Starlight Starbright

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.

"All that is gold does not glitter, not all that wander is lost." J.R.R. Tolkein.

I hope you have enjoyed my little story. Thanks to everyone for all the great reviews, you've been awesome support!

Chapter 19

Bobby stood beside his wife. It broke his heart to see her so helpless lying there. He would normally never describe her as frail. She was the strongest, most independent woman he had ever known and so full of life. If it wasn't for her fierce dedication to her children and him he knew they would all be lost. But now, she was not only frail but so helpless looking. He knew that now, she needed him more than he had ever needed her. He took her hand, "Amy, its Bobby. You're safe now and you're going to be okay." He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. She didn't stir but he knew that she was medicated for the pain. The doctor had updated him on the gunshot wound and the surgery. He leaned back in the chair by her bed thinking about the phone call he had received. The police officer had told him what happened. He couldn't get past the point that the fireman he blamed for Amanda's death, wrongly he now knew, had risked his life to save his Amy.

Roy paced the waiting room, there was still no word from the doctor and he was losing patience. Hank decided he would never complain about Rampart in any way ever again. They never hesitated at making sure he was updated on his men, but here they were just strangers. Never before had they been so shut out of knowing about an injured friend and they all felt a little lost.

Bobby moved out of Amy's room, glancing at the desk to see no one was there and went into the room of John Gage. He was surprised to find the young man alone; didn't he have family to be there with him? He stood beside his bed, surrounded with monitors and the respirator and found himself wincing at the battering he had apparently taken. Yes, the officer told him but seeing it was another thing. He knew that this young man was an extrodianary soul to endure such suffering and still not put his self first through all that had happened.

"You shouldn't be in here Mr. Starlight," he turned to find a nurse in the doorway.

"Where is his family?"

"It's my understanding he doesn't have any." Her voice softened, "I'm going to have to ask you to stay with your wife though."

He nodded and moved back to Amy's room.

Hank paced the floor opposite of Roy. There still had been no word yet and he was beginning to wonder if there even would be. No one here considered them the family that they were.

CODE BLUE ICU

CODE BLUE ICU

CODE BLUE ICU

All the men jumped up, Roy's heart felt like it had stopped. Hank decided enough was enough and made his way to the nurse's station desk.

"We need to know how John Gage is doing. Can someone please tell us?"

The one nurse standing at the station looked into one of the patient's room. Hank caught the glance, "The code? Is it John?"

"I'm sorry sir, but I can't give out any information except to his family," she said, slightly intimidated by the man's apparent high anxiety.

"Look Mame, I know you're just doing your job but we are his only family. And that man right there has full medical authority over his care." Hank pointed towards the frustrated but quiet Roy as they all approached the desk with him.

A doctor approached the desk, "Alison, is there a problem?"

"Sir, these men are asking to see Mr. Gage."

He looked at Hank, "You are Mr. Gage's friends correct?"

"Yes." They all nodded in confirmation to their Captains word.

"The code, is it Johnny?" The doctor looked up to see Roy and suddenly realized he had forgotten to get him in all the excitement.

"Yes, I'm sorry. The code team is with him now. I don't think he will make it. The prolonged respiratory failure has caused his heart to fail."

Roy stepped forward, "I need to see him doc."

The doctor started to shake his head no but Hank took the man's arm, "Doctor, we realize that this is unconventional but it's something I can't explain. You need to let Roy see him. Johnny has to know he's not alone. Especially now."

The doctor wasn't sure what it was about the man's plea but he found himself agreeing, "Okay, follow me." At this point he knew it wouldn't really make any difference. The young man was losing his fight.

Hank and Roy followed the doctor into the ICU room and paused. There was one nurse on his bed doing chest compressions, a respiratory therapist giving him breaths, a doctor yelling for more medications and in the back a solemn Roy and Hank. Hank now was just glad they would get to tell him goodbye.

Roy only paused for a moment. He moved forward through the crowd of people without speaking, his movements steady and deliberate. The medical team wasn't sure what was going on but found themselve's moving out of his way. He walked up to the side of the bed. Placing one hand on Johnny's chest he locked his eyes on the nurse and smiled softly at her. Then turning back to Johnny he placed his other hand on his shoulder. He leaned in and spoke softly to his friend, his brother. The room grew quiet save for the humming of the ventilator.

"Johnny, its Roy. We found you, all the guys are here and you're safe now. Amy is here too, she's going to be okay. You saved her. And Amanda, Johnny no one blames you for anything. Her death was not your fault. Now I need you to come back to us partner. I need you Junior to fight this and come back to us."

The nurse felt the blue eyed man gently push her hands away from his chest, stopping the compressions. As she leaned back they watched the monitor as it remained flat.

Hank felt something brush past him and looked up to see Chet coming in the room. He walked over to the other side of the bed. Almost afraid to touch him he patted his arm, "Come on Johnny, you haven't used all those nine lives yet. Come back."

The young doctor assisting with Johnny's care was caught off guard by all this terrible breach of policy.

"What are all these people doing in here?" He reached out to grab Roy's arm but was stopped by a even firmer grasp on his own arm. Startled he looked up to find a tall dark headed man beside him.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you," Mike said.

Before he could start yelling for security the older doctor Roy had meet earlier pulled the young doctor out of the way as Marco and Hank joined them at the bed.

"Talk to him Roy," Mike told him.

Roy leaned in closer. "Junior it's up to you now. We're all here, you're family is here now. It's time to come back."

The medical team watched this man and his faith in his friend with sadness. This so called family from LA. The doctor knew they had already run all the drugs more than once and there was nothing else they could do so he allowed the compressions to be stopped. He allowed them to say goodbye.

Then they heard a noise. One the monitor there was a beep, one more, then another.

"That's it Johnny, you can do it," Marco whispered.

Gaining strength with each stroke of his heart the rhythm began to stabilize.

"Well, I'll be damned," the doctor said under his breath as they watched the rhythm. The team was speechless.

Hank let out a deep breath and moved up behind Roy, slapping him on the back. Roy looked back with a smile on his face, something that Hank hadn't see in quite a while.

The brash young upstart of a doctor couldn't absorb what had just happened but then he had never met the Station 51 A-shift family before. "It is just the delayed effect of the epinephrine."

The older doctor took him by the arm and led him from the room. Glancing back he smiled at th group of men that now surrounded Mr. Gage, "Dr. Gates, you have a lot to learn about the power of family."

As the Code team packed up and left the room Roy pulled up a chair to stay by his partners side and this time no one dared to question it.

As the days passed Roy stayed by Johnny's side watching him heal and finally come off the ventilator. The others had returned to LA that next morning when his condition had stabilized and since had gone back to work. Roy used his vacation time to make sure that Johnny wasn't alone until he was doing better. They also followed Amy's progress closely and she improved quickly. Soon she was able to be discharged home with her family.

Roy sat in the chair reading the paper and looked up to see Johnny smiling at him, "What are you grinning about?"

"You," Johnny said.

"What about me?"

Johnny was leaned back in the bed with his arms folded behind his head, "You were worried about me, admit it."

Roy smiled, well more smirked. "Of course I was worried. I thought I might have to ride with Brice full time."

Johnny looked momentarily hurt, "Is that all?"

"Sure, you know how bad it is to work with him." Roy wanted to laugh but held it in. The pure pleasure of being able once again to give his friend a hard time was wonderful to Roy.

"Listen, I'm heading back to LA later today. I'll be back in three days when you're released to pick you up."

Johnny was ready to get out of this strange place, "Three days too long if you ask me."

"Well, three according to the doctor, so three it will be. Give you time to catch up on your soaps."

Johnny looked offended, "I don't watch the soaps."

"Oh yea, then how will you find out if Michelle has Martins baby?" He sat back and waited.

Johnny sat up in the bed and started waving his hand around, "That baby isn't his everyone knows she slept with Jackson that weekend at the beach besides anyone could see how she looks at Doctor Breeze. It's obvious that the …." Johnny paused to see the grin spread across his partners face.

"Uh huh," Roy laughed at the flustered patient.

"Dang you Roy," he said as he pulled himself up in bed a little more, wincing at his sore chest.

True to his promise three days later, and not to mention several phone calls in between, Roy arrived to pick up Johnny. Being forced to exit the hospital in a wheelchair Roy grabbed his bag for him as they waited for the nurse to come back and escort them out.

They both looked up to see a beautiful blonde in a snazzy pantsuit come into the room with a big smile on her face.

"Amy!" Johnny exclaimed.

She came up and gave him a big hug almost not letting go, "Johnny, I just had to see you one more time before you were gone. You look almost 100% better." She winked at Roy.

"Feel better too," he said smiling.

She ran her fingers down his bruised cheek, "Their almost gone."

His voice got quieter, "Yea, almost."

Her fingers then moved to his chest, where his heart was, "And here?"

He placed his hand over hers, "better also, thanks to you."

She bounced back up, "Good, now go home." She giggled as she headed to the door. "You have a job waiting on you."

They waved goodbye to her as she left the room. Roy looked at Johnny. While he had been with him they had not really talked about Amanda and what happened the day he left the station. Johnny did know that the hearing had been cancelled but they never really went beyond that, including if he was returning or not. Roy knew that pushing him wouldn't get either one of them anywhere and that Johnny would talk when and if he was ready.

Roy looked at him and reaching out, took Johnny's right hand turning it palm up. Then reaching into this coat pocket he pulled out a small manila envelope, opened it, and poured the contents into his hand.

"She's right; you have a job waiting on you."

Johnny just smiled a big ole Gage smile, "Thanks partner."

Thinking their nurse was coming back in they looked up as the door opened again but this time it was Amy's husband.

"Good, we caught you before you left," he said with a big smile. Amy and Bobby had also kept close tabs on Johnny's progress, seeing him everyday while Amy was still in the hospital. "Amy would be broken hearted if she didn't get to say goodbye."

Johnny laughed, "She beat ya to it Bobby. You know she's quicker than the eye."

A puzzled look came across the man's face, "What are you talking about?"

"Amy, she was just in here," Johnny said.

At that moment Amy walked in behind him, in a soft baby blue dress, her arm in a sling and a dressing seen under the shoulder sleeve of it.

"Johnny, I'm so glad we didn't miss you! You look almost 100% better."

Johnny and Roy just looked at her with their mouths open leaving Amy and Bobby a might bit confused in the process.