It's Not My Job

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

"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies." Aristotle.

Chapter 6

Johnny just stood and stared at Roy for a moment as he struggled to catch his breath. He hesitated, waiting for his heart to jump back into his chest. Then, suddenly he was afraid. Was he real? Taking a few cautious steps he moved closer to him, wanting to touch him. To make sure that this wasn't another cruel nightmare. His mind was overwhelmed at finding him here, alive.

He spoke in a whisper, "Roy?"

Roy had been washing his face off following his quick run to heave in the toilet. He was looking in the mirror trying to decide what to do about his injury when Johnny's abrupt entrance startled him. His first impression of his young friend was worrisome as Johnny looked terrified of something. He was looking at Roy like he had seen a ghost.

"Johnny, what's wrong?" Roy kept his hands on both sides of the sink to steady himself.

The sound of Roy's voice was overpowering but Johnny still just looked at him afraid to blink, that he might be gone again. As he looked at him the last few minutes were reeling through his brain. Roy was really there, he was real. He became pale as the nightmare engulfed him again. "Where?"

Roy was puzzled. Johnny was wound up tight and had never answered his question. "Where what Johnny?"

Taking in his best friend and partner Johnny teetered on the fine line of fear and anger at him. "Your hurt and I want to know where."

Roy was visibly taken aback by Johnny's abruptness. He had struggled so hard all day to keep Johnny from knowing so that he wouldn't worry. Now he somehow knew and was distraught. Roy let one hand off the sink, "Johnny."

"Where Roy."

Standing up straight from leaning on the sink he knew that he could no longer keep the pain from him. How he knew was a mystery to Roy but it was on the table now, no more secrets. "My back. I fell on my tank." Roy's eyes fell to the floor not wanting to see the anger from his friend at hiding it.

Roy was hurt. With that admission of injury from him all of Johnny's fears and especially the dream were coming to reality full force. The panic was almost crushing to him. Taking one step back from Roy "Let me see it."

Roy didn't even think of protesting this time, he simply raised his shirt and showed Johnny the large dark contusion on his back wrapping around to his right side.

Johnny reached out and moved his finger along the bruise, "God Roy, why?"

Roy finished the sentence for him, "Why didn't I tell you sooner?"

Johnny nodded his head.

Roy shook his head. "I really thought it would just be a bad bruise." Then he realized he had to come clean with Johnny now. He shook his head again. "I don't know. I just knew I had to be here and not lying around in a hospital bed. It was…." He paused and looked back up.

This time Johnny finished the sentence, "Because of Cap. You stayed because of me facing Cap." Johnny was suddenly rocked with emotion that Roy disregarded his own pain just to be there with him to face the Captain. Why would he do that? I'm not that important. He watched Roy back up, leaning against the sink and now saw the depth of his friendship, his brotherhood in this older man's eyes. Suddenly Johnny truly understood and didn't know how to voice the thankfulness he felt for what his friend was willing to do for him. Never in his life was he that important to anyone.

Then Johnny really looked at Roy, moving past the 'he's alive' part, with a paramedic eye. "Does it hurt anywhere but at the bruise?"

"I'm sore from head to toe." Roy threw him a little smile. It was still hard to tell him how bad he really felt.

Johnny didn't believe him. Roy's pale color and quick shallow breaths spoke volumes to the trained eye. Eyes that were now paying very close attention to the patient. The bruise was significant and the location was concerning. Without asking he reached forward and depressed on Roy's abdomen. The immediate response of Roy's sharp intake of breath with pain actually startled Johnny as he reached out to catch Roy's shoulders for support.

"It's bad Roy." He looked up, "You're going to Rampart right now." Johnny turned and headed towards the door. His mind was reeling with the diagnosis of internal bleeding and the nightmare still fresh in his mind. He had been too late last time but this time he wasn't going to loose him.

Roy had wanted to wait until the shift was over. Now, with Johnny there he felt a sense of security and wasn't going to fight any of the young paramedics interventions. He knew it was time. But before Johnny could reach the door the alarms sounded.

"Station 51, child injured. 3042 Canyon boulevard…….."

Roy stepped forward, "Johnny wait."

He turned around sharply knowing what Roy was gonna try and pull. "Don't even think about it. Cap will call for another squad."

"Johnny. It's a hurt kid. We're the closest Squad. It will take another 20mins for someone else to get there."

Johnny's shoulders dropped. He knew Roy was right. But damn it, he was right too. Roy couldn't do this.

Roy could see that he was torn, "We have to go but you can take me straight to Rampart afterwards. I promise." He paused and looked serious, "Johnny, I know it's bad and honestly I don't think I can stay on my feet much longer. But the child comes first."

"Ok, Roy. But when I say no more then I mean no more." Johnny was as serious as Roy had ever seen him.

"You're the boss on this one Junior."

Hank stuck his head in the locker room, "Are you two coming or not?" He wasn't about to ask why they were both up at 3am but did catch the tension between the two men. Right now there was no time to discuss it. Hank made a mental noted to bring it up when they got back.

"Coming Cap. I'll grab your jacket Roy." Johnny headed back to the dorm as Roy followed Hank to the bay.

Coming around to the passenger side of the Squad Johnny was surprised to see Roy in it. He quickly moved around to the other side and jumped in, "So this is what it takes for me to be allowed to drive." He shot Roy a crooked smile.

"Don't get used to it Junior, it's only temporary."

They pulled up to the entrance gate of a small animal park to find the security guard waiting on them. Johnny rolled down his window as the guard came up to them.

"Bunch of fool kids. They've been sneaking in at night and trying to trash the place, getting the animals all stirred up. Got one up the hill that bit off more than he could chew. Follow me." He jumped into his little cart and led the squad and engine up a hill towards the back of the property. The little cart parked and the older man approached them again. "This is as close as your gonna get those vehicles. From here we go on foot."

As all the men left the vehicles Johnny looked at Roy's pasty color. He knew there was no way he could carry equipment. "Cap, we're gonna go ahead. Can you load up the stokes with our stuff?"

"Ok, Gage. We'll be right behind you. Chet you go with them." Hank, Mike and Marco moved to the Squad to get the supplies gathered as the other three followed the security guard.

He led them through a large locked wooden gate then down a winding path that was almost overrun with bushes and low hanging trees. The dark path was lit with low wattage lamps casting long shadows along the way. Johnny had put Roy in front purposely so he could set the pace but it really wasn't much of an issue as the security guard was not a sprinter. With long legs Johnny could have covered the distance in half the time but this is one time he didn't complain.

By the time they reached their destination Roy reached for the fencing around the pen and bent over putting his hands on his knees. Johnny immediately moved to his side, "Roy, can you do this?"

Roy stood back up straight after catching his breath, "Yea, I'm ok, let's go."

Johnny felt a cold chill move down his back as they both knew the clock was ticking.

Chet watched them and came right over to Roy's side with an uneasiness growing in his gut, "What's going on? Are you ok?"

Seeing the discomfort in Roy's eyes Chet suddenly felt afraid for his life with an image flashing before him that he remembered from a dream, "Roy, you can't do this!" Chet turned to find Cap but Johnny grabbed his arm.

"Chet, we have to make sure the kid is ok first so let's get it done." Johnny could see that Chet was geuinely concerned about Roy but he knew they had a rescue first even if it tore him up inside himself.

Chet stood and just shook his head not understanding how Johnny could know Roy was hurt and not do anything about it. "Johnny, I don't know man, I just have this really bad feeling."

Johnny looked at Chet with curiosity wondering what was up with him but instead shook his head. "Chet, we have to get the kid, and then Roy's going to the ER with me as his personal escort."

Obviously the two paramedics knew more than he did about what was going on so Chet decided to lay low for now but the back of his mind was haunted with an image he couldn't shake.

Johnny looked at the security guard, "Where's the kid?" .

The security guard took his flashlight and pointed it into the large open habitat behind them. Hank and the others came up to find Roy, Johnny and Chet looking at where the flashlight was pointing.

Roy stood there dumb founded, he couldn't believe it. It was just too ironic. Without looking at anyone in particular, "Elephants. Why did it have to be elephants?" Johnny looked at Roy. Under any other circumstances he would have laughed and given him a hard time.

There, in the middle of the grassy area, stood an elephant. If the elephant wasn't enough to rattle Roy's cage it would be the young boy laying down directly underneath, in between its large legs.