I do not own these men, wish I did, but I don't *sigh*
Ocean Blues
John Gage woke up to the morning tones going off at Station 51. He rolled over and watched his partner, Roy DeSoto, get out of bed.
"How do you do that?" Johnny asked.
"What?" Roy asked, looking down at his sleepy partner.
"How do you just hop out of bed in the morning?" Johnny asked, slowly getting into the sitting position and rubbing his face.
"Hey John, if you keep doing that, your nose is gonna fall off." Chet Kelly said to his favorite pigeon.
"Oh, Shut up Chet!" John groaned. It was way too early for Chet.
Johnny looked back at Roy, who was now making his bed. He sighed and stood up.
"So Junior, are you still coming to our dinner party tonight?" Roy asked.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world, Pally."
Roy and Johnny made their way to the dayroom where fresh coffee and breakfast were awaiting them. The men of Station 51 talked casually about the DeSoto's dinner party and other upcoming events until there shift was over.
Johnny parked his car in Roy's driveway. He noticed that his car was the only car there. He got out and started walking toward the house. He had a huge homemade cake in one hand a card in the other. He rang the doorbell and heard little feet running toward the door. The door swung open to reveal and a beaming Jennifer DeSoto.
"Uncle Johnny!" She squealed.
"Jenny!" Johnny smiled down at the little girl.
Johnny walked into the familiar house and made his way to the kitchen. He set his things down and turned to find that Jenny had followed him.
Johnny got down on one knee and spread his arms out to the little girl. She took a running leap landing square on Johnny's chest. He gasped at the sudden weight, but smiled as he lifted Jenny. Jenny wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed as hard as she could.
"I missed you Uncle Johnny." She said.
"I missed you too, Jenny bear. Where is everyone?" Johnny asked.
"Mommy is in the living room and Daddy is outside with Chris. I think there working on the grill." Jenny said, squirming in Johnny's arms. Johnny put her down and let her grab his hand. She pulled him into the living room, where JoAnne DeSoto was sitting on the couch with her eyes closed. She woke to the noise of approaching footsteps.
"Johnny, how are you?" She said, getting up from the couch and giving the man a big hug.
"I'm fine Jo, how are you?"
"Oh fine, fine. I think Roy is outside with Chris. Can I get you something to drink?"
"No thanks, I think I'll go say hi to Roy." He said, walking toward the sliding glass door that led outside. He opened and looked into the DeSots's huge backyard. He spotted Roy running around and Chris chasing him. When Chris caught him they tumbled to the ground and started to wrestle. Johnny laughed at Roy who was letting Chris get the best of him.
When Chris finally got off him, Roy stood and picked Chris up and running away with him. You could hear them laughing the whole way.
Roy looked up when he heard someone else laughing along with them. He smiled when he saw his partner standing on his back deck. Roy sat his son down and made his way up to Johnny.
"Hey Johnny."
"Hey Roy."
"You're early. Everything ok?"
"Yeah, thought I'd help out, but seems like JoAnne has everything covered."
"Yeah, she always does." Roy smiled at the thought of his wife.
The men stood there and talked until other guests started to arrive. The dinner party went on without a hitch, the boys of Station 51 told stories of recent calls and the rest of the party listened intently. Doctor Brackett and Dixie McCall showed up and they joined in with stories of their own. By the end of the evening, everyone was laughing and having a great time.
"Well, I don't know about the rest of my crew, but I need to get home and get some sleep before our shift tomorrow morning." Captain Stanley said after looking at his watch and realizing it was 11 o'clock at night.
The men took that as a hint and got up to leave. Johnny stayed behind and ended up being the only guest left. He helped clean up and him and Roy got a cup of coffee and went out on the back deck. They stood there, content in each other's company.
"Thanks for helping out, JoAnne really appreciates it." Roy said.
"No problem, I love helping you guys out."
Roy laughed a little.
"You know, Jo's been kinda worried about you lately."
Johnny looked up in curiosity.
"Why?" He asked.
"She says she feels bad that she can't come and cook for you and be there for you all the time, she said that you have become sort of like her brother and she wants you to know that she will always be around if you ever need anything."
Johnny had tears in his eyes. To tell the truth, Johnny felt the same, he had come to think that Chris and Jenny were his nephew and niece and that JoAnne was a sister, but he also thought of Roy as a brother.
"You know Johnny; you're more of a brother to me than my real brother is." Roy said, hating getting all sentimental on his best friend.
Johnny nodded his head.
"Roy, you're the brother I never had, and JoAnne is a much better sister than my real one. I would do anything for you and your family."
"Thanks, I just thought you should know that you're not alone, and you'll never be alone."
"Same here, Pally." Johnny said, holding back the tears that he refused to shed.
The two men stood there for awhile more, leaving when they grew tired and knew they needed to get rest before their shift.
Roy and Johnny arrived at the station early the next morning. They greeted the rest of the crew and went to the locker room to change.
"Hey Roy?" Johnny asked.
"Yeah?"
Just then the klaxons went off, stopping Johnny from continuing the conversation. The boys ran to the squad and left, lights and sirens blaring.
The squad didn't return to the station until late that night. They had been on nine calls in a row without stopping. All they wanted to do was crash into their bunks and sleep the rest of the night. They fell asleep before their heads hit the pillows but were woken up thirty minutes later when the klaxons went off.
"Squad 51, Meet the Coast Guard at Base 7 for a boating accident. Time-out 22:14."
"Squad 51, KMG-365" Roy said into the mike. He climbed into the squad and drove off.
"I hate Coast Guard calls." Johnny said as he pointed out streets for Roy to turn on.
"Why?"
"The water. I would rather fight a four alarm fire then be in the ocean trying to do a rescue."
The boys pulled up on the scene, they were greeted by two helicopter pilots. They jumped into the helicopter and lifted off. Johnny put on his headset and asked for details.
"There was a boating accident, two boats are involved and there are people in the water. Two of the victims are recovered, but last report said there is one more. We are told he's in bad condition, that;s why we called you." The pilot said.
Johnny acknowledged the pilot. He turned the radio off and focused on the upcoming rescue.
Ten minutes later the pilot signaled to them to put a headset on.
"We are two minutes out, the victim has been spotted and all we need to do is lower one of you to go and get him. Which one of you wants to do it?" The pilot asked.
"I'll do it." Roy said before Johnny could even say anything.
"Ok, put on a life belt, my co-pilot will come back there to help you."
Johnny looked at Roy with a questioning look.
"Listen, you don't like water rescues, I'll do it."
Johnny nodded his head.
"I'll set up the link to Rampart." Johnny said opening the biophone.
Roy got ready to be lowered out as Johnny talked to Rampart. As he was about ready to leave Johnny yelled out to him.
"Be Careful."
Roy nodded and scooted out of the helicopter. Johnny watched as they lowered Roy into the choppy waters below.
Roy swam over to the victim, he felt for a pulse and when he got one he signaled for the basket to be lowered. When the basket got there he put the victim in it and signaled it to be raised. Roy watched it go up to the helicopter. He saw Johnny pull it in and the basket disappear. By this time Roy noticed the waves getting really choppy. He had to fight to keep his head above the water.
'Alright Roy, calm down. The line will here in a second.' Roy thought to himself.
He looked up and saw the rope dangling a foot above him. He grabbed it and hooked the clip to his lifebelt. He signaled to be raised and he started the long haul up.
Roy was about thirty feet above the water when he felt the lifebelt give. His body slipped from the rigging before he could grab the line. He fell thirty feet into the rough waters below.
Johnny sat in the helicopter watching his friend be raised from the ocean. He was grateful that he was not the one who had to do the rescue. He looked out to see the progress and almost jumped out of the helicopter when Roy slipped from the lifebelt. He watched Roy fall back into the black depths of the unforgiving ocean. It all seemed to happen in slow motion.
He held his breathe as he waited for Roy to come back and give him the signal that he was ok, but when he did come up he gave the 'I'm not ok' signal. Johnny grabbed a lifebelt and asked to be lowered.
Before he slid out he looked down into the black ocean. Johnny felt fear creep up through him, but then he looked at Roy and knew what he needed to do.
He slid out of the helicopter and was lowered into the foaming water.
Once free of line he swam over to Roy.
"You ok?" Johnny asked.
All Roy could do was shake his head and mumble something about his leg. Johnny grabbed him and signaled for the basket to be lowered.
As they waited for the basket, Roy started to slip into unconsciousness.
"Roy! Roy! You gotta stay with me! Ok, don't go to sleep. Did you hit your head?" Johnny asked.
Roy nodded his head and leaned his head against Johnny's shoulder. He was no longer trying to keep himself up out of the water. Johnny started to sink with the added weight but grabbed on to the basket just in time. He put Roy in it, being careful of his leg. Johnny watched Roy be raised into the helicopter and the secured himself to the line and was raised himself. Johnny let out his breath when he reached the cabin door and they were on their way to Rampart.
Johnny stood outside of Treatment Room 3, waiting for news on Roy.
They had arrived at Rampart forty-five minutes ago and the Doctors were still in with him. Johnny had given up pacing when people had started to stare at him, but now he stood there, daring the door to open.
Ten minutes later, Dixie walked out. She smiled when she saw the worried Paramedic.
"Johnny?" She said quietly.
Johnny jumped at the sound of her voice; he hadn't noticed the door open and her come out.
"Dix? How is he?" He asked.
"He's awake and asking for you." She said.
Johnny smiled and pushed the treatment room door open. He saw Brackett talking to Roy and writing in a chart. He looked up when he heard the door open.
"Well Roy, we need to cast that leg and I'll keep you here overnight for observation, but other than that you should be fine."
"Thanks Doc." Roy said his voice rough.
Doctor Brackett left the room, leaving the two men alone.
"Hey." Johnny asked, looking down at the ground. He was suddenly nervous talking to his best friend.
"Hey, thanks."
"For what?" Johnny asked.
"Facing your fear and saving me."
"Oh…it wasn't a 'fear' just a general dislike of water rescues." Johnny said.
"Right Junior, thanks anyways."
"No problem. You know, I didn't even question going in the water. Once I saw you, I knew what I had to do. I never looked back."
"Well, there is an old saying 'you never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.'"
Johnny thought for a moment, he never thought and old saying could describe how he felt, but he thought that that one was very close.
"Hey Johnny?" Roy asked.
"Yeah?"
"What were you gonna say earlier? In the locker room?"
John thought for a moment, trying to remember what he wanted to say. Then it clicked in his mind and he smiled.
"I wanted to thank you for always being by my side and making me a part of your family."
Roy smiled, "No problem, I always be there, you know."
"I know, and I'll always be there, even if you don't want me to be."
The men laughed at the all too true statement that Johnny had made.
Johnny sat by Roy's side all night, telling jokes and stories. He fell asleep in the chair beside Roy's bed and stayed there until JoAnne came by the next day to get him. He then helped out around the DeSoto house until Roy was back on his feet. By the time Roy was back at the station, him and Johnny were closer than they had ever been and happy to know someone would always have their back.
THE END