"Kel, today at the hospital...."

He closed his eyes. Damn, here it comes again. If she even mentions Johnny's name....

Dixie misjudged the look on his face. "Kel, what's going on between you and Johnny Gage?"

There it was. Everything that had come between them for months now. Back, again. The paramedic program.... The training.... The arguments. The firemen. Johnny.

He understood why Dixie was such a staunch supporter of the program. She had been in Korea, had seen the action up close, and had worked with medics and corpsmen, and knew firsthand how vital they had been to the medical staff. While she was there, he was at home, studying, working in a nice, safe hospital.

He understood how she felt about the firemen and the paramedics. Hell, everyone thought firemen were heroes -- they were kind of larger-than-life role models.

Unlike doctors.

It didn't seem right to him. He had worked so hard and spent so many years learning his profession, and was still working hard and still learning. It irked him to know that firemen didn't even have to be college graduates, and that their training took less than a year. The paramedic course was only 12 weeks.

Hose jockeys. So little time invested for so much glory.

And then there was Johnny. While Dixie had established an instant rapport with all the paramedics that worked out of Rampart, Johnny was special to her, and he had to admit he was jealous. It wasn't that he thought anything was going on between them -- it wasn't that kind of relationship -- but here she was, sharing a romantic evening with him, and whose name comes up, but John Gage's. To him, it was the ultimate insult. He had been right earlier.... They didn't have anything else to talk about.

He got up from the couch, picked up his coat, thanked her for dinner and walked out the door, leaving a stunned Dixie wondering what had happened.

* * * * * * * * * *

Johnny was pacing back and forth in the dayroom -- his nightmare was coming true.... Brackett was going to be spending the shift with them on a ride-along. He had decided that it was time he observed the paramedics in the field to see what changes or improvements they could make at the base station. It would also give Brackett a better idea of the conditions under which they operated.

Johnny just didn't understand why he chose their station, their shift.

Dixie hadn't been able to give him any clues as to Brackett's attitude toward him. Johnny sensed there was more to the story than she was telling him, but he also had the common sense not to pry into what was obviously a personal matter between them. He only hoped that he wasn't the cause of the problem, whatever it was.

Roy seemed excited about having the doctor riding with them, so Johnny decided it was still not the right time to talk to him about it. Maybe he would have the opportunity to talk to Brackett, and they could finally work out their differences without getting anyone else involved. Maybe he could convince Brackett once and for all that he was more than capable of doing the job.... Maybe.... Maybe.... Johnny slapped his open palm against his thigh in frustration.... Yeah, maybe.

* * * * * * * * * *

Things went from bad to worse. Their first run of the day was a man injured in a fall off a ladder.... His leg was broken in a tib/fib fracture and he was complaining of severe back pain. Even though Brackett was there if his help was needed, he was really there as an observer, so they followed SOP and contacted Rampart. As Roy was taking the vitals, Johnny requested MS for the man's considerable pain. Mistake number one. Of course, Dr. Early wanted the vitals, and confirmation that there was no head trauma, before giving permission for the pain meds.

Their second call was with the engine for a minor traffic accident, but there were only superficial injuries, requiring only first aid at the scene. Both victims were referred to their family doctors for follow-up.

During lunch, Brackett joined in the conversation with the other guys talking about baseball, and food, and just things in general. Roy noticed Johnny wasn't eating, and he wasn't joining the conversation. He thought maybe John was a little upset over the error on this morning's run, but it was really not a big deal. Sort of a rookie mistake, and he didn't think it would happen again. Johnny had just been anxious to relieve the man's pain. If he didn't come around soon, Roy thought he'd talk to him about it.

They were just about done with lunch when the tones sounded for the engine and the squad to respond to a possible heart attack.

When they arrived on the scene, they found a sixty-year old male in full arrest. This time Brackett assisted and issued the orders for Roy to start CPR while Johnny set up the defibrillator. They counter-shocked twice and were able to restore a rhythm. Brackett ordered an IV, which Johnny was going to administer. The minute he inserted the needle, blood started pouring out of the vein. Mistake number two. The man was apparently on anti-coagulants, and they had a difficult time stopping the profuse bleeding. Johnny remembered Brackett's criticism at the hospital a week ago -- unfair that it was -- about his inability to start IVs. Although there was no way Johnny could have known this man was on medication, the look on Brackett's face made him feel that what just happened was his fault. Maybe he should have let Roy handle this one, and let the doctor see that something like this can happen to the more experienced paramedic too. He and Roy continued to follow Brackett's instructions, and were finally able to stabilize the man for transport. While Johnny had kept his cool, Roy could tell his partner was upset. They would definitely talk after they got back to the station.

At Rampart, Roy and John waited on word if the man was going to make it. Since Brackett and Early were both with him, and they couldn't leave until Brackett was done anyway. Dixie was too busy to talk to them, so they poured some coffee and stayed out of everyone's way. Roy kept an eye on Johnny, who was being much too quiet, to see if he was going to open up, but Johnny offered nothing.

Roy was puzzled. He knew Johnny was better than what he had seen out there today. As far as he was concerned, Johnny was going to be one of the best paramedics in the program, given a little time, and more experience in the field. If John had been nervous about working with Brackett, Roy had missed all the signs until today.

They hadn't known each other very long, but Roy thought that he and Johnny had already established a personal rapport that went beyond the job, and was surprised that Johnny hadn't shared his concerns with him. He had found that his partner could talk non-stop on just about every subject that came up during the course of a shift, yet he had remained silent about this one.

Roy decided maybe he didn't know Johnny quite as well as he thought.

After returning to the station, Brackett went to make some phone calls from the Captain's office. Roy had gone into the dayroom, while Johnny headed the other direction. Roy checked out the food that was cooking on the stove for dinner. They hadn't finished lunch, and he was hungry; he knew that Johnny was probably starving since he hadn't eaten lunch at all. He was worried about what was going on with his partner and Dr. Brackett. They hadn't spoken a word to each other all day, except while working on a patient.

Determined to get to the bottom of the problem, Roy went in search of Johnny. He found him in the locker room, absently going through some of the stuff that had begun to accumulate in his locker. He wasn't sure if John had heard him come in, so he coughed a little to announce his presence.

"Hey, Johnny, dinner will be ready in just a little while." Roy had quickly discovered that the mention of food usually distracted John from one of his moods. "Marco's cooking tonight -- Irish stew, I think. It smells real good."

John looked up from his locker, wondering if Roy had something more on his mind than talking about dinner.

"Yeah, well, I'm not very hungry. Maybe I'll have something later. After... well... later." They both knew he meant after Brackett left the room.

Roy took advantage of the opening.

"Johnny, why didn't you tell me you were having a problem with Brackett? What's going on between you two?"

John shrugged his shoulders, but gave no explanation.

Roy pressed the issue. "Why haven't you talked to me about it? I kinda thought we were good enough friends that we could talk to each other about anything."

For the first time since they had met, John Gage had no instant answer for Roy, as he searched for the words to explain what was bothering him.

To Roy, Johnny always seemed to be such an open book, carefree and easy-going, willing to voice his opinion on anything and everything. But now, it dawned on Roy that Johnny had never really shared anything deeply personal with him before, and was finding it difficult to open up.

This was a side of Johnny he hadn't seen before.

"Roy.... I.... He.... It's just that...." Johnny always started talking this way when he was frustrated -- he couldn't put a coherent sentence together. Roy usually found the habit amusing, but this time he knew it was serious, and waited patiently while John collected his thoughts.

"Roy, I 'd always thought that being a fireman and a rescue man was the only thing I would ever want to do.... You know? I mean I really loved what I did... but, when you convinced me to sign up for this program, I knew then... that being a paramedic was going to be something special.... It just means more to me than anything ever has."

There was a long pause while Johnny thought about what he was going to say next. Roy still wasn't sure what the problem was, but he knew he had to let Johnny explain it in his own time and in his own way. He was surprised at what he heard next.

"I worked really hard to get here, and I don't wanna lose this, Roy. I don't want Brackett to take it away from me just because he and I don't get along."

None of this was making sense to Roy.

"Johnny, what are you talking about? You're not gonna lose anything.... We're just getting started, and everything's gone real well so far. I don't get...."

Roy was interrupted before he could finish his question. Johnny had found the rest of the words he was looking for this time.

"Oh, you watch. Brackett's gonna find a way to wash me out of the program. It wasn't bad enough that I insulted him, and argued with him, and disregarded all the rules while we were waiting for the bill to pass. Now, I've gone and messed up today in front of him. I practically handed him everything he needs to get rid of me. I'm sure he thinks I'm just some... some incompetent! What does he always call us? Hosejockeys? He thinks I'm some incompetent hose jockey who doesn't know anything. You know, I don't mind being called a hose jockey -- but I hate the way he says it, Roy. He makes it sound so... so demeaning. I like being a fireman. Hell, I'm PROUD to be a fireman. Just because I'm no... fancy doctor... doesn't mean I'm not good at what I do. Does he think he could just show up at a fire some day and he'd be able to put it out? No, he couldn't. He wouldn't know anything about it! So, who is he to come out here for one day and pass judgement on what we do? We don't go to his hospital and tell him how to do things!"

He wasn't even out of breath... but as abruptly as it started, it ended. The first thought that crossed Roy's mind was, wow.

He had just witnessed a John Gage rant for the first time.

So, that was it. Johnny and Dr. Brackett had butted heads quite often in those first few months of training, and neither one of them had exactly been diplomatic around the other when it came to their opinions on the paramedic program.

Johnny had been silent for about a minute now, so Roy assumed it was safe to speak again.

"But, Johnny, that was a long time ago, before Brackett changed his mind about the program. I think he understands now how important this was to you at the time. I can't believe he's still carrying a grudge over those things... after all, I was part of that, too, and I don't think he has a problem with me because of that."

Johnny just shook his head.

"No, Roy, he doesn't have a problem with you. You're... you're just more... more... something. I don't know. I guess you're a better politician than I am. Sometimes I wish I could be more like you, but I'm not. Now I'm in trouble, and I don't know what to do about it."

Roy wondered how it had gotten this far without him noticing something before now, and while he wanted his partner to know he had his full support, he still thought John had blown this all out of proportion. Johnny had been known to do that sometimes.

"Johnny, I know how good you are at your job, and I'll make sure Brackett knows how I feel about that... but I think maybe you're over-react...."

Chet stuck his head in the door just then, letting them know Marco had said that dinner was ready. Johnny said something about not feeling well, and headed toward the dorm. Roy was going to tell him that he was over-reacting, and he didn't want to hear that, so he was glad for the interruption. Roy started to go after him, but decided maybe Johnny needed some time alone. When he joined Brackett and the others for dinner, he made the excuse that Johnny had a headache and wasn't hungry. He assured Captain Hammer that Johnny would be okay and that there was no problem with finishing the shift.

There were no further calls that evening. The guys shot some hoops and watched some TV before lights out. Johnny hadn't made an appearance all evening and was already asleep in his bunk when everyone else turned in.

* * * * * * * * * *

The tones sounded at the station at two in the morning for a structure fire in an office building. Brackett was no stranger to sleepless nights, and interrupted sleep, but being startled out of a sound sleep by the loud sound of the tones was a new experience. Johnny and Roy were already waiting for him at the squad while he pulled on his clothes. He could tell their adrenaline was pumping and they were anxious to go. As he climbed into the cab, Johnny quickly slid in beside him, and they were out the door before he was even settled in.

Brackett had never seen much more than a campfire up close, and he had to admit he was excited about being able to go along and watch the firemen in action. His nights around the campfire didn't begin to prepare him for what he was about to see.

Arriving first on the scene, Captain Hammer quickly assessed the situation, and notified LA that a second alarm assignment would need to be dispatched. They had an older, four-story office building well-involved, with smoke and flames showing from the fourth floor. Fortunately, there were vacant lots on both sides of the building, and a large parking lot in the rear, minimizing the danger to the exposures; additional manpower and equipment would be needed to access and vent the roof, and allow them to contain the fire within the structure.

The fire surrounded the area with an almost surrealistic atmosphere. Flames were shooting out the broken windows, strangely illuminating the dark night, casting eerie, flickering shadows on the empty streets below. Thick black smoke was beginning to consume the sky above them, and the heat radiated with a powerful force. Windows, bursting from the heat, sent glass showering down on the firefighters approaching the building. Brackett watched, mesmerized, as they ducked and covered their heads; as soon as the debris stopped raining down, they got up and continued toward the building to attack the blaze.

Two guards had been on duty at the time the fire started; they had placed the call to the fire department and left the building. They reported that the top floor of the building was being remodeled, and that the painters had left a considerable amount of paint and paint thinner, tarps and rags in the hallway, which was undoubtedly the cause of the fire.

There was a three-man cleaning crew still somewhere in the building. Since the fourth floor was being remodeled, there should have been no reason for the men to have been there. The guards reported seeing the men go upstairs, so they would most likely have been on either the second or third floor when the fire started.

For now, the fire was barely being contained on the fourth floor. These older buildings were tinderboxes with their wooden floors and lathe and plaster walls -- ample fuel to a greedy fire. Time was narrowing for the victims in the building as Johnny and Roy readied to head up to the third floor first to search for the cleaning crew. Brackett couldn't believe that any of these men would willingly walk into that building, and yet they all did it without a second thought. Somehow, this wasn't at all like he had imagined it would be. These men were putting their lives on the line. He saw it wasn't for glory... it was just what they did... and it was really dangerous.

As they started toward the building, Roy turned to give Brackett some last minute reminders.

"Doc, you need to stay right here by the squad. It's not safe to go anywhere else. If we come across the victims, we'll contact you on the HT if they're injured, and you can have the equipment set up and ready for when we come out."

Brackett nodded in agreement, staring at the scene playing out in front of him. He was still in awe of the whole operation, and didn't plan on going anywhere. He watched Johnny and Roy disappear inside the building, then turned his attention back to the engines and firemen as they worked to put out the blaze. It was the most incredible sight he had ever witnessed.

He was startled from his trance by a man stumbling out of the shadows toward him. As Brackett went over to help him, the man sank to the ground on his knees. He had come from the building, and was coughing and gasping for breath. Brackett could see that he had some scrapes on his face and bleeding cuts on his hands.

Helping the man to his feet, Brackett steered him toward the squad so he could get a better look at his injuries. As he got the oxygen out of the compartment, the man became hysterical.

"I've got to get back inside.... I've got to go back in there now!" He was shouting and waving at the building, and Brackett had to physically restrain the man to keep him from running back into the fire.

"Just hold on, mister, you're not going anywhere right now. I need to get you some oxygen and take a look at those cuts on your hands."

The man was frantic. "You don't understand. My brother is inside that building. He's trapped under some boxes and I couldn't get him out! I tried, God I tried, but I couldn't lift them off him. I've gotta go back in and get him out. You gotta help me."

Brackett looked around for someone who could assist him, but everyone was occupied with fighting the fire. Johnny and Roy probably wouldn't be back out for at least another five minutes. In all the commotion, he completely forgot that they had given him a handi-talkie and instructions on how to use it.

"Okay, mister. Just calm down a little, and tell me where your brother is. If you try and go back in there, it's possible neither one of you will make it out again. I'll see what I can do."

"He's in the back storage room on the second floor. I don't think he's hurt. His legs are just pinned under some boxes that fell. I couldn't lift the boxes.... Please mister, you gotta get him out of there."

The man was pleading for his help. Brackett tried again to find someone that could help, but everywhere he looked, the firemen were too busy with the fire to notice him. It was obvious that he wasn't going to get help right away, and time was of the essence. Brackett reasoned the fire hadn't made its way to the second floor yet, so maybe he could get in there himself, and get the man out before it did. Or, maybe he'd get lucky and find Johnny and Roy on their way out.

He decided to take a chance, and instructed the man to try to find someone who could help and tell them where he had gone and why, and then headed toward the building.

* * * * * * * * * *

As they were finishing their sweep of the third floor, Roy virtually tripped over one of the men lying in the hallway; the smoke so thick by that time that he wouldn't have spotted him otherwise. Quickly checking and finding a strong carotid, Roy grabbed Johnny's sleeve to get his attention, motioning to him that he had located a victim. The man was too heavy for Roy to carry on his own, so together, they lifted and carried him down the stairs and out of the building.

Approaching the squad, they noticed a man staring nervously at the building, and Brackett was no where in sight. Laying their victim down, Johnny got the oxygen going on him, as Roy questioned the other man.

"Sir, are you hurt? What are you doing here?" At first, the man didn't respond. "How did you hurt your hands? Come on, talk to me. Let me help you."

The man's eyes were wide with fear. "My brother -- he's trapped in that building -- and I couldn't get him out by myself. There was a man here, and he went in to see if he could get him out."

Johnny and Roy immediately looked around to see if Brackett was anywhere to be seen.

"This man, was he about 6 feet tall, dark hair, wearing a blue jacket?" Roy knew the answer before he heard it.

"That was him. He said he was a doctor, but there weren't any firemen around, so he went in by himself to see if he could get my brother out."

Johnny was beside himself. "Jesus, what was he thinking, Roy? He's got no business goin' in there on his own. Just because he spent the last 16 hours with us doesn't make him a firefighter or a rescue person. He doesn't even have an air tank or gloves. Hell, he could get himself killed pulling a stunt like this."

John put a stop to his tirade before Roy had to tell him. He knew this was not the time or place for him to pick up where he had left off in the locker room. Brackett could be in serious trouble.

Roy was trying to get the man to listen to him. "Mister, can you tell me where your brother is?"

Finally getting the information he needed, Roy pulled out the HT and contacted his captain, and had him request another squad and an ambulance. The victim they had brought out had revived quickly thanks to the oxygen and was refusing further treatment. Knowing he would be all right until the other squad arrived, Roy notified the captain they were going back into the building.

The first man made an attempt to follow them, but Roy stopped him. "No, you wait right here, and a fireman will be here in a minute to help you. We'll get your brother out. You both just wait right here -- it's not safe to go back in there.... We'll take care of him, don't worry."

Johnny and Roy re-entered the building and hurried up the stairs. The flooring on the fourth floor had given way and the fire was now rapidly burning on the third floor. The smoke was beginning to make its way down to the second floor, but for now they could still see to the end of the hallway. The man had directed them to the last room on the right, and upon entering the room, they found Brackett pulling off the last box from the victim's legs. Brackett was coughing and having trouble catching his breath.

Without a word, Johnny pulled Brackett aside pushing him to the floor below the layer of smoke, and helped Roy lift the man to his feet. John then signaled to Roy to go ahead, and indicated that he was going to help Brackett out of the room. Believing they would be right behind him, Roy quickly helped their victim down the hall to the stairs.

Johnny went over to the doctor, who was coughing from the increasingly bad air in the room. It was getting worse by the minute. John removed his air mask and held it up to Brackett's face, encouraging him to take a few breaths before they got going.

"Come on, doc, we gotta get outta here now. The fire is burning right above us and it looks like the ceiling's gonna go any minute."

Brackett nodded, handed the air mask back to Johnny, and started out of the room. He wasn't about to argue, he just wanted out of there.

Brackett had almost reached the doorway when he was shoved hard from behind, propelling him into the hallway, his forehead slamming into the wall in front of him. He fell to the ground, unaware that the ceiling was coming down.

* * * * * * * * * *

Roy had reached the squad where the paramedics from Squad 14, Davis and Miller, had treated the two victims, and were waiting for Roy and Johnny to come out with the third one. They took the man from Roy's grasp, and sat him down next to the squad to check him out.

Davis looked back toward the building where DeSoto had just come from. "Hey, Roy, where's Gage?"

Roy swiveled around, surprised to see that Johnny and Dr. Brackett hadn't come out right behind him.

Roy got ready to go back in. "Something must have happened. Take care of this guy, and let the Cap know I'm going back in after them. Have him request another ambulance."

Davis and Miller exchanged a questioning glance. "... them?"

"Brackett was with us on a ride-along and he's in there with Johnny. Don't ask why...."

Roy raced back into the building, only to find the stairway blocked just before he reached the second floor. He quickly pulled the HT from his pocket.

"Engine 51, this is Squad 51"

"Squad 51, Engine 51. Go."

"Engine 51, we have a partial ceiling collapse near the rear stairs on the second floor. We have two men up there still and a possible Code I. I'm unable to reach them without assistance. Can you send some men with a couple of pry bars to help me clear the way?"

"Squad 51, Engine 51. You'll have help in a minute."

* * * * * * * * * *

"Doc, come on, wake up."

The voice was strained, quietly urging him to open his eyes. Brackett tried to push away the mask that was covering his face, but it was being firmly held in place. As his eyes slid open, he saw Johnny gazing intently at him. He tried to raise his hand to his forehead, but Johnny stopped him.

Brackett was still a little dazed, but sat up quickly as he realized where he was.

"What happened? How long have I been out?"

"You got a nasty bump there when you said hello to the wall. Sorry about the abrupt introduction." John barely managed to suppress a grin at the thought of it, in spite of their current circumstances.

Johnny had to swallow hard before he could finish his answer, his throat already raw from the smoke he had inhaled while trying to revive the doctor with his air mask -- and when he found his voice again, it was barely above a whisper.

"You were only out a couple minutes."

Brackett pulled the mask away from his face and handed it to John, who readily accepted it. Even with the air, Johnny was having trouble breathing. He had to pull the mask away again so Brackett could hear him.

"Doc, we gotta get out of here before any more of the ceiling comes down, or the smoke gets us.... We're almost out of air. Roy knows we didn't come out behind him, so he's probably already trying to get to us. We need to stay low, below the smoke, and crawl towards the stairs." John pointed in the direction they needed to go. "Are you up to it?"

Even though his head was pounding, Brackett thought he could do just about anything to get out of there. Nodding to Johnny, he started crawling quickly toward the end of the hall. Behind him, he could hear Johnny's deep, dry coughing. His own lungs were feeling the effects, and he hastened his pace toward the stairs. As he drew closer, he could hear the muffled voices and the sound of debris being moved. He was able to shout above the noise, and in a minute there were hands lifting him up, ready to help him down the stairs. As they were leaving, he heard Roy call to Chet to help him go down the hallway to find Johnny.

Even though this was LA, Brackett thought he had never encountered such sweet-smelling air before. The paramedics from Squad 14 sat him down and gave him the oxygen mask, but he pushed it away, just wanting to breathe real air for a minute. He refused to let them examine him or look at the bump on his head. He wanted to be left alone for a minute to recover from one of the most frightening experiences of his life. He knew he had John Gage to thank for coming out of it alive.

The thought of Johnny made him look up -- Roy and Chet hadn't come out of the building with him yet. Brackett tried to get up, but was pushed back down by Miller, who was still trying to get him to put on the oxygen mask. Moments later, he saw them finally exit the building -- there should have been three figures, but he could make out only two in the shadows. As they drew closer, he saw that Roy had Johnny in a fireman's carry.

Davis went to give Roy a hand with his partner, setting him down next to the squad, while keeping him in a sitting position to remove his air tank and turnout. Johnny was semi-conscious, and a cry of pain escaped him as they started to take off the air tank. The motion set off a violent bout of gagging and coughing. Roy held onto him until it began to subside, then Johnny slumped forward, as he passed out again. Mindful of possible injuries, Davis carefully finished removing the air tank.

"Roy, the back of his coat is covered with plaster -- looks like some of the ceiling might have fallen on him. I'll get his coat off, cut his t-shirt off so we can check for possible back injuries."

Brackett hadn't realized until now that Johnny had been badly hurt -- he hadn't said anything when they were in the hallway. He got up to see what he could do to help.

"Roy, let me take a look at him...."

Roy's response cut him off. "Not yet, doc.... I think you've done enough for now...."

Brackett knew immediately that Roy was blaming him for Johnny being hurt, and he realized Roy was probably right. It must have happened when Johnny shoved him out the door.

He backed off a little and responded softly, "I'll be here when you need me."

Davis let out a low whistle as he looked at Johnny's back. "Roy, there's a large area of bruising already showing up on his right shoulder and down his back, but there's no evidence of bleeding or broken bones that I can see."

They laid him down gently and adjusted the oxygen flow. Johnny's eyes fluttered open and looked around slowly until he focused on Roy.

His voice was so hoarse, he could barely whisper.

"... happened?"

"Johnny, don't try to talk right now. It looks like the ceiling came down on top of you and you've hurt your back a little. You ate a lot of smoke, and we just need to check you out. Just shake your head yes or no to my questions -- you might start coughing again if you try to talk."

Of course, he didn't listen.

"Where... was I?"

Roy was beginning to wonder if they were dealing with a head injury. Johnny seemed a little disoriented and couldn't remember what had happened.

"You and Brackett were caught in the hallway when the ceiling caved in. Do you remember?"

"Brack... Brackett... there? 's he okay?"

"He's fine, Johnny. He just needs a little oxygen, and he'll be fine."

Davis began taking his vitals, while Roy got out his penlight to check his pupil response. Johnny winced and tried to push him away.

"Head... hurts. Roy, don' do that. Movin' makes me dizzy.... Stop movin' around."

Roy gently felt for a bump and found it just above the left temple. There was sticky blood on his fingers.

"Okay, Johnny, we'll stop. I just need to listen to your lungs for a minute, so lay still and try to breathe as normally as you can."

Roy turned to Brackett and signaled him to come over. Davis relayed the vital signs to the doctor, then Roy went over the symptoms of the head injury.

Roy put the stethoscope to Johnny's chest. "Doc, I can also hear rales on both sides, and his breathing is becoming more labored."

This, Brackett could handle.

"Start an IV, normal saline. Keep that oxygen on him, and let's get him to the hospital, stat."

* * * * * * * * * *

Roy and Dr. Brackett were going to accompany Johnny in the first ambulance. Miller and Davis were transporting the three less injured men from the cleaning crew to Rampart in the second one. Captain Hammer had come to check on Johnny's condition, and told Roy he would arrange for one of the men to bring the squad to the hospital to pick him up once the engine was released from the scene.

As the ambulance took off for the hospital, Brackett contacted Joe Early over the bio-phone to convey Johnny's vitals and condition, so a room would be ready as soon as they arrived. Johnny floated in and out during the ride to Rampart asking again where he was and what had happened. Roy patiently explained it to him a second time. Yes, indeed. Classic signs of concussion.

As soon as the ambulance backed up to the emergency entrance, Roy opened the doors to find Joe Early and Dixie McCall waiting. As they ushered Johnny into the treatment room, Dixie put her hands up to stop Brackett and Roy from following them.

"Kel, Mike's waiting for you in 4. Roy, I suggest you go with him and see if Morton needs any help."

Brackett protested first, swallowing hard. His voice was hoarse and there was a large bruise on his forehead.

"Dix, I'm fine. I need to make sure Johnny's okay, then I'll get checked out."

She countered with the stare that meant business. "You're not fine, and we can take care of Johnny. Now, go."

Roy opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly cut off.

"We're short handed. You go with him to make sure he stays put for Mike. Sit on him if you have to.” That elicited a scowl from Brackett. “As soon as we know about Johnny's condition, you'll be the first ones we tell. Now, I said go and I mean it."

There was no use arguing.

Brackett reluctantly agreed to let Morton check him over. There were no telltale signs of a concussion, or any other injury besides the irritation to his throat from the smoke, but Morton ordered x-rays just to make sure.

"I don't need x-rays, I just need some ice for this bump and an aspirin for my headache." Brackett couldn't stand being a patient in his own emergency room.

Roy was just standing in the corner, silently wishing he was in the other room with Johnny. As Morton left the room, he asked Roy to make sure Brackett stayed where he was until the x-ray technician showed up. Mike was going to see if Joe Early needed any help with John in the meantime.

Brackett sat up on the table, but made no move to get down. Roy was doing his best to ignore him.

"Look, Roy, I know I did a stupid thing out there tonight. It's just that it seemed to be a crisis situation, and there was no one else around to help. I thought that I could get in there and get the man out before anything happened. I guess I let my desire to help override my better judgment. I got caught up in the moment, and forgot I wasn't trained or prepared to handle that kind of situation on my own. Believe me, I've come away from this with a real appreciation for what you guys do out there -- not only as paramedics, but as firemen, too."

Roy, master of the fleeting look that said it all, silently let him know he wasn't buying his explanation.

Brackett continued, hoping to get Roy to talk to him.

"Roy, I know if I hadn't gone in there, Johnny probably wouldn't be lying in the next room unconscious. I did a foolish thing, and I know he put his life on the line to save mine."

Slowly, Roy looked up and stared him straight in the eyes.

"If that's an apology you're trying to make, you're talkin' to the wrong person."

"I know, but I don't have a lot of practice at apologies, and I was kind of hoping I could try it out on you." Kelly wished he could lighten the moment, but it wasn't working.

"I know I've been a little rough on Johnny lately...."

That got Roy's full attention.

"A little rough? A little rough? Doc, do you know he thinks you're trying to wash him out of the program? Do you know that he's been miserable for weeks now, thinking you're still holding a grudge over the things that happened before we got certified?"

Brackett stared back.

"I had no idea he was taking it that way. I have to admit that my pride was probably a little wounded by some of the things he said, but I never meant for him to think for one minute that I'd kick him out of the paramedic program over that."

Roy just shook his head. "You're still talkin' to the wrong man."

The silence that filled the room was finally broken when Dr. Early and Dixie came in. It was obvious they had walked in on something, but they had news that couldn't wait.

Roy immediately moved away from the corner. "So, Doc, is Johnny gonna be all right?"

Early filled them in on Johnny's condition, starting with the information that Johnny was now conscious, asking what had happened. Again.

"There doesn't appear to be any internal bleeding or any broken bones, but we're waiting on the x-rays to confirm that. He has some severe bruising on his back and shoulder.... There's no permanent damage, but he'll be pretty stiff and sore for a while."

Early looked from Brackett to Roy as he continued, wondering about the story behind all this.

"He's also suffering from moderate smoke inhalation. We've given him something to ease his breathing for now, and we'll start him on respiratory therapy as soon as possible, and hopefully keep pneumonia from setting in. He also sustained a slight concussion... he's complaining of a headache and dizziness and seems to have a short-term memory loss, too. He remembers the runs you went on today, but nothing at all after getting back to the station from your last run. We're going to admit him and probably keep him a couple of days, just to make sure there's nothing more serious going on."

Joe again looked from Kelly to Roy, who both looked like he had just given them bad news.

"Come on guys, it could have been a lot worse. Johnny's gonna be fine."

It could have been a LOT worse.

Throwing a concerned glance in Brackett's direction, Dixie motioned for Roy to follow her. Something was going on, and she was going to come back and have a talk with Kel just as soon as Johnny was settled in.

"Roy, Johnny wants to talk to you. We'll be moving him to a room in a little while. Do you have to get back right away, or can you stay with him until then?"

Roy had some time; the squad would be taken out of service since there were only a few hours left until the shift change. He wanted to stay a while to make sure that Johnny was really going to be okay. It was the first time since they had been partnered that either one of them had been hurt. Roy hoped it would be the last time, but knew that was probably just wishful thinking.

* * * * * * * * * *

The x-ray technician had just left the treatment room, and Dixie asked Mike to give her a few minutes alone with Kel. He was still laying on the exam table with an ice pack on his forehead. Even with his eyes closed, he knew it was Dixie who entered the room.

"Go ahead, and say it, Dix." He knew he had been wrong about everything, and had made a fool of himself tonight, and she had every right to tell him so.

"Say what, Kel? That what you did out there tonight was an incredibly brave thing? That you've had every right to be upset with me? If that's what you want me to say, I will. Because it's true."

Kel thought he would never understand women, especially not Dixie. When he had wanted her loyalty and her support, he felt she had deserted him. Now, when he deserved her anger, she was calling him a hero.

"Dixie, I don't think I'll ever understand you. But, thank you."

This time, it was his turn to mention him. "You were right about Johnny, too. He saved my life tonight without any regard for his own. I not only owe him my life, I owe him a big apology. It would serve me right if he wouldn't accept it."

"Kel, I think you'll be surprised to find that John Gage is one of the most forgiving human beings you'll ever meet. He's a pretty special young man, and it's time you got to know him." Dixie had no doubt that these two men would find a great deal to respect and like about each other, if given the opportunity. "And, it's time you let him get to know the real Kelly Brackett."

Dixie and Brackett knew that the relationship they had once shared would never be the same again. Maybe it was never really meant to be. But, both knew they would be close friends for life... and they were willing to settle for that.

* * * * * * * * * *

Roy had a few minutes before he and his temporary partner had to get back to the station, so he stopped at the nurse's desk to say hello to Dixie. Johnny'd had a rough few days, and Roy wanted to go see if he was feeling better today.

"Hi, Dixie. Have you seen Johnny today?"

Dixie smiled. Roy had been acting like a mother hen these last two days, worrying about his partner. Johnny certainly had a knack for finding his way into people's hearts.

"Yep, saw him about an hour ago. I had to chase a couple of nurses out of his room, so I'd say he's doin' better."

There were a lot of things Roy still had to learn about Johnny Gage, but his ability to attract the opposite sex wasn't one of them.

"Do you know if he's being released tomorrow? I told him I'd drive him home after I got off duty in the morning."

"Actually, Kel is with him right now. I guess we'll know more when he's done."

Dixie noticed Roy's face cloud over at the mention of Kelly Brackett.

"You know, Roy, Kel feels real bad about what happened the other day. He didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. He's a good doctor... and a good man. He just got a little carried away."

Roy wasn't quite convinced; he was pretty sure there was something else that had motivated Brackett to do what he had done.

"Dixie, it's more than just what happened at the fire. Do you have any idea how upset Johnny was before we got called out? He thought Brackett was going to wash him out of the paramedic program, and he had no idea why. But Johnny didn't let that stop him.... He went in after him... and saved his life. And you know why? Because it's his job, and he's damned good at what he does."

Dixie couldn't recall ever hearing the normally reserved Roy say so much in one breath before. He was starting to sound a little bit like Johnny. But, she understood Kelly Brackett better than anyone, and quickly came to his defense.

"Roy, Kel knows that.... I think he always did. He's just let his ego get in the way lately. Besides, I think this is between him and Johnny now, don't you?"

As usual, Dixie was right. Brackett had apologized to Roy, and whatever else there was to be said was between him and John.

Roy relented. He was just here to see Johnny, and make sure he was okay. There wasn't any point in making things worse than they already were. With a small wave to Dixie, he went toward the elevator to take him to the third floor.

As he stepped off the elevator, he saw Brackett coming out of Johnny's room, headed his way. Brackett was still looking over the chart, and didn't see Roy until he almost bumped into him.

"Hey, doc, how's Johnny doin' this morning?"

Brackett was relieved to see that the anger that had been in Roy's eyes the last two days seemed to be gone. He was glad there was good news about Johnny.

"Well, he seems to be feeling much better today. Still pretty sore from the bruises... but his lungs are clearing up, and the headache has eased some. We had him get out of bed for a little while this morning, and he didn't seem to be experiencing any more dizziness. He's regained most of his memory -- still missing a few pieces, like the ambulance ride, but he was barely conscious then anyway. We'll keep a close eye on him today, and if everything looks good, we'll release him tomorrow. But, he's still going to have to rest and take it easy for a while.... I'd say he's gonna miss at least the next two or three shifts."

Roy was glad to hear Johnny was going to be released soon.

"That's good news. I'll come by after I get off-duty tomorrow and pick him up and take him home... make sure he's settled in okay. Joanne already did some shopping for him and stocked his refrigerator, so he won't be tempted to move around too much for a few days. But, if I know him, it'll be hard to keep him still for long."

It sounded like Roy and Joanne would see that he was well taken care of. Brackett had seen over the last few days that Johnny had already become someone very special to the DeSoto family. Joe Early thought the world of him, and, of course, so did Dixie.

After his own long conversation with Johnny this morning, he knew why. He had discovered for himself that there was much more to John Gage than met the eye.

"Roy..., I want you to know that Johnny and I had a long talk this morning." Brackett wanted to be certain that Roy was no longer angry with him. "I tried every way I could think of to apologize to him, but he kept brushing it off as a misunderstanding. Said it was no big deal. Seems he has as much of a problem accepting an apology as I have making one. Maybe we're more alike than we think."

"I wouldn't go that far.... I think they broke the mold when they made Johnny." Roy was teasing him now.

"You know, you're probably right about that." Brackett laughed, but then turned serious again. "Anyway, I want you to know that we..., he and I..., agreed to forget this whole thing, and start clean. I'm hoping you and I can do the same."

"No problem here, doc." Roy was glad to hear things were going to be all right. He was fond of Johnny, and he really admired Kelly Brackett. It was good they had worked out their differences.

"You know, doc, maybe... maybe we... all of us... needed a lesson in mutual respect. It's too bad it had to happen the hard way."

As Roy started to open the door to Johnny's room, Brackett stopped him for one last word.

"Roy, there was something Johnny said to me this morning. Maybe it's nothing... but I got a real funny feeling when he said it. Johnny insisted that his getting hurt wasn't my fault... said that it was just a fluke... and that he hasn't been hurt on the job very often. He said... and this was the part that gave me that feeling... he said he doesn't plan on making a habit of being a patient here at Rampart."

Brackett watched Roy's face to see if his reaction was the same as his had been.

It was.

"Roy, I think you're gonna need to keep a close eye on that partner of yours...."

Roy gave him a resigned smile.

"Doc, that's a pretty tall order, but I promise, I'll do my best to keep him out of trouble."

As Roy went in to see Johnny, Dr. Brackett headed in the direction of the elevator. He was laughing out loud when the doors opened, drawing questioning glances from the nurses and orderlies standing inside.

His voice was filled with amusement... and admiration... as he offered them an explanation that only he understood.

"... hosejockeys."

Editor's Notes: *Blush* Aw, the thing's NanM says! All kidding aside, the talent is all NanM's. She took another unique concept and made it work. Way to go, NanM!