It was proven after Dr Early's examination of Johnny that Bobby had only touched Johnny, nothing else. Roy, Cap, Chet and Mike were relieved when they were told. Bobby had only confessed to being attracted to Johnny and that he only tried to touch him. He maintained that Johnny had fainted and that he had fallen and hit his head and that he had only taken advantage of the opportunity to be alone with him and subsequently touch him.
Johnny was moved from the treatment room to a private room in an isolated part of the hospital. It was very peaceful and Johnny was able to sleep without being disturbed. Dr Early introduced Johnny to a colleague of his Dr Andrew Raymond.
"Andy is a psychologist and he specialises in abuse, which includes as in your case, molestation and workplace abuse."
"Hello Mr Gage" Dr Raymond held out his hand to shake Johnny's.
Johnny reluctantly shook his hand and immediately rubbed it over the sheets of his bed as if trying to wipe away his touch. This didn't go unnoticed by both doctors.
"I'll leave you to it "Dr Early left the room.
"Mr Gage".
"Johnny. Call me Johnny" interrupted Johnny.
"Johnny, I'm here to talk to you and hopefully help you." Dr Raymond sat down in a chair beside Johnny's bed.
"Look Doc I just want to forget about it and get on with my life" explained Johnny.
"Well forgetting is the hard thing isn't it" asked Dr Raymond?
Johnny squeezed his eyes together, he was so on edge he couldn't stop himself from confessing "I can feel his hands on me, all over me. I try to wash the feeling away but it doesn't work. What did I do wrong?" Johnny had unshed tears in his eyes, he hated feeling like this.
"You didn't do anything wrong Johnny, it was Bobby".
"Everyone keeps telling me that but it doesn't work. I still feel..."
"Dirty, violated..."
"Don't, please, don't say that" pleaded Johnny.
"But its normal Johnny to feel that way...and in time...those feelings will go away"
Dr Raymond stayed with Johnny and talked to him for over an hour. By the end of the session he thought he had made some progress with Johnny.
Dr Early was waiting for him outside the room "How did it go?"
"It went good. He's an incredible young man; I can truly say I've never met someone like him before. He has such a wonderful spirit. You know as troubled as he is I could still see that spirit for life in him" claimed Dr Raymond
"So do you think you can bring that wonderfully spirited man back to us" asked Dr Early?
"Yes. You know Joe he has an inner strength that will overcome this...but...we have to take it slow...not rush him" said Dr Raymond with caution in his voice.
"You're the expert Andy" Dr Early shook his hand and they left the floor together discussing what to do next.
After Badger spoke with his crew it was Tim who confessed to knowing about Bobby. He had in fact been a former lover and had seen Bobby's infatuation with Johnny. He had no idea that the infatuation became an obsession. Tim soon found himself transferred to a station of misfits within the department. Homosexuality was still a dirty word within the department and Tim paid the ultimate price for admitting it. He was also being punished for not coming forward about the behaviour of Bobby towards Johnny.
Both the police and Fire Department investigations were under way. The police were the first to interview Johnny. He had asked if both Roy and Dr Early could be present. The police agreed. Johnny described what happened at 127 and then Bobby's explanation for rubbing his back. He then went on and told them about waking up in the dorm and later discovering that his belt was loose. He spoke of how he would often catch Bobby watching him and would quite often brush past him in doorways.
The officer confessed that if it wasn't for his partner catching him running his hands over his body that Bobby would probably get away with it. He also said there was no proof that Bobby caused Johnny to pass out or that he had hit him on the head.
"So what's going to happen? He's not going to get away with it is he?" asked Roy.
"He won't get much since he didn't sexually abuse Mr Gage. However Mr Gage can sue the Fire Department for an unsafe workplace and can probably sue Mr Cipps for the stress he has placed on Mr Gage through his actions." Both Roy and Johnny mirrored their disgust with the law. "I'm sorry, the laws just aren't out there but maybe one day they will be and hopefully it will stop people like Mr Cipps from feeling free to molest other men."
They shook hands and he left. Johnny looked at Roy "I'm never gonna be free of this man. He's gonna walk free and he can move in to my apartment building and there won't be a damn thing I can do. What am I gonna do Roy?"
"Johnny calm down. If the law won't help us, there are other ways to deal with creeps like Cipps. Ok. You have a lot of friends. Forget about him and just get better and let us deal with him." Roy looked at Dr Early who quickly administered some diazepam into Johnny's IV. They both stayed with him till he was asleep.
"Doc he's right, he may never be free of this creep."
"Johnny's strong and if he can conquer this then this Bobby character won't be able to hurt him. He'll just be another spectator who means nothing to Johnny." Dr Early reassured Roy.
"This Dr Raymond is that good?" Dr Early nodded,
Roy hung back and sat with Johnny for a little while longer. They still had the Departments investigation he thought. "Cipps better lose his job over this" he said to himself.
Over the next couple of days Dr Raymond worked with Johnny and got him to open up and talk about his feelings. It was whilst he was talking about how touching his hands made him uneasy when a memory from his early teenage years suddenly flashed in his brain.
Dr Raymond had seen the change in Johnny's demeanour and asked him about what he was remembering. This was what he was waiting for, he had known for some time that this wasn't the first time this had happened to Johnny.
"I was about twelve or thirteen. Both my parents worked so one summer break my dad left me at my Grandmothers for a couple of weeks. His sister lived there also. My grandmother was an invalid. I remember sitting in a chair watching TV. My Aunty standing behind me watching the TV too, but while we were watching she rubbed her hands over my chest and squeezed my pecks and nipples. I remember thinking afterwards how sore my chest was. The next time we were going to watch TV she positioned the chair in the same place and I refused to sit in it. She didn't let me watch TV after that." Johnny looked at Dr Raymond "she was molesting me".
"Yes she was Johnny, but being so young and not knowing any better you probably just forgot about it...because...you didn't like it".
"Is that why Bobby had such an effect on me?" asked Johnny.
"Yes and now that you've realised this we can move on and heal Johnny. In fact I think you're just about ready to go home. How does the end of the week sound? Just a couple more sessions" announced Dr Raymond.
"Sounds good Doc" and for the first time Johnny gave the Doc his crooked smile.
Johnny told Roy all about the session. Roy could see that Johnny had taken a big step to recovering and hopefully would be back in the squad soon.
"Just out of interest, is your Aunty still alive?" asked Roy.
"No, she drowned in a swollen river" answered Johnny.
Roy nodded and thought about the upcoming hearing at the Fire Department. He couldn't help but worry about the outcome and the effect it will have on his partner.
