Title: Rememories – Pt. 8
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. Emergency! is owned by Universal and Mark VII Productions. I make no profit from my imagination—only a personal joy and peace.
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"Johnny, are you sure you are up to this?" JoAnne asked with concern and caring.
"Yeah, Junior, you should go home and try to get some sleep!" Roy chimed in.
Johnny looked tired and he still had some weight to put back on, but he felt better than he'd had in a week. "Roy, Jo…if you don't trust me with Jen, I understand. But, I think that having her there will be a good thing…if you say it's okay." Johnny flashed his 'puppy dog' eyes at JoAnne and she melted.
"Johnny, Jen will love it. If you feel up to it, then it is okay with me." She and Johnny both looked to Roy for the final approval.
"S'ok with me me, Johnny…I just don't know if you realize what you're getting into. Jen alone is a force to be reckoned with. You usually have Jo, Chris or me to buffer, but you will be on your own against her charms, my Friend." Roy teased as he gave his consent for the camping trip.
"Don't worry…after the crying fest I just witnessed, I know what you're talking about. She's got me twisted around her little finger, and I am pretty sure she knows it." Johnny smiled…a true, genuine smile. And, Roy and JoAnne knew that this was a good decision. "We'll stay at the house tonight. We will hike up to the site tomorrow and camp tomorrow night. We will plan to be back here about the time you and Chris are due back." Johnny set out the plan.
"She will love it, Johnny. I will go help her pack her bag. Roy, can you get her sleeping bag from the hall closet please?" JoAnne asked as she walked off down the hall toward Jenny's room. The two men stood facing one another and both grinned when they heard the joyous screeches of Jenny when her mother told her the news.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Junior." Roy teased again as he went to find Jenny's sleeping bag and backpack.
"I hope so, too." Johnny thought to himself. But said, "You just better worry about what your wife is gonna do here alone for two days." Johnny quipped as he picked up the bag in the hall and carried it out to his waiting Rover.
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The next morning was beautiful. Chris and Roy got on the road early to go to a favorite fishing hole just outside the city. They had been there with Johnny and on their own many times over the years. When they arrived they made camp and quickly broke out the fishing gear. The breeze made ripples on the water as they sat, lazily on the shore waiting for a bite or a nibble.
"Why does it seem the fish bite more when Uncle Johnny's with us, Dad?" Chris asked his Father, a little exasperated from waiting.
"I dunno, Son. Maybe he has some kind of telepathic powers and tells the fish to come bite our hooks." Roy joked with his Son. It had the affect he wanted when Chris burst out laughing. After a short time, Chris became somber again.
"Dad, do you think Uncle Johnny will ever be happy again?" Chris queried. Roy looked at Chris. He was nearly twelve years old and had the soul of an older, wiser man. He smiled with pride and answered.
"Bad things happen, Chris. You know that. You know how dangerous our job can be. Well, now that we are Captains, it is a little harder to deal with the responsibility of those dangers when it comes to those who serve under us. When one of our men is hurt or dies…well…it's hard. Johnny is dealing with a lot right now. But, yes, he will be happy again. It might just take a little while, that's all." Roy was honest. Chris nodded his understanding and added his own comment.
"Bet, he can't help but laugh when he pulls out Jenny's Hello Kitty sleeping bag tonight on their camping trip." He joked. They both laughed and then were distracted as they felt the gentle tugs on their fishing lines. "I think I got one, Dad!" Chris cried out.
"Me, too!" Roy joined in. Both forgot their discussion about Johnny and Jenny's camping trip.
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After spending the morning cleaning the stalls and getting reacquainted with his horses, Cimmeron and Osceola, Johnny got his pack ready for the hike to where he and Jenny would camp. He planned to get there by mid-afternoon, camp overnight, do some nature hiking the next day, and then return Jenny to her home that following afternoon before supper.
Jenny spent a lazy morning watching Abby tend to her puppies and talking to the horses about what she and Johnny would do on their camping trip. "I wish you could go Abiaka." Jenny told Johnny's beloved malamute. "But, since you have to take care of your babies, Uncle Johnny said you can stay here." The little girl spent the next hour thinking of names for the five puppies Abby was now nursing.
It was just after lunch that they set out to the camping site between his and Bailey's property. Johnny was walking about 10 steps behind Jenny on the trail that had been forged the many trips they had taken to the same spot over the years. It was about a five-mile hike and Jenny was a good trooper. She had only asked about twenty questions and they had been walking for about an hour.
"What kind of tree is this, Uncle Johnny?" Jenny asked with anticipation. She was trying very hard to keep him from thinking about anything bad, only what they were doing now. Johnny smiled and answered.
"That is an oak tree, too, Princess." Johnny quickly said. He had a hard time being short with her. Had he not gotten some decent shut-eye the night before, he might have been aggravated. Johnny took a deep, cleansing breath. He loved the outdoors and felt that Jenny just might be right. "This is good medicine." He thought to himself as he heard Jenny ask another question. "Hey, Peanut, I missed that. What did you say?" He had been lost in his thought.
"I asked how you know all this stuff, Uncle Johnny." She asked as she slowed for him to catch up to her. He walked up beside her and put a gentle hand on top of her head and tousled her hair. It was a gesture mostly reserved for Chris, but it seemed warranted.
"Jen, c'mon, you have heard these stories so many times YOU could probably tell them." He reflected to the many times he had told them about how his Father had taught him about the outdoors and all sorts of animals before he died. "My Dad taught me most of the things I know and the rest, I taught myself." He said. Just then, he heard a loud bang that caused Jenny to scream and jump. He looked around to find the source of the noise as he reassured his young charge.
"S'ok, Precious. Must be Mr. Bailey is all. He might be shooting at a coyote or something. Let's move on. We need to get there soon." The two continued walking, Jenny staying much closer to her Uncle since she heard the gunfire. Johnny realized for the first time in a long time that he was actually hungry. "Guess I must've worked up an appetite will all this hiking." He thought to himself as they continued their journey.
Maybe Jenny's idea was proving to be a good one after all.
TBC