Monday morning finally arrived and with it, an appointment with Doctor Early at 9:30 am. Worried about how Johnny would react given all that would be done, both Roy and Joanne were going in with him.

"Alright, everyone knows what is happening today?" Roy asked, noticing the slightly frazzled look in his wife's eyes.

"Yes, dad," Chris and Jenny sighed out.

"Aunt Irene's going to be coming over soon with Mama Lopez. Aunt Irene will be taking me shopping for the stuff you and I need for the Girl Scouts camping trip tomorrow," Jenny piped up after seeing the look she got from her dad. "Hopefully, I can get my stuff ready to go."

Knowing both his parents were not just worried about Johnny, but them, Chris added, "Mama Lopez is going to stay here until lunch. Then, she'll take me over to Brad's house where I'll stay until you three pick me up. If I need to come home early, I call here to see if anyone is home. If not, call Mrs. Kelly. If she isn't there, call the station or the hospital."

John sat there with his mouth opened, looking stunned.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Jo asked.

"Lots of plans," he said softly. "Why?"

"You need to see Doctor Early today," Joanne reminded him. Seeing the surprised look on his face, she smiled gently at him. "It's okay if you forgot. You were pretty tired when we told you."

"What going happen?" Johnny asked, fear emulating from his voice.

Rubbing his arm, Jo looked towards Roy.

"Well, most of it should not hurt. The doctor might need to take some blood, but the nurses are good at it."

"No!" Johnny whimpered and withdrew into the back of his chair as much as possible.

"I know you don't like needles," Roy continued. "But it helps the doctor know how you are doing."

"Please, I be good, no needles," pleaded Johnny.

"Why are you scared of them?" wondered Jenny.

Shaking his head, he didn't answer.

"Honey, you can tell us. We won't laugh at you," Jo promised, walking around to gather him in her arms.

"Needle got put in arm, stayed there. Dad use knife to get. Hurt bad," Johnny admitted after a few minutes of silence.

"Stabbed arm here," he pointed to his inner elbow. "Dug to get blood. Almost as bad."

Small gasps broke the silence. Each of the four DeSoto's looked at one another, unsure what to say and feeling helpless. As the one with the most medical experience, Roy felt compelled to say something.

"Johnny," hearing the break in his voice, he cleared his throat and tried again. "Johnny, that never, EVER, should have been done to you. Doctors and nurses make a promise that says they will not hurt a person. What they did broke that promise. They were wrong."

"Even if I half?" Johnny looked up with his lip trembling and tears filling his eyes.

"Even if," Roy promised, wiping away the few tears that had spilled. "But let me remind you, no one you have meet sees you as half of anything. We just see you. Okay?"

Nodding, John swiped up at his eyes and then jumped as the doorbell rang.

"Guess that would be either Mama Lopez or Irene," Roy said. "I'll be right back."

After answering the door, he led the way back into the kitchen.

"I was wrong, it was both of them," he announced as the two women entered.

Looking at the clock, Joanne quickly stood up.

"Kids, we got to get this mess cleaned up, your dad and I need to leave in less than twenty minutes!"

"Jo, just go finish getting ready. Roy, you help Johnny and then get yourself ready. We'll take over here," Irene decided. "I'm sure between the four of us, we can get things cleaned up, no problem."

"Yeah, we can handle it," Chris said adamantly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, now scoot," Irene command.

"Sí, we have it all under control," Mama Lopez said.

"Alright, thank you," Jo said gratefully as she turned and went to get ready.

Jo was even more grateful when things took even longer than expected and the three of them ended up leaving a couple minutes later for Rampart than expected. Sighing as she sat back while Roy drove, Joanne prayed the two of them could get Johnny through the day peacefully. Closing her eyes, she rested on the way.

"We're here," Roy told her softly. "I'm going to pull up by the Emergency entrance and help you out, Johnny. Then, you and Aunt Jo can either wait outside while I park or go on in."

"Outside," Johnny told them as he was settled in his chair.

Nodding, Roy parked in the closest spot. Thankfully, it had taken less than five minutes total this day to find a spot and return. By the look of fear bordering on terror on Johnny's face, if it had taken any longer to park, he and Joanne may have been sent on a chase.

Lord knows that despite the injuries, if Johnny doesn't want to do something, somehow he'll find a way to delay the inevitable, Roy smiled to himself at that thought. At least some things haven't seemed to change.

Grabbing the wheelchair handles, Roy spun Johnny around and led the way into the ER. As discussed beforehand, instead of going up to the desk, the three of them went into Doctor Brackett's office where Dixie was waiting.

"Got stuck in traffic?" she teased, knowing that Roy was normally wasn't even a few minutes late.

"Sure, we'll go with that one," Roy smiled back.

Chuckling, Joanne shook her head.

"I take it the traffic wasn't on the road?" Dixie looked towards Jo this time.

"You could say that. It seems with three kids and four adults all running around, well…I think it was more like bumper cars," Jo admitted.

Wincing a bit, Dixie couldn't help but smile.

"And how are you doing, Johnny?"

"Okay," he said softly.

"I'm glad you're able to do more on your own," she told him, hoping to get him to open up. This new version of Johnny was still unsettling to her and it left her a bit rattled.

"Our family got a puzzle done this weekend," Jo offered. "Johnny helped out where he could and did really well."

"That's great! Did you have fun?" Dixie asked as Joe Early came in.

"Yeah, new to me," John told her. "Was old fireman."

"What was new?" Joe wondered.

"Doing a puzzle," Roy said. "It was a puzzle my mom gave me that shows a scene of when firefighters started using steam engines to fight fires."

"Ahh," Dr. Early said, happy to see a smile on Johnny's face. "Well, should we get started? I have a room set up away from the normal rooms in the Emergency department so it'll be a lot quieter."

Seeing the panic start to come over John, Doctor Early kneeled down in front of him.

"Johnny, I want you to listen to me," he said gently, resting his hand next to John's. "I know that this is scary. I will tell you everything we are going to do before we do so you know what is going to happen. Nurse Dixie will need to draw some blood, but we both promise that we will be as gentle as possible. Remember when you were here?"

Thinking on it, Johnny nodded slowly, "Little bit."

"Do you remember how we tried not to hurt you?"

"Think so."

"Well, we still don't want to hurt you," Doctor Early told him. "If something hurts, you tell us. We want to make you feel better, not worse, okay?"

"Okay," Johnny sighed.

"Would you like Uncle Roy and Aunt Jo with you, honey?" Dixie asked.

"Yes, peas," he looked up at her with his big brown eyes.

Darn those eyes! They get to you every time, she thought.

"I'll tell you what, after all this is over, if it's okay with your aunt and uncle, I'll get you a special treat after lunch," Dixie promised.

"Real?"

"It's okay with us," Roy said. "So just think about having a cookie, or maybe an ice cream or cake."

Nodding as they headed to the private exam room, the adults smiled at one another.

"Alright, young man, here we are," Doctor Early announced. "I'm going to set up this screen and I'd like you to change into the gown. You can leave your boxers on."

"Uncle Roy, help?"

"Yep, no problem," Roy assured him and within a few minutes, called everyone else back.

Doctor Early had thought long and hard about how to complete the exam. Figuring it would be easiest to start off slow, he started by having Dixie get his vitals. He then explained as he went why he was doing a basic physical exam and what each step was; with each step completed, John seemed to relax more.

"I will need to get your weight, so I'll need you to stand on the scale over there," Doctor Early apologized. "It tells me if you are eating enough food."

"I eat!" John huffed as Dixie and Roy helped him move along with his walker before stepping on the stairs.

"He actually is eating better," Jo defended him. "Since at least Saturday, we haven't had to tell him to eat. Johnny just goes slow and steady until his stomach says it is full. He has snacks maybe twice a day as well."

"It's true doc," Roy added as he more or less lifted Johnny back on the exam table. "I have to say we're pretty proud of how he is doing. John's even asked for snacks a couple times."

"I believe you," Joe smiled at the defensiveness coming from them. It meant that Johnny was in a good place with the right people. "Plus, he is not too far off from where he should be weight-wise. If you keep this up Johnny, I think you'll be right where you should be in two or three weeks."

"Long time!" Johnny stared at him.

"I know, but that's okay. You have the time," he said kindly. "Now, that knock we heard a couple minutes ago was to let us know the x-ray machine is here. This will be easy. All you'll need to do is let the person put these plates under parts of your body. Then hold still while your picture is taken. Then, when the pictures come back, we can see inside your body."

Johnny looked towards Roy as if searching for the truth.

"Doctor Early isn't lying. You just need to listen to the person taking the pictures and be still," Roy assured him.

"Cool," Johnny smiled.

"Yes, it is," Dixie smiled back. "We do have to leave, but we'll be right outside waiting, alright?"

"Okay!" Johnny eagerly said.

Laughing, Joanne shook her head, "I guess we should go, we'll see you in a few minutes."

Giving him a hug, she left behind Roy while Dixie and Joe stayed to give Malcom, the person enlisted for taking the x-rays, instructions. Fifteen minutes later, Malcom came out, smile and nodded to the group.

"So how was that?" Roy queried Johnny.

"Boring," came a voice dripping with disappointment.

"Yeah, they can be. What we need to do next is not going to be any fun either," Doctor Early warned him. "I can promise though it shouldn't hurt. Maybe itch a bit."

Glaring at the doctor, Johnny wondered what was next. Watching as a machine with a lot of lines coming from it was wheeled over, he really wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"This is called an EEG machine. We'll place these sticky pads here," Joe held up one to show John. "And we put it on your head. Then, we turn the switch on and we can see how your brain is working."

Staring at him skeptically, Johnny was thinking, No way is that true! People can't know that. Hard enough to believe the bone thing, but now this? Maybe I shouldn't have started trusting Aunt Jo and Uncle Roy. But why am I here? What do they want?

Figuring it was best to keep silent, Johnny shook his head no when Dixie asked if he had any questions. Although she didn't believe him, there wasn't much she could do, so instead, she helped unwrap the dressing on Johnny's head.

"After this is done Dixie, remind me to check on the stitches here. We'll just put some bandages on and leave the wrap off," Doctor Early decided as he started hooking up the machine. "This should take about twenty minutes, which I know is a long time, so if you'd like to close your eyes and rest, feel free. We just don't want you to talk or move too much so we get a good reading."

"Okay," whispered Johnny, scared to speak since so many of the wires were on.

"It's okay kiddo," Dixie told him, rubbing his back softly. "We haven't turn on the machine yet. I promise it won't hurt a bit."

"Alright, we're all set. While this is going, I am going to go get your x-rays and see how you look inside. Dixie will stay here with you three and I'll be back soon," Joe said before leaving.

Sighing to himself, John tried his best not to fidget while that machine was running. He was actually relieved when Dr. Early came back and turned it off because then he could finally move. All four of the adults chuckled as Johnny squirmed the second he was told he could move. Truth be told, none of them knew he could sit still that long while being awake.

"We need to get some blood work done, so Nurse Dixie is just going to take some blood. After that, you guys can take a break for lunch and then, come back here after. I should have all the results."

Hearing Johnny whimper slightly, Joanne came to the side Dixie wasn't on and gave him a half-hug.

"Look at me, not at her. Squeeze my hand," she coached, keeping her eyes directed at him while still monitoring Dixie's progress. "Okay, you'll feel a squeeze around your arm, and a quick pinch."

"Owww!" Johnny cry out.

"Shhh, it's okay, she's almost done," Jo soothed, rubbing his arm. "There, she's all done. Was that as bad as you thought?"

"No, still no like," he stated grumpily.

"I don't blame you there," Dixie said. "You did so good today, you definitely get that treat I promised you."

"Real?"

"Really," she promised. "Now, let's head down to get something to eat. I've been hearing your stomach growling for the last ten minutes at least!"

"Opps?" he asked, smiling slightly.

"That's a good thing," Roy told him, shaking his head as he got Johnny into the wheelchair.

Once done with lunch, where Johnny picked out the biggest cookie he could find, Dixie announced she was going to take Johnny on a walk with her so they didn't have to listen to boring talk from Doctor Early.

"Thanks, Dix," Roy said. "And I know what you'll do, so just one more cookie. If you get him hyped up on sugar and he doesn't wear it off in his therapy sessions, you'll be coming home with us."

"Now, Roy, would I do a thing like that?" Dix asked, hands on her hips and a grin fighting to escape.

"Yes!" Jo said.

Leaning down to give Johnny a hug, she whispered, "I know she's getting you another cookie. It's okay, just say thank you."

Seeing how he lit up at the idea of another treat made Dixie and Jo smile, while Roy just shook his head. Dragging her husband, Joanne ignore his mumblings that Dixie spoiled all their kids rotten.

"So do all the guys at the station," she pointed out. "I've given up by now. Why haven't you?"

"Not sure," Roy admitted. "Makes you think about the saying about beating your head against a brick wall though."

Laughing, the two turned towards the ER, hoping that Joe would be awaiting with good news.