Thanks for all the lovely comments. I'll try not to make it too long before you find Johnny's secret.
John walked into the day room and headed straight towards the coffee. He could tell Roy had been disappointed on not going to his party, but he would thank him later.
"Boy Gage, you sure missed a great party," Chet came over and looked at him. "It was good real good. I didn't know Dr. Brackett knew how to dance." His big fat smile irritated him even more.
Gage frowned and then headed out to the bay, he heard Marco and Mike talk about the party but the truth would be from his partner. Roy walked silently into the bay and stood at the furthest end of line of the A shift and away from him.
Crossing his arms, the dark haired paramedic looked down at the bay floor as assignments were given out. He was given latrine duty, but that suited him just fine.
"Oh and thanks again for a great party Roy," Stanley nodded at Roy. "I brought some cookies in as a thank you. You know that time of year," he patted his belly, "we all have to watch our weight."
"Gentlemen," Stanley headed towards his office. "John could I see you for a moment."
"Sure," John looked up, wondering what he had done now.
Following Stanley into the office, Gage closed the door behind him, standing his hands on his hips, his mouth in a tight line with his jaws clenched and his eyes hooded.
"You wanted to see me Cap?" John asked coolly.
"Yes John we missed you at Roy's party. Is everything okay?" Stanley sat on the edge of his desk.
"Everything's just fine Cap. I just thought what I did on my off time was my own," John crossed his arms.
"Well, yes," Hank cleared his throat. "It's just well, um, dismissed."
"Thanks," Johnny left the office and headed to get his supplies for the latrine.
Gage spent an extra amount of time making sure the shower stall gleamed along with the toilet and sinks. If he didn't know any better C shift were just plain animals. However he was concentrating so hard he didn't hear the tones until Roy got him.
"Move it Junior!" Roy called and Gage dropped his mop and practically ran to the squad.
Sliding into his normal spot, Johnny directed them to the incident not even aware of what it was. It was a child choking, a very small child, taking vitals, Roy called into Rampart and Gage got an instrument to retrieve the item the child's throat.
Pulling it out of the throat he saw it was a Christmas ornament, and then he noticed the fully decorated house, the perfect Christmas house. Luxurious furniture and the child in a velvet dress and black patent shoes and she looked like a doll.
"She's fine now ma'am. But she's still going to be checked out at Rampart. You can ride in the ambulance if you want," Johnny said automatically, and picked up the biophone and drug box, leaving Roy picking up papers as he followed the gurney to the ambulance.
Once at Rampart, Johnny made his way to coffee, that an adrenaline was keeping him going. Dixie was barely speaking to him now, but he didn't care, not really. He hated everyone hassling him. First Roy pouting and now Dix ignoring him, they were all acting like spoiled children, just like the one they had rescued. Roy had the HT so he headed towards the squad when he walked by the rich parents.
"We can't thank you enough," the well dressed woman touched him. "I… you saved my Cynthia and…"
"Ma'am maybe if you kept your ornaments higher on the tree we wouldn't have had to be there in the first place," John retorted and headed to the squad.
"Johnny," Roy called his name and he stopped mid-stride and turned around.
"Where are you headed in case I need to find you?" Roy crossed his arms.
"I'll be in the squad, partner," Gage turned on his heel and left.
Roy looked at the floor, and then felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Troubles Roy," Brackett looked at him. "It was a great party too bad your partner was too busy."
"Yeah too busy for just about everything Doc. Got to go, you know the closer it gets to Christmas," DeSoto shrugged.
"I hear ya Roy. Tell your partner I said hello," Kell headed towards the nurse's station.
"Yah I'll do that," Roy snorted.
DeSoto found John with his eyes closed; his arms crossed and slouched in the cab. Slamming the door, John sat up.
"Too busy for my party partner, huh? Some woman! Or were you too busy camping someplace," Roy gunned the engine. He grabbed the mic savagely, "Squad 51 available."
John ignored him, his next station would be Beverly Hills maybe he would have well mannered crew there.
****
Pulling into the parking lot, he saw the cars he expected to see, just like his station. He had to make a run to K-Mart for underwear, he hadn't counted on that and he certainly didn't have time for a laundromat. Luckily, he had gotten a few more uniforms and quickly rotated them out at the cleaners; with a Christmas discount no less.
"Hey, guys," John waved to the shift.
"You must be John Gage," an older man, with graying hair and moustache greeted him. "I'm Captain Mark Brown, Engineer Harold Coyle, Firefighters Max Header, George Straight and paramedic Henry Ford."
Gage shook hands with each man and went to talk to the paramedic. "Just show me the squad and how you want things to be done here since I'm your guest."
"Sure, follow me," Ford walked Gage to the squad and showed him where everything was. "We don't use keys, if that's all right with you. Everything's marked."
"Sure no problem. No problem at all," the dark haired paramedic checked the drug box and saw where all the equipment was again.
"You know Gage you certainly get around," Ford leaned against the squad.
"Huh?" John looked up from the drug box.
"Well I have a few buddies from my training class and it seemed you worked for them and man, they're spread far and wide. But you are good; I've got to give you that. You were part of the second class huh?" Ford said reverently.
"Yeah, why? Gage stood up.
"How was it working in the olden times man?" Ford cracked a smile.
"Rough, real rough, had to have nurse with us since we couldn't do anything and…"
TONES FILLED THE AIR.