First Date

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.

"As a rule, what is out of sight disturbs men's minds more seriously than what they see." Julius Caesar.

Thanks so much for the reviews. Keep um coming!

Chapter 5

Johnny lay back on the couch watching TV but he was fidgety. He got up and went upstairs to each of the kid's rooms. Opening the doors to check them he was reassured they were sleeping quietly and peacefully. Going back downstairs he looked at the chaotic living room and although he was tired he felt that he would pull his hair out if he sat down again right now so he started picking up toys and put them in the toy box that stayed in the corner behind the big chair. For the hundredth time he looked at the clock. It was now past midnight.

That restless feeling wouldn't go away. He didn't want to think that something was wrong. It was his sister and best friend that he paced the floor for. They were adults and didn't need him worrying over them. But he just couldn't shake it. Chris's question about something happening to them was now beginning to haunt him and fighting the urge to wake him up and get more detailed information out of the child drove him to the kitchen to prowl for a snack. He only hoped that everything was fine, that he was just being paranoid and happily Roy and Kanda would tease him mercilessly about wearing a path in the floor when they got home.

As they leaned against the cab Kanda shivered with the cool coastal air that whipped around in the back of the truck. Wrapping his arms around her he could feel how chilled she was and tried to shield her from the wind as much as possible. Within a few minutes he started to see them pass houses and knew it wouldn't take long to reach a commercial area. The truck hit a pot hole and they bounced in the back of it with her foot slamming down on the hard metal surface. Roy felt the death grip on his arm as she cried out in pain. He could feel her breathing hard against him. Quickly looking around he saw nothing he could use to support her foot with so he leaned her more sideways against him and put her right leg into his lap effectively resting her foot on his lower legs.

Feeling the truck pull off the main road Roy looked up to see they were in a little strip mall but being this time of night all the business had already closed. He had to reach a phone. He needed help. The couple must have thought the same thing as they once again pulled back out onto the road in search of a phone. Kanda's eyes were closed, the grimace on her face subtle but he could read it.

The woman smiled at her husband knowing that his heart wouldn't allow him to intentionally hurt another person. A practical joke was one thing but not to endanger someone's life. They had already long since passed the turn off for the obscure mountain road and now they helped the couple to search for a phone. Oh, they would hear all about it tomorrow but for tonight they wouldn't be a part of the scheme.

A few more miles down the road he looked up to see them pulled into an open gas station. He gently rested her foot back on the truck bed as she opened her eyes. "I'll be right back," he told her.

She simply nodded as he climbed out of the truck and stood talking to the driver for a moment. Kanda saw Roy nod at the man and then glance back at her with a smile and reassuring nod of the head. He jogged over to the little market and went inside. Within a few minutes he reappeared and climbed back into the bed of the truck.

"Help is on the way." He slid back beside her and she pressed close to him again.

The sound of the siren could be heard before the squad was even seen. It was finally 110 that pulled into the parking lot and then beside them as Roy moved back out to wave them down. When Dwyer and Matthews stepped out of the truck Roy took a deep breath of relief.

"Roy? What in the world happened?" Matthews asked as he climbed in the truck bed with them.

Roy sighed, "Long story but I think she has a broken ankle."

The medics could easily see how much pain she was in. Roy stayed by her side as they gathered vital signs, called it in and put her foot in a splint to immobilize it. Dwyer even brought her a blanket and Roy wrapped it around her.

"Okay, let's get her out of here," Dwyer said as he stood up.

The ambulance attendants put the stretcher at the back of the truck. Roy reached under her arms while Matthews took her legs and they inched her down until they could lower her onto the stretcher. Tucking the blanket around her Roy brushed the hair from her face, no longer in the pretty braid down her back.

"So much for getting all dressed up huh?" She said lightheartedly.

"Even in this lovely yellow blanket you are beautiful," he said as he kissed her forehead.

"Oh, you're just a flirt Roy DeSoto."

Matthews slapped Dwyer on the arm, "Didn't I always tell you he was a flirt? Now it's official."

Dwyer just laughed as they lifted her into the ambulance. Roy looked back and waved his gratitude to the kind couple as the back doors were closed and they headed to Rampart.

The ambulance backed up to the ER doors and Roy let go of her hand as the doors opened up. He stepped out of the back and saw Dixie's eyes reflect her shock and surprise at who the victim was.

"Roy, what happened?" She asked as they moved Kanda into treatment room 4.

"She fell. Pretty sure it's broken."

Dixie took the blanket off her and they helped her move over to the treatment table. She was dirty, scraped up on her legs and hand's, her hair was out of its neat braid, and her dress torn on the side. Then add the hint of pallor and look of exhaustion. Roy next to her looked tired too, covered in dirt, the knees torn out of his pants. It added up to some concerning thoughts for Dixie. What had happened to them? She put the pressure cuff on her arm and watched her closely. When she looked over to Roy with those worrisome eyes he realized that minus the scrapes he must look almost as bad as she did.

Joe Early came into the room and was taken aback by who his patient was. "Dr. Gage?" He walked over and took her hand in a gentle shake. "What happened Kanda?"

Kanda was glad to see Joe. He was one of the most kind and compassionate doctors she had met since being here at Rampart. Looking over to Roy she had to laugh which caught them all off guard, "It was a date."

Dixie put her hands on her hips, "If this is what you two do on a date remind me to never double date with you."

Roy felt a need to defend himself since he felt responsible for everything that had happened. "It started with a flat tire, then we went to the coast but my car was towed away and as we climbed back up the hill Kanda fell."

"Oh the couple Roy don't forget about them," she giggled.

"We walked the road as long as we could then finally hitched a ride in a truck with a couple. After a couple of tries we found a phone and voila, here we are." He threw his arms up in the air just glad it was over with.

Even Joe had to laugh, "You know dinner and movie is not nearly as exciting but is less likely to wind you up in the ER."

Roy just nodded, "We'll remember that next time." He was sure he would never hear the end of this once word got out.

"Roy, go call Johnny. I'm sure he's about to have a heart attack by now," Kanda said.

"Be right back," he said knowing that Johnny had probably worn a hole in his carpet by now.

Johnny was ready to call the police but he didn't know what to tell them. Runaway friend and sister? All he knew as that it was one in the morning and he was going nuts. He couldn't bare to sit still anymore. Even the TV was annoying and he had long since turned it off. Pouring a cup of hot tea he tried to sit down at the kitchen table and worked on what his next step would be.

When the phone rang he jumped and spilt the tea all over the table. Quickly brushing the hot liquid off his jeans before it soak in, he cussed at the burning that seeped through anyway. With all that he still managed to reach it within two rings, "Roy?"

"Johnny, we're okay." He knew what Johnny's very first question would be.

"Roy what happened? Where are you?" The knot in his stomach was only getting tighter. Everything was not alright or Roy wouldn't be calling him at one a.m. to begin with.

"Johnny listen to me. We had some car problems tonight and Kanda hurt her ankle." Roy could hear the pure panic in the voice on the other end. God, now he had to tell him where they were.

"She's hurt? Damn it Roy tell me where you are," Johnny said now in full protective brother mode.

"We're at Rampart. She's with Dixie and Early right now. I need you to stay with the kids Johnny and we'll be home in just a little while."

Johnny took a deep breath to still his pounding heart and to make sure he didn't say anything he might regret later. If Roy said she was alright he had to trust him but knew he wouldn't rest easy until he could see her for himself. How did a date wind his sister up in the emergency room?

"Do I need to come get you?"

"No, stay with the kids. We'll get a taxi home," Roy paused. "She's going to be alright Junior."

Roy couldn't see his head nod but he could feel the tension on the other end of the phone. Johnny's last statement before the date was now creeping its way back into this mind. Something about brothers fighting to protect their sisters?

The black truck pulled up beside the other vehicle and the shadow figure got out.

"You two are worthless. Couldn't even do a simple task could you?"

The wife spoke up, "She was hurt! Did you know that?"

Obviously it was a surprise by the shocked expression, "Hurt?"

"Yes and there was no way we were going to make it worse," she added.

The voice got low and angry, "Where is she now?"

This time he spoke up, "They called an ambulance to take her to the hospital." Seeing the reaction he felt the need to calm the situation, "Can't you just let it drop? I mean, they looked like they really loved each other."

It was the wrong thing to say. "If I can't have her, no one will."