You Can Count on Me

By Mychand

John Gage slowly opened his eyes as the sun began to stream through his bedroom window and dance across the wall.  He quickly turned over and threw his pillow over his head.  It was his day off and he was determined to stay in bed as long as possible.

Roy Desoto, Johnny’s partner had a different kind of day in mind.  He spent he morning mowing his lawn and playing in the back yard with his kids.  He loved the time he was able to spend with them and there was no way he’d waste all day sleeping.  Well, there were times when he felt like it, but
his wife would usually nudge him until he had no choice but to get up and get going.

While Roy and the kids were playing kick ball in the back yard his wife, Joanne was busy making them all lunch.  “Roy, would you please come in for a second?” she asked.

“Sure, be right there.”

Roy threw the ball to his son. “Here. Keep practicing your kick. I’ll be right back.”  Opening the back screen door he remembered that he needed to oil the squeak that came from it.  He quickly joined his wife in the kitchen.

“What’s up?”

“I’m sorry to interrupt your game but could you please run up to the store for me?  I ran out of cheese.”

Roy smiled. “Sure, let me change my shirt and I’ll go.”

Joanne kissed her husband on the cheek.  “Thanks.”

“Hey, no problem. I think I’ll pick up some ice so we can make homemade ice cream.  It’s a perfect day for it.”

“Oh, the kids will love that,” replied Joanne.

An hour and a half later, his phone ringing awakened Johnny.  He tried to wrap his pillow around his ears so he couldn’t hear it but the caller was
persistent.  Slowly he threw off his covers, sat up and reached over for the phone.

“Hullo?”

“Johnny, this is Joanne.” Her voice was shaky.

“Joanne? What’s the matter?”

“I….I need you to come to the hospital.” She replied in tears.

“Roy? Did something happen to Roy?” Johnny asked anxiously.

“Yes. I’ll tell you about it when you get here.”

“I’ll be right there.”



Johnny jumped out of bed and into the shower.  He washed as quickly as possible and was still half wet when he threw on his clothes.  “I hope he’s
okay,” he thought to himself as he backed out of his driveway.  He’s got to be okay.”



As he walked into the hospital lobby he began to get a queasy feeling in his stomach.  He immediately saw Joanne sitting by herself with her head in her hands.

“Joanne?” Johnny called out as he approached her.

Joanne quickly got up and ran over to him.  She hugged him so tight it frightened him.

“What happened to Roy? Is he okay?”

“They don’t know,” Joanne sobbed. “It was all my fault.  I shouldn’t have asked him to go.”

“Go where?”

“To the store,” she replied.

“Take it easy.  Come on. Let’s sit down.”

The two sat down in the chairs in the back end of the lobby.  Joanne tried to calm her voice by taking a deep breath. Johnny picked up her hand and held it.  “Are you okay?”

“Yes.  I’m sorry,” she said.  “I don’t mean to act like a big baby.”

“It’s okay.  Just tell me what happened.”

“Well, Roy was out playing with the kids while I was making lunch.  I asked him to run out to the store for me.  It’s only five minutes from our house. When he was gone for so long, I knew something was wrong.”
 

“What happened?”

“On his was back, he was hit by a drunk driver,” she continued to sob.  “The car was totaled. The other driver was killed.  Roy…..Roy’s in a coma.”

Johnny took a deep breath.  “Have you talked to the doctors?  Is he going to be okay?”

“Doctor Brackett says that he has a 50/50 chance of coming out of it.  His only injury was a head injury but it was pretty bad.”

“Can I see him?”

Tears streamed down Joanne’s eyes.  “Not right now.  They said maybe in about an hour.”

Johnny brushed away her tears with his hand and pulled Joanne in for a hug. “It’s going to be okay.  He’ll be fine. I know it.  He has to be.”



Joanne and Johnny spent the rest of the evening in the hospital with Roy. They took turns sitting with him and taking breaks.  Johnny finally
convinced Joanne to go out and get something to eat and check on the kids. She hesitantly agreed.



Johnny sat and stared at his unconscious friend.  “Man, do you look bad,” he thought to himself.  I wish there was something I could do to help you.”  He placed his hand on Roy’s.  “Come on Roy,” he said.  “You need to come out of this. Your wife and kids need you. Hell, I need you.”

Though he hadn’t really expected a response, he was still disappointed when Roy didn’t move or open his eyes.

Dejected, he sat back in the chair beside the bed and closed his eyes.  “I just can’t believe this is happening.”



Two days later Johnny returned to work.  He hated the idea of having to go back without Roy.  After dressing, he walked into the dayroom and sat down. The other crew members where already there along with a pretty young woman.

“Hi, I’m Kimberly Martin.” She introduced herself to Johnny.  “I’ll be your temporary partner until your partner comes back.”

Johnny was surprised but there was something in the way that she said it that made him feel comfortable with her right away.  “It’s nice to meet
 you.”

Chet spoke up. “I’ve heard some really good things about you from the guys at your station.”

Kimberly smiled. “Thanks Chet. That’s good to hear.”

“How long have you been a paramedic?” asked the Captain.

“Just about a year and a half now,” she replied. “I love it.”

“Not to change the subject,” Mike interjected.  “But, what’s the latest on Roy?”

“I called Joanne this morning,” replied Johnny.  “She said there was no change.  He’s still in a coma. They don’t know if or when he’ll come out of
it.”

Kimberly reached over and touched Johnny’s hand. “I’m really sorry to hear that.”

Johnny quickly noticed the ring on her left hand.  Before he could ask her about it the station was called out to a small house fire.



Two hours later, Johnny and Kimberly were on their way back to the station. The house fire had only been a minor stove fire, which was quickly
extinguished.

“So, I take it that you are really close to your partner?”  Kimberly asked, breaking the silence between them.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that I consider him my best friend.”

“That’s great.  I have a good relationship with my partner too.”

“So, how long have you been married? How does your husband feel about you being a paramedic?”  Johnny couldn’t help but ask.

Kimberly smiled.  “We’ll we’ve been married nearly three years now.  He worries about me but he knows that I’m good at what I do.  Besides, he’s a fireman.”

“Oh yeah?  Wait? Scott Martin? Wow, I guess he does understand then.”

“Yeah. Right now we’re hoping to buy a new home.  That’s why we’re both trying to pick up extra shifts.  I hate the extra time away from him but in the end it’ll be worth it.”



The rest of the shift was fairly uneventful.  Johnny was pleased with his new temporary partner.  He decided he would stop by and visit Roy on his way home.

Joanne was still by Roy side when Johnny entered the room.  She quickly got up to greet him with a hug.

“Hey, Joanne. Have you gotten any rest?”

“Yeah, my mother came and took the kids back with her so I’ve been going home at night for sleep.”

“How’s he doing?  Has there been any change?”

Joanne’s eyes welled up with tears. “No.  He’s still the same.  I don’t know how much more I can take this.  He may never wake up.  What am I going to do?”

“Shhh.  It’s okay,” replied Johnny.  “You have to keep thinking positive. Roy’s a fighter.  He loves you and the kids. He’s not going to give up that
easily.”

Johnny wished that he could believe what he was telling Joanne but he refused to let on that he was just as concerned as she was about Roy’s
recovery.

Joanne tried to be a trouper.  “Okay. You’re right.  We have to remain positive.”

Johnny smiled. “That a girl.”

“So, how is work going, Johnny?”

“It’s okay.  I do miss Roy.  I lucked out and got a great new temporary partner. Her name is Kimberly.”

“Oh, a female.  How’re you handling that?” Joanne smiled.

“It’s okay.  She’s married.  She’s really good at her job though. Chet’s been telling me things he heard from the guys at her station.”

“Well, at least you aren’t miserable while you’re waiting for Roy to recover,” Joanne sighed.

“I need to go and get some sleep.  Please call me if there is any change with Roy or if you need anything.”

“Thanks, I promise. I’ll call right away if there is any change.”



Johnny had a hard time resting while he was off.  He got as much sleep as possible and spent the rest of his time off at that hospital by Roy’s side.
He grew frustrated at the lack of change in Roy’s condition.  Before he knew it, it was time to return to work.  He hated leaving Roy but he knew he had to keep working.  Roy could be in that state for a long time and he had to go on.



Gage was the last one to enter the dayroom at the beginning of his shift. Kimberly and Chet were already drinking coffee and chatting about recent
events at her station.

“Hey, Johnny,” said Kimberly.  “How’s your partner?  Any change yet?”

“No, nothing yet.  Thanks for asking.”

“Sure.  Sorry to hear that.  I wish that……………”

Kimberly’s comments were cut short as the station was called out to rescue a teenager. His car had rolled down an embankment after he lost control while drag racing.

The crew reached the scene quickly.

Johnny and Kimberly prepared themselves to repel down to him.

“I heard you’re good at this kind of thing?” commented Johnny.

“Oh yeah, I love any kind of work on a rope,” she replied.

“Okay then.  Go on down. I’ll follow behind you.”

Kimberly made it down easily and quickly made her way over to the teenager. He was conscious and laying across the front seat of the car.

“Are you in any kind of pain?” she asked.

“No, I think I just got a bit banged up,” he replied.  “Can you just get me out of here.  The door is jammed and I can’t get it open.

“Okay, just stay still.  We’ll have you out of here in no time.”

Johnny came up behind them and caught the end of the conversation.  “Take it easy. I’m going to call and have them bring down something to cut you out.”

“Thanks,” the teenager replied. “You guys sure did get here quick.”

Kimberly smiled. “That’s our job.  Now you just relax. It won’t take long to cut you out.”

She was right.  The crew managed to get to their victim out pretty fast. He had no real injuries so the police took him in to custody.

Johnny was the last one to come up the hillside after gathering all the equipment.  He was starting to feel a bit fatigued due to the lack of sleep
he’d had and he was ready to get back to the station.

As he made his way up the hill a large rock he had stepped on gave way. Before he could balance himself, he slipped and fell to his side, slightly
rolling downhill before the tension of the rope caught him.  He felt something sharp hit his head and shoulders before everything went black.

“Johnny!” yelled Kimberly. “Johnny, can you hear me?”

Johnny didn’t move.

“Hold the line,” yelled Kimberly. “I’m going down to get him.”

Kimberly moved swiftly towards Johnny.  He lay motionless, his head bleeding.

Fifteen minutes later they were on their way to Rampart.

Johnny awoke to the loud siren of the ambulance.  He looked up and saw Kimberly hovering over him and checking his vitals.

“Uh, what happened?”

“Take it easy, Johnny.  It looks like you broke your collar bone and may have a concussion.”

“Oh man. I don’t feel so good,” he replied.

“It’s okay.  We’re almost to Rampart.  Just relax.”  Kimberly tried to comfort her patient. “If you think you’re going to be sick, I can roll you?”

“Nah….think I’ll be okay.  Just so tired.”

“Stay with me Johnny. I need you to stay awake.”

“Okay….I’ll….try. Will you…..tell my partner’s wife……….”

“I’ll make sure she’s told. I promise.”

“Thanks.”



Joanne sat by Roy’s bedside and held his hand.  “Come on, Roy.  We really need you.” Joanne pleaded with her husband.  “Doctor Brackett just told me that they brought Johnny in.  He had an accident during a rescue. He broke his collarbone and suffered a concussion.  They are putting him in here with you.”

There was no change.  Joanne didn’t know what she expected.  She had hoped to get some reaction from Roy when she mentioned Johnny’s accident. Still, nothing happened.

Joanne began to cry.  “We need you Roy. I need you. The kids need you.  Even Johnny needs you.  You have to come back to us. You still haven’t fixed that squeak in the door and Chris said you promised to come back and play kickball with him.  You can’t back out now"

Later that evening, Johnny was placed in Roy’s room.  He wasn’t aware of it until he awoke the next morning to hear Joanne greet Roy just as she did every morning.

“Joanne?” Johnny whispered.  “Is that you?”

“Shhh. Take it easy. Yes, it’s me. They put you in the same room with Roy. It was my idea. I hope that’s okay?”

“Yeah, of course. How he is?”

“No change. I’m sorry to wake you. You rest.”

“My head is killing me. This sling is awful.  Not sure I can rest,” complained Johnny.  “Can you see if they’ll give me something?”

“Okay. Give me a minute and I’ll go and find Doctor Brackett.”

Joanne was back in no time with a nurse and medication for Johnny.  Chet and Kimberly followed them.

“Hey, Johnny! How’re you feeling?” asked Chet.  “You don’t look so hot.”

“Thanks a lot.  I’m okay.  My head hurts and my collarbone is a little sore but I’ll live.”

“Well, you look better than you did yesterday,” said Kimberly.

Chet introduced Kimberly to Joanne.

“I’m sorry about your husband. I hope there is a change soon.”

Joanne smiled. “Thanks. I appreciate that. Johnny has told me a lot about you.”

“All good, I hope,” joked Kimberly.

The two women hit it off instantly. Chet went to get something to eat while Joanne and Kimberly discussed being a paramedic and how close they were to their partners.

“I have a great partner,” said Kimberly. “He’s a great friend.”

“How does your husband feel about you being so close to another man?” asked Joanne. “I’m sorry. I hope I’m not being to personal.”

“No, that’s okay. He’s fine with it. He knows that he can count on Dave to back me up.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s a good thing. You know, I have to admit that I’d be more jealous if Johnny were a women.”

“More jealous?” asked Kimberly. “Are you jealous now?”

Joanne looked down at the floor. “Well, I hate to admit it but sometimes I am.  They are really close.  I love Johnny to death and I’m so happy Roy has him but sometimes I envy the time they spend together.”

“I can understand that.  It’s hard to understand the relationship between partners. I know I really count on mine a lot.  Scott really likes Dave.
They hang out a lot when we’re off and Dave has a great fiancé.  She’s really sweet.”

Joanne smiled. “We’re still trying to find Johnny his Mrs. Right.”

“I heard that,” said Johnny.

Joanne walked over to Johnny and grabbed his hand.  “Sorry, we thought you were asleep.”

Johnny squeezed her hand. “It’s okay.  I was drifting in and out.  My head and shoulder still hurt a bit but the medication is helping.”



Chet and Kimberly stayed for about a half hour after Chet returned from getting his snack.  Joanne was exhausted so Johnny talked her in to going
home early to get some rest.  He promised he would call her if there were any change with Roy.

Johnny drifted off to sleep on and off that evening. The pain was subsiding and he was beginning to feel better.  He was having a hard time getting
comfortable due to the brace around his shoulders.  He decided he would talk to Roy to get his mind off of himself.

“Man, Roy. I wish you’d wake up.  I miss talking to you. I mean, I can talk to you now but it’s not the same unless you respond back.  Kimberly’s a great partner but she’s not you.  You’re my partner.  I don’t want another one.  It was hard enough breaking you in the way I wanted ya.”

Johnny chuckled to himself.  He’s hoped that he could say something to trigger Roy to wake up but nothing worked.  “Well, at least you missed my
latest fiasco on a rope. Damn, Roy. I seem to get clumsier every day. Hmm…don’t tell Chet I said that.  I’d never admit that to him.  Maybe you
and I could go and……………..never mind.  I miss you Roy.  I really do.”

Johnny finally drifted off to sleep.  He awoke about an hour later with a sharp pain in his collarbone. He cried out in pain and tried to reach for
the button to call the nurse but it slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.  “Damn!  Owww!  Oh my God, that hurts.”

Johnny passed out but came to when he heard all of the commotion around him. “It’s okay, Johnny. Just relax.  We’re giving you something for the pain,” said Doctor Brackett.

“What happened?  Why the sudden pain?” asked Johnny.

“Sorry, Johnny.  The nurse misread your chart and didn’t give you your medication as prescribed.”

“How did you know?” asked Johnny. “I dropped the call button.”

“Let me finish checking you out and I’ll tell you,” replied the doctor. “Just relax.”

Johnny did as instructed but found the doctor’s comments odd.

“I think you’ll be fine. So will your partner.  We just took him down for some tests.  He’s the one who called us to help you.”

Johnny could hardly contain his excitement. “He’s awake?”

Brackett put his hand on Johnny’s chest.  "Yes, take it easy.  I don’t want you to get too excited here. You need to relax.  He’ll be back in a little
while. You can talk to him later.”

“Did you call Joanne?”

“I’m on my way to do that now.  You just rest.”

Johnny tried to fight the medication but it overtook him. He was out as soon as Brackett left the room.



As the sun came through the window of the hospital room, Johnny attempted to turn his head to avoid it. “Ow, man.  Can somebody close that shade?”

“Sorry, I’m not allowed to get out of bed yet. Still a bit weak.”

“Roy? You’re awake!  That’s right.  Brackett said you were.  I tried to stay awake but I couldn’t.”

“That’s okay. Joanne spent most of the night here.  We were worried about you.”

“About me?  Roy, you’ve been in a coma for over a week.  I was beginning to think you wouldn’t come out of it.”

Roy smiled. “It was weird. I can kind of remember you all talking to me. You were in a lot of pain.  I remember waking up and pushing the call
button.  How are you feeling?”

Johnny grimaced slightly.  “Oh, a little sore but better than last night. This sunlight is killing me though.”

“Joanne should be here any minute now. I’ll have her close the window  shade.”

“Thanks……..for that and for last night. I’m glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“Hey, I’ll always be there for you, Junior.  Well, as long as I have something to say about it, I will.”

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