As to my other stories I'm working on them and my beta is now on a different schedule. I'm getting ready for a number of things which will take up my time. Tax season is fast approaching and I need to get my hours in along with getting my health in order. Please be advise I will finish all my stories, but each requires a different mindset to write them. For me I write them finished all in my head, and then rewrite a few more times even before I put them down in the computer. Patience is a virtue I learned a long time ago and also with life. Thank you again for your patience.
PS8
Johnny quickly stripped to his underwear and for the first time in eighteen months he cried himself to sleep.
Roy tried to undress as quietly as possible so not to wake his wife. He wasn't successful
"Roy," Joanne whispered, looking at the worried and frightened face of her husband. "Did Johnny get home?"
The sandy haired man climbed into bed and hugged his wife fiercely. "Yes," he whispered. "He looks bad, Joanne. How could I have been so stupid?"
"Roy we all forgot about it and we didn't tell Johnny Janine no longer works for the paper and she's on our side. Johnny will understand," Joanne kissed her husband.
"I sure hope so, because right now he looks like crap. I love you Joanne," Roy hugged his wife and kissed her, and they snuggled together and fell asleep.
#########
It was nine am and the kids were quietly watching television when the DeSoto's came down. Remnants of cereal and milk sat on the kitchen table and there was no sign of Gage. Clearing up the table, Joanne started making pancakes and sausages.
Roy kept on checking Gage's door and hoped his friend would emerge soon. Breakfast done and over with Joanne sent the kids to get ready to go to the park.
"Just talk to him honey. Johnny will understand," she kissed him and herded the kids out.
Johnny found himself at four am screaming his head off from a horrible nightmare the likes of which he hadn't seen since the trial and the images more vivid and twice as painful. Waves and waves of emotions and images pounded into his head. He shook and shivered and didn't fall asleep again until the sun started to rise. He was mentally and physically exhausted. It took awhile to fall back asleep but he did.
Not looking at the clock, Johnny threw on what he had on last night and headed towards the kitchen. He heard Roy in the backyard mowing and made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of milk. Standing up and leaning on the counter he found he just didn't have enough energy to go to the dining room. The banging of the slider door brought him out of his funk.
"Johnny?" Roy's concern and worry were etched on his friend's face; some things never changed. DeSoto noticed it was two in the afternoon and his friend look worse than before.
"Hey Roy," Gage tried a half hearted wave only to feel himself dizzy. Before he knew it he was at the table with a cool cloth pressed against the back of his neck.
"Look Johnny I'm really sorry about last night. I guess we got used to everything and I treated it like you never left. I'm really sorry. Hell we all are," Roy heard Joanne and the kids come in. Roy couldn't but help notice the dark circles and grim look on his friend. But like always, Johnny tried to deflect any pain from himself.
"Johnny!" Joanne was quickly by his side. "Let me make you a proper lunch. Kids why don't you go out to the back yard and play."
"Sure Mom, you want to talk about grown up things. C'mon Missy, lets leave Uncle Johnny and Mom and Dad for now."
Missy smiled and waved as Chris led them outside.
While Joanne was in the kitchen, Roy looked at his weary friend.
"You know Johnny maybe you'd better cool it for awhile, I mean the studying and training. You need to give yourself a break," Roy offered and knew he meant it.
"Roy, you don't seem to understand I got one chance, one fricken' chance and then I think I'm done," Johnny surmised, still reeling from the previous night's nightmares and memories.
"Johnny you've just been working so hard is all. Just take a break, you'll see it isn't as bad as you think," Roy patted his friend on his back as Joanne presented both men with a meal of hearty leftovers.
"Roy is right," Joanne sat next to her husband. "You've been pushing yourself real hard and it's taken its toll. Again I . . . we're really sorry about last night. How about we go to the beach tomorrow?" She sounded hopeful. "You've been here almost two months and we haven't gone to the beach. I think that will change your attitude."
"Um, the beach huh," Johnny took a couple of bites of his lunch and took a long drink of milk. "I think I like that idea. There are no California girls in New Mexico."
#########
Bright and early the DeSoto's and Gage loaded themselves into the car. Coolers were filled along with beach towels, blankets, fire wood and beach chairs as well. Johnny still looked worse for the wear and his friends hoped the salt air and scenery would get him out of his funk. Roy assured Johnny no one at the station felt ill will towards him and again he could no way understand what his friend had gone through.
Giving in, Johnny's quirky smile made a small appearance as the kids snuggled closer to their adopted uncle as they fought traffic to Doheny.
Roy and Joanne had been right, just listening and watching the waves along with the pretty bikini clad girls reset Johnny's mind. Building sandcastles with the kids leaving alone time for Roy and Joanne made Johnny feel better. He'd been living with his friends too long and he had already come to a decision for when he became a paramedic again. Oh he knew he could pass, just like his friend suspected but he wasn't worried about passing it, but what came after. What crap hole station would they assign him to and force him out, one way or another. Gage knew he was a horrible black mark on the LA County Fire Department, name cleared or not. Now he would have to find his inner strength to beat the bastards at their game.
"Hey Johnny, time for lunch," Roy called out to his exhausted friend.
Johnny got up, dusted himself off and headed to lunch, finding hot dogs, chips and s'mores. Food had never tasted so good.
"Hey Roy I think you're right; I just needed a change of scenery to get my mind straight. But I know passing is easy, it's getting through the rest that's gonna be hard." Johnny smiled and hugged Joanne. "Did I ever tell you guys how much I appreciate you being here for me? I mean it, thanks doesn't even begun to cover it and believe me I'm gonna pay you back, somehow, someway."
"Johnny!" Joanne protested and hugged Johnny. "With that mustache you're going have to beat the girls back."
"Well Joanne, Roy its one step at a time. C'mon don't you have any more food around here?"
Roy laughed and so did everyone else. But Roy knew Gage was right, passing was easy, the next part was going to harder than anything his former partner had been through, or so he thought.
