Mountain High

These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.

"The essentials to happiness are something to love, something to do, and something to hope for." William Blake

Final Chapter

Hank, Marco and Chet returned home for some well deserved sleep. They finally slept well knowing that things were finally settling down. Hank had left his home number with Dixie in case anything happened before they could get back.

"Johnny, will you quit swatting at me." Dixie exclaimed. Her frustration tempered with overwhelming relief that one of her favorite paramedics was feisty enough to fight the breathing tube being removed. "Now cough for me," she said.

Johnny did as instructed and was greeted with an enormous urge to throw up as the tube slid out of the back of his throat. Dixie told him to take deep breaths which did help settle his stomach some.

"Thanks," he said through a very hoarse voice.

"My pleasure," she replied with a big smile. "I can tell you feel 100% better today."

"Yea." He looked around the room knowing that Roy hadn't been around for a while. Dixie caught the room search he was doing, knowing who he was looking for.

"Looking for someone?" She asked innocently. They had chosen to not tell Johnny about what happened to Roy until he was more stable.

Johnny looked sheepishly at her, "Roy. Thought he'd be here."

She patted him on the shoulder, "Oh he has, the entire time. I promise you." She glanced out the door to the desk. "Hold on." She left the room for just a moment then reappeared with Mike on her arm.

"Mike!" Johnny said then coughing through his raw throat. He was so glad to see him but then felt lost as to why he was dragging an IV pole around. He pointed at it, "What?"

Mike just smiled, "Couldn't let you get all the attention now could I?"

Dixie and Mike just chuckled at poor Johnny's confused look. But he smiled anyway. He didn't know what happened but he was definitely glad to see them.

"Sorry, I don't remember much. Looks like I missed something huh?"

"Oh, don't worry. We'll fill you in," Mike said.

Mike shuffled out with his IV pole trailing beside him as he headed back to his own room downstairs.

"Dix?"

She knew what he wanted. Smiling to calm him, she sat down on his bedside. "Johnny, Roy's fine but he got so overtired trying to help everyone out during the storm that he wound up in the hospital himself." She saw the instant stiffening of Johnny's muscles. "Now listen to me, he's fine now. We put him to bed in the room right next to you and he's been sleeping."

"He's in the ICU?" Johnny knew that couldn't be good. They wouldn't just let Roy claim an ICU bed for a nap. Dixie wasn't telling him something. "Tell me."

She sighed. "He was in here with you, stayed with you all the way from the mountain in fact. Then yesterday he collapsed from exhaustion. But like I said he's fine now. He wound up in the ICU because at first we didn't know if he had a heart attack. But he didn't Johnny. He's ok."

"See him," he rasped.

"Let me go see if he's woken up ok? Kel didn't want anyone to wake him up so he could rest."

"K."

Dixie left his room and went into the next room. Last time she had checked he was still fast asleep. He was lying on his side so she walked around to see his face and was pleasantly surprised to find him awake. "Well. Good afternoon sleepy head," she softly, brushing his hair from his face.

Roy sat up in the bed, feeling completely lost. "What am I doing here? Where's Johnny?"

"Good gracious. You two are exhausting sometimes, you know that?" She smiled while placing her hands on her hips. Roy was still lost.

"Ok, readers digest version. You collapsed from exhaustion. Mike is doing great and has been moved downstairs. Johnny is off the ventilator, awake and driving me nuts wanting to check on you."

Roy smiled, his blue eyes sparkled. "Are we that exasperating Dix?"

"What do you think?"

She helped him sit up and get his balance. He was some rested but that kind of overwhelming exhaustion wasn't fixed in one day's sleep. She reached outside the door and got a wheelchair for him. Helping him slid off the bed she moved him to the chair. He was surprised at how weak his legs were.

Brackett stood in the waiting room and looked serious at the men in front of him, "That's why I came to get you. Roy's with him. I think you should go in there with him."

Hank hung his head down, dropping his shoulders. This meant that Roy was better enough to be up but he thought Johnny had been doing better.

Chet, Marco and Hank moved down the hall to the other end of the ICU to see Johnny and Roy. Hank came around the corner and moved around the curtain. He could see tears running down Roy's face, his shoulders were heaving. Oh no, Hank thought. What were they going to do without Johnny running around the station anymore? Hank braced himself emotionally and physically to be there for Roy. He glanced up at Marco and Chet behind him. They weren't around the curtain just yet, allowing Hank time to console Roy.

He moved over to comfort his friend and co-worker.

"Cap." The voice was raspy, raw sounding. Hank looked up in shock. It was Johnny. He was sitting up in his bed with a big ole Gage smile. His face was bruised, his eyes blood shot, his color was pale, and he winced from the pounding headache. But he was still smiling.

Everyone was taken aback by the large incision on the side of his head. But the one thing that really caught their attention was the fact that Johnny was stark bald. Every single dark curly lock of Gage hair was gone.

"Johnny?" Hank looked back at Roy and realized that he wasn't crying. He was laughing so hard tears were coming down his face.

"What?" He asked Roy.

Roy looked up but couldn't stop laughing. Johnny just shook his head knowing that if he laughed it would hurt way too much.

"Just ignore him Cap," he whispered.

Hank just shook his head, completely confused now.

"You twit! You had me scared to death!" Johnny froze at Hank's outburst.

Realizing that he had really frightened the young paramedic, he backtracked, "Sorry Johnny. Didn't mean to scare you but you really scared us out there."

John laid still and smiled, "Just glad you guys were with me Cap."

Marco and Chet stood by Roy and patted his shoulders as he brought himself under control. Hank still wondered what it was all about. Would they ever know what had brought Roy to tears?

Marco and Chet moved over the Johnny's bed. One look told them he was still fragile but they were so glad to see him, well, as himself.

"How come no one has signed your cast yet?" Johnny asked obviously unaware that everyone had been just a little bit busy.

"Why Johnny boy, do you want first dibs?"

"Sure, come here." Johnny held his hand up while Chet placed a pen in it.

Chet took his arm and held it up close for Johnny, so he didn't have to sit up or anything. Pulling it back close to him he turned his head to read it.

HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU, UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN. JOHNNY.

Chet just laughed, "What makes you think I'm following you on a trail ever again?"

Johnny shot him a crooked smile, "Why Chet, you gonna let a few little complications stop ya?"

Marco, Hank and Roy all laughed at the incredulous look that Chet shot at Johnny before stammering, "A few 'complications'. You have to be kidding me." He looked at the others. "You were unconscious; of course it was a nice trip for you."

"I remember more that you probably realize."

Chet stopped cold, trying to remember what he had said to Johnny all those times. Did Johnny really remember it all? If he did, he would never let him live it down. "Uh, like what?"

Johnny closed his eyes, "I'm really tired now Cap."

Hank took the hint and the game, "Come on Chet, let him rest."

"But Cap, he didn't answer my question."

"Out Kelly."

"Fine. I'll talk to you later Gage."

Johnny smiled as he drifted back to sleep.

Moving to Mike's room they found him awake and watching TV. He was now off his oxygen and his color was one hundred percent improved.

"Heya buddy, how ya feeling?"

"Better Cap." Mike reached and turned the volume down on the TV.

"When you getting out of here," Marco asked, sitting on the end of his bed.

"Doc says I should go home in the next few days. I think they are moving Johnny and Roy down today so I can have some company."

"Well, maybe you'll be lucky and get Roy. You won't get any rest with Johnny around." Chet grumbled, sore that he didn't get to finish that conversation with him.

"I don't know Chet, I was up there to see him earlier today and it sounded like he had a lot to tell me about." Mike shot Chet a sly smile.

"Like what!" Chet was on his feet again.

Hank saw where this was headed, "Mike, don't get him all riled up. I have to put him in the truck with me to go home."

Poking at Chet was just way too much fun. "Sorry Cap." He said with pretty much no sorrow in his voice.

They filed out of the room with Chet complaining the whole way.

Pete came into Kris's room. He was terrified of what he might find, how she might be. There was no one around to update him on her condition so he didn't know what to expect. Moving to her side she looked like she was simply sleeping, her color was so pale. Taking her hand in his he leaned in close to her kissing her on the cheek and forehead.

"She's been waiting." Hank's voice startled him.

"How's Johnny?"

"Much better. He did well with the surgery and woke up shortly afterwards."

"Good." He paused, "What is she waiting for Hank?"

Hank moved beside him, "She needs to hear that you love her. She needs to know there's something to come back too."

"You sound like you speak from experience here."

"Unfortunately yes." Hank moved back towards the door. "I gotta go get Chet. He hates the hospital and tends to get in trouble when he's alone too long." He chuckled as he headed out the door.

Pete stood up again and moved to her side. "I'm so sorry I never told you how I felt. You were too beautiful and I admit I was afraid of facing the same prejudice that you've faced. But almost loosing you has shown me that I don't want to go another day without you. I love you with all my heart and never want to let you go. Please wake up Kris."

He settled down next to her bed, resting his head on her covers. Soon he fell asleep holding her hand. Something woke him up. He looked up not sure how long he had been asleep. Looking around he knew that no one else was in the room. When he looked back at Kris he expected to see her asleep. It took a moment to register that her eyes were now open.

Her voice was hoarse and weak but her words were clear, "I love you too."

"Well?" Johnny asked Roy when he came back into his room.

"She's awake," Roy smiled.

"I knew it would work," Johnny said smugly.

"Of course you did Junior. Now go back to sleep."

"Now are you gonna apologize to me?" Johnny asked sternly.

"What did I do?" Roy asked innocently.

"You know."

"Have no idea Junior," Roy looked mischievous.

"See, you know perfectly well."

Roy headed to the door, "Get some sleep. You need it."

Johnny looked like a little kid, "Okay."

As Roy headed out the door to home for continued rest, "Sweet dreams Kojak."

"ROY!"

EPILOGUE

It had been six months since the crew of station 51 had come onto the mountain high for a simple camping trip. Everyone was home from the hospital, recovered and back at work. Johnny was the last one to return and only then was the A-shift family complete again.

"Where did Joanne put that special box?" Johnny was running around his ranch home like a crazy person.

"She put it on the main table with the rest of them. Will you please settle down! You're wearing me out." Roy barked at him.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? You're calm enough for the both of us, how can you be so calm at a time like this?" Johnny was just amazed at his partner.

"It's easy Johnny. Stop running around. Joanne has everything ready. You know she's been working on this for 3 months."

But Johnny was already running back into the kitchen to check the food, again. But only a moment later he was racing around the living room again. Turning over couch cushions and spinning the reclining chair around.

Roy reached down and picked up the black baseball hat, "Looking for this?"

Johnny turned around and smiled that crooked smile of his. Rubbing his hand across his mostly bald head he took the hat. "Okay. Now I'm ready. Let's get this show on the road."

The music started and Johnny rushed to find his place next to Hank, Mike, Chet, Pete and Marco. They turned to look past the seated crowd in Johnny's backyard to see Roy walking the bride down the isle. They passed through a beautiful white arch, past the rows of white chairs as everyone stood in awe of her beauty. Approaching the priest, who was himself standing inside a gazebo covered in lace and yellow roses, Roy guided the bride up to her groom.

Marco stepped forward and took Anna's hand with a smile that would light up the darkest night as the ceremony began.

As he spoke to the couple Pete looked across at the row of bridesmaids, Dixie, Mrs. Martha, Mary who was Anna's sister, then to the maid of honor, Kris. They caught each other's eyes as they twirled, at the same time, the gold bands on their left hands.

Authors Note: Thanks for a fun story. It was made possible by the continued reviewers who shared their thoughts throughout with me. I hope to continue to hear from you as I move on to a new adventure.