Twenty-five year old Paramedic John Gage whistled as he mopped the kitchen floor of Station 51. The SCU Tones rung out above his whistling. He ran for the Squad, slipping and nearly falling on the wet floor.
"Squad 51, possible heart attack. 1506, Lindon Drive. Cross street Hardy. 1-5-0-6 Lindon Drive, cross street Hardy. Time out: 11:59," the voice of Sam Lanier, the SCU Operator said.
John opened the Squad door, climbing into his seat. His partner and best friend Roy DeSoto climbed into the driver's seat beside him.
John strapped his helmet on as Captain Hank Stanley acknowledged the SUC Tones, "Squad 51, KMG-365." He reached into the Squad window, handing Roy the slip of paper with the address on it. Roy handed it over to his partner, and roared off in the Squad.
Five minutes later, they arrived on the scene. John jumped out, followed by Roy. He grabbed the Drug Box and the Biophone.
A middle-aged man lay on the ground, groaning. A woman sat beside him, holding his hand. She looked up as the two Paramedics walked over.
"Please, you've got to help him!" She cried frantically. "I think he's having a heart attack. Please, hurry!"
"Ma'am, please, calm down," John said. "I'm John Gage. I'm a Paramedic with the LA County Fire Department. Now we'll do everything possible to help your husband, okay?"
The woman nodded. "But he's not my husband, he's my brother," she said sorrowfully.
John blushed slightly. "Sorry...What's his name?" John asked, checking his pulse.
"Josh Mills," she said.
John nodded, saying aside to Roy, "pulse is 87, BP is 80/60, respirations 16."
Roy nodded, picking up the Biophone. "Rampart, this is Squad 51. Do you read me?"
"We read you loud and clear, go ahead, 51," the deep voice of Doctor Kelly Brackett, head of Rampart General Hospital, came through the Biophone.
"Rampart, we have a victim of a possible heart attack. Approximate age is fifty. His vitals are: Pulse is 87, BP, 80/60, respirations, 16."
"51, start him on..."
Doctor Brackett was suddenly cut off by the sound of John Gage's voice.
"Roy, he's in V-Fib!"
"Rampart, patient is in V-Fib! Request permission to defibrillate."
"Permission granted," Doctor Brackett said.
Roy slung the Biophone around his neck, and helped John ready the defibrillator.
"Three, two, one, clear!" John cried, zapping him with the defibrillator.
"No change!" Roy said. "Zap him again, Johnny!"
"Clear!" John said once again, zapping him.
"Sinus rhythm," Roy said, sitting back in relief. He picked up the Biophone. "Rampart, we have patient under control. Sinus rhythm."
"10-4, 51," Brackett said. "Transport as soon as possible."
"10-4, Rampart," Roy said, hanging up.
"Oh, I don't know how to thank you!" The woman cried happily.
"We may have only just gotten him over the worst of it,"John said softly. "We have to get him to the hospital so the Doctors can do what they can, alright?"
She nodded. "But...he'll be okay, won't he?"
"I'm sure he will, ma'am," he said, patting her shoulder, just as the ambulance arrived.
The two ambulance attendants jumped out, opening the back of the van and pulling out a stretcher.
John and Roy helped lift him onto the stretcher. The strapped him in, then lifted the stretcher into the van. Roy climbed in the back.
"May I come?" Ms. Mills asked.
"You can, but you'll have to ride in the front, with us," one of the attendants said.
John shut the ambulance's back doors, giving them the usual 'go ahead', slaps.
He climbed behind the squad's steering wheel, following the ambulance to Rampart General Hospital.
*****Friday*****
"I think Johnny's sweet on Sharon," John heard Lineman Chet Kelly saying as he came into the break room, followed by Roy.
Chet was a teaser, and often played jokes on John, or Johnny as they usually called him, who was the youngest crew member.
John rolled his eyes as he walked in. "Aww, shut up, Chet," he growled.
"Well it's true, isn't it, Gage?" Chet teased, grinning.
"Maybe I am, and maybe I'm not," Johnny said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Either
way, it's none of your business, Kelly."
"C'mon, Johnny," Marco Lopez, Chet's Lineman partner said. He occasionally teased John too, though no one as much as Chet Kelly.
"Chester Kelly, can you ever keep your mouth shut?" John snapped, turning away from his crew mates and looking out the window.
"Eh, sorry, Gage," Chet said innocently, shrugging. "I won't say anything else about it."
John didn't say anything at first, but a minute later, he turned around, looking confused.
"Chet, how did you know I was sweet on Sharon?" He asked.
Chet shrugged again. "It's really not that hard to tell, Gage. I mean, I saw you talking to her in the hospital the other day, and it didn't look like you two were talking business stuff or anything. When's the date?"
John rolled his eyes. His crew mates knew him only too well.
*****Earlier that week*****
Nurse Sharon Walters walked down the hall toward Doctor Kelly Brackett's Office, carrying a clipboard with the blood tests of a patient in her hand. She was looking down at what she held in her hands, when she felt someone bump into her.
"Oh, excu..." she started to say, when she realized who it was, as she looked up into the handsome face of John Gage. His brown eyes caught her brown, and he threw her his famous crooked grin, the one that melted the hearts of all the ladies.
She smiled prettily back. "I'm sorry, John, I didn't notice you!"
"That's alright," Johnny said. "It was kinda my fault...shoulda looked where I was going. Hey, uh, Sharon, you off this Saturday?"
Sharon nodded enthusiastically, hoping he was about to ask her out.
"I was thinkin' if you were, maybe we could have dinner somewhere together...maybe even go to see a movie."
Sharon grinned excitedly. "I'd love that, Johnny!" She suddenly smiled mischievously. "John Gage, did you purposely bump into me?"
Johnny grinned sheepishly, shrugging.
*****Friday*****
"But why do you get all the pretty chicks, Gage?" Chet complained.
"Guess that's just what comes of being so hot," Roy said, grinning.
"Aww, cut it out, Roy," Johnny said, slapping his partner on the arm. "I can't help that all the girls flock to me like...bees to honey..." he shrugged.
"You're a flirt, Gage," Chet said.
"Jealous?" John asked, grinning mischieviously.
"Me? Jealous?" Chet asked, acting surprised. "No way. I'd hate to be in your place, man. All the chicks crowding around you, wanting you to spend all their money on them, and then dumping you. No way. That's not for me."
"Sounds like jealousy there, to me, Kelly," John retorted, still grinning.
"Station 85, station 48, station 32, station 51," the SCU Tones sounded, interrupting their conversation. Everyone jumped to their feet, heading for their vehicles. "Battalion 14," Sam continued. "Structure Fire, Southwest coast 513 Jorge Street, structure fire, 5-1-3 Jorge street, cross street Belway. Time out: 13:02."
They grabbed their turnout coats, slipped into them and jumped into the vehicles as Captain Stanley acknowledged the call. "Station 51, 10-4, KMG-365." He handed the address to Roy, then jumped into the Fire Engine beside Engineer Mike Stoker.
Throughout the drive, there were more calls for more stations. Fifteen minutes later Station 51 arrived at the scene. Smoke and fire was everywhere.
"You gotta help me!" A stout man in a hard work hat and construction uniform said, running up. "One of my men's still in there! You gotta help me!"
"Cap!" Johnny said, grabbing for has oxygen mask and air tank.
Captain Stanley turned toward him.
"Man tells us one of his men are still in there. Roy and I can go in there and make it out, I think."
Hank looked at the building. "Alright, John, but only five minutes. If you haven't found him by then, then I want you both out of there. I can't risk you two being blown sky high. In and out, Gage, got it?" He turned to Chet and Marco. "Kelly, Lopez, I grab an inch and a half. Move it!"
John nodded. "Got it, Cap." He motioned for Roy to follow.
The two ran toward the construction building. "Cap says five minutes, Roy," Johnny informed him, holding out five splayed gloved fingers to stress their Captain's orders. Roy nodded, following him into the building. "I'll go up, Roy. You look downstairs."
John climbed carefully up the stars. He opened door after door, yelling into each one and marking them.
Finally he heard Roy's voice from below. "John!" He yelled. "I found him."
"Kay, Roy. Be right down."
"Hurrry up, then. This place could explode in any minute!" Roy took his oxygen mask off, placing it over the man's mouth for a few seconds. He took it off, picked the man up, and slung him over his shoulder. "Hurry, John!" He yelled, heading out the door.
"Coming!" John yelled. He started running, only to trip over a piece of debris.
He hit his head hard on the wall. He lay stunned for a moment, but managed to climb to his feet. He shook his head of the dizziness, and once again he headed for the stairs.
He made it to the stairs, and had just walked down the first step when he was thrown violently forward onto the banister.
The force of hitting the banister knocked him backwards. He hit his head hard on the banister behind him. His head was spinning, and before he knew what had happened to him, everything went black.
Roy hurriedly carried the man outside.
"John Roderick Gage, I swear, you had better get out here," he was muttering in irked annoyance.
Suddenly there was a loud crash. Roy jumped to the ground as debris flew from the building as effect from the explosion.
"No!" He cried. "John, no!" He looked frantically around, hoping his partner had come out. Maybe he was around back. 'Maybe he couldn't get through the door I went through, so he went around to the back,' he tried to assure himself.
But he knew his best friend was in there. He had a gut feeling.
"CAP!" He yelled. Captain Stanley looked over. He saw Roy coming as fast as he could while carrying a hundred and seventy pound man over his shoulder, but has saw no John Gage. He had a sinking feeling.
"Roy?" He called, running over. "Where's John?" He helped him carry the man to the squad, setting him down on th ground.
"He's still in there, Cap," he said. "I don't know what happened. Maybe he ran out of air in his oxygen tank or something. Could you have 48's Paramedics take care of him? I need to find John."
Cap nodded. "Go on, Roy. But I can't promise he made it." Roy nodded sadly. Cap put a hand on his shoulder sympathetically. "I'll be prayin', pal."
Roy dashed toward the building. The door was in flames. He ran around back, but the only other doors were in flames as well.
"John, no, please no. Don't leave me, Junior," he prayed silently, using the nickname he'd given him practically when they'd first met. "Kelly, Lopez!" He yelled. "Come get this door! John's trapped inside!" Chet and Marco ran over with the hose. They sprayed the door down, following Roy inside.
The limp form of John Gage rolled down the stairs. Even in his unconscious state, he could feel the flames all around him. And even what felt like someone tripping over him. He moaned softly.
Roy headed for the stairs. John was probably still up there. Chet and Marco followed behind, spraying flames all around. Roy found the staircase. In the darkness, He couldn't see the body at the bottom of the stairs, until he tripped over it. "John?" He said hopefully. He thought he heard a moan, but he didn't want to get his hopes too high. With all the noise of the fire around him, he could have heard anything. He squatted down, lifting his young partner over his shoulders. He could feel his breaths. Though he was hardly breathing, at least he was alive.
"I found him!" He yelled the two linemen. Roy placed his oxygen mask over John's face, letting him take in the fresh air for a few seconds. He ran outside, Marco and Chet close behind. Roy laid his unconscious partner by the squad.
"Please be alright, John," he murmured.
"Cap, Roy found him!" Chet said. Cap nodded, rushing over to the squad. He gave Roy a quick pat on the back, and picked up the Biophone.
"Rampart base, this is Squad 51," he said. "How do you read me?"
"Squad 51, this is Rampart, go ahead." It was Dixie McCall, the head Nurse of Rampart General.
"We have a victim who's been caught in an explosion, Rampart. Age twenty-five. He's unconscious now, but he can breathe on his own a little. We have him on six liters of O2.
Roy gave Cap John's vitals, who relayed them to Dixie.
"Kel, it's Captain Stanley. He has a victim who's been caught in an explosion," Dixie told Doctor Brackett, letting him take over.
"51, start victim on ringers lactate and transport as soon as possible," he said.
"10-4 Rampart. Ringers lactate, transport as soon as possible," Cap said.
It was only a few minutes later, though it seemed like hours to Roy, that the ambulance arrived. By then the fire was under control.
Roy helped lift him onto the stretcher and into the van. Roy jumped in beside his partner. Cap shut the doors, slapping them twice. The ambulance roared off toward Rampart.
"Uh...Cap?" Chet asked, coming up behind him. "Care if I drive the squad to Rampart? I'd kinda like to see Gage...I mean Johnny."
Cap slapped Chet lightly on the shoulder. "Why don't we all go, pal?" He asked. "Go get Mike and Marco."
Chet ran off, and returned a moment later with the Engineer and Lineman.
*****Next day*****
"Hey Doc...Is Johnny okay?" Cap asked Brackett as he was walking down the hall.
Kelly looked up. He didn't look too happy, and the fire crew could tell.
"Doc...he's not...?" Cap asked, his voice quivering a bit.
Kelly held up his hand. "Woah, Hank," he said softly. "John's not dead. But we're pretty darn worried about him. He hasn't woken up yet, and even though he had smoke inhalation and knocked his noggin pretty hard, he's recovered quicker from worse. Maybe I'm just worrying because I like him. We'll have to give him longer before we should really get worried too much. Would you like to see him now? He's unconscious, but still...And Roy's in there with him."
Hank nodded. "Certainly. I, uh...hope he'll be okay, Doc."
Brackett gave him a tight smile and squeezed his shoulder. "Treament Room Three...Cap," he said, walking off to talk to Dixie and Doctor Joe Early.
"Hey, Kel," Joe and Dixie said in unison. They looked glum.
"Joe...Dix," he acknowledged, attempting a smile.
"How is he...I mean, John?" Joe asked worriedly.
Kelly shrugged. "He's sill unconscious. He's breathing pretty well on his own, but I've still got him on O2. I'm kinda worried about him."
Dixie patted his arm. "I'm sure he'll be fine, Kel," she said, forcing a smile. "You know how stubborn John is. He's come through worse."
Brackett gave her a tight lipped smile.
Captain Stanley tapped slightly on the door of room three. He opened it a crack.
"Roy?" He asked.
Roy looked up. His blue eyes were all Hank needed to see that he was scared.
"Can I come in?" He asked.
"Sure, Cap. Come on in," Roy said, trying to smile.
Roy was sitting in a chair. It was pulled up close to Johnny's bed, and Captain Stanley noticed almost right off that he was holding his unconscious partner's hand.
The crew stayed a while longer, but Cap said he needed to get Roy a temporary partner...he made sure that he stressed the word temporary.
Roy pulled the Squad into the Fire Station. "Well, here we are," he said, giving the steering wheel a light thump.
He looked looked over at his temporary partner, Reid Martin.
"So uh...what happened to your permanent partner?" Reid asked. "Did he quit? Get hurt?"
Roy nodded. "Yeah...our last call out...he got caught in an explosion. Knocked his head pretty hard. Got smoke inhalation and he's unconscious. We're only hoping for the best." He shrugged his shoulders, climbing out of the Squad and walking into the break room.
"Hey, Roy," Marco said, trying to sound cheerful.
"Hi, Marc," Roy acknowledged.
"There's stake in the oven for you two," Cap said.
*****Three days later*****
Roy and Reid came into the break room from a rescue. Roy looked depressed.
"Still hasn't waken up, has he?" Cap asked Roy sympathetically.
Roy nodded. "I'm getting worried, Cap."
"There's sandwiches on the counter, Roy," Mike said. "We've already had our lunch."
Roy nodded. He was just about to get his and Reid's plates when the telephone rang.
He snatched it up expectantly.
"Yes?"...His eyes widened. His crew mates couldn't tell if it was from happy excitement or not. "Alright, Doc, I'll be right over!" He slammed the phone down, and started running for the Squad, until Captain Stanley put his arm out in front of Roy and stopped him.
"Woah, pal," he said. "You mind explaining to us what this is all about?"
Roy looked sheepish. "Oh, Sorry, Cap. I just got a call from Joe Early. He said that Johnny'awake and feeling fine. I'm going down there to see him. Anyone coming?"
Every one raised their hands. Even Reid.
"Might as well, if everyone else is, I mean," he said, shrugging.
Roy walked excitedly in Treatment Room Three, followed by a flock of excited crew mates.
Chet tried not to look excited. "Hey Gage," he said, after everyone else had greeted him with a slap on the back or handshake. "You figurin' on coming back to help at the Station? We could use the help." Marco punched Chet in the arm.
John grinned. "I kinda like it here. Being waited on by all the pretty nurses is pretty nice."
Chet rolled his eyes.
"When will he be allowed to leave the hospital, Doc?" Roy asked Brackett.
Brackett smiled. "I'd say give him until tomorrow, and then we'll release him."
Johnny grinned.
"But," Doctor Brackett said, holding up his hand. "No going back to work for at least five days."
"But Doc..." Johnny whined.
"No, John. You heard me: five days. You had pretty bad smoke inhalation and a nasty knock to your head. We don't want that effecting your work somehow. Someone could be hurt. You might even get hurt,"
Kelly Brackett said sternly.
Johnnny sank back against his pillow in defeat. "Fine," he muttered unhappily.
Roy and Brackett chuckled.
*****Two weeks later*****
"So, I thought if maybe she'd already dumped him for not keeping his date, she'd go out with me," John heard Chet Kelly saying in the Lockeroom as he walked toward it to change his clothes.
"Sharon wouldn't dump John for that," Marco said. "It wasn't his fault he got hurt. Besides, John'd personally kill you if you stole his date."
"Aww, I was just kidding. You know I wouldn't really do that to Gage."
"The heck you wouldn't," John growled, walking into the lockeroom.
Chet rolled his eyes."And here comes the lucky woman magnet himself."
"Magnet?" John asked, looking confused. He slipped his shirt over his head.
"Yeah, you know, thing attracts metal?" Chet said sarcastically, using his hands as if one was metal and the other was a magnet to demonstrate.
"You know what I'm talking about, Kelly," John growled, pulling his uniform shirt over his head.
"You magnetize women to you, dummy," Chet said, acting as though he were exasperated.
John shrugged. "Sorry, Kelly, I can't help it." He buttoned his shirt, grinning crookedly. "They all just seem to like me."
Just then the SCU Tones sounded out.
"Station 51." Johnny ran for the Squad, still bottoming his uniform shirt.
"Possible suicide attempt. 405 Ford Street. 4-0-5 Ford Street. Cross street Morow. Time out: 7:36."
"Station 51, KMG-365," Cap said, handing Roy the address.
The Squad rolled out of the Fire Station.
"Take a left at this next stop, Roy," Johnny said, looking up from the slip of paper in his hand and pointing.
Roy turned the Squad to the left. "Stop, stop, stop," John said quickly. "Rght there." He pointed, opening the door and jumping out before Roy had been come to a complete stop.
Johnny grabbed the Biophone and Drug Box from the Squad.
There was a house, and a garage beside it. The entrance was closed, and smoke was coming out from the bottom. Johnny put his gas mask and turnout coat on, slinging his air tank over his shoulders.
A young woman ran over. Her face was red as though she'd been crying. "Please help me," she said. "It's my father...I think he's tying to kill himself!"
"Ma'am, I'm about to send some of my men in there. Just calm down, okay? Everything's gonna be alright." Captain Stanley sat her down in front of the Squad.
"Cap," John said, running up and pulling his gas mask free of his face. "We can't get in there. The doors jammed or locked or something. We'll have to use the hatchet."
Cap nodded. "Go ahead."
John hacked up the door enough for the crew to pull it apart. The opening wasn't very big. "I think I can squeeze in there," Johnny said. "We haven't got time to pull more apart." He shrugged off his air tank, handing it to Roy. "Hand it to me when I'm through."
John climbed through, and Roy handed his air tank to him. John put it on. Through the smoke, he could just barely make out the outline of someone lying on the ground.
John ran over and shook him. No response.
The man was huge. He had to be over six foot tall, and probably at least two hundred and eighty pounds. John coughed harshly, bending down to try.
He put his arms under the man, and tried lifting him, only to pull a muscle in his shoulder.
"Agh," he growled in pain.
Behind him, the crew were hacking and pulling at the door, trying to make the opening wider.
John decided his best bet was to get help. He started running toward the door, only to be knocked down as a huge explosion rocked the garage. Johnny climbed to his feet. His gas mask had fallen to the ground, and the smoke had become so black and thick he couldn't his hand even when it was right up to his face. His eyes were red, and tears were streaming down his face from the smoke. He could only pray that the others would get in...And fast. He could feel himself slipping into darkness, and his vision blurred...
Roy was hacking furiously at the thick door.
Johnny was taking too long, and apparently he needed help. Before Roy or anyone else knew what was happening, they were all knocked backwards off their feet.
Mike Stoker's head hit the concrete, and he knew no more.
John was coughing, but he refused to let himself pass out. He had to help the girls father. He drug himself up to his knees. Crawling, he managed to locate the girl's father. He grabbed him under the armpits, dragging him backwards. He could see that the door was in flames. The flames suddenly started to dissipate, and the forms of Chet Kelly and Marco Lopez appeared through the now burnt down door. John managed limp toward them. Chet and Marco took the man from John, and Roy came in once they had carried him out.
"Lean on my shoulder, Junior," Roy said, putting his arm around John's shoulder to help support him. Roy helped him out into the fresh air. John's face was tear streaked, and he was coughing. Roy got him to the Squad and put an air mask over his face.
"Hey, John. How ya' feelin'?" Roy said, smiling as he came into John's hospital room the next morning.
John returned the grin, crookedly. "I'm feeling a lot better Roy. Thanks to you. How's Mike?"
"He got himself a pretty hard bump on the head, but he's alright."
"And um...what about the girl's father? Did he make it?"
Roy bit his lip, shaking his head. "No, John. He was probably gone before you even got to him."
John's face looked downcast. "What about the girl? Where's she going?"
Roy shrugged. "She has an Aunt in Las Vegas who's going to come and get her. I brought you something, though," he said, trying to lighten up the conversation.
He pulled out of a brown paper bag two ice cream cones, and gave one to Johnny.
"Thanks, Roy," he said, grinning.
Roy grinned back, pulling a chair up beside John's bed and eating the other ice cream cone.
THE END
I apologize for the fact that dear John ended up in the hospital twice and for pretty much the same reasons. I have a bit of an obsession with greatly paining people I have crushes on. And he, unfortunately, is one of my biggest crushes. So don't get the crazy Idea that just because I like him I won't hurt him. Having a crush on him means he'll probably get hurt a lot worse than anyone else. So deal with it. And I have a small crush on Mike, so I just had to knock him out.
***NOTE***
THESE CHARACTERS WERE TAKEN FROM A TV SHOW CALLED EMERGENCY!.
THE DIOLOGUE IS MY OWN. NONE WAS TAKEN FROM ANY OF THE SHOWS.
ANY MEDICAL MISTAKES MADE ARE MINE.