"Roy, Roy, honey...wake up."
The soft voice of his wife, Joanne, filtered through the thick fog of sleep shrouding Roy DeSoto's brain. He felt her gently shaking his shoulder and let out a weary groan. He forced open one eye and peered at the bedside clock radio...blurred numbers read : 2:17 AM.
Roy let out another groan--seemed he had only just collapsed into bed after working two consecutive shifts of what amounted to a never-ending string of emergency calls. Seven traffic accidents--one with two fatalities. Half a dozen structure fires--the handiwork of an angry 13 year old..the last of which had escalated into a full scale apartment blaze, resulting in multiple burn victims. The topper was a hit and run involving a little boy whose resemblance to his own son Chris, served to unnerve Roy for the rest of his shift.
"Roy..wake up."
"Joanne...?" Roy croaked, turning over. "What's wrong? One of the kids sick?"
"No...it's the door. Somebody's at the door," Joanne responded.
He heard it only after she had drawn his attention to it--the persistent ringing of their front doorbell.
"Hell...what kind of maniac decides to drop by for a visit in the middle of the night!?" Roy growled, tossing back covers and climbing out of his nice warm bed.
"None of MY friends..." Joanne commented dryly, pulling on her robe.
"Well, whoever it is..is soon gonna be an EX-friend!" Roy grumbled, flipping on the bedroom light, squinting against the harsh yellow-white glare.
Rounding from his side of the bed, he yanked open the bedroom door and stepped out into the hall. As he padded along the thick carpeting, heading toward the living room, their mystery visitor bagan to press steadily on the buzzer. A moment later, urgent knocks also filled the nighttime silence.
"I'm comin'!" Roy called out angrily.
"Roy...hush! You'll wake the children," Joanne admonished, following behind her husband.
"Joanne, nothing wakes our kids. They've slept throught two major earthquakes..!" Roy snapped, just as 6-year old Jennifer wandered out from her bedroom, rubbing at her eyes and whining over her disrupted sleep.
"You were saying?" Joanne quipped, as she scooped up her crying daughter.
"Sorry," Roy mumbled sheepishly, continuing on to answer the door as his wife carried Jennifer back into her bedroom.
Once in the entryway, he flipped on the porch light and peered through the peep hole. His eyes widened in surprise.
"What the hell....?" He quickly unlocked the door and yanked it open.
"Can I help you, Officer?"
"Roy DeSoto?" questioned the tall, lean LAPD officer.
"Yes." Roy pushed open the screen door. "Come in..please."
The officer, whose name tag read, 'Simons' , stepped into the entryway.
"Are you acquainted with..." the officer man paused to glance down at a small note pad he held in his right hand. "...with a....John Gage?"
Roy drew in a sharp breath, then swallowed hard..nodding slowly.
"What's wrong?" he asked, his throat tight with fear. "What's happened to Johnny?"
"Roy?" He turned to his wife as she joined them. "What is it? What's wrong?" she questioned, looking anxiously from Roy to the police officer.
"I'm not sure...something about Johnny.." Roy responded, reaching out to take her hand.
"Johnny?"
They both turned questioning eyes toward Simons, waiting, dreading what news was to follow.
"I've been asked to inform you that Mr Gage has been involved in a shooting incident," the officer spoke quietly, calmly.
"Shooting?!" Roy echoed.
"Oh my god! Johnny!" Joanne cried out, tears springing into her eyes.
"Is Johnny...is he dead?" Roy asked, softly, fear clutching his heart. He tightened his grip on Joanne's hand.
"He's still alive, but he's in bad shape," the officer informed him. "I understand that he's a firefighter."
"Yes, we worked together. We're also paramedics. Johnny is my partner," Roy told him.
"Yeah, I remember Lt Crockett mentioned that. He seems to think highly of the two of you. He asked me to let you know about this personally. He would have done it himself, but he's still busy at the scene."
"At the scene of what...what exactly happened?"
"Your friend was shot during a robbery at a convenience store. He's one of only 2 survivors. Three others were killed, including the store owner and his son."
"My god!" Joanne whispered, turning her face into Roy's chest. He released her hand and wrapped his arms around her.
"Is this part of that string of robberies that I keep hearing about on the news?" Roy asked.
"We believe so. In this case, though, we may actually be able to narrow down the suspects, in large part to your partner."
"I don't understand," Roy asked, confused.
"When the first officers arrived on scene, Mr Gage was still conscious, and was able to give them a pretty good description of one of the men. We think we know who the man is now. And this particular store happened to have a video camera set-up, so when we view the tape we should be able to verify his identification."
Roy felt numbed. He needed to sit down, so he led his wife into the living room and they sat on the sofa. Simons followed and took a seat across the coffee table from them.
"Mr DeSoto...I'm sorry about your partner. You should know that he was being taken to Rampart Hospital. They have the best ER in the county....but I guess you know that already."
Roy just nodded, trying to come to terms with what had happened. He looked up at the clock. It showed 2:27. Ten minutes. Just ten minutes ago his wife has shaken him awake. Ten short minutes....600 seconds ago....his life got turned upside down.
"Mr DeSoto," Simons asked softly, "is there anyone you'd like me to call?"
Roy didn't answer him immediately. In the silence that fell, Simons could hear the ticking of the clock and the soft sobs of Joanne. Roy took a deep breath and looked at the officer, belatedly answering his question.
"No, officer, I'll make the calls myself," Roy assured him. "You.....you said he was bad......how bad?"
"He was hit at least three times. When they loaded him into the ambulance they were doing CPR."
Roy closed his eyes, a gasp escaping his lips. He felt lightheaded, dizzy.
"I need to call the hospital, see how he is." He slowly rose from the sofa and headed for the phone, reaching it just as it started ringing.
"Hello," he said curtly.
"Roy?"
"Dixie...how's Johnny?!"
"So you already know?"
"Yeah. Crockett sent one of his officers over to let me know. How is he? The officer said....they were doing CPR."
"Yeah, but they got his heart going again in the ambulance. He's still alive, but he's critical. Roy...he's hanging on by a thread. Kel and Joe are getting ready to take him into surgery. Kel.....Dr Brackett is going to call his folks."
"What are his chances, Dix?"
After a brief pause, she told him. "Slim, Roy, very slim. One of the bullets is lodged in his neck, near the spine. And another broke a rib, which puntured a lung."
"Christ!" Roy exclaimed. "Okay, Dix. Thanks for calling. I'll be there in about half an hour."
"Okay, Roy, see you in a bit."
Roy set the receiver down, then picked it back up, prepared to dial another number, a confused look on his face.
"Roy, what is?" Joanne asked when she saw his confusion.
"I can't....can't remember Cap's number....what the hell is his phone number?!?" he asked. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten Stanley's home phone number. He felt like he was in a fog, dazed by the events of the last few minutes.
Joanne walked over to him, placing her arms around him. Roy wrapped her in his arms, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. After a minute, Joanne pulled away. She reached into a drawer, pulling out a small black leather book and handing it to Roy. Grateful, he opened the address book and searched for Stanley's number. Taking a deep breath, he dialed the number, listening to it ring.
Stanley picked up the phone on the fourth ring.
"Hello," he said, groggily.
"Cap, it's Roy. Sorry to wake you."
"It must be important, Roy. What's up?" he asked.
"Cap....there's a police officer at my house....he, ah...he told us that Johnny's been shot."
Silence answered him. "Cap, did you hear me?"
"Shot? How in hell did he get shot?!"
"He was in a convenience store during a robbery. Five people got shot...three of them died at the scene. Cap....I spoke with Dixie....he's critical."
"My God!" Roy could hear another voice in the background, could hear Stanley telling his wife what was happening. "Roy, I'll meet you at the hospital, pal. Who else needs to be called? What about his parents?"
"Dr Brackett is taking care of that, they have all that info in his files at the hospital. I haven't called anyone but you."
"Okay, I'll call the rest of the guys on A shift. I'll also notify the station and HQ. You head on over to the hospital to be with John."
"Right, Cap. I'll see you there."
"Roy," Stanley called before hung up, "he's gonna be okay. Johnny's tough, you know that. If anybody can get through something like this, it's your partner."
"I hope you're right, Cap. I hope to hell you're right."
*******
Roy hurried down the hall to the nurses station, finding Dixie talking to Karen Jacobs, whom everyone called KJ, and her paramedic partner, Suzy Parker. It was quiet in the hallway and they turned to face him when he approached, and he could see KJ's uniform was covered in blood. Whatever they'd just handled, it must have been bad, he thought. Roy could see that they had both been crying, and when he turned to look at Dixie, he saw that her eyes, too, were red-rimmed from tears.
"Any word?" he asked her.
Dixie shook her head. "No, he's still in surgery. Mike Morton just went up to check on his progress."
"Roy, I'm sorry, we did everything we could," KJ said, tearfully.
Roy looked at her, confused. Glancing again at her uniform, it hit him. All that blood...it was Johnny's! Oh god! No! All that blood! There was too much of it!
"You..." he began, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Did you respond?" he asked KJ.
KJ could only nod, so Suzy answered for her. "Yes, Roy, we got the call on this one. KJ worked on Johnny all the way in."
"I don't understand, he doesn't live anywhere near Station 18. How did you get the call?"
"The store wasn't near his house, Roy, it was over on Sycamore, just a few blocks away from 18's."
"What was he doing way over there at two in the morning?" Roy questioned.
"He had come by the station to talk to KJ..."
"He had brought some stuff over to me," Karen explained. "John's been helping me research my heritage and he brought by some books and old territorial maps for me to look over. He'd been there for a couple of hours helping me look over the maps and stuff........" A frightened look crossed her face and she turned to face her partner. "Oh, god, Suzy, if I hadn't asked him to bring that stuff by, this never would have happened...."
"KJ, this isn't your fault. Johnny told you he was going be in the area, and offered to drop it by. Neither of you had any idea that something like this would happen."
"Roy!" they all heard a voice call from down the hall. Turning to see Chet and Marco jogging toward them. "Cap told us what happened, how is he?"
"Still in surgery, that's all I know right now."
"Cap said he was shot during a robbery. We heard about it on the radio on the drive over. They said that three people had been killed."
"Four." They looked at Dixie, just as she hung up the phone. They hadn't even heard it ring. "Four," she repeated. "The woman they brought in with Johnny just died on the operating table. No one said a word for a long moment. Then Dixie pushed herself up from the desk. "Excuse me, but I better call Lt Crockett and let him know." She went into the radio room for the privacy she needed to make the call.
*******
Two hours later, the surgical waiting room was packed with friends and colleagues of John Gage. After getting someone to look after Chris and Jennifer, Joanne had joined them in their vigil. Stanley and Mike Stoker had arrived, as had the Chief. Cassie Kelly, Chet's sister and also a paramedic, was there with her partner Pidge, having been notified by Chet. Several other off duty paramedics and firefighters had also gathered, the word making its way quickly around the grapevine at three in the morning.
The time was moving excruciatingly slowly. Morton had been in a couple of times to speak to them, each time assuring them that Johnny was still hanging on and surgery was progressing. But the news was not all good. His heart had stopped twice during surgery already, but the doctors had been able to get him back each time. But he was getting weaker, and they all hoped the operation wouldn't last too much longer. And they hoped he'd make it through with no further complications.
KJ and Suzy had returned to Station 18. They needed to let their co-workers know what had happened, and just who their patient had been. And KJ needed to shed her bloodstained clothing. Captain Williams had offered to call in a replacement team, but the pair decided to stay on duty. They knew that Johnny was in good hands, and Roy and Chet had promised to call if anything happened. But no one at Station 18 got any more sleep that night. They spent the remaining hours of their shift talking about the tragedy...and about Johnny Gage, remembering some of the funny things he'd done, and some of the great rescues he and Roy had made.
Finally, KJ had had enough. "Stop it!" she cried. "Damn it, we're talking about him like he's dead! He's not! He's still alive and still in surgery. We have got to think that he's going to be okay!"
Captain Williams walked up beside her, placing an arm around her shoulder. "KJ, it's almost time for shift change. I'm gonna put the squad out of service for the last hour. Why don't you go on over to the hospital."
"Cap, I'm fine, I can finish out my shift. I just...I just keep seeing him laying there on the floor. I thought he was already dead when we got there. There was so much blood on the floor, you could smell it. It smelled like death," she finished, quietly.
"KJ, he must be hanging in there. We haven't heard from Roy or Chet," Suzy said, wanting to be optimistic for her partner. Johnny had helped KJ through a rough time when an arsonist had targeted her a few months back, and they had become good friends. Everyone on the crew considered him a friend. She knew that KJ was scared, they were all scared.
"And you know how stubborn he can be," Williams added. "He's not going to just give up. He's a fighter, he's proved that on a number of different occassions."
KJ smiled at her Captain, grateful for her words. She sat back down at the table with her shift members, and finished her coffee. When they were relieved, she and Suzy, and surprisingly Captain Williams, headed over to the hospital to check on Gage.
********
The TV news was broadcasting pictures from the shooting scene. One local camera crew had arrived at the store in time to get photos of the paramedics leaving with their patients. Their film had been replayed a dozen times over the last several hours. They had watched, again and again, hoping that somehow the scenes would change, that they wouldn't see Johnny being wheeled out on a stretcher, that they wouldn't see KJ doing CPR on him.
But it never changed. Finally, Roy couldn't watch anymore and he rushed from the room. He just had to get away from the sight of his partner and friend, bloody and still, being taken away in an ambulance.
As he started down the hallway, he saw Dr Brackett and Dr Early, standing with another man outside the OR doors. Brackett was slouched against the wall. He rubbed his eyes, a look of utter fatigue on his face.
Roy felt his heart jump into his throat, but forced himself to stay calm and start down the hall toward the men. Brackett glanced up as Roy got closer.
"Doctor Brackett?" Roy asked, the unspoken question in his eyes.
Brackett allowed a small smile to appear on his face. He pushed away from the wall and walked up to Roy, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"You've got one tough partner there, Roy," he commented.
DeSoto allowed himself to relax, just a bit. "Johnny.."
"He's in recovery. I'll tell you, Roy, I wasn't sure he was going to make it through surgery. Between the injuries and the blood loss, frankly, his chances weren't real good. I wasn't sure he was strong enough to survive the operation."
"But he did," Roy said, more statement, than question.
"Yes, he did. But it was rough. His heart stopped on the table three separate times. That last time, I wasn't sure he was coming back. Dr Larson did an excellent job with him," Brackett said, indicating the third man standing with him. "Roy, this is Tim Larson, he did the repairs on Johnnys lungs. Dr Larson, this is Roy DeSoto, Johnny's paramedic partner."
The two men shook hands. "I've heard quite a bit about you two," he told Roy. "Word around the hospital is you're one of the best teams we have."
"Thanks, Doctor. I just want to be able to stay teamed up with him. Is he going to be okay?"
"Your friend is very lucky, Mr DeSoto. None of the bullets struck a vital organ. There is a lot of tissue and muscle damage and he did lose a large volume of blood. And the bullets in his leg and shoulder shattered bone. We'll be keeping a close eye on him to be sure pnuemonia doesn't become a problem. That's always a concern when there's lung damage. But we were able to remove all of the bullets safely, so hopefully that will keep him from having to return to surgery. Your friend has a very strong will."
"Yes, he does Doctor," Roy agreed. "But usually we call him just plain stubborn. When can I see him?" Joanne and Hank Stanley had joined them, Joanne wrapping an arm around Roy's waist.
"It'll be a while yet, Roy," Brackett told him. "He's won't be out of recovery for an hour or so, and then we'll be getting him settled in ICU. He has stabilized somewhat since we took him in, but the operation took a lot of him, and he's not out of the woods yet. He's still extremely critical. Hopefully, we've seen the worst. But, I don't want to lie to you, Roy. If his heart stops again, I'm not sure he'll be strong enough to come back the next time."
The hope that Roy had begun to feel was gone, with that last statement from Brackett. Yeah, Johnny had made it through surgery, but how much more could he take? A man could only be so strong! He knew that Johnny would fight with everything he had, but would it eventually be too much for him? Joanne could see the anguish Roy was experiencing and hugged him a little tighter, letting him know she was there, no matter what happened.
"Don't give up on him, Roy," Brackett told, "we're not." After getting a nod in acknowledgement, Brackett turned to Stanley. "Any word on when Johnny's parents will arrive?"
"Chet and Marco are on their way to the airport to pick them up," Stanley replied, glancing at his watch. "Their flight lands in about 45 minutes, so they should be back here in about an hour and a half, two hours, depending on traffic."
"Good, good," Brackett said, nodding. "Well, I'm going to get out of these scrubs, then I'll be in with my patient until we get him into ICU. I'll come down and get you when you can see him."
"Thanks, Doctor Brackett," Roy said as the three surgeons left.
"Roy, I've been talking to the Chief," Stanley said, "and a lot of the guys have volunteered to take shifts for you over the next week or more. So if you want to take some leave time, it's already been approved."
Roy smiled, grateful for the friends he had. "Thanks, Cap. I think I'll take you up on that. I'd like to stick around here, at least until we know Johnny's going to be okay."
"I'll take care of it, Roy. We already have your next two shifts covered. Brice and Bellingham are going to take them."
"Brice?"
"Yep, he was the first one to volunteer." Stanley told him. "Well, I'm going to go in and let the Chief and the others knows what's going on."
Stanley headed back to the waiting room, while Roy and Joanne stood in the hall, arms around each other, one consoling the other, trying to keep up hope that Johnny would pull through.
**********
The waiting room was almost empty now. The chief and most of the others who had been keeping vigil had left when they learned that Gage had survived surgery. Some had to work a shift that day, while others just headed home to their own families, after making Roy and Stanley promise to call if there was any change.
Roy and Joanne were dozing on the couch, while Stanley and Stoker talked quietly in the corner with Captain Williams, KJ and Suzy. Suddenly Chet and Marco hurried in the room, followed by Johnny's parents.
"Cap? Roy?" Chet questioned.
Johnny's parents looked worried, both fearing that they wouldn't arrive in time to see their son. When Dr Brackett had called, he was honest with them about their son's chances, and they knew he might not have survived the operation.
Roy and Stanley greeted them, while Stoker went to the nurses desk to have Brackett paged. Roy led Annie Gage to the sofa, where she sat down next to Joanne, her husband settling in on the other side of her. The men of Station 51's A shift had met the Gages before, during earlier visits to see their son. And once during an earlier scare when he'd been injured during a fire.
"Roy, how is he? How is my son?" asked Johnny's dad. He knew Roy wouldn't lie to him and he wanted the truth now, no matter how hard it would be to hear.
"He's still critical, Bob. He's going to be in ICU shortly, and you should be able to see him. He made it through surgery, but he had a rough time of it."
"But, he's still alive?"
"Yes, still alive, but very weak. He lost a lot of blood and it was a long surgery, almost six hours."
"As long as he's still breathing, he has a chance, Roy. Thank you for being here with him." He glanced up at the others in the room. "Thank all of you for staying for my son. He has good friends."
"We wouldn't be anywhere else, Mr Gage," Stanley assured him. "Johnny's part of our second family."
Bob Gage looked up at his son's boss, and gave him a small smile. He didn't know these men well, had met them only a few times, except for Roy. But he knew now what his son meant, when he had told his father during one of their talks, that he worked with the best group of people in the world. He understood why Johnny cared so much about these men....because they cared the same way about him.
Dr Brackett strode into the room with Stoker and Joe Early.
"Mr and Mrs Gage, hello. I wish we didn't have to meet like this again," he said as he shook hands with Bob Gage and nodded a greeted to Annie. "Did Roy give you a run-down on Johnny's condition?"
"He told us that John is very weak and still critical."
"That's right. We've moved him into ICU, so if you'd like to see him, I can take you up."
"Yes, please," Bob said, rising from the sofa, and helping his wife to her feet. As Dr Brackett led the Gages from he room, the others, with Dr Early's help, updated Chet and Marco on Johnny's surgery.
******
Three days later, Johnny still clung to life, by the tiniest of threads. That first night after surgery, he had almost lost his fight, his heart stopping once more. But he was tenacious and battled back once more, refusing to let go of his fragile hold on life.
Roy was in Johnny's room when Kel Brackett came to check on his patient. They had finally persuaded Bob and Annie to accompany Joanne to their home, where they would stay in their guest room. They were both exhausted and needed some rest and some time away from the hospital. Roy would stay with Johnny and would call with any news.
The other members of the crew, when not on shift, would stick close to the hospital as well. And Cassie and KJ were frequently seen in the ICU waiting room, too. Many of the paramedics would stop by to check on Johnny's condition after dropping patients off in the ER.
Brackett checked the various monitors, then took Johnny's pulse and listened to his lungs. He made some notations on the chart before turning his attention to Roy.
"So, it looks like your partner is still hanging in there," he remarked.
"Yeah. I don't know how he does it, Dr Brackett. So, how is he?" Roy asked.
"Not much change, really. His vitals have stabilized a bit, but I am a little concerned about the congestion in his lungs. I'm going to increase the antibiotics. He's been able to fend off the pnuemonia so far and I want to keep it that way."
"But, he's not getting better, is he?"
"Roy, at this stage, just the fact that he hasn't gotten worse, is a point in his favor."
"What do you mean?"
Brackett hesitated before continuing, not sure if he should reveal his feelings. But he had known these two men for a lot of years and wanted to be honest with his friend about Johnny's prognosis.
Glancing back at Gage, Bracket notioned for Roy to follow him out of the room.. As they stood in the hallway outside, they watched Johnny through the glass window of the room.
"Roy, the night that Johnny was brought in, I was frank with you when I said I hadn't expected him to make it through surgery. And even though he made it past that, I was scared that he wouldn't last through the next day." Brackett turned around to lean against the window, crossing his arms across his chest, watching Roy as Roy watched Johnny.
"So far," Brackett continued, "he's hanging on. But, Roy, there are no guarantees here. He's still extremely weak. The smallest complication.....and we could lose him."
"Yeah, I know Dr Brackett," Roy spoke quietly. "I feel like I'm walking on the thinnest piece of ice when I go in his room. But, I just can't see Johnny giving up."
Brackett turned back to look at this patient, with a small smile on his face now. "I know what you mean, Roy.
He's a fighter, that partner of yours. You know, I've been in this business a long time. But, I don't think I've ever had a patient that had such a strong will to stay alive. Every time I think we're losing him, he just keeps battling back."
Brackett stopped for a moment, reflecting on the long operation. "When we had Johnny on the table and his heart stopped that third time, I was sure that we weren't going to get him back again. The first two times it took more than one jolt to revive him. I was sure his heart couldn't take any more. But Dr Larson decide to take matters into his own hands--literally. We had opened him up to do the repairs on his lung and search for fragments of the rib that had shattered. When his heart stopped, Tim just grabbed hold of it and started squeezing, trying to get a rhythm started. He must have given it half a dozen squeezes, when it suddenly pulsed on its own. And continued to pump. I was amazed, Roy. I couldn't believe he had come back again. I never.....I never thought he was so strong. He surprised me."
"Yeah, Johnny has a way of doing that," Roy said with affection.
They were silent for a few moments, when Roy grabbed Brackett's arm. "Dr Brackett, look!"
Brackett glanced up, but didn't see what Roy was trying to show him.
"What is it Roy?"
"He moved! He moved his hand!" Roy exclaimed, rushing back into the room, with Brackett on his heels.
As they got closer to the bed, Roy watched his friend closely, eager for further motion. Brackett was checking his vitals again. "Roy, are you sure you saw him move?"
"I'm positive! His right hand moved." Leaning over his partner, he gently took hold of his right hand, and started speaking to him.
"C'mon, Johnny, move again, buddy," he said urgently. Getting no response, he tried again. "Hey, junior, Dr Brackett keeps telling me what a fighter you are. How about you surprise him one more time, huh?"
Several minutes went by with no other sign of movement, no indication that Johnny was aware of Roy's voice.
Kelly figured it was either a reflex movement that Roy had seen or Roy's imagination. Sensing what Brackett was thinking, Roy glanced up at him.
"I saw him move his hand, Dr Brackett. I know I did," he insisted.
"I want to believe that too, Roy, but there's no indication of any change here."
Renewing his efforts, Roy leaned closer to Johnny. "C'mon, partner, show the doctor what I saw. Don't make me look like a fool here."
Another long minute later, there was still no response. Roy was being to think he HAD just imagined it. Then, slowly, he saw Johnny move a finger.
"Doc!" Roy cried.
"I see it, Roy! I see it! Keep talking to him!" Brackett started checking monitors again and pulled out his pen light again, to look at his eyes.
"That's it, junior," Roy pleaded, "You're moving those fingers, now try for the whole hand. Squeeze my hand, Johnny." Several seconds later, Roy was rewarded with a weak tightening around his hand.
"Yes! That's it Johnny, do it again. A little harder next time, pal."
Over the next several minutes, Johnny showed more signs of coming out of it. Although he still hadn't opened his eyes, Roy and Kelly were excited about this turn of events. It was the first positive sign they'd had since Johnny got out of surgery. Roy left to call Johnny's folks while Brackett and Early, who had joined them, completed some tests. Roy was all too happy to spread this good news around, so after talking with Joanne and Bob Gage, he called the station to let Stanley and the others know. Stanley would notify the Chief and the crew at Station 18.
******
Johnny continued to show signs of recovery over the next 24 hours. Finally, as Bob and Annie sat by his bedside talking to Dixie, they heard movement and turned to find Johnny looking at them.
"Johnny!" cried Annie, as she grasped his hand, careful not to dislodge the IV. Bob stood behind her, a huge grin on his face.
Dixie walked around to the opposite side of the bed and began to check his pulse. As she grabbed his wrist, his moved his eyes to look at her.
"Hi, handsome," she greeted him. "It's about time you woke up." He got a confused look on his face and blinked his eyes, trying to focus on her face.
"Johnny, do you remember what happened? Do you know why you're here?" she asked, softly.
He closed his eyes, trying to remember. Dixie still had a grasp on his wrist, and felt his pulse quicken and heard a short intake of breath, so she was sure he had recalled the shooting.
"Easy, Johnny," she soothed, "you're okay. You're safe." She gave his hand a small squeeze, which he returned weakly. He opened his eyes again and tried to smile around the breathing tube that was still in his mouth.
Dixie patted his arm, then walked over to the phone and told the operator to page Dr Brackett.
After hanging up the phone, she placed a hand on Bob Gage's arm. "We'll need to do a few tests. It shouldn't take more than 30 minutes. Then you can come back in and sit with him," she told him.
He nodded at her, then patted Johnny's hand. "We'll back in a bit, son," he assured his boy. "C'mon Annie, let's go find Roy and Chet, and let Dixie do her thing." Annie stood up, then leaned over to kiss Johnny's forehead before departing with her husband.
"So, you do remember what happened," Dixie stated. Johnny gave her a slight nod, a look of pain on his face. "You're going to be just fine, Johnny," she assured him. "The hard part is over..at least until you start physical therapy. But you sure gave us quite a scare, my friend," she told him, brushing the hair back from his forehead.
"I know you're probably in some pain. As soon as Kel and Joe take a look at you, we'll give you something for that." He just nodded again.
As if summoned into the room by the mention of his name, Kel Brackett pushed through the doorway, a smile on his face. Tim Larson and Joe Early tagged along.
"I just bumped into a couple of very happy people in the hallway....seems that their son finally decided to wake up from his nap." He walked over to find Johnny somewhat alert and following Brackett with his eyes.
"Welcome back, Johnny," he remarked. Removing his stethoscope from his pocket, he proceeded to check his patient. "Well, your lungs seem to be clearing up nicely. But unfortunately, you'll be on the ventilator for a couple more days. I don't want to take any chances with your breathing, okay?"
He saw Johnny roll his eyes in response. Chuckling, he began making notes on the chart. "I know, I know," he told Gage, "but you'll just have to deal with it. You should be strong enough by then that we can move you out of ICU and into a private room. And I'll be sure that Dixie handpicks the nurses for you." Johnny raised an eyebrow, causing the others to laugh as well.
"You get some rest now. I'm gonna go out and talk to your folks, let them know what's going on with you. Then they can come back for a visit." Johnny got a different look on his face, a look of concern.
Brackett thought he understood. "We called your parents the night you were brought in, Johnny. You were in pretty bad shape, and we weren't sure you were going to make it through surgery. But I should have know better, after everything else you've been through. Your folks have been staying with Roy and Joanne, so they haven't been alone." That seemed to satisfy him, and he closed his eyes and settled back into the pillow.
******
Two days later, he was finally free of the breathing tube, but was still having some trouble talking, since his throat was still sore. That afternoon, Lt Crockett came by to talk to Dr Brackett. He wanted to see if Gage was strong enough to answer some questions about the night he was shot. After getting the okay, on the condition that the visit was a short one, Crockett headed to Gage's room.
As he entered the room, he saw that Johnny's only visitor was Roy DeSoto. Roy was telling him about some of the happenings at the station since he'd been out of commission. Crockett was glad to see that, since he didn't want to have to put Gage through this with his parents around. It would be tough enough for Johnny without having to worry about his folks' reaction to it.
They both looked up when the door opened, a look of apprehension crossing Johnny's face when he saw who it was.
"Morning, boys," Crockett greeted them as he strode to the bed. "Gage, you're sure looking a whole lot better than the last time I saw you. How are you feeling?"
"Better," Johnny croaked, watching Crockett with a wary eye.
"Look, Gage, I know you're still pretty weak, but I was wondering if you might be up to looking at some pictures, maybe answering a few questions."
Johnny glanced at Roy. Even though he knew that the police would eventually be by to speak with him about that night, he wasn't sure if he was ready to talk about it. He had been told that he was the lone survivor of that horrible night, and knew that the police needed his statement. But he'd hoped he might have a few more days. But Crockett was here now, so he steeled himself and motioned for Crockett to continue.
"Good. Thanks, John, I know this isn't going to be easy for you. I'll be as brief as I can for now." He carried a manila envelope, and opened it now, pulling out two folders. "I've put together a photo line-up for you to look at. My officers told me that you were conscious when they first got on scene, and were able to give them a pretty good description of one of the perps. Combined with the tape from the video surveillance camera, we think we've pegged our two suspects. I'd like you to take a look at these photos and see if you can pick out the two men you saw."
Johnny nodded, and Crockett set one of the folders down on the table that was drawn over his bed. Johnny reached for the folder and opened it. A sheet of paper was inside, with photos of six men, all similar in appearance. They were white males, all about 25 years old, with dirty, long blonde hair. He looked at the photos closely, trying to identify either of the men he'd seen that night.
He went over the photos carefully, looking at each at least twice. When he was sure, he placed a finger on one of the faces. "This guy," he rasped, "was the one that shot the lady by the door."
Crockett marked the photo with a pen and placed the sheet back in the folder, and placed it back in the envelope.
"His name is Nathaniel Harper. He's the small fry in this little duo." Then he set the other folder on the table.
Knowing that this folder might hold the identity of his own assailant, Johnny hesitated before opening it. Sensing his fear, Roy set a hand on top of the folder.
"Johnny, are you sure you're up to this?" he asked.
"No," Johnny answered truthfully, but with a small smile. "But I have to do it sometime, and I'd rather just get it over with. The quicker these guys are ID'd, the quicker they'll be off the streets, where they can't do it again."
Roy removed his hand, but kept a close eye on his partner, ready to intervene if it looked like the stress was adversely affecting him. As much as he knew the police needed to talk to Johnny, he wasn't about to let their needs interfere with his friend's recovery.
Gage reached over and slowly opened the folder and picked up the sheet, not focusing on the photos at first. Then, taking a deep breath, he began to study the faces. It didn't take him long to pick out the shooter...the man who had almost killed him.
Roy watched his face lose its color and his hand begin to shake.
"Johnny?" he asked, concerned.
"Number 3, it's number 3," Gage said quietly, tossing the sheet aside. "He's the one who shot me."
Crockett pickup up the photos and nodded in satisfaction. Watching his reaction, Gage relaxed a bit. "Is that the guy you thought it would be?" he asked.
"Yes, he's the one we've been looking for. Gabriel Munson, Nathaniel's older half-brother, and the brains behind the pair. The video tape didn't give us a good look at his face, but we got a really good view of his accomplice. These two are well known to us, and we suspect that they're the ones responsible for this string of robbery/murders, but we didn't have much solid evidence until now. But with the video tape and your ID, we have enough to get a warrant to arrest them with." He paused, looking at the two men. "I know this hasn't been easy for you and I appreciate your wanting to do this now. Do you feel up to answer a few questions as well?" he asked, as he pulled a small notebook from his pocket.
"And if I said no?" Johnny inquired.
"Then I'd come back later, when you're feeling better," Crockett assured him.
"Thanks for that, anyway," Johnny told him, with a grateful smile. "Go ahead with your questions." He hoped it wouldn't get too drawn out, though. His throat was beginning to really hurt. He reached for the water glass and took a couple of sips, trying to sooth the dryness and the pain.
"When my officers found you, you were in the rear of the store, not up front where the other victims were. Were you back there when the suspects came into the store?"
"I must have been...I don't remember seeing them in there when I walked in."
"Did you hear what they said when they came in?"
"No, just heard a lot of yelling, then heard a woman scream......then the shots....it sounded like a war going on up there." Johnny laid his head back on the pillow, staring up at the ceiling, recalling the horror of that night. "It happened really fast. The shooting was over in less than a minute. Then it got really quiet." He reached for the water again, to sooth his throat and stall for time as he tried to find the words to describe the scene.
"Johnny, this can wait until later..." Roy began.
"No, Roy, I need to get this over with now. I'm okay, really," he assured his partner. Looking back at Crockett, he continued, his voice cracking periodically, whether from the pain of the tube having been in, or the stress of reliving that nightmare, Roy wasn't sure.
"I started to walk back toward the front of the store, when I heard someone talking. As I looked up toward the counter, I could see the two clerks laying on the floor behind the registers and one of the shooters, the same guy who ....the same guy who shot me, this Munson guy, he was standing over them, rifling through the cash drawer." Johnny stared at the wall, like he could see the events of that night being replayed it.
"Where was the other guy?" Crockett asked.
"I didn't see him at first. Not until I noticed the lady on the floor in front of the counter. Then I saw him walk over to her.......he....he had a gun in his hand, and he just....he pulled the trigger." Johnny closed his eyes, hoping to block out the vision of the man shooting the woman as she lay helpless on the floor. But of course, it didn't work. He reached again for his water, found it empty. He throat was beginning to to hurt more.
Roy reach over for the pitcher that sat on the nightstand and filled the glass again, getting a grateful nod of thanks from his partner. Roy wanted to stop this, but knew that Johnny was right. He needed to get this over with.
"Then I heard the door open and saw another woman come in the door. I think I yelled at her to run, but she didn't move fast enough. The first guy, the blond, turned around and shot her in the back as she ran back out the door. And the guy behind the counter.....that's when he turned and saw me....I heard him yell something about there being another witness in the back. I looked around, trying to find a way out....." Johnny voice was cracking badly now and his emotions were close to the surface. He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to dislodge the image from his brain.
"I saw a door and headed toward it, but....just before I reached it, I felt this pain in my leg and I fell. I tried crawling over to the door, but I couldn't move my leg. Then I felt more pain in my side. It's funny, I didn't even hear the shots, just felt the pain. Anyway, by then, the guy was right there behind me. I turned around to look at him...." Johnny was talking slowly now, his voice low and raspy. "He raised the gun again and fired..." He put his hand on the bandages on his neck.
"What happened then, John?" Crockett pressed. "It's important. This won't take much longer, I promise."
Gage looked up at Crockett, taking yet another sip from his water glass. "I heard the guy by the door, Harper, yell something about cops, and I think I heard some sirens. Then the guy standing over me pointed the gun at my head and pulled the trigger again, but nothing happened. I guess the gun was either empty or it jammed. I heard the guy up front yell again, then Munson told him that I wasn't dead yet." Johnny took a deep, shuttering breath before continuing, his voice almost gone now. "The sirens were getting closer and the other guy kept yelling. Munson just looked at me and told me that we'd meet again. That he wasn't finished with me yet."
"Do you remember anything distinctive about either of them....any scars, tattooes, accents, anything like that?"
"The guy who shot me had a tattoo on his right forearm, some kind of dragon or something, with a lot of color in it. It went from his wrist almost up to his elbow. I remember seeing it move as he squeezed the trigger...."
Roy felt a chill listening to his partner relive that night and the threat the shooter had made that they'd meet again. Gage closed his eyes and laid his head back on the pillow, shaking slightly from the memories.
"Okay, John, that should be enough for now," Crockett stated, gathering up the manila envelope and putting it and his notebook back into his jacket pocket. "I really appreciate you talking to me, I know it wasn't easy for you. When you're feeling stronger, I'll need to send a detective back, with a stenographer, to get your full statement. Until then, what you told me today will be enough to take to a judge for a warrant."
Johnny just nodded, not opening his eyes. Crockett started to say something else, but thought better of it. Later, he decided. It could wait. "I'll see you both later," he said. "Thanks again, John," he said, before leaving the room.
Roy watched Johnny take several deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Finally he opened his eyes again and smiled sheepishly at his partner. "Thanks, Roy," he said, his voice still raspy, his throat feeling like sandpaper.
"For what?" DeSoto asked, confused.
"Just for sticking around. I knew I was gonna have to do that sooner or later. I'm just glad you were here. I don't think I could have gone through that if my folks had been here."
"Johnny, you know they love you, they would have understood."
"I know that, Roy. I just didn't want them to have to listen to that...hell, you shouldn't have had to either. Sorry, I should have given you the chance to leave."
"I wasn't going anywhere, partner. I'm glad I heard it. It helps me understand what you went through that night." He stopped then, watching his friend's face as Johnny stared at the wall again. "My God, Johnny, I had no idea it was that bad. I hadn't realize what you went through...you must have been terrified!"
"Terrified doesn't even begin to cover it, Roy," Johnny remarked. "I was sure I was going to die, right there on that stinking floor. When he pointed that gun at my head, I knew I was staring at death." Johnny laughed then, but it was a low, sad laugh. "When I didn't hear the gun fire, I thought, that's okay. I hadn't heard the other shots either. You know, the old saying, 'you never hear the shot that kills you' came to mind. But then, I looked up and saw a cop standing there. And later, I thought I remembered KJ being there, but...."
"KJ was there, Johnny. She and Suzy were one of the squads that responded to the call. KJ did CPR on you on the way to the hospital. When I first saw her in the ER, she was covered in your blood. I couldn't believe you'd survived after seeing that."
"Oh, god. Is she okay, Roy?" he asked.
"She is now that you're doing better. But she's blaming herself, since you were over at the station to help her out. Suzy and I have tried to talk to her, but you know how stubborn she can be."
"Yeah, I know. I'll talk to her myself, later." Johnny laid he his back on the pillow and closed his eyes. He was tired, physically and emotionally. "I think I'm just gonna sleep for awhile, okay, Roy?"
"Sure, junior. It's about time I meet Joanne downstairs for lunch anyway. You get some rest and we'll be back later."
"Roy?"
"Yeah?"
"Do me a favor...don't say anything about this to my folks. Mom's scared enough already. She doesn't need to hear the details."
"Sure partner, I understand. I won't say a word. Just remember, if you need to talk about it, I'm here. Or you can always talk to the department shrink." Johnny didn't say anything, just gave him a tiny nod. The interview had taken a lot out of him and he just wanted to sleep.
Roy waited until Johnny's breathing became regular, indicating he was asleep, then he slipped out of the room. He would be sure to tell the ICU nurse to keep a close eye on him, in case the re-telling of his story caused him trouble sleeping.
Once outside the door, Roy leaned against the wall. He didn't move until he felt a hand on his arm. Dixie and Dr Brackett were standing in front of him.
"Roy, everything okay?" Brackett asked. "Johnny...is he...?"
"He's asleep. He was exhausted. Lt Crockett came by..."
"I know," Brackett interupted. "He checked with me first. I thought Johnny was strong enough to hand it. Did something happen?" The concern was evident in his voice. He hoped he hadn't erred in allowing Crockett to speak with his patient.
"No..no he's fine, I just...." he rubbed his hands over his face. "I just never thought about what he experienced that night, you know. I mean, I know he got shot, and 4 people died, but what he just described.......he watched them kill a lady in cold blood... they just kept firing at her. And they were going to do the same to him. They got scared off by the sirens. But the one guy aimed at his head, point blank, and pulled the trigger.....and the gun misfired." Roy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Do you realize how close he came to getting a bullet in the brain?" he asked earnestly.
"Roy, I know he had a horrible experience," Brackett said. "And he's going to need a lot of help getitng through this...both physically and mentally. And...." he stopped, not sure if he should continue.
"And what, Dr Brackett?" Roy pressed him.
"Lt Crockett came by again after he talked to Johnny. He thinks it would be prudent to place a guard on his room until these guys are caught."
"A guard? Does he think they'll try to hurt him again? Here, in the hospital?" Roy asked, incredulous.
"He just doesn't want to take any chances. These guys killed four people that night, and Johnny was almost number five. And he's the only living witness. Crockett wants to play it safe."
"So, his nightmare isn't over yet," Roy stated, looking back into the room where his friend slept. "Until those guys are behind bars, he has to live with the fact that they might come after him, to shut him up. Damn it, when is it gonna end?"
********
Two days later, Johnny was moved out of ICU and into a private room. Since the suspects were still at large, a police officer sat outside his door. Per Crockett's request, Brackett had made sure that the room was at the end of the hall, away from other patients, so no innocent families would be hurt if the killers made an attempt to get at Gage.
The list of visitors cleared to see Johnny was short...very short. He and Roy had already convinced Johnny's parents to go home, with assurances from Dr Bracket that their son was improving. Although initially concerned at seeing a police officer guarding his door, their fears had been calmed by the explanation that the officer was there only to keep the press at bay. Johnny hated lying to his parents, but he knew that if they learned the truth, they would insist on staying. And he wasn't about to put them in danger if those two guys decided to come after him.That was also the reason why he had asked Crockett to keep his visitor's list so short. The only people on the list, aside from the police and hospital personnel, were Roy and Stanley. And he would have left them off the list if he thought he could have gotten away with it. But one look at his partner's face when they talked about it told him that Roy would never agree to that. At least he was able to convince Roy not to let Joanne visit. And Stanley would explain to the guys at the station, and make them understand.
The one person who wouldn't understand was Karen Jacobs. When she heard that she was banned from his visitor's list, she initially took it personally, until she learned the reason behind it. Then, she was just plain mad. So, although she couldn't visit him in person, she was able to talk to him on the phone and did so at great length, usually getting on his case for not allowing her to see him. She called him several times that first day, begging him to put her name on the list.
"Johnny, come on. I can take care of myself if something happens. I thought we were friends."
"We are friends, KJ, that's why I don't want you up here. If something happens, I don't want to be responsible for you getting hurt."
"Damn it, Gage, let me worry about that! I can handle myself!"
"I know you can, KJ, but please just let it be. It should only be for a few more days. Please," Johnny pleaded with her. "I don't want to have to worry about you too."
"What do mean, me too?"
"I tried to keep Roy and Captain Stanley off the list too. But they wouldn't listen to me. That's already two more people then should be on it."
"But, Johnny, they're the only ones on the list, beside the cops and the hospital folks," KJ pointed out.
"Precisely. And at least the cops are wearing kevlar vests. Trust me KJ, if I could talk Brackett into letting me out of here, I'd be gone. I hate the fact that so many people might be in danger because of me!"
Jacobs didn't say anything for a moment. She could hear the fear in Johnny's voice, and it caused her to be scared as well. "Johnny, do you really think those guys will come after you?"
"Crockett seems to think so. His officers have been trying to find these guys for almost a week, with no luck. But they've been getting reports that the suspects are leaving messages around the neighborhood that I won't live to testify against them."
"They'll find them, Johnny. Sooner or later, those guys will make a mistake and get caught."
"I just hope it's sooner, rather than later. I feel like I'm the one in prison, here, KJ."
"Hey, don't fret it, okay. I hear Dixie scheduled all the good-looking nurses to work your floor," she teased.
"Yeah, she did. Problem is, the cops outside are getting most of the dates," he chuckled, KJ joining him in laughter. There was a long silence then, as KJ thought about how good it was to hear him laughing, when just a few short days ago she was doing CPR on him.
"Johnny....I'm sorry..." KJ stammered, suddenly unsure of herself.
"Sorry for what?" he asked, although he thought he already knew.
"For making you come over here that night. If I hadn't asked you to bring those books, none of this..."
"Enough, KJ," Johnny interupted. "Roy told me that you think this is all your fault. I don't want to hear that. The ones to blame are those two bastards with the guns. I was just helping out a friend. And to tell you the truth, it was easier for me to drop that stuff off that night....saved me a trip out the next day. And, you know, I could just have easily met the girl of my dreams at that store that night. That's just the way things happen sometime. Don't go blaming yourself, okay? I don't. I'm glad you were there. You probably did CPR longer on me than someone who doesn't know me. You kept me alive, KJ. I can never thank you enough for that."
"Yeah, well, that was selfishness on my part. I still need you to help me with this 'finding my roots' thing," she said, not very convincingly.
"Yeah, right. If you say so. But, anyway, I'm doing much better now. My heart hasn't stopped in over a week."
"Don't even joke about that, Johnny. I was scared we wouldn't get you back."
"Sorry. But I'm glad you and Suzy were there. Except for Roy, I know I couldn't have been in better hands."
"Is it okay if I call you later? Just to talk? I've been trying to read these books you gave me, and I really would like to talk to you about them."
"Anytime, sweetheart, you know that."
"Good. Then I'll talk to you later. You take care of yourself, you hear me? Since you won't let me up there, you make sure those cops are doing their jobs. I'd hate to have to bash 'em up-side the head if they let anything happen to you," she said, only half joking.
"Don't worry, KJ," he laughed, knowing she would do just that if necessary. "They're doing a good job. Those guys won't get past them."
They said their goodbyes and hungup. Johnny turned on the television, hoping to find a comedy to watch. It was lonely, since Roy and Stanley were both on duty today, and wouldn't be in to visit. Oh, he knew Roy would come up to see if him if he could between runs. But it still made for a long day. He kept telling himself it was for the best, but he prayed that Crockett would find these guys fast, so things could get back to normal.
********
Johnny was returning from his first trip to physical therapy and he was exhausted. He hated physical therapy. And he knew this would be the hardest part of his recovery. Since his leg was still in a cast, the therapist was concentrating on working his upper body. His ever-present body guard had accompanied him and now walked back to the hospital room with them. The cop's name was Adam Jackson and he and Gage had been friends before the shooting. It was one of the reasons he had volunteer to take the day shift. He had a lot of respect for Gage...had seen him and his partner on the job on a number of occasions. He was always joking with Gage about who had the most dangerous job.
"...face it Jackson, firefighters get into a lot more risky situations than cops."
"Gage, you are so full of it. Even when you guys do go into a fire, you've got all kinds of equipment, breathing gear...I mean, every part of your body is covered, so it would be almost impossible for you to get burned."
"It's not getting burned, so much, Adam, as having the roof cave in on you, something exploding, backflash. There are all kinds of things that can go wrong in a fire."
"At least while you're driving down the street, you don't have people taking pot shots at you and calling you 'pig' and other really nice, affectionate names," Jackson said, sarcastically.
"Yeah, there is that," Johnny had to agree.
"Hold it," Adam said, raising his hand. "Let me check out the room."
He halted the nurse pushing the chair and opened the door to the hospital room, going in to check and make sure no one was hiding in the room. Seeing that the room was cleared, he stepped back into the hall, and waved her into the room with her charge.
"I'll be outside now, Gage," Jackson told him. "No funny stuff with Nurse Stacy, there. I'll be checking back in about five minutes to be sure you got tucked in okay. And remember, the nurse doesn't come with the bed." And then he ran out of the room before the pillow that Gage tossed hit him, his laughter trailing behind him.
"Some people just have no sense of humor," he remarked.
"Oh, I don't know," Stacy told. "I think Adam is very funny. Now Mr. Gage, how about we get you back into bed?"
She helped Johnny out of the wheelchair and back into the bed, making sure the call button and water pitcher were within his reach.
"Hey," he called out as she started out of the room, "how come you call him by his first name, and I'm 'mister'?"
"Because you're the patient, Mr Gage, and he's not," she replied, as if that explained everything, and she continued into the hall, where he could hear her laughing with the police officer. Some bodyguard, he thought, those guys could wander right in here while Adam was talking to Stacy, and he probably wouldn't even notice.
Oh, face it, Gage, you're just jealous because he got a date with her and she wouldn't give you the time of day.
Damn, I guess it's back to the game shows. He picked up the TV remote and powered up the set, but not finding anything interesting to watch, he drifted off to sleep.
*******
The gurney was wheeled into the examination room, Roy DeSoto right beside it, holding an IV bag. After getting the patient settled on the exam table and relaying the pertinent information to Dr Early, he left the room and headed down to the nurse's desk, where his partner, David Manning stood waiting for him. But before he could say anything, Manning raised a hand.
"Dave," Manning mimiced, "I'll be back in a few minutes, I want to go check on Johnny."
"Am I that predictable?" Roy asked.
"No, Roy, that concerned," Manning assured him. "I'll grab some coffee. How about I meet you in the cafeteria, and we can have lunch when you're done?"
"Sounds good. Thanks, Dave."
"No sweat, Roy. I know how it is with partners." And they headed their separate ways.
As Roy made his way toward Johnny's room, he noticed someone walk up next to him, keeping step. He glanced over and saw that KJ had joined him.
"Just where do you think you're going, Karen Jacobs?" he asked, as he grabbed her arm, and steered her into the waiting room.
"With you, to see a friend," she stated, matter-of-factly.
"KJ, you know how Johnny feels about this. Don't push it."
"Damn it, Roy, he's my friend and I'm concerned. Is there something wrong with that?!"
"No, KJ, there's nothing wrong with it, but the situation here is a bit different. Johnny doesn't want you here. If he's your friend, at least respect his wishes."
"And what about you, Roy?" she asked. "He doesn't want you to visit him either." She put her hands on her hips, daring him to deny the fact that Johnny hadn't wanted any of them on his visitors' list.
"I know, but I'm his partner. I get preferential treatment," Roy told her, with a smile. "He knows I'd kill him if he left me off that list."
Not getting the rise out of him that she expected, she plopped down on the chair. "Damn it, Roy, I just want to see how he's doing. I haven't been able to see him since that night and I'm worried about him."
Roy moved over and sat in a chair opposite her and took her hands in his. "I know KJ, believe me, I know. But he's doing okay, take my word for it. I know you've talked to him on the phone....doesn't he sound okay?"
"He sounds scared, Roy."
"He has every right to be scared, but things will work out, they always do for John Gage. He must have some kind of guardian angel watching out for him."
"Yeah, well that angel has been overworked lately. I just want to be sure she's not napping when the time comes and he needs her again."
"Look, KJ, I'll talk to him, see if he'll let you come in just this once, so you can see for yourself that he's okay. But it's a one-time deal, got it. And it'll be his decision."
"I got it, Roy, and thanks," she said, as he stood up and headed down the hall.
As he got closer to Johnny's room, he saw the police guard in conversation with two men in hospital whites. There seemed to be some kind of disagreement. Jackson had his left hand out if front of him, his right hand wrapped around the pistol grip of his handgun, which was still in its holster. As Roy got closer, he was finally able to hear what was being said.
"....against the wall, I'm not gonna tell you again." Jackson glanced quickly at Roy as he came down the hall.
"Roy, call security! Tell them to get up here ASAP!" The two men turned to look at Roy, and he realized who they were. It was the men from the pictures that Crockett had showed Gage.
Roy turned to yell at a nurse to call security, and that's when several things began to happen all at once. Things seemed to slow down as he saw one of the men reach into the back of his shirt and pull out a pistol. As the man moved, Jackson pulled his own weapon, and they both fired at the same time.
Jackson was sent flying backward against the chair, which fell over as he tumbled on top of it. Jackson's bullet had hit Harper in the abdomen. He suddenly doubled over, the gun dropping from his fingers onto the floor. Roy could see a red spot growing on the front of his shirt as he fell to the floor, clutching his stomach. The other guy turned to look at DeSoto and just smile. He had a gun in his hand and pointed it at Roy as he backed toward the door of Johnny's room.
Roy could see the tattoo clearly. Johnny had described it as a dragon, a colorful dragon. This was him, Roy thought. This was the guy who shot Johnny, Gabriel Munson. And he was going after Johnny again! As the guy opened the door and walked into the room, he turned his back on DeSoto so he could see his victim. Roy glanced at the police officer on the floor, saw him painfully try to get up from the floor, but knew he wouldn't be in time.
Roy closed the distance between himself and Johnny's room and got to the door just as Munson was raising the gun to fire at Gage's sleeping figure. Roy threw himself at the man, dragging him to the floor, hearing a shot as they fell. He heard the man scream in rage, then they began to wrestle on the floor of the hospital room. Munson still had the gun in his hand, and was trying to bring it around to bear on Roy. But DeSoto had a grip on his wrist and was trying to slam the killer's hand on the floor, trying to loosen his hold on the weapon. In the back of his mind, it registered that he wasn't hearing any movement from the bed, and prayed that the shot he heard hadn't struck Johnny.
KJ, having heard the commotion, and the gunshot, raced down the hall, seeing Roy run into Johnny's room. She saw a police officer laying on the floor across from a man dress in a white orderly's uniform. That man was bleeding from the abdomen. She heard another shot, this time from inside Gage's room. She saw two guns lying on the floor and picked up the one closest to the man in white. Checking on the cop, she saw that he wasn't bleeding, but seemed to be having trouble catching his breath. He looked up at her and nodded, weakly telling her that he was okay. Hearing a scuffle and a yell from Johnny's room, she looked up and saw Roy fighting with another man in an orderly's uniform. Johnny was in the corner of the room in a wheelchair, trying to get up to help his friend. KJ waved her arm at him, signaling him to stay put.
Munson slammed a knee into Roy's midsection, knocking the breath out of him, and causing him to loosen his grip on the suspect's wrist. The tattoed man tried to pull away and get back to his feet, but Roy pounced on him once more. He couldn't let him get away now. If Munson got loose, Roy knew he would kill Johnny. Security was on the way, he just had to hang on long enough for them to get there.
KJ rushed into the room, still holding the firearm she grabbed from the floor. She knew if Roy was wrestling with this guy, he must mean Johnny harm. She raised the gun to try and get a shot, but was afraid of hitting Roy. She yelled at Roy to hold on to him, then searched the room for something she could use to help subdue him.
Roy had Munson pinned to the ground, but the man still had the gun in his fist, and he struggled to get away.
"Hold him, Roy," he heard someone yelled. Moments later, he heard a thud and felt Munson weaken. Roy was finally able to grab the gun from Munson's hand and he tossed it across the floor. As Munson tried to move away from him again, Roy decided to end it right then and there. He reached back, and with all the strength he had left, he slammed his fist into Munson's jaw. The suspect fell back onto the floor, dazed. Then hands were pulling Roy away from the killer, and he could see someone pull Munson's arms behind his back and put cuffs on him. Roy sat back and leaned against the side of the bed, trying to catch his breath. He glanced over and watched the security guards and two police officers search the suspect and pull him to his feet.
He felt someone crouch down next to him and heard them call his name. "Roy, can you hear me? Roy, are you okay?" He opened his eyes to find KJ kneeling on the floor beside him, a gun in her hand.
He nodded. "Johnny, check Johnny...." he gasped.
"Johnny's fine, Roy." She stood up and reached a hand down to help him from the floor. As he got to his feet, he saw his partner trying to manuever the wheelchair across the floor to this friends.
Johnny was smiling, shaking his head at his two friends. "You two make quite the crime-fighting pair," he remarked. When he'd seen Roy jumped on the back of the killer, and heard that shot, he'd been afraid his friend had been hit by a bullet. He was relieved to find him in one piece.
"What are you talking about?" Roy asked.
"You two...you jump the guy and take him down, and KJ here smacks him with a bed pan!"
Roy looked at KJ....well that explains the thud I heard, he thought.
"Yep," Johnny continued as KJ wheeled him out the door of his hospital room. "you guys are better than a TV show any day of the week."
As they went into the hallway, they could see Brackett and Early checking out Harper and Adam Jackson.
Harper would need to go to surgery, but it looked like Adam would be okay. The kevlar vest had saved his life.
Brackett was telling him that the bullet hadn't penetrated, but they wanted to check and be sure the impact didn't bust any ribs. Jackson looked up from his sitting position on the floor as Gage came out into the hallway.
"Sorry, Gage, guess I let you down, huh?" he asked, grimacing from the pain in his chest. Even though the bullet hadn't penetrated the vest, it still packed quite a punch, and he would have a dilly of a bruise.
"Adam, you took a bullet for me," Johnny assured him. "I don't call that 'letting me down'. I'd call that 'a good cop, doing his job'. Thanks."
"No sweat, buddy. That's my job, like you said. I only wish I could have stopped the other one. Glad to see he didn't get ya."
"Never, not with friends like these two around," Johnny said, gesturing to Roy and KJ. "You shoulda seen them Adam, they're a great 1-2 punch."
Orderlies were helping the officer onto a stretcher, so they could get him to X-ray. Crockett rushed down the hall as security was escorting Munson from the room, hands cuffed behind him, and a bruise already beginning to form on his jaw. And blood trickled from the cut on his head, where KJ had hit him with the bedpan.
"Young lady, just what are you doing with that gun?" he asked KJ. Realizing that she still held the firearm in her hand, she carefully handed it over to the police lieutenant, who removed the bullets and placed it into an evidence bag, after she told him it belonged to one of the suspects.
"I picked it up from the floor. After I saw Roy chase the guy into Johnny's room, I heard a shot. I wanted to be prepared for whatever happened," she explained. After giving quick statements to the lieutenant, the three friends heading back into Johnny's room. Roy was in the lead and stopped in his tracks when he saw the bed.
"Roy, move out of the way," Johnny told him, trying to get into the room. DeSoto moved, giving the other two a good look at the bed, too. There was a bullet hole in the pillow, right where Johnny's head would have been if he'd been laying in the bed.
Roy and Johnny exchanged glances, and KJ placed her hand on Johnny's shoulder. "Good thing you weren't taking a nap, huh, Gage?" she said, trying to sound lighthearted, but her cracking voice betrayed her fear at what might have been.
"So, you weren't even in the bed when he came in the room?" Roy asked. "I could have sworn I saw you under the sheets."
"No, Roy, it wasn't me, just a bunch of pillows. I've been using them under my back to relieve some of the soreness, and they were still there. But Munson must have thought it was me, as well. Good thing, too, because he didn't look around and see me sitting in the corner by the window."
"Junior, I'm getting too old for this," Roy commented, as he walked over and sank down into the chair.
"Oh, I don't know, Roy, you seemed to be holding your own against that guy, when you were wrestling around on the floor." DeSoto looked up at his partner, as Johnny pushed himself closer to where Roy sat. He figured Johnny would have one of his patented grins on his face, but his expression was serious.
They looked at each other for a long moment, flashing back to what had just happened in this room. Johnny had watched as his best friend saved his life, fighting with a man holding a gun.
KJ watched the two men and smiled, silently slipping out of the room. She envied them this friendship. Oh, she knew that Johnny was her friend, but they would never have what he had with Roy. And she didn't care. She was just glad the two of them were in her life. Wanting to give them a few minutes of privacy, she debated calling Stanley and letting him know what happened, but decided to leave that to Roy and Johnny. Instead, she called Suzy. She wanted to let her own partner know how much she appreciated the support she got during this whole nightmare.
Back inside the room, the paramedics were quietly going over the events of the last few minutes. After each related what they had seen and felt, they sat in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts.
"You know, Roy, you should call Joanne and let her know what happened before she hears it on the news."
"Yeah, junior, you're right. And I can finally tell her it's okay to visit you now. I'll call the Cap too, let him know everythings alright." He pushed himself up from the chair and walked over to the phone, which sat on the nightstand next to the bed. He settled himself on the bed, glancing once again at the bullet hole in the pillow. Briefly, he wondered if Crockett would need that for evidence. He made a mental note to let the lieutenant know about it.
Just before he began to dial his home number, he looked over to find his partner staring at him, shaking slightly, tears glistening in his eyes. The events of the day were catching up to him. Setting down the phone, he walked back over and crouched down next to Johnny's wheelchair.
"You're okay now, Johnny. Everything's gonna be alright," he assured him, placing a hand on his arm.
"I know, Roy, I know. You......you saved my life. Thanks." He wanted to say more, but couldn't come up with words that seemed adequate enough to portray how he felt.
But Roy knew. He squeezed his friend's arm and smiled. "Anytime, partner, anytime." Johnny closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh. And Roy headed back to the phone to call his wife, keeping a close eye on his friend while he talked to her.
After assuring Joanne for the tenth time that he was fine, and Johnny was fine, he was finally able to get off the phone with her and he called Stanley. While on the phone with the station, KJ came back in, followed by David Manning, who had been waiting patiently in the cafeteria for Roy, oblivious to the action that had taken place. When he finally decided to come looking for Roy, he found KJ standing in the hallway outside and no police guard. She relayed the story of the excitement of that afternoon before they knocked and entered Johnny's room.
Roy and Manning had to get back on duty, but KJ was able to stay the rest of the afternoon. And now that there was no longer a restriction on his visitors, others came by to join KJ. Joanne showed up about 30 minutes later, not wanting to waste any more time not being able to see one of her favorite people. Suzy dropped by later and Cassie and Pidge came up for a few minutes in between runs. Even Brice and Bellingham came in for a short visit, surprising everyone.
By the next day, it seemed that everyone had been by to visit at least once. And that afternoon the room was packed. The Station 51 boys had dropped in after they got off work that morning and never left. And of course Joanne was there again, and KJ was back. In fact, at one point, there were so many people in the room, that when Brackett came by to check on his patient, he almost couldn't find him. Oh, well, as long as no one complains, he figured it was alright. As grim as things had been just over a week ago, he was glad to see that they all had something to celebrate. He just made Johnny promise to get some rest.
As Brackett walked back out of the room, he met Dixie, Early and Dr Larson in the hallway.
"You don't want to go in there," he cautioned them. "It's a zoo."
"Ah, but don't you see, Kel, that's exactly why we want to go in there," Early explained, as they entered the room and were swallowed up by the celebration.
Brackett just shook his head and walked away. He could be heard muttering something that sounded distinctly like "....will never understand those hose jockeys.........and now.....even corrupting my staff....."
Authors Note: I want to thank Jane for creating the characters for Station 18 and for allowing me to use them in my stories...And thanks to Aline for allowing me to use KJ. They add a welcome change of pace and I hope I did them justice.
