June 16, 1977

Nic Stoker twisted his floppy gray hat in his hands. The hat had been a gift from Lucy after his old red fishing hat started falling apart. He didn't like to be without it, especially now. He was grateful the paramedics had pulled it out of the rubble with him. He'd been pretty confused and upset at the time, uncertain whether the boys would be all right and aching from the knowledge that his beloved Lucy was gone. He hadn't thought about his hat. He was ashamed to admit he'd fought his rescuers at first. They had wanted to move him out and leave Lucy where she lay, to pull her out later when they were done searching for survivors. He had refused to leave without her. They probably thought he was just raving, but they'd been patient and compassionate through it all. In the end, they'd pulled her out too, right after they'd gotten the boys.

Now Dr. Early was standing in front of him, talking about Mike. Somehow, his boy had gotten hurt during the latest aftershock. He'd received some hard hits to the head and his mind had taken him back to his early teens. It was all too much. Nic wasn't sure his own mind wasn't playing tricks on him. Had he heard the doctor right? "How is this possible, Doc? I don't understand."

He wanted to go to Mike, but he was worried about leaving the boys. Jake was still nervous about aftershocks. He'd really panicked after the last one, and his vital signs had been off ever since. Jake wanted his Pops close by until his father could come, and who knew when that would be? Thankfully, Jake had finally drifted into a light sleep, giving Nic and the doctor a chance to talk privately. Nic glanced in the open door of the boys' room, just making sure that everything was still OK in there.

The sight of the twins in hospital beds took Nic back to the hard days after his grandsons were born a couple months early. They'd almost lost Jake. Nic remembered the shock of seeing him, scrawny and blue and gasping for air. But then a nurse had thought to put the pair in the same incubator. Ian, the stronger twin, had thrown an arm around his brother. Almost immediately, Jake's vital signs had improved. He'd pinked up and started getting stronger. Two months later, both boys were healthy enough to go home.

Nic scratched at his head. "I could visit him, Doc, couldn't I? Lucy always says I look just like my dad. Mike would just think I'm his grandfather. Oh, and Doc, could we move Jake and Ian's beds together so they can reach one another? I think it would really help them both."

The doctor nodded slowly. "Yes, why don't you visit Mike then? But first, let's try your suggestion with the boys. It sounds like a good idea."

In a matter of minutes, Jake and Ian's beds had been pushed together. Neither boy awakened during the move, but somehow their hands found each other right away. Nic and Dr. Early watched the monitors together as Jake's vitals stabilized. Ian's improved too.

"Thanks for listening, Doc," said Nic. "I appreciate it."

"I figure you know those boys better than I do." The doctor put a hand on Nic's shoulder. "Now go see your boy. I'll stick close to the twins until you get back."

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Nic knocked on Mike's door, then stuck his head in. Mike looked up and grinned really big. He almost looked like the kid he believed he was. All Nic's memories of that stage of Mike's life came from letters and photographs and phone calls. He'd been stationed so far away.

"Gramps!" Mike's eyes lit up. "When did you get here?"

"Hey, buddy." Nic sat next to Mike's bed. "I drove down as soon as I heard you were hurt. Your… uh… Mom asked me to come, since she can't be here right now."

The light faded from Mike's eyes. "Why'd she have to go, Gramps? I don't get it!"

Nic hadn't planned for that question. He should have. He coughed and blinked back tears, then reached to squeeze Mike's hand. "Hey, Buddy. It's OK." Then he noticed the small diecast fire engine on the table. "Wow, that's pretty neat. Tell me about it."

When Mike was the twins' age, all you had to do to distract him from a potentially uncomfortable discussion was to ask him about firefighting. Nic wondered if it would work now.

"It's just like Uncle Dom's!" Mike dove into a description of the engine, pointing out the different hoses and valves. Nic just listened and nodded, murmuring every once in a while to assure Mike that he was paying attention.

Finally, Mike settled back against his pillows, yawning. "I'm real tired," he said. "And my head hurts. Can you come back later, Gramps? I gotta sleep."

"Sure, Buddy. I'll see you later." Nic kissed Mike on the forehead, then quietly left the room.

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When Joe Early returned to Mike's room on his afternoon rounds, he found a disgruntled Mike glowering over his lunch tray. "Hey, Mike. Aren't you going to eat that?"

Mike scrunched up his face and stuck out his tongue. "It's gross. And I hate green Jello." He picked up his roll. "This thing's about as hard as a hockey puck."

Joe chuckled. "You know, I feel the same way about the Jello." Rampart's food wasn't that bad, but patients still complained. Joe sat down next to the bed and placed some items on the table — a pack of colored pencils and a pad of plain white drawing paper. "How are you feeling?"

Mike shrugged up his good shoulder. "I'm OK, but my head hurts a lot, and it itches."

"Stitches tend to itch. And those bumps are going to be tender for a while." Joe moved the lunch tray aside and set the tablet in front of Mike. "I'd like you to do something for me. Could you draw me a picture of your family?"

Mike sorted through the pencils and picked out some colors. Then he drew two large stick figures — one man in a uniform and a woman in a dress with a slightly shorter male between them. Finally, he added a dog. The figures were not sloppy but not terribly detailed either.

Joe smiled. "Tell me about them. What's the dog's name?"

"Rufus."

"Ahh, I like that." Joe looked Mike over carefully, then moved his gaze back to the drawing. "A good strong name for a dog. How about the people?"

Mike pointed to each figure as he explained. "My mom and dad and me. I'm in the middle. Pops is in his Army uniform."

"I see. Is he stationed overseas?"

"Yeah. He's on Crete right now." Mike sighed. "I miss him, but we talk on the phone sometimes, and I got a camera for my birthday so I can send him pictures."

"Very nice." Joe turned the tablet to a clean sheet of paper. "Now draw me anything you want."

Mike immediately began to draw two stick figures, both males about the same height, both with dark hair. One of the figures wore glasses.

"Who are they, Mike?" Joe had a feeling he knew.

"That's Ian and Jacob. They… I…" His forehead wrinkled. "They're friends of mine? I think?"

Dr. Early nodded. "All right. Now, I'm going to say a name. I want you to draw what that name makes you think of. Are you ready?"

This time Mike flipped the page on his own and got ready to draw. "Ready."

"Beth." Joe watched carefully as Mike blinked a couple of times and then started drawing. In a few moments he handed the drawing pad over to Joe. He had drawn a beautiful purple iris.

Joe smiled. "Tell me about this, Mike. I want to know more."

Mike frowned. "I'm not sure why, but that's what I see. Beth loves purple irises. She's real pretty, too. But… well… I'm not sure who she is."

Joe squeezed Mike's hand. "It's all right. Sometimes, a head injury causes memory loss, but it should come back to you in time."

Mike sighed. Joe could see the frustration in his eyes. "Mike your memories are there. Maybe they are out of reach for the moment, but you've shown me they aren't simply gone. Have patience. Now, will you do a couple more drawings for me?"

Mike nodded. "Sure. I suppose."

That's when Joe noticed the fire truck sitting on the table. "That's nice. Where'd you get it?"

"Captain Stanley gave it to me." Mike rolled the truck back and forth, then picked it up and looked it over closely. "Someday I'm gonna drive one of these."

"The captain's a good man. One of the best." The doctor pointed to the tablet. "Do the names Roy, Johnny, Chet, and Marco mean anything to you? Don't think about it. Just draw it."

Mike picked up the pencils and began to draw. Soon he finished and handed the drawing over to Dr. Early. It wasn't of people this time, but of a building… one that looked very much like Station 51.

"Hey, I know this place," Joe said. "You've drawn a good likeness. It's a fire station." He nodded to the truck. "Maybe you'll work there some day."

Mike blinked in confusion. "But I've never seen that station. Why would I draw it? And what does it have to do with the guys you mentioned?"

"They all work there, along with Hank Stanley," Joe explained. "You know them, but you don't remember right now." He patted Mike's arm. "Remember, Mike, be patient. It will all come back."

Mike stared at him suspiciously, his disheveled bangs falling into his eyes. "OK." But his tone indicated he wasn't so sure. "Can you tell Nurse Needles to bring me some chocolate ice cream?"

Dr. Early smiled. "Eat your chicken and your mashed potatoes, and you bet I will." He put the tray back on the table and moved the drawing pad aside.

Mike groaned. "Fine." He picked up his fork and started to eat.

"See you later, Slugger."

Stifling a yawn, Joe chuckled as he strode out of the room in search of Nurse Needles. Dixie McCall was never going to live that down.

Thankfully, Rampart was finally calming down. They'd taken down the outdoor triage and treatment tents. One wing of the hospital was still closed, and they'd had to transfer a number of non-critical patients as far afield as Riverside and Santa Barbara, but things were manageable. Joe was exhausted, though. Since the quake hit, he'd only gotten about three hours of sleep, and that was on the couch in Kel's office. He couldn't go home. The earthquake had ruptured a gas line to his apartment building and there had been a fire. From what he'd been told, his apartment wasn't badly damaged, but he wouldn't be able to get in there for a few days yet. After a short talk with Dixie, he headed for the on-call room. It was time to get some sleep.

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Nurse Chambers came into Mike's room carrying a bowl of chocolate ice cream. Mike grimaced. More like Nurse Chamber Pot. Normally he wouldn't hold age and wrinkles against anyone, but this nurse was really grouchy. Well, at least she had ice cream. He would give her a smile for that reason alone.

She didn't smile back. She glared. "I happen to think it's too close to dinner for this, but Nurse McCall told me to bring it to you. She would have brought it herself, but she had to take a phone call."

Mike kept the smile. After all, he wanted the ice cream. "Good ol' Nurse Needles. I knew I could count on her." He reached for the bowl in her hands, but Nurse Chamber Pot pulled it away.

"Did you eat your lunch? You can't have this if you didn't eat your lunch." The ice cream was starting to melt.

"Everything but the roll and the green Jello." He pointed to his tray. "Dr. Early said eat the chicken and the mashed potatoes and that was enough."

"Clean your tray, young man, and then you can have the ice cream." He was about to do it, but suddenly Nurse Chamber Pot rolled her eyes. "This is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. They need to stop babying you." She set the ice cream down, out of Mike's reach, then grabbed his good hand. "Look. Your hand is bigger than mine." Then she pulled a compact out of a pocket, opened it up, and thrust the mirror in his face. "Is that the face of a thirteen year old? You're a grown man, so stop this nonsense and act your age!"

Mike stared into the mirror. His gut was flip-flopping on him. The image looking back at him wasn't a kid but a man. An old guy with stubble on his chin. He had to be at least thirty, maybe older! Mike's heart started thumping hard and his whole body started trembling. He pushed Nurse Chamber Pot's compact out of her hand. It clattered to the floor. His eyes welled with tears and that embarrassed him. He didn't want this nurse to see him bawling like a baby. So, he grabbed his lunch tray and hurled it at her. "Go away! Get out! Leave me alone!"

"Why, you little twerp!" she screamed, green Jello dripping down her face. "If you really were a kid, I'd be turning you over my knee right now!"

Just then, Nurse Needles and Dr. Early came running in. Nurse Needles wrapped him in her arms and spoke softly to him and Dr. Early ordered Nurse Chamber Pot out of the room.

Soon Mike felt the whoosh of medication going into his IV. His heart stopped its wild thumping and his eyes got really heavy. His stomach felt a little sick. He cried against Nurse Needle's shoulder and then suddenly he was throwing up. "I'm sorry! Please don't send me away! I don't know what's wrong with me!"

"Hey, no one is sending you anywhere until you're ready to go," Nurse Needles assured him as she cleaned him up. "We're here to take care of you, Mike. Lie down and close your eyes. You need to sleep."

He did as she said. He let her lower him down onto his pillows and discovered she'd plumped them up so they were extra comfy. She held his hand while he closed his eyes, and she was still holding it when he finally drifted off to sleep.

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"You had no business doing anything other than the job you were given!" Sitting behind his desk, Kelly Brackett stared down Janet Chambers. Dixie and Joe stood to the side, their arms crossed and their eyes narrowed. Kell had been surprised when Joe came to him, demanding that Janet be fired immediately. He was usually the mild-mannered one, a friend to all the nurses. And Dixie… well… all Kel could think was that she was beautiful when she was angry.

Nurse Chambers should have wilted before them, but she didn't. She harrumphed and straightened her shoulders. "I only did what they were unwilling to do. I made the patient face reality."

"And you may have done more harm than good," Joe said firmly. "We won't know until I bring him out of sedation."

Kell sensed a crack in the woman's armor. It wasn't enough, though, for her to apologize or admit wrongdoing. She slumped her shoulders a bit, but she continued to glare at them. She was a comical sight, with green Jello still matting her hair and staining her uniform.

"Nurse Chambers, you're fired. Get your things from your locker and leave. Now." Kell jotted down some notes. "If we find that your behavior caused additional harm to Mr. Stoker, further action will be taken."

She gasped but had the good sense not to argue. Instead, she turned on her heel and stalked out.

"Thank you, Kel." Joe yawned. "I need more sleep, but first I'd better go fill Mike's dad in. See you later, you two."

When Joe was gone, Kel stood and flung an arm around Dixie's shoulders. "Have dinner with me? I can't take you anywhere fancy — just the hospital cafeteria — but I need a break. Morton and Rubenstein have things under control here."

Dixie's eyes brightened. "Dinner, huh? It's a date." She gave him a peck on the cheek, then slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. "Onward, Jeeves! To the cafeteria we go!"

"Jeeves, huh? But you're way too pretty to be Wooster!" Kel chuckled. He was an awfully lucky man to have Dixie's friendship in his life.

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Hank hovered outside the door of Chet's room. He could hear Chet inside, talking with a nurse. The man was flirting already! Just like Chet. Hank shook his head. Finally, the nurse came out, a dreamy smile on her face, so Hank knocked on the door and then poked his head in. "Hello, Chet. Mind a visitor?"

"Of course, I don't mind, Cap! Come on in!"

Hank had a seat next to Chet's bed. Damn these plastic chairs! He glanced out the door and gave a half smile. "So, any good prospects among the nurses?"

"Maybe, but I'm not such a hot prospect for them anymore."

Hank shook his head. "The girl who was just in here sure seemed to think you were."

"Eh — I might hafta leave here on a breathing machine. Dunno yet. What kinda date would I be like that?"

Hank swallowed hard. Chet's flirting and his cheerful nature had pushed his condition out of Hank's mind entirely. "I'm sorry, pal. How're you feeling anyway?"

"Lousy, but better than I was." Chet flapped the fingers of his left hand. "That's about the only place on me that doesn't ache. But I'm alive, so that's something. Better than having a boulder in the middle of your chest."

"Yeah." Hank shifted in his chair. He was reluctant to burden Chet, but he needed to share difficult news. "I… uh… suppose you heard about Roy?"

"Yeah, that's a real bummer. I feel bad for him. I hope he gets feeling back soon. I can't imagine how awful that would be."

Hank nodded. "Has your family been able to visit? Did they come through the quake OK?"

"They came through pretty well… not too much damage. We talked on the phone. They haven't visited yet. Kinda hard to get around right now."

"That's the truth." Hank squeezed Chet's arm. "You know it was Johnny and Marco and Mike that found you, right?"

"Yeah, and I also heard Marco's not doin' so hot. Blamin' himself when he really shouldn't. I need to talk to him."

Hank nodded. "I've been trying to get him to come visit you. He's not talking at all. Hasn't spoken a word since it happened. His mother was injured. He's spending most of his time with her."

Chet's forehead wrinkled in concern. "Is she gonna be all right?"

"We hope so," Hank said. "Dr. Early says the swelling in her brain is going down, so it could be she'll improve quickly. From what I understand, she's been really hostile. Not like Mama Lopez at all." He caught in a deep breath. "Mike and Roy both lost their mothers in the quake."

"Awww no. That's awful," Chet said.

"Yeah. Listen, Chet. I should let you rest. I just wanted to check in with you. I'll keep trying to get Marco in here to see you." Hank's mouth twisted into a frown. "Johnny spiked a fever again yesterday. He's been asleep ever since helping pull you out. But I'm sure he'll visit when he can. And Mike… well, I'm not sure when he can come. He has a head injury from that last aftershock and he's… well… he has amnesia. He thinks he's thirteen years old."

"Man, oh man."

"Yeah. I'm worried about him." Hank wasn't just worried, he was angry. Dixie had told him what happened with Nurse Chambers. He was glad Brackett fired her. "Well, Chet, I'll be back tomorrow." Hank got up and moved toward the door but stopped halfway there and turned around. "Listen, pal, don't write yourself off. Keep flirting with those nurses. There's still plenty of hope that something good will happen for you."

"I hear ya, Cap. Thanks."

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Dad had found a hotel room in Albuquerque. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was clean. JoAnne sat on the bed while Dad walked across the street to McDonald's with Chris and Megan. Jo didn't like feeding the kids fast food, but it would do for tonight. D.J. was sleeping on the bed next to her. Jo picked up the phone, took a deep breath, and dialed Rampart. Strange how she knew the number by heart. John and Roy had spent too much time there over the years.

"Rampart Emergency. This is Nurse McCall." Thank God for a familiar voice.

Hopefully this time, Roy would be up to talking. Jo had called a few times along the road, but he'd always been sleeping. "Hello, Dixie? Could I speak with Roy?"

"JoAnne! Let me transfer you to the nurse's station upstairs. They'll check if he's awake. I know he's eager to talk with you."

"Thanks, Dixie. I appreciate it. Is his mom with him?" The moment of hesitation before Dixie answered worried Jo.

Dixie's voice sounded heavier all of a sudden, graver. "Jo, I should let Roy talk with you about that."

JoAnne shook her head. No. Mama wasn't gone. She must be injured. It had to be. Jo wasn't ready to lose the woman who had been like a mother to her ever since she'd graduated high school and moved out of her parents' home. Harriet had loved her simply because that's how she was. She loved people. Jo was about to ask Dixie to tell her more, but there was a click and then an unfamiliar voice said, "ICU. May I help you?"

"This is JoAnne DeSoto. I'd like to speak with my husband Roy, please."

"Just a moment. I'll see if he's awake."

A couple minutes later, the line clicked again and then the nurse's voice said, "Here's Roy DeSoto."

"Hey, Jo?" His voice was weak, but it sounded like music in JoAnne's ears.

"Oh, Honey. I'm sorry I'm not there yet." Jo wiped tears from her eyes. "We're driving home. Dad is bringing me. How are you?"

"I'm doin' OK. Sure glad to hear from you. I miss you!"

"I miss you too. Dixie said you would talk to me about your mom. Why isn't she there? Was she injured too?"

Roy sighed. He didn't answer right away, but when he did, he kept his tone gentle. "I'm sorry, Jo. She's gone. The Norwalk Mall collapsed, and she was caught in it."

"No!" JoAnne almost dropped the handset. Crying, she pressed it close to her ear. "She can't be gone, Roy. It's… it's not possible."

"I'm so sorry, honey. God knows, I understand how it hurts."

"Oh, the kids. How will I tell them? They've been chattering about how excited they are to see her again."

"Don't say anything yet. We'll tell them together. Are they there with you?"

"No." She pulled a handkerchief from her purse and wiped the tears from her face. "Dad took them on a walk so I could talk to you. Only D.J. is here, and he's asleep. You know how road trips wear him out."

"Yeah. Listen, Honey. This will be hard, but I want you to go wash your face. Talk to your Dad if you like but keep a brave face for the kids. Can you do that?"

Jo nodded. She'd been doing that all day when the kids asked about Roy and why they were going home early. "Yes." In spite of her resolve, the word came out with a sob. "I just need a few minutes. Maybe a hot bath."

"That's a good idea. Don't worry about me. I'm…" His voice cracked. "I'm getting really good care. Jo, we're gonna get through all this, I promise. I love you."

"I love you too. I just… it's so much more than I expected." She wanted to be home and wrapped in Roy's arms and talking to him face to face instead of in this lonely room so far away from him. "Honey, Dad is leaving Mom, and I don't know if he'll ever go back, and the kids miss you and Mama so much, and I miss you too. I should have been there. I should be with you right now."

"You'll be here soon." His voice was firmer now, no cracking. He had dipped into some hidden reserve of strength Jo couldn't seem to find. "I'm glad you and the kids weren't here. You all could have been hurt or killed. I couldn't have handled that. So, let's focus on getting you home. Go take that bath and try to relax. I'll see you soon. OK?"

"OK." JoAnne sniffed. She was getting control again, though her heart ached. "I love you, Roy." She wished she could hold him in her arms, that he could hold her. She wasn't ready to say goodbye. "Honey, have you gotten any better today?"

Again, the hesitation. She wasn't sure if his next words were the truth or dissembling meant to comfort her. "A little. The docs think there's a bit of improvement. It's all just gonna take time."

"OK." Jo could hear the exhaustion in his voice. "I should let you sleep. Goodbye, honey. I love you forever."

Roy smiled. "Forever and always, Jo. Goodbye, honey." He hung up the phone.

Jo waited to hang up until the line started to buzz. Then she placed the handset back in the cradle. She bent over to kiss D.J., inhaling deeply the fragrance of freshly-bathed little boy. He was such a sweet child. She would never understand her mother's disdain for him. She arranged pillows around him so he wouldn't roll off the bed, then went to run herself a bath.