The characters of Emergency! do not belong to me, nor do Jim Henson's Muppets.
It's all in fun and no copyright infringement is intended. There will be more
stories that follow, but this one in particular is now complete. :o)
The original story can be found here: http://audreys-efanfic.freeservers.com/mysteryrampart.html
Surprise!
(Not as in the episode <G>)
A sequel to 'Mystery at Rampart General'
By Audrey W.
John Gage peered around the corner inside the entrance of Rampart General Emergency. It was a week ago to the day that he’d seen Doctor Bob and the dog’s Muppet assistants in Treatment Room Two, and the paramedic feared a dejavu’. In an effort to avoid the odd encounter, he’d talked his partner Roy DeSoto into bringing in the two victims they rescued so far for the day.
“And so we come to the end of another Veterinarian's Hospital. Tune in next week when you'll hear Nurse Piggy say...“Who was that dark-haired wonder?”
Those familiar words ran through Johnny’s mind as he recalled a mysterious voice make the announcement that seemed to come from out of a PA system. Only no one else had heard it.
Well, it’s a week later, so I’m not going in any treatment rooms. No way, man. Roy can play with the dog, pig and hippie girl.
As Gage looked around at the variety of personnel moving about in the corridor, he noticed Dixie McCall was busy with paperwork at her desk; Roy was no where to be seen.
Must still be in with the patient. . .
Johnny wandered up to the head nurse. “Hi, Dix!”
“Well, hi yourself, Johnny,” she said with a smile. “Haven’t seen much of you today.”
“Yeah, it’s been kinda slow. We’ve only had the two responses so far.”
“Where’s your partner?”
“I was hoping you could tell me. He went in with our latest victim. You don’t know which room it was?”
Dixie shook her head. “I just came back from seeing a couple of patients on the second floor. Would you like me to find out for you?”
“Nah, I can wait.” He leaned against the wall, his hands in his pockets. Soon Roy emerged from Treatment Room Four. As with the first time they’d brought in a victim, the senior paramedic didn’t act like he’d seen anything out of the ordinary.
“Did you get the supplies?”
“Huh?”
“Supplies. Those things we need on calls. . .”
“Oh . . .no. . .I didn’t yet.”
Roy shook his head. “What’s with you? You’ve been acting strange all morning.”
“Nothin’.” Gage shrugged. “Nothin’at all.” Once again he thought back to the strange medical crew and the words suggesting they’d return. I wonder when they’ll show up?
~*~*~
After getting supplies refilled, the paramedics headed back to the station. Johnny stared out the passenger window of the squad and sighed, his mind still on the Muppets.
Maybe they’ll be at Rampart after the *next* run.
Roy glanced over at his partner at the sound of the loud sigh. Something was bugging Johnny, but until the younger man was willing to say what, there was no sense asking again.
~*~*~
Shortly after returning to the station, the squad was sent out on another response. With their patient almost ready to be transported, Johnny was thinking about what. . .or who . . .might be waiting in one of the treatment rooms at Rampart.
“You want to ride in this time?” Roy asked.
Gage looked from setting up an IV on the injured woman. “Hmm? Ride in? Uh. . . .no . . .no, you can.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. . .yeah. I’m sure.” Man, am I ever sure.
“Okay, well, let’s get her on the stretcher and into Rampart.”
Johnny nodded and helped to lift the victim. Once she was secured, they placed her in the ambulance. Roy climbed up inside and stared out at his partner, who was closing the doors.
“You sure you want to drive? You look kind of. . .well. . .I can’t put my finger on it, but. . .”
“Yes, I’m sure. I’m fine, Roy. I’ll see you at Rampart.”
“Sure.” Roy still didn’t believe Gage was fine, but surmised it must not be too serious or his partner would have opened up by then.
~*~*~
When he arrived at the hospital, Johnny once again peered around the corner just inside the entrance before entering the main corridor. Just as before, Roy wasn’t out of which ever treatment room he’d gone into.
The hallway was busy with bustling medical personnel; Mike Morton and Dixie were handling a transmission at the base station. Johnny nodded a ‘hello’ and smiled as he walked past the doctor and nurse. Dixie gave a quick wave and returned to taking notes.
The handie talkie hanging on his left wrist by the strap, his hand in his pocket, Johnny leaned against the wall farther down the corridor while he waited for his partner to emerge from one of the treatment rooms. His attention on searching for any sign of a Muppet amongst the hospital personnel, Johnny didn’t notice the supply room door beside him open to a crack.
Suddenly he felt someone grab his right hand where it hung to his side. Before he had a chance to see who it was, he found himself being yanked into the dark room. The door closed behind him as he was pulled all the way in, the handie talkie falling to the floor as his left hand reached out to grab onto anything that might stop his movement. In a matter of seconds, something pinned him by the legs with his back against a counter top, and in the same smooth motion, was up near his chest, holding onto his upper left arm.
The light came on and a large fuzzy pig snout thrust near his right shoulder, the mouth below it slightly open.
“Wha. . .?”
“Hi ya, handsome!”
Oh man! “You?”
“Moi!”
“What are. . .where’s. . .how did. . .?”
“One question at a time, sweetheart.”
Johnny glanced at the closed door, and then to Nurse Piggy who was dressed in scrubs and standing on the counter beside him. A grin spread across his face. She’s just a Muppet. . .and a lot shorter than me. I can get out of this easy. . . He pulled his arm free and pushed away from the counter, heading for the exit. Piece of cake.
But much to Johnny’s surprise, the pig was quite resourceful and was standing in front of him in a flash. The angry expression on her face, and the recollection of just how strong of a pull she’d had earlier, had the paramedic backing up and returning to his space at the counter. He held up his hands in surrender.
“Okay, okay. . .I. . .uh. . .I can spare a few minutes.” He shot her a weak crooked grin. “You’re pretty spry for bein’ a pig.”
The nurse pulled back and stared hard at him. “Watch it, cutie pie!”
“I. . .um. . .I’m sorry.” Touchy, aren’t ya . . . “ I meant I’ve never met a pig who could move so fast.” He looked at the counter that she’d gotten up on when he was first yanked in. “Or jump so high.” Come to think of it, I’ve never met a pig period. . .except for her. . .
“It’s a talent,” she said, nodding. “Kind of comes in handy when dating a frog, ya know?”
“I guess it would.”
“So, where were we?”
“Uh. . .I. . .uh. . .look, don’t you have somewhere you’re supposed to be? Like with the dog and the hippie girl?”
“You mean Doctor Bob and Nurse Janice?”
Johnny nodded. “Where are they?”
“Oh they’re--”
Suddenly the door flew open, interrupting her. A light brown bear wearing a hat and tie came sauntering into the room, a very real and tan colored dog tagging along behind him on a leash.
Johnny’s mouth dropped open in shock once again. “Who . . .who are you?”
The bear stopped and stared a moment. “I’m Fozzie Bear. Who are you?”
“John Gage,” the paramedic answered, wondering why he felt he should. “I’m a para--” Wait, I’m not going through that again. “I’m a fireman.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I. . .I work outta here. . .sorta.”
“Oh.”
“What’re you doin’ here?” Gage countered.
“I work around the lab,” Fozzie said, indicating the dog.
Johnny then noticed it was a Labrador Retriever with him. He looked at the ceiling and shook his head. “I had to ask.” He motioned toward the door. “Look, I’ve gotta go find my partner. We’re supposed to be available by now.”
“So you don’t have a girlfriend!” Nurse Piggy exclaimed, somehow managing to jump back up on the counter in her excitement.
“Noooo,” Johnny groaned. “I mean available for calls.”
“What kind of calls?” Fozzie wondered.
“What kind?”
“Well sure. I mean there’s duck calls, deer calls, turkey calls. . .”
The dark-haired paramedic sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Emergency calls!”
“Oh! That reminds me of a joke. You hear the one about the doctor everyone in town called a quack?”
“No. . .”
“He kept ducking his emergency calls.”
Johnny covered his face with one hand as he groaned. I’ve gotta get outta this place. These jokes are so bad, they’re givin’ me a headache.
“Never mind him,” Nurse Piggy said to Gage. “When can we go out on a date. . .hmmmmmm?” she asked as she stuck her snout just below his face again.
Johnny pulled his head back, his hands bracing him against the wall nearby. “Sorry, but I’m not into swining and dining.”
“Well!” She backed away, but remained on the counter.
The paramedic winked at the bear and snickered at his own joke.
“John. . .” Fozzie began.
“Pretty clever answer, huh?” Gage grinned.
“Uh. . .John. . .”
“What?”
Fozzie pointed at Nurse Piggy. Her arms folded across her chest, an angry expression on her face. “I’ve seen that look before and I only have one thing to say.”
Johnny waited.
“Ruuuuuun!”
He watched in amazement as Fozzie ran out of the room, the Labrador right behind him, in less than ten seconds. A hard punch in the upper arm had his attention back on the offended nurse.
“Ow! Hey!” He rubbed at the sore spot. “Take it easy, man.”
“Ma’am.”
“Huh?”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a girl.”
“Oh. . .oh, no. . .no. I didn’t call you a ‘man’. That’s just an expression. Believe me, I noticed you’re a girl. . .in a ‘round’-about way.”
“You’d better be glad you’re cute.”
Johnny smiled. This is actually kinda fun, but. . . “Look, I’ve really gotta get back to work.”
“May I just ask one, itsy, bitsy favor?”
“Sure,” he shrugged.
“Can I have a kiss before you go?”
“Uh. . .”
“Pleeeeeeaaaase. . .”
“Weeell. . .” He saw the pleading look in her eyes. Awe hell, a simple kiss on the cheek can’t hurt. “Okay.” He puckered and aimed for the side of her face.
“On the lips,” she directed, her head tilted upward, mouth still poised for the kiss.
“Lips?” Johnny looked closer at her face. “You don’t have any lips! Well, except maybe a lower--”
At that moment, Nurse Piggy reached out and grabbed him by the sides of his head , quickly bringing their mouths together, her snout mashing his nose a bit.
Caught off guard, Johnny’s eyes widened as he felt her fuzzy mouth against his lips. When she released, he pulled back, standing up straight and wiping at his mouth as he sputtered. He looked at the pig to scold her, but much to his surprise, she was flat on her back. Her arms were spread out wide and a huge smile was on her face. The pig appeared to be in ‘la-la land’.
Man, if I’da known I was gonna have *that*effect on her, I’d’ve kissed her when she first dragged me *in* here.
Johnny glanced at his watch, the still dazed pig, then the door. With one last look at Nurse Piggy, he stumbled on his words. “Um. . .it’s been. . .well. . .bye.” He gave a quick wave and smile over his shoulder as he made his way to the exit, stopping to pick up the handie talkie along the way. After a quick verification with dispatch that the radio was still working, he was on his way out.
In the mean time, the nurse had mustered enough energy to lift a hand to give a half wave in return to his farewell.
~*~*~
Gage hurried out into the hallway and was surprised that no one paid any attention to his arrival, except for a couple of disinterested glances.
Geez, you’d think a paramedic popped out of a supply closet here every day. . .
Looking around the busy corridor, he spotted his puzzled looking partner going toward the nurses’ lounge. Johnny took a deep breath to regroup himself and started forward. I hope I can explain this. . .
“Roy!”
DeSoto’s head turned in the direction of his name being called. When he saw Gage coming at him, he stood still and waited.
“Man, am I glad to see you.”
“Where’ve you been?” Roy wondered. “I’ve been looking all over the place for you.”
“I. . .uh. . .well ya see. . .”
Roy held up a hand. “Wait. Is this gonna be one of those explanations where I look at you and wonder what in the world you’re talking about?”
Johnny paused a moment, a frown on his face, then nodded. “Yeah.”
“Then don’t tell me.” The senior paramedic turned and started toward the exit.
Johnny stood in place a moment, his mouth open in disbelief, before hurrying to catch up. “But. . .but, Roy! I thought ya wanted to know where I was!”
DeSoto shook his head. “Sometimes I think I’m better off if I’m left in the dark on these things.” He continued to walk toward the exit.
The younger man sighed, then did a double take as he caught a glimpse of Doctor Bob and Nurse Janice coming out of the lounge. He looked to Roy’s retreating back and opened his mouth again, this time to get his attention, but the words wouldn’t come out. Another quick glance toward the lounge had Gage realizing it was too late anyway. The dog doctor and hippie nurse were already gone from sight, the other various medical personnel still going on about their business in the corridor.
Where’d they get off to so fast?
Johnny looked to the empty space where Roy had just been.
“So close. . .if I hadn’t stopped ‘im before he went in. . .” He shook his head and started for the exit again. “Man, he was almost in the room with ‘em,” he groaned.
~*~*~
Outside Rampart, Johnny climbed in the squad and shut the door. He sat quietly as his partner turned the key in the ignition. Once the motor was running, Roy looked at his passenger.
“You wanna call us in as available or are you planning on hiding out the rest of the day?”
Johnny made a sour face, then picked up the mic.
“Squad 51 available.”
He placed the mic back on its holder and looked out the window.
I wonder if my encounter with Nurse Piggy counted as the next episode or if It’s still yet to come?
He’d have to wait at least until they made another trip to Rampart to find out.
