on the couch with my leg up for the past half hour.  I’m just…worried.”  He crutch-walked over to the couch again, and was frustrated when he was unable to hide his discomfort upon sitting down.

Todd made a note of this, but said nothing.  He perched on the arm of the couch.  “I know you are.  Joe said Roy and the guys were working on getting through?”

“Yeah.”  Justin moved around, trying to get comfortable.  “But it’s been hours, Todd.  Hannah’s contractions were ten minutes apart.  She’s got to be ready to deliver soon.”

“And if that happens, John’s a paramedic.  They deliver babies, right?”

“Well, yeah…but what if…”

“Ah ah…”  Todd effectively halted any further speculation with a hand gesture.  “They’re going to be fine.  I don’t know how I know that.  I just…have a good feeling.”

Justin forced a smile.  “Maybe you’re right.”

“As always.  In twenty years, I’d have thought you’d have learned that.”  Todd smiled.

Justin rolled his eyes and shifted positions again, this time hissing sharply through his teeth as a pointed dagger seemed to tear through the muscle from his hip to his knee.

Todd steadied his friend with a hand on his shoulder.  “You okay?”

Justin nodded.  “Maybe I have been…on my feet a little…too much.”

Todd knew any further lecturing was out of order.  The lesson had already been learned here.  “Did you bring your Demerol?”

Justin shook his head.

Todd stood.  “I’ll go get you some.”

But, Justin protested.  “No, Todd.  I’ll…”

“Justin…”  Todd’s tone left little room for further argument.

“All right.  Go ahead.”  If Justin had learned one thing about Todd Andrews in the past twenty years, it was when not to argue.

Todd smiled again, suddenly feeling a little sorry for his friend.  “And while I’m at it, I’ll see if I can scare up some heat packs.  Or would you rather have ice?”  He knew that having this little bit of control over his situation would do wonders for Justin’s mood.

“I think heat would be better.”  Justin decided.  “And uh…maybe a few pillows.”

“A few pillows it is.”  Todd agreed as he left the room, shaking his head.

***

The crew of 51 arrived at the ranch and Roy immediately noticed something.  “The Rover and the pickup are both here.”

“Which means Johnny and Hannah probably are too.”  Dwyer surmised as he squinted through the rain glossed windshield for a look at the house.  “I don’t see any lights on.  They must have lost power.”

As Roy stepped out of the squad, Cap was right there with some news.  “There’s smoke coming from the chimney.  John must have a fire going.  See?  Everything’s fine.”

“If everything’s fine, why hasn’t he come to the door?”  Roy wondered as he walked toward the deck.  “He had to have heard us pull in.”

Despite his own concern, Roy’s question caused Cap to chuckle.  “Well, he’s probably got his hands full, pal!”  The captain slapped his paramedic on the back.

When the crew reached the kitchen door, Roy knocked loudly.  “Johnny?  Hannah?  Are you there?”

Inside the house, Hannah smiled at Johnny.  “You should probably go let them in.”

“Nah…the door’s open.  They’ll try the knob first.”

Sure enough, Roy reached down and turned the knob.  Relieved that the door was open, but still alarmed that no one had come to answer it, he led the others inside.  Trying the light switch he knew was just inside the door, and finding it useless, he motioned for the flashlight Chet was holding.  “Power’s out.”  He continued through the kitchen.  “Johnny?”

“In here!” 

Four relieved sighs rang out inside the darkened kitchen at the familiar voice coming from the direction of the living room.  Quickening their pace, the quartet reached the living room, but not one of them was prepared for what they found there.

“Well, I’ll be damned…”  Cap’s words spoke for all of them.

Johnny and Hannah snuggled in front of the fireplace, huddled in blankets, smiling.  Hannah was holding a tiny, swaddled bundle with reddish barely-there down on its head.  And Johnny…was holding another tiny, swaddled bundle, this one with a thick mop of shaggy, dark hair.

“Two?”  Roy uttered in disbelief.

“You got it, partner.”  Johnny was literally beaming from ear to ear.

“You’re kidding me…”  Chet stepped further into the room to see for himself.  “Twins?”

Hannah nodded.  “A boy and a girl!”

Cap moved toward the couple, no longer able to contain his joy.  He offered Johnny a hearty handshake and a pat on the back.  “Congratulations, pal!”  Then, he squatted beside the foursome and smiled at Hannah.  “You too, Hannah!”

“Yeah, congratulations!”  Roy parroted as he, too, moved closer in order to get a better look at the new additions.  “Everyone’s okay?”

Hannah smiled.   “Everyone is great.”

“I don’t get it…”  Cap removed his helmet placed it on the floor beside him.  “You didn’t know?”

“Nope.”  Johnny explained.  “It happens sometimes.”

“Well, what do you know…”  Dwyer chimed in.  “A son and a daughter…just like that.”

“Hey, Gage!”  Chet called out.  “Where are the cigars?”

“Cigars?”  Marco asked.  When the others didn’t come back out, he and Mike had become curious and went inside.  “You mean…”

“Yep!”  Roy reported with a grin.  “And, look…twins!”

“You’re kidding!”  Mike smiled broadly as he crowded into the small room to see for himself.

Finally Cap stood.  “Well, I know some people at Rampart who have been mighty worried.  One of you better call in.”  He indicated the biophone which Dwyer had sat down on the floor next to him.  “I’ll call for an ambulance.” 

“So, do these two have names yet?”  Roy wondered as he waited for Dwyer to get Hannah’s vital signs.

“Uh huh.”  Johnny smiled as he folded back the blanket a bit so the others could see his daughter’s face.  “This little beauty is McKenna Elizabeth.  As you can see…she’s the spitting image of her Daddy.”

“Well, with any luck she’ll outgrow that.”  Chet quipped, receiving a smack from Marco.

“And this handsome guy…”  Hannah held the other baby for them to see.  “…is Malcolm Roy.”

“Really?”  Roy’s voice cracked with emotion.  He had no idea Johnny and Hannah had planned to name their baby after him.

“Yep.”  Johnny affirmed proudly.  “And Malcolm is Hannah’s grandfather’s name.  Of course Elizabeth was my mama…”

“And McKenna is a family name too.”  Hannah informed.

“Malcolm and McKenna Gage…”  Mike began.  “Has a nice ring to it.”

“Sure does…”  Johnny agreed.  “Sure does.”

***

“Rampart, this is squad 51…”

All attention was instantly drawn to the radio at the sound of Roy’s voice over the airwaves.

“Go ahead, 51.”  Came Brackett’s eager reply.

“Rampart, we have located our woman in labor and she and her babies are doing fine.”  The joy in Roy’s voice was evident.

“10-4, 51.  That’s good news.  What are…wait, did you say babies?”

“That’s affirmative, Rampart.”

“As in twins?”  Brackett’s smile matched the others gathered around, and Dixie, who had started toward the lounge to get Justin and Camarin stopped in her tracks.

There was silence on the line for a few seconds, which felt like an eternity to the folks at Rampart.  Then, finally Roy’s voice crackled again.  “Yes, as in twins.  A healthy boy and a healthy girl!”

Brackett shook his head, as if unable to believe this double blessing.  “Copy that, 51.  And how is the mother doing?”

“The mother is doing fine.  Vitals are stable, and uh…she couldn’t be happier.”

“And the father?”  Chuckles ensued from Dixie, Morton, and Joe at Brackett’s inquiry.

“The father is doing fine, too!”  Roy laughed, and it was contagious.

“That’s great, 51!  When the ambulance arrives, go ahead and transport Mom and the babies for evaluation.”  Brackett started to step away, but then he depressed the button again.  “And go ahead and bring Dad in for evaluation too.”  He wished he could have been there to see the look on Johnny’s face at that order.

“10-4, Rampart!”

Dixie hurried to the lounge and opened the door, out of breath.  “We just heard from Roy!”

“And?”  Justin sat up a little straighter, his heart rate increasing.  Dixie was smiling.  That was a good thing.

“It’s a boy!”  Dixie announced.

“Really?”  Justin beamed.

“That’s great!”  Camarin exclaimed simultaneously.

But, any further discussion was halted by Dixie’s interruption.  “And…a girl!”

“A what…wait…”  Justin was momentarily confused until realization dawned.  “You mean…”

“Twins?”  Camarin asked excitedly, jumping to her feet.  “She had twins?”

“That’s what Roy said.”  Dixie reaffirmed.

“That’s great!”  Camarin nearly knocked the nurse over with a huge hug.

“And everyone is okay?”  Justin wanted to know as he reached for his crutches and pushed himself up.

“Everyone is fine!”  Dixie was happy to announce.  “They should be on their way here by now.  Why don’t we go out and greet them?”

“Sounds good to me.”  Justin followed the women out of the room.

***

Johnny held McKenna and walked beside Hannah who was resting on the litter with Malcolm.  They entered through Rampart’s emergency entrance and found the hall lined with several of their closest friends, who were all smiling and offering their congratulations.

At the end of the line stood Justin, leaning partially on his crutches and partially against the wall.  At the sight of his sister and brother-in-law proudly holding the new additions to the family, a smile erupted on his face that had the potential to light up the entire ward.  He immediately extended a hand to Johnny.  “John…congratulations, man.”  But suddenly the handshake didn’t quite seem like enough, and he moved in for a hug, doing his best to balance himself on his good leg while being mindful of the precious cargo in Johnny’s arms.

“Thanks.”  Johnny returned the sentiment, using his one free hand to give Justin a hearty pat on the back.

“And, sis…”  Justin moved to Hannah’s side and leaned in to kiss her cheek.  Pulling back, he couldn’t help but smile at the cooing package in her lap.  “Wow, look at…him?  Her?”

“Him!”  Hannah clarified.  “Malcolm, meet your Uncle Justin.”

“Hey, buddy…”  Justin started making silly faces at his nephew, who responded with an expression that almost looked like a smile.

Hannah laughed.  “He’s going to have your dimples, I think!”

“Then, he’ll be breaking hearts by the time he’s five.”  Camarin added.

“He’s breaking hearts already!”  Hannah insisted.

“And who’s this?”  Justin looked over at Johnny’s tightly wrapped prize.

“This…”  Johnny carefully handed the baby over to a slightly flummoxed Justin.  “Is McKenna.”

After a brief moment of recollection at the mention of his maternal grandmother’s maiden name, Justin accepted his niece.  “Wow…look at all that hair…”  He smiled at the tiny treasure and suddenly found it impossible not to move her toward his face to take in the newborn scent and plant a soft kiss on her wrinkled forehead.  “Hi, McKenna…”  He looked up at Johnny.  “She sure is beautiful.”  Concerned about his ability to continue balancing on one leg, Justin knew he should hand McKenna back to her Daddy, but she was so warm…so sweet and cuddly…he was having a hard time giving her up.

Camarin smiled at the sight of her soon-to-be husband cradling their brand new niece.  But, the more she watched, the more uncomfortable she became.  She had never realized before how much of a natural Justin seemed to be when it came to babies.  Seeing him now, it was obvious how much he loved them.  She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt that she could not give him a child of his own.  Then, the twinge grew more powerful until it was overwhelming.  “Excuse me…”  She took off down the hall.

“Cam?”  Justin quickly handed McKenna back and steadied himself on his crutches.  “Congratulations again.  See you guys later.”  Then, he hurried as fast as he could after his fiancée.  “Cam, wait up!”

But Camarin did not stop.  Instead, she entered the ladies room near the base station.

Justin knocked on the door.  “Cam?  Are you all right?”

The ruckus caused Dixie to move toward the concerned physical therapist.  “What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure.  Camarin just made a bee line for the ladies room.  Could you make sure she’s all right?”

Without another word, Dixie entered the restroom and found Camarin standing at the sink farthest from the door.  She was crying.  “Are you all right?”

Camarin quickly wiped her eyes, ashamed of herself for bringing attention upon herself and spoiling Johnny and Hannah’s big moment.  “I’m fine, Dix.  Sorry…”

“You don’t look fine.  And Justin’s outside worried about you.”

Camarin looked around the small space, as if the right words to explain were hidden somewhere in the corners.  “I just…”  Ultimately deciding she didn’t want to have this conversation with Dixie, she excused herself once more.  “It’s nothing, really.  Where’s Justin?”

“Cam?  Dix?”  A muffled voice could be heard through the door.

Dixie cocked her head toward the sound.  “Does that answer your question?”

Camarin started to move toward the door, but was stopped by a gentle grab to the arm.

“Whatever’s bothering you…he’ll understand.”  Dixie watched as Camarin left without another word, then she shrugged a sigh and began adjusting her hairstyle in the mirror.

“What’s wrong, Cam?  Are you sick?”  Justin immediately pounced as soon as his fiancée exited the bathroom.

“No, I’m fine.”  Camarin insisted.  “I’m sorry I made you worry.”

Justin continued to assess suspiciously.  “You were crying.” 

“Justin, I…”  Camarin looked around.  Here in the middle of the hustle and bustle was not the place to have this conversation.  “Can we go to the lounge?”

“Sure, let’s go.”

Once inside the quiet and deserted room, Justin lowered himself onto the couch and motioned for Camarin to join him.  She crossed her arms and paced for a moment, as if trying to decide what to do.  But, finally she sat down carefully beside him.  She stared at her hands in her lap.

“You’re worried about your appointment tomorrow, aren’t you?”  Justin knew tomorrow was the day of Camarin’s appointment with Dr. Wallin, Hannah’s obstetrician.  Seeing her run off upset after he had been so enamored with the new babies, it didn’t take a genius to put two and two together.  At Camarin’s nod, he continued.  “Cam…I’ve told you…it doesn’t matter what he says…”

“Yes, yes it does.  Or I wouldn’t be going.”

Justin sighed.  How could he argue with the truth?  “Cam…how can I make you understand this…”

“I saw how you were just now with the babies…”  Camarin’s throat began to feel tight.  “I just…I want to be able to give you that so bad…”

Justin pulled Camarin close to his chest and ran his hands through her silky long hair.  It was a challenge to keep his emotions inside.  How could he get through to her that while he would love nothing more than to hear Dr. Wallin say the advice she had gotten on the reservation had been all wrong, that there was no reason why she couldn’t conceive, that it wasn’t the most important thing to him.  He hated that she was this upset about it.  “I know you do…but, we’ve talked about this…Look, if you want to cancel the appointment…”

“No!”  Camarin pulled away and wiped her eyes.  “No…I want to find out.”

“I don’t want you to do it just for me.”  Justin was beginning to feel like a world class heel for even suggesting she go in the first place.  At the time, it seemed like the right thing, that he was being helpful, but now it just seemed selfish.

“I’m not going just for you…I’m going for both of us.  I want to know, too.”  Camarin insisted.  “But, what if…”

“Shhh.”  Justin placed his fingers to Camarin’s lips.  “Let’s just wait until tomorrow and see what he has to say.  Take it one step at a time.”  He looked deep into her conflicted eyes.  “Okay?”

Camarin nodded.  “Okay.”

A smile of relief graced Justin’s face.  “Good.”

“You know…you really do have great dimples.”  Camarin changed the subject and lightened the mood.

“Do I now!”  Justin teased, smiling even broader.  Then, he leaned in for a kiss.  “I love you.” 

“I love you too.”

“Well, what do you say we go upstairs and see how Hannah’s doing?”  Justin grabbed his crutches.

“I’m more worried about how John is doing!”  Camarin joked.

“Yeah, you’re right.  I’m surprised he didn’t try to haul that tree off the road with his bare hands…”

“He would have hurt himself!”  Camarin pointed out.

“Wouldn’t be the first time, probably wouldn’t have been the last…”

“Justin Quinn!”  Camarin slapped him playfully, enjoying the banter.  Justin loved her.  She knew that for sure.  And their new niece and nephew were definitely cause for celebration, not concern.

“What?  I’m serious!  Let me tell you about how accident prone that brother of yours is…” 

The elevator doors opened, and the couple stepped inside on their way to the maternity ward.

***

The next morning, Johnny stood outside the glass window staring in disbelief at the little blue and pink blanketed babies with the name placard “Gage” above their heads.  He was startled by a hand on his shoulder.  “Oh, Roy!  Hi!”  He took a deep breath.  “You shouldn’t sneak up on a guy like that…”

“I called your name three times, but you were a little uh…”  Roy pointed toward the window.  “Distracted.”

“Yeah…right…”  Johnny did not look away, thus further proving Roy’s point.

“Listen, with all that was going on yesterday, I didn’t really get a chance to uh…”  Suddenly Roy was having trouble finding the right words to day.

“To what?”

“Congratulations, Johnny.”  Roy held out his hand.  Then he gripped Johnny’s tightly and cupped his other hand around it. 

But, Johnny wasn’t going to settle for a handshake.  He pulled Roy in for a hug.  “Thanks, man.”

“You’re welcome.”

“It’s so hard to believe, Roy…twins…”

“They sure are a couple of cuties.”  Roy stood beside his friend, watching through the window.  “You had no idea?”

“None!”  Johnny shook his head.  “Dr. Wallin said one must have been hiding.”  Johnny stared for a few more moments, then looked at his watch.  “Speaking of Dr. Wallin…Camarin should be about done with her appointment by now.  I wonder how that went.”

“Camarin had an appointment with Dr. Wallin?”  Roy’s eyebrows peaked.  “Is she…”

“No…no…”  Johnny immediately realized his goof.  He wasn’t sure if this was news Justin and Camarin wanted the world to know.  “Justin just thought it would be a good idea for her to have a check up.”

“Oh, right.”  It made sense.  After all, Roy knew Joanne visited her gynecologist once a year.  “Well, listen, I was going to stop in and say hi to Hannah.  But, then I have to get home.  Joanne’s got a honey do list for me today.”

“You know…”  Johnny talked as he walked beside Roy on his way to Dr. Wallin’s office.  He planned to find Justin and see if he’d gotten any news.  “I remember when I was single being glad it was you who had to deal with those honey do lists and not me…”

“Oh yeah?”  Roy laughed.  “And how do you feel about them now?”

“I’m still glad when it’s you who has to deal with one and not me!”  Johnny said his ‘good-bye’ as Roy turned down the hall toward Hannah’s room.  Then, he headed in the opposite direction.  When he reached Dr. Wallin’s office at the end of the ward, he stepped into the large waiting room.  He would have felt a little conspicuous among the dozen or so women seated around, were it not for the lone male figure in the corner, who had his face buried in a copy of Redbook magazine.  He approached quietly.  “Interesting article?”

“Yeah, if you like reading about ten ‘must have’ items in your make-up bag.”  Justin tossed the publication on the table in front of him and stretched, annoyed at the still-tender ache in his left side.

“Well, at least it’s not Cosmo.”  Johnny took a seat in the chair beside his brother-in-law.  “Some of the articles in there are downright scary.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”  Justin decided.

“So, Cam’s still in with Dr. Wallin?”

“Yep.”  Justin looked at the clock on the wall.  “It’s been almost an hour.”

“Well, that’s a good thing.  He’s being…”

The conversation was cut off by the sound of a female voice coming from the doorway that led back to the exam rooms.  “Mr. Quinn?”

“Yeah?”  Justin sat up straighter in response to his name being called.

“Dr. Wallin would like to discuss his findings with both you and Miss Raven Sky in his office.  You can come on back.”

“Um…okay…”  Justin felt uneasy.  This couldn’t possibly mean good news.  Worse yet, what if there was bad news?  What if Dr. Wallin had found something wrong with Camarin?  His stomach began twisting into knots at the thought.

“Want me to stay here?”  Johnny asked.

“No…this might take a while.”  Justin said as he pushed himself up and steadied his crutches.  “Go be with Hannah and the babies.  We’ll be up in a little while.”

“Okay.”  Johnny stood, then gave Justin an encouraging tap on the arm.  “Good luck.”

Steeling himself, Justin followed the nurse until they came to a large, carved wooden door.

“Go ahead in.  They’re waiting for you.”  The nurse smiled, then walked away.

Justin entered the large office and noticed Camarin sitting in a chair.  Dr. Wallin was seated behind a large desk, and he motioned him inside.

Dr. Wallin stood as Justin neared the desk.  “Mr. Quinn…thank you for joining us.”  He shook Justin’s hand.  “Ah, yes…now you look familiar.  I’m sure our paths have crossed here at Rampart once or twice.”

“Yeah…probably.”  Justin agreed, then took a seat next to his fiancée.

“Did you injure your leg?”  The doctor indicated the crutches Justin had slid under his seat.

“Yeah…broke my femur.”  Justin didn’t elaborate further.

“I see…”  Correctly sensing that the couple in his office weren’t interested in discussing Justin’s well-being at the moment, Dr. Wallin decided to cut to the chase.  “Well, I called you in here because Miss Raven Sky tells me the two of you are engaged to be married.”

“That’s right.”  Justin leaned back, resting his arm on the back of the chair.  There didn’t seem to be enough room to stretch out his long legs, and he knew he would become uncomfortable quickly.  He hoped the doctor would get to the point soon.

“So the results of my exam affect both of you.”  Dr. Wallin fingered the file on his desk thoughtfully.  He never liked delivering news such as this.  “Miss Raven Sky…”

“Please.  Call me Camarin.”

The doctor smiled.  “Okay.  Camarin…you have a condition known as endometriosis.  Are you familiar with what that is?”

Justin knew what it was, and his heart fell onto the floor.  He looked over at Camarin and saw her shaking her head.  He reached over and grasped her hand.

“It’s a condition in which the endometrium, which normally lines the uterus, grows in other places as well, such as the fallopian tubes or ovaries.”

“Well, what does that mean?”  Camarin wanted to know.

“Well, for one thing, it explains why you have very heavy periods.  And why they’ve always been more painful than an average woman’s.”

“What causes it?”  Camarin’s heart filled with hatred at long suppressed memories.

“We don’t really know what causes it.”  Dr. Wallin explained.  “Some theories seem to point to a problem with the immune system, but that’s never been proven.  The good news is, it’s not impossible for you to conceive.  However, I regret that I have to tell you…your chances are very slim.  Endometriosis interferes with conception in various complex ways.  What we do know is that the chances of being able to successfully conceive decrease with age.  Assuming you’ve had the condition since soon after you began menstruating, and you’re now in your late thirties…”

Camarin did her best not to become emotional.  After all, the doctor wasn’t telling her anything she hadn’t already known for years.  “Is there a cure?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Justin squeezed Camarin’s hand a little tighter and looked over at her.  “It’s okay, honey…at least now we know…”

“Listen, I wouldn’t let this discourage you from trying.”  Dr. Wallin advised, leaning back in his chair.  “Just because something is unlikely doesn’t mean it’s impossible.”

Determined not to allow the well meaning doctor get Camarin’s hopes up, Justin issued a challenge.  “Dr.  Wallin, how many women Camarin’s age with endometriosis have you seen become pregnant?”

The doctor frowned and sighed heavily.  He knew what Justin was doing, and he couldn’t blame him.  “None.”  A moment of silence ensued while the word seemed to echo through the room and sink in.  “I’m really very sorry.”

“There’s no need to be sorry.”  Camarin stood and gathered her purse.  “I want to thank you.  It’s like Justin said…at least now we know.”

The doctor stood also.  “I wish I had better news, but at least in all other respects, you’re healthy.  Try to focus on that.”

“He’s right, Cam.”  Justin said as he retrieved his crutches and joined the others.  “The fact that you’re okay is the most important thing.  We have Kaya and Rose…and each other.  And if that’s not enough we could always look into adopting a baby one day…”

“We could?”  This was something Camarin hadn’t even considered.

“Sure we could.”  Justin smiled.  Then, he turned and balanced himself so he could shake hands with the doctor.  “Thanks, Doc.”

“You’re welcome.  It was good meeting you both.”  Dr. Wallin saw the couple out.

Out in the hallway, as Justin and Camarin made their way back to Hannah’s room, Camarin had a question.  “Did you mean what you said back there?  About adopting a baby?”

“Sure, we can talk about it.  If it’s what you want.  I don’t want you doing it because you think it’s what I want.”  Justin’s biggest concern was that Camarin would get the idea that agreeing to this would in some way make her more desirable to him.

“Okay…” 

Justin planted his crutches on the floor for his next step and the ache he had been feeling in his ribs all afternoon chose that moment to develop into a full blown spasm.  “Ahh…dammit!”

Alarmed, Camarin steadied Justin while searching the area for medical personnel.  “What’s wrong?”

“Cramp…”  Justin was angry that getting much more than one word out seemed impossible.

Roy had just been heading to Hannah’s room when he saw Justin and Camarin.  He immediately noticed something wasn’t right, so he quickened his pace until he reached them.  “Justin?  Are you okay?”

“No…he’s not.”  Camarin was relieved to see the paramedic.  “His side is cramping.”

Roy knew all too well what that felt like.  He had suffered his share of fractured ribs in his career, and had seen Johnny go through it enough times, too, to know how painful intercostal muscle spasms could be, even as the bones were knitting.  “Here let’s get you sitting down.”  He started to grab for the nearest wheelchair but immediately abandoned the idea when he saw Justin start to go down.  Reaching his hands under his arms, Roy went down with him, successfully keeping Justin’s head from connecting with the hard tile floor, but unable to stop him from coming down hard on his backside with a cry of pain.  The two sat in the middle of the maternity ward hallway, Justin leaning back against Roy’s chest, his crutches askew and his long legs splayed out in front of him.

“Are you alright?”  Camarin knelt down, addressing both men, but mostly concerned for her fiancé.

“I’m okay.”  Justin spoke a little too quickly for Roy’s liking.

“Let’s just sit here a minute.”  Roy encouraged.  “Is your side still cramping?”  He already knew the answer, because he could feel Justin’s muscles tensing through his cotton shirt.

“Yeah…I…I need to stretch somehow.”  Justin began trying to contort his body in order to stretch the offending muscles, but that only rewarded him with a deep ache that extended from his tailbone to his toes.  “Son of a…”

“Maybe we should get Todd.”  Camarin suggested.

“Todd’s right here.”  Came a voice from behind the pair on the floor.  “What the hell happened?”

Justin closed his eyes in frustration.  “As usual your timing is impeccable, Todd.”

“My timing…”  Todd knelt down.  “I came up to see John and Hannah’s babies.  I didn’t expect to find you sprawled out all over the floor.”

“He had some muscle cramps in his side.”  Roy explained.  “And lost his balance.”

“I can see that.”  Todd ran his hands down Justin’s right leg.  “Are you hurt?  How does your leg feel?”

“Just aches a little.”  Justin winced as Todd’s probing hit a sore spot.

“Uh huh.”  Todd looked at Roy.  “How did he land?”

“Exactly like you see him.  On his backside.”

Justin sneered.  “See Todd?  It’s just my pride that’s hurt.  Nothing else.  Now, just help me up.”

“Not so fast…”  Todd placed a hand on Justin’s shoulder.  “Are those cramps subsiding?”

“As long as I…”  Justin shifted position and hissed sharply as the muscles began tightening again.  “…don’t move.”

“That’s what I thought.”  Todd frowned.  “Roy, help me get him into that wheelchair.”

Camarin positioned the wheelchair and set the brakes.  Then she positioned herself behind it to keep it steady while Roy and Todd lifted Justin into it with tortured groan.

“Where did that hurt you?”  Todd wanted to know as he knelt in front of the chair and looked Justin in the eyes.

“My whole damn body.”  Justin said softly.  He was both frustrated and angry at the potential setback, but he knew there was no sense glossing over the truth.  Todd would get to the bottom of it anyway.

“Okay, let’s go.”  Todd directed, and Camarin began pushing the chair behind him.

“Where are we going?”  Justin asked.

“Down to the ER where I can get a better look at things.”  Todd informed without stopping.

“Oh, man…can’t we just go to your office?”  Justin didn’t want to go to the ER.  There were too many people who would ask too many questions.  Of course, Todd’s office was on the orthopedic floor, and he knew a lot of people on there.  Maybe the ER would be better.

“We’re going to the ER.”  Todd reiterated as he pushed the button for the elevator.

***

Roy knocked on the door to Hannah’s room.

“Come in!”  Came two cheerful voices from inside.

Roy stepped into the room with a smile.  Hannah and Johnny were each holding a baby and feeding them formula out of tiny bottles.  “So how is the Gage clan today?”

“Everybody’s doing great!”  Johnny beamed.  “Dr. Wallin said we’ll all probably be able to go home by the end of the week.”  He tried coaxing the bottle into McKenna’s mouth, but it appeared she was finished, so he sat it aside.  “You wanna hold her?”

“Sure!”  Roy sat down in the chair beside the bed and accepted the tiny treasure from Johnny’s proud arms.  It made him think of the day Jennifer and Chris were born, and his heart filled with joy that Johnny had finally gotten to experience this.  “She really does look like you, Johnny.  Look at all this hair.”  He ruffled the scruffy mess of dark, black hair on McKenna’s head.

“She does!”  Hannah agreed.  She’s got his brown eyes too.  And she won’t sit still for a second!  Hates to be swaddled.  Keeps kicking the blanket off.”

“Yeah…that sounds like her Daddy.”  Roy nodded as he continued to admire the newborn.

“And Malcolm…”  Hannah looked down at her son.  “I think he’s going to have my hair color…maybe.  His eyes are blue right now, but I guess that could change.  But, I think he looks a lot like Justin.  What do you think?”

Roy handed McKenna back to Johnny, stood, and walked over to the bed where he could more closely scrutinize the little boy.  “Yeah…I think you’re right.”  He smiled, then remembered something.  “Oh, speaking of Justin…”

“He and Camarin are probably still down at her appointment.”  Johnny picked up McKenna’s bottle and gave it another go.  This time she latched on and began suckling.

“No…I just saw him and Camarin out in the hall.  He uh…he had a fall.”

“He what?”  Hannah looked at Johnny then back at Roy with concern in her eyes.  “When?”

“Just now.”  Roy explained.  “He was having some muscle spasms in his side.  You know how that is…”

“Yeah.”  Johnny nodded.  “He lose his balance?”

“Yep.  I tried to keep him from going down, but…he’s heavier than he looks!”  Roy tried to cast some humorous light on the otherwise dismal situation.  “But, listen…he’s okay.  I don’t really think he did any damage, but Todd happened to come along…”

“Yeah, he was just here.”  Hannah informed.

“And he and Camarin took him down to the ER, just to make sure everything’s okay.”

“Well, gee…I hope so.”  Hannah frowned.  She knew how important it was to her brother to get the business up and running as soon as possible.  But, it had only been two weeks since his release from the hospital.  She worried if maybe he was trying to do too much too soon.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine, Han.”  Johnny again gave up with the bottle and held McKenna up for a burp.  “I fell after I broke my hip, and Todd did the same thing.  Just needed to check to make sure all the hardware he put in was still intact.  And it was.  Those rods and plates he uses are pretty sturdy.”  He decided not to share that he had also struck his head on Roy and Joanne’s kitchen cabinet when he fell, and because he had been on blood thinners, he had nearly bled to death before he could reach the ER.  Making eye contact with Roy, he knew he was remembering the same thing, and he willed him to keep his mouth shut.

“If you want, I’ll go down and see how he’s making out.”  Roy offered.

“Thanks, Roy.”  Hannah smiled.

“No problem.”  Roy turned to leave.  “I’ll be back.  Oh, and Joanne will be here this afternoon.  She can’t wait to see the babies!”  With that, he headed to the ER in search of Justin and Camarin.

***

“Oh for God’s sake, Justin, let me see.”  Todd was quickly becoming exasperated.  He had agreed to conduct this examination privately without any nurses or other doctors on hand.  For now.  But, Justin was proving to be uncooperative.  “It’s just me and Cam.”

“I’m fine, Todd.”  Justin scowled.  He had admitted that his right hip was sore, but truthfully it was more like his tailbone and entire right buttock.  He was certain, however, that it was only bruised.

“Well, you certainly didn’t look fine when you took your jeans off.  You looked like you could barely move.”  Todd reminded him.

“How about if I look?”  Camarin sought out Todd’s nod of approval, and after a few hesitant seconds, she finally got it.

Sighing, Justin carefully moved to his left side.  The muscle cramping seemed to have subsided for now, but it had left his ribs aching as a result.  And he didn’t want it to start up again.  “Okay…have at it.  It’s just a bruise.”  He closed his eyes and could feel Camarin gently move his gown aside and pull down the waistband of his boxers.  Her gasp at what she saw told Justin he could no longer hope to escape Todd’s scrutiny.

“It’s bruised all right.  Biggest bruise I ever saw.”  Camarin stepped back.

“Really?”  It was painful enough, but Justin didn’t think it felt that bad.

“Don’t forget he’s been taking blood thinners.”  Todd reminded.  “So he’s going to bruise more easily.”

“Well, his entire tailbone is bruised and it looks like it goes all the way down the right side.”  Camarin cringed at how painful the injury looked.

“Mind if I take a look now?”  Todd asked, feeling only slightly guilty that Justin couldn’t very well refuse.  He knew that his friend’s trepidation had more to do with not wanting to face a lecture and less to do with modesty, but he didn’t let on.  “Trust me, there’s nothing there I haven’t seen before.”

“Very funny, Todd.”  Justin closed his eyes and submitted to the exam, wincing when Todd’s hands pressed on the area around his tailbone and his right hip.

Todd replaced the gown and the covers and then moved around to where he could face both Justin and Camarin.  “Okay, here’s the deal.  I want to get X-rays of your lumbar spine and pelvis…”

“Oh, God.  You have to be kidding me…”  Justin knew nothing was broken, and he had a pretty good idea Todd knew too.

“I don’t expect to find anything.”  Todd cut Justin off.  “But, with a bruise that size, we need to rule out fractures.”  Justin began speaking again, but again, Todd cut him short.  “And…I want to get some pictures of your right leg.  With an impact like that, I’m sure you jarred everything pretty good.  We need to make sure there’s no damage to the hardware, and that the fracture is still aligned.”

“And then what?”  Camarin asked.

“It depends what the films show.  At the very least, I’ll probably admit you for a few days so you can…”

“Whoa…no!”  Justin turned over onto his back with a wince.  “No way!”

Todd sighed.  “Justin, even if nothing shows up on the films, your blood pressure needs to be monitored for a few days to make sure that bleeding is under control.”

“I can do that at home.”  Justin insisted.

But, Todd continued as if he didn’t hear.  “And I’m going to take you off the Coumadin.  We’ll have to run a protime in a few days…”

“I can come in for that.”

Now it was time to pull out the big guns.  “And…I want you on complete bed rest for at least five days.”

“Five days?”  Justin couldn’t believe this.  “You haven’t even looked at the films yet!”

“I don’t have to!”  Todd gave it right back.  “Justin, you have been up and around doing things at home much more than you should be.  Last night you were here all evening waiting for John and Hannah.  Now, I understand that you wanted to be here for them.  But, now today here you are back again…”

“Camarin had an appointment.  I needed to be with her.”  Justin hated being lectured.  He didn’t feel like he had been doing too much.

“Okay, Justin, that’s fine.  But, you need to remember, you are recovering from some serious injuries.  I appreciate that you want to support everyone else, because that’s what you always do.  But, right now, it’s time to take care of you.”

“He’s right, honey.”  Camarin rubbed Justin’s forearm soothingly.  “I appreciate that you came with me this morning, but I was being selfish.  I should have insisted you stay home in bed.  Tag could have come over and stayed with you for a while…”

“No, Cam.  I wanted to be here for you.”  Justin’s frustration was rising now.  Why did everyone else seem to think they knew what was best for him?

“I know you did, but I’m okay.  This fall could have really been a bad thing…”

“Yes, it could have.”  Todd agreed.  “And the reason you fell is because you’re overworking your muscles.  Doing too much too soon.  You know better than anyone about that, Justin.  You’re accomplishing nothing but setting yourself back.”

Justin sighed heavily and tensed his jaw.  How could he protest further when he knew Todd was right?  He had been pushing it too hard, and he knew it.  But, lying around in bed was never something he had been good at.  “Okay, maybe you’re right.  But…I don’t want to be back in the hospital.  Please, Todd.”

Todd crossed his arms and thought for a long few moments before speaking again.  “Tell you what.  Let’s wait and see what the films show first.  Then, if everything checks out, you can go home.  IF…and this is a big IF…you stay in bed for at least five days.  I mean it, Justin.  Complete bed rest.  If I find out you’re not compliant…”

“Okay…okay…I’ll stay in bed.”  Justin promised.  Then, he looked up with a somewhat surly expression.  “Do I at least get to get up to take a leak?”

“Justin!”  Camarin scolded with a smile.

Todd simply walked over to the metal cabinet on the far wall and returned with a plastic urinal.  “You can use this.”

“Oh, come on, Todd…”

“Or…I can admit you to the ortho floor and order a foley.  Take it or leave it.”

Justin grabbed the urinal, scowling.  “I’ll take it.”

Todd laughed.  “I was only kidding, Justin.  Yes, you can get up to use the bathroom.  In fact, I want you to get up and walk…with your walker…a couple of times a day.  No crutches for now.  I’ll put it all in your discharge orders.  We don’t want that leg to stiffen up or weaken.”

“Right.” 

“But again…we’re getting ahead of ourselves.”  Todd moved toward the door.  “Let’s get those pictures first, okay?”

“Yeah…okay.”  Justin frowned and closed his eyes.  He suddenly realized he was overwhelmingly tired.

“Get some sleep.”  Camarin brushed Justin’s forehead gently.  “I’ll be back when the X-ray technicians are finished.”

“’Kay…”  Justin drifted closer to sleep.

***

“You need to get back to the hospital.”  Justin had finally found a comfortable position in bed after several attempts and numerous strategically placed pillows.  He felt horrible that Johnny had left Hannah and the babies just to help him.

“I will.”  Johnny promised.  “I needed to go home and get a few things anyway, and this is on the way…”

“It is not.”  Justin disagreed.

“Okay, it’s not.”  Johnny shrugged.  “But you were there for me when I needed help, so…”

“And we appreciate it, John.”  Camarin gave her half-brother a hug.

Justin started settling in.  Now that all was said and done, he couldn’t believe how truly spent he felt.  As much as he hated the fact that Todd was right, which meant admitting he had been pushing himself a little too hard, he found himself looking forward to spending the rest of the day in bed.  The X-rays had all been negative, but Todd was convinced that Justin’s fall had caused some trauma to the weakened bones, muscles, and ligaments in his right leg, even though the fracture was still aligned well and the hardware hadn’t been damaged.  At the time, Justin had scoffed, insisting that his boss was being over-cautious.  But now his entire body ached with no remorse, and his right leg seemed to be experiencing every possible pain sensation from throbbing to tingling to burning.  And that reminded him of something.  “So, how have your sessions with Mr.Yun been going, John?”

“Well, I have to admit after that first appointment, I didn’t think I would go back.  You know me and needles.”  Johnny mock-shivered.

Justin chuckled.  “That’s right!  I didn’t even think about that.  But, acupuncture needles are hair-thin…”

“That’s what he told me.”  Johnny continued.  “I was skeptical but I’ve been giving it a shot.  And to be honest, I haven’t really noticed much difference…”

“It’s early yet, John.  You need to give it a chance to work.”  Justin was disappointed.  Most alternative healing arts did not offer the quick fix Americans were used to.  And John Gage was not the most patient person he’d ever met.

“He told me that too.  But, you know what?  He did some manipulation of my lower back and my hip, and man, that was incredible!  It was like…it was like I could feel energy flowing down through my leg.  I can’t explain it…”

“You don’t have to, John.”  Justin smiled.  “I know what you’re talking about.”  He decided he would save any talk of chakras or energy meridians or chi for another time.  Partly because he figured it would be best for Johnny’s introduction to alternative medicine to be a gradual one, but also because he was simply too tired to go into it.

“And, really…I think I’m feeling a little better.  I mean, I haven’t tried doing anything really strenuous lately, but I think it’s helping.”

“That’s great!”  Justin yawned.  “The thing to remember, John, is balance.  I don’t claim that alternative medicine can completely replace modern medical science.  But, I truly believe there’s a place for it.  The thing is to find a way for the two to work in tandem with one another.  That’s what Camarin and I hope to accomplish with this clinic.  Increase awareness, and give people options.  But, if they truly need intervention in the form of a medical doctor, we’ll tell them that.  But there are far too many people out there walking around with chronic pain that don’t have to be.”

“And too many of them get hooked on drugs because of it.  Believe me, Roy and I see it every day.”  Johnny’s face creased into a frown.  “Well…we used to.”

“You will again.”  Camarin encouraged.  “I really believe that.”

“Yeah…I hope so.”  Johnny half-smiled.  “Anyway, I never realized before how easy it was to go down that road.  But, when you’re desperate…when that pain just won’t go away, when you spend every day like that, when it’s affecting your job…your life…”

“Yep.  And that’s what Cam and I want to do.  Help people realize there are options.  Approaches that can work with traditional medicine and sometimes even succeed where it fails or reaches its limit.  Healthier and safer approaches.”

“You know, up until this past month or so, I never really thought too much about it.  But, there are certain drugs that are truly helpful.  I mean, real innovations…life changing discoveries.  Like…antibiotics for example.  Think how many people would die if we didn’t have antibiotics to fight infections.”

“That’s right.”

“But, then there are so many others, that if used incorrectly, can just mask symptoms.  It’s like…it’s like if the oil light comes on in my truck…and I take a band-aid and cover the light, it goes away.  And I could go on like that for weeks or maybe even months.  But eventually, if I don’t do something…if I don’t put oil in my truck, my engine’s gonna burn up.”

Justin couldn’t help but laugh at the analogy.  “That’s a good one.  I’ll have to use that sometime.”

“Taking cough medicine for a cough or Tylenol for a headache…it might relieve the symptoms but it doesn’t deal with the cause.  And I think that’s where people get into trouble.”

“Right.  But they have their place.”  Justin yawned again.  “When you have acute symptoms, there’s nothing wrong with needing the quick relief a pill or an injection can provide.  And sometimes, it’s even life-saving.  I mean, a person can go into shock from severe pain, or have complications from the elevated pulse rate and blood pressure it causes…”

“That’s right.”  Camarin said succinctly, crossing her arms.  “So now, Justin Quinn…how about some Demerol?  Or were you going to try telling me you don’t need any right now?”

Justin smiled and shook his head.  “Well, John.  It looks like you and I both learned something, haven’t we?”

“Looks that way.”  Johnny returned the smile.  “Listen, I know you’re tired, and once you take your meds, you’re gonna be out like a light, so I’m gonna get going.”

“Yes…go…don’t let me keep you from your family.”  Justin yawned again.

Goodbyes were exchanged and Johnny made his way out.  He opened the door to the Rover and hopped in.  And as he drove down the beach-lined street, Justin’s words echoed in his head.  My family.  It was the sweetest word he’d ever heard.

***

Part 6