The afternoon seemed to drag by even slower than usual, as did the entire week.  Friday night was his, and Chris made the most of it.  Johnny was off, so he picked Coty up from school before Travis even made it to the door.  Coty was quick, Chris would give him that. Unfortunately, his dad and Johnny were on, on Saturday, so before the good cartoons even came on, Coty was dropped off again.  After Monday, Coty had only been over Thursday night.  Between his homework, dinner, and practicing his math cards, it became eight o'clock very quickly, and Chris barely had time to look at him before he had crawled under his bed to go to sleep.  Chris did his best to ignore the kid in school, despite Travis's interest, and he decided to ignore him forever. Coty finished his extra math, and the cartoons were soon over.  Both boys sat with nothing to do. "Let's go play Barbies," Jenny told the smaller of the two. "Jenny..." Joanne reminded for the hundredth time.  Why she was so inclined to boss this little boy around, she'd never know. "Do you want to go play Barbies?" Jenny asked knowing full well what her mother had said her name for. Coty looked at the floor. "You don't have to if you don't want to," Joanne told him.  "Maybe Barbies isn't the best game Jenny." "No kidding," Chris scoffed in the living room. "Nuff from the pea-knuckle gallery," Jenny shot back. Chris fell apart giggling. "Look mister BA-jamas," Joanne teased, "don't make fun of your sister." "I didn't say a word," he defended.  "Can I go to the park?" "Can you?" "Yes." "I don't know." "MAY I go to the park?" "Yes you may." "May I too mommy?" "If you want." "Aw mom," Chris bellowed, "she's too little." "Then I guess you'll have to look after her a bit then huh." "But I don't WANT to." "Why don't one of you ask Coty if--" "Coty, wanna go to the park?" Jenny jumped in, not that her brother was going to beat her to it. With nothing else to do, Coty followed along.  He loved the outdoors, and was just happy to be outside.  He smiled inwardly at everything he saw.  The sun was shining, but it wasn't too hot.  It was spring and birds chirped here and there.  A large lady smiled at him as she over-watered her flower garden.  A butterfly joined them and he became lost in its flight. "Hey Chris," Travis shouted jarring Coty his thoughts.  Before he knew it, they were surrounded. "Hi," Chris answered.  He had been pouting at the ground the whole way at having the two tag-alongs, and hadn't seen the other kids either. "Whata ya doin?" "What does it look like I'm doin?  What are you doin?" "Wondering what on earth you're doin." "I'm not doing anything." "You friends with him or somethin?" "No." "Then what are--" "My mom baby-sits him, that's all." "Looks like you're doing the baby-sitting," Travis needled pointing at Jenny. "No I'm not." "Why does she baby-sit HIM?" "Cause she wants to," Jenny piped up for him. "Shut up Jenny," Chris warned. "Yeah Jenny, shut up," Travis laughed giving her a slight push.  Coty stepped in front of her. "What are ya doin moron.  You want me to kick your but?"  Travis tried to knee him in the groin, but Coty turned and took the blow in his leg.  "You wanna fight?" Travis asked pushing him to the ground.  "Come on you wimp, fight!" Coty got up and stood to face him, but made no other move. "Fight dummy," Travis said shoving him again.  Coty kept his balance this time, and stared back.  "You want me to beat you up?" "Go home Jenny," Chris whispered to her. "NO!" she shouted back.  "You leave him alone or I'm gonna tell!" "Who you gonna tell sissy pants," Travis laughed, shoving the boy to the ground again. Why Coty didn't stay on the ground, Chris didn't know, but he knew he wished he would.  As soon as he stood, Travis tripped him backwards, making him land on his but again. "Hey Travis, cut it out," Chris found himself saying. "What?" "Nothin," "Hey Chrissy, I didn't know you were a sissy." "I'm not." "I bet your best friends huh." "No, I don't even like him!" "Prove it." "Huh?" "Trip him." Coty had had enough, and he had started to walk back. "Go on, go trip him," Travis ordered, his audience of other boys growing. Instead of following Coty back toward his house where he might be seen, Chris picked up a rock and threw it at him.  It missed, but it made Travis laugh.  "Come on," Travis whispered to the others.  They followed him through some backyards until they were ahead of their target, then they ran out in front of him, cutting him off.  There were a few more boys than there had been before, some more had joined them along the way, wondering what they were doing.  Coty saw them all, and ran back toward the park. Travis yelped in glee, and led the chase, Chris right behind him.  As they ran through the park, Travis grabbed a stick and a few rocks to hurl at him as they went.  Other boys began to do the same, caught up in the excitement.  "Get him," one would shout. "Hit him," another would yell. Chris snatched up a rock and nailed the boy in the shoulder.  "All right!" Travis cheered him on.                        ~/~/~/~/~ "MOMIE!  MOMIE!" Jenny screamed racing into the house, face red and streaked with tears. Joanne dropped her cup and stood up from the table where she was sharing some coffee with Beth Stoker. "MOMIE!" Jenny screamed again. "I'm right here," Joanne called, "Jenny, I'm right here.  What is it?" "ROCKSADIM!" "What?  Jenny, slow down." "THEY'RE THROWING ROCKS AT HIM!" "WHAT?  Who's doing what?!" "THE BOYS!  THEY'RE THROWING ROCK AT HIM!  AT COTY!" "Where?!  Jenny?  Where?!" "IN THE PARK!" "Get in the car.  Beth?   I gotta--" "I'll follow you," Beth told her putting her youngest down on the floor for a moment.  The ten-month-old boy looked wide eyed at the loud voices, but did not cry. Joanne drove as quickly as she could to the park, but could see nothing when she got there. "Jenny, if this..." she stopped.  She was going to tell her if this was some kind of a joke she was going to be in trouble, but the look on her face reaffirmed that it wasn't.  "Stay here," she ordered getting out of the car.  She walked around the park for several minutes, not knowing what to think.  At the far side, the park ended, and an un-mowed field began.  All the children were strictly forbidden to play over near the woods on the other side of the field, but she headed in that direction anyway.  A few minutes later she saw them.  Ten boys or more had Coty pinned up in a tree, and were throwing rocks at him. "KNOCK IT OFF!" Joanne screamed at the top of her lungs.  The boys scattered and ran.  "CHRIS!" she shouted as she recognized one of them. Chris stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "The car is that way, and you had damn well better be in it when I get there!" His mother had sworn.  She never swore.  Chris walked to the car, but thought about running away from home as he did.  His father had never spanked him more than three times before in his life, but he knew without a doubt, he'd be getting one again. "Coty?" she asked trying to see into the sun to spot him.  He was more than twenty feet in the air, clinging to the highest branch in the tree that could still hold him.  "Coty," she called again.  "It's okay honey.  It's okay."  She looked around her, wanting to call for help.  They were too far away from the houses, and any phones she could use.  "Coty honey, can you climb down?"  She had little doubt he could.  Johnny had told her many times what a chipmunk he was.  The question was if he would.  "Do you want me to call your daddy?  Come on honey, let's go call your dad.  Coty?" At the mention of his father, the boy started to move.  Inch by inch, he made his way to the ground; his faced tight in a continued effort not to cry. As he limped his way back toward the park, Joanne felt she should pick him up, and started to do so. "DON'T," he shouted.  It was the first word he had ever spoken to her.  Until then, he had only whispered occasionally with Jenny, or with Johnny. Joanne followed behind him, still wishing he'd let her carry him.  He stopped suddenly near the road, causing her took look up and see why.  "In the back," she ordered Chris who had gotten in the front seat, not because he had wanted to, but because he figured that was where is mom was going to want him to sit so she could scream at him all the way home. Chris got out and moved to the back seat. "In the WAY back," she ordered. Chris climbed over the back of the seat, careful not to accidentally kick his sister in the face as he did so. Coty looked at the station wagon and the two faces looking at him.  Jenny was still red faced, but had stopped crying, then there was Chris in the back.  Rubbing his arm across his forehead, he walked to the front and got in. Joanne drove to the hospital.  He seemed to be all right, but she wanted to make sure, and she knew the boy wasn't going to let her touch him.  At Rampart, she tried to call the station, and got no answer. "You two sit," she ordered her own off spring. Jenny sat, not taking the tone personally.  Chris sat as well, head hanging toward the floor. "Hi Joanne!" Dr. Brackett said, surprised to see her standing in the hall by the phone booth.  "Chris, Jenny," he added as he became more surprised by their sullen lack of response.  Roy's kids always seemed happy and relatively outgoing.  Chris was more reserved like his father, but never unfriendly, even when he had broken his arm and Dr. Brackett had had to reset it.  "Are you looking for Roy?" he asked a little concerned. "Yes and no.  I am, but not only.  We've got a little problem." "Chris or Jenny?" "Coty," she told him, pointing to the boy who had stopped in the entryway, waiting for her to find his father.  He knew he worked there sometimes.  He'd read some of his father's books that were on his shelves, and he'd seen some diplomas having to do with medicine; not to mention the fact that he'd been there before. "Did he get hit in the face?" Dr. Brackett asked, noticing a forming bruise. "I'm not sure where all he got hit." "What was he playing?" he asked walking toward the boy to look him over. "Dr. Brackett?" Joanne asked in a tone that made him stop.  "I need to talk to you for a minute." Kel Brackett looked very seriously over at the boy, wishing every bit as much as she did that she could get a hold of Johnny as she filled him in.  She tried again and got no answer, but Dr. Brackett didn't feel he should wait. "Hi Coty," he said crouching down to the boy's level. Coty looked up at him raising his eyes, but not his head, then dropped his eyes again. The doctor tilted his head, trying to get a better look, but there were too many shadows in the hall. "Coty?  How about I...would you come with me?  I just want to...I'm just going to look at your face quick, like I did your hand that time.  Do you remember?" Coty nodded, and when the doctor stood, he followed, all be it a little slowly.  Dr. Brackett lead him into one of the examining rooms and moved a chair so Coty could climb up on to the table by himself.  Dixie followed them in, and Dr. Brackett filled her in as quickly as he could. "Okay," he said turning on the bright light over the table, "lets have a look-see." Coty patiently allowed the doctor to move his head back and forth, and Dr. Brackett was careful to touch him as little as possible.  The light made his eyes water, until he pulled away, and wiped at them with his dirty arm.  "Dixie, why don't you get him a wash cloth to..." "Coming right up," she responded as up beat and friendly as she could despite the fact she was burning up inside over what Kel had told her.  "Here you go sweetheart.  Wipe some of that sweat away and it won't sting your eyes so much."  She handed the cloth over and the boys bottom lip began to tremble, giving him away, so much like Johnny.  Like Joanne she wanted to scoop him up and comfort him, no child needed it more.  Instead she held out the cloth until he was able to bring himself to take it. "Coty, did you get hit anywhere else?" Brackett asked when he finished wiping off his face. Coty nodded. "Can you show me where?" He thought for a moment, then pointed to a few places, his hand, his arm, and his shoulder. "Okay, can you get your shirt off for me?" The boy threw him an uncertain look, but started to unbutton his shirt.  The shirt stuck to him, making it difficult to remove, and Dixie started to help before she could think about it.  Coty gave her the same look he'd given Dr. Brackett, but allowed her to help him just the same.  They found two developing bruises on his back, one on his chest, and the one he had pointed out on his shoulder.  He tugged up a pants leg, and they found two more there.  Beyond this, they found a whole lot more.  There were bruises on both upper arms of varying ages, and numerous bruises on both legs, mainly around the knees and shins.  If he thought for one second an adult had caused any of this, he'd have reported child abuse in a second.  He knew Johnny, and he couldn't believe he'd ever harm the boy.  Still, he had some explaining to do.  He ordered some x-rays to be on the safe side, and went out to speak with Joanne. "Still no answer?" he asked. "No, I called the department.  They're at a large brush fire.  The only way to get a hold of him is through the radio, and I'm not sure I should...how is he?" Dr. Brackett took a deep serious breath.  "You can take him in a while, but let Johnny know I want to talk with him as soon as he's able, if I don't see him first myself." "I will.  So he's okay?" "No he's not okay.  I'm going to give you a prescription for pain.  It will probably also make him sleepy.  He's gonna be one sore little boy, then again he's probably used to it...if you can get used to it.  Did Johnny ever give you a--" "Of course he did," Joanne answered taking out a permission form for authorizing treatment from her purse. "Good...good," he said taking it.  "Joanne?  Do you know if...has Johnny ever...I imagine Coty must be hard to handle at times.  Do you know if he's ever punished him...physically in some way?" "NO!  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  He's NEVER.  Not a hand, not even once." "No I didn't think so.  Shins and arms aren't exactly...if the bruises on the arms were in the shape of a hand...but they're not." "I'm sorry?" Joanne asked. "Nothin...nothin...kids huh.  Could I talk to Chris for a minute?" "Sure.  Absolutely." "Could you bring him into the other exam room?" "I...sure I guess.  Is something wrong?" "I'm just trying to get the rest of the picture." "I...all right...I'll...Chris?  Dr. Brackett wants to see you." Chris looked at his mom and followed the doctor.  Inside, he patted the table.  "You need help getting up here?" "Ah..." Dr. Brackett lifted him up and started to push up his sleeves. "What are you doing?" "Just checking your arms.  How are your legs?'' "Fine." "That's a nasty bruise...how did you get that?" "Skateboard." "Yeah...skateboard...you landed more on the side huh?" "Whadda you mean?" "You don't land straight down on your shins, it's more this way...see?" "Yeah," Chris said slowly, though he really didn't. "Chris, I need to know something, and I hope you're the one to tell me." "What?" "Do you know what's going on with Coty?  Not just today but--" "It just happened, I don't know why!" "You guys just decided to throw rocks at him." "It was just a game." "A game?" "I...he ran and we just chased him." "Okay, never mind all that.  What about yesterday, or the day before that.  He's got bruises on both legs and both arms and I want to know what caused them." "I don't know!" "Are you sure you don't know?" "I didn't do it!  I only did it today, I swear!  Okay, maybe I tripped him a few times, but everybody gets tripped." "Tripped?" "Yeah." "You make him fall." "Yeah, it's no big deal.  I've been tripped lots of time." "As many as Coty?" Chris stopped.  No, not as many as Coty.  No where near as many times as Coty, but he couldn't say that. "What about his arms?" "I...you just punch him." "Punch him?" "Yeah, with your knuckle, like this." "Over and over?" "No, just once." "But you've done it to him how many time?" "I DIDN'T...JUST ONCE!  EDDIE DID IT AT LEAST TEN TIMES AND TRAVIS DOES IT EVERY TIME HE--" "How many kids do this?" "Everybody does it!" "Why?" "Ah...I don't know!" "Thanks Chris...you can go back to your mother now." Chris jumped down.  "Are..." he paused at the door, "are you going to tell my dad?" "Don't you think YOU should?" Chris looked shame faced at the floor.  He wished Coty had never been born.  He didn't mean to do what he did.  He didn't really have a choice, but no adult was ever going to understand that.  No one had ever made a big deal out of it before, and it wasn't his fault that more kids seemed to want to do it to Coty.  Everybody got punched or tripped sometime.                        ~/~/~/~/~  Coty was given some medication before he left the hospital, and it was all Joanne could do to get the sleepy child into the house and up to bed without touching him.  She got his shoes off without a flinch or a warning look, but she attributed that to the drug.  Before she switched the light off, she knew he was asleep, something she'd never actually seen him do before.  In slumber he looked so peaceful, so normal, like he hadn't a care in the world.  If only he could stay that way when he woke. She grabbed a pair or Chris's pajamas and the pillow off his bed; he'd be sleeping in the spare bedroom, where she kept her sewing machine and things, that night. A strange thought made her laugh a little as she came down the stairs.  The innocent child had just gone to bed without dinner, while the guilty child was down stairs, probably hungry as a bear, and hoping he'd still get his.  One thing Joanne would never deny her children was food, so despite the thought, she started to make some french toast.  The quicker she got him off to his room the better.  "Why don't you go play on your swings," Joanne whispered, unable to keep from banging the pans and cupboard door occasionally in anger. Both Chris and Jenny stood. "Not you!" she let him know. As Jenny slipped out the door, Chris slumped back into his chair. "Mom?" "Don't say a word, cause I can't handle it right now!" "But--" "Shut up and eat," she ordered slamming a plate down in front of him, If he had to eat french toast now, he wanted the syrup, but he didn't dare ask for it, or stand to get it himself. "Drink your milk," she told him as soon as he finished his two slices.  "Now get to bed.  Your pajamas are in the spare room.  Set one foot in your bedroom and..." she trailed off. Chris wondered angrily why Coty had been put in his room and not in the spare room himself.  Joanne knew it was because the sofa bed was far too low to the ground for the boy to crawl under should he want to sometime during the night, but it didn't occur to her to explain to her son the sub-conscious solution to the sleeping arrangements she'd made.  To Chris, the act was the beginning of his punishment.  His room had been taken away, along with everything in it. Chris stared out the window at the driveway.  He hated this room, and he couldn't believe he was being expected to go to bed when it still wasn't even six o'clock.  He could hear other children still playing down the street.  He wanted something to do, and he didn't care what his mom said.  Opening the door, he peeked down the hallway to make sure the coast was clear.  He could hear his mom call Jenny in to eat, so he knew she was still downstairs.  His heart pounded in his ears as his tiptoed to his room. On the bottom bunk, Coty was fast asleep, still in his clothes.  His shirt hadn't been rebuttoned all the way, and Chris could see part of a gauze bandage sticking out.  It covered his shoulder, where Chris knew he had hit him himself.  The rock must have cut him a little too.  The purple welt on Coty's face made him feel bad as well.  He hadn't thrown that one himself, but to take a rock in the face...  He'd been hit with a baseball like that once, and he knew it hurt.  Chris forgot his toy, and crept back out of his room and straight into his mother. Joanne grabbed him by the arm and dragged him down the hall, closing the spare room door behind her.  "What did you do!?" "Nothing!" "Nothing?!" "I just went to get a toy!" "Then where is it?" "I--" "Did you punch him again?  Or did you just go to inspect the damage so you can report it to all your little friends?" "I didn't--" "I swear Chris, right now, I don't even know you!  My son couldn't have done that, not in a million years!" "I'm sorry," Chris started to cry. "I'm sorry too...you have no idea how sorry.  Go to bed.  I'm not even going to try to touch this without your father."  She closed the door behind her, wiping away tears herself. Before going to bed that night, Joanne tried the station one more time, but just as she expected, she didn't get an answer.                       ~/~/~/~/~ "Man, am I tired," Johnny said stretching his way out of the squad and into the kitchen. "Watch it," Cap warned him as a twisting arm nearly popped him in the nose. "Sorry Cap, just a little sore." "We're all a little sore." "And grouchy," Johnny added once his Captain was out of earshot. "Hey Gage," Chet stopped him in the door way, "you got some soot right about...there," he told him, making the smudge much bigger with his own sooty finger. "Thanks Chet." "No problem." Roy shook his head and pushed his way through them into the kitchen.  It was four in the morning and all he wanted to do was grab a bite to eat, jump in the shower, and lay down for the rest of the shift.                         ~/~/~/~/~ Joanne woke early, having a hard time sleeping.  She'd decided not to go to church that morning because it would only give her about fifteen minutes to talk to her husband about Chris.  This was not a fifteen-minute problem.  This was an all day, maybe even an all week problem.  They'd have a lot of talking to do.  Even so, she decided to get up and get ready for the day, starting with a quick shower.  After tucking he hair into a shower cap, she plugged in her curlers so they'd be ready when she was.  As she turned the water back off and grabbed a towel, she thought she heard someone crying.  She waited a moment to listen, but all was quiet. 'Must have imagined it,' she thought, but as she toweled off and removed the shower cap, she heard it again.  "Jenny?" she called out dropping the towel on the counter and putting on her robe.  In the room next door, her daughter was fast asleep. "Mama no," came a whimpered cry from across the hall.  Joanne crept across the hall into Chris's room, trying to see the small boy on the bottom bunk.  It was still dark out, and the light from the bathroom did little to help. "Coty?  Hon?  I think you're dreaming baby." "Mama no...please no." "Coty hon, it's Joanne.  You're having a nightmare.  Come on and wake up now.  Wake up," she said softly shaking him by the arm. "AHHHHHHHHH!" "Coty?!  It's okay Coty!" "AHHHHHH!" "Coty?!  You're all right!" she said, trying her best to calm him.  She felt his wet teeth touch her hand, but then he was gone.  He was out the door and down the stairs before she even realized he hadn't actually bit her.  "Coty?!" she shouted, racing after him.  At the bottom of the stairs, the front door stood wide open.  She turned on the porch light, and tried to see into the darkness as she looked up and down the street and among the bushes.  "Coty?" she called, "it's all right Coty.  It was just a dream.  You're dad is going to be here in a couple of hours.  Everything is going to be all right.  We can even try to call him again.  Do you want to call him?  Coty?  Where are you Coty?  Oh God, what am I going to do?"                        ~/~/~/~/~| Hank Stanley picked up the phone, offering a very groggy "hello?"  He listened for a minute before he was able to figure out who it was, and who the call was for.  "Roy?" he called, "ROY!" "Huh?" Roy asked rubbing his eyes. "Phone Roy!" his Cap answered. "Ah man, somebody yank that thing out of the wall," Chet complained rolling over. Johnny wrapped his pillow more securely around his head, trying not to let his partner's movements, and his station mates whining draw him out of sleep further. "Hello?" Roy asked into the phone. "Roy?  He's gone.  I've looked everywhere.  He's just gone.  I don't know what to do." "Who's gone?" "Coty." "How do you know?" Roy asked rubbing some of the sleep out of his eyes. "Cause I heard him having a nightmare, and I went in to wake him, and I scared him...I mean I really scared him.  He ran and he's gone.  The door was wide open when I got down stairs and--" "Joanne!" Roy stopped her getting rather annoyed.  "He's done this before, you know that.  Did you look in the crawl space?" "Yes!" "Did you look behind the--" "YES!" "What about in the garage?'' "Roy!  I'm TELLING you I can't FIND him!" "All right, all right.  I'll wake up Johnny and we'll come help you track him down." "Roy, you don't understand.  Those kids today...he acted all tuff but...I should have stayed up and kept trying to call you guys.  What if he thinks I was just lying to him?  I told him to come down and we'd get his dad and then I didn't.  I just took him to the hospital and then put him to bed...and I touched him...I shouldn't have touched him...I knew better than that!  But he was dreaming and---" "Joanne, what are you talking about?" he asked, still obviously annoyed. "I should have called him a long time ago.  He got into a fight today with Chris and those kids.  They were throwing rock at him and I should have--" "Kids were throwing rocks at people?" "At Coty!  Including your son!" "What!" "A bunch of boys were...Roy!  I need help!" "Okay, calm down," Roy said, believing he had not heard right, or Joanne had not explained the situation right.  Either way, he had to get up now, and try to deal with whatever had happened with Johnny's son.  "We'll be there as soon as we can," he told her hanging up.                       ~/~/~/~/~ Joanne slid to the floor hanging up her own phone.  She took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.  Snatching up a flashlight as she stood, she got back to her feet in order to start looking some more.  As she rounded the corner of the kitchen she saw smoke, thick black smoke, coming down the stairs.                      ~/~/~/~/~ "Johnny wake up," Roy ordered prodding the sleeping man in the ribs. "Knock it off Roy!" "Come daddy, it's YOUR kid we have to find." "My kid...what?" "Coty's gone missing again, and Joanne hasn't found his hiding spot yet.  I told her we come help look." "Well...why is he hiding?" "How should I know.  You know how timid he is!  He hides if you sneeze!" "No he doesn't, not in a long time.  She didn't say--" "Something about a nightmare...or a fight with Chris or something.  What difference does it make?  We still have to go help her find him if I ever want her to speak to me again...despite the fact this was HER idea." "What is THAT suppose to mean?" Johnny asked slipping quickly into his turnouts. "Nothin...nothin.  I'm just tired...you know," Roy said trying his best to downplay the slipped comment as he hurriedly led the way out. Johnny grabbed his jacket to slip on over his t-shirt and followed.  "Yeah right," he whispered to himself. The tones sounded.  "Station 51, house fire at Twelve Benmont Drive, Twelve Benmont Drive, cross street Maple, time out 6:37." Roy spun around to look at Johnny, his mouth hanging open and his eyes very wide.  It was his own address. "Go go go," Johnny shouted at him as he raced behind him to the squad.  The engine crew were right behind them. As soon as they pulled up at the house, Roy jumped from the squad and ran around his side and toward the fire.  Johnny caught his arm and motioned at the open side compartment with their rescue gear.  He helped him get his on and tighten his straps, and he was off. "Stay calm," Cap warned stepping in front on him and making him pause for just a second. "I'm fine Cap." "Go!" The short exchange had been just enough time for Johnny to get ahead of him, but he followed right behind. At the house, Chet and Marco had already gotten a hose in, and dragged up the stairs. "Whoa!" Chet shouted as he kicked something with his foot.  Dropping to his knee and feeling around, he realized it was a small body.  He scooped it up, and just as he was turning around, Johnny took it from him and raced back down the stairs. Outside, in the lightening sky, Johnny discovered it was his own child. "Mike I need the oxygen," he spoke evenly, determined not to loose control.  Mike placed the mask over the boy's face as Johnny grabbed the trauma box, and began to cut away singed fabric from the boy's chest and arms.  He had first degree burns on both hands, both arms, his chest, and under his chin.  Johnny grabbed some clean sterile sheets and began to cover the burned areas as Roy carried his daughters limp body by him, and laid her down on a blanket already set out near by.  Johnny poured two bottles of saline over the sheets and checked his sons breathing. A moment later Cap carried Chris out of the house, coughing badly but conscious, and set him down next to his father.  Johnny reached over to put an oxygen mask over the boy's face.  "I got it!" Roy told him, snatching it up before Johnny had it in his hand. Johnny called in his sons vitals, and started an approved IV just as Joanne was brought out and helped to sit down next to her son.  After checking Coty one last time, Johnny crawled over to her and began to take her pulse. "I got it," Roy mumbled taking her wrist himself.  Johnny grabbed the BP cup, but Roy took it out of his hands.  "I SAID I GOT IT!" Johnny backed off, but noticed a tangle in Chris's oxygen line and started to straighten it.  Roy pushed him away.  "Go take care of your own!" he told him, looking him straight in the eye. Mike heard the exchange and looked around for his Captain. "One of the ambulance's is here," Marco announced. "Go," Roy ordered Johnny. "They can take more than one, if one of them doesn't come now, three'll have to share--" "That's not a problem now GO!" Johnny looked at the other three victims.  It was obvious Coty was in the worst shape, but still....  "Roy...we really should--" "ARE YOU DEAF?!" Johnny blinked his eyes a few times, then helped one of the ambulance attendants load his son on to a gurney and left. "You shouldn't have done that," Joanne told Roy pulling the mask from her face. "Just breath this honey," he begged putting it back on, "please?" "What's going on?" Cap asked coming back toward them and noticing the tension in the air.  Both Mike and Marco were staring at Roy.  Caps face fell with great concern.  "Are they all right?" he asked Mike, worried one of them might not make it. "I think so," Mike whispered back. "What about Coty?" "I don't know.  He got burnt...his hands and--" "His hands?" "Yeah." Cap looked at Roy and frowned.  He'd told them about the camping incident the first shift after it.  Roy had told Johnny then, he'd warned him, and everyone at the station knew it.  Of all the stupid things to teach a kid how to do, especially a kid like that.   He'd gone from biting straight to arson.  Cap punched the side of the engine, then leaned against it, watching his other paramedic take care of his family. Roy felt something hit his thigh and turned to look at his daughter. "Hi daddy," she said tiredly through her own mask. "Hi pumpkin." "I'm all sweaty." "I know sweetheart.  I'm all sweaty too," he smiled knowing she was going to be fine.  Chris looked up at his mother, and she pulled him close.  Despite his nine years, he didn't mind this public hug one bit, and snuggled back against her. "Boy, that was quick thinking Joanne," Chet praised coming out of the house where he'd been checking everything over.  "The towel too.  You wouldn't believe how many people would have just grabbed the cord without thinking." "Cord?" Cap asked. "Yeah, she grabbed a towel, yanked it out and chucked the whole thing into the tub.  The curtain caught fire, that's where all the smoke came from, rubber curtain.  Anyhow, she turned on the water and that was it.  It's all smoke damage.  She probably saved the little girls life.  With her bedroom right on the other side of the wall, that fire would have gotten to her long before WE ever got here." "What cord?" Roy asked his wife. "I don't know," she said. "But--" "I didn't pull any cord.  The smoke was too thick to get up the stairs.  All I could do was call for help.  I tried to get up there Roy, I did...but I couldn't see a thing." "Then who...how..." Everyone looked at Chet. "What?'' "What cord?" they all asked. "The curlers...they caught a towel on fire...that one's nearly gone, then there's another towel in the tub with a black line across it...the one used to pull out the cord...right?  You're gonna need a new shower curtain, some new curlers and a couple towels...probably some paint...but that's it.  Got stopped dead in its tracks." "My god he put it out," Roy mumbled to himself. "Roy, I'm so sorry," Joanne started to cry.  "I must have dropped the towel on top of the curlers without thinking.  I'm so sorry." "It's okay Joanne," he comforted rocking her, "it was just an accident.  It's okay." "But if Coty hadn't--" "I know...I know."                         ~/~/~/~/~ Roy left his daughter's hospital room with a promise to bring her a present when he returned.  A nurse had made the mistake of giving her a puppet to play with, and was at the moment a required guest of a puppet show that his daughter had come up with on the spot.  Across the hall, his son sat up in bed, eating ice cream and watching television.  He figured his wife, one floor above, was resting with one of the magazines he'd bought her earlier.  He would be completely alone in the house for the weekend, though with his entire family in the hospital, he doubted he would be there much anyway. His daughters chipper mood had placed him in the same, and he walked light footed down the hallway with plans of grabbing a shower at the station and then swinging by the house to pick up a few things he figured the three of them might need.  He also wanted to make a quick inspection of the damage to see if he could figure out what it was going to cost him to have an upstairs bathroom again. Nearing the elevator, he passed a room darkened with the curtains drawn shut.  On a chair placed by the bed, he made out the profile of his partner.  Roy paused, seeing his hand rise to wipe at his eyes, and fall again into his lap. "Roy," Dixie greeted quietly as she came out of the room and pressed the down button by the elevator. "Dix...is he...is he going to be all right?" Dix looked into the room where Roy was gazing.  "Yeah, he should be." Inside Johnny wiped at his eyes again. "He's just...shaken.  It's his first time you know.  He's never had to go through this before...not like this." "Yeah...I guess you're right." "If you think he looks bad, you should have seen yourself the first time Chris broke his arm.  You were one scared daddy." "I remember.  But...he IS going to be okay." "Yeah.  It'll take some time...but he's a tough little guy." Dixie shook her head at the floor.  "He's had to be." "Yeah...Joanne told me.  Now what do I say to him?" he asked motioning with his head into the room. Dixie shrugged and stepped into the elevator.  "You coming?" "No...I gotta..." Dix nodded and allowed the door to close.  Roy stood for a couple of minutes by the doorway, waiting to see if Johnny would look up and notice him.  When it was clear that wasn't going to happen, he cleared his throat.  Johnny took a glance in his direction, but went right back to looking at his son without saying a word. "Hey," Roy whispered.  "Dix said he's gonna be all right." "I know," Johnny answered tonelessly. "Look, I really need to talk to you." "Can't it wait?" "Not really, you need to know something.  Coty didn't--" "Chet already told me." "Everything?  About the fight Chris and--" "He told me." "How  could--" "He heard Joanne tell you, okay?" "Yeah, I just...well...I wanted to say I'm sorry for assuming--" "Fine, you said it." "Johnny...I--" "I'm a little busy right now Roy." "Johnny--" "GO AWAY!" he hissed, still not raising his voice above a whisper. Roy bit his lip, but did as his partner asked.                       ~/~/~/~/~ Four o'clock the next afternoon, and strange sound drew him out of the deep sleep he had managed to fall into in his chair.  He jumped up to look down into the bed. "Coty?" His eyes were open, and a choking sound broke from him. "Coty?  What is it?" Johnny asked instantly alarmed.  He pressed the buzzer and tried to sit his son up, hoping it would help him to cough. "What is it?" the nurse asked. "Something's wrong." The nurse walked over to the bed.  "He sounds like he's choking on something, did you give him any candy?" "No." "Was he chewing gum" "No!" "How about a toy, did he--" "NO!  NOTHING!  HE WAS JUST SLEEPING!" "All right.  Get out of the way." "But--" "I'll handle it." "You don't even know what's wrong!" "Johnny, why don't you wait outside," the floor doctor asked letting himself into the room. "But--" "Outside Johnny," he instructed again.  Roy hurried down the hall, and hearing the words, pushed the man backwards out of the room.  Johnny didn't see him at all.  His eyes focused only on his son, then the door as it closed. "What happened?" he asked himself, "what happened?  He was fine." "He'll be okay Johnny," Roy encouraged, but Johnny didn't hear.  Roy pushed him to the far wall, moving him out of the way as first Dixie, the Dr. Brackett disappeared into the room.  A few minutes later, yet another nurse wheeled in a tray. "What is going on?!" Johnny pleaded to the air.  The hallway lights seemed to dim.  Night was approaching fast, and everything became sluggish.  Across the hall, Dr. Brackett and Dixie came out of the room together.  In slow motion, the doctor looked at his nurse, then dropped his head as he shook it from side to side.  Johnny slid to the floor.  "Oh no...oh no...no..." "Johnny?" Dr. Brackett asked hurrying across the hall.  "Roy what happened?" "I don't know, he just slumped over on me." "When's the last time he's eaten?" "Don't know." "Slept?" "Not in a while." "Johnny?  Can you hear me?" "Go-away." "Johnny." "It isn't fair!" "What isn't?" "Leave me alone!" "Johnny--" "I don't WANT him to be dead!" "Johnny, he's not...he's fine!  He's fine Johnny.  You're going to have to figure out how much the tooth-fairy gives out in your house, but other than that, I wouldn't worry about." "Tooth--" "Toothfairy.  He lost a tooth Johnny.  Happens all the time." "He choked on a tooth?  I thought...I thought--" "We got it out.  It took a bit...but we got it.  You should probably tell him to sleep on his side till the rest of them are out though.  I don't think he'll want to do it again." "So he's really okay?" "No worse than yesterday anyway.  I still want to keep him for a while, but you need to go home." "No I can't.  I can't just leave him here alone," Johnny insisted getting to his feet with Roy keeping hold of one arm. "At least go wash up first.  I'm sure he wants to see you, but...not like that.  You'll spook him." "Yeah, okay," Johnny agreed wiping at his nose with his bare hand.  He felt awful, and could only imagine how bad he looked.  As he came out of the bathroom, Dixie grabbed him by the arm and led him to a shower, pressing a pair of scrubs into his hands. "Don't tell anybody where you got them, and if you try to impersonate a doctor, I'll make your life miserable." Johnny gave her a half-hearted smile, and was only half surprised that a cot and a tray of food waited for him upon returning to his son's room. Coty slept peacefully in his bed, oblivious of the world around him.  Johnny pushed the hair away from the boy's eyes, and ran his finger along the outside edge of his ear.  "So soft," he thought, "so little...if only..." He could no longer keep from wanting to lay down.  He laid on the cot, telling himself he'd rest for just a moment, and a moment later it was the morning of the following day.  The floor nurse couldn't keep the smile off her face; the little boy in the big bed, and the big man on the little cot.  If only she had a camera. Johnny stirred as she took the boys pulse.  "Hello." "Morning." "Huh?" "Good Morning." Johnny gazed around the room and out the window at the rising sun.  "You're kidding." "No." "Oh man, I feel like Rip Van Winkle.  How is he?" "He's doing fine.  We'll see if we can wake him and get him to eat, then we'll change the dressings.  You can take the time to go down and grab a bite yourself." "Ah...that's all right." "Uh huh.  Dixie said to tell you if you get put in here yourself, you'll end up being on the floor upstairs, and not in the children's ward.  Despite your face, you're just to tall to pass for ten." "Yeah...well...you can tell Dixie--" "Tell me what," Dixie entered and challenged with an evil grin. "How do you do that?!" "What." "Always be in the right place at the...oh never mind." "I'm a woman Johnny.  It's a required skill." "Uh huh." "Come on, I'll buy you breakfast." "No, I want to be here when they change out the dressings." "You will, I'll make them promise to wait." "We'll wait," the floor nurse agreed. Dixie ushered him downstairs to watch him scarf down a plate of eggs so fast she wondered if he tasted one bite of it.                        ~/~/~/~/~ Jenny swung her feet back and forth in her wheel chair as her father pushed her down the hall.  Her mother and brother had already been brought down, and were waiting in the car, so Roy hurried to not make them wait too long. "Stop!" Jenny shouted near the elevator. "I thought you said you had everything," Roy commented.  How his daughter could accumulate so much in a couple of days, much less have it all stashed around the room in a hundred different places, he'd never know. "I have to do something." "Jenny, you already went." "Not THAT!  I have to give something to Coty!" she explained grabbing one of her paintings done at the hospital and jumping out of her chair. "Jenny, I don't think--" he said, trying to stop her. The room was brighter this time, but the boy still lay flat on his back.  His chest, arms and chin were covered with a funny looking gauze.  Jenny stopped in her tracks for a moment, wondering if it hurt.  She'd seen both her daddy and her uncle in similar situations, and they'd always said no, but she knew better.  Forcing herself to be brave, she rounded the side of the bed and held up her picture. "It's you," she told him as he tilted his head to the side, trying to see who was pattering around his room.  "Want me to put it up?"  She frowned as she looked for some tape, noticing how bare the room looked compared to hers.  Between her parents, her grandmother, and her mother's sister's, her room had been very colorful.  Johnny's room's had always looked too gray too.  "Daddy," she spoke looking at an uncomfortable Roy standing in the doorway, "He's got no balloons!" "Hi Coty," Roy blushed coming in the room and taking Jenny by the hand.  Part of him felt he should leave, yet the other half wanted to make amends to the boy he had all but accused of trying to burn down his house.  "Is your dad...do you want the TV on?  Oh wait...that's right, forgot, Johnny don't allow it.  Maybe I could get you a book.  Do you like--" "He doesn't need anything, thanks," Johnny told him coming in the room. "Oh sorry, I just ah...Jenny wanted to..." "I'm sorry, you'll have to leave now," a nurse instructed Roy as she wheeled in a tray full of equipment and clean bandages. Roy felt a strong twinge of empathy.  He knew what was about to happen, and he felt horrible.  He'd been burned a few times in the line of duty.  Even first degree burns hurt like the blazes, but there was nothing he could do. "Come on," he said pulling his daughter along. "But daddy, I haven't--" "Just leave it Jenny." "But daddy!" "Thanks Jen, I'll take it," Johnny offered, trying not to let the tray bother him. "You have to promise to put it up." "I promise." "Okay..." she reluctantly agreed, handing it over. Johnny took a quick look at the painting.  It was of his son, but the boy wore a fireman's helmet and turnouts, and for some unexplainable reason, his shirt was white with black polka-dots.  "Part Coty, part Dalmatian," Johnny thought to himself, a small smile spreading across his face. "Johnny," Roy spoke drawing his attention up again, "I just wanna--" Johnny raised his hand to stop him, and turned to join the activity about to start in the bed.  Now was not the time. "Now this is gonna hurt a little," a nurse warned, "but we'll be very careful, okay." Roy hurried his daughter out of the room.                        ~/~/~/~/~ The sky grew dark outside as Johnny leaned over the bed.  His son's sound sleep allowed him to stroke his hair for a while, and he couldn't help take advantage of it.  He'd been tough through the whole thing, never making a sound even when the gauze stuck.  By the end, his skin was red and inflamed again, and the ointment was only able to help so much.  Dr. Brackett had come up and ordered a strong painkiller, and the boy had slipped once again into a peaceful sleep. Hours later, Dixie peeked in at them.  Johnny leaned over the bed, resting his elbow against it, with his hand supporting his head.  The other hand continued to play with his son's hair, despite the fact he'd allowed his eyes to close. Dixie turned to leave them, but something caught her attention.  Coty's eyes were open, looking at his father.  Johnny sighed, lifting his head, and the boy's eyes snapped shut.  After shifting to a more comfortable position, Johnny continued to stroke the boy's hair, but the boy stayed still. Dixie sniffed her way back out into the hall. "What's the matter," Dr. Brackett asked. "Nothing, what are you doing?" "Figured I'd check on him, make sure he's all right." "Oh wait a little longer, can you?" "Why?" Dixie pushed the door open to reveal Johnny's actions, then let it shut again. "What?" "He's awake," she explained. "Okay..." "Coty, he's awake." "And..." Dixie sighed, "I swear, sometimes men can be so dense."  She shot him a look and took off toward the elevator. "Well...how long should I wait?" he called after her as the door closed.                        ~/~/~/~/~ Johnny waited impatiently for the nurse to bring the wheel chair.  It was time to take his son home again, and he couldn't wait. "Come on..." he whined quietly, "who ever came up with this rule anyway." Johnny looked at his son.  He looked all right, if you ignored the white bandages and the dark circles under his eyes.  At least he looked better than he had, and he was being released.  Johnny walked out into the hall to see if he could spot their lost nurse, but found it empty. "Man, this is nuts, let's just go.  You ready?" Coty nodded, and Johnny picked up his bag. "We'll be sneaky, shhh," Johnny grinned leading the way. The first part was easy, being only two doors from the elevator.  Emergency, where Johnny had the habit of parking, was another story.  The place was jumping with activity.  Half way down the hall, the rest seemed to grow longer.  Coty followed along quietly, dodging people and walking slower and slower.  Johnny looked for a wheelchair for his son to finish the journey to the car in, but none were in sight. "Do it Johnny," Dixie thought as she saw them, "he's ready, can't you see that?  Go ahead...do it." Johnny knelt down, planning to ask Coty if he could make it.  Instead, he reached for him, lifting him to his hip.  Coty smelled his hair, and felt how warm he was, and after a moment, he laid his head down on Johnny's shoulder.  For the first time in his life, he felt safe.                         ~/~/~/~/~ Roy brushed briskly at his boots, glad to be at work for the first time in weeks.  Johnny had taken every bit of vacation time he'd had, leaving Roy with Brice the entire time.  Even if Johnny never spoke to him again, it would be better than another shift with him. "Good morning everybody," Johnny sang as he flew into the locker room. All eyes popped up a little surprised, half expecting to have a quiet and somewhat sullen Johnny on their hands. "I take it your vacation was good?" Chet asked. "Course it was good, why wouldn't it be?" "No reason.  Where didja go?" "Camping...up in the--" "Dumb question," Chet criticized himself smiling at the others. "What?" Johnny asked missing the joke. "Well we're glad you had a good time, but we're glad you're back," Cap commented, patting him on the back. "Amen to that," Marco agreed causing Mike to add, "no kidding." "What?" "The BRICE monster filled in for you.  Don't EVER do that to us again." Chet told him. "Oh come on, he wasn't THAT bad was he?" Johnny grinned feeling secure in his position, and glad to be missed. "Oh yes he was!  Ask Roy!" Johnny turned to face him, mouth open to speak; but the words got lost on their way. "Okay, well...let's get a move on you guys," Cap spoke to break the silence.  "Roll call in five." "Slave driver," Chet whispered behind the man's back as he left. Johnny let out a short laugh.  He was glad to be back. "Hey Johnny, you going to the picnic right?" "Uh...I don't know." "You GOT to go or we'll get creamed!" "I...you don't really need me, and it's just a baseball game." "Oh come on Johnny, you love that game.  You used to make us practice every shift for weeks," Marco cut in. "I know, I know...it's fun.  But..." Johnny shook his head trying to find the words, "it's just not...it's different this year.  I can't just go off and...it's just different." "It's a picnic Johnny, you can bring him along you know," Chet prompted. "Yeah, well..." "Come on Johnny, he'll love it!  They have tons of stuff for the kids, you know that!  You got to come," Marco exclaimed. "Yeah Johnny, don't make us loose that baseball game by ourselves," Mike joked.  "I...ah...I'll think about it, okay?" "Good enough," Mike agreed.                         ~/~/~/~/~ A week later the picnic arrived.  Joanne spread out their picnic blanket near the Stoker's, and the Stanley's.  Between the three women, they always made up a kind of a home base for the A-shift of fifty-one at these picnics.  None of them could believe they were doing this now for the sixth year. Joanne looked over at Beth to ask if she'd remembered the bug spray for the kids, then followed her eyes to see what she was looking at.  Johnny was walking toward them.  One hand held the bare foot of his son perched upon his shoulders, while the other carried a loosely rolled sleeping bag. "Leave it to Johnny to forget a picnic blanket," Joanne laughed to herself though she knew the sleeping bag would work just fine. Johnny gave her a shy smile as he set the boy down and started to unroll the bag.  The spot he'd chosen was not right next to the DeSoto's as it had been every other year, but on the other side of the Stoker's, near a tree.  Joanne hoped he'd moved there because of the extra shade it gave, but couldn't help but wonder if that was the only reason.  "Uncle Johnny," Jenny shouted running at him from out of no where and bowling him over. "Hey Jenny Bean, what are you doin here?" "I'm here for the picnic silly!" "A picnic...today?" "Yes, the firemen's picnic!" "Oh yeah, I remember." "Can Coty go in the Rocket with us," she asked, apparently including two little girls that stood watching them. "The wha--" "You know," Beth explained, "that air jumping thing they have every year." "I don't know Jenny, that's up to him." "Coty, do you want to go in the Rocket?" Coty leaned against his father's leg and didn't answer. "Maybe later peanut," Johnny told her, "we only just got here." Jenny turned to look at the disappointment on her friend's faces.  "You'll like it Coty," she told him, "it's like a great big trampoline." "Jenny," her mother warned. Jenny pouted away with her friends.  She wasn't trying to be bossy, she just wanted him to come play. "Come on," Johnny said lifting the boy to his shoulders again, "let's go walk around." "Oh Johnny, if you see Mike, tell him to stop talking to his friends and bring the other cooler," Beth asked. "I'll tell him," Johnny promised. As he walked through the grounds, person after person after person greeted him with friendly hellos and handshakes.  Most had heard about Johnny's son by now, but few had ever actually seen him.  Johnny knew the people coming up all the time would feel uncomfortable to his son of only three foot nine, so he kept him safely on his shoulders, not even bringing him down so the oohing and ahhing women he passed could get a better look.  The only disadvantage was that he couldn't see Coty's face, so he had no idea what he thought of it all. "Hey duckies," Johnny told him pointing at one of the children's games they were now walking through.  They were little plastic yellow ones, floating around a makeshift pond.  Each child could pick a duck, and win a certain prize based on the color of dot on its belly. "Hey there Johnny," the man running the game smiled, "so this is your boy huh?" "Yeah, this is him," Johnny said for what seemed like the millionth time.  Then again it was better than having to explain the boy to the ones that hadn't heard the news yet. In the distance he could see one lady point at them and whisper something to two others.  Despite the fact that he was a good twenty yards away, he could still hear their surprised, "reallys" and their "oh my he looks just like him". Johnny ignored them, pretending to be much too involved in watching the duck game. "Does he want to pick one?" the man asked. Johnny turned his head trying to look up at him, but the most he could see was an ear.  He started to put him down, but the boy's hand cupping him under the chin for a moment let him know he didn't want that.  He was happy where he was. "Uh, how 'bout that one," Johnny pointed. "Hey Johnny, this games for the kids ya know," Chet needled as he happened to walk up with the worst possible timing. The duck showed Coty'd won a little banana pen; but his eyes had focused on a large colorful feather, and this is what the man handed him. "Uh Dave--" Johnny started to correct him. "Forget it, most of the kids want the banana.  I have to get rid of the feathers somehow." Coty took the feather, and felt how soft it was.  "Thanks Dave," Johnny told him starting to move on. Coty leaned backwards, trying to give the man back his feather. "It's your feather now Coty," Johnny explained. "It's yours," Dave reassured him. Johnny started to leave again. "No," Coty growled quietly. Johnny quickly put him down and crouched beside him.  "What's the matter?  It's your feather now Coty, it's okay for you to take it.  It's a prize, see?  You WON it.  All the kids do it.  It's normal...okay?" "You sure?" Coty whispered in his ear. "Positive." Coty still looked a little skeptical, but stroked the feather and allowed Johnny to lift him to his shoulders once more. "What's the problem," Chet asked. "There's no problem Chet.  Have you seen Mike?" "Yeah, thata way.  Has he been in the Rocket yet?" "No, why?" "Cause it's a lot of fun, that's why.  I'd love to go in that thing.  If I were a few feet shorter--" "Oh I don't think it would take THAT much.  In fact, if you shaved off the mustache--" "Very funny Gage.  Oh man, look at that," he smiled, mustache twitching as he started to follow a pretty blond in hot pants.  "Later Johnny...Oh hey, you're playing, right?" "Playing?" "The game at 4:30.  Don't forget, huh?" "Oh I don't know if..." Johnny started to say, but the blond had moved on, and Chet had disappeared after her. Johnny felt a twinge of jealously.  Last year he was hanging out with him, seeing which one of them could get the pretty girls to laugh first.  The large feather brushed against his cheek and the feeling went away.  What sat upon his shoulders was far more precious that a couple of dates anyway. "Uncle Johnny," Jenny raced up again.  "Can Coty go in the Rocket now?" "Well where is it?" "Over there," she answered pointing excitedly.  Johnny followed her as she ran ahead. It was still a little early, so there was no line to get in. "Come on," Jenny exclaimed kicking off her shoes with her friends and getting a boost inside from the man running the ride. It was a large air trampoline with walls, the outside shaped like a rocket ship.  All the girls giggled inside, waiting to see if Coty would join them. "Whadda you think?" Johnny asked, "you wanna try it?" "Come on Coty," Jenny called poking her head out. "You jump in it," he explained wishing he could see his face to tell what he was thinking.  "How 'bout you just try it.  I'll be right here looking at stuff," he said gesturing to the many booths full of countless souvenirs. onto part 8