Chet sat in chair in the waiting room next to JoAnne. Awkwardly and carefully he put his still splinted ankle up on the chair across from him. With the hospital being overwhelmed with the victims of the hotel fire Chet hadn't yet had the opportunity to get his ankle set in a proper cast. "JoAnne, do you need anything?"

"No, Chet. I'm fine. Just worried about Roy."

Chet gently put his hand on JoAnne's arm. "He'll be fine. He and Johnny are pretty much indestructible."

"Thanks Chet." JoAnne tried to calm herself by remembering all the times that both Roy and Johnny had been injured on the job and still managed to get back up after a full recovery. "Was, was anyone else hurt in the fire?"

"Yeah, they were." Chet answered honestly but calmly. "Aside from Roy and Johnny and my ankle, Cap has a head injury while Mike and Marco over there got pretty beat up, too."

Dixie walked into the waiting room and put her hands on Mike and Marco's shoulders. "Speaking of which, you two need to come with me."

"But-"

"No 'buts'," she stopped Marco before he even had the chance to protest. "doctors orders."

Mike nodded. "Come on, we can't do anything anymore, but wait."

Dixie escorted the two wounded and tired firefighters to exam room four, where Dr. Early would examine them after taking care of Roy.

In exam room two Hank was sitting upright, though a little hunched, as Dr. Morton finished putting in the sutures to the painful laceration in the back of his head.

"There we are." Dr. Morton announced as he pressed a clean wad of gauze against the freshly closed wound to mop up any excess blood. "Twelve sutures."

Hank sat up straighter, moving slowly as to not upset his lingering headache. "Thanks Doc. How're the others?"

"Still being taken care of. I think JoAnne is out in the waiting room."

"Poor JoAnne..." His heart went out to the incredibly patient and compassionate woman. It made him think of his own wife. "Maybe I should call-"

"Dixie has already called your wife, as well."

"She did?" Hank was genuinely surprised. "Wow..."

"Dixie's very thorough when it comes to taking care of her patients."

"'Her' patients? I thought we were your patients."

"Nah," Dr. Morton grinned. "we may treat the wounds and diagnose the illnesses, but it's Dixie who really takes care of everyone."

Hank took his time climbing off the exam table, not wanting to pass out again. "I'm going to go sit in the waiting room, is that alright?"

"Just fine. But don't leave. Dr. Early and I agree that you should stay one night for observation."

"Over a little cut?"

"Over your not-so-little concussion." Dr. Morton corrected. "Take it easy, your men are in good hands."

Dr. Brackett was listening to Johnny's chest once more with his stethoscope. Dixie walked into the exam room to give him an update on what was happening with his other numerous patients. "Kel, JoAnne is in the waiting room if you or Joe want to talk with her."

"Thanks Dix." He sighed feeling distraught as he put his stethoscope aside and took out his pen flashlight to check Johnny's eyes. "Anything else?"

"Well, Mike sutured Captain Stanley's cranial laceration, Chet Kelley's ankle is fractured in three places and right now Joe is checking on the other two injured firefighters in exam room four."

"It's been one hell of day, hasn't it?" He clicked off his flashlight. "That goes for all of us."

"How is Johnny?" Dixie asked sincerely as she walked up the exam table and looked down at the injured paramedic. She put her hand on his hand and squeezed a little in a sympathetic manner.

"Stubborn, as usual."

"That's a good sign, then."

"Yeah." Dr. Brackett crossed his arms and shook his head. "I don't know how he managed to do it. How does someone keep moving through a burning building with six fractured ribs?"

"Adrenaline?" Dixie offered casually. "Of course Roy was injured, too, I imagine having your best friend's life on the line would be a great motivator to get back up."

Dr. Brackett smiled at Dixie. "I think you solved it. Makes me glad we work in a hospital and not in a fire station."

Dixie laughed a little. "Now don't try and tell me you never imagined yourself driving a fire truck when you were a kid."

"Maybe once or twice." Dr. Brackett noted the time on his watch. "I'm going to go check on Roy, keep me posted on Johnny."

Marco sat on the exam table in exam room four and patiently waited for Dr. Early to finish examining his nose. It was still very sore and a little swollen. Fortunately the bleeding had long since stopped, but his eyes were still a little watery from the pain.

"This is going to be uncomfortable, but I have to make sure the bridge of your nose is straightened." Dr. Early put his thumbs on either side of Marco's nose. "Are you ready?"

"No, but do it anyway."

"Okay..." With a quick and controlled motion Dr. Early realigned Marco's nose and took his hands away. "There, that should do it."

Marco shook his head a little as the pain flared up then settled. "Ouch... Thanks doc. I think."

"Nurse," Dr. Early addressed Nurse Sharon Walters who was assisting him. "could you bring him an ice pack?"

"Yes, doctor." The young nurse left the room with a little smile on her face.

Dr. Early focused his attention on Mike. "Now, let's take a look at your back."

Mike unbuttoned his blue uniform shirt then slipped off his relatively dirty white t-shirt as he sat down.

"Tell me everything that happened after you were knocked down."

...to be continued...