Okay....So.....I combined my two parts of Chapter Thirteen and replaced Chapter 14 with my actual Chapter 14 which totally messed up the ability of some people to review the actual Chapter 14, because you already reviewed when it was 13 plus. Sorry for the mess!!!! I hope you like this chapter. If you get an error that you already reviewed for 14 that is why. Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!!!! More soon!
The Fire Talks
Chapter Fourteen
by GCS and Hotshow
DISCLAIMER: "Emergency!" and its characters © Mark VII Productions, Inc. and Universal Studios. All rights reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction. This story is only written for entertainment. No financial gain is being realized from it.
The story, itself, is the property of the author.
Roy helped Johnny settle in the bed and then went to take care of some of the things he knew Joanne had on her honey do list.
Johnny snuggled in his pillow and thought about reading some more, but was fast asleep within minutes.
About an hour later the school bus pulled up out front and the Desoto kids disembarked and ran full speed to the front door. Roy opened the door and immediately shushed his kids. "Hey guys hold it down okay. Uncle Johnny is asleep in his room, and he doesn't need to be disturbed."
"Did he get hurt again Daddy?" Jennifer looked up at Roy with a very worried frown.
"Well yes sweetheart he got hurt. Come on in, and I'll tell you about it." He stepped back and let the kids into the great room. "Why don't we go into the kitchen Mom has some milk and cookies for us."
The kids dropped their backpacks with a double thud and ran to the kitchen. Roy stood with the backpacks at his feet, shook his head at the forgetfulness of his kids, bent over and picked up the packs setting them at the bottom of the stairs and joined his family in the kitchen. "Remember guys to please try to keep the noise down for Uncle Johnny's sake."
"What happened to him Dad?" Chris asked as he chewed his cookie while talking in Johnny fashion.
"Christopher Desoto you don't talk with your mouth full." Joanne scolded.
"Yes Ma'am."
"Uncle Johnny has a concussion, a very serious concussion. Do you remember what that means Chris?"
"Sure Dad we learned that when we earned our first aide badges in scouts. He will have nausea, headaches, and dizziness. He has to be checked to be sure he doesn't have a…um hem…hema…toe…na."
"Subdural Hematoma"
"Yeah that. He has to answer questions for a nemo check."
"Neuro"
"Yeah, yeah that's right Dad, you really know your stuff!" Chris smiled with pride at his dad.
"He also has some amnesia." Roy explained.
"You mean he doesn't remember us?" Jennifer asked worriedly.
"Don't worry sweetheart he remembers you, both of you." He glanced at Chris. "He has partial amnesia where he can't remember the last six or so months. It's like he forgot about that period of time. I think he will remember though. He has a pretty serious concussion."
"Can I go check on him Daddy?" Jennifer got up from the table and grabbed a few more cookies. "I'll take him some milk and cookies.
"Let me put them on a plate and pour the milk honey." Joanne said getting up herself. "I think Johnny would like that.
"Okay, but don't wake him if he's still asleep. You can put the snack on the table by his bed." Roy smiled at his little girl.
Jennifer tiptoed into Johnny's room and put the milk and cookies on the table. She turned to leave and saw Johnny looked at her. "Hello Uncle Johnny. How are you?"
"When did your hair get so long?" Johnny asked in awe of her long golden hair.
"Oh Uncle Johnny you know I've been letting it grow for months." Her little hand went to her mouth as she remembered what Roy had told her. "I'm sorry. I forgot."
"It's okay princess. I love it." He struggled to untangle his feet from the covers.
"No Uncle Johnny you don't need to try to get up. Daddy said you have to rest." She pushed on his chest.
"I can get up Jennifer, besides I need to….uh….you know. I have to go." Johnny blushed as he explained to the little girl.
"Daddy!" Jennifer ran from the room. "Daddy! Uncle Johnny's trying to get up! He'll hurt hisself. Hurry Daddy!"
The yelling sent pains right through Johnny's head. He sat cuddling his head on the side of the bed as Roy entered the room. "You okay?"
"I was until my little princess went yelling for you. My head is splitting, and now the room is on a tilt a whirl. I just wanted to go to the bathroom." Johnny whined.
"Here let me help you. I think it's time for your meds anyway and some Tylenol will help." Roy reached under Johnny's arm and helped steady him down the hall. "I'll be right back." When Roy came back from the kitchen with Johnny's medications he found him on the couch with his head resting on the back. Jennifer was sitting beside him. "Here ya go."
"Thanks Roy." Johnny took the glass and the meds and gulped them down.
"Uncle Johnny what happened to your eye?"
"I…I can't remember sweetie, but they tell me the Phantom had something to do with it." Johnny laid his head back again waiting for the Tylenol to start working.
"That mean old Phantom better not hurt you anymore." She folded her arms across her chest. "He's bad."
Johnny chuckled and rubbed his hand down the back of her silky hair. "It's okay sweetie I don't think he meant for me to get hurt. He was just pulling one of his pranks. The water catapult just sprung apart that's all."
Roy stopped and looked back at his friend thinking to himself, 'Did he remember that or did someone tell him.'
"What about your arm? It's all bandaged up." She rubbed softly across his bandage.
"Cat scratched me."
"What kind of cat was it?"
He cracked open one eye and looked over at Jennifer. "It was a tabby cat. Do you know what they look like?"
"Yes they're pretty. How did a tabby cat scratch you Uncle Johnny?"
"I…I don't know Jennifer." His forehead wrinkled. "I just know it…Roy did you tell me that?"
"No Junior. I didn't tell you what kind of cat it was. Maybe Chester B did." Roy knew no one had told Johnny what kind of cat it was, but he didn't want to stress Johnny. He would remember more easily if the memories came back on their own, at their own pace.
"Well I guess someone told me. Anyway it was a pretty tabby cat and your dad and I rescued it. It scratched me real good. It got infected and now Dr. Brackett has me on some antibiotic to make it all better. Okay?"
"Okay Uncle Johnny. We'll take real good care of you. I'll be your nurse when I'm not at school. I'll get you whatever you need whenever you need it." She smiled a huge smile and kissed Johnny on the cheek.
"Jennifer, Mom says we need to go up and do our homework before dinner." Chris walked through the room. Johnny thought he looked like he had grown at least two inches since the last time he had seen him, or the last time he remembered seeing him.
Johnny laid his head back on the couch in frustration.
"It will all come back Johnny." Roy saw his friend's distress.
"I hope so. Your kids look like someone else to me, like I might not have even known them if I'd seen them on the street. They've aged and I don't remember it. Six month's is a long time Roy. What if I never remember? I've lost so much. So many things have happened in that six months. So many important things."
"I know Johnny. A lot of things have happened. Some things I think you will be very surprised to find out about, but you will. You will remember. Give it some time."
"Okay Roy. I think I'll go back to my room and read some more. I fell asleep earlier and didn't get the chance. I'm really enjoying that book. I'm glad Dr. Early suggested it. The author is really good. He makes it seem like I'm right in the middle of the story. I wonder if he's written anything else."
"Well I heard he had a short story in a magazine. Maybe we can find that too."
"Yeah that would be great. I hope he writes some more novels. He's very talented."
"Yes he is. He really is Johnny. Very, very talented."