HERO
by ardavenport
** **** ** Part 7
Chet Kelly and Captain Stanley joined Roy DeSoto on a trip to visit Johnny at Rampart after they got off their shift the following morning.
Stanley told them about his talk with the Mother Superior as they strolled from the admissions desk to the elevator. "You know, she told me she's been in her line of work for thirty years and she's never had a baby left on her doorstep before."
Kelly's lip curled under his bushy mustache. "It's not like being a nun is just a job, Cap."
"That's how she said it."
"Oh. I guess that's alright then."
When they got off the elevator, they headed toward the room number that they had gotten from the admissions desk. All of them were very familiar with Rampart General's layout. A couple of nurses slid emptied breakfast trays into slots in a tall cart and the antiseptic atmosphere was scented with hospital eggs, toast and coffee. But when they arrived at Johnny's room they found an unexpected crowd. Three nurses attended the injured fireman, one of them sitting on the edge of the bed. Roy knew that one of them had already turned his partner down for a date. Twice.
Apparently news of how John Gage had been injured had gotten around Rampart. There was also a vase of flowers on the table next to him. Roy knew that no one at Station Fifty-One had sent them, though his wife, Joanne, talked about bringing something by when he talked to her on the phone that morning. They both agreed that Johnny's ego would be set to maximum and that that they (mostly Roy) would have to weather the storm for a while. Because, Johnny had - - without hesitation for his own life and safety - - saved a baby's life.
"Hey!" Johnny greeted them warmly with a big grin.
Chet Kelly glanced at the women hovering around Gage, his mustache drooping. "Well, we came to cheer you up, but it looks like we wasted a trip."
"Kelly. . ." Stanley's rebuke did not get far because he suddenly recognized Gage's roommate and a familiar woman coming toward them.
"Larry!" Stanley's voice pitch went high with surprise at seeing him and his date from the previous night's disco accident. Sylvie, wearing a blue pantsuit, sensible shoes and much less eye make-up came up to them.
"Oh, it's so good to see you. And thank you for all your help last night."
"Well, just doing our jobs, Ma'am." Stanley modestly repeated the usual acknowledgement of praise from the public.
"Hey, you were a real lifesaver for me last night." Larry waved to them from his bed.
"How's your back doing?" Roy took a step toward Larry's bed.
"Well, the docs don't know what it is. I think they want more x-rays, but I don't know if they're going to figure it out. A good night's sleep seems to have helped it, a lot." Larry gestured toward the other bed with a big grin. "And look who they brought in while I was asleep. Who would have guessed?"
Sylvie moved closer to Roy. "Did he really save a baby from a burning building?"
"Well, the baby wasn't actually in the building, but . . . . ." Everyone else in the room was looking at him and he immediately decided that the exact details were not that important. " . . . yeah, that's what happened."
"I think the Chief put you in for a commendation."
Johnny's smile returned with an extra helping of ego at this news from his Captain.
"Hello?"
They all turned around.
"Sister." She was fully clothed, head to foot in black and white, but Roy easily recognized the Mother Superior. "Sister. Sister." And her lieutenant. And Sister Therese. And a couple more nuns in the hallway.
"We wanted to offer our prayers to our young hero." She praised Johnny, but her gaze seemed to act like a bucket of cold water on the adoring nurses around his bed and they quickly excused themselves. Johnny's smile faltered, the pretty nurses replaced with nuns.
Grinning, Roy glanced toward Kelly to see if he was enjoying the sudden turn in Gage's fortunes, but his fellow firefighter had assumed a defensive, good Catholic boy stance in the presence of so many nuns in uniform. Larry had pulled the blanket up to his neck and Roy wondered if he was Catholic, too.
Sylvie asked the Mother Superior about the baby and she was assured that little Sarah was healthy and well-cared for. The police were making inquiries, but the church could easily arrange an adoption if the mother could not be found. And then she told them that she had already talked to the head nurse on the floor and had found out that the doctor was likely to release Johnny that day and since the sisters had their van with them, offered to take him home or wherever he needed to go.
"Oh, you don't need to do that. . . "
But the Mother Superior insisted and, after Roy assured his partner that he and Joanne would take his car, parked back at the station, back to his apartment. The deal was sealed. Johnny's smile wilted with his extinguished dating plans as he looked at the adoring nuns around him. Roy took a little pity on him.
"Hey, Johnny, at least you're still a hero."
*** *** *** END *** *** ***
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mark VII Productions, Inc., Universal Studios and whoever else owns the 1970's TV show Emergency!; I am just playing in their sandbox.