Johnny got a good night's rest, helped Roy with his shingles, did a few of the chores needed around his apartment, traded the dry cleaner his dirty uniforms for his clean ones and by late afternoon on his second day off found himself with little else to do. Calling Roy, as promised, the two headed to the hospital together to visit the bus crash patients who remained at Rampart. While they made it a regular practice to not get emotionally involved with patients there were always those that required one or two follow up visits to make sure that they were recovering and would be okay. Dixie had gotten to where she could predict when one or the other, sometimes both of her favorite paramedics would be coming back to see someone they had brought in. Almost always it was for the children and almost always they would have with them some sort of trinket for their patient. Sometimes a stuffed bear, other times crayons and coloring books, sometimes just something that seemed random to those observing, but turned out to be just the thing to bring a smile to that child's face. Dixie was fairly certain she'd be seeing her paramedics come through sometime today to check on the kids from the bus crash, so she wasn't surprised at all when the two men came through her doors. For some reason they always used the emergency entrance, even we coming for personal business. She supposed it was just habit, but really they came through to see her, though they'd never admit to it. Dixie's happy attitude and kind smile had made her a fast friend instead of just someone they saw for work so it seemed natural to stop by and have a little chat when they were in the hospital, even off duty.
"Hi, guys. Let me guess, you'd like to visit the San Diego Unified School District Field Trip."
The two men both chuckled at Dixie's joke. "You know it, Dix," John Gage answered. "How are the kids doing?"
"All of them are doing surprisingly well. Some are still in for quite the stay, but even they will probably be transferred to a hospital closer to home before the end of next week. We want to make it easier on their families. It's quite the drive to get up here and most of them have siblings at home who also need their parents. You guys really should schedule these field trips in the future so that we'll be ready for the crowd." Dixie smiled wryly and gave a slight wink.
"Dixie we keep trying, you know we keep trying," Roy teased back.
"So, where do you have them all corralled," John asked.
"Fourth floor, pediatrics. Except Miss Stanley, she's in 312. Didn't seem quite right shoving her in with all those kids."
"Thanks, Dix," Johnny rapped on her desk and then waved as they moved towards the elevators.
"I'll come with you to see the kids and then stop by Molly's room after, if you don't mind. I don't think I'll stay too long," John filled his partner in on his plan.
"I don't mind if you see her first."
"You sure? I don't want to abandon you to the wild crowd."
"Yeah, visit her first, I'll see to the kids."
"Thanks, Pal."
"No problem, here's your floor," Roy gestured John out the opening elevator doors and only briefly wondered about what Cap would think about Molly and John.
John walked to the end of the hall and was about to knock on the closed door when it opened and he came face to face with Captain Hank Stanley, himself.
"Cap! Sorry, didn't mean to startle anyone. I was just stopping by to see how Molly's doing. How IS she doing?"
"John, I was wondering when we'd see you. Molly is doing well, she needs lots of rest, but she's making progress and healing."
"Good, that's good."
"John, she's my niece and that's all I feel like I can say about this. Go on in. Chief, Sophie and Sarah are all in there too, that's why I'm on my way out, a bit too crowded and someone is going to complain about how many people keep traipsing in and out of this room, but go on in for a few minutes. Molly was getting tired as I left so not too long."
"Thanks, Cap."
Johnny wasn't sure how he should interpret that discussion, but put it aside to think about later. He slowly pushed the door open, "Hi, alright if I come visit our favorite female paramedic?"
The moment he stepped into the room he saw the small blond projectile aiming for his chest. Acting more out of instinct than preparation for the attack, John caught Sarah as she launched herself at him.
"Whoa there, take it easy on an old guy, would 'ya?" He winked at Sarah, gave her a small hug then held her out so he could see her better. "How, 'ya doin' Squirt," he ruffled her hair and set her down keeping a hold of her hand.
"I'm fine, Mr. Gage. I get to go home tonight. I've really liked staying with Uncle Hank and Aunt Grace, but Chief is taking me home when he drives back tonight, he has to work tomorrow."
Chuck took the opening offered by his granddaughter, "John!"
Chuck's greeting seemed more like a bellow, a friendly bellow, and caused John to wince in sympathy as he saw Molly scrunch her nose up like the sound was painful. Remembering she had at least a mild concussion he figured it probably was. "Come on in my boy. Molly is doing great thanks to you and your partner." Chuck walked over and clasped John's hand in a vigorous handshake. Chuck was obviously more at ease today and was a different man, one John thought he'd have a lot of fun getting to know. Their Cap was not an overly quiet or retiring man, but Chuck took boisterous to a new level. John liked it.
"Sir, ma'am, nice to see you again, uh, I mean, Charles, Sophie, nice to see you again. Sorry, old habits and all." Johnny let his eyes move from the couple to the girl in the bed. He had half hoped that when he came to visit she wouldn't seem quite so…he found he couldn't pin it down. Beautiful? Charming? Strong? Brave? Wonderful. He settled on wonderful, he'd hoped she wouldn't be so wonderful and he could say good-bye and do it with no worry of future regrets. She was not less wonderful.
"Molly, good to see you again, you are looking much better than the last time I saw you."
Molly's eyes drooped in fatigue and her coloring was still slightly dusky, but in his eyes she looked stunning. He noted the chest tube and its companion container were still present. Oxygen was being delivered via cannula. That was good, no mask meant she was doing most of her breathing on her own and just needed a slight boost from the oxygen. He noticed her arm was in a cast and being supported by several pillows and a frame under the sheets and blanket was keeping the weight of those items off her injured ankle. Overall she was looking pretty beat up, but compared to how she looked the last time John saw her she was looking spectacular.
"Johnny, thanks for coming. Thanks for everything. I look terrible, though, people need to give a girl a warning so she can at least do her hair," her eyes twinkled with good humor.
"Well, I'll remember that next time I visit."
"There's going to be a next time?"
"Well…um," Johnny suddenly remembered the girl's parents were in the room and couldn't figure out how to get out of the hole he'd dug.
Sophie decided to throw a lifeline to the drowning man. "Well, we know you work tomorrow so any visits then would have to be pretty much unannounced, but you know, the Chief and Sarah go home tonight and that leaves just me and her Aunt and Uncle to keep her company. Visits from someone other than us old folks would be a welcome change, and maybe I would feel comfortable leaving for short periods of time. You know, John, only visiting hours have been able to get me out of this room, but if Sophie had someone to keep her company maybe I could get some lunch or just go for a little walk."
"Um, I would be happy to do that. Is it okay with you if I visit?" He turned gorgeous, hopeful eyes on Molly.
"I would like that, John."
"Okay, day after tomorrow, I'll be here at lunch time so you can get out for a while," he addressed the woman who had so deftly solved his problem. "I'm not going to stay long today though, I can tell you are tired, Molly. I'll let you get some rest, but I see a problem that has to be solved before I leave. Hold on just a second, I'll be right back."
John left the room and dashed down the hall to the nurses station, "Hi 'ya, Betty, how's your day going," he politely addressed the older nurse who he considered a friend, probably because she was old enough to be his mother and had never been the source of his advances.
"Hi, Johnny, you visiting someone today?"
"Yeah, Molly, down the hall. Do you have a marker I could borrow? She has a shockingly naked cast on her arm. The situation must be corrected a.s.a.p. It's downright scandalous," he winked at the nurse as she opened a drawer and pulled out a black marker. She figured John knew she'd have it, heck he probably knew exactly where they were and was just being polite. They used the black markers for writing the patient's names on the stickers on the outside of the chart and the drawers were always full of the ubiquitous black markers.
"Go, make that cast decent before the papers show up and report Rampart's latest scandal." She sent the young man on his way with a friendly smack to his arm.
"Thanks, Betty. You're the best," he waved his way back down the corridor.
"Got it," he announced as he came back into the room waving the pen. "You simply cannot go around with a naked cast, it's just not proper. May I be the first to sign?"
Molly giggled, it was a delightful sound, and slightly raised her cast indicating he should proceed. Moments later her cast bore the message "Get well soon-Johnny" in a graceful black scrawl complete with a smiley face. That made her laugh. She hadn't expected a smiley face from the handsome paramedic.
"Ow, why do you always make me laugh? It hurts."
"But, it is such a beautiful sound I love to hear it. Here, Squirt, you're next." He handed Sarah the marker.
She smiled up at the man she considered a hero akin to Superman and uncapped the pen. "Where should I sign?"
Molly answered, "Anywhere you want, Squirt."
"Molly I don't think there will be enough room for all the Esses to sign."
"Oh, don't you worry about room, the Esses can sign my leg cast if they want a turn, besides, two of them don't even know how to hold a pen, much less write anything."
Sarah giggled. "That's true and I'm here and they aren't so I get first choice, right?"
"Right."
Johnny was looking a bit confused when he asked, "Who or what are the Esses?"
Molly laughed again. "Oh dear, we really should explain that I guess, although it's kind of a long story. So, here is the scoop on my crazy family. We'll start with Chuck and Sophie here, um, Mom and Dad," she added after getting a look from her mother. "Sophie Stanley, two esses in her name. She and Pop have 5 kids, I'm the youngest, the girls are the bookends with all boys in between. Starting at the oldest you have Shannon, that's Sarah's mom, then Sean, Samuel and Shane, then me. Don't ask me why I don't have an 'S' name, only one who doesn't."
Sophie interrupted, "You do know why, it's because Molly is a good Irish name even if it doesn't start with an 'S'. Plus there was that thing your very inappropriate grandmother told me before you were born."
Molly and Charles laughed at Sophie's reddened face as she fought the embarrassment of whatever she was remembering.
Charles broke in, "My mother got tired of the 'S' names after there were four of them and when Sophie was expecting with Molly she told her that if she picked another 'S' name that to her, its name would be, well, a let's just say a highly inappropriate word beginning with 'S'," he nodded towards Sarah to indicate why he wouldn't say the "S" word he was referring to.
Johnny looked momentarily confused then they could all see the light dawning behind his eyes, "Oh, OH! Well, yes, I can see why Molly would be much preferred to THAT."
Everyone laughed, including Molly, "Oh yes, I love my name and am so glad that I didn't get stuck with the other one!"
Molly continued, picking up the story of The Esses. "So, my sister, Shannon married a man named Samuel Southworth."
"Uh-oh, more 'S' names," Johnny interjected.
"Yep, more esses. But, it gets worse, doesn't it Sarah?"
Sarah, busy decorating Molly's cast simply nodded her head.
"Shannon, at last count, also has five children. Sarah is the oldest and the only girl. The youngest is only one month old. The four boys are named…ready for it?" She paused for dramatic effect, continuing when Johnny nodded with a grimace. "Scott, Seth, Spencer and Simon."
"No! All 'S' names? And not one got the dreaded name?" Johnny teased the group in the room.
"Heaven's no!" Sophie realized a second too late that she'd been had and joined in the comfortable laughter filling the room.
"So, The Esses aren't your siblings, but the nephews?"
"That's right. We call Shannon's family as a group, Sarah included, The Esses. It's become a thing."
Sarah nodded her head in agreement again as she capped the pen, satisfied with her addition to Molly's cast.
Johnny was the first to speak as the laughter died down, "Hey, I've really enjoyed this visit, but I can see that Molly needs some sleep, telling that long story probably took a lot and my partner is upstairs being held captive by the rest of this one's tribe," he ruffled Sarah's hair under his hand. "I really need to head out, but I'll stop by if I get a chance tomorrow and I will most definitely come to relieve Sophie at lunch time day after tomorrow."
He stood and waved as he left the room and let the door close behind him. He leaned against the wall for a moment, feeling like he needed to catch his breath. 'John, my friend, you are in deep and sinking fast. Cap, please forgive me,' John collected his thoughts and then went upstairs to rescue Roy from the fourth grade hoards.
Author's note: The story of the "S" names is true. My husband and his siblings are all 'S' names except two. His grandmother actually told his mother that one more 's' and its name would be S !% as far as she was concerned. Almost there, one or two more chapters and I think we'll have this one wrapped up, thanks for hanging in there with me!