Chapter 21

Elise took the chair that was offered her and was thrilled that it wasn't a wheel chair. "Now see John I didn't fall apart, I am not in total hysterics needing to be held back for my own good while your being evaluated. I could probably even handle things if there was a little blood involved. We both understand the work along with the risks and the benefits."

The head of John's treatment table was raised slightly and he rested his head back while he finished his IV, but still held on to his wife's hand, as the two of them massaged with each other's thumbs as they smiled at each other. "You said you never wrestled a hose thought." John smiled, "did you ever go into a burning building?"

"Once," Elise answered, "It was a neighbor of mine, she had a stove fire and when the fire truck arrived it got my attention. They asked me to have a look at her, seems she was cooking and started feeling ill. She went to the bathroom where she was sick to her stomach and then passed out. Turns out she was pregnant and while she was out of it whatever she was cooking started fire and set off the smoke detector and another neighbor called it in." "And I'll have you know the building was still standing when the fire department left the scene." Elise shook a finger from her other hand at John as they both laughed uncontrollably.

"I know it's not the same." Elise started again with a smile, "But I also know about your protective gear and the teamwork and the precautions you take."

John just rest his head back and smiled a warm loving smile at his wife. She really did understand more that what she was finding words for. She truly understood why he did what he did and the passion for the work and what they could accomplish. As they held hands and gazed into each other's eyes he realized once again that they were made from the same cloth, they were two of a kind and he couldn't be happier that they were no longer half a continent apart.

They both looked up when the door opened again and a familiar face wearing a business suit walked in.

"Thank you for coming Mr. Brackett," Elise greeted him, "After all that we've learned this afternoon what else is my charming brother-in-law up to now."

John gave the lawyer his full attention as another chair was pulled forward.

"Well I must admit this is a very interesting document," Mr. Brackett shook his head in both amusement and disgust, "It is also not the first time I've seen it. Let me start by telling you about the other day when I was advised by my son here that there was yet another attempt to declare you incompetent and have you taken back to Montana against your will. We had managed to throw in all kinds of monkey wrenches by stopping the injection of drugs meant to cause confusion and then stopping the independent evaluation that was supposed to be submitted. Add my presence in the court room with copies of transcripts and decisions from the earlier trial and it was a bit of a circus. Before the court was adjourned Mr. Sulston pulled a document from his brief case that he claimed you, Mr. Gage had asked him to write up. His document did have signatures on it but I requested a signature verification before the document was placed in evidence. I had in my possession several documents that you had signed in front of witnesses that I was able to show as just cause for the questioning. I then executed my rights as Elise's documented Lawyer to get a copy of it and I can tell you that it is the same contract that was left for me in my son's office."

Mr. Brackett pulled a set of papers from his brief case and produced a set of papers for all in the room to glance at the signature on the last page.

"That's not my signature," John declared and so did everyone else in the room.

"I'm sure they have figured that out at the police station by now too," Mr. Brackett added, "And you have nothing to worry about since it is a blatant forgery."

"That's good, but just what was he trying to get me to sign anyway?" John questioned.

"Oh, if I may paraphrase here, it's just a document where you were admitting you were a total idiot as far as business matters and wanted him to deal with any and all business transactions concerning Elise's estate and financial holdings, Also that you had changed your mind about the marriage and wanted an annulment."

"An Annulment!" both Elise and John said in unison as John jumped to a seated position dangling his feet on the side of the gurney to take a good look and the last part of the document to see that the word Annulment was actually in print on the last page. To everyone's pleasure John was not dizzy in the least at his sudden jump to an upright position.

"This is just another example of why you should never sign anything without reading it over and making sure you totally understand it." Mr. Brackett declared.

"It's also another example of why you should never sign anything Tom Sulston is asking you to sign," Elise added and John agreed with every nonverbal sign he could make.

"We are still legally married, right?" John needed to know for sure, "Do I need to call the hospital chaplain down here right now to marry us again just to be sure?"

"Your union is 100 percent legal and binding," Mr. Brackett declared with emphasis. "I do understand that you will be holding a reception in the near future, there would be nothing wrong with you renewing your vows at that time, you could definitely get a lot more romance in a marriage ceremony than the one at the court house."

"We've talked about that." John smiled at Elise as they continued to hold hands.

"Well I believe my business here is done," Mr. Bracket started replacing papers in his brief case. "I'll check into those matters we discussed up in your room earlier and I should have an answer for you by tomorrow morning." With that said Mr. Brackett left the room and John's IV was discontinued so that he could return to work. He was allowed to walk his bride back to her room before they were called in service.

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The ride back to the station was quiet, so quiet Roy had to make sure he didn't make it through a light so that he could look his partner over. John sat in the passenger seat his gaze a million miles away as he toyed with his wedding ring. The look on his face could only be described as pure happiness.

"You know I'm supposed to be watching you for any personality change resulting from the head injury this morning." Roy broke the silence, "That's kind of hard since I've never known this person in the squad with me."

John turned his attention to his partner and smirked. "I think I've really got it bad this time Roy."

There was another block and a half of silence, "Well Junior from what I see the only bad part you got is a majority of your in-laws." Both men giggled, "I never thought it possible but yours make my mother-in-law look like a saint." "As long as they're not around, I don't think I've ever seen you look so totally and blissfully happy in my life. Are you sure you're not being drugged?" Roy joked.

John smiled but still looked as if he were in another world, "The real bad one's are Elise's brother-in-laws," John finally spoke, "They were both handpicked by their father to help flush the Indian blood out of the family's systems."

"I have to admit, I don't really understand any of that," Roy admitted now that he had his partner talking he felt like he could keep him talking.

"Elise's grandfather was a half breed like me." John relaxed in the passenger seat and continued to toy with his ring. "His mother was an Indian princess who died while he was young. He was treated so badly by anyone that he met that he left the reservation and changed his name. Did everything to distance himself from the Indian People that he felt rejected him the most. It was like he considered his Indian blood toxic and he set about flushing it from the system as fast as possible. He'd been in a knife fight before he got away and had to have several blood transfusions to get him started, at least so he felt. He turned into a real Indian hater and spread the philosophy to his son. After the way I was treated I can understand it all but I don't necessarily agree with his action plan. Elise's father continued the practice feeling the same way his father did but his Sister didn't share the family plan; she found love and happiness within the reservation. Anyway Elise's father proceeded to find husbands for each of his five daughters who had no ties what so ever to the Indian people."

"So why didn't he find one for Elise?" Roy asked.

"He tried." John answered with a sideways glance before turning back to his gaze into another world. "He tried to set her up with a bunch of different guys. None of them met with Elise's liking, Greg was one of them but instead of marring Elise he broke up the relationship between Pat and the guy Daddy picked for her and ended up Marrying Pat instead, Elise said he thought Patricia was more exciting than she was. She studied too hard and took her schooling to seriously for his liking."

"What about the other two sisters?" Roy asked, he was enjoying his calmly talkative partner.

"Vanessa's guy hung around long enough to get her pregnant and then split. Her father tracked him down and made him marry her but it was in name only and they've never seen him since. She took over the role of mother for the rest of her sisters when her mother died along with raising her son.

Joanie and her husband were a love story of all times. They have two boys and were really happy until the day he was coming home from work and saw a man stumbling away from a wrecked car. He stopped and tried to help when the guy shoved him down and Brandon hit his head on a rock. The guy was from the reservation, drunk and high on drugs. To add to Joanie's dislike of the race he managed to get into some treatment program and then was released to an area where he could make a living and away from the bad influence he had lived in. Mean while Brandon has permanent brain damage and will never be able to work again. He has no control of one hand, has to walk with a cane, half of his face is paralyzed and he's real hard to understand when he talks. The family is still tight with the boys helping their father but it's still a bad scene."

As the station came into view John sat up straight in the cab and placed his hands on the dash. "None of that matters much anymore. Greg is in Montana in a Jail cell, denied bail and Tom soon will be. All the sisters except Rachel, the good one have headed back home, and with Elise's health she likely won't have to testify, there's enough physical evidence without her testimony to see to it that he'll be locked away for a long, long time."

John took in and let out a deep breath, "I'm going to do everything I can to help her forget all of that." John declared.

As the squad was backed into the bay Captain Stanley stepped out of his office. He was obviously waiting to be among the last in the shower. "Well?" he asked as Roy got out of the squad.

"Doc said he's alright, must have gotten up to fast," Roy confirmed the Doctor's diagnosis.

"At least I found out what was in the document my Brother- in and out- law was trying to force me into signing." John responded with a little anger reappearing. "It was an attempt to undo everything that was done last week in a court of law. He's already turned in another copy of it with a forged signature and was trying to save his skin before they figured that out."

"Well, if I understand things right he's still behind bars so he won't be able to cause any more trouble at least for a while," Cap responded with a sigh of relief.

"Well," Cap slapped the hood of the squad, "The Chief asked that you write up an announcement that can be sent to all the stations and shifts. Seems he's hoping to put a stop to the breakage of coffee mugs throughout the response area," There was a smile on everyone's faces and a slight giggle; "We're going to have to make do with disposable cups around here until further notice."

A joyous smile returned to John's face. "I'll get right on that Cap, As soon as I'm through with my shower."

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Most of the 51 A-shift were gathered in the kitchen munching on snacks while they played board games and cards. The one exception was the dark haired Paramedic who was in the office working with the typewriter. It had only taken him four pieces of paper before he had an announcement he liked and he was holding it in his hand reading it to Elise over the phone for her approval when Captain Stanley walked in with three guests.

John recognized only one of the men who accompanied his Captain through the door. It was Mr. Brackett, his and Elise's lawyer.

"John these men would like to speak with you for a moment." Hank explained, "I'll give you some privacy."

Once the men were introduced John learned he was in the presence of the district attorney for the State of California and an attorney representing the federal court system. The person he knew was his attorney and it was clear he was there to convince John to do what the other two wanted him to do.

"John," Mr. Bracket began, "we'd like you to drop your assault charges against Tom Sulston."

"I don't think so," John took a stance and wondered if he could scream loud enough to get the rest of the crew in to help him if these men made any aggressive moves.

"I understand what you're saying and how you're feeling John," Mr. Brackett simply took a seat on the other side of the desk from John. "Let me explain what's going on here and why what they want you to do is a good idea."

John took his cue and sat down while the other two men did the same.

"John, you have every right to press charges and we have more than enough evidence to take him to trial and convict him. But at the very most he'll get probation and it will take about two months to get him to that point. There are a group of people from the FBI waiting for him in Montana as we speak to serve warrants for his arrest on five counts that will put him away for several years and possible lead to the breakup of a major crime syndicate."

"But if we let him go he'll just run." John countered.

"We're sure he has no idea what's coming down." The Federal Lawyer stepped in. "It will take us weeks to move things here. But if we just let him go and get him on the plane to Montana. My people will be waiting for him when he gets off the plane."

"John," Mr. Brackett spoke again, "there is a preliminary hearing in the morning, the best we can hope for is to bind him over for trial and he'll most likely be released on his own recognizance. With your approval we can drop the charges but insist that he leave the area as soon as possible. They're already for him when he gets off the plane in Montana."

"If I drop assault charges, he'll still have to face forgery charges for the papers he was trying to make me sign this morning?" John Questioned.

"That he will," Mr. Brackett confirmed. "Those charges along with several others are being added to the warrant they are waiting to execute when he gets off the plane in Montana.

"Is there a chance to request that he get a police escort to the airport and that they can make sure that he gets on that plane?" John questioned once again.

"I know several police officers that would volunteer for that duty." The state district attorney volunteered.

"In that case what do I have to do to drop the charges," John agreed.

After talking things over with Elise, John signed the papers that were waiting for him, after he read them carefully and asked a couple of questions about some of the terminology.

When the men left the station with the signed forms to drop the charges John followed them to the door and watched them drive off. When the door closed behind them Captain Stanley approached his paramedic and placed a hand on his shoulder, "Is everything all right there John?"

John turned to face his Captain with a bit of a start and then smiled, "Yeah, it is, Tom Sulston is on his way to a hole he won't easily get out of. I'll be right back cap."

John quickly left the room and returned with a piece of paper that he handed to his captain. "Does this meet the requirement of an announcement?"

Hank took the paper from John and snickered as he read:

The North Eastern Montana Unified County

Search, Rescue and Fire Departments

Would like to announce the union of their Head of

Emergency Medical Services and Training

Elise Rose Holbrook

To

John Roderick Gage

With

Los Angeles County Fire and Paramedic Departments

A reception to celebrate this merger is scheduled.

"I figure you can just add the date and time for the reception at your house Cap and we'll be set." John added with a smile.