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.

"Why is it when we say 'no', children ears hear 'go for it'?" Author unknown.

Chapter 2

They both hated rescues with children and emotions ran high at these times. They pulled up to a large house in a very nice neighborhood. As often was the case they were greeted by a woman waving her arms frantically and yelling at them to hurry.

Johnny tried to calm the poor woman, "Settle down, we're coming, okay?"

But there was no calming this mother. Roy could see the overwhelming fear in her eyes, making his own heart beat a little faster. For some reason he had the feeling that this wasn't a 'Billy has his finger stuck in the sink' rescue.

They hurried into the house and both almost ran right into the woman as she came to an abrupt halt. They immediately scanned left into the dining room and right into the living room, seeing no one.

She started yelling again, waving her hands upwards.

This entry was open to the third floor; a grand staircase spiraled its way up to the next floors. An immense and grandiose chandelier hung straight above them, suspended from the ceiling high up. It was a beautiful entrance. Until you saw the child. The child on the ladder. On the ladder that extended from the third floor railing over to the light fixture.

Roy's heart skipped a few beats, he was sure of it as he dropped the boxes at his feet. Pure panic energized his reflexes now as he assessed the situation in one breath. Apparently the child had put the ladder across to try and reach the chandelier. For whatever reason he could not even begin to imagine.

Now the young boy who looked about 10 was on all fours in a state of frozen fear.

Johnny didn't even breathe until he heard Roy's boxes hit the floor. How in the…? Was all he could think of. Any other time one might laugh at the situations kids could get themselves into but this one was looking at a 3 story plummet to a hard floor.

"What's his name?" Johnny asked.

"Jamie," the mother cried out. "Please help him before he falls."

Johnny and Roy turned to see the engine crew behind them, now looking gaped mouthed at the precarious situation.

"Jamie! Don't move okay? We're with the fire department and we're gonna get you down from there but DON'T MOVE!"

Roy only prayed that the youngster would listen to his partner's plea.

Hank turned to Mike, "Get some ropes."

"Roy, how you want to approach this?"

Roy's mind was spinning with scenarios and possible outcomes. "We might can reach him from the railing. If we can get a line on him somewhere we can just let the ladder fall."

"Oh my God, my baby," the mother wailed.

Marco took her by the shoulders, "We're gonna get him down, just try and calm down for us ok? You don't want him worried about you now do you?"

She seemed to understand and her sobs quieted some.

Johnny and Roy headed up the staircase, their eyes never leaving the child. Mike ran up behind them with safety belts and some rope. Hank and Chet stayed down the stairs incase needed from below.

Standing right behind the boy Roy lowered his voice and spoke softly to him, "Jamie. My name is Roy and this is my partner Johnny. We're gonna help you get off the ladder ok?"

Jamie didn't move, "NO! Don't touch me. I'll fall!" He was scared to death.

Johnny leaned out to the side some to see if he could make some eye contact with him, "It's ok Jamie, we're not going to let you fall, okay?"

Roy looked at the ladder, straddling preciously between the railing and the wobbly light fixture as Johnny put on his safety belt. He looped the rope through with him and Mike holding the other side.

"I'm gonna see if I can reach him," Johnny told them, not taking his eyes off of Jamie. Roy knew that Johnny was the logical choice here, being the lightest in weight, but that didn't take the knot out of his stomach.

"Careful Johnny, that chandelier isn't going to hold you both," Roy warned him.

Johnny, holding onto the wall beside him, climbed onto the railing. Making very sure to not look down he put his hands on the sides of the ladder. It wobbled just a fraction under him.

"Stop!" yelled Jamie as he took 2 crawling steps forward, in the wrong direction.

"Jamie, don't move!" Roy barked at him.

Down below Hank watched as Johnny moved out onto the ladder, then the boy moving away from him. This is not going well he thought then the snow began to fall.

"What the?" Chet looked up at the white flakes falling down on them.

Within a second Hank realized what it was. Looking up he could see the plaster coming off the wall where the light fixture inserted into the ceiling. Roy had seen it too, "Johnny?"

"I see it Roy. I almost have him," he almost whispered as he reached out to grab Jamie's foot. Then the ladder seemed to move out from under him in a jolt. Looking up he could see the wires now coming out of the ceiling. The chandelier was coming down.

In one swift motion Johnny grabbed the boy's foot with a grip that made Jamie cry out, partially in surprise but partially in pain. From below he heard the Captain yelling his name as the ladder went out beneath him altogether. The rope jerked hard in Roy and Mike's hands as everything headed straight down, three stories below.

Chet and Hank ran for the living room while Marco pushed the mother into the dining room as the very beautiful fixture hit the tile floor, shattering into a million flying pieces.

Roy knew the line was taunt and could hear the screaming of the kid with Johnny right back at him as they swung.

Hank looked up to see Johnny still on the safety line, holding onto the foot of the kid who was kicking and screaming nonstop. He took the stairs two at a time with Chet right on his heels.

All Johnny could feel was his hand holding onto the kid with a grip that he dared anyone to challenge. That, and the kid kicking him.

"STOP KICKING ME!" Johnny yelled. "You're Okay, I've got you!" But the kid was having no part of it. Johnny cried out in pain has the boy's boot heel impacted with his wrist and fingers over and over. The pain begged him to let go but he refused.

"Roy! Get us up now!" He didn't want to say that he was about to lose his grip but with the last kick his fingers were starting to go numb.

Hank stopped at the second floor balcony where the boy was right in front of him, reaching out over the railing he grabbed Jamie's shirt. Seeing the Cap reaching so far out Chet instinctively grabbed Hanks belt. Marco came running up the steps seeing the fiasco taking place and helped Hank get a good hold on the boy, pulling him in over the railing.

"Johnny, let go," Cap called out. Johnny let go and just swung at the end of the line, completely exhausted from the struggle.

Looking up he saw Roy looking over the railing at him, "Anytime partner."

Putting both feet on the ground never felt so good. The three men moved from the third floor down the second floor landing to meet the others. By this time the mother was up there with her son, hugging him tightly. Roy, seeing the child now safe on firm ground was more inclined for a good butt beating but that was not up to him.

The two paramedics knelt down beside the child to make sure he was okay.

"You!" he exclaimed, pointing at Johnny. "You hurt my ankle, now look at it!"

Johnny did just that, lifting up the pants leg he could see the bruise forming around the boy's right ankle. Gently palpating it, to make sure nothing was broken, he felt that it was just a bruise.

"Sorry about that Jamie but at least I caught you huh?" Johnny said with a smile.

"That's right Jamie. Johnny kept you from falling all the way down to the bottom," Roy added seeing that this was not placating the child.

The mother looked below and was exasperated, "Look at that mess!"

Thinking that the child was the next to get yelled at she caught the group of men off guard. "And is the Fire Department going to clean this mess up?"

Hank shook his head in amazement, "Well Mame, that's not really out job but Chet and Marco here will be happy to help you out some." He patted Chet on the back with a little nudge to follow the woman down the stairs.

Chet stuttered, "Sure Cap, we'd love to help out."

"Can you believe that woman?" Johnny said in amazement as they loaded up the boxes.

Roy saw him avoiding the use of his left hand. "Let me look at it." He said matter of factly.

"What?" Johnny pretended innocence.

"The hand, I see you avoiding using it. What did he do? Kick it?"

Johnny just grinned and shook his head. He could rarely keep anything from Roy. His partner and friend could see right through anything he would try and hide. Sometimes that was a good thing. But times like this? It was bad. It was a guaranteed trip to Rampart for x-rays.

"Yea, kicked it. I don't think it's broken, just bruised up." He reluctantly held out the hand for Roy to check it.

He winced as Roy felt around the wrist bones. "Get in. Let's get it x-rayed."

Johnny climbed in slowly dreading another trip to the ER with him as the patient. Picking up the mike he called them in 10-8 to Rampart until further notice.

"Amanda?"

"Yes sis."

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" The voice on the other end of the phone demanded.

God she hated that twin ESP thing, her sister drove her nuts with it, "Okay fine, I wrecked the car this morning. Don't tell mom, she'll never let me hear the end of it."

"I'm not worried about mom. Are you ok?"

Amanda rubbed her hurting stomach, "Yea just bruised up. Which ticks me off cause I was supposed to go to a beach party tonight."

Amy shook her head at her 'little' sister (by 1 minute). She was immature, brash, and quick to make stupid decisions. "Well, I just get the feeling that you're not telling me everything."

"You and your 'feelings'. I'm fine. How's Megan and Jason doing?" She would try the art of distraction. Her sister loved to talk about her kids.

"They are fine and you're not distracting me this time. Do I need to come down there and check you for myself?"

"No," she whined. "Look the fireman at the accident said I was fine, so I'm fine."

"Fireman huh? Probably more like you telling him you were fine. You were probably too busy batting those baby blues at him. Weren't you?"

Amanda giggled, "We'll he was really cute. Dark curly hair, deep brown eyes." She shook her head, "Sweet."

Amy just sighed into the phone, "Ok, but I'm gonna call and check on you later ok?"

"Sure, whatever sis. Be sure to tell Bobby I said hi."

"I will. Bye sis." Amy hung up the phone with her sister's reassurance ringing in her ears but it was the knawing in her gut that was getting her attention.

Amanda put the phone down. She knew her sister meant well and she loved her for it but she always had an uncanny sense about what was going on in her life. Drove her nuts. She stood up and about doubled over with pain. What was going on? She assumed she had sat for too long and her muscles had stiffened up. She could always try a warm bath. Moving upstairs again to her room she entered the bathroom and reached into the medicine cabinet. It had only been a couple of hours but she was hurting more now so she took out the aspirin bottle and popped another two into her mouth. Taking a glass of water she swished them down. The wave of nausea that hit her almost made her lose them again but grabbing a cool washcloth she headed to her bed with aspirin and water in tow. A good nap and she would feel better. Rolling on her side she pulled the extra pillow close to her for support against her throbbing abdomen.