Chapter 27
The next morning John was awaken by his wife getting out of bed. He watched as she made her way to the bathroom and smiled. When she came back she pulled her robe around her shoulders and tied the sash at the waise.
"Well there Mr. Gage," she said with a smile, "What sounds good for breakfast?"
John threw his covers back and went to his wife and pulled her into his chest. "You," he answered her question before turning his head slightly and engaging her in a very serious kiss.
Finally stepping back just a little, John placed one hand tenderly to the side of Elise's face. "You know I thought I was in love several times before but now I realize that I never knew what love really was."
Elise looked up at him with tear filled eyes before resting her head on his shoulder and rubbing his bare chest with her hands.
"You are the only one who ever accepted me completely as I was. I have always felt totally safe in your company and even when it was clear you wanted more from me you backed off and let me do what I could for my people back home. I had to make them believe in me and the program I was trying to show them but I couldn't have done it if you hadn't have believed in me first."
Elise pulled back just enough to look in his eyes. "When I knew I had to leave there was only one place I could even think of going. I hoped you would be here and that we could pick up where we were when the rain came down on the mountain were I was learning Boy Scout knots and how to use them. Now because I didn't teach them right-"
"Hay, now that's enough of that." John spoke sternly as he once again took her face in his hand. "You're not damaged goods. You're an injured person who needs her share of TLC. I've been through similar times as what you're going through now and I'm pretty sure I know how you feel. But I can promise you that, it will pass. We will get through this together and we'll just grow that much more in love through the process."
John just wrapped his arms around her tight and rubbed the back of her silky robe as she slipped her arms under his and hooked onto his shoulders from the back. Together they stood there silently holding each other when John's stomach growled.
"Maybe we better go see what we can find to eat," John consented as he pulled on a pair of jeans and guided his wife to the kitchen. While John scrambled up some eggs Elise managed to find just enough flour and baking powder to whip up some biscuits.
John marveled how she pulled out a marble slab and mixed the ingredients up right there on top of it with her hands and without the aid of a mixing bowl. "You sure cut down on the dirty dishes with the way you cook." John commented as he moved in for a kiss.
As the two sat at the table to eat there was a businesslike look on Elise's face as she scribbled a shopping list on the back of an envelope as she ate. Noticing that the list was growing quite long John moved to where he could read it.
"Horses! Horse barn?" I don't think we're going to find those at the grocery store," John looked at Elise.
"Just a to do list," Elise answered, toying with the pencil she had been writing with.
"Is this my first notorious honey do list." John asked with a smile noticing something in his wife's countenance that worried him slightly.
"I don't believe in honey Do lists," Elise turned a serious look at John. "I believe in to do lists and that I can, or at least hopefully soon will be able to work on them along side of you."
John reached out to caress the side of Elise's face and head only to realize that the side of her head that was closest to him with the side that he needed to avoid because laying just under the skull was a nearly two inch square chunk of fiberglass helmet along with a blood clot and behind all that an aneurism. That same chunk of foreign material meant to protect had caused considerable damage to the inner ear and the many spells of vertigo Elise was experiencing were a result of that damage. With that realization John saw the to do list anew and knew she wanted it completed before her surgery.
"Elise," John drew her attention to him, "It's going to be alright." Physically turning her chair to face him John took both of her hands in his. "You've made it through impossible odds to get where you are now. Man you had no right to even be alive when they got you to the top of that hill. This next step is going to be a piece of cake." John knew otherwise, he had sat next to Elise at several of her Doctor visits and listened to the doctor explain their findings and the test results. She had used those results as a reason to turn down his proposal of marriage more than once. Right now though he needed to see positive results ahead and he needed Elise to believe that all would be well again.
"You were there John," Elise's eyes were pooling again but not leaking. "There are so many things that can go wrong."
"They have to tell you those things in order for it to be informed consent but that doesn't mean they will all happen."
"John, I have to do something," Elise looked at him and then away, picking up her list she motioned with it. "I have to make sure things are in order just in case the worst happens. I have to be doing something to keep from dwelling on it all the time. Do you understand?"
John scooped Elise up in his lap and held her his head resting near her heart. "Yeah, I think I do just a little, but I want us to do it together and try not to worry about the bad stuff that may or may not ever happen."
After holding her for a moment John picked up the list she had been writing and looked it over. "Well I think we can get the flour, baking soda and baking powder and the rest of these things," John took Elise's pencil and circled a group of things, "as soon as we clean up and get dressed. It will be a good idea for us to find out where the closest grocery store and whatever else there is around here now that we've moved in. I do think the horses can wait until after the surgery however I don't have time to work with them and train them and help you with your recovery too and you are the clear priority here."
John gave the rest of the list a going over, "Fish in the pond?"
"Yeah we've got to do something to keep the mosquitoes down," Elise explained.
"You've got a point there, they are pretty thick out there."John agreed looking up at his wife again. "Maybe we could go to one of those garden shops and look at their fish while we're out today."
"Garden shops?" Elise challenged, "Do you really want to put a bunch of fancy carp in the pond or would you rather plant something you could eat?"
"Eat?" John questioned then his face lit up at the possibilities, "You mean like, , ," John was at a loss for words.
"Trout, blue gill, snapper," Elise began to list.
"Trout," John agreed and the two happily melted into each other's arms again. Once again what would make one of them happy also made the other happy and that made both of them even happier.
The kitchen was cleaned up and the dishes loaded in one of the two dishwashers in less than 90 seconds. The nearest grocery store was less than a mile away but John immediately chastised Elise for even suggesting that she could walk to the store. It was still too far for that, at least until after the surgery. She had already had two seizures so far and the day wasn't even half over.
Elise picked up two different news papers and managed to find second hand horse coral fencing in the want ads, little did John know she had already purchased land where a modular Horse barn had its foundation damaged by the same quake that had rendered his new horse ranch unfit for a subdivision. All that was needed was a new foundation and then to unbolt the sections and relocate them then bolt them back together.
John and a tired Elise returned to the 'home station" as they chose to call it, just after noon to find Chet and Marco driving up.
"We thought you might could use a little more help getting settled in," Marco did all the talking as Chet remained a couple of steps behind and tight lipped with his hands in his pockets.
John looked at his tired wife knowing she needed a quick nap and handed the two bags of groceries in his arms over to Marco before guiding his wife in to her favorite double recliner where he tucked her in while Chet and Marco put the groceries away.
The three men quietly tackled the still to be unpacked boxes and marveled as some of the treasures Elise had brought from Montana including some spectacular sand paintings and modern day Indian pottery. Once Elise had gotten her rest she joined them and that's when they found the Disco ball.
"You weren't kidding, you really do have a disco ball," Chet exclaimed, "with all the lighting and everything."
"Yeah, I financed it for my junior prom and since I paid for it I kept it," Elise answered.
There was no real place to put the mirrored ball away so the three men decided to hang it in the middle of the apparatus bay. John actually asked Elise's permission only to have her tell him, "It's your house you can do with it whatever you want."
Toward evening Dixie arrived with an overnight bag. She looked tired from her long shift at the hospital and leaned against the door frame once John let her in. "I thought it would be easier if I just spent the night that way I'm sure I'm here before you have to leave for work in the morning." "You do have room for me in a closet or garage or someplace around here don't you?"
"I think we can find a shelf to put you on around here somewhere," John laughed and took Dixie's bag before leading her to the dorm. "Here take your pick you can have any bed you want." There were only four double beds and a set of twins to choose from. She was invited to park her car in the bay along with Johnny's Rover and Elise's rescue truck the only stipulation was that she needed to make sure she didn't park on the rug. That was the boundaries for the family room.
When John arrived at work the next morning his was clearly happier than he had been last shift but everyone noticed his frequent glances at Chet's locker while they were getting dressed.
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Back at Home Station Dixie was just getting out of one of the several showers at the station. Giggling to herself as she did a double take to make sure there were no firemen coming around the corner.
John had stuck his head in where Dixie was sleeping and let her know he was leaving. He gave her a report on how Elise had done the day before and reported a seizure in the middle of the night. Before John was out the door Dixie was up and had her robe on and slipped into Elise's room to check on her. She was properly positioned to support her airway and sleeping comfortably.
When Dixie was dressed and had made her way to the kitchen to see about starting some coffee for herself she found Elise setting up the coffee maker.
"Well good morning," Dixie startled Elise.
Elise spun around so fast that she started a sever bout of vertigo. Dixie knew the signs and rushed to her side holding her and easing her to the floor. Allowing Elise to hold onto her for a center of balance Dixie coaxed her to breathe through the nausea and then kept her safe from further injury through the seizure that followed.
Elise woke up to find herself on the floor with Dixie next to her checking vitals, and before she was able to speak Elise reached out and took hold of Dixie's hand.
Once Dixie has helped her up and into her oversized recliner Elise began to tell her about the increased bouts of extreme vertigo the last couple of days and that they always ended in seizures. Dixie talked with her doctors and took her in to Rampart where some tests revealed a fluid buildup in the inner ear that could be causing the problem.
Treatment was prescribed and Elise was kept down and quiet with paper work and phone calls for the rest of Dixie's shift.
John had a quiet off shift also, Elise didn't have a single seizure during his next two days off and managed to take several visitors for a tour of the waiting to fall down barn. Before he left for his next shift he signed a sales contract. Elise knew that picture frames and furniture made from weathered barn wood were all the rage and put the old barn out for bid. There were several companies who were willing to pay a substantial sum for the privilege of tearing down and hauling away the old barn.
Elise and John would need to arrange to have the piles of rotted hay, straw and manure moved but it made sense to them to use it as fill once they dug out the back parking lot to make a back yard.
Dixie again spent the night so she'd be there when John left for work. Both Emily Stanley and JoAnne DeSoto were planning to join them at the home station after finishing their last class in Elise care, to talk over details of the reception.
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Due to signing papers John was one of the last ones to arrive at the station. Elise was feeling better thanks to the treatment she had received for her ear and had gotten up early to make him some fresh cinnamon and sugar sprinkled fry bread and a nice fruit smoothie before he left. She had made enough fry bread to share with the rest of the guys at the station but as he drove to work John had nibbled on it till there were only just a few pieces left. He'd have to make it up to them another day.
Once he reached his locker he found a colored envelope taped to the outside of the door, wanting to get dressed first John placed the remaining fry bread on the top shelf and started getting dressed in his uniform. When his shoes were tied he took the envelope off the door and opened it.
Stunned by what he read he carried the card out into the bay and noticed Chet nervously sitting on the tail board of the engine.
The two shared eye contact but neither said a word as John moved over and sat next to the station joker.
"Chet, I don't know what to say," John waved the card at his friend. "This is one heck of a peace offering." "I mean Elise and I have been pricing this job out and the labor along is well into the thousands."
"I am counting on some help you know," Chet then stopped a moment and lowered his head. "I was out of line with what I said about her the last time we worked together," Chet admitted.
"I was hoping that the time you spent helping us get settled into the house would help you realize she's not at all like you thought she was." John responded, the atmosphere between the two of them still stiff and guarded but improving, "Thanks for all the help by the way."
"You know Gage you really take the cake when it comes to bed side manner." Chet shook his head, "Most paramedic just medic 'em, you go and marry yours."
"It's not like that Chet." John paused and tried to find the words to explain but there didn't seem to be any in the human vocabulary.
"Tell me this," Chet asked in a challenging tone, "Why does she call you John? Why not Johnny like the rest of your friends."
John turned with a smile, "That's easier to explain than you think, her sister's name is Joan and they call her Jonnie since long before I came into the picture, she also has a nephew named John, that they call Johnny. It just gets too confusing to call me anything other than my name."
"Roll Call, let's line up." Cap called in the back ground.
"Humph," Chet responded to John's explanation. "I guess that makes sense."
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Hank had met with Chet when he first came in and was sure he had calmed down just a little even if he hadn't changed his mind that Gage had made the biggest mistake of his life in marrying Elise. He had watched closely as both John and Chet came from the back of the engine to make sure the air between them was peaceful. All seemed well.
The notices were read including the one about the wedding reception for John and Elise in the Captain's back yard in two weeks. Assignments were given out and everyone was dismissed to go their own way. As the team broke up John called out.
"Chet,"
"Yeah what do you want now?" his tone more playful than his words.
John just waved the card in the air, "Can I call this a wedding gift?"
"If you insist," Chet didn't seem to approve that request but he was choosing not to fight it.
"We're not planning to start the major stuff until Elise goes to the hospital for her next surgery. I might not be around all that much but I'll see to it that you have help, just let me know how much you need and I'll hire them."
"We'll work out the details when the time get's closer." Chet swatted the air and headed for the hose tower with Marco.
The rest of the morning was quiet for Station 51 but all the other stations were getting more than their usual share of calls and the Men at station 51 felt sorry for them all as they listened to the calls being heard over the scanner.
Shortly before lunch a voice on the radio surprised everyone in station 51. It was a woman's voice and it sounded rather familiar.
"Attention LA County, we have a four car 10-80 just outside the decommissioned fire station number 69." John was on his feet and staring at the speaker mounted near the ceiling. "We have multiple victims at least two of them 10-85 Charlie. We need as much help as we can get and please connect me with station 51"
"Unit calling in please repeat we don't understand your code try telling us your situation in plain English."
Author's Notes:
Okay here's the next installment. Sorry for all the errors of late but as long as my life remains as hectic and I'm being pulled in as many different directions as I am the grammar will likely remain lacking but I'll work on it.
As far as the complaint that there are too many medical emergencies with Elise, that's kind of what the story is all about. If you don't like it, no one's asking you to read it. I don't read a lot of stories because they're not want I'm in the mood for, not because they are good or bad just not what I feel like reading about at the moment. Feel free to read elsewhere if this is not your cup of tea, I won't be offended in the least.