JOHNNY'S REVENGE
Disclaimer: Emergency!" and its characters belong to © Mark VII Productions, Inc. All rights
reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction, and any similarity to actual persons or events is purely coincidental. I do not own the men and women of Emergency! And only use them here for the purposes of entertainment. No money is made and I hope the creators, writers and actors appreciate that they're creation still resonates with fans after all these years.
Author's Note: In planning this story, I just wanted to do a something with a lighter touch. And I knew that any comic story would have to include Chet Kelly. This is my first attempt at humor. I am more used to the dramatic stuff. So I hope you all like it. I tried to include some of the weird things that I have heard in my 30 years as a police/fire/medic dispatcher. No matter what anyone tells you, no matter what some statistics say, the full moon really does bring out the strange in people.
Originally archived at Two Chickies
/
The day had started out weird. And it was beginning to get worse, if that was possible. The first call of the day was the rescue of a woman stuck in her own garbage disposal. When they had arrived at the house, and the lady's husband had told them she was stuck in the kitchen sink, they figured he must be drunk. But they had gone in anyway, and sure enough, there she was. Leaning over the sink, unable to move.
She had been scraping food from a plate into the disposal, then reached over to turn on the switch. Her long hair had fallen in her face and into the sink, the water washing it down the drain, where it was got caught in the blades of the disposal. Her husband had suggested cutting her hair to release her, but she had vehemently refused. When Roy DeSoto suggested the same thing, she became irate, yelling obscenities at Roy and his partner, John Gage.
So they had taken the disposal apart. By the time they were done, there was water all over the floor and the machine was in several pieces. But the woman's hair was, for the most part, still attached to her head. As they walked out the door, she was grabbing a mop, and complaining to her husband about fixing the garbage disposal.
Roy and Johnny walked to the squad, both shaking their heads, not quite believing this rescue. Johnny was pondering how to write this one up in the log. And Roy was wondering how anyone could be that dumb. As Roy started up the squad and pulled back into traffic, he started to chuckle. He looked over at Gage and smiled.
"Well, Johnny," he commented, "at least we got the worst one out of the way. The rest of the day should be normal."
"Don't say that, Roy," pleaded Gage. "Now you've jinxed us. It'll only get worse from here on in. The whole day will just get crazier."
"C'mon Johnny, it can't get any worse than that!"
"Mark my words, Roy. I'm telling you, I can feel it. It's gonna be a crazy day."
"It's all in your imagination, Johnny. You're beginning to sound like Chet Kelly."
"You wait and see," predicted Gage. "Just wait and see."
The rest of the trip back to the station was silent. Johnny was sure he was right and the day would only get worse. Roy was just as sure that it couldn't get any worse.
Roy should have known better.
/
DeSoto backed the squad into the bay then he and Johnny got out and headed for the kitchen. Johnny was still worried that the day was going to be another crazy one, and Roy was trying to convince him otherwise, without much luck.
"I'm telling you Johnny," said DeSoto, "that call this morning was a fluke."
"Yeah, you keep saying that Roy, but you know how it gets. Once you get one weird call, they just keep piling up."
Chet Kelly was standing nearby and overheard the conversation.
"So, you guys having your normal kind of day?" Kelly interjected.
DeSoto looked at Gage, then glanced at Chet with a bemused look on his face.
"Oh, we had a really strange call this morning," explained Roy, "and now Johnny thinks all of our calls today will be like that."
"Well, you know Roy," Chet began, "it is a full moon."
"Chet," Roy pleaded, "don't you start too. It's bad enough that Johnny is being obstinate about this. Don't add to it, okay."
"Roy, I'm telling you," insisted Chet, "the full moon brings out the worst in people. Strange things happen."
Johnny agreed. "Yeah, Roy, just ask any cop or ER doctor. Things get weird during a full moon."
DeSoto looked at them both, shook his head and walked away. He wasn't about to get into that kind of discussion with these two.
Johnny headed over to get himself a cup of coffee. But Chet stopped him with the offer of the cup he held in his own hand. Johnny accepted it with gratitude, not noticing the smirk on Kelly's face. As Gage lifted to cup to his mouth and took a sip, Kelly slowly moved away from him. Chet turned to leave just as Johnny turned to spit the coffee back into the sink.
"CHET!" he yelled. "What did you put in this!?" Johnny turned to find Kelly gone from the room. "Damn it, Kelly," muttered to himself, "I'll get you for this. One of these days you're gonna go too far."
Roy ran back into the kitchen, having heard Johnny yelling. He found Gage leaning over the kitchen sink trying to rinse out his mouth. Worried, he hurried to Johnny's side.
"Johnny, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Roy asked.
"Yeah Roy, I'm fine, but Chet's not gonna be when I get a hold of him."
DeSoto understood then—Chet Kelly, practical joker, had struck again.
"So, what did he put in your coffee?" Roy inquired.
"I don't know," Johnny replied, then wiped his tongue with a paper towel. "But I'm gonna kill him for it."
DeSoto chuckled, looking at his partner, who was almost always Chet's victim. One day, Roy figured, Chet would go too far. And Roy wasn't sure he wanted to be there when Johnny struck back.
/
The boy was about 8 years old and he had his tongue stuck in a soda bottle. And his mother was hysterical. As they stopped in front of the house, she ran toward them, screaming, grabbing Johnny's arm, and dragging him toward the house.
"Help my son!" she pleaded with him. "He's going to die. Please help him!"
"Take it easy, Ma'am," Johnny said, trying to calm her. "Let us take a look at him and see what we can do."
She led him to a bench in back of the house, where the small boy was sitting. The boys looked up at Gage with wide eyes, filled with fear. Johnny figured most of that fear was because of the way his mother was acting. He crouched down in front of the boy and smiled at him, hoping to reassure him that things weren't as serious as mom was making them out to be.
"What's his name?" Roy asked the mother, while Johnny looked over the boy, and grabbed his wrist to take his pulse.
"Bobby, his name is Bobby," he mother said, sniffling. "Please help him."
Johnny winked at Bobby and smiled. He looked up at Bobby's mom, still smiling, trying to get her to relax, so her son wouldn't be so frightened. Roy walked up and set down the drug box and bio-phone, and asked Johnny what they had.
"Roy, this is Bobby. It seems that Bobby decided he wanted to get every last drop of soda pop out of this bottle, and now he has his tongue stuck. It looks like the tongue has begun to swell up inside the bottle."
Roy had removed the BP cuff and began wrapping it around the boy's arm, while Johnny checked his respiration. After getting all the vitals, Roy called Rampart on the bio-phone. And Johnny tried to explain to the mother, who was now somewhat calmer, that Bobby would probably have to be transported to the hospital so the doctors could remove the bottle.
"Hospital!" she cried. "Oh, my god, why does he have to go to the hospital?"
Johnny put his arm around the mother and made her sit on the bench next to Bobby, who had started to cry after seeing his mother became upset again.
Roy came back over and crouched down next to Johnny.
"Brackett wants us to bring him in, but says no IV for now. But he does want us to ride in with him, just in case he starts to have trouble breathing."
"Okay, Roy," Johnny nodded in understanding. "I think we should take Mom in with us. She's so upset I'm afraid she might collapse on us."
"You want to ride in with them?"
"Sure, but let's have the mother ride up front. I don't want Bobby to get any more excited than he is."
Johnny helped the ambulance attendants lift Bobby onto the stretcher as Roy gathered up the equipment, then carried it to the ambulance. Johnny had Bobby's mother by the arm, was helping her to the waiting ambulance.
As Roy handed the bio-phone to Johnny, he glanced at the boy with the soda bottle on his tongue, shaking his head.
Johnny followed his gaze. "I told you Roy, it's only gonna get worse."
Roy just walked away, not wanted to add to Johnny's paranoia, but beginning to agree with him.
First the lady in the garbage disposal, then they had a man who hit himself in the head while swinging a baseball bat. Then there was a kid who got stuck, upside down, in a large tree. Johnny had to climb up to the poor kid get upright so that he could climb back down the tree.
After they transported Bobby to the hospital, they were dispatched to a couple of love-struck kids who were trying to defy their parents. The parents thought they were too young to date, so the couple decided to bind themselves together forever, by applying super-glue to their palms and holding hands until it dried. Their love lasted all of about four hours before they got tired of being stuck together and had started arguing. While Johnny and Roy were checking them over, the duo had started slapping each other. Then, when Roy tried to intervene, they had started hitting him!
Maybe Johnny was right, Roy thought. But he wasn't about to tell him so.
/
Johnny entered the locker room and headed toward his locker. He didn't notice Chet Kelly hiding around the corner, waiting for Gage to open the locker. Kelly heard the spring release its weapon, heard Johnny gasped, then "damn it".
"Kelly!" Johnny yelled. "Where are you Kelly?! I know you're in here!"
Chet sauntered around the corner, and looked at Johnny innocently.
"Ya know, Gage," he remarked, "if you got that shaving cream on your face, it might be easier to shave."
Gage scooped a bit of the cream from his shirt and threw at Kelly, as Marco Lopez and DeSoto came running into the room, wondering what Johnny was yelling about.
"That's it Kelly," Gage declared. "This means war."
"War? But Johnny, whatever do you mean?"
Gage started toward Chet, but Roy moved between them, placing a hand on Johnny chest.
"It's not worth it, Johnny. Just let it go." Roy turned to Kelly and gestured that he should leave, which he did, followed by Lopez.
Johnny just shook his head, beginning to remove the now soiled shirt.
"I'm not going to let it go. Not this time, Roy. I've had enough. He is about to meet his match."
"Johnny, I don't think…"
"You're not going to talk me out of it, Roy. Kelly has been doing this for too long. And I'm tired of it. It's about time he got a taste of his own medicine!"
Roy could see that Johnny was not going to be sidetracked. He would let him calm down, and talk to him about it later. The one thing they didn't need in the station house was a bunch of childish pranks played by these two against each other. There was too much chance of everyone else getting caught in the crossfire, and he wasn't about to be the one in the middle. But now wasn't the time. He knew if he pressed Gage about it now, the younger man would just dig his heels in deeper. Johnny could be stubborn if you pushed him into a corner and Roy just couldn't deal with that right now.
/
Johnny walked out of the locker room, buttoning up the clean shirt he'd been forced to change into because of Chet's prank. Kelly was currently in the locker room cleaning up the mess, thanks to Captain Stanley, who thought that was only fair.
As Gage began to cross the apparatus floor, the klaxons began to sound again. Roy and Johnny headed out for another rescue, Gage still stewing over a way to get back at Chet. The engine was right behind them as they pulled out of the station.
The address was in an exclusive neighborhood, with many large, expensive homes. This particular home was at the edge of a cliff. The cliff was the scene of this rescue. The owner's teenage son had slipped and fallen about 30 yards down the side of the cliff and was just barely hanging on. As Johnny and Roy looked over the edge, they tried to find the best route down to him. They knew they had to get down there quickly before he lost his grip.
"There, Roy," said Johnny pointed to a spot a few feet to the right of the boy. I think I can get a good angle on him from that outcropping right there."
"Yeah, looks good. Let's try it."
Kelly and Lopez had brought over the ropes and harnesses that Johnny and Roy would need for the climb. As they pulled on the harnesses, Kelly and Lopez tied off the ropes to the front of the fire engine which Mike Stoker had driven over the green lawn. Once John and Roy were ready, they hooked the ropes through their harness belts, and began lowering themselves over the edge.
The boy's sister had told them her brother's name was Jeremy. As Johnny got closer, he started to talk to the boy, assuring him that he would be okay.
"Are you hurt, Jeremy?" Gage asked.
"No, I don't think so. I'm scared. I don't want to fall." He spoke softly, afraid he would disturb the cliff side if he talked any louder. He was about 14 years old, with blond hair and his fingers gripped a small tree that was jutting out from the side of the cliff.
"Just hang on, Jeremy," he called, "we'll be there in just a second and then we'll tie you off so you can't fall."
"Please hurry," Jeremy responded.
Johnny lowered himself until he was just a bit below the level where Jeremy was clinging to the side of the rocky face. He then began to move slowly closer to the boy, keeping an eye on him, talking quietly to keep him calm, but wanting him to be aware of what he was doing.
Gage was about 3 feet away from Jeremy when the boy started to slip, the tree beginning to pull out of the cliff side.
"Roy, he slipping!" Johnny called, as he pushed off for a last lunge at the boy. He was able to get below Jeremy just as the tree gave way completely. Gage clutched at him, wrapping an arm around Jeremy's waist. He heard a scream from up above, assumed it was Jeremy's sister, who was watching from the top of the cliff.
"I've got him, Roy," Johnny said, "but hurry, I don't have a real good grip. And I don't want to let go to put the belt on him."
"On my way, Johnny."
The boy was shaking and Johnny hoped Roy could get there quickly, before he lost his grip. "Keep still, Jeremy. I've got you. You're not gonna fall. Just relax." He continued to talk to the boy as Roy came up next to them. DeSoto unhooked the extra belt from Johnny's gear and was able to wrap it around Jeremy's waste and get it hooked to the rope Johnny was using. They managed to turn Jeremy around so that he could wrap his arms around Gage.
"All set Johnny," Roy declared. "Whenever you're ready."
Johnny then explained to Jeremy what was going to happen, and the men on top of the cliff began to haul them up. Jeremy had his legs wrapped around Johnny's waist, and his arms around his neck. Gage was 'walking' up the cliff, assisted by the men pulling on the rope. As they reached the top, Marco and Chet reached out to help the pair the last few feet. Johnny then unhooked both belts and walked Jeremy away from the cliff's edge, while the others helped Roy up the cliff. Jeremy was shaking and let out a sigh of relief when Johnny helped him sit on the steps of the deck that ran the length of the rear of the house, so that he could begin checking his vitals, and to see if he had any injuries.
Jeremy's sister came over then and sat down next to her brother, a relieved expression on her face.
"Jeremy, are you okay?" she asked, concerned.
"Yeah, Melissa, I'm fine, thanks to him," he said, pointing at Gage.
Johnny was checking Jeremy's pulse, not looking at either of them. Melissa reached out and placed her hand on Gage's arm, causing Johnny to look up. When he did, he saw a beautiful blonde, tall, slender, deep blue eyes, about 25 years old.
She looked him in the eye and smiled. "Thank you," she said, "for saving my brother's life. When he started to fall, I didn't think you'd be able to get to him in time. But you did and I am very grateful."
Johnny began to stammer, caught off guard by this gorgeous woman.
"Ah, that's okay…I mean, your welcome….it's all part of the job, ya know," he finally spat out, embarrassed to be stumbling over his words like that. Here he was a professional, just completed a great rescue, and he was falling on his face in front of this woman.
Thankfully, Roy showed up about then. "How's our mountain climber doing, Johnny?" he asked, acknowledging the sister with a nod.
Johnny was still staring at Melissa, getting the feeling that he'd met her somewhere before, but just couldn't place her. He didn't hear Roy at first. DeSoto then handed him the BP cuff, pulling Johnny from his thoughts.
"Roy, ah, yeah, ah, he seems to be fine," Johnny managed. "Some cuts on his hands, and scrapes and bruises, but nothing major. Pulse is a little fast, but that's not unusual, considering what just happened. Let's give it a minute and I'll check him again just to be sure it's getting back to normal." Gage then looked at Melissa. "I think he'll be okay. But we'll go ahead and contact Rampart hospital and let them know what we've got just in case they want us to bring him on in for a check-up."
He then applied the cuff to take Jeremy's blood pressure, and also checked his respiration. But he kept thinking that he knew Melissa from somewhere, and glanced at her a couple of times trying to remember where they'd met.
Roy called Rampart and gave them the vitals that they had. He spoke for a short time with Jeremy's sister, advising her that she should get Jeremy to their family doctor for a checkup, but that the doctors at Rampart didn't think it was necessary for him to be seen in the emergency room. But if she wanted, they could transport him to be checked.
Melissa assured Roy that she could just take him to their doctor, so he began to pack up the equipment. Melissa walked over to Johnny and pulled him aside, speaking softly to him. As Marco and Chet walked up to Roy, they saw Melissa hug Johnny and give him a quick kiss on the cheek. He then took a notebook and pen from his pocket and handed it to her. She opened the notebook and wrote something in it, then tore the page out, folding it and placing in his shirt pocket. She then handed the notebook and pen back to Gage, kissed him again, and walked back to her brother. As she and Jeremy walked toward the house, she turned back to Johnny and waved. Gage waved back, smiling as he walked over to Roy to help him with their gear. Chet was giving him a dirty look as Gage walked up.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Kelly said, shaking his head in disgust. "John Gage, you should know better than to put the make on a woman while she's under duress like that. It's just not very professional."
"And what would you know about being a professional, Chet?" remarked Gage.
"I know more than to ask a woman out in the middle of a call. You backed her into a corner, Gage. How could she say 'no' after you just saved her brother's life?"
"For your information, Kelly, I didn't ask her out," Gage replied with a smirk.
"Then what was that kiss and what did she write on that piece of paper?"
"Oh, we have a date, all right, but I didn't ask her out, she asked me out!"
With that, Gage picked up the drug box and the bio-phone and led the way back to the squad. Chet stood there speechless, looking at Roy, then Marco, then back to Roy. DeSoto began to chuckle, and followed Johnny out of the yard. As they came around the front of the house, they saw Jeremy getting in a car, Melissa standing by the door, again talking to John Gage. As they glanced at Chet, they both began to laugh. Melissa said goodbye, winked at Johnny, then got in the car and backed it out on to the street.
Gage walked up to Roy, saying, "Melissa is taking Jeremy over to their doctor's office. She figures she might as well not take any chances, and thinks the doctor will probably be able to fit him in between patients."
As Roy and Johnny got back into the squad, DeSoto heard Gage laughing under his breath.
"So, what's the joke?" he asked.
Johnny looked at him, still chuckling. "Oh, just my final revenge on Chet Kelly."
"I don't get it. What ideas have you got floating around in that feeble mind of yours?"
"Don't worry Roy, you'll be the first to know, as soon as I work out some details with Melissa."
"Melissa, you mean the kid's sister?" Roy asked, reaching to turn on the ignition. Roy placed his hand on the gearshift, ready to put the vehicle in drive. "What does she have to do with this…No, never mind, I don't think I want to know. Johnny, I don't want to be any part of this."
"Roy, quit worrying. It's gonna be great. Boy, Chet is gonna be hamburger meat," Johnny remarked, rubbing his hands together, a grin on his face. "The full moon is finally going to have an effect on Chet Kelly."
/