February 1979

"Morning, Johnny." Bryan's voice snapped Johnny out of his thoughts. "Good couple of days off?"

"Yeah, yeah." Johnny set down the envelope he'd been staring at and finished changing into his uniform. "Spent some time over at Roy's fixing up his patio. How about you?"

"Oh, sure." Bryan answered, buttoning his shirt and tucking it into his pants before running his hands through his dark blond hair. "Me and Anita went to the mall."

"And straight to the jewelry store, right?"

"You know it." Bryan sighed. "It's not that I don't love her. Just don't know if I'm ready to get married."

"Yeah, I get that." Johnny picked up the envelope again, tapping it against his palm.

He heard Bryan close his locker, and he looked up to see him regarding Johnny curiously. "What's that?"

"What, this?" Johnny stopped, taking a deep breath and exhaling. "Well, see, it's…it's my resignation."

"Resignation?" Bryan was incredulous. "Are you serious?"

Johnny nodded. "Yeah. Been thinking about it for a while."

"Since that guy killed himself in front of us."

"Since before that, if I'm being honest." Johnny took a seat on the bench. "There've been times, lots of times when I've loved this job. Gotten to do a lot of good. But it's been hard on me, too."

Bryan took a seat next to him. "I get what you mean. The bad calls, man, they stick with you."

Johnny scoffed. "Sure not what you thought it'd be, huh?"

"Not sure what I thought it would be." Bryan shrugged. "So, where you headed?"

"Alaska." Johnny told him.

"Your friend. Right." Bryan nodded. "Well, hey, good luck to you. Wish you the best."

"Thanks." Johnny answered. "Hope you get a better partner."

"Hard to imagine."

They joined the rest of the crew in the day room for a briefing with the previous shift before joining the rest of the crew for their briefing with Cap. Johnny was already nervous about the idea of approaching Cap with the resignation letter. For all he knew, he'd try to talk Johnny out of this just like Roy had tried to.

But Johnny had already made up his mind. He'd been plotting out the trip using his atlas, already calculating all the stops along the way. If he really pushed it, he could make it there in about three days.

Johnny had no intention of doing so. There was too much to see along the way.

All that was left to do was to pack and arrange for a U-Haul. He'd made arrangements with one of the local charities to pick up his furniture. There were a few pieces that he was particularly attached to that he'd take with him, but the rest of it was better off with someone who could put it to use. There'd be no room in that cabin for much of anything anyway.

Cap finished his briefing, and the crew all went their separate ways. Johnny quickly moved to catch up with him. "Hey Cap, you got a minute?"

"Sure, John." Cap nodded, glancing down at the envelope in Johnny's hand. "What do you have there?"

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Johnny told him. "Uh, can we use your office?"

"You bet, pal." Cap agreed.

The two men left the day room and headed to Cap's office. Johnny closed the door behind him while Cap took a seat in his chair. "So, what's on your mind?"

Johnny set the envelope on his desk. "I'm putting in my notice."

Cap's eyebrows shot straight up. "Notice?"

Johnny huffed irritably. "Yeah, my notice of resignation. Two weeks."

Cap's expression turned incredulous. "You've got to be kidding me. Sit down."

"Don't bother trying to talk me out of it." Johnny told him as he sat in a nearby chair. "Roy already tried."

"I'm sure he did." Cap let out a short huff. "Listen, I know you guys have had a tough time of it lately. That doesn't mean you've gotta leave."

Johnny paused for a long moment before shaking his head. "Been a long time coming, Cap. Everything just…piles up, you know?"

Cap's brows knitted together as he picked up the envelope. "Sure hate to lose you. Are you sure about this?"

Johnny nodded. "As sure as I can be."

Cap let out a heavy sigh as he rose from his chair, extending a hand. "Good luck to you, wherever you land."

"Thanks, Cap." Johnny rose to meet him, extending his hand in return and shaking Cap's hand firmly.

With that, he left the office, taking a few moments to wander around the bay. Seven years had passed since he had first signed up for paramedic training, seven years since he'd been paired up with Roy and assigned to this brand-new station. Thousands of calls, thousands of rescues, each one with a story.

He was going to miss it, but hopefully going to Alaska would allow him to get his head right. Once he got there, well, he'd see where the road took him, he supposed.

The tones sounded, and just like that, they were off and running. Just another day, but not really. It was another day closer to leaving this all behind.

It was going to be okay. He'd feel better about it once he got on the road. In the meantime, the people of Los Angeles County needed him.

# # #

"Are you seriously taking all of these books?" Chet asked as he filled another box.

"Well, he needs something to do up there." Roy commented. "Seeing as he won't be working for a living."

Johnny bit back a response as he and Bryan took another set of boxes down to the waiting U-Haul trailer. "Someone piss in his cornflakes or what?" Bryan asked.

"He's been trying to talk me out of this ever since I told him I was leaving." Johnny answered. "Thinks I should take the captains' exam, change stations, anything but up and leave."

Bryan shoved a box onto the trailer. "Maybe he's jealous."

"Jealous?" Johnny scoffed. "Jealous of what?"

Bryan smiled ever so slightly and shrugged. "Hard to say. I don't really know the guy."

Johnny shook his head, and they trotted back up to the apartment, where Chet and Marco were talking among themselves as they packed up the remaining books. Roy was in the kitchen wrapping up some dishes and packing them carefully.

Johnny debated the best way to approach this. He shoved his hands in his jeans pockets, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. "Appreciate your help here, Roy."

Roy glanced up with a hint of a smile. "I don't mind."

Johnny took up a spot alongside Roy and started wrapping and packing. "I get it, you know. I know you don't think this is the right move."

"You're right, I don't." Roy's tone turned sharp. "Just think there's other ways you could handle this."

"This is my way of handling it."

"Seems a little extreme."

"Well, hell, it's too late now, isn't it?" Johnny answered with equal sharpness. "I've made up my damn mind."

"I know that." Roy replied with a sigh. "I know that. And I wish you well. I hope you know that."

"Got a funny way of showing it."

Roy shrugged at that. "You know, when I left and took that captain's post, it was tough not working with you every shift. But I knew that you'd be around, and that I'd see you every so often. Now…hell, I don't know if I'm ever gonna see you again."

Johnny hadn't thought that far ahead. He'd been so focused on escaping that he hadn't considered much beyond that. "Well, I mean, it's about a three-day drive. And planes exist. How do you think I got up there the first time? And I'm gonna write and call when I can. It's not as if I'm disappearing."

"Sure." Roy nodded. "But it's not the same."

Johnny couldn't help the pang of guilt that went through him. It wasn't as if he was trying to leave everyone and everything he knew behind. "Yeah, I know. But I'm gonna figure things out once I get up there. Just need to get my head on straight first."

Roy facial expression never changed as he taped up a box and set it aside. "And what if this doesn't work? What then?"

"I don't know." Johnny admitted. "Haven't thought that far ahead."

"And that's your problem, Johnny." Roy's tone was sharp. "You don't think ahead. You just…jump in without thinking. This…this is a life-changing decision, and you're just making it on impulse."

Johnny let out a long huff. "Do you know how long I've been thinking about this? Damn near two years, Roy. Ever since that first trip I took up there. And hell, things aren't getting any better here. You know that."

The rest of it was pretty clear without Johnny having to say it, but he found himself wanting to drive the point home anyway. "And yeah, I wanna spend more time with Steven, too."

"Isn't he off traveling half the time?"

"Well, sure." Johnny conceded. "But he's talking about taking fewer assignments, and we won't have to try and figure out how to see each other."

Roy glanced around before responding with a nod. "Suppose there is that."

Johnny thought there was a possibility he was finally getting through to Roy. Good enough, he figured. He didn't expect Roy to fully understand anyway. He wasn't entirely sure he fully understood himself. He only knew that he had to do this.

Finally, the U-Haul was packed up, and there was nothing left to do but wait for the truck from the charity that was taking Johnny's furniture. It seemed as good a time as any to say his goodbyes.

"Really appreciate the help, guys." Johnny told them.

"Yeah, for sure." Chet spoke up first. "You be sure and stay in touch. Don't wanna hear about you getting eaten by a bear or mauled by a moose or something."

Johnny couldn't help laughing at that. "I'm sure you'll hear about it one way or another."

"And stay warm." Marco told him. "Don't die of frostbite."

Both men took their leave before Bryan approached him. "Tell you what, I'm real glad I got paired up with you. Can't imagine learning from anyone else."

"There's plenty of good ones." Johnny responded, shaking Bryan's extended hand firmly. "And take care of yourself. Don't let things get to…well, you know."

"Yeah, I know." Bryan nodded. "Thanks for everything."

Bryan released Johnny's hand and nodded at Roy as he passed by on his way to his own vehicle, leaving Johnny and Roy staring at each other. Roy broke the silence first with a short sigh and a shake of his head. "Suppose that's it, huh?"

"Just have a couple of loose ends to tie up." Johnny told him.

Roy extended a hand, and Johnny gripped it tightly. Some emotion Johnny didn't recognize seemed to cross Roy's face, and he suddenly pulled Johnny closer, wrapping an arm around him and clapping him on the back. "I hope you find what you're looking for."

Johnny responded in kind, the emotion starting to well up in him. "Yeah, me too. Otherwise I've gone an awfully long way for nothing."

Roy let out a rough laugh, releasing Johnny and stepping back. "Just stay in touch, will you? And come see us once in a while once you get things figured out."

"I will, don't worry." Johnny answered quietly. "And I'll call along the way. Wouldn't want you guys to worry."

"Ah, hell, Jo's gonna worry anyway." Roy scoffed. "But at least if she knows you're alive she'll worry less."

"And so will you."

Roy nodded in acknowledgement. "And so will I."

The rumble of a truck pulling up caught their attention. "Well, hey, guess I'd better get this loose end tied up." Johnny told him.

"Right." Roy nodded. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will."

With that, Roy started toward his car, giving Johnny a brief wave as he pulled away. Something tugged at Johnny, but he shoved it aside. The sooner he got things wrapped up, the sooner he'd be on the road.

He turned to the truck, where the driver and his passenger were climbing down. The driver approached Johnny. "We're here for a pickup?"

"Right this way." Johnny gestured to them to follow.

The two of them made quick work of the furniture, and Johnny was soon left in an empty apartment. He did a good clean-up, pausing afterward to survey the now empty space.

It was almost like going back in time, back to when he had first moved here, not long after he was assigned to Station Fifty-One. He had never really seen this as home, just a place to crash and keep his stuff.

But now that he was leaving it behind, he couldn't help thinking that maybe this had been like home, if only temporarily. Maybe he was second guessing himself a little. After all, this was a huge undertaking, with no guarantee of what would be waiting for him on the other side.

He shook his head and left the apartment, locking the door behind him for the last time. There was no time for second guessing. Time to drop off the key with Mrs. Williams and hit the road.

Johnny trotted downstairs and knocked on the landlady's door. It swung open, and Mrs. Williams greeted him with a smile. "Johnny."

"Hey, Mrs. Williams." Johnny answered, holding up the key. "Place is all cleared out and cleaned up. Just came to drop off the key."

She took it from his outstretched hand. "I hate to see you go. You've been one of my best tenants. But it sounds like you've got quite the adventure planned."

"Suppose you could call it that." Johnny nodded. "I gave you a forwarding address, right?"

"Right." Mrs. Williams nodded firmly. "I'll be sure to send back your deposit. You take care and be safe."

"Thanks."

With that, he left the apartment house and climbed into the Rover, starting it up and pulling out. He pushed a tape into the tape player and turned it up as he pulled out onto the road that would eventually lead him away from here.

Goodbye to California, and hello to whatever awaited him in Alaska. And of course, whatever awaited him along the way.