It was quiet in the brick-lined room. Even the usual creaks of the bed springs
and the snores of the sleeping men were silent. The street outside was void
of cars, and the birds were long nested for the night. The street lights
were dim, and the dorm was totally dark. It was almost eerie and that made
a nervous John Gage even more nervous.
Johnny wasn't really sure why, but he just couldn't get it out of his mind.
He tried, but the image just would not leave him alone. He sighed deeply
and rolled over to face the wall. He closed his eyes to try and rid himself
of the image, but then he heard it.... heard it plain as day in his head,
"Come and get me!"
Johnny restlessly rolled onto his back and looked over at his partner. Roy
was sound asleep, seemingly not bothered by the images from earlier in the
day. Johnny flopped over on his stomach and sighed again. How can Roy not
be thinking about it?
Finally giving up, Johnny pulled his tired body to a sitting position and
pulled on his turnouts. With a shake of his head at his sleeping partner,
he shuffled out of the dorm and wandered into the day room. He walked over
to the couch, sat down and started petting the sleeping basset hound.
Henry, my boy, I just don't get it? How can Roy not be bothered? I mean even
the guys should be a bit bugged... but they aren't! But, Roy, Roy was there...
he knows, Henry! He knows! MAN! I wish I had Roy's will power Johnny lamented
as he sighed yet again and leaned his head back against the wall and shut
his eyes.
* * * * *
Roy had been sound asleep, or at least he thought he was. He wasn't quite
sure what woke him, but when he saw his partner's empty bunk, he knew. Roy
had noticed that Johnny was in a strange mood, even for him, since their
second run of the day. Roy figured he wouldn't get any more sleep until he
found out was upsetting his partner, so he got up, yawning, and pulled on
his turnouts and quietly slipped out the door.
Captain Hank Stanley rolled over onto his side and snuggled under the covers.
Good! Maybe Roy can figure out what is bugging Johnny and I can finally get
some rest!
* * * * *
"Come and get me! Come and get me, Johnny!"
Johnny startled awake. What? How does it know my name? Ah, man, I can't take
this anymore! I just can't!
The stress and worry of the day had finally taken its toll on the young man,
and he pushed Henry off of his lap, intent on going and getting it when Roy
stepped into his path with a mixture of concern and weariness on his face.
"Johnny? Are you okay?" Roy asked as Johnny stopped dead in his tracks only
a few steps from the kitchen table.
Johnny eyed the older man suspiciously as he pulled out a chair and slowly
sank onto the hard surface.
"How can you stand there so calmly?" Johnny blurted.
"Calmly? Johnny, what is there not to be calm about? What has been eating
you since this morning?" Roy asked as he joined Johnny at the table.
"Eating at me? THAT is the problem, Roy!" Johnny replied as if that explained
it all.
"Roy...... when I was kid, my grandpa would always buy......." Johnny paused
and suddenly got a huge grin on his face.
"THAT'S IT, ROY!" Johnny exclaimed triumphantly as he pushed out of his chair,
hurried over to the refrigerator and opened the freezer and smugly smiled.
Dumbfounded, Roy stared at his partner as he rummaged in the freezer. "What
are you talking about, Johnny?" Roy implored as he watched Johnny walk back
to the table with something in his hand.
"Roy, it has been bothering me all day...... I have not been able to get
the image out of my mind.... I swear, Roy, it was calling me! 'Come and get
me! Come and get me!' It was driving me nuts! And every time I thought we
would have some time here at the station, we would be toned out! And then
when we got back from the fire tonight, Cap ordered everyone to bed right
away! I just didn't have the time! BUT NOW, now I do!" Johnny said as he
slowly unwrapped the Heath¨ Toffee Ice Cream bar that had been haunting
him all day.
Roy sat, totally stunned. He watched as his partner slowly, almost lovingly
Roy thought, unwrapped the ice cream bar and grinned at it before he took
one big bite off the top. Roy continued to watch as Johnny grinned and began
to eat all of the toffee covered chocolate off in ever so small bites. Johnny
licked his lips and continued to nibble the chocolate, the smile never leaving
his face.
Roy shook his head as Johnny turned the the ice cream stick this way and
that until he finally bit off the last big piece of chocolate at the base
of the stick.
"OH, MAN! This is better than I remember!" Johnny said just before shoving
the now 'naked' ice cream completely in his mouth and pulling it out slowly,
leaving only a bare stick when he pulled it from his mouth.
"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU, JOHNNY!" Roy almost shouted as Johnny finished his
treat. "You mean to tell me you have been sulking around all day over an....
an..... ice cream bar?!?"
"It wasn't just an ice cream bar, Roy! It was a Heath¨ Toffee ice cream
bar!" Johnny retorted as he got up from the table and deposited his stick
in the garbage. "And I love 'em! My grandpa used to buy them for me as a
special treat... and when we were shopping for dinner tonight I saw them
and bought them.... but every time I tried to eat one, we got toned out or
someone would come in and bug me or Cap would order us to bed!"
"You know, Johnny," Roy said as he followed his partner out of the kitchen
and headed to the dorm once again, "I've said it before, but I have to say
it again, YOU ARE A NUT!"
Author's Note: Three days ago, I bought a box of Heath English Toffee Ice Cream Bars. (which Grandpa just about always had in the freezer as a treat for his 'girls') Well, for one reason or anther, I had not been able to eat one and it was driving me nuts! I almost got out of bed last night at 2:30AM to eat one! But, today, after work, I finally sat down and ate one, just like Johnny!
Click on Smokey to send feedback. If you want more stories to read, you
have to let the writers know you like their stories!