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.

"Nothing truly valuable arises from ambition or from a mere sense of duty; it stems rather from love and devotion." Albert Einstein.

Thanks for your patience! And thanks for the reviews, keep um coming. I love to know what you're thinking :)

Chapter 10

"Roy?"

Joanne woke up realizing that her husband was no longer in the bed with her. Looking around the dark bedroom she saw his shadow standing in the bathroom. She slid off the edge of the bed and walked towards him. He was splashing cold water on his face and then just staring in the mirror.

"You okay?" She asked him softly, not wanting to startle him.

He looked at her with those baby blue eyes, "Sorry Jo, didn't mean to wake you up. Just had a bad dream."

She rubbed her hand across his back, "Johnny?"

He shook his head then took the hand towel and dried his face off. "Yea."

"Do you think something is wrong?" She knew that Roy and Johnny had a bond between them stronger than any family could have given them. Roy always had a gut feeling about his best friend when something was wrong.

He looked into her eyes amazed at how she could see right through him. "I don't know but I have a bad feeling. Something's not right Jo. Johnny thinks the hearing is in the morning but he still wasn't home last night. I just can't believe he wouldn't show up for it, or when he thinks it is."

"Let's get some rest. First thing in the morning call Hank and do whatever you need to do to find him."

He gave her a big hug as she melted into his strong arms. He knew not every man was so blessed with such an understanding and compassionate wife.

Johnny knew that he couldn't roll over without being seen and right now his body couldn't take anymore beating. Closing his eyes he tried to focus on the breaths he heard, was the person awake or sleeping? They were a little fast and sounded shallow.

Keeping his eyes on the men in front of him he whispered, "Are you alright?" He assumed the person behind him was also someone here against their will. There was no answer. He tried to feel back with his hands but couldn't reach anyone. His shoulders ached at the stagnant position they had been placed in, pulled behind him.

About that time he saw the one named Red coming in his direction. He knew he had already been seen with his eyes open so he braced himself for what might come next.

"Well, paramedic man is awake. Time to get up and earn your keep around here."

Red pulled him up to a sitting position and Johnny was thankful for the non-jerking method that his friend seemed to relish so much.

"Now, I'm only gonna say this once. I'm gonna untie your hands from your back. If you try to do anything stupid you won't be alive to see dinner tonight. Is that understood?"

Johnny nodded. He knew he was stuck for now. Between his swirling head and the pain in his left side he had no intentions of running anywhere. Red proceeded retie his hands in front now, his shoulders grateful for the change in position. He wanted to turn around but had learned the hard way not to provoke these men in any way. So he waited patiently.

"Got a patient for ya doc," Red said with a smile.

"I'm not a doctor," Johnny started to correct him.

"Whatever, it's gonna be your job to keep her alive. If she dies. You die," he said matter of factly.

Johnny's heart was beating wildly. Her? Keep her alive? What was he talking about? Looking up at the gruff man he could see his eyes were looking behind him. Slowly turning around he found a woman lying on her side, facing away from him.

She was dressed in a pair of jeans and a blue sweater. Red helped him find his footing then walked him over to the other side of the bed. Johnny gasped at his own pain as the burning in his side increased when he leaned against the man. But when his eyes saw the figure laying on the bed his legs buckled underneath him and darkness clouded his brain again.

Emily went to answer the door while her husband finished breakfast. She was surprised to find Roy standing there, "Roy!" He was greeted by a hug and a big smile. "Come on in, we were just finishing up breakfast." She turned around, "Hank, it's Roy."

Hank looked up and swallowed the last bite of eggs in his mouth. If Roy was coming to his house then something was wrong. He crossed the living room in just a few strides, taking Roy's hand in a shake.

"Come on in. Emm, can you get Roy a cup of coffee?" He called back to his wife.

"Sure hon, be right there."

"Well, I can only surmise that this isn't a pleasure call Roy. What's up?" Hank could read the senior paramedics face, if not his mind, when it came to his concern over Johnny.

"I'm really sorry to bother you at home but something's wrong. Johnny thinks the hearing is happening now and he's still not home. No word from him at all. This just isn't like him. Then last night," he paused. "I had a dream that something had happened to him." He looked up to his Captain, in more ways than one, as a friend and a leader. "I know I sound crazy Cap but I think we need to look for him."

If Roy was that worried then something was wrong. Hank had learned that a long time ago between the two paramedics, brothers and friends. There was a connection between them that no one could explain or even begin to understand.

"Okay, let's start with where you have already checked and go from there."

She stood before him in that beautiful baby blue dress, eyes sparkling and he could see a kind and gentle smile on her face. He took a step forward to touch her, to see if she was real but she stepped back and giggled. Shaking her finger 'no' she pointed to something behind him. Turning he could see the cabin in a mist of white snow, he could see the lights were on inside. Then he saw one of the men looking out the window. Johnny ducked down; looking for cover but the blond headed girl in front of him took his hand and made him stand back up. Again she pointed to the cabin.

No, he didn't want to go back there. Those men were going to kill him, he knew it. There was no way they would let him leave again. Now was his chance. Then she came up and took his face in her hands, kissing him gently on the cheek. Her lips never moved but he heard the soft words float through his brain, 'only you can help her'.

Then he remembered the girl on the bed. It couldn't be. Amanda was here in front of him. Somehow he knew she wasn't real. Even though she seemed real. But the woman on the bed, how? Then Amanda started to fade away, she was waving to him. Go, she whispered to him.

Johnny opened his eyes to a dark room. The lights were out and the door was mostly closed. As he tried to slow his breathing and focus his eyes he could see the fireplace was going but with the door closed the air in the bedroom was freezing. It was easier now to move around with his hands tied up in front of himself as he moved to a sitting position. He found that trying to hold his ribs and head at the same time was an impossible task. He looked at the other side of the bedroom and knew what his first task must be.

He never remembered going to the bathroom as so incredibly exhausting as it was this time. Leaning against the door frame he looked to the bed. She was still there and had apparently not moved yet. The paramedic in him knew that wasn't a good sign. He followed the wall around to the other side of the bed, trying to keep quiet. Once he reached her side of the bed he sat down beside her. Taking her wrist in his hand he checked her pulse. It was actually pretty strong and regular. Placing his hand on her abdomen he counted her breaths with the clock on the end table. They were regular although a little fast. She was still lying on her side; her skin felt cool to the touch so Johnny reached down and pulled a quilt up over her lower body. He went to touch her face. It was silly but he still wasn't convinced she was real. Pushing her blonde hair from her forehead he heard her give a soft moan.

"Shh…" he told her softly. He definitely didn't need them in here helping out any. But she stayed asleep.

He took his bound hands and rolled her to her back, only then did he get the full picture of who she was. His shock was distracted by the red stain on her sweater. He pulled down on the left shoulder of her sweater to find the entry wound of the bullet just below her shoulder joint. Reaching behind he tried to find an exit hole but was unsuccessful. The bleeding was moderate but not life threatening at this point. He wasn't sure why she was still unconscious though.

He was momentarily blinded as the overhead light was flicked on.

"Well, playing doctor without us?" Carl asked with a nasty smile on his face.

"What happened to her?" Johnny asked as his eyes quickly adjusted to the sudden onslaught of light.

"Red here got a little excited. Told him to not shoot up the hostage but he's never been a good listener," Carl laughed.

"I only hit her once, shouldn't be that bad," Red shot back.

"Don't matter cause doc here is gonna fix her right up for us. Aren't ya doc?"

Johnny took a deep breath, "I need to clean up this wound. Can you get me some supplies. There in the back of my truck. There's a first aid kit in the back compartment." He watched Red go outside. "How long has she been out like this?"

"Oh that, well she was a feisty one so we had to give her something to calm her down. She's slept ever since."

"What did you give her?" Johnny asked with more anger in his voice than he meant to reflect.

"Now look, don't you get that way boy. You're only job is to keep her alive long enough for us to get some ransom out of her. You get her out of here in one piece then you might just have a nice rest of your vacation after all."

Red returned with the first aid kit then brought Johnny some warm water as he requested. Red took a position at the door while Carl went back to the living room, leaving Johnny alone.

He dipped the rag into the warm water and then wrung it out. Lightly dabbing the entry site, he gently cleaned the blood away.

"Don't worry Amanda; I'm not going to lose you this time. No matter what."