As Roy drove up to the white one story house, the two paramedics saw a small crowd gathered outside. Jumping out of the squad, Johnny grabbed the hose off the engine and wrapped it around the corner hydrant. Shaking off a blinding wave of dizziness, he hastily loosened the steamer cap. Johnny opened the valve part way, not realizing he missed the first signal to release the water pressure. After opening it completely, he jogged to where the squad had pulled forward, donned his turnout coat and SCBA, certain that between the crowd and the time of day that someone was likely to be still in the house.

Making his way over to where Cap and Roy was talking with someone, Johnny heard the last bit of information a woman was giving out.

"…their daughter had an appointment early this morning, please do something!" the neighbor woman pleaded with terror in her eyes.

"Yes ma'am. Do you know where in the house they might be?" Roy asked.

Glancing at her watch, she hesitated before speaking up, "I think Mary, my daughter, said that the doctor appointment is set for 8:30 this morning, so they probably need to be leaving soon. They go to the same one we do."

"Alright, wait over there, my men will go search for them," Cap told her. Seeing that she was out of hearing range, he quickly conferred with his two paramedics.

"What do you think, Johnny? Go in through the garage first?" Roy asked.

"Probably the only place they have a shot at this point," Johnny said dismally, noticing how badly engulfed the house was already.

"Chet and Marco haven't heard or seen anyone in the house yet. They'll keep an eye out and work in that direction while you can try to make your way in through the garage. I'll keep a line on the garage to give you some time," Cap added. "Go, but make it fast. And be careful!"

"Got it, Cap!" Roy voiced as he put on his mask.

Johnny simply followed Roy's actions, too tired to speak and too focused to want to delay any further energy towards acknowledging the orders.

Using the K-12 to get in, the partners were slightly stunned by the sight that awaited them. The woman and child were in a red, two door Oldsmobile Cutlass. A support beam and a small storage space near the ceiling had collapsed, not only causing the garage door to buckle, but parts of the car roof as well. From what they could see at first glance, being in the car had not only helped prevent smoke inhalation, but also serious injury. Unfortunately, smoke and flames were quickly filling the small garage. It seemed they had less time than expected. Worse yet, there were gas cans stored beneath the workshop bench along the back wall. Roy just shook his head at the lack of common sense.

"Cap, we found them. They aren't trapped," Roy reported over the HT.

"10-4. Let me know if you need help. Other company is ten minutes out," he responded.

"10-4," Roy acknowledged, putting the HT in his turnout pocket.

Refocusing quickly, he and Johnny forced open the front passenger door. Seeing flames starting to coat the wall separating the garage and the house, Roy knew the two of them had to move fast. Reaching in for the driver, he found a pulse.

"She's alive!" Roy shouted.

Checking her over for injuries, Roy came to the conclusion it was safe to move her. Thankfully, she wasn't trapped, so after cutting her seat belt, he carefully grabbed her before backing out.

Putting her over his shoulders, he told Johnny, "Get the kid and get out fast. I'll be at the entrance if you need me. There's not much time!"

"Got it," Johnny acknowledged as Roy turned away to the opening and he shimmied into the back of the car.

Finding the kid was actually somewhat awake, he began talking to her as he examined her.

"Hi honey. My name is Johnny. I'm a fireman and a paramedic. My partner is outside taking care of your mom and I'll get you out of here. Don't you worry, darlin'," he practically cooed.

Pulling her across the front seat, he gave her some oxygen from his mask. Feeling the heat increasing further, he knew there wasn't much time, but since the girl had a broken arm, John knew he had to be careful with his precious package. Finally reaching the car door, Johnny backed into the garage with her cradled in his arms, bumping his head a bit on the car as the smoke interfered with his view.

As Johnny reached the garage door, Roy was there to grab the girl. Watching Roy hustle away with her, Johnny began to go through the opening head first so he could see when he needed to duck. Just as he tucked his head down towards his chest, a loud BOOM sounded. Everyone nearby looked up, knowing that the fire had just reached the gas cans and hoped Johnny cleared the garage.

Johnny realized seconds too late that there was no way he was going to make it out of the garage. He could feel the heat building up even while handing the girl off to Roy and just prayed he would pass out quickly. As the gas cans exploded, the shrapnel from the cans and garage slammed into his back. Even with his turnout coat, it still felt as though nails were being driven into his back. Before he could scream, his breath was sucked out of him as his body flew and his eyes grew wide as the cement driveway loomed closer. Finally, with the first landing, Johnny's world grew quiet, peaceful and pain-free.

While Johnny was experiencing all this first hand, everyone except Roy witnessed firsthand as Johnny's head catch the edge of the man-made opening in the garage, violently ripping off his helmet before he was hurled into the air, his head pointed towards the street. Long seconds later, his head bounced repeatedly on the cement driveway as he skidded a few more feet. Everyone on scene couldn't help but wince as each time Johnny's body lifted up off the ground from the sheer energy of the blast, he flopped into a new position. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, John was still.

Busy with patients of his own, when Roy heard the blast, he knew in guts Johnny hadn't made it out and seeing him lying so still made him want to rush over to him. Knowing his duty was to his two civilian patients, Roy cursed inside, hating his job and the fact he couldn't see to someone he called family. Setting the young girl down by her mother, he smiled at her and immediately got her on oxygen. Seeing the obvious fracture in her arm, he grabbed a splint to set it. Taking her vitals, he called into Rampart, hoping he could convince whichever doctor came on to let him go to his partner.

"Rampart, this is Squad-51, how do you read?"

A few excruciating seconds passed before Roy heard Brackett reply, "Go ahead, 51."

"Rampart, we have three victims, two females and one code I. The two females were trapped in a car inside a smoke-filled garage for an undetermined amount of time. The first female is about age 30, was initially unconscious, suspect that it was due to smoke inhalation and heat as no head wounds are apparent. She is now conscious. Vitals are: Pulse 110, Resps 24, BP 110/80. Pupils equal and reactive, no other signs of trauma. Victim two is 10 and was semi-conscious, no apparent head injuries and is now fully conscious. Pulse 125, Resps 26, BP 120/70. Her left ulna and radius are broken, they have been set. Code I is…" here Roy faltered. "It's Johnny, doc. Right now, Marco and Chet are with him, doing the best to help him, but he isn't moving. There was an explosion and it blew him back about five feet or so…"

"Alright, Roy, I understand," Dr. Brackett gathered himself mentally at that unwanted image.

Kel Brackett hated it whenever a friend of his got hurt and it seemed Johnny was one who did so frequently. He knew it had to be even harder on Roy; the friendship those two had went far beyond the range of normal friendship. They were more like brothers than anything.

"Set up D5W TKO on both females, give .5 mg morphine IV to the child if parental permission is available. Have Chet or Marco keep an eye on them and report vitals while you see to Johnny."

"Thanks, doc. The mother has agreed to treatment. That's D5W on both, .5 mg morphine IV for the child. Squad-51."

Putting down the biophone, Roy called for Marco, knowing Chet would want to help with Johnny. Despite the pranks and bickering, the two were still good friends. Explaining to Marco what Bracket wanted, Roy pulled out the equipment he thought he might need. Thankfully, it sounded as if the additional engine and squad that Cap had was just blocks away, so it shouldn't long before help arrived.

Seeing Johnny lying bunched up on his stomach, Roy's own stomach knotted in fear.

"Chet?"

"H even tried to move yet, hasn't even made any noise," Chet breathlessly explained, looking up fearfully. "I made sure none of the debris was still on him so it wouldn't keep burning him. I took his bandage scissors, got his pants and shirt off of him as much as possible, but…"

"You did good," Roy said softly, taking over.

"I just didn't want to move him, you know? He just had hit his head so hard and…" Chet was still stunned by the pictures that kept playing in his head of Johnny being forcefully expelled from the garage.

"I know," Roy too was trying to shake his own memories.

His were of the noises: the loud bang of the explosions, Johnny screaming before it was abruptly cut short. The yells of everyone else and the final thuds of what he assumed was Johnny landing.

Doing his best to revert to his 'paramedic role' as Johnny would call it, Roy set about with his grim task. Grabbing the neck brace from the trauma box, he gently slipped it on Johnny. Taking Johnny's vitals, Roy called them out to Chet to record. Roy removed Johnny's shoes carefully and noticed the swelling in the right ankle immediately. Roy carefully put a splint over the ankle. It felt broken, but he couldn't be sure. Removing the pants the rest of the way, Roy winced at the cut he found there. Compared to the other injuries, it wasn't bad, but he had hoped that with the left side relatively intact, at least part of Johnny would have escaped uninjured. Taking a deep breath, he moved on, ensuring that the blue paramedic shirt and the white t-shirt under it wouldn't come with Johnny when he was rolled. Pointing out the various marks and seeing that Chet took note of all the various burn marks, cuts, scrapes and bruises, Roy took another deep breath.

I can't believe the amount of damage! Roy thought to himself.

Putting even more pressure bandages on the larger and deeper puncture wounds, he made sure the bleeding was as controlled as possible before asking for a burn kit. Realizing Chet wasn't the one who handed it to him as expected, but instead it was his Cap, Roy tried to hide his surprise.

"Thanks," Roy murmured, before continuing on with his task of triaging Johnny.

"Another ambulance just arrived for him. Squad 36 took over your two patients. The other engine is working on the fire. Anything we can do?" Cap asked quietly.

"Can you help make sure the bandages don't move?" Roy asked, knowing full well that it was a pointless task as the sheet covering Johnny after the saline was poured on would do the same. However, he knew that his crew needed to do something to feel useful, even if was something so simple.

"Okay, let's get him on the backboard. Count of five," on that command, the five of them gently rolled Johnny onto the waiting backboard, producing a slight moan from him.

"Johnny?" Roy quickly asked.

He got out his penlight and observed how Johnny's pupils reacted to light. Both were dilated and moving sluggishly, which was not a good sign at all. At least there wasn't any fluid from his ears, although his nose was still sluggishly bleeding, so he couldn't tell if fluid was coming from there. Checking out his ribs, he noticed that once again, Johnny had managed to damage his ribs. Probably had broken at least a few. By the sound of it, Johnny had managed to avoid puncturing a lung even though he did have some rales that he could hear. Pushing on Johnny's belly, Roy was relieved to find it soft, indicating that there was probably no internal bleeding. If it wasn't for the fact he was still unconscious, John would have been very lucky.

Now, if he would just wake up! Roy thought as he ran his knuckles over Johnny's sternum. Although a faint moan came forth, the eyes remained closed and his body remained unnaturally still.

"Rampart, this is Squad 51."

"Go ahead Roy," Brackett quickly replied, indicating that he had been standing by the hospitals base station.

Seeing Joe Early, he rapped on the door, and waved to him. Entering, Joe was about to ask what was going on when he heard Roy respond.

"Doc, Johnny has various puncture wounds, some deep, as well as scratches and bruises along the back of his legs and back. I put pressure bandages on 'em and then because of the various spots of first, second and possible third degree marks on his back, I just put a sterile sheet over and covered it with saline solution. His right ankle looks broken, is splinted. We have him on a back board. A few bumps on his head. His head, uhh…" here Roy paused, and held the biophone away from his mouth, unsure if he would be sick. "Uh, doc, I'm told his head, uhh…bounced a bit..."

"Repeat 51?" Brackett asked, shocked.

"Johnny, he uh, he didn't, umm, land right away, I guess. His head hit the driveway a few times."

"10-4," Brackett said quietly. "Continue."

Taking another deep breath, Roy looked down at the notebook, "No signs of fluids in mouth, nose is bleeding. A couple of ribs that are probably broken. No sign of internal bleeding. Still isn't conscious and has been unconscious for about 15 minutes. Pupils are dilated and sluggish. Doesn't react to voices, but did react slightly when we moved him to the backboard and when I did a sternal rub. Nothing since then. I have him on 15 liters of O2. Has signs of minor smoke inhalation. I patched him up on the EKG. Vitals are as followed. Pulse 65, BP 160/110, Reps are 22. This will be lead 2." Roy flipped the switch.

"Reading sinus tach. Start D5W, TKO. Transport immediately."

Repeating back the instructions, Roy set up what was needed and signed off.

"Looks like we have our work cut out for us," Joe said.

"Yes we do," Kel said grimly. "Dixie, get treatment 2 ready for Johnny. Get x-rays down here and put an OR on stand-by. I don't like the sound of the head injury."

"Neither do I," Joe said. "I'll be sure to clear my schedule."

"Thanks."

"Not a problem, Kel. He's one of ours."

With that, the three of them left to get ready for the arrival of John Gage, knowing that the next ten minutes until the ambulance arrived would be filled with anxious, worry-filled thoughts.