Bottom Line- Alt Ending
By Lindasqd51
Hey Vince, whatcha doin' man? Come on put
the gun down." Johnny calmly called to Vince.
"You're trying to help him escape. Now get him out of the ambulance." Vince
ordered waving his gun at Johnny.
Johnny knew something was very wrong. "Vince, it's Johnny. Come on man you know
me." Johnny cautiously took a slight step forward. "You hit your head.
Remember?" Johnny saw Vince close his eyes.
Johnny quickly moved in and grabbed Vince's gun hand. Vince grabbed and pulled
at Johnny's hair. Yanking Johnny's head back.
"Hey I need help over here." Johnny yelled still struggling with Vince. Johnny
was really no match for Vince. The gun came closer to Johnny's face. Johnny had
both of his hands on the gun, desperately trying to force the barrel towards the
ground. Though it only took a few moments the other firefighters to run to
Johnny's aid to Johnny it felt like an eternity.
Marco and Chet grabbed Vince from behind. Marc wrapped an arm around Vince's
neck. Chet looped his arm under and around Vince's shoulder. Each was
desperately calling for Vince to release Johnny.
Hank was by Johnny. His hands around Vince's wrist. "Dammit Vince, IT'S JOHNNY.
PUT THE DAM GUN DOWN."
It all happened too fast. Vince again violently pulled on Johnny's hair.
Johnny's head went to the side. Johnny started to loose his balance. The hand on
Vince's gun came up towards his face. Hank's body went in the direction of
Johnny's.
Johnny saw it. The black barrel coming straight for the bridge of his nose. He
turned his head. Then there was a brilliant flash of light, ringing in his ears
and searing pain.
The gun discharged. For a brief moment everything was quiet. Vince seemed to
calm down. It was then a garbled cry was heard from the tangled bodies of
firefighters.
The whole event took less than a minute but would forever be ingrained in the
memories of everyman involved.
"Oh God, oh god my eyes." Johnny was on his back rolling from side to side with
his quivering hands on his face and his feet kicking the ground.
Marco and Chet pulled Vince back. It didn't take much effort. The man seemed to
be brought back to reality by the sound of the gunshot. Another officer grabbed
Vince's gun. "I got Vince. Go check on your
guy."
Roy had been with the patient but was now free to get to his partner.
"Chet, get the drug box, hurry." Roy kneeled next to Johnny. He could see the
chard skin around Johnny's eyes when Johnny's hands moved slightly. "Johnny let
me see your face. Come on. " Roy had a hard time keeping his emotions in check
while he listened to his best friend's pain filled moans. Roy reached out and
forced John's hands from his face. Roy stomach turned when he saw the extent of
injury to John's face and eyes.
"Marco get Rampart on the line. Chet get a bag of saline for me. We've got to
irrigate his eyes."
"Roy, oh man, it hurts." Johnny was thrashing his head back and forth. "NO, NO,
I..I..can't see! Roy I can't see!" Johnny was desperately trying to get up.
"NO," Roy had to wave to Chet and Marco to help hold Johnny down. "Listen
partner let me help you. Come on calm down." Johnny stopped trying to get up but
his head still thrashed from side to side.
Marco was able to release his hold on Johnny and get rampart on the Biophone.
"Rampart this is squad 51."
"Go ahead 51," Brackett's voice came through loud and clear.
"Rampart we have a --it's Johnny--- he has gun powder burns to his face and
eyes. Roy is irrigating the eyes now. Johnny is in a lot of pain. He, he can't
see at this time." Marco waited for instructions.
Brackett could hear Johnny's pain filled moaning and hoped it wasn't as bad as
it sounded. " Okay, start an IV with D5W TKO. Also, administer 5mg morphine.
Wrap the eyes when finished irrigating and transport." Brackett took a deep
breath then turned and contacted the eye specialist to take a look a Johnny when
he arrived.
The morphine did its job and Johnny calmed down considerably. "Roy how is he?"
Hank asked. The look on Roy's face told the Captain it wasn't good. "The other
ambulance took Vince in. Another ambulance will be here in about a minute."
Kneeling down Cap placed a hand on Johnny's shoulder. Hank had seen the burns he
knew Johnny's boyish good looks would be replaced by scars. "Johnny you're going
to be alright. You hang in there pal."
In a disarmingly calm voice Johnny said, "No Cap, not this time. I'm blind."
Hank closed his eyes. Johnny was probably right. "Let's just get you to the
hospital."
The whole ride into the hospital Johnny didn't say a word. Roy tried to get him
to answer questions but with Johnny's eyes wrapped Roy couldn't be sure if he
were even conscious.
Brackett and Dr. Good, the eye specialist, met the ambulance at the door. "Any
change Roy?"
Roy followed the gurney. "No, but he hasn't spoken since leaving the scene."
The group went into the treatment room. "Johnny, I'm Dr. Good. I'm going to
unwrap your eyes. Keep them shut for me, Okay." Still no response from Johnny.
Roy leaned in close to Johnny's face and took Johnny's hand. "Johnny come on we
need to know what's going on. Please answer me."
"Roy, stay with me, please."
Roy tightened his grip on Johnny's hand. "Always Junior."
********************
"Anybody home." Roy called out as he let himself into Johnny's apartment. He
turned on the lights.
"Be out in a minute Roy."
Roy made himself at home sitting on the couch. Out from the bedroom Sheba ran to
Roy. "How you doin' girl? Wanna come play with my kids?" Sheba licked at Roy's
face. Seeing her harness on the table Roy
grabbed it and put in on Sheba. Sheba immediately calmed.
Johnny came out from the bedroom and Sheba went to his side. Johnny could feel
her harness rub against his leg. He reached for it. "Okay Roy, ready to go," He
said smiling broadly.
Roy was pleased to hear the happy tone in Johnny's voice. The past year had been
filled with many days of Johnny being depressed and unwilling to be around
anyone. Johnny knew his face bore serious scars even after the skin grafts. But
since getting Sheba he had regained a lot of his freedom. The down days were now
few and far between.
Roy himself had a hard time adapting to looking at Johnny's new face.In the
beginning, Roy could feel his own depression taking over when he saw Johnny's
opaque eyes—the deep brown gone. Then the scars above and below the eyes. Johnny
had asked him to help him pick out sunglasses that would be large enough to
cover the scars. Roy had argued with him, trying to say they weren't that bad.
Johnny then admitted to Roy that he heard Jenny crying to JoAnne that Johnny's
face was scary.
"Uh Roy, you still there?"
Roy snapped back, "Yeah, sorry."
"Hey want me to drive?" Johnny took his dark glasses out of his pocket and put
them on.
"Oh, very funny." Roy walked over to Johnny. Taking Johnny's free hand he placed
it on his elbow.
"Lead on Macbeth." With that Roy led Johnny from his apartment. Even blindness
couldn't dim the outrageously wonderful Johnny Gage.
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