Italian – English glossary

Mia cara – my dear

Choctaw – English glossary

Chihowa– God

Nashoba Tushpa – Swift Wolf (Johnny's full Choctaw name)

Note on Choctaw pronunciation. Underlining vowels indicates that the vowel is nasalized. The letter v is a vowel; it makes a short u sound, as in 'bus'.

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The phone rang. JoAnne answered. She hoped it was Johnny saying that they had found Sarah Kate, and not Roy with bad news about Chris. "Hello?"

"Hello, JoAnne? It's Hank." His voice was strained. He was upset about something. "Johnny told me Nita is staying with you tonight."

"She is. Did you find Sarah Kate?" she asked.

"Yes. She's been treated for a broken arm. Police are keeping a guard on her." Hank paused briefly. "That's not why I'm calling, though. I have some hard news."

JoAnne steeled herself. "What happened, Hank?"

"Johnny has been shot. He's in surgery now. The bullet missed his heart, but it broke his sternum and collapsed both lungs. When he fell, he hit his head pretty hard." Hank's voice trembled. "They don't know if he'll make it. He, um, well, he stood up to a man who was holding a gun on a nurse. He tried talking him into putting his weapon down. We think it was one of the kidnappers. Johnny told Mrs. Richards that he looked like the man in the sketch, and the nurse says he demanded she take him to Sarah Kate."

JoAnne sat down. "What should I do?"

"Pray," Hank said. "The police think that Johnny and Sarah Kate are both targets now. They can't transport him by air, and they worry that ground transportation might be attacked. I'm going to stay here until we know more."

"Thanks for calling, Hank. I'll tell Nita when she's awake. Her pain meds keep her pretty drowsy. I'm not sure she'd be able to process this news if I woke her up right now."

"OK. Goodbye, JoAnne. I'll call when I know something more."

The line clicked and JoAnne hung up. Then she dialed Rampart and asked for Chris's room. She needed to tell Roy everything.

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Roy was sitting with Chris, reading out loud to him from a book by Louis L'Amour. Every so often, he checked Chris's vitals. When he looked up from the page, he saw that Chris's eyes were open and he was watching his father. Roy put the book down. "Hey, buddy. It's good to see you awake." He reached for Chris's hand.

"Hi, Dad." Chris gripped his dad's hand. He looked confused. "Why am I here?"

Roy brushed a lock of Chris's hair out of his eyes. JoAnne had been saying he needed a haircut. "When you were walking home with Sarah Kate and Megan today, some men grabbed Sarah Kate. You tried to protect her and they shoved you hard. You hit your head on the sidewalk. You have a concussion."

Chris's forehead wrinkled. "Sarah Kate. She's the girl who helped find JoJo."

"That's right." Roy pressed the call button.

"She's gonna live with us, yeah?" Chris said. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open. "Light's awful bright."

The nurse came in a few minutes later. "He's awake," Roy said. "Vitals are good."

The nurse smiled. "I'll get Dr. Early in here to check on you, young man."

The phone rang. Chris winced at the sound. Roy answered. It was JoAnne. "Jo, Chris is awake. He's going to be OK."

"Roy —" Jo's voice wavered. She sounded like she had been crying. "Johnny was shot. It happened at the hospital in Bakersfield. They took Sarah Kate there because she had a broken arm. Johnny saw a man who looked like one of the kidnappers. The man pointed a gun at a nurse and told her to take him to Sarah Kate. Johnny tried to get him to put the gun down. You know how he thinks he can charm anyone into doing the right thing. But the man shot him in the chest. It didn't hit his heart, but both lungs collapsed. He's in surgery now. They — they don't know if he's going to make it."

Roy didn't know what to say. Tears burned in his eyes. He swallowed a sob. "I should be with him."

"The police worry that he and Sarah Kate could be targets now."

Roy nodded. "Thanks, Jo." He hung up the phone.

"What happened, Dad?" Chris was looking at him, his eyes wide with worry.

"Uncle Johnny was shot. He — he might not make it." Chris's eyes welled up with tears.

Just then, Dr. Early stepped in. He was frowning. "What happened to Johnny?"

Roy couldn't bring himself to meet the doctor's eyes. "He was shot in the chest. Both lungs collapsed. He's in surgery now in Bakersfield."

Dr. Early sank into a chair. He reached for Roy's hand. "Johnny is strong, Roy. He's a fighter. He'll pull through." He blinked his eyes and turned his attention to Chris, suddenly all business. "Welcome back, young man."

"Hi, Doc." Chris was pale, his eyes wet.

Dr. Early examined him. "I know you're upset about Johnny, but you look good, Chris. Tell me, what's the last thing you remember?"

Chris wrinkled his forehead and thought for a moment. "Waiting at the train station. I'm not sure when it was. Uncle Johnny and Sarah Kate were coming."

"That was on Wednesday," Roy said. "It's Friday now."

Dr. Early nodded. "It's not unusual to lose some memory with a concussion. It may come back to you eventually, and it may not. I don't think you need to worry about it."

Chris nodded. He turned his head away. Dr. Early stood up and squeezed Roy's shoulder. "He's going to be fine, Roy. The brain scans showed swelling but no bleeding. He may have some confusion and headaches for a while, but he's OK. We'll keep him overnight and send him home tomorrow. Keep him home from school until I've cleared him to go back."

Roy nodded. His mind was still on his best friend, his brother. "I need to get to Johnny. He shouldn't be alone."

Dr. Early nodded. "Let me know if there's any way I can help, Roy."

Chris was nodding off to sleep. Roy kissed his son on the forehead and then headed for the elevator.

Dixie was at the nurse's station. Roy approached the desk. "Dix, is Dr. Brackett around? I've got to tell you about something, and I really don't want to go through it twice."

"I'll page him, Roy." She put a hand on his shoulder. "You look like you're carrying the weight of the world on those shoulders."

When Kel arrived, Roy started talking. "You know Johnny went up to Bakersfield to look for Sarah Kate, right?"

They both nodded. Roy told them everything he knew. Dixie paled as she listened. Her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Roy." She pulled him into a hug. "Not our Johnny."

"Yeah. I'm, uh, going back up to Chris's room. But I need to figure out getting to Bakersfield."

"Wait, Roy." Dixie grabbed his arm. "Did you have dinner?"

Roy shrugged. "No."

"You can't take care of Chris or Johnny if you're not taking care of yourself." She tugged him away from the nurse's station. "Come to the nurse's lounge with me. I've got some food in the fridge that you are more than welcome to have."

"Thanks, Dix." Roy's stomach was grumbling. He hadn't eaten since lunch and it was almost nine o'clock.

Dr. Brackett folded his arms over his chest. "You go eat. Meanwhile, I'm going to call a friend of mine. He has a plane and I bet he'd be willing to fly us up there."

"Nita too? She'll want to be with him." Roy was relieved that Brackett had a plan. If he could just drive, he could get himself to Bakersfield. As soon as his cast was off, he would look into it.

"Yeah, Nita too."

Dixie gave him a Tupperware container full of spaghetti. Roy sat down to eat. When he had finished, he called JoAnne. "Dr. Brackett is arranging to fly us to Bakersfield. Can you get Nita here?"

"Yeah," Jo said. "She just woke up. I still have to tell her what happened. I can watch the twins. Anna's here. She'll bring Nita to Rampart soon. Please, Roy. Tell Johnny we love him. Tell him he has to survive this."

"I will. Um, could you please send me some clothes and stuff."

"Sure. I love you, Roy."

"I love you too, JoAnne Mine." He hung up the phone.

Dr. Brackett came to the lounge a few minutes later. "Is Nita on the way? My friend is ready to go any time."
"Yeah. Anna's bringing her." He sighed. "Thanks for going with me."

Brackett shrugged. "I'm Johnny's doctor. And I'm friends with the director of the Bakersfield hospital. He's making arrangements for me to take over Johnny's care."

"Don't you have to be here?" said Roy.

Brackett shrugged. "Dixie and I have vacation time coming. Joe and Mike will cover for me, and Carol can cover for Dixie."

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When they arrived in Bakersfield, Brackett got them a taxi to the hospital. The hospital director met them in the lobby. "Kel, I'm glad to see you, but I'm sorry about the circumstances that brought you here."

"Thanks, Jim. This is Roy DeSoto, Sarah Kate's foster dad. He used to be one of our best paramedics. Now he's helping us train paramedics. He and Johnny were partners. And this is Nita Gage, Johnny's wife."

"Nita, Roy." Jim shook their hands. "Nita, I'm sure you want to see your husband. Roy, there's a little girl who really wants to see you before you go to your friend."

"He's my brother," Roy said. "And yes, I want to see Sarah Kate."

"Kel, Johnny is in room 623. Have your IDs ready. I have told them to expect you. Roy, I'll take you up to Sarah Kate's room. You'll need to show your ID, too."

Roy nodded. He pulled out his wallet and fished for his ID. Jim took him to the elevator. "Sarah Kate is in room 320. There are two police officers on guard outside the room at all times."

"Good," Roy said. "She's pretty special. We all want to be sure she's safe."

"Marco Lopez has been sitting with her," Jim said. "From what I understand, he's keeping her spirits up. She was really worried about her Uncle Johnny."

"Yeah. They've bonded over the last couple of weeks." The elevator opened on the third floor and Roy stepped off. Jim directed him to turn right and walk down the hallway. "Tell me something, Jim. Did the police get the man who shot Johnny?"

"Our security guard shot him. He's dead. The guard had been helping a mother with her sick child and didn't see the man draw his gun. He fired almost immediately after Johnny was shot, though."

They had reached Sarah Kate's room. Two officers stood at her door.

Jim introduced Roy. "Officer Arden, this is Roy DeSoto. He's Sarah Kate's foster father."

Arden nodded. "Good to meet you, Roy. If I could see your ID please."

"Yeah." Roy showed it to the man.

"OK, you're good to go," said Arden. "I'll make sure your name is on the list to have access at all hours."

"Thank you." Roy stepped into the room. Marco was sitting in one of the chairs. Roy took the other one. Sarah Kate was lying in bed. The splint on her right arm ran from her shoulder to her wrist. "Hey, sweetheart. I'm so glad to see you." He sat on the bed and took her good hand. "I'm sorry about your arm."

She paled. "The doctor says I have to have surgery tomorrow. That's scary."

Roy looked over her splint. "Well, whoever put this splint on did a bang-up job. It looks really good. I don't think I could have done it better." He hoped he could relieve her anxieties. "You know, you won't be awake for the surgery. You won't feel a thing."

"Did you feel it when you lost your leg?"

Roy shook his head. "Nope. Not a bit."

Her forehead wrinkled up. "How did it happen? I wanted to ask Uncle Johnny, but now I can't ask him anything." She blinked back tears.

"Hey, sweetheart. Uncle Johnny has survived a lot of things people didn't think he'd make it through."

She frowned. "He shouldn't have tried to stop the guy with the gun."

Roy ran a hand gently over Sarah Kate's hair. "Listen to me, honey. He did that because he loves you. It's who Johnny is. He always stands up for other people, especially for the people he loves."

"Chris stood up for me too." Sarah Kate rubbed a sleeve across her wet eyes. "I'm sorry I was scared of him."

Roy hugged her close. "Sweetheart, you don't have to apologize for that. A bad thing happened to you. That can affect how you react to other people. Chris is going to be OK." He sighed. "As for my leg, I was working a fire. The floor collapsed and I fell. A beam landed on top of my leg and the doctor couldn't save it. I don't remember anything about it, though. I only know what people told me."

She nodded, then yawned. "I'm real tired."

Roy eyed the IV line. "The pain meds make you sleepy. Go ahead and close your eyes. Get some rest. Uncle Marco will stay with you while I go see Uncle Johnny." He kissed Sarah Kate on the forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Goodnight, Uncle Roy. And thank you."

Roy raised an eyebrow. "Thank you for what?"

She put a hand on his face. "For being so good to me."

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Eddie Bowen sat across from Joey Allegro. "When you made your phone call, did you send Sandro Conti to the Bakersfield hospital to kill Sarah Kate?"

Allegro didn't respond. He was smirking. "Lawyer."

"You should have called one instead of contacting Conti." Eddie leaned in. He wanted to wipe that slimy smile off of Allegro's face. "Now a good man is fighting for his life and Conti is dead."

Allegro paled. The smirk vanished. "My nephew, dead?"

"Exactly." Eddie felt some small satisfaction over Allegro's shock. Hopefully it would have the effect of getting Allegro to talk. "What do you expect will happen when a man opens fire in a hospital waiting room? He only got one shot off before the security guard took him out. Now tell me, what orders did you give Conti? The call supervisor heard you say something about taking the pepperoni off the pizza. That has to be code for something."

Tears shone in Allegro's eyes. So, the man had feelings after all. "It meant remove the evidence. Sarah Kate could have talked. She knew too much. There's a possibility her father told her what he saw."

Eddie frowned. "What did he see?" Allegro had never offered so much information before.

The man shrugged. "I know I'm going to prison. You found the girl in my restaurant. You know about the hit on DiAngelo. I might as well confess. He saw me kill Rudy Bianchi."

Eddie took a deep breath. Rudy Bianchi had been a decorated member of the Bakersfield police force. He'd gone missing two years ago during an undercover operation. DiAngelo had offered them information on the case, but the file had gone missing and then Marcus was killed.

"Where is Rudy now?"

Allegro sighed. "Pirelli took his body to the mountains and dropped it off a cliff. You'll have to ask him where — I never let him tell me."

"Where can we find Pirelli?"

A shadow darkened Allegro's eyes. "He and Albino and Tucci are holed up in a cabin I own in Visalia. If I'm going down, they're going with me."

Eddie got out paper and pen. "I need an address."

Allegro recited the address and Eddie wrote it down. "Good. Should we worry about any further threat to Sarah Kate?"

The prisoner shook his head. "Once you get those three men, she'll be safe."

"Excellent." Eddie nodded to Mick. "Get him out of here."

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Roy followed Jim to the ICU. Johnny had a secure room just outside the unit. Two police officers stood at his door, too.

On the way to Johnny's room, Roy noticed Edna Richards in the waiting room. Hank, Mike, and Chet were sitting with her. Chet had his head down. His shoulders were slumped.

Mrs. Richards got up and walked over to Roy. "I've never seen anything like it," she said. "Johnny tried talking the kidnapper into lowering his gun. He's either incredibly brave or a big fool."

Roy grinned. "His wife will tell you he's both. Then again, I have seen him talk bank robbers into surrendering to police."

"He must really care about Sarah Kate." Mrs. Richards smiled at Johnny. "If I could choose a father for her, it would be him."

"Johnny loves that little girl," Roy said. "And he would love to be her father. But he would have to take Liza, too. He would love them both as if they were blood. That's how he's loved my kids all these years. But they don't have the financial means for two more children. They blew through their savings after the twins were born, just trying to pay Nita's medical bills. And with Nita expecting again, well, it's going to be tough. They'll manage, but it's a lot."

"What happened to Nita?"

Roy sighed as he thought about how hard things had been for his friends. They wouldn't mind him telling Mrs. Richards. "She had HELLP Syndrome and needed a liver transplant. And now this. Insurance will help, but hospital bills add up, and he won't be able to work for a while." If he survives. He couldn't say those words. He could barely think them without breaking down. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go see Johnny now."

"Of course. I'm going to head home. I'll be back in the morning." She shook Roy's hand, then headed for the elevator.

Jim introduced Roy to the two police officers at the door. They asked to see his ID and he showed it, then shoved it back in his wallet. He stepped through the door. Nita was already in there, holding Johnny's hand and singing to him.

Roy sat in the other chair and put a hand on Johnny's arm. He was quiet for now, content to let Nita sing. He could talk with Johnny later.

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Nita had refused her pain medication. She didn't want to be sedated any more. She needed to be awake and alert for Nashoba. JoAnne had given her some acetaminophen, but it wasn't helping much. Her arm was throbbing.
Nita took Johnny's hand. Then she began to sing an old Choctaw song. It was her favorite hymn.

Chitokaka ma! Chi haksobish a
Et welit, chin tahpahanla li ka
Auet is sa haklo cha, nana ka
Chim asihilhha li ka et vma;
Klaist a auet is svm ihissashke;
Keyukmvno, svlla he banoshke.
Klaist a auet is svm ihissashke;
Keyukmvno svlla he banoshke.*

She'd sung this hymn over Nashoba before, at Rampart Hospital. The doctors weren't sure then that he would live, either. That happened right after she'd found him again. Or after he'd found her. He'd risked his life to save hers. Now he'd risked his life for Sarah Kate. Her husband was a good man, a kind and compassionate man who cared more about others than himself. "Please, Chihowa," she murmured in Choctaw. "Send him back to us."

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Around one in the morning, Nita curled up on the other bed in Johnny's room and fell asleep. She had finally agreed to take some pain meds. JoAnne had put the bottle of pills in her bag.

Roy figured he could just sleep sitting up, even though it wasn't very comfortable. The Bracketts had offered to get him a hotel room, but he wanted to be with Johnny in case anything went wrong. Hank, Mike, and Chet were sleeping in the waiting room.

Right now, Dr. Brackett was examining Johnny. When he was done, he sat down next to Roy. "I want to talk with you about his condition."

Roy nodded. Dr. Brackett continued. "As you know, a bullet doesn't always follow a straight path when it enters the body. Johnny is lucky his heart wasn't affected. What did happen is that the bullet bounced around his lungs. The surgeon was able to patch the left lung, but he had to remove a lobe of Johnny's right lung. The broken sternum will be extremely painful, but it should heal well in time."

"What does that mean for him, Doc?"

"We have to watch out for atrial fibrillation over the next few months. It's a common problem after a lobectomy. AF could lead to a higher risk of stroke or heart attack. He's getting magnesium, which should help prevent the problem. His lung volume will decrease, of course. We also have to consider that the bullet may have carried germs with it. Without his spleen, Johnny is more vulnerable to infection. Thankfully, Hank was able to tell the surgeon about his splenectomy. Johnny's on some powerful IV antibiotics. Right now, we just have to wait and see. There's a possibility that he won't make it, but there is also a possibility that he will recover and live a long and healthy life." Brackett stood up and put an arm around Dixie. "We're going to head over to our hotel, but we'll be back first thing in the morning. You have the phone number in case there's a problem, right?"

"Yeah, I've got it." Roy stood up. "Thanks, Doc. Thanks, Dixie. I'm really glad you're here. It's the best thing for Johnny."

Brackett smiled. "Good night, Roy."

Dixie hugged Roy. "Good night. Take good care of him."

Roy sat back down after he'd seen the Bracketts off. He wrapped his fingers around Johnny's hand. "Hey, Junior, you need to listen to me. There are so many people who love you. Nita and JoJo and Jamie. And the little one Nita's carrying now needs to know his or her daddy."

Tears gathered in Roy's eyes. He tried to blink them back, but a few escaped and made tracks down his cheeks. "Then there are my kids and Sarah Kate and Liza. They need their Uncle Johnny alive and well. And of course there's JoAnne and me. You're my best friend, Junior. My brother. I had no idea when you first sat across from me asking about the paramedic program that you would become a brother to me, but you did. You've got to survive this." He yawned. The stump of his right leg was getting sore. He removed his prosthetic and propped it against the wall. Within minutes, he had fallen asleep.

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Matt was awakened by the phone ringing. It was only seven. He didn't need to be up yet. He yawned, then answered the phone. "Hello."

"Hi, Matt." Roy's voice. He sounded discouraged.

"Any news on Sarah Kate?" Matt had prayed through much of the night.

"She's OK. She's having surgery today for a broken arm, but she'll be fine." Roy's voice wavered. If Sarah Kate was OK, something else bad must have happened. "Matt, one of the kidnappers showed up at the hospital in Bakersfield. He pulled a gun on a nurse and told her to take him to Sarah Kate." He paused for a minute. "Johnny tried to get him to put the gun down. The kidnapper shot him in the chest. Both his lungs collapsed. They did surgery right away. He's holding on so far, but Matt, they don't know if he'll make it. The Bracketts and Nita and I are in Bakersfield now."

"Damn." Matt swallowed hard. Johnny had always been there for him. He had encouraged Matt and pushed him to do his best as a paramedic. He was a good friend. They couldn't lose him.

"I'll keep praying for him, Roy." He wasn't sure what else to say. After he hung up the phone, he knelt by his bed again and focused all his prayers on Johnny.

Matt met Molini at the hospital at nine. They went upstairs to Melissa's room. Matt went in first. Melissa was dressed and sitting up in a wheelchair. She smiled broadly. "I'm excited to go home. Traveling by train will be fun." Air travel could cause migraines, so the doctor suggested the train. It would take longer, but they would get to enjoy the scenery.

Matt sat down beside his wife. He took her hands. "Honey, Sarah Kate was kidnapped yesterday. They got her back, but Johnny was shot in the chest by one of the kidnappers. They don't know if he'll survive."

Melissa's eyes filled with tears. "Oh no. How much does their family have to go through?"

Matt shrugged. "I don't know. But Johnny won't just give up. He'll make it. He has to." He looked toward the door. Molini was standing in the hallway, waiting until Matt mentioned his presence. "That's the bad news. Now for the good. At least, I think you'll consider it good news. Molini wants to talk with you."

Molini stepped into the room and took the other chair. He reached for Melissa's hand. "Mia cara Melissa," he said. "Matt asked me many questions at dinner last night. He wanted to know about the ancient history I mentioned when we first met. Now he says I must tell you."

Melissa nodded. Molini continued. "When I was a young man, I loved your mother. I wanted to marry her, but I didn't have the money to give her the kind of life she was accustomed to. Then she met Owen Sinclair and he swept her off her feet. Melissa, when that happened, your mother was already pregnant with my child. She promised Sinclair she would never tell you about me." He brushed tears from his face. "She sent me letters and pictures, but she never told me where I could find her. I would have come and taken you both away if I could have. You are my daughter, Melissa. I've loved you since before you were born."

Melissa gasped. Molini held out his arms and pulled her into an embrace. "Will you let me be a father to you, as I've always longed to be?"

"Oh yes!" Melissa was crying now. Crying and laughing. "I'm so glad you're here. Will you come back to California with us? Please?"

"Of course I will. I want to spend as much time with you as I can. I've missed out on too many years."

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Johnny was walking in a garden. Flowers were blossoming all around him. It was a pleasure to breathe here. The air was thick with sweet fragrances — honeysuckle and jasmine and lilac. In the middle of the garden was a giant oak tree. It had a green door in it. Johnny ran his fingers over the door. One hand went to the knob. He was about to pull it open, but a voice spoke to him.

"If you step through that door, there's no coming back, boyo."

She sounded like Taffy Matthews. Johnny turned around and saw a woman who was at least a foot shorter than he was. She wore a straw hat, a long skirt, and a peasant blouse. He smiled at her. "You're the woman who helped the police find Sarah Kate."

"Aye," she said. "That I am. My name is Maisie Bloom. I'm the keeper of this garden. 'Tis an odd thing that you've come to visit me here."

Johnny's forehead wrinkled. "I don't know how I came here. I think, maybe, it's a vision quest. It's part of my heritage."

"I have a vision for you." Maisie Bloom raised her arm and laid a wrinkled hand on Johnny's cheek. When she touched him, he saw himself lying in a hospital bed. Nita was holding his hand. He could hear her singing her favorite hymn.

"I'm dying." Johnny's voice came out in a whisper. He longed to see himself wake up. He wanted to see his child born. He wanted to hold his baby in his arms. He wanted to see Jamie and JoJo and their little brother grow up. Yes, somehow, he knew that the child was a boy, that he would be named Nashoba Tushpa like his father, John Roderick Gage, Jr. The vision moved forward in time. He saw his second son as a grown man dressed in a Navy uniform. An older man in a dress uniform was pinning an emblem on his chest. It was a trident with an eagle. His boy would become a Navy SEAL.

Maisie laid a hand on his arm. "You're not dying, Son. It isn't your time yet. You will awaken soon. There will be pain, but you will recover. You will be there for your children as they grow. Your mother and father and sister send their love." She pressed something into his hand. "Hawthorn for hope." As he watched, she transformed into a small red bird and flew to the branch of a tree.

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Gradually, Johnny became aware of pain in his chest. Breathing hurt. He tried to remember his dream, but it was gone. He only remembered being at peace. Something was wrong with him now, but he trusted that everything would turn out all right.

He forced his eyes open. He was in the hospital, but it wasn't Rampart. Nita was sitting with him. He didn't remember what had happened. He squeezed Nita's hand. When she smiled at him, he couldn't help thinking that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Just beyond Nita, he saw Roy. He couldn't be comfortable sleeping like that in the flimsy plastic chair that was supposed to assure visitors didn't stay overlong.

Johnny pulled his hand free and lifted his oxygen mask. "What happened?" Just those two words wiped him out. He started coughing and pain swept through him.

Nita put the oxygen mask back over his mouth. She shook Roy's arm. "He's awake, Roy."

Roy sat up. He rubbed his eyes, then leaned forward and grasped Johnny's arm. "Hey, Junior. You had us pretty scared, pally." He looked down and his forehead wrinkled. "What's this?" He picked up a flower blossom. "Looks like hawthorn. Where'd you get that?"

Johnny shrugged. He took the blossom back from Roy. Something told him it was important, though he didn't know where it had come from. He looked at Roy, desperate to learn what had happened to him.

"You were shot in the chest, Johnny," Roy said. "Both your lungs collapsed. You're at the hospital in Bakersfield."
Johnny couldn't remember why he was in Bakersfield. His forehead wrinkled up as he tried to think of it.

"You came here looking for Sarah Kate," Roy said. "When you fell, you hit your head pretty hard. That's why you don't remember." Roy squeezed Johnny's hand. "I saw Sarah Kate. She's going to be fine. She's just worried about you."

Johnny nodded. His eyes drifted shut. He wasn't entirely sure who Sarah Kate was, but that was something he could figure out later. Maybe he would remember after getting a little more sleep.

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NOTE:
*This is hymn 53 in the Choctaw hymnal. This hymn was a comfort to many during the Trail of Tears. It's sung to a different tune than the English hymn. The words in English are:

Gracious Lord, incline thy ear,
My requests vouchsafe to hear.
Hear my never-ceasing cry.
Give me Christ, or else I die.
Give me Christ, or else I die.