Cliff Diving

by MM

disclaimer: The characters (and they certainly are!) do not belong to me. Honest, I do know how to write stuff other than angst! Maybe. As always I'll help 'em up, dust them off, give 'em a smooch and send them back when I'm done.

rating: T

Chapter 1: In which Hank fills in forms and Kel pulls out gravel.

Mike Stoker leaned back in his chair and stretched his long, lanky, body. He silently luxuriated in the prolonged peace and quiet that filled the station. The squad was out on a run, Chet and Marco were shooting hoop and Cap was filling in more paperwork. He sipped at a perfectly made cup of coffee and flipped to the next section of paper.

"That fresh coffee I smell?" Hank Stanley asked his engineer from his office. He didn't want to commit to walking into the kitchen until he knew for sure.

"Yep, just made it," Mike called back. "Want me to bring you a cup?"

"That'd be great, pally," the captain answered. He pushed the completed requisition forms into the inter-county envelop, wrapping the red string around the cardboard 'button'. Another form bites the dust!

Stoker carried in two mugs and a few cookies from the jar. One of 'C' shifts spouses had baked and they were enjoying the leftovers. Setting the mugs down, Mike snagged a chair and sat down.

"Catching up?" he inquired politely. Hank snorted.

"Not bloody likely," he replied waving at a stack of paperwork. "I think it's breeding." Mike gave the pile a critical look.

"Hmmm, I would put it past accounting and requisitions to develop self-generating forms," he said, poking at the seemingly innocuous pile. He watched as Stanley sniffed the coffee appreciatively and sip in some hot liquid.

"Ah, untouched by Kelly's hands," Cap quipped, earning a grin on his engineer's face.

"It is amazing he's never learned to make drinkable coffee," Mike said. "I had Johnny trained the first month he was here. But Kelly's a lost cause." They sat in companionable silence, the sounds of the basketball game drifting through the open door.

Desoto put his hands on his hips as he glared at his partner.

"And I say you ARE going to see a doctor at Rampart!" he said as sternly as he could. Said partner simply cocked an eye up at him.

"Roy, they'll just clean it out and put a bandage on it," he grumbled. "If I'm lucky. If I'm not and I get Morton I'll be held overnight for observation!"

"You won't be held overnight, but you will get that cleaned out!" Roy insisted as they followed the ambulance attendants to their vehicle. The senior paramedic pushed his partner in and passed him the equipment. This way Gage would be inside the hospital and much easier to corner than if he drove the squad in.

"Hey man, I got ta go in," complained the Tom, the victim. "If I gotta go then you do too! I saw how you slid down the hill to me!" Johnny glared at the grinning man on the stretcher. Then he threw up his hands.

"Ok, Ok!" he capitulated. "I'll have one of the docs clean me out." Actually, he was relieved Desoto had raised a fuss. The abraided skin felt like it was carrying half a cliff's worth of gravel embedded in it. He couldn't clean it out himself and it was a sure bet Roy wouldn't do it, either. Slamming the back doors, Roy hit the window twice and went to stow the rest of the equipment in the squad.

First things first, the hang glider who hit the cliff and broke at least his leg, was wheeled into exam room 3. Morton was already there ready to take a look and decide on treatment.

"Remember, fireboy, go find a doc!" Tom, grinned. Morphine certainly took care of the pain. Morton looked up briefly.

"You get hurt, John?" he asked in his somewhat disinterested tone. He was secretly glad he was already occupied as the paramedic was not the easiest patient to deal with.

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered rebelliously. "A little scrape."

"And picked up enough gravel to start a construction company," Tom snickered. Oooh, he was feeling no pain! Gage glared at him.

"Go see Dixie," Morton said. "We're fine in here." He turned his considerable attention to the patient and shut all other concerns out. The paramedic turned and went in search of the head nurse.

"Hi Dixie, doc," Johnny said with a lop-sided grin. Kel Brackett looked up, noting the shredded shirt. Dixie, too, swept her eyes over the younger man and pursed her lips, waiting.

"Could someone check my side out? I slipped down a cliff and..." Gage started only to have the nurse immediately pick up his wrist to take his pulse.

"This is serious, Kel," she said with complete sincerity. "Johnny Gage is admitting to needing treatment." The doctor leaned forward with the same false concern.

"You're right, Dix," he said. "We'd better get set up in 2 and order a skull series." Johnny frowned and pulled his hand back.

"Boy, see if I do what Roy tells me again!" he growled as the twosome chuckled.

"Sorry, Johnny," Dixie apologized as she came around the counter with Brackett.

"It was way too easy," Kel added as he took a peek under the torn shirt, grimacing. Yep, that would need to be cleaned out! "Come on, hose jockey. I'll even use a sharp needle to administer the lidocane!" With pretend grumbling Johnny allowed the nurse and doctor to guide him into the empty exam room.

They were in the thick of pulling out gravel when the exam room opened and Roy and Joe Early came in.

"Oh my heart!" Early grabbed his chest. "My heart! Johnny Gage is actually submitting to treatment!" Roy grinned.

"So, who nailed him?" Roy asked. Brackett didn't look up as he continued to pull the cliff out of the paramedic's side and back.

"No one, he asked," Kel said in a preoccupied tone.

"And you'd better drop it, you two," Dixie scolded, "or he won't ever do that again!" Both men chuckled.

"Sorry, Johnny, it was just too good to pass up," the older doctor said as he patted the man's shoulder.

"You know, I'd say something nasty, but there's a lady present," Gage mumbled as the tweezers went back in for another hunk.

"Oh, darn," Dixie pouted. "I was hoping to learn a few new words!" Early moved around to view the damages.

"Wow, you really did a number there," he commented as he watched. "Want me to take over for a minute?"

"Yes, that would be good," Kel said as he relinquished the tweezers. "We might need some more lidacane pulled up. It's a little more extensive than we initially thought."

"Looks like you'll get a couple stitches, too," Joe said as he plonked a piece of gravel in the tray Dixie held.

"Wonderful," he groused.

"Cheer up, partner," Roy said. "At least we're missing Chet's latest attempt at lunch." That was a good point! "Tell you what, since we're out of service I'll go order up some lunch for us to go. Nice big roast beef sandwich?" That brought a grin to his partner's face.

"Yeah, with mustard! And chips! Here," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a ten. With a matching smile Roy took the money and left to fetch lunch.

It took another half hour to finish, the wound carefully irrigated to get out any leftover dirt. Then Early added a dozen stitches or so to pull it all back together. Gauze, tape, and a pat on the back and Gage was good to go. He thanked the comedy team that treated him and gratefully joined his partner out in the squad.

"Squad 51 available," he said into the mike. "Squad 51," came the reply.

"Next time someone has to go down a cliff, it's gonna be me, pally," Roy said as he started to back into the station.

"Ok, next time you can," John said amicably. He'd agree to anything to get at his sandwich. They hopped out of the cab and went into the kitchen. Johnny secured two tall glasses and poured out iced tea while Roy divvied up the chow. Cap popped his head out the door.

"Hey guys, what took so long?" he asked.

"Uhm, we were generating more paperwork for you," Roy said sheepishly. Every injury had to be documented. He heard a muffled laugh and realized Mike was in the office as well.

"WHAT??" Stanley nearly screamed. He came out of the office followed closely by his second in command. Both paramedics looked up with identical innocent expressions. Gage seemed a little too clean and he settled his captainly gaze on him.

Squirming, the younger of the pair stood up and displayed his gauze patch.

"A dozen stitches," he admitted.

"Hey, I'll have you know Johnny asked for the doc!" Roy defended him. "And we agreed the next time we have to rappel down a cliff, I go first!" Gage sat back down and picked up his sandwich. No way he was going to miss out on lunch now!

Cap reached over and snagged the paramedic's bag of chips. "Half the bag and I do the reports here," he stated. "Otherwise, bag up the lunch and come into my office." Gage sneered with a full mouth. That was blackmail! Grudgingly he nodded and continued to chew. With a chuckle, Mike walked into the office and pulled out the correct forms and captain's log book. He set these in front of Hank and then swiped a handful of chips from Desoto.

"Hey!" Roy complained. "I didn't have the accident!" Mike smile sweetly.

"Yeah, but you're going down the rope next!" the engineer said logically. "This will keep you honest!" Grumbling at the unfairness of it all the older paramedic watched as half his chips disappeared into Mike.

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