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Kindred Spirits

Part 2

An Emergency Story By

Mypiot
 

Links To Parts 1. 2. 3.

 

Chapter Seven

 

Johnny lay on a gurney in treatment room four while Betty began to cut off the remnants of what had been his uniform pants.

“Please make sure you don’t cut off any of the parts I was born with,” he joked tiredly.

Roy, who stood looking on at the proceedings from the corner, huffed out laugh. “It would be pretty hard to find anything that obtrusive down there.”

“Hey,” Johnny said indignantly.

Betty chuckled, knowing that Roy’s comment was an attempt to distract Johnny from his pain.

“Be grateful, Junior,” Roy advised. “At least we were able to spare your uniform shirt this time,” he said holding up the bag that held the junior medic’s personal effects.

Johnny grinned. “Thank heavens for small mercies,” he agreed tiredly. “Which reminds me,” he added as he tried to lever himself up from the gurney with his good hand. ”You wanna take my watch before X-ray gets here?” he asked extending right arm.

Roy gently pushed him back down. “I’ll get it for you…you just lay back and be still,” he said as he undid the watch strap.  What about your wallet, I don’t see it in here either,” he asked, as he reached for the mangled pile of material that only an hour before had been Johnny’s uniform pants.”

Johnny shook his head. “It’s still in my locker. I didn’t get a chance to put it back in my pocket after the last rescue. I was only halfway through putting on my pants, when the call came in, remember?”

“Whatever Roy was going to say, was lost when the treatment room door swung open and Mike Morton appeared. Johnny gave an exaggerated groan and rolled his eyes. Getting Morton was just adding insult to injury. He just hoped the good Doctor would keep any snarky comments he had to himself.

But Johnny needn’t have worried. Mike had caught some of the footage of the building fire, from the live news coverage that had flashed across the TV in the doctor’s lounge. He was impressed that Gage had even made it out alive, let alone with such comparatively minor damage to his body. Which probably explained why he had been uncommonly kind when he had examined the injured medic, making sure Johnny had enough pain medication on board before the x-ray technician arrived to take pictures of his hand, wrist and shoulder.

Johnny didn’t care what the reasons were for the break from the norm in Morton’s attitude that day… he was just grateful.  He hadn’t bothered to ask about Shane’s body. He had shed his tears at the scene and had left the pain back in the basement of that house. He figured it was probably for the best not to ask about it any further, he certainly didn’t want to be there when Barry found out about his cousin’s death. When the victims died, you needed to move on and not dwell on it. The saves you could celebrate with their families as they waited out in the hall; but as the good book said…it was best to let the dead bury the dead.   

               ~                    ~                        ~

 

Twenty minutes later, saw Mike scanning over Johnny’s X-rays, his brow squinting up at the black and white image on the panel.

“Well, it looks like you have a clean break in your hand, and two in your wrist…one on either side. You must have landed on it pretty hard. Luckily they are all pretty stable. I’ll have ortho come down and get you into a cast. The other bit of good news is that your shoulder appears to be just badly bruised.

Mike paused to make several notations on Johnny’s chart. Your lungs are sounding a bit clunky. It appears that you’re suffering from some minor to moderate smoke inhalation too. I’ll get respiratory down here to give you a breathing treatment after ortho leaves. It will give you a chance to clear out those lungs while the plaster on your cast is drying.”

The good doctor then turned to give the cuts on his legs closer scrutiny. “With the exception of two or three along your thigh and your right knee, the rest of these cuts look superficial,” he said gently prodding Johnny’s legs. “I’ll need to put in a couple of sutures in the ones on your thigh as well as the one on your knee. I’ll have Betty debride the knee and put some antibiotic ointment on the minor cuts. After that, they should be fine left on their own. He flipped through the sheets on Johnny’s chart. I see you’re current with your tetanus so that won’t need to be addressed.”

Johnny looked at his legs with a sigh. “Yeah, most of the debris was just long enough to ruin my pants, without actually puncturing through the skin too deep. Those ones higher up were from nails sticking out of sheared off lumber, but I’m pretty sure it was glass that got my knee. It was so dark and smokey, I didn’t see them until it was too late…not that I could have avoided them even if I had,” he reflected as he glanced at what remained of his uniform pants, now tossed in the garbage bin.

“Replacing those pants is going to tap out my uniform allowance for the next three months,” he mourned. “I’m just glad the shirt was spared. I’ve already gone through two this month.”

Mike patted his arm sympathetically. “Well with this hand and wrist, you’ll be out of commission for at least two of those three months, anyway. As for now, we’ll lend you a set of scrubs pants to wear home… if I decide to release you tonight,” he amended. “Otherwise Roy can just bring you your civvies from your locker tomorrow.”

Johnny’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean, if? I’m not injured that badly,” he said stifling a cough.

“Roy was just about to interject when the treatment room door swung open and Carol popped her head inside. She glanced around until her eyes lit upon Roy.

“Hey Roy, Marco’s here with the squad. He says to tell you that Johnny’s replacement is on his way into the station so your Captain wants you to head back now.”

Roy shot a questioning glance at Morton. “So he is going to be okay, Doc?”

Mike nodded without turning around. “Sure…he’ll be on the injured list with this hand and wrist for at least eight weeks, and he’ll probably need some PT to get his hand in shape again, but everything else seems to be pretty minor. I haven’t decided on whether or not I’ll be keeping him overnight for observation yet. That’s a determination I will have to make depending on how his lungs sound after his breathing treatment.”

Roy smiled in relief and turned to look at his injured partner. “You take it easy, Junior. I’ll check in on you later, if you’re still here. If you do have to stay overnight, I’ll stop by in the morning with your clothes and give you a lift home.”

“Okay…and thanks for everything,” Johnny answered tiredly.

Roy smiled and gave Johnny a small wave of his hand before exiting the treatment room. 

  ~       ~       ~

It was nearing the supper hour by the time Johnny’s breathing treatment had wrapped up; his left hand now in a cast from his fingertip to halfway up his forearm.

Mike Morton folded up his stethoscope, and stepped back, having just checked Johnny’s lungs. “How are you feeling now, Gage?” he inquired.

Truth be told, Johnny’s chest still felt a bit tight, and his hand was throbbing. Added to that his head was still aching from the smoke he had swallowed, but he would be damned if he would tell Morton that for fear he may change his mind about releasing him to go home.

“Pretty good, Doc,” he lied. “My hand and wrist are aching a bit, and my shoulder’s pretty stiff, but other than that I’m feeling not too bad.”

Mike looked a bit skeptical. The paleness of the medic’s face and dark circles under his eyes suggested otherwise.

Johnny looked at the intern hopefully. “So, how about signing my release forms, Doc? I haven’t eaten since breakfast, and I could sure use a meal.”

Mike looked undecided. He wasn’t convinced his patient was being completely forthright with him. “I think it may be a good idea if you stayed here for observation for tonight…just to be on the safe side,” he answered.

Johnny sighed. Mike Morton was well known for his penchant for erring on the side of caution. It had been a bone of contention on more than one occasion when opinions differed on whether or not an IV on a patient was warranted or not.

Johnny sat up and did his best to appear healthy. “But I’m fine now, Doc. Other than the hand and wrist there’s basically just a few bumps and bruises. All things considered, I’d say I got off relatively unscathed,” Johnny argued.

Morton threw him a skeptical look.

“I’m not in any danger of dying,” Johnny coaxed.

“No…you’re not,” Morton agreed. “But I would hardly say you got off unscathed either; but from what I saw on the news, it definitely could have been a whole lot worse,” he admitted.

Morton paused to consider the situation. The ER was getting busy due to several minor MVA’s, and the observation beds were stretched to the limit.  But then again this was Gage on the gurney. If there was ever going to be someone who developed an unforeseen complication…the dark haired medic would be the one.

Johnny swung his legs over the side of the gurney.

“So there you have it,” he insisted.  I’m still alive and …” he paused to grin at the Doctor, “I don’t need to be admitted?” He added hopefully.

Mike gave him a scrutinizing look, his arms crossed against his chest before letting out a sigh of defeat. “Well, I still think a night in observation wouldn’t go amiss, Gage. Your lungs are still slightly congested.

Johnny drew in a deep breath, ready to argue his case, but Morton cut him off.

“Okay, Gage,” Mike finally relented. “Here’s the deal; there’ll be no overnight observation… but I want you back in here tomorrow afternoon so I can give your lungs a re-check just to make sure they’ve completely cleared out.”

Johnny brightened visibly; his face breaking into a big grin. “Well alright,” he crowed.

Morton sighed and shook his head. Sometimes Gage seemed like such an overgrown kid. “I’m not on duty again until three o’clock tomorrow afternoon; so you make sure you’re here by say… three thirty?”

Johnny had pretty much stopped listening after he had heard the words, no overnight observation, but he dutifully nodded his head in agreement to whatever it was Morton had demanded of him. He would have agreed to almost anything, just as long as he could go home and sleep in his own bed. He became aware of the fact that Morton was still talking to him, so he focused his attention on the man.

“That second shot of MS I gave you before ortho set your wrist, means you can’t drive yourself…even if you had been able to handle your stick shift with that hand and shoulder. And Roy was called back to the station to pick up your replacement.” Morton rubbed his chin as he considered the matter. “I guess we could always call you a cab,” he decided.

“Naw, that’s no good,” Johnny said with a shake of his head. “My wallet is back at the station in my locker. When I changed uniforms after that first run, I didn’t get a chance to put my wallet back in my pants. But if you let me use a phone, I’ll just call around and see if one of my friends can come a get me.”

Morton looked doubtful. For a moment Johnny was afraid he was going to change his mind about releasing him. But after a long moment of consideration, he spoke.

“Okay. I’ll have Betty put a pillow and blanket on the couch in the doctor’s lounge, and I’ll get food services to scavenge you up a dinner tray. I’m done my shift in another hour and I will personally drop you off at your home. You’ll have to wait until the pharmacy downstairs gets your prescription for pain meds ready anyway. In the meantime I want you to try and get some sleep.”

 “Okay Doc,” Johnny agreed reluctantly…like he had a choice.

Mike nodded and headed for the door. “I’ll have Betty get you a set of scrubs before she gets you some dinner. And don’t forget, I want you back in here tomorrow for a follow up on those lungs… be here at three thirty.”

“Just the pants,” Johnny corrected. “My uniform shirt is in my personal effects bag. With this cast on my arm, the uniform shirt will be easier to put on.”

“Just the pants,” Mike confirmed as he headed out the door. “Get some rest, while you’re waiting,” he called back over his shoulder as the door began to swing closed.

Johnny nodded and lay back while he waited for Betty to bring him some scrubs and grub.

                                             ~                                 ~                             ~

It was seven o’clock, and time for the evening shift to begin, when Mike Morton entered the Doctor’s lounge to wake Johnny. He was shocked to find the paramedic sitting up, drinking a cup of coffee, and watching television.

The man looked not only exhausted, but unless Mike missed his guess, the squint of Gage’s eyes and the pinched look to his face indicated he was still plagued by a headache. But a deal was a deal, and the release form had already been signed. Still he felt he needed to ask.

“Are you feeling okay, John? You look like you may be in some pain?”

Johnny pushed up from the sofa and stood up.

“I’m fine Doc, just a bit stiff and sore,” he lied. The truth was, now that the MS had fully worn off, Johnny’s head was pounding and his arm throbbed with every heartbeat. But he was sure it was nothing a couple pain pills and twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep wouldn’t cure.

The doctor looked doubtful. “Well, I still think a night in observation, wouldn’t be a bad idea. But if you say you are feeling better, then I guess I have to take your word for it.” Mike reached into the pocket and pulled out a bottle of pain medication.

“Here,” he said, setting the bottle on the table in front of Johnny. “I want you to make sure you take these for the first two days. Your body needs rest to properly heal…and you won’t get any adequate rest if you are hurting.”

“Will do, Doc,” Johnny promised, pocketing the bottle. He was almost out the door and he wasn’t going to jeopardize his release by arguing the point.

He knew he would be fine by the next morning, providing the Almighty didn’t send a bolt of lightning down to strike him for the big whoppers he had just told about feeling fine.

Mike sighed and held the door of the doctor’s lounge open while Johnny skirted past him into the hall. The intern could feel a headache building inside his own head, and he was more than anxious to drop off the injured medic and get home to a hot shower himself.

He was resigned to giving Gage the benefit of the doubt. Besides, he was going to be back for a re-check in less than twenty-four hours. If there was still any doubt he could address it then, when he had DeSoto there to back him up.

                               ~                       ~                      ~                                                                                         

By the time Johnny arrived home and taken his pain meds, he was more than ready to crash for the night. He crinkled his nose in distaste at the smell of smoke that still lingered on his uniform shirt, so he pulled it off and shoved it into the laundry hamper before heading into his bedroom.

He collapsed into bed without even getting out of the hospital scrubs, and burrowed deep under the blankets letting the blissful warmth envelope his tired and sore body. He fell into an exhausted sleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.      

                    

The next thing that filtered into Johnny’s awareness was the shrill sound of his telephone demanding to be answered. He tried to ignore it by pulling his pillow over his ears in a vain attempt to drown out the sound, but after the eighth ring he gave in and reached over, struggling awkwardly with his un-casted arm and snatched the phone from its cradle. He figured it was probably just Roy checking up on him.

“Who is it?” he asked, his words coming out thick and slightly slurred.

His tongue felt like it was coated in fur and he grimaced at the bitter taste in his mouth. He put it down to the pain pills he’d taken before he’d gone to bed. It had been a medication he’d never taken before, and he wasn’t impressed by the after effects.

A pleasant voice answered him, and even half asleep, he knew the voice did not belong to his partner.

Uh oh…been up all night fighting fires, huh?” the voice remarked. “I just called to say I’m running about an hour late. Stephanie was sent home from school this morning with a rash and fever. Joan had me take her to the pediatrician. The Doc says its chicken pox, so Joan wants me to run out for some calamine lotion and popsicles before we head out.”

 “Jonah?”  Johnny asked in confusion. 

Because his mind, was still suffering from his pharmaceutical hangover, Johnny grappled for any possible reason for his friend’s phone call. It sounded like he was supposed to know, and that the fact that Jonah was running late, should concern him.

“Late for what?” he finally asked.

He glanced at his bedside clock and saw that it was almost eleven thirty. Man, I am never taking those pain pills again. The sound of Jonah’s voice drew his focus back to the conversation.

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten about the horses that are coming in this afternoon? You promised to come out and help us with them.”

Gradually the snippets of their conversation from the previous day filtered into Johnny’s muddled brain.

“Oh…right. Um…yeah, okay,” Johnny answered. “But there’s a bit of a complication.”

Uh oh….what’s wrong?” Jonah asked warily.

“Well,” Johnny hesitated briefly before explaining the situation. “I kind of busted up my left hand and wrist at a fire yesterday. I also bruised my shoulder, but that’s not really a problem. I can still come out and take a look at the horses, and probably handle some of the lighter stuff… but I don’t know how much heavy physical work I am up too.”

 “Are you sure you’re okay to do this, John?”  Johnny could hear the hesitation in Jonah’s voice. “I mean maybe you should just stay home and rest.”

“Naw, it’s nothing that serious,” Johnny assured his friend. “It’s mainly just the hand and wrist … besides I really want to see those horses. I haven’t been to the stables in over a month. I promised Jeannette I’d take a look at her birthing stalls and give her my opinion.

Well, okay…If you’re sure.”  The man on the other end didn’t sound convinced.

“I am… a hundred percent.” Johnny paused. “Hey do I still get lunch, even though I’m down to only one working wing?”

Jonah laughed. “Clearly your injuries didn’t affect your appetite… yeah buddy lunch is still on me. I’ll be there in an hour.”

“Good deal, I’ll see you in an hour then… and drive safe,” Johnny said before ending the call. Reaching across his bed, the groggy paramedic set the telephone receiver back on its cradle.

Sliding his feet onto the floor, Johnny used his uninjured hand to push his body off the bed, reawakening various aches and pains. A loud groan escaped his lips as his sore shoulder let him know just exactly how upset it was over the battering it had suffered the previous day. His hand and wrist ached, but not nearly as bad as it had the night before. But no matter how much his muscles hurt, there was no way he was taking any more of those pain meds. Tylenol, he mused…extra strength. That’s what he needed; along with a cup of very strong, black coffee… maybe two.

He struggled out of bed and stumbled into his kitchen, the stitches in his knee felt tight and made his gait stiff. The smell of smoke still lingered in his hair, so he made up his mind that as soon as the Tylenol and coffee kicked in, he was going to wrap his cast in plastic, put a couple band aids over the stitches and grab a shower. If he was going to be ready in time he really needed to get a move on.

 

                                                      Chapter Eight 

Johnny fished around inside the brown paper bag until his un-casted hand found the straw. Using his teeth to rip open the paper cover, he shoved it into his Strawberry milkshake, and took a long draw of the creamy liquid. Once they had left the city limits, the scenery began to grow more beautiful and rural with each passing mile, and he was enjoying the feel of the wind on his face as it blew in through the open passenger window. It was uncommonly hot for this time of year, and the breeze offered the only fresh air inside Jonah’s truck.

About thirty miles out, they turned off the paved highway onto a smaller dirt road. There had been very little rain so far this year, which meant the tires on the dry surface of the road was stirring up choking clouds of dust as they drove along. Johnny eventually had to give in and wind up the window as dust particles began to drift into the cab of the pickup, throwing grit into his eyes. He was glad they didn’t have much further to travel, because with the window closed, the summer sun was making the truck’s interior heat up quickly.

It was nearing one when Jonah finally pulled into the long lane that lead to their destination. The equine rescue centre was situated on a sprawling two hundred acre ranch that consisted of four horse barns, several fenced off grazing fields, three separate exercise paddocks and two large driving sheds.

The three larger barns were positioned to the north of what had once been the main house, but whose main floor now served as the administrative office. Jonah’s sister, Jeannette had living quarters that took up the entire second floor.

The smallest barn was off by itself to the west, and had been purposely situated far away from the main hustle and bustle of the daily activities, in order to give all newcomers to the ranch a chance to acclimate to the strange and unfamiliar surroundings of their new home. It minimized the stress on animals that were already traumatized because of abuse and neglect. It also served the secondary purpose of keeping sick animals isolated from the other horses in the off chance that one of the new arrivals had something contagious.

As Jonah pulled the truck in and brought it to a stop, Jonah’s twin sister, Jeannette sauntered over to greet them. Besides a common interest in horses, the twins shared the same, auburn hair and chestnut coloured eyes. The only real difference other than the obvious anatomical ones, was the fact that Jonah was taller than his sister and he had a slightly more athletic build.

The siblings had started this equine rescue centre eight years previous, and Johnny had been volunteering there for almost two years now … ever since the paramedic had met the siblings at a rodeo he had participated in.

As the men exited the vehicle, Jeanette stepped forward and approached them with a warm smile. “The trailers with the incoming horses arrived about a half hour ago and have already been unloaded into the back stable,” she informed them.

She gave Johnny a look of concern when she noticed the cast on his left hand and forearm. “What happened to you, Johnny?” the young woman asked, as she gently lifted his injured hand into her own.

“Oh, just had a bit of a run in with a burning building yesterday. It’s nothing serious,” he shrugged nonchalantly.  “It’s more of an inconvenience than anything else.” Johnny answered, leaning over to place a kiss on her cheek.

“Nothing serious,” she parroted as she glanced at her brother and rolled her eyes.

Johnny chuckled softly and draped his uninjured arm around the woman’s shoulders, as the group walked down the broad dirt path toward the smallest barn.

As they approached the paddock that was next to the barn, Jeannette pushed open the metal gate and held it open for Johnny and her brother as they walked over to where a double set of wooden doors stood ajar, and stepped inside.

The stable’s interior contained enough stalls to accommodate eight horses, but currently only four were occupied; those being filled with the newly arrived mares, and the young gelding…the latter being situated in the very end box furthest away from the door.

“What do we have, sis?” Jonah asked as they approached the first stall.

“Pretty disheartening really,” she said dismally. “I’m afraid the young gelding is pretty far gone. I’ve called for Alex, but I don’t hold out much hope for him. The females are in slightly better shape, but they’re still going to need some serious vet care, but I think, in time, the other three should recover well.”

Alexander Sinclair was the local vet that the rescue organization used when these abuse cases arrived. Like the twins, he had a fondness for horses. Because the majority of their animals were rescues, he usually only billed for the cost of whatever medications he used, and waived his labour fee.

He was usually there whenever a new batch of horses arrived, but today an emergency case at a local farm meant he was running a bit late.

Johnny couldn’t resist inhaling deeply as the trio walked along the stalls surveying the horses. The air was filled with the rich scents of hay and horse hair. It was a smell that some people may turn up their nose at, but to Johnny it was like a balm for the soul….like coming home to something as comforting and familiar as a warm hug.

Inside the stalls were some old fashioned iron hay baskets that were still in use. They were located low enough to allow a horse to pull out a mouthful of fodder as desired, while saving the bulk from falling out and being soiled or trampled into the stable floor.

Slowly the group made their way down the row of stalls. Johnny felt his anger rise as he surveyed the mares. They were all far too thin and their eyes were dull and listless. They obviously hadn’t been properly fed in months. They all had sores on their backs and their tails were matted with dirt and feces. But it wasn’t until he reached the final stall that Johnny froze, and let out an involuntary gasp.

There before him stood the spitting image of his fathers’ horse, Ajax. The mustang was in far worse shape than the others. He was badly emaciated, even more so than the others, with missing patches of hair on his haunches and forelegs. There was discharge coming out of his nostrils and he had a nasty wheeze when he breathed.

Despite the deplorable condition of the gelding, Johnny couldn’t quell the myriad of out of control emotions bombarding his senses. Until this very moment, Ajax had only been a happy, albeit bittersweet memory for him. But as soon as he laid eyes on the mustang, Johnny had, in an instant, been carried back to a day when he was a small boy of seven and his father had lifted him high over his head and set him on the back of his newly purchased horse, Ajax for the very first time … it had been love at first sight. Johnny was still standing next to the wounded creature, lost in past memories when Alex finally arrived at the stable.

Johnny stepped aside so the vet could do a proper examination of the horses. The frown on the veterinarian’s face along with an occasional growl of disgust, confirmed that all of the horses had been badly neglected. But it was the dejected sigh of sadness from the vet when he examined the mustang that sent a sense of dread through Johnny’s heart. He felt stomach began to churn as he feared what the vets’ verdict was going to be; even though in his heart he already knew it would be a miracle if this horse survived.

Johnny listened numbly as the vet spoke to Jeannette and Jonah, without taking his eyes off the mustang in front of him. He found himself beside the horse, his hand on the razor thin back, with sparse tufts of hair clinging to it.

He heard snippets of the conversation going on behind him, as Alex made his pronouncements on the gelding’s fate. The horse was beyond helping … it would be too expensive and time consuming to even try to save him….with the money it would cost they could save the other three other horses….…..unlikely even with treatment this horse will survive beyond another week… it did not seem like the prudent thing to do… their limited resources would be better utilized on the animals whose prognosis for a full recovery was more certain. It would be cruel to let the mustang suffer any longer….he’d go get the necessary equipment to put him down humanely now.

Johnny’s shoulders sagged with the weight of his disappointment at the veterinarian’s gloomy, but accurate appraisal of the horses’ condition.  Just hearing the words made his face twist in sorrow.  The vet raised his eyes to meet Johnny’s, and regarded him solemnly. “There’s just no hope I’m afraid… I’ll have to put him down,” he said gravely.

Johnny walked up to the horse and ran his fingers through its mane, and sighed as he looked at this abject picture of humanity at its worst. He quietly reached over and stroked its neck and whispered into the gelding’s ear, “cate sice.” (I’m sorry)

For the first time since it had been brought into the stall, the young mustang lifted its’ head, gave a quiet whinny and nudged Johnny’s shoulder with his nose. The dark haired man raised his head and looked the horse in the eye… and that’s when he saw it. Mixed in with the pain and sadness, was a spark of defiance…a look that said the mustang wanted a chance to fight for his life.

At that moment something stirred deep within Johnny’s soul. It was a feeling more intense than his general love for horses… something more primitive and disturbing that had something to do with the way the horse had looked at him. He knew that look… he understood what that look meant. Something deeper was demanding that Johnny give this horse its chance to live.

Perhaps it was because of the mustang’s similarity to Ajax, that caused something to stir up old feelings that Johnny still carried deep within his heart whenever he thought back to his childhood. But whatever it was, Johnny knew instantly they he couldn’t let this horse be put down without giving him his chance to fight for his life. It was as if seeing this horse that looked so much like his father’s beloved Ajax, had ignited a fervid need for some kind of justice that had until this moment, lain dormant just beneath the surface of his emotions since the age of ten… a sense of justice whose dictates demanded that Johnny be allowed to have this horse for his very own, in exchange for the loss of Ajax and his parents.

Suddenly the thought of such a noble creature’s life being cut short at the age of two, was unbearable to the paramedic, and at that moment in time, his entire world focused on the poor abused mustang that stared back at him with a look that begged to be allowed to survive. This example of neglected humanity was a sight he understood all too well, and Johnny knew at that moment that he would move heaven and earth to give this horse his chance to live.

The vet returned to the stall with the equipment he needed to euthanize the horse and walked over to the gelding, preparing to put it out of its misery.

Johnny stepped in between Alex and the horse. “No!” he heard himself saying; “Not yet … not without at least trying to save him.”

The vet put an understanding arm on his shoulder and tried to pull him away from the horse. “I’m sorry son, but even if we tried, his chances would be slim to none.”

“But he wants to live. I can see it in his eyes,” Johnny pleaded.

“Johnny,” Jeannette said quietly. “Money is tight at the best of times, and we just can’t afford to gamble what money we do have on a horse than in all likelihood won’t live anyway… I’m sorry Johnny, but we just can’t afford to throw away what little funds we have on this horse. You need to let him go.”

The young paramedic grabbed at any straw he could. He had set enough money aside for a vacation he had planned to take in two months to Mexico. He figured that would buy him some time at least.

“I’ll pay for his care,” he said. “But you have to at least give him a chance,” he insisted.

The vet still looked unconvinced. “John,” he said quietly, “A starving animal will start to draw on stores of fat and carbohydrates to produce enough energy for metabolism and blood flow, brain function and the normal workings of their body. When food has been withheld for as long as it has for this horse, the body looks for other sources of protein from muscle mass and vital organs. A horse can lose up to thirty percent of its body weight and still rebound.”

The vet rested his hand on the geldings back. “But this horse is nearing fifty maybe even sixty percent, John. There are no guarantees we can even get him through the next seventy two hours, let alone a week. You would be throwing your money away.”

Alex paused and looked over at the twins. “The kindest thing would be to humanely put him out of his misery right now.”

Johnny shook his head defiantly. He had no intentions of giving in without a fight. “True but how much kinder would it be to give him back his life. I know he looks bad, but when he looks at me, I can see something in his eyes. His spirit wants to live.” Johnny ran his hand down the mustangs back; “The light hasn’t gone out of his soul … not yet… its dimmed badly, but it is still there, it just needs to be kindled back to life. All I am asking for is a chance.”

The dark haired paramedic looked Alex in the eye and held his gaze. “Can you just give me a week,” he asked hopefully. “I’ll write you out a check for enough money to start treatment today… please…just one week?”He turned to face the twins. “I have enough cash in the bank right now to at least start the treatment. I’ll bring you out a check for two hundred dollars tomorrow. Please just give me a chance,” he begged.

Even as the words were leaving his mouth, Johnny knew he didn’t have enough money to pay a vet for the amount of care the horse was going to need long term, if he did survive. It would be an extended recovery process, over the course of several months.

True he could do some of the doctoring himself; but a lot of it would mean medicines and veterinary care. But none of that mattered right now. The only thing that mattered to Johnny was that he got his chance to try.

The vet looked skeptical; he seriously doubted any amount of medical intervention would save the creature… that spending any amount of cash would be wasted on this horse. But he couldn’t look into the soulful brown eyes of the young man standing next to him and say no.

“Are you sure you want to do this, son? It’s a gamble of very long odds,” the vet said, not unkindly. “Not only can it add up… but it can add up in a big hurry.”

“Positive,” Johnny insisted.

As he stood debating the matter in his mind, Alex watched as the dark haired man walked over and whispered something into the mustang’s ear. And for a brief moment he saw what Johnny was talking about. There was a spark of life in the mustang’s eyes when the young man spoke to him.  He wasn’t sure why, but at that moment, the vet began to actually think, just maybe this man had the Midas touch when it came to this particular horse.

Reluctantly and against his better judgement, the vet slowly nodded of his head. “One week,” he finally agreed. “I’ll try it for one week and then I’ll reassess the situation. But he’s pretty weak and you’re not going to get too many bites at this apple, son; and even if he does improve, the amount of money you’re going to need to pay for all the medicines that he’ll need to get him completely well again, is going to cost upwards of another five hundred dollars on top of the two your investing now… you do realize that, right? That means you will need to come up with another five hundred by next week. 

And that won’t even cover the cost of feeding and boarding him here at the stables.”

 “He doesn’t need to worry about that,” Jeannette spoke up. “He has been volunteering his time here for a long time now, free of charge. I think the least we can do is give him free room and board for the horse in return.”

Johnny shot Jeannette a look of gratitude. She had thrown a life line to the drowning man, and he loved her for it.

“Well,” the vet said, clearly unconvinced. “It’s against my better judgement, but okay, I’ll give him a week. But if he starts to decline any further during that time, I’ll have to put him down…I won’t let him suffer needlessly.”

Johnny blew out a relieved breath. “Thanks,” he said gratefully as he shook Alex’s hand. “And don’t worry, I’ll get rest of the money; you just get started on treating him….and you’ll see….he’s going to get better.”

Jeannette was more reserved in her enthusiasm, but nevertheless she was relieved that the horse would get its chance, at no extra cost to the organization. Johnny’s offer to pay for the vet bills had gone a long way towards her decision to offer free room and board. It didn’t help that when he turned on that sad puppy dog look…she was lost.

Jonah stood back. He wasn’t sure what had just happened, but he knew how determined Johnny could be when he set his mind on something. He knew if anyone could bring this horse around, John Gage would be the one to do it. Secretly he was pleased. He had hated the thoughts of putting the mustang down just as much as Johnny had.

Johnny was elated…he had just bought himself a horse.  Now he just needed to figure out how to come up with the rest of the cash by next week. But he had no doubt he would come up with something. The important thing was he had bought the mustang some time.

“So, Johnny,” Jeannette asked. “What are you going to call this new horse of yours?”

Johnny paused for a moment and gave it considerable thought. After a several moments of silence, he smiled.

“Koda,” he said firmly. “His name is Koda.”

“Koda?” Jonah questioned.

“Its Lakota…it means, friend,” Johnny explained as he stroked his new, ‘friend’.

Johnny spent the rest of the afternoon with Koda, as the vet began the long tedious process of trying to save his life.

Chapter Nine      

     

 A loud gurgling sound emanated from Johnny’s stomach, gnawing at him as he and Jonah made their way up the stairs to his apartment. He glanced down at his watch and noticed that it was now past five. Well no wonder I am famished. It’s almost supper time, he mused.

He turned to Jonah. “Do you want to stay for supper? It’s just going to be some grilled cheese and soup, but it will only take me a couple of minutes to make.”

Jonah shook his head. “No, I’d better not. I left Joanie at home with a sick kid. I was kinda hoping I could use your phone to call her, and see if she wants me to pick up some take out for dinner.”

Johnny smiled. “Sure, no problem,” he said as he fumbled with his keys one handed.

“You better pick up some kind of treat for Steffi too. Kids expect a treat when they’re sick.”

“Good thinking, Johnny,” Jonah grinned. “There was a stuffed pink rabbit she was asking for at the mall last week. I’ll swing by and pick it up for her.”

“And ice cream,” Johnny reminded him. “Don’t forget ice cream. It’s the go-to, treat for sick kids…unless of course they have a stomach bug,” he amended.

The two men were still discussing the subject as Johnny inserted the key into the lock, but as he put his hand on the door knob, he was more than a little shocked to discover that the door was already open.

 “Mrs. Hopkins must have been here,” he concluded. “Whenever she’s been baking, she leaves a dozen muffins on the counter for me.” He turned to grin at Jonah as he opened the door. “I hope they’re either banana or oatmeal raisin…those are my favourite.”

Johnny took a step inside his apartment and stopped dead in his tracks. Standing in his living room was Roy; phone receiver in hand, his finger on the dial. A look of relief washed over his face as he looked up and saw Johnny standing in the doorway.

“Are you okay, Johnny?” Roy asked frantically.

Johnny was confused as to why his partner would be in his apartment, and so visibly upset. He stepped hesitantly over the threshold and stood just far enough inside his front door that it allowed Jonah to quietly slip in behind him.

“Uh-yeah, Roy…I’m fine. I was just out at the ranch with Jonah.” he answered slowly. “Is something the matter?”

 Roy’s mouth gaped open for a moment, and the ever so slowly, his face clouded in anger.

Johnny physically winced when Roy slammed the phone receiver down angrily. “Is something the matter?” he exclaimed incredulously. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

Johnny swallowed nervously; the warm smile on his face falling away.

“Um yeah Roy…it’s just after five. What’s the matter?” he asked again, clearly confused by his partners sudden anger.

Roy’s lips pressed into a thin line, his face dark as a thunder cloud. It was a sure sign Johnny was in trouble with his partner for something he’d done, and the younger man searched his mind to come up with a possible reason why … but he came up wanting. He didn’t have to wait long, however before the answer was shouted at him.

“What’s the matter?” Roy exclaimed, his voice rising to a dangerous level. “I’ve only been trying to find you since three o’clock. Did it ever occur to you to pick up a phone and call someone if you’re going to be late?”

Roy walked across the room until he was standing nose to nose with Johnny. He gave Johnny that, your explanation had better be a good one, look, and waited to hear what the dark haired man had to say.

Johnny was still at a loss as to what Roy was going on about, so he said the only thing he could.

“Late for what?” he asked uneasily.

The question seemed to anger Roy even more.

“Do the words; follow up appointment at three thirty ring any bells?”

The light suddenly came on in Johnny’s head. In all the excitement over the horse he had completely forgotten about his follow up with Morton. Roy had called Rampart the night before just as Johnny was being released. He had told Johnny that he’d drive him to his follow up that afternoon.

The look of realization must have been obvious on Johnny’s face, because it sent Roy into a further diatribe directed toward the younger man.

“You know I had better things I could have been doing this afternoon instead of taking you to Rampart.” He waved a finger in front of Johnny’s face. “And if you think I’m mad, just wait until Morton gets a hold of you.”

Johnny looked at his partner guiltily. “I’m really sorry, Roy” he said rather sheepishly. “I guess I forgot.”

Roy still looked impatient with Johnny, clearly not accepting his apology.

“You know, Johnny, you could get into serious trouble with HQ pulling stunts like this. They expect you to follow doctor’s orders when you’re out on sick leave. Blowing off a doctor’s appointment is not the kind of check you can bounce.”

Johnny’s eyes shifted toward Jonah and his face flushed in embarrassment. He knew Roy had every reason to be miffed at him, but the dark haired man wasn’t happy about having an audience present to witness the event. He thought Roy could have at least waited until his company had left before chewing him out, instead of embarrassing him in front of Jonah.

Unbeknownst to Johnny, his replacement at the station the day before had been Craig Brice, which was enough to put anyone in a bad mood. It was just unfortunate that the overnight hours saw the Station 51 Paramedics get little to no sleep because of five consecutive runs, which included Roy’s shirt being christened with vomit on two separate occasions. That had all piled up on top of the fear Roy had gone through when he hadn’t known if Johnny had survived the building collapse earlier in the day.

Topping the entire situation off, the frazzled medic had arrived home at the end of his shift to a wife who was in tears because of a broken fridge whose contents had spent the last twelve hours spoiling, so that a large amount of food had to be thrown out.

So by the time Roy had arrived at Johnny’s at three, only to find him missing; almost anything…or in this case, anyone, would have acted as a release to the older man’s emotional pressure valve. Johnny forgetting to show up for his follow up had been all the excuse Roy had needed to release all of his pent up anger and frustration. If Roy hadn’t been so intent on dressing down his partner, he might have noticed that there was another man in the room.

Jonah walked over to the bookcase and pretended that he’d found something interesting to look at, clearly embarrassed at having to witness the outburst. He was unsure how to remove himself from this awkward intrusion on a private argument between the two men. He felt partly responsible because it had been he and Jeannette, Johnny had been helping.

Finally Jonah made a point of loudly clearing his throat. “I think I better get going,” he said shifting uncomfortably. He gave Johnny a weak smile. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Only then did Roy seem to notice that his errant partner was not alone, and that Johnny’s face was flushed crimson in embarrassment.

“I thought you wanted to use my phone to call Joanie?” Johnny said quietly.

“No, it’s okay. I can just go straight home and we can order in some pizza.” Jonah answered, his eyes shifting warily toward Roy, before returning to look at Johnny apologetically. “Sorry if I got ya in Dutch,” he said.

Johnny’s face flushed an even deeper shade of red. “Nuthin’ to do with you, buddy, I was the one who forgot.”

“Well I guess I’m gonna get going then.” Jonah said, giving Johnny an encouraging look.

The tension in the room was unbearable and the man just wanted to get out of there as quick as he could.

“Okay … and thanks again,” Johnny said, giving his friend a rueful smile. He shook Jonah’s hand and walked him to the door. “Tell Jeannette I’ll be out sometime tomorrow afternoon. I just need to work out a few things here first.”

“Will do…let me know if you’re going to need a lift,” Jonah said as he stepped into the hall.

“I’ll touch base tomorrow around lunch time,” Johnny called after the quickly retreating Jonah.

As soon as the door closed, Johnny whirled around to face Roy, his face still red with what he viewed as a public humiliation.

Roy’s eyes dropped to the table and he muttered something about Morton waiting for them at Rampart, and that he’d drive him over now.

“I need to get washed up first,” Johnny said tonelessly as walked into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

~                          ~                                  ~

Johnny eased into the passenger seat, pulling the car door shut with his good hand. The entire time the two men had made their way towards Roy’s car, the older man had been berating Johnny about wasting his time and his lack consideration for others. Roy’s tirade had slowly advanced to condescending remarks about Johnny’s irresponsibility and how he needed to think more.

Johnny was initially confused by the level of his Roy’s anger toward him. He had expected a mild lecture and then to be let off the hook. That was usually what happened between the partners when one of them had done something to upset the other. So he was completely taken aback by Roy’s current ire.

He hadn’t intentionally set out to cause his best friend any undue stress or worry. It wasn’t like it had been part of a master plan to ditch his doctor’s appointment so he could stay with the sick horse. It had legitimately slipped his mind.

Johnny had apologized at least three times, but it had fallen on deaf ears. By the time they reached the car, Johnny had had more than his fill of the lecture, and was beginning to feel his own temper rise. He especially felt that Roy could have waited until Jonah had left to chew him out, instead of embarrassing him in front of his friend.

Johnny let out a relieved breath when at last there was a lull in Roy’s diatribe; but the respite didn’t last for long. The car had barely advanced to the end of the driveway before a new round of verbal assaults assailed Johnny’s ears.

 “So what was so all fired important that you decided to skip out on Morton?” Roy demanded, as they pulled out onto the freeway on their way to Rampart.

Johnny tamped down his rising anger. The tone of Roy’s voice was still too snide for Johnny’s comfort, or liking.

 “I didn’t skip out on it, Roy. I told you before, it wasn’t intentional… I just got busy and forgot about it,” Roy just rolled his eyes, and Johnny got the distinct impression that his partner didn’t believe him.

“So what was it?” Roy demanded again.

“What’s with the interrogation? I thought the Spanish inquisition was over?” Johnny said, a trace of anger now evident in his own voice.

Roy’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel. “I think since I’ve just spent the last few hours waiting around for you to show up for an appointment you asked me to drive you too, that I deserve some kind of reason for my wasted time.”

Johnny heaved a sigh of frustration. “First of all, I didn’t ask…you offered. And believe me, it is a mistake that won’t be repeated in the future. Even Chet would be better than this. And secondly, I’ve already said I was sorry….repeatedly.”

“So you’re not even going to explain to me what kept you late, and wasted my afternoon,” Roy huffed out. It wasn’t a question, but more of a disgusted statement.

Johnny’s sense of fair play knew that even though he thought Roy was being unreasonably churlish about the whole ordeal, he did waste the man’s time, and he did owe him an explanation. He paused to push down his own annoyance, and regain some equanimity before he answered.

“I forgot that I had promised my friend, Jonah that I would come up today and help out with some horses that were coming in. They were part of an animal abuse case. He phoned me up and asked me just as I was heading out the door before my shift. What with the building collapse and that kid dying, I had forgotten all about it until he showed up this morning. As for Morton’s appointment, I was half zonked on pain meds when Morton made the appointment in the first place, and it just slipped my mind.”

“Your mind seems to have been doing that a lot it seems,” Roy interjected snidely. “I can’t believe you spent all afternoon out at that ranch less than twenty four hours after we dug you out from underneath a house.”

Johnny’s mouth tightened in anger, but he ignored the remark and continued on with his explanation.

“There is this one horse; a two year old mustang…a gelding. He was in pretty bad shape and the veterinarian didn’t think it was worth spending their limited resources on trying to save him, so he was going to put him down. But I disagreed. I think with time and the right care, the horse can be saved.” Johnny paused, glancing over at his partner.“So I told the vet that I would assume ownership of the horse and pay for any doctoring he would need out of my own pocket. After that I got so involved in getting the horse settled in his stall and making arrangements to get the initial payments to the vet, that the appointment with Morton got pushed out of my mind.”

Roy gave Johnny a look of utter disbelief. “You what!” he bellowed.

Johnny cringed at the volume of his partner’s voice. Not that it was unexpected, but he still cringed at the tone.

“And just where exactly is all this imagined money coming from?” he asked, his voice sharp and dripping with suspicion and annoyance. He shot Johnny an accusing glare, “From your nest egg?” The accusation in his tone was impossible to miss.

“That’s my business,” Johnny said defiantly.

” I thought that money was for your future, John … for the piece of land you want to buy someday.”

“Who said anything about me using my nest egg?” Johnny said defensively.

Roy looked at him skeptically. “Where did you get cash like that, Johnny?”

Johnny sighed tiredly and gave in. “I used the money I saved up for my trip to Mexico.”

Roy looked over at Johnny with that patient look he used when he was about to talk down to him because he thought he was being naïve. It was his standard, ‘I have to save you from yourself’, look.   

“I don’t think you should do this, Johnny. I think you should phone up this vet, stop the treatment, and get at least some of your money back before this animal nickel and dime’s you to death; especially since the vet obviously thinks the horse is probably going to die anyway. There’s no sense in throwing good money after bad.”

Johnny glowered back at his partner. “It’s not throwing good money after bad. I know I can save the horse.”

Roy shook his head in disbelief.

“Johnny I don’t understand you. You just said the vet doesn’t hold out much hope for this horse. What makes you think you can do better than a veterinarian?”

The younger man tried to ignore his partners’ words without responding. They had come out with that condescending inflection Roy used sometimes. It was a tone Johnny particularly hated. The one that clearly implied that the older medic thought, ‘I’m smarter than you.’ It was an occasional contentious and thorny issue between them.

Johnny turned his face away and looked out the passenger window. “Your faith in me is touching,” he muttered; his voice dripping with sarcasm.

For the first time he could ever remember, Roy was legitimately getting on his nerves.

The realization both shocked and scared him. But more than both of these emotions; he was mad… and more than a little hurt.

“I just think that you’re making a mistake,” Roy insisted with another shake of his head.

“Well, It’s my mistake to make, isn’t it … and it’s not a mistake,” the younger man shot back.

Roy couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He couldn’t believe his friend was refusing to listen to reason. Johnny had come up with a few hair-brained ideas in his time, but this one had the potential for his partner to really lose a lot of cash. The older man felt he had to make his partner see sense.

 “Johnny you haven’t thought this through,” he said, rubbing his hand over his chin in frustration. He could feel his anger slowly beginning to rise again at what he viewed as a monumental act of irresponsible behaviour on the younger man’s part.

“You never think these things through. If the vet says the horse can’t be saved, then what makes you think you know more than he does? Johnny, you’re letting your emotions rule your head…just don’t be stupid.”

Johnny recoiled at the words. They stung bitterly and he could not believe his partner had just implied he was stupid. Slowly his shock and hurt changed, first into indignation, and then to an even more dangerous emotion… fury.

His eyes narrowed and he turned a piercing glare towards his partner. “I am not being stupid. And I will thank you not to form opinions for me. When it comes to horseflesh, I think I know considerably more than you.”

“Well do you know more than the vet?” Roy challenged.

Johnny was beyond caring if he lost his temper. And he wasn’t about to put up with anyone, including his best friend, calling him stupid.

“In the case of this horse…yeah I think I do. I think the vet has vastly underestimated that horses’ spirit, just like you’re vastly underestimating my ability to pull him through. This horse has a will to survive. He wants to live.”

Roy rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Oh you can read a horse’s spirit now can you?”

Johnny thought back to how the horse had looked at him, almost in desperation, and he sobered at the remembrance of the pain he saw reflected in its eyes. He also remembered the will to live he had seen displayed in those same dark eyes. The horse may be deathly ill, but he wasn’t beaten down … not yet.

“Yes…it’s in his eyes.” Johnny answered quietly.

The silence set in again and for several moments neither man said a word.

Roy continued to drive sitting hunched over the steering wheel, glancing over every so often to glare at Johnny. Johnny just glared back, still nursing his anger at Roy for chewing him out like some petulant child…and in front of Jonah no less.

It didn’t take long though for Roy to decide that he needed to continue his crusade to try and save Johnny from himself. He looked over where Johnny sat staring out the window with a scowl. He sighed heavily before he spoke.

“I wish you’d listen to reason, Junior,” Roy started.

Johnny sucked in his breath and but held his tongue. Usually the nickname, Junior was said with a note of affection to it; but this time the way Roy called him Junior sounded patronizing to his ears.

“Even assuming you can save this horse, what will you do with him long term? He could live for decades. I am pretty sure your landlord won’t appreciate a horse in his yard.

When Johnny didn’t immediately answer, Roy glanced in his direction to confirm that he’d been heard…that his question had sunk in. He thought Johnny looked momentarily pensive; as if he hadn’t thought that far into the future. That he hadn’t figured the cost of boarding the animal into his equations.

It reality, Johnny was simply trying to keep his temper in check.

 “Johnny you know this isn’t a good idea. I know you feel bad about the horse, but be realistic. You do this all the time. You see something that piques your interest and you just jump in with both feet without thinking it through. Dumping cash into trying to save a horse, that by your own admission, the vet thinks is beyond help would be financial suicide.”

When Johnny still didn’t answer, Roy mistakenly took it as a sign that he might be finally getting through to his friend. So he decided to go in and drive his point home.

“That’s the trouble with you… you go off half-cocked and now not only have you lost the money for your vacation, you have wasted Morton’s time. Not to mention I just spent half my day off, wondering where the hell you were and if you were okay. When in reality you were out with your friend, chasing after some pipe dream that is doomed to not only fail, but cost you a lot of money that you don’t have.”

Johnny felt his ire growing steadily but he was still managing to hold it in. He felt badly about forgetting his follow up appointment, but now he was mad. While he appreciated his friend’s concern about his financial well-being, the superior attitude irked him. He was under the growing conviction that Roy just naturally assumed if Johnny came up with an idea, no matter what it was, it had to be a stupid one. And this time, when he had voiced his opinion, he had said the words just a little too convincingly to be passed off as concern.

Sometimes Roy DeSoto could be so arrogant. And Johnny knew he wasn’t alone in sharing that opinion. He remembered once when he had been helping Roy fix Joanne’s car… it had broken down because she had ignored the check engine light in the station wagon.

Roy had dressed his wife down about it all morning long, and the public chiding had gone on and on until suppertime, when at last Joanne had finally had her fill of it. Johnny could still picture the look on Roy’s face as his wife turned on him and let him have it with both barrels.

With razor sharp precision, she had handily put her husband back in his place. Johnny also recalled that Roy had slept on the couch for the rest of the weekend. Johnny couldn’t help the small smile that played at the corners of his mouth as the mental image of Roy  chasing Joanne into the kitchen, his tail between his legs while he apologized profusely for, beating a dead horse, as Joanne had phrased it.

Unfortunately, Roy chose that moment to look over and mistook the smile on his partners face as one of amusement.

“Do you find wasting everyone’s time, and worrying me half to death, amusing?”  Roy barked out angrily.

And just like Joanne had done several months earlier, Johnny finally reached his breaking point.

“Oh for heaven’s sakes, Roy, I told you before. I simply forgot. Give it a rest will ya? You act like I’ve just broken commandments, one through ten.”

“No, you’ve just gotten yourself involved in some half-cocked scheme to try and save a half dead horse,” Roy shot back.

Johnny was clearly angry enough that he wanted to make sure that Roy not only knew he was getting mad, but that he no longer cared what Roy thought about it.

Right now his entire body was consumed with his anger. It was made marginally worse because he knew Roy was right, he had wasted everyone’s time….but damn it, it hadn’t been intentional on his part. He hadn’t deliberately set out to screw up Morton’s day or worry Roy to death. Heck Roy hadn’t even asked him how he was feeling. And as far as the horse was concerned, he had every right to spend his cash however he pleased, and he didn’t have to seek his partner’s blessings to do so.

He knew he had reached his boiling point and he really hadn’t wanted to go there, but Roy just wouldn’t let it go. He’d apologized and been contrite …why couldn’t Roy just drop it? He’d made his point, but had harped on it to the point where now Johnny was now feeling far less contrite, and a lot more fed up. He wasn’t a child, and even if he had been…he wasn’t Roy’s child.

Just once Johnny wished Roy would try to see things his way… to be a bit more understanding. As he looked over at his partner, Johnny looked at him as if he were just seeing the true Roy DeSoto for the first time. It was almost as if Johnny’s feelings didn’t matter. For Johnny it was the final straw, and he turned in his seat until he was facing Roy.

“It’s not a half-cocked scheme Roy. This is really important to me, and I AM going to save this horse.”

Roy glared at his partner and began to argue his point further.“That’s the trouble with you,” he started, but Johnny held out up his hand to cut him off.

“Lay off, Roy,” he warned, his voice had a sharp edge to it.“I’m not your child and you’re not my dad. Whether or not I try and save that horse is none of your concern. Now, as for my messing up everyone’s day by forgetting my follow up appointment…I said I was sorry…I won’t say it again.”

Roy rose up higher in his seat, clearly indignant at what he deemed to be his superior wisdom in the matter being dismissed by his partner. “So that’s all the thanks I get for trying to pound some sense into your head?”

The fuse on Johnny’s temper that Roy had ignited with is attitude, finally exploded. “You know what?” he shouted angrily. “You’re right … I ought to be put in stocks. I tell you what, oh wise one, you summon the villagers and I’ll grab the torches.” Johnny’s face was flushed in anger.“I told you before to give it a rest. You’ve made your opinions on the matter clear. And you’ve told me how irresponsible you think I am, over and over.  And let me just say right now for the record, that I was tired of it, five seconds after I heard it the first time.” His voice trailed off and he huffed out an angry sigh as Rampart appeared on the horizon about three blocks ahead of them.

Roy clearly wasn’t ready to let the matter drop. “Well if you hadn’t inconvenienced everyone, you wouldn’t be hearing a sermon now.”

Johnny’s eyes narrowed to angry slits. “And you know what, Roy; I don’t think I want to hear any more of it. If I want a sermon, I’ll go to church,” he said as he reached over and released his seat belt with his good hand. “Pull over,” he ordered. “I’ll walk the rest of the way to Rampart.”

“Don’t be an ass,” Roy shot back.

The moment the words flew out of his mouth, Roy knew it was a mistake; that he had stepped over a line he shouldn’t have. He could almost physically hear the sound of the emotional door being slammed in his face…all conversation was instantly over.

It was at that moment the street light in front of them turned red, causing Roy to bring the car to a stop. Johnny seized the opportunity and opened the car door. As he exited he paused to turn back and look at Roy. His expression was unreadable and one Roy had never seen before.

Johnny leaned back in the open door. “You can go home,” he informed his partner angrily.

“Get back in here, Johnny,” Roy ordered. “How are you going to get back home from Rampart?”

“I’ll call a cab,” Johnny said flatly. “After all, I wouldn’t want you to have to waste any more of your day on me”

Johnny punctuated the word, me, by slamming the car with a vehemence that matched the tone of his voice. The younger man stepped away from the car and stormed off up the street in the direction of Rampart.

By the time the interaction was over the light had turned green and the intersection became loud with horns blaring impatiently.  Roy drove through the intersection and quickly changed lanes in order to pull into the parking lot of a strip mall. He slammed his hands against the steering wheel in both anger and frustration. He sat there for a good fifteen minutes with his head laid back against the head rest, with his eyes closed, trying to process what had just happened.

The past twenty four hours had been a nightmare. First the abysmal fire where the boy had died and Johnny had been injured. Then upon arriving back at the station he discovered that he’d been saddled with Brice for the remainder of the shift.

They had been inundated with calls all night long where he’d been vomited on… twice. And the capper on the day had been when he had come home to the expense of a broken fridge, spoiled food, and a wife who was at the end of her own rope. The fact Johnny hadn’t been at home as planned when he’d shown up to take him for his follow up, had been the nail in the coffin for the day.

He couldn’t believe Johnny had actually gotten out of the car and stormed off. After all he had been the one left waiting and worrying about where his partner was, and whether or not he was okay. As far as the horse was concerned…he was only trying to help him see how foolish the entire idea was.

He simply couldn’t understand what had gotten into his partner. Johnny was usually a spendthrift. He was well known throughout the department for his ability to quibble over nickels and dimes when it came time to buy in for lunch. If any of the crew gave him a hard time about it, he would sit there and complain that they didn’t appreciate how quickly those nickels and dimes accumulated into dollars.

Which was why he was so shocked that Johnny was willing to put himself into such a precarious position financially. Roy envisioned his rash, impetuous partner, bogged down in debt for a horse he no room for, or extra cash to pay for the expense of its day to day care. And that was assuming the horse even lived.

Roy gathered his composure, and turned his car around with every intention of heading for home. But as he drove toward the exit, he paused and swore under his breath. He veered out of the left turn only lane, and hit his right turn signal. Instead of heading for home, he turned his car in the direction of Rampart.

                                                          

 

                                                                     Chapter Ten

Johnny’s mind was going a mile a minute as he stormed up the street toward Rampart.  As furious as he was with his partner, he knew he had to calm down before he got to the hospital. He emotions were too raw and on edge, to deal with a ticked off doctor right now. His argument with Roy had amped up his temper to its maximum, and he knew it stemmed from his anger at the idea that his best friend was trying to, in his mind at least, take away his chance at recapturing a small part of his childhood.

He knew Koda was not Ajax; he wasn’t delusional. He also realized that as determined as he was to save the gelding; that the horse could still die. But being near Koda brought back warm feelings of happy times he’d shared with his dad…and he wanted the chance to at least capture a ghost of what he’d lost when he was ten. But none of these things had anything to do with Mike Morton; so he drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly in order to regain his composure.

He knew no doctor liked to have his job made more difficult than it already was. Johnny knew from his own experience as a Paramedic how valuable every minute was in the field of medicine. So he was prepared for a mild dressing down. And while his being late would not have prevented Morton from any emergency he needed to attend to in the ER, it would have been an annoyance.

Considering his and Morton’s history of having a prickly relationship at the best of times, he knew Morton was going to be giving him a lecture. And he had to admit he had one coming…a mild one … mild being the operative word.

Being in his current mood, the young man had already drawn his mental line in the sand. He would accept his dressing down, but he was not in the mood for anything he considered to be excessive on the usually mordant doctor’s part.

Looking back on it weeks later he would realize his present frame of mind, and the history he had with Morton, had been a recipe for disaster from the outset…the perfect storm. But hindsight is 20-20; the present didn’t always give such clear vision. But at the moment, he just wanted to get the bloody appointment over with so he could get home and figure out how on earth he was going to pay for the vet costs without digging into his savings.

His musings were interrupted when he found himself standing outside the main entrance of Rampart. With a final steadying breath, he entered the ER and braced himself to face the music.

He was disappointed to see that Betty was on duty today. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her, or think that she was a great nurse… because he did, and she was. But he had been hoping it was Dix who was working, because he could really use someone who was on his side today. And no matter how wild his ideas; or how aggravated his partner was with him, Dixie always took his side. It was just one of a dozen reasons why he loved her like a sister.

He slowly plodded up to the desk gave Betty a weak smile. “How much trouble am I in for being late?” he asked.

Whatever answer Betty was going to give was lost, because just at that moment, Morton’s head poked out the door of treatment room three. He glanced around until his eyes lit upon Johnny, and he frowned.

“So, the prodigal returns. It’s so nice that you could find some time in your busy day to fit me in. You know, my time is a terrible thing to waste,” he said tersely.

Johnny physically winced at the accusation. Okay. I had that one coming, he mentally conceded.

Roy chose that minute to wander in to the ER, but he hung back in the waiting area.

Morton’s gaze shifted from Johnny to Roy, a move not lost on the dark haired Paramedic, who turned to see what Morton was looking at. When he saw that Roy had followed him to Rampart, he immediately bristled. The glare on his face was a clear indicator that he was still angry with his partner.

“What are you doing here?” he asked Roy caustically; but he didn’t wait for an answer, before turning back to face Morton.

“Look, I’m really sorry Doc. I’m afraid I got a little involved with something this afternoon, and my follow up completely slipped my mind,” he explained contritely.

Morton gave a grunt of disgust. “It slipped your mind.” he repeated with an exaggerated eye roll. “Really Gage, you of all people, know how valuable a doctor’s time is. How could you let it just, slip your mind?”

Johnny was getting frustrated. Why couldn’t people just accept his apology and let it go.

“It wasn’t intentional, Doc. I had a lot on going on today, and I just forgot…I’m sorry,” he said, apologizing again.

But Morton was clearly perturbed and was going to make sure his errant patient knew it. By this time Johnny had walked over and was now standing directly in front of the doctor, so that when Morton responded, the two men were standing less than a foot apart.

“I can’t believe that after all the convincing you had to do last night to get me to agree to release you that you would blow off your follow-up. That was the sole condition on my letting you get out of observation in the first place.”

Johnny initially responded calmly. He had held his tongue and managed to keep his temper in check. But he could feel the tension slowly building. He had no idea what the doctor wanted from him. He had admitted he was wrong and he had apologized twice. What more did he want… his head on a platter?

It was becoming harder and harder for him to keep his emotions on an even keel. He decided to try one final time at an apology. But if Morton still refused to accept it, then all bets were off. He wasn’t about to go down on his knees and beg forgiveness for such a minor infraction. He’d had his fill of being talked down to for one day.

“Look, I told you, I was sorry and that it was not intentional. I got distracted and it just slipped my mind, he said in exasperation. It’s not like I did it for kicks.”

“Well, with you, Gage…who knows?” Morton shot back.

Johnny took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten.

“So just exactly what was so all fired important that it made you forget about your follow up?” Morton asked impatiently.

 Johnny didn’t answer. As far as he was concerned it was none of Mike’s business what he did on his free time. He had apologized and that was as far as he was prepared to go as far as an explanation was concerned. But Morton stood in front of him expectantly with his arms crossed. It was Roy who finally spoke up.

“He was at a ranch with a bunch of sick horses. He has apparently bought one of them. One that is likely going to bankrupt him, I might add,” he said derisively.

Johnny turned around and leveled his partner with a stony look.

“Who are you, the town crier? I thought I told you to go home.”

Roy retreated back into the waiting area and out of the line of fire.

As for Mike Morton; he wasn’t sure what surprised him more; that Johnny had been working with horses while he was supposed to be taking it easy, or that Roy had allowed it to happen. He voiced the last thoughts out loud.

“And you allowed him to do that, DeSoto?” He asked, directing the question at Roy.

Roy raised his hands in defense of himself. “Don’t look at me, Doc. I didn’t know anything about it until after the fact.”

Johnny couldn’t believe what he had just heard.

“Allowed?” He squeaked out incredulously. “I didn’t realize Roy owned me, or that I needed his, or for that matter, YOUR permission to lead my life as I choose. If you think I am going to ask anyone’s permission on how I choose to spend my free time, you are both sadly mistaken,” he thundered angrily. “It’s my life, and my decision…no one else’s.”

He looked at his partner defiantly. “And while it is true that I’d like your approval, Roy … I certainly don’t have to have it to make my life choices.”

Morton stepped forward and cleared his throat. “Far be it for me to tell you or anyone else what to do with their money, Gage …”

“Good … then don’t.” Johnny barked.

“Johnny,” Roy said in exasperation. “You are the most stubborn man that ever came down the pike; if you’d just listen to reason.”

By now the raised voices had drawn the attention of several nearby nurses and orderlies who turned to crane their necks in a bid to get a better view of the show. Thankfully Betty was also observing from the main desk.

She realized the entire situation was getting out of hand. Quietly she picked up the phone and buzzed Kelly Bracketts’ office, and then scurried over to send the curious onlookers back to their tasks.

By this time Johnny had reached the limits of his patience. He knew he was fine, and he knew Morton could easily see that he was fine as well.

Summoned by Betty’s phone call, Brackett exited his office to see what on earth was going on in his emergency room.

He spied Dr. Morton first. The intern was looking both annoyed and impatient, as he glared at John Gage. While Johnny looked like he was ready to deck someone. Brackett heaved an internal sigh. These two particular men seemed to be at daggers drawn even on the best of days… but for some reason that was as yet unknown to him, they seem to be particularly wound up today. He was about to ask the two men, what the problem was, when round two began.

He saw Johnny throw up his hands in defeat. “You know what? I don’t need any of this crap. I’m outta here,” he growled at Mike.

He spun on his heels and took a few strides down the hall.

“The department requires you to do this follow up,” Morton called after the retreating medic.

Johnny pivoted around and stalked back angrily. “I showed up…and as you can clearly see, Doctor, I am fine… follow up is over.”

Mike was not used to this kind of insubordination, and he had no intentions of letting what he considered to be his underling get away with talking to him like that.

“It isn’t over until I say it’s over. I could report you to headquarters. Ignoring medical advice can land you in trouble with the fire department, Gage.  You could be suspended or even fired for insubordination… what would you do then?”

And there it was… that step over the line Johnny had been expecting. In his mind, Morton had just fired the first volley and he was more than prepared to return fire…with both barrels.

Morton knew as soon as he said the words, it was not only a mistake….but it was unfair. Forgetting an appointment and showing up late for it was not the same as deliberately blowing it off. He really had no grounds for his threat…and it was of course an idle threat. But Morton, like Johnny had his pride and the thought of what Morton considered to be a subordinate, questioning his authority, had made him a little prickly in return.

Instead of escalating the argument he should been trying to defuse it, but his own temper had gotten the better of him.

Johnny’s eyes blazed in anger at the threat. “So fire me!” he challenged.

Everyone within earshot was brought up short, by the younger man’s words, and none more so than Roy.

“What?” Roy and Morton exclaimed at the same time.

Johnny’s eyes were narrowed dangerously; his voice had a hard edge to it.

“You heard me…I said fire me,” he shot back. “And as for what would I do? I can always utilize my skills elsewhere. I could get a job with a doctor in private practice… other guys who have gone through the training have done it. It certainly pays better with less chance of my dying on the job.”

Johnny knew that he would never do it…that he’d be bored to tears in less than a week; but as they stood in the middle of the emergency room Morton didn’t know that…and even Brackett wasn’t sure.

Roy doubted Johnny would ever do it either. But then again, Johnny was beyond angry and desperately trying to find a way to get money for that horse. The fact that his mind even went there in the first place…veiled threat or no, was unsettling to the older Paramedic.

Distasteful as the idea may have been to Johnny, he was clearly reminding everyone that he had options, and that he was a grown man who made his own life choices. And with the right incentive, mainly being the horse, Roy didn’t want to take the chance. Yes, Morton could make decisions about the young medic’s future….but Johnny could make decisions about his future too.

Johnny turned his back on Morton in a deliberate gesture of defiance.

Momentarily stunned, Morton backed off.

Brackett was taken aback by the force behind the young paramedic’s statement. It was clear the younger man was not having any of Morton’s superior attitude today. From what Kel could see Johnny was deadly serious and prepared to call Mike’s bluff. The head of the ER looked over just in time to see Mike grab the young medic by his good arm and begin to pull him toward treatment room three.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Johnny demanded.

“What does it look like I’m doing, Gage. I’m taking you into a treatment room to get his examination over with. “

“Oh no you’re not,” Johnny flared, yanking his arm free from Morton’s grasp.

“Look, we both know you can’t leave without this follow up,” Mike said, finally using a less confrontational tone.

“Fine, I won’t,” Johnny answered. “But I want someone else to examine me. Go find Early, or Brackett,” he demanded.

“They’re busy,” Mike said.

“I’ll wait,” Johnny declared, still squaring up to the doctor. The young paramedic clearly intended to hold his ground. His tone of voice was utterly uncompromising, his posture clearly hostile.

Brackett raised an eyebrow. This was more than the usual run of the mill disagreement.

Johnny was livid….angrier than Kel had ever seen the man before; but secretly always suspected could happen if he was pushed far enough. And apparently he had reached his, ‘far enough’ today.

Johnny presented a rather defiant picture and it became perfectly clear that this was one time he would have his way. The implications of the younger man’s earlier threat to leave the Paramedics, was not lost on the good doctor.

Kelly Brackett had always known that John Gage didn’t intimidate easily; in fact trying to strong arm him had just the opposite effect on the man. The more someone tried, the more he would get his back up and dig in his heels. And he had to admit that Morton had a tendency to be acerbic with his clients…even more so than Brackett was himself.

It was obvious that the intern had decided it was incumbent upon him to put the young upstart paramedic in his place and let him know exactly where he fit on the chain of command, which he clearly thought was several rungs below him.

Brackett realized the time for him to step in had arrived. He knew immediately this was a fight Mike wasn’t going to win…not this time. If the younger man wanted to see another doctor, it was certainly his right to make such a request. Although it was necessary to assert his authority when it came to being the man’s boss, that authority had its limits.

Kel knew this was a case of pick your battles….and this time the victory would be going to Johnny. Brackett knew if Mike kept pushing him, he could lose Johnny and he wasn’t about to take that risk.

Something had lit a fire under Johnny and it was definitely time for cooler heads to prevail before things got out of hand and things were said that could not be taken back…at least not easily. Diplomacy was what was needed now.

He pulled his office door closed and headed toward the two angry men. His voice was cool, but deliberately conversational.

“May I remind you both that this is a hospital, and not a boxing ring? Now what’s this all about?” he asked making sure he directed the question at Johnny.

Johnny’s mouth tightened to a grim line. “I forgot about my follow up appointment, and suddenly I am Jack the Ripper.”

“I haven’t had the chance to examine him yet,” Mike tried to explain.

“And you’re not going to,” Johnny interrupted. “Brackett can examine me now that he’s here.”

“Johnny, Mike was the attending,” Kel said gently, trying soothe both Johnny and Mike’s feathers.

Johnny interrupted before the older doctor could finish his statement.  “And I believe the patient can request a second opinion… so I am.”

Morton figuring he now had Kelly Brackett on his side, grabbed onto Johnny’s arm once more.

“Don’t touch me,” Johnny growled.

Roy continued to stand by mutely. He was sure Brackett would be able to reign in his angry partner. For all his bluster, he knew Johnny respected Kelly Brackett and would eventually give in to his orders. So he was more than a little surprised when the head of the ER put a restraining hand on Morton’s forearm and gently pulled him aside and told him that he would do Johnny’s examination himself.

Mike started to protest, but Brackett stopped him before he could get started.

“Look Mike, I know that you are a very good physician. But clearly you and Gage have some kind of issue today, and that just isn’t conducive for a successful examination. Besides, Johnny is right, he can refuse to have someone touch him, and request another doctor. In this instance, I’m going to have to ask you to step aside and let me do the follow up.”

Brackett turned back to Johnny. “How about you let me take a look you, Johnny?”  He made sure the tone of his voice was conciliatory. The Paramedic’s threat to quit was still fresh in his mind, and he had no intentions of losing one half of his best team.

Johnny’s posture settled and he nodded his agreement. “Okay Doc. That would be fine with me.”

Roy took a step forward, intending to follow Johnny into the treatment room. But he barely advanced three feet before Johnny bristled. His body language was crystal clear. Roy was not invited into the treatment room, nor would he be tolerated. 

“Just Brackett, he said stiffly.” as he entered the treatment room, leaving the others in the hall.

As the older doctor glanced around the ER, several nurses scattered. That’s gonna cause a lot of chatter, Kel thought ruefully.

The dark haired doctor wasn’t sure what was going on but something had sure raised the young paramedic’s hackles. And whatever had upset him this time, it involved Roy.

Kel’s main objective was to defuse the situation, and if that meant Roy was not wanted …then Roy would have to wait out in the waiting room. That in itself worried him. This kind of discord was unusual between the two men.

And on those rare occasions when one of them was miffed, it was usually Roy who was mildly angry, and Johnny was the one who would go off to lick his wounds until Roy gave in and forgave him, which the older man invariably did. But this was the first time that he had seen Johnny truly furious with anyone else, let alone Roy.

Brackett made a mental note to never truly become Johnny’s enemy. Once let loose, the man clearly had a temper that could turn your blood into ice. Brackett hoped that by removing him from both Roy and Morton’s presence that it would give him a chance to regain his composure and cool down. 

Brackett’s instincts proved to be right on the money. Once inside the treatment room, it was as if someone flipped a switch. Johnny dutifully hopped up on the gurney and was the very picture of compliance.

It was clear that Johnny’s issue was with the men outside and not the idea of being examined, so Brackett decided to fish around for a clue as to what the issue had been… and to see if it was anything he needed to speak to Mike about.

“Mike didn’t seem too pleased with you,” he said cautiously.

The younger man on the gurney huffed out a sound that wasn’t quite a laugh. “Well that makes us even, because I’m not very happy with him either.”

Brackett held up a placatory hand, and simply nodded.

Johnny could see that the good doctor was taking great pains to try and not look superior. If the paramedic hadn’t been so upset, he might have found the attempt amusing. At the very least he appreciated the fact that Brackett understood he was at the end of his rope, as far as his patience was concerned.

Brackett decided the prudent thing to do would be to back off a bit and let Johnny vent at his own pace … and he was sure he would. Johnny’s rants were legendary among the fire department.

“Okay, well how about we get this follow up underway?” Brackett asked, pulling his stethoscope from the pocket of his lab coat.

Johnny sat on the gurney, and said no more, but he seemed resigned to the examination.

Brackett took his silence as consent, so he picked up the injured hand and checked the colour and warmth of Johnny’s fingertips.

“So is there any point to my taking your blood pressure? I mean in your present state of agitation, you’d probably send the needle right through the roof.”

That brought the first trace of a smile to Johnny’s face.

Johnny drew his injured hand back and heaved a weary sigh.  He gave the doctor a wry grin and began rolling up his sleeve while taking a deep steadying breath in an attempt to calm down.

“I’m just fed up with people jumping all over me today. I admitted I was in the wrong for forgetting about the follow up, but how many times does a guy have to apologize? It’s not like I murdered someone… they just wouldn’t let it go,” Johnny said as he felt the BP cuff tighten around his arm.

“So you got a bit distracted today?” Brackett asked, being careful to keep his voice non-confrontational. The man’s blood pressure was too high as it was. Kel suspected that all Johnny really needed, was a chance to vent to someone who wouldn’t get on his case about his being late for his appointment. And as a doctor, it was his job to get the man’s BP down…not cause it to go up further.

 As soon as he asked the question, the corners of Johnny’s mouth did a downward tilt. The older man patted the injured medic’s shoulder and grinned.

“Relax Johnny. I’m not here to judge you. I just want to make sure you’re doing okay after your accident yesterday…nothing more.” His tactic worked, and the frown disappeared.

“So do you wanna talk about it?” Kel quizzed, deciding it would be best to let his patient set the pace of the conversation.

Johnny gave the doctor a penetrating gaze, and decided that in this instance, Brackett seemed to be genuine in his offer to be an objective ear. “I guess,” he said tiredly.

Brackett stood back, crossed his arms and let the man unload. Johnny was clearly tired, and whether or not the injured man realized it, he had reclined on the gurney that was currently set at a forty five degree angle. It was a good sign that Johnny had decided he was in a non-hostile situation and could be free with is words. It was exactly what the doctor had been hoping for.

“I got a phone call from a friend of mine before I left for my shift on Sunday morning,” Johnny started. “He and his sister run an equine rescue organization just north of L.A. We met and became friends a couple years ago, and I have been volunteering my time at their ranch once or twice a month, ever since.”

Brackett looked at him questioningly. “Do you ride?”

Johnny nodded. “Not yesterday, of course …not with this busted up hand and wrist. But I was raised around horses. When I heard they had some horses due in, I wanted to be there. ” He paused and gave the doctor a sheepish grin. “I guess I’ve always had a soft spot for horses…all animals really,” he said by way of explanation.

Brackett nodded in approval. “I used to own my own horse when I was a boy, and I loved riding him. I have to admit that I have a fondness for horses myself.” 

Johnny looked momentarily surprised at the revelation, but his nod of approval gave Kel the distinct impression he had just gone up in his patient’s estimation.

Johnny continued. “So, like I was saying, my friend said that they had a group of horses coming in today and he asked me if I would I be free to go help out. I agreed to go out to the ranch and then went off to work. Well then yesterday this happened.” He held up his casted arm.

Brackett nodded in understanding.

“Anyway, last night I was hopped up on pain medication. I was sore and tired, and I never thought to let Jonah …that’s my friends name….know about the accident. I was so out of it that I just crashed in my bed.”

“Pain meds will do that to a guy,” Brackett agreed. “That’s usually why we give them to you… so you can get some rest.”

Johnny nodded in appreciation.

“So I wake up to the sound of the phone ringing just before noon, and it was Jonah telling me he was on his way. I was honest with him about being injured and explained to him and that I wouldn’t be much help, but I was still willing to come out and take a look at the new horses coming in. It was a case of neglect and I usually go along. I’m pretty good at calming scared animals down.  I was feeling a lot better after having twelve hours of sleep; I just needed some coffee to get rid of that hung over feeling you get when you’ve taken pain meds. Jonah agreed, and so he came over, we grabbed some lunch and went out to the ranch.”

Johnny grinned sheepishly at Brackett. ”To be honest with you, I had already forgotten about the follow up. I mean I knew I had promised to come in, but I was also jacked up on drugs when I made the promise, so it wasn’t firmly imbedded in my mind.”

Brackett grinned. “Having taken pain medication himself a time or two, he knew the kind of haze they left you in. So far, he had to admit that Johnny’s having forgotten wasn’t all the surprising. It was an honest mistake and certainly didn’t seem to merit the reaction Mike Morton had displayed out in the hall.

Johnny was now fully relaxed, so the doctor decided to take his blood pressure again while his patient continued on with his story.

Johnny realized what Brackett was doing and gave him a crooked grin as he held out his arm in compliance. It felt good to talk about his day with someone who was more understanding.

“When I got out to the ranch, I was led to the stables where the four horses that had arrived were being housed. It was pretty clear that they had all been badly neglected for quite some time. The first three were mares… all American quarter horses, but in the last stall was this beautiful young mustang….a gelding. That means…”

Brackett held his hand up. “I know what that means, Johnny.”

Both men grinned.

Brackett was pleased to see that Johnny’s blood pressure was significantly lower…in fact it was nearing normal. Clearly letting him give his side of the story without accusation was exactly the younger man needed.

“So you’re out at the ranch and you’re with the horses...,” the doctor said, urging Johnny to finish off the tale.

Johnny’s face grew sad. “The mustang was in pretty bad shape, considerably worse than the others. Unfortunately the ranch has limited resources, so they have to be realistic about how they use their money. When the veterinarian arrived he advised us that it’s wasn’t certain that the gelding would make it, even with treatment.  So it was decided that with their limited finances, it would be prudent to humanely euthanize the mustang and put their resources into the cases whose outcome was most assured.”

Johnny took a deep shuddering breath as he replayed the vets’ words in his mind.

“But then I looked into that mustang’s eyes and I could see something in them. There was this spark of defiance…a will to fight. I could see that he wanted to live. So, I spoke up and said I would assume ownership of the horse and pay for his vet bills. I had to argue back and forth a bit, but finally I managed to convince everyone to at least let me give it a shot. Once that was decided, I got involved in being with my horse while the vet determined what our course of treatment would be.”

Johnny winced as Kel palpated his bruised shoulder, but kept on with this story. “And I guess with the all the discussions and plans, I completely forgot about my follow up and that Roy was going to pick me up and drive me to my appointment.”

“So when I arrive home, I find Roy in my apartment, fit to be tied…I admitted he had a right to be a bit upset, and I apologized more than once, but he would have none of it.”

Brackett began to see the big picture. He finished his examination and stood back. “How’s your range of motion with the shoulder?” he asked.

Johnny demonstrated by sitting upright, and swinging his extended arm in a circular motion.

“And the level of pain?”  Brackett inquired.

“Not too bad. Maybe a three, and that is really only if the actual shoulder comes in contact with a hard surface. It’s just the actual bruise that hurts now,” Johnny answered truthfully.

Brackett accepted his answer. “So I take it Roy was upset when he showed up to bring you here, and you were nowhere to be found?” It was more of a confirmation than an actual question.

Johnny nodded. “It’s not that I don’t blame him for being annoyed about it. But he totally went overboard. I mean come on, Doc…who hasn’t gotten involved with a project and had something slip their mind?”

“True…I think we’ve all done it on occasion,” Brackett agreed.

That earned him another grateful smile from the injured man.

“What’s worse is he dressed me down like a child in front of Jonah, and embarrassed the crap out of me.”

The picture was beginning to become clearer in Kel’s mind. Injuring a man’s pride was always a sure way to start an argument. “Oh…” was all he said as he let Johnny continue.

Johnny’s face now held an air of righteous indignation. “So, then Roy informs me that Morton is still waiting for me, and he drives me to Rampart. It was while we were driving here that he asked where I had been that had made me forget about my appointment. So, I told him the truth.”

Brackett nodded. Johnny Gage was one of those men who spoke the truth… sometimes to a fault.

“I no sooner got the words out when Roy immediately started in on me about how stupid I was to assume responsibility for a sick horse, and how I never think before I act.”

Just the act of retelling the story was getting Johnny worked up, but rather than calming him down, Brackett let him vent. He figured the release of his stress to a sympathetic ear would be good for him in the long run. Sometimes just having someone who was on your side was enough to make people feel better. So for better or worse, Kel let him continue to rant.

 “I mean you should have heard him, Doc. He talks down to me like I’m five years old, and totally incapable of making my own life choices. Finally I’d had enough of it and I let him know in no uncertain terms. Then when I walk in, Morton comes out all ready to prove to me, that he is the Sherriff of Dodge.”

Johnny looked up at Brackett, his eyes completely sincere. “And I did apologize to him and tell him it was not deliberate…that I simply forgot. I didn’t come here looking for a fight. But, he didn’t want to accept the apology, and he jumps all over me, and acts like I am lying to him. And then to top it all off, he threatens to go to the department, and tell them I am being uncooperative. And I am tellin’ you Doc, I was just in no mood to be brow beat or bullied by anyone any longer. And I let Morton know that as well. And I guess that’s pretty much where you walked in.” Johnny let his voice trail off with a shrug.

Brackett now had a clear picture of the events that had led up to Johnny’s explosion. And while he understood that Mike had every reason to be annoyed, the intern had been guilty of doctor overreach. It had been an honest mistake, and he should have just accepted the apology and let it go. They were supposed to be the ones, who calmed down the patients, not rile them up. He reached over and gave Johnny’s knee a pat.

“I’ll concede that Mike may have been a bit over the line.”

“A bit!” Johnny said incredulously.

“Okay,” Kel conceded, “more than a bit. But I promise, I’ll talk to Mike and remind him about the rules concerning doctor -patient overreach. Now let’s have a listen to those lungs; your chart said you took in some smoke and needed a breathing treatment yesterday.”

There was silence in the room as Brackett took out his stethoscope and listened to Johnny’s breathing. After several moments he stood up and slid his stethoscope in the pocket of his lab coat.

“How do your lungs feel today?” he asked.

Johnny shrugged. “They feel fine, Doc. There’s no tightness when I breathe,” he answered truthfully. “And there has been no coughing since last night, either.”

“Well they sound good too,” the doctor confirmed.

Johnny smiled triumphantly before looking at Brackett. “I really am sorry about forgetting about today, Doc…it wasn’t intentional,” he reiterated.

Brackett smiled and patted his leg. “I know it wasn’t Johnny,” the doctor reassured.

“Now, I’m going to make an appointment for you in three weeks. I want you to come in and we’ll X-ray your hand and wrist to make sure they’re both healing up properly. You don’t want to risk losing any dexterity in your hand… but so far everything looks good.”

Johnny hopped off the gurney. “You got it, Doc. Just have someone phone when you get it set up.” The younger man grinned sheepishly and rolled his eyes. “I promise; I’ll be sure to mark it on my calendar in big red letters so I don’t forget.”

Brackett chuckled. “Get out of here hose jockey, and good luck with your horse. Maybe someday you’ll take me out to see him.”

 Johnny grinned. “It’s a date,” he agreed as he headed for the exit. He rested his uninjured hand against the door and paused before opening it. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go back out into the hall. It was a given that Roy would still be out there waiting for him, even though he had been serious about calling a cab.

He also imagined he’d been the main topic of conversation between Roy and Morton after Brackett had hustled him into the treatment room…and what an interesting conversation that must have been. Not that he cared; all that mattered now was; how was he going to come up with the money to pay for Koda’s care? Still, he hoped Morton at least would be gone when he exited the treatment room.

Johnny knew he shouldn’t have lost his temper with the intern. He was in essence one of his boss’ in a roundabout way. He did have the power to tell HQ he wasn’t following medical advice while out on the injured list. Even though he had followed medical advice…he was just late for an appointment.

But it was never a wise idea to tick off someone who could technically make your life miserable later on. Not that he thought Morton was that kind of a vengeful man…or that Brackett would ever let it go that far. And even now, he felt that he had been unjustly attacked. Morton should have just accepted his apology.

And as for Roy … why did his partner suddenly feel like he had a right to control every aspect of his life? If he was making a mistake…then it was his mistake to make. And while he was more self-composed than when he’d first entered the treatment room, he had a feeling it wouldn’t last long. Not if Roy was still outside waiting to have another go at him.

His thoughts were cut short when Brackett came up from behind him and pushed the door open so both men could exit the room. At first it appeared that the hallway was empty, for which the younger man was grateful. But the feeling of relief was to be short lived.

Johnny shook Dr. Bracketts hand and thanked him, and watched as the dark haired doctor went back into his office, before fishing around in his jeans pocket until his hand came up with a dime. He headed toward the bank of payphones that were located just outside the doctor’s lounge so he could call his cab and get the heck outta of there. He really needed some serious alone time so he could think. Unfortunately just as Johnny rounded the corner of the hallway, he found himself face to face with his partner…immediately his face clouded.

“I’m fine, in case you were wondering,” he said sarcastically.

Roy gave a terse nod to indicate that he’d heard. “So then you’re ready to go,” he confirmed.

Johnny pushed past him, “more than ready…but not with you.”

Roy released a heavy sigh of exasperation. He couldn’t believe his partner was still throwing a tantrum. After all, he had been the one who had wasted an entire afternoon waiting for Johnny to show up. Maybe he had been a bit short tempered with his younger partner… but then anyone would if they’d had to put up with the day he’d just had. He was tired, and just wanted to get home himself. He was in no mood to coddle a grown man who was having what he viewed as a childish outburst.

“You’re acting like a child, Johnny. It’s pointless for you to spend money on a cab when I am right here to drive you. Besides, I would think you’d want a chance to save your pennies now that you’ve saddled yourself with a ton of vet bills.”

Johnny ignored His partner and walked toward the payphones. He inserted his dime and dialed the number of one of the cab companies that was posted on a card next to the phone.

Roy was quickly losing patience with the younger man. There were better things he could be doing with his time.

“Johnny have you even heard a word I said? Just put down the phone and get in the car. It’s getting late and I don’t have time for this.”

Roy’s pleadings didn’t seem to have the slightest effect on the younger man, except to infuriate him even more. He gave the cab company the address and ended his call, inhaling deeply before turning to face Roy. Slowly he exhaled in an effort to calm down. When he finally spoke his voice was cool and measured.

“I assure you, Roy. I heard you … every single word. The problem is, you haven’t heard me.”

“Oh I heard you, Johnny,” Roy shot back angrily. “I just can’t believe what it is that I’m hearing.”

Roy ran his hands through his hair in frustration for the umpteenth time that afternoon.

Johnny could be so mule-headed. If the younger man would just listen to reason he would realize that Roy was right, not only about accepting the ride home, but also in regards to the fact that he was getting in way over his head with this horse.  He took a deep breath of his own and tried again.

“Johnny, please just listen to reason. This entire horse thing is a really bad idea. There is no way you can afford this right now. I mean think about it… you certainly wouldn’t allow me to do something so careless if the roles were reversed.”

Johnny shook his head, and glanced up at the ceiling. When he lowered his gaze, Roy swore that the anger in Johnny’s eyes was gone, and had been replaced with a look of disappointment.

“You see, that’s where your wrong, Roy,” he said. “If you felt something that deeply in your soul, even if I didn’t fully understand it, I’d have your back all the way. Not only that, I would move heaven and earth to support you. And you wanna know why?”

Johnny paused and took a steadying breath. “It’s because I would see how much it meant to you … because you and your happiness mean as much to me as it does to you. And maybe, just this one time, instead of insisting I see things from your perspective, you could try and see things from mine. I am not, as you so kindly put it, stupid.  Just once could you give me a little credit? Okay, yeah, so I forgot the appointment with Morton. But I have apologized for it….repeatedly. But I am going save that horse… he needs me.” Johnny paused, his jaw clenching, his eyes filled with raw emotion. “And I need him,” he finished in a voice so low that if he had not been standing six inches away…Roy wouldn’t have heard him.

Roy winced at Johnny’s words. The younger man had just hit upon one of the unwritten truths of their relationship. That being, when your partner needs you, you helped him out…no matter what.

Once again, Johnny pushed past him. “Now if you’ll excuse, my cab should be hear any minute.”

By this time Brackett had returned with a slip of paper with Johnny’s next appointment written on it.

Although there was no more yelling, the doctor could see the conversation was still strained. He deliberately placed his body between the two men, and slipped the slip of paper into Johnny’s hand. It was an open show of support for his patient.

“Here’s the date of your next visit, Johnny,” he said quietly.

Johnny smiled at him weakly, “thanks Doc…for everything.”

Kel returned his smile, “sure thing Johnny. I’ll see you in three weeks.”

“I’ll be here,” Johnny confirmed. He shook the doctor’s hand one final time and turned toward the exit. “My cab should be here…so I better go.”

Suddenly the PA system crackled to life.  Dr.Brackett, please report to the base station…stat.

Brackett quickly excused himself and headed down the hall.

Johnny watched him retreat for a moment before he turned back toward the exit. Roy started to reach for Johnny’s good arm, but Johnny swept past him just out of his grasp, shooting him a final glare.

“So that’s it?” Roy called out angrily.  “You’re just going to walk away like a sulking child? 

Johnny spun around. “You didn’t have to come here, you know. I told you before, I’m taking a cab home.”

There was an awkward pause as Johnny glanced around at the on lookers in the waiting room, only now aware that they had an audience. With a flush of embarrassment his entire demeanor deflated.

“Just go home to your family, Roy,” he said sadly.  And without another word, he turned and walked through the exit.

Roy stood in the hall, waiting for over five minutes, hoping Johnny would cool off and eventually come back and accept a ride home….but he didn’t.

“Damn,” Roy whispered. This day just seemed to get better and better.

 

Chapter Eleven

Roy grew angrier as he drove along the freeway on his way back home. Sitting tight lipped, gripping firmly to the steering wheel, his thoughts were going a mile a minute. How dare Johnny dismiss him like that after he had sacrificed an entire afternoon to do him a favour. 

And then there had been the scene at Rampart; what on earth was his partner thinking, getting into it with Morton like that?  Sure, Morton irritated him too at times, but Johnny was the one at fault here. He was the one who missed the appointment. And what made it worse, was it had all happened because he was off on another hair-brained scheme that was sure to destroy his finances. By the time Roy finally pulled into his drive way, he was well and truly angry at his partner all over again.

For several minutes, the miffed paramedic just sat in his Porsche staring out the window; his shoulders and neck aching from holding himself so tense.  Laying his head back, he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath, slowly releasing it in an effort to relax. It helped only marginally so he tried rolling his neck and upper arms in an attempt to work out the kinks.

Glancing at his watch he grimaced when he realized that it was quarter to seven. I should have been home for dinner forty five minutes ago, he mused. It was an unspoken rule that on his days off, unless he was on a fishing trip with Johnny, his wife expected him to be home to eat with her and the kids. The last thing he needed now was to have his wife angry with him as well.

What a miserable two days it had been. After the terrible shift he’d had, he had been hoping for a peaceful two days off. Instead he had come home to a wife close to tears, a mess in the kitchen, and then to top it off, a good part his afternoon had been wasted by waiting on, and then later on, arguing with, his partner.

What made matters worse was that a significant part of their disagreement had taken place in the halls of Rampart. He’d felt so conspicuous standing there like a lump in the middle of the waiting room at Rampart in front of a dozen prying eyes.

Johnny’s very public dismissal of him in front of Brackett, Betty, and other assorted nurses, had left him feeling embarrassed. The thought that he had done the same thing to Johnny in front of his friend, Jonah just an hour earlier never entered his mind.

But right at that moment the only thing he was thinking about was how their argument in Rampart was going to affect him. He was fully aware of how the grapevine worked at Rampart, and with the spectacle his partner had put on today; he knew the rumor mill would be running on overdrive.

The thought of all the surreptitious looks and whispers that would abound whenever he and Johnny dropped off a patient, only served to send his already sour mood spiralling down even further. He couldn’t bear the notion of his and Johnny’s disagreement being the subject of speculation by every, Tom, Dick and Harry. He just hoped none of it filtered back to Cap and the guys, or heaven forbid headquarters.

He blew out a breath and scrubbed his face with his hands. Who was he kidding, of course the guys would find out. It was a given the nurses would tell the other paramedics about it, who would in turn ask Chet. And once Chet got wind of it, the entire department would know. And with Johnny being out on the injured list, Roy was going to have to field their questions alone.

He finally decided that he’d sat there long enough, and shouldered open the door unfolding his body from the tiny sports car. Right now the only thing he really wanted was a hot meal and a few hours of peace and quiet to sit in his recliner, and read the newspaper.

                              ~                             ~                              ~

Upon hearing the front door closing, Joanne pulled her hands out of the sudsy dishwater, drying her hand on the tea towel as she went to greet her husband. She walked into the living room and instantly she knew by his body language and dark expression that her husband was in a bad mood.

He looked almost as tense as he had when he arrived home that morning to find the kitchen in disarray from the broken fridge, and a mound of melting ice-cream lying in the bottom of the fridge freezer. She herself had been in tears over the situation.

Thankfully upon examination, Roy discovered that the issue had been relatively minor, and although they would have to replace some of the spoiled food, the fix itself was an inexpensive one. Once the mess had been cleaned, and the fridge repaired, things had improved dramatically. It was then that Joanne had heard about Johnny’s injury, and the miserable rest of the shift Roy had had to suffer through.

Joanne had sympathized with him, and even felt bad about her own tears. Roy was never at his best first thing in the morning, even on a good day. And with all he had been subjected too in the previous twenty four hours, she went out of her way to try and make it up to him by making him his favourite lunch and tearing up the honey-do list so he could take a hot shower and grab a nap before he had to go take his partner to his follow up appointment with Dr. Morton.

But all of that had been hours ago, and he had seemed in much better spirits when he left to pick up Johnny. Joanne was positive that she hadn’t done anything that would account for her husband’s foul mood now.

She was also surprised that Roy had returned home without his partner in tow; that was usually the standard DeSoto procedure whenever one of the partners had been injured.

Either Johnny showed up to tackle the honey-do list for Roy if her husband had been the one who had been hurt; or Roy would bring Johnny home with him upon his release to let Joanne feed him a decent meal, and send him on his way with enough food for his freezer to last a week.

Perhaps Roy had figured with everything that had gone on that morning, she wasn’t up for guests or extra cooking. Still Johnny wasn’t just a guest. Johnny was family.

 She watched as he flopped down in the chair. It almost looked as if her husband was sulking. She approached him quietly from behind, and gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Why all the moping honey?”  She asked curiously. “Brooding is usually Johnny’s domain. You’re not channeling your partner, are you?” she gently teased.

Roy blew out a heavy sigh. (A little over dramatically, Joanne thought.)

Uh oh… he must be upset with Johnny, she surmised. Well whatever it was, Joanne had no intentions of sitting at the supper table only to be grunted at. She had no idea what was stuck in her husband’s craw tonight. But her day hadn’t started off with sunshine and roses either. And she wasn’t about to let the day end with Roy sulking like a petulant child.

She decided the best thing to do was gently try and prod the problem out of her husband and let him vent until he had it out of his system. Then perhaps the two of them could sit down and enjoy a quiet evening in front of the television.

“When you weren’t here at six, I just went ahead and fed the kids,” She informed him as a way to test the waters. “Chris is over at Tony’s until seven thirty, and Jenny is up in her room playing with her dolls.” She paused and waited to gauge his reaction.

No response.

His disposition was no better, but it was no worse either.  So she was correct in assuming his mood had nothing to do with her or the kids.

“I waited for you to get home to eat. I figured we could share a quiet meal together without the kids interrupting our conversation. It’ll just take me a second to reheat supper. I’ll get it on the table, while you wash up” she finished.

“Fine,” Roy grunted moodily.

This would never do, Joanne decided. She might as well just go ahead and rip the band aid off and get it over with so they could both eat in peace. For some reason, Johnny hadn’t come home with her husband like he usually did. That and the fact that her husband had returned home acting like a lion with a thorn in its paw, caused Joanne to surmise that Johnny was the cause of Roy’s current bad humour. She decided to just take the bull by the horns. Well here goes nothing.

“How’s Johnny?” she asked offhandedly.

“He’s fine,” came the terse answer.

“You didn’t bring back home to dinner?” She quizzed further.

“No…he went home.”

Again with the monosyllabic answers, she mused. Something was definitely off between the partners.

“He wasn’t up for one of my meals? Are you sure he was okay?” she prodded.

“Yes, he was fine,” Roy answered, clearly exasperated by her interrogation. “It wasn’t a serious injury…just his hand and wrist.”

Joanne wasn’t about to let her husband off easily.

“But with only one hand, I would think it would be difficult for him to cook. I’m just worried that he’ll spend the next eight weeks subsisting on cold pizza and beer. The body needs good nutritious food when it is trying to heal broken bones. He really should have come for supper and let me feed him properly.”

She saw her husband’s posture stiffen. Ah ha… she was on the right track. She decided to press her husband further.“It just isn’t like your partner to turn down a free meal,” she insisted.

Roy began to physically squirm in his chair, causing Joanne to grow even more suspicious. She eyed him shrewdly.

“You did invite him to dinner, didn’t you?” she asked.

Roy sat in his recliner and continued to maintain his silence. He knew the jig was up, and that his wife had figured out something was wrong.

Joanne cleared her throat, as she flashed her husband a penetrating glare.

“You mean you just dropped him off without asking him to dinner?” It was as much an accusation as it was a question.

“No,” Roy answered sullenly.

“No, what?” Joanne demanded

“No, I didn’t just drop him off.” Roy barked out angrily.

 “What’s that supposed to mean; you didn’t just drop him off. You mean he’s still in the hospital? I thought you said he was fine…that it wasn’t anything serious.”

Roy heaved a sigh of defeat. He knew his wife wouldn’t let the matter drop now that she sensed something was wrong. She possessed an obstinacy that would not be quelled and would hound him all night unless he told her the whole story.

“I didn’t drop him off period,” he finally confessed. “We had a bit of an argument, and he ended up taking a cab home from Rampart.”

Joanne’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Oh?” 

The word came out in that tone that women use when they expect further explanation.

When Roy made no further comment, Joanne once again cleared her throat, only this time she stood directly in front of him, hands on her hips while the toe of her shoe tapped impatiently on the floor.

As expected, when Roy looked up to meet his wife’s eyes, she was staring at him with her, you had better start talking, glare.

“Don’t look at me like that, Jo,” he said defensively. “I dropped everything and went over to pick up Johnny for his doctor’s appointment, just like we had planned. I got to his place exactly at three, only to discover that Johnny was nowhere to be found. When three thirty rolled around, I was starting to get worried, that maybe his smoke inhalation was worse than we first thought and that he’d had to go back to Rampart. So I call the ER and Betty answered. When I asked her if she had heard from Johnny, she informed me that Mike was looking all over for him too, and he was not happy about his being late.”

Joanne nodded, but kept quiet as Roy told his story.

“I had no idea where he could have gone. His Rover was exactly where he usually parks it. And his bike was right where Chet had parked it, when he brought it home from the station for Johnny this morning. But I knew Morton had told him to come home and rest, so it made no sense that he wasn’t there. So finally I go down to ask Mr. Hopkins if he had seen him, and was promptly informed that Johnny had left with some other guy around noon. So I asked if he looked okay, and Mr. Hopkins said that the two of them were laughing and joking as they got into his friends pickup. In fact Johnny had even stopped to reassure Mrs. Hopkins, that other than his broken hand and wrist, he was just fine.”

“I thought about leaving, but I kept telling myself that he would show up any minute and to just wait five more minutes. Twice during that time, Morton called Johnny’s place, more than a little angry about his orders being ignored. By the time five o’clock rolled around, I had pretty much decided to phone Morton and tell him he would have to reschedule the follow up… in fact I actually had my hand on the receiver… when in waltzes Johnny with his friend,  all smiles and without a care in the world. It turned out he was out gallivanting around the ranch while I was stuck in his apartment worrying myself into and ulcer, and trying to placate Morton half the afternoon. He claimed that he got busy and forgot about the appointment.”

“Well, I could see where that would make you a little angry, but it still doesn’t explain why Johnny refused to come home with you. Surely he understood that you had every right to be a little upset with him,” Joanne said.

“It gets even worse,” Roy said indignantly. “When I finally get him into the car and on our way to Rampart, he finally told me why he forgot. He had apparently promised his buddy from that rescue ranch, that he would come out and take a look at a bunch of horses they had coming in today. And when he gets there, my knuckle-headed, irresponsible partner, took one look at one of the horses and fell in love with it. When the vet informed him that the horse was too far gone and would have to be put down; Johnny jumped right in without thinking, and committed himself taking ownership of the horse … which will include hundreds of dollars in vet bills. All for a horse that Johnny even admitted, that the vet said is likely to die no matter what they do.”

Roy shook his head in disgust. “I tried to make him see sense and abandon the idea before he loses his shirt, but he is convinced he has some magic powers that the vet doesn’t, and that he can save the horse. When I told him he was making a big mistake, he got all up in arms and jumped out of the car at a red light, and walked the rest of the way to Rampart.”

“Naturally I knew he was going to need a ride home, so I followed him to Rampart. And when I walked in, he and Morton were going at it because Morton had chewed him out about being late.” Roy blew out a breath and leaned back in the chair with his eyes closed.

“In the end Brackett had to come and break it up, and he ended up doing Johnny’s follow up himself. When it was all over, I offered Johnny a lift home, but he told me he’d rather take a cab. And he left me standing in the middle of Rampart looking like an idiot.”

Ouch, no wonder her husband was so upset, Joanne mused.  Her husband was so close to Johnny, that their entire family considered him to be a younger brother; so any disagreement would certainly put Roy in a foul mood.

“So Johnny bought a horse huh? Where will he keep it? I mean he can’t keep it at his apartment?” she asked.

“He says the stable he volunteers at is giving him free room and board in exchange for his time,” Roy said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Well, that sounds reasonable,” Joanne answered.

Roy was about to roll his eyes at his wife, but one look at her face, and he thought better of it. Having his partner angry at him was one thing. But an angry wife wasn’t to be entertained. Whatever he was going to say was cut off when Joanne spoke again.

“Now what’s all this about the horse being sick?” his wife asked.

Roy pulled himself up to his full height in the recliner and swivelled around to face his wife.

“It is an abuse case, and even the vet says it’s hopeless … that the horse is too far gone. But for some reason I can’t even begin to fathom, Johnny seems to think that he has some special horse healing powers.  Not only does he think he can heal it, but he’s already spent his entire vacation money on paying for its medical care… and even that amount will only cover the first week or two.”

Joanne remained silent and let her husband get his frustrations off his chest.

Seeing that his wife seemed to be listening objectively, Roy continued on with his rant.

“The worst part of it is; that he still has to come up with a boat load of money before the treatment will be complete. Money he doesn’t have, I might add.”

He ran his hand through his hair, clearly annoyed. “He is so pig headed, that he won’t even try to listen to reason.  He refuses to see how badly he is getting in over his head, and I just know he’s going to end up using his ranch fund to pay for a horse that will probably die anyway. And you know what will happen then?” he asked with a wave of his hand. “By the time his venture of futility ends, he’ll end up with no horse, no vacation, and an empty savings account. And then he’ll be devastated by the loss of the horse, and guess who will have to go in and help him deal with the mess he’s made of his life? Good ole, Roy.”

By the time his tirade was over, Roy’s face was red and he was out of breath.

“You say that, as if you think it is a foregone conclusion,” Joanne said in gently. It was her experience that although Johnny could a bit naïve and headstrong at times, he wasn’t a foolish man.

“It is,” Roy shot back. “I tried to tell him he was being stupid, and not to do it, but he just got unreasonable and refused to listen.”

Joanne cringed internally. Those types of dismissive terms and attitudes from her husband were ones she recognized far too well. Joanne shot him an accusing glance, knowing her husband’s tendencies toward a superior attitude when he felt he was right, and others were wrong; she had, on occasion, been on the receiving end of it herself and knew how mad it made her. She hoped her husband had used more tact when he brought up his objections in regards to Johnny’s new venture. If not, she could only imagine how someone as hot tempered as Johnny would react. The picture of what happened began to become clear in her mind.

“I hope you didn’t actually say it to Johnny in those words?” Joanne chided.

“Well someone had to,” Roy answered defensively.

 “Did you offer him your opinion about your misgivings, or did you just tell him it was a dumb idea and order him not to do it.”

“He’s going to lose his shirt on this deal,” Roy said avoiding her question. “I was just trying to save him from himself.”

“Was he asking you for money?” Joanne asked.

“Well, no, nothing like that,” Roy admitted.

“Did he ask you to help him physically?”

“No,” the fair haired man grumbled, not liking the direction this interrogation was heading.

“Well then don’t you think maybe he is capable of making his own decisions on the matter? If he is willing to risk his vacation or even his savings, don’t you think he has that right? It is his life, after all.” When she got no answer she crouched down until she was eye level with her husband.

“Roy … maybe all he really wanted, was to know that you were in his corner … that you respected his feelings.”

Roy wasn’t ready to concede the discussion. “Getting a horse for a man who doesn’t even own a ranch yet, is completely impractical,” he insisted emphatically.

Joanne smiled fondly at her husband. “And just how practical is it for a married man with a wife and two kids to go out and buy a Porsche? But I supported you, when you wanted it, because I saw how much you loved it,” she reminded him gently.

Roy ignored the statement.

“So what did Johnny have to say when you told him you thought he was making a mistake?” she prodded further.

Roy crossed his arms and sunk lower into his chair, looking exactly like their son Chris did when he knew he was about to lose an argument.

“He said it was his mistake to make,” Roy muttered.

Joanne chuckled softly and rose to her feet.

”What is so funny?” Roy demanded angrily.

Joanne looked down on him, and smiled in triumph as she thrust her point home. “I said the same thing to my mother when she said marrying you would be the biggest mistake of my life … and look how wrong she was about that.”

Roy stared at his wife open mouthed. He hated when his wife talked sense when they were debating over an issue. He decided to try a different tact.

“Well, I still can’t believe he got out of the car and told me to go home after I spent almost three hours on my day off waiting around for him. He was the one that kept me dangling all afternoon, and suddenly I was the bad guy?”

Joanne was undaunted. “You don’t think that just maybe it had more to do with you telling him his idea was stupid, than you being upset because he forgot about his appointment? You do remember how angry he got with you when you called him a nut…and you were only teasing him that time,” she reminded him. “If you actually told him his idea was stupid, then you can hardly be surprised that he took offense to it.”

Roy began to look flustered. “Even so, you should have seen how he went off on Morton. The guy could report him to HQ for blowing off a scheduled doctor’s appointment, especially when you’re being paid sick leave. “

Joanne knew she had him on the ropes, and that he was grasping at straws in an effort to justify his anger.

“And how many times have you come home spitting nails, because you felt Dr. Morton ordered an I.V. when it wasn’t necessary, tying up the squad and wasting time and resources?  And you, yourself said just the other day, that Morton seems to take pleasure out of giving Johnny a hard time.  So just stop and think about it, honey; Johnny arrives home excited about having a horse, and maybe even a little worried about how he’s going to find the money to pay for it, and when he opens his front door, there you are already angry with him for not being there when he’d arranged for you to pick him up.”

Roy opened his mouth to protest, at what he felt was justified anger, but Joanne raised her hands to forestall her husband’s rebuttal.

“I’ll admit you were certainly justified to be miffed with him, “she clarified. “But you also have to admit that due to circumstances beyond your control, you were already fed up with everything that had happened to you. Don’t you think maybe your own patience, was wearing a little thinner than usual today before you even left to pick up Johnny?”

Roy shrugged. He knew anything he said right now could, and would be used against him. Joanne patted his shoulder affectionately.

“Just try and think of it from Johnny’s point of view, Roy. He knew he had messed up by forgetting his appointment so immediately he was on the defensive. Then when he finally tells you why he was late, and how he had fallen in love with the horse, you pretty much called him stupid… which was uncalled for by the way,” she added; the gentleness of her voice taking any sting out of the rebuke.

“The two of you have words to the point where he gets out of the car and walks the rest of the way to Rampart. So now his pride is wounded, and his feelings are hurt, which puts him in an angry mood when he arrives at the hospital. And what is the first thing that happens? Morton starts in on him for missing his appointment … which in the case of your temperamental partner was akin to pouring gasoline on a fire.”

Roy had to admit, his wife had made some good points. Maybe he had handled it wrong. But still, he couldn’t get past how idiotic Johnny was being, sinking a boat load of cash into a dying horse. But he kept these thoughts to himself. He looked up at his wife and nodded his head. He thought back to the one part of the argument that had worried him.

“At one point Johnny even threatened to quit the department and go work for a doctor in private practice,” he told his wife quietly.

“You don’t think he was serious?” Joanne asked in alarm.

Roy shook his head. “No, he was just posturing.” He paused and looked into Joanne’s worried eyes. “At least I think he was.”

 He gave himself a mental shake. Johnny would never leave the fire department willingly. It was in his blood.

“No, he wasn’t serious,” he insisted. “And anyway, Brackett swooped in and calmed down the situation. He took over for Morton and did the examination, and when Johnny left the treatment room, he had calmed down. At least as far as Morton was concerned,” he amended.

Joanne let out a sigh of relief.  “So, how did the examination go…I take it he was alright?”

“That’s what I was told, when he came out.” Roy confirmed.

“You didn’t go in with him?”  The petite woman was shocked. Usually her husband hovered over his partner like a mother hen, even when the injury was something minor.

“He wouldn’t let me go in with him,” he admitted. “He was pretty steamed.”

Joanne decided to let the matter drop for now. She was pretty sure she had made her point, and that Roy would eventually calm down and see his own part in the argument, and talk it out with Johnny.

“Well it sounds like you’ve had a pretty trying day. Why don’t you go wash up and the two of us will have a quiet dinner. Maybe things will be better after both you and Johnny have had a good nights’ sleep… and a chance to calm down.”

“Maybe,” Roy said doubtfully.

“By the way,” Joanne called over her shoulder as she headed to the kitchen.“You did mail Elaine’s birthday package for me like I asked, didn’t you?”\\

Roy smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand. “What with the entire fracas over Johnny today, I guess I got distracted and forgot… I’m sorry honey. I’ll do it first thing in the morning,” he apologized.

Joanne turned around with a sly smile and walked back and stood beside the recliner. She leaned down and spoke quietly into her husband’s ear. “Kind of like Johnny forgot about his appointment when he got distracted. Huh?”

“That’s different,” Roy said defensively.

“Is it?” Joanne challenged. “Forgetting is forgetting…no one means to do it. Just like no one means to trip and fall.”

Roy blew out the long sigh of a defeated man. “I’m sorry, about the parcel. I promise I’ll mail it tomorrow…forgive me?”

“Always,” Joanne she said with a wink before turning to go back into the kitchen. She was halfway across the room and halted. She turned to look back at her husband.

“Just out of curiosity; Johnny did apologize for forgetting about his Dr.’s appointment, didn’t he?”

Roy looked down at his feet, avoiding eye contact with his wife. “Yeah…yeah he did.”

“And was it sincere?” she asked.

“It was,” he admitted with a sigh.

“And did you accept his apology?” she pressed.

Roy shifted. He knew he was busted. And what was worse, he had walked right into it.

“Well? Did you?” Joanne demanded.

“I guess not,” he said guiltily.

“You guess?”  She said in that no-nonsense tone of a mother, who is trying to get her child to admit to a wrongdoing.

“Either you did, or you didn’t.”

“I didn’t,” Roy finally muttered.

“I see,” Joanne said. It was obvious that she had already suspected the truth of the matter.  “Well then don’t you think maybe Johnny had a right to be a little bit hurt, and angry?  I mean, if he was truly sorry and apologized, what more did you want from him?“

Roy continued concentrating on his shoes without answering.

Joanne took pity on him and gave him a gentle kiss on his bald spot. “Go kiss and make up with your partner tomorrow… after, you drop my package off at the post office,” she added playfully.

This time Roy did roll his eyes at her comment. Gradually his face softened until eventually the corners of his mouth turned up into a sheepish smile.

Joanne nodded her head in approval over his improved mood. “I am going over to Charlotte’s tomorrow afternoon for a couple hours. The two of us are putting on that baby shower for Krista on Friday and I’m helping to decorate her home. The kids will be in school, so there is nothing you need to be home for. You can go over and straighten this all out with Johnny right after breakfast.”

“I can’t,” Roy hedged. “I have that dentist’s appointment tomorrow morning.”

Now it was Joanne’s turn to roll her eyes at her husband’s stall tactics.

“Fine, it will give me a chance to make up a few meals that Johnny can put in his freezer. I’ll get up first thing in the morning, before I have to leave for Charlotte’s and make up a pan of lasagna and some of that mac and cheese casserole he loves.  I’ll put them in some oven safe dishes, and you can take them over to him after lunch.”

“He won’t be there. He was going out to that ranch at noon,” Roy informed his persistent wife.

“That’s fine. I’ll just put the food in our cooler with some ice, and you can take them out to him at the ranch, and he take them home himself,” Joanne said in her usual logical way.

Roy wasn’t sure he wanted to face his partner just yet. While he was willing to admit that he should have accepted his partner’s apology the first time he had offered it, he still felt he was right to try and prevent him from committing financial suicide.

He knew they needed to bury the hatchet before they had to work together. But he had plenty of time before Johnny would be ready to go back to work with that broken hand and wrist. To his way of thinking, a little time and distance wouldn’t be a bad idea. Secretly he figured by then the horse would have died and he would have the upper hand of having been proven right.

“It’ll be easier if I just drop them off at his place. I can put them in his fridge and leave a note for him to let him know they are there. Then I can come home and build you that rose arbor you’ve been asking for,” he said trying to justify getting out of the task.

Joanne recognized a diversionary tactic when she heard it. “Oh no you don’t, mister,” she said firmly. “You owe your partner an apology for calling his idea stupid. You may not agree with his choice, but you shouldn’t have called it stupid; especially since it obviously means so much to him.  Plus you need to say sorry, for not accepting his apology when he gave it to you. Now, you’ll go to that ranch and take the cooler with you. You can use it as a peace offering.”

“Fine,” Roy grumbled. He hated arguing with his wife … largely because he never won.

Later that night Roy crawled into bed, and lay beside his wife. There were few pleasures in this world that compared to snuggling up to the warm body of your soulmate at the end of a long day; but even that delight eluded him tonight. He lay there longing for sleep to come and claim him, but thoughts of the past thirty six hours spiraled out of control in his mind, causing an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

 

Continued in Part 3

 

Posted to Site 6/4/17

 

Links To Parts 1. 2. 3.

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