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.

"You should listen to your heart, and not the voices in your head." Marge Simpson.

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Chapter 24

Jenny was awake and quiet in Joanne's arms as Brackett checked her over with as much tenderness as if she was his very own daughter managing to impress even Roy. He stood up and patted her head, "She looks good Roy. I think she will just need some sleep and we'll go from there. It was a lot for someone her age to go through so in a couple of days we'll get her in to talk to Marsha Calley." He saw the question in both parent's eyes but he didn't want Jenny to think anything bad was wrong with her.

"Jenny Dr. Marsha just loves to talk with little boys and girls about their adventures and make sure they are doing alright afterwards. Don't be afraid okay?"

Jenny just smiled and nodded. Her resilience was amazing to Brackett. Great, Roy thought. Now my child has to see a psychiatrist. They all looked up to see Joe and Dixie come through the door next.

Hands in his pockets he gave them both a big smile, "I've got Johnny all sutured up, his vitals look good and it looks like the bloody cough was from a broken rib irritating the lining of the lung but there's no pneumothorax or internal injuries. He has a moderate concussion and he was very lucky that the gunshot wound was so shallow. It only took a few stitiches. I am going to put him in ICU just for one night, with his blood loss and concussion, so we can keep a close eye on him but I'm not really expecting any problems."

"Kanda?" Joanne asked.

"Her vitals are stable but we will leave her on the ventilator for at least 24hrs. I've started some steroids to reduce the swelling. Other than cut up hands and knees, and having to replace that foot cast, she looks good too. We'll just give that airway time to open back up then we'll get that tube out."

Roy shook their hands, "Thanks doc. I don't know what we would have done without you tonight."

Brackett smiled, "I'm glad it looks like they got out of this with no long lasting harm Roy. We'll move um upstairs in just a little bit then you can see them again."

Everyone left the room leaving Roy, Jenny, and Joanne alone. "I'm going to pick up Chris, he's with Hank and Emily then I'll take them home for some cleanup and rest," she said.

"Okay. I'll stay here for a little while." Roy knew the kids were in good hands and he really wanted to see Johnny for himself and make sure he was okay.

She patted him on the arm, "You stay as long as you need too. I'll bring the kids by to see you tomorrow. Please give Johnny a kiss for me and tell Kanda I'm thinking about her."

This was Joanne at her best, caring and compassionate and Roy was glad to see it come out when Johnny and Kanda needed them so much. "Thanks Jo. I'll let you know if anything changes."

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Johnny greeted him with a half smile, "Roy."

"How ya doing partner after gallivanting on the beachy shores of California all night?" Roy asked with a sarcastic look.

"Think I'll stick to the mountains from now on."

Roy chuckled, "I think I agree with that Junior."

Johnny's brown eyes met his, "Roy, they won't tell me anything about Kanda. Is she..." He could only imagine the worse at this point.

Roy could hear the subtle undertone of panic in his friend's voice. "She's up here in ICU with you. Her vitals are stable." He wasn't sure how much more to say. Johnny was dealing with his own pain and multiple injuries right now.

Johnny gave him a stern look, "You know we've worked together for too many years partner. I know you're not telling me everything. So unless you want me to get out of this bed and see for myself you better start laying it on the line."

If he didn't have two important people to him in ICU right now he would have smiled. Johnny was exactly right and the fact that he could read him like a book said it all about their friendship and bond. "On the way to the hospital she started having trouble with her breathing; her airway was swelling from the trauma. They had some difficulity putting a tube in but Early finally got one before she completely closed up."

Roy watched him tense up, "Johnny she's okay now. Brackett said she'd be on the ventilator for a couple of days until the swelling goes down." He watched the younger man nod but knew the worry wasn't lessened very much. He placed his hand on Johnny's shoulder. "Get some rest Junior, you've earned it. And…" he had to swallow down the emotions that were wanting to rise up. "I don't think I could ever thank you enough for what you did to save them."

He wanted to tell his best friend and brother that the look in his eyes was all the thanks he needed.

Roy left Johnny's room and went down three doors to Kanda's room. She was alone in the room full of machines and beeping gadgets. The soft swoosh of the ventilator telling of her struggles in the dark night. They had her sedated so she wouldn't fight the tube in her airway. Her hands were bandaged with soft wraps leaving only her fingers exposed. Standing beside her his fingertips traced her face and her eyes fluttered but never opened.

Someone was touching her, his fingers were on her again and all she knew was that she had to get away. Her arms didn't feel like they belonged to her. She was in a panic trying to swat him away, afraid of who was touching her. Getting away was all her clouded, drugged mind could think of.

"Shh…Kanda, it's Roy. You're safe now, you're at Rampart." He was holding her arms down which only seemed to scare her more. Quickly he reached for the call light. He needed help.

The nurse came running in and saw Roy holding her down, "What happened?"

"I don't know." Roy was scared to death, what did he do? Why was she so scared of him?

Dixie came running in and found Roy backed up against the wall looking like a deer in the headlights. She ran to Kanda's side to try and help calm her. "Roy come talk to her."

But he didn't move. He couldn't. She was fine till he came in. Dixie turned back to him, "Roy?" It was then that she saw how truly afraid he was. As she approached him he started to head to the door but she got there first and grabbed his arm.

"Exactly where do you think you are going?"

"I did something to her, she's scared of me."

"Roy, she is not scared of you. She's under sedation and its memories of the man that took her right now. Not you. I need you to talk to her and help me calm her down before she injures her airway more."

His heart sank to think that Adler had terrorized her to this point. That he had even touched her brought out such anger in Roy the feeling of choking the life from him was hot and fresh again. Johnny shouldn't have stopped him. Instead for a moment he allowed himself to be pulled back to the bedside.

"Let her know that it is you touching her. She needs to hear your voice," Dixie coaxed him knowing that Roy needed this to work even more than Kanda.

Before he touched her he leaned in close and began talking to her in a soft quiet voice, "Kanda, its Roy. I'm here. Do you hear me? I'm here babe, you're safe now."

Her movements became less frantic and then her eyes opened up but she looked petrified, not even seeing him at all. He moved to be in her line of vision and wondered what she was seeing. "Kanda, look at me." Slowly they focused on him and he smiled at her. "That's it. It's me, you're safe now. Everyone is safe." He wiped the tears that ran down her cheeks and kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"Go back to sleep and get some rest."

Her eyes closed after seeing the one person that made her feel safe but once she was asleep the fingers that groped her body were not his.

Once she was asleep Roy walked out to the waiting room to find Carter standing there waiting on him. On one hand he had a thousand questions on the other he was now too tired to care. They were home safe and would be alright with some TLC and that crazy man was in jail.

"Carter," he addressed him.

"Roy. Do you have a minute I can talk to you?" Carter looked all kinda professional and formal which put Roy a little bit on edge.

"I guess so."

He motioned for them to sit down then began, "How are they doing?"

"Uh, Johnny is pretty beat up but should be fine. Kanda's airway was damaged by him and she is on the ventilator unable to breathe on her own." His voice taking an edge to it as he talked.

"I thought you might want an update on Adler."

Roy couldn't read his face. Did he really think that he gave a crap about what happened to that man?

Not receiving an answer he continued, "Roy can you tell me what happened when you arrived?"

"He had Kanda by the throat in a choke hold, strangling the very life out of her. I saw Johnny lunge after him but since he was already hurt badly Adler got the upper hand right away and was beating him to death so I grabbed him and pulled him off Johnny. I held onto him until he passed out."

Carter was quiet and Roy grew more nervous, "What's going on Carter?" He asked.

The detective took a deep breath, "It seems that after arriving to the emergency room Adler had a massive stroke and died."

"He's dead?" Roy felt a moment of overwhelming panic. Did he cause this? Even though he hated the man and had wanted him dead, a deeper part of him never would want someone to just die.

Carter watched the medic closely, "Yes."

What did the detective want from him? What was he supposed to say? Did he blame him?

But Carter just continued the stare for a moment. "As soon as I can get a statement from the Gage's I will be able to put this case to rest." He paused.

"His death is unfortunate since we will never know what led him to do it," Carter visibly relaxed. He saw the look that Roy had. There was no intentional harm other than self defense. It wouldn't be necessary to elaborate to the fact that the episode of hypoxia that he experienced in the choke hold, in conjunction with his head injury, had most likely lead to the deadly stroke. The man had been through enough in the last few days. Carter refused to add to it.

"I don't care what led him to do it. I'm just glad it is over." He really didn't care. Adler had done come close to taking three very important people from him and the impact on his actions were still to be seen.