Name That Tune

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

"Music and rhythm find their way into the secret places of the soul." Plato

Chapter 1

The day had been slow for business and the A-shift crew of Station 51 was bored. After moping around the dayroom Hank had finally kicked them all outside for some fresh air while he got some paperwork done.

Mike, Marco and Johnny were playing against Roy and Chet in a 'friendly' game of basketball. Funny how something can start out innocently enough then when the scoring gets close the viciousness comes out. Mike was positioned under the basket waiting for a pass from Marco. Johnny closed in on Roy trying to block him when suddenly the lights went out for Johnny.

"Johnny?" Roy was kneeling down beside Johnny who was on his hands and knees.

"What?" Johnny asked, trying to shake the rattling out of his head.

"I said are you ok? That was quite a whack you got on the head Junior." Roy helped him regain his footing as Johnny reached down to dust the dirt off his pants.

He rubbed his head where the basketball hit him right in the temple, "Yea."

"Here, let me take a look at it," Roy tried to move his hand away from the impact spot.

"No, said I was fine Roy. Don't start mothering me." Johnny ran his fingers through his hair as he moved away from his partner.

La ti da, da da ti da….

"Just tell Marco to turn down the radio, it's giving me a headache," Johnny complained.

Roy looked over to Marco.

Chet spoke up, "Uh, Johnny boy, ya hearing voices in your head now?"

"Not voices Chet, just the music is a little loud." He looked around for the radio but didn't see it out in the parking lot with them. He stopped and listened closer but didn't hear the music again. Looking up he saw the amused look on Chet's face. It was however, the concerned look on Roy's face that made him sigh.

"Look, I'm ok. No more music," he said with a lopsided grin.

Johnny moved over to the sidelines, leaning against his Rover while the others finished the game. They were bantering back and forth with varied threats of what would happen to the looser but Johnny tried to again focus on the sound. Nothing.

Mike and Marco were not giving up without a fight but Roy's pass to Chet at the last moment clinched the win as Chet slam dunked it in the basket. Taking towels and drying off their faces and necks the sweaty crew moved back into the dayroom to find Hank sitting at the table drinking some coffee.

He looked up to see the group come in and plop down in various spots. It didn't take but a glance to see Johnny rubbing his head. "What happened to you?"

Johnny really didn't want Cap to thing that anything was wrong knowing it would only buy him a trip to Rampart. He intentionally perked up and smiled, "Oh nothing Cap. Marco just got me with the basketball. I'm fine now."

He sauntered by everyone and reached into the refrigerator to grab the pitcher of cold tea.

La ti da, da da ti da…..

Johnny froze, and then looked at the other men. They didn't seem to hear the music. What was going on? He'd had plenty of concussions in his time but they were never accompanied with music. Looking over at Roy he decided to keep the song in his head to himself for now. "Drink partner?" He asked.

"Sure, thanks," Roy said as he took the cup. He sat down at the table with Mike and Marco while he drank the cold drink eagerly. Johnny leaned against the counter and sipped his slower. He was almost afraid to move too much, still listening to the soft interlude music in his head.

Chet walked up to the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee, "Leave it to Johnny to have a concussion accompanied by music." He was addressing no one in particular.

Hank had stood up and moved over to the chalkboard where he was beginning to draw a floor plan for the men to study. He turned around, "What was that Kelly?"

"Nothing Cap," Johnny tried to quickly intervene.

"Music Cap. Johnny here was hearing a little song in his head," Chet pushed the point while watching Johnny squirm. Any little rise in his pigeon was a good thing to Chet.

"Johnny? You hearing music?" Hank asked with a subtle rise in his tone. Roy noticed the change in his Captain and wasn't sure what he was so anxious about.

"Cap, he just got a little shaken. He said it stopped right away." Roy looked over to Johnny with a rising concern that he might have missed something that the Cap was seeing.

"Look, said I was fine and I am. I'm not hearing anything. I'm fine." Johnny was getting annoyed. Yes the music was now gone and he sighed a big relief. If a little music got everyone this worked up then he hoped it stayed away. Looking towards the bay he decided it was time to get away from the worry warts. He moved out towards the back of the squad to sit on the bumper, yes it was nice and quiet out here.

The tones sounded just as he started to relax.

"Squad 51, woman down. 34B Carter Grove Apartments, 3040 North Market Street….."

Johnny and Roy headed to the squad and jumped in as Hank passed the information slip to Roy with the address on it. Roy pulled out, hitting the lights and sirens, into the street.

Bah-da-da-di-da –da…Bah-da-da-di-da –da. Ba-di da da dahh di da….

Johnny rubbed his head. Great, it was back. The music was loud now almost drowning out the sirens as they raced down the busy street. He looked over to Roy who seemed to notice nothing unusual. How could he not hear it?

"Roy?"

Roy looked over to his partner to see a confused look on his face, "Yea?"

"Now, I'm only asking this out of curiosity ok?" He paused, "You don't hear anything do you?"

"Are you still hearing that rattle under the dash?" He knew that Johnny could hear all sorts of mysterious sounds from the Squad, real and imaginary.

"No. Not really a rattle this time," Johnny said. He wanted to phrase this right, "More like a ba did a da…da…da…da." Johnny hummed the racing tune for his partner.

Roy looked at the junior paramedic very concerned now. There was no music in the Squad. "Johnny, you hearing the music again?"

"Well, not the same music this time. It's louder and more upbeat. It kinda gets me in the mood for a rescue." He thought about it and yea, it was energizing. It made him feel like something exciting was coming up for them.

Roy was now worried about his partner. He must have been hit harder than they realized. As he drove down the road he tried to keep a close eye on Johnny who was now tapping his toes and humming a tune. Roy did have to admit it was kinda catchy.