Thanks Jen for giving me the idea. 3
The sounds of sirens approaching was heard along with the crackle of burning wood mixing with the sound of a crumbling building as Alex moaned softly feeling something heavy on her. She squinted trying to see clearly, but that just wasn't happening. She coughed and felt a weight on her chest. She lifted her head and saw Billy half on, half off of her. She moaned and looked around seeing debris and turnout gear all over the place. She coughed again and rolled Billy off of her, sniffling. She checked on Billy first, who was starting to come around. He rolled over and some chunks of brick fell off of him. Billy started to crawl around, checking out members of the squad as four more trucks pulled up and a parade of ambulances followed. Alex was leaning over Jimmy, trying to wake him up.
Within minutes the area was secured and medics were running to the 55 squad, checking on them. Alex had managed to get Jimmy and JD up, while Billy got DK, Joe, and Stu up. Alex looked around, wondering where Johnson was. She looked at Billy who got the same realization. Looking around, Alex got on her hands and knees crawling to find him. "OVER HERE!"
She was half under the truck, where part of the buildings wall has fallen. She was laying next to Johnson who was unconscious. He was bleeding from the face and blood was trickling out of his mouth. The squad started to pull pieces of the wall of him as his eyes opened. Alex felt a brick hit her in the head and whined in pain. Johnson's eyes opened up at her whine. Alex looked down at him and her eyes watered up. He looked at her and smiled a little. "Don't cry."
She looked at him, rubbing her head and holding his hand. "It hurt."
Can you forgive me again?
I don't know what I said But I didn't mean to hurt you
He looked at her. "I got the wall, you got a brick."
I heard the words come out I felt that I would die It hurt so much to hurt you
She nodded. "Don't talk, save your energy."
He coughed and blood gurgled out of his mouth. He looked at her and squeezed her hand, which she now had under her chin. "You were always like a daughter to me."
Then you look at me You're not shouting anymore You're silently broken
Alex started to sob as he talked. She nodded as he spoke to her. The squad was still trying to remove the larger chunks, but could see and hear them. Jimmy shook his head and his chin quivered. Alex looked at them, then Johnson. "Stop. You'll be out in a minute."
Each time I say something I regret I cry "I don't want to lose you"
But somehow I know that you will never leave me, yeah.
Johnson shook his head. "Not this time kiddo. Ruth and I broke up about 6 months ago. Tell her I'm sorry and tell my daughters I love them."
I can't live this life Without you by my side I need you to survive
Alex listened to him and started to cry. She wiped the dirt from his forehead and shook her head. "You're not gunna die. You can tell them yourself."
So stay with me You look in my eyes and I'm screaming inside that I'm sorry.
Johnson looked at her and gasped as medics weren't sure if they should interrupt. Alex cried and looked at him as his voice got softer. "I'm sorry, about being a hard ass and your baby. I was hoping to see your child born, but I guess not."
And you forgive me again You're my one true friend And I never meant to hurt you
Alex's head fell on his chest as she held his hand. She shook her head. She heard him gasp and then a final dying sigh as she looked up and hysterics kicked in. She had never lost it in front of anyone, ever, even when her father died. She held it together, but now, she couldn't. Nothing could be said to stop her. His hand went limp in hers and Billy leaned down and picked her up, pulling her off of him. She fought him a little, but then fell to her knees, taking Billy with her. DK, Jimmy, Joe, JD, and Stu stepped away and moved to Alex as her cries echoed around. Medics, required to work on him, got him on a gurney and moved him to the bus. DK watched with Joe as tears streamed down their faces.
Alex rocked as Billy held her. Her hands were holding onto his as she screamed and cried against him. Jimmy, who always thought of Alex as a sister held her from the side, joining her and Billy in rocking. He let a sob escape and Joe moved down, hugging Alex from the other side. Soon the entire squad was sitting, in a circle, staring at the spot Johnson died in.
8/17/04 4:32 PM
The squad sat in one of Mercy's exam rooms. Their turnout gear in piles as 2 nurses checked them out for any burns, scrapes, or internal damage. Alex sat with Billy in the same stretcher, DK and JD shared one, Jimmy and Joe shared one, and Stu stood. Out of nowhere Alex snorted. A few looked over as her eyes stared at the wall. They were red and puffy from crying. "Remember when I was hung on the wall, and Johnson yelled at all of us, because.."
She broke off for a minute and then sobbed. Her voice cracked, but she kept going. "You shot a potato through Swertzky's window? Or the time…"
She started to cry again and Billy held her as her face nestled into his shoulder. She held him as Jimmy looked down, sniffling himself. A doctor walked in, one they didn't recognize, and then a nurse. DK nudged JD who looked over and saw 'her'. Bosco's sister stood no more than 5 feet from him, in scrubs, with a burgundy colored stethoscope around her neck. She held a BP cuff in her hand and took JD's arm. She put her foot on the bars under the stretcher and rested his arm on her knee. She wrapped the cuff around his arm and then put the stethoscope piece in her ears and then placed the sound piece on the crook of his arm. She got a worried look and then looked up at him. "Are you alright? Your heart is racing."
DK let out a chuckle and JD looked at him with narrowed eyes. Bosco's sister looked at him and then smirked. "You're the guy in the fire truck that was staring at me."
That stopped the whole sad situation. The entire squad looked over to see JD's reaction. JD looked scared. He swallowed hard and nodded a little. He let out a whine and Bosco's sister looked at him oddly. She shook her head for a moment. "Dr. Macelli, I think he is in shock. His pupils are dilated, his skin is clammy, he is sweating, and his pulse is 110."
The Doctor was getting ready to talk when she heard that. She walked over and checked out JD. JD watched Bosco's sister walk away and move to Jimmy. Jimmy looked at him and shook his head. "He's in shock, but not why you think."
The Dr. looked at him oddly and waited for an explanation. Jimmy looked at the doctor and motioned to Bosco's sister. "He thinks she pretty, and doesn't know how to react to her. She is also Bosco's sister, so he may be scared of her."
JD snapped out of it and turned bright red. The Dr. looked at Bosco's sister and waited for a response. Bosco's sister looked shocked herself. "Umm.. Well.. I'll get Mary to finish here."
She walked out and JD looked up at the Dr. She looked at him and smiled, shaking her head. "Not smooth."
She looked at all of them. "Your test results are still pending, but the good news is, your Lieutenant is in surgery."
Alex froze and looked up. "He's…"
The Dr. shook her head and smiled. "The medics got him back en route. He has a ruptured diaphragm, which may put him into retirement, but he is alive, and presently stable. He should pull through with flying colors."
Alex started crying again, except with a smile on her face. The squad let out a loud cry of happiness that made the ER look in for a second, wondering what it was. JD looked at Jimmy, shaking his head. "I blew it!"
Jimmy looked at him and nodded. "But the good side is, you never had a chance. A woman like that is way out of your league."
JD looked at him. "What? How so?"
Alex looked at Billy and shook her head with a smile and then let them argue it out. She rested against him and zoned them out until the word 'bet' came up. She shot them a look and shook her head. Jimmy looked at her and nodded. JD walked out of the room and to the ER nurses station. Bosco's sister looked up at him as he talked to her. Her reaction couldn't be seen but after a moment JD smiled and nodded. He walked back in and stuck his tongue out at Jimmy. Stu shook his head. "That was mature."
JD smiled and sat down. "Her name is Morgan. She is 27, a Nurse for the ER, and loves Chinese food. She is also in a heavy metal band and plays at a club a block away from work. She plays 6 string and sings. She invited me to a show with her and I said yes, after that I plan on taking to the Chinese place we always order from. She lives with her brother and when she isn't working, has lunch with him and his partner."
Jimmy, Stu and Joe's mouth dropped. In 2 minutes JD managed to get enough information out of her to last a week. Alex shook her head. She stretched. "And the minute Bosco finds out you, or any other firefighter went near his sister, his ankle holster will be empty and you will no longer be breathing."
JD froze again. "Oh god, he'll kill me. He already doesn't like me because Cruz told him I was a rat. Awe god!"
Jimmy shook his head and smiled. "So when you going out with her?"
JD shrugged. "She gave me her number and told me the name of the place, I was thinking maybe Friday."
Jimmy nodded. The squad shrugged and looked out the window as Morgan turned around to get another chart and smiled at JD. She did look like a female version of her brother, with her mothers features. They had the same oddly colored blue eyes that looked brown, and the same reddish black hair. She had his smile and his laugh. She walked away from the window and the squad made a 'whoo' sound and JD blushed.
8/17/04 9:59 PM
The squad heard that Johnson pulled through surgery and decided to go home. Alex was exhausted and so was the squad. They all got their 5 minute visit with Johnson and then left. Walking out together, they all hitched a ride with Grace and Carlos. Alex fell asleep against Billy on the way. Billy smiled and picked her up, carrying her into the building and up the stairs. The squad moved around, getting their things together as the Battalion chief walked in. He looked at all of them. "Meeting, now."
The squad blinked and Stu ran upstairs to get Billy and Alex. After a moment, Billy and Alex came down and the entire squad was looking at their Chief. He looked at them all. "I heard about what happened with Lieutenant Johnson. I am sorry about that. He will be out of commission for at least 5 months, so he needs a replacement. You are all given 3 days off, part of vacation, and when you return Saturday night, Billy Walsh will be your temporary Lieutenant."
The squad looked at Billy who just nodded. "Alright. I accept the job, unless anyone objects."
The squad shook their heads and everyone nodded. DK smiled to his best friend as did Alex. "Congratulations hunny."
The chief excused himself and left and everyone started to congratulate Billy. He smiled to them and nodded. "Thanks. I would love to celebrate, but I know we have all had an exhausting day and we want to go to bed."
They all nodded and then moved around to get ready to leave. The phone rang and JD picked it up. "Squad 55."
He paused and looked at Alex. "Alex, it's your mom. She says she's at Mercy."
Alex got up and picked up. "Mom?"
Alex's mom was on the other line alright. She was at Mercy, sitting with Lieutenant Johnson. She sounded like she was crying. "Hunny, it's about Johnson"
TBC