Chapter 15

A Visit with a Mutual Friend

When Cap stopped by later that night he found Johnny rested, feed, and ready to go to Rampart. "Thanks Cap." He told him as he followed Johnny down to his car.

The trip to Rampart was a quite one as Johnny remained lost deep in his own thoughts.

Johnny and Cap stood at the closed door to Elizabeth's room. Johnny turned to Cap, "I . . I would like to visit with her alone. I can catch a cab home or something."

Cap looked at Johnny and considered his comment then he nodded his head and said, "Okay buddy, you take care, but called me if you need anything." Cap waited for Johnny to respond, with a nod of his head. Cap patted him on the shoulder and walked away. From there he walked down to the ER and found Dixie. Cap informed her as to why he was there and asked her to keep an eye on Johnny and to call him, if she felt he was needed.

Dixie told him she was wrapping up her shift and that she would make sure Johnny got home and tucked in, so to speak.

Johnny watched Cap leave out the corner of his eye. Then he pasted a smile on his face and knocked on the door. He didn't hear a response and was thinking about leaving but decided to poke his head in to see if Elizabeth was sleeping. As he picked around the door he saw Elizabeth wave him on in. Quickly Johnny stepped into the room and moved over to the side of her bed. "Zib, I'm so sorry."

Elizabeth slapped the air and said, "It was an accident." Her voice was raspy and came out in a whisper. Her right hand came up and rested on her throat and she pulled a face of discomfort when she finished.

Johnny reached over and picked up her drinking glass and handed it to her, "The esophageal airways sure irritate the throat."

Elizabeth took a sip of water and grimaced again. "I was told there was a scope down there too." She whispered.

"Zib I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have scared you like that. I knew you would jump. I should have known better." Johnny apologized again.

Elizabeth waved him over to her and wrapped an arm around his neck and said, "You are forgiven, now don't worry about it."

When Johnny pulled back she saw his eyes were glistening. With a crooked smile on her face she said, "If it will make you feel any better I can give the Phantom the pictures I took."

With that Johnny had to laugh and he leaned over and gave her a hug. "You can do what ever you want with the pictures, I don't care. I'm just glad you're going to be okay."

This was the first time Elizabeth had been hugged where she didn't feel uncomfortable in a long, long time and part of her didn't want to let go. It felt so good. But when she felt Johnny pull back she relinquished her hold and lay back onto the bed. Her emotions were fighting to break through as her eyes teared up and she lost all possibility of speaking.

When Johnny saw the moist eyes he patted her hand and said, "You're probably tired, so I'll go. But I'll make sure you have a ride home tomorrow."

Elizabeth shook her head to indicate no, but Johnny reassured her that there would be someone picking her up in the morning and that was that. Then he turned and left the room as quickly as he could. He didn't want her to see the emotions he was battling to keep private. Once he was out the door he leaned against the wall and wiped at his eyes, then he slowly headed towards the elevator door, when he heard Dixie's voice behind him.

"Hey Johnny."

Before turning around he quickly brushed his hands over his eyes. "Dix what are you doing up here."

"Well if you really must know, I'm on my way home and thought I would give you a ride home since your Captain informed me you may need a ride."

The drive to Johnny's place was a quiet one. When Dixie parked her car she turned off the engine and turned to Johnny and watched him for a moment, "okay out with it."

Johnny turned to look blankly at Dixie for a moment then asked, "What?"

"You are a million miles away. Why don't you tell me what's bothering you and maybe I can help."

Johnny thought for a little while longer then asked, "How well do you know Zibbeth?"

Dixie made a face at the nick name, "Why do you call her that?"

"It makes her smile."

With a sigh Dixie turned to face out the front of the car and asked, "Remember the day you were both brought in, the day you met?"

Johnny nodded his head.

Well that day I realized how alone this women was and I some how felt like I needed to help her but, rule number one is not to get involved with your patients. So I went to you and asked you to talk to her, which by the way seemed to do her some good."

"I don't think it did." Johnny whispered, while he thought back to the day Elizabeth attempted to take her own life.

When she was brought in after overdosing herself and I was told that it had been you who had saved her life and the phone call later that night to see if she had made it and your visit the next day.

Johnny turned to look at Dixie, "You mean the day she had me kicked out of her room?" Johnny snickered a little then said, "I wrote her off that day. I vowed to never get involved with her again."

"Well that day I visited her and told her that if Johnny Gage wanted to be her friend she shouldn't push you away because she didn't have enough friends to push any of them away. Then I told her I wanted to be her friend too and if she should change her mind to just send for me." A distant stare come to her eyes as she thought back. "It took a couple of days but she finally sent for me and we talked every day after that. I found that she was a special young woman with a good heart and who had much to give to this world if only she was given a chance. After she was released we would talk on the phone once or twice a week. There were times when I had to straighten her out but most of the time it was easy to be her friend."

With that comment Johnny chuckled, "NO pity parties."

"Oh you heard about that?"

Johnny nodded his head, "I think that lead to good changes in her life, at least from my view point."

Dixie thought for a moment. "That day was definitely one good step forward."

"Did you encourage her to get her CNA license?"

Well kind of. She was whining about being board and lonely. I told her how important my job was to me because I could make a difference in peoples lives. I suggested that she volunteer in the pediatric ward, which by the way she spends more time there then you do. Then she realized how good it felt to serve others and we talked about her options and she decided she wanted to work with the elderly and off she went."

"She still doesn't trust men, does she?"

"What makes you say that?" Dixie asked.

"I have never seen her with other men. So I assumed . . ."

"Well you would be right to a certain point. There are only two men in her life that she trusts fully."

"Her father is one," Johnny stated decisively.

Dixie nodded her head and asked, "Do you know who the other is?"

Johnny thought for a moment but felt he didn't have enough information to even suggest another person. "No," he said as he shrugged his shoulders.

"It's you Johnny."

"Me! Why me?"

"I think you know already." Dixie challenged him.

"Because she's my neighbor . . . . and because I'm nice to her?"

"Johnny you have been more to her then a nice neighbor. You are a special person in this world too." With that Dixie turned and got out of the car and walked around to open the door for a stunned Johnny to get out.

Once she had made sure Johnny had some warmed dinner and his meds she bid her good-byes and left him to his thoughts.

As Johnny ate his dinner he became lost in his thought about Elizabeth and his role in her life. It was true that Johnny had made an extra effort to be nice to this young woman and it was true that she had become a good friend and as such she held a special place in his heart, but it wasn't as serious as he was beginning to think it was for Elizabeth. The more he thought about it the more uneasy he became. "Maybe it was time to back off before she ended up getting hurt."

Before going to bed he called Chet because he knew that Chet would make it easy to drop and leave with out any lingering. After making arrangements for him to pick him up in the morning and take him to Rampart to visit with Roy and to give another friend a ride home.