CHAPTER FOUR

Joanne was waiting for them when they rolled the gurney down the hallway into an exam room. Chief McConikee had been aware of the situation, and had gone to inform his family, staying with them until word came that Roy had been found, alive, and was being transported to the hospital. He offered to give Joanne a ride in, and she gladly accepted, not sure if she would have been able to drive herself. Dixie had another nurse take the kids into the doctor's lounge, not wanting them to have to see their father all broken and bloodied. It would be bad enough for Joanne.

As the doctors took over the gurney, Joanne tried to follow it into the exam room, only to be stopped by an arm around her waist. She looked back to see Johnny, his face full of dirt and grime, small cuts on his cheeks and forehead.

"Let me go, Johnny, I want to be with him," she said, struggling to get away from his grasp.

"I know you do...so do I. But we need to let the doctors do their job without having to worry about us being there. They need to be able to concentrate on Roy."

Joanne slumped back, leaning against Johnny's shoulder. He turned her around, putting the arm over her shoulder and leading her to a couch in the waiting room. He sat down on her left side, his right arm still across her shoulder. She stared down the hallway, not taking her eyes from the exam room door.

"Johnny, how bad is he?" she asked, quietly.

His right hand squeezed her shoulder as he carefully selected his words. He didn't want to scare her, but knew she would want the truth.

"He's breathing okay. His pulse is a little weak, but it's steady, Joanne," he began. "He broke his arm and probably has a concussion. He's got a nasty cut on the back of his head, and he's was in and out of consciousness. He lost a lot of blood. But, it could have been a lot worse. He was lucky that he wasn't caught underneath all the dirt...he was able to get away from it, so he wasn't completely buried, only his legs."

She nodded and reached out to grab his left hand, clutching it in both of hers, still silently watching the door behind which the doctors had her husband's life in their hands. She desperately wanted to be in there, imagining all kinds of things that were going on. She knew that Dr Brackett and Dixie were the best and she was glad they were with Roy. And she'd seen Dr Early go in the room, too. So she took a deep breath and tightened her grip on Johnny's hand, trying to draw strength from him. She knew she would have to be strong, later, for her children, but right now she just wanted to be comforted herself. She closed her eyes and turned to lean her back against Johnny's chest.

Johnny pulled her close, leaning his chin on the top of her head. He, too, wanted to be in that room. But he also knew that the best place for him right now was with Joanne. Roy was being treated, and Johnny knew that his partner would want him to take care of Joanne and the kids. And Johnny was prepared to do whatever Joanne needed. If that meant sitting here and just holding her hand, he would do it for however long she needed him to.

A few minutes later, Chet Kelly joined them. "Any word?" he asked.

Johnny shook his head. "They're still working on him." Looking up at his colleague, Johnny took a deep breath.

"Chet, can you go find the kids, and keep them occupied?"

"Sure, no problem, any idea where they are?"

"Dixie sent them to the doctor's lounge with one of the nurses," Joanne said quietly, opening her eyes.

"Okay, I'll go look in on them," Chet assured her. He turned to leave, only to be stopped by Joanne grabbing his sleeve.

"Thanks, Chet," she said, looking into his eyes. "Tell them I'll be in in a little bit, I just want to stay here until I can talk to Dr Brackett."

He patted her hand and smiled. "Don't worry about the kids, Joanne, I'll keep an eye on them." He glanced at Johnny, who nodded his thanks, then Chet walked away toward the lounge.

"He's a good friend," she sighed, closing her eyes again..

"Yeah, the best," Johnny agreed. "The kids will be okay, with Chet looking out for them."

Several minutes later, Dr Brackett and Dr Early exited the exam room and walked toward the waiting room. Johnny nudged Joanne when he saw them coming, and she straightened up as Brackett sat down next to her, Early standing next to him.

"How is he?" she asked, afraid to breathe.

"He's holding his own, for now, but we'll be moving him into ICU shortly. Most of his injuries aren't too bad, the broken arm and some cuts and bruises. I'm most concerned about the head injury. He lost quite a bit of blood and he has a severe concussion, but thankfully no skull fracture. That's why I want to put him in ICU, so we can watch him for a couple of days, make sure no complications arise."

"Can I see him?" she whispered.

"Of course, for a few minutes, before we take him upstairs," Brackett told her. "He's been going in and out of consciousness, so he may not be awake. But rest assured, he's getting the best care we can give him."

Johnny helped her up from the seat, his body a little stiff. As they walked down the hall, Brackett lightly touched Johnny's back, startled when Johnny flinched.

"Johnny, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, Doc, I'm fine, just a little sore," Johnny assured him, as Chet joined them in the hall outside the exam room, having come at the behest of the kids, to find out about their father.

Joanne stopped and looked at her husband's partner.

"Johnny, are you hurt? You should have..."

"Joanne, don't worry about me," Johnny interrupted. "You've got enough on your mind right now."

"John, why don't I take a look at you while Joanne is in with Roy?" Brackett offered.

"I really would like to see Roy, Doc. And I want to stay with Joanne."

"Johnny, I'll stay with her until Dr Brackett gets done examining you," Chet said. "You know the Cap wanted you to get looked at."

Johnny began to argue, but Joanne squeezed his hand, the one she still held in her own.

"Please, Johnny," she pleaded, "go with Dr Brackett. I'll be okay. You know how upset Roy would be if he knew you were hurt and didn't get checked out because you were too busy worrying about him."

Gage looked around at the others, finally settling his gaze again on Joanne.

"Are you sure, Joanne? This can wait a few more minutes."

"You go on Johnny, I'll be okay. Chet will be with me," she said releasing her grip and gently pushing him away. Still unsure, Johnny hesitated. He wanted to be in there, as much for himself, as for Joanne.

Sensing his feelings, Brackett took his elbow. "Johnny, there's really nothing you can do for him now. You did your job and got him to us. He's in good hands...so is Joanne. Chet will stay with her, and Dixie is in there too."

Johnny sighed, resigned himself to his feelings of helplessness, and allowed Brackett to lead him away, as the others turned and entered the exam room.

/

After x-rays and some blood tests, Dr Brackett decided to admit Johnny into the hospital overnight for observation. Although no ribs were broken, he did have a crack in one. And Brackett was concerned about the bruising on his back. He wanted to run some further tests to be sure there was no kidney damage. Joanne and Chet had stopped in briefly to see him before he was taken to a room, Joanne promising to come by later to give him an update on Roy's condition.

Chet notified Stanley of Brackett's diagnosis, and found that the Captain had already called in replacements for both of his paramedics. He ordered Chet to return to the station with the squad. By the time Kelly left, Stanley's wife, as well as Stoker's wife, had made their way to the hospital to sit with Joanne. She had finally been able to sit down with her children and explain their dad's condition to them, in terms they would understand. They were scared, but Joanne assured them that he was exactly where he needed to be to get better. And then she had to explain why Johnny wasn't there with them, like he had been in the past when their father had been injured on the job. They knew that he was also in the hospital, too, and that made them even more frightened.

/

The next morning, Johnny left his hospital room, moving carefully, feeling the pain from his sore ribs. He had conned an orderly out of some surgical scrub pants, so he wouldn't have to walk around in just a hospital gown. As he slowly made his way to the elevator, he hoped he'd get some good news when he got to the ICU waiting room. He knew Joanne was already here, and Dixie had told him that Beth Stoker and Linda Stanley were with her.

Chet had come by, and let him know that the B shift guys had come in and relieved A shift a couple hours early, so they could be at the hospital. With Stanley and the crew here, as well, now, Johnny knew Joanne wouldn't be alone. But he still wanted to be with her. She was his partner's wife and his place was by her side through all of this.

The elevator doors opened up and he painfully began the walk to the waiting room. It was about seven o'clock, so it was still relatively quiet in the halls. He walked into the room, spotting Stanley and the guys sitting in the corner, quietly talking. Joanne was sitting on the couch, her eyes closed, Beth Stoker and Linda Stanley nearby.

Kelly saw him first, tapping Stanley on the arm and pointing toward the door. The Captain got up and walked over to Johnny, keeping his voice quiet, mindful of the sleeping Joanne.

"Hey, pal, how ya doing? The nurses told us you were still asleep," Stanley told him.

"I woke up about 15 minutes ago. I wanted to see how Joanne was doing. How's Roy, any word?"

"No change. He's still listed in serious condition, but he's stable. You know the drill, doctors say the next 24 hours will tell."

Johnny just nodded. He'd been there himself. It always seemed like they had to wait 24 or 48 hours before the doctors would say anything conclusive.

"How about Joanne and the kids? How are they holding up?" Johnny asked, watching the lady in question with a concerned eye.

"Joanne's tough, she's been through this before. The kids...well, they're taking their cues from her. As long as she stays calm, they do too. Linda said Jennifer was asking about you. They told her you were fine, just needed some rest. Joanne planned to go up and see you later this morning. When we got here she was asleep and we didn't want to disturb her."

"Good, she can probably use the rest. If I know Joanne, she paced the waiting room most of the night."

"Not quite, but close, from what my wife told me. Somebody had to do all the pacing, Pally, since you were sedated upstairs," Stanley joked. The Captain watched his paramedic closely, concerned that the young man was doing too much. Nobody had even realized he'd been hurt yesterday, their minds were so focused on finding Roy. Stanley blamed himself for that. He should have kept a closer eye on him. He knew how stubborn Johnny could be. They'd asked him if he was hurt, and Johnny had, of course, insisted that he wasn't. Stanley should have made sure. Once everything settled down he would have a little Captain-to-Paramedic talk with him. But for now, he was just glad Johnny was up and walking.

As they talked, John saw Joanne lift her head, moving it around to relieve the stiffness from her neck. He slowly made his way to the couch, his Captain next to him, and crouched down in front of her, holding his side and the painful ribs.

"Johnny...are you okay?" she whispered.

"Fine...I'm fine. What about you? How are you holding up?" he asked, placing a hand on her knee.

"I'm doing okay. Dr Brackett said Roy's vitals were stronger and they were able to stabilize him. He was pretty optimistic that Roy would be okay."

"That's good. I'm sorry I couldn't be here with you last night."

"Oh, Johnny, I understand. You were hurt," she said, reaching out to place her hand against his cheek. "Roy would be furious with you if you had left your room against doctor's orders."

"Yeah, I know. But I still wish I could have been with you," he told her, reaching up to take her hand in his, giving hers a gentle squeeze. He felt a hand on his shoulder and glancing up, he saw Chet and Marco. They'd brought over a chair, and reached down to help him into it. "Thanks, guys," he said, a little breathless from the stab of pain he got at the movement. He turned his attention back to Joanne. "How are the kids holding up?" he asked.

"They're worried and scared, but I think they'll be okay once we hear more about Roy's condition. Marco and Chet are going to pick them up later and bring them back here for a little while. They're staying with our neighbor right now...Mrs Mitchell, you remember her, she's the lady that owns that purple VW Bug." She took a closer look at her husband's partner, seeing the pain in his eyes. "Should you be up and moving around?" she asked, concerned.

"I'm okay, Joanne. I can sit around and wait down here, just as well as I can in a hospital bed."

Joanne shook her head at him, a tiny smile on her face. "Does the doctor even know you're out of bed, Johnny?"

"I left him a note," he joked. "They'll know where to find me."

"You're right about that, Mr. Gage," said a female voice, behind him.

Johnny leaned slightly forward toward Joanne. "Is that Dixie?" he asked with a grimace, not wanting to chance a look at the door.

Joanne just nodded, amused at the young paramedic. As Dix came around to stand next to his chair, Johnny looked up, a smile plastered on his face.

"Ah...hi Dix, how's it going this morning?"

"What are you doing out of bed?" she asked, sternly. Looking at Joanne, she winked.

"I...ah...just wanted to see how Roy was, and…ah...to check on Joanne and the kids...and ...ah..."

"All you had to do was ask, I could have told you everything you needed to know," she told him. "Now, it's back to your room until the doctor can exam you and release you...officially."

"Aw, Dix..."

"Don't "aw Dix" me...move it."

Knowing he was fighting a losing battle, he accepted her help out of the chair, saying goodbye to Joanne, who promised to come up and see him later. Another nurse stood nearby with a wheelchair, but Johnny purposely ignored her, until Dixie cleared her throat. Johnny glanced back, to see Dixie glaring at him, her arms crossed. Letting out a sigh of resignation, he lowered himself into the wheelchair and allowed the nurse to take him back to his room.

Once she knew he was out of hearing range, Dixie began to laugh. Turning back to Joanne, who also had a smile on her face, she shook her head. "What am I gonna do with him?" She then sat in the chair Johnny had just vacated, leaning forward to place her hands on Joanne's knees.

"How are you holding up?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Dixie, thanks. Actually, I feel much better since Johnny came by. I don't know what it is about him, but he always makes me feel good, even during times like this."

"It's that insatiable Gage charm. And the fact that he's the eternal optimist." She patted Joanne's knee. "I'll go find a doctor to exam him after I check in on your husband. I hear Roy's doing better this morning." Dixie left the room then, leaving Joanne to hope that her last words were true.

Two hours later, Dr Early had been up to exam Johnny, and signed off on his release, making Gage promise to take it easy and not over-exert himself. Johnny was able to take a quick shower, then changed into the clothes Chet had brought from his locker, and headed back to the waiting room.

Joanne was not in the room when he walked in this time. Must be in with Roy, he thought, as he stood in the doorway. Marco and Chet were there, and they joined Johnny as he came in the door.

"Is Joanne in with Roy?" he asked.

"Yeah, she and the Cap went in about 5 minutes ago," Chet informed him. "How ya feelin', Johnny?"

"A little sore, other than that I'm fine," he said, gently rubbing his side, feeling the bandage wrapped around his injured ribs. He saw Jennifer and Chris sitting on the couch, watching the television in the corner of the room.

Gesturing with his head, he asked about them. "How are the kids doing? Have they been able to see Roy?"

"I don't think either of them slept real well. The neighbor lady said Chris had a nightmare that his dad died. And Jennifer's been pretty quiet, just keeps clutching that doll. The doctors don't want them in to see Roy until he's a little stronger."

Chris heard them talking and looked around the back of the couch to see who it was. Seeing Johnny, he pushed his way up from his seat and walked over to where Johnny stood.

Johnny smiled, crouching down in front of the boy. "Hey, Chris, how ya doing, buddy?"

But Chris didn't smile back, just stared at Johnny for a long couple of seconds. "How come you left my daddy in that cave?" he asked.

"What?! Chris, what are you talking about? We didn't leave him in there!" Johnny tried to assure him.

"Yes, you did. You came out, but you left my dad inside. That's why they had to dig him out!"

Johnny glanced up at Chet and Marco, confused, as Stoker looked over from where he sat with his wife and Linda Stanley.

"Chris, wait, let me explain what happened..."

"I know what happened, I saw it on the news. You and my dad went in to get that boy out, only my dad didn't come back out with you. You lied to me. You told me that partners always watch out for each other, and help each other, but you didn't help my dad! You left him in there! You left him to die!" Chris was crying now, and Johnny reached for him, to comfort him and try to get him to listen. But Chris swung a fist at him, missing when Johnny jerked his head away. Tears were streaming down Chris' face.

"Chris! Stop that!" Joanne cried, as she walked into the room with Captain Stanley and Dixie McCall. She had seen her son take a swing at Johnny and she grabbed hold of Chris by the shoulders. "What's going on here?!" she asked, turning Chris to face her, kneeling down in front of him.

"He left daddy to die! I hate him!"

"Chris, Johnny would never do that. He helped get your dad out of there, so did Chet and Marco and everybody else." Joanne looked past Chris at Johnny, who looked like he lost his best friend. "Chris, turn around and apologize to Johnny, please," she said, sternly.

Chris turned to face Johnny, who was still on one knee. "NO! No! No! No! It should have been you in there! How come you're here and my daddy's in there?!" he yelled, gesturing toward the ICU. "I hate you! I wish you were dead!"

Joanne struggled to keep Chris calm, but he was fighting her, lashing out with his arms and legs. As Johnny got close to try to help control him, Chris' foot swung out and struck him in the side, catching him in his already sore ribs.

Gasping with the sudden pain, Johnny's vision blurred and he fell back, grabbing his side, shutting his eyes against the pain. Stanley rushed over to Chris and grabbed him from Joanne's arms, moving him away, so he wouldn't inadvertently hit Johnny again. Joanne could hear Jennifer calling for her and crying at the commotion, and she turned, only to have her daughter run into her arms and bury her face in Joanne's shoulder.

Dixie knelt down on the floor next to Johnny, talking softly to him, hoping to calm him down so she could assess the damage. She turned to Chet and told him to find an orderly and a gurney. Chet rushed into the hall and seeing a gurney down the hall, he ran to grab it, and wheeled it back into the waiting room. He and Marco helped lift Johnny onto the gurney, then rolled it down the hall to the elevator, Dixie rushing alongside.

Joanne was still kneeling on the floor, holding Jennifer in her arms. She pushed herself up, carrying her sobbing daughter over to the couch. Stanley sat next to her, still holding on to Chris, who had also dissolved into tears. Joanne reached out a hand to stroke Chris' hair. Stanley shifted over and sat Chris down on the couch between them, and Joanne put one arm around her son and pulled him close.

"Joanne, will you be okay?" Stanley asked. "I'd like to go down and check on Johnny."

"Of course. Go. Tell him I'm sorry, I don't know what..."

"Don't worry about that now, Joanne. I'm sure it's just the emotions of the situation." The Captain walked out of the room after a short, whispered conversation with his wife. Linda Stanley walked over and sat down next to Joanne, taking Jennifer from her arms, allowing Joanne to wrap both arms around Chris.

/