LOC11
Johnny had no idea why he was here; Chet had called him and told him to meet him here. For the last few weeks all he did was sleep and with what little energy he had left took care of housekeeping. Now he was playing pool and beating Kelly's ass, but he took no joy in it. Hell, Chet's rantings were getting on his nerves.
"Well, you gonna shoot or not, Gage?" Chet took a long sip of his beer and crossed his arms holding his pool stick closely to his chest.
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking," John looked at the table and the placement of the balls. "Man, why are you so anxious?"
"Nothing. I'm just getting tired of waiting, that's all," Chet stole a quick glance at the front of the place.
"Yeah, right Chet," Gage mumbled under his breath. "Better not be setting me up."
The place had been their usual hangout for the single guys of 51, a pizza place which had pool tables, jukebox and good cheap beer. Smoky and dark, it was comfortable in a way Johnny could never figure out. It had taken Chet a good fifteen minutes to convince him to get out of his apartment with no other reason than he hadn't seen him in awhile.
"Hey Gage, hungry?" Chet's eyebrows went up. "Sorry stupid question, when aren't you hungry?"
Johnny opened his mouth to say something.
"Forget about it. I'm going to order us some wings, beer and pizza. I'm going to the table," the mustached man waved him off, leaving him at the pool table.
Gage knew Chet was up to something, but what he didn't know. The past few weeks he had been taking stock of his life and what he needed to change, knowing it would be hard. John felt it was time to break the ties to 51. Roy had Phil and the guys certainly didn't need him hanging on, besides he needed to get closer to the guys at his station and had considered moving closer, well just moving in general.
Now watching Chet place their order, Johnny's stomach betrayed him, since he hadn't eaten anything but cold cereal earlier in the day. He seemed to inhale food while he was working but once at home, food had no appeal to him.
Putting the pool stick on the table, he found Chet in a back booth and was forced to sit in the back half; feeling squeezed all ready by the burly man.
The waitress brought their food as Marco and Mike walked in. Chet waved wildly and Johnny tried to leave. Two bodies stopped him and he was forced back into the booth.
"Hey John," Marco smiled and Mike waved.
"Long time no see," Mike smiled, but was met with a glare.
Looking at the food, John started to eat, doing anything to not talk.
"So when do you plan on telling Roy?" Chet asked innocently as Gage stuffed another wing and piece of pizza in his mouth, and sucked on his fingers, his eyes never looking at his friends.
"Tell 'em what," John choked out, both sides of his mouth filled with food.
"Tell 'em what?!" Mike laughed. "Tell 'em you're their guardian angel is what."
Johnny threw down his wing and pizza and sighed heavily.
"I thought I could trust you," Gage's words hung as each man looked at the table. "I swore you to secrecy and you break that promise." He clenched his jaws, his brown eyes filled with hurt and anger.
"Hey John, we're sorry," Marco seemed deeply hurt. "It just slipped out."
John turned to Chet. "Yeah, I'm sure it just slipped out." He brows furrowed and his mouth in a thin tight line, wishing he had never asked for help.
"Hey, we were just pissed at the way Roy acted when he rescued you, man." Chet defended himself pulling at his moustache.
"And one thing led to another," Mike finished.
"Yeah, and I thought you guys were my friends," Johnny went quickly back to eating, making sure to cover his face with sauce from the wings and then spilled beer on himself.
"Well let me out!" John whined.
"But Johnny, we have a lot to talk about," Marco eyed his friend warily.
"Well I need to get cleaned up or . . ."
Chet reluctantly eased out of the booth and Gage moved cautiously not to touch anything. He quickly disappeared into the darkness and left the men talking.
"Now see what you did Chet," Marco glared at Chet. "If you hadn't said a damn thing."
"Well I don't think it's fair. You know Gage has been working his ass off for DeSoto without as much as a thank you and with the party coming up," Chet hissed and looked again for Gage.
"Why do you think he swore us to secrecy Chet?" Mike's head swished back and forth." Do you think he had his reasons?"
"Yeah what reasons?" Chet again looked for their errant friend. "Johnny never told us why he transferred or where he transferred just that he needed help after he got banged up. Besides, you know this wasn't the first time he did it for Roy either."
The men talked for a few more minutes and saw John still hadn't appeared. Getting nervous, Chet went to the men's room only to find Gage gone.
"Hey," the cute waitress looked at Chet, "you looking for your friend?"
"Yeah, yeah I am," Chet scratched his head.
"Well he left ten minutes ago and told me to tell you don't call, and he left ten dollars for the bill."
Chet's mouth stayed open and in shock until he was surrounded by his other friends.
"Oh man Chet—what in the hell did you do?" Mike glared and felt like punching the weasel.
"Man," Marco shook his head. "It's bad, man."
Johnny watched T.V. He would go back to work tomorrow, thankful for the reprieve and the first break with his old friends.
A knock on the door, however, stopped his thinking.
Opening up the door he found Mrs. Greenblatt.
"Hello Mrs. Greenblatt," Johnny smiled at the older, grandmotherly type woman.
"Oh Johnny it's good to see you home," she smiled at him. "No more overtime?"
"No more overtime," Johnny leaned against the door; he was tired.
"Good. Good. You'll come over for dinner then?" Mrs. Greeblatt was a widow. She had made Gage's acquaintance when he moved into the building.
"Um not tonight. I work tomorrow," Johnny gave a half grin.
"Soon then?" Greenblatt sounded hopeful.
"Yes Mrs. Greeblatt soon. Good night," Johnny started to close the door.
"Good night," She leaned over and kissed him on his cheek, her dark red lipstick leaving her mark on his downcast face.
"Good morning, good morning, good morning," Johnny plopped a pink box full of doughnuts on the dayroom table. Carl, Ron and Mark were already there in their uniforms ready to start the shift for Station 43 based in Culver City. Even the long morning drive did nothing to deter the paramedic's mood. He had done some heavy thinking the last few days.
Carl Bing, his paramedic partner looked up. "You all right, partner?"
"Me?" Gage pointed to himself grinning. "Yeah I'm just fine. What about you?" He reached in grabbed a jelly doughnut and dug in after he poured himself some coffee. He was all ready dressed and ready for his shift.
"Well I don't know haven't seen you so happy since, hell I don't know when," Carl smiled. Just twenty one, he seemed like a child to Gage but they were good friends.
"Anyway, you still have a slot for the Vegas bowling league?" Johnny inhaled his donut and then finished his coffee.
Carl sat there dumbfounded; he had just relayed the information in passing just so Johnny wouldn't make a fuss later.
"Um, yeah sure, didn't think you'd be interested is all," Carl stood up as they walked towards the bay.
"Sure I'm interested," Johnny got offended. "What, didn't think I'd support you or something?" Gage could see the hurt in his partner's eyes. "Look Carl, I'm sorry if . . ."
Gage stopped talking as Captain Bill Halliard came into view. Both Ron and Mark the hose jockeys came in and Sean McMurry the engineer was already leaning on the engine.
"Nice to see everyone here on time, and Gage thanks for the doughnuts," Halliard winked at him. "Seeing as you're in such a great mood I think you'll do the cooking today."
"Not a problem Cap, not a problem, besides I want to try a new recipe," Johnny grinned and tried to think of his new future, knowing he had neglected his shift mates.
"Well, good," Cap assigned other duties.
After the radio check, Johnny suggested a supply run to St. Francis, using it as an excuse to talk to his much neglected partner.
Once in the cab, Gage turned to the younger man and sighed as they drove to the hospital.
"Man, Carl I'm really sorry about everything," Johnny watched traffic. "I know I haven't been the greatest partner for the, hell ever since I got here and well, the thing of it is, I want to make it up to you. I mean if I haven't totally blown it."
Carl looked at his mentor and partner; he had learned a lot from this man and knew how worried he had been about his friend and former partner. He wished Gage would only be half as devoted to him as he was to Roy DeSoto.
"Hey Johnny, it's no big deal. I mean I don't know how I'd handle my best friend's wife having breast cancer. Roy's just lucky to have a friend like you is all," Carl watched as John frowned and his demeanor change.
"Hey man, um thanks for being so understanding," Johnny started backing the squad in. Once the squad stopped, Gage looked seriously at his partner. "I was being a real jerk to you and I was surprised you didn't knock some sense into me."
"But . . ." Carl started.
"Let me finish," Johnny held his hand to his chest. "You deserved a better partner than me, hell, sometimes I wonder why you didn't report for some of the things I said. I'm ashamed of how I treated you. I was taught better and anyway, if you'll still have me I'd love to be on the bowling league since I haven't been to Vegas in awhile."
"All right Johnny, good deal. Besides you treated me okay, don't be so hard on yourself. I'll sign you up for the league. Man are we going to win!" Carl grinned, warming Gage's heart.
Dixie McCall, head nurse at Rampart, looked at the clock and the day of the week. On a hunch she dialed a number and got a sleepy reply.
"Hullo," John kept his eyes closed; his last shift had been a bitch and his voice raspy from the few fires he had fought in the wee hours of the morning.
"Hello handsome," Dixie's smooth sultry voice made John try to open his tightly sleep filled eyes.
"Dixie?" Johnny yawned, still unable to open his eyes to just slits.
"The one in the same. What are you doing tomorrow?" Dixie looked down at the chart at her workstation.
"Um, nothing why?" Gage yawned again.
"How about lunch?" the nurse asked causally.
"Lunch?" John's tired brain still unable to process the information.
"Yes Johnny lunch, food. Something you know all too well," Dixie laughed.
"Um yeah sure," Gage now sat up in bed his brain working overtime. "Um how about The Crab Shack on 14th?" Not wanting to run into anybody he knew.
"The Crab Shack? Isn't that expensive?" Dixie was aware of a fireman's salary.
"Um, okay. How about Donnie's on Main and 25th?" John gave another alternative.
"Much better. Noon tomorrow then?" Dixie smiled, knowing she would see her favorite paramedic again.
"Sure, noon tomorrow," John said goodbye, placed the handset down and went back to sleep.
John had purposely arrived late to see Dixie already in a booth. He knew about this diner because a year ago he had helped put out a grease fire, a year which seemed an eternity ago. Waving, he made his way over to the booth.
"Hey Dixie," John slid in across from here, wearing jeans and his plaid shirt; he stuck on a somewhat happy face seeing the nurse from his past life.
"Hi, for a minute there I thought you wouldn't show," Dixie smiled and reached for Gage's hand.
Keeping his hands in his lap, he looked at his friend and head nurse at Rampart's ER. He had a new nurse to get used to, Millie Hendricks. She was older than Dixie but still a friend when he needed one.
"What, and get you mad?" Johnny grinned. "Wouldn't dare to."
The waitress showed up and they both ordered. John ordered hamburger, fries and coffee. Dixie ordered a Cobb salad and iced tea. The waitress brought their drinks and then silence ensued.
"So, how are you doing Johnny?" Dixie sipped on her tea not taking her eyes off her friend.
"Doing great Dixie, just great and you?" Johnny took a sip of his hot coffee looking into his cup for answers.
"Just fine. I don't know if you heard or not but the DeSoto's are thinking of throwing a party for everyone who helped them last year," Dixie smiled and looked at John.
Before he could open his mouth lunch was served and the paramedic dug in. Dixie watched him carefully noting the frown on his face and still tired eyes. She had heard he had worked some overtime over the holidays but then stopped. Base station hospitals kept in touch and she had made sure to get to know Millie better.
Finishing a fry, Gage wiped his mouth and looked at the nurse.
"Well, Roy always had class Dixie," John stated with no hint of emotion.
"Yes, of course, Roy wanted to know everyone who helped him out," Dixie took a bite of her egg and saw Gage stuff his mouth with food. "And thank them properly."
Johnny continued to eat in blissful ignorance and waited for the nurse's next move.
"I saw you put the flower arrangement in Joanne's room, Johnny," the nurse said quietly.
Gage looked up, "I don't think I deserve an invitation for that, do you Dix?" He grinned hoping to distract his serious companion.
"No, not for that Johnny. You know I know a lot of people at Rampart," Dixie stabbed at her salad.
Gage nodded still more interested in his fries than the conversation.
"Especially in accounting, seems someone has been making payments on the DeSoto's behalf," her blue eyes penetrated his.
"Oh, Roy's one lucky guy then. Heard he had a hard time fighting the insurance company," Gage replied back without a hint of knowledge and continued eating.
"Roy is thinking of having the party sometime in the spring, when the weather's better," Dixie still waited for some sign from the now quiet paramedic.
"Well like I said Dixie, Roy has a lot of class, is all. I'm sure you'll have a good time and Dixie, I didn't want to get you into trouble and it stays between you and me," Johnny pointed to her and himself. "I appreciate you keeping me in the loop and all, but you don't need to do that anymore, seeing as I transferred and Joanne is good now."
"Johnny, I could tell Roy if you're not going to," Dixie upped the ante seeing her favorite paramedic wasn't biting.
"Tell 'em what Dixie?" Johnny put down his hamburger and angrily wiped his messy hands. "What did I do? Was I there for the treatments, did I help Roy in any shape or form? No, all the doctors, nurses and the guys at the station helped. I just got lucky to hear what was going on," Johnny sighed seeing it was a losing battle and he no longer had an appetite. "I have to go Dixie, thanks for seeing me again." He stood up and threw his napkin on his plate and picked up the bill.
"Wait, Johnny," Dixie slid out of the booth.
"I'll pay for lunch and Dixie, best you forget about me, 'kay?" Gage waved and she watched him pay for lunch as tears threatened to run down her face.
"Damn you John Gage, one way or another Roy DeSoto is going to hear about this," the nurse vowed as she watched Gage's Rover head out of the parking lot.