Epilogue

Scene One

"KMG-365," Cap returned the mic to its spot with one hand as he passed Roy the address slip with the other before running to the engine. Roy handed off the slip to Johnny and pulled the squad into traffic, the engine right behind. The call, for the Station, was for two men down, meet police.

"This address." Johnny looked at it quizzically.

"What about it? It's 36's area, but they must still be on that call they got. It was less than 20 minutes ago."

Johnny nodded. "Yeah, but that's not it." Roy glanced at him sideways. Something was bothering him. Johnny suddenly sat up straight and slapped the dashboard. "It's not that this is their area. This is their call. It's the same address."

It was a seedy neighborhood. No surprise there. Johnny's check with dispatch had revealed no call-back number had been left. There appeared to be some people milling about but they scattered at the sound of the sirens. They pulled up to the scene at the same time as the two police cars. It was a traffic accident directly in front the address they'd been given. It appeared an old van had pulled out of the alley at a pretty good speed and T-boned Squad 36.

Engine, squad, and police sprang into action. The empty street meant no traffic or looky-loos for the police to hold back; it also meant no witnesses available, so, while one officer remained on site, the other three began canvassing the nearby homes. Cap issued orders, almost unnecessarily, as the engine crew checked for and minimized any fire or additional hazard. Roy and Johnny grabbed the biophone and trauma box and moved to assess the victims and their situation.

Squad 36 had been creamed on the passenger side door. All the compartments were open, the equipment strewn everywhere. The drug box was missing. The passenger was conscious, but he had some difficulty breathing and his right arm hung limp. The driver likely had a concussion. He was unconscious and had a large contusion on the left side of his head.

"Hey, Stoney," Johnny said to the passenger as he did what he could to check him out through the open window. "What the heck happened?"

"They rammed us," Stoney reported, "deliberately. I think I-" he gasped for breath, "busted a couple of ribs," he gasped, "and my shoulder." He paused, took two slow breaths, then said, "The window was closed. Bob's head hit. One of them smashed it with ... bare hand." Another slow breath. "That's when ... when they remembered ... to put on gloves. ... Idiots. Grabbed the mic right out of ... of Bob's hand. Took the keys."

"Ok, stop talking now," Johnny told his friend.

"I'm going to get the drug box, back boards," said Roy as Johnny opened the biophone on the hood of the damaged squad.

Johnny glanced up to see Roy talking to the police officer. Before he could wonder what was so important, Roy was back at his side. While the paramedics took instructions from Rampart, the officer gathered up the broken glass from the driver's side window.

Two C-collars, two back boards, two IV's, one dose of morphine, and various other orders followed and the patients were ready for transport. Johnny grabbed the biophone. "I'll ride in." Roy passed him the drug box and headed for the squad.

As he started the engine, Roy couldn't help but steal a glance at Squad 36. He sighed, and headed to Rampart.

"How Bell..." Stoney drifted. "How's Belli..." he tried again a minute later.

Johnny couldn't help but grin. "I think Beliiveau's going to be ok," he said. "Looks like he's got a right wrist sprain and a concussion. He's still out, but pulse, blood pressure, respirations are all good, pupils are equal and reactive, and Dr. Early's waiting at the other end."

"An' me? How'm I?"

Johnny smiled. "Well, you were right about the ribs, and you dislocated your shoulder."

"Hmm." Stoney appeared deep in thought. "Tha' should hurt."

Johnny cleared his throat so not to laugh. "It probably will once the morphine wears off."

"Morphine!" This time Stoney smiled. "Tha's good s'uff."

"Yeah, for some things."

"Tha's pro'ly what they ram us," said Stoney. "Why they rammed us for." He listened, as if just hearing what he had said. "What they for, why ram-"

"It's ok," Johnny rested his hand lightly on Stoney's uninjured arm. "I know what you mean."

Stoney sighed with relief and allowed his eyes to drift shut. "Good. 'Cause I wan't so sure."

Roy had received Cap's permission to remain available from Rampart, so he and Johnny could be there when the doctors completed all the tests on their friends. Finally, Dr. Early came into the lounge. Roy stood up, Johnny popped up like a spring.

"Sit down, fellas," Dr. Early smiled at them and went to get himself a cup of coffee. He continued speaking as he prepared it, then joined the paramedics at the table. "Relax. It's pretty much what we expected. Bob's awake. He's been admitted to the ICU just so we can keep a close eye on him overnight because he was unconscious for so long. If he has a good night and passes all the tests tomorrow, he should be able to go home tomorrow afternoon.

"Stoney's going to be with us for a while, and neither of them are going to be back on duty any time soon, but they will both return to duty."

Roy and Johnny exchanged relieved glances. Before anyone could speak, there was a knock at the door and the officer Roy had spoken to at the scene stuck his in. Again, Roy stood. "Officer Garrett," Roy greeted as the young man entered, followed by his partner. "And ... I'm sorry, I don't remember."

"Wells," the officer supplied. Introductions were quickly made, Dr. Early offered the officers coffee, which they politely declined. Roy invited them to sit, which they also declined.

"We won't be here long. See, this isn't our usual area, we were backing up another unit nearby. The detectives will be by for a formal interview, but since we were close we just wanted to see how Stoney and Bob are doing before we headed back, if that's ok," Garrett explained.

"Of course it's ok." Dr. Early quickly ran down what he could.

The officers thanked them, and moved to leave. Garrett turned back. "By the way, DeSoto," Roy looked up questioningly, "you were right. It's even possible you gave us what we need to make the case."

"Roy?"

Roy chose to ignore Johnny's incredulity. "In what way?"

"You must've heard there've been a few paramedics who've been, well, mugged?" Johnny and Roy both nodded, but Dr. Early's jaw dropped in surprise. "We put the word out that you guys don't really carry enough of anything to make it worthwhile."

"Is that why it stopped," Johnny asked.

"We thought so," Wells replied. "We hoped so. If you heard the whole story, then you know they were coming up on real rescue scenes with pipes or clubs, getting away with a dose or two at a time, maybe some cash from your guys or other victims."

"Right now the only department policy is to contact you if at all possible and to protect our victims and ourselves, not the drugs," Roy explained.

"We're not cops," Johnny added.

"And we don't want you to be," said Garrett. "Anyway, we had a couple of suspects, but no hard evidence. Turns out the van they used today was stolen, but they stole it from someone they know so their prints on it can be explained. What you heard Stoney say about the driver's window? I know you can't preserve a crime scene when there's a live victim to save, but giving me that chance to get that glass? We got two clear prints on bigger pieces and a bunch of partials, and they all match our suspect." He extended his hand to Roy. "That was real quick thinking. Anyway, I'm glad we ran into you so I could tell you that." More handshakes were exchanged and the policemen were gone.

"We better be going, too," Roy pointed out.

As they headed to the exit, Johnny clapped Roy's back. "How do you like that? Officer DeSoto. Detective DeSoto." Dr. Early was sure he could hear Roy rolling his eyes over Johnny's laughter.

Scene Two

Following roll call, Cap instructed the crew to gather in the day room before beginning their assigned chores. Whispers of "What's going on," and "What's happening," passed among the men, all met with, "I don't know." A few minutes later, after what seemed like hours, Captain Hammer joined his crew.

"Sit down, guys."

"Is everything ok, Cap?" Chet sounded genuinely concerned.

Cap smiled. "Yes, everything's fine Kelly. I've made a decision that will affect you all, and I want you to hear it from me." He cleared his throat.

"Is it the promotion? You told us that already," Chet reminded him, the sycophant peeking out now that he knew Cap was all right.

Cap took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes, Kelly, but there's more. Now stop interrupting."

"Sorry, Cap. Oops." Chet clapped his hand over his mouth and shrank back into his chair.

He looked around at the five young men that made up his crew. His crew. They hadn't been his very long, yet, somehow, he felt closer to them than crew with whom he had worked much longer. Maybe because they broke Station 51 in together - they were her first permanent crew. Maybe it was the addition of paramedics to the fire department. He may not have been a paramedic, but he was no less responsible for their work under his command. Now, in addition to the lives firemen try to save every day, there were heart attacks and seizures and who knows what that had been the doctors purview, not the least of which was delivering the babies. Babies made everything special. Maybe it was all the ugliness they'd been through, seeing one of their own targeted for attack, deliberately victimized by cruel people and a callous system, and coming through it whole, the one and the group. Maybe it was all of that.

He cleared his throat. "This will be our last shift together." He held up his hand, forestalling the protests. "You knew this was coming."

"But not for a few months," Marco reminded him.

"We thought we'd get more notice than this," said Stoker.

"Maybe have a little party," moped Johnny. "At least take you out for a beer."

Cap laughed. "I appreciate it, I really do, and I'm sorry to spring it on you like this.

"Look, I am not a desk jockey, you guys know that, but there is a temporary assignment opening up at headquarters, it's a chief's project, and it's something I can keep a hand in when I'm back in the field. I want it, and it starts in a couple of days."

"So you have to take the promotion now." Roy seemed to be telling himself. He looked up at the captain. "You were going to be Chief in a few months anyway. If you're going to leave us early to ride a desk, it must be a pretty important project."

"I think so. I hope so. Too many firemen have been the victims of crime while on the job. What happened to you, Gage, was the worst of it, but it wasn't the first or the last. Belliveau and Stoney last week was only the most recent, but they probably weren't the last of it, either. I heard about what you did, DeSoto, and I'm glad you thought of it, but it shouldn't be necessary that we think like cops. If something doesn't change our uniforms will include bullet-proof vests and we're going to end up going out on runs armed."

"No!" Johnny was on his feet. "I really hope you're kidding Cap. No guns, no way, not me, not ever." He plopped back into his chair.

"I hope I'm kidding, too. Which is what this project is about. We know what works for us, for our job. If we're distracted, that's when people get hurt. People die. We're talking about starting a commission, the Fire Department and the Police Department. See if we can figure out the best way to keep our people safe without turning us into a firefighting police department. I don't know what it'll take, I don't know if it'll go anywhere at all, but after what I've seen this year, I feel like I have to give it a shot." He looked around the table again. They all looked back with perfect understanding.

He stood, signalling the crew to follow suit. "I don't know what the department's going to do for the next few months. The new captain that was scheduled to take over on my original departure date, was a boot when I made engineer. I hope this doesn't change his assignment; Hank's a good man." He took one last look at his crew. "Ok, you have your chore assignments. Gage, I need a word in my office. The rest of you, get to work."

Johnny followed Cap into the office, where the captain took his seat. "Close the door, Gage." Johnny did, then stood by it. Despite his height, Johnny looked to Captain Hammer like a little boy waiting for the principal's lecture to begin. Cap couldn't help but smile. "Sit down, Gage." Johnny took a tentative step. "John, sit." He did.

"Look, Cap, you sure everything's ok? Did I do something? 'Cause if I-"

"Everything's fine, you're not in any trouble, John, relax." He thought for a long moment before finally speaking again. "John. Johnny, when we started working together, I knew you were a good kid."

"Uh... thank you?"

"Let me finish. As I was saying, you were a good kid. You're a talented firefighter and a damn fine rescue man. Seems those talents carry over into paramedics, too. I don't pretend to understand everything you went through this year." He noticed Johnny stiffen ever so slightly, but he continued, "I just know that what you did go through would have broken a lesser man." Johnny looked up at him in stunned silence. "It's forced you to grow up fast. I'm sorry it happened the way it did, but I'm real proud of the way you came through." He stood, and extended his hand to Johnny, who also rose and accepted the handshake. "Don't let Kelly get to you, stick close to DeSoto, and any time you wan to go for that beer, just give me a call."