Voices
of
Conflict
by GCS & LK
DISCLAIMER: "Emergency!" and its characters © Mark VII Productions, Inc. and Universal Studios. All rights reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction. This story is only written for entertainment. No financial gain is being realized from it. The story, itself, is the property of the author.
Chapter One
The following story deals with subject matter containing some violence and psychiatric actions. Viewer/Reader discretion is advised.
This is a collaborative story with a plot suggested by my co-author LK. I would like to thank LK for the idea and for working with me on this story. I would also like to thank AJ for the beta read and editing. I could not have done this story without your help. You guys are the absolute best!
DISCLAIMER: "Emergency!" and its characters © Mark VII Productions, Inc. and Universal Studios. All rights reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction. This story is only written for entertainment. No financial gain is being realized from it. The story, itself, is the property of the author.
Gone was the security Jimmy felt, gone was the organization that helped him feel normal and safe, gone were the regular meals, gone was the clean house, and gone was his desire to be better.
Jimmy Wayne stood in the shadows of the alley beside the dime store. A tall man with jeans that now hung loosely around his gaunt frame he shivered as the misting rain wet his uncombed hair. People milled about in the street protected from the mist by an array of brightly colored umbrellas mere feet from where he stood. He slipped further into the dark space.
Glancing from right to left looking for the source of the constant murmuring he longed for the security he once had. 'They can't get away with this.' He trembled. 'You have to make them pay.' He pushed back against the brick wall. 'They pretend to be good. They weren't good to her, Jimmy. They let her die.' His eyes closed tightly. His hands held firmly over his ears to shut them out, but they were inside and his hands couldn't block their torment.
"Hey get out of here," a grungy man called from the shadows at the end of the alley. "This is my place. Those people are mine to beg from. You need to find another place to roost." Jimmy moved closer to the man slowly curling his fingers around and gripping the pistol in his oversized jacket pocket. "I mean it mister. Go camp out somewhere else." Moving quickly like the jack rabbit his two older brother's had nicknamed him after, Jimmy was on top of the man swinging the butt of the pistol repeatedly quickly bashing in the man's skull silencing the bum before he could give away his hiding place.
Rising from the now quiet man Jimmy wiped his hand and the pistol on the dirty blankets and slipped it back into the pocket from which it came. He gently spread the now bloody blanket over the still form tucking him snugly in for his long sleep. Turning from the gruesome sight he returned to the vantage point he had found to stake out the hardware store across the street.
'They called you Jack Rabbit. That made you mad.' He shook his head to clear away the memories. 'Your parent's thought it was funny. They called you Jack.' His fist hit the rough bricks burning as skin tore away leaving scratches. 'Amber didn't call you that. She loved you even when you were nervous.' He smiled. 'She helped you. Those men let her die.' His shoulders sagged. His head leaned back against the wall. He closed his eyes. A single tear trickled down his cheek.
Amber had understood him. Jimmy slid down the wall crouching in the shadow his thoughts centered on his beloved wife. She had insisted he see the specialists. Jimmy wasn't stupid he knew things were different for him. He'd been a loner for so long. Until Amber that is. She had helped him to change. Amber was the love of his life.
Now she was gone.
He lowered his head into his trembling hands. It felt like it would explode with all the activity inside. He couldn't sleep. He forgot to bathe. He hadn't eaten in days. And now he waited in the shadows. Wanting to find the people the voices wanted him to hurt. He had to do it or they would never leave him alone. They were relentless in their tormenting, pushing him into a world of his own making, a world where everyone was watching him. He knew they were. They were hiding in the air vents, the sewers, around every corner. They were everywhere watching, always watching. He had to do it. He couldn't let them down. They would come for him. He knew it. He had to make the people that let his Amber die pay for their actions.
Then he saw it. The red fire department rescue squad pulled up across the street in front of the hardware store.
Jimmy didn't know if it was the ones he was looking for. He would have to wait and see. He inched forward to the edge of the shadows to get a better view. The driver of the squad got out and walked around the front of the truck. His hair was blond. Jimmy remembered that. This guy's hair was blond. It could be them. The number 51 on the side was correct, but what about the other man? Jimmy waited to see if he was the one, the one who had ridden in the ambulance with his Amber.
He had been tall and thin. Fast, Jimmy remembered that the younger man had moved about really fast. His heart softened a bit thinking about the younger man. Jimmy thought the nervous energy the man exhibited reminded him of his own actions. Could the man have similar problems? If so maybe he could help the man like Amber had helped him. He could give the man medicine, his medicine and see if it calmed the man like it had calmed him. Yes, maybe that would be the thing to do instead of the ultimate thing the voices wanted him to do to make him pay. No if he helped him the voices would never cease.
Looking up from his thoughts Jimmy noticed the second man also had blond hair. It was the right vehicle, but not the right men. Slipping back into the shadows Jimmy decided he would have to set up another opportunity to find the men he sought on another day at a different time. His thoughts were already reeling in his complex mind working to formulate an alternative plan to find the firemen he was looking for.
Charlie Dwyer climbed back in to the squad and called them in as available. His partner Kevin Masterson sat in the passenger seat complaining about false alarms in a way that was similar to his counterpart on the A-shift. "Man I can't believe we wasted all this time coming out here only to find out that no one here called. Who would have called in that a man was hurt just to have us run out here sirens blaring for nothing?"
"I don't know Kev. It could have been a bunch of kids that wanted to see our truck race by with lights and sirens. Don't worry about it. Let's get back to the station and that lunch that was almost ready." Charlie pulled the squad back into traffic and headed towards the station.
Jimmy walked out of the alley unnoticed and disappeared down the street.
This is a collaborative story with a plot suggested by my co-author LK. I would like to thank LK for the idea and for working with me on this story. I would also like to thank AJ for the beta read and editing. I could not have done this story without your help. You guys are the absolute best!
DISCLAIMER: "Emergency!" and its characters © Mark VII Productions, Inc. and Universal Studios. All rights reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction. This story is only written for entertainment. No financial gain is being realized from it. The story, itself, is the property of the author.
Gone was the security Jimmy felt, gone was the organization that helped him feel normal and safe, gone were the regular meals, gone was the clean house, and gone was his desire to be better.
Jimmy Wayne stood in the shadows of the alley beside the dime store. A tall man with jeans that now hung loosely around his gaunt frame he shivered as the misting rain wet his uncombed hair. People milled about in the street protected from the mist by an array of brightly colored umbrellas mere feet from where he stood. He slipped further into the dark space.
Glancing from right to left looking for the source of the constant murmuring he longed for the security he once had. 'They can't get away with this.' He trembled. 'You have to make them pay.' He pushed back against the brick wall. 'They pretend to be good. They weren't good to her, Jimmy. They let her die.' His eyes closed tightly. His hands held firmly over his ears to shut them out, but they were inside and his hands couldn't block their torment.
"Hey get out of here," a grungy man called from the shadows at the end of the alley. "This is my place. Those people are mine to beg from. You need to find another place to roost." Jimmy moved closer to the man slowly curling his fingers around and gripping the pistol in his oversized jacket pocket. "I mean it mister. Go camp out somewhere else." Moving quickly like the jack rabbit his two older brother's had nicknamed him after, Jimmy was on top of the man swinging the butt of the pistol repeatedly quickly bashing in the man's skull silencing the bum before he could give away his hiding place.
Rising from the now quiet man Jimmy wiped his hand and the pistol on the dirty blankets and slipped it back into the pocket from which it came. He gently spread the now bloody blanket over the still form tucking him snugly in for his long sleep. Turning from the gruesome sight he returned to the vantage point he had found to stake out the hardware store across the street.
'They called you Jack Rabbit. That made you mad.' He shook his head to clear away the memories. 'Your parent's thought it was funny. They called you Jack.' His fist hit the rough bricks burning as skin tore away leaving scratches. 'Amber didn't call you that. She loved you even when you were nervous.' He smiled. 'She helped you. Those men let her die.' His shoulders sagged. His head leaned back against the wall. He closed his eyes. A single tear trickled down his cheek.
Amber had understood him. Jimmy slid down the wall crouching in the shadow his thoughts centered on his beloved wife. She had insisted he see the specialists. Jimmy wasn't stupid he knew things were different for him. He'd been a loner for so long. Until Amber that is. She had helped him to change. Amber was the love of his life.
Now she was gone.
He lowered his head into his trembling hands. It felt like it would explode with all the activity inside. He couldn't sleep. He forgot to bathe. He hadn't eaten in days. And now he waited in the shadows. Wanting to find the people the voices wanted him to hurt. He had to do it or they would never leave him alone. They were relentless in their tormenting, pushing him into a world of his own making, a world where everyone was watching him. He knew they were. They were hiding in the air vents, the sewers, around every corner. They were everywhere watching, always watching. He had to do it. He couldn't let them down. They would come for him. He knew it. He had to make the people that let his Amber die pay for their actions.
Then he saw it. The red fire department rescue squad pulled up across the street in front of the hardware store.
Jimmy didn't know if it was the ones he was looking for. He would have to wait and see. He inched forward to the edge of the shadows to get a better view. The driver of the squad got out and walked around the front of the truck. His hair was blond. Jimmy remembered that. This guy's hair was blond. It could be them. The number 51 on the side was correct, but what about the other man? Jimmy waited to see if he was the one, the one who had ridden in the ambulance with his Amber.
He had been tall and thin. Fast, Jimmy remembered that the younger man had moved about really fast. His heart softened a bit thinking about the younger man. Jimmy thought the nervous energy the man exhibited reminded him of his own actions. Could the man have similar problems? If so maybe he could help the man like Amber had helped him. He could give the man medicine, his medicine and see if it calmed the man like it had calmed him. Yes, maybe that would be the thing to do instead of the ultimate thing the voices wanted him to do to make him pay. No if he helped him the voices would never cease.
Looking up from his thoughts Jimmy noticed the second man also had blond hair. It was the right vehicle, but not the right men. Slipping back into the shadows Jimmy decided he would have to set up another opportunity to find the men he sought on another day at a different time. His thoughts were already reeling in his complex mind working to formulate an alternative plan to find the firemen he was looking for.
Charlie Dwyer climbed back in to the squad and called them in as available. His partner Kevin Masterson sat in the passenger seat complaining about false alarms in a way that was similar to his counterpart on the A-shift. "Man I can't believe we wasted all this time coming out here only to find out that no one here called. Who would have called in that a man was hurt just to have us run out here sirens blaring for nothing?"
"I don't know Kev. It could have been a bunch of kids that wanted to see our truck race by with lights and sirens. Don't worry about it. Let's get back to the station and that lunch that was almost ready." Charlie pulled the squad back into traffic and headed towards the station.
Jimmy walked out of the alley unnoticed and disappeared down the street.
Chapter Two
It had been several days since he had called in the false alarm at the hardware store. Now he was desperately hoping to see the men that the chatter inside his head kept droning on and on about punishing. Besieged in his waking hours and in his sleep, he was growing tired of the constant noise. Jimmy knew he would have to act soon to stifle the taunts. Sitting obscurely in the far corner of the hospital waiting area Jimmy kept a magazine in his lap, open as though he was reading an article, but instead his eyes scanned the many people coming and going through the automatic doors. So far the firemen had not appeared.
Suddenly they were there. A red truck backed into the bay beside an ambulance. Jimmy squinted to see it through the tinted glass. The number on the back of the truck read 51. The sandy haired man jumped from the back of the ambulance helping to pull a gurney out. Jimmy knew it was the right man. He had the same face, kind and serious. His partner would be in the red truck. Jimmy leaned forward in his seat, his foot tapping to the beat of his racing heart, the magazine slipping from his lap and falling to the floor as the anticipation mounted. He watched as the other man come around the back of the shiny red truck. Wait, the hair was dark, but no the man was not right. He was too short, too stocky, his hair too curly. He was not the same man.
Then Jimmy noticed the gurney as it burst through the doors with the sandy haired man walking beside, his hand resting on the shoulder of the person lying on the rolling bed. He leaned over while he walked speaking softly to the prone man. Jimmy could barely make out the soothing assurances he whispered to the hurt man that everything would be all right.
Could it be? It was hard to tell with the bandages over his eyes, but the hair was dark. His feet hung from the end of the gurney, but his head was near the top. He wore the same blue uniform shirt. It was the man, the one who had taken care of his wife, the one who had let her die. The voices screamed with joy in his ears. He had to force himself to stay where he was, the exhilaration overwhelmed him.
"Mister?" The spell was broken when he heard someone speaking to him. He looked wildly over at a small boy standing beside him holding out the magazine that he had dropped. It took Jimmy a second to realize this was not inside his head. "Mister you dropped your book."
"Thank…..thank you," Jimmy said to the boy. A smile slowly spread across his face as he looked down upon the young boy. "How polite you are to pick it up for me." He quivered in trepidation about his plans and from the sheer pleasure of finally finding the men he sought. The boy was frightened by the look in the strange man's eyes and he ran back to his mother. The mother out of an innate protective instinct did not like the strange way the man's eyes glared at her boy. She took her son by the hand and they quickly left the waiting area. The woman kept glancing over her shoulder at Jimmy as she took her son to safety.
Jimmy had not seen which room the firemen had disappeared into. He gradually eased back down in his seat with the magazine back in place to wait and watch.
In the treatment room Dr. Brackett rinsed Johnny's eyes again with saline. Johnny blinked furiously from the stinging in his eyes, his hands gripping the sides of the gurney to keep from pushing the doctor away. "From what you've told me besides the obvious pain your vision is significantly blurred." Breathing heavily in through his nose and out his mouth trying to slow his breathing, Johnny nodded affirmatively. He could barely keep his eyes open. "I would like to get an ophthalmology consult. The burns to your face are superficial, like a bad sunburn. You've had similar burns before."
Dr. Brackett moved to check Johnny's splinted leg. "Your left tibia is definitely broken, maybe the fibula too. Dixie we'll need x-rays here and a full skull series." Now that Johnny's breathing had almost returned to normal Dr. Brackett pulled his pen light from his lab coat pocket and shined it quickly in each eye. "And that bump on your hard head means you most likely have at least a mild concussion. You, my friend, will be here for a few days. We'll bandage your eyes and let them rest for a couple of days after the consult. I'm guessing by the way you're squinting the light is painful."
"Yeah," Johnny said through gritted teeth.
"Just take it easy until we get some x-rays." Brackett patted Johnny on the shoulder immediately noticing the tension in his body, "then we'll see about something for pain."
"Doc…I uh we…the guys at the station and I…we have a surprise birthday party planned for Cap tomorrow. It's at my place. I…uh…I kinda need to be there. Do ya think…maybe you could let me….um let me go home if um…if Roy stayed with me?"
"Listen Johnny I can't make any commitment until we get that consult, but maybe and I do mean maybe we could arrange for Roy to take you for the day if you promise to come back after the party. Your eyes will need to be bandaged for at least a couple of days and even then…" Dr. Brackett patted Johnny on the shoulder letting him know he had no real answers for him right now.
"O…okay." Johnny's face clearly revealed the worry he felt over the burns to his eyes. He fumbled with the blanket that Dixie had spread over him when she had finished helping him out of his uniform. Knowing the exam room lights would hurt his eyes if he opened them he kept them closed. His head turned away from Dr. Brackett. His shoulders sagged. His forehead wrinkled. "Doc?"
"Yes John?"
"Will…uh…do you think…?" He tried unsuccessfully to keep his voice from cracking.
"I don't know yet John. Don't stress over what we don't have an answer to."
Johnny nodded his understanding. Even Dr. Brackett didn't know the extent of the damage to his eyes. Although he was told not to stress the lines around his mouth and eyes indicated that he already was. The x-ray technician came pushing into the crowded exam room.
"Come on Roy, Chet, Dixie let's get out of here and let them work. Johnny I'll be back in a bit." Dr. Brackett led the way out of the room.
Jimmy watched from his vantage point in the corner. He had seen a flurry of activity coming in and out of the room where they had taken his target. The continuous chatter inside his head questioned the severity of the man's injuries. They sounded cheerful that he may already be paying for his actions with Amber. Jimmy smiled. Maybe he wouldn't have to hurt the man after all. Maybe like he thought before he could help the young man. Formulating a plan in his own mind he decided that he needed to go home and get his medications. The ones that would calm the man who fidgeted nervously like he himself did and his gun…he would need his gun for protection in case someone tried to stop him.
Suddenly there was a strong antiseptic odor wafting through the air. Something about the smell brought back memories of his own stay here at Rampart. Only he was on another floor. He was not sure of the number, but it was the floor where they had put the electrodes on his head and made him bite down on something. He had a faint memory of a flashing light and sudden pain through his head, in front of his eyes and then blackness. He knew nothing of his hospital stay after the treatment until Amber was allowed to visit, but he did remember that there was a waiting area in the hall outside the locked door. It was a nice room with a table and some comfortable chairs, and a TV. That would be a good place to take the dark haired man until his medications calmed him.
Jimmy rose from his seat dropping the now insignificant magazine to the floor again. He walked towards the exit stopping only when he overheard the man in the white coat talking to the sandy haired man.
"I don't know Roy. Johnny's eyes look pretty red. It's not my area of expertise. We'll know something soon. If all goes well tonight then maybe he can have a day pass tomorrow. If you two weren't paramedics it would be out of the question. Let me call you at the station."
"Okay Doc. Tell Johnny I'll check on him on my next run, and I'll bring over something to wear in case he gets to go tomorrow. Cap said my replacement is at the station. Chet and I have to go." Roy shook hands with the doctor and left.
'Day pass' Jimmy thought. He could come here tomorrow and follow Johnny to his home. That would be a better place to take care of him. Smiling as the voices agreed with him he made a decision to come back to the hospital in the morning and follow his project home. He turned and slipped unnoticed from the busy emergency room into the night.
Suddenly they were there. A red truck backed into the bay beside an ambulance. Jimmy squinted to see it through the tinted glass. The number on the back of the truck read 51. The sandy haired man jumped from the back of the ambulance helping to pull a gurney out. Jimmy knew it was the right man. He had the same face, kind and serious. His partner would be in the red truck. Jimmy leaned forward in his seat, his foot tapping to the beat of his racing heart, the magazine slipping from his lap and falling to the floor as the anticipation mounted. He watched as the other man come around the back of the shiny red truck. Wait, the hair was dark, but no the man was not right. He was too short, too stocky, his hair too curly. He was not the same man.
Then Jimmy noticed the gurney as it burst through the doors with the sandy haired man walking beside, his hand resting on the shoulder of the person lying on the rolling bed. He leaned over while he walked speaking softly to the prone man. Jimmy could barely make out the soothing assurances he whispered to the hurt man that everything would be all right.
Could it be? It was hard to tell with the bandages over his eyes, but the hair was dark. His feet hung from the end of the gurney, but his head was near the top. He wore the same blue uniform shirt. It was the man, the one who had taken care of his wife, the one who had let her die. The voices screamed with joy in his ears. He had to force himself to stay where he was, the exhilaration overwhelmed him.
"Mister?" The spell was broken when he heard someone speaking to him. He looked wildly over at a small boy standing beside him holding out the magazine that he had dropped. It took Jimmy a second to realize this was not inside his head. "Mister you dropped your book."
"Thank…..thank you," Jimmy said to the boy. A smile slowly spread across his face as he looked down upon the young boy. "How polite you are to pick it up for me." He quivered in trepidation about his plans and from the sheer pleasure of finally finding the men he sought. The boy was frightened by the look in the strange man's eyes and he ran back to his mother. The mother out of an innate protective instinct did not like the strange way the man's eyes glared at her boy. She took her son by the hand and they quickly left the waiting area. The woman kept glancing over her shoulder at Jimmy as she took her son to safety.
Jimmy had not seen which room the firemen had disappeared into. He gradually eased back down in his seat with the magazine back in place to wait and watch.
In the treatment room Dr. Brackett rinsed Johnny's eyes again with saline. Johnny blinked furiously from the stinging in his eyes, his hands gripping the sides of the gurney to keep from pushing the doctor away. "From what you've told me besides the obvious pain your vision is significantly blurred." Breathing heavily in through his nose and out his mouth trying to slow his breathing, Johnny nodded affirmatively. He could barely keep his eyes open. "I would like to get an ophthalmology consult. The burns to your face are superficial, like a bad sunburn. You've had similar burns before."
Dr. Brackett moved to check Johnny's splinted leg. "Your left tibia is definitely broken, maybe the fibula too. Dixie we'll need x-rays here and a full skull series." Now that Johnny's breathing had almost returned to normal Dr. Brackett pulled his pen light from his lab coat pocket and shined it quickly in each eye. "And that bump on your hard head means you most likely have at least a mild concussion. You, my friend, will be here for a few days. We'll bandage your eyes and let them rest for a couple of days after the consult. I'm guessing by the way you're squinting the light is painful."
"Yeah," Johnny said through gritted teeth.
"Just take it easy until we get some x-rays." Brackett patted Johnny on the shoulder immediately noticing the tension in his body, "then we'll see about something for pain."
"Doc…I uh we…the guys at the station and I…we have a surprise birthday party planned for Cap tomorrow. It's at my place. I…uh…I kinda need to be there. Do ya think…maybe you could let me….um let me go home if um…if Roy stayed with me?"
"Listen Johnny I can't make any commitment until we get that consult, but maybe and I do mean maybe we could arrange for Roy to take you for the day if you promise to come back after the party. Your eyes will need to be bandaged for at least a couple of days and even then…" Dr. Brackett patted Johnny on the shoulder letting him know he had no real answers for him right now.
"O…okay." Johnny's face clearly revealed the worry he felt over the burns to his eyes. He fumbled with the blanket that Dixie had spread over him when she had finished helping him out of his uniform. Knowing the exam room lights would hurt his eyes if he opened them he kept them closed. His head turned away from Dr. Brackett. His shoulders sagged. His forehead wrinkled. "Doc?"
"Yes John?"
"Will…uh…do you think…?" He tried unsuccessfully to keep his voice from cracking.
"I don't know yet John. Don't stress over what we don't have an answer to."
Johnny nodded his understanding. Even Dr. Brackett didn't know the extent of the damage to his eyes. Although he was told not to stress the lines around his mouth and eyes indicated that he already was. The x-ray technician came pushing into the crowded exam room.
"Come on Roy, Chet, Dixie let's get out of here and let them work. Johnny I'll be back in a bit." Dr. Brackett led the way out of the room.
Jimmy watched from his vantage point in the corner. He had seen a flurry of activity coming in and out of the room where they had taken his target. The continuous chatter inside his head questioned the severity of the man's injuries. They sounded cheerful that he may already be paying for his actions with Amber. Jimmy smiled. Maybe he wouldn't have to hurt the man after all. Maybe like he thought before he could help the young man. Formulating a plan in his own mind he decided that he needed to go home and get his medications. The ones that would calm the man who fidgeted nervously like he himself did and his gun…he would need his gun for protection in case someone tried to stop him.
Suddenly there was a strong antiseptic odor wafting through the air. Something about the smell brought back memories of his own stay here at Rampart. Only he was on another floor. He was not sure of the number, but it was the floor where they had put the electrodes on his head and made him bite down on something. He had a faint memory of a flashing light and sudden pain through his head, in front of his eyes and then blackness. He knew nothing of his hospital stay after the treatment until Amber was allowed to visit, but he did remember that there was a waiting area in the hall outside the locked door. It was a nice room with a table and some comfortable chairs, and a TV. That would be a good place to take the dark haired man until his medications calmed him.
Jimmy rose from his seat dropping the now insignificant magazine to the floor again. He walked towards the exit stopping only when he overheard the man in the white coat talking to the sandy haired man.
"I don't know Roy. Johnny's eyes look pretty red. It's not my area of expertise. We'll know something soon. If all goes well tonight then maybe he can have a day pass tomorrow. If you two weren't paramedics it would be out of the question. Let me call you at the station."
"Okay Doc. Tell Johnny I'll check on him on my next run, and I'll bring over something to wear in case he gets to go tomorrow. Cap said my replacement is at the station. Chet and I have to go." Roy shook hands with the doctor and left.
'Day pass' Jimmy thought. He could come here tomorrow and follow Johnny to his home. That would be a better place to take care of him. Smiling as the voices agreed with him he made a decision to come back to the hospital in the morning and follow his project home. He turned and slipped unnoticed from the busy emergency room into the night.
Chapter Three
We want to say Thank You to everyone who is reading and reviewing our story.
Mental disorders are a very real part of our world.
It is true that with medication and treatment a normal life can be attained, but when that security is threatened sometimes bad things result. Sometimes someone else comes along that can help set things straight again, sometimes not. Only time will tell with our character, Jimmy.
Please keep reading and letting us know what you think.
Well here I am Fireboy, waiting for you again. Now where is that friend of yours? Where is Roy? Where are you for that matter? That nurse at the desk wouldn't tell me what room you were in. I didn't know your last name, and something about not being family. Jimmy looked up and down the hallway in front of the elevators his thoughts racing through his head. How can I find out which floor you're on? He walked past the entrance to the cafeteria and made an about face.
Turning back toward the elevators as the doors opened his eyes widened in recognition. He could see him sitting there in the wheelchair on the elevator. The pretty nurse from yesterday pushed him out of the elevator and toward where Jimmy stood blocking the cafeteria door. They'll see me. I'll just grab something from the food line and slip out to the courtyard where I can keep an eye on you.
Dixie wheeled Johnny out to the courtyard. "I think the fresh air will do you some good this morning, Johnny. Why don't you wait right here, and I'll get you some coffee. Would you like something more to eat?"
"No."
"My, my, we're cheerful this morning."
"Sorry Dix, it's just…never mind." Johnny pulled at the string on his hooded jacket.
Dixie brushed the hair from Johnny's forehead in a tender, soothing touch. "I understand. I'll be right back with your coffee. Then I'll have to go check on things in the ER while you wait for Roy. Okay?" Johnny nodded.
Jimmy watched Johnny from his table in the far corner of the courtyard. He had chosen that table, because he could also see the parking lot and could keep his lookout for Roy. He noticed the way Johnny sat with his shoulders slumped, his head bowed. His eyes are still heavily wrapped with gauze. I wonder if the doctors found something more wrong. Maybe he will need someone to nurse him, someone who can take care of his eyes until they're healed….he seems comfortable with that pretty nurse.
Dixie returned with a steaming mug of coffee. She brushed the hot cup against Johnny's hand. He took the proffered drink. Cuddling the warm mug in his sore hands, he could feel the burning sensation against the already tender skin of his palms. "Thanks."
"I'll be back in a little while." She turned and walked back inside pausing at the door she looked back at her friend.
'We need her.' Jimmy tensed as the voices returned in his head. They had left him alone since he had found Johnny. Now they were back. He shook his head trying to dislodge them from his mind. 'Look at him, Jimmy. He didn't help Amber. He can't help anyone now. We need that nurse to take care of him until he can see you, so he can look you in the eyes when you tell him how he let Amber die.' He swallowed repeatedly feeling and tasting the bile that rose in his throat at the thought of taking not only Johnny, but the nurse as well.
Johnny sipped the hot elixir feeling the scald as it slid down his throat. He shivered. He was dressed in the fire department t-shirt, sweats and jacket Roy had brought by sometime last night. Dixie had helped him into the clothes a little while ago before wheeling him down here to wait for Roy. It was warm, but he shivered beneath the jacket. His heart raced. His questions about his eyes unanswered. Worry about his vision consumed his thoughts.
Jimmy watched him as he turned to set the cup on the nearby table. He moved the cup in the air, up, over, and up three times before getting the cup on the table. He watched a veil of sadness sweep over Johnny as he lowered his head to his chest and dropped his hands in his lap. He stayed like that for a while, not moving, but then Jimmy watched him slowly raise his head and lean it back letting the morning sun wash over his face.
Roy come through the doorway and stopped glancing around the now crowded area. His eyes settled on Johnny. Even if he couldn't see his best friend's expressive eyes Roy could tell by the way the corners of Johnny's mouth sagged and his uncharacteristic stillness that he was disturbed about his current helplessness. Deciding he would grab a cup of coffee before joining Johnny, Roy turned back into the door.
Jimmy watched as Johnny probed the table for his mug. Finally finding it he raised it to his mouth. Taking a drink he wrinkled his face in obvious distaste, it was cold. He returned the cup to the table. Then Jimmy saw Dixie walk over taking the now cold coffee from him replacing it with another hot mug.
Johnny heard someone walk over and move the cup.
He smelled fresh coffee mixed with another familiar scent, perfume. The same perfume he associated with comfort, protection and love, Dixie's perfume. He reached for the coffee but instead felt the familiar soft hands wrap around his. Immediately he knew that if he took the bandages from his eyes he would be looking into big blue eyes filled with worry….for him. Dropping his head, he wondered sometimes why she bothered with him.
He felt her closeness as she bent down next to him and placed her gentle hand on his knee. He smiled sheepishly. She knew he understood. She lovingly brushed the hair from his face; stood up, patted his shoulder, looked over at Roy and winked, then went back inside.
Roy took that as his cue to approach Johnny. As he came closer Johnny tilted his head up towards the sound of someone approaching. A lopsided grin spread across his face. "Pally?"
"Yes Johnny it's me. How did you know?"
"I could hear your walk. I'd know your walk anywhere." He smiled up at his best friend.
Roy took a seat. He leaned back in his chair sipping his coffee and looking around the patio at the other occupants. One man in the far corner seemed familiar to Roy. He must be visiting someone. Maybe he had been with one of the patients on one of their calls.
Jimmy noticed the sandy haired man looking at him. He purposefully looked away at that moment. He didn't want to be remembered. He had yelled at the two medics after being told his Amber had not survived. He had lashed out at them with words that would have embarrassed his love.
The voices admonished Jimmy for looking away. 'Face your enemy,' they taunted. 'Look him in the eyes and let him know you are ready to get even.' Jimmy couldn't do that. He couldn't look into the eyes of the kind man. He just couldn't. It was the dark haired man, Johnny that had let her die. The blue eyed man was kind, caring. Jimmy didn't want to hurt Roy. The voices did, but Jimmy didn't.
Not wanting to stare, Roy looked back over at Johnny.
"Yep. Chet, Mike and Marco are going to meet us at your place. Everyone else will be there in a couple of hours and Cap is due around four. I told him Dr. Brackett was going to let you come home for dinner and you wanted us all to be there. Seemed like a good idea at the time."
"That sounds fine Roy. I think Brackett and Dixie will be by for dinner, but they might not get there before Cap. Brackett said he could bring me back after dinner if you needed to do something else. I'm just glad we didn't have to cancel the party."
"Johnny what did they say about your eyes?"
"Too much swelling to be sure, maybe tomorrow."
Not wanting to upset his friend and wanting this to be a good day for all of the A-shift especially Captain Stanley, Roy kept his other questions to himself. Johnny had worked very hard to put together this surprise party. He had done something similar for Dixie's birthday last year and had gotten hurt earlier in the day and missed it. No one wanted him to miss this party. "Let's go Roy. I want to get home."
Jimmy gathered his trash and dumped it into the receptacle. He hurried past the two firemen. He wanted to get into his car and be ready to follow the men. He wanted to know where Johnny lived, his excitement mounting with every movement he made to silence the demanding voices permanently.
Mental disorders are a very real part of our world.
It is true that with medication and treatment a normal life can be attained, but when that security is threatened sometimes bad things result. Sometimes someone else comes along that can help set things straight again, sometimes not. Only time will tell with our character, Jimmy.
Please keep reading and letting us know what you think.
Well here I am Fireboy, waiting for you again. Now where is that friend of yours? Where is Roy? Where are you for that matter? That nurse at the desk wouldn't tell me what room you were in. I didn't know your last name, and something about not being family. Jimmy looked up and down the hallway in front of the elevators his thoughts racing through his head. How can I find out which floor you're on? He walked past the entrance to the cafeteria and made an about face.
Turning back toward the elevators as the doors opened his eyes widened in recognition. He could see him sitting there in the wheelchair on the elevator. The pretty nurse from yesterday pushed him out of the elevator and toward where Jimmy stood blocking the cafeteria door. They'll see me. I'll just grab something from the food line and slip out to the courtyard where I can keep an eye on you.
Dixie wheeled Johnny out to the courtyard. "I think the fresh air will do you some good this morning, Johnny. Why don't you wait right here, and I'll get you some coffee. Would you like something more to eat?"
"No."
"My, my, we're cheerful this morning."
"Sorry Dix, it's just…never mind." Johnny pulled at the string on his hooded jacket.
Dixie brushed the hair from Johnny's forehead in a tender, soothing touch. "I understand. I'll be right back with your coffee. Then I'll have to go check on things in the ER while you wait for Roy. Okay?" Johnny nodded.
Jimmy watched Johnny from his table in the far corner of the courtyard. He had chosen that table, because he could also see the parking lot and could keep his lookout for Roy. He noticed the way Johnny sat with his shoulders slumped, his head bowed. His eyes are still heavily wrapped with gauze. I wonder if the doctors found something more wrong. Maybe he will need someone to nurse him, someone who can take care of his eyes until they're healed….he seems comfortable with that pretty nurse.
Dixie returned with a steaming mug of coffee. She brushed the hot cup against Johnny's hand. He took the proffered drink. Cuddling the warm mug in his sore hands, he could feel the burning sensation against the already tender skin of his palms. "Thanks."
"I'll be back in a little while." She turned and walked back inside pausing at the door she looked back at her friend.
'We need her.' Jimmy tensed as the voices returned in his head. They had left him alone since he had found Johnny. Now they were back. He shook his head trying to dislodge them from his mind. 'Look at him, Jimmy. He didn't help Amber. He can't help anyone now. We need that nurse to take care of him until he can see you, so he can look you in the eyes when you tell him how he let Amber die.' He swallowed repeatedly feeling and tasting the bile that rose in his throat at the thought of taking not only Johnny, but the nurse as well.
Johnny sipped the hot elixir feeling the scald as it slid down his throat. He shivered. He was dressed in the fire department t-shirt, sweats and jacket Roy had brought by sometime last night. Dixie had helped him into the clothes a little while ago before wheeling him down here to wait for Roy. It was warm, but he shivered beneath the jacket. His heart raced. His questions about his eyes unanswered. Worry about his vision consumed his thoughts.
Jimmy watched him as he turned to set the cup on the nearby table. He moved the cup in the air, up, over, and up three times before getting the cup on the table. He watched a veil of sadness sweep over Johnny as he lowered his head to his chest and dropped his hands in his lap. He stayed like that for a while, not moving, but then Jimmy watched him slowly raise his head and lean it back letting the morning sun wash over his face.
Roy come through the doorway and stopped glancing around the now crowded area. His eyes settled on Johnny. Even if he couldn't see his best friend's expressive eyes Roy could tell by the way the corners of Johnny's mouth sagged and his uncharacteristic stillness that he was disturbed about his current helplessness. Deciding he would grab a cup of coffee before joining Johnny, Roy turned back into the door.
Jimmy watched as Johnny probed the table for his mug. Finally finding it he raised it to his mouth. Taking a drink he wrinkled his face in obvious distaste, it was cold. He returned the cup to the table. Then Jimmy saw Dixie walk over taking the now cold coffee from him replacing it with another hot mug.
Johnny heard someone walk over and move the cup.
He smelled fresh coffee mixed with another familiar scent, perfume. The same perfume he associated with comfort, protection and love, Dixie's perfume. He reached for the coffee but instead felt the familiar soft hands wrap around his. Immediately he knew that if he took the bandages from his eyes he would be looking into big blue eyes filled with worry….for him. Dropping his head, he wondered sometimes why she bothered with him.
He felt her closeness as she bent down next to him and placed her gentle hand on his knee. He smiled sheepishly. She knew he understood. She lovingly brushed the hair from his face; stood up, patted his shoulder, looked over at Roy and winked, then went back inside.
Roy took that as his cue to approach Johnny. As he came closer Johnny tilted his head up towards the sound of someone approaching. A lopsided grin spread across his face. "Pally?"
"Yes Johnny it's me. How did you know?"
"I could hear your walk. I'd know your walk anywhere." He smiled up at his best friend.
Roy took a seat. He leaned back in his chair sipping his coffee and looking around the patio at the other occupants. One man in the far corner seemed familiar to Roy. He must be visiting someone. Maybe he had been with one of the patients on one of their calls.
Jimmy noticed the sandy haired man looking at him. He purposefully looked away at that moment. He didn't want to be remembered. He had yelled at the two medics after being told his Amber had not survived. He had lashed out at them with words that would have embarrassed his love.
The voices admonished Jimmy for looking away. 'Face your enemy,' they taunted. 'Look him in the eyes and let him know you are ready to get even.' Jimmy couldn't do that. He couldn't look into the eyes of the kind man. He just couldn't. It was the dark haired man, Johnny that had let her die. The blue eyed man was kind, caring. Jimmy didn't want to hurt Roy. The voices did, but Jimmy didn't.
Not wanting to stare, Roy looked back over at Johnny.
"Yep. Chet, Mike and Marco are going to meet us at your place. Everyone else will be there in a couple of hours and Cap is due around four. I told him Dr. Brackett was going to let you come home for dinner and you wanted us all to be there. Seemed like a good idea at the time."
"That sounds fine Roy. I think Brackett and Dixie will be by for dinner, but they might not get there before Cap. Brackett said he could bring me back after dinner if you needed to do something else. I'm just glad we didn't have to cancel the party."
"Johnny what did they say about your eyes?"
"Too much swelling to be sure, maybe tomorrow."
Not wanting to upset his friend and wanting this to be a good day for all of the A-shift especially Captain Stanley, Roy kept his other questions to himself. Johnny had worked very hard to put together this surprise party. He had done something similar for Dixie's birthday last year and had gotten hurt earlier in the day and missed it. No one wanted him to miss this party. "Let's go Roy. I want to get home."
Jimmy gathered his trash and dumped it into the receptacle. He hurried past the two firemen. He wanted to get into his car and be ready to follow the men. He wanted to know where Johnny lived, his excitement mounting with every movement he made to silence the demanding voices permanently.
