No Second Chances

by waikiki23

One-shot tag to "It's How You Play the Game". Gage and DeSoto were trying to rescue the man from his basement after he set fire to his house to destroy his still. They were fighting for the gun the man had. What if the gun had gone off before the man lost consciousness? Also a reply to Ginger S quote challenge, "Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chance

No Second Chances

By: Waikiki23

Summary: One-shot tag to "It's How You Play the Game". Gage and DeSoto were trying to rescue the man from his basement after he set fire to his house to destroy his still. They were fighting for the gun the man had. What if the gun had gone off before the man lost consciousness? Also a reply to Ginger S quote challenge, "Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances." – Unknown.

A/N – Okay, shoot me people. My muse is officially back from vacation and she is killing me. She has really kicked into high gear, thus all the new stories and new chapters this week. I didn't realize how much I loved the episode "It's How You Play the Game" until I watched it a few times. Mike was the most expressive that I have ever seen him in any other episode, so needless to say I rewound, a lot. Anyway, this one was born at the same time as my other story, "The Golden Arm Harmeth". I hope you all enjoy it.

They say there's no do-overs in life, that there is no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances. I guess you could say that we should strive to make every moment count in life. How true that is. Life is not like the softball game we'll be playing in a few days. You can't just scream "Time Out!" to a referee and freeze frame your life. It would be nice if we could, with all mistakes we as humans make, but we can't.

When you work as a firefighter, there is no second chances when rescuing a victim. Sometimes you have to leap before you look, which I tend to do, a lot. But when a victim needs us, and they need us now, we don't have time to stop and think about the pros and cons of the situation, or anything else for that matter. We do our job to the best of our ability and as safely as possible. But that means that you do get hurt, sometimes unexpectedly. That's what happened yesterday.

We got a late call to a structure fire, and it sure was a big one. Vince had said the guy who lived there had started the fire before trying to escape. He had an illegal still, and was responsible for three victims ending up in the hospital with lead poisoning, including the man who used my face for a punching bag just that morning.

Roy saw the basement before I did, but I followed him; Cap and Vince following me. We looked in through the window and sure enough, there was the guy Vince had been looking for, laying next to his still, the fire climbing the walls. So, naturally, Roy and I climbed in the window to rescue the trapped man.

I knew we had to get out of there fast, since the fire was so intense and the man had many containers filled with moonshine, that it was a time bomb waiting to go off. We covered the ground between the downed man and ourselves in just a few steps. The victim was starting to come around when we noticed the rifle by his side. Roy grabbed it, wanting it out of the victims grasp before he fully came to. It was not to be. The guy snapped awake and grabbed the gun faster than either one of us could react.

One minute, Roy and I are grappling for the gun with an inebriated, lead poisoned victim. The next I heard the deafening BOOM of the gun going off near my ear. It took me a moment to actually be able to hear again, and that's saying something because fires that intense are loud.

The old man finally stopped struggling; he was out cold again. I glanced over at my partner, fear clamping down on my heart, causing it to beat faster and faster until it felt like it was going to leap right out of my chest. Roy was lying next to the old man, his eyes wide in shock and mixed with fear. A dark red stain was spreading across his chest, his tan turnout coat turning crimson. I looked up, the fire was starting to roll up the ceiling.

"Cap! I need help in here! Roy's been shot and the man is unconscious!" I yelled as loud as I could. I could feel a presence come beside me quickly, grateful that my captain had come in himself. He hoisted my injured partner up carefully, trying to not aggravate the wound. "Hurry Gage, this house is going to go!"

"I'm coming Cap!" I replied, heaving my burden up onto my shoulders, following my captain out of the rapidly burning house. I had just cleared the ledge when the call went out to "Get back! Everybody get back!" I could see people running in all directions, just to escape the inevitable blast that was building inside the doomed house.

Cap and I ran like our life depended on it, which it really did. We ran clear back to the front of the squad and laid our victims down just as the house exploded with all its fury. I sent a small prayer heavenward, grateful that we had made it to safety.

The man I had carried out was packaged with an IV in no time, since Rampart knew that he was suffering from lead poisoning and he could wait; Roy couldn't.

Cap helped me by manning the biophone so I could concentrate on Roy. I tell you, I have never been more scared in all my life. Here I am, trying to stop the bleeding from his chest, Roy just staring at me, trying to talk, but nothing was coming out.

"John, Rampart says two IVs Ringers Lactate full bore and ten liters O2," Cap relayed, putting the handset down, helping me by holding pressure bandages on Roy's chest while I started the IVs.

Just as I started the O2, the ambulance backed in next to the squad. George and Calvin, two attendants that Roy and I know very well, hopped out and opened the back. They pulled the gurney out and wheeled it over to where were staged.

"We're ready George. Let's get him out of here," I told him, picking up the drug box and biophone, sliding them into the ambulance before I leapt in.

George and Calvin loaded Roy's gurney into the back, then slid the stokes carrying the other unconscious man onto the bench. Cap closed the doors and I heard the two slaps before the ambulance lurched forward, on our way to the hospital.

It didn't take long before we were backing in at Rampart. The doors opened and I looked in to the eyes of one very concerned Dixie McCall. "Treatment 1," she said, pointing to Roy. "Treatment 3," she added, pointing to the now stirring victim in the stokes. She then followed me as we rolled Roy down the hallway to the treatment room.

Dixie ushered me out of the room almost as soon as I walked in. "But Dix," I started protesting, wanting to stay with Roy. She took me by the arm and steered me down the hallway. "Johnny, come on. You know Kel and Joe, they'll take good care of him. Why don't you wait in the lounge? One of us will come and update you."

I started to protest again, but Dix shut me down almost as soon as I opened my mouth. "Johnny, it'll be alright. He has everything going for him. He has you for a partner and friend. Now don't worry," Dix said, turning back and entering the room where my partner and brother was.

I made my way to the lounge, pouring myself a cup of coffee and sitting down. I hadn't been here very long when the door opened, revealing Dixie. "Johnny, they're going to take him to surgery. It's not as bad as it looks. The bullet missed all his vital organs, but lodged against one of his ribs."

"Can I see him?" I asked quietly, hoping the answer would be yes. Dixie smiled, motioning me to follow her. We made our way down the hallway to the treatment room, where she opened the door for me.

"Hey Pally," I said, looking down into the face of my brother. He was pale and he looked like he was still in pain. By now, I was holding back tears, the past hour taking its toll on me.

"Hey Junior," he responded, weakly. I smiled and patted his shoulder. "Did you call Joanne?"

"I did Roy," Dixie said from the door.

"Thanks." He closed his eyes for just a moment before he opened them and looked me in the eyes. "I'll be alright Johnny. I'll see you on the other side."

I took his hand, squeezing it before whispering, "You bet Pally."

So, here I am, nursing a cup of coffee in the doctor's lounge, waiting to hear any news on my partner and best friend. I know I have been here at least two hours, waiting and worrying.

"John?"

The voice coming unexpectedly from in front of me startles me. "Doc! How is he?"

Brackett is sitting across from me, smiling? "He's going to be alright Johnny. He came through the surgery just fine."

I sigh in relief before running a hand through my hair. "Thanks Doc. How long before I can see him?"

Brackett is looking at his watch. "He's in recovery, but you can see him in about a half an hour or so, once he's settled in a room."

"Thanks Doc, for everything." Brackett is leaving, I'm guessing to go check on my partner and I dump out the cold coffee that was in my cup, smiling.

There really is no guarantees in life that we will be here on this planet tomorrow. Life truly doesn't give us second chances. But you know something, I wouldn't have this life any other way.