Part VIII

The kids were watching television when the knock came at the door of the DeSoto household. A glance through the peephole to see who it was made Joanne wish that school was already back in session so that the children wouldn't be here. It was too damp and cold to send them outside, so she called out to them.

"Chris – Kim – go to your rooms for now, please."

Once they were headed up the stairs, she took a deep breath, opened the door and greeted the two women who were waiting.

"Mrs. Stanley. Nurse McCall. Please come inside."

Mrs. Stanley led the way in both entering and speaking.

"Thank you, Joanne. Hank had mentioned to me that you hadn't managed to make it to the hospital much. I wanted to see if you and the children were doing alright."

"You don't have to beat around the bush, Ellen. You really want to know why I'm not at the hospital hovering over Roy, don't you?"

The amount of bitterness that came out in her voice surprised even Joanne. Mrs. Stanley looked a bit flabbergasted and at a loss for what to say next, so Joanne continued.

"Besides, I saw him just this morning. He was fine."

Dixie spoke up on that comment.

"So the two of you spoke?"

She could practically see Joanne bristling at that. Her tone matched that attitude.

"Not that I think that it's any of your business, but no. Dr. Brackett was very clear that he didn't want me upsetting him. I just looked in and left. He never even woke up."

Feeling herself starting to get a headache over this, Dixie just shook her head slightly as the thought 'Oh yes he did' ran through her head, but didn't speak yet. Mrs. Stanley didn't keep her thoughts to herself.

"Why all of the venom, Jo? What did Roy do?"

Starting to pace slightly, Joanne just made a vague gesture of irritation.

"I – don't know. No one big thing really. More a lot of little ones. Or it was until this morning. My mother called me in tears."

Sighing, Dixie spoke up again.

"Alright. I might have been a little harsh on her, Joanne, but I don't think it was anything that a grown woman should have burst into tears over. If you like, I won't apologize for what I said, but I will apologize for the way I said it."

"This isn't about you, Dixie. It's about what Roy said to her."

"So far as I know, Roy didn't say anything to her."

The pacing stopped as Joanne turned angry eyes at Dixie.

"Are you seriously going to stand there and try to cover up for him? Because quite frankly, I don't care how he was feeling or what drugs you people have him on. There is no excuse for the way he spoke to my mother."

"I don't know why you assume that I would lie for Roy, but he wasn't saying anything when I walked into the room. I could hear your mother loud and clear though. I walked over to Roy and took the phone away from him. And no, he didn't signal me or ask me to. I don't think he even knew that I was in the room until I took the phone away. And yes, I gave her a piece of my mind about yelling over the phone at a patient – any patient – who is recovering from a concussion."

"Now you're calling my mother a liar?"

"I am not doing any such thing. I don't have any idea what she told you. What I can tell you is what I saw and heard. It's up to you what you believe. But why would I lie to you?"

"Why wouldn't you? All of you - the ER personnel, the firemen - all of you are on Roy's side."

That statement hung in the air for several long moments until Mrs. Stanley spoke again.

"Yes. We are on Roy's side. How long has it been since you stopped being on that side yourself?"

Joanne started to immediately protest that, but stopped before the first word was fully out. Seeing the conflicting emotions in play, Dixie spoke again.

"Listen - how things are between you and Roy are just between the two of you - right up to the point where they collide with the ability of the doctors and myself to treat one of you. As we speak, Roy is currently in restraints because he injured himself when he tried to catch up to you as you were leaving today."

Mrs. Stanley was just quietly watching Joanne's reactions at this point. A brief moment of concern followed by a shift to annoyance.

"You're still upset over Christmas, aren't you?"

Irritation overcame embarrassment this time and it came out.

"Yes! I know it sounds selfish because, yes, I know that he's good at his job and yes, he and Johnny got those kids out, but there are other firefighters in this city. Other paramedics. He was at work on Thanksgiving too. And Easter. And Christmas last year. Someone else would have done it if he wasn't there. You know, a lot of kids think about being firefighters or police growing up, but they move on to other things."

"And yet there are still firefighters, police and yes - even cowboys and ballerinas remaining in the world."

Mrs. Stanley's soft voice gave Dixie's brain time to finish processing what Joanne had said. Once she finished, Dixie's voice went low with anger.

"Wait a minute - you're equating Roy being in the fire department with him being immature? Other people 'outgrew' it, so why didn't he?"

"You didn't know him growing up! He was athletic - he was smart - he could have become anything he wanted to be."

"Joanne? I've watched him doing his job. And I think he did become exactly what he wanted to be. And I also think that if you've been waiting for him to get past his 'fireman phase', you've been fooling yourself."

None of the three women noticed the two young heads that glanced around the corner briefly before Chris put his arm around his sister's shoulders and went back upstairs.

"Chris? What are traints and why is Daddy in them?"

Not really sure himself, but knowing from the way 'Nurse Dixie' said it that they weren't a good thing, Chris gave Kim a reassuring hug.

"I dunno. But get dressed. Me and you are going to go see Dad and find out."

Kim brightened immediately, then got a puzzled look.

"How?"

"Leave that to me. Hurry up."

As Kim darted off to get ready, Chris grabbed the phone book and made use of the upstairs phone to call a taxicab, relieved when he was told how much it would cost to take the two of them to Rampart. He had enough money with what he'd been saving up his summer camp spending money to cover it. Asking to be picked up at the corner, he hung up, grabbed his money and his jacket, then quietly led Kim out of the house through the back. He noticed the bulge in her coat, then smiled as he realized what it had to be. He should have thought of it himself, but Dad could save that present for when he got to come home.