College Man by Nexxie PART III Joanne DeSoto wandered aimlessly around the house, straightening a chair here, a cushion there...a definite sign of bordom. Jen spent the night at Tammy Payne's again and wouldn't be home before this evening. With Roy at work and Chris at college, she had only the dog to keep her company. And he had nothing better to do than sleep and scratch. Why are you moping around here, Joanne, she chastised herself. You have a car and it's a pretty day. Why don't you just call your sister or somebody and have a day out. Heck, who needs company? Just go! A woman's place is in the mall, Joanne decided as she joined the group of mallwalkers. It was a new fad, and one she could really get into. No money was required, lots to see, plenty of people she knew, exercise, and...no bugs. All the benefits of walking in the park without the little flying pests that hung around the path waiting to take a bite out of her. After the walk, well there were all kinds of places to eat lunch---okay so that nullified the benefits of walking---and a movie she wouldn't mind seeing. There was enough here to keep her busy all day if she chose. Hmm. One of the girls in that store looks a lot like Tammy Payne. I wonder if Jennifer is here with them. On the next circuit, however, there was no sign of the group. Must have been my imagination. Jennifer wouldn't be up before twelve o'clock on Saturday anyway. At the DeSoto house the phone rang endlessly...unanswered. ********** "STATION 99...STATION 15...BATTALION 10...INDUSTRIAL FIRE AT THE TIRON CHEMICAL PLANT...3200 JASON STREET...3-2-0-0 JASON...EXPLOSION WITH INJURIES...TIME OUT 11:15" A bad one, Roy thought, as they pulled out of the apparatus bay. Probably noxious fumes and plenty of volatile containers. The men of Station 99's C-Shift had just returned from the first fire when the tones sounded for them again. Still covered with soot and sweat, they pulled their turnout coats back on and ran for the engine. Showers and lunch would have to wait...for quite a while. As they left, the phone began to ring. ********** "LA County Fire Department, Firefighter Lopez speaking," Marco answered the phone. "Captain Gage? I'm sorry, he is out of the station until about 12:45. Would you like to leave a message? Yes sir, I'll have him call this number. Who should he ask for? Sergeant Romero? Yes sir, I'll tell him as soon as he gets in." Marco hung up the phone with a troubled look. He wondered what the CHP wanted with Johnny. J.R., he knew, had the Rover today; Johnny had mentioned that fact when Roy dropped him off this morning. He wondered if he should call the school. The sergeant didn't act like it was urgent, though, so he decided to let the matter wait for Cap's return. ********** The kids were animated and enthusiastic as Johnny and Dave made their presentation. Both men posessed the kind of offbeat humor that appealed to kids and used it, sparking each other's energy to give a memorable show. Karen Riley, afraid at first that it would be the kind of serious, boring lecture her father tended to give, became the woman of the hour for managing to bring these two nutty firemen into the school. The faculty was enjoying themselves and the kids, riveted and thoroughly entertained, were too engrossed to misbehave. "Okay, let's see how much ya remember." Johnny began to quiz the kids, and looked very proud until he 'spotted' Dave prompting them with the answers. "Dave!" he yelled, "how are we gonna be sure these guys know the answers if you're over there tellin' them? That's cheatin'. Shame on you!" Dave shrugged and bowed his head, pretending to sulk. He put his hands in his pockets and kicked at the floor, looking for all the world like a little boy with hurt feelings. "Aw, don't get mad at Dave, Johnny," some of the kids called out. "Yeah, we know the answers. He was just trying to help." Johnny pretended to give the matter some thought. Finally he called Dave over to him. "Can I trust you not to give away the answers from now on?" he asked the younger man. Dave emphatically nodded and said, "I promise, Cap'n Johnny. I won't do it again." He turned to the kids. "But you guys have to help me out by proving you know this stuff, okay?" The kids all agreed. "I don't know," Johnny milked the situation for all it was worth. "If you guys can't answer the questions, I think I'm gonna have to make Dave clean the bathroom at the station for the whole next year." "No, Cap, not that, please!" "No, Cap'n Johnny," the kids screamed. "We know the answers. We'll show you!" The kids proved that they had indeed listened to the presentation by answering all of Johnny's questions correctly, and were rewarded with stickers, posters and hand stamps. Johnny and Dave were mobbed after they finished, answering questions and receiving heartfelt thanks from the kids and faculty alike. Karen Riley stopped to thank the two of them---well supposedly the two of them---as they loaded the teaching materials into the trunk of Dave's Camaro. Johnny noticed with a grin that her eyes stayed riveted on Konnitsky. On the way back to the station Johnny brought up the topic that nagged at him all morning. "Uh, Dave, you know J.R. went to help out 'Sunshine' today, right?" "Yeah, Cap, I'm kind of surprised you and Cap DeSoto allowed it. I thought J.R. and Jennifer weren't supposed to be alone together..." Konnitsky flinched at Johnny's reaction. "WHAT? 'Sunshine' is Jennifer DeSoto!" Dave nodded, gulping. He thought Johnny knew about Jennifer's nickname. He sure sounded as if he did when he started this conversation. "Oh man, this is just perfect! And I encouraged him to agree. Aaargh! Roy's gonna kill us both! Konnitsky, if you know where they went you better be tellin' me now. I'm not askin' you as a captain, I'm tellin' you as a father and an uncle. Trust me, that's a lot more dangerous." "I'm sorry, Cap, I really don't know. J.R. didn't tell me much, except they were headed south." Johnny clenched his teeth and his fists at the same time. As they pulled into the parking lot at the station, Marco Lopez ran out to the car. "Cap, you had a call while you were out from the CHP. A Sergeant Romero wants you to call him back. I wrote the number down..." Johnny was running into his office before Marco could finish his sentence. Gage's face had gone chalk white at the news. Marco shook his head ominously and helped a very subdued Dave Konnitsky remove the teaching materials from the trunk of his car. ********** Seated next to J.R., Jennifer cried softly as Sergeant Romero tried each of the numbers given him in an attempt to reach their parents. No answer at the DeSoto's house or Station 99. At 51's, he managed to talk to someone, but Captain Gage wasn't in. In a way, J.R. was relieved...he was in no hurry to talk to his father or Jen's. Chris was probably frantic by now as well. "It seems you two are going to be our guests for a while longer." Romero sighed. A guiltier-looking pair he had never seen. They're probably good kids, too. The rotten ones never look guilty. He turned back to his paperwork. ********** Chris began to worry. Twelve o'clock came and went with no sign of J.R. or his sister. If they left by eight o'clock, which was the plan, they should have been at the college by eleven at the latest, even with heavy traffic. Maybe they stopped to eat somewhere, or maybe they couldn't get away on time. They had to be coming, they just had to. He'd signed out of his dormitory room and was to turn in the key after lunch...one last meal at the college cafeteria. Maybe he'd better see if they left. Chris borrowed a handful of change from one of the few guys still in the dorm on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and went to the community payphone in the lounge area. He made a mental note to send the guy a check when he got home. The phone rang at the DeSoto's with no answer. Same at the Gage ranch. Finally, he called Tammy Payne's house; that's where Jen was supposed to spend the night. "Oh, hi Chris. No, Jennifer isn't here. She and Tam went shopping this morning. We're not expecting them back before this evening some time. Is something wrong?" "No, thanks, Mrs. Payne, I'll try again later if that's okay." Well, he thought as he hung up, they left like they were supposed to. Tammy was going to tell her folks that she and Jen were going to the mall, and it sounds like that's exactly what happened. Oh, man, what if they had an accident somewhere? If they aren't here by one o'clock, I'll call Dad at the station, he decided. He'll be mad, but he needs to know. One o'clock came and went...no answer at Station 99. No answer at the DeSoto house. No answer at the ranch. With a heavy heart, he dialed Station 51. "LA County Fire Department, Firefighter Lopez speaking." "Uncle Marco? This is Chris DeSoto. Is Uncle Johnny there?" "Uh, yeah, Chris, at the moment he is, but he's pretty upset. Is this real important?" "Yeah, Uncle Marco. I think it might be." Chris gulped. Something has happened and Johnny knows. "Captain Gage speaking." Johnny's voice was tight and strained. He wasn't in the mood for small talk. "Uncle Johnny? Where are J.R. and Jennifer?" "Chris! What do you know about this? They're at a CHP station not far outside San Diego. The Rover blew a tire. Thank God they weren't hurt. I'm waiting for a replacement for me and your dad. He's out on a bad fire and getting away could be difficult. Anyway we're gonna use Marco's car to go get them." "It's all my fault, Uncle Johnny." Chris' voice refused to cooperate and he was nearly whispering. "They were coming down here to help me. I've quit college. My Mustang is out of gas and has a flat. J.R. was gonna loan me the money to get home and help me move. He didn't want to. He tried to talk me into...well never mind. I had Jen persuade him to help." "Chris, why didn't you...never mind now. We'll sort it all out later. After your dad gets Jen, one of us will come after you. Right now I'm waiting for Captain Brady to relieve me. Just sit tight, okay?" Chris said 'okay' when he realized Johnny couldn't see him nodding. What else could he do? ********** Johnny heaved a sigh of relief. It would be funny if he wasn't so worried. He had assured the CHP sergeant that he and Jennifer's father would be down to get the two of them as soon as possible, and yes, he did know that his son had the Rover. No, he had not been aware that Jennifer was with him, but they would deal with that in person. Now there was a third offspring in the mix...this whole fiasco was dreamed up by Chris. At least Johnny could explain the situation to Roy now without a further test of their friendship. For a while he was afraid their kids had run off together. He knew that would be Roy's first reaction as well. Why, he wondered, wasn't Joanne home? Gingerly Johnny sat down at his desk. What a mess! Putting his head in his hands, he began to laugh. The office door squeaked open and Jeff Brady walked in. He was curious about the emergency that called John away in the middle of a shift, but refrained from asking. If Johnny wanted him to know, he would tell. "John? You can take off now, buddy," Brady told him. Nodding his thanks, Johnny walked swiftly to his locker and changed before getting the keys to Marco's car and heading for the scene of the Tiron fire. A call to McConnike appraising him of the situation had yielded his own replacement and the promise of one for Roy. The chief himself would fill in if necessary for a little while. ********** The fire at Tiron burned out of control for two hours. A half-dozen plant workers were injured, there were two fatalities and a Code-I. Roy removed his facemask long enough to take a welcome drink of water before returning to the fire. Finally, after a series of explosions and another alarm called out, containment seemed to be within their grasp. At least I don't have to worry about Johnny on this one, Roy reflected. He's giving a class at some elementary school today, so 51's is out of service for a while. As if to give lie to his thoughts, Roy saw Johnny picking his way over hoses and dodging firefighters as he made his way across the parking lot full of men and machines. Behind him was Chief McConikee. This couldn't be good news...Joanne? Jennifer? Why is Johnny out of uniform? Roy's throat constricted in fear. "Roy, you need to come with me," Johnny informed him, pulling Roy along until they were far enough away from the noise and activity to talk. "Consider yourself relieved, Roy," Chief McConikee told him before heading over to confer with the chief from Battalion 10. Roy looked at Johnny in confusion, fear causing any words to stick in his throat. He whispered the names that refused to be said out loud. "Joanne? Jennifer? Chris?" Johnny immediately sought to calm his friend. "First of all, Roy, nobody's hurt...yet. At least not until I get through with 'em. I'm not sure where Joanne is, but as far as I know she's fine. We've got to hurry though. We're takin' Marco's car. I'll explain on the way." In a daze, Roy removed his turnout coat and helmet, tossing them into the engine before he briefly explained to Scott Richey that an emergency had arisen and he had to leave. He'd been relieved, he told the engineer, and probably wouldn't be back for a while. Then he looked at Johnny helplessly as he sat down in the passenger seat of Marco's car, awaiting an explanation. "Uh, Roy, you have to drive. My wrist is still kinda sore." ********** J.R. sat quietly next to Jennifer in adjacent seats against the wall opposite Sergeant Romero's desk. They had been quietly talking while waiting for their fathers to arrive. A glance at his watch told J.R. it was 3:00, ten minutes since the last time he looked. About 1:15 Sergeant Romero had finally got a call from his dad, and he could tell from the condemning looks the officer gave him that Cap Gage wasn't at all happy. As the saying went, there was gonna be hell to pay. About an hour ago, Jennifer's tears finally gave way to hiccups. It hurt so bad to see her cry. He wanted to tell her to cheer up, look on the bright side, find the humor in the situation. But for the life of him, he couldn't see any bright side or anything funny about it. In fact, he kind of felt like crying himself. What would his father do when he got there? Time to think about something else before I do start crying. This CHP station sure is a busy place, J.R. reflected, watching the coming and going of khaki-shirted officers. Occasionally he would see one of the big motorcycles roar out of the parking lot and think wistfully of his friend Cager. He also thought about the Harley he had begun to save for. He didn't at all regret the money spent on the saddle he gave Johnny for his birthday, but sometimes he wished he was closer to buying the bike. Jennifer is fiddling with the catch on her bracelet...the one I gave her for her birthday. I haven't seen her without it since I fastened it onto her wrist. Does she ever take it off? Does she sleep with it under her cheek at night like I do with the blanket she gave me? He reddened at the thought. It isn't a very grown up thing to do, but like she said at the time, 'every baby needs his blanket'. An idiotic grin teased his lips. Good thing nobody can read minds in here. "Help! He's having trouble breathing!" A frantic voice yelled out from across the room. "Somebody call an ambulance!" "Give him room." "Call the paramedics!" A chorus of suggestions melted into garbled confusion as people ran from all corners of the room to help, offer advice, or just satisfy curiosity. You'd think policemen would know better, J.R. thought as he stood on tiptoe to see over the crowd. He got a quick view of the gray-haired man before a half-dozen or so people stepped in front of him. Something about the way the man was gasping, rapidly trying to draw breath, impelled J.R. forward. "Wait!" J.R. called, elbowing his way through the crowd to kneel in front of the man. "Sir," he asked, "are you having chest pains?" The man shook his head to indicate a negative. "Do your fingers and toes feel numb or tingly?" A nod. "Are you dizzy?" Emphatic nod. J.R. looked quickly around the room and located a lunch bag on someone's desk. Quickly emptying out the contents, he placed the bag over the man's mouth and instructed him to hold it there. He searched through the crowd for Sergeant Romero and asked, "Has someone called the paramedics? I think he's just hyperventilating, but in case I'm wrong..." Romero confirmed that the paramedics and an ambulance were on the way. J.R. squatted on one knee before the man who was now breathing more slowly. "Sometimes, when people get real upset they start breathing fast just from the top of their lungs. It's called hyperventilating. When that happens, they get too little carbon dioxide in their bodies. We all need a certain amount. What you're doing with the bag is replacing the carbon dioxide, so you should be able to breathe normally pretty soon." J.R. recited the speech he'd frequently heard from Winston and Crawford while checking the man's pulse ...a bit rapid. "I can understand getting upset in a place like this," he flashed the man a crooked grin. "It isn't where most people want to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Heck, I'm pretty upset about being here myself." There were a few chuckles from the crowd around him. Jennifer stood back watching him with a little bit of awe and a lot of pride. "What's your name?" J.R. asked the man who was beginning to relax. "John Michaelson," the man puffed. "John, huh? I'm real fond of that name. As a matter of fact, that's my name too." The man acknowledged him with a nod, still breathing into the bag. "What do you do for a living, John?" "I'm an accountant. I was on my way to San Diego when..." he began to breathe faster again. J.R. calmly pushed the man's hands, still holding the bag, back to his face. "That's it, just keep the bag up there. An accountant...that's a pretty good profession, I bet. I'm a fireman up in Los Angeles County. I was on my way to San Diego to visit a friend when my car---my dad's car---blew a tire. My girlfriend and I are waiting for our folks to pick us up." Mr. Michaelson had calmed down and was breathing easier. "Well, John, here come the paramedics. They're gonna take real good care of you. These guys know their stuff; I should know, I work with a couple of them all the time. In fact, my dad was one for eleven years. You just relax now, okay?" Mr. Michaelson nodded and J.R. stood up to get out of the way for the paramedics. "J.R.!" Johnny yelled, dodging ambulance attendants, paramedics and a seeming swarm of khaki CHP shirts as he made his way across the room to his son. "Dad?" J.R. said uncertainly. Dad looks like he can't decide whether to hug me or belt me one. Johnny elected for the hug...for the time being. "Are you guys all right?" he asked looking anxiously at J.R. A few feet away Jennifer was receiving similar attention from Roy. "Hey, buddy." Johnny felt himself being tapped on the shoulder by a burly CHP officer. "Is this your kid?" Johnny nodded, afraid of what was coming. "Man, you've got one helluva son!" The officer slapped Johnny on the back before the man turned and walked away. What was that all about? Johnny wondered, wincing. That slap was right on the bruise from his air tank. He stumbled forward, his knees weakened by the pain inflicted. ********** Johnny and Roy strode anxiously through the busy CHP station to where the desk sergeant told them they would find their kids. A paramedic squad and an ambulance parked outside explained the confused melee in the area where they were told to look for Jen and J.R. Johnny gulped wondering if his son was somehow involved in this and whether he was rescuer, bystander or victim. The senior Gage could see similar thoughts reflected in his best friend's face as he searched the room for his daughter. Roy's steps took on new purpose as he located Jennifer standing on tiptoe on the fringes of the crowd, her face all smiles. Johnny noticed that J.R. didn't seem to be with her. "Daddy!" Jen cried, throwing her arms around Roy's neck before turning to point into the circle of onlookers. Johnny shifted his gaze to follow the direction she indicated, knowing with a sinking feeling that somehow J.R. was in the middle of things. Sure enough, J.R.'s head emerged as he stood up and left the crowd. As Johnny called out to his son and then went to meet him, he heard Jennifer's voice in the background excitedly explaining the situation to Roy. "Daddy, he was just wonderful. Nobody else knew what to do and they were running around like chickens with their heads off when J.R...." He didn't hear the rest. Johnny wasn't sure what he wanted to do at this point, but the uneasy and almost fearful look on his son's face spoke to his heart. He was relieved that J.R. was ok, and that would be enough for now. Without hestitating he pulled the young man into his arms and gave him a quick hug, pulling back to reassure himself that his son wasn't hurt. "Is this your kid?" someone was asking Johnny. He nodded. "You've got one helluva son!" A burly paw clapped Johnny on the back, sending him forward a little ways. "Do I?" Johnny asked his son when he caught his breath and could speak again. "No big deal, Dad," J.R. said, blushing slightly, "some guy was just hyperventilating and I put a bag over his face while the cops called the paramedics." Johnny gave him a sideways glance, sure there must be more to it than that. Jennifer certainly seemed to think so. He shrugged and let it go. He would probably hear the Jennifer-enhanced version soon anyway. They joined Roy and Jen at Sergeant Romero's desk where Roy was signing some paperwork while Jennifer tapped her foot and looked frustrated. J.R. was back to being uneasy, Johnny noticed. Sergeant Romero looked up and sighed. Why do people always have to complicate things? "J.R., I thought your father was coming after you." The man standing there must be an older brother. He needed the father's statement about the car. "I'm John Gage," Johnny stated. "J.R. is my son." "Can I see some I.D.?" Romero asked, frankly skeptical. Both men wore nearly identical clothing and looked to be too close in age to be father and son. With a grunt of disgust, Johnny whipped out his wallet and handed his drivers' license to the officer. "Gee, Dad, I think you just got carded." J.R. grinned at Johnny, enjoying his father's discomfort. Sergeant Romero suppressed a smile as he examined the license. Nobody could blame me for asking though; the man is only thirty-seven and has a son that's nearly twenty. He doesn't look his age, either. Johnny shot J.R. a withering glance as he waited for the return of his identification. Roy and Jennifer DeSoto had apparently come to some kind of understanding. She was talking a mile a minute---nothing new--- while Roy kept giving J.R. sideways glances. If I didn't know better, Johnny thought uneasily, I would say Roy is looking at my son with affection. What the hell is Jen telling him? What the hell has J.R. said to Jennifer? He felt a distinct lump forming in his throat. "Dad, why is Mr. D looking at me like that?" J.R. asked under his breath. He's just as confused as I am. Good! "Uh, son, you didn't...that is you haven't asked...you aren't...? What the hell have you been saying to Jennifer?" Johnny looked sternly at J.R., hoping he wouldn't hear what he was afraid he would hear. Roy was looking at J.R. almost like...a fond uncle...or a proud prospective father-in-law. Unconsciously both Gages gulped nearly in unison. J.R. was rapidly coming to the same conclusion. "Nothing, Dad, at least not what you're thinking. She's only seventeen for crying out loud. I'm still a probationary fireman and still living at home. What do you take me for?" J.R. hissed angrily. Johnny shook his head sadly. "A marked man, son, a marked man." ********** Chris pushed his tray along the cafeteria's serving line one last time for an early dinner. He wasn't sorry that it was the last, but he wasn't as happy about leaving as he had been, now that he knew his dad would be coming to get him. Dad must have heard the news by now, he thought. He's gonna kill me...and probably Jen too, not to mention what he will do to J.R. for taking off with Jen this morning. Man, I've really screwed up this time. But I'm not staying here, he decided, no matter what else happens, I'm going back to L.A. A ruckus in the kitchen drew Chris' attention from his troubled thoughts. A hissing sound developed into a roar as flames spread along a trail of spilled grease, crossing the kitchen floor in an instant. Kitchen employees and student helpers scattered in panic, each attempting to find the shortest way out. Chris quickly scanned the walls until he located the two important items he knew must be there...a fire alarm and an extinguisher. He rapidly shoved his way against the stream of humanity, all rushing toward the doors that led outside, and reached the alarm. The kitchen staff had all made it out except for one woman lying on the floor by the stove. She was badly burned and bleeding from a head wound. Pausing to grab the fire extinguisher, he caught the shirt tail of the nearest fleeing student and looked him directly in the eyes. "Call the paramedics, and don't hang up until you're sure they're on their way, got it?" The boy nodded and fled when Chris aimed the extinguisher at the flames that were rapidly spreading through the kitchen. What happened to fire inspections? He had time to think. The blaze quickly grew beyond the capability of one small extinguisher, but Chris used it to clear a temporary path to the downed woman. Without pausing, he picked her up in a fireman's carry just as the lights went out. At least the emergency lights work, he thought. The kitchen itself was dark otherwise, having no windows and the path to the back door was blocked by a pile of boxes overturned by someone in their haste to escape the fire. We'll have to go out the way I came in. The flames had again spread across the kitchen blocking the entrance from the dining room. Pieces of the burning ceiling dropped around him in a hellish rain. With the fire rapidly advancing and the woman growing heavy Chris came close to panicking. There were no towels laying around that he could see to cover his nose and mouth, so he struggled to pull his shirt collar over his nose, no easy task with his arms full of unconscious middle-aged woman. The smoke stung his eyes and burned his throat. Chris was rapidly growing dizzy and disoriented when he heard the most beautiful sound, or sounds in the world. "DeSoto? Are you in here?" J.R. coughed in the billowing smoke and tripped on overturned chairs as he made his way across the cafeteria toward the kitchen. "Chris? Son?" Johnny's and Roy's voices called out in unison as they stumbled after J.R. "In here!" Chris called out. "We're trapped." He wondered how they knew where to find him, or that he would still be in the cafeteria instead of safely outside with the rest of the crowd. J.R. spotted Chris across the lunch line counter. "Chris! this way. I think you can get through. Pass her over the countertop." Chris obediently laid the woman's inert body on the lunch counter and then vaulted over after her as J.R. pulled her onto his shoulders. Johnny and Roy joined their two sons, helping to hustle them out of the smoky building. A fire engine pulled up to the curb and buff-coated firemen sprang into action entering the building to douse the flames. The paramedics arrived simultaneously and took charge of the burn victim. Johnny asked if he could use their oxygen and with their blessing treated Chris and J.R., who were still squinting and coughing from the smoke. The college dean, called in from a leisurely day at the golf course, hurried over to the person who seemed to be in charge, asking for details. The station captain spoke with him briefly and pointed to the group standing around the paramedics. Jennifer held the oxygen mask on J.R., not caring what anybody said. J.R. knew he could deal with the oxygen mask himself, but what the heck, this might be the last time he ever got to touch Jennifer DeSoto. J.R. Gage put his hand tenderly over hers as she held the mask to his face her eyes filled with love for him. Johnny looked at the two boys with more than a little pride. Chris had remained calm, not trying to fight the fire alone and not panicking. He rescued the victim in a tough situation and together his and Roy's sons brought her out of the burning building. Captain Gage walked with the paramedics as they prepared to load the victim in the ambulance. "Is she gonna make it?" "Yeah, I think so. Your kid the one that pulled her out?" The paramedic squinted up at Johnny. "My nephew did at first, then my son helped." "They did a first rate job, they should be firemen," the man declared grinning. He knew they were probably college students, so he was surprised when Johnny grinned back and answered, "My son already is. He works at Station 15 out of L.A. County, and my nephew will be going to the academy first chance he gets. His father, over there, is a captain a Station 99 and I'm at Station 51. It's kind of in the family." "Well, that explains it then," the paramedic said, waving at Roy, who was still in uniform, as he picked up his gear and headed for the ambulance. With a brief salute to Johnny he closed the back door of the ambulance and ran for the squad; his partner rode in with the victim. The emergency vehicles roared away, sirens blaring and the Gages and Jennifer joined the DeSotos who were talking to the dean. Chris wasn't really paying attention, Johnny noted as he and J.R. approached the group; he was eyeing the big engine almost longingly, watching intently every move made by the engineer. "I see you found him," Chad Ferrell said breathlessly, running up to his now former roommate. John and Roy had inquired at Chris' room and Chad sent them to the cafeteria. "Man, Christy, you sure know how to make things exciting!" He wrinkled his nose at Chris' sooty hands and face, his shirt and jeans spotted with the victims' blood. Chad's eyes widened when he saw Jennifer firmly holding J.R.'s hand while her father looked on almost fondly. "Christy?" Jennifer grinned evilly. This was gonna be good for some milage. "Don't even think it, 'Sunshine'!", Chris warned her. "Hey!" J.R. objected, "what's wrong with 'Sunshine'? I kind of like it." Chris rolled his eyes and stared at John Gage who was trying hard not to laugh. Roy too had a twinkle in his eyes. Captain DeSoto looked at the heavens and made a 'why me?' gesture before ushering the other five away from the area. He noted Chris' reluctance to leave while the big pumper was still on site. Johnny saw it too and his eyes spoke volumes. Yeah, okay, maybe our sons were meant to be firemen. ********** On the way back to L.A., Roy recalled his conversation with Jennifer a few hours previously in the CHP station. "Daddy," she gushed, "you should have seen J.R.. He rushed in and saved that guy's life while all the policemen were standing around not knowing what to do." It was her third, identical rendition of the same story. "Jen, what were you thinking agreeing to take off with J.R. like this?" He needed to get this over with before they reached the college. "Daddy, Chris is so unhappy down here. He's homesick, and he hates college, and he just wants to be a fireman more than anything in the world. We just couldn't leave him. He figured if you didn't find out until it was too late, you couldn' t make him stay. And by-the-way-did-you-know-J.R.-thinks-you-don't-like-him-because-he's-illegitimate-and-an-Indian? I-told-him-that's-ridiculous-that-you-do-like-him-and-anyway-I-love-him-so-much-Daddy-and-I-want-to-marry-him-someday-and-if-you-keep-us-apart-I'll-just-die!" Roy wondered if she would have enough air to finish the whole sentence. He was surprised that J.R. could think he and Joanne would be so narrow-minded about his birth and heritage. Maybe he had acted reserved toward the boy, but surely...no, he was a Gage. There probably was no end to the paranoia in that boy's mind. Since no actual reason for dislike was ever given him, he must have made up his own. Well, Jen was determined. The boy's days were numbered. He almost felt sorry for the kid. Now to take care of his own son. Roy indicated Jen should get into Marco's blue Corvette. He sometimes envied the single firefighters who could afford such things. But then, he knew Marco often envied Roy his family. Anyway, it was a pleasure to drive the beautiful machine, and very kind of Marco to trust him and Johnny with it. "Are Uncle Johnny and J.R. going to the college too, or just us?" Jen queried. "They have to. We're gonna need the Rover to carry Chris' stuff." Roy frowned at the thought of bringing Chris and all his belongings back to Carson. It was the second dream in the last few days to go up in smoke. How would Joanne take this new development? He shook himself from the melancholy thoughts to focus on the road. Rush hour traffic had cleared as they approached the turn-off for Carson and Jennifer was being uncharacteristically quiet. "What's the matter, honey," he asked her. "Daddy, what's going to happen to me and J.R. now? None of this was his fault, really. I don't want him to get in trouble, and I don't want him forbidden to see me again. That's not gonna happen, is it?" "Well, Jen," Roy tried to keep his voice stern as he watched a tear streak down his daughter's cheek. Darn not tears! "Johnny and I and your mother will have to talk this over. Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt my future son-in-law." "Daddy!" Jennifer shrieked. "You mean it? You'll let me marry J.R.? Well, that is, if he ever asks me." Roy nearly steered off the road as Jennifer impulsively grabbed his arm and hugged it for dear life. "Jen, if I know you, he'll ask." Jennifer was hugging herself now, delighted. Everything was gonna be just perfect. ********** If I never go to the mall again, it will be too soon. Frazzled, slightly nauseated and thoroughly shaken, Joanne was glad to see the corner of her street come into view. I've got so much to tell Roy when he gets home from work. First, the mall filled up quickly and walking became more like crawling. Whoever heard of 'Sidewalk Days' in October? Then after she found a few items she wanted, the lines at the checkouts were impossible. When she got to the cashier, her credit card was refused...it was past the expiration date and she had neglected to put the new card in her wallet. She had to write a check...her last one. By noon, Joanne was bushed, but decided to have a relaxing meal and rest up in the theater. Her lunch took thirty minutes to arrive, by which time Joanne had read every piece of advertisement on the placemat three times. When it arrived, the food was cold. The waitress was swamped and working at top speed; Joanne was being ignored, and knew it. It would have been easier, Jo decided to stop a freight train. Giving up, she just choked down her cold lunch and left a penny tip. Maybe Miss Speedy would get a clue. Well, she decided, I'll get some popcorn and enjoy the movie. Smart idea putting the Cinemas in the shopping malls...just what my sore feet need. The movie didn't start for another fifty minutes...the slow lunch made her miss the first showing. Two-and-a-half hours later, she decided that her sore feet would have been happier soaking in a hot bathtub. The movie turned out to be over-advertised, over-acted, and over-long. Definitely not a repeat. Time to head for the comforts of home. The freeway at rush hour was a bad idea too. The on-ramp resembled a parking lot and things slowed down even more when the car in front of her was side-swiped trying to enter traffic. Joanne nearly stood on the brakes to avoid joining the accident-in-progress, then waited forty minutes for the police to clear the scene and start traffic back in motion. A stay-at-home mom, she decided, is better off staying at home. It was dark by the time she arrived, and there was dinner yet to fix. As Joanne pulled into her driveway, she took note of the number of cars in front of their home...Johnny's Rover, Chris' Mustang, and Marco's Corvette? Where's the Porsche? and why is Chris home? Is Roy... she put her hand over her lips to stop their trembling. Something must have happened to Roy! She nearly ran to the back door in her haste to find out what was wrong. Joanne was bewildered when she entered the kitchen to find her extended family hungrily devouring a couple of large pizzas and laughing together as if they hadn't a care in the world. Roy looks pretty healthy, she exhaled in relief. So what's going on? "What are you all doing here?! Aren't you supposed to be on shift? Why is Marco's 'Vette in the driveway? And why on earth is Christopher home?" Jen sat almost in J.R.'s lap, obviously holding hands with him under the table and busily feeding him bites of pizza. Johnny's son blushed furiously while Roy placidly beamed at the two of them. Am I on the right planet, Joanne wondered? Johnny just looked amused as he proceeded to stuff nearly a whole slice of pizza into his mouth at one time. Well, at least something was normal around here. Chris stood up to hug his mom before explaining something that he knew she didn't want to hear. The story of her eventful day at the mall fell by the wayside as Joanne was appraised of the other developments. All in all, she was glad she spent a relaxing day fighting the crowds at the mall, sitting through a bad lunch and a worse movie, and then having a near accident on the way home. Ignorance is bliss, she thought. ********** An altogether boring day, that's what it was. J.R. didn't make any plans for this particular day off. His dad lay sacked out in one of the two recliners that faced the fireplace in the great room. Johnny's gentle snores left no doubt as to his state of awareness...nil. It was nearly two weeks ago now that they returned from San Diego. Chris got his old job back with the department store and had little time off. Jennifer was only allowed to see J.R. on weekends...school nights were out, but they at least still talked to each other every morning. His dad hadn't yet figured out that the phone in the master bedroom never rang. Grinning, he thought, I need my daily dose of 'Sunshine'. Maybe Dad's right, I am a marked man. Well, you won't hear me complaining. It would have been nice to go camping or something today. Maybe I should have worked an overtime shift; my motorcycle is still a long way in the future. I wonder how Jen will like it? I'd better not ask, she might decide to change my mind. Walking aimlessly to the corner bookcase J.R. perused the titles...as if he didn't already know them by heart after dusting them dozens of times in the last seven months. Thoughtfully he pulled one from the second shelf and stared at the cover. It was a book he'd debated reading for a long time. What the heck, the pages wouldn't burn him, after all. Laying the book on a small table by the back door, J.R. went to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of iced tea, then retrieved his choice of reading material before plopping into one of the Adirondack chairs on the porch. Chris DeSoto walked around the back of the ranch house, planning to surprise Johnny and J.R. with a visit. He hadn't had a day off for almost a week, so his social life was a little thin. With a grin he walked up and snatched the book from J.R.'s hands, holding it out of reach. Chris was just about an inch taller, but it was enough. "DeSoto! Give it back!" J.R. hissed, reaching on tiptoe to regain possession of the volume. It was one that he didn't particularly want to be caught with. "What's the matter, Gage? Reading a dirty book?" Chris laughed and looked at the title. he smile faded from his face. He dropped the offending item to the floor of the porch as if burned by it. "You've got to be kidding! I thought you... You said it... Jen's gonna kill you!" "What? I can't do a little reading?" J.R. became defensive. "It's not a committment or anything, I was just curious." Gage could see the disappointment in his friend's eyes. "J.R., I thought we could...I wanted to...you know." Chris felt betrayed. He and J.R. became close since their camping trip in early August and he began to see a long future for their friendship, like their fathers'. This could create a rift between them. "Chris, haven't you ever wondered what it would be like? Aren't you even a little curious?" J.R. was doubtful himself, but Chris' opposition was bringing out a stubborn streak in the young man that Roy would have recognized in a heartbeat as being pure Gage. "What's going on?" Johnny asked, yawning as he walked barefoot onto the porch. "Nothin'," J.R. said too quickly, shoving the offending book neatly under the chair with one foot. Johnny spotted the motion and reached to pick up the volume, his eyes daring J.R. to try and stop him. He turned the book to read the title, though the color and shape were so familiar he didn't even need to look. "Do you think it's interesting?" he asked at last, unwilling to look J.R. in the eye, lest he give his own feelings away. "Yeah," J.R. admitted, "it is that." He swallowed, not really wishing to discuss the book right now. With a groan of frustration, Chris punched the porch's support piller and stalked out to his Mustang, his shoulders taut with anger. "Wait!" J.R. yelled, running after him. "For crying out loud, I was just reading, DeSoto. I didn't say I'm gonna do anything. Will you just wait a minute!" He jumped into the passenger's side of the 'Stang and it roared off down the lane to the main road. Shaking his head, a reluctant grin teasing his lips, Johnny went back into the house and reshelved the book with the rest of the paramedic study manuals. THE END feedback for Nexxie return to main menu