Goodbye and Hello

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.

"Peace is not something you wish for, it's something you make, something you do, something you are, something you give away." Robert Fulghum.

Chapter 30

Roy and Kanda stood in front of the elevator. "Jo, what are you doing here?" Why did he feel so suspicious of her actions?

She was also caught off guard seeing him with Kanda.

"Hello Joanne, how are you?" Kanda chose to ignore the tension between them.

"Hi Kanda, I'm good." She then looked at Roy, "I just came to check on Johnny and make sure he didn't need anything." She looked over to Kanda then back at him, "Am I interrupting something?"

Roy worked to control his voice, "We just met with Dr. Brackett. I'm heading up to see Johnny now."

"I know I heard. Johnny is so relieved. His biggest fear was that someone would have to have surgery because of him." Joanne said to Kanda.

Roy knew that would be true. It would be normal for Johnny to worry about everyone else first.

She took Joanne's hand, "Thanks for coming to see him. You are his family too and he still needs to have all of us around him to reassure him."

"That what I came for. I had to talk to him and tell him how sorry I was," she looked to Roy. "For everything that happened."

Roy's eyes softened. He could see that she was hurting but a part of him knew that the 'sorry' was for Johnny and not for him. Maybe if even a part of that had been for him then things could have been different. He didn't speak harshly but simply excused himself, "I 'm going to go check on him." He moved past the two women and headed to Johnny's room.

He was sitting up in bed and watching TV when Roy came in. His color continued to improve and although he looked even thinner from being so restricted on his diet it was obvious his energy level was improving every day.

"Hey partner, did you hear?"

Roy's smile spread across his face, "Sure did Junior. You're getting out of here soon I hear."

"Not fast enough I tell ya. Just promise me one thing pally, if I try anything stupid at work and wind up in the ER anytime soon feel free to beat me with a stick." Johnny said with an air of exasperation.

Roy chuckled, "Well let's get you well then we'll discuss the beatings."

Johnny nodded. "Hey did you see Kanda out there anywhere?"

"Yea, she's talking to Joanne," Roy's voice got quieter.

"I'm really sorry Roy. She told me about what happened, about her moving out for good." Johnny's heart went out to his friend. Joanne had come in and poured her heart out to him, apologizing for her actions that night to him, for the aftermath of her actions on him and the station. Then she cried as she told him about the separation decision they had made. He took her apology because even family makes big mistakes and try to make amends. And no matter what they had been through she was family to him. He hurt for his friend knowing how hard it must have been for him, his pain so strong that even Kanda felt it when she didn't even know him.

"We're working it out as best we can." Roy didn't really want to go into it. Johnny was trying to recover and he didn't need to worry about him and Joanne's issues.

"Just let me know if I can do anything to help, k?" His offer was as sincere as they come and Roy knew it.

"I will, thanks."

Roy headed back to the hospital the next morning and found Kanda visiting again with Johnny. He pulled up a chair and sat down, "Glad to see you two getting some catch up time."

Johnny nodded, "Roy did you know she had a ranch?" Johnny sounded like a little kid.

"Yes Johnny, remember I went and got her," Roy chuckled.

"Sorry, she just got here and was telling me some things about her. Keep going Kanda."

She crossed her long legs and leaned back on her hands, "Well Greg and I built the ranch together. I just wanted to keep it going but it's a lot of work. If I didn't have good ranch hands it wouldn't survive when I was at my real job."

Roy and Johnny both noticed the reference to work, "What do you do?"Roy asked.

She smiled, "Well, Johnny's not going to believe this but I went back to school. I was determined to follow my dream. I would have never been able to do it if it wasn't for my husband." She looked at him, "Do you remember what my dream was Johnny?"

He smiled, "You didn't."

"I did."

"Did what?" This was driving Roy crazy.

Johnny got a smirk on his face, "I can't believe it; you hated blood!"

She laughed at him, "Guess you teased me enough that I couldn't do it so I felt obligated to prove you wrong little brother."

"Okay, I give up," Roy said in exasperation.

"Roy, she became a doctor," Johnny said in awe of his little sister.

"You're a doctor?" Roy was a little shocked by that. She had never said anything to hint at it.

"Well, I'm almost done. I did all my resident requirements to graduate but decided to do a specialty. When Greg was killed I couldn't really do much of anything for a while and had to put school on the back burner. I should be done by the end of the year. It's just hard to do school full time and run the ranch alone."

"I think you might have some help soon," he said looking over at Johnny.

"Well between working and the ranch about 110 percent of my life is occupied. I won't complain about having a little brother around," she kiddingly grumbled. She looked to her brother, "Do you like what you do?"

He leaned back against his pillow and placed his arms behind his head, "It's been kind of rough recently but basically yes, I love what I do. Roy and I have been partners for a while now. I tried going back to firefighting for a while but being a paramedic is what I really love doing." And he knew that getting back in the squad with Roy at his side would somehow put the world right again.

"And you?" She asked Roy.

"It's the only thing I know. Doing something else just doesn't make sense." He reflected on the last few months.

Johnny watched his friend knowing that although he was elated to have his partner back he knew it had come with a price.

"I have to admit I don't really know all that you guys do but I have a lot of respect for your work. I work in such a controlled environment and with little surprise but what you do is so dangerous. I'm just glad someone is looking out for the rest of us."

"So you're not going to become some paranoid, drive me nuts over what I do, big sister?" Johnny asked with a smirk on his face.

"I wouldn't do that Johnny. What you do is too important to you. Now you have to allow me a little worry from time to time but I won't get crazy on ya."

The conversation was now uncomfortable to Roy. It hit too close to home, well it smacked the house right up the side of its face. "I'm gonna run Johnny." He stood up and Johnny suddenly realized.

"Oh God Roy, I'm sorry." He felt horrible for being so engrossed in conversation with Kanda that he didn't think about what they were talking about.

Roy waved him off, "It's okay Junior. I'm worn out and need a nap before getting the kids from Joanne later today."

"Okay," Johnny still felt bad for his friend.

Johnny and Kanda watched him leave then she slid off the bed, "I said something wrong didn't I?"

"It's okay. It's just something between him and Joanne right now," Johnny tried to reassure her.

"It hurt him I could feel it."

"Kanda, I don't understand. Usually your gut feelings are for family or someone you're really close to why do you have such a connection with him? You don't even know him well."

She shook her head, "I don't know, maybe it's because you are close to him."

"Maybe," Johnny said.

Kanda looked at him, "John, come home with me, to the ranch tomorrow. Let me take care of you while you recover."

He liked that idea, "Well, Roy is staying at my place for right now so I know it's taken care of. It should be okay I just need to check with him first."

"Good. It will give us time to catch up on everything."

Roy went back to the apartment and laid down for a nap. He suspected that Johnny would want to spend time with Kanda when he left the hospital and had decided to keep watching after his place as long as needed. He looked forward to getting settled back in at home, his home with the Jenny and Chris. It would take some transition time but he and Joanne agreed that Jenny and Chris were now the top priority and they would bend over backwards to make sure they coped well with what happened.

He had already updated Cap and Mike at the station, who in turn would call Marco and Chet. Everyone being disjointed and separated had driven them all nuts but soon they would be back together as a shift and as a family. That was what he had come back for, more than just simply the job. Johnny would be the last to return but he knew his partner would be in good hands while he recovered. Kanda was a never ending surprise to him and his comfort around her was surprising. More than likely because she had a little of Johnny in her but it was her own personality and individuality that set her apart from him in so many ways. He looked forward to learning more about her in the future but for right now he had to focus on his house and his children.

Later that day Johnny and Kanda were sitting quietly watching TV when there was a knock at his door.

"Knock, knock," Marco said as he opened the door and hobbled in on his healing ankle.

"Marco! Come in," Johnny said as the man came in. He was followed by Mike, Chet and Hank.

Kanda slid down off the bed feeling a little awkward with the room full of men. Hank noticed her discomfort. "Sorry we didn't mean to barge in," he said.

"Not at all, come in. He'll probably be glad to see another face other than me," she said with a smile.

Marco took note that she had a face anyone would like to sit around and look at. Her eyes sparkled with life, her face with chiseled cheek bones and full lips. Her figure was perfect in every aspect. Yes, she was incredible. "Exactly how did Johnny get such a lovely sister in his family?" Marco said jokingly.

Chet rolled his eyes, "She must be adopted." He said sarcastically.

"Hey!" Johnny said indigent to the comment.

Hank and Mike chuckled. "Easy does it pally," Hank told him.

"Johnny?" Kanda was now feeling lost in this obvious room full of friends.

"Oh, sorry. These are the guys I work with. Mike, Marco, Captain Stanley, and the one dressed in white is Chet."

Chet grumbled at the 'white' comment. He was about to itch to death in the casts and was more anxious than anyone to get them off as soon as possible.

"It's nice to meet you guys. Thank you for taking care of my little brother," she said with genuine warmth in her voice.

Mike walked over to Johnny's bed and pinched his cheek, "Aww…we love looking after the little tyke."

Johnny swatted his hand away, "Will you stop that."

Kanda laughed with the others as they gathered around his bed to catch him up on recent station happenings. These were good men, she could tell right away and although the feeling wasn't as strong as with Roy she felt their closeness, the bond that held them together and knew her brother was in the best of hands.

She looked forward to being a part of this family. After being alone for so long now she needed this brother and his 'family' in her life as much as he needed her. She didn't know exactly what the future held for any of them but her gut told her it was good and yes, they were all going to be alright.