The Let Down
Chapter Nineteen
by GCS
"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will." -unknown
Chapter Nineteen
by GCS
"As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will." -unknown
The tension in the cab of Squad 51 was palpable. Bad enough were the emotions when in route to a possible overdose without the additional turmoil Roy's move to engineer had brought on them.
Some squad calls are routine; the paramedics know what to expect, but with possible overdose or suicide attempts, they know to expect the unexpected. Any combination of drugs, alcohol, weapons or rooftops could be involved.
The strain in the squad differed from the thickness in the air the past few shifts between the two men. This heaviness came from the unknown that awaited their arrival. "Left," Johnny stated just loud enough to be heard over the siren, never taking his eyes from the road as he directed his partner to the scene; wrinkled concentration crossed his brow. Roy followed the directions without question. That's the way it had been since their first shift together. Johnny had never failed to find the shortest route to a scene; often shaving minutes from their response time that Roy had not thought possible. It was one of many qualities he had admired about his longtime partner and best friend.
Johnny's fingers drummed a steady beat on his knee as they raced to the address dispatch had given them. Calls like this one left paramedics almost holding their breath until they could get to the patient. Sometimes they got there in time to make a difference; sometimes no matter how many skills or how much luck they possessed it wasn't enough. His drumming stopped. His hand moved to the door handle, paused while the wheels came to a stop, and he bolted from the cab. Roy threw the shift to park and grabbed the keys while stepping out of the driver's side door. The motion so natural to him that he didn't even have to think about it anymore. They might only have seconds left to save a life, and wasting time on carefully exiting a fully parked vehicle wasn't important. Johnny had to grab twice at the handle to the compartment when the squad lurched backwards from the momentum. When Roy rounded the back of the squad, Johnny already had the drug box and bio-phone and was halfway up the walk to the front door. Grabbing the rest of the equipment, Roy hurried to catch up to him.
When they reached the porch and knocked on the front door, they were greeted by a man who turned them away. They trudged back to the squad to the tune of Johnny's quiet grumbling about people calling for help unnecessarily and making them unavailable to someone else who might really need them. He was just closing the compartment on the squad when a station wagon came to a screeching halt next to the curb in front of the squad.
After initially thinking it was a false alarm, the paramedics were practically run down by the lady's family when they arrived and spilled out of their car yelling at them; asking why they were leaving. Thinking that maybe there was a problem, Roy and Johnny pulled their gear back out and turned back toward the house in case they were needed after all. In the chaos that followed the group rushed toward the pool house to check on the wife of the man who'd initially sent the two paramedics packing. The group rushed ahead of the two men who could offer the most help if the woman had in fact ingested some pills. The family pushed each other and the two men as they all herded around the edge of the pool. Roy had not so graciously been shoved to the left and lost his footing on the slippery side of the pool. He unceremoniously took a splash along with the drug box. Johnny had eventually made it into the fray only to find out the lady had taken a bottle of aspirin and agreed to seek advice from her personal physician. Johnny fished the drug box from the water and offered his hand to his partner, but Roy hadn't wanted or needed his help. In a normal situation this would be a call that would be joked about and a great deal of teasing would have followed. After the past week of unrest between the two friends, the situation only seemed to add fuel to the already smoldering fire.
"You want a blanket?" Johnny asked as he stored the dripping drug box in the side compartment. He didn't wait for a response and handed Roy one. Roy had never refused his help, denied he needed help, yes, they had all done that a time or two, but the brief flicker of anger in Roy's eyes had been totally unexpected. He hesitated for a second while considering asking Roy why his offering help had angered him so, but decided to let it go. Maybe Roy was just mad about the dip in the pool. He turned and rounded the back of the Squad to take the driver's seat, naturally assuming Roy wouldn't want to drive in his current state of discomfort.
Roy ripped the plastic from the yellow safety blanket and spread it over the passenger side of the bench seat before climbing in. He'd seen the concern in Johnny's eyes as he had offered his hand in getting out of the pool. For some unexplainable reason, he hadn't wanted Johnny's help or his concern. The return trip to the station was done with a different strain in the air. The adrenaline from the possible overdose had dissipated, leaving both men feeling tired, but Roy was the most miserable. The ride back was done in silence except for the noise Roy made each time he shifted in his seat. His uniform clung to his wet skin like saran wrap to a plate of leftovers. Wrinkled fabric bunched across his back where his shirt was partially untucked. How he'd ended up in the pool with the drug box was a blur. That along with the aggravation that the so called overdose was a bunch of aspirin by an obviously spoiled woman who craved even more attention, made Roy very miserable.
Johnny backed the squad into the bay and put it in park; hesitating before cutting the engine, he turned to his partner to apologize for whatever he'd done to make him angry back at the pool. Before he could get the first word out, Roy quickly got out, dragging the yellow blanket behind. Instead of a chance to clear the air with his partner, Johnny got a slammed squad door. He turned back to look out the front of the squad, sighed and turned the key, killing the engine.
Captain Stanley heard the squad backing in. He pushed back from the paperwork on his desk and grabbed his empty coffee cup. The need for coffee always made for a good excuse for coming out of his office when his boys came back. The first thing he noticed was that Johnny was behind the wheel. That immediately sent a sense of worry through him. The only time Johnny drove the squad was when Roy was sick or hurt unless it was on a follow up to Rampart. The second thing he noticed was Roy quickly exiting the passenger side dragging a yellow blanket behind him as he hurried around the engine toward the locker room. The turning off of the squad's engine brought his eyes back to his junior paramedic. He watched as Johnny slowly climbed out. "What happened?"
Johnny let out a soft chuckle and nervously rubbed the side of his nose and across his cheek just below his eye, a habit Hank recognized as one he often did when he was upset or nervous about something. Another sure sign something was amiss was when Johnny avoided looking someone in the eye. He was a proud man and made a habit of looking people in the eyes when he spoke to them. Hank always felt a sense of deep respect from Johnny, because of the way he looked him in the eye when they talked. But when Johnny was insecure or sad, he tended to look away when he spoke. This was one of those times. "He, uh. He fell in the pool. Um, pushed, he was pushed into the pool." He ended with another soft chuckle, and a glance across the bay where his partner had left a wet trail.
"Is he okay?" Hank asked. Johnny looked up at his superior and gave a simple nod of assurance. "Good." Hank waited for a few seconds to see if Johnny would offer any additional information. Instead Johnny turned and crossed around the front of the squad to the side and opened the doors. "I was just going for coffee. Want some?"
Johnny glanced up from the side compartment not quite meeting Captain Stanley's eyes. "No, I need to dry out the drug box."
Hank's eyebrows moved upward. He didn't ask what he was thinking. Obviously the drug box had taken a swim with Roy. He nodded his head and smiled as he turned toward the coffee he really didn't want, thinking about the messes his paramedics seemed to get into. He guessed Roy had gotten upset about taking an unplanned dip and taken it out on Johnny. Just another addition to the already edgy atmosphere in the station over the past few shifts. When he returned to the bay with a steaming cup of coffee, he found Johnny kneeling beside the drug box toweling off the supplies. "Did you have a chance to restock?"
Johnny answered without looking up. "No… I guess we'll go when Roy gets changed."
"Sounds good." Hank spoke as he headed back to his office. "Check with Stoker to see if he needs anything from the store for dinner. You can pick it up while you're out."
"Yes Sir."
Hank glanced at Johnny as he entered his office. He slowly sank into the office chair, took a sip of the coffee and put the cup down on the desk. He ran his hand through his hair and leaned back. AS much as he hated to see Roy leave, the constant tension in the station had worn on them all. He took a deep breath and blew it out. As much as he would like to figure out a solution to the current problem between the two paramedics, he had too much paperwork to worry about at the moment. Maybe he would challenge Roy to a chess game later. Roy usually opened up to him about whatever was bothering him over a long well matched game of chess. Deciding that was a good plan, Hank pushed his chair up to the desk and redirected his attention back to the paperwork in front of him.
Roy came squishing across the bay and stopped next to Johnny who seemed amused at his squishing. He paused long enough to make sure Johnny understood that he was still planning to take the promotion to engineer. Then he went into the kitchen for a hot cup of coffee to warm his insides, leaving Johnny to finish up with the drug box before they made the trip to Rampart that they had started out on when they got the call that left him wet and miserable. He thought it already felt like a long shift even though it had only just begun.
Johnny returned the now dry drug box to the squad compartment and closed the doors. Not sure what to do next he turned, opened the passenger side door and slid into the seat. He would just sit and wait on Roy. At least that way he wouldn't make him mad again or get tangled up in another argument. A few minutes later Roy slid in on the other side. Johnny turned to the front pulling his long legs in and shutting the door. "Did you ask Mike if he needed anything from the market?"
"Was I supposed to?"
"Cap wanted us to." Johnny opened the door to get out, but stopped when he heard Roy slam his door. He closed the door back and let out another sigh. "Great, just great," he said softly to himself.
Roy was back in a few minutes with a list he handed to Johnny who put it in his front pocket. Without another word, Roy cranked the squad, put it in gear and pulled out of the station. Both paramedics silently hoped they wouldn't get another run.
Some squad calls are routine; the paramedics know what to expect, but with possible overdose or suicide attempts, they know to expect the unexpected. Any combination of drugs, alcohol, weapons or rooftops could be involved.
The strain in the squad differed from the thickness in the air the past few shifts between the two men. This heaviness came from the unknown that awaited their arrival. "Left," Johnny stated just loud enough to be heard over the siren, never taking his eyes from the road as he directed his partner to the scene; wrinkled concentration crossed his brow. Roy followed the directions without question. That's the way it had been since their first shift together. Johnny had never failed to find the shortest route to a scene; often shaving minutes from their response time that Roy had not thought possible. It was one of many qualities he had admired about his longtime partner and best friend.
Johnny's fingers drummed a steady beat on his knee as they raced to the address dispatch had given them. Calls like this one left paramedics almost holding their breath until they could get to the patient. Sometimes they got there in time to make a difference; sometimes no matter how many skills or how much luck they possessed it wasn't enough. His drumming stopped. His hand moved to the door handle, paused while the wheels came to a stop, and he bolted from the cab. Roy threw the shift to park and grabbed the keys while stepping out of the driver's side door. The motion so natural to him that he didn't even have to think about it anymore. They might only have seconds left to save a life, and wasting time on carefully exiting a fully parked vehicle wasn't important. Johnny had to grab twice at the handle to the compartment when the squad lurched backwards from the momentum. When Roy rounded the back of the squad, Johnny already had the drug box and bio-phone and was halfway up the walk to the front door. Grabbing the rest of the equipment, Roy hurried to catch up to him.
When they reached the porch and knocked on the front door, they were greeted by a man who turned them away. They trudged back to the squad to the tune of Johnny's quiet grumbling about people calling for help unnecessarily and making them unavailable to someone else who might really need them. He was just closing the compartment on the squad when a station wagon came to a screeching halt next to the curb in front of the squad.
After initially thinking it was a false alarm, the paramedics were practically run down by the lady's family when they arrived and spilled out of their car yelling at them; asking why they were leaving. Thinking that maybe there was a problem, Roy and Johnny pulled their gear back out and turned back toward the house in case they were needed after all. In the chaos that followed the group rushed toward the pool house to check on the wife of the man who'd initially sent the two paramedics packing. The group rushed ahead of the two men who could offer the most help if the woman had in fact ingested some pills. The family pushed each other and the two men as they all herded around the edge of the pool. Roy had not so graciously been shoved to the left and lost his footing on the slippery side of the pool. He unceremoniously took a splash along with the drug box. Johnny had eventually made it into the fray only to find out the lady had taken a bottle of aspirin and agreed to seek advice from her personal physician. Johnny fished the drug box from the water and offered his hand to his partner, but Roy hadn't wanted or needed his help. In a normal situation this would be a call that would be joked about and a great deal of teasing would have followed. After the past week of unrest between the two friends, the situation only seemed to add fuel to the already smoldering fire.
"You want a blanket?" Johnny asked as he stored the dripping drug box in the side compartment. He didn't wait for a response and handed Roy one. Roy had never refused his help, denied he needed help, yes, they had all done that a time or two, but the brief flicker of anger in Roy's eyes had been totally unexpected. He hesitated for a second while considering asking Roy why his offering help had angered him so, but decided to let it go. Maybe Roy was just mad about the dip in the pool. He turned and rounded the back of the Squad to take the driver's seat, naturally assuming Roy wouldn't want to drive in his current state of discomfort.
Roy ripped the plastic from the yellow safety blanket and spread it over the passenger side of the bench seat before climbing in. He'd seen the concern in Johnny's eyes as he had offered his hand in getting out of the pool. For some unexplainable reason, he hadn't wanted Johnny's help or his concern. The return trip to the station was done with a different strain in the air. The adrenaline from the possible overdose had dissipated, leaving both men feeling tired, but Roy was the most miserable. The ride back was done in silence except for the noise Roy made each time he shifted in his seat. His uniform clung to his wet skin like saran wrap to a plate of leftovers. Wrinkled fabric bunched across his back where his shirt was partially untucked. How he'd ended up in the pool with the drug box was a blur. That along with the aggravation that the so called overdose was a bunch of aspirin by an obviously spoiled woman who craved even more attention, made Roy very miserable.
Johnny backed the squad into the bay and put it in park; hesitating before cutting the engine, he turned to his partner to apologize for whatever he'd done to make him angry back at the pool. Before he could get the first word out, Roy quickly got out, dragging the yellow blanket behind. Instead of a chance to clear the air with his partner, Johnny got a slammed squad door. He turned back to look out the front of the squad, sighed and turned the key, killing the engine.
Captain Stanley heard the squad backing in. He pushed back from the paperwork on his desk and grabbed his empty coffee cup. The need for coffee always made for a good excuse for coming out of his office when his boys came back. The first thing he noticed was that Johnny was behind the wheel. That immediately sent a sense of worry through him. The only time Johnny drove the squad was when Roy was sick or hurt unless it was on a follow up to Rampart. The second thing he noticed was Roy quickly exiting the passenger side dragging a yellow blanket behind him as he hurried around the engine toward the locker room. The turning off of the squad's engine brought his eyes back to his junior paramedic. He watched as Johnny slowly climbed out. "What happened?"
Johnny let out a soft chuckle and nervously rubbed the side of his nose and across his cheek just below his eye, a habit Hank recognized as one he often did when he was upset or nervous about something. Another sure sign something was amiss was when Johnny avoided looking someone in the eye. He was a proud man and made a habit of looking people in the eyes when he spoke to them. Hank always felt a sense of deep respect from Johnny, because of the way he looked him in the eye when they talked. But when Johnny was insecure or sad, he tended to look away when he spoke. This was one of those times. "He, uh. He fell in the pool. Um, pushed, he was pushed into the pool." He ended with another soft chuckle, and a glance across the bay where his partner had left a wet trail.
"Is he okay?" Hank asked. Johnny looked up at his superior and gave a simple nod of assurance. "Good." Hank waited for a few seconds to see if Johnny would offer any additional information. Instead Johnny turned and crossed around the front of the squad to the side and opened the doors. "I was just going for coffee. Want some?"
Johnny glanced up from the side compartment not quite meeting Captain Stanley's eyes. "No, I need to dry out the drug box."
Hank's eyebrows moved upward. He didn't ask what he was thinking. Obviously the drug box had taken a swim with Roy. He nodded his head and smiled as he turned toward the coffee he really didn't want, thinking about the messes his paramedics seemed to get into. He guessed Roy had gotten upset about taking an unplanned dip and taken it out on Johnny. Just another addition to the already edgy atmosphere in the station over the past few shifts. When he returned to the bay with a steaming cup of coffee, he found Johnny kneeling beside the drug box toweling off the supplies. "Did you have a chance to restock?"
Johnny answered without looking up. "No… I guess we'll go when Roy gets changed."
"Sounds good." Hank spoke as he headed back to his office. "Check with Stoker to see if he needs anything from the store for dinner. You can pick it up while you're out."
"Yes Sir."
Hank glanced at Johnny as he entered his office. He slowly sank into the office chair, took a sip of the coffee and put the cup down on the desk. He ran his hand through his hair and leaned back. AS much as he hated to see Roy leave, the constant tension in the station had worn on them all. He took a deep breath and blew it out. As much as he would like to figure out a solution to the current problem between the two paramedics, he had too much paperwork to worry about at the moment. Maybe he would challenge Roy to a chess game later. Roy usually opened up to him about whatever was bothering him over a long well matched game of chess. Deciding that was a good plan, Hank pushed his chair up to the desk and redirected his attention back to the paperwork in front of him.
Roy came squishing across the bay and stopped next to Johnny who seemed amused at his squishing. He paused long enough to make sure Johnny understood that he was still planning to take the promotion to engineer. Then he went into the kitchen for a hot cup of coffee to warm his insides, leaving Johnny to finish up with the drug box before they made the trip to Rampart that they had started out on when they got the call that left him wet and miserable. He thought it already felt like a long shift even though it had only just begun.
Johnny returned the now dry drug box to the squad compartment and closed the doors. Not sure what to do next he turned, opened the passenger side door and slid into the seat. He would just sit and wait on Roy. At least that way he wouldn't make him mad again or get tangled up in another argument. A few minutes later Roy slid in on the other side. Johnny turned to the front pulling his long legs in and shutting the door. "Did you ask Mike if he needed anything from the market?"
"Was I supposed to?"
"Cap wanted us to." Johnny opened the door to get out, but stopped when he heard Roy slam his door. He closed the door back and let out another sigh. "Great, just great," he said softly to himself.
Roy was back in a few minutes with a list he handed to Johnny who put it in his front pocket. Without another word, Roy cranked the squad, put it in gear and pulled out of the station. Both paramedics silently hoped they wouldn't get another run.
Chapter Twenty
Johnny glanced over at Roy, sighed, and turned back to the window. Roy looked across at the quiet man beside him. A quiet Johnny tended to worry him. There were only a few reasons Johnny would be so quiet, and Roy thought he knew what had his partner so quiet now. Truthfully, Roy didn’t feel like talking either, so he turned back to the road and concentrated on his driving.
Johnny followed Roy through the automatic doors into the busy ER. They hadn’t talked on the ride over. Johnny had mostly stared out the window at the passing scenery, but if asked, he wouldn’t have been able to tell what he’d seen. His mind was a million miles away. Even now walking the familiar path to the nurse’s station, he couldn’t stop running the things over in his head. There had to be a way to smooth things out with Roy. He just had to figure out what exactly had made Roy so mad, or was he the one who had gotten mad? His forehead wrinkled as he concentrated. They had made the walk through the ER so many times his body moved on autopilot. He hadn’t even realized that they were now standing beside the base unit until Dixie poked him with her pencil. “Ouch.” He said as he rubbed the spot where the eraser had pushed against his side. “What’d ya do that for?”
Dixie stuck her pencil behind her ear and put her hands on her hips, “because I’ve been talking to you for five minutes with no response. What’s with you today?”
Johnny’s mouth opened to voice a response; he looked at Dixie; then Roy. What could he say? He didn’t want to let Roy know what he’d been thinking about. “Sorry.” That seemed the only safe thing to say.
Dixie’s head tilted slightly as she blinked her blue eyes up at him and smiled as she reached up and mussed up his hair. “What’s going on up there that has your forehead all scrunched up?” She’d been so worried about these two, and she was hoping things had gotten better. The way Johnny was acting along with the fact that they had walked down the hall like they weren’t even together had her doubting that things had improved.
Johnny’s hand automatically went to his forehead to feel for wrinkles. Dixie and Roy looked at each other and broke out in laughter. “Hey! What’s so funny? Can’t a guy have things on his mind?” His hand splayed across his chest. “I mean, I’ve got lots of things to think about. Like where to go on our days off.” With that he turned on his heel and sauntered off toward the men’s room. He needed a quick escape where at least Dixie couldn’t follow him.
“Hey, don’t run off. I didn’t mean to make you mad.” Dixie called after him. Johnny didn’t slow down. He didn’t even look back. She stared down the hall at his back wondering how to help her two friends.
“Um, Dixie, we uh…” Roy pulled a piece of paper from his shirt pocket. “We need some supplies.”
Dixie looked back at Roy and reached for the paper. “Okay, Roy, why don’t you head to the break room. It will take me a few minutes to get all this together, and I just made a fresh pot of coffee.”
“Thanks.” Roy gave a slight wave as he turned down the hall. He had a pretty good idea what Johnny had been thinking about, and it had his name all over it. He pushed the break room door open and disappeared inside just as Johnny came out of the men’s room. Johnny saw Roy as the door closed. He wanted to avoid talking to Roy until he had things figured out, so he just sat in one of the chairs in the waiting area. That’s where he was when Roy called out to him while waving the HT. “Come on, Johnny. It sounds like a big one.” Johnny jumped up and followed Roy out. He noticed that Roy had the box of supplies making him wonder how long he’d been sitting there staring out the doors. The two men climbed into the squad while grabbing their helmets in practiced motion.
When they arrived on the scene the engine was already there. Chet and Marco had already pulled lines, and Cap was directing the arriving stations. Johnny and Roy grabbed their turnouts and SCBA in anticipation of a search of the burning structure. “Cap?” Johnny asked as he came up beside him.
“There’s a missing guard. You can access entrance through the alley door. The front is fully involved.” Captain Stanley briefed them and quickly turned back to his duties as first on scene. “Engine 18, come in from the North…” his words faded as Johnny and Roy disappeared into the alley.
“I’ll go in.” Johnny said as he pulled his helmet off to put on his facemask. Roy didn’t protest. He simply pulled the rope he had on his shoulder off and handed the end to Johnny. After securing the safety line around his waist, Johnny ducked inside the smoke filled entrance. He didn’t hear Roy telling him to be careful. The smoke was thick; fire danced around the room on the left casting eerie shadows into the hallway. Johnny had a bad feeling about the building’s interior stability. The outside was mostly brick, so it would hold up pretty well if they could get the fire out in time. The inside looked dry and in desperate need of renovations. Johnny checked the small offices as he made his way to the main lobby, or at least what he thought would be the lobby.
Roy continued feeding the safety line in; keeping it taut, but giving enough slack that his partner could move freely while looking for the missing man. This kept on for a few minutes, but then he heard a loud crash. Smoke and dust poured out of the door Johnny had disappeared into. The rope in his hand jerked hard; then went slack. “What the…?” He pulled on the rope. “Johnny!” He looked down the alley to see if he could call for help. “Hey! I need some help over here!” He yelled, but the noise from all the firefighting equipment and gushing water was too loud for the men he could barely see moving around out on the street to hear him. He knew Captain Stanley would be furious with him for not getting someone, but that was Johnny inside the burning structure. Roy pulled again on the rope and for a few seconds relief swelled. The rope was coming out. Then the charred end of the rope appeared. Roy pulled faster. He whispered Johnny’s name. All the anger he’d felt toward his partner over the past few shifts poured out of him as he realized Johnny could be hurt or worse. He held the blackened rope in his hand and realized the similarity it held with the way he’d charred their friendship. “To hell with the rules.” He muttered as he threw down the rope and pulled his helmet off to put on his facemask. He looked one last time down the alley for help, but when he saw none coming he hurried into the darkened hall. Flaming debris threatened to block his path, but he managed to work his way through. He could see the faint outline of a staircase up ahead; its ghostly image distorted by the fallen ceiling. The debris looked to be moving. He hurried to the bottom of the steps where he could barely make out his partner and the victim.
The fire had blocked the path back to the alley door, so the only choice they had was to go up. Roy grabbed the victim and started up. They both knew the victim was their priority. Johnny waved Roy on.
After sitting the guard in an office chair and placing the air canister in his lap, Roy turned back to the stairs and his struggling partner. As he normally did, Johnny had claimed he was okay on his own, but clearly his leg was injured more than he wanted to let on. Now it was a race against Johnny and the flames to get to the top. Roy didn’t like the odds and quickly moved down beside his partner to help him. The situation was deteriorating quickly. He practically had to drag Johnny into the room at the end of the hall. They needed to get someone’s attention to get a ladder to the window so they could safely get the guard out. It was only the second floor, but jumping would be a last option.
Captain Stanley looked down the alley where he’d sent Desoto and Gage for entrance to the structure. They were losing the battle, and he wanted to make sure they were out. What he saw when he rounded the corner caused his heart to drop into his boots. The only evidence in the alley that his men had even been there was a rope with a frayed and blackened end. He quickly scanned the area and up to a window. He immediately called for assistance and a ladder. Somehow he knew his men would have been looking for a safe exit, but there wasn’t much time. Just as he saw several firefighters shouldering the ladder off the nearest engine, the glass above broke and showered down on his striped helmet. He instinctively ducked. A smile crept across his face. He knew his men were well trained, and they’d just proved it. The smile didn’t last long when after the missing guard had been assisted down the ladder, he saw Roy helping Johnny out. Something wasn’t right about his leg.
Johnny had managed to swing his leg out the window, and with some assistance from Roy, and succeeded in not falling off the ladder. There wasn’t much time. They both knew it. The building was going up fast. He was trying to hop down the ladder while dangling his injured leg off the side. Bending that knee was excruciating. Lifting it high enough to scramble out the window had nearly caused him to black out. It took him a few precious seconds to gather his wits enough to begin the trip down. He knew he needed to hurry for Roy’s sake.
The air in the room changed. Roy looked over his shoulder at the door. Time had run out. The heat burst through the window above the door, splintering the glass and racing across the room engulfing everything in its path toward Roy. He didn’t hesitate. Turning without looking to see if Johnny was clear of the ladder or caring if he fell straight to the ground, Roy dove head first out the window Johnny and the guard had previously climbed through. He felt the heat of the fire wall as it brushed across his fleeing body grabbing on to his turnouts with fiery fingers. As soon as he cleared the window, his eyes met Johnny’s. A brief communication transposed and in an instant, Roy knew Johnny was going to try to catch him, to try and stop his rapid descent.
Johnny glanced up to see how far he’d come when suddenly Roy came flying out the window followed by a fireball that looked like it was going to swallow him up. Their eyes locked for a split second. They both knew in the blink of an eye that this could end badly, very badly. Forgetting his pain, Johnny pulled his leg back around the ladder as Roy plummeted toward him. He wasn’t fast enough, but he reached for his partner anyway. Nothing would stop him from trying. Not even the upset they’d had in their friendship lately. If he couldn’t stop him, maybe he could slow him down. Thoughts raced through his mind. Seconds passed quickly, but everything seemed to be moving in slow motion.
The impact knocked the air from both men. Johnny lost his balance. His knee gave out sending the two men over the side of the ladder and down onto the asphalt below in a tangled heap. Roy’s smoldering turnout coat created a surreal haziness that surrounded them. Johnny reached for Roy’s coat at the same time someone else grabbed it on the other side. Roy struggled to get the burning coat off while his lungs still fought for air.
Johnny had forgotten to breathe. Grayness crept into the edges of his eyesight. He couldn’t black out now. He had to be sure Roy was okay. Roy felt like his was in a daze. He gasped for the air that finally reached his lungs. He turned toward Johnny; again their eyes met. Silent communication let Johnny know that he was okay, but Roy saw panic and a blue tinge around Johnny’s lips. He knew he’d slammed into him pretty hard. That and the fall must have knocked their air from his lungs. “Johnny?” He moved his leg to turn, so he could check on his partner causing Johnny’s injured leg to hit the pavement. “Breathe. Take it slow… in and out.”
Johnny could barely hear Roy talking. All he could hear was buzzing. It was like a swarm of cicada had taken up residence inside his ears. He glanced lazily around. Cap was saying something too. He reached up slowly and jiggled his ear. Maybe those bugs would get out of there if he pulled his ear open. He felt Roy’s hand on his chest, so he turned back to him. He felt his helmet and coat as they slid off. “Breathe Johnny.” Roy looked him right in the eyes and said it again. “Breathe.” Johnny’s lips formed an O shape as he realized he needed to inhale. When he did, pain came with it. Blackness surrounded him, and he fell against his partner’s chest.
Chapter Twenty One
As soon as Johnny fell against his chest, Roy could feel him pushing to sit back up. He hadn’t really passed out, but it was close. Before either had time to think about it, things started happening quickly. Johnny was pulled away and rushed over to Squad 16, and Roy was hustled over beside Squad 51. Brice had Johnny and Bellingham was pouring saline over Roy’s arm. Roy noticed Chet was on the radio to the hospital. He could hear Johnny protesting everything that Brice was trying to do to him. “I’m alright. Stop. It’s just the leg. I just had the air knocked out of me. I didn’t pass out. I don’t need this oxygen.” Roy smiled and relaxed against the side of the squad. They would both be okay.
Bob snickered as he inflated the BP cuff around Roy’s uninjured arm. “Gage is really giving him hell.”
Roy glanced back over at Brice and Johnny. He noticed Captain Stanley moving that direction as well. “Gage, let the man do his job.”
“But I’m okay, Cap.” Johnny lay back down on the yellow blanket. Cap gave one of his ‘that’s an order’ looks and crossed his arms. Johnny knew better than to say anything else. Defeated, he raised his arm for Brice to take his BP.
Roy’s thoughts wandered to what Mike was doing. The engineer usually stayed by the engine monitoring the gauges, but with Chet on the biophone and Cap keeping an eye on Johnny, Marco would probably be assisting on hoses with someone from one of the other stations. What would the engineer do if no one was on his engine’s hoses? He leaned forward to try to see what Mike was doing. Bellingham moved into his line of vision and raised an eyebrow in question. Roy slumped back against the squad. He hadn’t been able to see where Mike was, but he wasn’t beside the engine’s control panel, which for some reason bothered Roy. He thought he understood the job he was about to be responsible for. Now he wasn’t so sure. He didn’t really feel sure of anything.
Bellingham wondered what was going on with his patient; he inflated the BP cuff again to be sure his vitals hadn’t changed. Roy looked down at his arm and then back up at Bellingham who smiled, “Just making sure I got the correct reading.”
Roy looked back toward Johnny; watching as Brice splinted his knee. Johnny was none too happy to have the leg manipulated. He wasn’t complaining with Cap standing sentry, but Roy knew. He could tell by the way Johnny stared up at the sky with his mouth set in a line and his eyes squinted. Johnny rarely complained about real pain, but little discomforts could send him on a true rant. His leg must really hurt right now. Roy’s eyes moved to his own arm wrapped in white, saline soaked dressings. They’d been lucky. He thought about that for a minute. Had it been luck? Or had they just known what to do? Years of working rescue, running into burning buildings, barely avoiding ceiling collapses, feeling the air change in a room knowing it was about to flash, and running like hell when the fiery beast was winning had taught them to be good at their jobs.
What Roy wasn’t sure of is how to be good as an engineer.
Would he like standing outside, watching as his crew fought the dragon? Would he be good as second in command if anything happened to the Captain? Not to mention, what if he got a real dick for a new boss? Would he be able to adjust? Sure, he’d spent time in the military where all the superiors acted like total jerks some of the time and he’d adjusted to that, but he never wanted to go through that again. Hank Stanley had shown him that a real leader could be firm without being a total dick. Would he like his new crew mates? Or would he regret leaving his friends at 51’s?
These were not new thoughts. They had been plaguing him for weeks now, ever since he took the engineer’s exam. He had wanted to pass it, hadn’t he? Yes, but he hadn’t really expected to do so well. But why would he not do well? He had always done well in those types of things. He’d finished high in his training at the academy and done really well with rescue training. He’d finished at the top of the class of paramedics and aced the second round under Dr. Brackett even if he wasn’t ranked that time. Why did he try to convince himself that he would just take the test and not get the promotion? What did he really want? He just didn’t know anymore.
He felt a new presence beside him and looked up into the concerned face of Captain Stanley. “How ya doin’, Roy?”
“I’m okay, Cap. Just waitin’ for my ride to Rampart.”
“Good, good.” Hank rubbed his hands together. “They just loaded Johnny up. I think you’re next.” Hank glanced over his shoulder at the ambulance. I’ll have Chet swing by in the squad in case either of you needs a lift back to the station. I don’t think Gage will be back this shift though.” He rubbed his temple. “I guess you won’t either.” He pointed at Roy’s arm.
“No… I guess not. Thanks, Cap. Guess I’ll see you back at the station.” Roy said as he was helped to his feet by Bellingham.
“Probably need to call in a sub,” Bellingham said as he steered Roy toward the waiting ambulance. “Two, I guess.”
“Yeah, thanks Bob.” Captain Stanley stepped to the side and gripped Roy on the shoulder as he passed. “Let us know how Johnny is?” he said; more of a statement than a question.
“You bet.” Roy said. “I better…” he pointed to the ambulance. Hank released his grip, patted Roy’s shoulder, and turned toward the engine. He still had a job to do. Roy could hear him speaking into the HT as he walked away.
As he climbed into the ambulance, Roy looked over his partner. Johnny rolled his eyes while Brice took another BP. “How’s the leg?”
“It was a lot better before Brice jerked it around.” Johnny griped.
“Stop talking, please. I’m trying to get some vitals for Rampart.” Brice pushed his glasses up on his nose as he looked up at Roy. “You can sit in the jump seat. I told the attendant to ride up front.” Roy nodded in agreement and stepped around him.
“We know what to do, Brice. We’ve ridden in ambulances before.” Johnny quipped. Brice kept pumping up the BP cuff for the third attempt at a reading. “Watch it, would ya? That’s a little tight.”
“Take it easy, Johnny.” Roy placed his hand on Johnny’s shoulder. “Give ‘im a break.” Johnny looked up at his best friend and winked. Roy smiled. He knew Johnny was just messing around with Brice to pass the time and take his mind off the hurt leg. “What did Rampart give for pain?”
“Nothing, we couldn’t rule out a head injury.” Brice adjusted the D5W TKO.
“He didn’t hit his head.”
“He said the ceiling collapsed on top of him and the guard.” Brice stated matter of fact. “And, he passed out.”
“I did not.” Johnny rose up on his elbows, effectively messing up Brice’s attempt at getting a BP again.
“Your Captain said he thought you had passed out for a brief time.”
“He said, I could have, but he didn’t think I had. There’s a big difference. I am a paramedic. I would know a syncopal episode if I had one, Brice.” Johnny fell back to the gurney with a huff.
“He didn’t pass out, either on the stairs or when we fell off the ladder. He did not hit his head. Give me the headset.” Roy reached out expectantly.
“You are a patient.” Brice repositioned the BP cuff to try once more.
“I am the senior paramedic in this ambulance.” Roy said with authority.
Brice put his hands in his lap and sighed deeply. “You won’t be for long.” He took his glasses off and wiped them on his shirt. “As a matter of fact, if the rumors are true, this may be your last shift as a paramedic. Now, if you would both please shut up. I have a job to do.” He put his glasses back on and began pumping air into the cuff for the fourth time.
Brice’s words hit both Johnny and Roy in the gut. The man had a point.
“Don’t worry about it, Roy. It doesn’t hurt that bad anyway.” Johnny tried to make things better even though he felt like the air had been knocked from his lungs once again.
Roy leaned back and looked into space. This could be the last time he rode in the back of an ambulance as a paramedic, and he wasn’t even really being a paramedic. Actually, he was a victim… a patient with no authority at all. He would no longer be senior man. He would be at the bottom of the totem pole like when he was a boot fresh out of the academy. That thought didn’t really sit well with him, but before he had time to consider it further, the ambulance turned and began backing up. They were at Rampart.
Once the attendants lowered the gurney carrying Johnny, Roy made his way out of the ambulance and came face to face with Dixie McCall. She stood waiting with a wheel chair. “Your chariot,” she waved her hand over the seat with a flourish. Roy sighed, turned, and eased down into the chair. “How are you doing, Roy?”
“I’m okay. Arm’s a little sore.” Dixie thought there had to be more wrong than Roy was telling. He looked like he’d lost his best friend. “How’s the guard?”
“He’s getting a breathing treatment. His blood pressure was a little elevated. Kel will probably keep him over night, but other than that he’s doing well.” Dixie turned around and back into the treatment room.
“Who brought him in?” Roy asked.
“110’s. They said he was pretty shook up after that flashover. Apparently, he watched you dive out the window.”
Roy looked up at Dixie, “Johnny caught me.”
“That’s what I heard.” She smiled and patted his shoulder and motioned to the exam table. Roy stood up and walked over sitting on the side of the table, but not laying down. “Kel will be here in a minute.” She told him as she began taking vitals and making notes in his chart. “Why don’t you lie back and relax.” He huffed a bit, but did as she suggested. He hadn’t realized how tired he was. “A little elevated,” Dixie said as she removed the cuff from his arm.
“Brice will do that to you,” Roy teased.
“Yes, he will.” Dixie turned toward the door, but stopped and looked back at Roy. “I’ll be back. Do you need anything?”
“Nah, I’m good.” Roy closed his eyes.
Johnny had been taken to another treatment room. Dr. Brackett had given Brice a hard time about not updating the vitals while in route. Johnny had enjoyed that. “I don’t know why he didn’t, Doc. He kept pumping that thing up like he was trying to cut off my circulation.”
“I bet he did.” Brackett’s eyebrows did a dance and reached up into his hairline. “I’m sure his patient was completely cooperative.” He turned away to hide the smile that he couldn’t keep from spreading.
“Absolutely.” Johnny smiled. His smile turned to a grimace as Dr. Brackett palpated the swollen knee.
“I don’t think it’s broken, but we’ll know more after the x-rays. I’ll have someone take you up to radiology in a few minutes.”
“How’s Roy’s arm?” Johnny inquired.
“Now, how would I know? I’ve been in here with you.”
“Oh… yeah, I guess you’re right.” Johnny sunk further down on the table.
“How would it be if I checked on him now, and I’ll let you know when you get back from X-ray.”
Johnny perked up again, “That’d be great!”
Doctor Brackett left the room and a few minutes later an orderly came through the door whistling. “I’ve been instructed to take you up to radiology.”
As Johnny was wheeled toward the elevator, he saw Dr. Brackett slip into another exam room. He tried to turn to see if it was Roy’s, but the orderly must have been running a race. He was wheeled by so fast he couldn’t see who was in the room.
After having his x-rays and Dixie helping him clean up, Johnny felt much better. She’d even helped him wash the smoke from his hair. He knew from experience that Brackett would want to keep him for observation at least for a few hours, but most likely all night. The man tended to be extra careful when he heard the words ceiling collapse, declaring that he didn’t want to have any surprises later even if Johnny had told him repeatedly that he was okay.
Now that he was settled in an observation room, Johnny began to think about his partner. Roy had stopped by before leaving and told him that he had decided to forego the promotion to engineer. Those were the words that Johnny had hoped to hear a few weeks ago, now he couldn’t help but worry that Roy would regret his decision later. Everyone knew that Roy was one of the best paramedics in the business. Johnny thought Roy was the very best, but he also knew that part of what made both he and Roy good at their jobs was the way they worked together. They could communicate without words, which helped when the victim was in serious condition. Words could really upset someone if they spoke of little hope. Both men knew that was what made them the best team in LA County, but sometimes, when they were not as in tune with each other, it was hard to admit. Theirs was a friendship so strong that even if they never saw each other again, they would remain the best of friends. Through all the male posturing that had gone on since Roy’s passing the engineering test and tough guy attitudes that had led to days of unrest for both men, a depth of caring endured.
Johnny sighed. Roy was still his partner and best friend. He put his arm over his eyes and let sleep claim him.
The end.
12/28/2016