Starlight, Starbright

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.

"Trust your hunches. They're usually based on facts filed away just below the conscious level." Dr. Joyce Brothers

Chapter 1

"So what did you do this weekend?" Roy asked Johnny as he finished tying his shoes.

"Went to a sweet little place I found in the mountains."

"Nice, wasn't it a little wet though for camping?" Roy turned to close his locker.

Johnny was still buttoning his shirt up, "No, this is a cabin. In the middle of nowhere, it's great."

Roy chuckled at the young man's excitement over being in the woods.

Chet wandered through heading towards the bay, "You two better hurry it up, Cap's in some kind of mood today."

Johnny and Roy finished up and headed out for roll call.

As Hank approached the men, clipboard in hand, they all quieted down. Their Captain was easy to read at times and today did not seem to be a good chapter in their lives. He was ready to read out assignments, give updates and talk about the newest issue with Headquarters. Then the tones sounded.

So much for that, he grumbled sourly to himself as he tossed the clipboard aside for now.

"Station 51, auto accident……………..Time out 0834."

"Great way to start the day," Johnny complained as he slid into the passenger seat of the Squad. "Besides, what's with Cap today? He seems cranky."

"Don't know, but don't let him hear you call him that," Roy whispered back, then reached for the call slip from Hank, with a smile.

They sat quietly as they raced through town, Johnny giving directions when needed. They both spotted the collided cars about a block away, it didn't look good. Roy pulled up to the scene and they jumped out. Grabbing boxes, "You take the car. I'll check the truck." Roy directed the younger man. Johnny nodded and headed out.

Roy approached the small pickup truck which had run straight into a power pole. He looked up to see the power lines were loose but still well above the truck at this point. The engine was smoking but no fire was visible, yet. He heard the engine pulling up behind them as Hank shouted orders to the crew for lines to cool down engines, battery cables to be pulled and then calling LA dispatch for the power to be cut at this intersection.

Looking inside the truck, from the passenger side, he could see the driver was unconscious leaning against the steering wheel.

Johnny approached the car on the driver's side but found the door opened up and the occupant was gone. He did a quick glance around and saw someone sitting on the curb. Jogging over to the young woman he noted she was about 20 year's old, blonde hair, blue eyes. Very attractive, wearing a silky baby blue dress.

"Mame, were you in the accident?" He asked her.

She looked up at him and smiled, "Yes, but I'm ok. The other one, the truck. I thinks he's really hurt bad."

Johnny knelt down beside her, "My partner is taking care of him, don't you worry. I need to make sure you're ok." He smiled, trying to help her relax.

She waved her hand at him, "Oh, I'm fine. It did scare me though. He ran right through that red light and just kept on going." She was getting more agitated as she described the accident.

"Okay, calm down for me." Johnny looked back at her car to see a front bumper impact but not severe. "Are you hurting anywhere?"

She nodded no.

"Anywhere at all? Does your head hurt?" He reached out to check her head and neck but she pulled back suddenly. "Hey there, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to make sure you're not hurt."

"I'm sorry. But I promise you. I'm ok. I was on my way to work but I think I'll just go home now. If anything bothers me I'll call my doctor."

Johnny turned to hear Roy yell his name. He could see Roy was in a crisis.

"I have to go help my partner out for a minute, stay right here, okay?" He ran towards Roy before realizing that she never agreed to stay.

Vince came up to her, "Mame, can I get you name and address, for the accident?"

"It wasn't my fault," she said tiredly.

"I understand that but I still need all the details to file my report." He looked closely at her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yea, it just really shook me up I think."

"Did the paramedic check you out?" Vince was worried that Johnny had been called to help with the other victim before being able to finish treating her.

"Yea, he said I was fine." She knew she was lying but right now she just wanted to get back home.

Vince finished gathering the information and went over to the bystanders hoping they might have seen something too.

Chet moved in to help Roy with his victim. They couldn't get the door open so Chet grabbed the pry bar and with a few tugs the door gave way swinging open with a great creaking noise. Roy slid in and reached to find a pulse. It was thready and fast but it was there. Calling back, "Chet, I'm gonna need a backboard and a c-collar." Roy continued his assessment of the victim.

"Got it Roy," Chet replied then turned for the Squad and the needed supplies. He glanced over to see Johnny appearing to try and assess the other victim but chuckled to himself when she seemed to have no part of it. Obviously she was fine and apparently was having a hard time convincing the paramedic of it.

Racing back with what Roy asked for Chet helped him secure the man onto the board and slide him out of the truck. Moving a safe distance away they lowered him to the ground. Once again Roy reached for a pulse.

"Damn," he swore. He looked up to see Hank and Marco with him now, "I need the monitor and defibulator. He's in full arrest."

Chet reached for the resuscitator sitting beside the patient and placed the mask on the man's face, giving him the breaths he needed while Roy started the compressions. Hank opened up the bio-phone to connect with Rampart ER. Marco went for supplies and grabbed Mike along the way to give him a hand.

Roy looked up to see where Johnny was and found him kneeling in front of a woman. How did he get the victim who decided to fall apart and Johnny always got the pretty young woman to sit and chat with?

"JOHNNY!" He called out. He didn't have time for the winning Gage smile to work its wonders right now.

Johnny looked back to him, seeing the code in progress.

After 3 rounds of epinephrine and 2 shocks with the paddles the man had a pulse again and was ready for transport. Roy hopped in the ambulance with him, "Do we need to take her with us?"

It took Johnny a half a second to figure out what he was talking about. Looking back to the curb he saw she was gone. Scanning the area, she was nowhere to be seen. "Guess not," he shrugged his shoulder and closed the doors. Roy headed in with the unstable cardiac patient while Johnny gathered up the boxes.

Vince came over beside him and he closed up the side doors on the Squad.

"Did you send the second victim to the hospital?" He asked Johnny.

"No, she said she was fine and would follow up with her own doctor."

"Okay, just checking since she disappeared on me." Vince was a little confused but it seemed that both Johnny and the victim agreed that she was unhurt.

"You too huh? I told her to stay put but she didn't listen to me either." Climbing into the Squad, "Catch ya later Vince."

Johnny came down the ER hallway to find Roy leaning against the desk talking with Dixie.

"How's he doing?" Johnny asked him.

"Well, he made it in. They're moving him to CCU in a little bit. Looks like he had a heart attack, probably what caused the accident to begin with."

Johnny shook his head, "That's too bad. Hey, have you grabbed supplies yet."

"Not yet, go ahead I know you want to," Roy said, rolling his eyes to Dixie.

Johnny walked over to the supply cabinet to find the new, very lovely brunette nurse to fill his order. His supply order that is. "Here's our list," he said leaning against the counter.

She quietly took it, grinning at the attention he was giving her.

"So, you're new around here huh?" He leaned in a little closer.

"Yes and I understand you're not," she said handing him the supplies with a smirky grin.

Johnny stood up straight, "Now, what's that supposed to mean?" He sounded hurt but she ignored him and walked off. He turned back to the desk.

Roy gave Dixie the 'here we go again' look while she just smiled.

"So you met Nancy I see," she said, trying to suppress the giggle that wanted to come out.

"What was she talking about? Understand you're not? What's that supposed to mean?" Johnny was obviously very distraught about the conversation.

"Don't know Junior. Maybe you're part of hospital nursing orientation now," Roy added making Dixie laugh.

"Now that's not funny Roy!" Johnny said as he gathered up the supplies in his arm, threw them both a scowl and headed down the hall to the Squad.

"Guess it's time to go," Roy said as Dixie waved to him.

Heading back to the station Johnny had that air of discontent about him making Roy kick himself for giving him a hard time. Now he would never hear the end of it.

"What's wrong?" He finally gave in and asked after an eternity of silence.

"Oh nothing."

"Don't oh nothing me. I can tell something's gotten under your skin so just spill it now."

Johnny paused, "Do you think I really have that kind of reputation at the hospital?"

Kick, kick, kick. "Of course not, but when you date more than one at the same place you know their gonna talk to each other."

A look of horror swept across his face, "You don't mean about dates do you?"

Roy just shook his head at his partners naivety, "Look, it's just something that women do, they like to compare notes. You just can't take that too personally."

Johnny shook his head but remained quiet for a while as he gazed out the window.

"Did you replace the LR bags?" He suddenly asked Roy.

"Yes, you're the one that picked them up."

He paused again, "Well, did you get the monitor back?"

"Yes Johnny, it's in the compartment."

He was quiet for a minute, then, "Did you exchange those IV catheters?"

Roy was looking annoyed now. "What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know. It's odd. I have this nagging feeling like I'm missing something," he said, again shaking his head.

The silence was broken by the radio, "Squad 51 standby."

Then the tones sounded over the radio, "Station 51, child trapped……………….time out 0954."

Amanda stepped into the shower, her body already aching all over. She let the hot water soak her muscles until she couldn't take the heat anymore. Feeling almost light headed she dried off and looked at herself in the mirror. What a terrible place to have a bruise. I will look ridiculous in that new bikini tonight for the beach party. She rubbed her hand over her sore abdomen then headed downstairs to get something to eat.