Adam made a beeline to the coffee maker, still tense from his confrontation with Johnny. He had known that at some point he would have to tell Johnny about Isaac, but he was hoping to hold off as long as he could.

Isaac seemed to be doing better today, so that helped Adam breathe a little easier.

But he knew this was going to be an ongoing issue. Isaac's t-cell count was low and wasn't going to recover, Adam knew that. Hell, any little thing Adam brought home could kill him.

The thought made something twist deep inside him.

And of course, there was the ever-present worry that he would be next. Adam tried hard not to think about that much.

Instead, he chose to focus on everything he would have to do to set Isaac up at home. Obviously, Adam couldn't leave him home alone, not for a full twenty-four-hour shift. He had been in contact with APLA, but resources were limited, and the chances of securing home assistance were slim.

He and Isaac had a large circle of friends, of course, but Adam was loathe to lean too heavily on them. They were all dealing with this ongoing crisis, and they were all stretched thin.

He let out a heavy sigh. No wonder he was having such a hard time concentrating on his job.

There was movement just outside his field of vision, and he glanced over to see Johnny moving toward the coffee maker, and Adam moved aside to let him in. The other man was hurting, that much was obvious. He'd been moving a whole lot slower ever since that hillside rescue a month or so prior.

It had been a rainy night, and they'd been called to the scene of a mudslide. One car nearly buried, and another pushed through the guardrail and teetering on the edge of the hill. At some point Johnny had lost traction and slid down the muddy hill, and Adam had been sure that was going to be the end of him.

But Johnny had shrugged it off afterwards, as he so often did, and he had seemed to recover well enough. Adam swore the man bounced more often than he broke.

Adam observed Johnny for a moment. No, it couldn't just be from the hillside rescue. Something more was going on.

Whatever it was, Johnny seemed determined to tough it out, brushing off every expression of concern. But it was obvious to Adam that it was affecting him greatly.

This shouldn't have bothered Adam so much, except he and Johnny both knew what a liability it was to work hurt. Johnny knew better. It was only a matter of time before something gave.

Adam let out a short sigh. To be fair, both of them had been knocked around pretty hard over the years. It came with the territory. And if Adam was in Johnny's place, hell, he'd probably just try to push through it, too.

He hated seeing his longtime partner and friend in such pain, though.

And that was another reason Adam wasn't particularly eager to talk about Isaac. Adam knew that Johnny would want to jump in and help in some way, and it was clear to Adam that Johnny had his own problems that he should be dealing with.

Sure. That was how Adam would justify it to himself.

The truth was, there was nothing much to be done except watch and wait. And Adam could do that on his own.

The tones went off, and he and Johnny were off again. They spent most of the day on back-to-back calls, not returning to the station until early evening.

Once they returned after that last call, Johnny slowly slid out of the seat of the squad, shifting most of his weight to his left side as he carefully landed on his feet. He paused for a long moment, rubbing at his hip before slamming the door behind him.

Adam rounded the cab of the squad to catch up to him. "You need something? Drugs? A stiff drink? A hammer to the head?"

That earned him a hint of a smile as Johnny shook his head. "Nah, I'm just gonna go lay down."

The exhaustion in Johnny's voice was concerning. "Are you sure you don't at least want something to eat first? I think Sam's making chicken and dumplings."

"Later."

With that Johnny slowly made his way to the dorm, and Adam started toward the day room. Before he could get too far, he was accosted by Chet. "What's with him?"

"Oh, you know, we're all just getting old and falling apart." Adam replied casually. "Johnny's no exception, I guess."

"Yeah, you might have a point there." Chet nodded. "Good thing we've got people to look after us in our old age, huh?"

"Speak for yourself." The words came out before Adam could stop them.

Chet looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing, never mind." Adam quickly responded. "I'm going to go check in on Johnny."

"Hope he doesn't bite your head off."

"Me too."

Adam opened up one of the compartments on the squad, getting into the drug box for a cold pack. He threw it down on the floor to activate it and headed into the dorm.

Johnny was laying down, one arm thrown over his eyes, though not asleep. Adam set the cold pack down on Johnny's arm. "Brought you something."

Johnny jerked, then took the cold pack and placed it on his hip. "Thanks."

Adam sat down on the bed opposite him, watching as Johnny finally seemed to relax. Maybe now he'd be in a more receptive mood. "How long has that thing been bothering you?"

Johnny let out a short huff and turned his head, fixing Adam with a glare. "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Using my own words against me, I see." Adam answered with a sigh. "Very clever."

"Thank you."

They both fell silent for a long moment before Adam decided to take another shot at it. "Okay, I'll make you a deal. I tell you my shit, and you tell me yours."

Johnny's eyes narrowed slightly, but he nodded. "Okay."

Adam took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Isaac's been in and out of the hospital for the last couple of months. You know, he manages to get over one thing and he gets hit with another. That's why I was late today. I had to take him in last night and you know how long it takes to get through the ER."

Johnny slowly sat up, tossing the cold pack aside and facing Adam. "Is it…?"

"It's exactly what you think it is." Adam broke in softly.

Johnny seemed to absorb Adam's words. He was quiet for a long moment, almost too long, Adam thought. Long enough that Adam was starting to wonder if he should have said anything at all.

Finally, Johnny's eyes flicked up to meet Adam's. "Man, why the hell didn't you say something sooner? You know that me and Diane would have been right there to help out with…I don't know, whatever you guys needed."

"How the hell was I supposed to bring up something like that?" Adam asked. "You know how bad the panic is around this shit. I didn't need you getting caught up in it, too."

Johnny shrugged ever so slightly. "Seems like as I'm the one working most closely with you, I should have a right to know. Not that I think, you know, anything's wrong with you, but…"

"No, I know." Adam cut Johnny off. "And you're right. I know that. And of course, I've been worrying about myself, too, while I'm trying to take care of Isaac."

The implication was clear, Adam thought, without either one of them having to say it.

Johnny looked troubled, and for a fleeting moment, Adam was sure that Johnny would tell him that this was his limit, that he couldn't justify working with Adam anymore. And Adam would certainly understand that, even if it hurt.

Finally, Johnny seemed to come to some sort of conclusion, rising from his bed to sit next to Adam, slinging an arm around his shoulders in that familiar way of his. "Anyone else know about this?"

"Just Cap." Adam replied quietly.

Johnny's only response was to move his hand between Adam's shoulder blades, rubbing lightly. "God, this stinks. I'm really sorry."

"You're telling me."

Johnny's hand never moved as a long silence fell between the two men. Finally, Johnny broke it. "You know that you're more than a partner to me, right? You're family. And family takes care of each other."

Adam had to swallow hard to tamp down the emotion that was about to spill over. "Thank you. I mean it."

"So do I." Johnny answered. "And I'm here for you until the end, whatever that looks like."

Adam did nearly lose it then, the knowledge of what might come down the road hitting him harder than he expected.

"Guys?" Chet's voice called out. "Chow's ready. Better grab some before Cap and Mike eat it all."

Adam lifted his head to look at Johnny. "Don't think this means you don't have to hold up your end of the deal."

Johnny slowly rose, using Adam's shoulder for support. "I know. First things first."

Adam shook his head and followed Johnny out of the dorm and into the day room. His partner seemed to be moving a little easier, but Adam knew that wasn't likely to last, and they'd be having this conversation sooner rather than later.

They had no sooner managed to sit down and get in a few bites when the tones went off again, and everyone took off for their respective positions. Johnny pulled out of the station, followed closely by the engine, and within a few minutes, they arrived at the location on the slip.

Johnny just looked confused as he peered through the windshield. Adam was equally confused. "What the fuck…?"

"How did they…?"

There was a tap on the drivers' side window, and Johnny rolled it down so that Cap could poke his head inside. "You two go inside, make sure there are no victims upstairs. We're going to make sure that car's stable before you start trying to get them out of there."

Johnny nodded firmly. "Got it, Cap."

He rolled up the window, and Adam shook his head. "That car looks like it's wedged in there pretty good. I don't think it's going anywhere."

"I just wanna know how the hell that happened." Johnny replied as he and Adam both climbed down from the squad and started gathering equipment. "Driver must have really been hauling."

The two men made their way to the front door and knocked. "Fire department!" Adam called out.

The door swung open, revealing a very shaken young woman holding a baby against her shoulder. "Come on in."

"Is anyone in the house hurt?" Johnny asked.

"No." The woman replied. "I was just rocking my daughter to sleep when the car crashed through. It's just us at home tonight. My husband works the night shift."

"Well, if you don't mind, we'll just give you a once over anyway, okay?" Johnny told her.

"I'll head upstairs." Adam volunteered.

Johnny nodded, and Adam started up the stairs with the drug box. He could smell gasoline and exhaust fumes and followed the smell into the bedroom. The rocking chair was mere inches from where the car had crashed into the house. Any closer and they would have been dealing with two casualties. The thought sent a chill up Adam's spine.

He crossed over carefully to the car and unclipped the walkie-talkie from his hip. "Engine Fifty-One, this is Squad Fifty-One. House is all clear."

"Squad Fifty-One, hold your position." Cap's voice responded. "We're stabilizing the vehicle right now."

"Copy, Engine Fifty-One." Adam answered, clipping the walkie-talkie back on his belt.

"Mom and the kid are okay." Johnny announced as he entered the room with a backboard and the bio-phone. "Her husband's on his way home now."

"Oh good." Adam replied. "We're just waiting to make sure the vehicle's secure."

Johnny nodded, looking around the room before his eyes landed on the rocking chair. He let out a low whistle. "Damn."

"Yeah." Adam nodded. "A couple more inches and they would have been a lot worse off."

Adam noticed the expression on Johnny's face but didn't say anything. The walkie-talkie crackled to life. "Squad Fifty-One, this is Engine Fifty-One. Vehicle is secured, you are cleared to assist victims."

"Engine Fifty-One, this is Squad Fifty-One. We read you loud and clear." Adam clipped the walkie-talkie back on his belt before carefully approaching the vehicle and tapping on the window. "Fire department."

The window rolled down, revealing an elderly woman. "Hello, officer."

Adam glanced over at Johnny, who was kneeled down setting up the bio-phone. He seemed just as baffled and amused as Adam felt.

Adam decided to play along with the woman. If she was suffering from some form of dementia, it would be better not to do anything to disturb her. "Hello, ma'am. Seems you've been in a car accident. Are you hurt anywhere?"

The woman smiled. "Oh, no. Thank you for asking, young man."

"Do you know where you are?"

The woman seemed suddenly unsure. "Well, I was driving to the store. You see, today is my husband's birthday, and he always asks for pot roast."

Adam had the distinct feeling that the woman was disoriented, at the very least. "I'll tell you what? Why don't you let me and my partner check you over, and we'll get hold of your husband so that he doesn't worry about you."

"Of course, dear." The woman patted Adam's arm. "You know, you look just like my son. He's serving in Vietnam right now. He writes us the nicest letters. Haven't heard from him in a couple of weeks, but Harold always tells me not to worry. He says I worry too much."

Something was definitely amiss, but Adam set aside his concern in favor of getting a set of vitals on the woman. "Johnny, you have Rampart on the line yet?"

"Ready when you are."

Adam called out the woman's vitals, and Johnny relayed them to Rampart. "We'll have more information once we get her out of the vehicle."

Johnny set down the receiver and started to make his way over to the vehicle to assist Adam. He took a couple of steps before Adam heard something crack.

"Johnny?"

"I'm okay." Johnny responded quickly, though his expression seemed to indicate otherwise. "Just took a bad step, that's all. I don't think this floor is all that stable."

"Don't move." Adam told him sharply. "I can get her out of the car."

Johnny nodded, though with a scowl on his face as he set the backboard down. "How are you gonna get her over here?"

"Very carefully." Adam replied. If Johnny made one more wrong move, he'd end up having to find a way to get both Johnny and the elderly woman to safety.

Johnny was on his hands and knees, carefully making his way across the floor, testing as he went. Finally, he nodded, setting down the backboard. "Take her across the backboard. The floor is stable enough to hold you both, the backboard is just for insurance."

Adam turned his attention to the woman. "Okay, I'm going to have to put you over my shoulder to get you out, since I can't open the door. Just relax and we'll get you out of here."

The woman looked a little confused, but Adam managed to place her over his shoulder, glancing behind him as Johnny talked him through the steps. "Step to your left, Adam."

Adam did as directed, gently setting the woman down on the floor and getting to work assessing her. By some miracle, she didn't appear to have any broken bones, though Adam was concerned by her apparent disorientation. "Can you stand up for me?"

"Of course." The woman got to her feet with Adam's help, seeming no worse for wear.

"Great, great." Adam told her. "Now, I'm going to help you walk across that board over to my partner. He's going to make sure you get downstairs safely."

"Downstairs?" The woman was puzzled. "Where am I?"

Adam thought quickly, catching Johnny's concerned expression. "Never mind. I must have misspoken."

"Come on over here, ma'am." Johnny took over, taking a few steps to meet the woman with an outstretched hand.

The woman smiled and turned to Adam. "Oh my, he's a handsome one. Reminds me of when my husband was young."

"Is that right?" Adam managed to hold back his amusement.

"Oh, yes." The woman let go of Adam's arm and made her way along the backboard to meet up with Johnny. Once she took his hand, she patted it gently. "Come on, Harold. Let's go home."

Johnny's expression turned serious as he nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

They made their way downstairs where the ambulance was waiting, and Johnny helped her on to the gurney as the attendants buckled her in.

"You should go with her." Adam told him, clapping him on the shoulder. "Seeing as she thinks you're her husband."

Johnny huffed and rolled his eyes. "You're hilarious."

"I know." Adam responded. "And get that foot checked out. Don't need you having a bum foot to go with that bum hip."

Johnny waved dismissively as he made his way to the ambulance, and Adam closed the doors behind him before meeting up with Cap. "House is all secure, single victim in the vehicle is on her way to Rampart now."

"Good." Cap nodded firmly. "You're free to go."

Adam climbed into the squad and started it up, soon falling in behind the ambulance and following it to Rampart, pulling into the space next to it. He climbed down just as the attendants and Johnny were unloading, and he followed them inside to wait.

He stopped by the base station for a cup of coffee while he waited. If Johnny was going to get that foot checked out, he might be a while.

"Hi, Adam." Betty, the night shift head nurse, greeted him. "How's your friend doing?"

"Better, thanks." Adam had been deliberately vague about his and Isaac's relationship when he'd checked him in and didn't feel the need to correct her now. "Should be home in a couple of days."

"That's good." Betty smiled. "Nasty thing that's going around, isn't it?"

"Indeed." Adam replied absently as he filled out the supply form. "Do you mind topping us off?"

"Of course not."

Adam handed her the form and sipped his coffee, looking down the hall every so often for Johnny. Betty set the box on the counter and handed Adam a copy of the form.

He heard Johnny before he saw him. Poor Morton must had gotten stuck checking out Johnny again. "I said I'll get the damn thing checked out, okay?" Johnny all but shouted.

"You'd better." Morton snapped in response. "You're no good working hurt, you know that."

Johnny finally appeared, looking irritable. "Damn Morton, anyway. Hey, Betty."

"Hi, Johnny." Betty smiled widely at him, clearly enamored of him.

Johnny didn't notice, immediately turning his attention to Adam. "I told Morton I just needed my foot checked out. He read me the damn riot act over my hip. Who the hell told him about that?!"

"Johnny, everyone knows about your stupid hip by now." Adam pointed out.

Johnny shot Adam a glare as they headed back out to the squad. Whatever relief he'd gotten earlier from the cold pack had clearly worn off, and it was obvious Johnny was having a hard time getting up in the squad. "Johnny, give me the keys. I'll drive."

Johnny huffed irritably as he slapped the keys into Adam's hand, and they were soon on their way back to the station. They drove in silence for a while until Adam broke it. "Okay, you remember our deal?"

Johnny rolled his eyes and rested his head against the back of the seat. "Yeah, I remember."

He fell silent again until Adam backed into the bay and shut off the squad. "Okay, are you going to tell me about it, or are you going to make me guess?"

Johnny sighed heavily, staring out through the windshield into the night. "Been hurting off and on for a while. I'm guessing it's from the accident all those years ago, but I can't say for sure. That hillside rescue didn't help it any."

Adam simply sat quietly, waiting for Johnny to continue. Johnny glanced down at his hands, threading his fingers together as he continued. "I haven't gotten it checked out because, well, because maybe they'll tell me it's time to give this up, and I'm not ready to do that."

"Johnny, there are other things you could do that aren't this." Adam pointed out. "Things that would keep you with the department."

"I know that." Johnny replied quietly. "But they're not this."

Adam decided to take a different tack. "You remember back when you were rehabbing from that accident? You were considering other options back then. What happened?"

Johnny scoffed. "I got older. I got married, had a kid. I don't have the luxury of just…doing something else."

"That's bullshit and you know it." Adam told him. "You know good and damn well that Diane would back your move, especially if it meant you weren't beating the hell out of yourself every shift."

"What the hell am I gonna do, dispatch?" Johnny shook his head.

"Paramedic program's expanding. They're always looking for more instructors." Adam pointed out. "You know those CPR demos we're always doing? You're great at that."

"Putting on a demo is a whole lot different than teaching real classes." Johnny argued. "I'd probably need to take some more classes myself. I'm allergic to college. Makes me break out in hives."

"Oh, come off it." Adam replied scornfully. "Just think about it. And get that damn thing checked out. Maybe it's not as bad as you think it is. Maybe you can PT your way out of it."

"Maybe." Johnny grumbled before fixing Adam with a scowl. "I can't stand you sometimes, you know that?"

"I know." Adam smiled a little at that. Clearly, he'd managed to make some kind of breakthrough, and maybe gotten Johnny thinking a little. He'd still hate to lose Johnny as a partner, but he also hated to see him suffer for no reason. "I think they might have left us some chicken and dumplings. You want some?"

"Suppose I'd better." Johnny nodded, opening the squad door and easing himself down. "I'm gonna grab another one of those cold packs out of the squad."

"Okay." Adam climbed down from the squad, waiting for Johnny to round the front end, and they started toward the day room together.

Suddenly Johnny grabbed his shoulder, and Adam quickly turned around. "Johnny?"

"Sorry, it's nothing." Johnny assured him. "Just, uh, you know. Thanks. Guess I needed the kick in the ass, huh?"

Adam let out a short laugh at that. "Yeah, sometimes you do."

Johnny stood there for a moment, looking thoughtful, and for once it seemed he had nothing to say. Adam stepped toward him, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

"Uh, what the hell is going on?" Johnny asked, responding in kind.

"Nothing." Adam answered. "Don't make a big deal out of it."

Johnny didn't answer, but he didn't let go, either. They stood there for a long moment before Johnny finally let go, clapping Adam on the shoulder. "Okay, that's enough of that. Let's go eat. I'm starving."

"Sounds good, partner."

Partner? No, not just his partner. Family. And family took care of each other. That's exactly what Adam intended to do.