We had such a good time working together on "The Fire Talks", we decided to try again.

Hope you like it:

THE PHANTOM'S PAYBACK

By GCS and Hotshow

DISCLAIMER: "Emergency!" and its characters © Mark VII Productions, Inc. and Universal Studios. 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. This story is only written for entertainment. No financial gain is being realized from it. The story, itself, is the property of the author.

The squad slid into place beside the engine and two already weary paramedics climbed out of the vehicle.

"Is it one o'clock all ready?" Johnny asked his partner over the top of the cab.

"It's one o'clock all ready," Roy dead panned.

"Man, I feel like I've worked a whole shift. We've already been on four runs since shift started." Johnny rubbed the palms of his hands over his face.

"Yeah, I was there." Roy leaned against the big map on the wall, crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "I think I'm too tired to try to make it to the kitchen for lunch.

"I'll be in there in a few minutes. I'm gonna see if I have some aspirin in my locker." Johnny rubbed his face again.

"Headache?" Roy stood up. His Johnny alert kicking into high gear.

"Relax Pally, it's just a headache." Johnny chuckled.

"I've heard that before." Roy relaxed…a little. "Then the next thing I know we're at Rampart and you're the patient."

"Oh, ha ha ha!"

Captain Stanley had heard the entire exchange from his office. He slid his chair back and moved toward the door.

"I'll see what they saved us for lunch." Roy watched his partner walk slowly away. "You are going to eat lunch aren't you?"

"I said I'll be in there in a few minutes partner. Can't a guy have a simple headache?"

"Roy, how was that last run?" Captain Stanley knew that either something happened on the last run or Roy could be onto something. If nothing happened to cause his youngest crew member to have a headache, then he could very well be coming down with something. Since Johnny had to have his
spleen removed after getting hit by that car, he was prone to illness. A "simple cold" or "simple headache" could be the beginnings of something much more serious.

"The last one was nothin' muc h Cap, just a woman in labor. We got her to Rampart in plenty of time. It was the one before that one that was tough. It was an MI. We assisted 110's with an MI. The guy was trapped in a freight elevator. He was in full arrest before we could get to him. He's in
the CCU." Roy explained.

"Is he going to make it?"

"Don't know, but we got him there."

"What do you think is up with Gage?"

Roy looked at his Captain with a knowing smile. He knew Captain Stanley had a soft spot when it comes to his Junior Paramedic. "It has been a busy morning. Maybe it is just a headache."

"CHET!" Johnny hollered from the locker room. "I'm gonna kill you…and the Phantom!" Slamming doors and banging noises could be heard from the locker room.

"I guess I had better go check on him." Roy chuckled as he turned to go check on his buddy.

Marco and Mike had come into the bay from the kitchen and shared a chuckle as well. Chet sat on the couch with Henry and rolled in hysterical laughter.

More banging noises echoed from the locker room. Roy quickened his pace. 'Man Chet I hope you didn't do anything more than water. He's not in the mood for it, and I'll have to hear about it for the rest of the shift.' Walking into the locker room he found Johnny with his bottle of aspirin in his hand and a scowl on his face. His uniform shirt was covered in a sticky brown substance which also dripped in globs off his face.

"He…he put syrup in that thing." Johnny pointed to the springing device he'd thrown across the room. He eyes were filled with a look Roy was not accustomed to seeing…rage. Johnny was mad. He was really mad. Furious might be a better description. It took a lot to make Johnny this angry. "And he replaced my aspirin with candy. Candy Roy! My head is splitting open, and he left me candy!"

"Calm down Johnny. I have some aspirin in my locker. I'll get it while you take a quick shower. I'll ask Cap if he can stand the squad down long enough for you to clean up." Roy did his best to set things right.

"Clean up! I'm not gonna clean this up!" Johnny was screaming now. "That idiot Phantom can clean this up!" He flung his arm toward his locker and the bench which were also dripping in syrup.

"John!" Captain Stanley called him from the doorway. "Calm down and get in the shower."

Johnny stopped and quieted immediately when his Captain spoke. He knew better than to cross his boss. "Yes sir." His shoulders slumped, his face softened and the anger that fueled his actions left immediately upon his superior's request. He sat on the bench and lowered his head into his hands. His "simple" headache was now more like a migraine. After sitting completely still for a few minutes, Johnny started untying his boots.

Captain Stanley looked over at Roy. "I'll stand you guys down for thirty minutes." He turned and disappeared behind the door. They could hear him calling Chet to clean up the mess.

Johnny was in and out of the shower quickly. They were on shift and the squad out of service would give them time to eat lunch without getting called out. He dressed quickly and downed the aspirin Roy gave him. Chet was not allowed in the locker room to clean it and the latrine until after Johnny was out of there. Mike had their lunch on the table waiting for them when the two men entered the kitchen.

A short time later Johnny knocked on the doorframe to Cap's office. "Uh Cap."

"Yes John, come on in. What can I do for you?"

"I..uh…I have a…I need…could I…"

"Slow down Johnny. What's going on?" One thing about John Gage he could talk a mile a minute until he really had something to say. When he was nervous the words just wouldn't seem to come together for him.

"I don't have any more clean shirts. This was my last one." He tugged at his shirt. "After this morning's run with that sick kid puking all over me, and the Phantom's syrup, I'm all out. I only had the three here. My other two are at the cleaners up the street. I was wondering if Roy and I could run drop the dirty ones off and pick up the others just in case. At the rate things are going I'm gonna need 'em." He explained nervously.

"Why don't you have any more uniforms than the three? You should have plenty of uniforms." Hank wondered why Johnny was missing so many uniforms.

"Well um…I guess…" Johnny stumbled over his answer. "There was the one that got cut off at Rampart last week when I got that concussion. Then…ah…one got burned a little the next shift. I…well…I was already down by one or two."

"Why didn't you order some more John? That is why we have a uniform allowance you know."

"Well Cap we only get to replace our uniforms every quarter. I used up my allowance already. If I order new ones before the end of the month I have to pay for them myself. I…" He hesitated telling his Captain too much information. Maybe he didn't want to tell him how strapped for cash he was after buying that horse and paying for board.

"What John? You can tell me Pal." Hank knew Johnny was uncomfortable. There were some things you could tell about John Gage by looking at him. Unless he had on that blank mask he could slip into place when he wanted to, you could read his feelings on his face. He had the most expressive face. Thanks to that he sucked at cards. The guys could tell what kind of hand he had just by looking at him.

"I can't afford any right now. I'm sorry Cap." He lowered his chin.

Hank felt sorry for Johnny. This latest prank was much worse than a water bomb. If it had been a water bomb he could have hung his uniform up to dry. This situation was not Johnny's fault. "Stay available."

Johnny's head shot up and a crooked grin spread across his face. He was bouncing on his feet before he could turn to leave the office. "Thanks Cap!"

Before Hank could answer Johnny was gone and doors could be heard slamming on the squad. Hank shook his head and smiled. 'Roy must have been waiting for him by the squad. He probably already had the soiled clothes in the seat.' He grabbed his coffee cup and went to the kitchen for a refill. 'Something needs to be done about Chet's pranks, but what? They certainly break up the tension here at the station, but they're getting more and more drastic. Now they're causing definite problems. Water bombs are one thing, but syrup and candy in his aspirin. That could cause serious problems if we'd been toned out, or if he was really sick. Someone needs to teach Chet a lesson without completely stopping him. I could order him to stop, but that might put a damper on the morale.' He scratched his head and wondered
just how to do that without pulling rank.

When he entered the kitchen a strong debate seemed in progress between Mike and Marco with Chet.

"I'm tellin' you Chet, You need to back off from Johnny. Those water bombs of yours are one thing, but syrup. That's a whole different story. If we had been called out on a run he would have had to go like that, all sticky. It's embarrassing." Mike stood above Chet as he sat on the sofa smiling.

"Aw Mikey, it was just a joke. Don't get so uptight. It's Gage we're talking about. He can take it. He doesn't even get mad most of the time." Chet's eye twinkled as he remembered the way Johnny reacted to most of his pranks. Sure he was mad today, but he would get over it.

"No Chet that's not always true. Johnny is a good sport, but you could have really gotten him hurt or someone else. Like Mike said what if we had gotten called out? Cap would have had to take the squad out of service and request a replacement or let Johnny go like that." Marco tried to talk some
sense into his best bud.

"Don't be so dramatic Marco. Johnny just had to change shirts, that's all; he has more." Chet shrugged his shoulders. He didn't understand what the big deal was.

"No Chet he doesn't have more. I heard him telling Roy that was his last clean shirt." Mike kept trying to make Chet understand.

"What do you mean? We have plenty of uniforms. You guys are nuts." Chet slid off the coach and tried to push past the two men in front of him.

"I think it's time the Phantom got some payback." Mike folded his arms across his chest.

"And just who do you think is going to do that Mikey?" Chet pushed through.

Mike grabbed his arm and got right in his face. "And don't call me Mikey!"

Captain Stanley moved away from the door and looked at the three men. "Is there something going on in here that I should know about?"