P is for Psychiatry…
I'm jumping a few letters, but the way things are going, by the time I get this posted, we may already be at 'P'! This isn't going to be a one chapter, but it's not a saga either.
One of the things that Johnny and Roy appreciated about their job was that you never knew where you were going to be called to next, or what type of rescue they might have to perform. It kept them on their toes, and although many of the responses followed similar patterns, there was usually something different in each that spiced things up.
Captain Stanley came into the locker room and asked to speak with John right after roll call…in his office. Johnny was curious, and racked his brains for anything that might have happened recently that he had done or not done. Reports were up to date, he'd put in his vacation request a day after the deadline, but surely that wasn't a real problem, was it? His last work review had gone well, in fact he had been commended for his diligence in handling some dangerous rescues, and his professional handling of a couple of tricky medical procedures by the hospital. He finished buttoning up his shirt. Chet grinned at his favourite pigeon, "Oh, ho! You're in trouble now, Gage! All your past sins finally catching up with you…"
"Shut up, Chet," Johnny replied as he closed his locker, but it was an automatic response without any animosity in it. "Got any ideas?" he asked Roy, who just shrugged his shoulders. "Guess I'll find out soon enough," he muttered as he stood in line. Cap just nodded to him after dismissal, and John followed Hank into his office.
"Close the door, John." Uh, oh. Whatever it was, it was serious. Johnny shut the door and turned back to face his captain. Hank picked up a letter that was on his desk and was re-reading it for the fourth time since he had received it. Johnny just stood there waiting. Cap had called him John, not Gage, so maybe it wasn't that bad. Cap put down the letter and sighed. When he noticed that John had not taken a seat, he motioned to the chair. Another 'uh, oh.' That meant this wasn't going to be quick.
Cap folded his hands and tapped his thumbs together like he did whenever he was troubled by something. "I've stood down the squad until 10 hundred, John. Apparently we're going to have some visitors this morning."
Johnny asked, "What's wrong, Cap? What's this got to do with me?"
"It seems there's been an official complaint lodged against you, by a Miss Christine Douglas. You recognize that name?"
"Uh, no…." he thought for a moment. They did so many runs in the course of a couple of weeks that sometimes a single person didn't stand out right away. "Wait. I think I do. She's the one where I called the SPCA for her dog…yeah, I'm pretty sure. Roy might know." He leaned forward in his chair and asked, "What's the complaint? That I had the pound take her dog? Cap…"
His captain cut him off before he could get started on his explanation about the dog. "Well, that's part of it – she actually says that you arranged to have her dog killed." As Johnny began to react to the shocking accusation, Cap let the other part of the bomb drop. "And she says that you assaulted her."
"She says I what?"
"That you assaulted her, and that you maliciously lied about her to the doctors at the hospital to cover your actions."
"I what?"
"John, I don't believe for a moment that you did any of these things, but because it's an official complaint it has to be looked into. That's why someone from the department and a lawyer are arriving at 9 this morning to interview you and Roy."
"Cap…."
"You know what, John? Go get yourself a coffee and then start your morning equipment check. I'm going to give Roy a head's up. I don't really think it's anything to worry about. Just one of those things. One of those things," he repeated, and although he had told Johnny not to worry, there was a furrow on his brow. These were very serious allegations, and paramedic work meant that often his men were in vulnerable positions in terms of unscrupulous or unhealthy people. He sighed again.
Johnny hadn't moved. He was still seated in the chair, leaning forward, trying to assimilate what his captain had said about the complaint. Captain Stanley wished that there was something more he could say to his youngest crew member – but nothing came to mind. It was trite to say 'don't worry' when they both knew that it was impossible. Hopefully this was all just a misunderstanding somehow, and things would clear up without too much difficulty. Hank knew, however, in his heart, that there was no way that was going to happen. When things reached this level, there was no stopping the momentum. Who knew what the fallout from this might be? Worst case scenario, the career of one of the best paramedics in the country – no, the world wasn't stretching it – would be finished. No use dwelling on that. Main thing was to deal with this investigation and make sure his man knew he was supported throughout the ordeal. Hank picked up the letter again. Who was this Miss Christine Douglas and what did she really have against John Gage?