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.
"The family is one of nature's masterpieces." George Santanyana.
Chapter 22
Dixie stopped Johnny and Kanda as they bounded off the elevator. She didn't know how they found out but now that they were here she knew Johnny was the one person to help Roy get through this. It brought back her own memories from the war when you provided medical care and fought for the life of patients even if they were the enemy. This time she knew it wasn't random. It wasn't someone that he didn't know or a nameless face. It was the one person who had wrecked havoc in the lives of the A-shift family.
Problem was at the moment she didn't know where Roy had disappeared too.
"Dix, what happened?" Johnny's mind only associated his 'pain' as a physical injury at this point.
"He's alright Johnny. Let's go to the lounge and I'll tell you what happened," she told him as she took his arm in her hands. Brackett and Early stepped back knowing that this was Dixie's specialty and she could handle this better than they could. She guided the bewildered two down the hallway and into the doctor's lounge. When they entered the lounge they were all surprised to find Roy sitting on the couch, leaning forward with his head tucked in his hands.
Johnny took a couple of long legged strides over to him, "Roy? Are you alright?" Lack of obvious injury, blood or disfigurement was a little bit reassuring to him but he also knew that something had happened to have his friend this distraught.
Roy watched them come in but as they approached him he stood up and moved away until the little table was between them. "I'm fine. It was just a bad rescue." He knew it was a lie but right now he just couldn't say anything more. The memories were messing with his own mind and a huge part of him didn't even want to tell Johnny what he had done.
Johnny looked back at Dixie, it wasn't like Roy to get so emotionally involved in a rescue and Johnny could sense that he was extremely upset over this one. It was so strong that Kanda had been physically affected. "Dix? What happened?"
She searched the blue eyes before her and knew he was having a hard time and Johnny was worried for his partner. "Johnny they were called to a bad traffic accident. One victim died at the scene and, well, Roy coded another one at the scene and she just died."
Johnny slightly nodded his head, "Sounds like a rough call but…" He was trying to put it all together. To figure out what made this call so different. There was more to it.
Roy hung his head down as he absently fumbled with the radio. "It was Karen," he said softly.
Johnny and Kanda both were silent as they processed the information. So Roy went to a traffic accident where Karen was involved. Dixie said they had to run a code at the scene. Their wheels were turning. Suddenly the whirlwind of emotions that assaulted him were almost nauseating and he could only imagine what Kanda had felt.
He was glad she was dead. He slightly shook his head; no he didn't really feel that way. It was a terrible way to die and he couldn't possibly wish that on anyone no matter what they had done in their life. Then he looked into the eyes of his partner and suddenly how he felt didn't matter anymore.
She coded on the scene which meant Roy had worked the resuscitation. Johnny knew he had to try and save her despite any personal feelings he had. The exhaustion in his eyes told of his efforts.
"I'm sorry Johnny," Roy said.
"Sorry for what?" He worried about what Roy was sorry for.
Roy's dropped his head again; he couldn't look Johnny in the eyes. Why did he feel so bad about what he did? He could never just sit and watch someone die but he felt that he had somehow betrayed Johnny. He tried to save the woman who wanted him dead. Then there was Kanda in the room, Roy couldn't even make eye contact with her.
Kanda wanted to comfort him but this time she decided to step back and let Johnny take the lead. Right now this was between them and they needed to talk it out as partners and friends.
Johnny moved around the table to his best friend. "The accident wasn't your fault and you did exactly what I would expect you to do, no matter who it was."
Roy looked up. Since he blamed himself he assumed that Johnny would blame him too. He had been through so much because of her. Was it possible that he didn't blame him? For what he did? Johnny could see the doubt in his eyes and knew he had to make him understand. "Roy, you did what you had to do. You would have expected the exact same thing from me. Wouldn't you?"
His eyes softened, "Yea, guess I would Junior." Slowly the weight was coming off his heart and shoulders. It meant the world to him that Johnny didn't blame him for what he had done. "Thanks partner." But he also saw the pain in the younger medic's eyes.
"It's over Johnny."
Johnny took a deep breath. He was right. It had been a nightmare but it was time for it to be over now, time to move forward with his life.
"Will you just sit down and be still?" Chet complained at Mike dragging his legs off the footrest of the wheelchair.
"I wanta walk," Mike grumbled. Two weeks in this place had been long enough.
"If Dixie sees me letting you walk out of this place she will have my head and I don't know about you pally but that's not a woman to cross," Chet said as his eyes scanned the hallway making sure he wasn't overheard.
"Fine just so long as you plan on getting me real food for lunch," Mike said.
Chet rubbed his hands together as they waited for the elevator, "Mike my friend I have fixed the most wonderful stew for you at my place."
Mike put his head in his hand and sighed, "Jack in the Box. Can we just go to Jack in the Box?"
"Fast food? Are you kidding, that's not what a healing body needs. Home cooking is what you're getting for the next week. Good ole home Chet cooking." Chet entered the elevator with a big grin on his face.
Mike looked around for help, any help, any help at all. A week at Chet's place? While his friend babbled on Mike thought about how much he would miss polishing his dear engine while he served his jail time.
"Sure you're up to this Junior?" Roy asked as he swung his leg over the saddle.
"Course I am. I've been sitting around for more than a week and I'm going stir crazy. Kanda won't let me do anything." He leaned forward a little. "I have to sneak out of the house to hang out in the barn with Paul."
"I heard that," she said laughing.
Johnny just rolled his eyes. "Got the lunch stuff?"
"Yea, I'm ready." She eyed the clouds overhead. "I hope it holds out for us." This was Johnny's first day to get away from the farm and enjoy the company of Roy and the kids. "Lead the way TeeTonka."
Johnny led the way through the pastures with Roy riding beside him. Kanda stayed behind with Jenny and Chris. Jenny was having a ball on the newest pony named Candy. He was almost all white with just some brown on his withers. It was a perfect southern California day.
Roy looked back and just chuckled at Kanda nodding endlessly to Jenny's babbling about everything under the sun while he rode quietly beside Johnny.
"They keeping up back there?" Johnny asked.
"Yea, but one of us might have to go rescue Kanda from Jenny soon," he laughed.
"Then you get that job. We've looked at each other enough in the last week besides I'm sure she'd rather have you for some company." He shot Roy a crooked smile.
Roy's eyes narrowed, "And what does that mean?"
"Nothing, not a thing," Johnny said as he kept his eyes forward.
Roy was quiet for a minute, "Has she said something?"
"Said something? I've only had to listen to Roy this and Roy that for the last week. I had already decided if you didn't show up today I was going to come hunt you down and drag you here."
Roy flashed a little smile, "So she asked about me?"
Johnny let go of the reins and put his hands on his hips, "Look, try talking to her sometime. You know, not about me or the kids but just talk. Figure it out because I refuse to start passing notes between you two during class."
"Alright, calm down."
Johnny just kept mumbling about kids and such as Roy glanced back again. Kanda kept talking as she smiled back at him.
They reached the little spot that Johnny had picked out along the riverbank. Surrounded by apple trees the kids were quickly off the horses and picking apples.
"This is really nice," Roy said as he helped to unpack saddlebags.
"Yea, this property is full of little hidden secrets. I just love it." Kanda talked as she unsaddled the horses and let them graze freely. It didn't take long for them to find the apples too.
She opened up the large blanket and Roy helped her unfold it and spread it out.
"Hey you two come here and I'll show you something," Johnny yelled to Chris and Jenny then headed down stream leaving Roy and Kanda alone.
"Hope he stays out of trouble," Roy said watching them disappear over a little hill.
"Oh they'll be fine," Kanda said as she pulled out cups and the tea.
"I'm not worried about the kids, at least not the two little ones."
She laughed, "You know Johnny too well don't you?"
"Been stuck with him for a while now so yea," he said with a half smile.
Kanda knew better. "I have a feeling you've pulled him out of more than one mess along the way."
Roy took the drink she offered him. "It's very much mutual. You know that by now."
"I know. You both are very good at what you do. Do you know what Johnny wanted to be when he grew up?"
Roy saw the devious look in her eyes, "I'm almost afraid to ask."
"You're not going to believe it," she said.
He leaned in a little, "Tell."
"An actor," she said with a laugh. "And do you remember how I found him?"
Roy nodded. He remembered her coming into their lives very very well.
"You and Johnny were on that TV show and he couldn't even answer a question. Can you picture him doing that full time?"
"I think he's lucky he found his calling before he found Paramount Studios."
They both looked up at the sound of Jenny crying and Johnny coming towards them with her in his arms. Roy was on his feet instantly. "What happened?"
"She got stung by a wasp," Johnny said as he transferred her to Roy's arms. She wrapped both of her arms around his neck and sobbed.
"Let me see honey," Roy said soothingly.
Johnny reached behind him and pulled her hand out, "Here on her wrist." Then he looked quickly to Roy. "It's swelling fast."
Roy pulled her back and took her hand. The sting was between the base of her thumb near the wrist and her hand was already getting tight with the swelling. "Did you get the stinger out?" He was putting her down on the blanket so he could check her closer. His first concern was her breathing.
"Yea, right away. She's not usually allergic like this is she?" Johnny asked trying to hold the panic down knowing that she could go downhill real fast and they were in the middle of nowhere.
Kanda rushed to her side. She examined the wrist then looked into her eyes, felt her throat and neck then placed her ear against Jenny's chest. "Try to calm her for me Roy."
Roy leaned Jenny against his chest and started talking to her and asking her questions. She slowly calmed down for him as Kanda listened.
Kanda sat up, "I don't hear any wheezing but the swelling is concerning." She glanced around the area and pointed, "Johnny get me some of those mushrooms. And over there, some of that nettle."
Within a minute he returned with a handful of leaves. She quickly took them and tore them into tiny pieces then using a spoon ground them together into a paste. Taking the mush she applied it over the sting and covered it with some plastic wrap. "Keep her head up," she said softly to him.
Roy looked up to see Chris looming over them, "She alright dad?"
He patted his son's arm, "She'll be fine. Why don't you fix her something to drink for me?"
"Sure dad."
He continued talking to his little girl and before long she wanted to get up and go play again. Kanda unwrapped her hand, "Let's see how it looks." Taking a paper towel she wiped off the much and Johnny and Roy were both amazed at how much better it looked already.
"That's incredible sis," Johnny said as he held the little hand in his.
"It will take a few days for the swelling to go completely down but this helps to pull the poison out and reduce the inflammation." They all watched Jenny run off like nothing had happened.
"Kids are so resilient," Roy said.
Kanda looked at the little family around her and knowing what they had all been through shook her head, "I think they come by it honestly."
"Well it was almost a perfect afternoon," Johnny said as they rode into the corral soaking wet.
Jenny and Chris were already finding every possible mud puddle in the region, "Will you two stop that. We do have to drive home you know," Roy yelled across the yard at them. "Oh what's a wasp sting, a runaway horse and soggy sandwich between friends?"
Kanda had to laugh. She had wanted today to be perfect but it seemed like everything went crazy. "Take the guest bedroom to clean um up and change clothes. You can't drive home soaking wet like that."
"Thanks." He had learned a long time ago to bring extra clothes for the kids when he came out here and ran to the car to get their bag. "Come on you two."
Johnny put the horses away while Kanda went to change her own clothes. When she came back downstairs she had changed into jeans and a tucked in tee-shirt, barefooted while she pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She was disappointed to see that Roy and the kids were ready to go already. "Stay for dinner Roy." She asked, hoping.
"Kanda I wish we could but I promised Jo the kids for tonight. Besides, we'll be back out here in two days for the party." Every time he came here it was harder and harder to leave.
She hugged the kid's goodbye and walked him out to the porch. By then it was pouring rain. "Thanks for today Kanda. Looks like Johnny is doing really well under your care."
She smiled, "Wasn't just me."
Jenny tugged on his pants, "Come on daddy."
He laughed and took Kanda's hand, "Two days."
She nodded. Two long days.