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............Part
14........,
Roy continued his pacing outside of Johnny's hospital room, his fists clenching and unclenching in rage. At the moment he wanted nothing more than to barge in there and choke the truth out of his friend and partner. The only thing preventing him from doing so was the presence of a nurse in the room. 'Fine,' he thought bitterly, 'I may not be able to get the answer from you, yet. But I'll be back. And in the meantime I know someone else who has them.' Roy stormed away, flinging open the stairwell and taking the steps two at a time.
****
"Nurse McCall, are you all right?"
Dixie glanced up from the chart she was updating to find Craig Brice staring intently at her. Biting back her nausea, Dixie tried to put on a neutral face, "I'm fine, Brice. Why do you ask?"
"Perhaps it's simply my imagination," Brice stated with a shrug, "however, you appear to be pale."
"Well, thank you for your concern, Craig," Dixie picked up the supply request form Brice had set on the counter, "but there's nothing wrong."
"Hey, Craig!" Bellingham slid up next to his partner and lounged across the base station desk, "I'm starving. Let's go by the cafeteria and . . . Man, Dixie, you look awful."
Dixie's eyes narrowed as she slammed the supplies down on the counter, "Is there anything else?"
****
Alica watched as Johnny slept, taking in the long dark lashes framing eyes that, when open, were of the deepest, warmest brown she'd ever seen. His boyish face, relaxed in sleep, gave him a beguiling look of innocence that caused her heart to beat faster. "How could I have overlooked you for so long?" she whispered as she brushed his long, dark bangs away from his forehead before planting a kiss there. "But don't worry, my darling, now that I've found you, nothing will ever come between us again." A crazed gleam lit her eyes. "It will be so perfect my darling, you'll believe anything I tell you, won't you?"
A low moan from the bed focused her attention on the current object of her obsessions, "John, darling you're awake, thank god."
"D-darling?" Johnny blinked rapidly, trying to clear his head, "What are you talking about? Do I know you?"
"Of course you do, my love," Alica cooed lovingly, "I'm your fiancée."
"My fiancée?" John choked out, "But . . . but what about Joanne?"
"Joanne?" Alica's eyes narrowed angrily, but she quickly recovered, "She means nothing to you. Now, we've got to get you out of here. It's too dangerous for you to stay." 'Because you might begin to remember the truth,' she added silently.
"Too dangerous?" Johnny swallowed hard, "Why? It's Roy, isn't it? He's trying to kill me. I remembered something." Johnny missed the flash of panic that crossed her face, "After an explosion he just left me in a burning building."
Alica smiled as the wheels turned in her head, "Yes, my dearest, it is Roy. He's dangerous, you have to stay away from him no matter what. If he were ever to be alone with you he'd kill you. Now hurry, get up, we have to go."
"But what about Joanne?" Johnny protested as Alica tried to help him out of the bed, "If Roy's dangerous I can't just leave her unprotected."
"You have to, if we don't hurry Roy will be here and it will be too late." Alica glanced anxiously at the door.
"No, I can't leave her." Johnny struggled to his feet, swaying uncertainly as he did, "I have to make sure she's safe."
"Johnny, darling, I'm sorry about this." Alica sighed. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a syringe and plunged it into Johnny's IV port before he had a chance to react.
****
"Johnny . . . Johnny, we should . . . tell Roy . . ." Joanne muttered in her sleep, "He deserves to . . to know . . . I know it would hurt him, but . . . he deserves the truth."
Roy stood at the end of Joanne's bed, his eyes narrowing in anger, "Don't worry, Joanne, I know the truth now." He turned and rushed out of the room, nearly knocking over the duty nurse on his way.
****
Dr. Joe Early shook his head as he inspected the skull x-ray in front of him. "How could I have missed this?" he asked himself softly.
"Joe," Kelly Brackett lay a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "don't blame yourself. We both looked at that x-ray and didn't catch it. We just didn't know what we were looking for."
"Yeah, but will that make it any easier on his loved ones when we tell them the truth?" Joe exchanged a look full of sorrow with his fellow doctor, "'Sorry, we just didn't catch it soon enough?'"
Kel cast his blue eyes downward and sighed heavily, "We don't know that it's too late."
"Don't we?" Joe flicked off the light switch, his shoulders slumping, "Damn it, Kel, this shouldn't have happened."
"I can't argue with you there, Joe," Kel leaned against the wall and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "But we both know that these things can happen and sometimes there's not a damn thing we can do to prevent them." He shrugged his shoulders and started for the phone, "I'll order up an OR. Maybe we still have time."
****
Hank Stanley fiddled nervously with his hands as he stepped into the Emergency Department. Up ahead at the base station he could see Dixie. 'God, she's more beautiful every time I see her,' he thought lovingly, 'How could she possibly care for an old hose jockey like me?'
Clearing his throat, he stepped up to the counter and smiled broadly at her, "Hello, Nurse McCall."
"Well, hello there, Captain Stanley." Dixie seemed to glow as she met his eyes, "What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if you might have a moment to speak to me about . . . Uh," he glanced around a little nervously, "about how Gage and the DeSoto family are doing."
"Of course, Hank." Dixie slipped him a look that was full of promise as she stepped from behind the counter "Why don't we find a more . . . private spot to discuss it?"
"That sounds lovely." Hank followed her down the hall, "Just lovely."
Behind them, Dr. Kent Donalson watched with interest as they disappeared from sight.
****
Craig Brice watched in disgust as he partner crammed a double cheeseburger into his mouth, mindless of the ketchup dribbling down his shirt. For not the first time in the past few months, he wondered what he had done to warrant being partnered with such a . . . a . . . 'Well,' he admitted to himself, 'this is one instance where the nickname fit.' His partner was a complete animal.
Rising, he cleared his throat, "Bellingham, I'm going to stop by Gage's room and see how he's doing."
Bellingham grunted an acknowledgement as he shoved a handful of fries into his mouth. "Sure," he snickered as his partner stepped into the elevator, "and it's just a coincidence that that cute little nurse works on Gage's floor."
****
Chet nervously thrust his hands into his pockets, his eyes scanning the emergency room. He'd left work hurriedly after the arrival of B-shift determined to come straight here, find Carol and ask her out. But now that he was here his determination had begun to waver. "She's not here anyway." He sighed dejectedly, "I might as well just give up and go home."
Downhearted, Chet turned and started for the exit.
"Excuse me, Fireman Kelly?" The lilting voice stopped Chet in his tracks and he turned slowly toward it. "Is there something I can help you with?"
Chet simply stood there, his mouth hanging slightly open, as the object of his desire looked at him kindly.
****
'How could you?' Roy fumed silently as he stalked back down the hall, 'You were my best friend. I trusted you, trusted you with everything, even my life. How could you betray me like that? That's simple isn't it?' Roy snorted at the thought, 'Playboy Gage just can't be satisfied until he's conquered every woman in his line of sight. Well, you made a mistake this time, buddy-boy, you never should have messed with my wife.'
With an angry snarl on his face, Roy pushed open the door and stepped into Johnny's room stopping in shock at the sight that met his eyes.
****
"Hank, stop it," Dixie swatted playfully at his hands as she attempted to button her uniform blouse, "I have to get back to work."
"Come on, Dix," he nibbled on her ear as he undid the buttons she'd just finished closely, "just a few more minutes."
"That's what you said 20 minutes ago." Dixie moaned as she leaned against. As his lips made their way down her neck, she knew she was fighting a losing battle. Fortunately, it was one she didn't mind losing. "Hank, there's something I need to tell you."
"Tell me later." Hank whispered as he lowered her to the floor.
As they started to lose themselves in the passionate embrace the supply room doorknob began to turn slowly.
****
Craig frowned in consternation as he watched a familiar figure turn the corner, pushing a wheelchair in front of her. "Where is she off to?" he wondered aloud, picking up his pace.
He reached the end of the corridor just in time to see the freight elevator doors close in front of his quarry.
****
Joanne tossed restlessly in her sleep, her dreams carrying her back in time.
"Hey, Johnny, would you like some lemonade?" Joanne smiled fondly at the younger man as he sat on the couch, his dark head pressed next to her daughter's blonde one.
"Huh? Oh, thanks Joanne, but you don't need to bother over me." A lop-sided grin lit up John's face.
"John Gage," Joanne planted her hands on her hips as she scowled at him in mock severity, "how many times do I have to tell you that you're not a bother? You know that you're just like a part of this family. And after spending most of your day off helping me finish Roy's birthday surprise the least I can do is get you a glass of lemonade."
"All right! All right!" Johnny held up his hands in surrender, "In that case, I'd love some lemonade."
"Uncle Johnny!" Jennifer tugged on his sleeve, demanding he return his full attention to her.
Ruffling the young girl's hair, John turned his attention back to the photos Jennifer was pointing out in the album.
Joanne struggled to hold back her laughter as she poured the lemonade. There was no doubt about it, her daughter had the young paramedic firmly wrapped around her tiny finger. Picking up the glasses, Joanne started back toward the living room only to find Johnny standing in the kitchen doorway. The pale, shocked look on his face caused her blood to immediately run cold.
"Johnny, what is it? Did something happen to Jennifer?" A feeling of panic spread through out her.
"Joanne, who's this?" Johnny asked in strangled voice as he pointed to a photo in the album.
Joanne quickly set the glasses on the counter and grabbed the album, wondering what in her family photos could have upset her friend so greatly. Scanning the page, she concentrated on the photo Johnny was pointing at. Sadness filled her as she recognized the faded face.
"That's Roy's natural father." Joanne replied softly, "He died when Roy was just a baby."
"B-but . . . but that can't be." Johnny looked at her in shock, "That's my father."
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