As he drove to work, Johnny took a mental inventory of his life. It had happened over five months ago. He believed he was much better; in fact, he could almost believe it had never happened. He rarely spaced out any more. He could sometimes sleep without dreaming. He wasn't so jumpy. He no longer thought he saw Barnes around every corner. He could run again. He felt more in control. Karate had a lot to do with his recovery. Ishii Sensei had taught him a lot of things. About meditation. About respect. Recently Sensei had been talking to him about kansha. Gratitude. Well, he was grateful. Grateful for what he was learning, grateful for Sensei and Midori, grateful for friends. This thought brought a familiar pang of guilt, as he knew he didn't act like a very good friend to Roy. He had withdrawn from the relationship and now didn't quite know how to get back. Today he determined he would begin to find a way.
They got a run almost the minute they walked in the door. A man's anger at rush hour traffic contributed to a heart attack; fortunately for the victim, they had been able to resuscitate him and get him to Rampart well within acceptable parameters. The prognosis for the patient looked good. As they drove back to the station, Johnny took a deep breath, hoping that it wasn't too late to begin rebuilding bridges.
"Roy?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
"Uh, for what?" The non sequitur apology was confusing.
"For the way I've been acting. I've… It's… Uh… I feel kind of stupid telling you this, but, uh, I've been, uh, kind of messed up from getting mugged…" His voice trailed off as he looked out the squad window.
Roy nodded. "I've been really worried about you."
"I know. I'm better now. I'm, uh, sorry. Friends don't treat each other like that."
"You know, I didn't know what to think."
"I know. And merely saying 'sorry' doesn't… Anyway, I know I've been a pain in the ass."
"You have been a real pain in the ass, but I forgive you." Roy grinned, glad Johnny seemed to be himself again.