CHAPTER ELEVEN

After being shepherded out of the room while the x-rays were taken, Johnny was allowed to return to his friend's side. Roy was unconscious or sedated it was hard to tell which. Johnny could hear the raspy breaths. Combined with the awful bruises on his sides, Johnny knew Roy probably had a collapsed lung on top of all his other ills.

The nurse was busy trying to wipe the dirt off of Roy's face, neck and torso while the doctor waited for the x-rays. Roy looked dirtier than Johnny could ever remember seeing him, even after fighting raging fires.

"What's going on?" Roy rasped as his eyes flickered open.

"You're at the hospital," Johnny said as he stepped forward. He caught hold of Roy's nearest hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"How are the others?" Roy asked. His eyes scanned the room but his head didn't move. It hurt too much. At the moment every muscle in his body seemed to be screaming in protest.

"They're in the other rooms," Johnny hedged. He hadn't taken the time to find out for sure how they were. Roy was his only real concern at the moment.

"They should be okay," the nurse put in. It was going to take a little surgery on a few of them but none of their injuries were life threatening.

"Good," Roy said as his eyes slid shut again. He was exhausted beyond imagining. Even the pain couldn't keep him from slipping into oblivion.

"Okay," the female doctor said as she entered the room, a large envelope in her hand. Turning toward the wall, she pulled the x-rays out of the envelope and clipped them to the light boards. Johnny let go of Roy's hand and moved over until he too could examine the images. "Well, no surprises there."

The doctor left the wall and walked over to Roy, giving the nurse orders as she went. "We're going to have to take you into surgery," she explained. "It should be fairly routine. But we need to start As soon as possible."

"Do whatever you need to, doctor. I want to get him home as soon as I can," Johnny stated. The doctor nodded at the nurse who began prepping Roy. Catching hold of Roy's hand, Johnny squeezed it for a moment before exiting the room. There was nothing else he could do for his friend at the moment. As much as he hated to leave him, he knew the doctor wasn't going to let him into surgery.

Standing in the hallway, only partially aware of all the people and noise around him, Johnny stared at the floor while he tried to figure out what to do now. His hotel room had apparently been ripped into oblivion along with half the town. God he wished he was home.

"How's your friend?" Sheppard asked as he joined Johnny leaning up against the wall.

"They're taking him into surgery," Johnny responded. He was grateful for a familiar face in the sea of people around him. Glancing further up the hallway, he saw Oz and Toby heading towards him. Well, there were three familiar faces now.

"Do you have somewhere to go?" Sheppard asked. He acknowledged the other two paramedics as they came to join them before turning his attention to Johnny. He was really worried about the guy. He looked like he was on his last legs.

"Yeah, I think so," Johnny replied. He knew that Chris and her family would take him in for the night or for the week if he needed it. There was no way he was going home without his partner. If it meant staying in Canada that long, he'd do it. "But I don't want to leave until I know Roy came through the surgery all right."

The door Johnny was standing beside opened and the nurse and doctor pushed Roy through it. The older paramedic was as white as the sheets that were wrapped around him. His blue eyes were closed. Johnny wasn't used to seeing his friend so still. It gave him the creeps as Roy was whisked by them on his way to surgery.

"Okay," Sheppard said as he looked at the rather forlorn three men standing around him. "You're going to come with me to the bachelor quarters here on base. We'll wait there until there's word of your friend."

"Then what?" Toby inquired. He too was feeling a tremendous need to return to familiar surroundings. Not having a bed to sleep in for the night was a very unnerving feeling. It reminded him too much of his childhood.

"I'll get you to where you need to go for the night," Sheppard responded. It was getting dark out. Even if more flights were needed, the lack of light prevented him from going up. After the tornado, there weren't even any street lights left for him to navigate by. Clapping Johnny on the shoulder, he led the three men towards the front door. They all needed a break from the chaos.

OOOOO

Exhausted, Johnny collapsed on Chris's couch. Sheppard had given the paramedic one of the radios the Forces were using in case the doctor at the hospital needed to get hold of him. Oz and Toby were situated in the basement. Chris and her family had been more than happy to see the three of them on their front step even if it was one in the morning. It had only taken them a few minutes to set up three beds for them. Johnny had elected to sleep on the couch because that was where Roy had slept the night before.

"I'm glad you're okay," Chris said as she looked at Johnny one last time. It had been a long day. She was more than ready to go to sleep but worry for Roy was making that a little harder. "Let me know if they contact you."

"Yes," Johnny responded. His eyes were closing despite his best efforts to keep them open. The radio was cradled in his hand with the volume turned up. There was no way he was going to miss it if they called.

OOOOO

Early that morning Johnny was back at the hospital. Roy had come through the surgery with flying colors. He was resting in recovery, the worst of his injuries healed as much as they could get in such a short time. Seeing his friend looking more like himself, Johnny smiled as he moved over to the bed.

"How are you doing?" Johnny asked. Roy's blue eyes were open and clear of pain for the first time in a long time. They were also a little dopey so Johnny assumed the apparent absence of pain had more to do with good pain medication than actual lack of it.

"I'm good," Roy responded, his words only a little slurred. He had a crooked grin on his face. Whatever they were giving him had to be pretty strong.

"Yeah, you look it." Johnny couldn't help the chuckle that escaped. It was the first time he'd ever seen his partner and friend looped. It was amusing to say the least.

"Good morning, Mr. Gage," the doctor said as she entered the room.

"Good morning. How is he doing?" Johnny asked. Roy was staring out the window, a dreamy expression on his face.

"He's out of the woods. Given a few days rest and he should be ready to travel," the woman said. She knew how badly the two men wanted to get home. She couldn't really blame them. At least their homes weren't smashed into match sticks at the moment.

"That's good news," Johnny said, feeling relief for the first time since the tornado struck. There was finally light at the end of the tunnel.

"Can I go home now?" Roy asked, his eyes having been drawn from the window to his friend. He really hated hospitals.

"He's on some pretty strong pain killers, as I'm sure you've noticed, but he should be all right to leave. Do you have a place to stay?" If Johnny was anyone else there was no way she'd release Roy. He was too far out of it. But, Johnny was a paramedic and knew what to watch for. Roy would be more comfortable in a regular bed any way.

"Yes, we have friends here," Johnny replied. Chris had driven him here. He could tell from the woman's face that she hadn't gotten much sleep either. She was out in the hallway waiting to see Roy for herself.

"I'll write up some discharge orders and get you two on your way," the doctor said. Moving to the end of Roy's bed, she picked up the clipboard hanging there and left, headed for the nurse's station.

"You hear that, pally, we're getting you out of here," Johnny said, smiling down at his friend. Roy smiled back but seemed to be more interested in the tune he was humming haphazardly. It didn't sound familiar but Roy seemed to be enjoying it. It was going to be a long couple of days.

OOOOO

The trip of the front stairs as Chris's house was interesting but without too much trouble, the duo had Roy resting comfortably on the couch. It seemed like an eternity since Chris had last seen the senior paramedic on that very couch. Feeling content, she watched Johnny fuss over his friend while Oz and Toby hovered. It was actually kind of touching.

"How long until the doctor said he could travel?" Chris asked. She was in no rush for the men to leave but she knew they all had lives to get back to.

"In a few days," Johnny responded. "We could try to move back to our hotel if it's too much of a bother."

"Don't even think about it," Chris stated. "I'd be insulted if you did. It'll give us time to really catch up and maybe make some memories that don't involve imminent disaster."

"That would be a good thing," Johnny said as he looked down at his friend. The drugs had won and Roy was sleeping. Chances were that was what he would be doing for the next few days anyway.

"How about breakfast?" Chris suggested. It was too early for lunch and she was ravenous.

"What do you have?" Toby asked.

"Well, today we're going to have to go with dry cereal and peanut butter and bread. The food in the fridge has all ready started to turn," Chris responded. "We'll see about getting fresh stuff this afternoon. I hear some of the stores on north hill still have power."

"Dry cereal sounds wonderful," Tobey said. He could hear Oz muttering behind him. His partner wasn't always as tactful as Toby would like.

"It'll do for now," Chris said. They were all safe and had a roof over their heads. The lack of choice in food was better than having none at all. Nothing else really mattered. Grinning, she turned to her cupboards and started pulling stuff out. It was time to party.

OOOOO

The next two days passed quietly. Chris and her family were able to buy some fresh food which improved everyone's spirits. Even Roy woke up enough to eat on occasion.

By the third day Roy began refusing the full dosage of his pain meds. He didn't like being that out of it. Besides, things didn't really hurt as badly any more. At least that was his argument with Johnny. For his part, the younger paramedic backed off. He hadn't really liked seeing his partner that doped up either.

Toby and Oz spent their time checking on the neighbours and helping to make meals. At the moment the two paramedics were barbecuing hamburgers on the back deck. A lot of cooking was being done on the BBQ. It was easier than the stove.

The front door rang. Chris and her parents were out in the yard, still trying to clean up the gardens from the tornado. Roy was sleeping lightly on the couch. Being unofficially elected, Johnny climbed down the stairs and opened the door.

"Howdy," Sheppard said, a huge grin on his face. It was the first time they'd seen the man since the hospital. Johnny wasn't even sure he knew where they were. A couple of MP's had driven him to Chris's that night.

"Hi," Johnny responded, a little unsure of what was going on. He was happy to see the man but there was an energy flowing out of him that seemed a little too bright. He was up to something.

"Do you have your bags packed?" Sheppard asked. He was waiting for the paramedic to invite him in. So far he was out of luck.

"We don't really have bags anymore," Johnny responded. Behind him he could hear Oz and Toby coming in the back door.

"That's good. That'll make getting you home easier. There's a flight leaving in an hour from the base, headed for San Francisco. I assume the two of you can get a ride home from there," Sheppard said.

Johnny felt his knees almost go out from under him in relief. San Francisco was almost home! It was even in the right state. He couldn't believe his good luck. Turning up the stairs, he called up "We're going home!"

That brought Roy around instantly. Sitting up as carefully as he could manage while still moving as quickly as he could, Roy made his way to the stairway. A crooked grin played across his pale face. "Really?" he asked, not believing his ears.

"Say your goodbyes, we're ready to go," Sheppard said. He looked at the younger paramedics. "Sorry, no flights to Ontario yet. I'll get you on one as soon as I can."

"Thanks," Toby said. All flights out of Regina and Saskatoon had been cancelled for the foreseeable future. The two were seriously considering renting a car to drive home. If only they had the money an endeavour like that would require.

"No problem." Johnny and Roy had headed out the back door to tell Chris and her family the good news. They knew the woman would be happy for them to return while being sad at their leaving. They both had similar feelings as well.

"Why don't you come in?" Toby suggested. He'd finally noticed that the pilot was still standing out on the front step.

"Thank you," Sheppard replied as he stepped into the house, carefully shutting the door behind him. Out on the street a military vehicle waited for the trio. He wasn't taking any chances of the two men missing their flight.

The back door opened and Chris and the others came in from the back yard. The family was obviously happy for the LA paramedics but Sheppard could see that joy tempered slightly with sadness on Chris's part. She liked having them around. She was also worried about Roy travelling in his current state but at least Johnny would be with him every step of the way.

"You have to take a lunch," Chris's mom said as she headed for the kitchen. True to mother form, she didn't want the two men to go without eating for the whole trip home. "I do have time to make some sandwiches, right?"

OOOOO

The plane was on the tarmac as the car pulled up. Johnny and Roy were in the back seat. It all seemed like a dream. They were really going home. Glancing at Roy, the young paramedic hoped they were ready for this. The car ride had drained what little color he'd had in his face.

"Are you up for this?" Johnny asked as he climbed out of the car. On the other side, Roy was carefully extracting his protesting body from the back seat.

"Are you kidding? There's no way I'm missing this flight," Roy responded. He plastered a smile on his face despite the pain that flashed. He'd stopped taking the pain killers. They were too powerful. He'd switched it for Tylenol without Johnny noticing.

"There will be more flights if it'll be a problem," Johnny said. They were following Sheppard across the asphalt towards the waiting plane. Crew were going over it, doing the pre-flight checks. Somehow seeing them do it made Johnny feel more hopeful about the flight. At least nothing should go wrong.

"No. I'm fine," Roy assured his friend. To prove the point, he quickly climbed the stairs to the body of the plane. He wasn't going to be left behind.

"Whatever you say," Johnny said, a small smile on his face. They were going home. Nothing else mattered. Reaching the top of the stairs, Johnny made sure he located the first aid kit before he settled into the indicated seat. He put the bag of food Chris's mom had given them under his seat. It seemed like the best place for it. Then he looked over at Roy on the other side of the plane.

"I'm fine," Roy insisted. He'd felt his friend's eyes on him and knew his concerns immediately. He flanked around the inside of the plane. It was huge. He knew it was military but he had no idea which type. It had seats along the sides of it with a large empty area in the middle. The inside of the plane was filled with boxes. The boxes were completely nondescript but were all the same size. Looking at them some more, Roy decided he didn't really care what they contained. So long as the boxes had to be delivered to California he was satisfied.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts. We are five minutes away from take off. No smoking either," Sheppard's voice said over the PA system in the plane. The crew member that was in the body of the plane with the paramedics checked to make sure they were secured before taking his own seat near the front of the plane. He was uglier than most stewardesses Johnny was used to dealing with but that was okay.

Ignoring Johnny's many glances, Roy settled into his chair for the long ride home. Breathing a sigh of relief, Roy rested his head against the chair. The tension of the last several days began to drain from his body as the plane engine whined and they began taxing toward the runway. They were headed home. As much as there were good times in their trip to Moose Jaw, Roy was just as happy to leave it behind. He'd come back some day, he imagined they both would, but not for a while. Once they reached Los Angles, Roy planned to spend months just enjoying being home.

The plane engine's whine increased in pitch as Sheppard began take off. Resting his forehead against the small window beside his seat, Roy watched as the too familiar Saskatchewan soil began to fall away. As they passed over the highway at the end of the runway, he saw a Jeep parked on the shoulder, Chris watching the plane as it passed over head. Smiling, Roy barely kept from waving at her. There was no way she could see him but he appreciated the gesture. No. Not everything from Moose Jaw had been bad.

"Hold onto your hats, ladies and gentlemen," Johnny called from the other side of the plane, he couldn't see Chris. "Next stop, California."

"Thank God," Roy breathed. Popping a couple more Tylenol, he ignored the aches and pains of his battered body. They were headed home.

THE END

A/N: Hello! The ending kind of sucked. Sorry about that. I've said it before, I suck at them. But, since joining this site I've insisted on finishing every story I start. I hope you enjoyed it. I enjoyed sharing it with you. Thank you very much for all your support and patience, it's really meant a lot to me during some trying times in my life since I began this.

Take care.

Susanne