Chapter 4

He wearily closed his eyes and leaned his head back as far as he could comfortably get it to go. Sighing, he roughly rubbed his eyes and then propped his head against his hand. Opening his eyes, he looked toward the small form on the bed in front of him.

After he and Charlie had gotten her out from under the wreckage, she had slipped back to unconsciousness, much to everyone's relief. A chopper had been requested while they were pulling her out and was there when she was ready to be sent on to Rampart. As there was only room for the paramedic and the patient to ride in the small helicopter, Johnny rode back in 116's squad while Chris went with one of the ambulances.

Once they had arrived, Jenny was rushed first to the emergency room and then on to surgery. Johnny sat in the surgical waiting area while he waited for Chris to finish treatment in the emergency room. The youth was sporting 3 stitches and wonderful headache to boot. Dr. Bishop had wanted Chris to be admitted so Johnny had split his time between the room and the waiting area. Finally, Dr. Murphy came in and gave Johnny the good news that Jenny had no complications from the fracture and should make a full recovery. She was eventually transferred up to the same room as her brother once she had cleared recovery.

Jenny began to stir and moan on her bed. Johnny jumped out of his chair and clasped her uninjured hand. He began whispering to her in Lakota Sioux, a language Johnny had begun to teach her and her brother when they were much younger. Jenny settled down and returned to her slumber. Johnny gently stroked her hair, brushing her bangs off her forehead.

"Uncle Johnny?"

Johnny glanced over at the other bed where Chris was sitting up, concern on his face. "Yeah, Chris?"

"Jenny ok?"

He nodded his head. "Yeah, she is." He walked over to the young man's bed and helped him lay back down. "She's gone back to sleep. You ought to follow your sister's example and do the same."

The blond headed youth sighed and did as Johnny suggested. Johnny pulled up Chris's blankets and tucked him in and then did the same with Jenny. After he confirmed to himself that the children were safely asleep, he looked at the door and saw Emily Bishop standing there.

"How are they doing?" she whispered.

Johnny shrugged. "Ok, I guess. Chris complained earlier of a headache, but they took care of that. Jenny is still pretty doped up; she hasn't really woken up yet."

Emily walked over to Jenny's bed and began to visually check her, brushing a hand across the child's forehead. "She's a little warm."

"Yeah, I think she trying to catch a cold or something before this happened. She was feeling 'off' as she put it this morning. Insisted that she go on to school." He smiled. "It was library day. She didn't want to miss it." He looked up at the doctor. "I think I need a cup of coffee. It's going to be a long night. Are you going on break soon?"

Emily checked her watch. "I'm on break in about 10 minutes. I could meet you in the break room, if that works for you."

Johnny had two cups on the table waiting when Emily arrived in the break room.

"I wasn't sure as to what you liked in your coffee, so it's black."

Emily grabbed some creamer and joined him at the table. They sat in comfortable quiet for several minutes, enjoying the aroma and warmth of the beverage.

"What was that language you were speaking?" Emily began.

"Lakota Sioux. My mother was full blooded and had taught me the language, said it was important not to forget our heritage. I guess she ingrained that into me from such an early age, I had to pass that on to Chris and Jenny. It's come in handy a time or two, especially when Roy and I were still working in the field.

"I met Chris and Jenny's parents in 1971," Johnny began. "I first met Roy that February. He was recruiting for a brand new program called the paramedics. I wasn't entirely sold on the program yet." He glanced over at Emily with a slight grin. "But he could be convincing. Talked me into signing up and everything. Best decision I ever made."

He twisted the coffee cup in his hands. "He also became the best friend I ever had, almost like a brother at times. I mean, we worked together, had fun together, did lots of activities together like work on each other's homes, even fought like brothers at times. But I wouldn't trade those times for anything." He took a sip of his coffee. "I met his wife, Joanne, a few months later. She was a tiny woman, and so in love with her guy. Chris was about to turn 4, and Jenny was a few months shy of being a year old. This family took me, a guy without a family, and gave me a place I could feel comfortable and be part of.

"I turned 21 that August and Dixie gave a birthday party in my honor, although it was also being used as a platform for promoting the paramedic program. I hate to admit it, but I got a little carried away with the beer. After all, it was my birthday!" A lopsided grin formed on his face at the memory. "Roy wasn't much better. We had just received word that the paramedic bill was being considered, and we decided to celebrate. Thank God Joanne had a cool head. She convinced me to hand over my keys to her, and I was in such a good mood, I did. Somehow, she managed to get both me and Roy back to the car and to their house. Next morning, I woke up with the worst headache I had ever received – my first hangover. Roy and Joanne didn't realize how young I actually was until then. Roy felt so bad about the whole thing, I think that's when he got it in his head to act in the role of a big brother. Kind of glad he did. He pulled me up short on some of my crazier ideas as the years went by. Kids even began calling me Uncle Johnny before Jenny was out of diapers."

Emily watched as he picked up both their cups and went to refill them. Returning, he continued the story. "Roy and I had been partners for about two years when a very good friend of mine was killed. He had left a wife and baby behind. I got to wondering what would happen to Joanne and the kids if something ever happened to Roy. So, one day when I was over at their house watching the kids play in the backyard, I told Roy and Joanne I would like to be there to help if anything were ever to happen to either of them. I just never realized we would lose them both."

Watching him closely, Emily leaned over and placed her hand on his arm. "What happened to them, Johnny?"

He closed his eyes and bowed his head for moment, as if to collect his thoughts. After a few moments, he said, "Roy and I both passed our captain's exam in 1979. He became the B shift captain over at 36 in July of 1980, but the paramedic program still interested me and the department offered me a position I couldn't refuse. I soon began to shift into my new role of being a paramedic supervisor and Roy pursued his career as a firefighter. I still made time to meet the family at least once a week for meals, however it best fit our two schedules. I was working out of Rampart one day when word came of a three alarm fire in a warehouse district. I was pressed into service in the emergency room as several firefighters were brought in with everything from smoke inhalation to severe burns. I was there when they brought Roy in. Several of his men had been trapped by falling debris and he had gone in with a team to help pull them out. Just as they were pulling the last man out, the ceiling collapsed trapping Roy and the victim. They pulled them out as quickly as they could, but the damage was done. There was nothing anyone could do. He was still alive when they wheeled him in, long enough for me to track Joanne down and get to tell him goodbye."

Johnny pulled his arm away from Emily and got up from his chair. He walked over to the window and looked out, not really seeing the rain soaked world outside. "The night of the funeral, Jo told me she was dying of cancer. It felt like my entire world had been yanked out from under me. The two best friends I had on this earth – one gone, the other leaving soon – it was almost too much. But, I remembered my promise to be there for them, and I kept that promise. That was in April. In June, she and the kids moved in with me as she couldn't care for herself anymore. We only had her for a few more months. We lost her August 6."

"Do you regret taking them in?" Emily asked cautiously.

"No, god no." Johnny spun around to look at her incredulously. "I didn't tell you this to make you feel sorry for me, I just wanted you to know that those kids have no one else but me and I have no one but them." He returned to his chair and faced her. "I know you've asked around and have asked questions about me, about the kids. This is who we are, we're a family, a package deal. You take one, you take us all."

He took another breath. "I've lived the life of a single guy for so long, and now I have to consider the fact that any decision I make now impacts more people than just me. I have to consider Chris and Jenny and how it will affect them."

Emily looked down into the cold swirls of what was left of her coffee. "Is your offer to tour LA still open? I still haven't had a chance to check out the sites. I think I might need a tour guide, or three."

The look on Johnny's face was her answer.