‘Johnny! We’ve got to talk.’
‘Now? Why is it every time I want to…’
‘Johnny, I’m ..I’m pregnant!’
‘WHAT!!! How in the hell did that happen? Oh, man, I’m out of here?’
‘John, I thought you loved me? Don’t leave. Johnny, JOHNNY, Please!’
“It must be 11 o’clock, Roy,” Johnny said sarcastically over his shoulder as they entered the kitchen. “John, Marcia, John, Marcia…,” he mocked.
“Shhhhh” hissed Chet. “Terri just told John that she was pregnant.”
“How in the world can anyone in their right mind become hooked on soaps?” Johnny questioned Chet.
“Quiet, it’s back on!” Marco and the Cap barked. Their eyes fixed onto the set not wanting to miss a thing.
“Oh man! I hate it when they leave you hanging for the whole weekend. Now we have to wait until Monday,” griped Mike as they all meandered to the coffee pot to refresh their cups.
“I still think it’s silly to watch soaps. It’s a waste of time,” Johnny remarked as they glared at him. “What is it called ‘Summer Love’?”
“‘Summer of Romance’ and they are called daytime dramas, Gage,” Marco corrected him.
“I think it's a waste of time…” Retorted John.
“I happen to like the show, Gage,” Hank said. “Emily and I enjoy watching the show together on my days off. And she tapes the show, too!”
“But, Cap….” Johnny started to say but was interrupted by the station's klaxon.
“Station 51 motor vehicle accident with injuries. 4454 North Covington Blvd. Four-Four-Five-Four North Covington Blvd. Cross street Cambridge.”
“KMG--365” replied the Captain as he handed Roy the slip of paper with the address on it.
The Squad arrived at the pileup first, closely followed by the engine. Roy and Johnny quickly looked at the scene of the accident to judge what they needed to get from the squad. They could not tell where one car began and the other ended. The cars were molded together into one huge pile of crushed metal.
“Kelly, hose things down! There’s gas everywhere!” The captain ordered. “Marco, get the jaws, looks like we’re gonna need them.”
“Right,” Chet and Marco said already doing the tasks.
“What can we do?” Stanley questioned the paramedics.
“Not much can be done,” Roy answered sorrowfully. “The couple it that car are DOA and so is this guy. Johnny, how are you?” Roy asked Johnny, who was looking in the third car.
“I don’t know, yet,” he grunted as he was crawling into the car through the back broken window to get to the driver. But when he got close enough he didn’t even have to check for a pulse. “No, no! Roy, there is nothing that can be done for this guy either.”
They all hated to be called on runs like this. All they could do was keep any fires from starting and keep the onlookers from trying to get any ‘souvenirs’. Roy and Johnny had covered the bodies of the victims and were now helping Chet and Marco clean up things.
The squad stopped by the hospital to restock supplies. Johnny was leaning against the counter talking, “Dix, you just can’t believe these guys. They are addicted to that soap.How can anyone get hooked onto something so silly?”
“For you information they are not called soaps, but daytime dramas. And another thing, I just happen to like watching ‘Summer of Romance’!” Dixie defended her love of the daytime drama passionately.
“All I’m trying to say is….” he tried to say, but stopped when Dixie glared at him defiantly.
“Give up, Junior,” Roy said as he put his hand onto Johnny’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Dix, he’s been on his ‘soap box’ all day.”
Dixie just laughed as her favorite paramedics left with their supplies.
***********
“Roy,” Johnny started again when they got into the squad. “It’s beyond me why anyone in their right mind would waste time on watching those shows,” he continued to gripe.
Roy just rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, ‘This is going to be a long day.'
DeSoto backed the squad into the apparatus bay as Johnny spoke into the mic “Squad 51 back in quarters."
The two paramedics wondered into the kitchen for something to eat. They found Chet, Marco, and Mike talking about the daytime drama. “I think Johnny has the right to leave,” Chet stated. “She knew he didn’t want any kids."
“Chet, you have to be crazy. It’s a show! It’s not real! She’s not pregnant, they never slept together! It’s a stupid show,” Johnny ranted.
Roy just leaned against the counter chuckling. ‘Johnny would just die if he knew Joanne and I watched the show,’ Roy thought to himself as he watched the four men argue.
“Johnny, Chet!!” The Cap bellowed as he entered the kitchen. “That’s enough, I don’t want to hear another word. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes sir!” was all they uttered.
“Look, Johnny,” Hank explained. “We all got interested in the show while we were in the hospital. There was nothing else to do. There is nothing wrong in watching soaps.”
“Daytime dramas!” Johnny teased. “I never got hooked on them while in the hospital. I still will never understand,” he said shaking his head and raising his hands up surrendering.
************
Roy’s days off were peaceful. He did not miss Johnny and Chet’s arguing. The peace ended the minute Johnny walked into the kitchen, where C shift and A shift were talking about ‘Summer of Romance.'
“I don’t believe this!” Johnny said bewildered at the conversation going on in the kitchen. “I can’t… I don’t…” he stammered.
“That’s a first,” Chet laughed at Johnny’s loss of words.
“It has to be a major conspiracy,” Gage said in exasperation. “Are you guys sure that the show isn’t putting in subliminal messages!?”
*********
The klaxon interrupted A shift fixing lunch. “Station 51, Station 18, Squad 51, Squad 18, structure fire. 18442 Wedgwood Lane. One-Eight-Four-Four-Two Wedgwood Lane.Cross street Maplewood. Time out 10:57."
“KMG -- 365” Captain Stanley said into the mic.
The factory was fully involved when the fire department arrived. The owner of the factory ran up to Stanley, “I have two men missing!” He yelled over the noise of the emergency vehicles.
“Gage, DeSote!” Cap called to his paramedics. “Do you know where they were? What are their names?” he questioned the frantic man.
“I don’t know! Sims and Garcia are their names. You’ve got to find my men, they have families,” he pleaded with the cap.
“Roy, we have two civilians still inside. Don’t know where they are. Sims and Garcia are their names.” The cap informed his men. Roy and Johnny acknowledged their captain.
**********
Gage and DeSoto searched the upper floors of the warehouse and were now in the basement looking for the two lost men. They entered what looked to be the break room.
Johnny noticed the television on and it was turned to ‘Summer of Romance.' He just rolled his eyes and mumbled, “Even in the middle of a burning building, that damn soap is on the TV.”
Roy noticed his expression and just laughed to himself. They were about to leave the room when all hell broke loose. An explosion caved the walls and ceiling in on Roy and Johnny, burying them under debris.
********
“Engine 51, CAP!!!!” Chet yelled excitedly into the HT forgetting radio protocol. “CAP, Johnny and Roy, the floor and walls collapsed. They were in the basement!”.
“You and Marco stay where you are. Keep the fire away from them,” he told his men. “Captain Tacy, I have two men trapped in the basement!” Captain Stanley informed the captain of 18.
“Right Hank!” Tacy acknowledged. “Engine 18 to Squad 18, we have two men trapped. They’re in the basement,” she radioed to her paramedics.
Cassie looked at Pidge worriedly, they both knew Johnny and Roy had been in the basement searching for victims. “10-4, Cap, we’re on our way.” Both said a silent prayer for Roy and Johnny as they headed down the unsteady stairs to the basement.
*********
“John..Johnny..!’ Roy struggled under the debris searching for his partner. His head ached and blood was dripping from a cut above his left eye. “Johnny, answer me!” He was getting desperate. “Where are you?”
“Get off of me!” Roy heard his partner’s weak voice underneath him.
“Johnny! Are you all right?” He knew that was a silly question considering their situation. “I’m coming, keep talking.”
“Roy, what hap…ahgg!” Johnny yelped in pain. His legs were killing him. In a small way that was a comfort to him. At least he knew he wasn’t paralyzed. It took all he could just to keep from passing out from the pain. Let alone talk to Roy. “Roy!”
Roy began to dig for Johnny, throwing bits and pieces of ceiling to the side off his partner. He could tell from John’s voice that he was hurt. “Hang in there partner, I’m coming,” he cried.
Just then Roy remembered the HT in his pocket, “Engine 51, this is Squad 51,” he spoke into the radio hoping it still worked.
“Squad 51, this is Engine 51. Are you guys all right?” The radio crackled to life with Captain Stanley’s worried voice.
“Cap, we’re in the break room in the basement. Johnny is trapped under some debris. I’m all right. Send down a backboard and a collar,” he requested.
“Squad 18 is on their way down to you. They have the gear. I’ll send Marco and Kelly with stokes,” replied Stanley.
“10-4, Cap. Tell them to hurry! The smoke is getting thick and we’re out of air,” Roy coughed.
“We’re almost there, Roy,” Pidge reassured him.
*************
“Hang in there, Pal, the cavalry is on the way,” Roy said trying to console his trapped friend and himself. He continued to dig for Johnny.
Soon, Roy saw Johnny’s arm. He knew that he was getting close and that spurred him to dig faster. “Johnny! I’ve got you, partner,” he said as he finished getting all the fallen debris off Johnny.
“Tell me where you hurt, John. John?” Roy looked at Johnny’s face, he could see his eyes were starting to glaze. “Hey, partner, stay with me. Johnny, do you hear me?”
“Roy….” Johnny croaked. “My leg, oh it’s killing me.”
“Pidge and Cassie are on their way. Just hang in there,” Roy looked at his leg. It didn’t appear to be broken, but it did have a deep gash and was bleeding. “Where else does it hurt.”
Agitated Johnny snapped at Roy, “Isn’t that enough for you. Yes I do hurt else where. My head, my ribs, my arms… It would be faster to tell you where it doesn’t hurt.”
Roy was grateful to know that Johnny hadn’t lost his sense of sarcasm. “We’re gonna get you out of here, soon.”
**********
Pidge and Cassie stumbled through the rubble in the basement hallway. They heard the radio transmission from Roy and they knew there was no time to waste.
“There!” Pidge pointed to where she saw Roy holding an injured Johnny.
“Roy, are you hurt?” Cassie asked Roy as they approached them.
“No, just cut my head. Johnny is hurt real bad,” he told them about Johnny’s injuries. John was drifting in and out of consciousness by then.
Pidge and Cassie assessed Johnny’s injuries and placed a collar around his neck. Marco and Chet helped log roll Johnny onto the backboard and load him into the stokes.
“Let’s go!” Marco yelled through his mask. “They can’t hold the fire back much longer. The Chief ordered everyone out.”
Marco and Chet carried the groaning Gage while Pidge and Cassie assisted Roy. No sooner than they exited the burning building a loud rumble came from within the warehouse. They all looked at each other knowing how close they were.
********
To Roy it seemed to take forever to get to Rampart. He lay in the hospital room, his home for a couple of days. He looked over at his partner who was resting comfortably in the other bed. Roy was thankful that his prayers had been answered. Johnny had a few cracked ribs and a concussion. His leg was bruised, but not broken. It took 23 stitches to sew up Gage’s leg.
Roy had a concussion and Dr. Early put in three stitches above his eye. ‘Another scar to add to his collection,’ Roy thought.
Roy looked to the ceiling, “Thank you!” He said to the ‘Big Fireman’ up above.
************
“Hey, Roy!” Johnny said to his partner as they exited the squad. Today was their first day back to work after being off for a couple of weeks. “It’s almost eleven. We’d better hurry.”
They both dashed into the kitchen. Chet, Marco, Mike and Captain Stanley were already sitting around the television set eating lunch. “Your lunch is on the counter,” Marco called to them over his shoulder. “It’s about to start”.
“What is is …. What is the silver dollar?” The men answered the question that Alex Trebek of ‘Jeopardy’ asked the three guests on the game show.
“See, Roy, I told you this is better than some stupid soap,” Johnny reminded Roy as they all answered the next game show question.
“By the way, did ‘John and Terri’ ever get back together?” Johnny teased his friends.
“SHUT - UP!” They all yelled, tossing their wadded napkins at Johnny. Then turned their attention back to Alex Trebek. “Who is… Mel Blanc?” they answered.
