Disclaimer: I don't own Emergency

Chapter four

The predicament

Brackett saw the grim expressions on both of the paramedics face because of the latest rescue. The small child was stuck in a burning building and by the time they had got to him, the child had stopped breathing. From the conclusions of the tests he took, he knew that it would take a miracle for the child to ever come out of the coma and then it would be another miracle if he didn't have any brain damage. Shaking his head, he filled them in on the infant's condition.

"Wow, I sympathize with the parents. I know it may seem selfish but I'm glad little Rorie's okay," Johnny added.

Brackett frowned.

"There's something else I found out today speaking about Rorie," he added with a curious expression.

Johnny shrugged and added, "It's a nickname and besides she loves it."

"What were you going to say Doc," Roy asked rolling his eyes at his wayward partner.

"It looks like she's never going to be able to have kids of her own," Brackett said.

Both paramedics looked startled. Johnny in particular looked very grim with the news. Brackett knew that Johnny had been spending his off days with the girl as well as between runs and completely understood why he had it hard. But all thought bad wondering what would cause a person to do that to their own child, nonetheless a step child.

"What was it exactly," Roy asked.

"A tear in the uterus. We had to remove it to stop the bleeding or we would have lost her to the blood loss," Brackett told them. "Also there's an indication that the step father most likely molested her and he twisted both her legs in intervals because they are at different levels of healing."

Johnny absorbed the words with a heavy heart. She was a really happy girl from what he could tell every time he saw her and now she could have a full life ahead of her or so he had thought. It seemed there were things though that she'd never be able to experience because of that man that her mother let into her life hurt her both physically and mentally.

"I'm going to see Rorie is it okay Roy," he asked turning to Roy.

"I'll get the supplies," Roy told him sighing.

Johnny nodded and made his way to the little patient's room.

Sighing again, Roy turned to Brackett and said, "Hopefully we find out more about the little girl's father so she could be released and Johnny would quit obsessing over her."

Brackett tried to hide his amused expression but Roy didn't miss it and quirked an eyebrow.

"I believe I already know who her father is although I have yet to get that tested," Brackett replied.

"How do you know," Roy asked.

"Because just the other day, we saw her pouting because her favorite friend had given her a teddy bear that has seen better days and the nurse thought it was a hazard," Dixie got in before Brackett could say anything.

"Then she tried to bite a nurse when she came to give her her daily antibiotic," Dixie continued with a small smile.

"Dix it wasn't a nurse who ended up gotten bitten it was me and she sure does bite hard," Brackett said pretending to be hurt.

"Oh poor baby, I'm going to see if there is any amusement going on or Skipper has made it out the window yet. You wouldn't believe the type of things she's put that doll through. We even managed to find it in the bathroom," Dixie added.

Roy shook his head. This was certainly something that would entertain Chet. Sighing he made his way to the room to collect his partner and drop in for a quick visit.

Mike was angry when he heard that he was charged with attempted murder if he was even caught. He now knew he was going to punish her badly. He followed through with the progress of the little brat and found out she was getting better. She couldn't talk much but he knew when she did, there'd be problems. They may have knew that he hurt her but they still didn't know who the real dad was and that was annoying. He believed the little girl had to be the most annoying kid on the planet. Ever since he came into Laura's life, it had always been about the one year old. Now she was two and he would proudly admit for the world to hear that he beat the living day lights out of her.

Snickering he dropped his cigarette in a trashcan watching as it slowly caught fire. If only his stepdaughter had gone up in flames none of this would have happened. Firstly, the DHS would get into trouble not that he cared anyways because they sent her back when there were bruises up and down the back of her legs. Secondly, they were bound to find out what he'd done to her and that's why he wanted her dead. Their tests were going to get him into trouble because she had to be rescued from that stupid fireman. The one Laura had been seeing before because she had a picture of him although he had shorter hair then.

Smiling evilly he knew what he had to do. Once the brat got out of the hospital he was going to get even, if he had to break every bone in the little girl's body he would. Next, he was going to kill the fireman for helping her in the first place. He believed that he must've been on drugs that day. He didn't like his stepdaughter so he knew there was no way anybody else would either. Her own mother constantly said she loved the said girl but when it came time to either party or spend time with the girl, she chose to party and leave her at home with him.

Yup, he thought as he headed to his relative's that would allow him time to hide it out, that little bastard didn't have anybody to love since birth.

"Hey Gage, you didn't kill Skipper again did you when you and that child were playing that is," Chet asked purposely.

Johnny turned to Roy in shock.

"You told them," he asked.

Roy shrugged. He wasn't going to give a straight answer knowing Johnny would be angry with any answer he gave and didn't want to deal with him the entire shift.

"So where's Skipper now," Marco asked with a snicker.

Johnny went a deep red before answering, "Out the window. She threw her out the window and it got ran over."

The other men collapsed in laughter. Even Hank Stanley who tried to command them to stop was laughing. He had a two year old at one time and even though she was now in high school, Hank remembered when she was real little well. It always looked like the years that they were an infant or toddler were the times to cherish. Roy had a five year old who was in the beginning of her preschooler stage and knew when she was three years younger, she was quite boisterous. They both missed the terrible two's although they wouldn't admit it if anyone were to ask.

"Come on, at least she's now talking more than ever and she trusts the nurses if you don't count the one she tried to bite," Johnny told them.

"How'd that go," Chet asked grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"She bit Brackett instead," Roy answered also grinning.

The Mike, Marco, and Chet was laughing so hard now they had tears forming in the corner of their eyes. Hank and Roy knew what it was like to have a child that bit didn't think it was real funny at all but Johnny just rolled his eyes heavenward and got up.

"Where are you going," Chet asked him when he was able to control himself.

"I'm going to see how Rorie's doing Chet, not like it's any of your business," Johnny added heading for the dorm.

Mike shared a look with cap and Roy.

"Is it just me or is he getting to close to that patient," Mike asked.

"Isn't a paramedic supposed to stay unattached to a patient," Chet said.

"Usually yeah but this kid has so many things she's been through that you can't help but feel for her. I may be selfish thinking this but I'm glad my kids never had to go through that much in the lifespan of two years of their lives. I mean she was molested, kicked, hit, and who knows what else. We were told at Rampart that they had to do an emergency surgery last night and that they had to remove her uterus. She'll never have children ever and that's something that no child should have to go through," Roy told them his voice wavering as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

After a minute, Hank said, "I can't believe they allow someone to have a child when all they're going to do is hurt them. It never happened to my two girls and I can only hope that it doesn't happen to others."

The rest nodded.

Just then Johnny walked in whistling a tune and smiling broadly. Seeing their looks, he rose his eyebrow but didn't ask. Instead he sat down in one of the chairs and rested his chin on his hands.

"What are you guys upset about," he asked.

"What are you happy about," Roy asked.

"Rorie is going to be released soon so they're getting firefighters from two in a half years ago to submit to a paternity test. Even though they may not want the kid, they need to know the father or at least a relative that she could go to. Her mother's last name was what though? Maybe they can find a relative that way. I know I'll ask," Johnny finished jumping up and heading for the phone.

The men just shook their heads. When he was on a roll he never quite stopped.

Johnny came back after the phone call deep in thought. The guys looked at him curiously until he caught their look and frowned.

"You know her maiden name was Shultz meaning that Laura Shultz is the daughter of Emma Shultz who would then be Rorie's grandmother," he explained.

"And that's bad because," Chet asked leaving the rest of the sentence hanging.

"Because dult, I knew Emma and I dated her daughter two in a half years ago and," he cleared his throat before continuing. "She may of mentioned that one time when I visited her that she had a very beautiful granddaughter that she was trying to get away from her daughter," Johnny explained.

"You're in contact with her. How could you pull that off when I don't have a good relationship with my own mother in law," Roy asked him.

Johnny shrugged.

"Holy oh my gosh!" Marco exclaimed.

They looked at him.

"What I may have reason to believe she is your daughter. It all sums up," he added.

By the look of the other men as they thought of the similar traits, they agreed.