( Continued from Part Two )
Part Three:

Roy vaguely felt strong arms lift him up, and then a cool rush of air. His head hurt unmercifully, and his throat felt raw. Each breath was a mix of torture and reward: causing pain, but giving him air. He could hear, but he couldn’t speak or move reliably. The words floated past him in spurts. He heard someone moan, and reasoned that it must be Johnny.

Johnny’s okay.

"...smoke inhalation…gash in his forehead…semiconscious…ribs…"

He tried to speak, but his words were barely intelligible. "Jennifer….Fire…" He couldn’t remember where Jennifer was. He tried to sit up, but strong hands firmly but gently held him back.

"Johnny?" the young paramedic asked urgently. "Desoto, are you saying you know where Gage is?"

"…burnt…in the…staff room…Jen..."

The man excitedly shouted into his hand talkie. "Desoto says Gage is in the staff room!"

"You’re going to be just fine, Desoto."

Gracie made her way through the soaked and smoking charred debris to the area behind the stage. She had to find him. Where were all those firemen? Why weren’t they looking here? The adrenaline kept her moving. Her love for Arthur kept her hoping. Her love of life kept her praying…

And then it caught her eye. Just a glint, at first. A glimmer. Then a sparkle. It almost seemed absurd, then it sent a shiver down her spine, and a sudden flood of emotions.

Hanging from a single silver thread, one glittery star remained. A slight gust of air caused it to flutter momentarily, before its tenuous hold finally broke. Gracie stood, transfixed, as the star slowly floated to the floor, landing on top of a thick pile of curtains. They were charred on the edges, and smoldering, but their sheer mass had smothered the flame as they fell with the scaffolding. The star ceased its journey, looking as though it had been carefully placed there. She walked over and picked up the star, holding it in her hands, then her eyes flew open, and she leaped to the pile, pulling at the curtains with all her strength.

Please, please, please, please, please...

She gasped when she finally saw him, but she didn’t even have time to see if he was alive. She carefully pushed the beam off his shoulder and grabbed the smoldering curtain that had been on the top. She rolled Johnny onto his side and shoved the curtain under him, shuddering at the heat radiating from his body. Then she rolled him on to his back and started pulling on the curtain. She just had to get him to the fresh air, and to help. She pulled and pulled, feeling her own life and spirit depended on it. She had to do this.

Please, God, let him be okay...

How can I lose an old lady? I will never live this down… Dwyer admonished himself. He scanned the parking lot again, and then turned back to look at the school. Surely, she wouldn’t have gone back IN the school. He almost dropped his radio. He saw a small bent figure in the doorway to the gym. The figure threw the helmet on the ground, revealing a fluff of gray hair. The figure was tugging at something.

"What the HECK???"

"Hey, guys! We need some help here!" Dwyer yelled as he rushed over to Gracie.

"Johnny...he's inhaled some smoke." She coughed from the smoke she had inhaled.

"Okay, we'll handle it. You just rest. And don't go back in again," Dwyer told her as they carried Johnny to the treatment area.

Please, God, let him be all right, Gracie thought as she followed along.

Gracie’s throat was already raw and constricted even more as she witnessed the frantic activity taking place around Johnny. She suddenly felt very tired, and she slumped down farther, unable to take her eyes off the helpless young man. After all this, had she been too late? She was oblivious of Dwyer’s questions and blind to his concerned face in front of hers. She looked beyond him to where Johnny lie, trying to gain some assurance that he would be okay. He had to be. He was so young…

"He was buried," her voice croaked. "Buried in the stage curtains. Maybe…maybe I was too late. And I think he hurt his shoulder. There was a beam on it. He was so hot…" she said quietly, wringing her hands nervously.

Dwyer’s eyebrows shot up at her words. "Buried in curtains? The doctor’s will want to know that," he started to move away, toward the crew helping Johnny, then turned back to her, wondering how on earth she ever found him in all that mess. "You saved his life, you know. Try to relax, okay? He’s getting good care now."

Gracie nodded as Dwyer relayed the information and turned his attention back to her. "Now, let’s see about you," he said gently. "Are you feeling better?"

"Please give me the jacket," she asked quietly.

"The what, Ma’am? The jacket?" Dwyer asked, confused.

"Please slide that fireman’s jacket over here. Please. I need something I put in the pocket. It’s important." She watched the men started Johnny’s IVs and began cooling measures. At least that meant he was still alive.

Dwyer nodded, and reached for the coat. He reached in the pocket and removed the slightly crinkled glittery star. He smiled as he handed it to her and watched her hold it over her own heart. Her lips moved silently and she closed her eyes. Then she looked at Dwyer, her lip trembling slightly. "Now, please tell me he’s going to live."

Dwyer looked at the old woman who crouched beside Johnny. Her white hair shone brightly in the afternoon sun – halo-like. It was a stark contrast to the black smudges of soot that covered her face. How old was she, anyway? And how had she managed to find Johnny? How had she been able to find him when no one else had?

He watched her gentle but strong hands as she caressed the glittery silver star and then placed it ever-so-gently on Johnny’s chest, which now rose and fell in a steady rhythm. She placed one hand on top of the star, which now rested over his heart and mumbled words, which were too quiet to hear. After a few seconds, her trembling lips stopped moving and a weary smiled crossed her face, followed by a concerned frown.

Gracie caught the handsome blonde firefighter looking at her and met his gaze directly. "I asked you if he was going to be okay." She spoke matter-of-factly and placed great emphasis on the final word, as though it was a demand rather than a question.

The words had barely left her lips when Johnny began to stir.

As Johnny started to come around, he called out for Roy and Jennifer. When he couldn’t hear their voices, he became combative.

"Johnny, calm down!" Dawson shouted. He grabbed hold of Johnny’s arms to prevent him from pulling his IV – he was too late. "He's pulled the IV out!"

Through the heavy fog in his mind, Roy heard Johnny's voice call out for him and Jennifer. A stab of fear ran through him overriding the pain in his head. He struggled to get up and find his daughter. Once again, strong hands held him down. Words were spoken that he could not understand. He forced his eyes open and immediately shut them. The blinding sunlight burned at his eyes. His headache immediately doubled. Still his fear for his child kept him moving.

"Jennifer!" he forced through his parched, scalded throat. Amidst the pain from his head and his throat, a new torture made itself known in his right side.

"DeSoto, you must be still!" a voice close to his ear insisted. "You have some broken ribs. If you don't stop moving around, you'll end up with a punctured lung."

"Jennifer...where...is...she?" Roy pressed, not heeding the paramedic's words.

"Jennifer is just fine! She's with her class and her teacher. She's all right! Now just relax and let us take care of you."

The fact that Jennifer was okay finally sunk in, and Roy allowed himself to lie back on the ground. Then he realized that he was hearing Johnny's voice calling out again. He pulled away from the paramedic again and tried to sit up.

"Johnny! I..." He panted heavily and held his side. "I...have...to..." He felt a sudden sharp pain in his side and fell back, unable to catch his breath. The pressure increased until the darkness took him away.

"Johnny, you have to stop it and lay still." Steve Dawson called sharply to the injured paramedic as he tried to restrain Johnny’s arm before he pulled the other IV out.

"No...R-Roy...Jennifer!" Johnny managed to say. "Can't find...Jen...Roy..." He continued to struggle, breaking his right arm free and swinging at the force that was keeping him from finding Roy and Jennifer. A sharp pain radiated up his arm to his shoulder and across his chest down to his stomach. Johnny gasped in pain and tried to roll to his side.

"I need some help over here." Dawson called frantically as he fought with Johnny to keep him on his back. "Come on, John, man, don't fight me. Do you hear me? You have to relax."

Running his hand from Johnny's right wrist up to his shoulder, Dawson cursed silently to himself at the obvious break in the wrist, and the dislocation of the shoulder.

"What do you need?" Dwyer questioned dropping down beside Johnny and Dawson. Putting a comforting hand on Johnny, he spoke to him. "Johnny, it's Tom Dwyer come on, Man, you need to relax. Roy's safe and so is Jennifer."

Dawson looked at Dwyer curiously, wondering how he had known what was bothering Johnny when he hadn't even been there.

Dwyer gave a slight shrug of his shoulders. "Johnny and Roy are best friends as well as partners. Johnny loves Roy’s kid as if she was his own." he explained, noticing that Johnny's struggles had slowed. "What do you have?"

Dawson turned his eyes toward Dwyer before replying. "I'm afraid I was so busy trying to get him cooled off, I didn't check him for other injuries until he started to move around and gasped in pain." he explained as he began to splint Johnny’s right arm. "Looks like a broken right wrist and dislocated shoulder. But he also acted like his stomach and chest hurt. I haven't had time to check him trying to keep him from pulling out the second IV."

"Oh, man." Dwyer moaned. He cast a glance back towards Gracie who stood beside Jennifer DeSoto.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Jennifer screamed, her face soaked with tears. "I want my Daddy! Daaadddddddy!" One of the teachers tried to gather the hysterical child into her arms, but the little girl just hit at her. "Get away...! I just want my Daddy!!!"

"Jennifer, Sweetie – calm down. Everything is going to be okay." the school principal said, taking a firm hold on the struggling child. "You see...those nice men are taking good care of your daddy."

"I wanna go over there!' Jennifer cried.

"You can't, honey...not right now..." the principal responded.

That information only served to send Jennifer into more wails. Gracie slowly nudged the teacher aside, then encircled the distraught child in her own arms. Slowly making her way down to sit on the ground, she began to rock Jennifer gently, stroking her long blond hair.

"There...there...now...don't you fret. Your daddy will be okay..." Gracie soothed. "And soon your mommy will be here."

"Daddy...I want my daddy...." Jennifer sobbed.

"I know...and you'll be with him soon," Gracie continued. She watched as the medical team began to ready Roy DeSoto for transport to the hospital.

Jennifer peered up at Gracie. "He won't die? My daddy won't die...and go away?"

Gracie hugged the child. "I...I'm sure the doctors will find a way to make your daddy all better."

Jennifer seemed to calm somewhat. "And my Uncle Johnny, too? The doctors will make my Uncle Johnny all better too?"

Looking over to where another set of medics were working over Johnny, Gracie felt tears well up in her eyes.

I pray that will be so... she thought. Oh how I pray that will be so!

Joanne had been cleaning the house all day and hadn’t had a chance to turn the radio or TV on as she normally did. Her mother was coming in a couple of days and she wanted the house to be spotless. As she drove down the street to Jennifer’s school, she could see people all over the parking lot and several fire trucks and squads. Joanne was overcome with sudden fear. She quickly parked the car and ran to the sound of Jennifer's voice. She spotted Gracie comforting her child the best she could. Joanne ran over to her and put her arms around her.

"It’s okay, Sweetheart," she soothed her daughter. "Mommy’s here now." With Jennifer’s face buried in her arms, Joanne scanned the chaos before her. She wanted to believe that Roy and Johnny were busy helping out the fire crews. She prayed it was true. The acrid smell of smoke in the air already told her this was no false alarm. Jennifer’s teacher spotted her at the same moment that Joanne’s eyes landed on the crowd surrounding the two downed men.

Without thinking of the implications, the first words out of the teacher’s mouth were, "Oh, Mrs. Desoto, I'm so sorry!"

Joanne heard more sirens in the distance, getting closer.

Oh, God... she thought. Roy... The panic that she had been suppressing for her daughter’s sake rose to her throat. She began to breathe faster, standing up with Jennifer in her arms, torn between the need to see her husband and her instinct to protect her daughter.

Gracie willed away the tears that had been welling in her own eyes and placed a reassuring hand on Joanne's shoulder. She spoke firmly and gently, knowing what must be going through the woman's mind and heart. Part of her instantly relived her own husband’s accident. Joanne tore her eyes from the treatment area, and looked at Gracie beseechingly.

She whispered the words she feared to voice. "Roy?"

Gracie nodded. Joanne’s breath caught and she bit her lip, her heart aching.

"Johnny, too?" she mouthed, unable to speak aloud. "How bad?"

Gracie couldn't lie to the woman outright, but she also couldn't say what she had seen – not in front of Jennifer. She nodded slowly. She had seen the men working on Roy, and had caught a glimpse of the smears of blood, the IVs, the oxygen mask. And Johnny...Lord…She struggled a moment, deciding how to continue, and she felt Joanne tense further with her hesitation.

"Joanne, they’re both alive. ALIVE. They're getting good care. They’ll want a doctor to check them out."

Joanne knew the hidden message. They were hurt badly, and going to Rampart. If they were obviously going to be fine, Gracie would have said so. Joanne pulled Jennifer closer, so she wouldn't see the tears tracing down her own cheek. She longed to go see Roy for herself, Johnny too. But she had to protect her daughter. She mouthed the word, "Burned?"

Gracie squeezed the woman’s shoulder, feeling her pain. Reliving the losses in her own life. "I don’t think so. I’ll go see what I can find out, okay, Dear?"

Joanne nodded, wiping away another stray tear. She turned her body so that her eyes could follow Gracie so that Jennifer would be facing away.

Jennifer finally looked up at her mother, speaking for the first time. "Daddy and Uncle Johnny went in there, and they won’t let me see them!" She buried her face again. "Why can’t I see Daddy? Why?"

Joanne sighed and bit her lower lip, instinctively tightening her hold on Jennifer as she heard the fear in her daughter’s voice. "Honey, you can see Daddy soon, okay?" She brushed a stray hair from Jennifer’s face and watched as Gracie weaved her way through the cluster of people. "Daddy will be fine. He was just helping to fight the fire like he always does."

Even as Joanne spoke the words, she was aware of the tremor in her voice and was certain that Jennifer must be aware of the tension she felt despite her best efforts to remain cool. She had been in this position before, so she should be used to it. Why was this so hard? Maybe it was because this was her daughter’s school, a place where she should feel safe and protected. Will Jennifer ever feel safe here again if something bad happens to her father? She breathed deeply and pressed her lips against Jennifer’s hair, comforted momentarily by the familiar smell of her shampoo.

"Sweetheart, you’re getting heavy…" She let Jennifer out of her arms and continued to look towards Gracie.

Jennifer turned to face the same direction as her mother and took her hand. Together, they waited for Gracie to return with word on Roy’s condition. Joanne squeezed Jennifer’s hand and was certain she could not make it a moment longer without seeing Roy for herself.

Oh, Gracie, please get back here in a hurry, she thought to herself as the sirens drew closer.

Gracie made her way over to where the paramedics were working on Roy and Johnny.

"How are they?" she asked hesitantly.

"We really can't tell. It's going to be touch and go," Dawson said.

"They're such nice men...I'll be praying that the good Lord pull them through," Gracie said and found her back to Joanne to try to reassure her.

"How is he?" Joanne said as she continued to console Jenny.

"They don't know yet. All we can do is pray," Gracie said, noticing how pale Joanne was becoming.

"They're tough. They'll pull through," she added quickly.

That's what Joanne hoped...

Where am I? What's going on? Roy groaned as awareness began to return. He heard people talking, but only some of their words meant anything to him.

"...ambulance...puncture...vitals..."

Uh oh, I don't feel so good. Roy began to breathe faster and tried to turn his head.

"...hey!...turn him!..."

Roy's cry of pain as he was turned even the slightest, was muffled as he expelled the lunch he'd eaten earlier. He thought he'd never stop. I didn't eat 'that' much. Another cry, this one uninhibited, escaped him when they laid him back.

"Roy? Can you hear me?" The voice rose in pitch, hurting Roy's head even more. "Roy! Come on, Man!"

"Hurts..." Roy whispered, keeping his eyes closed to block out the piercing light. Speaking set his throat on fire and he resisted the urge to gag from its dryness.

"I know, it hurts. You've got a head injury, among other things, so I can't give you anything. The ambulance is here and we're going to get you to Rampart real soon. Do you think you can stay awake for me?"

"Tr-Try..." Roy rasped. "J-Jen? J-Johnny?" He'd thought he'd heard that Jennifer was okay, but he couldn't remember. He also vaguely remembered hearing John calling his name. But he wasn't sure of that, either.

"Jennifer's okay. She's with your friend and Joanne. They're still working on Johnny, I can’t tell you anything...sorry."

Roy winced as they picked him up and set him on the gurney.

"Jo-Joanne?" Roy's eyes peeled open and he slowly searched the area. "Wh-where?" Roy tried to turn his head to get a larger view, but closed his eyes again when another pain shot through them to the back of his head. What's she doing here? I don't want her to see me like this.

"Joanne!" There was a pause. "I think he wants to see you."

Roy heard the voice beckon his wife. He tried to shake his head. "N.." His throat constricted and he began to cough. No! That's not what I meant.

By the time he finished coughing, he felt a soft hand close over his.

"Roy? Honey?"

Roy slowly opened his eyes. He hadn't wanted her to see him like this, but now that he was looking at her, he didn't want her to leave his side. He squeezed her hand. "Jo...what..?" Another cough interrupted.

"Shhhh. Don't try to talk. You're going to be okay. You hear me?"

Roy nodded the best he could. The gurney began to move. Joanne moved with them. "I'll see you at the hospital. I love you."

Roy held fast to his wife's hand, he squeezed it in response to her. Then they were pulled apart. He held her gaze until the doors closed between them and relaxed against the pillow. The vehicle took off with a jerk, making Roy grimace.

"Hey! You want to take it easy?!" The attendant in the jumpseat hollered through the window.

"Sorry."

The trip to Rampart was excruciatingly long. Roy wanted to drift off, but someone kept calling to him. Every little bump they hit and every turn they made, took his breath away. He tried to listen to the updates as they were being sent to Rampart, but couldn't make himself care enough to try to understand what they meant. His eyes were closed, but he still noticed it getting darker. Gradually the pain faded.

"Roy! Roy! Come on!"

Oh, why can't they just leave me alone? The pain in his body came alive again, one area at a time. He tried to move his head away from the voices and the light working its way through his eyelids. Then he felt someone pinching him, hard.

Ow!

He took a pain-filled breath and peeked through half-closed lids.

"Good, I knew you could do it." Dr. Bracket stepped in front of the blinding lights. "Now try to stay awake for a few minutes while I check some things."

Roy tried to do what he was told, but all he wanted to do was stop the pain.

"Hey!"

There was that voice again. Roy didn't even try to get his eyes open this time. "Hmmmmmm?"

"Roy? We're going to get you prepped for surgery."

Roy awareness heightened. The thought of surgery scared him. He listened as Dr. Brackett gave instructions. He thought that he heard Dixie's voice, somewhere in the room, also.

"Well, Fireman/Paramedic Roy DeSoto. We meet again."

That voice. I know that voice, Roy groaned, forcing his eyes to open again. Oh no.

The nurse leaned over him so he could see her. She held up a razor and wiggled it between her fingers. "Top of the class, remember?"

Roy's eyes opened a bit more and raised his head slightly off the table. He wanted to squirm away from the nurse, but the very thought brought on more pain. Slowly, the edges began to close in on his vision as the pre-op sedative took effect. Oh, thank Heaven. He closed his eyes and anxiously let the meds do their thing.

Nurse Lauren watched Roy's eyes widen. The look of recognition in them amused her. Then the look on his face as he gave into the sedative made her lips turn upward. She lowered the razor to Roy's chest and smiled at Dixie.

"Was it something I said?"

Emotions ran equally high in the waiting area. The parents of one of Jennifer’s classmates had taken her home with them once Johnny and Roy had left in the ambulance. The moment that Jennifer was out of sight, Joanne finally allowed herself to break down. Gracie had been such a pillar of strength throughout this ordeal that Joanne could hardly believe this was the same woman Roy had described over the past few weeks. This woman didn’t seem like someone who would call in false alarms just for company… There was nothing remotely weak about this woman. And here they sat together sharing a silent bond because of the two injured men in the treatment rooms. The minutes dragged on, each taking comfort in the others’ presence.

Dr. Brackett emerged from Roy’s room, with a confident smile, and Joanne’s heart leaped. "We’re getting Roy ready for surgery to repair that tear in his lung from the broken rib." He recognized the sudden change in Joanne’s expression. "It’s a very straightforward procedure, and we’ll have specialists involved. His skull series looks good. We ran some tests because of the fumes and smoke he took in, and everything is looking good. He’s in good shape for surgery." He smiled again when he saw Joanne begin to relax.

"I’ve been..." she stopped and looked at Gracie a moment. "We’ve been so worried. Thank you so much. Any word on Johnny?" She asked quietly. He had looked so flushed when they put him in the ambulance.

Gracie’s eyes met Dr. Brackett’s. He had already heard about Gracie’s role in rescuing Johnny, although he didn’t know any details. "Dr. Early is in with him now. I’ll go check if you like."

"Please," they both answered.

"May I go see Roy for a minute before surgery?" Joanne asked.

"Sure, for a minute, after they finish getting him prepped. I’m sure he’d like to see you. He’ll be very groggy, though."

Gracie reached over and squeezed Joanne’s hand. "He’ll be just fine, dear," she whispered.

Joanne quietly pushed the treatment room door open and looked inside. She desperately wanted to see her husband but dreaded seeing him looking so pale and hurt. She stepped inside and noticed the nurse who had just finished prepping Roy for surgery. The nurse nodded encouragingly toward Roy and winked.

"Now don't you worry about Roy," the nurse patted Joanne on the shoulder. "I will take very good care of him!" Joanne caught a glimpse of the woman's nametag before she left the room. ‘Lauren’ was printed in black letters.

Lauren? Joanne questioned. Why does that name sound familiar? Then it came to her – she was the nurse whom Roy had mentioned. The one who seemed too eager to shave his chest after Roy's run in with a woman in labor. Well, it looked like she got the job after all. Joanne managed a small smile at the thought of Roy's dismay if he had been aware of the nurse's presence. She reached out to touch Roy's arm. It was chilly in the room and Roy's skin was cold to the touch, but he stirred slightly.

"It's okay, Roy. You're about to go up to surgery. I just wanted to see you for a minute before you went and tell you that I love you and I will be here waiting for you."

Roy opened his eyes slightly as Joanne spoke softly in his ear. As he tried to respond, she stroked his arm slowly and told him not to try to talk. She could see that even with the pre-op meds it was painful for him to breathe. She knew what he wanted to say so she began to give him the answers he was looking for.

"Jennifer is fine. She is staying with a friend from school."

Roy relaxed for a moment then stirred again. Again, Joanne knew what he wanted to hear. "I don't know much about Johnny yet. He's alive and I know he has good people taking care of him. Gracie saved his life. What a wonderful woman she is...she has been so strong during all of this."

At that moment, Dr. Early came through the door with two orderlies, announcing that it was time to leave. Joanne kissed Roy on his forehead and gave him her best smile as Roy opened his eyes.

"You'll be out and doing much better soon," she promised, praying that her words would be true. "I love you."

She felt her heart contract when Roy mouthed those three words back to her as his eyes slid shut.

Gracie stood up when she saw the older doctor emerge from Johnny’s room again. She had seen him come and go several times, along with a variety of other hospital staff. Nurses left with vials of fluids, and the X-ray machine came and left. She had seen him go back into the room with a large envelope right before Dr. Brackett had gone in to check on Johnny.

"Are you Mrs. Stevenson?" Dr. Early asked.

"Yes, I’m Gracie. How is Johnny? Please tell me he’ll be fine. I’ve been saying it over and over, but I need to hear it from someone else."

"It looks like he will be, thanks to your intuition. Any longer under those curtains might have been too long. But as it turned out it was a mixed blessing in a way."

"How so?" Gracie asked.

"Well, if Johnny had been pinned under that beam without the protection of the curtains, he might have been burned, and he most certainly would have inhaled more smoke and fumes. On the other hand, the curtains caused him to overheat severely. We’ll have to keep a close eye on him several days, because his body’s ability to control his temperature will be out of whack for awhile."

"And his shoulder – will it be okay?" Gracie asked, not being able to picture Johnny doing any other kind of work.

Dr. Early nodded. "The orthopedist said it looks like the dislocated shoulder can be reduced without surgery, and the wrist is a simple break. A cast and a sling for awhile, and he’ll be as good as new." Dr. Early paused, thoughtfully, taking in the appearance of the woman before him. "Tom Dwyer told me how you risked your life to go back in, and you dragged him out from the building. How did you find him?"

Tears of relief welled up in Gracie’s eyes. "It wasn’t intuition. I didn’t even know where to begin." She shook her head in wonder, recalling what had happened.

Dr. Early looked puzzled. "I’m not sure I know what you mean."

"It wasn’t intuition. It was…it was a Christmas star."

Dr. Early looked at Gracie somewhat confused and asked, "A Christmas star?

"Yes," Gracie said, "When I came in the room something caught my eye. I looked up and saw a Christmas Star hanging on a thread..." She started to weep.

Dr. Early studied Gracie carefully as she told him the story of the star. Despite her frayed nerves and the emotion in her voice; there was an air of strength and dignity about her, a quiet resolve. "So you just walked over to pick up the star and there he was?"

"Oh, no, it’s not like that. I knew I would find him. I knew I had to get him out. I knew…" Gracie breathed in a ragged sob and then cleared her throat, allowing herself to regain her composure. "I just knew I had to get him out. It was all so practical to me, you see. I knew the boys would be in the area of the gymnasium because that’s where the janitor had been. When the firemen came out the first time without him, well…I knew there was not much time. I would have hated to see three or possibly more young men end up losing their lives. Me, I’m just an old woman. I have used up most of my life. I don’t have as much to lose, you see. I have already lost it all…"

Joe watched her as her milky blue eyes, red-rimmed from crying and smoke seemed to twinkle for a moment.

"Or, I had thought I had lost it all…"

"So you saw the star…"

"Something shimmery caught my eye…and it seemed so absurd…a bright and happy silver star just hanging there in the darkness, just hovering in the heavens like some kind of beacon. It seemed to be suspended in darkness, there was something odd about it…then I realized the curtains were gone. I looked down and saw the curtains… and found my Ar-, found Johnny…I found Johnny and he was alive. He was alive…"

Gracie’s voice trailed off and a far-away look clouded her features. Joe looked at her closely. "Look, you must be tired, would you like some coffee?"

"I would like to go visit him now, please…If he is strong enough to see me."

Gracie stepped quietly into Johnny’s room, trying to control her emotions. The neat, white hospital gown was a stark contrast to his dark complexion and his thick, unruly hair. He appeared to be asleep and looked so young, so vulnerable. So much like Arthur had once looked so long ago. She tipped toed over to the chair by his bedside and bent forward to move the contents so she could have a seat. She carefully picked up the jeans he had been wearing and then the shirt. Both were streaked with soot and smeared with blood. As she set the clothes onto the table, a glimmer of silver caught her eye.

The star.

With considerable effort, she leaned over to pick it up. "Lord, Gracie, you’ve all but thrown your back out pulling and tugging today…" The words were uttered unconsciously, intended only for herself, but she had spoken them aloud and Johnny opened his eyes. She watched as his eyes slowly moved about the room before coming to rest on her face.

For a moment he considered her, then a weak smile curved his lips, and he cleared his throat.

"Now, you just relax." Instinctively, she put her hand on his warm forehead. "Let the cool hand of an old woman soothe your spirit."

For a moment, he seemed not to recognize her. "Grammie?" His voice was thick and hoarse.

"No, sweetie, it’s Gracie. You’ve been in a fire but you are going to be fine. And so is Roy." She reached out, took his hot, sweaty hand in her cool one, and for a moment was transported back in time. She felt the warmth of LIFE in her hands, the promise of tomorrow, the hope that she had carried with her all her life until just these past few lonely years.

Still holding his hand, she leaned over and picked up the star, placing it on his chest with a smile. He squeezed her hand and smiled again. This time his eyes fell on the star.

"What?" The shape seemed somehow familiar to him, somehow important, but he wasn’t sure why. "What is this?"

She placed the star in his hand and closed his fingertips around one of the now-tattered points. "This is hope. Something we all need to hang onto and never let go."

"Hope…" Johnny echoed, his voice trailing off. "And the custodian… did he…?"

"He was never in any danger, Dear. He’s fine. You just worry about getting yourself all better and back to flirting with the girls." She patted his arm affectionately.

Johnny winced as he tried to scoot up higher in the bed.

"Have they given you something for the pain?" She asked with genuine concern.

"Yeah…they’re makin’ me a little loopy. Painkillers…you know." Johnny closed his eyes, trying to remember more of what had happened. His eyes opened when he suddenly remembered what Dwyer had told him in the ambulance. For a moment, he wasn’t sure if Dwyer had really told him what he had heard or whether it was a dream. He remembered Tom telling him that Gracie had donned a turnout coat and gone back into the building when no one was looking. She had been able to find him when no one else could. Then – and perhaps most miraculously of all – he had dragged him from the building on the same curtain that had protected him from being burned, yet almost prevented him from being found. He studied her slight features, trying to imagine her accomplishing such a feat.

When he looked up into her eyes, something he saw in them told him that it was, indeed, the truth. "You…you found me…I owe you my life…"

Gracie smiled warmly at him, and held his hand gently in hers. "Then we’re even. Because something about your spirit certainly saved mine!"

Johnny struggled to make his eyes open a little further and focus on her face. "I don’t understand…"

Gracie paused thoughtfully, carefully choosing her words. She felt like she had been ‘waiting’ more than ‘living’ the past ten years. She had waited every day for the morning paper; waited for her kids to call; waited for Edna to invite her to do something. She had waited for each hour to pass, not much caring whether she was making good use of them or not. She had been waiting for someone to come along and make her feel special, but what she really had been waiting for these past years was a chance to feel needed again. A chance to be strong, a chance to believe that she was still around for a good reason. She had been waiting for something without even knowing what it was. She wanted to say this right.

"Johnny, I’ve been so busy sitting around my house feeling sorry for myself for so long – waiting for the world to knock on my door and keep me company. I didn’t do one thing to get out there and join the world! I made myself powerless!"

"It’s understandable," Johnny began.

"Don’t make excuses for me, Sweetheart, I don’t need them any more. You! You are so full of life and vigor. You embrace life no matter what it deals out. You are so much like my Arthur, my husband, may he rest in peace. So confidant, so kind. Land sakes, you even look like him! He died many years ago now."

Johnny nodded drowsily. "Edna told me…"

"Edna. What a dear! The doctors said she’s doing very well, by the way…"

"’M glad," Johnny smiled. Gracie stood up, soaked a white washcloth in cool water at the sink, and placed it carefully on his forehead. Johnny closed his eyes with the relief that the coolness brought. "Thanks."

"Did she tell you he was killed in a car wreck?" Gracie asked, giving him a sidelong glance, afraid that she might lose her nerve if they made got eye contact.

Johnny nodded. "Yeah. I’m really sorry…"

"There was a little more too it than that, though. Things Edna never knew." Gracie swallowed hard, pushing back the lump in her throat. I was with him. The crash wasn’t even very bad. I wasn’t hurt at all. Not physically, anyway. But I panicked, and I was useless. Arthur had a heart attack, and I couldn’t do anything to help." She dabbed her eyes and nose with a tissue from Johnny’s tray.

"Gracie, it wasn’t your fault." Johnny’s heart went out to her.

She laughed suddenly. "You don’t need to try to make me feel better with words. You are alive! I finally know I couldn’t save Arthur. Sure, maybe if I’d been a nurse, or younger maybe, but his heart stopped beating. It was his time, I guess. But part of my spirit died with him." She looked at Johnny carefully, and placed her hand on his cheek softly. "But you are alive! And I played a part in that. And it’s given me something back that I didn’t even know I had lost. You have reminded me of what I loved most about Arthur: His spirit."

Johnny smiled at Gracie, seeing so much of his own Grandmother in her face.

"There’s more," she continued, seeing his fight to stay awake. "Then I’ll let you sleep. I can tell you’re exhausted." She turned his washcloth over to the cool side. "I sat out in that waiting area. – you know – over by the fake Christmas tree and the wrapped boxes. There’s a star on the top." She absently placed her hand back on the star on Johnny’s chest. "I stared at it...and the presents. Finally, it all finally made sense to me. I have the best gift of all. I’m alive and well, and I’m not powerless. I have the future, and the present. The Christmas Present. And out there in the sky every night, there are stars to remind me. I just need to look up and see them."

It was almost a week before Roy and Johnny were well enough to be dismissed from the hospital. Roy’s recovery from his surgery had gone well, and Johnny, while still wearing a splint on his arm, had recovered sufficiently from the smoke inhalation and overheating. During the course of their hospital stay, a steady stream of visitors had paraded through Rampart, including one very, spirited lady named Gracie.

During that week, Gracie Stevenson had made herself an omnipresent figure on the 3^rd floor. Although the center of her attentions remained with two certain paramedics, she soon found herself making company with the other patients, reading to those who were unable, and visiting with those who had no one. Gracie had never felt so alive.

When the day finally arrived for Johnny and Roy to go home, Gracie was the first to show up to see them home.

"Well, you two," she addressed the two men waiting in their joint room, "ready to go home, are we?"

"You betcha, Gracie!" Johnny grinned. "I’m not crazy about hospitals anyway...well, unless you count the cute nurses that work in them."

"Now that’s the young man I know and love," Gracie smiled warmly at the young man who had given her so much this holiday season.

"So tell me, Gracie," Roy asked, "what you are going to do with your time now that you won’t have us to baby-sit anymore?"

Gracie threw her head back and laughed lightly. "Well, I don’t consider keeping such two young attractive men company as baby-sitting, but if you must know, I think I’ll be quite busy. After all, there are so many patients here that need someone. I can’t just abandon everyone, can I? And then there’s always Edna. Poor thing, she’ll need my help more than ever now. And the children! Oh my! Someone has to teach those little ones to bake!" She threw Johnny a knowing glance.

Just then, the door burst open and a bundle of energy rushed into the room.

"Grammie Gracie!" Jennifer cried out with glee.

"Well, hello, Pumpkin!" Gracie smiled when the little girl ran towards her and gave her a hug. "Are you ready to have your daddy come home?

"You betcha!" Jennifer said with a huge smile on her face.

Gracie smiled back at the little girl, marveling at the impact that Johnny seemed to have on everyone with whom he came into contact. Jennifer pulled away from Gracie and ran over to Roy, who pulled his little girl up on his lap.

"Where’s your mom and brother?" he asked his daughter as he smoothed her fine hair.

"Mommy and Chris are still talking to Nurse Dixie," Jennifer answered, "but I told Mommy I wanted to come see you first!"

"Tell you what, Jennifer, why don’t we go see what’s keeping Mommy," Gracie volunteered. "I’m sure Daddy wants to get home as soon as possible."

Roy looked up and nodded his thanks, adding a warm smile for Gracie’s sake. Gracie took Jennifer’s hand, leaned close to her ear, and spoke in hushed tones. Jennifer’s giggle matched Gracie’s as the two conspired in muffled whispers.

With a smile only a child can illuminate, Jennifer looked back at her daddy and Johnny and waved at them before taking off with ‘Grammie’ Gracie.

The sweet sound of a child’s voice and the rich tone of Gracie’s melded together in perfect harmony as they took off down the hallway singing a Christmas carol....

"Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, it’s the best time of the year..."

Johnny leaned over and nodded towards the door. "Hey, Roy?"

"Yeah?"

"Now THERE’s a cheerful holiday sound I can live with!"

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Christmas Stories