"You mess with one of us, you mess with ALL of us!" Medic 635, Clay County EMS

Johnny was quiet all afternoon, way too quiet. It was agony for Roy, trying to decide whether to go to him and try to comfort him or to let him sort it out by himself. If he pushed, Johnny would either clam up or completely blow it off. Neither one would accomplish anything. But eventually, watching his friend suffer in silence got to be too much for him. Waiting until Johnny was alone in the bunk room, Roy sat down beside him on the bunk. "Talk to me, Junior. I know it was a rough run, but what about it is getting to you?"

Johnny thought back, his hand unconsciously touching to five stitches on his cheek. The intoxicated woman's purse had cut deep when she swung it at him on the scene. It hurt, but he could deal with pain. Fear, however… that was a bit different. "He's gonna come after me, Roy," he sighed, looking down. He would never admit to being afraid to anyone but his best friend, and even then it was embarrassing. "I mean, I'm not afraid of taking a beating, but this guy…"

Roy knew. The car wreck they had worked earlier had been a mess. A drunk woman who had clocked Johnny with her purse when he offered to help her out of the car had promptly been arrested. Not so bad in its self, but when her Goliath of a boyfriend got out of the passenger side and approached Johnny, that had been bad. He was…less than pleased that this fireman was getting his girl arrested. Grabbing Johnny by the shirt and lifting him off the ground, Johnny had called for help. Roy and three of the three LA county deputies on scene rushed to his aid. It was then that Johnny's nametag had popped off into the man's hand. The terrified fireman fell to the ground and his attacker fled. Despite the best efforts of the police, he had not been apprehended.

"I know, pal. He's a big guy."

Johnny covered his face with his hands. "And he has my name tag. He knows who I am. And he can find me. Really, how hard is it to find a fireman named John Gage. Two phone calls and he could track me down!"

Roy thought on this for a moment, but didn't allow the silence to stretch too long. If it did, the younger medic's imagination would run away with its self about what Roy was trying not to say. Roy had seen it before and preferred to avoid that. "No one is going to give out your home address. Just be careful leaving the station and make sure no one is following you. That deputy said he's going to keep an eye on you for a few days. They'll catch him."

Johnny finally looked up and nodded. "I know he can't get my home address. But all he has to do is ask around. We're the premier paramedic squad. Any firefighter out there could tell him what station I work at."

The senior medic's brow creased. "Johnny, you're not worried about him coming after you here…?"

Chocolate eyes met his blue ones. "Well, it would be the easiest place to find me."

Roy shook his head, trying to make sense of it. "You honestly think… John, you do know that no one here would let him get near you again, right? I mean, the only reason he got to you in the first place was that we didn't see the threat."

Confusion settled over Johnny's face. "You mean…?"

Anger darkened Roy's features. "I mean, bring it on. Let him come after you here! Let him take one step toward you in this place and see what's left of him after five pissed off firemen get their hands on him."

"Roy, I don't want anyone to get hurt. Not because of me."

Sometimes Johnny could be so dense. His partner wondered if it was on purpose, or if he really doubted his worth that much. "Not because of you. Because some drunk jackass blames you for his girlfriend's stupidity."

"But still…"

Roy put his hand on the young paramedic's shoulder forcefully. "No buts. Those two have done all the damage to you that they can. You're one of us. NO ONE is allowed to mess with you. Besides us, anyway."

Johnny's face split into his patented Gage grin at that and he play-punched Roy's shoulder. "Just you guys, huh?"

Pulling himself to his feet, Roy smiled back. "Yep. Just us. It would just be too much trouble if we had to beat Chet up every time he messed with you." He started back into the day room, relieved when Johnny followed. He looked less frightened, almost his old self again. "I hope the bastard does come here," Roy thought. "I'd love to have a shot at him after this!" But he kept that to himself. Johnny didn't need to hear it.