Like always, nothing about these stories are mine except the ideas. I get nothing from these but the pleasure from the feedback. Here's a short story inspired while listening to the radio and I had a vivid daydream about Johnny. It was so real, I could almost believe I'd watched it. I haven't abandoned my other stories but this light little tale just had to be told for the holiday weekend. Enjoy.

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Roy rolled over and peeled open his eyes. He knew his clock was right in front of him, on the nightstand and he was fairly confident he knew what it said. 'Yeap, right on the dot,' he mused to himself as he confirmed the clock said 5:25. Once again, he'd awaken five minutes before the alarm. He reached up, canceled the alarm and reached over to kiss his still snoozing wife before he climbed out of bed.

As he climbed into the shower, he couldn't help smiling. 'Right now, Jo is getting out of bed and putting on her robe,' he chuckled to himself. 'Then she'll wake up Chris and Jenny, remind them of the plans for today, then she'll head down to the kitchen and start breakfast. I bet it'll be French toast since it's Friday.' He finished his shower and went into his bedroom to get dressed. As he left his bedroom and started down the hall, he took in a deep long breath through his nose. 'Ahhhh, Jo's French toast.'

He walked into the kitchen and kissed the back of his wife's neck where she bent over the hot iron. He then reached out and snagged the cup of coffee that sat on the table next to a tall glass of orange juice. He took several satisfying sips even as his wife looked up. "Good Morning. Your coffee is …Oh! I see you found it. Well, breakfast will be ready in …."

"Just a few more minutes." He finished with her as he set the coffee back on the table. She looked up at him with a trace of a frown. "Am I that old and predictable?" She asked.

He reached out and pulled her closer to him, "You're not old; you'll never be old. To me you'll always be either that adorable green eyed pigtailed girl I first fell for or that gorgeous auburn beauty in the white dress I married."

She snuggled up against him for a moment but then continued, "But I'm predictable."

He sighed as he grabbed the glass of juice. She watched as he drained it in a few gulps then sat at the table. "You say that like it's a bad thing but it's not. Predictable to me is . . ." he searched for a word then smiled as he found it, "Pleasant."

She pulled the finished toast from the iron and placed it on the plate with the others. Then she took it, the plate with sausages on it and her coffee cup and placed them on the table. She sat herself next to her husband as he forked several slices of the French toast on his plate along with several sausage links. He then poured blueberry syrup over them all and took a big bite. "ummmmm, good."

She watched her husband and smiled at his obvious pleasure but her mind kept coming back to his words. She wasn't sure she liked becoming predictable. To her it felt too much like boring, stuck in a rut, old. She sipped her coffee and sighed.

Roy could tell his words were still upsetting his wife and knew he needed to elaborate. "Jo, look at it from my side. My job is anything but predictable. When the tones go off anything, and sometimes everything, can happen. Many times it happens all at once. There is no such thing as 'normal' on a run. So when it comes to my personal life, whether here or at the station, a set routine is . . . .stabilizing." He smiled.

He could see the affect the words had on his wife by the emotions showing on her face. "Sooooo, stable is good, it's 'predictable'." She smiled to let him know the words were said without rancor. He nodded and happily applied himself to his breakfast as his children swarmed noisily into the room.

'Ahh, now Chris will take one look at the food and ask his mom for cereal. Jo will tell him this isn't a restaurant. Jenny will grab a piece of toast cut it into fourths and eat it with her fingers while dipping it into syrup on her plate and chattering about what she'll do today.'

Chris stopped and looked over the food set out and made a face. "Awww Mom. French toast again? Can I have cereal?"

"Does this look like a restaurant, young man? You will eat what is prepared or you can go hungry. Jenny, I want you to eat at least one sausage and please use silverware, that's what it's for."

Chris grumbled as he put two pieces of toast on his plate and covered them with maple syrup. Jenny munched happily on the piece in her hand, occasionally dipping it into the syrup she'd poured on her plate. "Daddy! Guess what? We've got swim lessons at the 'Y' today and the 'structer said I'm doing so good I can 'vance up to Fish class!"

"Fish class? Really? That's great, honey." He told the girl as he took another helping of French toast himself. Blonde bangs bounced into Jenny's blue eyes as she bobbed her head happily. She barely sat in her chair, both her legs swinging wildly under her chair. Bemused, he watched her barely constrained energy and thought, 'Kids have so much energy; where does it all go when we are adults and really need it?' Then with an internal chuckle he amended that thought, 'Well, most adults. I can't say that my partner fits that axiom.' He chuckled again as he thought of his dark haired partner, six years his junior. Paramedic/firefighter John Gage might be a grown man, but he had a slender build more like a half-starved teenager and the appetite and energy to match. The man was constantly eating when not on a run and practically ricocheted around the station if they had a slow shift. There had been plenty of times Roy had wished he could've siphoned off some of that vigor for himself.

Before long, both children were finished with breakfast and running off to start their day. Now that things had calmed down, Jo worked on her own breakfast while Roy sat back, contented and full and enjoying another cup of coffee. After chewing a piece of sausage carefully and swallowing, Jo turned to her husband with a thoughtful expression on her face. Roy knew their previous discussion was still on her mind.

"Ok, I can give you that. Your job certainly is unpredictable and I can see where stability' she stressed the word strongly and he chuckled, "would be desired. But predictable?" She shook her head, "I just don't buy that as a good thing."

Roy shook his head slightly. It was on the tip of his tongue to say he just knew that his use of that word would bug her, but while it would prove his point, he also knew it would start a fight and there was no way he wanted to start a shift with an argument with his wife. He shrugged as he sipped his coffee, "Then don't think of it as predictable, think of it as stability."

She snorted at that, "Stable? I can think of one thing in our lives that is certainly not stable." Their eyes met and both spoke at the same time.

"I'm thinking of your partner!"

"You're thinking of Johnny."

They both laughed. Jo stood up and began to clear the table. Roy helped her. "Well, surprisingly, you are wrong."

Jo drew back and looked at him in surprise. Roy couldn't help but look a little smug as he replied. "Johnny may not be strictly 'predictable'" he made quote motions with his fingers as he said the word and watched his wife's eyebrows cant upward.

"Roy," she interrupted, "You can't say that there is anything about your partner that can ever be considered predicable."

Roy shook his head, "Actually, Jo there is." He laughed at her look of total unbelief. "I think after nearly two years of working side-by-side with him, I've figured him out. He might not be predictable, as I already stated," He frowned at her unladylike snort and continued as if she hadn't, "but he has a pattern he keeps."

She continued to look at him in disbelief so with a patient sigh he explained. "Ok, bear with me. Today is the last shift for a three day break. So Johnny's had two days off and he probably went somewhere."

His wife nodded in agreement. She knew that Johnny didn't plan much for the single 24 hour period between the first and second shift in a stretch. He preferred to do errands and things like that on those days so his longer breaks would be free to do what he really wanted. It was a good bet that with the lovely weather they'd had this last 48 hour break that Johnny had gone somewhere to either camp, hike or do one of the other outdoor activities he so loved.

Roy saw her nod and tried had not to smirk. "So you know he probably got back late and got to bed late. It's now . . ." He looked at the watch on his wrist, "6:20. By now, Johnny has already hit the snooze button twice. In ten more minutes, it will go off again. This time he'll read it and realize what he's done. He'll leap outta bed, probably trip over something and fall, scrape himself up and race to the shower. He'll finish up there, check the time as he throws on clothes, realize he now doesn't have time for breakfast and still be on time and he'll race out the door. He'll tear into the station's parking lot with about 10 minutes to spare, race into the locker room, change and skid into place just as Cap calls for roll call." He looked smugly at his wife. She rolled her eyes but she had to admit, it did sound like a typical morning for their friend.

"Ok. Maybe it will go like that," she conceded. "Or something close." He chuckled as he kissed her cheek. "I'll call you after roll call and let you know how close." She grumbled under her breath as she began washing the dishes.

She listened as her husband finished getting ready for work then met him at the front door just as he walked toward it with his clean uniforms over his shoulder. He still held that same smug look as she kissed him and wished him a safe shift. His chuckle floated back to her as he got into his car and drove off.

Roy was sitting on the bench in front of his locker, sipping a cup of coffee, another on the bench in front of him as Johnny burst through the door. "Not bad, Junior. You made it with . . ." he looked at his watch, "7 minutes to spare."

Johnny glared briefly at his smirking partner as he ripped his shirt over his head and dropped his jeans to the floor, while toeing off his tennis shoes. "Ahhh, I turned off my damned alarm again. I'm gonna have to move it away from the bed or something, Roy, so I stop doing that."

He pulled off his pants, rolled them and his shirt and shoes quickly up and shoved them into his locker. He pulled his uniform pants off the hanger and sat briefly as he stuffed both legs into them at once. He stood quickly and stumbled as he tried to yank them upward but couldn't since he was standing on the material. Roy grabbed his arm, steadying him as Johnny shifted his feet and released the fabric. He pulled them up around his slender hips as he gave Roy a fast grin. He grabbed a white t-shirt, pulled it over his head and down with one hand while the other pulled his uniform shirt off it's hanger. He slid one arm into it, then the other and began buttoning it up.

"Well, you better do something. You know how this new cap is about being late."

Johnny nodded, "I know. I know." He shoved his shirts into the waistband of his pants then zipped, and buckled his belt. He grabbed his badge and pins from the dish in his locker shelf and begin attaching them while he sat. Roy leaned forward, his attention caught by the darkened area he saw below his partner's right eye. "What happened here?" He touched the bruised area and Johnny pulled away with a grunt.

Johnny grabbed his work shoes from the locker and dropped them on the floor, shoving both feet into them as he made a face. "'s nothing. Got tangled in my sheet and made contact with the nightstand." He pulled his left foot up, tied the boot then dropped it back down as he pulled up the other and treated it the same way. He stood, his hands patting down his body as he checked his uniform.

"Pouch." Roy said helpfully. Johnny snapped his fingers and grabbed his scissors pouch, attached it to his belt, then grabbed his notebook and pen and placed them in his chest pocket. He dropped back to the bench with a weary sigh, running his long fingers through his hair. He looked at his watch and grinned at the time.

Roy chuckled and pushed the other cup toward his partner as he stood, sipping his own. Johnny grinned as he took a drink. "Thanks."

Roy shrugged, "Self preservation." He replied. At Johnny's look of confusion he added, "Prevention against the caffeine headache you'll have if you don't get some coffee soon. Bet you didn't have time for one this morning before you left."

"No," Johnny mournfully admitted.

Roy nodded, "See, prevention." He took another sip of his own coffee, watching in amusement as his words registered on Johnny.

Johnny now frowned, "Uh? Whoa. Waitaminute, waitaminute, are you saying there's something wrong if I don't get coffee in the morning?"

Roy hid a grin, "No nothing's 'wrong'. You get a headache then start to grumble and complain then I get a headache. So, this is self preservation." He started for the door, Johnny on his heels, his voice raised in protest. "Roy. Roy! Are you saying I'm addicted to caffeine? Roy, I'm not addicted to caffeine! Roy!"

Roy entered the dayroom, Johnny right behind him, still protesting. "I'm not addicted. I'd know if I were addicted to anything!"

Roy turned, his smirk barely in check. "Johnny, are you telling me that if you don't get a cup of coffee within three hours of getting up that you don't get a headache?"

Johnny blinked. "Well. Nooo, no I'm …that's …I might get a headache, yeah."

Roy smirked fully at him and Johnny continued, "But that might have nothing to do with caffeine." He shrugged a shoulder and tried to look nonchalant. "I just get a headache. Lots of people get headaches for lots of reasons."

Roy's blue eyes twinkled as he sipped his coffee and pulled out a chair at the table. "Uh huh. You keep telling yourself that."

Marco Lopez, lineman for the engine and Mike Stoker, the engine's engineer exchanged grins at the early morning entertainment. "Morning guys." Roy said.

"Morning Roy, Morning Johnny."

"Hey guys."

Johnny looked up at them as he dropped bonelessly into a chair next to his partner. "Uh, yeah, hi guys." He turned back to his partner, "Now Roy. Look here . . "

"Roll call gentlemen." a deep voice interrupted as the tall lanky form of the station's Captain poked his dark head into the doorway. The four men pushed back their chairs and headed toward the closet. They each grabbed their formal hats and lined up in the apparatus bay.

Captain Henry "Hank" Stanley looked over the four men standing in front of him and frowned. "Now I know I've only been here at this station for six weeks." He looked each man carefully in the eye and seeing their confusion continued, "But I could've sworn this was a six man station." He watched, silently amused as his words sank into his men and they glanced anxiously back and forth. Just then, Chet Kelly raced into the room and slid to a stop beside Marco. Captain Stanley nodded. "Ah. I was right. Six men."

Without further comment he read a memo from HQ, then added, "C shift's engine had a light day but I doubt we'll be that lucky since this is the start of a holiday weekend. So Stoker, Lopez, Kelly, I want you to make sure everything on the engine is prepared."

"Aye sir."

"Yes Cap"

"You got it Cap" Came his answers. He nodded his head and faced his two paramedics. Like everyone else in LA County, he too was getting used to the idea of paramedics. But unlike most, he'd already had a front row seat to the difference these men can and did make. And unlike some other captains, he welcomed these two as a valuable addition to his engine crew. He looked at them now as he added, "Unfortunately guys, the squad had nearly constant runs. Check over your gear; I have no doubt you'll need to make a run for supplies. Try to get it done as soon as possible, I have a feeling time will be a precious commodity today."

The two nodded soberly, it was clear from the looks on their faces they too expected to be busy. He turned and addressed them all once more. "That said, here's the chores. Stoker, you have the bay, Lopez the dorm. DeSoto, Gage Kitchen and dayroom. Gage you have KP today. Kelly latrine. If that's all, get to work and let's be safe today."

As they began to move away, Chet whined. "Ahhh Cap, don't let Gage cook."

Hank looked at the men still standing before him. "Is there something wrong?"

Three heads shook as they answered, "No, Sir. Nothing."

Gage was glaring at Kelly, his hands planted on his hips. "Just what do you mean by that, Kelly?" He demanded.

Kelly ignored him, ignored Marco pulling his arm, "I mean, I know you haven't been here long, Cap, and you just don't understand."

Hank dropped the arm holding the clipboard and settled his other hand on his hip. "Oh, I don't huh. Then perhaps you should enlighten me?"

Chet hesitated, then plunged ahead as his Captain eyed him. "It's just . . .Aww, Cap did you have to put Gage in charge of lunch? All he knows how to cook is hot dogs and hamburgers!"

Hank looked at the other men. "This true?"

The others nodded while the man in question tried to look insulted but only managed to look slightly guilty.

Hank grinned at his men, "Well. It IS Labor Day weekend. What could be more 'labor easy' then hot dogs and hamburgers? I think it sounds like a great meal, Gage. Good choice." Mike nodded in silent agreement while Marco hid a chuckle. Roy grinned widely and Johnny just looked confused. He didn't know whether to be insulted or thankful. Chet just dropped open his mouth and made sputtering noises.

Without another word, Hank turned from them and headed to the kitchen for a coffee refill before heading back into his office. Chet headed to the closet for his cleaning supplies, still grumbling under his breath. Johnny still stood, his hands on his hips and his mouth slightly opened, his expression rather bemused. Roy grabbed his arm and tugged him toward the squad. "Come on Junior. We need to get the inventory done."

Johnny pointed toward where Cap had disappeared and then toward Chet as he sputtered, "Roy, did . . . did you hear . . .did Cap . . .I mean did…?"

Roy nodded as he pulled the younger man with him. "Yes I did. Yes he did. Yes Chet did. Now, are you gonna count or catalog?"

"Huh?" Johnny replied then with a shake of his dark head, grounded himself in the here and now. "Um, I'll count."

Roy nodded, pulled out the biophone and placed the recharged battery into its slot then handed it over to Johnny and grabbed up the requisition form. He began to fill it out as Johnny grabbed the biophone and made the morning calibrations call to Rampart. Once that was done, Johnny took the old battery, placed it into the charger then pulled the drug box and settled on his haunches.

"Boy, Cap wasn't kidding!" He exclaimed as he looked inside. Roy glanced down and frowned as he too saw the depleted supplies. "We'd better get this done fast before we get a run." He murmured. Johnny just nodded, his hands already busy sorting and counting. Before long the two had the drug box completed and were finishing the trauma box. As Roy wrote the last item down, he tore the form off, replaced the clipboard back into its slot and the form into his pocket. He then peeked his head into Cap's office as Johnny began putting everything away. "Cap?"

He waited until Cap's dark eyes settled on him, his brows raised in a question. "We're headed for Rampart for supplies then we'll be swinging by the grocery for food." Cap nodded and bent back over his paperwork. Roy climbed into the driver's seat just as he heard the side compartment of the squad slam closed and then Johnny bounced into his seat.

He waved a hand toward Mike who had opened the bay doors for them and grinned back as the squad pulled out, Johnny already animatedly jabbering at his partner. Mike shook his head and muttered under his breath, "Johnny is wound up today, he must have spent the break outside."

In the cab of the squad, Roy glanced at his friend with barely suppressed humor. Johnny had, thankfully, forgotten Chet's comments and was happily telling Roy all about his two days off and the wonderful new trail he'd discovered. "You should see it, Roy. I thought at first it was just an animal trail, well, it might still have been just an animal trail, but it's pretty even for that but I don't believe it's been used much by human feet, although I could see the faint tracks of at least one shoe, but it was old and there weren't a lot of broken upper limbs that you'd get from people walking through so I don't really think it's been used much as a human trail, that is."

Roy glanced at his friend, thinking, 'Breathe partner! Stop and please take a breath ;you're making my respirations raise just listening to you. Why isn't his face red from getting all that out?'

Johnny inhaled deeply and let it out in a contented sigh as he shook his head, his eyes distant with remembered pleasure. "It was incredible, just incredible Roy. You have to come see it. Maybe our next long break we can go."

Hoping to force Johnny to take another breath before Roy passed out from lack of oxygen by association, Roy cut in with, "That sounds like a good idea. I'll have to check and see what the family has planned but I'd like to see it."

Johnny froze, staring at his partner with his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. "You would?!" he squeaked then shook himself and gave a grin. "well, awright! Far out! I know you'll just love it Roy." In his excitement, his fingers beat out a fast rhythm on the dash before he snapped his fingers and then clasped his hands together. "Just wait until you see it, Roy. It's so clean and untouched up there and the trail ended at this incredible clearing with these huge trees all around and this . . . this pool so clear you could see the fish swimming around."

Roy smiled at his partner's enthusiasm. "Yeah, I though you'd like that, partner."

Johnny barely paused as he glanced at Roy, only half-hearing what Roy'd said as his busy mind was already planning all the details for the proposed outing. "Huh? What was that?" He asked distractedly.

Roy's grin widened. "I said it sounds like fun, Johnny."

Johnny settled back in his seat, a huge smile on his face as he watched out the window. Roy eased the squad off the main road and into the hospital parking lot. Before long, he and Johnny were making their way through the hallway toward the nurse's station. Sitting on her stool, Dixie McCall looked up under some hidden intuition, saw the two paramedics headed her way and shut the chart before her, knowing that over the next few moments, she'd be too busy to finish. However a pleasant smile spread across her face as she shifted toward the two.

"Well, I can't pretend to ask what you two are doing here so early. I heard what kind of shift Dwyer and Thompson had."

"Yeah," Roy nodded in agreement, "I think the only thing left in the drug box were a few aspirin." Johnny snickered and the pretty blonde turned to the dark haired man who was currently rocking from the balls of his feet to his heels and back again, a large lop-sided grin on his face. "Well, hello Johnny." She said as she batted her eyes at him. Impossibly, the grin widened as he replied in the same tone, "Well, hello back 'atcha, Dixie!"

Dixie watched him for a moment longer then turned back to Roy who handed her the list. She jerked her head toward the younger half of the team and asked, "Ok what has twinkle toes there so wound up?"

"Twinkle toes, . .." Johnny giggled, then became distracted as a nurse walked by. He began walking backwards in her direction as he told Roy, "Hey Roy. I'll be . . .uhhh . . .." Roy nodded and just waved him on. Johnny grinned again, gave a hop-skip step as he turned around and followed the nurse. When Roy faced the head nurse, he was smiling. He rolled his eyes and quipped, "Some things never change."

"Oh, I don't know Roy." The nurse replied as she read over the list and began to assemble the various items. "Someday he might just surprise you."

Roy laughed and Dixie tilted her head toward him, one eyebrow cocked. "Don't laugh, DeSoto. There's more to Johnny than he lets most people see."

"Yeah, right," Roy scoffed, "Secretly Johnny is a foreign diplomat living under an assumed identity. Come on Dixie, Johnny is as about as easy to read as a children's book. 'See Johnny.' 'See Nurse'. 'See Johnny chase nurse'. 'Run, Nurse, run.'"

Dixie laughed, "More like 'run, Johnny, run.'" They both chuckled. Dixie looked up with a serious expression on her face as she placed two filled boxes on the counter in front of them. "Really, Roy. You've only known Johnny for a little over two years. He's a pretty complicated person. I just don't think you've seen all the sides he has to show yet."

Roy counted through the items then grinned again at the nurse, "Yeah, he's complicated alright. About as complicated as limerick."

Dixie raised her eyebrows as she tilted her head again, "Well, in many ways, yes." Then she looked straight into Roy's blue eyes, her own so serious it took him by surprise. "Just don't sell him short. And don't think you have him all figured out. I've known him a lot longer than you and he still surprises me." With that the head nurse left the station—and a slightly bemused paramedic—standing as she disappeared into a treatment room. Roy turned back to the boxes, a frown on his face. He knew the head nurse, he thought, fairly well. She had an almost uncanny instinctive intuition about things and people. And he knew she was always straight up with them. Could she be correct about this as well??

As he had just shaken his head, intending to dismiss her comments, he caught sight of his partner headed his way. Some of the bounce was missing from Johnny's step and his face was twisted in deep concentration. Roy grinned, sure he knew what happened. "She turned you down?"

Johnny looked up, seeming slightly surprised to find himself nearly to his friend, "Huh? Yeah, I mean no, I mean not really." He looked back behind him, then turned back toward his friend.

Roy shoved one of the boxes in his hands, picked up the other and begin heading out, "Well, which is it, Junior? Either she turned you down or she didn't?"

Johnny frowned as he paced perfectly with his partner, "She said she'd go out with me but only if I took her to the firefighter's ball. Roy, that's not until November. That's still two months away. She said she needs that long to plan. . . " Johnny looked even more confused and Roy hid a snicker as he shoved the box of supplies into the compartment. He took the other box from his partner's lax hands and shoved it in as well. He sealed the door and slapped the still befuddled man on the shoulder. "come on Junior we've got groceries to get."

"Huh? Oh, um .. yeah." Johnny crawled into the cab and shut the door behind him. He put his elbow on his knee, braced his chin on his upright hand and stared out the window. Roy shook his head and gave into silent laughter as he turned the engine over and smoothly pulled the squad out of the parking lot. Just as he turned onto the street three beeps sounded on the radio.

"Squad 51, what's your status?"

Johnny picked up the mic and answered, "Squad 51 available at Rampart Hospital."

"Squad 51 stand by for response." Immediately tones sounded. And the voice of Sam Lanier came back on. "Squad 51 Engine 51. Structure fire. 1537 North Vernon Street. 1-5-3-7 North Vernon, cross street Maples. Time out 09:12."

"Squad 51 10-4" Johnny answered and as he hung up the mic he heard Cap's voice acknowledge for the engine. "Roy, that's about 15 minutes from Rampart. Take a right on Sepulveda." Roy nodded to let his navigator know he'd heard. Johnny continued to direct his friend and in the distance they could hear the siren and occasional blast of an airhorn as Mike maneuvered the engine toward them. Roy pulled the squad over in front of a nice 1 ½ story bungalow with smoke billowing up from the back. Immediately the two pulled on their turnout coats and pulled out their breathing apprentice. Even as Johnny pulled the harness over his shoulders, he was knocked into the side of the squad as a woman grabbed his arm and began tugging on him.

"Hurry! You have to hurry! He's on fire! I tried to put it out but . . . Hurry!" Johnny instantly stopped what he was doing and followed the frantic woman as Roy raced around the back of the squad for the fire extinguisher there. As he rounded the corner, his practiced gaze took in several things at once. A grill set too close to an overhead awning over a back porch, both in flames. An umbrella table also in flames and a man rolling around in the grass, flames on his back and arms. Without breaking stride, Johnny stripped off his coat and fell down next to the man, quickly wrapping him in the fabric and patting out the flames.

He could feel the guy beneath his hands starting to push back on him. "Hey, Hey calm down. We got it out; you're awright. Just relax and let me check you over. You're awright now." The injured man rolled his face toward his rescuer and Johnny saw bleary dark eyes focus on him. The man pushed backwards, trying to get into a sitting position, but Johnny gently restrained him. "Stay still for a moment while I check you out here." He told the patient. But the patient merely gave him a nod and a grin. "Gage" He said, "I thought I recognized your voice. Just my ill luck you guys responded."

Johnny blinked and looked closer at the half of face he could see and recognized, "Cap?? Uhh, yeah, it's us, 51's I mean." He noticed reddened area on the Captain of C-Shift's face as well as some scorched hair and redness on the back of his neck. Just then Johnny was aware of two figures bending next to him. One was his partner who dropped sterile sheets, bottles of saline and the trauma box and biophone. The other was his own captain who placed the drug box and O2 next to them, even as he kept a watchful eye on the rest of his crew who made quick work of removing any remaining hotspots. Then he looked at his counterpoint and grinned. "Bernie. Thought I recognized the address. What? You had a such a busy shift that you decided to make sure we did as well?"

Bernard "Bernie" Williams, captain of 51's c-shift chuckled at his friend as the two paramedics set about getting vitals and cutting off as much of his clothing as they could before they covered him with the sheets and poured the saline over his burned back. "Yeah, right Hank. Truth is I really don't know what happened. I set up the grill, went in to check on the meat and came back out to fire it up." He shook his head in remembrance, "And boy did she fire up. Sent a flame high enough to catch that awning." He glanced over toward his house with a rueful face. "I've had this grill for a while … never had any trouble with it. Then when I lit it this time, all hell broke loose." he nodded upward where Marco and Chet were pulling down the last of the destroyed awning. "A flame shot out of the top of the grill, just as that pole gave and the awning sagged. I told Martha to call you, grabbed the gloves and tried to pull the grill away from the house. Next thing I knew the gloves caught and I was alight. I dropped to the ground and then your man was on top of me." He gave a faint sigh as the saline began to cool the burns. He looked at Roy who sat near him, the biophone receiver to his ear. "How bad, DeSoto?"

Roy grinned at the man and his own captain's slightly worried look. "Not too bad, Cap, Cap. Mostly first, some second degree burns on your back, neck, ears and arms and hands. You lost some hair as well."

Bernie gave a barking laugh, "Well, that I didn't have much to lose to begin with." He sighed, "So I'll miss a few shifts then." Roy nodded then asked, "Cap? How's your breathing? Any trouble?" He had looked closely and didn't see any signs of burns on his face or singed nose hairs but wanted to confirm. Bernie shook his head, "No, no trouble, I know better than to breathe with flames that close so I held my breath."

Just then a commotion over by the swing set caught all their attention. Four sets of eyes focused on Martha who had two tear-filled slightly hysterical boys in front of her. One was screaming, "Teddy burnt Daddy all up! It's all his fault! I told him not to! Daddy's all burnt up and Teddy did it!"

Over an hour later, with their patient in Dr. Brackett's watchful care and loaded with pain-killers, a tired but chuckling team of paramedics climbed back into their squad. Johnny turned to his partner, "I just can't believe it. No wonder everything went up as fast as Cap said it did!"

Roy agreed, "Yeah, when Teddy told Cap how he thought he'd be helping his Dad by "making the fire really big" I thought Martha was gonna faint."

Johnny shook his head in wonder, "To think, he'd used a whole bottle of lighter fluid. A whole bottle! You know Roy? He musta've soaked the oven mits too and that's why they caught fire like they did." He called them in as available and shook his head again. "Man! To think! Cap's really lucky! It couldn've been much worse!"

Roy nodded.

Johnny frowned, "What I still don't get is why Teddy thought the lighter fluid was water and that would help."

Roy chuckled, "I understand. I've heard older boy scouts refer to lighter fluid as 'boy scout water' and they use it as an accelerant to start a fire. Teddy just started cub scouts so I bet that's where he heard that."

"Oh," Johnny's frown deepened as he turned and faced his partner, "Hey Roy? So why does calling it 'boy scout water' make it safer?"

Roy shook his head, "It doesn't. And you'd think that being the boy scouts they'd push more of the safety aspect." He saw Johnny take a deep breath, and wanting to distract his partner from a possible rant, broke in with, "We'd better get to the grocers before we get called out again or it'll be cheese sandwiches for dinner."

"Oh,!" Johnny's eyes went wide, "Yeah, ummm, I was thinking potato salad and beans to go with the burgers and dogs. Whatdiya think?"

Roy nodded, "And chips. I like chips with my burgers."

Conversation lagged as Johnny pulled out his pad and pen and began a list of the things he'd need, then checked the money he'd collected from each man before they'd left. Roy was just enjoying the fact that he'd derailed his partner's rant before it got started. "Yeap, I know you, partner. If I'd have let you get started on that, we'd never get to eat today.

Once in the market, Johnny picked up all the items on his list and he and Roy headed for the check-out. Johnny looked at Roy and sighed, "Look at the lines, Roy. We'll be lucky if we get out of here before we get called out." A woman dressed in nice clothes saw them and motioned them to an empty line. "I'll take you boys over here. I know you're on a time constraint." Guessing by her actions, and the huge ring of keys she had, that she was the manager, they followed her.

Johnny grinned broadly as he and Roy thanked the woman while placing the items on the belt. She quickly added the items up, grinning at the two firemen as she did, "Looks like you fellows are gonna have a cook-out. Be careful with your cooking fire!" Johnny made a face and she laughed harder. "I always wanted to say that to a fireman." Then she leaned forward as she gave them back their change. "Seriously, you guys do a great job and I think don't get thanked near enough. My sister's house caught fire last month in the dead of night and you guys rescued her family and their two dogs." She smiled brightly, "Consider this my holiday payback." She moved to the person next in line just as the HT gave two beeps. "Squad 51 what's your location?"

Johnny pulled the HT from his belt as he balanced the bag on his other hip. "Squad 51. Ralph's grocery corner Miller and Dexter." Then the bag was gone from his hand. He looked surprised but the HT caught his attention as it announced, "Squad 51 man down. 2468 West Wyler. 2-4-6-8- West Wyler. Cross street Sherman. Time out 11:45."

"Squad 51 10-4" Johnny looked at Roy who looked as confused for a minute. Both bags had been taken from the paramedics and the same woman who had checked them out told them quickly. "Go! We've put your stuff in a cooler. You can either come back for it or better yet, I'll have our delivery boy take it to your station."

Johnny grinned again. "Thanks! Station 51 in Carson." He said as he and Roy rushed toward the doors. She waved, "I know where that is, don't worry. Take care!" And the two men were out the door, for once feeling proud over the way they'd been treated.

They arrived on scene and were met by a sheriff's deputy. He made a face as he came up to the squad. "I don't think it's too serious, guys, but figured it was better to be safe."

"So what do we got, Reggie? Johnny asked.

Reginald "Reggie" Klein gave a long suffering sigh. "Usual holiday family drama. She wanted to spend the day at her mother's, he wanted a nice backyard picnic at home with his buds. She dumped a pitcher of tea over his head, he threw a pot of beans at her, then slid in the mess and hit his head on the floor. Neighbors heard the commotion and called us. We got here just as he went down."

Johnny and Roy nodded as they removed the trauma box, drug box, and biophone. Reggie grabbed the O2 and led the medics into the house. Once in the kitchen, they could see Toby Rockwell, Reggie's partner, had the woman seated at the table away from where her husband laid moaning on the floor. Both paramedics stopped for a moment, wide eyed at the sight of a massive, muscular, and moaning man, easily 6'6, lying in the middle of a mess of baked beans. Johnny headed toward the man while Roy made his way over to the woman who was tiny, barely 5', and probably not even 100 lbs. She looked up at him, tears mixing with beans still dripping from her face as her breath hitched in sobs. "Brian? Brian, Baby, are you alright? Brian? Is he gonna be alright. I . . . . I heard him hit. It sounded awful. Brian?"

"My partner is checking him over. I'm Roy. I need to see about you. Are you hurt anywhere, ma'am?"

She shook her head, "Charess, and no I'm not hurt anywhere. The beans . . .the beans were still cold. I'd just put them on." She tried to see around the officer as her husband's moaning became louder. "Brian!?"

Meanwhile, Johnny had his hands full with Brian. As soon as the paramedic had kneeled next to him and announced, "Hi, my name is Johnny and I'm a paramedic. Where are you hurt?" The man immediately grabbed onto Johnny with a surprisingly firm grip and moaned pitifully. "Ohhhh, Doc. She. . .she killed me. I just know I've got one of those skull fracture things! I . . .I heard it break."

"We'll see. Let me take a look here." Johnny soothed as he tried to pry the huge hands from his arm and shirtfront. Finally, sighing in defeat, he did what he could around the restraints. Johnny could already see the man's pupils appeared to be fairly normal but he checked with his penlight just to make sure. Then he took a pulse, respiration and BP. Then he carefully probed the bump on the back of the man's head. He was pleased that it was a closed injury, felt no crepitus or depression and minor swelling. Everything else looked good, vitals a little elevated but not badly.

All the while, the man continued to moan and groan. Roy joined him and Johnny quietly filled him in on the man's condition. Roy nodded and called in. Neither paramedic was surprised when Morton ordered an IV and transport. "The doctor has ordered a IV so I'm going to start that on you now, Brian." Johnny said as he pulled the set-up.

Brian ceased his moaning as he noticed what Johnny had. When Johnny pulled off the shield and revealed the needle, Brian gave out a loud cry, his face went white and then his eyes rolled back. Johnny looked up at Roy who immediately had reached for a pulse. "He fainted." Roy stated. He picked up the receiver as Johnny started the IV. "Rampart, patient has lost consciousness." With his captor unconscious, Johnny finally straightened up and stretched his back to remove the cramp from his muscles as he rubbed the bruised area on his forearm.

"51 recheck vitals." Morton barked. The two did as told. Johnny looked at Roy and shook his head. Roy sighed. "Vitals are the same, Rampart. No change."

"Repeat. 51?"

Roy sighed again and watched as Brian began groaning loudly again, opened his eyes, saw the IV stuck into his arm, gave out another loud cry and promptly was out again. "Rampart, uhhh, patient came around, took one look at the IV and went out again."

On the other end, Morton hung his head and sighed, "Understood 51. Continue to monitor vitals and get him in here."

Roy's mouth twitched as he acknowledged, "10-4 Rampart. Ambulance is now on scene. Monitoring vitals and transporting now." He looked at his partner and nodded toward the distinctive red-turning purple area on his friend's arm. "You ok there?"

Johnny rubbed the area with a grimace, "Yeah. Man! He had quite a grip!"

Roy nodded, "So I saw."

The attendants pulled the gurney up but it took four of them to pick the giant of a man up and put him on the gurney. Reggie came over, grinning at Roy as Johnny made his way out with the patient. "He gonna be alright?"

"Which one?" Roy allowed a slight smile.

Reggie chuckled, "Yeah, I was afraid he'd break Johnny's arm if he held on any tighter."

Roy nodded, "I think they'll both be alright. The victim doesn't look too bad. His vitals are all strong." He shrugged, "But it is a head wound and with head wounds you never can tell."

Reggie nodded then grinned again, "Big guy like that. Takes all kinds, huh." He, too, had seen what had happened with the IV. For the sake of his professionalism, Roy didn't comment. Reggie was still snickering as he helped the paramedic pack up his equipment.

As Roy walked into Rampart, he could see Johnny standing by Dixie his hands waving as he told some tale. Dixie had her chin braced in her hand as she watched the paramedic, a quietly bemused look on her face. Roy smiled. He just knew Johnny was expounding on their last rescue. And the words he caught as he got closer upheld that assumption.

"I mean Dix, he barely had a bump back there. I've gotten worse knots . . ."

"We all know how hard your head is, Junior, maybe his skull isn't made out of cast iron." Roy quipped.

`Johnny looked at him, "haha, funny Roy." He said in a very sarcastic tone.

Before his partner could elaborate, Roy nodded toward the treatment door. "So how's the patient?"

Johnny snorted, "Fine. Swelling is already reduced just with the ice pack. Doc said he doesn't even have a concussion. He made Doc take a full second set of x-rays. Said he'd read somewhere that if you breathe or move, it can blur the x-ray and give a false reading." He looked back toward the treatment room. "He's still in there moaning he's dying and his wife is crying all over him." Johnny shook his head. Then he tapped his fingers in a fast beat on the edge of the cabinet before turning to Roy. "Well, what say we head back to the barn? I'm hungry and I still hafta fix lunch."

Roy agreed and waved to Dix. "Bye Dix, I'm sure we'll see you later."

Johnny smirked, "Yeah with the way the day's started, it will probably continue the same way so we'll be in again . . .and again. . .and again."

Dixie smacked at him and laughing, he ducked and left with a jaunty stride, following his partner out.

They made it back to the station without being called out again and Johnny immediately hopped out and headed toward the kitchen. Roy followed at a slower pace, noticing the engine was gone so the two paramedics were alone. By the time, Roy reached the kitchen, Johnny was happily checking out the fridge for his supplies. Just then, the engine pulled in and soon the other four of their shift wandered in. "Hey Johnny, Roy." Marco greeted the two as he plopped down in a chair. "Your groceries came by currier just before we got toned out."

"Hey Roy? Did we buy a cake? I don't remember buying a cake. We didn't have enough money for a cake. Where did this cake come from?" Johnny looked up with a frown. Marco looked over at the younger man. "It was in with the rest of the stuff, along with a bucket of ice cream."

Johnny looked at Roy, his eyes wide. "I know I didn't buy ice cream. I thought about buying ice cream but I didn't." He looked back into the fridge, his voice taking on a note of panic. "Roy? Do you think they sent the wrong stuff? Could this be someone else's order?"

Roy rolled his eyes at his friend's fast changing emotions. 'I'd better calm him down before he gets going.' Roy thought. He joined Johnny as the younger man touch each item and recited it as if making sure it was what it was. "Well, this looks like everything we got, just with some extras. Relax Johnny, I'm sure it's just a simple mistake." He turned back to the other men. "What did the delivery guy say?"

"She," Mike stressed the word, "said you guys had just paid for this stuff and got called. She said they told you they'd bring it over for you and you told her where."

Johnny nodded, "Yeah, yeah, that's what happened. But how did . . .? Where did . . .?"

"Did she say anything else?" Roy interrupted his partner's stuttering.

"She said she hoped we enjoyed our 'cookout' and thanked us for our service then wished us a Happy Labor day." Cap added.

Johnny whirled around, a package of meat in one hand and a bottle of ketchup in the other. "But Cap, they messed up. What if they come back and charge us?" Johnny looked at his full hands, moved to replace them in the fridge, turned to his left toward the cabinet then turned back the other direction and shoved the items into Roy's hands. Then he began to pat down his pockets. "I . . .I don't have enough. I only got two dollars and . . .and . . .thirty, no . . maybe fifty . . . "

"Gage!" Cap barked and made the young man jump in reaction. He blinked wide-eyed at his captain, his mouth hanging slightly open. Cap relaxed his stance and gave a faint grin as he amended his attitude in deference to startling his paramedic. "John, calm down before you hurt yourself. Now, the most logical thing to do is check the receipt."

Johnny grinned, "The receipt! Of course, I . . .I . . ." He patted down his pockets again, reached in and pulled everything out. Alcohol prep pads, some wrapped candies, loose change but no receipt. He looked beseechingly at his partner. "Roy?"

Roy shook his head, "She handed it to you with the change."

Johnny nodded, frowning in thought. "That's right, that's right. And I tucked it into the bag when the HT went off." They both turned and as one looked at the other members. All three heads shook, "The stuff was brought in one of those Styrofoam coolers, not bags. There was no receipt."

Mike rejoined the group, a faint smile on his lips. "I think I know what happened." He shook his head and chuckled. "That manager, she really is a smart one. There is no receipt."

Johnny's mouth fell open again. Cap settled his hands on his hips and looked at his engineer. "Instead of keeping the solution to this mystery to yourself would you care to share with the others?"

"Yeah!" Chet snickered, "Before Gage there has a full blown stroke!"

Johnny and Roy both glared at Chet but Mike nodded. "Ok. I called the store and the manager said that everything delivered was correct. She said there had been no mistakes, that our order was exactly as it should be. Then she reiterated that we have a good cookout and a safe Labor Day. And that she hoped we'd continue to patronize her store."

Cap nodded slowly, "I see. And with no receipt, we can't prove anything."

Mike nodded, "And we can't refuse by saying we can't take gratuities since we can't prove we didn't purchase the cake and ice cream."

The others finally got it and happy grins broke out on each face but Johnny's. He turned to Roy. "I don't get it . . ."

Roy smiled and slapped him on the shoulder. "I'll explain it later, Junior."

"Better use small words!" Chet added, still snickering. "Hey Gage, maybe she wants you, that's why she did it."

Johnny whirled around and glared at his nemesis, "She was wearing a wedding ring, Kelly,"

Chet shrugged, "So, married women can still. . . " He broke off as he realized that Johnny's narrowed eyes weren't the only pair now glaring in his direction. "I . . uh, think I hear Boot wanting out." He quickly left the area. Johnny looked thoughtful, then said, "You know, Cap. She said her sister's house had burned recently and she was grateful that the family and the dogs were gotten safely out."

Cap nodded. "Well, that makes sense and since there's nothing we can do about it, I say we just enjoy. Now," he clapped his hands together and rubbed them, a habit his men were fast learning was a sign of an order about to be made in the form of a suggestion. "I suggest we see to our chores and let John here get busy."

Johnny immediately turned back to the fridge and quickly began pulling out the items he'd planned for lunch. Before long, a quick meal of cold cuts, cheeses, a variety of sliced vegetables, various condiments and large sub-style buns were on the table. "Chow's On!" He called as he placed a pitcher of chilled lemonade in the center. Soon five hungry men joined him. Chet looked over the table and complained, "So what did you fix, Gage? It looks like you just threw stuff out and expect us to make our own!"

Johnny frowned but before he could say anything, Marco spoke up. "I know what this is! It's build your own hoagie! Great idea, Johnny!" He picked up a bun and opened it, saying, "Look! He even buttered and toasted the bread!" He began to happily pile meat, cheese, tomatoes and hot peppers into his roll. The others joined him.

"Chet, I personally think this is a great idea for lunch and I love hoagies." Cap cocked an eyebrow at his lineman as he slathered horseradish over his roast beef. Johnny, his face showing his pleasure that most of his fellow shiftmates like the idea, commented, "Gee Chet. If you need help I'll be glad to make your sandwich for you."

Chet frowned, grumbling under his breath but soon realized that the rate the food was disappearing he'd better get busy or he'd have nothing. Soon each man was contently munching on a giant sandwich. Fate was kind to them and they made it all the way through the meal before the tones sounded. All six chairs scrapped the floor but four men sat back down as the dispatcher soon made it clear the call was just for the squad.

That run, a child down call, turned out to be two children whose bicycles had collided, leaving one child with a cut lip and the other with scraped knees and elbows. Both mothers chose to refuse transport, saying if things got worse, they'd see their own physicians. The two paramedics no sooner got into the cab then they were called out again. That call turned into three more: a minor fender bender, another grill incident that needed a run to Rampart and a sliced hand when a mother got distracted while slicing tomatoes. Johnny had held the frightened woman's hand all the way to the hospital, trying to control the bleeding. By the time he turned her over to the competent staff, his hand was cramped and his uniform bloody.

Dix led him out of the treatment room, handed him a towel, and pushed him toward the restrooms. He left, head down, feet shuffling. She watched him disappear into the room then looked up as Roy hurried in. "Dix?" He called even as he joined her at her station.

"She's going to be alright. Tests showed she didn't cut the tendons. She lost some blood and Doctor Early put nearly twenty stitches into the hand but she should recover completely." She answered, knowing that would be his first question. He sighed in relief, looked around frowning and opened his mouth again. Dix cut him off, "I sent him into the restrooms to wash up some. He's ok too."

Roy grinned, 'Guess I'm not the only one who can predict patterns.' He thought. To the head nurse he said, "It was a tough one. The victim's two young kids were there too and they were crying at seeing their mother hurt. One, the boy, attacked Johnny when his exam made the woman cry out."

Dixie nodded. "I saw the split lip, I wondered."

Roy nodded back. "Yeah, Johnny was holding pressure on her hand by then and couldn't do much." He shrugged, "Like Johnny would've done anything anyway."

Dixie agreed. "What happened to the kids?"

"A neighbor saw the squad and came over. She said she'd keep the kids at her house until the father got home. I guess he'd run to the store." Roy shook his head. "The backyard was all set up for a party. I hope they can still have it. Looked like a birthday by the balloons and presents."

"I'm sure she'll be fine. They'll probably watch her for a while and then release her." Dixie commented then turned her head as the squeak of the men's restroom door sounded. She smiled at the slightly cleaner figure that appeared. Roy looked his partner over, seeing the droop of the shoulders, the shuffling walk and knew that as tired as he felt after the near back-to-back runs, his partner was feeling it more.

"Hey Johnny," he called, "Let's head back so you can change."

Johnny nodded, "OK. See ya Dix."

Dixie tilted her head at them and commented, "I hope not!"

Both men smiled, knowing what she meant. By the time they returned to the station, Johnny had gotten his second wind and was sitting straighter in the seat. He looked at his watch, "Geeze! 6:30 already? It feels like I just fixed lunch!" Roy nodded, still playing his game, he mentally expressed his partner's next words, 'I'm gonna get changed and then tackle dinner, ok Roy? Why does he feel he needs to ask me, he can do that on his own.'

"Hey Roy? I think when we get back, I'm gonna change then start in on dinner."

Johnny said. Roy smiled a little in self-congratulation. "I think that's a wise move, Johnny."

As he turned off the engine, he turned to his partner who was halfway out of the cab already. "While you're doing that, Johnny. I'm gonna call Jo quick."

Johnny nodded and shouted back to his partner as he headed for the lockers. "Hey? Tell Jo I said 'Hi'"

Roy grinned and disappeared into the lounge for his regular evening call. He dialed the number, counted the times it rang and grinned when it was precisely five times before he heard his wife's voice say, "Hello?"

"Hi, sweetheart it's me." He said even before she finished.

"Roy, were you counting the rings again?"

He blushed even though she couldn't see him.

She laughed, " See? I'm not the only one who can be predicted."

"I said you were pleasant." He reminded her, smiling as he recalled their conversation that morning.

"So," JoAnne asked, "How was Johnny's morning?"

Roy laughed, "He made it in 7. He'd turned off his alarm and he has a bruise on his cheek from hitting the nightstand."

His wife's laughter echoed in the receiver. "Alright, I'll give you this morning."

Roy's grin widened.

"But . ."

He frowned.

"Don't get too smug. I still don't think there is much that is predictable about that partner of yours, no matter what patterns you think he may have." His wife cautioned.

"Alright," Roy pretended to agree although secretly he again congratulated himself for being right. He knew she would still be mulling over their talk and he was also aware that now she'd likely try something different just to prove her spontaneity to him.

"Sure, Honey. I love you. I'll see you in the morning." She told him then turned the phone over to the kids for their good-nights. Roy hung up the phone and headed into the kitchen. Johnny had several bowls out, as well as the hot dogs. Roy looked into one bowl and frowned at the mixture there. He could make out onions, some sort of spices and some brown liquid all over what looked like raw ground beef. "Johnny, what's this?

Johnny turned from the fridge where he'd pulled more ingredients and flashed a quick smile. "Hamburgers. Well, it will be hamburgers." He pulled something up onto the cabinet, unwrapped the cloth around it and revealed a cast iron griddle. He placed it over two of the stove's eyes and turned them on.

Roy watched, slightly bemused as Johnny mixed the meat mixture with his bare hands, then carefully washed them before he began slicing more onions and placing them onto a small plate. Tomatoes were next. Then he reached over to the sink, ran the water, dipped his finger into it and flicked the water onto the griddle. It hissed and he nodded then sprinkled the surface with salt. Next he began making patties and placing them on the grill. That done, he again washed his hands then placed several hot dogs on the griddle as well. He monitored their cooking, taking the finished ones off and placing them on a plate in the oven.

Once they all were cooked, he placed the sliced vegetables on the table, added a bowl filled with potato chips, another with potato salad and a casserole dish filled with steaming baked beans. He pulled out the condiments again as well as jars of peppers and pickles and a dish filled with sliced cheeses. These joined the items already there. Johnny looked up at Roy and asked, "You wanna call the guys?"

Roy did so as Johnny pulled the burgers and hot dogs from the oven, grabbed the packages of buns and placed them down. Roy had grabbed a pitcher of iced tea and one of lemonade from the fridge and was pouring a glass for himself and his partner. Cap surveyed the meal and rubbed his hands together. "John, pal, I must say this looks great."

Johnny turned off the oven and the eyes and sat down, a shy grin on his face at the compliment. The men dug in. Roy eyed his burger, but then caught Johnny watching him, his own fork halted midway to his mouth. He knew that even if it was the worse burger he'd ever had in his life, he'd have to choke it down. Otherwise he'd hurt his friend's feeling. Taking a deep breath, he took a bite . . . and chewed.

Surprise raised his eyebrows as delicious flavors filled his mouth. To his side, Mike remarked, "Hey Johnny, these are great! What did you do to make them taste like they were cooked on a grill?"

Johnny's cheeks pinkened. "I used the griddle I use when I camp. I knew it'd give them a slightly smoky flavor." He looked back at Roy, watching his partner carefully.

Roy was devouring the burger, enjoying each bite. He grinned at the younger man. "Junior, these really are good. I'm not sure what you added to them but make sure you do it each time." Johnny's smile widened and he applied himself to his own dinner.

Chet was still leery. "They're Gage's burger. He always fixes burgers." He complained. He took a bite, chewed, and took another.

"Well?" Cap asked.

Chet shrugged. "It's edible."

Cap frowned, "Never mind, John. I agree with Mike. These are great." Again, the fates were kind and they finished the whole meal, got the kitchen cleaned up and enjoyed coffee, pieces of cake and ice cream.

After such a large meal and a busy day, the six men could barely move. Johnny had sprawled across the corner of the couch, his feet propped up on a chair, his hands folded over his contented tummy and his eyelids drooping. Roy sat near him, reading a paperback novel.

Chet had moved over in front of the TV and was searching the limited channels. Mike and Marco had pulled out the checkers board and were heavily into a game while Cap reviewed some paperwork as he sipped on his coffee.

After about an hour, Cap sat back with a heavy sigh and looked at his watch. "Well, gentlemen, it's been a long day and there's no guarantees about the night. I say, let's head on to bed and get what rest we can."

Assent came from three men, only Chet voicing a protest but never-the-less, they filed out, headed for the lockers and the dorm beyond. Roy closed his book and looked over at his couch companion. Johnny's eyes had fully closed and Roy could tell by his soft respirations that he was asleep. Cap looked over at his youngest charge with a faint smile. "He's had a busy day." He took in the bruise under Johnny's eye, the bruise on his forearm, now very dark and encircling the appendage, and the split lip.

Roy stood up and stretched, then smiled fondly at his friend. "I think every day for him is a busy one."

Cap chuckled, "He does seem to always move at full speed."

Roy nodded, "And when he crashes, he crashes hard." He nudged Johnny's shoulder. "Come on Junior. Light's out."

Johnny stirred but then settled again. Roy's smile widened and he reached over and shook Johnny's shoulder. "Come on, Johnny. Time to hit the rack."

This time Johnny's head moved and sleepy brown eyes blinked at him. Then Johnny extended his hand and Roy grasped it, lifting Johnny to his feet. Captain Stanley watched as his paramedics together headed off toward their bunks. Again he thanked the powers that be for granting him the privilege to captain these men. Then he turned out the light and headed off for his own nighttime routine.