You Never Know by Bobbie "Well………?" Dixie asked as Johnny approached the head nurse's desk. The poor guy hadn't even made it to her desk and already she was asking questions. Questions that he should have expected but still, questions he preferred to avoid. "Well what?" Johnny asked, a confused look coming across his face. It may have been a confused look, but it really was more an act. Johnny knew exactly what Dixie was asking. "I'm waiting for an explanation," Dixie inquired with 'that' look on her face. One that Johnny had seen too many times before. He knew better than to stall or try to avoid a question when a certain head nurse flashed that look at him. "You lost me Dix," Johnny replied pouring a cup of coffee. "Explanation for what?" he continued his teasing. "The picnic, a certain young lady, a kiss," Dixie explained more with her eyes than with actual words. This was getting to be worse than giving the guy a shot after another scrape. "Oh that!" Johnny said peering over his cup. This way, the cup covered the silly smirk on his face. It also prolonged his torment of the head nurse. "Yes that!" Dixie repeated. "That wasn't just a kiss between friends." "Of course not, Dix" Johnny agreed putting the cup down beside him, but acting nonchalant about the whole discussion. "If it had been a quick kiss on the cheek, the plan wouldn't have worked and Chester B wouldn't have gotten so riled up." "That's not what I mean and you, Johnny Gage, know it," Dixie continued putting pressure on the paramedic while emphasizing certain words as she spoke. "Dix, we explained all this at the picnic," Johnny continued to avoid Dixie's line of questioning. "It was just one piece of the plan we had to get even with Chet." "You're going to make me ask aren't you?" Dixie continued, determined not to let him off the hook. "Okay," she said putting her hands up, palms facing him. "Have it your way. Is there something going on between you and Nicki?" "Me and Nicki?" Johnny said between drinks of his coffee. "Naaaaaa...well she is a friend, but other than that. Nothing. Why?" "Oh, I just wondered," Dixie said with a smile. She knew, of course, all about the little tricks he had pulled on her in an attempt to prolong the discussion. It was, after all, a well thought out action that he and Nicki had put into motion. And if anyone deserved to get back at someone, it was Johnny. But, like Johnny, Dixie had a way of putting things too. "You do admit that those kisses were pretty hot." The afternoon at the picnic, Johnny was all too aware of the fact that there would be a kiss between him and Nicki. He just wasn't expecting it at the time. But, timing being everything, Nicki had seized the opportunity and made the best of it. And her timing turned out to be perfect. Of course, a second kiss didn't hurt matters where provoking Chet was concerned. And the kisses had been pretty convincing. "That first one caught me a little off guard." "I'd say it caught quite a few people off guard, beginning with Chet," Dixie couldn't help but laugh as she recalled the reaction from firefighter Kelly. Never before had she seen the short, mustached firefighter so upset. In fact, she had rarely seen Chet except on an occasion when Johnny had been injured and Chet accompanied him to the hospital. Those times he had been concerned with Johnny's welfare and questioned, with a look of concern, if Johnny was going to be all right. The afternoon at the picnic, she and Dr Brackett thought that maybe Johnny would be making a return trip to Rampart. This time, however, at the hands of Chester B. "No really. One minute I was chasing a fly ball and the next, Nicki is lying there on the ground not moving. I really thought she was hurt." Johnny explained by replaying the act, while nearly running over a nurse carrying a tray of medical tools in the process. Fortunately there was no replay of the actual collision from the ballgame as Johnny and the young nurse missed each other and she continued on down the hall while Johnny continued with his explanation. " I went over to check on her and the next thing I knew she was kissing me." "Oh, so that's it huh?" Dixie was still not about to let him off the hook so easily. In one aspect, Chet was right. Johnny was gullible and she could have let him off the hook by now. But she was having too much fun with him to let him off so easy. "She was doing all the kissing. You weren't kissing her?" "Well, no. Not the first time anyway," Johnny said wishing the moment the words left his lips that he could take them back. "Hi Nicki," Dixie greeted the young woman as she came up behind Johnny, who was unaware of her presence, until Dix spoke up. "Hey Johnny," Nicki patted him on the shoulder as she headed for the coffee pot. Johnny's story came to an abrupt end with Nicki now at the scene. In fact, he wished it would cease all together but he knew that was highly unlikely with Nicki there. "Oh, uh hi Nic," Johnny replied with a touch of trepidation. He wasn't sure if Nicki's presence would help or hurt his cause in the current line of questioning from Dix. "You know something?" Nicki said between sips from her cup, "I will never, for as long as I live, forget the look on Chet's face." "We were just talking about that very subject," Dix continued not taking her eyes off Johnny as she anticipated his reaction. "Weren't we Johnny?" "Oh…yeah, we were," Johnny replied hoping he was not turning any shade of red. His actions had returned to those of avoiding all eye contact with the head nurse. Inside, he was now sure that Nicki's arrival was not going to help his cause. "I was just telling Johnny here those kisses last week looked pretty hot from where I stood? Dixie teased. "You like those did ya Dix?" Nicki giggled at the memory. "To tell you the truth, they were pretty good from where I was too." The more the two women talked about this, the more uncomfortable Johnny became. It was amazing how quickly something went from fun teasing with Dixie, to himself being uncomfortable. "Johnny!" Roy called out to his partner as he came through the doors. "Hey Johnny, we got a run!" The second calling of his name brought Johnny around. He turned to see his partner, radio in hand, motioning for him to come. Satisfied that he knew Johnny had heard him, Roy headed back to the squad. "See ya," Johnny called out as he turned to follow Roy to the squad. Somehow the timing of the call should have been a relief to Johnny. But, given that the conversation was now in the hands of Dixie and Nicki, meaning only one point of view, that being Nicki's, he knew the thought of relief would be short-lived. Too bad he didn't see what would follow. In fact, Dixie and Nicki didn't even continue the conversation as nurse Sharon made a beeline for Nicki once she saw her at Dixie's desk. "Nicki?" nurse Sharon caught up with the paramedic as she was talking with Dixie. "I've been trying to catch up with you all week. Do you think you can give me a call?" "Hey Sharon, how are things going?" Nicki turned her attention from Dixie to the young nurse who had become a friend to Nicki. It was originally a bit uncomfortable for Nicki to be a female paramedic in LA County. Here at Rampart, the single nurses seemed to have too much time to gossip about single paramedics and firefighters. Nicki, having worked closer with the paramedics and firefighters than any nurse ever did, got to know them on a more personal basis. She had learned pretty quickly that most of what was passed around as rumors by the nursing staff was in fact just that, rumors. And not the good type either. In time, however, Nicki and several of the nurses had become good friends. Sharon fell into the category of the later. "What's up?" "Oh well I need to ask you a favor," Sharon explained going into no detail. "Maybe I could call you later at the station." "Well, I've got at least fifteen minutes now, 'til Tom gets here to pick me up," Nicki offered, a little curious as to what Sharon wanted to talk to her about. "Sharon," Dixie replied hearing the last bit of the conversation. "You're about due for a break. Why don't you take it right now." "Are you sure Miss McCall?" Sharon asked in a soft voice. "Now a full-fledged nurse on staff at Rampart, Sharon had lost little of her quiet shyness around the hospital. She did her work as efficiently as many seasoned nurses, but she held a high regard for Dixie. "Of course," Dixie assured her young nurse. It had been a slow morning and that usually meant it would be a busy afternoon. So Dixie felt it best to get a break out of the way while it was still quiet. If not, it would be difficult to get the nurses their breaks later when patients had needs. "It's been slow here for a while. Go ahead." "Thanks Miss McCall," Sharon smiled at the head nurse before heading for the nurses' lounge, followed by a curious paramedic. "Dix, if you see Tom, you'll let him where I am?" "Sure thing" Dixie assured the young paramedic before returning to the mounting paper work on her desk. She gave some thought to working on the next nurses' schedule but decided against it. One sure way to change a slow morning was to attempt to work on the schedule. That was a lesson Dixie had learned early on in her supervisory position. And she was enjoying the quiet, so the schedule would wait for another time. "It's been a while since we've had much time to talk," Nicki said joining Sharon in the nurses' lounge. She immediately sat down since she already had a cup of coffee from the base station. Sharon picked up a cup, pouring coffee for herself. "Yeah it has," Sharon giggled at the thought she was about to say. "Guess if anyone wanted to talk to you, we had to look for Johnny." "Yeah I guess you're right there," Nicki laughed herself. Johnny and Nicki had spent less and less time with friends while they were plotting against Chet. For Johnny, it was easier at times than dealing with the prying eyes and constant questions from firefighters and staff here at Rampart. Nicki, on the other hand, was the 'invisible girlfriend' and was able to enjoy her anonymity. "So what's up, you said something about a favor." "Yes I did," Sharon, confirmed, a little hesitation in her voice as she debated whether to explain the reason before she asked for the favor, or to just jump right ahead to the real question. She decided on her first reaction. "You know my cousin Caroline?" she explained. "Well she works at a dress shop down on Bridgemont Lane. Anyway, there is a fashion show in two weeks and one of the ladies who was going to model had to drop out. Caroline asked if I knew anyone else who might be able to fill in for the other person." "And so you're asking me if I want to participate in a fashion show?" Nicki had put two and two together and come to the correct conclusion. "Well," Sharon paused, taking a moment to think before she continued. "I told Caroline that I would think about, and that maybe I could think of someone. Then the other day you came in with a patient and I just thought that maybe you would be interested." "A fashion show, huh?" Nicki was taking bits of information from the conversation. "This dress shop. From what I recall you telling me about it once, the dresses aren't just regular dresses are they?" "No, they're not," Sharon replied trying to lose Nicki but also not mislead her to agree to do something without fully understanding what she was getting herself into. "The dresses for this show will be bridesmaids, mother of the bride, flower girls and, of course, the brides." "Oh my gosh, me in a bridal gown?" Nicki giggled at the thought. "I don't know Sharon. I mean I would love to help your cousin out, but I'm not sure if I'm cut out to wear a bridal gown." "Oh, please Nicki. Just think about it?" Sharon's hesitation turned to pleading. "You're so pretty. I'm sure you would be beautiful in any gown, including a bridal gown." "I don't know," Nicki's hesitation continued. "I mean, I would never live this down if someone from the hospital saw me. And what about the guys? If anyone from the fire department saw me, it would be the…I mean…it's just that I doubt they would ever let me live it down." "They won't see you," Sharon tried to reassure Nicki, since she hadn't actually come out and said 'no' yet. "This is a bridal show. I can guarantee that none of the guys you or I know will be there. Actually there will be no guys there at all. The show is for women only." "No guys huh?" Nicki questioned, still not committing to anything but not giving Sharon a 'no' either. "So are you guaranteeing me that none of the guys will see me. That's IF I agree to do this." "Nicki, think about it," Sharon pushed forward now that she had an inkling that Nicki just might be interested. "If you were one of the guys, would you be seen near anything to do with a wedding?" "You got a point there!" Nicki laughed. The big "M" word was something most single firefighters shied away from. In fact, anytime the word did come up, they would quickly change the subject or think of something they had to do somewhere else at that very moment. "Just one mention of the "M" word around the guys and they would practically run over each other trying to get away." "So, is that a 'yes' then?" Sharon said with a smile, taking the previous comment as a hint that Nicki would agree to the fashion show. Certainly a smile couldn't hurt her cause. "Okay, I'll do it," Nicki began speaking only to be interrupted by a burst of excitement from Sharon. "I will do it, " she repeated herself finishing her thought this time. "On one condition." "One condition?" Sharon replied the excitement not as apparent as it had been just a moment ago. "Yep, one condition," Nicki said. "No one, and I mean not one single person at the fire department or from this hospital knows about it." "No one will hear about it from me, you have my word on that," Sharon's tone of voice was filled with excitement again. "Thank you, thank you. You won't regret this." "I hope not," Nicki said, a sense of hesitation in her voice. "I really hope not." "I better get back to work now," Sharon said getting to her feet. "Thank you Nicki. We're going to have a great time." "See ya 'round Sharon," Nicki said as Sharon left the room. She sat there for a few moments wondering what she had just gotten herself into. One thing was for sure; it didn't take long for Nicki to find out exactly what it was that she had gotten herself into. When less than a week later, she found herself at the 'dress shop' where the models for the show had gathered for a fitting. "You must be Nicki," a tall woman in her late twenties asked, as Nicki was walking around the shop. "That's me," Nicki said with a nervous smile, surprised that the attendant knew who she was. Of course it didn't hurt that she had come into the dress shop with Sharon, the cousin of the dress shop owner. Being the tomboy she was, suddenly being amongst such beautiful gowns really took her mind off the fact that she had entered the bridal shop with Sharon. "I'm Caroline," the tall brunette replied. "I really want to thank you for agreeing to do this. Sharon told me that it took a bit of coaxing to get you to agree to this." "A little huh?" Nicki laughed as she recalled the conversations she and Sharon had at the hospital. "Yeah well you could say that it did take a bit of arm-twisting on her part. I'm probably nothing like the models you're used to having for a show of this type."  "You'll do fine," Caroline smiled of reassurance. "Nicki, this is Sarah. She is my assistant. She is the person in charge of the fashion show. Sarah was a petite young woman, especially standing next to the taller Caroline. She had shoulder length blond hair, green eyes and a warm, friendly smile. "Hi Nicki, nice to see you Sharon," Sarah greeted the two gals. "Always nice to have former models from the past years show return. Who knows, maybe next year Nicki will come back to model for us again." "You may just want to hold that offer until after I model for you this year," Nicki replied with a laugh, still a little bit uncomfortable. "Tell you what," Caroline said as she led Nicki and Sharon to the back of the store. "These racks contain some of the gowns we will be featuring at the show," Caroline continued, "Why don't we take a look at some of them and see what you like. Maybe you will feel more comfortable if you choose a few of the dresses yourself?" they entered a dressing room set aside for the fashion show gowns. The room was rather large in size and featured large, multi angle mirrors so a bride-to-be could try on various gowns and get a look at each one for several angles. To one side were racks of multi-colored gowns. On the opposite side of the room were racks of white and ivory gowns. A cabinet in one corner held various headpieces, veils, combs and other accessories. "These are the gowns for the fashion show," Caroline explained. "Wow, there are a lot of dresses here," Nicki acknowledged. "I had no idea there were going to be this many." "We never do either until we get further into the planning stages," Sarah explained. "Every year, we have more gowns than the previous year. Seems to be a tradition for us." "How many models do you have this year?" Sharon questioned. "Last year, if I remember correctly, there were eight of us." "Your memory serves you well," Caroline confirmed. "There were eight last year. This we have ten, including Nicki and yourself. We plan to showcase seventy-one gowns in all." "Seventy-one?" Nicki repeated. "Seems like there are more than that here." "You're right. There are over two hundred here." Sarah confirmed. "We made our selections for gowns to showcase but we have left open the choice of color for various gowns. We would prefer to see the gowns on the model who will be wearing the gown, and see what color is best based on the features of each model." Sarah couldn't help but notice a bit of apprehension on Nicki's part. It was nothing new for a seasoned veteran like Sarah. But she had seen the apprehensive look before many times. It was the first-time model jitters in its early stages. "I'm sure you will do just fine," Sarah commented in a positive tone of voice. "Besides, you have one definite advantage." "Really? What's that?" Nicki asked, grasping for anything to help her at this moment. "Your appearance," Sarah confided. "You have the look of a model; tall and slender, gorgeous long dark hair. You're a natural beauty Nicki. It shows in the way you carry yourself." "Well, I don't know about the last part," Nicki, sure she was turning beat red, walked around to another rack of gowns. "I tend to think of myself as a tomboy." "I think you've been working with a bunch of male firefighters too long Nicki," Sharon giggled. "Speaking of firefighters...how's Johnny?" Although it had been weeks since the firefighters annual picnic, the memory of her prank pulled off with Johnny still made Nicki laugh. "Actually, I haven't really had much of a chance to talk to Johnny lately," Nicki replied. It was the truth after all. In just over a month since the picnic Johnny had easily returned to his old self, eyeing every new nurse Rampart had to offer as well as a few not so new ones that had started work during the planning stages of he and Nicki's prank. It hadn't been easy to overlook them during that time, but now that he was once again a 'free man', Johnny was making up for lost time. And with his normal rate of success, namely his talent for saying the wrong thing, doing the wrong thing, or taking them to the wrong place, it wouldn't take him long to get caught up on all the nurses he had missed out on. "Really? Hmmm" Sharon replied a bit of surprise showing in both her voice and her expressions. "I kind of got the impression you and Johnny were pretty tight." "Naaa, well not in the way that you mean anyway," Nicki replied to both Sharon's comment and the expression on her face as she said it. "Johnny's cool. I mean, we had fun putting our little plan against Chet into motion, but that's it.  We were only pretending to be a couple for Chet's benefit." "I don't know about that," Sharon smiled a devilish smile. "I mean that kiss wasn't exactly a friendly kiss if you know what I mean." "Oh I know exactly what you mean," Nicki smiled back with a raised eyebrow. "And you won't hear me complaining about that kiss either." "I don't know who this Johnny is, but he definitely sounds like someone I might want to meet," Sarah cut in. "So tell me. What's this about a kiss." "Caroline met Johnny once," Sharon explained recalling a time when her cousin had sort of met Johnny. Sarah however hadn't had the opportunity to meet Johnny. "She came to pick me up from work once when I had car trouble and Johnny was there." "I'm really in the dark here ladies, come on fill me in," Sarah requested. "Actually, I didn't get a chance to talk to him, but what I saw was pretty good," Caroline was in no way shy about her thoughts where a man was concerned. "I guess that means you didn't kiss him either huh?" Nicki giggled as their girl talk continued. Still looking at gowns on the racks, the four had started a little girl talk session. That sort of thing wasn't uncommon in the shop. It was a way of breaking the ice as well as relieving some of the tension that came with an anxious bride-to-be in search of the perfect gown. Caroline and Sarah were two of the best when it came to putting their clients at ease. "Nope, I never had the pleasure," Caroline continued. "And from what I heard about that picnic, it would definitely be a pleasure that I wouldn't mind finding out about." "Would one of you please tell me what it is you're all talking about?" Sarah was growing more curious by the moment. "Oh sorry, Sarah," Sharon apologized. "Johnny is a firefighter/paramedic with the County Fire Dept, just like Nicki here. Johnny works with Nicki's brother Chet, who is a pain in quite a few people's sides." "Well, a pain somewhere anyway," Nicki corrected. "In a word, Chet is a prankster. When we were kids, he played pranks on me until I 'grew up' if you get my meaning. Then he became my protector." "Oh, I get it, a little over-protective big brother huh?" Sarah concluded. "I have a few of those myself. One of the reasons I moved from Texas to California." "Yeah you got it," Nicki continued her story feeling that with brothers herself, Sarah must have some understanding of her feelings. "Anyway, Chet now works with Johnny…." "The firefighter/paramedic?" Sarah was doing her best to stay with the story without getting lost with the constant change of names. "Yeah, and now Chet prefers to play his pranks on Johnny. Well, one afternoon, Johnny and I were talking and we decided to play a little prank on Chet. To make a long story short, we made Chet believe that Johnny and I were friends, lovers, the works." "And that's where the kiss comes in?" Sarah concluded, once again piecing together things she already had heard with the story at hand. "Yep, not only that, but we decided to put our plan into motion at the annual firefighters picnic. After months of talk 'bout the hot new babe in his life, Chet discovered at the picnic that his own sister was this 'babe' and he lost it big time." "Oh, now that must have been a blast to see." Sarah was enjoying this as much as if she had been there herself. "I only wish I could come up with a plan to get back at my brothers." "It was bad enough that he was fooled into believing that Johnny was serious about anyone besides a nurse and then to find out it was his own sister," Nicki recalled that day. "Wow, so I guess that must have been some kiss then huh?" Sarah was curious about a guy she had never met, yet he intrigued her all the same, in only the way that Johnny could intrigue a total stranger. "Not just a kiss," Sharon filled in a blank or two herself. "Seems to me there was more than one kiss." "Yeah well, it added reinforcement to the plan," Nicki explained with an evil look on her face. "You know I still find it hard to believe myself," Sharon confided. "I mean who would have believed that Johnny Gage would have gone so long without a date just to get back at someone." "Well if you knew Chet like Johnny and I do, you would understand," Nicki replied. "I put up with him all my life and Johnny has put up with him for five years now. Things start to build up after that long." "Well, I have to say, it was quite a change at Rampart without Johnny ogling the nursing staff," Sharon recalled the halls of Rampart had been just a tad bit on the quiet side. "Especially all the new nurses." "So what about you?" Nicki asked, looking over at Sharon as she too was looking for gowns. "You're a nurse." "Yeah I am," Sharon replied knowing exactly what it was that Nicki was implying. "And I don't think it's for lack of interest, but when Johnny first became a paramedic, I was a student nurse." "You're kidding me?" Nicki said in amazement. "You mean to tell me you and Johnny never went out? For real?" "Nope, never did. He never asked me," Sharon explained what she believed was the reasoning behind Johnny's actions or lack thereof. "I think it had something to do with me being a student nurse. Something about being a 'student' anything, was a cut off point for a certain paramedic when it came to asking out nurses." "Wow! I don't believe it," Nicki was still stunned that Johnny had never asked out a nurse as pretty as Sharon. "John Gage actually passed over one of Rampart's most beautiful nurses." "Maybe he'll take a second look one day and surprise you," Caroline suggested. "I mean what happens when there aren't any new nurses for a while. Maybe he'd go back and take a second look at some he missed." "Johnny? Miss a pretty face?" Sharon laughed. "Not a likely scenario there." "Especially right now," Nicki added. "He missed so many new nurses while we were planning our revenge on Chet that he has a lot of dates to catch up on." "How is it that you kept him away from dating anyone during that time?" Sharon inquired. "He and this "Allison" were supposedly together for months. That's a long time to go without…." "Don't look at me!" Nicki said as a matter-of-factly, before Sharon could even finish her thought. "Like I said, we only 'dated' as friends, nothing else." "No wonder that kiss was so hot then," Sharon said with raised eyebrows. "Maybe I should talk with this guy," Sarah thought out loud. "Ohhhhh well now,' Nicki couldn't resist the opportunity to turn the tables. "Someone wouldn't be just a little bit interested in a certain dark-haired paramedic would she?" "Not for me, for the fashion show," Sarah explained. "Might be nice to have some escorts for you ladies. And this Johnny sounds pretty hot to me." "Yeah he'd be great at the 'you may now kiss the bride' part," Sharon teased, getting a devious look from Nicki. "Oh yeah," Nicki replied liking the idea. "As long as I get a picture of that so I could send it to my brother. Could you see the look on his face when he opens up an envelope and sees me in a wedding gown and Johnny in a tux kissing?" "Sounds like a replay of the picnic, only ten times worse," Sharon giggled at the very thought as she imagined what might be the result of such a thing. "Well here we are," Caroline replied as she found what she was looking for. "What do you think of that one?" Caroline asked as Nicki stopped at a gown on the rack. "This one?" Nicki asked as she took the hanger from the rack, holding up the dress to get a better look at it. "I like it, I mean, it's pretty but it's not so much lace and frilly stuff." "No, that one is a classical gown, it's more sleek without the puffy sleeves and lace that you see on a lot of gowns." "I'm so sorry," Nicki said. She couldn't believe she had insulted a gown, right in front of the designer of the dress. "Hey, it's okay, don't worry about it" Caroline tried to reassure Nicki who held a dumbfounded expression on her face. "Not all brides like lace and puffy sleeves for their bridesmaids. That's why I have so many different styles of gowns. All brides tastes are not alike, so therefore, neither are my gowns." "You're too kind," Nicki said feeling a little better, but still reeling from her foot-in-the-mouth comment. "Besides, that is one of the gowns I was considering for you," Caroline explained, "I'm actually glad that you don't prefer one of the lacey styles. "This dress?" Nicki was both shocked and surprised that Caroline had considered a gown that she herself actually liked as well. " "That's the one!" Caroline said smiling, hoping this was a good sign of things to come. "Actually I have five gowns in mind for you," she said glancing from Nicki to the gown and back to Nicki, "This is one I hoped you would wear in the fashion show." "Five? You want me to wear five gowns in the show?" Nicki had picked up on that 'five' term as it came across Caroline's lips. "This being one of the five plus four others," Caroline said with a hopeful expression, thinking maybe if she kept a positive frame of mind, it might transpire to Nicki as well. "Oh my, oh my goodness," Nicki said taking a step backwards. "I had no idea you had so many in mind." "How about if we take a look at the others I have in mind? We'll see what you think and go from there?" Caroline offered. "I'd love to see them," Sharon said taking a cue from the positive tone in Caroline's voice. "Okay. Okay." Nicki gave a little ground. It couldn't hurt to at least 'look' at the gowns. The first of the four gowns was an immediate yes for Nicki. The gown, plum in color, was a full-length skirt, sleeveless with three spaghetti straps that crossed in back. Of course, it met Nicki's criteria for an acceptable dress meaning it didn't have any lace or puffy sleeves. The second gown was a hit with Nicki as well. This gown, in a wine color, was sleeveless also and featured a halter bodice, sweetheart neckline, and a full-length skirt. Again no lace and no fluff as Nicki put it. The third gown Caroline had chosen with Nicki in mind was a satin A-line gown, sleeveless with a draped neckline, full ball gown skirt and a sweep train. The color choice had been pale yellow, but to everyone's surprise including her own, Nicki chose the gown in a pale pink. "Who would have thought," Nicki laughed as she received a surprised facial expression. "Me actually liking something in pink." A worried look on Caroline's face brought about apprehensive looks from both Sharon and Nicki. "Did I say something wrong?" Nicki fretted. "I am so good at saying things without thinking." "No, no…not at all," Caroline reassured her. "It's just when Sharon told me about you and told me how she coerced you into doing this, I was really worried that once you actually got here, you would hate everything I chose for you. Instead you have liked them and I guess I'm a little blown away by that." "Oh thank goodness that's all it is," Nicki let out the breath she had been holding. "You know something Caroline, it's like this. There is this known fact about bridesmaid dress…gowns. You've probably heard it. You know how most brides pick out the most hideous of gowns for their bridesmaids. You dread wearing it the day of the wedding and then, once the wedding is over, it gets pushed into the back of your closet never to be seen again unless you're packing to move." "Oh, I've heard that, too many times," Caroline laughed at Nicki's choice of words. She did have an interesting way of putting things. No doubt getting her point across. "And I've seen the faces of all too many bridesmaids too." "That 'deer in headlights' look?" Nicki surmised. "Well, not exactly my choice of words," Caroline laughed along with Sharon and Nicki. "But yeah, that about sums it up." "That's just it," Nicki continued with her earlier thought, before she got off on a tangent. "When I agreed to do this, that was my immediate thought too. But then, coming here today and seeing the gowns you have chosen for me, that's not the case here at all. I mean these dresses are in no way hideous. I guess if I had to describe them, it would be fun. "Nicki, you just made my day," Caroline said as a huge smile spread across upon her face. "I did?" Nicki said with a bit of confusion on her face. "You mean I finally said the 'right' thing?" "You sure did, in a big way too," Caroline said looking at Sharon who had a look on her face similar to that of Nicki. Caroline smiled again before finally clarifying exactly what it was that Nicki had done. "When I was 19, a friend of mine got married. We had been friends since elementary school. For that reason she asked me to be her maid of honor. Of course, I was excited at the prospect. Then we went shopping for her gown and for my maid of honor dress. We looked all over town until she found the perfect gown. The one she finally picked out was the most beautiful dress I had ever seen. When I saw my friend in it, I thought she looked like a princess. She was so gorgeous that I started crying. Then her mother started crying and of course, she cried too. "Is that why you chose to be a designer?" Sharon inquired. "That was part of it." Caroline confided. "I had always enjoyed sewing class and I loved to draw. Plus I had made some of my own clothes too, so it seemed like the natural career choice for me. And I hoped that one day I would see a young bride try on one of my gowns and fall in love with it so much that it made her cry." "Oh my goodness," Sharon said in a soft, barely audible voice. "You're gonna make me cry." "Well there was one more part of the reason I became a designer," Caroline continued, a laugh coming to her as she further explained. "When it came time to choosing my maid of honor dress, I don't think I ever seen a more hideous dress in all my life. It was just awful. For starters it was a bright green color, it had a hoop skirt, it had layers like something you saw on one of those bar girls in the old westerns, and to top it off, I had this hat; this absolutely dreadful hat that I had to wear. So I guess there are several reasons why I got into this business. I wanted to create gowns that maid of honors and bridesmaid would enjoy wearing. Gowns that would be, as Nicki so eloquently put it, fun to wear." "So you really weren't kidding when you said that I said the 'right' thing then?" Nicki giggled, "Amazing! That is absolutely amazing." "Nope I wasn't kidding Nicki," Caroline reaffirmed. "I take your comment as a compliment." "Well I really meant what I said about your gowns too," Nicki repeated her earlier comment. "If I ever get married, I'm coming here for my wedding gown." "What do you mean 'if' you get married?" Sharon questioned as if there was some doubt that Nicki would be forever a single gal. "Sure you will. After all, you and Johnny were pretty hot at the picnic." "Johnny again huh?" Sarah thought aloud. "You know I really do have to meet this guy." "So how 'bout a look at the final gown we have in mind for you?" Caroline questioned. "There's one more?" Nicki questioned as she looked over the racks recalling each of the gowns they had discussed so far. "I guess that was only four wasn't it? And you did say there were five you had in mind for me. So, which gown is it? Nicki questioned as she looked over the racks of multi-colored gowns. "Well, you won't find it on any of those racks," Sarah affirmed as Caroline strolled the racks of white and ivory gowns. "You mean you want me to wear a wedding dress in the show?" Nicki asked stunned. "Just wait til you see the gown Nic," Sharon said with a huge smile on her face, barely able to contain her excitement. She had stopped in a few days earlier and, while there, Caroline had showed her the gown and asked her opinion of how Nicki would feel about modeling a bridal gown. Nicki's eyes followed Caroline as she walked around one rack to another rack. All the gowns on the racks were in protective wraps. Then each wrapped gown was tagged. Caroline read several tags, glancing at Nicki between each time, almost teasing her as the anxiety in her eyes built. Finally, she reached up; taking a gown from the rack, carrying it to a special area set aside for viewing gowns. There she hung it up and began unzipping the garment bag as all eyes watched. With the garment bag removed, Caroline arranged the gown for its viewing. Truly exquisite, the gown was made of white silk with off the shoulder cap sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and a full skirt flowing into a cathedral train. The gown bodice and skirt a bodice of the gown featured embroidered pale pink roses with sage green ivy. More than one gasp was heard when Caroline stepped aside giving everyone a full view of the gown. One of those gasps was from Nicki who stood not five feet from the gown, hands clasped over her mouth as she stood between Sarah and Sharon, her facial expression that of disbelief. "Oh...my…." Nicki said, the only words she could get to come out at the moment. Smiles spread widely across the faces of Sharon, Sarah, and Caroline as they stood watching Nicki's reaction to the gown she was chosen to wear in the fashion show. "This…is…oh my goodness…." she continued trying to form complete sentences while failing miserably. "I don't know what to say." "Would you like to try it on?" Sarah asked, drawing a further look of disbelief from Nicki. The look on Nicki's face at that moment was nothing short of shock. It was that of someone looking at something that they felt was almost non-deserved. "Me?" she uttered still not over the initial shock. "Come on, let me help you?" Caroline said as she prepared the gown for Nicki's first fitting. Nicki, wearing a button, camp shirt, easily unbuttoned he buttons, removing the blouse and slipped from the jean shorts she had been wearing. With help from Caroline and Sarah, she stepped into the bridal gown, feeling the luxurious silk against her skin. She slipped the cap sleeves over her arm onto her shoulders as Sarah began buttoning the numerous buttons up the back of the gown. As she did, Nicki only took her eyes off the gown a few times, then only to look up at Sharon who smiled, nearly in tears as she gazed upon her friend in the most beautiful gown. "Ready?" Caroline asked smiling as she fitted the gown to Nicki as Sarah finished the last button. "I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready for this," Nicki said a sense of apprehension in her voice. She glanced at Sharon who had been silent since Nicki slipped into the gown. "What do you think?" Nicki asked taking in the expression on Sharon, Caroline, and Sarah's faces as she slipped into the gown. "I think you are absolutely beautiful, Nicki," Sharon said in a soft voice, not much more than a whisper. "Okay," Nicki confirmed. She wasn't sure she was ready for what she would see in the mirror looking back at her. Caroline helped with the train of the dress as she walked to a three-way mirror to see herself in the gown for the first time. As she did, she didn't realize she had closed her eyes and it was only when Sharon asked what she thought that, she opened them. What she saw in the mirrors stunned her to say the very least. It had been a very long time since the self-proclaimed tomboy had worn a dress period, much less a wedding gown. Her normal attire these days rarely consisted of anything one would refer to as business casual. When not on duty she usually wore cut-off jean shorts, t-shirts, and tennis shoes. Occasionally, she would swap the cut-off jeans for a pair of cotton shorts but even that was rare. Her closet and dresser was full of well-worn jeans. When they became too well worn as jeans, she would simply cut them off and wear them as shorts. So, seeing herself in a white bridal gown was quite a shock and it soon registered with her actions as well. As she stared at the figure in the mirror, it took a few moments for her to realize it was really her self and not some stranger in that mirror. Once it did finally register, she clasped her hands across her face, shaking ever so slightly. "Oh my….oh my…." Nicki said almost in tears as she stared at her self in the mirrors. "I don't believe it. This gown is so beautiful. It's so…" It was apparent that Nicki was at a loss for words. She wasn't the only one, as Sharon too, couldn't put a sentence together to describe her thoughts at that moment. Caroline and Sarah, however, had witnessed this scene many times before and they enjoyed the moment. Just as Caroline had explained, it was moments like this that made the long hours and anticipation following the unveiling of new gowns each season, worth the time and effort. The fashion shows were a lot of work with a lot of long hours of preparation. This year had been a bit more time-consuming as Caroline and Sarah decided to add even more gowns to the show, thereby needing additional models as well. And when one who had agreed was forced to drop out, the search for a replacement had added to the mounting stress of a show. But now, it appeared as if their search for a replacement was complete. All they had to do now was prepare their newest model for what she would do during her time as a model. In one aspect, that would take little time since Nicki was a natural, she exuberated personality that was perfect for the show Caroline and Sarah had put together. As she her self had put it, fun was the name of the game. Now, if she could just be herself in front of a crowd of people. That was yet to be seen. Nicki was about come face to face with a completely new experience for the jeans and t-shirt gal. ************ Johnny, on the other hand, was facing some things that were all too familiar to him. In the months since he and Nicki had first put their plan into action, the nursing staff at rampart had taken a break from the once present 'Gage Charm'. While he was certainly not the only paramedic who noticed every new nurse Dixie brought on staff, his name and reputation was the most recognized by the current staff. And that wasn't necessarily a good thing, as he soon discovered when he re-entered the 'dating game'. Squad 51 had responded to a call in a remote location. The condition of the patient had been serious enough that they had requested a chopper to transport. It would be some time before Roy joined Johnny at Rampart. "I don't believe it Dix," Johnny began another tirade before she even knew he was standing beside her. "You don't believe what Johnny?" Dixie asked still completing forms strewn across her desk. "The rumors, my reputation, it's not fair Dix," Johnny continued his tirade. "I mean, you get a new nurse around here and before I even get a chance to say 'Hi' she's already been fed full of lies. It's a wonder I get a date at all anymore." "I know," Dixie said looking up from her paperwork. She sympathized with the young paramedic. "You know how I feel about rumors around here. It's not just you either; I hear them about a lot of firemen, paramedics, even some of the doctors. Trouble is, I just don't know how to stop them. I mean people are going to talk. Even if I could get them to stop while I'm on-duty, there would still be rumors flying when I'm off-duty." "Off-duty?" Johnny repeated. "When are you ever off-duty around here?" Dixie laughed. Sometimes it felt as if she was never off-duty. "Yeah I know," Dixie replied. "But I do get to take a break now and then. Speaking of just that. Do you care to join me for a cup of coffee?" Glancing at the cup in his hand, Johnny shrugged as he followed Dixie to the lounge, taking a quick drink of his coffee before entering. "You wouldn't believe what happened next?" Mandy replied. "Oh he didn't! He wouldn't!" Penny replied. "You know they're all alike. I heard Johnny..." "Johnny did what?" Dixie questioned using that all-too-familiar tone. "Oh...uh...nothing Miss McCall," Mandy replied. Mandy had been a nurse on staff at Rampart for almost two years now and that made her a veteran at spreading rumors. "Yeah, it was nothing, really!" Penny said. Penny, on the other hand, had been one of Dixie's best nurses. Trouble was, she had not chosen to hang around those who shared her enthusiasm for nursing. Penny could now be found with the crowd known for spreading gossip. The tone in the room had changed quickly, causing several young women to head for the door. "Not so fast!" Dixie replied, motioning for the young nurses to return to their seats. "Do we need to schedule another meeting to discuss the topic of rumors around here? Cause if I need to, I will. It seems there's more gossip going on around here than nursing." "We're sorry Miss McCall," one very quiet voice replied. Dixie knew the owner of that quiet voice. It was that of Heather, one of the quietest nurses she had ever hired. Heather rarely spoke to anyone on staff during her hours on-duty, except when it was necessary in her work. She was a fast learner and one of the things she learned was that Dixie did not like gossip from her nurses. "Unfortunately "I'm sorrys" aren't always enough," Dixie continued her informal meeting. "One of these days, someone is going to get hurt by this nonsense. We are supposed to be professionals. We're supposed to be compassionate and caring in our work. Lately all I've seen, or rather all I've heard, is gossip." Johnny had been uncomfortable enough when he entered the room, now he was trying his best to avoid eye contact at all costs, instead choosing to stare at the numerous tiles of the floor. "It's not all gossip," one voice said breaking the silence. "I mean some people aren't exactly...well...I mean...innocent. Some of what's been said around here is true." "Some people?" Johnny stammered, the question knowing exactly what and whom Mandy was referring to. "I didn't mention any names," Tracy countered, "but if the shoe fits...." "That will be enough!" Dixie cut the young nurse off. "No, it's okay Dix," Johnny cut Dixie off. "Go ahead and say what you were saying. If the shoe fits what?" "It's just that you aren't exactly Mr. Innocent you know? We've all heard things..." "Things, you've heard things?" Johnny's voice grew harsh. "What do you know about me? Anything? ... Other than what you've heard I mean! Nothing!!! You don't know me at all...how could you, I mean did we ever go out? No we didn't!!! You know why? ...Because you knew all there was to know about me from what you heard around here...you believed all the stupid nonsense that everyone around here told you and that was good enough for you wasn't it? It must have been, because we've never gone out. We've barely spoken, much less carried on a conversation...." "Alright!!! Alright!!!" Dixie struggled to control the situation before her. "This is exactly what I was talking about. And the yelling isn't helping things either." "You're right Dix," Johnny agreed realizing he had gotten a little out of control. "You know it might help if some of you just took a few minutes to talk to each other. I mean, we do need to work together and to do that we need to get along?" Dixie suggested. "Makes sense to me," Johnny agreed once more. "I have no problem with working with Johnny," Mandy stammered. "As a matter of fact, I can work with anyone." "Is that so?" Johnny questioned, putting Mandy on the defensive. "Yes Mr. Gage, it is so!" Mandy argued back. "Prove it then," Johnny demanded. "Prove what?" Mandy asked. "Prove that you can get along with anyone, that you have no trouble talking with anyone," Johnny suggested. "What are you talking about?" Mandy questioned curiously. "I'm talking about you and me. About us sitting down and talking!" Johnny suggested. "Like a date? No way!!" Mandy said, her mouth in a smile, almost but not quite laughing. "Nobody said anything about a date," Johnny continued. "What I'm talking about is two people sitting down and just talking." "Just talking? That's a laugh." Mandy replied smugly. Johnny glared at the young nurse. Rolling his eyes in frustration, he glanced at Dixie for help. "I think you two are both adult enough to sit down for a few hours and just talk." Dix attempted to move things in a positive direction. "So what do you say?" Johnny said looking back at the irate young nurse. "This is ridiculous!!!" Mandy complained. "I don't need to sit down and talk, to prove I can work with someone." Johnny was nearing the end of his rope, and to Dixie, that was obvious. "Then prove it, that's all I'm asking?" he offered once more. "Prove it?" Mandy asked, repeating what Johnny had just said while avoiding the question. Yeah, prove it,' Johnny said once more, "I dare you!" "Fine!" Mandy stammered. "But I'm only doing this for Miss McCall. So just don't go getting any ideas." "I don't have any ideas where you're concerned," Johnny spat out, determined not to let Mandy have the last word. "All I'm asking, all I ever asked was the opportunity for someone, anyone to get to know me for me and not from all the lies that seem to spread around here." "If it's talk you want, then it is talk you'll get but, like I said, nothing else," Mandy argued back. "When?" Johnny questioned almost before Mandy finished talking. "How bout Thursday night?" Mandy offered. "I work Thursday,' Johnny countered. "How 'bout Friday?" "No way," Mandy returned to an argumentative mode. "I plan on having a 'real' date on Friday night." "Alright, alright, you two," Dixie finally cut in. She had done her best to stand by and let the two of them resolve this on their own, but it was obvious to her that they had hit an impasse. "Johnny? What is your schedule for the next week?" Dixie questioned. "Like I said, I work on Thursday. I'm off on Friday and Saturday. Work again on Sunday. Off Monday and Tuesday. Work again on Wednesday." "Mandy?" Dixie asked the same question this time with her eyes, feeling no words were necessary. "Nice little part-time job you got there, Gage," Mandy replied chuckling to herself. "Part-time!!!!" Johnny's blood pressure shot up twenty points with the last comment from Mandy. "You call my job part-time? See what I mean, Dix? Not only does she have no idea who I am, but she also has no clue about my job either." "Now just a minute you two," Dixie cut in once more. "That last little comment actually brings to mind something I've been thinking about anyway." "What little comment?" Mandy asked feeling it was 'her' comment Dixie was referring to. "And what have you been thinking about?" Johnny finished the question. "Well, I have been thinking about something that we used to do years ago. Something we did when the paramedic program was in its formation stages." Dixie began her explanation. "We?" Mandy asked, unsure what Dixie was talking about since she had not yet become a nurse at that time. "By 'we' you mean the paramedics and the nurses?" Johnny understood Dixie's thought and he also understood exactly what she had in mind. "You're talking about the ride-alongs we used to do, aren't you?" "That's exactly what I'm talking about Johnny," Dixie confirmed what he was surmising. "Ride-alongs?" Mandy still had no idea what was being talked about but since Johnny did know, she was all the more angered by it. "Yes; ride-alongs," Dixie turned her attention to Mandy and the several other nurses still in the lounge. "When the paramedic program began, before it passed legislation, there used to be a nurse who would ride along with the squads on their calls. The reasoning being that although the paramedics had completed their training here at Rampart and at Harbor Hospital, they were not authorized to use that training and for that reason, a nurse was required to ride along." "So what was the point of having paramedics?" Mandy asked in a rather unpleasant tone. "The point was that the paramedics were also fire/rescue," Dixie countered the snotty remark made by Mandy before Johnny had the chance. "Anyway, what I have been considering is to schedule the nurses time in the ride along position again to better understand the actual role of the paramedics. I have a meeting with the Department Chief later this week. If he approves the plan, which I believe he will, my plan will go into force next week." "That is ridiculous," Mandy replied the words, crossing her lips before thinking about what or who she was talking to. "I mean…." "And you, my dear," Dixie said directing her full attention to Mandy. "Mandy, you can plan on your ride-along to be with Station 51 next Wednesday." The reaction of Johnny and Mandy to Dixie's plan was about as opposite as it could get. Johnny took it all in stride as a chance to get Mandy on his ground, while Mandy felt humiliated. "Well, then," Johnny replied. "I guess I'll see you Wednesday." "Whatever!" Mandy scoffed in return. "Oh and about this little part-time job of mine," Johnny added before leaving. "It kept me pretty busy last week to the tune of 75 hours. Normally would have been only 72 but a structure fire kept us out a little longer than our regularly scheduled shift." Later that day when things had finally calmed down, Dixie had a moment to sit at her desk. There on her desk was yet another nurses' schedule she had given consideration to working on. She had to laugh to herself when a thought crossed her mind. Before whenever she started to work on it during a slow shift, it seemed that all she had to do was look at it and things got crazy. "Dixie?" Heather asked as hoping she wasn't interrupting the head nurse. "Yes Heather?" Dixie responded never taking her eyes off her work. "Do the firemen really work 70 hours in a week?" Heather asked getting a response from Dixie that she would never know. Inside Dixie held out hope. Maybe, just maybe, a few of her nurses and the paramedics would find common ground. She could hope anyway. But until then, she thought it best to go about things as gently as possible. "Well, the schedule of a firefighter isn't like your schedule or mine for that matter," Dixie began explaining. "Here, the longest shift I have for any one nurse is twelve hours. The firemen work on a 24 hours on, 48 hours off schedule." It had never occurred to Dixie until this very moment that some of her nurses had no idea of the odd hours of a firefighter. The look on Heather's face confirmed that some of them, Heather included, had no idea what a 24 hour on, 48 hours off schedule was all about. Only serving to solidify her idea of having some ride-alongs approved. "You see, the firemen go to work one day and they don't get off work til the next day at that time. So, for you and I, we come to work at maybe 7am and we're off at 7pm. For the firefighters, if they go to work at 7am, they are on duty until 7am the next day." "Really?" Heather asked obviously unaware of such a schedule. "Wow, and I thought twelve hours was bad." "Yeah, twelve hours can be bad if you get the wrong shift," Dixie agreed with a little smile. "Working a night shift can be bad enough and that's if you get some sleep during the daytime. But the firemen do it all the time. They may go to bed at ten o'clock and get called out at midnight or two am. One minute they may be sound asleep and fifteen minutes later they are entering a burning building. For the paramedics it can be an entirely different story. They get woke up and are asked to start an IV, or defibrillate a person in full arrest." "Geez, I never realized that before," Heather said dumbfounded. It was a moment of truth for the young woman and Dixie was going to give her all she could take. "And they do it all with members of a family present," she continued her lesson. This was to be a lesson that wasn't found in any nursing manual. This was a lesson in people skills and Dixie was an expert in the field. After all, she dealt with demanding doctors, student nurses, and an occasional flirting paramedic all with ease. "It's not like here where we have husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, and other family members wait in the waiting area, " Dixie continued her lesson. "The paramedics have to deal with treating the patient with hysterical parents asking questions and even trying to stop them from doing their job." "Why would someone try to stop their family member from being treated?" Heather asked not understanding why someone would do that. In her mind, if you were hurt or if someone you loved was injured, you would want help. "Sometimes people are in a panic or they just don't understand that the paramedics are trying to help. They would prefer their loved one be in a hospital. But there are times, like with a man in cardiac arrest, when the patient can't wait for a doctor in a hospital. They need to be treated at the scene. But the procedures used to treat a patient in cardiac arrest, like the defibrillator, scare people because they don't understand how and why it is being used. And other times, the family member is in shock themselves and they aren't thinking clearly so they react in unnatural ways. Paramedics often have to deal with treating more than just the patient they are called to assist." "I never realized that Miss McCall," a sincere Heather replied. "Am I going to do one of these ride-alongs too?" "I would like to have all my nurses participate, but my newer nurses will participate for sure," Dixie explained. "And being that you have only been here for six months, that would most certainly include you." "Miss McCall?" Heather asked in a quiet voice. "Yes Heather," Dixie answered anticipating another question, but welcoming it at the same time. "You have a lot of respect for the paramedics don't you?" Heather asked making Dixie smile. This question brought Dixie's full attention and she put her pencil down giving Heather her full attention as she responded to the question. "Yes Heather, I do," Dixie began what would be a lengthy reply. "I remember a time when we didn't have the paramedics. At times it was very frustrating. The ambulance attendants would bring patients in here who never had a chance. Elderly patients, young people, children would lose their lives en-route to the hospital. All because there was no one to administer the basic treatments that they needed to live. Some of the simplest treatments meant the difference between life and death, but the people just weren't getting those treatments. Many people who lost their lives before the program went into effect, would be alive today. It wasn't just me, Heather, I saw the same frustration on the faces of police officers and firemen too." During Dixie's explanation, Heather listened intently; never saying a word, just listening to what Dixie was telling her. "Do I respect the paramedics? You bet I do," Dixie repeated her earlier statement for additional emphasis. "And I have a lot of respect for the ones who started the program before it was a program. Paramedics like Roy and Johnny put their lives and their reputations on the line every time they go out on a call. They aren't in it for the glory. They're out there doing it because they know how important it is. They were there when patients were dying right before their eyes while there was nothing they could do to change it. The paramedic program gave them an opportunity to change it, to give people a chance. Roy and Johnny are a team, a good team. They're one of the best paramedic teams we ever trained." "Dixie?" Heather interrupted not meaning to cut Dixie off but just wondering something. "Yes Heather?" Dixie recalled taking a breath after a long, unexpected commentary she had not anticipated. "Do you think that when I do a ride-along, I can ride with Squad 51?" Heather asked. Dixie could only smile at the question. Maybe there was some hope. She was willing to accept that for now. Even if it was just one nurse, it was a start. "I think we can arrange that," Dixie said with a smile before picking up her pencil and returning to her paperwork. the story continues