The Sky Has Fallen
By Linda Reiche

Dixie leaned her back against the counter and watched Johnny rattle the coffee cups in his search for a clean one. "So, Johnny, what are you doing this weekend? A hot date, I'll bet?"

Johnny turned triumphantly tangling a cup from his fingers. With a sly glance at Roy he answered, "Watch it, you'll loose. I am foregoing a weekend with the woman of my dreams, who I haven't met yet anyway, to watch Jennifer and Chris while Roy and Joanne go to a reunion." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively on the last word.

Dixie tilted her head. She had caught the mischievous twinkle in Johnny's eyes. "Ohhh?" said Dixie, raising an eyebrow at Roy. "A reunion?"

Roy tried to ignore the innuendo behind her words. His face reddened as his eyes darted around the hallway, looking for an escape that wasn't there. "Yes. It's our high school's 25th anniversary. And since Johnny so generously volunteered to watch the kids, we've decided to go."

"Yah. Back to Sacramento to relive the good old days – school dances, locker-room gossip, drive-in movies…" Johnny wiggled his eyebrows again, smirking.

"Hmmm, sounds very… nostalgic," agreed Dixie, watching Roy closely. She could see the blush deepening on Roy's face. It was a rare sight to see. Usually it was Johnny that ended up blushing. She looked over at Johnny and they nodded at each other knowingly.

Roy caught the look. "Would you two stop that!" he ordered. "It's only a high school reunion."

Johnny put an innocent look on his face. "Sure Roy. Anything you say. You and Joanne are going home for a high school reunion. That's all. Right?"

"Right," said Roy with a touch of defiance.

Once again Johnny and Dixie looked at each other before bursting out in laughter. "Well, I hope you and Joanne enjoy yourselves," offered Dixie. "I'm sure that Johnny has lots of interesting things planned for the kids."

"Yup. We're all going riding on Saturday. Then it's just me and Jennifer on Sunday. We're going to Sonoma Park Zoo while Chris is off with his Scout troop. They'll be nice and tired by the time Roy and Joanne get back Sunday night."

"I'm sure that Roy and Joanne will appreciate a good night's sleep." Dixie hid a smile as Roy's face reddened again.

Johnny wasn't so discrete. He was enjoying the turn-about teasing. Usually he was picked on, not Roy.

Time to help Roy out a bit, thought Dixie. She moved away from the counter and slipped her arm in Johnny's. "So Johnny. Would you like some company on Sunday?"

Johnny looked at her in surprise. "Company?"

"Yes. Company. I've never been to the Sonoma Park Zoo." She winked across at Roy. "And besides, how do you know that you haven't met the woman of your dreams yet?"

Johnny was speechless, staring first at Dixie's and his interlocked arms, then at Dixie's face. He often flirted with her, but she never seriously flirted back. He didn't exactly know where this was going. "Yeah, sure. Of course, you can come with us if you want." He continued nervously, "I have to drop Chris off at the meeting place at 8, then I was going to give Jennifer a riding lesson, groom the horses, have lunch, then head for the zoo at noon, Chris has to be picked up at 5:30, and -"

Dixie laughed as she patted his arm with her free hand. "Relax, Johnny, relax. My six-year old niece is visiting with me on Sunday and I had planned on visiting the zoo, too." She let go of his arm and leaned against the counter again. She could see Roy grinning from ear to ear. "It will be more fun for her if she has someone her own age to play with."

An expression of relief crossed Johnny's face. Dixie was a beautiful woman, but he thought of her as a friend, not as a...He stopped himself. He didn't want to complete that thought.

"I had you going, didn't I, John Gage?" Dixie's eyes flashed with laughter.

Johnny grinned. This is what he was used to. "You're right, Dixie. For a minute there, I really thought that you had finally realized that I was the man for you," he teased back.

Roy and Dixie shook their heads in wonder. Johnny would never change.

"Jennifer and I would love the pleasure of your company. We'll pick you and your niece up at noon, okay?" he continued.

~E!~

The two little girls had taken to each other instantly. Giggles and non-stop chatter had floated over the high front seat of the Rover for the entire ride to the zoo. Johnny and Dixie had been kept on their toes answering questions that would fly toward them without warning. Johnny had rolled his eyes once in amazement when Sylvia had asked a question that had nothing to do with the conversation she was having with Jennifer. Then they resumed the conversation as if it had never stopped.

Dixie had caught him and said, "What's so strange about that. You do that whenever you're stuck on one of your wild schemes."

He had answered, "No, I don't."

To which Dixie had countered very deliberately, "Oh, yes, you do. Ask Roy, ask any of the guys. Your mind jumps around like a Mexican Jumping Bean."

A curious voice that had called from the backseat proved that children really did listen to adults a lot of the time, even if they chose not to admit it. "Mexican Jumping Bean? Is it at the zoo, too?"

"No, I don't think so, Jenny. But apparently they're here in this car," Johnny had answered dryly.

The "Where? Where? Show us!" that had sounded after his comment had caused him and Dixie to break out in laughter. Johnny had waved his right hand at Dixie, "You started it, you explain it."

Johnny grinned at the memory. This outing had been non-stop laughter. Everyone was enjoying themselves. "Okay. What's next on our list?" Johnny asked Jennifer and Sylvia.

"The African animals!" chorused the girls as they grabbed Johnny's and Dixie's arms and started pulling them toward the Africa Zone entrance.

Jennifer added, "We want to see the lions and tigers and –

"- elephants and giraffes and zebras," finished Sylvia.

"Whoa, now!" laughed Johnny, not resisting the pull too much. He caught Dixie's eye and wiggled the fingers on his free hand.

Dixie thought for a moment, then grinned and nodded.

Almost simultaneously they reached under the girls' tugging arms and started to tickle their ribs. Both girls dissolved into shrieks of laughter as they tried to dodge the tickling and do some of their own. Hands and hair flew every which way as the two adults and two children wiggled and twisted.

The people that were strolling by stopped for a moment to watch. It was difficult to see who was tickling whom. Smiles crossed their faces. They were all thinking that this family certainly loved each other a lot.

"Okay, okay," said a breathless Dixie a few minutes later. "We give up. You win. Right, Johnny?"

Johnny ran his hand through his hair and grinned. "Yeah, you two are just too much for us."

Sylvia and Jennifer exchanged a satisfied look. "Good," said Jennifer. "Because we won, you have to go where we want to." Sylvia nodded in agreement.

"Okay," replied Dixie. "But I bet I know where you want to go – the Africa Zone!"

The girls giggled again.

"Well, what are we waiting for – let's go!"

~E!~

Johnny sighed and looked at his watch again. What in the world are they doing in there? They definitely aren't putting on makeup. Johnny moved away from the bench he had been leaning against. Taking one last hopeful look at the ladies restroom entrance he wandered toward the first exhibit. With every second step he swung his head back, ready to turn around and go back to meet them if they emerged. Nothing.

It didn't take long to reach the railing alongside the exhibit, even with his stop and go pace. Sighing again, he leaned back against the metal railing, watching the restroom door. The day had been perfect so far. Sunny with a nice breeze to cool them down. The flowers in the areas between the exhibits were just starting to bloom. Johnny could smell the strange mingling of scents – floral and fauna – that you could only find at a zoo like this. It was different from his ranch, but just as pleasant. He glanced at the paths winding through the tall trees, everything was empty, almost as if he were the last person in here.

Johnny was startled from his reverie by a panicked yell. Swinging around he gasped in disbelief. How the hell had that kid got in there! The sound of running feet came at him from the right.

"Hey! Hey! Get help!" Johnny grabbed at the kid that ran past him. Eyes wide in fear, the kid seemed intent on getting away. He slithered out of Johnny's grasp and raced away, sneakered feet scattering the gravel along the path.

Johnny wasn't sure if the kid would do what he asked. He hoped he would. But right now it was the other kid that held Johnny's attention.

The ostrich had connected with one of its powerful legs, sending the boy and his bicycle flying. Johnny winced as the boy crashed to the ground, flattening the tall grass and sending up a small cloud of dirt. That's got to hurt, thought Johnny as he leaned over the railing, searching for a way into the area.

The bird advanced again with wings flapping and neck outstretched in anger.

He didn't have any choice. The kid would never survive without help. The power of that kick had showed him how deadly that bird could be.

In less than a heartbeat he gripped the waist high metal railing that separated the graveled walkway from the animal enclosure and vaulted over it, eyes focused on the scene 100 yards away.

The drop into the pen was deceptive. It wasn't only three feet below the path. It was close to eight feet. The gentle slope up to the main habitat had fooled him.

A moment after his mind registered his mistake, his body reacted. Years of horseback riding had taught him to relax before hitting the ground. Once there, he would roll to dissipate the energy and cushion the landing. If the fall was flat, the energy had no place to go; the body's bones and tissues suffered as a result.

Johnny let his knees buckle as he tumbled onto his shoulder and rolled. The soft sand was a bonus. From experience Johnny knew that the drop and roll would work on rock and pavement, although not quite as effectively as softer surfaces. It also tended to hurt more, particularly when energy other than gravity helped it along.

Four…five rolls to the side, then Johnny pulled his legs under him and he was off and running. In the corner to his right he saw how the teenager had managed to get in. A rope dangled from the railing, the section nicely screened by a row of evergreen shrubs.

"Stupid kids," muttered Johnny as he ran across the ankle high grass. "Don't they have anything better to do!"

At least the kid was still moving. He was scrambling around on his side in the grass using his damaged bicycle as a shield to deflect the bird's beak.

Johnny ran toward the boy, flapping his arms and yelling. He hoped that it would scare off the ostrich and give them some time to get under cover.

Oh, oh! thought Johnny as his long legs ate up the ground. Maybe this isn't going to work! The bird hadn't altered its attack on the boy at all.

He was now 10 yards away and yelling like a banshee. Finally, the bird swung its head toward him. A tiny head on a very long neck. It paused, then flapped its stubby wings. A second later it was off and running, voice squawking in distress.

Yes! cheered Johnny. It was headed for the small grove of trees in the back corner.

The teenager stopped pin-wheeling his bike around and lay shaking under it. He was pale and breathing in short gasps. His face had a dazed expression on it. Johnny wasn't sure if it was the result of an injury or a realization that he had gotten himself in way over his head. There didn't seem to be any visible trauma – no welts or cuts from the bird's beak.

"Hey, kid! Are you okay?" Johnny asked. "Come on, we've got to get out of here!"

The boy stared at him as if he had two heads.

Keeping a close eye on the retreating bird, Johnny moved the battered bicycle to one side and knelt beside the boy. "Kid! Hey, kid! Are you hurt?" Johnny reached over and shook his slender shoulder.

The shake brought the boy out of his daze. "I…I…I hurt my ankle," he stuttered, reaching down toward his bent right leg.

"Hold on. Let me take a look." Johnny gently ran his hands along the ankle bone above the boy's sneaker. "It feels like it might be broken."

Johnny paused, his eyes focused on two figures in the distance. "We've got to move, your friend is heading back. And he's bringing a friend with him."

"Timmy?"

"Timmy?" Johnny echoed. "No, I meant the ostrich." He reached down and grabbed the boy around the waist with his right arm. Once he was on his feet Johnny grabbed up the bicycle with his left hand. "Put your arm around my shoulder. We're going to head for the nesting hut over there. I'm going to use your bike to give us some protection until help arrives."

The nesting hut was only 20 feet away. It sort of looked like a helmet standing on it's straps. The 8 foot diameter dome-shaped roof was supported on two sides by 8 foot tall boards. The boards weren't very wide, only about two feet, but they would provide some protection.

Yah, thought Johnny as he helped the boy hobble along. One out of four sides protected. But there's no place else to go. We'll never make it back to the railing.

The distance between them and the advancing ostriches was decreasing at an alarming rate. Their powerful legs were kicking up clumps of grass and dust.

Johnny gauged the distances. It was going to be tight. He figured he'd get there moments before the birds did. I hope Timmy has sounded the alarm. He didn't have the time to glance back at the railing. It's a busy place, somebody must have come along.

"When we get there, lie down with your back against the boards. I'll use your bike to fend them off." Johnny instructed. "Stay still and don't move."

The hut was almost within reach. Johnny could hear the pounding of the ostriches feet over the pounding of his heart. Oh, man! They are getting close.

Finally. Johnny could let go of the boy who instantly slumped to the ground and huddled against the boards. He barely managed to swing the bike up on its back wheel when the birds were there. Oh man! They are huge!

The information board had said that an ostrich could reach a height of 8 feet and 350 lbs. Johnny knew what 8 feet was, but it hadn't made much of an impression on his mind. Until now. Eight feet of irate bird. Make that 16 feet, there were after all, two of them.

Stubby wings stretched out to the side as the two birds heads bobbed forward. The broad beaks weren't sharp, not like a hawk. They wouldn't rip through his skin, but they would bruise or even break bones if enough force was applied. Those thoughts zipped through Johnny's mind as he fought to keep the bicycle between the birds and their targets. He didn't want to hurt them. They were just following their instincts and defending their territory. But he didn't want them to reach him or the boy either. Sweating he swept the bicycle to one side, defecting the male's beak. The back tire smacked up against the brown female who squawked in protest and backed out of sight.

"Oh, oh, where'd the female go?" Johnny darted a quick look to the sides. He couldn't see her. He also couldn't see anyone at the railing. "Man, where is everybody? This place was crawling with people five minutes ago."

The male took advantage of Johnny's momentary lapse in concentration and darted forward. Johnny thrust the bicycle out barely blocking the descending beak. He took a quick breath while the bird flapped backwards. He didn't think he could keep this up much longer. The birds were fast and determined.

Johnny caught a glimpse of the female. She was across the hut from him and turning away. Good, he thought, she's going –

A thump rang out, followed by a loud snapping sound. The sound a wooden board makes when it breaks. Johnny saw the broken upper ends of the board plummet toward him. The roof came with it. Without conscious thought he flung the bicycle to one side and twisted as he dived for the ground, trying to avoid the falling roof.

He wasn't fast enough. The blue sky was replaced by a sudden darkness that fell over him and block out everything. A crazy thought from one of Jennifer's story books popped into his brain before it was replaced by a flood of red, then darkness.

The sky has fallen, shrieked Chicken Little.

~E!~

"Okay, girls. It's time we finished in here. Johnny will be wondering where we are." Dixie smiled at the two giggling little girls who continued to make faces in the mirrors. They were fascinated by the images they saw. Admittedly, the mirrors weren't your ordinary mirrors. The slight warps in the floor length, unbreakable mirrors distorted everything. Sort of like the mirrors in a funhouse – first you were fat, then you were thin. It was a little disconcerting to look at. You were never quite sure if you had put your lipstick on properly. As a result the women tended to avoid looking into them. Little girls, on the other hand, couldn't stay away.

Jennifer and Sylvia made a few more faces at the mirror before reluctantly turning. "Oh Dixie, I wish I had one of those at home," said Jennifer wistfully. "Me and my friends would have sooo much fun!"

"Well now, it might be fun. But just think about what Chris and his friends would say if they saw you in the mirror," Dixie commented.

Jennifer frowned. "Yah, Chris would make fun of us. He'd say we wouldn't need a mirror to look silly." She looked very solemnly at Dixie. "You know, brothers can be a real pain."

Dixie laughed. "Yes, they can be a pain sometimes, but most times you're glad that you have them." She placed her hands on the girls backs and gently herded them out of the restroom. "After all, Sylvia wouldn't be here having so much fun with you if I didn't have a younger brother."

"Hmmh," said Jennifer thoughtfully. "Sounds like younger brothers are more useful than big brothers. Think Mom and Dad could trade Chris in for a little brother?"

Dixie struggled to hold in her laughter. "I don't think so. I'm afraid you're stuck with Chris."

"Drats!"

"I'm glad I don't have any brothers," said Sylvia. "They don't sound nice at all. I'd rather have a puppy."

"Actually brothers are really very nice. Jennifer might not think that now, but when she's older, she'll see that Chris is a nice brother to have." Dixie could remember all the times that she had moaned to her parents about her tag-a-long brother. Twenty-five years later it was a different story. With their busy lives they didn't get much of a chance to see each other anymore.

Jennifer looked doubtful. "I don't know. A puppy sounds better than Chris."

Dixie shook her head in amusement. "Wait and see." She glanced around the rest area. It was practically deserted. The groups that had been there before had vanished. Several dozen yards away she could see a few people walking past the entrance to the Africa Zone. The quiet was a welcome change from the low rumbling of a crowd. Various sounds drifted on the air – the squawk of a large bird of some sort, the whistles and chirps of the native songbirds. A light wind rustled the leaves of the trees. Dixie could almost imagine herself out on an isolated African plain.

"Now where do you suppose Johnny has gone to?" Dixie asked.

Jennifer and Sylvia looked around and shrugged. "I don't see him," said Jennifer.

"Well," said Dixie. "He probably got bored waiting for us to come out. We were in there for a very long time. Maybe he went to look at the animals."

"Yah," agreed Jennifer. "Uncle Johnny hates to stand around and wait. Daddy says he never stops moving."

"Your dad is right," Dixie laughed. "Johnny is a perpetual motion machine."

Seeing a question in their eyes, she quickly added, "That means he is always moving. Why don't we go over to the animals and see if we can find Johnny? He won't have gone too far."

With a giggle the girls were off, skipping along the cobblestone path to the first exhibit. Dixie strolled behind them, keeping an eye out for Johnny's gray and green shirt. In this area, he'd blend in perfectly with the grass and trees. The zoo had done an outstanding job of making each exhibit look like the area it represented. The Africa Zone had large 30 acre landscaped pens that each housed several species of animals. Animals that wouldn't eat each other. The lions, tigers and hyenas had more segregated, but equally realistic pens.

The girls stopped their skipping at one of the multi-species habitats. Ankle high grass rippled in the wind making the plain appear larger than it was. A group of tall shady trees filled one corner. Dixie moved to the information board. "This one has gazelles, zebras and ostriches."

"I see the zebras," called Sylvia. "They're over there by the trees. They look like they're sleeping."

"Yah," agreed Jennifer. "Most of them are standing and sleeping. Just like Johnny's horses. There, you can see them swish flies away with their tails." She turned her attention to the open plain. "There's the ostriches! It looks like they've built a nest on the ground. I wonder if they have any babies?"

Two awkward looking birds, one black, one tan, poked their beaks at a tall pile of sticks and thatch. Dixie couldn't really tell from this distance, but the nest looked pretty solid. It was an almost perfect half-sphere, three feet high and eight feet across. The ground around it was uneven, torn up by the birds strong feet. A short, ragged wooden wall guarded one side. Strange, the center of the nest looked high and solid. Must be an illusion. They probably banked it to create a hollow for the eggs.

"Why aren't they sitting on the nest?" asked Sylvia.

"Maybe they don't have any eggs yet," suggested Dixie. "Let's see what the information board says."

They walked along side the railing to the large green and white board. Dixie helped the little girls read the words out loud. "There, you see. It's still a little early for eggs. Maybe we'll come back in a few weeks to see the chicks."

"Yah," giggled Jennifer. "I wonder if they'll look funnier than their parents."

"They do look pretty funny," smiled Dixie. The birds had finished poking at the nest and had wandered a few yards away. Their tiny heads moved constantly, scanning their surroundings. It was an awkward combination of body parts. Tiny heads on long skinny necks attached to big feathery bodies and long muscular legs. They didn't look like they'd survive on the African plains, but the board had noted that a kick from one of those feet could kill young lion. Five hundred pounds per square inch of force was enough to break ribs, and any other bone in a body. Not my idea of a house pet, thought Dixie.

~E!~

A frightened voice called out in the darkness, "Mister! Mister! Are you okay?"

Fred held his breath, listening for an answer.

Nothing.

Nervously he reached out, moving his hand across the sand. The boards that he huddled behind weren't standing up anymore. They were pressing across his back, held in place by the weight of the hut's roof. He couldn't move very much and when he did, everything hurt.

There, his hand stopped when it touched the jean covered leg of his would-be rescuer. Fred shook the leg, hoping it would wake the man.

Nothing.

"Help! Help!" Fred called out weakly, hoping that his voice would carry across to the path.

"Squawk!"

A moment later Fred flinched as beaks tapped angrily against the thatched roof.

"Noooo!" he whimpered. "Go away, go away!" Scared, he closed his eyes and hoped that his friend Timmy would come back with help.

~E!~

"Squawk!"

Dixie and the girls stopped and turned to look back at the ostriches. The birds, wings flapping, had run back to the nest. Their heads bobbed up and down as they once again poked at the nest.

"Do you think there's something bad in the nest? Maybe a snake?" asked Jennifer.

"Maybe," said Dixie. "What ever it is, I think that the birds can handle it. They have very sharp claws and strong legs. And the zoo isn't like their real home. The zoo workers keep the animals safe from danger. We have to go find your Uncle Johnny."

Fifteen minutes later, they were back at the restroom building after having walked around the nearby paths. "Now, where in the world could Johnny be?" asked Dixie. Her hands were on her hips as she slowly turned around, searching the paths for her wayward friend.

Plenty of people, but not one of them was the dark-haired paramedic.

"Maybe he's found a pretty girl to talk to," giggled Jennifer. "Uncle Chet says that Johnny has girl radar."

"I certainly hope not," said an exasperated Dixie. "He is supposed to be with us." Silently she added, John Gage, if you're off girl chasing, I'm going to strangle you.

"Should we go to Lost and Found, Aunt Dixie? Maybe they can look for him," offered Sylvia.

Dixie chuckled, "Maybe if Johnny was a little boy. I don't think that they'll go looking for a grown man. Let's leave a note by the ladies restroom telling him to meet us at the cafeteria. I think we could all use an ice cream cone. What do you say?"

"Yah, vanilla!"

"Yah, chocolate!"

Dixie quickly scribbled a note, folding it in half and writing J. Gage on the back in big bold letters. Reaching up, she slid it partially behind the black wooden frame of the restroom sign. Johnny couldn't miss the white sheet against the red brick of the building.

"Okay girls, let's go."

Once again the girls skipped ahead of her, chattering happily. John Gage, you'd better have one hell of an explanation for this, fumed Dixie.

Unnoticed behind them, the two ostriches stood guard near their nest, listening intently for any sound.

~E!~

"Nobody's going to find us," moaned Fred quietly. His hands pushed aimlessly at the sand under him. "Do they feed the ostriches? They must feed them. They'll notice the broken hut then. They'll come and investigate. Oh when do they feed them?"

The quiet under the fallen roof was unnerving. It was so dark that Fred could only see his hand if he held it right up to his face. The man who had tried to help him still hadn't moved. Fred hoped that he was still alive. The thought of being trapped with a dead body gave him the creeps.

"Hey!" Fred called out loudly without thinking.

Then he froze. Had the birds heard that?

Not daring to even breathe, he waited for the squawk and angry tapping of beaks to start again.

No. Nothing. He was still safe.

Now he could think of the reason he had called out. The boards weren't pressing into his back as much anymore. His aimless pushing of sand had carved out a hollow for his body.

He tried an experimental wiggle. If he dug some more, he just might get free. At least free to move, he amended. Getting out from under this dome without help wasn't on his list of things to do.

Quietly he started pushing the sand out to the side. I must look like one of those sea turtles digging a nest for eggs, he thought suddenly. The image of the hut roof as his shell almost made him forget to be quiet. Almost, but not quite. The ostriches had looked silly. Small heads, skinny necks. He hadn't believed the sign when it said that an ostrich's kick could kill a lion. He did now. They still looked silly, but he never wanted to see one of those tiny heads poking down at him ever again.

"There," he whispered. He took a deep breath, then carefully used his arms to pull himself clear of the fallen boards.

There wasn't enough room to sit up. Maybe if he moved in toward the center, where the dome was taller, he'd be able to sit up.

Fred could feel the bruises on his body. His ankle throbbed like the dickens, too. But other than that, he felt okay. He was lucky that he'd been lying down when the roof fell.

Okay, cowering in the sand would be more accurate, he told himself..

He crawled slowly along side the man's body. I hope this guy's okay, he thought again. Boy was he brave. Running at the ostrich, then fighting them off. Fred didn't think that he would have done that. He would have run away just like Timmy had.

Thunk!

"Ow!" he cried, forgetting to be quiet. He stopped and rubbed his forehead. A crossbeam. It must run across the middle of the roof.

"Squawk!"

Then, "Thud, thud".

Once again Fred froze in fear. The thuds were right over his head. And they sounded mean. With a silent whimper Fred huddled down into the sand again.

~E!~

Dixie paced along one side of the cafeteria gate. Her eyes flitted back and forth from the girls playing cards to the zoo exit gate. It was the only exit from the park. Johnny had to come in this direction eventually. She was starting to get very worried. It just wasn't like Johnny to disappear like that.

She looked at her watch, then back at the Jennifer and Sylvia. The girls had long ago finished their ice creams amidst much giggling and talking. Browsing through the zoo gift shop had used up another half hour and provided the Animal rummy cards. They looked like they could play for hours.

It had been two hours since Johnny had disappeared.

Dixie continued her silent debate with herself. After she had calmed down, she could think of many reasons why he wouldn't have left them, but not one of why he would. Sure he might chat up a pretty woman for a while, but when he's watching Jennifer, she is never far from his mind. Dixie had seen him leave a group of nurses when Jennifer had asked him to play at last years Firemen's Picnic. He was devoted to Jennifer.

A park security guard strolled by, eyes lazily moving across the customers wandering in and out of the zoo shop. Dixie hesitated for a moment, then motioned the man over.

"Yes, ma'am. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm a little worried," explained Dixie. "We came to the zoo with our friend John Gage and now we can't find him. We haven't seen him for over two hours."

The guard pulled out his notebook, silently wondering why the woman had waited so long to report a missing child. "I haven't heard a report of a child being found. Can you describe him for me?"

Dixie worried her lip a moment. "He's not a child. He's an adult."

The guard looked up, his pen hovering over the notebook. "An adult?" He sighed and flipped the cover shut. "Perhaps he decided that he needed…refreshments that our cafeteria doesn't provide and lost track of time? I'm sure he'll return shortly."

Shaking her head, Dixie said, "John Gage isn't like that. He wouldn't shirk his responsibility for 'refreshments'." Seeing the skeptical look on the man's face, she continued, "His car is still in the parking lot, so how could he leave?"

The guard smiled tightly, "A taxi, someone else's car. Every day we see a man or two ducking away from the family for a few hours. Why don't you leave a note on his car and take a cab home?"

Lips pressed together in anger, Dixie retorted, "John Gage is an LA County Paramedic. He's watching his partner's daughter for the weekend. He would not take off and leave her. Something is wrong. If you won't look for him, then I'll call some people who will!"

"Okay, ma'am. Calm down," said the guard. "Give me a description and I'll have the zoo staff keep an eye out for him. We'll be doing a closing sweep of the entire zoo in about 90 minute. If he's here, we'll find him then. That's all we can do."

"Well, it's better than nothing." Dixie waited until he radioed in the description. "I'll be waiting right here."

~E!~

Crunch!

The roof shook as a large clawed foot crashed into it. A section of the wood caved in under the force of the blow.

Fred opened his eyes in terror, quickly stopping the scream that hovered just on his tongue.

"Have to be quiet. Have to be quiet," he silently chanted over and over. "Noise sets them off. Have to be quiet."

Looking up he could see a tan head and one dark eye peering down at him through the splintered and crushed wood. The hole wasn't big enough to let that head in for more than a few inches. Shaking with fear Fred tried to sink deeper into the sand. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the dark eye that glared down at him. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. He offered silently. Please go away!

Almost as if it heard him, the head withdrew. Blue sky now filled the hole as sunlight streamed through. Fred swallowed hard. He didn't know what was worse – not being able to see or seeing how helpless they were inside this prison.

Careful not to make any sound, Fred slowly rolled onto his back. He could now see the smooth wood of the dome about three feet above the sand. The cross beam that he'd found with his head was half as high. Under it lay the man who had tried to help. Fred breathed a sigh of relief. He had expected to see a crushed body, but the beam wasn't touching him.

The man was lying half on his side and half on his stomach with his face turned away from him. Fred's bicycle was on that side, the handlebars only a few inches away from the man's head. Fred knew that he could wiggle under the beam, find out if the man was alive. But then what?

He was sorry he had ever tried to fool with the ostriches. They looked stupid, but, boy, were they mean. Next time he'd believe what the signs said.

He started to roll over again so that he could use his hands to drag himself across the sand and under the beam.

Thunk!

His eyes flew upwards as the dome once again darkened. The ostrich was back, trying to poke its head through the hole. He stayed where he was, barely daring to breathe. If he didn't move, the ostrich would go away.

Time seemed to drag on forever as the bird alternated peering in with it's dark eye and poking in its head. Fred's arm was falling asleep. When the bird had appeared, he was just rolling over on top of it. He had to keep still though. Any movement would catch its attention and then it wouldn't leave.

The darkness was almost complete while the bird blocked the opening. I'll never tease my little sister about being afraid of the dark again, vowed Fred.

Just as suddenly as the bird had appeared, it now retreated, allowing light to filter in once more.

Wary, Fred carefully rolled off his arm and then relaxed his body. He wasn't going to do anything that might attract the alert bird. He would count to 100 very slowly before moving again.

One tugboat, two tugboats, three tugboats,….

The light faded again as the ostrich returned to gaze through the hole. It stared for a few seconds then moved off. The patch of blue was back in the roof.

Four tugboats, five tugboats…

~E!~

Dixie rested her hand on the telephone receiver for a moment before picking it up. She dialed one of the numbers that she had long since memorized.

"Hello," said a familiar voice.

"Hi, Hank. This is Dixie McCall."

"Hi, Dixie. This is a surprise. How are you?"

Dixie gripped the phone, suddenly uncertain about what to say. "Umm. I'm not really sure."

"What is it Dixie? Is something wrong?" asked a puzzled Hank. He glanced at his watch. Dixie and Johnny were supposed to be at zoo this afternoon with Jennifer.

She hesitated another moment, then answered, "I may be overreacting. But it seems that Johnny has disappeared."

"Disappeared? He's supposed to be at the zoo with you. Didn't he show up?"

"We got to the zoo fine. But then the girls had to go to the restroom and they dawdled for so long. When we came out Johnny was gone. That was over three hours ago." Dixie explained. "I've asked Park Security to look out for him, but they aren't taking it too seriously."

"They don't know John like we do," said Hank with a sigh. "We know he'd never leave Jennifer for more than a few minutes without arranging something with you." He paused for a moment, rapidly putting a plan of action together. "I'll call the other guys and have them head down to the zoo. It will probably be 45 minutes before we're there."

"Thanks, Hank. The zoo closes at 5. That's about an hour away," Dixie said. "They'll be doing their closing rounds then. "

"That's good. Me and the guys will just join them in their tour. I'll have a talk with the Head of Security when I get there. Can you have him waiting?"

"I'll have him waiting if I have to tie him to a chair," Dixie said firmly. She was about to say goodbye when a memory jumped out at her. "Oh, Hank. We were supposed to pick Chris up from the Scout outing in half-an-hour."

"Tell me where the drop off point is and I'll send my wife to get him. He can stay here with my kids."

~E!~

98 tugboats…99 tugboats…100 tugboats.

Fred figured he was safe to move now. The ostriches hadn't looked in on them since 30 tugboats.

Taking a deep breath, he rolled over onto his stomach, then lay still. So far so good, he thought as he slid forward through the sand, being careful to keep his head down as he moved under the beam.

The man hadn't moved during the long slow count. Not one inch. And Fred had been watching carefully, ready to quiet him. He didn't want anything to set the ostriches off again.

Fred raised his body slightly to take a look at the man's head. He knew he shouldn't move it. If his neck was injured, moving it would make it worse.

Fred reached out and put his fingers gingerly on the man's forehead. He didn't feel warm, but he didn't feel cold either. Dead people felt cold. Right? Right. Fred thought back to the police shows that he loved to watch. Okay. They always check for a pulse.

He moved his hand down to the man's neck and pressed a spot gently. Nothing. He moved his hand a little and tried again. Still nothing.

Fred fought down panic. I'm just not touching the right spot, he told himself. I'll find my own pulse first. I know I'm alive. Then I'll know where to find his.

It took a few tries, but he found his own pulse. Reaching down, he checked the same spot on the man's neck. Ah, there it is. It's about the same as mine. So at least he's alive. But why hasn't he woken up?

Scared and tired, Fred curled up in the sand beside the man. The afternoon sun was warming up their prison. The warmth, combined with the need to be quiet made him sleepy. Even his throbbing ankle couldn't make him keep his eyes open. Slowly his eyelids drifted down. Soon he was fast asleep.

~E!~

"Okay, Dixie. Now that we're all here, tell us where you saw him last," directed Hank.

"The girls and I were in the restroom by the Africa Zone," answered Dixie, pointing out the building on the visitor's map. "We were in there for a quite a long time. I had to practically drag them out. Johnny was supposed to wait for us by the benches."

"How long were you in there?" asked Hank.

"About 10 minutes or so."

Hank and the guys exchanged a look. Gage would never have been able to just wait around for 10 minutes. He would have walked around while keeping an eye on the door.

"Well, he would have stayed in the area, so let's concentrate on the Africa Zone. I've arranged with the Head of Security to pair off with the guards in that section. They'll know if something isn't the way it should be. We'll keep an eye out for anything that would have attracted John's attention." Hank explained their search plan. "Each group will have a walkie-talkie. If you find anything, call in."

"Dixie –" he continued.

"I know. I'll stay here with the girls."

Hank smiled tightly, "You and the girls can wait in the security office. If we need your help, at least we'll be able to contact you."

Dixie nodded grimly, "I hope you won't need me. I hope that all this is just me over-reacting and we'll find him safe and sound with some wild excuse as to what happened. And then I'll rip his hide off for scaring me!"

Hank nodded his agreement. Unfortunately, they knew all about Johnny and his habit of being in the wrong spot at the wrong time.

~E!~

Mike couldn't see or hear the other teams any more. They had all started at the far end of Africa Zone and moved off from there. He and his partner, a zoo worker named Charlie were working their way back to the Zone's entrance via the western edge. They were scanning each enclosure and the surrounding paths carefully with binoculars. Johnny's green and gray shirt would not be easy to spot.

Despite his worry over Johnny, Mike was enjoying the behind the scenes tour of the zoo. Charlie seemed to know everything about the animals and their habitats. And he didn't need any encouragement to pass on the information. Mike listened carefully, filing away bits and pieces for future use.

Now almost an hour later, they were reaching the last enclosure on their path. Mike could see the black and white stripes of the zebras and the delicate frames of the gazelles as they milled around a gate in the back fence.

Charlie chuckled, "The zebras and gazelles are wondering where their dinner is. I don't know if they recognize the sound of the truck, or just know what time it is, but they are always waiting at the gate." Checking his watch, he said. "With me and Joe helping with this search, they're running a little behind schedule."

Mike nodded. "I guess the ostriches aren't hungry. They're still in the middle of the exhibit."

"Hmm," said Charlie, stopping to bring the binoculars up to his eyes. "That doesn't sound right."

A moment later he startled Mike by racing toward the railing. "What is it? Do you see Johnny?" yelled Mike as he followed him.

"Nah, I don't see him, I see something else," said Charlie as he came to a halt at the railing. "See that pile of what looks like sticks on the ground? That's the roof to the nesting hut. It should be 8 feet in the air."

Charlie looked along the edge of the railing, then pointed. "There, see that over there! Some idiot has used a rope to climb down into the pen!"

Mike leaned over the railing and looked at where Charlie was pointing. "Johnny would never do that. But if someone else did and got into trouble, and he saw it, he'd go in after them."

Charlie raised the walkie-talkie to his lips and called it in.

"Damn!" muttered Mike. None of the other teams had reported anything unusual. This was the first that they had come across. Given the set-up, the odds were that Johnny was out there under that roof. And had been for almost five hours.

"Roger, Charlie. We'll be there in a couple of minutes," crackled the radio.

Mike looked at Charlie. "Can we get in there and check it out?"

Charlie shook his head. "Not yet. Those ostriches may not look dangerous, but their kick can kill you. We'll have to wait until the food truck arrives. Louis and Ron have long thorn covered branches that they use to herd the ostriches away from the gate. They'll drive up to the hut and keep the ostriches away with the branches while we check out the hut."

Mike nodded tensely. They would have to wait.

~E!~

Hank peered in through the splintered opening. He couldn't distinguish much in the gloomy interior. What he did see, made him look quickly up at the park workers. "We've got to move this thing, and quickly. There are two people under here. I can't see much, but they don't seem to be moving."

Hank signaled to the security guard. "Get Dixie McCall here as fast as you can. Better call for a Rescue Squad and Ambulance as well." Hank leaned over the roof again. "Hallo. Can you hear me?"

Fred was startled awake by the voice. "No! No! Be quiet. They'll hear us. They'll come back," he moaned. In the dim light he moved his hand toward Johnny's chest desperately trying to think of away to make him stop.

The voice sounded again. But it wasn't from Johnny, it echoed down from above. "It's alright. I'm Captain Stanley from the Fire Department. We're here to get you out," soothed Hank.

Fred peered around, then up at the `window'. "Fire Department?" It took a moment, but the words finally sank in. "Fire Department! Please, please get us out of here!"

"Don't worry, we're going to get you out. Are you hurt anywhere?" asked Hank.

"My ankle's broken and.. and… I'm sore all over." Fred's voice cracked. "You've got to get us out! The guy who tried to help me is hurt pretty bad. He hasn't moved since the roof fell on him. I…I think he got hit by the cross-beam."

Hank blanched at the words. "Is he breathing?"

Fred nodded. "Umm, yes, but I can barely hear it."

"Just hang on, we'll have you out of there as soon as we can. I'll be right back." Hank turned and faced the group around him, rescue options tumbling through his mind. "Any idea how heavy this roof is?"

Charlie shrugged, "Probably around 350 lbs or so. Not much more. It's basically thin plywood sheets over a wooden frame. These 'twigs' are just glued on."

"Okay, with eight of us we'll have no problem lifting it. And the ground is just soft sand so we'll be able to get a purchase on one edge and flip it over." Hank's hands acted out his instructions. "Johnny and the boy are lying in the middle, almost parallel with the truck. If we flip it that way," he pointed to the right. "We won't accidentally crush them. "

Hank could see his men nodding their understanding. This was something they were used to. The zoo workers seemed alright too. The security guards looked a little confused, but all they would need to do is supply muscle power.

"Once the roof is out of the way, Marco, you and Mike take care of the boy. Chet and I will check Johnny. We aren't going to move him until Dixie gives the okay. The rest of you will try to drag the roof away to give the medical people more room." He motioned the men into position, "Okay, once everyone's ready, we'll go on three. Make sure you're on this side of centre, and lift with your legs not your back."

It didn't take more than a minute for the seven men to find spots along the available 12 feet of space. Hank made sure that the taller men were at the widest points. Their height would be needed when the dome was balanced on the far edge.

"Okay. Everyone ready?" asked Hank. Seeing nods, he continued. "Here we go. One, two, three!"

On the final word the dome seemed to jump up on its edge as seven pairs of hands struggled to make sure it didn't roll where it wasn't supposed to. Hank bent down so he could see under the rising roof.

Damn, he hadn't noticed that bicycle. It would trip them up when they moved forward to push the dome over. "Hey guys! Hold it right there. Don't move. I've got to get rid of this bicycle."

He crouched down and moved between Mike and Charlie. There would be just enough room to pull the bicycle out once he got it on its wheels. Tugging it toward him, he spared a brief second to look at Johnny's pale face. Well, he doesn't seem to be bleeding, but then with all that dark hair, who could tell.

"Okay. The bicycle's clear. Move forward until I tell you to stop, then push the roof away from you." He watched as they carefully shuffled forward a few feet. "Okay. Stop. Push!"

With a sound like a hollow drum, the top toppled off its edge and dome crashed to the ground. The men watched silently for a moment as it wobbled, ready to push it away if it moved in their direction.

"Good work men!" called Hank. "Okay. Let's check them out."

Quickly Hank and Chet moved to Johnny's side. Hank checked his pulse and breathing, while Chet checked for broken bones. Their touches were gentle and careful.

"How you doing, kid?" asked Marco.

Fred wiped his hand across his tear-streaked face. "I'm…I'm okay. My ankle hurts a lot though." He looked across at Johnny. "Is he going to be okay? He hasn't moved at all."

Mike shook his head. "We don't know yet. We've called for a nurse and paramedics. They'll take care of him until he gets to a hospital…" His voice trailed off. He didn't want to tell the boy that it wasn't a good sign that Johnny had been unconscious and untreated for over five hours.

"He got hurt because he tried to rescue me. The ostrich knocked me off my bike. He scared it away, and helped me to the hut. We couldn't get away! Both birds came back! And one of them kicked the roof down on us." The words stumbled out of Fred's mouth. "I didn't mean for someone to get hurt. I didn't! It's all my fault!"

"Hush now. It's okay," soothed Marco, rubbing the boy's back. "We know you didn't mean it. It's okay. Just sit still. We'll take care of your ankle as soon as some equipment arrives."

"Here comes Dixie now," said Mike quietly.

Marco looked up to see a park jeep pull up beside the feed truck. Dixie jumped out with a first aid kit and ran toward Johnny.

"How's he doing?" she asked Hank.

"He's alive. We haven't moved him. Respirations 18, pulse 90. We've checked his legs and arms for fractures – nothing. The boy says he's been unconscious since the roof fell on him. So figure on 5 hours. No movement at all during that time."

Dixie ran her hands down his neck and spine as Hank updated her. "No sign of trauma, but we'll use a backboard and cervical collar on him." She moved her hands to his head. "There's a large bump at the back of his head. No bleeding though. Any idea when a squad will get here?"

Hank frowned in concentration. "51s the closest, about 15 minutes away in Sunday traffic. They should be arriving sometime within the next 5 minutes or so. I hope the park has people ready to direct them in."

Marshall, the Head of Security, had arrived with Dixie. "Don't worry about that. We've got a man on the front gate and a jeep ready to guide them in. Is he going to be alright?"

Dixie frowned. "We won't know until we've taken X-rays and done some tests. He might have a skull fracture, or a bad concussion. I just can't tell out here. Until the squad gets here we'll just have to monitor him and hope. Do you have some blankets in that jeep? We need to keep him warm." She nodded her head toward the boy. "He needs a blanket too."

"Hank, can you keep an eye on Johnny? If his breathing changes, call me. I'm going to go check the boy," said Dixie as she stood up.

"No problem, Dixie."

Mike and Marco had managed to calm the boy down. His ankle was in a splint and he was shivering, but otherwise he had gotten off fairly easily. Physically, at least. Mentally he was pretty shaken. The story that they had slowly pulled from him reminded them of Alfred Hitchcock's story, The Birds. Except the birds in this case were 8 feet tall and weighed 350 lbs. Definitely the stuff of nightmares.

Marco whispered to Mike, "It's probably a good thing that Johnny was unconscious for the whole time. He'd have nightmares for weeks!"

Mike shuttered, remembering the nights when Johnny's nightmare induced yells had woken them. "Yah. And how! He never does things half-way."

"How's everything over here?" asked Dixie.

"Fred's got a broken ankle and some heavy duty bruising on his arms and legs," supplied Marco. "He's pretty shaken up over this."

"I can believe that," agreed Dixie. She was about to continue when she saw Squad 51 turn in through the gate. "Good, the squad and ambulance are here. We should be able to get Johnny and Fred off to the hospital pretty soon."

Dixon and Murphy stared at the scene in front of them. They hadn't expected to see the entire A shift, except for Roy and Johnny, here. Or Dixie for that matter.

"What gives?" asked Dixon as he pulled the equipment from the Squad.

Murphy shrugged.

"Murphy, Dixon. We'll need a backboard, a c-collar and O2. Bring them over to Johnny. The boy's okay. He can wait in the ambulance." Dixie instructed quickly. "I'll contact Rampart, while you get a new set of vitals on Johnny."

Murphy and Dixon moved faster at her words. What has Johnny done now?

With all the experienced hands available, it was only a matter of a few minutes before they had Johnny secured to the backboard and on 3 liters of O2.

Dixie was relaying the information to Dr Early at Rampart. She had already given him the background on the accident and who the victim was. "Pulse 90, Respiration 18 and regular, BP 100 over 70. Pupils equal but sluggish. No response to verbal stimuli, minimal response to painful stimuli. We've immobilized his head and neck."

"10-4 Squad 51. Start an IV normal saline TKO. Monitor vitals and transport immediately."

"10-4 Rampart. Our ETA is about 25 minutes."

"10-4 Squad 51. We'll be waiting."

~E!~

"Hey, Johnny. Welcome back. Do you think you can stay with us a little longer this time?" asked Dixie gently.

"Wha?" moaned Johnny. He struggled to focus on the face in front of him. "Dixie?"

He tried to raise his head, but quickly changed his mind when it started to pound. It felt like a herd of elephants was stomping around inside. Cautiously he turned his head slightly. Good, he thought, my eyes are starting to work.

"Ahh," he groaned again. He was in Rampart again. Roy and Cap were standing behind Dixie. "What did I do this time?" he moaned.

"I'll tell you after you answer some questions for me," countered Dixie.

Johnny rolled his eyes, "I know. I know. My name is John Gage. This is Rampart. I hope it's still Sunday and the last thing I remember is picking you up to go to the zoo. My head feels like a herd of elephants stomped on it."

"Not bad, Johnny. You've got everything right except for the day. It's Tuesday. And it was an ostrich." Dixie said gently.

"Tuesday?" Johnny closed his eyes then popped them open again starting to panic. "What did I do? I didn't have an accident with the Rover did I? Is Jennifer all right?" He hadn't registered Dixie's last sentence.

Roy stepped forward and put his hand on Johnny's arm to calm him down. "Jennifer's okay. You didn't have an accident with the Rover." Roy hesitated, still astonished at the story he'd heard.

Cap moved to the other side of the bed. He'd give Johnny the condensed version of the story. "John. You were at the zoo. You saw a kid being attacked by an ostrich and tried to help. The ostrich kicked down the shelter you were in. The roof hit your head on the way down."

Johnny groaned again. "Let me guess – a concussion? Wait a minute! Did you say ostrich??"

Dixie smiled, "Yes. You tangled with an ostrich and came out on the short end. As for your head, you've got moderate concussion. You were unconscious for the first twelve hours. You've been in and out, but mostly out, for the last 24."

Johnny thought for a moment, "Cap, you said there was a boy? Is he okay?"

"Yes, he's fine, nothing more than a broken ankle. And a new respect for ostriches."

Johnny's eyes started to droop. He forced them open and mumbled, "Ostriches? Silly looking birds. How dangerous can an ostrich be?"

They watched him drift back to sleep.

"How dangerous can an ostrich be?" repeated Hank. "Very dangerous when they're crossed."


Author's note: Many thanks to Pat Embury for providing information on vital signs and treatment. I hope I got them right. If I didn't, it's my fault. Thank-you's also go to the gang at Flights-of-Fancy for providing some input on concussions and the opening scene. I think I got what I wanted. Now on to the next contest….

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