#####(Thursday)#####

Johnny heard a knock on the door. He didn't even have a chance to pour himself a glass of ice tea after coming home from the academy. He went across the room and opened the door. Standing before his eyes was a tired looking Roy. "Come on in Roy." Usually his voice was chipper, but this time it had a tone of concern. Roy followed him in. "Do you want an ice tea?" Johnny was making his way to the refrigerator before stopping in his foot tracks. Roy had sit down on the couch, his head in his hands. His fingertips massaging his forehead. Johnny took a seat in his recliner.

"Johnny, I think she's sick. I think Jenny's got diabetes. It's the only thing I can think of. She's lost weight, despite eating a lot of food. Thirsty. Irritable with her brother. It's the only thing I can think of. Diabetes." He rambled on.

There had to be a way to get Roy off the thought that Jennifer was sick.

"Roy, maybe she's been working out. Getting into shape?" Johnny suggested. He knew that the physical training at the academy was brutal to the bodies of the cadets, but they were all getting leaner and stronger. He couldn't think of one cadet who didn't lose weight and gain muscle. "She looked healthy to me when I saw her last. I'm sure she's just been working out. There's probably a gym at college. That's got to be it. I'm sure she doesn't have diabetes. Not Jenny. No way."

Roy looked up at Johnny. He really looked at Johnny. He noticed the sweat dripping off his forehead. Johnny was also tapping a silent tune with his fingers on the recliner armrest. "What are you not telling me?" Roy and Johnny have been friends for a couple of decades. Roy knew when he was keeping something. He was never good at keeping secrets and lying.

Johnny closed his eyes, trying to come up with some way to gently break the news to Roy. A sigh signaled his defeat. "Roy, you're going to be mad. Before I tell you, I need you to know that you are family to me. Jenny is family to me. And she's doing something she wants to do." Johnny looked up into Roy's eyes. It took Roy a few seconds to comprehend what exactly Johnny was saying. Neither man could avert his eyes from the other.

Roy took a deep breath and exhaled through his mouth. His face began to turn flush and then he rolled his eyes. Roy gritted his teeth, making his jaw ache. "What are you trying to say, Johnny? Because it can't be what I'm thinking," he got out through clenched teeth.

"Roy, she's one of the top students at the academy with a promising career in the fire department." Roy continued to shake his head in disbelief. No, not her. Not his daughter, the future nurse. This was a cruel joke Johnny was making. It had to be.

"She is not in the fire academy, is she Johnny?" Johnny responded with a nod. "John, how can you just sit there and call me and Jennifer family. With what you've done to my real family, I just can't believe it. First, you lie to me and then now you're going to get her killed." Roy sprang from his seat. Johnny stood up, his hands by his sides in a defensive stance. "God help me, John Gage, if anything happens to her, I will kill you." He stomped to the door. Johnny looked at him incredulously. Roy whipped around. "You're not my family. You've ruined my family." He turned back around and slammed the door in Johnny's face.

The car ride only took ten minutes but it felt like a lifetime. His hand hurt from choking the steering wheel on the drive. He pulled into the driveway, opened the car door, got out, and slammed it shut. He was quick up the sidewalk and into the house.

Jenny was getting ready to pack up her manuals and notebooks in her bag, when she heard Roy slam the door shut. She grabbed her car keys from her desk and placed them in her jeans' pocket. The hope was to get out of the house quickly and on her way to the ice cream parlor for the usual Thursday night study session between her, David, and Linda. It was the last chance they could study before their Friday tests. She hurriedly threw her books into the bag and crept downstairs. As soon as she saw Roy pacing at the bottom of the stairs, she knew the jig was up. She debated on running back up the stairs, but she decided to stand right in front of him and face his wrath. It was, afterall, a month overdue.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Roy growled. "Or weren't you thinking at all?" Jenn took a breath to mentally prepare the brow beating she would be getting. Roy's voice got louder and louder with every word. "Did you even think about your mother or your brother or me, when you decided to become a firefighter? Huh? 'Cause where I'm sitting, you just care about yourself. Do you realize the worry you caused us? What happens to us then if you get killed! You're acting stupid and selfish."

She didn't think that words could hurt so bad. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. That was a lie. Jennifer felt broken, beaten, and left for dead with the verbal attack. "Dad, I didn't go into this blindly. I've known for many many years that I wanted to become a firefighter/paramedic. I've also realized that you guys will worry about me, but I think you'd worry about me no matter what I'm doing with my life. Dad, I'm sorry that this has made you so mad…I'm truly sorry." Her voice started to waiver.

He scoffed. "You're sorry? You're sorry? You should be sorry about joining the academy and putting your mom and I through all this!"

She shut her eyes tightly and shook her head. She couldn't believe what she was going to say next. "You know what? I'm sorry for many things. I'm sorry I lied to you. I'm sorry I made all the guys lie for me. I'm sorry that you are that upset with me right now. But I'll be damned if I say sorry for attending the academy or wanting to be a firefighter/paramedic," Her jaw dropped. Never in her life did she swear in front of her parents or have stood up against them.

She didn't think it was possible, but Jenn was pretty sure that Roy's face got a little bit redder. "If you are living under my roof, you will abide by my rules," he growled

She exhaled in defeat. Tears threatening to flow at any moment. "You're right. If I'm living under your roof, I should abide by your rules." Roy's face softened as he won the argument.