Wandering Off Pt 2 – The People You Keep
John wasn't quite sure how he'd gone from moving along at his normal amble, to this mess, when off duty. He was damned glad he'd told Holler to find Cassie. The dog had gone from a slow trot to a charge in full voice, past a downed, screaming child and into battle with the same damned she-bear from a few days before...the deep cuts on her side and a cub squalling in a nearby tree proved that. Cassie wasn't clawed or bitten, but she'd been knocked off an overhead ledge where she'd tried to get out of reach and landed hard on her right side. The newly healed knee was worse this time than the first, the upper arm held a thankfully, far simpler clean break...and he had no way to tell Roy they weren't going to be back tonight.
Game wardens were attracted by the noise generated by hound and bear, spotted Gage with a bloody child mere feet away and backed up the hound's judgment by shooting the bear. A few minutes later, , on the insistence of the hound barking 'treed' under the cub, they retrieved the cub, mostly to get the dog to shut up. The words 'pureblood Bluetick' was enough to tell them it was either get the cub or just get used to the baying. The little clearing nearly rang with silence once the cub had been got down and both caged and put in one of their SUVs with the air running.
It was being sent to the LA Zoo's nursery...the zoo needed a black bear exhibit anyway while the orphaned cub needed the correct care and a home. The little Male was named Chris' Tutor before it left the hillside, with John refusing to explain why he snorted so loud.
"I need a squad, tell dispatch it's Roy DeSoto's youngest and get 51 if you can." John barked instead as he took the first of two splint sets from one of the game wardens. He then told then where their camp and the rest of their party was. "This one's Father and her sister, as well."
"I swear, I'm not stupid! I didn't bother her, Uncle Johnny! I 'm not like Chris, I wouldn't insult you or blow you off like that. I didn't know she was there until she roared."
"I know you're not: she probably recognized your scent from the other day, because I know she recognized Holler!" John tried to smile, "He's an excellent hound, y'know? You did well with his training. Tracking is one thing with a hound, guard is another...he's done well both ways. He kept her off of us and the bear never touched him, either."
"I'm really sorry I fell, I was trying to be good and get out of reach, but I'm too clumsy."
"Hey, now there's enough of that. Did you do it on purpose?"
"N...no."
"Then it's an accident, you don't need to apologize for it, it wasn't your fault. I don't want you blaming yourself just because I'm a little busy this afternoon." He ran his fingers through her damp dark-brown curls. "Now, when we get a squad up here, we'll get you packaged up and go for a chopper ride to the hospital, okay? I'll stay right with you, all the way, honey."
"You sure you want to? I'm a bother."
"No, you're not. And I'm going to keep telling you that until you believe me, okay?" He looked at her fondly if a little sadly. You need to stop putting yourself down, you are a really special kid, baby girl. You are my niece, and I just about love you to bits, so don't go calling my best girl 'a bother', you hear me? Yes, I want to."
He carefully controlled his reaction to the disbelief on her face. "Really? You're not just sayin' that cuz I'm hurt? Adults say lots they don't mean when kids are hurt. Especially other people's kids...I've heard ones like that one before. It's okay Uncle John, it's a lot more to expect than the fleamarkets, I'll...be okay."
"Yes, really." He told her firmly, cutting her off. He held her eyes with his own and after a while she smiled broadly up at him, through tears...and he knew she believed him. Which was good, since he'd not liked the way that speech of her's had been headed, not at all. "Oh look, chopper's here for us...think that's Vince Martin as pilot...and that's C shift getting my gear out and bring it to me. See? Cliffside service." He told her, then raised his voice to call out in jargon and medspeak over her head and understanding. She was a good bit worse than he liked. Then he pointed at her head, "First, this is Cassie, Roy's new girl...we all clear on that bit? That means she's as good as mine as well, right? That's the first thing, the second thing is...none of this is her fault,. I'd taken her out for a long hike, so we were a few hours from where Roy's at with the oldest girl."
"Oh dear, I begin to see the drawing on the sand." Peter sighed.
"Yeah, game wardens are going to do the information spreading to her Father, not us. We're going to be busy. It's either that or drop the chore in the lap of the on-duty captain."
"No please, Hookraider hates forests and mountains. Both. And he'd take it out on us." Charlie told John.
"I know. Just let forestry handle it, it's their job as much as our's."
"True."
"That critter roared at her by way of hello and while she was doing what she could to evade that." He pointed at the dead bear. "It clipped her foot just enough to knock her off that ledge, which is a good twenty, twenty five feet...and she's only nine. Do the math." He pointed again. "She landed damned hard on her right side, on that," which was a thick granite shelf.
"Oh, poor baby." Charlie crooned soothingly.
She looked alarmed. "Uncle John? He's creepy and plus the meanie says he's just a cook, shouldn't even be here. He shouldn't call me that when I can't run. Crooning cooks are creepy."
"He's a paramedic too, knows what he's doing." Gage soothed. "I call you that, too, y'know."
"Who is she calling a meanie? We're not mean." Peter protested.
"She means Chet." John told him as he got her pant leg sorted and let one of the other two get one of the bigger splints under it. "Careful."
"Yeah, see that." Peter nodded.
"That's different. He's not you or Daddy." She said, hissing through her teeth. "You done this time, that hurts."
John blinked. "Yeah, we've got the knee set up, have to do your arm still. Charlie's calling Joe...since you have him full time, all the time, as your very own ER Doctor. Roy made him her PCP, convienent what with him being a pediatrician anyway." He caught Charles' nod.
"Fairs fair, Chris has Mama, Crystal has Daddy and means you're mine...nobody is supposed to cook me, so what do I need him or his pet here for?"
"Pet?" Peter Wullfen yelped.
"Ah, tell ya what, you call the hospital and I'll tend to her...we don't have to do much more at this point and she won't fuss or question my authority to do so." John suggested.
C shifted eyed DeSoto's kid and nodded. She checked with John every time Charles handed him something until he finally slid back to man the biophone and let his partner hand John whatever was needed or take it back. Kid thought he didn't know the difference between an IV bag and an egg timer...literally. And she was highly uncomfortable being meddled with by anyone other than Gage: The two of them seriously scared her.
"Just let her be, she's a little touchy." John told them. "I'm going in with her, Roy has his other kid and her mom is at Rampart with her brother. She be fine. Even if she did make me check the gear to make sure you actually had it instead of a BBQ set." John was smirking at both men. "She said she doesn't wish to be roasted. Thinks you want to make fancy dog food for the wolf."
"Man, I'm gonna kill Kelly for putting that in her head." Charlie groused.
"That's okay, you can make the meanie into dog food, instead. He weighs more." She chirped at the chef.
"You? She thinks I'm Peter's wolf and that you tamed me." His smaller, far hairier partner told him. "She still insists I have to share 51 with Holler and must get used to it. Love the idea of having a top ranked hound on duty for lost people, but sheesh!"
"At least she sorta likes you."
"Ear scratch attempts do not count!" Peter snapped. "Besides, I don't want to find myself eating Chester Kelly some night! " He froze, staring at his grinning partner.
"Oh shit..." Pete muttered, cringing as he looked as turned to look at the chopper.
"I'll pass that along to him." Gage rumbled gleefully. "I think just telling him it sorta came up in conversation...if at the top of your lungs and somewhat in protest."
"Right. Gee, thanks Gage!"
"No charge."
He glared snarled something impolite at Gage and two park wardens as they burst out into howls of laughter at him while loading the stoked child into the chopper. Even the pilots were laughing. When things calmed a little, the small head looked up at Peter and asked him what that thing was he'd just said.
"What thing?"
"That thing, the one that fucks Mother?"
"Cassie!" John snapped. "That's enough of that sort of language."
"Okay, but what is it?"
"Ask me again when you're thirty and not a day sooner. When your Dad catches up, you can ask him...or your Mama, but if you ask her, make sure she knows who you heard it from.
"Oh come on Gage, have a heart! Jo Anne will make me wish I was dead long before she's done if that child does that!"
"Yeah, I know." He just grinned at the spluttering man. "Teach you not to say un-ladylike words in front of young ladies."
"It was unlady-like?" Cassie was horrified.
"It was. Unwomanly as well." John knew full well what her reaction was going to be and grinned evilly at Peter.
"BAD Wolfie! I'm telling my Mama!"
"Oh man..." Peter moaned.
"You deserve it, Cassie is only nine and you know better. Actually, even if Cassie does tell Jo Anne, I'm still telling Roy...since she'd likely ask him about it anyway. He should know whose been cussing around his little girl, don't you think?"
Charlie patted his shuddering junior partner on the shoulder, crooning "There, there...they won't kill you. Roy won't want the paperwork and his wife won't want him to have to fix the damage she causes. Okay, we ready to head out?"
"I don't like this thing." She said of the chopper. She had a grip on John's left hand he was pretty sure was going to bruise.
"I see that...but a plane can't land at the hospital and the chopper can. Vince? What's our ETA?"
"Ten minutes, going pretty fast, I don't like traveling with passengers who hate heights and that's just the adults. Kids? She's under enough stress so let's get this trip over fast. I don't think she's going to be too pleased about being off the ground. Sure seems to hate it, to me."
"Yep, she does. We had to take different trails than usual to keep her away from sheer drops. She can't handle the vertigo. Wondered why you closed the door."
"Yep, that would be why. This is my job, after all...I can usually tell who can't or won't handle it well at a glance. Adults you're more likely to be able to tranq, but a kid that size?"
"No, you're right, with what I gave her a bit ago, that's not a good idea. She was in a lot of pain, so that had to be dealt with. Okay, sweetheart, you heard the man." He put his free arm around the top of the stokes to cradle her skull in one long-fingered hand, petting her hair a little to soothe her. "Ten minutes, just hang on to me and keep your eyes on my face until we're on the ground again, okay?"
''Kay, my Tall Man."
"What?"
"You're my Tall Man, like Daddy's my Snugglebear."
"Okay. I can accept that nickname." He told her with a soft smile. "Does your Mama have a nickname?"
"Queen. Daddy thinks so too."
"Yeah, I suppose he does. Why the nicknames though?"
"Cause nicknames are for only people you want to keep and you gave me one."
"Yeah, they are, aren't they...and yes, we do. I suppose I did, didn't I? But so did Roy, he likes to call you his Daughter."
"Love you."
"Love you too, Baby Girl."
"Yeah, that one. I like that one. I...I like...like..."
"What...oh sweetheart, why are you crying?" John sounded alarmed.
"I'm so happy!" She told him, began to bawl while trying to hug his neck with her good hand. "Love my new family and my Tall Man!" She nearly shrieked.
He kept from rolling his eyes with a large force of will.
"Gage?"
"Oh, she's alright, Vince. Crying her eyes out, two fractures, terrified due to the transport and strangle-hugging her Uncle, but swears she's just happy." Charlie told him dryly. "Every male on earth has seen this before."
His partner snorted his agreement and tugged on the hound's leash to keep him out of the stokes. "We'll take Holler back with us in the squad, might need him after all."
"Okay, that sounds good." John nodded, digging the list of orders the dog knew out of his shirt pocket and handing it over. "That's one heck of a dog, mind you. He took on that bear twice, first time to get Chris free. The second time was today, he kept her off me and little Cassie here...bear never touched the hound and Holler made very sure she never got anywhere near us."
"My brother's stupid attacked him and he got bit and clawed up." Cassie told them. "But Holler is a good hound. Alerts on rattlesnakes, too, before you get close enough to one for it to be a bother. Plenty of time to get your hoe and cut it's head off."
"Really, nice to know." Peter grinned at the brave hound who wasn't phased at all by the chopper, actually.
"Besides, Rattlers are safer to have around after they've started roasting."
"I know. I do like snake meat. I've got a couple of really good seasoning mixes I like to use for them." Charlie nodded.
"Wild Garlic, old growth oregano and the almost dry bitter thyme stems and snapping basil...the one that tastes sharp fresh, mashed up wild onions...to get the juice and clover root is good soaked in cheap worchestershire sauce and used as a soak for the meat. Then, when it's soaked up enough, you dip it in cooking oil or soft lard , let hang for a bit where it's warm, yeah? Let it drip a little and once the excess grease is gone, you fry it. Cooks as fast as fish, after all."
"Oh, I like that." The chef nodded. "Interesting seasonings but I have used something close to them before and that does sound good."
"Johnny?"
"It's okay Dix, the pain med is working fine...these are happy tears...she says she's happy." He smiled at Jo Anne over her daughter's bawling. "Apparently, nicknames are for people you want to keep and I've given her one. So she gave us some. She says you're Queen, Roy is Snugglebear and I'm Tall Man."
"No, you're MY Tall Man." She raised a finger and a tearstreaked face to correct him.
"I stand corrected, apparently I belong to Cassie now." His grin was broad and his eyes were alight as they moved her into a treatment room. He didn't mind one little bit, he decided as the portables came into to treatment 2 and got x-rays of her breaks. Things moved along at a good clip and it wasn't long before she was carrying a lot more plaster and was ensconced in Roy's lap.
During that time, Roy and Crystal arrived, the girl taken in hand by her Mother for some long overdue hysterics and Cassie buried in her Father's arms at last. John occupied himself with the healing boy...and a long heart to heart he felt needed. Man to man, as it were. Because Cassie had been correct about blowing things like meddling with wild-babies off...and he'd had a very close call. This was also part of the 'Uncle' gig, he was realizing. He knew neither of the other kids would resurface for a while. The eldest needed her Mama and Cassie had been needing Roy's undivided attention for days now. She was still having her own hysterics, happily, she still claimed.
"Her Dad is no different from any other man." John told Dixie as poored a cup of coffee at the nurse's station's urn. "Happy Tears are only really understood by females. They just confuse us men, especially when you've just had a good look at nasty breaks on x-rays belonging to the crying female." He told Dix once Chris was asleep in his assigned bed again, flipping sheet and blanket over the tousled boy.
"Roy doesn't get it anymore than I do, but she's our girl, so we fake it...and just hold her until she's a lot less happy and has, therefore, stopped crying. We're pretty good at fixing things. So, the best we can do is focus on the tears, those we can hope to do something to stop. "I'm betting at least half the docs here got into it to have some way to deal with crying girls...and the other half to have a way to deal with a girl's crying Mama or grandmother." he took a couple long sips. "No, what Roy is dealing with is the full knowledge that she-bear went after two of his kids...he's crying himself, or close to it. If he wasn't in love with that hound before, he is now! I know I am! Holler is one hell of a dog!"
Dix snorted a little derisively at Joe's and Mike's firm agreement of that assessment, especially Kel Brackett's parting shot of, "You sure got that right, Gage." Dixie knew he was right, though.
TBC