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Story Template
Roy 1)______ glanced out the ambulance window as he prepared to take Johnny's vital signs again. Judging from the 2)______ and other familiar landmarks, he estimated that the trip to Rampart should take about ten more minutes...ten very long, awkward minutes. He sighed as he re-inflated the blood pressure cuff and positioned the stethoscope's diaphragm above his partner's 3)______. Roy knew he should be 4)______ that Johnny's injuries weren't more 5)______, but all he could think about was about how he had contributed to the unfortunate accident at the station. He and his shift-mates had just wanted to surprise Johnny with a harmless little birthday party. How could things have gone so terribly wrong so fast? The senior paramedic suddenly became aware of Johnny's 6)______ gaze, and quickly averted his 7)______ as he removed his stethoscope and draped it around his neck. "Johnny, I'm so, so sorry about this," Roy apologized. Johnny slowly let out a/an 8)______ before he responded to his guilt-stricken partner. "Roy, cut it out. It wasn't your fault." "But..." Johnny 9)______ Roy's 10)______ with his heavily bandaged hand. "Look, these things just happen, okay? That's why they're called accidents." "But I should have been paying better attention!" Roy protested. "If I had noticed that Chet was going to spray Silly String across the cake, I never would have lit the candles when I did. 11)______! And I can't believe I froze like that when the string ignited! For crying out loud, I'm a firefighter/paramedic, and I was too stunned to help you when your hands, 12)______ and 13)______ became engulfed in flames, or when you tripped over the 14)______ 15)______ and hit the back of your head and sprained your 16)______ when you fell backward. Johnny, I can't tell you how 17)______ I am." The injured paramedic rolled his 18)______ in exasperation. "Roy, quit 19)______ yourself. It was a freak accident, okay? And it's not like you were the only one who was surprised when everything happened. I think EVERYBODY was 20)______ around like a bunch of 21)______ 22)______, even Cap. It's a good thing Mike's always cool as a/an 23)______ in a crisis. I mean, who else would have thought to douse me with 24)______ when the fire extinguisher malfunctioned?" A ghost of a smile slowly crept across Roy's face. "Yeah. I guess it wasn't exactly our finest hour, huh?" "What was your first clue?" Johnny teased 25)______. "When Cap forgot to contact dispatch to request an ambulance, when Marco dropped the biophone on his foot, when you 26)______ your fingers opening the drug box or when Chet...well, was just being Chet?" Roy's expression grew serious again. "Chet really feels 27)______ for causing you to get hurt." "I know the little troll didn't mean for the Silly String to catch fire and turn me into a human torch. Like I said earlier," Johnny stressed, "It was an ACCIDENT." Despite the pain from his burns and other injuries, he managed a half-hearted crooked grin. "But if Chet wants to volunteer to 28)______ the 29)______ from top to bottom with a/an 30)______, hang 31)______ or scrub the latrine with a/an 32)______ 33)______ for a couple of months so I don't have to, I won't try to talk him out of it. Actually, if I play my cards right, this could turn out to be the best birthday ever." Johnny closed his eyes, prepared to slip into oblivion, but his partner had other ideas. Roy 34)______ 35)_____ the younger man's 36)______ as he issued a stern admonishment. "Johnny, you need to stay awake. You have a concussion." "Huh?" "You hit your head when you fell, remember? Your 37)______ are 38)______ and sluggish, and you were unconscious and 39)______ for a few minutes. Dr. Brackett is going to need to x-ray that hard head of yours, and will probably want to perform a/an 40)______, 41)______ or even a/an 42)______ before he'll give you anything for pain or let you sleep." Johnny 43)______ as he reluctantly opened his eyes. "Yeah, and with my luck, Dr. Early will order a/an 44)______ and need to 45)______ my 46)______, too." Roy nodded sympathetically. "I'm sorry..." "Roy..." "I was just going to say that I'm sorry that you're gonna have to spend your birthday in the hospital." "Oh." Johnny shifted his position on the gurney slightly so that it was easier to see his partner's face. "Well, maybe it won't be too bad. Who knows? I might be able to finagle a date or two while I'm stuck in a hospital bed. And if I'm really lucky, the nurses might let me 47)______ some 48)______ while I'm here." Roy laughed. "That's one way to look at it I suppose. If life gives you lemons, just make 49)______." An uncomfortable silence hung in the air as the ambulance pulled into the hospital's driveway. Johnny 50)______ cleared his throat as he rested his gauze-wrapped hand on his friend's. "Hey, Roy?" "What?" "Tell the guys thanks for everything. I know the party didn't exactly turn out like you planned it, but I appreciate the thought. That means a lot to me." "I will." "And Roy?" "Yeah?" "Next year just give me a card or a/an 51)______ 52)______ for my birthday. I don't want to get in the habit of spending all my birthdays at Rampart."
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