Goodbye and Hello
These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust us off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.
"Real difficulties can be overcome; it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable." Theodore N. Vail.
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Chapter 2
The mother continued to hold her daughter tightly in her arms while Johnny tried to assess her color and breathing. Both seemed to be doing fine, a little coughing that was improving. Their vitals were stable as he wrote them down and prepared to call them into Rampart.
He caught the flash of Hank's legs running past him as he felt the rumbling under his feet. Jumping up he was immediately shook by the explosion that rocked the house sending boards flying and spreading the flames throughout the structure. A quick scan revealed that Marco and Roy were both still inside before the screams of the mother drew his attention back to them. His words and actions were focused on calming the out of control mother and crying child but his emotions were inside the house with his partner. He wanted to run and find him but knew his first responsibility was to his patients.
Hank approached him. "John are they stable?"
He just shook his head, "Roy?"
"Gear up," was all Hank said. He wasn't going to leave two of his men in there. There were now other engine companies on the house with hoses trying to get it under control. Donning his own gear he followed Johnny into the front door, following the hose that was Marco's. It didn't take them long to find Marco, he had been knocked into the living room and was working on regaining his feet and his balance.
Hank came up beside him and helped him get steady, "You okay?"
Marco shook his head but was still wobbly, "Roy." He pointed. "He was running down the hallway after something."
Johnny worked his way through the hallway while Chet came up behind him with the hose. Hank helped Marco out to the Squad in the hands of Brice and Marinson who had just arrived before heading back into the building to search for Roy.
Johnny looked down the hall and saw where the ceiling had caved in and his heart skipped a beat. He didn't want to think that Roy was under that pile. Moving closer Chet began dousing it with water to put out the smoking embers, they could see the fire raging above them through the now gaping hole in the ceiling. Picking through the rubble there was no sign of Roy.
"ROY!" Johnny yelled over and over as they tried to get past the blockage. Then he paused, "Did you hear that?" He looked at his Captain.
"ROY!" He called out again.
"Johnny!" That time he heard it. It was Roy but he couldn't see him yet. Moving a last chunk of ceiling he stepped past the pile and found himself at the end of the hallway. There was a door to his left and one to his right. Both were closed. He opened the one on the left to find a bathroom, it was empty. The right opened into a storage room.
"Roy?" He said as he shinned his flashlight into it.
"Over here," the voice called.
Johnny moved but had to be careful of his footing. Everything that had been on all the shelves was now on the floor, including one of the shelves. That's where he found Roy. Roy was on the ground, under the fallen shelf lying on his side, facing away from Johnny.
"Hold on, let me get his off of you. Are you hurt?" He asked concerned.
Hank came up behind them, forever grateful to see that Roy was alive and talking. "We gotta get out of here before the rest of that second floor comes down."
Johnny nodded, "Grab that end."
Hank did just that and with a couple of heaves and hoes they lifted the shelf off Roy. That was when they saw that he was laying on the boy, protecting him from the fallen debris. Hank grabbed the child while Johnny grabbed Roy's hand to help him up. Roy came up pretty quickly but almost went down again groaning with his leg hurting. Swinging Roy's arm over his shoulders Johnny let him lean against him while they hurried out and back down the hallway.
Followed by Chet, the group of men escaped the house with the second sound of collapse echoing in their ears as they jumped off the porch to safety.
Johnny helped Roy back to his feet then over to the squad where Brice had already left with the mother and child for the emergency room. He lowered Roy down easily to the yellow blanket and started to take his helmet off. Hank handed the boy off to Marinson.
"I can do that," Roy grumbled as he unbuckled his own mask and helmet.
"Alright, fine. Where are you hurt?" Johnny asked again.
"My right leg," he reached down to rub it, now seeing the large tear in his pants.
"Here, let me look at it," Johnny said as he pulled back on the pants to see the battered skin. "Can't believe it's not cut, just looks like a bad abrasion."
He reached into the trauma box and pulled out something to clean it with and some gauze.
"I can do that," Roy said.
"Let him do his job and quit complaining for a while." They both looked up to see Hank standing over them. Roy just took a deep breath and leaned back against the back bumper of the squad, resigned to being the patient.
"Well, not used to seeing you as the patient Roy. What happened?" Dr. Joe Early asked with a gentle smile on his face.
"Fire, lost kid, ceiling collapse, me stuck in closet with a bookshelf on me." It was obvious that Roy was a tad bit grumpy over it all.
"It doesn't look bad, let's just get it cleaned up then you can be on your way," Joe said throwing Dixie a 'come help me' look.
Roy limped out to the Squad with Johnny going for the driver's seat.
"Exactly what do you think you're doing?" Roy asked with his hands on his hips.
"Look at you, you can't drive," Johnny said with a little too much of a smile.
Roy's leg hurt and he knew that Johnny was right but did he have to enjoy it so much? With slumped shoulders he moved to the passenger seat and climbed in. Picking up the mic, "Squad 51 available."
"10-4 51."
Johnny could just feel the stress oozing from Roy in the other seat, "Okay, when are you going to tell me what's eating at you today?"
Roy almost barked at him but knew that he was only concerned. He knew perfectly well he had not been in a good mood all shift. "It's really no big deal just some stress at home."
Johnny's nerves tightened. Roy and Joanne had the perfect marriage. They had been in love since they were kids and now married for many years. "What kind of stress?"
Roy shrugged, he might as well get it over with then the day could go on normally. "You remember last year when we took that vacation to the ranch?"
Johnny winced inside, yea, it was a disaster. "Yea."
"Well, it's that time of year again and we're not agreeing on where to go." He turned to Johnny, "And I don't want ANYONE at the station to know. I can't take being buried in brochures' again this time."
"Okay, okay. I won't say a word. Have either one of you come up with an idea yet?"
"She's wanting something exotic, like Hawaii. I'm leaning more towards something more like a cruise. You know something that the kids will love too."
"Wow, both of those sound great. I'm sure you guys will work it out." Wow, cruise or Hawaii, what Johnny wouldn't do to have woes like that.
"Yea, I know." Johnny wasn't married. He just didn't understand the intricate details of mutual agreement on something as complicated as a vacation.
The end of the shift came and everyone was glad to go. After the morning runs the station had been dead which is a nice break but can make for an incredibly long agonizing shift.
Johnny hopped into his Rover as Roy climbed in his little car, "I'll see you at the game at one Roy."
"Okay, I'll let Chris know," he waved goodbye to his friend. Johnny was definitely family. He could drive you nuts sometimes but most of the time you were just glad he was around. Johnny was right, his help today would make the monotony of his chore list go faster. He would have to remember to stop and pick up some beer for them to relax with after the work. Maybe it would be okay with Joanne if he also stayed for dinner. That would be a nice way to repay him for helping out on his day off.
"Man Joanne," Johnny said as he slid his chair back from the table. "That's some of the best beef stroganoff I've ever had."
She smiled at the young man, "Why thank ya Johnny, glad you enjoyed it. Least I could do was feed you since Roy here turned you into slave labor today." She shot him a look.
Roy half smiled.
Johnny caught the exchange, "Hey I volunteered myself. And besides I don't know of any slave who has had it this good."
She laughed, "Okay you two. Out of the kitchen while I clean up."
The two men pushed their chairs back under the table and headed out into the living room. Johnny's lap was instantly filled with the giggling little princess of the house.
"Unkle Johnny will you play horses with me?"
Those big blue eyes made her look just like her daddy but attached to her they melted his heart, "Sure honey, where are they?"
She jumped down and grabbed a little box and dumped a whole pile of different colored little horses all over the living room coffee table. Johnny slid down in the floor so he was on her level and helped her separate them and get them all standing up.
She giggled, "Oh Unkle Johnny, Deva doesn't stay in the same pasture as Smokey. They will fight!"
Johnny just shook his head, "Oh, sorry about that." He obviously didn't understand the complicated life of plastic horses.
Roy chuckled as he watched Johnny make horsey sounds and giddy up sounds with Jenny as they played 'horse rustler's are coming' all over the coffee table. Johnny looked back to see Joanne coming back into the living room after turning out the kitchen light.
"Jen, it's time for your bath. Put up your horses and tell Johnny good night."
"Awe mommy, me wanna play more." The little girl tried to stick out lip and everything.
"No Mame, upstairs. I will be right there."
Roy stood up, "Johnny want a beer on the porch?"
Johnny caught the limp of his leg and how he unconsciously rubbed it, "Leg still sore?"
Joanne looked over at Roy just as Roy threw Johnny the 'shut up partner' glare. Johnny felt like he was in the middle of a giant uh oh.
"Did you get hurt?" Joanne asked.
"Just a bruised leg, doc said it was fine." Roy tried to sound very casual; he never wanted her to worry. He knew that every shift he worked she worried about him.
"You had to go to the ER?" Joanne was a little miffed. Roy always told her of his little bumps and bruises.
He walked over and hugged her, "its okay honey. I'm sorry. I was going to tell you all about it tonight. I'm fine."
Johnny watched the tender exchange with a little embarrassment, knowing that Roy would let him have it when they were alone. "He saved a little boy from a house fire."
"That's my Roy," she said with a smile. Kissing him on the cheek she headed upstairs to help Jenny with her bath.
Johnny followed Roy out to the porch, surprised that Joanne hadn't noticed the moderate limping effort he was making.
They sat down at the table on the back porch and popped open a beer, "Sorry about that Roy."
"No big deal. My fault for not telling her yet. She's just been real antsy recently since those 3 firemen died in Pasadena last week."
Johnny nodded, that had been devastating news for everyone at the stations. "Joanne is a strong woman. Takes one to be married to a fireman."
"Yea, I'm lucky." Roy leaned back and sipped his beer enjoying the cool California evening with his best friend.
"I just don't understand why you didn't tell me?" Joanne said as she stomped through the bedroom.
"I said I was sorry. We were busy all day, then you were gone with Jenny to work on her project, Chris and his game. Time just got away from me I guess. It wasn't like I was trying to hide it." He took her arm and turned her around towards him. She was crying now.
"You know I worry every moment you're at work that something will happen to you."
He held her tight, "I know babe. I know it's hard but you also know it's my job. It's rare that I get hurt. Hey, I'm not Johnny." That got a little smile from her.
"I rely on Johnny to watch after you," she said. The silent 'where was he' was felt by Roy.
"Johnny does watch over me but he was with another victim at the time. We both were doing our jobs. Hey," he paused. "Look at me." He took her face in his hands, "I'm alright."
She leaned on his shoulder and cried. It never got easier, he just didn't understand that.