Grown Man Cry
Part 2
Roy thought about bringing up the ‘DeSoto accident prone’ subject on the way back to the station, but decided if Johnny didn’t mention it, he was better off keeping quiet about it too.
With both men wanting to avoid subjects, the two rode in silence. Only quick curious glances were exchanged as each wondered why the other was so quiet.
Once they were back and parked in the apparatus bay, Roy got out of the squad and watched Johnny slowly climb out of his side. The engine was gone, so the senior paramedic decided to bring up the latest taboo topic.
“Maybe you should ask Cap to call in a replacement for you the rest of the shift. “
“Roy--”
“You’re all right,” Roy said over Johnny’s ‘I’m all right’.
“Well, I am.”
“Okay,” he shrugged as he reminded himself his partner was cleared for duty. Johnny obviously wasn’t 100 percent, but the doctor must’ve figured he’d be fine as far as job performance.
~*~*~
The paramedics were only back for twenty minutes before they were sent out on another rescue. A hiker had taken a fall down a rocky hillside. Responding with Engine 18, Johnny and Roy stood at the top of the steep slope, fastening their safety belts while the other crewmen secured ropes to the front bumper of the engine.
Johnny peered at the victim forty feet below. “Hey, don’t move around down there! Just hang on, we’re comin’ to help ya!” He glanced at his partner, and right away picked up on the concern in Roy’s features. “If that’s for me, don’t worry. I’m perfectly capable of doin’ this.”
Roy sighed. “Let’s get tied off.”
~*~*~
It didn’t take Gage and DeSoto long to reach the victim, despite Johnny’s soreness. He’d been correct in his assurance that he could handle the climb down.
“Watch your step,” Roy reminded when they were ready to bring the thirty-three year old man topside.
“I always do.” But Johnny quickly recalled a time he hadn’t. . .going down rather than up on a rescue the first year they worked together. He’d taken a tumble on his way down to a car and twisted his knee. “Most of the time,” he added.
They made it up the hill without incident, and soon the hiker was loaded into the ambulance.
“You wanna ride in?” Roy wondered.
“Nah, I’ll drive the squad.”
“You’re determined to make a point, aren’t ya?”
Johnny just grinned.
~*~*~
When the ambulance arrived at Rampart, Roy held the inside end of the stretcher and helped to guide it out. Just as his partner joined both ambulance attendants to assist with the victim at the rear of the vehicle, he jumped down and nearly lost his balance as his foot rolled onto its side. He gasped audibly as a sharp pain shot through his ankle and leg.
“Roy!” His dark-haired partner was beside him in an instant. “Are you okay?”
Roy nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He took a gingerly step forward, but was stopped with a hand on his chest.
“You are not fine. I’ll take him in,” Johnny indicated with a nod toward the victim. “You stay put till I send someone out with a wheel chair.”
“I don’t need--”
But Johnny was already heading in. After a brief pause, Roy sighed and slowly limped behind, unable to put any amount of weight on his ankle. Suddenly Chet’s comment about the accident prone DeSotos popped into his mind.
The guys’ll never let me live this down. . .
~*~*~
Johnny came out of the treatment room just in time to see his partner slowly hobbling down the corridor and hurried over to him.
“Where’s the orderly with the wheel chair Dix sent out to ya?”
“Probably with someone who needs it.”
The younger man frowned. “Roy, you need it.”
“Look, I know you mean well, but really . . . it’s not that bad. I just need to walk it off.”
“Let’s let a doctor be the judge of that.”
Roy wasn’t happy about it, but it was obvious Johnny wasn’t going to let him leave until he saw someone. Thus they were sent to Treatment Room Two to wait for Doctor Early. Johnny started to follow Roy in but did a double take when he noticed Tanya from Maternity near Dixie’s desk.
Man, of all the times for her to be here. . . He groaned inwardly. But there was another more important matter right now.
Well, maybe not *more* important. . . Johnny admitted to himself.
“Uh. . .C’mon, I’ll help ya up on the table,” he stated. He assisted his partner across the room while the door closed behind them. Once Roy was set, Johnny leaned against the counter across from the exam table, his gaze occasionally shifting to the door.
“What’s the matter?”
“Nothin’. Why?”
“You seem kind of restless. Even for you.”
After a brief frown at the last comment, Johnny shrugged. “I’m just waitin’ for the doc to get here.” I wonder how long Tanya’s gonna be out *there*?
Roy looked at his watch, while Johnny eyed his own as well.
How long is this gonna take? both wondered at the same time.
~*~*~
Twenty minutes later, the paramedics were exiting the treatment room. Roy had been diagnosed with an ankle sprain and was advised to keep weight off and ice on it for the next week or so. Doctor Early wrapped it with a support bandage that could easily be removed and reapplied, and supplied him with crutches to aid in getting around.
“I’m glad it’s not a severe sprain. I should only miss a few shifts.”
Gage was preoccupied scanning the area for Tanya. The nurse was no where in sight. Man. . . he groaned to himself, feeling let down.
“You know, you don’t have to look so disappointed about it. That was the good news.”
“Huh?”
Roy shook his head. “Nothin’.” On to another thought, he commented, “Well, at least I can still drive myself home using my good leg on the pedals.”
Johnny looked at him in surprise. “You can’t do that!”
“This from a guy who’s driving a rent-a-wreck, has a bandage on his chin and walks around like a little old man.”
“Ha ha. C’mon, Roy, yours is much worse than mine. I’m just kinda sore all over. Joanne needs to come to the station to pick you up.”
Roy shook his head. “It’s not gonna happen. She left for San Diego this morning with the kids. They’re visiting one of her old friends. And I’m not gonna ruin it for her just to give me a short ride home.”
“Roy--”
“I’ll manage.”
Gage sighed. There wasn’t anything he could do.
Unless. . .
“Okay,” he shrugged. “Let’s go.”
It seemed like he gave in a little too easy, but Johnny was unpredictable. About the time he expected an argument, Roy often encountered the opposite. With the subject apparently settled, the two paramedics headed for the exit. Johnny tried to walk slightly quicker to prove a point and groaned inwardly while Roy hobbled along on his crutches.
~*~*~
As soon as Johnny climbed out of the driver’s side of the squad back at the station, he was greeted by a curious Chet Kelly.
“How come you’re driving?”
Johnny frowned in annoyance. “I drive. . .sometimes.”
“Yeah but--” Chet’s mouth dropped open in shock.
Finally out on his own, Roy was just coming around the front of the truck on his crutches.
“What happened to you?”
“I sprained my ankle.” He waited for a sarcastic ‘DeSoto’ remark, but instead Chet remained serious.
“How?”
“Well, I’d like to say it was doing something dangerous and heroic, but truth is, I hopped down from the back of an ambulance wrong.”
Chet stared a moment, then shook his head. “No, really, how’d you do it?”
“I told you. I landed on it wrong when I got out of the ambulance. Johnny can tell--”
It was then they noticed the dark-haired paramedic was already gone.
Roy started toward the captain’s office. Chet scratched at a couple of mosquito bites as he went to find Johnny.
~*~*~
“I told you to keep a close eye on ‘im,” Chet said to Gage just as the paramedic had finished a phone call.
“What’re you talkin’ about?”
“The DeSoto factor. I told you they were accident prone.”
Johnny rolled his eyes. “Where is Roy?”
“Cap’s office.”
The dark-haired paramedic’s eyes widened in alarm. He brushed past Chet, pushing the fireman’s hand away from a mosquito bite as he went by.
“Don’t scratch.”
Johnny then hurried from the dayroom, ignoring any aches or pains the quick jarring movement caused.
~*~*~
The younger paramedic came into the apparatus bay just in time to see his partner come out of the captain’s office.
“Cap called for a replacement.” Roy gave Johnny a hesitant look. “What’s up?”
“Nothin’. I just got your problem solved.”
“And what exactly does that mean?”
“I got you a ride home,” he smiled with pride.
“I told you, I’m driving myself.”
Roy started forward on his crutches, but Johnny stopped him with a hand on his chest.
“C’mon, man. You don’t hafta drive.”
“What’s the problem?” Captain Stanley asked when he came out of his office and heard Johnny.
“Nothing.”
“Cap, it’s just that I don’t think it’s a good idea for Roy to drive himself home. I mean, he’s already hurt. And I arranged a ride for ‘im. I just think he should take me up on it.”
“You know he’s got a point, Roy. It would be safer for you and everyone else on the road. One of us can drive your car to your place tomorrow. And I think it’s a very thoughtful gesture and you should accept it.”
Roy looked from one to the other. “You really want me to do this, huh?”
The captain nodded, his eyebrows raised, while Johnny kept a steady eye on his partner as he waited for an answer.
“Okay.”
Gage’s mouth spread into a wide lopsided grin. “All right!” He gave his partner a pat on the back. “All right! Your ride should be here in about. . .” he glanced art his watch. “Ten minutes at the most.”
With that settled, Roy headed for the locker room, Johnny alongside as he waited for the replacement to show up.
~*~*~
Twenty-five minutes later DeSoto stood on the sidewalk in front of the station looking at a compact white rental car that arrived ten minutes late.
“I thought you two broke up,” he remarked to Johnny.
“We did, but she didn’t break up with you! She’s doin’ this for you,” he said tapping his fingertip on Roy’s chest. “Not me.”
Roy just nodded and got into the passenger seat with his partner’s assistance, the crutches already in the back. Candy smiled at him and he gave an uneasy one in return.
“I don’t think Roy’s too happy with his ride,” Chet remarked after he sauntered up alongside Johnny.
“Ah, he’ll be fine. It’s a fairly short ride to his house.”
They watched as the car continued down the street until it was out of sight. Johnny sighed with relief.
So far so good. . .
But that was with the car going straight.
~*~*~
Roy began to relax with his ride home, only for the car to slow to a near stop at the first turn they came to. He cringed at the screeching brake sound from behind; another car whipped around them and the other vehicle, the driver showing his middle finger in the process.
The senior paramedic again smiled weakly before he turned his gaze to the window with a roll of his eyes and a slight headshake.
I’ll be lucky if I get home *alive* . . .
~*~*~
Ten days later, Roy returned to work. Excited to have his partner back, the seeming favoritism of Roy by Captain Stanley forgotten, a much healed Johnny bounded into the locker room from the dorm entrance. He was already in uniform since he’d arrived early for the reunion. With both his own vehicle and Roy back, maybe things would finally return to normal.
“It’s sure good to see you!” he said as he gave Roy a pat on the back.
The senior paramedic gave the smiling man a wary look. “Last time you had an expression like that on your face, you hooked me up with a ride with one of the most annoying drivers I’ve ever ridden with. She nearly got us in an accident. . .four times!”
“Oh c’mon. She’s not that bad.”
Roy shot him an incredulous look. But he was in no mood to point out to Johnny that he himself was complaining about her driving. . .a lot. . . not long ago.
“Anyway,” the younger man continued, “we’ve already been over that a coupla times since you rode with her. I’m just happy to have ya back!”
“Thanks. It’s good to be back.” As he fastened his belt, he asked, “Did I miss anything?”
Johnny shook his head. “Nope.” Nothin’ I wanna bring up right *now*, anyway, he thought to himself. With a little luck, he’d never have to bring up one of the things Roy missed.
~*~*~
“Hey, Chet, how’re the mosquito bites?” Roy asked when he and Johnny joined the others for roll call.
“Except for a few he couldn’t leave alone, they’re gone,” Marco answered. He got an annoyed look from Chet in return as the curly-haired fireman casually put a hand over a couple of bites that were scabbed over.
“I told him to stop scratchin’,” Johnny explained. “Numerous times. But some things never sink in through that hard head of his.”
“Me with a hard head? You’re the one--”
The clearing of a throat stopped him in mid-sentence. The men’s attention shifted to their captain in front of them. “Do you think we can get on with roll call now?”
“Yes, sir,” came assorted replies.
After welcoming Roy back, Captain Stanley held up his clipboard as he went over the notes for the morning. The senior paramedic noticed Hank looked much more rested and refreshed. He’d have to ask later, but it looked as though the bout with insomnia was well over.
~*~*~
“It looks like we’re set,” Roy stated as he closed the drug box. He and Johnny were inventorying the supplies in the squad, a routine required at the beginning of each shift.
Johnny closed the biophone after the completed calibration test with Rampart. He handed the box to his partner to place in a compartment of their truck.
“I guess it’s on with that inspection Cap assigned us.”
“Yep.”
Roy walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in. Johnny was already waiting in the passenger seat. The senior paramedic drove into the street and headed for a small restaurant that was due to be checked for fire codes.
“It sure feels good to be on this side again,” Johnny said with a grin.
“You drove the squad?”
“Uh huh. Everywhere we went while on duty.”
“And it’s still in one piece?”
The teasing comment was met with a sour face. “Very funny,” he remarked. “I see your humor could use a little more time to recover.”
Roy just smiled, a twinkle in his eyes.
~*~*~
When they were done with the inspection, the paramedics stopped at a grocery store so that Johnny could get some tuna, bread, and mayonnaise for their lunch later in the day. When they neared the register, he grabbed a couple of cans of soda out of a refrigerated case and put them on the counter with the rest of the stuff.
“One for each of us,” Johnny explained to Roy.
“Aren’t the others gonna feel left out?”
“Not for lunch. I’m not gettin’ ‘em to drink at lunch. I don’t know about you, but I’m thirsty now.”
“You have enough cash for all of this stuff?”
As he moved forward after the customer in front of them was finished, Johnny pulled out his wallet and examined the contents. “I may need you to cover the drinks.”
“Why doesn’t that surprise me.” Some things never change. . .
The amount of times Gage borrowed money were enough to make his partner want to carry less cash.
~*~*~
“Now this hits the spot,” Johnny said as he sipped at his can of pop. They were on their way back to the station, only a couple of miles from their destination.
Roy was enjoying his as well as he drove through the semi-busy streets of Carson. Suddenly they went from relaxed to alert as dispatch sounded over the radio.
“Squad 51, unknown type rescue, Dolphin Park, 21205 Water Street, two one two zero five Water Street, time out 10:05.”
“Squad 51, 10-4,” Johnny acknowledged.
Roy quickly handed his partner his can of pop and put on his helmet while still keeping a hand on the steering wheel. Johnny set the two cans on the floor between his feet and put on his own helmet.
The fact they were likely to end up with spoiled mayonnaise and flat warm drinks eluded the paramedics as they rushed to the scene of the call.
~*~*~
When they pulled up to the location, Johnny put the pop cans up on the dashboard so as not to knock them over with his feet. He and Roy climbed out and gathered the basic equipment from the compartments of the squad. They trotted away from the open-windowed truck toward a teenaged girl waving to them in the distance.
“What’ve you got?” Roy asked as they approached.
“It’s my boyfriend! He was goofing around on the monkey bars and got his head stuck! Adam was trying to help him get free, but he had to go call you guys.”
They could see the arch designed set of bars with a teenaged boy halfway up one side, his head through one of the open rectangle shaped openings.
“Well, how’d he get it through to begin with if he can’t get it out now?” Johnny wondered.
“I don’t know. He just did!”
“You wanna climb up there?”
Johnny shrugged. “Sure. Wouldn’t want ya to risk hurting yourself on the first rescue,” he teased. He started forward, a bounce in his step. This was likely going to be a much simpler rescue than he’d expected.
~*~*~
Before anyone even got near the monkey bars, the stuck teenager pulled his head free.
“You mean Adam really called the fire department?”
“You’re out!” the girl yelled in surprise.
“Of course I am. I was only pulling a joke on you two, Susy! Why’d ya hafta let Adam call those guys?” He waved his hand toward the paramedics.
She folded her arms across her chest. “Billy Thompson, I don’t believe you did this.”
“I can,” Johnny mumbled to his partner.
“Don’t tell me. . .”
“I won’t. But it didn’t go over too well for me either.”
When Roy gave him an incredulous look, he in turn shot one back. “Well, I didn’t mean I did it yesterday. It was a long time ago, Roy. A long time ago.”
After advising the teenage boy not to pull a prank like that again, the men headed back to the squad. They replaced the equipment in the compartments and climbed inside. Johnny put his hand on his soda can.
“All right! Still cold enough.”
He quickly brought it to his lips and took a sip. Suddenly a look of doom came over his face. Without a word to his partner, he tried to spit and pull something from his mouth. It was barely visible from between his finger and thumb when he yanked it out and flung it to the floor. "Son of a bitch!"
Roy looked down at the insect just before Johnny stomped on it. “A bee?”
The younger man’s eyes were already watery from pain. “He stung me!”
“Where?”
Johnny held a shaky finger to the location of the injury, just inside his upper lip. “Here! Ah man, that hurts!”
“You almost swallowed a bee?”
“Yeah, man. He must’ve climbed into my pop!” The dark-haired paramedic winced. “Dammit. Better check yours before ya drink it.”
Roy shook his head. “I don’t think I want it.”
“Man. . .”
“Are you okay?”
“Other than bein’ in tremendous pain. . .yeah.”
“Is the stinger still in it?”
“I don’ know. You tell me.”
Roy leaned over and looked closely with his pen light as Johnny held the lip up, biting back the increased pain it caused.
“Ow!”
“Got it!”
Johnny pulled back and frowned, his right finger tips over the sore spot of his upper lip. “You coulda warned me you were gonna do that.”
“Well, what was I supposed to do if I saw it?”
“Maybe say. . .oh I don’ know. . .‘I see it, I’m gonna take it out now’ might’ve been nice.”
“Well, it’s out. That’s the important thing. Let’s get some ice on your lip,” Roy said as he turned the key in the ignition. “We can stop at Rampart since it’s closer. Maybe that nurse . . .what’s her name. . .Tanya. . . will be there to cheer you up.”
“Roy. . .please. . .not now.”
The senior paramedic wasn’t sure if the pained expression on Johnny’s face was because of the bee sting or the thought of Tanya seeing him in this situation. But either way, Roy decided to spare Gage a reminder that he was now actually the one injured on the first rescue of the day.
~*~*~
After losing out twice on the idea of stopping by a grocery store or fast food place to get some ice, Johnny trodded into Rampart’s emergency entrance with his partner. His lip was starting to swell, so the chances of no one noticing that something was different were slim.
Roy noticed a familiar face at Dixie’s desk and smiled as he commented to Johnny, “I’m not sure how you’ll see it, but it seems this could be your lucky day.”
Gage scowled at him, too busy being miserable to notice what Roy had. “And just how do you figure that?”
“Tanya’s here,” he said as he motioned down the corridor.
The younger man’s mouth dropped open and he turned to head back the other way. Roy grabbed him by the arm, stopping him. “What about the ice pack?”
“It’s okay. I can wait till we get back to the station.”
“You can not. Your lip’s already swelling.”
“Okay, you get the ice pack and I’ll be in the squad.”
“Don’t you at least wanna see Dix?”
“Sure. When she’s got less. . .at least one certain less. . .people around her.”
Roy watched him round the corner just before the exit, then eyed Tanya. He got the feeling he’d missed something while he was home recovering after all.
~*~*~
“Dix says hi,” Roy said as he climbed in the squad. He handed an ice pack to Johnny.
The younger man took the item and placed it on his upper lip.
“She wanted to know where you were. I just told her you were in one of your moods.”
Johnny pulled the ice pack away and looked at him in wonder. “Oh thanks a lot!”
“Well, you didn’t want me telling her you almost swallowed a bee and got stung on the lip did you?”
“. . .no. . .no, not really,” he admitted.
“So I had to come up with something.”
“What’d she say after you told ‘er?”
“Nothin’. She just nodded.”
Johnny returned the ice pack to his lip and faced forward, his brow furrowed in puzzlement. What did it mean if she just nodded?
“Tanya said ‘hello’ too.”
Johnny snorted. “Yeah. . .the ‘hell’ part I believe,” he mumbled.
Roy brought the squad to a stop at a red light and glanced over at him in surprise. “What does that mean? She seems like a real sweet girl.”
The ice pack once again off, Gage looked at him. “Roy, that’s just it. Seems. Seems like a sweet girl is just it.”
The light changed to green and the senior paramedic drove across the intersection before asking, “I thought you liked her. I thought you wanted a date with her.”
“I did. Did--”
“Is the key word,” Roy interrupted with a nod. “Dixie said she was a sweet girl. What happened?”
“Dixie hasn’t ridden around the block with her, I guess.”
“And you have?”
Johnny turned in his seat to face his partner, the ice pack in his hand. He waved it about animatedly as he talked. “Roy, by what I thought was a stroke of ‘luck’, she overheard me tell Dix I needed to get a ride from the rental place to the garage where my Rover was at when it was ready. She offered. I accepted. She followed behind me to the Rent-A-Wreck and everything was great. It was a good deal. Then came the time to ride with her to the garage.”
“And?”
“She swore right and left. If a car was pulling into the street from a driveway or parking lot, well, I don’t wanna repeat what she called ‘em. If they ran a yellow light or stopped at a yellow light, they were called even worse! She swore like a sailor at just about every car we encountered on the road!”
“She did?”
“Yeah. ‘Course, I figured maybe she was in a bad mood. So I’d give her another chance. And maybe if I was drivin’, she’d mellow out.”
“Let me guess. She didn’t.”
“Nope. Swore again. I tell ya, Roy. . .it’s a shame. She’s beautiful, but I don’t think I’d even heard all the words she used. That’s how bad it is. You know, it’s enough to make a guy wanna cry.”
“So if she’s sweet at the hospital, why do you have to avoid her all together?”
“Because. She likes me and might ask me out. And if I’m lookin’ at her face, I don’t know if I can turn ‘er down.”
Roy glanced over and rolled his eyes as he pushed Gage’s hand with the ice pack up to the dark-haired man’s lip.
Johnny just faced forward and looked out the window while Roy continued on to the station, suddenly wondering why he’d been so eager to leave the sanity of his own home for this.
~*~*~
When they got back to the station, Johnny headed for the locker room to look at his lip while Roy went to the captain’s office. The senior paramedic rapped lightly on the doorframe when he saw Hank behind the desk.
Captain Stanley looked up. “C’mon in, Roy.” As the other complied, he offered, “What can I do for you?”
“I was just checking to see how you were doing. You know. . .with the insomnia. You look rested, but. . .”
“Oh, I am. Fortunately that ended about a week ago. And I sure hope that’s the last I see of it.”
“Any idea what caused it?”
“Nope. Never did figure it out. Maybe not knowing was the cause. . .later anyway.”
“Well, I’m glad it’s over with.”
Hank nodded. “So how are you doing? The ankle holding up okay?”
“It’s fine. At least I’m doing a lot better than Johnny,” he added in a mumble.
Hank leaned forward in surprise. “What happened to him now?”
Roy suddenly wished he could have the past ten seconds or so back. He hadn’t intended to comment about his partner loud enough for the captain to hear; hadn’t planned on it at all, for that matter. And now here he was stuck until he explained about the bee sting. Johnny was going to be furious. And he didn’t need an angry Gage working with him the remainder of the shift.
The captain was waiting expectantly while Roy tried to figure a way out of the situation. He was relieved when the klaxons sounded, which saved him from having to betray his friend. The squad was sent to a television studio for a possible heart attack.
~*~*~
Roy’s eyes widened when Johnny slid into the passenger seat of the squad. He wasn’t going to have to worry about his slip-up at all. There was no way the captain. . . or anyone else. . .would miss the younger man’s rather noticeable swollen upper lip once they returned.
Johnny brought the ice pack back up to the injury and took the call slip from Roy’s hand.
“Are you all right?” Roy asked in concern. Between the faint yellow bruising and small scab that remained from his ordeal with the car accident, and now the enlarged lip, he looked like he’d been in a boxing ring.
“Do ya hafta ask?”
No, he supposed he didn’t. Roy pulled the squad out into the street, lights and siren on.
~*~*~
When the paramedics arrived at the scene, Roy and Johnny grabbed their gear from the squad and quickly headed for the building they’d been escorted to from the main gate by security.
Once inside they were met by another employee who led them past the receptionist’s desk toward an elevator.
~*~*~
“He’s on Set Two,” the man directed as he led the firemen off the elevator. He’d already explained that they’d been filming a game show where contestants compete for a chance to grab all the money they can in a large clear booth while air blowers send bills flying all around inside. A fifty-two year old male who’d won the right to give it a try and had gotten ill just as the blowers sent the money into the air.
“Only problem is,” he informed them as they entered the stage, “he refuses to come out.” He motioned toward the booth across the way. Johnny and Roy stepped over cables and power cords, past two of the cameras that had been filming the show. The murmur of the live audience could be heard as they waited for the contestant to be taken care of, some displeased he’d caused the show to come to a stop.
When they got to the booth, Johnny stepped inside and did his best not to walk on the paper money scattered about on the floor. He squatted down beside the victim who was sitting up against one of the walls. “I understand you’re not feelin’ too well.”
“I’m. . . fine.”
He eyed the victim, noting the beads of sweat on his clammy skin as he held one hand to his chest. The other had a grasp on several of the green bills. “Uh huh. Well, why don’t you let my partner an’ I take a look at ya to see how ‘fine’ you are, Mr. . .uh. . .”
“Grayson. . . . Burt . . .Grayson.”
“Okay, Mr. Grayson, how ‘bout it?”
He shook his head.
Johnny glanced up at Roy. The senior paramedic tried to convey the possible urgency to the situation. “Look, Mr. Grayson, you could be a very sick man.”
Again he shook his head. “I’ve. . .waited. . .two years. . .for this. . .I’m . . .not give. . .giving up. . . now.”
“Well, I guess I’m just gonna hafta do it in here then.” Johnny took the BP cuff from Roy and set it down, first reaching for the man’s wrist to check his pulse. The move was met with a look of disdain, but Burt didn’t fight the unwanted attention.
Roy set up the biophone and waited for the vital signs. Once they were given, he relayed them to Doctor Early at Rampart. In the meantime Johnny worked to convince their patient he needed to be hooked up to the scope.
“It’s easier for the doctor to see what’s goin’ on with your heart. Now, whataya say? You wanna risk somethin’ goin’ terribly wrong and never gettin’ a chance to do this again or are ya gonna let us take care of ya?”
“I can . . .come back?”
The show’s producer was now just outside the booth and nodded. “Certainly. Just as soon as you’re well enough.”
He was about to give in when the producer added, “You’ll have to give back what’s in your hand though.”
Johnny sighed in frustration when they found themselves back at square one. However before too long they were able to get the victim to cooperate and soon he was on his way to Rampart, though still not happy with his temporarily lost chance to win a lot of money.
~*~*~
Johnny was careful to avoid Dixie’s desk once he arrived at the hospital after Roy and Mr. Grayson. He’d seen Tanya pass by it as he came in the corridor and didn’t want to risk her finding him if she came back. Instead he decided it was a good time to check on his lip in the men’s’ room mirror.
After several minutes, Roy peeked in, which startled his partner. “Relax, I don’t think Tanya would go this far. I had a feeling you’d be in here, though” he commented as he stepped in, allowing the door to close behind him. “You finished primping yet?”
Johnny scowled at the comment. “I was just seein’ if it’d gone down at all.”
“You know, Dix is starting to wonder what’s really up.”
“Why. What’dya tell ‘er this time?”
“That you were still in one of your moods”
The younger man spun around. “Ro-oy! Do ya hafta keep using that excuse?”
“It’s the only one that comes to mind that sounds believable.”
“Well, can’t ya tell ‘er that I’m. . .I’m. . .” he waved his hand animatedly as he tried to think of something to offer.
“What. . .”
“I don’t know. . .but there’s gotta be somethin’ else.”
Roy shook his head. “When you think of it, let me know. In the meantime, let’s get back to the station. I already put the new supplies in the squad.”
Johnny followed behind him, stealing a quick glance toward Dixie’s desk on the way out. She was busy talking to Doctor Brackett. He half wished he’d stopped by to say ‘hello’. He missed his favorite nurse.
~*~*~
As they headed back to the station, Johnny went on about how he’d never leave a pop can sit unattended where anything could get in into it without his knowledge. Roy glanced over at him, then quickly looked forward, just in time to see an aerosol can of sorts disappear from view as the squad ran over it.
With their windows open, the two men heard a loud ‘pop’ and immediately the odor of fresh paint filled the cab. At the same time, Johnny jerked away from the window when he felt wet droplets spatter his forearm that had been resting on the door.
“Ahh!”
He quickly surveyed the specks of bright pink on his skin in annoyance while Roy pulled over to the side of the street and brought the truck to a stop. Both paramedics climbed out right away. Their mouths dropped open when they saw pink paint sprayed on both right-side tires, hubcaps and lightly across the door and some of the panels of the side compartments.
“Oh man! Cap’s gonna flip. . .Charlie the mechanic is gonna flip!”
Suddenly a bee sting on the lip and having a reputation for being ‘in a mood’ didn’t seem so bad to Gage. But the pink dots on his arm he could do without.
Roy just continued to stare in disbelief at the bright paint. He was speechless.
~*~*~
Both Johnny and Roy dreaded the return to the station. One because his lip was still obviously swollen and the rest of the crew hadn’t seen it yet; and the other because he’d just added an unwanted paint job to the squad.
Johnny’s right. Cap and Charlie are gonna flip. . .
~*~*~
When they arrived at their destination and were parked in the apparatus bay, they exchanged glances.
“May as well get this over with,” Roy said with a sigh.
“What’re you gonna say?”
“I have no idea.”
But it didn’t matter. Chet, Marco and Mike came from the rear lot and saw the bright color.
“Wow, I was right,” Chet stated, his eyes fixed on the mess.
Johnny felt relieved about his situation. Everyone would be so focused on the squad’s passenger side, they likely wouldn’t notice he was sporting a puffy lip.
“What happened?” Marco wondered, his gaze also locked on the pink.
Gage climbed out of the truck and kept his head down as he motioned toward Roy, who was headed for the captain’s office.
“I was really right,” Chet repeated. “It’s not a DeSoto car again, but a DeSoto was behind the wheel of it and now look.”
Johnny shook his head as he continued on to the latrine again. Being that he was with his partner for the latest mishaps, and even a victim of a couple, he was beginning to wonder if the name Gage didn’t have more to do with it.
~*~*~
A short time later a replacement for the squad was brought over and Charlie the mechanic had taken the pink and red one to the shop, muttering “Firemen. . .they’re the worst thing that can happen to a squad; the worst thing,” as he left.
Hank sighed and shook his head. With that out of the way, he wondered how much longer he’d have to listen to Chet, Marco and Mike with their attempts at bad humor as they ribbed Roy about what happened.
His own reaction had been a jaw drop, followed by a ‘Good Lord!’ Beyond that, he didn’t know what to say.
~*~*~
With the engine crew out on a trash bin fire and his partner still obsessed elsewhere, Roy stood near the counter in the dayroom and took the last sip of juice from his glass, then placed it in the sink. He’d been thirsty having not finished his soda earlier in the day and figured it was luck to find some juice he assumed was left behind by C-shift. He’d rather have been home where he could have a beer. . . or three . . .after the paint mishap. But this would have to do.
A few minutes later, Marco and Chet came into the room and headed for the refrigerator just after Roy took a seat on the couch and picked up the paper.
“Well, that was a piece of cake,” Chet remarked as he grabbed the milk. He didn’t pay attention to Marco still staring in the refrigerator, but rather stepped over to a cupboard near the sink to get a glass. As he poured his milk, he glanced at his friend. “Hey, shut the door. You’re lettin’ all the cold air out.”
“It’s gone,” Marco stated, unmoving.
Chet reached in front of him and placed the milk carton back inside. “What’s gone?”
“My papaya juice. I didn’t finish it and I know I didn’t throw it away.”
Roy’s head shot up from the paper as soon as he heard the word ‘juice’.
“Well, Roy’s still hangin’ around and Johnny’s no where to be seen,” Chet stated. “That should give you an idea of what happened to it; the guilty party always flees the scene.”
“Who flew a scene?” Gage asked as he came in on the middle of the conversation, a hand casually covering his bee stung lip. “What happened?”
“Marco’s papaya juice. It’s gone.”
Marco shut the refrigerator door and stared at the dark-haired paramedic, Chet beside him doing the same.
“Wait a minute. Don’t tell me you’re blamin’ me. . .” Johnny forgot about his other problem and brought his hand down as he pointed to his own chest, then wagged his finger as he added, “Ooooh nooo. Man, it wasn’t me. I’ve been in the latrine lookin’ at my lip.”
Both men peered closer as they took notice of the swelling. Lucky for Johnny, it had gone down slightly. Still, Chet was about to make a comment when Roy cleared his throat and drew the fireman’s attention away. He slowly got to his feet. “It was me, Marco. I thought it was left from C-shift.”
Marco just shook his head as he left the room muttering in Spanish.
“He’ll cool off,” Chet assured.
“I’ll bet he’d cool off a whole lot quicker with some cold refreshing papaya juice,” Johnny offered with a snort. He quickly quieted when he got a look of disapproval from his partner. He noticed Chet staring at his lip again and realized his hand was no longer covering it. “All right, if ya gotta know, I got stung by a bee. There ya happy?” With that said, he walked out of the room.
Caught off guard at the admission, Chet didn’t know what to say. Instead he just turned to Roy.
The senior paramedic shook his head. He was more than ready for their latest time on duty to end.
~*~*~
Just before the start of the next shift, Roy came into the locker room and was relieved no one was around. He really wanted some peace and quiet for as long as he could get it. And after close calls of ending up on the bad side of Marco, Johnny and the captain during the previous duty, he didn’t want to chance starting out another that way. Of course Burt Grayson hadn’t been happy with either him or Johnny.
Roy opened his locker and began to unbutton his shirt when his partner came in all smiles.
“Good mornin’.”
“Well, you certainly sound happy.”
“Oh I am. I am.”
Roy continued to get changed, then looked over when he felt a stare. Johnny was eyeing him expectantly. “What?”
“Well, don’tcha notice anything?”
“Your lip looks normal again.”
“And?”
“Your chin’s about healed?”
The younger man beamed. “That’s right. And. . .”
“Another and?”
“Uh huh, and it’s a big one.”
“Well. . . shoot.” Just get it over with.
“Dwyer told me Tanya already hooked up with Troy over at 36’s. So all my problems are behind me now. I can even stop and chat with Dix again.”
“Great. That’s just great.” Roy turned to face his locker.
Johnny’s grin changed to a bewildered frown. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“C’mon, Roy. . .I know you better’n that. Somethin’s bothering you.”
“I don’t wanna talk about it.”
“Ahha!” Johnny quickly took a seat on the bench in front of the lockers and waited for a response. When none came, he egged his friend on. “C’mon, Roy, I’m here.”
The senior paramedic kept his attention on getting changed as he answered, “Yep, you sure are.”
“Well?”
Finally Roy turned to face him. “Look, I just want a little time alone. Since Joanne’s mother dropped in unexpectedly yesterday, it’s been non-stop.”
“Roy, why didn’t you say so?”
“I did. . .more or less.”
“Less.”
Roy rolled his eyes. What did a guy have to do to get a little time alone? “Just let me finish getting ready. I’ll tell you everything later.”
Johnny got up from the bench. “Sure. No problem.” As he headed for the door, he turned around. “But you will fill me in on the details later, right?”
“I’ll fill you in on the details later.”
Satisfied, the younger man left. Roy sighed. He was so sure a couple of days off from work were going to be a welcome change and then it happened. The telephone call from Joanne’s mother letting them know she was at the airport and needed a ride to their house. The kids were happy, especially since she brought them each a gift. But as expected, she didn’t make things easy on him.
Roy really hoped something else would grab his partner’s attention soon so that he wouldn’t have to relive the past day with his mother-in-law’s random hints that life would be so much easier for his family if he hadn’t become ‘just a fireman’.
~*~*~
By 9:30 the paramedics had inventoried the squad and completed their chores. Roy was glad they were assigned separate areas to work in so that he hadn’t had to make good on his promise yet.
There’s still hope I won’t have to. . .if I can just think of a way to keep Johnny distracted. . .
Suddenly the tones went off, interrupting his thoughts.
“Station 51, unknown type rescue, 2531 South Carber Street, two five three one South Carber Street, time out 9:35.”
The men hurried to their respective vehicles, the captain to the podium to acknowledge the call. Very soon they were on their way.
~*~*~
When the men arrived at the address, no one was outside waiting for them. Captain Stanley, Johnny and Roy hurried up to the porch of the one-story house while the other three engine crew members waited on the sidewalk.
Hank Stanley knocked on the front door. When no answer came after a brief moment, Roy and Johnny set their biophone and drug box on the porch and peeked in a couple of windows. The curtains were drawn, and they could only see a bit between cracks in the centers. Both shook their heads in reply to the unspoken question from their captain. He tried to turn the knob, but the door was locked.
“I’ll check the back door,” Johnny offered.
“Take Marco with you.”
Johnny gave a quick nod, then waved the fireman on as he hollered, “C’mon, Marco!”
“If he can’t get in, we’ll have to break a window or something,” Hank stated. He looked out at the neighbors gathering at the edge of the yard. “Anyone know who lives here?”
~*~*~
Johnny and Marco ran around to the rear of the house after unlatching a redwood gate that led to the back yard. They hurried onto the covered flag-stone patio and to the door. The paramedic knocked while Marco tried to peer into windows. The curtains were open in the kitchen, but no one could be seen. He shook his head.
“No one in there. Not that *I* can see anyway.”
Gage tried the door knob and smiled in victory when it turned freely. “All right.” He opened the door and peeked inside, taking note of the strong odor of incense. He stepped inside and called out, “Fire dep--”
The words stopped in his throat when he found himself with a blast of pepper spray in his face.
~*~*~
Hank glanced at his watch. It had been just over a minute since the others had gone around to the back. Time was slipping away and it looked as though they were going to have to break in after all. A couple of the neighbors had informed them that only a woman and her teenaged daughter lived at the home and the old blue Buick Skylark they owned had been gone for awhile, though no one could say for exactly how long. Common sense told him the girl was alone and in need of their assistance.
He knocked on the door again, giving it one last try. Still there was no answer. In the meantime, a patrol car arrived at the scene. It was always a relief to have an officer on hand when situations required the firemen to force their way into a place, especially facing an unknown situation.
~*~*~
Johnny instinctively raised his right forearm and closed his eyes in defense of the offending spray, at the same time absently taking a couple of steps backward.
Marco had been near him and caught enough of the chemical to react as well. But being just inside the doorway, he was able to make an immediate escape to the outdoors and fresh air.
“Ah. . . man. . .” Johnny choked out, his already bleary eyes open to slits. He tried to see who his attacker was and could barely make out the blurry image of a brown-haired teenaged girl as she took a step toward him, a small object in her hand. Her look of anger quickly turned to one of alarm and she dropped what she was holding as her hands went to her face.
Johnny’s eyes stung intensely and he couldn’t keep them open any longer. The paramedic blindly reached out and grabbed the distracted girl’s right arm. He pulled her in the direction of the doorway and soon both of them were in clean air. But the effects of the pepper spray were already in full force with both of them, more so with him. Not only were his eyes swollen shut, but his nose was starting to run, his throat burned and his skin stung where the spray had gotten on it. He knew better than to rub any irritated areas and hoped the girl did too.
“Marco. . . .” he choked out. He wondered if his friend was okay.
~*~*~
After a quick explanation from Captain Stanley, the police officer broke a front window and right away they recognized the smell of incense. Roy cleared out the rough shards of glass along the edges with his helmet. The three were about to climb inside when Marco came running around the front corner of the house.
“Cap!” His voice sounded husky.
When the others looked in his direction, he waved them on, “In . . .the back. . .hurry!”
“The victim must be there,” Hank stated as he took off after the fireman. Roy grabbed the biophone and drug box. He and the officer followed the captain, Chet soon with them. Mike stayed with the trucks in case they radioed for any needed supplies they didn’t have.
~*~*~
When they came around to the backyard, the men were shocked to see Johnny sitting on the ground, his eyes red, watery and swollen shut. He was sniffing frequently in an effort to keep his nose from running freely. The paramedic’s arms rested on his drawn up knees, his back against the house.
A young girl sat on the ground nearby him, her eyes red and puffy as well, tears running down her cheeks and her nose runny. Her shoulders shook with sobs, but she resisted wiping away any tears.
“Good grief, what happened?” Hank asked as he hurried to where Marco was informing Johnny help had arrived. His eyes didn’t look much better, but at least they were open.
“Some kind. . .of pepper spray,” Marco informed.
Johnny opened his mouth to make a remark between sniffs, but the words caught in his irritated throat and he just coughed instead.
Roy looked over from where he was with the girl after very quickly checking to see if his partner was better than he appeared. The police officer on the scene put the teenager under his custody so that she could be treated as necessary. He then hurried to his squad car to get a box of tissues, something desperately needed to save the pepper spray victims some dignity.
“Did she call for us?” the captain asked. Before he got an answer, he quickly shot his gaze to the girl, “Did you call for us?”
She shook her head. “Nancy. . .must’ve,” she strained out, a sob in between. She then grumbled, “My ex. . . best. . .friend.”
“I already asked, Cap,” Marco explained. “She won’t say. . . much more than that.”
There was a lot that needed explaining. Who called the fire department for sure and why; when the spray came into play; and how two of his men ended up being in need of treatment.
Hank called in the double Code I as Chet kneeled in front of Johnny. Roy tossed him a bottle of saline.
“Here, try to rinse his eyes with this. It’ll help.”
“What. . . is it?” the girl asked when she saw Roy open a bottle to use for her.
“Saline.”
“Can’t ya just. . .use water?”
He shook his head. “Uh uh. Water won’t do a thing. Pepper spray’s oil based. The only other option is to wait it out.”
“Man. . .” Johnny finally croaked out, his voice barely audible.
Once he’d reported his two men down for awhile, Hank took over on the biophone for Roy.
Though remaining in fresh air was most important after exposure to the defense chemical, the three victims would still need to wash any residual from the spray off their skin with soapy water. Roy also had Chet carefully remove Johnny’s blue shirt. Both Marco and Johnny, along with the girl, would be transported to Rampart to be checked over as a precaution.
Roy wished he could take back his thoughts on his partner needing a distraction from his problems. This wasn’t what he had in mind at all. And now he would likely tell him soon anyway, because Johnny would need a distraction from the misery caused by the pepper spray.
Chet sat back on his heels and shook his head as he took in Johnny’s pitiful appearance. “I guess we can’t blame this one on a DeSoto. Roy wasn’t exactly with ya this time.”
Johnny just groaned and sniffed as he held a tissue up to his nose, tears and saline running down his cheeks. If this was any indication as to how the rest of his day was going to go, that attitude Roy kept telling Dixie he had was going to become a reality.
~*~*~
About an hour after the pepper spray incident, Captain Stanley had his answers. Kim Mahoney was the teen’s name. Her mother had left the fourteen year old at home alone while she ran several errands. Once the mother was gone, Kim pulled out a marijuana joint and lit the incense to hide the smell. But her friend Nancy dropped by unexpectedly in the meantime. When Kim wouldn’t let her in, Nancy left and called the fire department to get her in trouble. However, not knowing the firemen had been dispatched to her home, Kim thought someone was breaking in, thus the reason she sprayed Johnny once he’d entered.
Hank sighed. This would be a morning they’d all remember for a long time to come.
~*~*~
Things had gone a little better for each of the men during their time on and off duty for the next few days once the pepper spray ordeal was over with. But as with all things in life, it couldn’t last forever.
With another shift starting, Roy came out of the captain’s office just in time to see John Gage gingerly come in through the open front bay doors. His gaze was locked on the floor as he disappeared behind the engine, likely headed for the locker room to get changed. Wondering why his partner wouldn’t be entering from the back lot, he looked out and caught sight of Johnny’s friend Stoney pulling away from the driveway in a silver-colored sedan.
A feeling of deja’vu hit for the second time since he’d arrived at work. First the captain had called him in to the office to confide that the insomnia was back. And now Gage was apparently without his Land Rover again.
I wonder what happened *this* time?
He figured he probably should feel guilty for his thoughts, but truth was, hearing others’ problems right now at least helped to take his mind off the fact his mother-in-law would still be at his home for another day once he got off duty. With that in mind, he headed for the locker room.
~*~*~
Johnny took a quick glance at the doorway when he heard someone come in. Having seen it was Roy, he immediately faced his locker again, but not soon enough.
“Is that a butterfly bandage on your chin?” Roy asked as he walked over. When he arrived at his locker beside his partner’s, it became obvious. “It is! What happened now?”
Johnny gently touched the cut and bruised area with his left fingertips. “Nothin’.”
“That’s hardly what I’d call ‘nothing’.”
“Roy. . .”
“Well, what happened? Are you okay?”
“Oh I’m great. Just great.” Johnny’s tone was heavy with sarcasm.
Roy leaned against his own locker, his arms folded across his chest. “This wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with Stoney giving you a lift in, would it?”
The reply was a sour look.
“Don’t tell me you wrecked your Rover again. . .”
Johnny shushed him as he glanced nervously around the room. “You want Chet or someone to hear ya? That’s the last thing I need. . . again.” He stepped into his uniform trousers, his shirt still unbuttoned and open. “No, I didn’t. . .well, not exactly. It wasn’t exactly my fault.”
“A girl?”
This time he got his answer in a different form. “Man, Roy, I don’t know how you managed to find a chick like Joanne, but you sure were lucky you did.”
“I started looking early.”
For the first time since he’d gotten to work, Johnny smirked. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“So what happened? Did you hook up with Candy again?”
“Nah. This teller at my bank I’ve been kinda flirtin’ with the past few months finally agreed to go out with me. Really cute chick; Pricilla’s ‘er name.”
Roy nodded for him to continue.
“Well, we went out to eat.”
“And you were so busy looking at her instead of watching where you were going, you got in an accident. . .”
“No, no, no.” He glanced at his watch. He only had a few minutes to finish his story or it would have to wait. “Just let me explain, would ya?”
“Sure.”
Johnny sat on the bench and slipped on a shoe. As he tied it he continued. “Good deal. Now, we get to the restaurant, sit down to order and what happens when she picks up the menu? One of her fingernails just pops off! Lands dead center on the table. She picks it up and sticks it back in place. It happened four more times after that! On the floor, in her salad twice, once in mine! And just as before she’d just pick it up, put it back in place and carry on like nothin’ happened. I knew they were fake after the first time. . .that was obvious. But it’s just the idea, ya know?” he added with a look of disgust.
Roy couldn’t figure out quite how this involved the Land Rover, but he was sure it had to tie in somehow. He just kept quiet and listened.
“Anyway, if I’d seen what was comin’ next, I’da had her leave the nail off. I’m drivin’ down the street when she reaches over to change the radio station and all of a sudden her nail pops off again! And it landed on the floor on the other side of my right foot!”
“Don’t tell me. . .”
Johnny nodded as he put on his other shoe. “She just undid her seatbelt and dove under to pick it up in one swift motion! I tried to hit the brake, but there was no room to move my feet! I glanced down a split second and next thing I know. . . bam!” he smacked his left fist against his open right hand. “We rear ended a pickup truck that’d stopped at a light. Luckily I was at least off the gas pedal, so it wasn’t as hard of a hit as it could’ve been if I’d still been accelerating. But my chin hit the steering wheel. . .again. She just ended up with a sore right side, probably some bruising. And you know what she says to me while we’re waitin’ for the police and fire department to get there?”
Roy shook his head ‘no’, though the question didn’t really require an answer.
“She says, ‘Johnny, I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to go out with you again. You’re not a very safe driver’. Me. . .not a safe driver. Forget that she’s a dangerous passenger,” he snorted. “I tell ya, Roy. Between the bad luck lately with dates and my Rover being wrecked . . .twice. . .it really is enough to make a grown man wanna cry. . .”
Roy smiled knowingly. He hated to remind his partner that even when he got those two things in his life in order, there were plenty of other annoyances and problems just around the corner. They all could testify to that.
Thanks to Jill Hargan for the beta read until I got farther into the story and for looking at my pepper spray scene. :o) Also thanks to the people I know who inspired this story, including Jill, the extra slow turning senior citizens around town, my husband, a friend at work, and my daughter and her friend when they gave fake fingernails a try. :o)
Also, I realize that a car never drives the same after it’s been in an accident, and would likely be even worse after two. The accidents in the story are meant to be in humor, and you as a reader can decide if Johnny decided it was time for a new Land Rover after accident number two. :o)
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