Ok people! Beep! Beep! Here comes that clue bus! Roy's gonna take a direct hit; let's see if he gets it. If not, I know where there is a clue train waiting!!

Again, thanks for all the support. Feedback really does 'fuel the fingers' as another author wrote. I may have an outline done and several scenes written but your comments inspire me to get them polished and online. I am humbled and grateful ya'll seem to enjoy reading this as much as i enjoy tellin' it.

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Johnny sat back in his chair with a sigh, "There, it's all done." He told the calico cat who sat on the table busily washing the back of his wrist. He looked again at the neatly sorted stacks of papers and gave a rueful chuckle, "That is, at least until next month." He read through the checkbook he'd just balanced again, mentally going over the bills he'd just written checks for and the ones he knew would be coming in. P.Q. continued bathing him but when his other hand stopped stroking her head, she bit him. "Ow! Awright already cat!" He rubbed her ears then picked her up and looked into her face. "Enough with the nips, I get enough corrections at work.' She meowed softly then bit his nose. He dropped her, but not uncaringly, onto the floor. A yip told him she'd taken it out on Tezi who had been laying curled up on his feet.

"Sorry Tezi," he rubbed the puppy with a stocking foot. He reached for his coffee cup, noticing it still held coffee and it was still warm. He drank it as he reviewed his morning.

Once he'd gotten home off shift, he'd fed, watered and put out the horses, then mucked the stalls. Then he'd completed other chores needed around his ranch, taken a shower, and sat to do his bills. He fingered the check laying next to his wallet, his face sad. It used to be he didn't have to worry about depositing his check. Jo had always picked his up on payday Friday when she got Roy's and took them both to the bank. He hadn't been there when she'd come during their last shift, the squad had been on a run, but he'd already gotten his check from Cap and placed it in his locker. He just knew the wife of his partner would no longer extend those kinds of courtesies to him. He closed his eyes at the pain in his heart caused when he mentally thought of Roy as just 'his partner'.

Clamping back down on those thoughts, he turned his attention back to his morning. He ran his hand through his hair, still damp from his shower, as he stood up. He grabbed the stack of envelopes holding the paid bills, his checkbook, check and wallet. A glance at the clock revealed he had just a little over an hour to make it to the bank to deposit his check. Again he thanked what ever management decision had made his bank decide to stay open for Saturday mornings. "First the bank to make sure this gets in, then the post office to drop off the bills, then the cleaners, then I really need to get some more socks. It's getting harder to find a pair without holes and with my luck, I'll end up at Rampart wearing my worst pair and Dixie will have a heyday." He muttered to himself as he grabbed up his keys, and left his house.

Roy stretched as he rolled over and looked at the clock. 'Good, only 10.' he thought. He'd gotten a good two hour nap and now felt ready for the rest of the day. He quickly got up and left his bedroom. Knocking on Chris's bedroom door, he called out, "Chris? We have to leave in ten minutes. We're due over at Mr. Schultz's house by 10:30."

"OK Dad." Came the muffled reply. He headed on down the hall toward the kitchen. Once there he grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down with the paper. Jo entered the room and kissed his cheek. "Have a nice nap?"

He grinned up at her, "Yeah. A little lonely though."

She playfully smacked his shoulder, "Oh you. You said you wanted a 'nap' and that means sleep."

He grinned broader, "Well, I could have slept, 'after'"

She laughed and gathered up her purse and keys. He frowned. "You going somewhere?"

She rolled her eyes and sighed, "Now Roy. Don't start that again. I told you Jenny and I are going to do errands while you and Chris are doing your Boy Scout thing."

"I can run you around after we are done. We'll only be gone a few hours." Roy's frown deepened. Jo sighed in exasperation. "Roy, I have been driving a car around this town all by myself for over 10 years. I don't need you to suddenly chaperone me to the same places I've been going by my self!" Her eyes snapped with sudden anger and Roy found himself in an equally sudden mental debate. If he continued with his current argument, insisting he be there in an effort to make sure his family was safe, Jo would be very anger and that would likely spark another fight. However, if he let it go and something happened without him being there . . . He paused in that line of thinking. 'Without my being there? What?' Confused over why he was feeling like that, Roy maintained his silence.

Jo took his silence as consent and kissed his cheek. "Have fun. I'll see you this evening." She called for Jenny and the two left, leaving Roy alone in the kitchen trying to analyze his feelings of anxiety and why they were so strong.

A tug on his elbow brought him out of his musings. "Dad! Come on! We're going to be late." Chris insisted. Roy grinned, ruffled his son's hair, and stood up. "Alright, tiger. Let me get my keys and we're off." That said and done, they too left the house.

Jo pulled into the K-Mart parking lot and began the slow crawl up and down the rows looking for a parking space. "Ah Hah!" she crowed in delight, quickly swinging the station wagon around the end, narrowly missing the white Land Rover parked there as she headed toward her goal. Her unconscious mind registered the other vehicle and the blue uniforms covered in cleaner's plastic as something familiar but her conscious mind was too intent on her parking and what they needed to get.

She gleefully swung into the spot and turned off the engine. Jenny eagerly undid her belt and opened her door. "Mom? Can I get some popcorn?"

Jo joined her daughter, stopping only to make sure all the windows were up and the doors were locked before grabbing her daughter's hand. "We'll see, Jenny."

Jenny rolled her eyes and sighed, "That's just mom talk for no." She grumbled. Jo stifled a laugh before answering, "No. That's mom talk for we will see how a certain someone behaves before we make any promises." Laughing, the two walked into the store. Jo sighed in pleasure as the air conditioning hit her. It had been getting steadily warmer as summer approached and the conditioned store was a relief. She grabbed a cart, placed her purse in the front and reached down to swing Jenny up into it. Jenny pulled back slightly. "Mommy? If I promise to stay right with you, can I walk?"

Jo debated this for a moment, "If you hold onto the cart and don't wonder off at all, I guess it would be alright." Jenny jumped up and down in excitement and grabbed onto the cart, skipping along as Jo piloted them down the aisles.

They had been in the store for nearly 15 minutes and Jenny was beginning to get bored. Jo could hear her heavy sighs and see her head turning repeatedly toward the toy section. Just as she was about to suggest they check out the latest in barbies, Jenny let out a delighted squeal and bolted.

"Jenny! Jennifer!" Jo called, quickly maneuvering around another shopper as she tried to keep sight of her hastily moving daughter. "Mommy! Mommy! Look! It's Uncle Johnny!" She heard Jenny call as she rounded another group.

Johnny had just picked up a package of white t-shirts and added it to the bundle of black socks he held in his other hand when something impacted hard with his hip. Surprised, he stumbled for balance, his arms going out, hands dropping the packages as he grabbed onto the shelf beside him. His impacted knee buckled and he instantly shifted his weight to his other leg, making him side-step as he staggered. His eyes opened wide and he caught up his breath in a gasp as adrenaline flooded his body in response. All of this happened in a mere heartbeat.

The excited chatter of a young girl registered in his hearing just as he worked to regain his balance and get his rapidly pounding heart back under control. He looked down into bright blue eyes and a smiling face. Jenny beamed up at him from where she hugged his hips. "Uncle Johnny! Guess what? We're shopping here too! Mommy said we might have popcorn. You want to have popcorn with me? I'll even let you have some of my slushie!"

"Jennifer!" JoAnne's angry voice silenced her gushing. Jenny turned to look at her mother with sheepish eyes. "I'm sorry, Mom. I saw Uncle Johnny."

Jo put a hand on her hip and gave her errant daughter a 'mother look.' Then she smiled up at the dark haired man. "I'm sorry about this, Johnny."

Johnny gave a faint smile and dropped one hand onto Jenny's shoulder. "It's awright, JoAnne. No harm done." He pushed the child gently away from him and bent down, retrieving his packages. Jo noticed the items and couldn't help a soft tease. "Doing some shopping yourself, I see. If you had a wife you wouldn't have to come into this madhouse and be accosted by runaway little girls."

Johnny made a sound of amusement in his throat as he straightened back up. "Well, some of us aren't as lucky as others I guess. We just have to suffer through." He stood and faced his partner's wife. Several long moments went by and nothing else was said. JoAnne felt an unaccustomed awkwardness in her friend's presence. "Johnny. About what happened at the picnic, I . . ."

"No harm done, JoAnne. Listen, I gotta go. I'll see you later." Johnny interrupted. He patted Jenny on the head as he moved by her. "Bye, JoAnne, bye Jennifer."

Jenny pouted, "Uncle Johnny? Aren't you gonna share a slushie with me?"

Johnny shook his head, "Not today Jennifer. Sorry." With that he was gone, leaving the two standing bewildered in the aisle behind him.

Jo watched him leave, his tall figure clearly visible over the racks and shorter shoppers. Something wasn't right. As she reviewed the encounter, she tried to put a name to what had bothered her. 'His eyes never met mine while he talked and he seemed tense, withdrawn. Is he still upset over what happened at the picnic?' She wondered. 'I guess it could be. Although Johnny has never held a grudge over anything like that before.' She gave an internal chuckle. 'If he had, Chet would've been dead long ago'. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she pondered. 'No, it's something else. Something was definitely not right. His eyes, something wasn't right with his eyes.'

Jenny reached up and took her mother's hand, pulling JoAnne's thoughts back into the here and now. She smiled down at her daughter, intending to mask her own feelings, but stopped when she saw the expression on the child's face. Tears filled the blue eyes and her lips trembled with suppressed emotions. Jo knelt down, putting her hands on her daughter's shoulders. "Jenny? What's wrong?"

Jenny shook her head, then a sob escaped her throat. Jo pulled her over toward the benches near the fountain drink area and as soon as she sat, pulled the child into her lap. "Now," she squeezed her gently. "You want to tell Mommy what's wrong?"

Jenny hiccupped over another swallowed sob and in a tremulous voice said, "Is there . . . did I do something wrong . . .?"

Jo hugged her daughter close, "No sweetheart. You've been very good today." She frowned then asked, "Why would you think you did something wrong?"

Jenny wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, "Uncle Johnny hasn't been over since I hurt my hand. And on the day of the picnic, he just left and didn't even say good-bye. Daddy never talks about him anymore and just now . . ." She stopped for a hiccup, her eyes tearing again, "When we saw him, he wouldn't look at me, he didn't hug me and he c . . called me Jennifer instead of kiddle!"

JoAnne pulled her daughter close again, rubbing her back in comfort. 'She's right,' she realized, 'Johnny barely could meet my gaze even. He was so . . .so distant, almost aloof.' She frowned as she came to a decision, 'Something is going on and I'm going to get to the bottom of it.' For her daughter's sake, she smiled big and said, "No Jenny. You didn't do anything wrong. Perhaps Uncle Johnny just has a lot on his mind right now. Remember, Daddy said he's been working a lot of overtime and that's why he hasn't been over." Even as she said it, she now wondered if that was true, but covered her thoughts by adding. "How about we get a sundae to split, Ok? I feel the need for ice cream!" Instantly Jenny's face became all smiles. Her mommy had said everything was all right so it must be so. Besides, it had been ages since they'd shared their favorite treat.

The two finished their shared treat then Jo finished her shopping. As she and Jenny carried their purchases back out to their car, Jo noticed what her subconscious had before. Johnny's white Land Rover sat near her car. She looked at it for several long moments while she placed the packages into the back seat of her wagon. 'There is something going on and I'm going to get to the bottom of this. I'm not sure who that was we just saw in there, but that was not the John Gage I've come to know and love.' That decision reaffirmed in her heart, she climbed into her car, made sure Jenny was buckled in and left to finish the rest of her errands.

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Roy entered the large two-story house after a cheery voice called out for entry and three other boys burst through the door and grabbed Chris. Together the four disappeared within the house, chattering madly. Roy looked around the pleasantly furnished living room he'd found himself in, taking note of the various pictures and other articles which showed this was a home not just a house. A deep chuckle brought his attention back.

"Thought that'd be you, Roy. The boys already take off?"

Roy grinned at the mountain of a man standing before him. "Yeah Bob. I think they headed out back." He told the tanned figure. Robert 'Bob" Schultz ran a heavily callused hand through his close cut hair, the arm muscles bulging under the sleeve of his shirt. The leader of Troop 335 worked as a construction foreman and had the body of a hard working man who spent most of his life outdoors. His skin was tanned dark from the sun and his hair, lashes and brows were bleached nearly white. Intelligent hazel colored eyes twinkled at Roy as he nodded. "I figured. Come on into the kitchen, I've got a pot of fresh coffee on. And if firemen drink the stuff like construction workers do, you probably haven't had anywhere near your morning quota yet."

As he spoke, the tall figure moved through the house into a spacious kitchen. Roy's eyes widened as he took in the cabinets, new floor and multiple workspaces. "Wow!"

Bob grinned over his shoulder as he poured another cup of the fragrant brew. "That's right. You haven't seen the remodel job since I finished. Laura loves it, now that all the mess of construction is over." He showed his friend some of the special features he'd designed including a slide out pantry, pop up mixing stand and hidden toaster storage. "The coffee maker can go in there too but it's never empty long enough to be stored." he chuckled as he handed one cup to the firefighter and took up another for himself.

"Remind me to forbid Jo to visit Laura." Roy joked, "If she sees this, I'll never hear the end of it."

Bob nodded, "You just let me know when you want to change that and I'll help. I can get you good prices on the materials and will even help you build it. If I remember right, your partner is pretty handy with building things too. I've seen the deck he helped you build. He does nice work. Between the three of us we could have the work done in no time."

Roy felt a flash of annoyance over that, "If he were helping, we'd spend more time in the Emergency Room then working." he grumbled.

Bob raised an eyebrow, "So? You both are medics, right? Besides," he raised his left hand, spreading his fingers out showing his missing pinky and tip of his ring finger. "In both our lines of work accidents happen." He drank more of his coffee and motioned behind him to the table piled high with materials. "I've got everything set up already. What say we corral the boys and get things started."

Before long six noisy boys were swarming around the kitchen. Under Bob's direction one was breaking up pieces of paraffin into a old sauce pan, another was coiling strips of cardboard into the cleaned tins they'd collected, making them ready for the melted paraffin that would turn them into 'buddy burners' to use that coming week at camp for cooking. Two boys were spreading sawdust into a flat cookie sheet. More paraffin would be added to this then it would be cut into bricks to use as firestarters. Two more boys were busy cutting and tearing a stack of old sheets into bandage strips and triangular bandages.

Roy had made sure the proper precautions were readily available near the stove since paraffin was flammable. Bob oversaw the boys there, while Roy helped the boys at the table with the bandages. Everything was going well. Roy divided his attention between his group and the one by the stove until the two bandage-makers started asking him questions about first aid.

"I want to try and get my first aid badge this week," Neal, the whip-thin dark haired tanned boy beside him declared. "I think I'd like to be a paramedic when I grow up." Roy found himself watching the boy's sure hand movements as the paramedic answered the scout's intelligent questions. A flash of familiarity hit the paramedic like a lightening strike as Roy watched. Dark shaggy hair, thin build, dark eyes set in a face with high cheekbones, serious attitude as he readily absorbed all Roy imparted; Roy could have been looking at his partner 12 years earlier. Another flash of that same weird feeling that had been plaguing him resurfaced.

Bob's voice broke through his thoughts. "Roy? Can you keep an eye on things here? I hear the baby on the intercom."

For the first time, Roy noticed Laura, Bob's wife hadn't been around. Bob saw the look and nodded, "She took Shelly and Angie out for a girl's day but she left the baby here. He's probably just wet. I'll change him and I bet he'll go right back to sleep. He normally sleeps for several hours in the afternoon."

Roy grinned, "Sure Bob. I've got it."

Roy stood and moved closer to the stove where he could better watch the two boys carefully watched the paraffin melting in the pan. "Looks like you boys are about done." He commented as he glanced at the tins already full. Andy, Bob's oldest boy nodded his head, his longish blonde hair falling into his eyes as he did. "Yeap. Just got one more pan of firestarters to do."

"Mr. DeSoto? Are we still going to tour your fire station during Fire Prevention Week?" Another boy asked. Roy turned to him, "That's the plan but October is a long ways off yet. I . . ."

The pain-filled scream of a child ripped through Roy's body, making his blood freeze as his head immediately turned toward the sound. The sight his eyes took in and his brain quickly processed told it all. Two figures by the stove, one hunched over in pain, screaming, his body rigid, arms held away from his body, the other reaching for the injured boy, his face showing his horror, the pan they'd been melting the paraffin overturned on the floor.

In two strides Roy was there, assessing as he moved. "What happened?"

Jason, the other boy looked up. "I . . .I was starting to pour the wax and the pan tipped. Andy had bent down to pick up the scrapper and . . .and . . ." Roy could see, the hot wax had poured over the boy instead, coating his neck, back and arm. He grabbed Andy and sat him on the floor. "It's alright, Jason. Neal, bring me a couple of those large bandages, the rectangular ones. Jason, take the pitcher there and fill it with cool water. Chris, call dispatch and tell them to send a squad. You know the address, right?"

"Yes sir." Chris called as he raced for the phone, "3418 North Parkway Lane." Neal scurried to do as requested. Roy held Andy's arm, getting a pulse and respirations as Neal dropped beside him, cloth in hand. "Now, we need to place those on the burns. No! Don't!" Before he could get it out, Alan pulled Andy's shirt from his body, tearing another scream of pain from the boy's throat as the paraffin soaked material pulled at the already damaged skin. Wide eyed, the other boy slid quickly backwards, stuttering, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Roy sighed as he soothed the other child, "I know." Then he looked up at the thin boy beside him. "Neal, place those cloths, yes, just like that. Good." Without direction, the lad had carefully draped the cloths over Andy's exposed back, shoulder and arm. He looked straight into Andy's face, forcing the boy to look at him and in a calm voice said, "It's gonna be alright, Andy. I know it hurts right now but Mr. DeSoto will help you."

Roy couldn't help but be impressed over the level headedness being showed by the teen. "Here, Andy. I want you to lie down on your stomach."

"Wait Mr. DeSoto." Neal said then quickly he pulled off his jacket and added several towels from the cabinet over it. "Now you can lie down, Andy. That floor is cold and we need to keep you warm." He looked up at the paramedic and mouthed, "Shock?"

Roy's eyebrows went higher. 'This kid is really with it.' "Jason I need that water." He looked around and found the other boys huddled together, their eyes wide, faces pale.

"I'll get it." Neal said as he stood. Before long, a pitcher filled with water appeared before Roy's face, "Pour it over the cloths right?" Roy nodded and Neal did just that.

"LA said they'd send a squad and ambulance right away, Dad." Chris's voice came from somewhere behind him. Roy nodded from where he continued to monitor the boy. Neal had dropped back down next to Andy and was talking quietly to him, the back of his dark head the only thing Roy could see. Roy pulled the pen from his pocket and wrote the vitals he'd taken on his hand. "Johnny, " He called out. The dark head in front of him didn't move. Roy's heart missed a beat as he realized his mistake and his cheeks reddened slightly as he corrected, "Neal, make sure these cloths stay wet." This time the dark head came up and brown eyes, intent in their seriousness, looked at him as the boy nodded.

"Heavenly Father Above! Roy, what happened? I thought I heard something!" Bob's voice echoed through the area. The man swept into the kitchen closely followed by Aaron, Andy's twin and both knelt swiftly beside the injured scout. Andy turned his tear stained face towards his father, "Daddy!"

"Jason poured the wax on him!" Alan yelled pointing his fingers at the other boy. Instantly Jason protested. "I didn't mean it. Andy bumped me when he reached for the scrapper on the floor. You nearly skinned him alive taking off his shirt that way!"

"That doesn't matter now. Knock it off." Neal spoke with more authority then Roy could've thought a 13 year old could. "Why don't one of you go to the front door. The firemen will need to be brought back here."

Bob brushed his son's hair from his eyes gently and soothed. "It's ok Andy. It'll be alright." Bob looked up into the paramedic's face, his eyes begging for their own reassurance. Roy nodded and gave a smile.

"Squad's here." Chris's voice came and seconds later, Roy looked up as the B Shift paramedics from Station 45 rushed in. Both glanced briefly at their off duty compatriot and gave a nod of greeting as they dropped to their knees along with their equipment. "Roy. What've ya got?" Frank Sanders asked. Quickly, Roy filled him in on what had happened as Frank's partner, Ward Robertson, took vitals. Knowing they had things well in hand, Roy stood, and pulled on Bob's shoulder to move him back as well.

"Bob, he'll be all right." He tried to assure the other man. He glanced once where his own son stood with the other scouts and shuddered. 'It could have been Chris.'

"I'll . . .I'll need to leave a note for Laura . ." Bob stuttered, his eyes never leaving his injured son even as he clutched Aaron's shoulders as the boy cried.

A commotion by the door caught both mens' attention. They turned as a man and a woman burst through the door, calling, "Bob! Bob are you all right?" Bob moved toward them. The man rushed forward, "Bob! We saw the ambulance! What happened?" Explanations were quickly made and the woman immediately hurried off upstairs while the man pushed Bob into a chair. A fresh cup of coffee appeared in the shocky father's hand. He sipped it slowly as the man stood and extended a hand toward Roy. "You must be Roy DeSoto. Bob's told us about you helping out with the troop. I'm Father Ross. We were just coming over to drop off some paperwork from the church when we saw all the emergency vehicles. Thank God you were here. I know all this must be old news to you, being a fire department medic."

Roy gave a faint smile, "I've seen similar, Father, but you never get used to it, especially when it concerns children." The kindly older man's eyes shone with sympathy as he nodded his head. "I understand that."

"Roy, we're ready to transport." Ward's voice interrupted. Roy nodded and they all watched as the gurney was wheeled out of the house. Father Ross turned back to Bob, laying a gentle hand on the man's shoulder. "Don't worry about anything here, Bob. We'll stay with the baby and call the other boys' parents to get them. We'll take care of Laura too.' He then turned to Roy and asked, "Roy? Could you take him to the hospital? I don't think he should drive right now."

"Yeah, yeah you're right. Come on Bob. Chris." Chris reached out and draped an arm around Aaron, leading the other boy away. "Don't worry, Mr. Schultz, I have everybody's numbers on the roster. I'll make sure they all get home." Neal called out. Bob looked at the tall youth and laid a grateful hand on the boy's shoulder. "You're a good lad, Neil and a top notch patrol leader. Thank you.' Neil blushed a deep crimson under his leader's kind words and nodded.

Roy parked the car and led his small group into the ER. He hurried over to the nurse's podium and grinned at Betty who raised her head, then smiled in recognition. "Hey Roy. What brings you in here on your day off?"

Swift introductions and explanations were made and Betty escorted Bob into the Exam room while Roy took the two boys over to the waiting area. As he sat, Roy had time to stop and think over what had happened.

'It all happened so quickly! I didn't even see it!' He shook his head. 'I was right there, right there!' he unwittingly nearly parroted his partner's words on the night Jenny was hurt. 'And there wasn't anything I could do to stop it happening.' Guilt flooded his soul as he empathized with Bob.

"Dad!" Aaron's cry startled Roy out of his deep thoughts as the boy leapt to his feet and raced to his father's side. Roy stood, watching the man walking toward him, trying to read his face and more than a little trepidatious over what would happen next. To his surprise, Bob extended his hand and when Roy hesitantly extended his own, the scout leader shook it heartily.

"The doctor says he'll be fine, Roy. He said he'll be out in a bit to talk to us." The man looked at Roy, gratitude in his eyes making Roy feel guilty. Roy dropped his gaze and shuffled his feet. "uh, Bob. I just want you to know how sorry I am this happened. I was right there, really. I turned my head for just a moment and . . ."

"My baby! What happened to my baby!" Laura's voice interrupted as she rushed over to the two men. "Bob! Where is he? Where's Andrew?"

Bob immediately took his trembling wife into his arms and tried to calm her. "He's alright, Laura. The doctor's with him right now but he said he'll be fine" Laura burst into tears as he held her close.

Roy was the first to notice Dr. Brackett was approaching and tapped Bob's arm and nodded toward the doctor. Both anxious parents turned. Brackett greeted them. "Roy, Mr. and Mrs. Schultz."

"My boy, doc. How's my boy?"

Brackett gave a half smile as he stuck his hands into his lab coatpocket. "Andy's gonna be just fine. He has second degree burns on his shoulder, neck and over his back." He touched the area over his own scapula to show where. "And first degree burns down his arm. He's a very lucky young man. The burns are painful but none will need graphs and there should be minimal scarring. We've started him on an IV to give him fluids and I gave him a pain reliever. He's sleeping now. I'd like to keep him over night just to make sure. And we'll need to watch for infection."

Both parents looked relieved. Brackett glanced at Roy. "You know, you were really lucky he got immediate care from one of the best paramedics in the county." He smiled at Roy.

Laura glared at the paramedic, "If he's so wonderful, my son shouldn't have ever been injured. Where were you two while the boys were melting that stuff anyway? Watching a ball game?"

Faintly in his mind, Roy heard his own angry voice demanding, "Where were you really? In watching TV? Outside? Sleeping?? Or maybe on the phone chatting up some date? Tell me what you were really doing while my daughter was bleeding to death!"

"Laura! That's enough!" Bob's voice was brusque. "Roy was right there in the kitchen. He applied immediate aid to Andy. We should be grateful he was there and knew what to do."

Laura dropped her head against her husband and gave a few sobs.

Roy's stomach churned with the guilt flooding his mind. "Laura, Bob I . . .I am so …so sor. . ."

"No, Roy, stop." Laura's gentle voice interrupted as she raised her tear-stained face. "Bob's right. Thank God you were there and we are grateful for your help." She gave a watery smile as she laid a hand on the paramedic's shoulder. "Forgive me? Chock it up to just a worried mother." She waited until she got a slight nod from the paramedic then turned to the doctor. "Can I see him?"

Brackett nodded and extended an arm toward the exam room after a quick glance at his paramedic. Laura stepped forward then glanced back to her husband. Bob smiled. "You go first. I'll be right there," She smiled then followed the doctor off.

As soon as she was out of earshot Roy began, "Laura's right, Bob. I was right there. I could've . . . I should've . .."

"You could've should've what, Roy?" Bob broke in. "It was an accident and sometimes accidents just happen, no matter what you do. I doubt there was anything short of stopping time that could have been done." He sighed, "Again, I'll say I thank God you were there and had the training to do what need to be done. " He shook his head, "I don't know if I could've even begin to think what was needed if I'd been down there. Once I saw Andy on the floor, I couldn't even think at all!"

The guilt in Roy pushed him onward. 'Control. I had no control. I screwed up.'

As if reading his thoughts, Bob shook his head. "Look Roy. I've got five kids. I know that no matter how badly you never want to see them hurt sometimes we have no choice over it. Kids will be kids and accidents will happen. It's alright: I understand. It's really difficult to admit we have no control sometimes. Sometimes the main point of God's grace is that there are those around who can help once the accident happens."

He slapped the other man on the back, "And that's what I think happened today. Now, I'm going to take Aaron to see his brother. You look tired, man. I think you should head on home." Again he grabbed Roy's hand and shook it heartily, "Thanks again for all you did, Roy." Then the man called Aaron to him and the two walked off, leaving Roy alone with his own son and his agitated thoughts.

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