My Friend By: Sage Rory "Honey, you better finish up and get going or you're gonna be late," Joanne warned her husband as she noticed the time on the stove clock. "What time will you be getting back?" Roy asked for the fourth time that morning. "One thirty tomorrow afternoon," she reminded him again, careful to keep the frustration out of her voice. It was after all, his birthday. "Honey, let daddy up," Roy prodded his five year old daughter as he removed his pointed party hat, feeling glad that he remembered he was wearing it before arriving at work. "Ooooh honey, you're not taking that with you?" Joanne teased kissing him on the cheek; "you look so cute." "Uh huh," Roy agreed flatly, not wanting his daughter's feeling to be hurt. "And don't forget Daddy," Jenny reminded him as he slipped into his uniform jacket. "Don't forget what, sweetie?" "Tomorrow niiiiiight?" she prompted with a grin. "What?" he asked his wife in confusion. "Her ballet recital?" Joanne whispered sharply into his ear. "Oh, right...that's tomorrow?" "Tomorrow night, 7:30. You're wearing your blue suit. I've already had it pressed." "Suit?" "Yes, suit...AND tie." "For a five year olds..." "Yes Roy." "You're coming, right Daddy?" Jenny pouted out. "Of course I'm coming honey, I wouldn't miss it for the world," he told her, lifting her high into the air and planting a solid kiss on her cheek before balancing her on the back of the recliner to face him. "You promise?" "I promise." "Cause you missed my first one." "I know honey, but Dwyer got sick and Johnny was camping somewhere, and Brice was in some extra college class he's taking and...well when they call you to cover honey, sometimes you've just got to go." "But you'll be there this time, right?" "I'll be there." "No matter what?" "No matter what." "What if somebody gets sick again?" "Nobody's gonna get sick again honey, I promise...I'll be there, okay?" "Okay." "Ro-oy," Joanne warned pointing at the clock. "I'm going, I'm going," he said, kissing his daughter on the cheek before setting her back on the floor, then reaching for the doorknob of the front door. "Uh UH! Where's mine?" Joanne asked. "You really want one?" Roy teased before kissing her on the nose. "Get out of here," she ordered letting him go. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY!" Jenny shouted as the door closed behind him. Roy smiled and opened the door to his sports car. "DAD!" his son shouted, racing out of the house through the garage. "Chris, I really got to go." "I know. Here," he said thrusting a hastily wrapped package at him. "What's this?" "What do you think it is? I didn't want mom to see it and get all mushy and stuff." "Oh, do I open it now?" "No. I think you're gonna be late. You can open it later." "Oh, okay," Roy agreed, realizing his son was feeling a little embarrassed. "Do I HAVE to go with mom today?" "Yes Chris," Roy told him starting the engine of his car. "But I can--" "Not until tomorrow morning all by yourself you can't." "What if I called you at work every hour until--" "You're not old enough yet. Besides, what would your aunt think if you didn't go visit her with your mom and Jenny." "I don't know," the boy pouted, "I just hate staying over night." "You'll live...now I'm REALLY gonna be late." "Okay," Chris agreed backing away from the car. Roy waved good-bye as he pulled out of his drive. ~/~/~/~/~ Ten minutes later, Roy arrived at work with a minute to spare, and hurried into the station. "Roy," Cap acknowledged as he scooted into his place in line for roll. "Sorry Cap." "Cutting it a little close today." "Yes sir, see, it's my--" Cap raised his hand to stop him, "got my own kids, forget it. Mike, cooking, Marco, dorm and mop the bay, Johnny and Roy, hoses, Chet--" "Latrine," Chet finished for him. "Next time make sure it's Gage you get with your shaving cream." Next to Roy, Johnny started to snicker. "What'd I miss?" Roy asked the moment the men broke up. "Cap, cupboard door, SPLAT!" "No kidding." "No kidding." "Sorry I missed that." "Yeah, it was pretty funny. So...did you like it?" "Like what?" Roy asked, "oh, the movie? Yeah, it was all right." "No not the movie, didn't--" "What?" "Uh, never mind. You want some coffee before we start?" "No thanks. I can barely move as it is," he smiled patting his very full tummy. "Well, do you mind if I get some?" "No, why would I--" he started to ask, but Johnny quickly disappeared into the kitchen. After pouring himself a cup of coffee, Johnny took a quick sip and peeked out the doorway at his partner. Seeing him start on the hose, he set him cup down, digging into his pocket for a dime as he hurried toward the phone. "Who you calling?" Chet asked helping himself to Johnny's cup of coffee. "Joanne." "Joanne? Really?" Marco asked, thinking Johnny was teasing Chet. "Yeah, really, shhhh." "Well that's a little suspicious," Cap muttered to the rest of his men with a raised eyebrow. "Hey Johnny?" Roy asked popping in through the door. Johnny slammed the phone down. "Yeah!" he squeaked, "what?" "You coming, or am I hanging the hose by myself?" "Sure I'm coming, just need to finish my cup of..." Walking toward the table and reaching for his cup, he realized it was gone. "Uh huh...well...don't be all day. I'd like to get it done before is starts to get hot out." "Sure, yeah, be right there." The moment Roy was gone, Johnny dug his dime out of the phone and dialed again. "Come on Joanne, pick up the phone!" Johnny squawked impatiently. "Joanne's on the phone?" Roy asked popping in again. "No!" Johnny told him dropping the receiver to the floor before managing to hang it up again. "No one's on the phone....see?" he asked pointing to it. "Now that's VERY suspicious," Cap whispered to Mike and Marco. "Oh...good. The station wagon was having problems last week. I was thinking maybe she was calling from a gas station somewhere on the way to her sisters this morning." "Your wife's gone to her sister's?" Cap asked, "isn't today your birthday?" "Yep," Roy smiled. Cap frowned sympathetically. "It's okay Cap, I opened ALL my presents at home this MORNING," he told him with a mischievous grin. "Uh huh," Mike coughed while the others chuckled. "Well," Roy smiled slapping his hand against the doorway, "back to the hoses." "Hey Roy!" Chet shouted to call him back while pulling out a brightly wrapped present. "WAIT!" Johnny told him, grabbing it and shoving it behind the couch. "What are you doing?" Chet complained loudly. "What?" Roy asked from the door. "What what?" Johnny asked him innocently. "I thought someone called me." "Well I didn't call you!" Roy looked around the room, and when no one said another word, he quietly slipped out again. "Now what was THAT all about?" Chet said rescuing his present from Henry who had crawled behind the couch to investigate it. "Oh great, now it's got slobber on it, way to go Gage!" "Oh that's not gonna hurt anything," Johnny told him taking a dish towel out of Marco's hand and wiping it off before handing the towel back again. Marco made a disgusted face, and using two fingers alone, tossed the slobbery towel into the trashcan. "Look, did any of you other guys get something for Roy?" "Course we did, what do you take us for, a bunch of cheep skates?" Marco asked indignantly. "Oh I get it, Gage forgot it was Roy's birthday!" Chet announced with authority. "No I did not! I...I guess it just didn't come yet is all. I had it mailed to their house, and Joanne was suppose to give it to him this morning but...well either he hated it and he's too polite to say so, or...man, I've had things mailed to me from there a hundred times, it takes three days...it ALWAYS takes three days for a package that small. It should have been there yesterday afternoon." "So?" Cap asked, "They'll probably get it in the mail today." "Yeah, but see...now he says Joanne's gone to her sister's. How's she gonna bring it to him?" "So he gets it tomorrow morning, so what?" Marco asked. "I don't want you guys giving him his presents until I can give him mine. He'll think I forgot or something!" "So because he's gonna get yours a day late, you want all of us to give him ours a day late." "YES! I mean NO! I mean...MAN, if only there was a way I could get over to his house later and see if they deliver it, without Roy knowing about it." "Well you two are pretty much glued at the hip until tomorrow morning," Cap told him, "so you may as well give up THAT idea." "I knooooww," Johnny moaned rubbing at his face. "I KNOW! YOU guys could take the engine over there on a test drive and see if--" "Forget it Gage! We don't even know what time his mailman comes." "Okay, how about--" "Johnny!" Roy hollered this time, "WHEN--" "Happy Birthday Roy!" Chet grinned, the obvious birthday present sitting right in front of him on the table. "Thanks Chet," Roy laughed taking a seat. Mike shrugged and pulled a present out of the cupboard while Marco smiled and dug one out of the refrigerator. "Do I even want to KNOW what that is?" Cap asked Marco the moment he returned from his office with a small package of his own. "It's tamales!" Marco grinned unwrapping it for Roy himself. Johnny stood back, folding his arms across his chest, and painting a grin on his face while Roy opened his other gifts. "Oh hey Mike, this is nice," Roy smiled. "Hand tooled leather," Mike told him as the paramedic opened and closed a new wallet. "What's that?" Chet asked as Roy unwrapped his present from Cap. "Don't be a twit Kelly, that's uh...that's a...clay...thingy," Cap muttered, his wife having called Roy's wife and buying the present for him. "It's great Cap, thanks!" Roy smiled. "All right Chet," he grinned pulling the curly-haired man's packaged closed, "am I gonna need my razor to open this?" "I promise, no more shaving cream today," he laughed looking at his Captain. "No more shaving cream this WEEK," Cap corrected him, "no, make that this month!" "Watch out Roy," Mike warned, "that means it's a water bomb." Keeping a watchful eye on Chet, Roy opened the box to find a bunch of Styrofoam peanuts. Digging into them carefully, he searched and searched, but came up empty. "I get it, there's nothing in here, right?" "Keep digging," Chet grinned. At the very bottom, Roy felt a small envelope. Opening it, he found three tickets to go see his favorite football team. "ALL RIGHT! Thanks Chet!" "You DO know who the third ticket is suppose to be for, right?" Marco asked with a grin. "Why Chet, would YOU like to go to the game with me?" Roy asked laughing. "I thought you'd never ask," Chet smiled back. "Happy Birthday," Cap told him as they all began to stand to get back to work. "Yeah, Happy Birthday," Marco agreed shaking his hand. "Now let's see, who could I get to use this second ticket of mine," Roy said searching the room for his partner and finding he has disappeared. Roy frowned in confusion until he realized Johnny hadn't given him anything. 'Oh well,' he thought, 'so he forgot. What do you want from a twenty-four year old?' He figured sometime during the day, his young partner would hand over some cheesy little thing, probably something right out of Rampart's gift shop. So his partner wasn't the most thoughtful person in the world. He accepted the fact that remembering birthday's and anniversary's just wasn't Johnny's thing. Out in the Bay, Johnny scrubbed briskly at the hoses, not looking up as Roy approached him. Roy smiled, figuring he'd put his partner out of his misery quickly. "So, we need any supplies?" he asked innocently. "Huh?" Johnny asked still not looking up. "At Rampart, do we need to pick up anything from there?" Roy asked hoping he wasn't being too obvious. "Um...yeah, I guess we could pick up some four by fours and some saline," Johnny answered sadly. "All right," Roy agreed. "I thought you wanted to get the hoses done before it got hot." "Oh they can wait a little while. It won't take us very long, right?" Johnny frowned to himself. "No, not too long I guess." As soon as they arrived, Roy conveniently struck up a conversation with Nurse Carol, giving Johnny plenty of opportunity to sneak off to the second floor Gift Shop for a few minutes. Glancing back over his shoulder at the nurses' station, he was surprised to see Johnny waiting for him, impatiently tapping his fingers on the cardboard box of supplies between his hands. "You ready already?" Roy asked walking over. "Yeah," Johnny agreed. "You sure?" "HUH? Yeah I'm sure. Why? Did I forget something?" he asked going through the box. "No, I guess not," Roy told him, trying to ignore the feeling of disappointment in the middle of his stomach. "Okay then, let's go." "Are you ah...are you mad at me or anything?" Roy asked once they got in the squad. "No! Why would I be mad at you?" "No reason." A few minutes passed in silence as Roy tried to keep from feeling a little angry. "Say Roy?" Johnny asked. "Yeah," Roy grinned, half expecting his suspicions of Johnny already forgetting his birthday again were wrong, and his partner was about to lay something great on him. "You uh, you didn't happen to forget anything at home this morning, didja?" "WHAT? Like what?" "I don't know. Maybe...what if Joanne forgot to lock the door on her way out this morning. You wouldn't want your house to be sitting unlocked until you get home in the morning, wouldja? Maybe we should go over and make sure it's locked." "That's twenty minutes from here this time of the morning Johnny, besides, Joanne NEVER forgets to lock the door... BELIEVE me!" "Oh," Johnny said hiding his disappointment. "Let's just get the hose done, all right?" Roy asked feeling annoyed. "Okay," he agreed. ~/~/~/~/~ "So uh," Johnny prompted quietly over lunch, "what are you doing tomorrow?" "Tomorrow?" Roy asked him over his sandwich. "Yeah." "Sleeping till Joanne getss home, or working in the garage, depending on the kind of night we have. Then going to Jenny's ballet thing." "Ballet?" "Yeah," Roy answered, "I missed her first one, and she made me promise this morning that I'd make it this time." "Little girls have a way of getting what they want, don't they?" Cap chuckled, thinking of his own three daughters. "Yeah...but I wan go too, you know? They're only this little once and--" "You sure got that right. Did you know Melinda will be graduating this year?" Cap told him. "That's exactly what I mean. So it's a five year olds ballet recital, it's also my daughter." "Enjoy it while you can." "I will Cap. To tell you the truth, the more I think about it, the more I can't wait!" Johnny nodded his head quietly. "So why'd you ask?" Roy asked him. "Huh?" "Why'd you ask?" "Ask what?" "Never mind," Roy growled softly, getting up to fetch a cup of coffee. "Squad 51, respond to an unknown type rescue at Jefferson Park, corner of 31st and Braun, 31st and Braun. Time out 2:43. Roy put the pot back on the stove, gave a deep sigh, and followed his partner into the bay. ~/~/~/~/~ "Sit still Jim Taylor, or I'll have your hide," a blond woman warned her wiggling son. "It HURTS!" "Well now WHO'S FAULT IS THAT?" Squad 51 pulled up to the curb and came to a stop. "It's about time!" the woman shouted, "are we suppose to wait for you all day?" "Mam?" Johnny asked walking up with the drug box in one hand and the biophone in the other. "I said are we suppose to...oh NEVER mind. Just get him unstuck would ya?" "What ah...what seems to be the problem here?" Johnny asked, smiling at the squirming tow headed boy. "WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?" the mother accused. Johnny ignored her, smiling again at the unhappy boy. "Kind of got it stuck in there huh," he told the kid sympathetically. "Oh the man's a genius," the mother scoffed. "What have we got?" Roy asked trying to see over Johnny's shoulder. "It hurts!" the kid informed him. "Yeah, it sure looks like it does, but don't you worry. We're gonna get you outta there in just a few minutes, okay?" "Oh for cryin out loud," the mother shouted to the by standers. "Can you believe this guy?" Johnny pulled Roy aside, trying to keep the mother, and every one else from over hearing. "He uh...his finger is caught between the slats of the picnic table. From the way its swelling, there's a good chance he broke it trying to yank it back out when he felt it get tight. I don't wan use a lube and try to pull it out of there. That'll hurt him way too much. Could you get me the saw and a blanket, then maybe get...her...out of the way?" "Yeah, all right. She's gonna go nuts when she sees it, but if it's broken..." "I haven't got much choice." Johnny smiled at the mother and son as he returned back to the table. "Finish chatting yet?" the mother grilled. "What's your name?" Johnny asked the boy. "His name is Jim Taylor Thomas, now can you get his finger out, or should I try to do it again myself." "Mam? Did you try yanking his finger out of there?" "Of course I did! If I could have gotten it out myself, do you think I would have let that old lady call you?" "How hard did you...?" Johnny stopped, swallowing hard and clenching his jaw. "As hard as I could, but IT'S STUCK! Have you got that now?" "Yes mam. I've got the whole picture now, thank you!" "Don't you get snippy with ME mister. You're a paid civil servant, which means you DAMN well better be civil! If you can't manage that, I can promise you, they'll have you replaced by the end of the day. My husband's on the City Council you know." "No I didn't know." "Well he is, so watch it!" Johnny squinted his eyes, and directed his attention back toward the boy before he said something he might regret. "Okay Jimmy, what we're gonna do here is--" "JIM!" "What?" "His name is JIM, NOT Jimmy!" "Uh, Johnny?" Roy asked returning from the squad, "here's uh...here's the saw." "Put the blanket over him, would ya?" "Sure," Roy told him unwrapping it. "Hi there Jim," he said with a fixed smile on his face. "Hi." Roy looked around at several festive balloons that decorated the table, and developed a truer smile. "Is it your birthday today?" "Oh great," the mother huffed, "another genius!" "It's my birthday today too. How old are YOU today?" he asked as he started to cover both himself and the boy with the blanket. "He's SEVEN! WHAT are you DOING?" "Mam, I'm gonna hafta cut the table away," Johnny explained. "Can't you just--" "NO, I can't." "Well why the hell NOT?" "BECAUSE HIS FINGER IS BROKE!" "It's what?" "Broken!" "There's no way you can know that." "It's broken or it's dislocated. Either way it's injured, as in pain, as in there is no way we're gonna try to pull it out of there. You got THAT?" "How did it get..." "How do you think." "I didn't BREAK it." "Mam, you need to back away and let me do my job." "Jim? Does your finger hurt?" "YES I told you!" "Oh honey, mommy's--" "Mam, please back up, all right?" "I..." "Thank you. Roy, is there a way you can hold the slats so they don't--" "Yeah I got it, go ahead," Roy told him, pulling the blanket back over his head and Jim's. "Is he gonna cut my finger off?" Jimmy asked nervously. "No no...he's just gonna cut the nasty boards away." "Will it hurt?" "No...not very much, okay? That's why we're doing it this way." "Oh." "You ever go camping?" "No...I mean yes. In Cub Scouts we did." "Did you sleep in a tent?" "Yeah?" "Did you like it?" "Yeah, it was fun." "This is kinda like a tent, huh?" Roy asked, meaning the blanket. "Nah, ours was green." Outside the yellow cover, Johnny started the saw. "Tell him to be careful, okay?" "Johnny's very, very careful. He's pretty good with the saw. That's why he's the one doing it, and not me." "You're no good at the saw?" "Oh I'm all right. Johnny's just a little better. He's better at--" "You all right in there?" Johnny called turning off the saw. "Yeah," Roy told him pulling off the blanket. "He's DONE all ready?" "Yep, told you he was good." "But I'm still stuck!" "No you're not," Johnny told him using his lockblade as a lever and gently pushing the outside board away from the boy's finger. "Okay, now let's see that," Roy told him looking closely at his hand. "Johnny, can you get me a splint?" "IT HURTS!" "Johnny, could you call--" "Got it," Johnny told him, handing off the splint and picking up the biophone. A moment later, he opened the drug box to start an approved IV. "What's he doing?" Johnny looked up at Roy with raised eyebrows. "Well, he's uh...he's gonna give you some medicine to make you feel a lot better." Johnny tried hard to hide the needle, but Jim's roving eyes soon caught on. "NO SHOTS!" "Now Jim, Johnny's really good at IV's too. He didn't hurt you with the saw did he?" "No...but I've had shots before, and they ALWAYS hurt!" "You've never had one from me," Johnny offered. "I hate shots!" Johnny raised his eyebrow again and Roy smiled. "You're a Cub Scout though right?" "What?" "My son Chris is a Cub Scout. He's really tough. I bet you're tough too," Roy told him as Johnny started to swab the boy's thin arm. "No I'm not...I don't WANT a shot." "My daughter is in ballet. She even has a recital tonight. Do you dance ballet?" "NO!" "How come?" "Cause it's FOR GIRLS!" "All done," Johnny told him applying a small piece of tape to hold the tubing in place. "NO WAY!" "YEAH WAY, just don't move it too much, okay?" "I thought you were just poking at it!" "Well I was, then I used the needle, and voila" "It's kind sore." "Cause you're MOVING it! How's your finger?" "Hurst a LOT!" "That's cause I haven't given you the medicine yet. You ready?" "NO, NOT ANOTHER ONE!" "Don't worry. This one isn't even gonna touch you. It goes right into the IV, see? Just like that." "That's cool!" "Yeah, I've always thought so," Johnny told him grinning. "And here comes your ride," Roy added giving Johnny a wink. "Listen, I uh...I'm really sorry about...I can't believe I was acting like such a jerk," the mother stepped in, "I just want to apologize and say--" "It's okay man. I'm just a Civil Servant, doing my job," Johnny offered. "I take that back too. I'm sorry, okay?" "On one condition." "What's that?" "The next time Jim here gets stuck in ANYTHING, you take your time, or get some help. Kids break easier than you think." "I still can't believe I broke his finger!" "Just promise yourself you'll be extremely careful from now on." "I promise. Can I go with him?" "Sure you can. You can ride up front with the driver." "Well...thank you, okay?" "Your welcome." Johnny set the biophone in behind Roy and closed the ambulance door, giving them a distracted thump. The woman waved as the ambulance pulled away, and he managed a weak grin for her before turning to walk back to the squad. ~/~/~/~/~ "Go ahead," Roy told him once Johnny had arrived to pick him up at the hospital. "Go ahead what?" "Parents who don't know their own strength and end up hurting their kids." "What are you two talking about?" Dix asked as she took her seat behind the nurses' station. "That kid we just brought in. Junior got his finger stuck, and mom yanked so hard she broke it." "Oh my." "Yeah." "We had a little girl in here yesterday, father was swinging her around by the arms, accidentally dislocated her shoulder." "Accidentally?" "That's what he said. Kel's got a call in to her pediatrician. He'll try to make sure. In the mean time she's safe and sound up stairs in the children's ward." Johnny nodded absent-mindedly while he stared at a box wrapped in white with a red ribbon tied around it sitting on the counter. "OH...Yeah!" Dixie said happily. Johnny turned abruptly to get a cup of coffee. "Hap...Happy Birthday Roy!" "Thanks Dix, you really didn't have to." "Sure I did, that's what friends are for, right?" "Well thanks anyway. Do I open it now?" "Of COURSE you do. I can't wait to see your face." "All right...kinda got the ribbon a little tight don't cha," Roy laughed. "I ALWAYS tie the ribbon tight. Keeps people from snooping too early." "Hey Johnny, could I borrow your lockblade? Where...where'd he go?" "Bathroom." "Oh." "Use your scissors." "Oh...oh yeah," Roy grinned a bit too broadly. "What's a matter?" "What?" "Between you and Johnny?" "Nothing! He just ah...I don't know." "Did he get you something awful?" "No...actually...he didn't ah..." "Oh he forgot? Well let him sneak off to the gift shop for a minute and put him out of his misery. That's what he did when he found out it was my birthday last year. You know he'll make up for it at Christmas. Keeping track of dates just isn't Johnny's--" "I know, and I've already tried that. Didn't work." "Huh...well that's a little strange. You sure he even knows it's your--" "He knows, he's had plenty of reminders today, and THIS wasn't exactly subtle" he reminded her, pointing to her own present, "but that's okay. It's not like I need him to--" "Still, he gave you something last time, didn't he?" "Yeah but--" "You ready?" Johnny asked reappearing behind him. "Ummm..." Roy replied pulling some clay out of the box. "Joanne said you were running out of stuff for your hobby so..." "Thanks Dix, thanks a lot," Roy smiled genuinely, pecking her on the cheek. "Yeah Johnny, I'm ready." "Roy DeSoto's kissing you on the cheek?" Kel asked as he watched them leave. "Does his wife know?" "Of course she does. You don't think ONE woman could handle a man like that all by herself now, do you? Get your mind out of the gutter Kel," Dixie teased once the good doctors jaw had dropped to the floor. ~/~/~/~/~ "Squad 51, respond to a possible heart attack victim, 113 Oak Lane, 113 Oak Lane, cross street Driscoll. Time out 5:27. "Squad 51, KMG365. Take a left here Roy." "Squad 51 cancel," their radio squawked several minutes later. "WHAT?" "They canceled," Roy told him, turning off the sirens and starting to turn around. "Yeah I heard that but...how do you CANCEL a heart attack?" Roy shrugged, keeping his attention on the road. Realizing where they were, Johnny started squirming obviously in his seat. "What are you doing?" "Nothing." "Well what's the matter with you." "I uh...I got to go to the bathroom. Do you think we could stop by your place for a minute so I could--" "Didn't you just go at the hospital?" "Yeah but--" "You can't wait till we get back to the station?" "I'd rather go at your place," Johnny said, glad that he could be truthful about it. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was liars, even if he DID have a good reason. "Here we go," Roy said pulling into a gas station. "What are we doing HERE?" "I want to get some soda. We don't have anything at the station. I figure as long as we have to stop, I might as well get some." "Yeah but--" "Aren't you coming?" Roy asked when Johnny didn't follow him out of the squad. "I don't think I have to go any more." "You don't. Well I'm just gonna grab some soda, okay?" Johnny acknowledged him with a wave of his hand as he pouted by slumping down and curling up till he could rest his feet on the dashboard. "Did you want milk instead," Roy asked him thoroughly confused. "Huh?" "Did you want me to get some milk too?" "Sure, fine, whatever." Roy rolled his eyes and went into the station. As he was checking out, he saw Johnny pass behind him to use the bathroom without saying a word. "Your partner?" the cashier asked. "Yeah." "Not very friendly is he?" "He usually is. Maybe he's coming down with something or something." "Pardon me?" "Oh, nothing. He's a nice guy, just a little strange today." "I'll take your word for it," the cashier said as Johnny passed behind Roy again on his way back to the squad. "Can't believe I made myself have to go again," Johnny muttered to himself in the squad. Then again, he thought, the fact that he went canceled the fib, didn't it? "You okay?" "What?" Johnny asked as Roy got back in the squad and handed him a bag, "You feeling okay? Your stomach hurt or something? They sell Pepto Bismol here if--" "I'm FINE ROY!" "All right! Whatever...you just...whatever." Johnny frowned, trying to come up with a plausible reason for Roy to go by his home, but his imagination was empty, and he refused to fib again, even a little bit. ~/~/~/~/~ "It's about time you guys got back," Marco scolded as they backed into the Bay. "Why, what's the matter?" Johnny asked. "NOTHING'S the matter, Dinner's just ready is all, and we're getting hungry!" "WELL YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT ON US YOU KNOW! You guys can just go ahead and--" "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROY!" the other men of 51 shouted the moment the two paramedics followed Marco through the kitchen door. A large chocolate frosted Birthday Cake sat in the middle of the table to go with their meal, Stoker's spaghetti, one of Roy's favorites. Johnny sighed audibly, but Roy pretended not to notice. Whatever he'd done to his young partner to make him snub him so badly on his birthday, he was beginning not to care. If his partner wanted to act like a jerk, he'd let him. It was no skin off his nose. The day had shown him he had plenty of other friends who weren't so...moody...and...weird...and...all the other lousy things that Johnny was. His partner could go jump in a lake. "Well blow out your candles Roy before we have to call in an alarm," Cap urged. "Hey, don't forget to make a wish first," Chet reminded, "and don't bother wishing for Gage to loose his voice. I tried last year...doesn't work." The only thing Roy found himself wishing at the moment was that he knew what his partner's problem was. Pushing the thought from his mind, he wished with all of his heart that his daughters recital the following night would go as perfectly as he knew his little daughter would want it to, including having him, her father, in a front row seat to see her performance. ~/~/~/~/~ The meal went well, as in quiet and uninterrupted for a change. But just as they were starting to cut the cake, "Squad 51, respond to an injured child, 115 Lake View Front, 115 Lake View Front, cross street Deleware. Time out 6:57." "I'd take it for you if I could," Mike said sympathetically as he took the knife from Roy's hand. "That's okay, my day's been about as good as it could be all ready," with one exception, he thought to himself. "Go ahead and have the cake, I'll...we can have some when we get back." "We'll give you guys exactly one hour," Chet joked at he followed Roy and Johnny to the squad, "but after that--" "We'll make sure he saves you each a piece," Cap promised as he picked up the radio to call them in. "Squad 51, KMG365." ~/~/~/~/~ "What happened?" Roy asked as he jumped out of the squad and recognized the mother from the call earlier that day. "He fell into the pool when they were all in the front waiting for the pizzas," she told them as she guided them quickly to the backyard. "This is his father's new house, remarried last month, decided to give him a party too. They called me first instead of calling for you. I can't believe nobody called you...I don't think he's breathing! I don't think he's..." Johnny did an about face back to the squad, grabbed the oxygen tank, then hustled as fast as he could back to them. Jim lay on his back by the pool, his father blowing air into his mouth and crying, the boy's head way to far forward for the breaths to do any good. "Oh GOD!" the mother screamed when she realized he still wasn't breathing. "Watch out! Watch out!" Johnny ordered, clearing all the party guests out of his way as he dropped to his knees beside the boy and began to do full CPR by himself. Roy dropped down beside him and quickly set up the biophone. "Rampart, we have a male victim of a drowning, seven years old today. Be advised the victim is not yet breathing and..." Beside him Johnny shook his head. "...has no pulse. Johnny is performing CPR." "10-4 County 51, continue CPR and give point 5 milligram epinephrine." "10-4, point 5 milligram epinephrine, continuing CPR." "Oh God, is he DEAD?" the mother screamed. "No!" Johnny insisted, stopping the breaths once Roy was able to take over with an ambu-bag. "Anything?" Roy asked when Johnny paused to check for a pulse. Johnny shook his head. Keeping one hand on the ambu-bag, Roy picked up the biophone. "Rampart? No change, shock at 200 watt seconds?" "How long had he stopped taking air?" Roy looked around at all of the guests. "How long was he not breathing before we got here?" No one could give him an answer. "Unknown Rampart." On the other end of the line, Roy could imagine that he saw Dr. Kelly Bracket agonize over what to do. "Go ahead and shock him Roy." "10-4, shocking 200 watt seconds." Roy grabbed the defibrillator and charged it up while Johnny kept going, showing no signs of tiring. "Johnny," Roy told him when he was ready. Johnny moved back and Roy shouted, "CLEAR!" "Come on Jim," Johnny encouraged the boy. "Come on...it's your birthday Jim, your special day. It's time to wake up and have some fun with your friends. Come ON Jim...come on...let's open your presents now, okay?" "Anything?" Roy asked. "Nothing," Johnny told him beginning CPR again. "No conversion Rampart," Roy informed them. "Give another point five milligram epinephrine and shock again." "10-4, point five milligram epinephrine, shocking again." "Oh God Robert! HE'S DEAD! HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID?" "It's wasn't my FAULT! It was an accident!" "You just HAD to buy a house with a POOL, DIDN'T YOU! You just HAD to rub my FACE in it! YOU knew he couldn't SWIM!" "It was an ACCIDENT Misty! YOU'RE the one who broke his finger today!" "How DARE you! How DARE you bring that up now!" "STOP!" Johnny shouted at the top of his lungs at them, as Roy shocked the young boy for a second time. "Oh god," the mother whispered. "Johnny?" Roy asked. Everyone around them held their breath. "Johnny?" Johnny held up his hand to silence him, his other hand on the boy's neck. There had been no time to hook the boy up to the monitor. Johnny panted from exertion, staring at the boy's face, a look of extreme concentration on his own. The look broke into a smile as he looked up at his partner. A moment later, the boy began to cough, letting everyone know Johnny was right, young Jim Taylor was alive. ~/~/~/~/~ "Boy," Roy said pouring Johnny a cup of coffee at the nurses' station, "that was a close one, wasn't it." "Yeah," Johnny agreed quietly, "I just hope his brain is still all right." "Well you heard Doctor Bracket, so far, he's doing just fine." "Yeah...that was...damn scary though. On his birthday of all days." Roy frowned deeply, suddenly wanting to smack his partner up side the head, despite all they'd just been through. He sighed, trying to shake the feeling away. It wasn't like he was some little kid Johnny was ignoring. Still, sometimes his partner made no sense to him at all. "Happy Birthday again Roy," Dixie chirped looking straight at Johnny as she approached. Roy cringed, wishing now that EVERYBODY would just forget about it. "You guys back all ready?" "Yeah," Roy told her with another sigh. "Bad one?" she asked. Roy nodded his head and took a sip of coffee. "I'm very sorry to hear that Roy," she apologized. "No...he should make it okay...it's just that...close call...very close call." "You okay Johnny?" Dixie asked. "Yeah, gonna go out to the squad," he mumbled setting his untouched mug of coffee down. "He's still moody," Dixie noticed aloud. "Yeah...but now...he's got a reason to be, though you'd think he'd be a little happier. Maybe it's the parents or...who knows." "Well you know your partner. Wait long enough, and he'll forget all about it." "Maybe...did I forget his birthday this year?" "No, you got him that saddle polish cause he'd started that roping steers business, remember?" "Oh yeah, but...what about the year before that? Did I--" "No, I gave him a party myself that year to celebrate the paramedic program at the same time. You gave him uhhhh..." "Joanne bought him a sweater, cause I hadn't know him long enough to have a clue and he'd worn some orange thing she hated over to the house the first time I brought him home. I remember she asked me if he was married when I told her about him and I didn't know. The moment she saw that sweater she told me he couldn't be married 'cause no woman would let him out of the house wearing that thing." Dixie smiled and nodded. "Well, I wish I knew what to tell you Roy." "Oh...well...it's no big deal. Maybe...maybe he's just broke!" "Maybe," she agreed, knowing Roy knew full well they had both been paid the day before. "I'll catch you later Dix." "Bye Roy." ~/~/~/~/~ Laying in his bunk that night, Johnny couldn't sleep. "Would you cut it OUT?" Roy shouted at him. "What?" "Find a comfortable spot and lie STILL! What's WITH you tonight!" "I'm sorry Roy," Johnny told him, slipping into his turnout pants and heading out of the dorm, presumably to get a glass of milk. "I'm sorry Roy," Roy grumbled to himself. "I'm not gonna acknowledge your birthday today in any way, but I'm sorry Roy." "What?" Chet asked from the other side of the room. "Nothin!" Roy growled, rolling to his side, determined to be asleep before Johnny got back. "Squad 51, respond to a possible heart attack 113 Oak Lane, 113 Oak Lane, cross street Driscoll. Time out 11:17." "Oh for crying out loud," Roy grouched, yanking on his turnout and hurrying into the bay. His partner was all ready at the radio desk, acknowledging the call. Several minutes later as they neared the address, "Squad 51, cancel." "CANCEL!" Johnny shouted. "WAIT A MINUTE!" he declared ransacking the glove box. "It's the same address Roy, it's the same damn address as this morning! I say we go check it out! If those were prank calls, I say we put the fear of God into them, maybe even have Vince come out and let 'em know what's what." "You really wan stop?" "Don't you?" Roy let out a breath and pulled into the drive of the address they'd been given. Despite being a little ticked at his partner, he wanted to know what the deal was as well. "FIRE DEPARTMENT!" Johnny shouted banging on the door. A woman in a GREEN bathrobe answered, looking very sheepish. "I'm sorry, I canceled the call," she insisted apologetically. "We uh...I uh...we got the cancellation mam but...we just wanted to make absolutely sure everything was okay here." "Oh it is, it is...everything's fine. I'm really sorry." "Could you ah...could you maybe tell us exactly why you called the Fire Department if--" "Oh I didn't!" "You...but--" "Ralph did." "Ralph?" "Yes." "Well is Ralph okay?" "Yes, he's fine." "Could uh...could we see him maybe?" "See him?" "Yes, just to make sure he's fine. I mean we're here and all and--" "But he uh...he...really is fine, you have my word." Johnny looked at Roy who's expression told him to press on. "Well mam, not to be disrespectful but..." "We'd like to check him out for ourselves. No harm in being extra cautious is there?" Roy took over, stepping past his partner and into the house, a polite smile on his face. "No, but...oh dear. He's over there." "Where?" Roy asked stepping into the living room, Johnny right behind him. "Right there," she told him, pointing toward the corner. "Bad Ralph...Bad Ralph." "Cut it out now Ralph, you've got me in enough trouble." "Oh oh...Bad Ralph. Help! Help! I'm having a heart attack! Help!" "Would you look at that," Johnny said, his mouth wide open. "I don't believe it!" Roy laughed. "It gets worse," the woman explained, "what's your address Ralph?" "113 Oak Lane...113 Oak Lane...Help! Help!" "But how..." Johnny giggled. "I'm house sitting. The owner is elderly and has the hospital on his speed dial button. I guess they called it in to you. I cancelled it as soon as I caught him. He knows all KINDS of tricks, only somehow he keeps getting a hold of the real phone. I'm so sorry." A green parakeet turned upside down on his perch and looked Johnny over from head to toe. "Phone please...phone please, hello? Hello! Help! Help!" "That's hysterical, he sounds just like a little old man!" "He's mimicking his owner." "Yeah, but he even gets the voice right?" "Not exactly right, but good enough I guess. I've buried the phone under some pillows. I swear it won't happen again." "You wan take his pulse before we go?" Roy asked as Johnny continued to stare in amazement. "Are you kidding me? I wouldn't touch that thing with a ten foot pole." "Well thank you mam, and uh...you have a nice night, come on Johnny," Roy said pushing him toward the door. "Good bye...Good bye Johnny." "Did you hear that?" "Yeah I heard it." "Happy Birthday!" the bird shouted gleefully. Johnny's mouth dropped open for the second time since coming in the door, and he quickly lead the way outside and back to the squad. On the other side, Roy slammed his door closed and started the engine. "Hey Roy?" "WHAT?" "Huh?" "What do you want Johnny?" "Nothin! What did I do!" "Nothin!" Roy scowled pulling out of the drive. "Roy?" "WHAT?" "Have you ever had your mail stolen?" "What?" "I mean...maybe you should go home and take your mail in. You wouldn't want it to get stolen now would you, with Joanne gone?" "Why would anyone steal our mail?" "I don't KNOW? Maybe you should just go...you never know, you know. People steal all kinds of things." "No one's gonna steal my mail Johnny." "Look!" Johnny shouted as they passed Roy's street. "AT WHAT?" "Someone was by your house." "WHAT?" "I'm telling you Roy, someone was by your house!" "Knock it off Johnny." "ROY!" "Fine, FINE! We'll go by my house, all right? Just to shut you up!" "That's all I ask." Pulling into his drive Roy looked around for Johnny's prowler while Johnny jumped out and ran up Roy's porch, hoping to shove the package in his pocket and give it to him at the station properly. He'd already come up with a plan of calling him into the kitchen to present him with milk, cookies and the present, to make up for being so late with it. He remembered how much his partner liked midnight snacks from the time he'd once stayed overnight. "Is THAT what you saw?" Roy asked pointing toward his neighbor walking her dog. "Uh...yeah...sorry," Johnny said pretending to test Roy's front door to see if it was locked. "Oh MAN!" "What are you doing with my mail," Roy asked making Johnny jump three feet into the air. Johnny never heard him get out of the squad. "What?" "My mail?" "Oh, uh...here. Just making sure--" "Nobody stole it?" "Don't be ridiculous Roy, who'd steal your mail." "What?" "Come on, can we just go now!" "It was YOUR bright idea to come OVER here!" "I know," Johnny whined feeling miserable, to his disbelief, the package had still not come. Roy resisted the temptation of slamming his fist into the side of the squad. He jumped in, started the engine, and drove as quickly as he could back to the station before he strangled his partner. Getting into his bunk he realized it was after midnight. That was it. His birthday was over, and the man he HAD considered to be his best friend had never even said Happy Birthday. Roy pulled his pillow over his head to block out the sounds of his partner's breathing. ~/~/~/~/~ "Station 51, respond to a structure fire. 1317 Navigation Blvd., 1317 Navigation Blvd.. Time out 4:16." "KMG365," Hank sleepily responded as his men jumped to their feet. The structure turned out to be a grain elevator with it's main warehouse fully involved. All they could hope for was to try to contain it, keep it from catching any of the other buildings on fire. "Chet, Marco, inch and a half! Take it around the left and soak everything you can. Johnny, Roy, get another inch and a half and take it right down the middle. LA County this is engine 51, we need a second alarm at our location, repeat, we need a second alarm at our location. Advise engines responding to use caution, dust explosions are probable." To punctuate his words, the front door of the warehouse blew off, the power of which knocked Johnny and Roy off their feet. He watched to make sure both rose and picked up their hose before moving to check Marco and Chet. "YOU ALL RIGHT?" Roy screamed into his partner's ear, trying to be heard over the incredible noise of the flames. Johnny shook his wrist but nodded. "Let me take front for a while!" Roy shouted again. Johnny nodded and the two switched, Roy taking the front. With additional engines, the firemen began to make some headway. Nothing but the blackened skeleton of the structure remained. Johnny and Roy made their way inside, trying to put out some of the building's contents that still burned brightly in the darkness. "Over there," Johnny pointed as he noticed some flames trying to sneak across what was left of the grass toward some barrels against another building. They advanced forward to put them out. Using the flames for light, Johnny read the writing on the large metal cans. It read, 'Gasoline'. "WATCH IT!" Johnny screamed yanking his partner to the ground. The first can blew, spraying its contents over the man, flames growing as it flew. "JOHN-NIE!" Roy screamed. "MARCO! CHET!" He'd lost his hose in the darkness and after groping for what seemed like forever, he gave up and yanked off his turnout coat to try to smother the flames. Out of no where, Roy felt himself and his partner become soaked. He squinted in the darkness, trying to see his partner's face. "Johnny?" "Bring him over here! Bring him over here!" someone shouted. In the light of the engine's headlights, Roy could see Mike already spreading out an emergency blanket, and Cap yanking equipment out of their squad. Grabbing Johnny by the legs, someone else grabbed him under the arms and they carried him into the light. Once there, he realized the other man was Chet. "Roy?" Cap asked trying to look him over. "I'm fine!" he insisted, knowing he wouldn't have been if Johnny hadn't... "Johnny?" Cap called, though from the site of him, no one expected him to respond. "Johnny?" Roy prompted himself. "Damn," he cursed as he burnt his fingers on his partner's hot metal buckles. "Roy," Marco said, offering his gloves. "Get the trauma box, get out the saline and some sterile sheets. Set up the biophone." The men around him jumped to work as Roy unbuckled Johnny's turnout coat. The fabric was black and melted and stunk to high heaven. He knew what he was really smelling was singed hair. The gasoline had hit his partners chest and arms, but the flames had leapt up toward his head and face. "CAP, He's stopped BREATHING!" "What?" "GET THE AMBU-BAG!" "Son of a--" Cap cursed ransacking the squad until he found it. Roy watched for Johnny's chest to rise and fall to make sure he wasn't going to need an airway in order to get his partner some air. "Johnny?" he called watching for a reaction. The fabric of the turnout was crusty, and stuck when he tried to pull it back. He grabbed his scissors, intent of cutting the material away, but they were useless on material that thick. He groped for Johnny's lockblade until he found it and started cutting the coat away, trying to get down to his skin. "Glad you got this Junior," he muttered as he finally began to make some headway. "Oh God!" Johnny choked trying to push the cup over his mouth away. "Johnny?" "Oh God!" "Johnny, it's gonna be all right. You're gonna be okay. Just take it easy." "Oh God it hurts!" "I know, I know...I've got the saline right here, just hang in there okay? You're gonna be just fine." "It HURTS!" Johnny screamed as Roy tried to expose as much skin as he could. He tried to be gentle pulling the fabric away from his burnt skin, but there was nothing more he could do until he could expose it enough. "Just hang in there Johnny." "Goood!" "It's gonna be all right Johnny." "Hurts." "I know, Marco, get the sheets open, all right?" "Roy?" "I'm right here Johnny, it's gonna be just fine." "You okay?" "I'm fine Johnny. I'm just fine." "It hurts." "I know...I know." Johnny panted, trying hard to gain control, as Roy called in to Rampart. "Oh please," Johnny begged, closing his eyes. "The saline is on Johnny, just take it easy." "You have no idea," Johnny panted back. "It's gonna be all right." "Right." Roy started to move, digging into the drug box. "Roy?" "I'm right here." "What 'er you doing?" "Getting you some morphine pal, just hang on." "Morphine?" "You're gonna be feeling great in just a couple more minutes, you just hang on." "I never knew it would HURT THIS BAD!" Johnny screamed. Tears of extreme pain ran down both side of his face. His breathing grew faster and faster as he tried to beat it down. "Roy?" "Almost Johnny, almost." Johnny closed his eyes tight, praying for it to end. "All right...that's it. You should be feeling in any second...Johnny? Johnny? Is it getting any better." "Don't know." "Johnny?" Johnny panted back, not answering until his breathing gradually began to slow. "Johnny?" "Okay." "Okay?" "Okay." "All right, we're gonna get you to the hospital now, okay?" "Okay." "You hang in there, okay?" "Okay." "All right, let's get him out of here." ~/~/~/~/~ "How is he?" Roy asked Dixie the second she came into the doctor's lounge. "Their moving him up to a room now." "How bad is it?" "Bad enough. First degree mostly, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. It's a pretty big portion of his body too." "Where?" "Chest, arms, lost some of the hair on his head, but he needed a cut anyway, didn't he?" Roy tried not to grin, his partner was definitely having a very bad night, but one escaped at the mention of the other man's shaggy head anyway. "His right leg is a little burnt, but of course we both know he didn't loose any hair there." Roy's smile disappeared. "His leg? I didn't even notice his leg." "Well you were working with some rather limited light, weren't you? Don't knock yourself down. Anyway, he's not feeling any pain at the moment I can promise you. Don't tell anyone, it's not THAT big of a deal, but...Kel ordered some more morphine for him and...well, both Carol and I responded to that order." Roy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well...it happens. Nobody can be absolutely perfect one hundred percent of the time, all of the time, not even nurses. Anyway, Johnny's fine, just...feeling kind of..." "What?" "Well he's decided to start Christmas a little early. Last I saw he was trying desperately to remember the words to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and was trying to pull off Kel's nose." "He was trying to what?" "Pull it off! For some reason, he thinks noses are removable at the moment." "Yeah, what uh...what did Doctor Bracket do." "Oh you know Kel, he's trying hard to sound grouchy but, he's really trying not to laugh his ass off." "Dr. Brackett?" "Well, you have to hear the words he's making up. Let's see...Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, had a very shiny nose, and if you never saw him, you can never say he growed." "Growed?" "Wait...all of the guys around him, said it was an ugly nose. They even tried to catch him, and stomp on his little toes." "Awww," Roy said sadly. "But then one day he saw the girl deers. When he kissed them they shouted out with glee. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Boy I wish he was meee!" "Okay?" Roy laughed. "Did he ever remember you birthday?" "He knows Dix. I don't know what the deal was. I'll tell you though, as far as birthday presents go, he gave me one heck of a one tonight. That should have been me laying there. He didn't have to do that. I don't get him. Then again I'll probably never figure him out. Can't get a Happy Birthday out of him, then he does something like this. I don't know. I just don't get it." ~/~/~/~/~ "Johnny?" Roy called softly opening his partner's door a crack. "Here comes Santa Clause, here comes Santa Clause, right on Santa Clause lane. He's gonna steal all your toys and he won't give 'em back again. His real name is Chester B. and he really is a fink. Come Christmas time when he steals my toys I'm gonna turn all his curly hair pink!" "Johnny?" "ROY!" "Hey...how you doing?" "Awful," he said starting to squirm. "Yeah? You sounded okay a--" "Starting to wear off I think." "You sure?" "Don't know. Kind of hurts though." "Try not to move around so much." "Can't help it." "You want me to get Dr. Brackett?" "No, he's not getting his nose back." "You sure it was just morphine they gave you?" "Don't know." "I suppose some people react differently to different medications though, right?" "Huh? Man...I'm so tired." "Well maybe you should relax and give into it a bit, huh?" "Tryin' to." "All right." "Who's replacing me tomorrow?" "You're not on tomorrow, two days, remember?" "You sure?" "Yeah Johnny, I'm sure." "Man I'm tired." "Well, I'll go and let you get some sleep. You take it easy, okay?" "It's starting to hurt again." "Okay, all right, I'll let the nurse no for ya. She'll get Dr. Brackett." "Okay." "All right." "Roy?" "Yeah?" "Ummm....man...there's something I really got to tell you." "What?" "Uhhhh...MAN! It's important!" "What?" "Ahhhh!" "Hurting?" "Yeah." "I'll get--" "No just a second. Gotta tell you something." "Johnny?" "Second." "I'm having them get Dr. Brackett." ~/~/~/~/~ "You still here?" Dr. Brackett asked upon seeing Roy standing out Johnny's door. "Yeah, he's starting to hurt pretty bad again." "Yeah, I figured he would. I didn't want to put him on a drip right away after his little overdose." "I figured it would just knock him out." "Well it would most people, but Johnny seems to fight it, and get a little silly instead." "Dix told me." "She did huh? Is he still holding my nose hostage?" "Umm...yeah, I think so." A pain filled breath coming from the room sucked the merriment out of the air. "Look, I better get in there. Go home Roy, you look ready to fall over. And don't worry about him, he's gonna sleep if I have to hit him over the head with a two by four." "All right doc." "Seriously, we're going to make him a comfortable as we can." "I know." Roy headed down the elevator, looking forward to his bed and wondering exactly what time it was. He was beginning to wonder if Joanne might even beat him home. "Roy!" Dixie called before he could make it out through the Emergency room doors. "Yeah?" "Kel needs you to go back up stairs." "Why, what happened?" "Johnny, he's being ornery as all get out. He keeps insisting he just remembered what he had to tell you, and he won't let anyone touch him until he does. The last thing Kel wants to do is to try to grab on to him. I don't know how he does it, but that partner of yours is--" "Okay...all right....I'll go back up stairs. But I'm telling ya Dix, he's definitely gonna get an earful." "Good, you let him have." ~/~/~/~/~ "Hey, guess what?" Johnny smiled the moment Roy came through the door. "What?" Roy snapped back. "Happy Birthday, okay? Forgot to say that with...not there...you'll see...not there." Kel had taken Roy's arrival to get the fighting paramedic under control. "Now say good night Johnny," Kel smiled. "Sorry, just had to tell 'im." "All right, you said it, now go to sleep." "He'll see...get here...he'll see." "What's he talking about?" "I don't know Roy. Thanks for coming back up...now GO HOME!" "Right," Roy laughed. "Night Roy," Johnny called softly from his bed. "Good night Johnny," Roy smiled, shaking his head. Never gonna figure out this nut. ~/~/~/~/~ Parking his car, Roy saw the mailman coming up the sidewalk. "Good afternoon sir," the man smiled handing him his mail. "Thanks." Roy opened his door and dropped the mail on the kitchen table. He poured himself a glass of cold milk and trying to unwind before going up stairs, he sat down to go through the letters. "Bill, bill, bill...glad Joanne figures all these out." A small package wrapped in plain brown paper caught Roy's eye. "Oh boy, what did Chris order out of that comic book now." Turning it over, he was surprised to find out it was addressed to him. A small plain white card just under the paper read simply, 'Hope it's okay, Johnny.' "Johnny! What in the world..." "Daddy daddy daddy!" Jennifer shouted racing in the door and throwing her arms around his neck. "Oooo gross. You smell like SMOKE again!" "Yeah honey, I do." "You're coming, right?" "To what?" "DADDY!" "Don't tease Roy, all I've heard for the last twenty four hours was how she hoped nobody got sick so that you could go to her recital tonight...Roy? What happened?" "Daddy's not going?" "I'm going honey...you can thank you're uncle Johnny for it, but I'm going." "Yipppeeeee!" she sang racing for her room. "Roy...what HAPPENED?" "He'll be all right Joanne, but...you may want to bake him something nice some day soon...something REAL nice." "Okay," she agreed feeling confused, "are you okay?" "I'm fine Joanne." "Well, go take a shower while I make you something to eat. Then you can lay down until it's time to go, okay?" "Okay, I'll go in just a minute." "In a minute?" "Yeah...in a minute." "Okay..." Joanne said, still confused as she started to make some pancakes. Roy took the box he had started to unwrap into the living room and sat down. Upstairs, his daughter sang a Christmas song with words so mutilated she could have given Johnny a run for his money. Outside the front window, his son practiced jumping over a stick on his skateboard. Roy pulled the tape holding the box shut back and carefully opened it. Inside was an eagle feather. The image of two men, one white, the other Indian, each facing the other across a campfire, was beautifully painted upon it. Underneath the picture was painted two words...My Friend. The end |