PS23
Johnny sighed; he couldn't remember when he had such a good meal. He looked lovingly at his friends. He had kept the kids entertained and enjoyed their childish laughter. Lately the runs he had made him sick to his stomach, innocent children caught in unlivable situations and the uncaring bureaucracy which took care of them. Veronica was in New York, so he had taken Roy up on his invitation for dinner.
"It was fantastic Joanne," Johnny patted his stomach, "I think I'm about to burst."
"Good thing your best friend is a paramedic," Roy deadpanned and smiled, glad to see Johnny relaxing.
"Yeah really good thing," Johnny grinned.
"Well we don't see you enough, Johnny," Joanne smiled and got up from the table.
"Here let me help," Johnny got up too. He picked up plates, glasses and silverware.
"Johnny you really don't need to do this, you know," Joanne pushed him away.
"Yes I do Joanne, you know I do. I still owe you guys a lot," Johnny grinned again.
Joanne looked at Roy, who immediately got up and helped clean the table, as the children went to get ready for bed.
The men headed out to the deck and looked into the night sky.
"So?" Roy asked innocently enough.
"So? What?" Johnny turned to Roy.
"Is she the one?" Roy asked again.
"Hey man, I can't go there. I mean I…it's complicated, okay? Veronica and I are friends for now but…I do like her a lot," Johnny sighed, wondering if his future would ever get brighter.
"Okay I'm going to see you at the seminar right?" Roy remembered the upcoming seminar.
Johnny licked his lips; Manny suggested he stay on his own turf since the other paramedics weren't exactly welcoming. "Yeah sure Roy. I'll meet you there." He tried to quell the butterflies in his stomach, with little success.
#######
Johnny was checking the drug box when Manny came over.
"So Gage, you going to that seminar?" Manny grinned.
"Of course I'm going," Johnny stood up to look his partner in the eye. "Why?"
"Oh figure we could meet up and I could introduce you to all us low-lifes." Manny had crossed his arms.
"Um, well I'm not going to that seminar," Johnny stated. "I'm going to the one at UCLA."
"Oh, bad idea Gage, bad idea," Manny shook his head. "See, we ain't welcome to hang with the other paramedics. We're the shit on someone's shoes or haven't you figured it out yet. You're making a big mistake. Think your old partner is gonna protect you?" Manny laughed.
"Well it's gonna be my mistake then," Johnny slammed the drug box into the compartment and shut the door.
#######
Pulling his motorcycle up to the hall, Johnny scanned for Roy. The plan was to meet in front of the hall and go into together. Registration lasted an hour and he was a half hour late, hoping to see Roy pacing. Sighing he climbed off his bike and headed inside the building. The only saving grace was Brackett was conducting the seminar.
At registration, he got surprised looks and some whispering; no doubt they were surprised he actually showed. Signing in he still needed some coffee and saw the refreshment table.
Johnny was thankful Roy was late. He had been ignored, glared at and felt as welcome as a turd in a punch bowl. Even getting coffee was monumental; paramedics, in uniform and civvies blocked his way to coffee and donuts. Resigned to neither he headed into the conference room, finding it crowded. He had to sit in the last row.
Finding the large hall, he made himself as inconspicuous as possible. Bending over to read the study guide he could hear the snickers and whispers as people pointed at him.
#######
Chris ended up getting sick the night before the seminar. Roy was half asleep before he realized the seminar was today. Taking a quick shower he made it with minutes to spare and was forced to take a seat in front. On his way to the front of the hall, he scanned for Johnny and was disappointed when he couldn't.
Wishing he could have grabbed some coffee, Roy forced himself to stay awake until the first break and then a short lunch. He hoped he would find Johnny in the large group.
#######
Johnny watched as his fellow comrades pointed and whispered about him. He sighed inwardly; maybe Manny had been right and he should have taken the seminar at St. Francis, but it was too late. He had looked for Roy, but mostly kept his head down, not wanting to incur further wrath from his colleagues.
For whatever reason, Johnny couldn't concentrate on the speaker and took to reading the materials. It was informative, but boring. He remembered the last seminar Roy and he went to; he had kept the speaker busy with questions. He had some but he didn't want to stand out any further; he decided he would call the instructor later.
#######
Roy was able to grab some much-needed coffee and half a donut before returning to the classroom. He still hadn't found his friend and was getting concerned. He had hoped to sit with him, since Johnny had a way of making boring lectures, tolerable. Their current instructor was putting him asleep. The droning monotone voice kept him constantly blinking his eyes, and wanting the air conditioner turned up in the stuffy room. He had heard whispers and wondered what the current gossip was about and then turned to the reading materials and wished he was home.
#######
Johnny had seen Roy walk by him twice, but said nothing. He remembered the shit Roy had been through the first time and didn't want a repeat. He would try to slip away quietly at lunch and then return for the rest of the seminar.
However, he did ask quietly for OT, not that he needed it, but he would feel a hell a lot better if he had some extra money in the bank. He might as well been asking for the moon. Half the time they ignored him and the others snorted, glared and then left. Johnny couldn't wait until lunch to nurse his bruised ego.
Roy looked in vain for Johnny finally settling to eat lunch alone at a fast food place a block away from the building.
Johnny scanned the want ads of the paper, a sense of déjà vu coming over him. Those first few days suspended without pay made him nervous and scared. Sighing he would look again.
The seminar over, Johnny had planned on going straight home, saving Roy the embarrassment of being associated with him. He didn't want it to start all over again and have his best friend caught in the middle.
Walking to the front door of the building he was stopped by six colleagues
"Hey Gage," one of the men sneered, "heard you were looking for some OT. That true?" The man sounded dubious.
"Yeah so what?" Johnny tried to pass only to be stopped.
"Seriously Gage, do you think anyone in his right mind would let you cover for him, don't you remember what happened the last time?"
"Well, in case you've forgotten I was cleared—or don't you read the memos the department puts out," Johnny's jaw clenched.
"Oh yeah, we read 'em. But man you're in the shit hole station of the department, 115's. Kinda tells you what the department and everyone else think of you."
All the men laughed, turned and headed out of the building. Spying a water fountain, Johnny headed towards it, but suddenly he couldn't swallow. He stood still, trying to calm himself.
Roy was hoping to catch Johnny when he heard voices near the entrance of the building. Hearing John's voice he stopped at the corner and watched. After the men left, Roy could see the defeated look on his friends face as he bent over the fountain.
Clearing his throat, Roy put on a smile.
"Hey Johnny, I almost thought I missed you."
"Hey, um Roy, no I was here all the time," Johnny eyed the door making sure all the men had left. "Kinda was getting worried about you though."
"Well Chris was sick last night and I kinda overslept but I made it, that's the important thing," Roy again smiled seeing Johnny really needed a friend.
Roy had an inspired idea. "Hey Johnny why don't you come over for dinner tonight?"
"Seriously Roy, Chris was sick and I'm sure the last thing Joanne needs is a guest for dinner," Johnny stuck his hands in his pockets.
"I insist Johnny, c'mon over," Roy punched Johnny on the arm.
Johnny thought about it, and decided he wasn't in the mood to go home to an empty apartment.
Smiling he said, "Only if I bring dinner over."
"You'll bring dinner? On your bike? Seriously?" Roy scratched his head.
"Trust me pally, that's the only way I'll come over," Johnny stood his ground.
"All right if you let me bring the beer," Roy stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Beer? Sure Roy, see you in an hour," Johnny waved as he headed out the door.
"Yeah an hour," Roy waved wondering how his friend would manage dinner.
