Disclaimer: I don't own Emergency!

Warning: contains child abuse

chapter seven

After the person from child protective announced that it was an accident due to the 'roudy child' falling out of a window and trying to land on her feet causing the shattered bones in her feet and the fractures in her leg, Brackett got a hearing due to the social workers inability to inspect the right things.

As a result the judge, Judge Mathews, reviewed it and not only did Brackett's lawyer come to help him plead the case but the defense lawyer from the Frankie case came as well and was pissed that Brackett yet again seemed to accuse another of child abuse.

"I'm not accusing them directly but you have to admit, a child that falls out of the window wouldn't only have a shattered bone in the feet but she'd have internal injuries and I didn't see that," Brackett argued.

"Sure, and who did it," the lawyer asked.

"I don't know but the parents- mother and stepfather are negligent if they didn't catch who did the first injury," Brackett told him.

"There was a first," the judge asked bewildered.

"Yeah, the whole of both arms and the hands were broken and there's still the bruise on the one side of her face although it's only in the temple region now," Brackett told him.

The judge nodded.

After all the deliberations and arguements the judge reached a verdict.

"I'm sorry but Dr. the socail worker has a reason for putting the child back into the home and although you have made several points, I'm going to make sure that she goes to that home as she had been. I hear the father takes her some days, well that's fine too but I also know that the mother has had her since she was an infant and nothing happened to her then. Dismissed," the judge said.

Brackett was torn because the judge went with the incompent social worker but decided to not let that bother him. His worries remained with Savannah who was still too young to understand the injuries and wasn't going to be placed on the stand because of that.

Returning to Rampart, he explained the situation with the men of A shift and they were just as mad as Brackett was. They could all see that she was being abused at the house and couldn't understand why the judge wouln't see that.

"Whoever is there it has to be a guy named D.J," Mike told Brackett.

"Why," Dr. Brackett asked suspiciously.

"Because she was showing me pictures one time and she just came out and said that sometimes D.J hurts her too much," he explained.

Chet shook his head.

"Now she has two broken legs, what is this world coming too," he asked.

Dr. Brackett shook his head also.

"Well we'll do all we can. Maybe the person would reveal themselves while Johnny and Roy go to that seminar," Brackett reassured.

Johnny suddenly remembered that.

"Maybe I should cancel that," Johnny said.

"But since we already have signed up for it let's go, I'm sure the guys could watch her," Roy told him.

"Yeah, Roy's right. Mama says the little girl could stay at our house while you boys are away and I heard Claires going to be busy too with Chase and all. Minus well let her play with the little ones again," Marco said.

Johnny finally nodded.

It would have been different if they knew who did so that the injuries would stop but Johnny knew it was too good to be true. The person was going to continue until the girl was hospitalized or until she was dead.

"So where is that seminar," Chet asked.

"Denver," Johnny answered.

"Hey Marco, maybe if Jenny and Chris were with her, they'd also have fun and Jo can rest a bit. If that's okay," he added.

"No problemo, mama loves those kids too. She just is real upset that little savvy is hurt real bad," Marco told him.

"Savvy," Johnny asked.

"A nickname, Johnny. She calls you Juanny so don't go thinking she is treating her way better than the rest because she's just spoiling her a bit," Marco said.

Johnny nodded.

Joe and Dixie were at the nurses station when they decided to get Savannah who was left in Dixie's care for the moment. Her eyes lit up when she saw her father and she wanted to walk over to him but knew that she couldn't. Mike Morton came out of treatment four at that moment and saw her.

"Hey Savannah, you still want that sticker I promised," he asked.

"yeah," Savannah said a little quietly.

He handed it to her and she accepted it with a small smile. The smile was ripped off her face when she saw daddy Jones come up to them.

"Yeah, Dean," Johnny asked.

"Claire wants Savannah to be with her on Friday so until then, you could have her. Claire is planning to celebrate her birthday tomorrow and was wondering if you guys would like to come," he askekd.

Johnny could not believe he almost forgot her third birthday. It was a little hard not to since he was going to be twenty five on the same day that she was going to turn three. He nodded his consent and Dean smiled giving Savannah a hug before leaving again. When he was gone Morton turned to them.

"That the stepfather," he asked. When they nodded he shook his head. "I don't think he should be trusted around the little one's."

"Come on, he should catch the child abuser but other than that he seems fine to me," Joe said.

"Yeah, he's a real charmer. He was up here yesterday telling Savannah that he's going to give D.J something he was never going to forget," Dixie added.

Morton nodded but seemed unconvinced so Brackett jumped in.

"Besides, he's a father himself and raised the girl since she was nine months I hear," Brackett assured him.

Morton still had an odd feeling about him.

Johnny was surprised when the men told him that they had a surprise for Savannah in the back yard of the fire station when they decided to play a little basket ball. Savannah was in the blues enough since she couldn't walk and took to crawling around to get to where she wanted to be. Everytime she tried to walk on it, her dad told her to keep off of the feet, and she was brought to tears wondering why she couldn't do that.

Savannah was happy when she found out that the guys had made a little baby seat for her so she could swing while they played basketball. Johnny put her in the swing and she happily pumped her feet back and forth while watching her father at all times. She wanted to be close to him at all times and this way, she knew he wouldn't be away when she needed him. She looked at her casts taking in all the signitures that the crew both at the stations and at the hospital signed for her. They were really like her family and seeing her daddy Jones and mommy's signitures she felt it was complete.

The funny thing that shocked the crew the most was that even Brice signed it. He didn't even tell them off for bringing the little girl to the station when he substituted for Marco when he took in smoke inhalation and had to admitted for the night. Chief McConnikee even seemed to love the little girl and had taken to signing the cast. Hank thought that was the most suprising thing of all because he followed the rulebook almost as much as Brice did.

"Okay, let's go and make sure we have lunch finished before we're toned out again," Hank told them.

Johnny brought Savannah in and put her on the couch next to Henry knowing she'd want to pet the dog. Chet didn't seem annoyed anymore that she played with him and thought she'd love to play with him. He wasn't prepared for her to scream and eye the dog like it was going to jump up and bite her. She quickly crawled down from the couch and sat on the floor with a sorrowful expression on her face. Johnny was so saddened by that that he almost forgot her reaction to Henry.

"Darling he ain't gonna hurt you," he told her.

"Henwy bite, keep him away," she yelled.

Chet was just as shocked as the rest. He knew how much the kid loved dogs because she was always annoying Henry at every opportunity. He couldn't believe that she would suddenly thing that all dogs were going to bite her.

"Okay sweetie you could sit by Roy," Johnny said and picked her up giving her a big hug.

She held on not wanting to let go herself but she knew she had to be a brave girl and let her dad put her on the chair at the table next to Roy. She was happy that they were having enchiladas having expressed that they were her favorite when Marco had made them last time.

She even ate them on her own not taking her hands for granted anymore. Roy was smiling trying to reassure her that everything was going to be okay but he didn't know anymore. He hoped that she was going to be okay when they were away.