TAAWTS-10
"How's your headache?" Gage stood leaning on the counter at the nurse's station while Elaine reached inside the supply cabinet to fill his requests for restocking the squad. An early morning run had brought he and Roy by Rampart before shift change.
"My what?" She turned around glancing up briefly at the grin on the young paramedic's face.
"Your headache…..last night you said you had a headache."
"Oh, yea," She looked rather sheepishly at him before continuing. "It's better….I think I just ate something that didn't agree with me. I got kinda nauseated for a while. I'm better now though, thanks."
Johnny gave her a thoughtful nod but he couldn't help but notice the dark circles under her eyes. Must have kept you up for a while, too.
Elaine finished filling the small box and then reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper. She discreetly slipped it into the palm of his hand; he almost jumped at the feel of her warm hand in his. He gave her a slight wink and then headed out to the squad, supplies under his arm, to meet his partner.
"Squad 51 returning to quarters." This time it was Roy who called it in while Johnny sat mesmerized by the note he'd just received.
"What've you got there, Junior?" Roy glanced at the passenger's seat waiting for a smart aleck comment from Johnny.
"Ohhh, this Roy…..." He held up the folded piece of paper. "Directions to Lainie's apartment." He refolded the slip of paper and stuck it into his shirt pocket. "This time, I'm picking her up at her place."
"Really? What time's her curfew?" Roy snickered. He couldn't help but tease his young partner.
"Oh, real funny, Pally." He smiled; he couldn't be mad at Roy. "I know it seems really old fashioned but I'm ok with it."
"Nothing wrong with that, Junior. Nothing wrong with that." Roy had seen his share of 'loose' women come and go in Johnny's life. Seeing him fall for someone more conservative was refreshing. He just hoped Gage wasn't setting himself up for future heartache.
E!
"Bellingham, you alright man?" Roy and Johnny were changing out of their uniforms and back into their street clothes when the 'B' shift paramedic walked into the locker room.
"Yea, why?"
"Well, we heard about the body you found in that arson fire last shift." This time the explanation came from Johnny.
"Oh, yea, that." Bellingham threw his small bag into his locker before turning around to face the duo from 'A' shift.
"Well, it was pretty gruesome, I'll admit that but yea, I'm fine. It just caught me off guard, that's all."
"Yea, I can understand that." Roy conceded.
"Any idea if the body is the guy who started the fire?" This time Johnny asked the question; deciding to use his own words and not Marco's.
"Don't know, Gage. I could see bones in places and I really don't think that fire got hot enough to do that to the guy. I'm thinkin' maybe he was one of those street guys from down near that overpass. Think maybe he had been dead for a while, ya know?"
"Yea," Johnny acknowledged. "Guess the coroner or medical examiner will let us know, huh?"
"Yea, guess so." Bellingham said with a bit of a sigh. "You guys have a good couple of days off."
"Thanks and ….uh….be careful on overhaul, ok?" Johnny grinned; only half kidding.
E!
He didn't normally read newspapers but when he overheard the clerk at his usual convenience store discussing the body in the burned out building, he suddenly felt a desire to read the article himself. He fished into his jeans pocket for the coins required and made his purchase. He folded it under his arm and headed home.
He spread it out on the table of his desolate apartment; turning and scanning the pages until he found the article. 'Unidentified Remains Found in Burned Out Building' the headlines read. He scanned the article and felt a sense of accomplishment overwhelm him. It had been so long since he'd felt this powerful, this strong, this competent. The feelings that accompanied this achievement aroused him. He scrambled through one of the kitchen drawers until he found an old pair of scissors. He carefully clipped the article and attached it to the center of his bedroom mirror; between his other two souvenirs. On the left side hung his father's Fire Department badge; damaged from his final fire. On the right hung the necklace his mother was wearing the day she died. No one except his father knew how she had succumbed to smoke inhalation inside their burning garage during her fifth month of pregnancy. A garage with a door that was open when the fire department arrived.
He stepped back and admired his accomplishments now prominently displayed in his bedroom. He felt a sense of satiation; even though he knew it would only be temporary.
E!
Johnny looked down at the paper with directions to Lainie's apartment written on it. He was accustomed to following directions but normally Roy was driving. Now, he had to do both and he hoped he wasn't missing a turn somewhere. Finally, he arrived at the building with a stairway going up the side ending at a black door. He glanced down at the paper once more and confirmed that the gold numbers on the door matched the ones in Lainie's handwriting. Well, Ms. Hickson….your chariot has arrived.
E!
Elaine gave herself one final glance in her bathroom mirror. She was actually nervous and she didn't know why. She'd known Johnny for several weeks now and he seemed like a nice enough guy; of course, so had Oto in the beginning. She shook the thought of Oto from her head and turned off her bathroom light. Just as she was sitting down to wait for Johnny she heard a knock at the door. She glanced at her wall clock and grinned. Right on time, Johnny.
She looked out of her tiny peep hole in her front door and caught sight of the most handsome profile she'd ever seen. Her heart leaped in her chest as she unlocked the door and opened it for him.
"Hey Lainie, you, uh, ready to go?"
"Sure, come on in and I'll just get my purse."
She walked over to the bar that separated her tiny kitchen area from the rest of the room and pulled her hobo style purse onto her shoulder. She then crossed over to her night stand beside her bed and turned on the lamp.
"I don't like coming home to a dark apartment." She explained heading towards him while he stood just inside her doorway.
"I don't blame you." He smiled as she neared him. His heart raced at the sight of her and he wanted to reach out and pull her into an embrace. He stepped aside and allowed her to walk out first; catching a whiff of her scent as she waltzed past him. She wasn't the type to wear heavy performs and he appreciated that in her. She was a natural beauty so the soft scent of her shampoo wafting just underneath his nose suited her perfectly. He breathed it in and smiled as he flipped up the lock on the inside of her door and pulled it closed.
"Ah, ah….I'll get that." He rushed to the passsenger's side of his vehicle so that he could open her door for her. He could tell she wasn't accustomed to this kind of behavior but he also sensed that she appreciated it.
"Thank you, Johnny." Her blush gave her cheeks a slight hint of color.
When he had joined her in the Rover he cranked it up and then turned to face her. "So, where would you like to go?"
"Oh, I don't care, really. You pick." She just assumed he'd already made the decision. She'd reluctantly agreed to let him pay so there was no way she was going to suggest something.
A couple of minutes later, a slightly frustrated Johnny backed the Rover out of the parking lot across from her apartment. She seemed happy enough but he didn't understand why she wouldn't pick a place to eat. The weather was beautiful; perfect temperature and only a slight breeze. He had an idea and he hoped she'd like it too.
"Say, are you up for a beach picnic?"
She turned to face him and he watched a huge smile spread across her face. "Oh, Johnny, I'd really like that. Sounds like fun."
E!
They sat together in companionable silence facing the ocean. The gentle breezes blowing their hair back away from their faces as the sound of the waves seemed to lull them into a hypnotic trance. Johnny closed his eyes; enjoying the peacefulness of the night and the joy of the woman sharing the picnic table with him.
Johnny snickered as he glanced at Lainie. "Cap would kill me if he could see me right now."
Lainie opened her eyes and turned to face him. "Why, 'cause you're out with somebody like me?"
Johnny immediately felt the sting of her words but had no idea what she meant. "Huh, what do you mean?"
She looked back at the waves without answering him.
"No, I mean, he yells at me all the time when I sit on the back of a chair with my feet in the seat. Now, here I am, out with a beautiful young lady, and he'd be appalled that I'm sitting here on top of the picnic table with my feet on the seat."
"Oh, that." She laughed then and Johnny felt relief wash over him. He decided to push her just a little bit about her last comment. And when he did, they both ended up sharing more than they ever intended to so early in their relationship.
E!
Three hours later, Johnny shifted his Rover into park and turned off the lights. He turned to Lainie and noticed her mascara had smudged a little through her tears. "Mind if I walk you to your door? Don't want any stray cats frightening you this time."
"Sure you still want to…..after all this?" She asked pointing to her tear-stained cheeks and smeared make-up.
"Especially now." He looked sincerely into her eyes. She had allowed herself to become vulnerable in his presence and he would not use the information against her.
"Ok, thanks, Johnny." She watched as he got out of his door and walked around to her side to open the door for her. It was hard to allow him to do that since she had a fiercely independent streak in her but he seemed to enjoy it….. and she certainly enjoyed him.
They reached her door, without the screeching of stray cats, and she quickly unlocked it and took a step inside. Johnny stood at the doorway, not sure whether she would invite him in or not.
"Johnny, thank you for a truly wonderful evening." She hesitated to look at him; wondering what he really thought of her now. He was fairly sure he knew what she was thinking and wanted to abate her growing concerns.
"Lainie, I had a great time too. And, uh, I want to thank you for not judging me for my past. I broke all my own rules tonight. I normally keep all that stuff to myself but I just felt so comfortable talking to you that it all just seemed to come out so easy. "
"Johnny, I could never think negatively of you; for any reason but certainly not for the circumstances around your growing up. I guess, we really have a lot in common, don't we? Neither one of us was raised by our parents; you by your aunt and me by the foster care system. How we were brought up wasn't our fault and neither of us should be ashamed by it. We can only control who we are and where we go from here. " She saw a glint in his brown eyes and thought for a moment that he might tear up.
"Lainie, you are one smart cookie." She blushed at his comment. Then looked up again and felt herself leaning in slightly.
He saw her leaning towards him and he met her half way. Her lips were just as soft as he'd imagined. Their kiss was intoxicating for them both and even though it was just a quick kiss, they both parted with smiles. He waited to hear her door lock so he'd know she was safe and sound before he returned to his rover and drove home.
She changed into her t-shirt and shorts she normally slept in and crawled into bed. Oh Johnny, I wish I could have told you everything my past. She clutched her spare pillow and held it to her chest as she began to cry again; but this time she didn't have Johnny there to wipe away her tears.