Just a little Fruity

These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I'd done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.

"A man who is afraid will do anything, even that which is beyond his own power." Jawaharlar Nehru.

I know this is a highly tedious timeline I'm writing. I hope you continue to hang in there and enjoy. Johnny's help is coming soon!

Chapter 13

Roy paced the locker room, Johnny was late. What would he do if he didn't show up? Everything centered on him getting Johnny to the ER first thing this morning.

Hank stuck his head in the door, "Johnny?"

Roy shook his head, "Not yet, I'm getting worried."

"You know he's sometimes late, give him time. Roll call in 5," Hank said although after what Roy had told him yesterday he was just as worried about the young paramedic. "Roy, I need you to tell me as soon as you see him if he can work today. If you have any questions at all I want him put 10-8 to Rampart."

Roy moved into the bay trying to decide what his next step would be when Johnny came in just at the last minute. Of course everyone watched him come in and the collected silent gasps were easily heard. Johnny looked terrible. His color was pasty and he looked like he had lost 10 pounds since they saw him last. He stood beside Roy without looking at him.

"Okay men, today…"

"Station 51, man down…………………………..time out 0811."

Hank shot a glance to Roy, a 'can he do this?' look.

Roy knew at least Johnny would be with him and an early call out meant an early trip to Rampart hopefully. As they moved to the driver's side of the squad Hank handed him the slip, "Roy?"

"I'll keep an eye on him Cap."

Hank had two things to worry about now, a victim they were headed to and a possible next victim sitting in the squad.

The drive to the scene was quiet. Surprisingly Johnny didn't seem angry about anything which was exactly what Roy expected. "You okay?" He ventured to ask.

"Actually I slept pretty good last night so feel better today."

Roy tried to eye him as he navigated the streets, "Are you up to this? Cap will call in backup if we need it."

Johnny shook his head, "No, I'll be okay." He leaned forward in his seat to navigate and seemed to be acting more like his old self so far. "Think I drank my coffee to fast, my stomach isn't agreeing with it." He shot Roy a crooked grin.

"Look partner, I know you've not felt good recently and not like yourself. I will call in backup in a heartbeat, you know that."

Johnny nodded, "I know pally. I'm good."

As they pulled into the junk yard Roy drove towards the man waving them down. He rolled down his window since the man seemed to be directing them somewhere else. "They're in the back, take a right then a left. "

Roy nodded then continued on as the man backed up from them. Mike pulled the engine right behind them. As they worked their way through the junk yard Roy saw another man, much older directing them to stop. The two medics jumped out of the cab and went to the side to grab boxes. They then followed the man to a scene that put them into full professional mode.

They faced a huge stack of cars, stacked one on top of the other. Just above them swung the large magnet that moved the cars around. The magnet was connected to the now fully extended crane. The problem was that where the large wire cord that held the magnet connected to the tip of the crane a man swung.

"What happened?" Hank asked.

"Pete there was moving the cars when the line jammed. He knows better than to do something stupid like this but he tried to fix it himself and next thing I know he's hanging there. I think he's alright I just can't get him down."

Hand pointed up to the piece of equipment, "Can we lower that thing down?"

The man shook his head, "I don't know what he did but the system is shorted out and we can't get it to do a damn thing anymore."

Roy looked up trying to assess the situation but he also had to be concerned about his partner. Usually Johnny would do the high climb rescues but there was no way he was letting him take the lead on this one.

"I'll do it Johnny you stay down here and get the gear ready."

"I'm fine," he said as he put on his safety belt and grabbed a piece of rope.

Roy looked to Hank. "DeSoto goes up, you'll be his backup," Hank said. Roy was grateful for his bosses understanding without explanation.

Surprisingly Johnny didn't balk at it. Grabbing extra rope they followed the owner of the yard to the base of the crane. Roy went up first into the cab then had to slide around the outside of it to reach the front end. He leaned against the glass window to give Johnny a hand getting around the corner. So far he seemed alright; he was pulling his own weight and seemed to have energy to spare. Johnny then in turn helped Chet up. Mike, Hank, and Marco stayed below for now. Roy next slung his leg up and over the lowest rung of the crane arm, steadied his feet and started the climb up. The men were silent as they made the steady assent to the tip.

Looking down Roy could see that the only thing keeping the man from plummeting to the ground was his safety belt.

"Don't move, we're with the fire department and we'll get you down."

The man called back, "Okay." He had no intention of moving anywhere.

Roy carefully positioned himself to sit on his rear while he took the rope through his carabineer. Johnny helped him secure his line while passing the farthest end of the rope behind him to Chet.

"I'll go down and get him," Roy said as he put his leg over the edge. He looked at his friend, "Can you do this?" He was putting his life in Johnny's hands at this point. Any other time he wouldn't question but now…

For the first time there was a flare of anger in his eyes, "I said I'm fine."

Not wanting to distract him Roy let it drop. He pulled his other leg over the edge and looked down to the man below him. Hopping over the edge he lowered himself gradually down the heavy wire cord. Johnny and Chet held tight and lowered him down in as steady manner as possible. Roy reached the man quickly. As he worked to switch the man's safety clamp to his own belt he started to get ancy.

"Calm down. We're fine. Now I need you to help me here," Roy said as he got the final clamp for security on him. He looked up to the others and hollered, "Take us up." Thankfully the man settled down and started to help Roy out some.

Johnny and Chet pulled and with a gradual rise they pulled the men to the top. Johnny reached out and pulled the victim to the crane with them, even giving him a reassuring pat on the back. Chet then helped to guide the man down the rungs where Mike and Hank were waiting below. Once they had him off the crane they moved him over to the Squad for the medics to check him out as soon as they got down. Chet stayed on the crane to continue backing up the medics in getting down themselves.

Roy pulled his leg over and boosted himself onto the top just in front of Johnny. "Okay, let's get out of here." He hated heights. But when he looked up Johnny wasn't moving. In fact he was gripping the sides of the rungs so hard his knuckles were white. He grabbed his friend's shoulder, "Johnny, what's wrong?"

His breathing was quick and shallow. Roy reached down and taking his wrist he felt for a pulse, it was racing. "Johnny, let go of the rung I'll get you down." While he talked he worked at taking the rope and getting it through Johnny's belt."

"Roy, I think I'm gonna…" Johnny's words came as gasps.

Roy watched his eyes roll back and he reached to grab his shirt just as Johnny forcibly arched back, falling backwards off the crane. "JOHNNY!"

Mike, Hank, Marco and Chet all looked up to see the horrifying site of Johnny swinging from the highest part of the crane with Roy on his stomach trying to keep a hold of him.

"Chet, get up there," Hank told him but he was already on the move. "Mike stay with him," he said pointing to the man they just got down.

Chet worked his way up the rungs once again, this time with more urgency. "Roy, do you have a line on him?" Chet yelled as he got closer.

"NO!" Roy yelled knowing he didn't have time to make the final clamp onto Johnny before he fell. It all happened so fast. One minute he was fine then next he was falling. All he had was a handful of the front of Johnny's shirt in his grip, his fingers between the buttons. When he fell the first jolt popped one of those buttons, making his grip less. Johnny was swinging and Roy couldn't get any more control over him in the position he was in. His other hand was the only thing keeping him on the crane at this point with Johnny's weight inching him forward. He was a teeter totter with the greatest weight now over the edge.

Chet got to Roy and tried to reach down and get his own grip on Johnny but with his swinging and Roy already leaning so far over the edge of the crane, he was out of reach. "I can't get him Roy!"

Roy felt his body slide on the rungs and tightened his grip. "Clamp me Chet, I'm sliding." Chet sat up some and moved to Roy's belt line where he clamped him to the crane itself. Johnny remained dead weight on Roy's arm and he felt like his shoulder was going to be ripped out of its joint. "Arrgg!" He yelled at the intense pain and the fear of losing his best friend this way.

Then another button popped.