The Boot

Chapter Thirty

By GCS

DISCLAIMER: "Emergency!" and its characters © Mark VII Productions, Inc. and Universal Studios. All rights reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction. This story is only written for entertainment. No financial gain is being realized from it. The story, itself, is the property of the author.

Tony and Joe were called away on another rescue. They left with promises to return for Johnny to give him a ride back to the station after he finished his IV. He fell asleep shortly after they left.

Dixie had just finished checking on him when she ran into Dr. Brackett in the hall. "How's he doing Dixie?"

"He's almost done with the IV." She smiled. "He's been asleep since Tony and Joe got called out."

"Good. You can release him as soon as he's done. The blood tests came back fine. Those hose jockeys really need to learn to hydrate better." Dr. Brackett turned to walk away, but stopped and turned back to Dixie. "I have a meeting in my office. Call me if you need me."

"With a certain very nervous resident I hope." Dixie winked at Kel. She'd filled him in on what had happened in the treatment room earlier and he'd read the security officer's report.

"Yes, Dixie, with a certain resident." Though they shared a very personal relationship off the job and held great respect for each other on the job, Dr. Kelly Brackett drew the line when it came to the way he ran his department. He knew he had answered Dixie tersely…he had no intention of allowing anyone…especially a nurse…tell him what needed to be done with one of his doctors. He turned without another word and stalked down the hall toward his office.

Dixie knew she had, yet again, struck a nerve with Kel. She saw the way his lip twitched and his forehead creased after she made her comment, not to mention the way he walked stiffly down the hall. She knew he led the ER with skill, but his people skills and bedside manner were lacking in her opinion. She realized it might take some time, but she hoped to have some influence on him in that department. However, right now she had other duties to attend to.

Johnny awoke a short time later. It took him a few minutes to acclimate himself to his surroundings. After remembering that he was still at Rampart, he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the treatment table. He sat there for a bit, hoping someone would come in to check on him. The IV had long since finished; that together with the water they had made him drink had presented a need that wouldn't wait much longer. He tried to think of other things; tried to distract himself for as long as he could, but if someone didn't come in that door in the next five minutes, he was going to be in real trouble.

He looked down at the IV site wincing at the thought of the needle sinking into his arm, but he also realized that it didn't hurt to have an IV removed. After a few seconds of consideration he slipped off the edge of the exam table and carefully removed his own IV. Then he turned to the supply cabinet for some gauze and tape. He'd had enough IVs and blood tests to know he needed to make sure to stop the bleeding. Having taken care of that…he had another pressing matter to attend to.

He peeked out the door into the hall. He knew he hadn't "really" done anything wrong, and he did have to get to the men's room, but something in the back of his mind told him Dixie would not be very happy with him for removing the IV. The hallway was very busy, so he decided to chance it. He slipped into the stream of hallway traffic and headed to the men's room and the relief he sought.

Once he had taken care of business and washed up he opened the door to the men's room to find Dixie McCall standing just outside with her arms crossed, her lips pressed in a serious scowl and her foot tapping an irritated beat. Johnny ducked his head, his shoulders lowered and his arms dropped to his sides as he walked over to the waiting nurse.

Dixie couldn't help herself. As angry as she was at Johnny for removing his own IV and disappearing down the hallway, he looked so much like a child fearing harsh discipline, her ire melted into compassion for him. "And where do you think you're going?" She asked with just a hint of irritation in her voice.

Johnny spoke softly, almost too softly for Dixie to hear him, with his head still lowered, "I'm s..sorry. I…I tried to w..wait."

Dixie lifted her hand to her mouth to make an attempt at hiding the smile that threatened to appear. She cleared her throat and continued her questioning of the escapee. "And who removed your IV?" She already knew it had to have been Johnny, because she knew exactly where each of her nurses were and exactly what they had been assigned to do. She reached for his arm to examine the make-shift bandage he had taped there.

Johnny looked up at her with alarm. His mouth opened to respond, but he was afraid that he had overstepped the line this time. Experience had taught him that overstepping the line led to very unpleasant discipline. He reflexively pulled his arm back and stepped away from Dixie running his back into the wall. Dixie noticed the change in his stature. He'd gone from that repentant child to an apprehensive adult in a matter of seconds. He spoke this time with a determination she hadn't seen before. "I had to. No one else was there. I've had enough needles in my arm to know what to do." He waved his arm at Dixie to prove that he'd dressed the wound appropriately. "It's fine. It's not even bleeding."

Not wanting a scene in the ER, Dixie let the issue drop. She knew Johnny had a lot of experience with hospitals and clinics…he'd had several trips to her ER already, but she would not allow patients to treat themselves on her watch either, "I can see that, but let me tell you one thing here fella. This is my ER. You are a patient here, and that means you will act like a patient. Do you understand?" Johnny's shoulders once again drooped, and he nodded his understanding. "Now that that is out of the way, come with me." Dixie turned and began walking away. Sensing that Johnny hadn't followed she stopped and looked back at him with her eyebrow raised, waiting for him to acquiesce.

She led the way to a room Johnny had never been to, pushed the door open and stepped aside to let him pass. "You can wait in here." Dixie pushed open the door and led Johnny into what looked like a small break room. "It's the doctor's lounge. Tony and Joe had a run, but said they would be back for you. I expect they should be here any time."

Johnny stopped in his tracks. "Um…I…uh…th..the waiting area is fine." He turned to walk over to the waiting area.

Dixie grabbed him by the arm. "Oh no you don't!" She smiled at the nervous young man. "You can wait in here with a fresh cup of hot coffee, and keep me company on my break."

Feeling a little more relaxed after finding out Dixie would be in the lounge with him, Johnny followed her in. He glanced around the room. There was a sofa and chair over by the window. A TV on a stand was over by the wall. There was a wall with shelves on it filled with all colors of coffee mugs and in front of that was a coffee pot. In the middle of the room there was a table and chairs. Johnny walked over and pulled a chair out from the table intending on sitting down, but Dixie had other plans.

"Let's sit over here on the sofa. I sit on that hard stool at the nurse's desk all day." She motioned to the sofa before turning around and grabbing two cups from the shelf and filling them with the hot brew. She lifted one cup to her nose. "Smells fresh." She handed one to Johnny, sat on the sofa and patted the cushion beside her. "Sit down Johnny."

Johnny looked around the room as though he was trying to be sure it was okay for him to be in the doctor's lounge. When his gaze fell on Dixie again she smiled and patted the seat again. Not having any excuse not to, Johnny sat down next to Dixie.

"Now that wasn't so hard was it?" She teased him.

"No ma'am." Johnny ducked his head and looked away.

Dixie sank back against the cushions and sipped her coffee. She didn't force conversation. She just wanted to relax a minute.

Johnny took a tentative sip of his coffee. He had gotten used to drinking it, but the taste still seemed bitter to him…unless Scotty made it. Somehow Scotty had coffee making down to a science. The coffee passed for pretty good, so Johnny sipped some more.

"It's pretty good." Dixie commented. "I usually get time for a cup when it's nearly burnt." She laughed softly. "Never really stops me from drinking it though. Sometimes getting through the day around here is difficult. Coffee seems to help." She raised her cup in salute and took another drink.

Johnny smiled. "Works in the fire fighting business too." He saluted his cup back to her and took a drink himself. Feeling a bit more relaxed he sank back into the couch as well. "Dixie…"

"Yes Johnny?"

"I'm sorry…" He looked at her. "About before."

"No harm done." She said soothingly.

"Maybe not, but I shouldn't have…well you know." He shrugged. "I just had to…you know…go." Dixie had just taken a sip of her coffee and nearly spewed it out again. She ended up coughing instead. Johnny sat up alarmed. "Are you all right?" She smiled, placed a hand on his knee and nodded. She cleared her throat and took another experimental sip. Johnny slumped back on the couch, his face red with embarrassment. First he couldn't wait for a nurse to take out his IV, he had to sneak to the men's room and now he'd nearly choked the head nurse with his apology. He wondered what could possibly go wrong next.

Dixie saw the redness creep up Johnny's neck and into his cheeks. "It's okay Johnny. Listen, just don't be removing your own IVs or sneaking out of treatment rooms and everything will be okay between us." She patted his knee again. "I guess my break is over. I need to get back out there." She started to get up. Johnny started to follow her. "No…you can wait here for the boys. Have some more coffee. I'll let them know where you are."

Just as Dixie finished telling Johnny to stay put when the door opened and another nurse stepped part way into the room, "Miss McCall, Dr. Brackett needs you in treatment three."

"I'll be right there."

"He said right away."

Dixie sighed. "Okay…" She turned back to Johnny, "Have some more coffee Johnny. Turn on the TV if you want." Then she turned, placed her cup on the table and followed the other nurse out of the room.

Johnny sat unmoving on the couch for a few moments before getting up for some more coffee. When he finished filling his cup he went over to the TV and flipped it on. Then he settled back on the couch to watch the morning news.

A few moments later the same nurse that had come for Dixie led another man into the room. "Miss McCall said you should wait in here. There's coffee. Your wife is in the treatment room with your daughter. They will come for you as soon as the doctor finishes with his examination."

"Thanks." The young man said before turning scared eyes toward Johnny. "Oh hi, I didn't know anyone was in here."

Johnny shifted nervously. He knew he hadn't done anything wrong, but his run in earlier with the resident and security was still fresh on his mind. The fact that he was now alone in a room with a police officer in uniform made him just a little nervous. "Hi."

"Say…aren't you a fireman at Station 10?"

Johnny smiled. "Did the turnouts give it away?" The question immediately put him more at ease. He loved being a fireman. It gave him a sense of pride in himself that he hadn't had before.

The officer smiled, took a few steps closer and outstretched his hand. "Drew Burke."

Johnny stood and outstretched his own hand. "John Gage."

Drew studied the tall dark haired man before him. "I know I've seen you out there on at least one MVA, but haven't I seen you at the bowling alley with the Dwyer twins?"

"Yep…we're on the fire department league. You bowl?" Johnny flipped off the TV and resumed his place on the couch while Drew poured himself some coffee.

"Police department league. I love to bowl. Don't get to as much anymore…" His face turned serious again. "…family…ya know." He paused and stared into his coffee cup before continuing. "I…um…I've been married for a few years…right out of high school. We have a beautiful little girl. She's two. She's real sick." He stopped talking and sunk into a chair at the table. "I'm real worried about her. My wife, Pam, she called the station…" Drew looked up at Johnny. "They radioed me in the squad car. I got here as soon as I could."

Johnny got up and moved to sit in the other chair at the table. He didn't know what to say. "They're good here. They'll fix her up."

Drew looked into the sincere brown eyes. "Thanks."

Johnny studied the officer's face. He seemed nice. Nicer than any cop Johnny had had the pleasure of meeting except Jimbo and he was retired. "Have you been a policeman for very long?"

"No…I'm a rookie. Just graduated the academy a few months ago. I'm still on probation. My partner…" He chuckled, "Well…my trainer dropped me off and went back out on the beat. I'm supposed to call dispatch when I'm done here. If my daughter is…" Drew felt a lump in his throat and couldn't continue.

Johnny could see the concern in Drew's face. He wanted to help…somehow. He just felt that it was his responsibility to say something to help, but what? "So…are you any good at bowling?" He hoped changing the subject might help.

Drew looked up, cleared his throat and welcomed the change of subject. "Good? I'll have you know, John Gage…I am the best." He sat up a little taller as he boasted.

Johnny chuckled. "The best? I don't think so…you see, I'm pretty good myself." He splayed his hand on his chest.

Drew took the bait, "Well then John, you may have to prove that at the lanes."

"My friends call me Johnny." He smiled broadly. "And you're on. Just name the time. If I'm not on shift, I'll be there."

A competitive sparkle flashed in Drew's eyes, "When are you off next?"

"Well…I'm off this morning for two days…then on for 24, and off the next day. If you're available that day we could test your skills."

"Test my...?" Drew glared briefly at Johnny. "I believe you mean test your skills." Both men chuckled. "You're on Johnny." He pulled a notepad out of his pocket and jotted his number down. "Give me a call. We'll set up a time."

"All right!" Johnny beamed. He loved a good competition. "Loser buys dinner?"

"How about you just come to my place after? I'll grill some steaks."

Johnny shifted nervously. He wasn't accustomed to going to anyone's home. Drew noticed the change in his demeanor. Thinking Johnny might think his wife would mind, he offered a word of encouragement. "Relax…Pam won't mind."

Hesitant brown eyes looked up into smiling eyes. "Okay…I can bring the steaks."

"How 'bout the loser buys the steaks? We'll stop by the grocery after I cream you on the lanes." Drew boasted.

Johnny looked down at the table and grinned. Then he looked back at his new friend. "Hope you policemen make good money. I can eat a big steak…a very big steak…and lots of steak fries."

Dixie smiled from the doorway where she had been watching for a few minutes. It was good to see Johnny so relaxed and enjoying himself. She noticed his teasing nature and the glimmer in his eyes when he was comfortable with someone else's teasing, and apparently, the other young man had needed the distraction from his worry. "Ahem."

Drew shot out of his chair almost sending it backwards to the floor. Johnny stood also.

"You're daughter will be fine Mr. Burke. She has a respiratory infection. Dr. Brackett called in a pediatrician, and they both agree that she needs to stay at least overnight until we get her fever down and some fluids into her. If you will come with me, I'll take you to see her." She held out her hand inviting him to come with her.

"See, I told you they were real good here." Johnny smiled.

Drew looked back at him and smiled in return. "Yes you did." He reached across to shake Johnny's hand. "Don't forget to call. I'm looking forward to proving to you that I…" He mimicked Johnny's earlier splay with his own hand across his chest. "…am the best."

"Oh no, Officer Burke, I'm the one who will be doing the proving." A crooked grin spread across Johnny's face. "I'll call. I'm looking forward to it."

"Johnny, Tony and Joe just brought in a patient. They will be ready to go in a few minutes." Dixie pointed her finger at the young fireman. "Now you get some rest, and keep hydrated." She smiled fondly, "I don't want to see you in my ER again anytime soon, unless you suddenly decide to join the ranks of rescue." With that Dixie and Drew disappeared leaving Johnny alone in the lounge.

Feeling a warm sense of belonging in a room where just a short time ago he felt totally out of place. Johnny grabbed up the dirty coffee cups, took them to the sink and washed them. He was drying them and replacing them to the shelf on the wall when Tony poked his head in to summon him to the squad. Soon they would be back at Station 10 and another shift would be over. Johnny followed Tony with a spring in his step.