Three days later…

John returned home from his morning run and found that he no longer had a houseguest.

He stepped into his kitchen to grab a quick coffee before leaving for work and spotted a handwritten note on the counter.

Gage grinned and jerked the counter’s top drawer open. He snatched a little red fire truck magnet up from the drawer and used it to add Julie’s note to the crayon drawing that was already stuck on the door to his fridge.

_______________________________________________________________

Roy entered Station 51’s locker room and saw that Johnny was already sporting his duty uniform. “So, what did Stacey think of your mustache?”

Johnny’s reply to his question was a quick, cold one of his own. “Stacey who?”

The icy indifference in his friend’s voice told Roy that John and Stacey were no longer an item. He gave his hurting partner a deeply sympathetic look and immediately dropped the painful subject.

_________________________________________________________

Morning roll was taken and the day’s duty assignments were handed out.

Hank couldn’t help but notice the pronounced change in the dark-haired paramedic’s usually cheery demeanor. In an attempt to cheer the guy up a bit, he had given Gage his favorite assignment: truck and equipment inspection. ____________________________________________________

It took John close to an hour to assure that both trucks had proper tire pressure…and proper oil, brake, radiator, windshield washer and power steering fluid levels. He also insured that all their air bottles were fully pressurized, all their gas-operated power tools were fully fueled—and running—and all batteries were fully charged.

__________________________________________________

While Gage had been inspecting the trucks and equipment, Hank Stanley had been inspecting him.

The young fireman emitted such a profound aura of sadness, the Captain knew—in his heart—that the girl had broken John’s heart.

‘Damn!’

_______________________________________________________

Gage had completed his assigned task and was just about to head for the dorm when his boss intercepted him.

“John, could you step in here for a minute,” his Captain ordered more than asked.

The forlorn fireman followed Stanley into his office and the two of them assumed some seats.

“Would you like me to arrange some time off for you?”

“Actually, Cap that is the last thing I want you to do for me.”

Hank gave his hurting crewman a deeply sympathetic look. “Understood. If you change your mind, just say the word. Okay?”

John gave his kind and caring Captain a slight nod and an even slighter smile. “Thanks, Cap.”

“Anytime,” Stanley assured him and returned the young fireman’s sad smile. “Dismissed.”

Gage gave his compassionate boss an appreciative nod and quickly took his leave.

The fire officer exhaled a gasp of extreme frustration and reluctantly returned to his paperwork. ‘Damn!’

_____________________________________________

Gage was sitting on his bunk lost in thought.

Kelly came into the dorm carrying an armload of fresh sheets and pillow cases. He dumped the bedding onto his bunk and turned to face his spaced-out friend.

John stepped up to the intruder and stuffed a five dollar bill in his front shirt pocket.

“What’s that for?”

“The bet.”

“She liked it! I told you she would!”

“No-o. She didn’t like it.”

“Then, shouldn’t I be giving you five bucks?”

“It’s me she hates, not the mustache. She’s never even seen my mustache.”

“In that case, the bet’s off,” Kelly determined and stashed the five bucks back in his bummed buddy’s pocket. “I’m really sorry, Johnny. I would rather have lost the bet than see you lose your girl.”

John gave him a grateful look. “Me, too.”

________________________________________________

It was nearly noon and the Station’s tones still hadn’t sounded.

Marco was headed for the kitchen on another coffee run. He passed the distracted paramedic in the doorway. “Hey, John!”

Gage failed to acknowledge his fellow firefighter’s cheery greeting.

Lopez raised an eyebrow and continued on into the kitchen. “What’s up with him? He hasn’t said a single word all morning.”

Mike glanced up from his book. “I’m guessing he got dumped…again.”

Marco headed for their coffee-maker. “He’s acting just like he was before he came down with double pneumonia.”

“Double pneumonia…Dumped. The symptoms are pretty much the same,” the engineer philosophically stated and returned to his reading.

Chet was seated on their leather sofa with Henry’s head resting in his lap, mindlessly scratching the happy mutt’s exposed belly. “He got a ‘Dear John’ letter from Stacey.”

Marco remained mystified. “He hasn’t been seeing her long enough to get seriously involved. Has he?”

“When we were in Michigan, this incredible chick came on to him with big bedroom eyes…practically begged him to ‘have his way with her’. He turned her down cold.”

Mike and Marco exchanged sad, solemn glances.

John’s involvement with Stacey had been serious all right—at least, on his part.

_______________________________________________________________

Two hours later…

“Station 51…Equestrian accident…Palmer Road…Approach Code 3…Palmer Road…One half mile east of the Forsythe Trail junction…Ambulance responding…Repeat: Approach Code 3…Time out: 13:45.”

“Station 51 KMG-365,” Captain Stanley acknowledged and passed his paramedics a copy of the call address. Hank climbed aboard Big Red.

Both trucks pulled out of the parking bay and went racing off down the street with their warning lights flashing and their sirens wailing.

______________________________________________________________________

Two miles from the scene both trucks’ obligingly went Code 3 and continued their approach without lights and sirens.

______________________________________________________________

Roy spotted the Forsythe Hiking Trail and Bridle Path NO MOTORIZED VEHICLES ALLOWED sign and slowed.

Stoker did the same.

Sure enough! Just up ahead, a half dozen patrol cars had Palmer Road completely blocked off.

___________________________________________________________________

51’s trucks crawled to a stop and their occupants slowly disembarked.

A rider-less horse was standing in a tall patch of grass on the road’s right shoulder.

“There’s the equine,” Captain Stanley quietly remarked to the CHP officer that came stepping up to them. “Where’s the equestrian?”

“On the ground…under the horse…with her foot caught in the stirrup,” the officer solemnly replied.

The new arrivals’ faces filled with alarm.

“Has she been dragged?” John anxiously inquired.

The officer nodded. “Captain, how much rope do you guys carry?”

“You want to try and corral the horse?”

Another nod.

Hank and his men exchanged knowing glances. “We happen to have some experience with rope corrals,” he confidently confessed and turned to his crew. “You all know what to do. Only, this time, nix the gate.”

“Oh. And, Captain?”

Stanley glanced back over his shoulder.

“Who’s your best shot? With a rope. That animal is so spooked it won’t let anybody near it. ” The patrolman motioned to his fellow officers and their raised rifles. “We don’t want to have to shoot the horse. It could fall on the girl. But we won’t let her be dragged any further, either. She says her leg’s busted.”

“Gage, get a loop ready!”

John’s jaw dropped open upon hearing the order. But the experienced ranch-hand didn’t protest. Instead, he determined he’d do his damnedest to try to save that poor girl’s horse.

__________________________________________________________

Less than three minutes later…

Captain Stanley and his human fence posts had slowly and carefully encircled the horse and its downed rider. The firemen had kept their two-railed rope corral at a safe distance, to avoid frightening the already quaking and shaking with fear animal even further.

Gage gulped as his Captain nodded his helmeted head in his direction. “What happens if I miss?” he quietly inquired of the nearest patrolman and adjusted the rope’s large, limp loop. Oh. How he wished he had his nice, stiff lariat instead!

“Then we’ll have to try,” the officer with the rifle raised to his shoulder replied. “And we won’t miss.”

Gage gulped again. “If it doesn’t bolt, can I take a second shot?”

“Sure. But we’re gonna stop that animal BEFORE it pulls her leg off. So don’t get in our line of fire.”

Gage gulped a third time and reluctantly ducked between the rope rails. The ex-ranch hand straightened up and started inching his way forward…ever so slowly.

The horse’s attention was now fully focused on the approaching fireman—and his rope.

The paramedic got to within fifteen feet of the girl but then stopped and stood there, listening.

“Easy, Skylark…easy, boy…Easy Skylark…easy, boy,” the horse’s rider soothingly repeated, pausing only to sniffle now and then.

John watched as the skittish animal grew calmer and calmer.

Eventually, its muscles stopped quivering and the look in its eyes turned to one of vague disinterest. The horse bobbed its bridled head a few times, chomped leisurely on its bit and even lifted one of its hind legs.

Gage shifted the large, limp loop into his left hand and then slowly slipped the loop and coiled rope behind his back. “Easy, Skylark…easy, boy…Easy Skylark…easy, boy,” he soothingly chanted and began inching his way forward again.

Skylark’s large brown eyes grew even larger and its ears flicked forward. But the animal remained completely at ease.

John stared down at the dangling reins, now just a few yards from his reach.

Skylark snorted and his muscled tensed in preparation for flight.

“Keep talking to him,” the girl urged her rescuer. “Let him hear your voice so he knows you’re not a threat.”

“Easy, Skylark…easy, boy…Easy Skylark…easy, boy,” the paramedic repeated, continuing the calming mantra. The girl sniffled again and he glanced down at her for the first time.

The fallen rider’s forehead was scraped and her cheeks were streaked with tears.

The girl caught his glance and propped herself up on her elbows. “Please! Don’t let them shoot my horse, mister! Please! It’s not his fault! The motorcycles frightened him! Plus, none of this would have happened in the first place if I had just taken the time to change into my riding boots. Oh, Skylark! Please let him catch you! Please don’t move, boy!” she desperately pleaded. Then she dropped back down and began sobbing quietly.

“What’s your name?” John asked just for something to say besides ‘Easy Skylark, easy, boy.’

“Lee Ann Bergland.”

“Okay, Lee Ann, just lie still and keep talking to Skylark. How old are you?”

“Almost 14. Skylark’s almost 14, too.”

“Are you allergic to any medication?”

Lee Ann shook her head and kept right on talking to her horse.

“Are you on any medication?”

The girl gave her head another shake.

John was just a foot or two away from the reins now and he had to fight the urge to grab for them.

Skylark snorted and tossed his head, sending the dangling reins flying.

Gage snatched them in mid-air and dropped his rope so he could hang onto the horse with both hands. “Good boy, Skylark,” he praised, following a long exhalation of profound relief. The reins were transferred to his left hand and he used his freed right hand to unfasten the saddle’s girth.

His partner suddenly appeared, closely followed by their Captain.

John handed control of the reins off to his Captain so he could get a firm, two-fisted hold on the unfastened saddle.

Roy was kneeling beside the girl. Both of his hands were supporting her broken leg.

“Okay, Cap. On three, lead the horse forward. One…two…three.”

Stanley led the horse out from under its saddle and Gage carefully lowered it to the ground while his partner continued to support Lee Ann’s busted leg.

John even more carefully freed the girl’s sneakered left foot from the saddle’s stirrup.

Lee Ann saw Skylark being led away and shrieked, but not in physical pain. “Skylark?! Where are they taking him? Skylark?! Please don’t let them shoot my horse!” she pitifully pleaded.

Gage gave the once again sobbing girl’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “Hey…don’t worry. They’re not about to shoot the best darn horse in the whole entire county!”

The girl heard the paramedic’s promise and somehow managed to muster up a smile.

Roy saw his buddy smile back, his partner’s first genuine smile since the start of the shift.

Suddenly, Miss Bergland’s face blanched and she bit her bottom lip. “My leg hurts really REALLY bad!”

“Don’t worry about that, either,” John urged as the girl tightened her grip on his hand. “As soon as the officers get your parent’s permission to treat you, the doctor will order something for the pain. Okay?”

“Okay.”

___________________________________________

Half an hour later, in Rampart General’s ER…

“How is she, Doc?” John anxiously inquired as Kel Brackett stepped out of Treatment 3.

Kel grinned. “She wants to know if we can give her a riding cast. Right now, she seems more concerned about her horse than that busted leg of hers.”

“I hear yah,” Gage relievedly replied. “She was so busy worrying about Skylark she didn’t even realize her leg was hurting. I tell yah, it’s amazing how ‘distracted’ some people can get.”

DeSoto had to purse his lips to keep from smiling. “Yes. It certainly is. Absolutely amazing.” The now wryly grinning paramedic picked up their backboard and began heading for the exit, secretly hoping for a very ‘distracting’ shift.

His partner picked the remaining pieces of their equipment up and hurried off down the hall to catch up with him. “See yah later, Doc!”

“I’m sure you will,” Brackett mumbled beneath his breath. He gave both firemen’s backs a slight smile and returned to work. ‘A riding cast?’