A/N This chapter has also been altered, but content and story remains the same.
Chapter 2
Doctor Brackett frowned when he looked at the swollen knee currently resting on his exam table. "Given your history we'll get some pictures, okay Roy?" he said, looking away from the knee to Roy's face.
"Sure Doc." he said. "Do you know if...?" he trailed off.
"Let's get a look at it first." Brackett replied, patting Roy's shoulder comfortingly then heading for the door.
Joann held Roy's hand sitting on a chair next to the exam table. When the door shut, "I'm sure it'll be fine Roy." Joann assured. He nodded.
"I just worry about it." He paused for a moment and ran a hand through his red hair. "I'm building a damn porch." Joann smirked and remained silent, squeezing his hand tighter.
Several hours and x-rays later, Brackett came back with a large manilla envelope. "Let's take a look, they're fresh off the press." He flipped the switch on the viewing panel and opened up the envelope, pulling out the large films and clipping them in place. After silently studying the skeleton knee for a moment he said, "Nothing's broken, but I don't know what your tendons or ligaments look like. With your history, we'll treat it like a tear." Roy sighed in resignation. "Any numbness or tingling?" Brackett asked for the hundredth time. Roy shook his head. "Good," Kel replied, "I don't think you'll need surgery, but you'll have to take it easy. If it doesn't get better, we can reevaluate then." Joann nodded, encouraged at the news.
"Do you think I can still work on it, when it's healed I mean?" Roy asked nervously.
"With proper rest and physical therapy, I don't see why not." Brackett flipped the viewing panel light off and walked over, "The swelling's come down already. I think it was just your scar tissue that was swollen."
Roy nodded, "It doesn't feel anything like the first time, but it smarts."
"I bet. You must have had one helluva surgeon to save your full range of motion."
Roy grimaced, "Yeah, something like that."
Kel noticed the change in Roy and adeptly changed the subject. "I'll order a brace and some muscle relaxants, then you're good to go Roy."
"Thanks Doc." Roy said, pleasantly surprised he was going home without surgery.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Roy was settled into his recliner, thankful to be home. Hank sat on the couch next to him, he was in 'Johnny's spot'. Roy ruefully chuckled.
"What?" Hank asked.
"Nothin', that's just normally Johnny's spot. Thanks for coming Cap."
"Don't think anything of it. You'd do the same." Roy nodded earnestly. "I've already called a replacement for you on Monday." Hank added, "If you have your paperwork, I'll take it now and save you a trip."
"Joann has it somewhere I think." Roy said, waving his hand in the general direction of the kitchen.
"So, bad knee?" Hank asked, curious as to how it happened and was fishing for a story. He vaguely knew Roy had a previous injury, it was in his file, but he didn't know the extent.
"Yeah, it was pretty bad." Roy said tight lipped. "Lotta people I talked to didn't think I would get full range of motion back." Roy said, noticing the fishing lure and ignoring it. Hank whistled, never realizing how close Roy had come to never joining the fire department. "Anyway, I try to be careful with it. I'm building a damn deck."
Hank chuckled, "Not a bad idea." he said, unknowingly echoing Joann. "If you and Joann are good, Emily and I will start heading home. I'm sure our kids'll be thrilled." he said the last part sarcastically with an eye roll.
"Can't wait for their teenage years." Roy said, thinking of his own kids. Getting serious he said, "Thanks again Cap."
Hank stood up from the couch and stretched theatrically with a groan. He put his hand on Roy's shoulder, "Take it easy huh pal?" Roy nodded. "I expect to see you back at work when you're fully healed."
"Will do Cap." With that, Hank took his leave, letting the pained and tired medic sleep.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Johnny walked up the stairs to his apartment, his backpack full of camping supplies. Their shift's three days off landed on a weekend, so he took them to go camping. In the apartment, he dumped his gear on the floor in a heap. He started his usual routine after coming home. The routine started with dumping his pocket contents into a bowl and checking for messages. Normally, he didn't have any, but this time he did.
"Hey Johnny, it's Jo. I know you're not back till Sunday, but when you hear this can you give us a call? Roy fell today, which is Friday. We're going to Rampart to get the knee checked out but, I'm worried about him. I think you know what I mean, he landed on the knee. Obviously he won't be going into work Monday. Anyway, talk to you later."
The message ended with a click. "Shit." Johnny said to the empty apartment. He remembered several occasions when Roy banged his knee at the station. His face went white and his eyes traveled a million miles away, just for a moment. Johnny was pretty sure he was the only one who ever noticed. "I guarantee he didn't talk to anyone about it." he muttered to himself. Roy had never told him what happened to his knee, and he was fine with that. He just didn't want Roy's memories sitting and fermenting. Knowing Roy wouldn't want to burden Jo, or talk to Brackett, too worried about his job. They both knew each other too well. He quickly went into his bedroom, showered, changed clothes, retrieved his keys and wallet, and walked back out the door.
Pulling up in front of the DeSoto household, he parked his still muddy rover and shut off the engine. Walking up to the door, squealing could be heard from the other side. Jenny was yelling, "Uncle Johnny's here!" Her bedroom faced the front of the house and had a clear view of the range rover parking in front of the house. Johnny decided to pull his own set of keys out instead of waiting. He was glad he did, no one came to the door other than Jenny, who jumped right into his arms. Carrying the wriggling five-year-old, he walked down the hallway and into the den, where he assumed Roy would be. The reason no adult answered the door was Joann was shakily holding Roy's leg as he was trying to sit down. Roy's face was taught and white.
"Here Joann, let me." Johnny said while gently tossing the giggling Jenny onto the couch. "Hey pally." he said to Roy. Joann looked gratefully at Johnny's intervention. Roy seamlessly transferred his hand to Johnny's shoulder for balance as he stood. Johnny looked at Roy, wordlessly conversing with him.
"Hey Junior." Roy said, while in the process of sitting down, Johnny easily moving with him and supporting the braced leg. "How was camping?"
"Better than your stay-cation it appears." Johnny replied. Joann rolled her eyes at the
lack of actual conversation and left the two, taking the reluctant Jenny with her.
"We're gonna build a porch." Roy said in explanation. Johnny nodded, easily filling in the blanks.
"How are you?" Johnny asked, deciding to be up front about it. Roy looked at him pointedly, glancing back and forth from his knee to Johnny. "No, I mean, how are you?" he clarified, pointing his finger at Roy's head.
"Oh." Roy silently mouthed. "Fine." he said in a light tone.
Johnny looked around before he whispered, "Bullshit."
"Fine," Roy huffed, "I wasn't at first," he admitted. "But once Jo got there I was." Johnny raised his eyebrows in disbelief. "The corn helped." Roy said factually.
Johnny was baffled, "Corn?" he began looking Roy over, "Sure you didn't hit your head there partner?"
Roy laughed, "No," he chuckled again. "We didn't have ice, so we used frozen corn. Definitely no corn over there." Roy said.
"Guess not." Johnny smiled, he couldn't help himself. He pictured Roy on the patio, a worried Joann squatting next to him, and frozen corn at the center of attention. "How long did they last?" Johnny asked, still amused.
"About 30 seconds." Roy said, a ghost of a smile still on his face.
"Peas might last longer, they're more solid." Johnny said with a deadpan. They both laughed.
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Joann listened from the kitchen, holding a crayon for Jenny while she busily colored with another one. Roy's laughter sounded glorious, she realized he hadn't laughed since he fell. She was frustrated that Roy never talked to her about 'those types of things' but she understood, he was trying to protect her. All she cared about was that he talked to someone about it. Once again, she was thankful for Johnny Gage. She twirled the crayon in her fingers as she mused, "It must have been divine intervention they met."
"Mommy, look at this!" Jenny said, pulling Joann out of her thoughts. "It's me, and Chris, and you, and daddy, and Uncle Johnny!" Joann looked at the paper, there were five stick figures on the paper, all holding hands. "It's our family." Jenny said, oblivious to the emotion in Joann's expression.
"It sure is Jenny." she said, listening to the laughter and happy sounds coming from the house.