PS25
Roy held tightly on the railing going upstairs, thankful his wife would be asleep and he had to admit he did have a slight buzz. Thankful he didn't match Johnny beer for beer; however his wasn't conscience wasn't totally clear. His friend had suffered more than he thought, working jobs way beneath him to make ends meet while he was suspended.
Opening the door slowly, he found his wife reading, her bedside lamp on as she watched him plop on his side of the bed. He felt wiped out; feeling every jab, hurt and pain his friend had endured while trying to save his life.
"That bad," Joanne put her book down and slid over to Roy, she put both her arms around his chest and leaned her head on his shoulders.
"Worse. Worse. I wish Johnny had told me this before….Joanne, I'm surprised Johnny kept it together for so long. He has every right to be pissed and angry yet he laughed it all off like it was a big, damn joke. He's sleeping it off now. I just couldn't quite make it to the guest room, I hope you don't mind," Roy turned his sorrowful eyes to his loving wife.
"Roy, I understand, Johnny's my little brother remember? Besides, I think he'll be in worse shape then you," she nibbled at his right ear lobe.
Roy moaned in pleasure, and then turned around.
"Wait a minute I thought you were exhausted and were going to be asleep," Roy squinted at the clock radio. "It's 2 o'clock?" He said in surprise.
"How could I sleep when you were talking to Johnny and he was hurting," Joanne pouted. "Besides I think I have a way to take your mind off Johnny's troubles." She kissed him hard and the world faded away.
######
Johnny tried to open his eyes as he thought he heard voices. First children, then adults, his eyes refused to open so he gave in and returned to the land of nod. He could feel his feet, his hands but the pounding in his head was reminder of what happened last night. Unable to even raise his head, he went back to sleep and ignorance.
The smell of fresh coffee forced him to open his eyes to slits as bright morning sunshine pierced his painful eyes. As he sat up his head assaulted him along with a horrible awful taste in his mouth, a taste he hadn't had in a long while and it had been a mistake then.
Sitting up he watched as a blanket slid down to the floor and he pressed his hands into his face, finding no relief. Johnny listened to the quiet house, it didn't seem right.
"Hey Johnny, I see the dead have arisen," Roy laughed and sat down next to the now sober paramedic. His friend's bounce on the couch sent his head reeling but he wasn't going to say anything.
"Yeah, yeah I get that. Where is everybody?" Johnny looked around squinting and seeing it empty.
"Oh the kids are at school and its Joanne's day as teachers assistant. The house is ours!" Roy said in mock conspiracy.
John looked at his friend and then his stomach gurgled and he felt last night's dinner roar up to his throat.
"I got to go Roy," Johnny stood up, one hand to his mouth and the other to his stomach.
"C'mon Johnny you just got up," Roy tried to stop him.
"No Roy I got to go," Johnny pushed past his friend and barely made it to the bathroom.
Roy watched in shock as Johnny ran to the bathroom.
Clutching the toilet, Johnny puked until he could puke no more. Standing up he went to the sink and washed his face with cold water. Drying his face off he looked in the mirror.
"Not a good move there Gage. Hopefully you didn't tell Roy too much. Man how could I have been…wait a minute," Johnny got angry, threw the hand towel in the sink and stormed out of the bathroom. Once in the living room, Roy had disappeared.
"Roy. Roy DeSoto, you get your ass out here this minute," Johnny demanded.
Out of the kitchen Roy came out calmly holding a glass filled with a clear liquid.
"Sit," Roy said gently, pushing his friend down into a chair at the dining room table. "Drink this." Roy handed the glass to his friend.
"What's this?" Johnny eyes the glass suspiciously like it was filled with poison or something.
"Water, you're dehydrated. Drink it. I'll be back," then Roy disappeared into the kitchen.
Knowing Roy was right; Johnny inhaled the water only to find it replaced with another.
"Drink this while I fix Dr. DeSoto's sure fire hangover cure," Roy switched glasses.
"Sure fire hangover cure. You been holding out on me buddy?" Johnny gratefully took the other glass and drank it greedily.
"I was in the Army, remember," Roy offered his simple explanation.
"Okay okay," Johnny knew he was defeated. "Better you than me," he mumbled under his breath.
"You say something partner?" Roy poked his out in time to switch out water glasses.
"I know, drink," Johnny drank the water as he mulled over his problem. Roy had intentionally let him get drunk. He remembered telling Roy about the paper route, the strip club after that things got a little foggy. What in the hell did he tell Roy?
Johnny didn't know what to expect from Roy's hangover cure and then he knew he would have to have a long hard talk with his best friend.
Roy came out of the kitchen and with a flourish placed a plate before him. It was two pieces of toast with peanut butter, jelly and cut up bananas along with desperately needed coffee.
"This is your hangover cure?" Johnny eyed his plate sususpisioulsy. "Good thing it's not mueduo."
"Huh? Mundedo?" Roy sat down and nursed his coffee. "Eat."
"On one condition, no, make that two. One, explain your cure and two, are you related to Elvis?" Johnny turned to his friend with a lopsided grin.
Roy laughed.
"Well I'm certainly not related to Elvis as to the cure, um... peanut butter for protein, jelly to take the edge off of the alcohol and bananas for potassium since you're dehydrated," Roy beamed proudly of his own concoction.
"Good," Johnny took a small bite of the toast. "You know I'm pissed at you."
Roy remained silent.
"You purposely let me get drunk didn't you? Damn, this is pretty good stuff," Johnny concentrated on his food.
"Johnny, I didn't let you get drunk… I gave you permission to get drunk because I figured it was the only way I was going to get anything from you. I'm sorry," Roy said sorrowfully. "But I had to know."
Johnny finished his breakfast. "Can I have aspirin now?"
"Yeah, sure," Roy produced two white pills. "Not bad huh?"
"Nope I have to remember it the next time I get drunk," Johnny gratefully took the pills and then slowly drank his coffee mulling his next question. "Which won't be anytime soon if I can help it," Johnny glared at Roy as he took his aspirin.
"You know Johnny if you need OT I can talk to the guys and…."
"No Roy its better I stay in my neck of the woods, besides how long have you known?" Johnny turned and looked Roy straight in the eyes.
"Um, known what?" Roy suddenly felt naked.
"Well the fact I've been working at 115's. Not like it hasn't been an open secret. I'm sure the department has been talking about it ever since I got assigned," Johnny snorted. "Well?"
"Johnny, um Brice told me. I know I know you told me, damnitt Johnny you don't deserve it." Roy defended Johnny, sour on his station assignment.
"What working the armpit of the county?" Johnny snorted.
"Well since you're working there it's now the garden spot," Roy retorted proud of recruiting John in the first place.
"Yeah maybe. Roy, I'm sorry but…look I'll find overtime in my neck of the woods okay. Don't worry about me," Johnny looked at his watch. "Shit, look at the time. Veronica is getting in and I have three hours to make myself presentable. Where the hell are my shoes?"
Roy pointed to the couch and watched as Johnny's big toe stick out of his socks.
"Okay fine I haven't had time to go shopping, geez," Johnny stuffed his feet into his tennis shoes and then headed towards the front door.
"We're not done yet Johnny, not by a long shot," Roy warned his friend, "and don't be a stranger."
Johnny waved.
####
Johnny met Veronica at their favorite dark, romantic Italian restaurant. They were in a cozy back booth, Dino, Sinatra and Mercer crooned over dinner.
God he had missed Veronica more than he cared to admit. He had fallen hard and fast but tried to remind himself it was going to be a long slow process before he could even begun to seriously court her.
Lingering over their tiramisu and coffee, Johnny looked into Veronica's pearl scent green eyes.
"Oh Johnny, New York was just incredible, it's I'll I can say," Veronica gushed. "I mean it's so hard to describe, the noise, the buildings and the city itself. I could just drown in it, you know," she smiled sweetly at him.
"Yeah I know that's all you've talked about since I got here. I get New York is a great city," he grinned and took her hand.
"There's something I need to tell you John," Veronica got serious.
"Yeah," Johnny felt a pit in his stomach.
"I've taken a job in New York. I got my apartment, the job on 7th Avenue. It's my dream come true and it would better if you came with me," Veronica kissed him passionately and then sat back down.
Johnny sat back in his chair, deflated.
"John, the last time I checked they have firefighters and paramedics in New York, you could come with me and start over. I know how you bitch and moan about how the department treats you and doesn't respect you. See so you can come with me," Veronica smiled hoping to convince him.
Johnny put his hands back in his lap, sighed heavily, put his chin down and then looked up to Veronica's moist eyes.
"Veronica, I wish…I just can't come to New York right now," Johnny tried reaching for Veronica's hands and she pulled them away.
"Can't or won't John? You know they gave you a raw deal. I did read the papers," she hissed. "The department doesn't care about you but I do." She informed him with a passion.
"No I can't because if I leave, the department wins. Don't you see that," Johnny tried to reason with her. "I just can't, not after what I've been through and how Roy helped me. IT would be like a slap in the face to him," Johnny explained.
"Oh, so the department and Roy DeSoto are more important than me? Have I ever really mattered or was I just a diversion?" Veronica wiped at her tears.
"No, babe, you were never a diversion. It was just the wrong time…I …it's my fault," Johnny put his hand to his chest. "I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too. I guess this is goodbye and don't look me up if you ever get to New York," she threw her napkin on the table and left.
Johnny took his wineglass and finished it off. Sighing, he would list this as another way of getting dumped. His luck was still holding true.
