The foundation Roy was lying on seemed to be shaking. No. Not shaking. Shivering.
Alarmed, Roy fought for consciousness. "Johnny?"
"…Yeah, Roy?"
"You're shivering."
"S-Sorry. Can't h-help it."
"It wasn't a complaint." Roy patted Johnny's shoulder and struggled desperately to open his eyes. He worked his left hand to his eyes, with some difficulty, and rubbed. Finally, he blinked his eyes open and squinted, peering around him.
A large, metallic, empty, circular space filled his vision. Their masks, helmets and an oxygen tank, lying in the water nearby, were their only companions. Determined to get his partner out of the water, Roy gathered all his strength and started to lift himself up. His right arm was draped over Johnny's left shoulder and as he moved, Johnny cried out.
Roy stopped. "Johnny, what is it?"
"Roy, what're you doin'?"
"Trying to get up."
"Roy, don't, just—"
"Just what?"
"Just…stay still."
"Johnny, we need to find a—"
"Look, I know what we need. But I don't want you moving around. I think you may have a skull fracture!"
"I know. At this point, I'll take the risk. We need to get you out of this water."
"Then you, of all people, should know that someone with a skull fracture shouldn't be moving around!"
"And you, of all people, should know what'll happen if you stay in this water much longer."
"Don't be an idiot, Roy!"
"C'mon, Johnny, it's time we got outta here. And we can't do that with me lying on top of you."
"Dammit, Roy—!" Johnny scolded through gritted teeth.
Amidst Johnny's continued protests, the older firefighter ignored his head's insistence that a steel vise was squeezing his brains out while he careened madly through space, and awkwardly rose up and tumbled off of his partner, plunking into the water.
"Roy!" Johnny called out, reaching a hand out to grab him.
The disturbed water crashed in waves against the prone paramedic and the walls of their enclosure. Gage turned and raised his head, putting up an arm to ward off the water coming at his face.
Grimacing, Roy looked up and around him. The holding tank was nearly 25 ft. high with two rows of rungs running the height of the walls leading to openings at the top of the rungs.
Roy tried to raise himself out of the muck, nearly falling backward from the SCBA tank. But as he got up to his knees the pain was too much. Sinking into himself, he held his head, moaning with every breath.
"Roy?"
He blinked, fighting to breathe deeply to keep the nausea at bay. Barely succeeding, he looked over at his partner and gestured towards the rungs, "Johnny, you think you can…" and his heart sank as he noticed Johnny's prone form for the first time. Not wishing to slosh the water too much, Roy slowly sidled over to the younger paramedic and laid a hand on Johnny's forehead, water trickling into his hair. His other hand remained poised in the air, uncertain of where to land. "Ah , Johnny…"
Rivulets of dried blood oozed from a deep gash on the left side of Gage's head, covering half his face, looking like ineptly applied war paint.
"You hurt anywhere else?"
"My left shoulder is dislocated. And my right ankle is either broken or sprained.
Shocked hazel eyes met the unwavering gaze of browns. Shock morphed into irritation. "Why didn't you say something?"
"What was there to say? You were in and out of consciousness, anyway," he needled, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Besides…I was worried enough for both of us."
Roy looked his partner up and down and sighed heavily. "John Roderick Gage, how the hell d'you manage…?" As DeSoto shook his head in disbelief, the nausea intensified and jammed a knife into his head. "God…!" he gasped. His hand plunged into the water to brace himself as he doubled over, a hand over his face. He could feel his senses fading as he panted from the searing pain. "Johnny…" Roy's hand was slipping and he started to fall forward.
In a flash, Johnny grabbed his fainting partner with one hand and guided him onto his body and away from the water, holding him protectively. He let out a frustrated yell, banging the walls again. "MARCO! CAP? CHET? SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! WE NEED HELP DOWN HERE!"
(silence for what seemed like hours)
Shaking. "Roy?" Pause. Banging. "Yeah! We're down here!"
