Title: I Will Remember You – Pt. 3
By: FanofRandy
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Emergency! is owned by Universal and Mark VII Productions
Summary: After a daring bus rescue, Johnny tries to help Roy through a personal loss. Can their friendship survive this tragedy? NOTE: lyrics from Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You" are used throughout
Johnny placed the port-a-power against the back of the seat and began to compress the handle. The seat began to rise slowly. Johnny felt the pain again in his back as he pumped the handle more fervently. But, he did not pay it any mind. His priority was the little girls. He watched them to see if there was any sign of distress—they could have "compression syndrome"—which meant that once the pressure of the seat was released, their blood would rush to the extremities and this meant certain death. He could request the MAST suit, but he would wait to see what happened.
It seemed like forever since he boarded the bus…"How long has it been?" thought Johnny. He should have immediately given care to the kids and he would have found the girls sooner. Maybe he could have saved the one he passed out under the yellow blanket a few minutes ago. But, hindsight was 20/20 and he and Roy…and, pretty much everyone he knew…always second-guessed themselves on runs that went bad. "What could we have done differently? What time could have been spared? Could this one have been saved?" Those questions and many others flooded Johnny's mind as he continued to pump the port-a-power handle. Finally, he stopped and felt under the seat. He could get his hand between the girls' bodies and the seat…he was certain he would be able to get them out now.
As he pulled the backboards over toward him, he could see several fireman waiting impatiently at the opening…he knew they were as anxious as he was to save these little girls. "Guys get ready for the first one…" he said to them, hoping to ease their anxiety. That was like Johnny…no matter how hurt he was, no matter his struggle, he always tried to make others feel better. As he started to move the first girl, he felt the bus shift again. This time, it was pretty significant. He pressed on with his task of freeing the girl. As he got her on to the back board, he looked down at her face. It was badly swollen…a broken jaw for certain…and, had blood all over it. He thought he recognized a familiarity about this tiny patient, but as he looked at the other girl, he thought "Wow, they could be twins." The girls were wearing nearly the same outfit, had the same hair color and build…"Maybe they are twins" Johnny thought aloud. He quickly dismissed the thought away…it would be hard enough for a family to have one child in this condition; let alone, two.
The shifting of the bus worried the waiting fireman and the Captain above looking down. "Johnny, what's going on in there. Are you okay?" He hunted around for the HT; it had slid forward with the last movement of the bus. "Yeah, Cap. I just moved the first girl and the bus shifted again. I am going to move the two Code F's from the front of the bus to the back for now…that should disperse the weight toward the back of the bus again." Johnny wanted desperately to get the little girls out and on their way to the hospital—for that was their only hope for surviving this terrible accident. But, his mind drifted back to his 8th grade science class…"The applied force and the load must be equal to maintain balance". His science teacher took them out to the playground and put two children about the same size on the see-saw to teach the point visually.
He moved the bus driver carefully as not to cause the bus to move any more than it already had. He moved the other adult, "a rather lovely 30-something woman," he thought, over to the same area with the driver. Again, there was a hint of familiarity with the woman as he had with the child. He felt he somehow knew them. He returned his full attention back to the girls. He checked the girl on the backboard, reviewing her vitals one more time before relaying the information to Dwyer. "Come on, Johnny, it's been over an hour, we have to get those girls to the hospital now." came Dwyer's response. "Had it just been an hour?" Johnny thought—he felt it had been more like TEN hours. "Okay, victim one is one her way up to you." Johnny said as he passed the child out the opening.
Once she was free, Johnny got the other backboard and went to get the other girl. He put the board in place and began moving her. She stirred and pulled back in pain. Johnny cringed…"It's okay, darlin'. I don't mean to hurt you. I just have to get you out." he whispered in her ear. The child's eyes grew wide and tears streamed down her face. She tried to talk but her injuries prevented the words from coming. "Don't try to say anything, precious. My name is Johnny and you are going to be okay." He finished moving her and she lost consciousness again, right before he handed her out.
As he handed out the last victim, Johnson noticed the blood on Johnny's shoulder. "You're bleedin', Gage." "What's new?" Johnny retorted "Get her up that cliff and to Rampart NOW." Johnson heard the urgency and felt the palpable concern that Johnny expressed. As Johnny retreated to get the drug box and other supplies; he would allow the Coroner's office and CSI deal with the two fatalities; he glanced to where the girls had been. He saw something that grabbed his attention. He moved toward it and as he picked it up, his blood ran cold, "Jenny…oh, my God, Jenny." he screamed. He held in his hands a Hello Kitty purse that he had bought for Jenny for her 10th birthday...Johnny's day just got that much worse.
The men heard and almost animalistic scream come from inside the bus. They thought that Gage had been injured (again), but then heard his transmission on the radio to the Captain. "Stoney, this is Gage…" he yelled, "one of those girls is Jenny DeSoto!" Everyone within earshot of the radio knew Roy DeSoto and his family—they had met them at Department Picnics and Fundraisers—this was a blow to everyone. Captain Stone knew that he had to get Johnny to calm down and get him out of that bus…"Johnny, both girls are on their way to Rampart with Brice and Patterson. Dwyer and I are up here waiting for you… All the other children have been taken to the hospital as well. Get up here, and let's get you checked out." Johnny felt himself slipping into shock…he had to get out of this bus before it became his coffin. As he slid out the small opening, seeing the sunlight for the first time in nearly two hours, his friends were there to help him. "We heard, Johnny. It will be okay. Let's get you up this cliff and take care of that cut on your shoulder. We called another ambulance to take you to Rampart, too." Johnny allowed himself be led…he had no more energy to think or feel. How had he not realized that Jenny DeSoto was one of the children he was rescuing?
He reached the top of the cliff and he fell into Captain Stone's arms. Just as the blessed darkness overtook him, a song lyric came to his mind:
I will remember you, will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by, weep not for the memories.
Remember the good the times that we had?
We let them slip away from us when things got bad
Clearly I first saw you smiling in the sun
I want to feel your warmth upon me, I want to be the one.