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Well here are some more answers to questions. And poor Roy is taking more poundings but we have to get the fellow geared up for the job ahead of him, right? Once he gets his head from...you know... he has to be brought up to speed, so to speak, in order to do what's right by a certain dark haired medic. Sorry. Very little Johnny in here, as said, this is Roy discipline time.

As always, thanks for the feedback and keep it coming, it helps make the writing easier!

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Dixie stood impatiently in front of the elevator, glad this Thursday workday was finally over for her. Even the fact she'd had the previous day off didn't seem to help with how busy she'd been today. It had been a rough shift with a seemingly never ending parade of injured brought in by ambulance or personal vehicle. And having several nurses and Aids call in sick only made matters worse.

There hadn't been time for any real sort of break. While calling the various departments for supplies or available beds, she'd managed to gulp down a sandwich in separated segments; the coffee she been able to drink had all been long cold. She'd tried several times to call Gretchen to see how Johnny was, but each time someone needed her for something else. Now, finally, with the long shift ended and her relief in her place at the desk, Dixie was headed to SICU in person.

At last the elevator dinged and the doors opened. She moved forward to find her way blocked by another nurse. Both automatically started an apology even before they recognized each other. Dixie gave a tired smile, "Gretch! I was just on my way up. All h—e—double toothpicks broke lose down here and I . . ."

"You look like it yourself." Gretchen interrupted her. She eyed her friend closely then took her elbow, pulling her toward the cafeteria. "Come on Army, you look like a body in serious need of some joe and I don't mean the doctor."

Dixie frowned and pulled back, "Thanks for the offer but I was on my way . . ."

"I know where you were headed and why, Army." Gretchen interrupted again, then shook her head with a sigh. "But he's not up there."

Dixie froze, sure her heart had just fallen through her feet. Part of her assured her mental self that was a medical impossibility but another part was sure that was exactly what she'd just felt happen.

"wha…wha …" She stuttered as she shook her head, "Not Johnny. He's…he's not…"

"He's alive, somewhere, I guess." Gretchen grimaced, "At least he was yesterday when I put him into a cab. I guess that's still the case if he hasn't been brought into the ER today."

Dixie felt her heart rise back into her chest and begin beating again. Before the emotions now raging through her could be placed into words, Gretchen continued, "He checked himself out AMA."

"HE DID WHAT!?!"

Both nurses looked around as everyone near them stopped what they were doing and stared. Both Head Nurses evenly met those gazes with stern ones of their own and quickly all eyes diverted elsewhere. Now Dixie grabbed Gretchen's arm as she strode toward the cafeteria. "Yes, Gretchen. I would love a cup of coffee." She ground out, "And I'm looking forward to this story as well."

Gretchen smiled secretly, knowing her friend was boiling under that in-control surface.

Several cups of coffee, a fair meal of some sort of hamburger casserole and a shared piece of cheesecake later, Dixie sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. "Thanks for the food and the skinny, Gretch. Part of me wants to rant and say I can't believe that he'd do such a foolish thing but . . ." She leaned forward again and fiddled with her half empty cup, "the other part would say that that was just like something Johnny would do. I know he hates hospitals and he hates feeling helpless and having to depend on someone else even more."

The ER nurse shook her head as she gave a heavy sigh, "That boy has only had himself to depend on for too long. I thought that now, since he's been at 51's and seemed to fit so well there that maybe, finally, he'd learn to depend on others." She sighed again. "I guess not." A thought hit her and she raised her head, "Do they know? His shiftmates and his captain, Hank Stanley? Do they know?"

Gretchen shrugged as she looked into her own cup. "I don't know. No one called SICU while I was there yesterday or today. I don't know if Kel called them once Johnny was released or not." She sat back in her chair and stretched out her aching legs. "I heard they got pretty busy in ER that evening, so he might not have gotten the chance."

Dixie nodded, "Same with today. We barely had enough time to breathe let alone sit for awhile." She glanced at her watch, "Damn, too late to ask Kel now. He said he had to be out of here by 4:30. Something about his car, I think. I can try to ask him tomorrow . . ."

"Doesn't he have to be in that budget meeting most of then?" Gretchen asked with raised eyebrows. Dixie let her weary head thunk down on her hands, her elbows on the table. "Thanks for reminding me," she said morosely. "If tomorrow is anything like today, I might end up in ICU."

Gretchen chuckled then stated, "Don't borrow ill luck, Dix."

Dixie took another swallow of her coffee then shook her head, "I'm not. It's just tomorrow is Friday; Joe Early is off for the day, Kel will be in and out of meetings and half my nursing staff will still be out sick."

Gretchen winced in sympathy. Make-up like that just lent itself to a busy shift. Both women sighed and became quiet. After several moments, Dixie drained the last of her coffee and stood up. "Well, thanks for the news and the company. It was appreciated."

Gretchen smiled as she too stood, "Any time, Army." Both women walked back down the hall but Dixie stopped at a junction and looked in the direction of the ER. "I think I'll make a few phone calls before I leave." She mused.

Gretchen smiled big at her, then her expression turned serious, "Give him what help you can, Dix." She shook her head sadly, her eyes troubled, "That is one unhappy boy." Dix nodded her head in agreement and walked off.

She smiled at Betty who looked up at her in surprise, then looked at the clock on the wall. "Dixie! What are you still doing here? I thought you left hours ago!"

Dixie gave her a tired smile. "I stopped in the cafeteria and had supper; I'm too tired to cook or get something on the way home."

Betty nodded knowingly then looked up as a doctor came from a treatment room and motioned to her. Dixie nodded, "You go. I just want to make a few phone calls then I'm home to my bed." Betty hurried away and Dixie pulled the rolodex toward her. It wasn't long before she found the file she'd made marked, 'Gage, John' and listed his home phone as well as the home numbers of his captain and partner. She dialed the number for Johnny's ranch, waited on the line as it rang busy, then disconnected. She gave up and called the next number.

The phone rang twice then a young voice said, "Stanley residence."

"HI, this is Dixie McCall from Rampart Emergency?" She heard the gasp on the other end and quickly continued, "No it's not like that. This isn't an emergency but it is very important. Is your father there?"

"Boy, you scared me for a minute!" The female voice said, then went on, "No, he and Mom are out right now. I can take a message."

"Please. Tell him it's important I talk to him. He can call me at home, that number is 555-2475."

"Call Ms. Dixie McCall at her home number at 555-2475, got it!" Dixie smiled. "Thank you, Kirsteen isn't it?"

A giggle came over the line, "Well you had a 50/50 chance of getting it right , Ms. McCall. Actually, it is Kirsteen. I'll let him know when he comes in. Bye now." Dixie hung up and smiled again as she thought of the captain's two 13 years old twin daughters, Kirsteen and Kyleigh. "Figures it would be one of the girls who answered the phone,"

She chuckled to herself, "Guess Dave doesn't even try." She could guess the girls and their littlest brother were left under the watchful eye of their older sibling. She looked over the last number on the rolodex, debating calling Roy DeSoto over her concerns with his partner. 'Would he even care?' she mused, 'From his previous actions and the fact he didn't seem to care about Johnny being here, I'm tempted to think no but . . .' she sighed, 'I just can't help remembering the look on his face when I found him out there by the squad, after he knew what had happened.' She glanced again at her watch, seeing it was now after 6. 'Maybe I'll give him a call later. After I talk to Captain Stanley.'

As she gathered back up her purse, the beeping of the base station caught her attention. A quick searching look up and down the hallways revealed no one else around. With a sigh, she put down the purse and flipped the toggle. "Unit calling in, this is Rampart. Please repeat."

She felt her eyes widened as a very familiar voice answered, "Rampart this is Squad 51. We have a male, approximately 29 years old, victim of a partial building collapse and a car accident."

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Roy greeted the other members of C-shift amiably, asked after and got the latest on Dwyer's injures as he walked to the table with his coffee. He sat down, saying, "Well I'm glad it's a sprain but I'm sure Tom's not. Sometimes they can hurt worse and take longer to heal than a break."

"Don't you and I both know it, Roy." Jake Westler, Dwyer's partner answered somberly. "Speaking of injured partners, . . ." Roy felt a chill go down his back as he knew what was coming next. He braced himself as Jake continued, "How's Joh . . ."

"Station 51, Station 36, Squad 45, car into building. 21745 Avalon Boulevard, 2—1—7—4—5—Avalon Boulevard. cross street East Carson Street. Ambulance and police are responding. Time out 18:05."

Sam Lanier's calm voice cut through the air as everyone scrambled for their vehicles. Since he was the temp paramedic, Roy slid quickly into the passenger side, reaching to take the paper from Jake as he remarked, "Car into a building huh? If I remember correctly that area is full of little shops."

Jake nodded as he watched the door go up before easing the squad out, the engine on its tail. "Uh huh, and with it being dinner time on a Thursday we're bound to have quite a mess."

The two men drove the rest of the way in silence. As the squad pulled close to the scene Roy got his first look, "Holy . . ."

"Yeah," Jake agreed.

The back end of a station wagon was barely visible from where it protruded from what was left of a large plate glass window in a brick building. The sign hanging drunkenly from the remains of the building's entrance proclaimed it as "El Gecko's Café" Smoke poured out from the hole while firefighters and other paramedics scrambled around the car.

Jake maneuvered the squad into the place directed by 36's captain then paused as said captain leaned into the cab. "It's a mess, guys. We've got the fire contained already, but there were people sitting at the tables by the window and in front of the doorway. There's two people trapped under the car, both Code F. The driver's Code F too, went straight through the windshield and the car rolled over her. My guys are triaging the rest. Grab your gear and meet them through the side entrance."

Both paramedics did as told and were soon dropping their gear near the paramedic's from 36's. "Ben, Gus, what you got?"

One paramedic turned from the IV he'd just started and said, "People over there are priority 3, minor cuts and bruises. We've got three priority 2's over there. Some broken bones mainly, a couple of burns but only second degree. There are two priority ones, Gus and I have this guy, head injury, possible spinal as well and over there Hanks and Meadows have a bleeder."

Both nodded at the run down, "We'll start in on the priority 2's." All looked up as a policeman announced, "Ambulances are here." Immediately the two top priority patients were lifted into gurneys and whisked away. Jake and Roy each busied themselves with a victim.

"Hey," Roy smiled down at the man before him. "I'm Roy; I'm a paramedic. What do we have here?"

"Steve . . . Steve Conners. The . . .the other guy said I broke my leg." The muscular man answered. Roy noticed his face was pale and sweat beaded around his upper lip. A touch to the skin confirmed it was cool and clammy. Roy nodded as he checked over the victimls vitals, scribbling the results down on his pad. "Ok, I'm just gonna check you out here, just relax and stay calm please."

Then he ran his hands over the man's body, finding areas on both his posterior flank and anterior upper quadrate where winces indicated tenderness. Then he checked his limbs, finding swelling and deformity in the right upper arm and in the right upper leg. He pulled the biophone closer to him and called his patient's vitals in, getting a confirmation that the patient was indeed showing signs of shock. He started the prescribed IV and called out. "We have an upgrade. He goes next," A tug on his sleeve brought his attention back to his patient and he gave the hurting man a smile, "Just relax, we'll have you on your away to the hospital soon."

He nodded, "I . . .I know. But . . .Jamie . . . how's Jamie?" At Roy's puzzled look, he went on, "My friend. He was right beside me when . . .when that car hit us. Tall guy, blonde hair inna ponytail. I always tell him he looks . . .looks like a nerd, you know, skinny, glasses, always got . . . got his nose in some technical manual."

Roy realized that the man Steve was describing sounded like 36's victim and he hadn't looked good. He put on a reassuring smile as he said, "He's already on his way in."

Steve sighed and closed his eyes, "I wish I could've gone in with him." He reopened his eyes and looked it Roy's blue ones, his own hazel ones awash in tears. "He's . . .uh . . . he's kinda afraid of hospitals. He . . .uh . . . hates needles." Roy grinned, his mind going instantly to someone he knew who hated needles. At least the receiving end of them. He was jerked back to the here and now when two attendants wheeled a gurney over to him.

Before long they were in the ambulance and heading toward Rampart. Roy updated the doctors on Steve's vitals and their ETA. Then he settled back, realizing for the first time he was going to Rampart for the first time since he'd snuck into his partner's room.

"This was a terrible thing," Steve's comment drew him back. "I mean what are the odds, you know?"

"Probably pretty high." Roy agreed. 'Unless your name is John Gage,' he mused.

"We were on our way into the restaurant." He looked up at Roy who nodded absentmindedly as he took the guy's vitals again. "See, me and Jamie, we . . .we were best friends." A catch in the fellow's breathing got Roy's attention and he rechecked the O2 before he asked politely, "were?"

Steve nodded, "Yeah. Were, up until about three months ago. Aww, the original fight was stupid once I thought about it. But by then stuff was said and I was mad, yah know?"

Roy nodded, he did know. The guy sighed, "So anyway Jamie and I haven't talked in over six weeks. Then my wife set up this meeting. Jamie, he ain't married but he and my wife are like second cousins or something. So she made sure I was gonna go." He shook his head. "Is there anyway you can check on him for me?

Roy shook his head, "They can tell you in the hospital. I'm sure he's getting the best care possible." Silently he felt for the guy. His friend's injuries at the scene hadn't looked very hopeful.

"I hope he's gonna be alright. To tell you the truth, I kinda miss him. See, we did everything together before the fight. I . . .I was kinda hoping this would finally end it."

Roy smiled, "I'm sure he feels the same way too." When Steve looked at him puzzled, Roy grinned, "Well? He was there—right?"

Slowly a smile spread across the victim's face, "Yeah. Yeah! You're right! He WAS there!"

The ambulance backed up and the doors opened. Roy accompanied the gurney down the hall, giving his report to a doctor he barely recognized as he went. After they transferred Steve onto the exam table and Roy detached all of the squad's equipment, he asked the doctor, "Need me anymore, Doc?" The doctor looked up and shook his head and Roy turned to leave. Again a pull on his sleeve stopped him and he turned back. Steve gave him a weak grin, "Thanks man, for . . . for all you said. Just thanks."

Roy grinned back and nodded, "You take care." With that he left.

As he exited the treatment room he saw Ben coming slowly out of another room. He hurried over, "Hey, Ben. How's the guy you brought in?"

Ben looked up with a frown, "Why"

Roy blinked in surprise at the uncharacteristic attitude of the other paramedic. "Uh, the . . . the guy I just brought in? With the broken femur? He was asking. I understand they're like best buds, were together when the car hit them,"

Ben's face softened as he gave a faint nod, "oh." He took a deep breath then blew it out slowly, his hand on the back of his neck. "He . . . uh didn't make it, Roy. Morton just called it. He coded on us on the way in and we never got him back."

Roy felt stunned and leaned heavily against the wall as he digested it. Ben shook his head, "Weird, isn't it. I mean think of the odds that two guys are standing together going into a restaurant one minute then the next . . .bam, a car comes out of nowhere. One guy lives and the other dies. Go figure."

"Yeah," Roy echoed, hearing his wife's prophetic words over again in his mind, "Go figure." At that moment, Gus hailed his partner and without a look back, Ben ambled off.

Roy stood there, leaning against the wall, playing with the strap to the HT as he thought over the conversation with Steve. 'He never got to make it up with his friend.' he shook his head, 'They were going to, after all they were both there and they were both going into the restaurant. But they never got . . ." He looked up, suddenly desperate to hear about his own friend. He spotted Dix standing near the base station and headed toward her.

"Hey Dix." His voice soft as he dropped his forearms wearily on the head nurse's desk. She looked up and nodded, "Rough one?"

He nodded.

He looked at the elevator and bit his lip.

"How's . . .how's John doing?

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to gage his interest. Coming to a decision, she shrugged nonchalantly. "I wouldn't know." That got his attention and he stood up straight.

"You wouldn't know? Why not? What's happened to him?"

She shrugged again, "He checked out yesterday against Kel's orders."

Anger flooded Roy, fueled, he was surprised to realized by . . . fear. "He did? Of all the asinine idiotic immature boneheaded stunts he's pulled . . . What the hell did he think he was trying to prove doing that?!"

Now Dixie was angry and her being tired on top of all that didn't help. "Oh get off it, DeSoto." She scoffed. "Like you even give a rat's ass what he does anymore."

To say the Head Nurse's words shocked the paramedic would be a gross understatement. He blinked owl-like at her as she continued, "You've proved how little you care about Johnny quite well over the last several weeks. And even if you hadn't, your actions when he lay there in the exam room the day he was injured showed everyone your true feelings."

Now Roy's eyes closed as the guilt swelled up and nearly choked him. He knew she was right. "but . . . but Dix . . ." He weakly protested.

But Dixie's Celtic blood was boiling and she wasn't letting up. "I don't know what all happened, Roy DeSoto, but I saw enough to get a good idea. I never thought of you being over-bearing but over the last month I've had to do some reevaluating."

Roy remained silent and Dixie continued, "For whatever reason you came up with in your egotistical brain, you suddenly took a dislike to Johnny, a Johnny I might add that the rest of us might have at times found trying but loved him like he was for all that."

She waved her hands, "But oh no, not the wise ever-knowing Paramedic DeSoto. He knew better! And so he set forth to remake one poor little naive Indian boy." Roy winced, knowing that while not knowing the exact particulars, Dix had nailed the crux of the problem.

She looked at the slumped figure before her, her gaze calculating. In a quieter voice she said, "And God help that same poor boy but he let you." She straightened, her every word now considered and calculating, "How pathetic of him."

Roy's head shot upward, fire in his eyes, "John is not pathetic!" he burst out.

Dix tilted her head and gave a light chuckle, "Oh? You put such conditions on his relationship that he's no more the person he once was. You forced him into a model of something he isn't. And the saddest thing is, he's tried to fit that model in order to have some sort of relationship with you. How pathetic is that?"

"He's not pathetic!" Roy replied again, angry at the thought.

She raised an elegantly sculptured eyebrow at that. "Oh? Let me run it down. You didn't like his chatter; he stopped talking. You didn't like his bouncing energy; he stopped bounding around. You didn't think he was paying enough attention around him, you know that was wrong. Johnny is very conscious of his surroundings both on and off the job. He had to be to merely survive long before you ever met him."

She cringed inwardly at the pain she saw in the blue eyes of the man before her but she went on, determined that this had to be said, 'For both of their sakes, ' She thought then amended herself, 'No, for ALL our sakes.'

Her voice softened as she asked, "Was it so bad that he felt safe enough around you guys to relax and allow himself to have a little fun? Now he's remolded himself into what he thinks you want, a well trained automaton who can work side by side with you but has no friends, no human contact, no outside life! I'd say that's pretty pathetic."

Roy stood there, hearing Dixie's words, feeling them settle deep into his very soul and knowing they are unadulterated truth. With his guilt nearly crippling him now, he can't do anything, say anything back.

Dixie looked at him and sighed. "I'm tired. My shift ended hours ago and I'm going home. But before I go, I want to leave you with this one thought above all others."

Roy slowly raised his head until he could look Dixie straight in the eye and silently waited to hear her judgment, knowing what ever it would be, it was what he deserved. But Dixie's final words surprised him even more. "You started all this, Roy DeSoto. SO now what are you going to do to fix it?"

And she left.

Roy remained there, having no choice but to think over all she'd told him. He was still standing there when Jake found him and told him the squad was being delivered.

The rest of the crew seemed aware of his quiet mood and didn't break into it. They returned to the station, reheated and ate their dinner, then the weary firefighters headed for bed. The fates were gently with them that night and they had no more calls.

As Roy began to feel sleep claim him, he suddenly realized something, He had been trying to replace Johnny with Kent, trying to train Kent in the way he wanted Johnny to act. At the end all he'd done was hurt all involved in his little god-act. He realize that all the things he thought he couldn't control on Johnny, the things he thought made him a liability were what made Johnny, Johnny. In removing those things, he slowly killed Johnny's spirit.

A heavy fog blanketed the area, making visibility a near impossibility. Roy looked down at himself, the only thing he could see clearly right now in the thick mist around him. 'I'm in uniform. I must be on duty?'

The mist swirled off to his right as another figure strode toward him, "This way DeSoto. We don't want to miss anything." The voice told him who the speaker was long before he came close enough to be recognized. Roy groaned. 'Not Brice.'

Craig Brice halted in front of him and shook his head, "Don't blame me, DeSoto. I have nothing to do with being here. Apparently your subconscious believes that the only way you'll listen is through a manifestation of me so here I am once again." He shook his head, disappointment clearly in his face. "If you'd only listen more to your own consciousness . . ."

Fear clutched Roy's heart as he remembered the last time Brice had escorted him. "Where's John? Why are we here? What's going on?"

Brice took off his glasses, wiped them with a hanky from his back pocket and returned them to his face before facing the other paramedic. "All your questions will be answered if you'll follow me." With that, he turned and left, the mist dissolving around him as Roy followed.

Suddenly it cleared and the two men stood on a street corner. Engine 51 stood near them, the squad just a bit further up the street, and an ambulance was parked in the street. Roy caught sight of himself walking toward the ambulance. He watched as that other self stopped, faced Johnny and growled, "Meet us at Rampart." After crawling into the ambulance, the other Roy reached out and almost viciously yanked the bio-phone from Johnny's unsuspecting grip all the while glaring angrily at Johnny, then turned and with a smile and a pleasant voice told Marc. "Marc, you ride with Gage. I'll see you in a few."

"Gee, DeSoto." Brice commented, "Johnny must have really screwed up on that rescue."

Roy blinked in surprise, "Why do you say that?"

Brice laughed, "The way you were treating him, of course. I've never seen you even show as much as a deep frown toward me and I know I aggravate you tremendously. Gage must have been acting well below his usual adequate level to make you that mad at him."

Roy thought back and couldn't find anything wrong with the way Johnny had acted. 'So then, why was I acting that way toward him?' He watched as Johnny shut the doors, gave the signal of all clear and watched the ambulance pull away, his face expressionless. Johnny then turned and said something to Cap before heading toward the squad.

Brice smiled, "Ah yes. Now the story gets interesting."

Part of Roy cringed. He knew what he was seeing, what he was going to see, and he wasn't sure he really wanted to see it. However, he found he couldn't look away. The engine crew was getting ready to return, Cap talking with the police officer about the couple's car. Roy saw Johnny turn to Kent, tell him to pack up, then he removed his turnout coat and tossed his helmet into the squad. "Oh, John," he couldn't help but groan, "If only you'd kept your gear on a little bit longer, maybe your injuries wouldn't be so bad." Roy muttered.

"Yes, foolish of him wasn't it?" Brice agreed.

Roy frowned at him, "He didn't know what was going to happen. He thought the call was over and he was just following us to Rampart."

Brice looked him in the eye before he nodded slowly, "Exactly."

Roy felt somehow he'd been in the wrong. Johnny's actions caught his attention and he watched as the dark hared medic stopped and raised his head.

"He smells it. The gas. He smells it." Roy whispered and found himself unconsciously sniffing the air as well. He watched as Kent took off his coat and climbed into the squad then watched with a frown on his face as Johnny slowly turned around in the street, trying to center on where the gas was coming from.

Johnny walked slowly back toward the buildings as Kent sighed loudly and rolled his eyes. "Come on Gage," he called out, "stop messing around. Roy's gonna be waiting on us." Roy watched Johnny raise his hand toward Kent in a signal he knew well as 'wait' but Kent didn't seem to understand. "Damn stupid Indian, messin' around, wasting time." He growled and Roy looked at him wide-eyed. 'Has he been using these racial slurs against John all this time?' somehow, he knew it was so.

Then Roy grinned as Johnny tried the door, watched as his posture changed and then the dark haired man was racing back toward the squad. "He pin-pointed it." Roy practically crowed and Brice nodded as they both heard Johnny warn LA dispatch. Roy noticed Kent was now fuming, yelling at Johnny about what he saw as his strange behavior and ordering him to drive them to Rampart, threatening to leave him behind. Roy looked at Brice who shrugged. Then Roy clearly heard Johnny order, "Move the squad. Now!" before he was gone again, running toward where Cap was just getting into the engine, calling as he did "Cap! Wait!"

But before he made it more then two steps, Roy saw him change direction, instead heading toward a portly gentleman in a suit approaching the same door Johnny had just checked. He watched, nodding in approval as Johnny took the arm of the man and lead him insistently over toward where Cap was coming toward them. He could hear Johnny questioning the man over the building and any other occupants then filling Cap in on what he'd smelled and what he'd told LA. "Way to go, Gage." Roy complemented.

"Yes, in all probability he saved several lives that day." Brice agreed.

Roy's smile of pleasure turned to alarm as he saw Johnny glance back toward the squad and tell Cap, "Kent's still in the squad; I told him to move it away.." Without another pause, the younger man ran back toward the squad shouting, "Kent! Get out of there!" at the sulking figure in the front seat.

"No! Johnny, no!" Roy found himself calling out, knowing what the younger man was headed for.

Brice shook his head, "He can't hear you. Besides, this has already happened as you well know."

Roy turned to Brice, frustration making his fists clench and unclench, "But why? Why did he run back? He was safe; he had the civilian safe. Kent was fine in the squad, it was Gage who was hurt because he was in the blast cone unprotected."

Brice nodded and pointed toward the squad, "You know that and we know that, but at the time Johnny didn't know Kent would be safe. He'd told Kent to move but Kent ignored him. All Johnny was thinking about was scene safe."

Roy slumped, "Check the scene, secure the scene." He murmured and could do no more but watch as his partner followed his training.