Ten
When Roy woke up the next morning the first thing he did was gently pull the curtains aside and check for strange cars. He then cautiously stepped out to get the paper and found several more old sheets on the porch, after walking out to get the paper and returning with out hearing a camera shutter Roy let out a sigh.
When the news paper focused more on the policies of the school concerning bullies and the fire department's willingness to instruct a person on the phone until help arrived with only a paragraph and one picture about his children he turned on the TV. When the morning news didn't repeat the story of his children Roy made the decision to head for the beach for the day and started getting ready to go.
JoAnne was a little skeptical but was easily convinced and at the end of a fun filled, reporter free day Roy was carrying his sleeping daughter into the house having to step over another pile of old sheets on the porch.
After gently setting his daughter on her bed Roy returned to the car to get his sleeping son and carry him in before unloading the picnic and beach supplies.
JoAnne finished putting the left over food in the fridge and the dirty dishes in the dishwasher then she went looking for her husband. She found him standing in the hallway outside of Jenny's room leaning on the door frame in such deep thought that he didn't hear her coming up behind him.
With out startling him JoAnne managed to slip her arms under his arms and around his chest resting her head on his back as she rubbed. Jo knew her husband had issues with their daughter learning first aid and had ever since she climbed under a shed and saved the life of a boy who managed to cut the main artery in his leg. She also knew how hard it was for her husband that he had to take said boy and race off to the hospital before his daughter was rescued. JoAnne understood how the boy's life depended on her husband's quick move and felt no ill will toward him for his actions. She was also sure that her husband was aware that things were much riskier for their daughter than she could ever imagine.
For her part JoAnne choose not to think about what could have happened but just feel pride in her daughter's actions and share the other mother's joy that her son lived and was able to keep his leg.
"She's her father's daughter," JoAnne spoke softly when her husband remained silent.
With out taking his eyes from his daughter Roy reached around with one arm and managed to get it around his wife's shoulders pulling her next to him. "She's given me a taste of what you must go through every time I head out that door to go to work."
Carefully JoAnne managed to pull her husband toward their bedroom where once the door was shut they could speak freely. As they sat on the bed next to each other Jo took one of her husband's hands in both of hers and gently rubbed.
"I really am proud of the way she's learned how to handle triangular bandages and basic splints." Roy began to open up to his wife, "I just can't get over the fear they she'll try and run into a burning building to drag someone out or any other number of risky behaviors she's not big enough for." "I don't know how much more I dare teacher her. She's no where near big enough to do CPR unless it's on a baby." "I'm afraid of making her the person people go to for help because she'll wind up getting into something she can't handle."
As JoAnne listened she also understood her husband's concerns, "I'm glad she doesn't go looking for someone to do first aid on, and very proud that she is confident enough in herself and what she knows to act when accidents happen around her. Maybe what we should do next is teach her who to call and where to go for help, Make her understand that even you have to take your patients to the hospital."
"That would be a good start alright, when she called to have Johnny explain what to do to deliver that baby we could have been out on a run, she really needs to know some alternative phone numbers." Roy felt better finding words for some of his fears especially when JoAnne didn't tell him he was crazy for thinking the way he did.
"Do you need me to lay off shift tomorrow and hang around incase something happens here?" Roy asked as his wife moved one of her hands to his back and started rubbing.
"I think the reporter frenzy has blown over I'm sure I can handle an avalanche of old sheets while your away," Jo ensured. "And if we do have any trouble I know the number to dispatch and the station and the hospital and the police station."
With that they both laughed and Roy reached over and kissed his wife. "I love you."
When Roy reported for shift the next morning he was met at his car by Captain Stanley who invited him into his office while he was still locking up. Setting his duffle bag on the floor next to the desk Roy accepted the offered chair and held his breath.
"Relax Roy it's not serious I just wanted to give you a heads up." Cap started causing Roy to worry that something had happened to his partner while he was at the beach. "I got a call from headquarters yesterday and I thought you should know that the phone call where John talked your daughter through the delivery of the baby was originated from dispatch. It was a new dispatcher and he couldn't understand a word she was saying so when she said to just let her talk to her uncle at station 51 he patched her along. Well anyway the whole conversation was recorded including some of the back ground talk and in light of the media's interest in the matter they're going to release the tape to the press sometime today."
"Oh great!" Roy exclaimed, "Another media frenzy around my house."
"It just so happens that Emily is planning on your wife and children joining her and my bunch for some fun and games in the back yard at our house, including if needed a sleep over." Hank calmed his senior paramedic. "Also Dick Friend from public relations is going to address the need to respect your family's privacy with the media, but there's no guarantee that they'll listen."
Roy let out a deep sigh of resignation and studied the floor for a moment, "Thanks Cap, I guess I better call JoAnne and give her the news."
"You're welcome to use the phone in the dorm for some privacy," Cap offered, "And if you see that partner of yours before I do will you tell him I need to talk to him."
"Sure Cap and thanks again."
Johnny actually got his time in the Captain's office after roll call and stepped out with a dumb struck look on his face. JoAnne and the kids accepted the offer to spend the day at the Stanley's and JoAnne enjoyed being able to talk with another adult for a while as they watched the kids play together.
Roy's shift was a busy one with run after run that kept them away from the station most of the day. When he arrived home after shift he was relieved to see his wife's car in the garage. Entering in the front door he found three more sheets on the front porch and several business cards from Reporters stuffed in the door but all was calm.
JoAnne took the kids to church while Roy crashed and slept for six hours. He would have to go back on shift in the morning and he needed to do all he could to recover from the last shift.
Monday morning a rejuvenated Roy kissed his wife good-bye and accepted her wish for him to have a safe shift as he ran for his truck. Not too long after JoAnne drove her children to school and as they went to play with their friends Jo went inside to talk with the principle to make sure her children would be looked after during the day and given the help they needed to make up an work they missed while out of school.
Once home JoAnne called the Stokers expecting to leave a message and was surprised when Laura answered the phone. Once JoAnne explained she was planning to make her daughter a new first Aid bag for her upcoming birthday and wanted some advice, Laura just told her to come on over.
Knowing that Laura had just gotten off shift and was likely ready for bed JoAnne hurried the two blocks to her house and found her waiting at the door for her. Once inside Jo was led to a basement storage room where Laura pulled a large plastic container from a stack of shelves.
"What color does your daughter like?" Laura asked as she pulled the lid off the box.
"She's partial to a light blue," JoAnne admitted and quickly received a light blue canvas bag still in the protective plastic.
"I get them at conventions all the time," Laura explained, "It's a miniature version of the ones I carried in the field when I worked disasters. They hand them out hoping we'll use them as purses and give them some advertizing. But I'm not much into purses."
JoAnne quickly looked it over and realized it was just perfect for her daughter and then started catching as Laura tossed several other things her way to help stock it. Including a pen light, several decorative pens, even one that looked like a shot needle and wrote in red ink, some clamps, "great for pulling slivers," she said, and several packages of small plastic bags just the right size for a triangular bandage to keep it clean while in storage.
"They got those for us saying we could save the organization money by buying the bandage material in bulk and packaging them our selves but there was never any time for anything like that," Laura explained. "Besides we used them up so fast once the box was opened there was no need to repackage them anyway."
Seeing that her host was tired after working all night, JoAnne thanked her profusely and made her way for home with her treasures. Excited to show her husband what she had acquired when he got home JoAnne busied herself cleaning house until it was time to pick her daughter up at the bus stop.
After a skipping walk home JoAnne and her daughter had a conversationally packed lunch as Jenny told her about all the band-aids she put on at school, "I even put one on my teacher after she scratched her leg on her desk."
JoAnne was enjoying her daughter's happy chatter when he heard the doorbell ring.
Going to the door JoAnne took a moment to look through the peep hole before opening up the door to find a police officer standing on the other side of the door.
JoAnne's first fears were for the safety of her husband as she carefully opened the door to see four police officers one of them being a female.
"Excuse me Mrs. Desoto?" the lead officer asked quickly.
"Yes, how may I help you?"
"Do you know where your daughter is?"
"Yes she's in the kitchen finishing her lunch." JoAnne reported and Jenny came running to her mother's side having heard her name called.
The police officer quickly pulled the radio to his mouth, "Unit Adam 23 to watchman,"
"Go ahead 23"
"The Girl is at home with her mother safe and sound." The officer reported before turning to JoAnne, "May we please come in I need some information from you to complete a report."
Nervously JoAnne stepped back and motioned for the officer to enter as she placed her other hand on her daughter's shoulder and held her close to her leg. The lead officer and the female officer entered the house as the other two turned and stood guard at the doorway.
It was learned that a man had approached the school grounds during lunch recess and asked for the girl who did first aid. One of the students he had approached was frightened by him and ran to the recess duty and told her and the police were called. He was picked up a few blocks away from the school and it turned out he was a known pedophile and they needed to know for sure that the child he was looking for was indeed safe and sound.
While the lead officer finished writing his report the female officer moved over to the sofa next to Jenny and after trying to put her at ease she began to talk to the young girl about the danger of strangers and telling her that grown ups don't come to children when they need help."
But Mrs. Fulmer and Mrs. Connor are grown ups," Jenny responded in confusion, "I helped them."
The police officer had been briefed well and was very able to deal with they young girls confusion, "yes but they didn't come to you asking for help you found then and knew they needed help that's a big difference, also you know them so they were not strangers." "Do you under stand the difference?"
Jenny thought for a moment then turned to the female officer and nod her head. When everything was done JoAnne was informed that the officers on duty would be watching the neighborhood carefully for the next few days and advised that Jenny be kept in close adult supervision.
When the officers left JoAnne was still stunned and frightened, but instead of letting her daughter see her fear Jo, called her husband at work. He was on a run at the moment so all she could do was leave a message for him to call home when he got a chance.