Scene One
"Let me guess. She said no," Roy DeSoto said, trying not to smile. He felt a little guilty for being so amused at his partner's expense, but Johnny had a tendency to dramatize every minute detail of his dating exploits.
"You could put it that way," Johnny said, giving the squad door a hard slam as he got into his familiar seat. "You know, Roy..."
Roy turned his head towards the window to roll his eyes. He was in for a rant. This one felt like "the big one". He would be trapped in this vehicle all the way back to the station with a pouting, raving Don Juan wannabe.
"It's one thing for a girl to say no when you ask her out," Johnny continued, unaware of the discomfort he often inflicted on his friend. "I can handle that, but this girl..." Johnny paused, his whole face becoming taut as he tried to control his temper. "She..." He paused again, trying to find the words. "She's never going to get a date with anybody! She... she made a point... a POINT... of saying some of the cruellest, most malicious put downs that I've ever heard from a woman."
Silence. It was as if Johnny had suddenly vanished out of the squad... like a tornado touching down in one frenzied, furious outburst, then vanishing up into the atmosphere as quickly and unexpectedly as it had come.
Roy started the engine. I must be an idiot, he thought, referring to the fact that the only thing he disliked more than Johnny's ranting was the sudden lack of conversation. If Johnny wasn't talking, something must really be wrong. "Maybe she was having a bad day," Roy said hopefully, putting the squad in gear.
Johnny didn't say anything at first. He just looked at his partner, not believing that Roy could be so "nice" about everything. He always had a reason why people were rude or dishonest or foolish.
"I dunno," Johnny finally answered, thrusting his hands in the air in a melodramatic gesture. "Even on my worst day, I would never say the kinds of things she said. I mean, you shoulda heard her, Roy. I... I can't believe it. She didn't just say, ‘No, Johnny. I don't want a date.' She totally degraded me... cut me to shreds like... like some kind of vicious animal. Why do people do that? Why? It doesn't make any sense."
"No. I guess not," Roy said, scrambling for something to say that would pull Johnny out of this mood. He thought of Joanne and a sudden feeling of gratitude welled up within him. He was out of the dating game and at a time like this, seeing his friend so dejected, he didn't ever want to go back.
"Man, she called me a jerk, a loser... she even went as far as to say I'm a lousy paramedic. I mean, what did I do to deserve that?" Johnny continued, his countenance growing gloomier by the second.
Roy didn't like that. Johnny could be a lot of things. He could be impulsive, zealous. He often had verbal diarrhea, but he was a good man at heart and there was no doubt in Roy's mind that John Gage was one of the best firefighter/paramedics in the county. Johnny was right. He had been unfairly assaulted by her words.
"Well," Roy said. "You know what Joanne says about people who talk like that?"
Johnny looked across the cab, more out of courtesy than a desire to hear any platitudes. "No. What?"
"Joanne says that words of steel often hide hearts of glass," Roy quoted. He prepared to back the squad into its designated parking spot at the station.
Johnny's dark eyes squinted. "What the heck does that mean?"
"Well," Roy said, hoping he could explain himself. "People who speak harsh words are usually hiding the fact that they really have fragile hearts that break easily."
Johnny sat there for a minute, pondering... pondering... pondering... "I get it!" he said suddenly, a smile slowly spreading across his handsome face. "Words of steel often hide hearts of glass! Roy! That's incredible!"
"I'm glad you like it..."
"I didn't know Joanne was so poetic..."
"Well... I wouldn't say..."
"Roy! It wasn't personal. Margo's not really mad at me at all... she... she's got a heart of glass... oh... man...," Johnny patted his partner's shoulder. "Thanks, Roy. I don't feel so bad now..."
"It's... my pleasure..." Roy said, wondering if Johnny could hear him at all.
They got out of the squad and headed for the locker room to clean up after the last run, while Gage still muttered to himself, "That's it... that's her problem... words of steel... hearts of glass..."
Scene Two
"Squad 51, man with chest pains, 1356 Beaumont, 1356 Beaumont, cross-street Hickman, time-out 14:25."
"Squad 51, KMG 365," responded Captain Stanley, handing Roy the information through the cab window.
They were off, Roy driving cautiously fast, the adrenalin flow in his body increasing as he thought about the victim they were about to treat. If the man were having a heart problem and went into v-fib before they got there, brain damage would occur within four minutes. What he wouldn't give to be able to transcend time in moments like these.
A middle-aged woman with dark hair and green roots answered the door. She had obviously experienced a recent hair-colouring mishap. "He's in here," she said, her own face pallid with worry. "I... he's having chest pains and... and..." The tone in her voice was high-pitched and bordering on panic. "... and it's all my fault!"
"What seems to be the trouble?" Roy asked, turning his attention deliberately to the victim.
The man lay on the sofa, clutching at his chest, moaning in almost tangible pain. "My chest... it hurts..." He could barely speak and when he did, the sound was raspy and weak.
"How long has he been like this?" Johnny asked the woman, hoping she wouldn't lose it on him now. He needed her information.
"Oh... I... well... let me see now..." The woman looked at her wrist as if to see a watch, but there was none there. "It's been about... about 20 minutes. Oh, Frank. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it... FRANK!"
Johnny put his arm around the woman's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "It's... it's all right, Mary," her husband replied, while Roy motioned for him to be quiet. Frank didn't take orders well. "She's a little upset," he explained to Roy. "We had a quarrel and... and she thinks this is her fault. Mary... please... don't fret... it'll be all right..." He winced as another pang shot through his chest.
"Johnny," Roy said, not having to continue his thought.
Johnny helped Mary to a chair on the other side of the room where she could calm down and Roy could concentrate on helping Frank. The last thing a man with chest pains needed was more stress.
"Will you be all right here?" Johnny asked, knowing he had to leave her there to help Roy. "I'll be right there if you need me. I'm going to help your husband now... ok?"
Mary nodded, her eyes welling up with tears. "How could I have been so cruel?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I said such terrible... terrible things... and I didn't mean them... not a word. We've been married for 26 years..."
Johnny picked up the receiver of the bio-phone. "Rampart, this is Squad 51. How do you read?"
A pause. "This is Rampart. 51, we read you loud and clear," said Doctor Brackett, standing by for information.
"Uh, Rampart," Johnny continued, "we have a male victim, approximately 50 years old. He's complaining of chest pains. He's had them for about 20 minutes. Pulse is..." Johnny looked at Roy.
"130," Roy said. "Respirations are 20 and labored. BP is 140/100."
"Pulse 130. Respirations 20 and labored. BP is 140/100. We're patching him in now and will be sending you a strip."
The high-pitched scree of the EKG machine was the only sound in the room now, as everyone waited and Mary wrung her apron in her hands, hoping, praying, fearing.
"51, I read sinus tach," Doctor Brackett said, breaking the silence. "Start an IV D5W. Give him 5 milligrams MS IV push. Transport as soon as possible and keep monitoring the vitals."
"Uh, Rampart, we concur. Starting IV D5W with 5 milligrams MS IV push. 10-4."
Johnny hung up the bio-phone as Roy patted Frank's wrist, trying to get a good vein. He had done this hundreds of times. He was fast, professional and efficient.
The wail of the ambulance sirens grew louder, indicating its arrival. The sight of the stretcher being rolled through the front door caused Mary's hand to go to her mouth. She knew her husband had to go to the hospital. She knew it, but this made it all the more real.
"Oh... oh no," she said, her words muffled by the involuntary sobs and heaves evident as her emotions pushed to be let out of their cage. She tried to hold it back, but she couldn't anymore. "Frank..." It was barely audible, then a moaning, keen-like wail emitted from deep within.
"You ride with him," Johnny said.
Roy nodded, his compassionate eyes glancing over at the woman, wishing for a second that he could be in two places at once.
"Come on," Johnny said, putting his arm around Mary. "You can ride in the front of the ambulance if you like."
Mary leaned into Johnny, her face towards his chest, tears wetting his blue shirt as they continued towards the ambulance. "I'm just so sorry. I can't believe I did this to him. I'll never say another mean word..." You could hear the brokeness in her voice, feel the angst hanging in the air like a dark cloud.
"Mary," Johnny said. "Mary." He had to pry her from his chest. She was lost in emotion, lost in the idea that she had hurt the man she loved. Johnny didn't chide her. He wasn't upset. He took her face in his hands and gently lifted her head until she had no choice but to meet the gaze of his coffee-brown eyes. "Mary... listen to me. He's going to be all right. Do you want to go in the ambulance?"
Mary didn't answer. She couldn't. She just nodded a yes, but continued to cling for dear life to Johnny's shirt. He gave her a soft smile. "You've got to calm down, ok?"
She nodded again, but the fear in her face never left. "I... I did this," she stammered. "I said... I said..."
Johnny shook his head. "It's all right," he repeated. "Frank isn't blaming you. Listen, every couple disagrees sometimes. Now, come on, let's get you in the ambulance."
"Johnny...," Roy said, anxious to get on the move.
Johnny acknowledged him with a nod. "Mary, do you know... do you know why you said those harsh words?"
She shook her head, another muffled sob escaping her lips. "I'm... I'm cruel..."
"No, no you're not," Johnny said. "It's just that... words of steel often hide hearts of glass."
Roy couldn't believe he was hearing this. Was his partner losing his marbles? This was a rescue call, not therapy.
"Wha... what?" Mary asked, his words jolting her out of her outburst. She actually began to relax and let go of her tight grip on Johnny.
"You said those things because you love your husband so much. He can... he can make your heart hurt, right? You're not a bad wife. Right? Right?" Johnny nodded for emphasis, helping Mary into the front of the ambulance.
"That... that's true," she replied. "I do love Frank. He... he hurt me when he forgot our anniversary."
"There. You see now?" Johnny said. "Don't beat yourself up. I'll check on you later. Don't worry. He'll be fine."
The ambulance drove off and Johnny Gage smiled as he got in the squad to follow it. He felt pretty good about himself just now.
Scene Three
"Where are you going with that?" Roy asked, whirling around to follow Johnny with his eyes.
"I'll be back in a minute," Johnny said, smiling, his footsteps down the hall almost turning into a hop... step... hop... step...
Roy shook his head, turning back to the job at hand, filling the drug box with new supplies.
"What's that all about?" Dixie asked, her female curiosity piqued at seeing what Johnny was carrying.
Roy shrugged. The word "insanity" came to mind, but he couldn't go that far. There must be another explanation. "Another female exploit?" he said, packing the D5W carefully.
Dixie raised an eyebrow. "She must have really caught his eye," Dixie said. "That handful of flowers from the gift shop was gorgeous!"
"Yeah... well..." Roy said, still somewhat confused. "After the tongue-lashing he got earlier today from Margo, I'm surprised he's back in action so soon."
"That bad, huh?" Dixie prodded.
"Oh yeah. He had his tail between his legs when he got to the squad."
Roy and Dixie shared a giggle. They often did when Gage was on one of his conquests. When it came to getting a date with the nurses at Rampart, Johnny struck out more often than he hit the ball.
Suddenly, they heard a commotion. Was it a new emergency? A distraught patient? It was too hard to tell. Roy and Dixie instinctively headed down the hall towards the source of the noise.
Just as they turned the corner to find out what the problem was, an unidentified flying object hurtled through space, bouncing unceremoniously off of Roy's forehead before he reached out to grab it in mid-air. Daisies and tiger lilies, wrapped in a yellow ribbon... John Gage, the catalyst, had caused another "reaction".
Roy looked up. Dixie's hand went to her mouth in both shock and amusement. Johnny looked like a scolded puppy.
"I thought I told you to leave me alone!" growled a very cross blond, her long hair braided down the middle of her back.
It was like watching choreographed dancing. Both Johnny and the woman liked to talk with their hands and, when in a heated discussion, both of their hands were waving around as though they were the crazed conductors of an orchestra.
"I don't believe you!" Johnny said, his face intense, eyes locked onto his target. "Can't anyone do anything "nice" for you?"
You could almost see the steam coming out of the woman's ears. "Listen, Fireboy! I wouldn't accept flowers from you if you were the last man on earth! I don't date firemen... understand? And if I did... it certainly wouldn't be you... you... you... take those flowers and... and your cheap philosophy and..."
Suddenly, Roy understood what was happening. He wanted to crawl away, but he and Johnny were on duty. He couldn't just leave him here. Still, how could Johnny be so... so obtuse?
"Dix," Roy said, handing her the flowers, "is that Margo?"
"Yeah," Dixie answered, smelling the flowers and smiling. "Why?"
"I think I've created a monster..." Roy could just imagine his partner trying to tell Margo... this dragon lady Margo... that words of steel often hide hearts of glass. He could imagine the whole scene and... it wasn't pretty.
"I think she's overreacting just a little," Dixie responded. "I'd better put these in some water."
"Yeah," Roy replied, backing away from the ugly scene in the hall, wishing he were someplace else, wondering if his partner would live long enough to finish this shift. Suddenly, like a messenger from Heaven, they were both saved by the beep.
"Squad 51, are you available?" Sam's voice asked over the handy talkie.
"Squad 51 available," Roy responded, never taking his eyes off of Johnny and Margo, waving and squawking like birds in some bizarre courting ritual.
Johnny and Margo stopped bantering at the sound of the handy talkie. They looked at each other for a few brief seconds without malice as professional protocol took over.
"Squad 51," Sam said, as familiar claxon tones were heard in the background. "Respond with Engine 51 and Engine 36. Structure fire. 1037 Georgina. 1037 Georgina. Cross-street Lincoln. Time-out: 16:10."
"Squad 51, 10-4," Roy answered and he and Johnny rushed to the squad as quickly as they could.
Everything else faded from view now, everything but the excitement and anticipation of the challenge ahead.
Scene Four
"Outta the way, Greenhorn!" growled a deep, gravelly voice. Johnny had no time to respond. A fireman... well... solid brick wall would be a better term... indignantly grabbed the pry bar from Gage's hands before anyone could say anything.
"Hey!" Gage protested. He almost had the door pried open when the offending colleague made his move. "What's the big idea?"
"Uh... Johnny," Roy said, trying to calm his partner down before an altercation ensued. They had a job to do here and they needed to do it with as much decorum as possible, even if this firefighter had been gruff and rude.
"Outta the way!" the brick wall said again, giving Gage a less-than-friendly nudge to one side.
"Aw Murph," said one of the guys from 36. "Don't be like that. We got a job to do here."
In all their years as firefighters, none of the boys of 51 had ever seen such a display of unprofessional discourtesy and disrespect right in the middle of an assignment. They had all experienced the joys of Craig Brice's rigid rules, but even at his worst, Brice had never gone this far.
"I can't wait all day!" the brick wall firefighter said, shoving the door in with ease. "If this runt can't do it, he should go get a desk job or something and just move over!"
That stung. It stung Johnny to the core of his being, to the source of his confidence. He couldn't let that show now, not with flames rushing out the open door to greet them. No, this issue would go on the proverbial back burner until the fire was out. Then he could pursue it further if he wished.
All the men worked together furiously now, seemingly forgetting the harsh words outside, aiming their hoses at the fiery dragon before them, fighting like modern-day knights in soot-covered armour. There was little discussion now, only unwavering concentration and exertion of strength.
The men made headway quickly. There were a lot of flames in this building, but that was only because there was a lot to burn here. There were rolls and rolls and rolls of carpet inside. It was obviously a warehouse for some carpet and flooring outlet. No wonder the flames had spread so far so fast. It was highly unlikely that the building would be salvageable.
Within an hour, the two engine companies had the fire at the small warehouse under control. There were no injuries, except for John Gage's wounded pride. All in all, it was a good, clean assignment.
"Man, it didn't take long for that stuff to go up," Johnny commented, peeling off his oxygen mask and helmet.
"No kidding," Chet replied. "Look, Johnny... about what that guy said..."
Chet never had the chance to finish his thought. Suddenly, they were both poked from behind and whirled around to face a pry bar being extended to them. The brick wall stood there, his face nearly expressionless.
"I believe this is yours," is all the man said.
Chet swallowed hard. This guy towered over him in every way. He looked like he could be a close relative to Andre the Giant.
Johnny's indignation made him oblivious to the fact that he had been confronted by such a large man. His temper caused his natural fear to fade into the background and he had delusions of being ten feet tall and bullet-proof. "Listen, Pally," Johnny said, his finger pointing, poking at the guy's... chest. He didn't even try to mask the anger in his voice. "I don't appreciate being taken to task about my skills as a firefighter by... by somebody who doesn't even know me. That was hardly the time or the place..."
Roy heard the commotion. He knew it was Johnny's voice, in super-rant mode, and his heart leapt into his throat. He saw it, but he couldn't believe it. There was Johnny, like David facing Goliath, his mouth spewing off without thinking of the possible consequences should this giant of a man decide to throw a punch... not even a punch. He could swat Johnny like... like an insect.
"Who is that guy?" Roy asked Belliveau.
"Oh, you mean the guy who's about to kill your partner?" Belliveau asked, grinning. "That's Murphy O'Reilly. He just moved here from Texas. He's a nice guy, but... well... his wife left him a little while ago and... ol' Murph... he's been a little cranky ever since. Uh... maybe you ought to tell Johnny to just... give Murph some space... he seems to be..."
"Thanks," Roy said, walking, almost trotting, across the parking lot towards the fray.
"I call ‘em as I see ‘em, Skinny," Murphy O'Reilly retorted, folding his tree-trunk arms across his chest. "I can't see a little bit like you being that effective in the field."
"Hey! Buddy!" Chet said, miffed at that rude comment. "Gage is a great fireman!" The bravado was short-lived. Murphy scowled at Chet, who came to his senses and skulked back against the squad, deciding that it was best to stay low and unnoticed.
Johnny was getting flustered now. His blood was boiling. He wanted to haul off and hit this guy, but... well... he wasn't that crazy. His mouth, however, was armed and ready. "For your information, I hold my own, and... and how would you know? You... you're obviously a new guy in the department. You don't know what I do and I... I... who do you think you are, McKonikee? What right do you have..."
"Johnny, let it go," Roy suggested, but Gage barely heard him amid his heated filibuster.
"What right do you have to talk to me like that? I'm skinny, but I'm tough, you know. I'm real tough!" Gage seemed to be trying to convince himself more than Murphy of his ability as a firefighter. O'Reilly had hit Johnny's vulnerable spot, the place where his biggest fears, doubts and questions lay hidden. He had faced this before, but never with accusations coming from his own colleagues.
"Johnny!" Roy said, more emphatically. "Ignore him. I mean it! He's just getting you going."
Johnny wasn't listening. Murphy had found the right buttons to push. "I know you're new around here," he added. "I've never seen you before. Maybe you don't know that we LA County firefighters are like a family. We support and stick up for one another."
"Johnny, c'mon," Roy coaxed. "You're letting him bother you. Let it go!"
Johnny sighed, his arms dropping, his stance less defiant. He couldn't change this man's low opinion of him with all the words in the world. He felt defeated. "All right, Roy. All right. If you say so..."
Murphy O'Reilly wasn't going to drop this that easily. "Yep, I think you belong in a desk job... little Johnny," he chided, grinning. "I certainly wouldn't trust you to cover me in a pinch."
Johnny bit his tongue. Roy was right. This guy really was just trying to get to him. He shouldn't waste his breath trying to defend himself with a guy who obviously was being a grown-up bully. Johnny decided to clean up, get in the squad, and let the whole thing go.
Unfortunately, that final comment had been the last straw for Roy DeSoto. "What's your problem?" Roy asked, walking right up to O'Reilly's ruddy face to bring his point home. "Johnny's my partner and... and he's saved my butt more times than I can count. So, just take your anger and your put downs someplace else or... or..."
"Or what, DeSoto?" O'Reilly said, disdainful emphasis falling on the word "DeSoto", as if he were uttering a swear word.
Roy moved in even closer. "O'Reilly, it's you... you're a disgrace to this department!"
What happened next would cause stories to be told in LA County fire stations for years to come.
Scene 5
"Ow!" Roy said, grimacing.
"Hold still," Johnny said, carefully placing an ice pack over his partner's swollen left eye. "Man, I can't believe you did that."
"Me neither," said Chet. "I thought Gage was crazy, Roy, but you're the craziest of them all. I mean, you shouldn't have stood so close to O'Reilly. He couldn't miss."
Roy smirked. He had never, in all his career, allowed a situation to overtake him to the point of blows. He could face disciplinary action now. He could face a lot of things, depending on whether or not the department decided to take issue with the skirmish that had taken place between him and O'Reilly.
"Shut up, Chet," Johnny chided. "Roy was sticking up for me." He smiled. "And... well... that jerk was asking for it. Everybody knows it." Another proud, triumphant smile. "Man, I bet O'Reilly was pretty surprised when you swung at him, Roy. I mean, everybody else... EVERYBODY else, was afraid to say anything, but you..."
Roy smiled. He rubbed his right hand where it still smarted from the blow, but he smiled. The memory of the shocked look on the giant Texan's face when Roy's fist connected with his jaw felt so good right now, it made the throbbing seem insignificant by comparison.
"Cap's going to have to write this up, you know," Chet pointed out.
"I know," Roy said, still smiling. He should be upset. He should be worrying about his reputation in the department. He only felt... satisfied.
"This is totally out of character for you," Chet continued.
"I know," Roy responded again, knowing it would likely never happen again, knowing that his character was, by nature, a pacifist, knowing that he had done something that appeared wrong, but somehow felt noble, honourable. He knew he would likely feel terrible remorse... eventually, but right now, he was basking in the moment.
"Don't you have anything else to say besides ‘I know'?" Chet asked, miffed that Roy wasn't giving him any ammunition to use for teasing.
"No," Roy said, stifling a laugh.
Chet threw down the towel he had been holding as Gage's assistant paramedic to Roy. "Ever since you turned into a henchman, you're no fun anymore!" Chet said, stomping out of the locker room to sulk in private.
Silence. Johnny continued patching up the cut behind Roy's ear. He had connected with the squad on his way backwards after O'Reilly hit him.
"Is it bad?" Roy asked, more out of curiosity than worry.
"Nah," Johnny said. "You won't need stitches or anything, but... uh... I guess we will have to go to Rampart and get it checked out. You took a nasty blow."
More silence. Sometimes Roy and Johnny didn't have to speak to each other. They just enjoyed each other's presence, the comfort in silence revealing more about their closeness than words ever could.
"Uh.. Roy," Johnny said, pausing for a change to think before he spoke.
"Yeah?"
"You... You didn't have to do that for me, you know," Johnny said, a sudden wave of sentiment washing over him. His partner and best friend had incurred these wounds on his behalf.
Roy smiled. Johnny thought he would say ‘I know' again. Roy hadn't said much else since their return to the station. Instead, Roy said, "Yeah... yeah I did. I really did." Roy's voice trailed off.
"There. You're all fixed up now. I think I did a good job, if I do say so myself," Johnny announced, smiling, but taking no pleasure in seeing Roy injured on his account.
"Let's go face the music," Roy said, wincing, not at the pain, but at the thought of facing Captain Stanley.
Roy and Johnny headed towards the kitchen, but just as they were leaving the locker room, Johnny slipped his arm around Roy's shoulder to pat him on the back. "Hey!" he said, swallowing past a lump. "Thanks, Junior."
Roy smiled, his blue eyes twinkling, though you could only see one of them clearly. The other eye was considerably swollen. He replied, "Anytime, Pally."
Scene 6
"I told you it was no big deal," Roy said, as he and Johnny exited exam room 3.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know," Johnny replied. "But, the Cap wanted me to make sure you got it checked out."
Roy smiled. Captain Stanley was no run of the mill authority figure. If it had been Hookraider or any other captain he could think of, for that matter, Roy's butt would have been roasting over an open fire for his conduct this afternoon. It was unheard of for firefighters to come to blows, especially during an assignment.
Captain Stanley had made a valiant attempt to be stern, but in the middle of the lecture about duty and protocol, he had burst out laughing and lost his composure completely, muttering something about "I wish I had done it myself." and "I can't believe that somebody actually got you to throw a punch at them."
"I got off pretty easy, considering," Roy said.
Johnny never got to respond to that. Dixie met them at the nurse's station, the smile on her face betraying the fact that she already knew about the whole incident, the fame of which seemed to be spreading faster than a brush fire.
"Hey there," Dixie greeted them. "How's Rocky Marciano doing?"
Johnny did a double take when he saw the bouquet of flowers sitting there in a vase.
"Very funny," Roy replied. "Doctor Early says I'll be fine, but sore for a few days. I just wonder how on earth I'm going to explain this to Joanne."
Johnny grinned and pointed to Roy. "This man deserves a medal, Dix. He rescued me... big time."
"I heard that," Dixie said, nodding. "Every paramedic that's been through here this evening has been talking about it and... uh... I think the legend is growing by the minute."
Roy rolled his eyes. "Great. That's just what I need."
"Look at it this way, Roy. None of the guys will dare to pick on you now," Johnny said, trying to cheer up his friend, but the statement had the opposite effect.
"I just wish everybody would forget the whole thing," Roy said, his mellow voice crackling ever so slightly.
"Aw, cheer up," Dixie interjected. "I think you were pretty noble myself. I mean, it would be one thing if you were the type to just fly off the handle for nothing, but you were sticking up for your best friend."
Johnny handed Roy the first cup of coffee he poured. Roy couldn't believe his eyes. Usually, Johnny always served Johnny first. Maybe this little incident had its benefits after all.
"What I can't figure out is what prompted that firefighter to be so mean to Johnny in the first place?" Dixie asked curiously.
Johnny and Roy looked at her, each wearing the same dumbfounded expression. Neither of them had given that question a thought. Roy remembered the conversation he had with Belliveau just before the infamous punch took place. O'Reilly was under a lot of stress. His personal life was in upheaval. It was the only explanation, other than O'Reilly simply being a moron, that made any sense.
Roy was a tactful sort though. If O'Reilly's personal problems were not public knowledge, he wouldn't be the one to make it so. He pondered the question for a minute, wondering how to say it without saying it.
"Well," he said, finally, wishing he didn't have to resort to this. He didn't want his partner to run with it again. "Joanne always says that words of steel often hide hearts of glass."
Dixie's face softened and she suddenly became less of a nurse and more of a sentimental woman. "Roy," she said, "that's a great line... and Joanne's right. A lot of times people's harsh words are a mask for their vulnerability. Well... you probably hit the nail right on the head. That firefighter is probably a real softie underneath..."
"Yeah," Johnny said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I wonder what fists of steel hide." He giggled at his own joke.
Roy gave him a dirty look, his hand automatically reaching up to feel his still slightly swollen eye. "Come on. We'd better get back to the station. I think we've had enough philosophy for one day."
Roy and Johnny headed towards the exit. As they did, they heard a woman's voice calling from behind. "Wait! Excuse me! Wait! Excuse me!"
The boys turned around to see Mary Bernstein, the lady with the green roots, rushing down the hall to catch up with them.
"Hi Mary," Johnny greeted her, smiling. "You're still here?"
Mary was composed and calm now, and there was a near prettiness to her middle-aged face. She had dark eyes that danced and sparkled with vitality. "Yes. I went home and came back with some of Frank's things. He's... he's going to have to stay here for some tests. They think he may have a blocked artery and... and they say they can fix that."
"The doctors are good here," Roy said. "I'm sure they can help him."
Mary smiled kindly, looking a little perplexed at Roy's swollen eye and bandaged ear. "I just... I just wanted to thank you for helping us. You were so good to us."
Roy smiled. "That's our job. We're just glad Frank's okay. And... and you take care of yourself too."
Mary grabbed Johnny's sleeve. "I especially want to thank you for... for what you said to me about... about words of steel hiding hearts of glass. You really helped me. I can't thank you enough!"
"Well," Johnny said, his grin expressing how well his ego was being stroked. "I'm glad it helped you. Uh... say hello to Frank for us, ok?"
"I will. Thanks again," Mary said, leaving them on her way to the elevator.
Johnny and Roy continued their way to the squad. As they got in, Johnny opened his mouth to say something, but he never got the chance.
"Not a word," Roy said, glancing sternly at him. "Not one word."
Johnny's expression became puzzled. "What? What did I say?"
It was getting to the point where Roy never wanted to hear that philosophical phrase again as long as he lived.
Scene 7
The firemen were nestled all snug in their beds, when the claxon sounded and jolted them out of their dreams. The lights switched on and the dispatcher's voice interrupted the night like an unwelcome guest suddenly barging in unannounced.
"Squad 51, in place of Squad 36. Respond with Engine 36. Child trapped. 118 Zephyr Avenue. 118 Zephyr Avenue. Cross-street Richmond. Time-out: 02:45."
"Squad 51, KMG 365," Roy responded, his voice a bit groggy. By the time he started the squad though, the cobwebs were already clearing out of his head, replaced by anticipation.
"Child trapped?" Johnny repeated as they sped towards the scene. "At this hour?"
Roy just shrugged. He had learned over the years that anything is possible, nothing too bizarre or outlandish for them to face on a shift. As the terrain became less city-like and the buildings more sparse, however, Roy too began to wonder what kind of rescue this could be. Finally, he pulled up at a farmhouse that had a huge 118 on the fencepost at the edge of the property.
"This is it," Johnny confirmed. "I can see 36's lights still flashing." He pointed. "Way over there."
Roy turned down a dirt laneway, following its bumpy path all the way down and around until he had to stop the squad because the laneway ended. Engine 36 was here, but the men were all gathered at the top of a hill. That must be where the victim was.
Johnny and Roy wasted no time. They hurriedly grabbed their medical equipment and headed up the hill as 36's men shouted for them to hurry. It must be bad.
"What happened?" Roy asked, not daring to look Murphy O'Reilly in the eye as he approached.
"There's a child trapped down there," 36's captain responded.
"Casey," interrupted the girl's trembling mother. "She's only 6. I... I couldn't believe it. I got out of bed to... to get a glass of water and... and before I went back to bed, I peeked in to check on Casey and she..." The woman's hand went to her mouth as she struggled to keep control of herself. "She wasn't in her bed."
Johnny couldn't believe his eyes. There was an opening all right, a hole that must have been an abandoned mine shaft or something. This kid must have fallen down it accidentally, but what was a 6 year old doing out here in the middle of the night? He looked as far down that black pit as he could, but he couldn't see anything. The only evidence that the child was down there was a faint moaning sound coming from within, the faint muttering of "Mommy".
"Mommy's here," her mother assured her, kneeling beside the hole to reassure her child. "I'm right here. We're going to get you out of there. Oh..." She turned her attention back to Roy and Johnny. "She... she's a sleepwalker, you know. Once I caught her outside trying to dig up my garden in her pajamas. I... I've tried everything, but we have to watch her like hawks. I... I didn't know she'd ever wander this far. Thank God for Ralphie." She pointed to the Golden Retriever who was sitting, guarding the hole. "Ralphie's barking led me here."
"Well, what are we standing ‘round here for?" O'Reilly piped in. "Let's get that little girl out of there!"
Johnny bit his tongue. Now was not the time for another episode with O'Reilly. "Okay. We'll need to check her out, Cap. She may be injured. Uh... you can lower me down and I'll examine..."
O'Reilly stepped forward, his mammoth boot making a loud thud as he put himself right in Gage's face. You could almost see the smoke coming out of O'Reilly's ears. "Now wait a minute! I can get her out of there faster than you, Skinny! I think we should..."
"Simmer down," the captain ordered, but just as he did, the ground decided that it could not support both O'Reilly's massive frame and Gage's less-than-massive frame.
Gage and O'Reilly exchanged glances. They were intense, for a split second, then came the sudden fear and awareness of the fact that they were falling amidst God knows how much crumbling dirt and rock. They were falling, falling, deep into the dark maw of the old mine and the bottom was... the bottom was... the bottom was under them. They hit the ground, O'Reilly's weight alone causing a minor tremor.
"Oh man... that smarts," Johnny said, moaning in pain. "O'Reilly? O'Reilly, are you hurt?"
No response.
Johnny couldn't see a thing down here, not even his own hand in front of his face. In fact, he couldn't even see any light above. This would not be a pleasant way to go. He shuddered. "O'Reilly?" he repeated again, slowly manipulating his body until he was on his hands and knees, pawing the ground, reaching and groping for the mammoth man. "O'Reilly, are you hurt?"
Still no answer.
"Oh no," Johnny whispered, thinking that surely O'Reilly was out cold... or worse.
After what seemed like an eternal pause, a faint reply came. "Only my pride."
Johnny's head turned automatically in the direction of the sound. Soon, he felt through the air and found O'Reilly's forearm. "Oh good," Johnny said. "I found you." He swallowed hard, hoping O'Reilly wouldn't be offended at his touch and reach out to get personal about it.
"Is the little girl down here?" O'Reilly asked, his usually gruff voice softening.
"Casey?" Johnny called.
"I'm... I'm so scared," said a little voice. "I want my Mommy."
"Don't worry, Honey," O'Reilly said, his voice crackling. "We're going to get you out of here."
The little girl sighed, not a scared little girl sigh, but a frustrated sigh. "It seems to me, Mister, that you need to be rescued just as much as I do."
O'Reilly's natural response would be, Well, aren't you cocky for a little girl? The circumstances warranted a more... humble answer. He laughed, softly. "I suppose you're right. Aren't we a silly pair of firemen?"
"No," the little girl said. "I heard the whole thing. You didn't want the skinny guy to come after me and now both of you are trapped with me. That makes you the silly fireman."
O'Reilly laughed again, a more hearty laugh this time. "You're right again. I am a silly fireman."
Johnny breathed a sigh of relief. At least this giant man he was trapped with was not going to kill him.
Scene 8
"Johnny, can you hear me?" Roy spoke into the handy talkie one more time. One more time there was no response. He felt like punching something, but he knew he had to keep his head. O'Reilly and Gage had the blessing of not being able to see. They couldn't see that the hole the little girl had fallen through was now blocked by dirt and rubble. They couldn't see that their exit was gone, their air supply limited, their hope all but gone unless, by some miracle, the men above could dig through to them soon.
"We can't dig here," the captain said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. It's too unstable. We're liable to bring the whole thing down on them..." His voice trailed off.
Roy knew the captain was deliberately not finishing that thought out of consideration for Casey's mother. If it hasn't already caved in on top of them. Roy completed the thought in his mind. His mind and emotions raged wildly, but he would not let them go. He had to do what he could to save the victims... and his best friend. His thoughts went back to another time when he was in the same position, fearing the same fate for Johnny, and he hated feeling so helpless.
"We need more light," the captain said. "Maybe we can dig a hole over a bit from here and... and then go across to get them out. It's been done before in cases like this... and... and the victims came out of it all right."
Casey's mother nodded at the captain, tears raining down her cheeks. She knew he was trying to comfort her, but her hopes that her daughter would come out of that hole alive were fading. She wished she would wake up and find out that this was only a bad dream.
"We've got a second engine and squad on its way," the cap said. "We've got a backhoe coming and a specialist coming in to evaluate the situation."
"Meanwhile," Roy said, his angst on his sleeve.
"Meanwhile, keep trying to raise them on the handy talkie. We wait. Are you a praying man, DeSoto?"
Roy shook his head. "Not as much as I should be, I guess."
"Now would be a good time," the captain said, patting him on the shoulder.
"Yeah," Roy said, "I'll get right on it."
Scene 9
"It's so dark down here," O'Reilly said. "I'd give anything for a flashlight."
If Gage had been the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wonderland, the sudden grin on his face would have been visible to his fellow victims. He reached into his shirt pocket and felt around. Yes! It was still there. His penlight! He switched it on. It worked. It wasn't a lot of light, but it didn't take much. At least they could see each other's faces.
"Hey there, Skinny," O'Reilly said, smiling. It wasn't a dig this time. The edge in his voice was gone now. "That's some paramedic doohickey, ain't it?"
"It is," Johnny replied, slowly crawling over to the little girl. She responded by crawling towards him to meet him half way.
"Are you hurt?" Johnny asked her, running a hand down her long, red curls.
"I don't think so," the six-year-old going on 20 said. "I can move all my fingers and toes. I think I'll have some bruises."
Johnny smiled. "I think we'll all have some bruises." He checked her over, holding the penlight in his mouth, and felt relieved that she, indeed, appeared unharmed other than a few minor scrapes on her knees and hands. He grabbed the penlight with a free hand. "Okay. Let's get you out of here."
Johnny reached for the handy talkie and was surprised when it wasn't hanging from it's usual spot on his belt. "O'Reilly, do you have your handy talkie?"
O'Reilly searched and produced his handy talkie. He dusted it off, realizing as he did that it wasn't turned on. He switched it on. "This is O'Reilly," he said into the device. "Captain, can you read me?"
No response.
"This is O'Reilly. Is anybody there?" he repeated.
Still no response, then suddenly, "This is Cap. We hear you Murphy. Are you all right? How's Gage and the little girl?"
"We're ok," O'Reilly replied. "We just want to get out of here. Can you send a line down for us?"
A temporary pause. Murphy O'Reilly did not like to wait. He wondered what was taking so long. Johnny, however, had been scanning this hole with his little penlight, and just now it was beginning to dawn on him that they were encased in here, buried alive, and an uneasy, sinking feeling came over him.
"Cap? What's going on?" O'Reilly asked, impatience evident in his voice.
"Uh... uh... O'Reilly?" Johnny said, tapping his arm.
"Not now, Skinny!" O'Reilly growled.
"O'Reilly... take a look at that," Johnny said, handing the brick wall his penlight and hoping the burly fireman wouldn't crush it or throw it or otherwise throw them back in the dark.
Scene 10
"They're all right," 36's captain said, grinning, something glistening in his eye. It couldn't be a tear. Captains were too tough and professional for that, weren't they? No one would ever tell that they saw it.
"That's great news," Captain Stanley said, patting Roy on the shoulder. "Keep digging boys. We've got to get those victims out."
Roy continued shoveling. Suddenly, the shaft felt light as a feather. He could have been dancing for all he knew, dancing instead of digging. Johnny would be all right. He had to be. He always managed to slip out of the hands of death somehow.
"That O'Reilly's something else," Chet said. "I can't believe he got Johnny trapped down there. Hey Roy, maybe you ought to teach him another lesson."
Roy didn't want to think about that now. In fact, he felt uneasy knowing that Johnny and O'Reilly were down that hole together. The only thing that might stop O'Reilly from swatting Johnny like a fly was the fact that they had a little girl with them. Still, the irony of the situation did not escape Roy's notice. He dug faster.
Scene 11
"Hey Skinny," O'Reilly said, leaning his big head against the wall of their tomb.
"Yeah," Johnny replied, not even bothered by the dig.
"I owe you an apology," he said. "I had no right to pick on you like I did. I've heard about your reputation from the other guys. You're a good firefighter."
Johnny smiled, sitting with his head against the wall beside his former enemy. Casey's head was in his lap. She was half-asleep. "Thanks. I do my best."
O'Reilly gave him a funny look, but relaxed again when he realized Gage was being deliberately cheeky. "Yeah. Well... I guess I've been a bit grumpy lately. The guys say I've been like a grizzly bear."
"Why's that?" Johnny asked, suddenly curious about the man that he had despised so much earlier.
Murphy O'Reilly hung his head. He looked more like a wounded rabbit right now, not the big, menacing animal he had been at the fire. "It's... it's my wife," he explained. "We split up a few months back. She... she says I don't show her how much I love her. She says... she says I can't express my feelings unless there's a football game on the tv."
Johnny suppressed a laugh. No. Laughter would not be good right now, and he didn't think it was funny about O'Reilly's wife, but the way he was telling the story was... well.. He seemed so vulnerable and that... that was not what anyone would expect from such a huge man.
"Do you love her?" Johnny asked.
Murphy nodded. "Do I?! She's... she's the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm lost without her. Still, she could be so hard on me. I mean, she would say the meanest things and... and so I just figure she doesn't love me no more. I guess we're better off apart, but... I ain't been myself since. Heck, I ain't been much good to anybody."
Johnny didn't know much about being married. Of course, that never stopped him from playing therapist before. "Well," he said. "You know what they say..."
"What?"
"Words of steel often hide hearts of glass," Johnny replied. "Your wife speaks harshly to you because she has a heart that gets broken easily."
O'Reilly sat there for a moment, as if he were a deer staring straight into the headlights at night. Was he pondering Johnny's words or was the air getting thin in here?
"Oh... I get it," O'Reilly finally said. "My wife has a soft heart, but she covers it up with her tough words because... because..."
"Because she doesn't want her heart to get broken," Johnny explained.
O'Reilly's countenance went from doom and gloom to ecstatically happy in... seconds. "Well, I'll be!" he said. "She does love me. I... I guess she just needs me to express my feelings for her like... like I do for football."
"Exactly," Johnny agreed.
O'Reilly put his arm around Gage's shoulder in a friendly gesture, shaking him back and forth, back and forth in such a way that Johnny felt like he had been deposited inside a giant blender. "Thanks a lot, Skinny. You're all right! I'm gonna go and tell my sweet darlin' that she's the only one for me. I'll... oh... I guess we better get out of here first."
Johnny's world kept spinning for a few seconds after O'Reilly let him go. "Yeah," he said, "that's easier said than... wait a minute... what's that sound?"
"What?" O'Reilly asked, cocking his head to hear what Gage was hearing.
"Shhht!" Johnny said. They listened. Yes. He could hear it, though it sounded like it was a little distance away.
"What is it?" O'Reilly wondered.
"Is it raining up above?" Johnny asked.
"It's the water," Casey said. They thought she was sleeping, but she wasn't.
Johnny looked down at her angelic face. "The... the water?"
Casey smiled. She liked Johnny's face. It was a friendly face. "Yeah. My mommy doesn't know about it. She'd get mad at me if she knew. I never told."
Johnny was beginning to understand. "Honey... honey, where is this water? You won't be in trouble, but I need to know where this water is."
Scene 12
"Cap!" Marco yelled. "I think we found the hole where they're trapped!"
"Coming!" Captain Stanley said, trotting over to the dig site. He was proud of all these men. They had worked like dogs, barely stopping for breaks, working against the clock to save the lives of one little girl and their colleagues.
Roy felt almost childlike excitement rising up within him. The moment of freedom had come. He and Captain Stanley peered into the hole where Johnny, O'Reilly and Casey were... er... where were they? There was no one there.
"Where are they?" Captain Stanley asked, perplexed.
"I... I dunno, Cap," Roy answered, gulping. "I know the calculations were right. I... I... look! There's Johnny's helmet. They were here all right."
The other men were peeking in from the other side of the hole. Everyone was astonished by what they saw, or rather, what they didn't see. They had been working for almost two hours, each man giving more than his best, beyond the point of exhaustion. Had they failed? Was there no hope?
"Well," Captain Stanley said. "There's got to be an explanation."
Roy and the captain heard a commotion going on outside. They exited the hole and climbed up to see what was going on.
"Come on! It's them! It's them!" Chet said, his blue eyes wide as saucers. "I don't believe it."
Roy and the captain climbed out of the dirt to see Johnny and O'Reilly, Casey riding on the burly fireman's shoulders. Her mother ran to them, her arms outstretched in desperate relief.
"What the heck... I thought you guys were trapped in that hole!" Captain Stanley said, almost miffed, but relieved to see them alive.
"We did too," Johnny said. "All we had in there was my penlight, so we had no idea that there were passages leading out of the abandoned mine. We were in a pocket, I guess, where the men used to dig. We thought it was just a hole, but little Casey has been playing in the mine off and on... uh..." He looked at her mother. "Casey didn't want to get in trouble, but she found the abandoned mine on your property. I guess she fell through the old shaft when she was sleepwalking tonight, but there's another entrance way over there..." Johnny pointed. "There's an underground stream there and we were able to follow it out to where it meets the creek running through your property."
"Oh, Baby," Casey's mother said, fretting. "We just bought this property. Her... her father is away on a business trip. I... Baby, you should never go there alone."
"I won't, Mommy," the little girl promised. "Not ever again."
"Oh, we'd better take her to Rampart, just to get her checked out, but I don't think there's anything seriously wrong," Johnny added.
"Thank you," came the grateful reply.
Captain Stanley threw his hands in the air. "All's well that ends well."
Scene 13
"I still can't believe that you and O'Reilly made up," Dixie said, smiling.
"They did," Roy replied. "And I'm glad. The way O'Reilly confronted Johnny last shift, I thought I was going to end up with another swollen eye." Roy giggled, pointing to the eye which was no longer swollen, but still had a bluish tint to it.
"He apologized and... that was that," Johnny said. "He's really not a bad guy... once you get to know him."
Roy gave Johnny a dirty look. "And you... know him now?"
"Sure," Johnny replied, not missing a beat. "I mean, I spent almost two hours trapped with this guy in a hole. We thought our lives were in jeopardy. That tends to make you get... close to each other."
Dixie smiled, trying not to laugh. These boys were always full of surprises.
"And you used that line on him too," Roy added, rolling his eyes.
"What line?" Dixie asked.
Johnny prepared to spring it on Dixie, unaware she had heard it before. "Words of steel often hide hearts of glass."
"Oh...that," Dixie said. "Gotcha."
"Murphy liked it," Johnny continued. "His wife left him a while ago, a real messy situation, you know what I mean? I told him that phrase and... he liked it."
"Not only do I ride with a paramedic, I ride with Dr. Joyce Brothers now," Roy said, sarcasm dripping from his words.
"Speaking of words of steel," Johnny said. "I've decided to take another crack at Margo."
"The dragon lady?" Roy asked, his blue eyes widening. "Johnny... don't... you don't know what you're getting yourself into."
"Relax, Roy," Johnny said, over-confidence sticking out like a sore thumb. "I've got her all figured out. Wait for me, will ya?"
Johnny was about to go on another conquest, but he never got the chance. His jaw dropped low enough to trip someone's feet. There was Margo, the dragon lady nurse, walking down the hallway, arm in arm with... Murphy O'Reilly. They stopped at the nurse's station long enough to acknowledge Johnny and Roy.
"Hi fellas," O'Reilly said. "Hey Skinny. You're advice worked."
"Huh?" Johnny said, bewilderment all over his face.
"This is my ex-wife, Margo. We've been split up for a while now, but... well... I thought about what you said... you know... how does that go again?"
Roy was only to happy to oblige. "Words of steel often hide hearts of glass."
Johnny scowled at Roy.
"Yeah... yeah, that's it," Murphy continued. "I thought about Margo and her feelings and... well... I finally was able to say how much I love her. She's my little pumpkin, ain't you sweetheart?"
"We're going to try and reconcile," Margo said, her voice soft and melodic, unlike Johnny had ever heard it before.
"That's wonderful," Dixie piped in. "Isn't that wonderful, John?"
Johnny's expression never changed. He looked like he was in a hypnotic trance. "Uh huh. It's... it's wonderful."
"And we owe all of this to you, Skinny," O'Reilly said, slapping him on the back, a slap that almost sent Johnny hurtling across the hall.
"Oh no," Johnny protested. "It... it was nothing."
"Awwww... you're too modest," O'Reilly said. "See you around, fellas. Come on, Sugar Pie. I'll buy you lunch... anything your heart desires. You're the finest woman in the world"
"Oh... Murphy," Margo responded, walking arm in arm with the man of her dreams as Johnny's hopes of a date with her popped like a child's balloon.
"Can you believe that?" Johnny asked.
Roy and Dixie smiled, but tried not to look too amused. "Maybe you really are Dr. Joyce Brothers," Dixie said.
"Nah," Gage growled. "I'm an idiot!"
He stomped his way down the hall towards the exit.
"Hey! Johnny! I'm not finished my coffee," Roy called to him.
"Whatever," Johnny said, bitterly. "I'll meet you at the squad. Man, I can't believe that!"
Johnny, the tornado, disappeared out the door.
"Shoot," Roy said. "Now he'll be down in the dumps all day. He'll be irritable, annoying and impossible to live with."
"You're used to it," Dixie said, patting Roy on the back.
"Yeah," Roy replied. "Still, I hate it when he's so grumpy."
Dixie smiled. "You know what they say, Roy?"
"What?"
She stifled a laugh. "Words of steel often hide hearts of glass."
Roy returned the smile. He knew he would need that stupid little catch phrase a lot today.
The End KMG 365
