The Fire Talks
Chapter 25
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.
Dr. Early picked up the phone at the ER nurse's desk, "Hello."
"Hi Doc."
"Roy, Dixie tells me that Johnny took a tumble. What exactly happened?" He pulled a pen from his lab coat pocket and opened Johnny's chart that Dixie handed him. She always seemed to have ready whatever anyone needed in the ER especially when it came to himself or Dr. Brackett.
Roy explained the activities of their day ending with Johnny's fall.
"Hmm," Dr. Early pondered for a minute. "I think I have to agree with Dixie, Roy. It sounds like he tried to do too much too soon."
"Yeah, but…" Roy started to say something.
"Now let me finish." Dr. Early cut him off. "Remember I told Johnny that the dizziness and headaches could last for a few weeks, but should lessen over time. That said I think this is just more of what we expected. I am a bit surprised at the severity of it. That does concern me some. Let's see how he feels when he wakes up. I'm on shift tonight, so I'll be available at anytime if you need me. Okay?"
"Sure Doc." Dr. Early could hear the insecurity in Roy's tone.
"Roy, if I thought for an instant that there might be more to this I would have you call a squad and ambulance. Johnny needs time. This is by far the worst concussion I've seen him have. Combine those symptoms with fatigue and well you find him in the floor. Like I said, call me if he's not better when he wakes up. Rest is what he needs more than anything right now. Oh and Roy, make sure he takes his meds. You and I both know how he is about taking anything for pain or headaches. Make sure he stays on top of that. Make sure he takes the meds even if he doesn't think he needs them."
"I will." Roy sighed. "Thanks Doc."
"Thank you, for keeping me posted. I may want to stop by in the morning for some fresh coffee if Joanne doesn't mind." Joe chuckled.
Roy's eyes lit up and a smile spread across his face. "Joanne would love to have you stop by for coffee."
Joanne tilted her head and raised her eyebrows in question.
Roy held up his hand for her to wait a minute, and he would explain.
"Good. Why don't I stop by around Nine."
"Nine is good. We'll see you for breakfast." Roy looked at Joanne to make sure she was okay with that. She nodded her agreement. She wasn't sure exactly what she had agreed to other than breakfast, but it sounded like Dr. Early wanted to swing by in the morning. If she had to feed him steak and eggs that would be all right as long as he checked on Johnny. She was really concerned about him.
It was several hours before Johnny finally woke up. He didn't feel like getting out of the bed yet. Instead he lay in the bed listening to the sounds of the house, and feeling at peace. He had his memory back, had finally told the guys about the novel and shared with them his good fortune. Best of all for the moment anyway, his headache seemed to be gone. Now if he could just get over the concussion and get back to work everything would be perfect.
Dinner long past, the Desoto family had gathered in front of the TV to watch The Waltons. Johnny could hear Joanne asking the kids to settle down. "Chris stop poking your sister."
"Aw Mom I was just teasing her." He slumped down on the pallet Joanne had spread on the floor for the kids and pushed his elbows into his pillow. "A guy can't have any fun."
"Chris." Roy reprimanded his son. "If you can't abide by your mother's request with respect, you will not be allowed to watch the show with us."
Chris turned to his mother. "I'm sorry Mom." He waited for her response hoping he wouldn't be sent to bed early.
Joanne sighed, "Okay son, just keep your hands to yourself." She leaned back against Roy who wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"Daddy?" Jenny stood next to him and hung on his leg. "Is Uncle Johnny gonna watch with us tonight?"
"Honey Uncle Johnny isn't feeling well tonight." Roy patted her on the top of her head. "I think he's still asleep."
"He needs his rest doesn't he?" She said in a matter of fact tone.
"Yes pumpkin, he does." Roy scooped his daughter up into his lap and hugged her tight. Then he set her back on her feet. "Now get over there with Chris. The show is coming on."
It warmed Johnny's heart that Roy's kids wanted him to be included in their family time. He drifted back to sleep feeling loved.
Dark black smoke poured out of the down stairs windows.
Mixed in with the billowing plumes of black were flames that licked against the brick walls, reaching for the paint chipped wooden window frames of the second story, trying to gain purchase.
The thicker the smoke, the higher the flames seemed to snake up the wall.
Ash and burning debris drifted out of the busted windows, blown out from the force of the fire within.
A lighter gray smoke slipped out of the wall cracks just below the roof line mixing with the rising black cloud like wisps of gray hairs on a distinguished man's temples.
A ladder stretched up to the roof where several firemen had disappeared into the darkness on their way up to ventilate the structure.
Firemen scrambled everywhere, pulling hoses, swinging axes, working together side by side to gain access to the deteriorating building and free the victims from within.
The wall of heat that hovered around the scene pushed onlookers back across the street.
There was an eerie silhouette of the once grand structure reflected in the puddles of water collecting on the asphalt from the spray from the fire hoses.
Mike Stoker stood watch beside Engine 51.
Marco and Chet were nearby directing a wide stream of water onto the main entrance to keep it open for the many members of the department ducking in and out carrying victims to the triage area.
Captain Hank Stanley had just entered the building to assist Roy with a victim; Johnny had been sent to the roof in response to a firefighter who had partially fallen through the roof, when an explosion rocked the entire structure.
When the explosions finally stopped and the dust settled, it became very apparent that many lives would be changed on that day.
Marco lay unmoving on the pavement; Chet a few feet away moaning and rolling from side to side. Mike Stoker sat dazed on the ground leaning against the front tire of Big Red. Roy and Captain Stanley had somehow managed to get clear of the building, but both men and their victim lay sprawled in a heap of arms and legs just outside the entrance, unconscious.
When the dust settled, no one knew what had happened to the men on the roof. What they saw before them didn't leave much hope that anyone else inside or on the roof could have survived.
One man in the crowd smiled at the devastation before him. His planning had paid off. The accelerant he used had burned at just the right speed to allow more firemen to feel secure enough to enter the small office building. He had timed it just right so that the temperature could reach the heat level necessary to ignite the explosives in the storage room on the second floor when the most people were in the building. In the process of getting to the younger, tall, dark haired man that had treated his beautiful daughter and let her die, he had successfully injured the man's friends as well.
Feeling completely satisfied with himself he turned and slowly walked away.
"NO! He's getting away!" Roy could hear Johnny screaming from the spare bedroom. "Roy, you have to get up and stop him." When he came into the room he found Johnny tangled in the sheets and struggling to get up. His face was pale and his eyes looked around the room wildly. "HELP!"
"Johnny, it's okay…it's just a dream." He approached the bed slowly and carefully spoke in a soothing tone, trying to get Johnny to wake up.
"The arsonist, he's getting away. Don't let him get away. He started the fire. He had explosives in the cleaning closet. He wanted us to get hurt. He..he..you all got hurt, because of me." Johnny continued screaming at Roy. He grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard. "Roy don't you see. It's my fault. You have to stop him."
Roy continued his soft assurances that it was just a dream. In fact he remembered a chapter in Johnny's book that described a similar fire scene. Johnny must have been dreaming about his book. "Okay Johnny, I'll get him, but you have to calm down. Come on, Junior…deep breaths."
Johnny stopped screaming and slowly came to awareness, blinking his eyes several times and finally turning toward Roy seeing him for the first time since he had come into the room. "What happened?" He ran a shaky hand through his sweat dampened hair.
"You were having a bad dream." Roy calmly responded.
"A dream?" Johnny sighed.
"Yeah, it sounded like something from your novel."
Johnny closed his eyes and shuddered. "I'm sorry Roy, I didn't mean to upset anyone."
"Don't worry about it. The kids are asleep anyway, Joanne and I were just watching Johnny Carson."
"Carson is on already? What time is it?" Johnny yawned.
"You hungry?"
"Man am I." Johnny swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Did you save me anything from dinner?"
"Nope." Roy teased. Johnny turned to him with sad eyes and an open mouth. Roy paused long enough for Johnny to begin to get steamed. Then he continued. "But Joanne did."
"Oh, ha ha ha." Johnny rolled his eyes at Roy.
"You think you can get up without falling?"
"Yes Dad. I can get up without falling." Johnny retorted.
Roy backed up and held his hands in a gesture of surrender.
Johnny stood slowly and hoped that he could get up without falling. He didn't want to go to Rampart, and he knew if he as much as stumbled, Roy would have a squad and ambulance there in two seconds flat. Much to his satisfaction he not only stood, but walked to the kitchen by way of the hall bathroom to freshen up. When he reached the kitchen he found Roy seated at the table with milk and cookies, while Joanne had a very full plate of roast beef and vegetables along with two glasses of milk for him.
"Thanks Jo," Johnny said to her as he pulled her into a hug. "You're the best."
"Your flattery will get you nowhere with me, John Gage." She swatted him with the dish cloth she had been wiping her hands with. Then she winked at Roy. That wink had shown him that she felt that Johnny was definitely better than he had been earlier in the day. Roy nodded his agreement to her and smiled as he dunked a cookie into his milk. "After you finish, just leave the dishes in the sink. I'll wash them with the breakfast dishes. Then Mr. Gage you can take your meds and crawl back into bed."
"Um okay." Johnny looked from Joanne to Roy. "I will."
"I'm serious Johnny. You need to rest. Day after tomorrow is a big day." That said Joanne blew a kiss to her husband and disappeared through the door. "Goodnight boys."
"Goodnight Joanne." They echoed each other.
Roy dunked another cookie, "So aside from the bad dream, are you feeling better?"
"Yep…lots." Johnny dug into his food for the first time in days. "I feel pretty good."
"No dizziness, headache?"
Johnny thought about it for a few minutes, rolling his eyes from side to side as if looking to see if he was dizzy or not. "Nope, not now."
Roy smiled. "That's great, Johnny."
Johnny smiled and kept right on eating.
"I talked to Doctor Early. Joanne invited him over to breakfast in the morning." It was a little white lie and both Johnny and Roy knew it.
"So..he wants to check up on me." It was more a statement than a question.
Roy cleared his throat. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "Um..Joanne wants him to. Just to be safe."
"She does?" Johnny asked with one eyebrow raised.
Roy purposely dunked another cookie and bit into it fast so he wouldn't have to verbalize another lie. He simply nodded his head, yes. It wasn't really a lie, Joanne really did want to be sure Johnny was all right, but in fact it was Roy who wanted Doctor Early to stop by.
Johnny shrugged. It warmed his heart that his friends would worry so about his welfare. "Okay." He finished his dinner and leaned back in the chair. "Man that was great. I'm stuffed." To prove his point he yawned deeply. Roy slid his chair back and moved to the cabinet above the refrigerator where they kept medications out of the reach of their children. He returned to the table with Johnny's meds. Handed the pills to him and pushed the second glass of milk over to him. "Thanks Roy."
"No problem, Junior." He grabbed the dishes and rinsed them off before putting them in the sink until morning. "Do you want to watch some TV before you head back to bed?"
"Nah, I'm going to try to do what Joanne suggested and get back to bed." He stood slowly testing his balance. When he was sure he wasn't dizzy he smiled at Roy and whistled as he headed back down the hallway to his room.
Roy turned off the kitchen light and headed upstairs to join his wife. He felt better than he had in days as well. Maybe Dr. Early and Dixie were correct. Maybe Johnny did overdo it today, and just needed to rest. That's what he hoped anyway.