Black Friday
By
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to E! Not the characters, not the neat toys, nothing! I would love to say Johnny is mine, but I already promised to share him with at least two other people. While they're busy with him, I get to have Cap for a while. I am only borrowing these wonderful characters…I'm just playing, here on my little computer. I promise to fix them if I break them and I promise to put them away when I'm done with them, but I don't think I'll be done with Johnny for a while…
Roy awoke at 3:30 a.m. to the smell of coffee. Who's making coffee? It's still dark outside. I must be imagining it. He tried to go back to sleep, but that plan was aborted by the sound of his partner's voice.
“Rise and shine, Roy !” Johnny was waving a mug of coffee under Roy 's nose.
Oh, I must be at the station. Wait! No I'm not. Why is Johnny in my bedroom? Roy opened his eyes and blinked at his smiling partner. “What are you doing in here? Go away!”
“Ah-ah-ah, Roy ! It's Black Friday! Time to go shopping! Wake up sleepyhead!”
Roy grumbled something unintelligible and sat up blearily. He took the mug from Johnny. The only thing worse than getting up in the middle of the night to go shopping on the busiest day of the year is being awakened by a complete nut. How in God's name is he so cheerful?
The day before Johnny had joined the Desoto family for Thanksgiving dinner. Roy talked him into helping him shop for a special toy Jennifer wanted for Christmas. It was the only thing on her list to Santa, and Roy and Joanne knew if they didn't get there when the store opened on Friday morning, they would be sold out. Not wanting Jennifer to be heartbroken on Christmas, Johnny agreed to help, although he didn't understand why. How hard could it be to walk into a toy store and pick a toy off of a shelf, pay for it, and get it to the car? Apparently, Johnny had never gone shopping at 5:00 a.m. on Black Friday.
Joanne handed Roy a list containing about 30 items he and Johnny were to get at the toy store. They were, of course, to secure Jennifer's much wanted Santa item first, then get the rest. Joanne was going to the mall, and would meet up with them later.
When Roy and Johnny pulled into the parking lot, Johnny was amazed at the sight before him. “ Roy , I thought you said the store doesn't open until 5:00 ?”
“It doesn't.”
“Then…who are all those people?”
“Oh, that's the line.”
“The line?”
“Yeah…the people lined up waiting to get into the store.”
“You're kidding.”
Roy didn't answer. He parked the car and the two got out and headed to the back of the line which was snaking around the side of the large building.
At 5:01 , the doors opened and the line began to move. The two friends slowly made their way into the toy store.
Roy was discussing strategy. “Now, Johnny…I already scoped out the store earlier this week. The Kiddy Carry-All's are on a display rack to the right. Now, as soon as we get in there, you cut to the right, and I'll cut to the left. When you make it to the display, grab a doll and meet me by the giant lego castle. Here's what we're looking for.” He handed Johnny a picture of the doll that he had clipped out of a catalogue.
Johnny took the picture and stared at his partner incredulously.
Roy placed a hand on his friend's shoulder as they approached the open door. “Oh, and Johnny? Be careful.”
Johnny shook his head. He had a hard time believing this was going to be as bad as Roy made it out to be. Surely all of these people were not here after the same doll. Roy made it sound as if they were preparing for battle.
Suddenly, Roy and Johnny felt themselves being pushed through the door.
Johnny turned around slightly. “Hey, watch it!”
Roy grabbed Johnny's arm and turned him forward. “Eyes front, Johnny. You'll get trampled.”
As soon as they were inside, Roy ran to the left while a flustered Johnny ran to the right. Johnny spied the doll display and sprinted straight for it. When he got there, he was amazed at the sight. People grabbing and pushing, shoving and shouting. He noticed one woman was bleeding, so he started help her, only to be smacked over the head with her purse.
Roy could see his friend at the display, but was unable to reach him, due to the mob of people in front of him. He jumped up and started waving and shouting to get Johnny's attention. “Johnny! Just grab one! Grab one!”
Johnny looked up and realized there was only one doll left on the shelf. He grabbed it and held it up. “Got it Roy !” Just then, Johnny was knocked to the ground as several shoppers tried to pry the doll out of his hands. “Hey! Get off me! It's mine!”
After several minutes, Johnny was able to wrestle free of the melee. He stood up dazedly and looked for Roy , clutching the doll to his side in a tight football hold. He spied his partner about 10 feet away. “ Roy ! Catch!” He tossed the precious item in the air.
Roy and about 20 other patrons lunged for the flying box. Maybe it was because Johnny and Roy worked in a profession that often involved precision, or maybe it was sheer luck, but the doll landed squarely in Roy 's hands. “Got it!” He took off for the lego castle, scores of desperate shoppers dead on his heels.
Johnny tried to run toward the lego castle, but his way was blocked. He quickly changed course and ran around the opposite direction.
Due to Roy 's superior physical condition, he was able to open the distance between himself and the shoppers chasing him. When he reached the lego castle, he crawled inside, the doll safely tucked under his arm. He figured he could hide out in here and wait for Johnny. There was safety in numbers, after all.
Johnny stopped for a moment to admire the castle. How many legos did it take to build this thing? It must be 50 feet high! His reverie didn't last long however. Suddenly, Johnny felt himself shoved from behind and he smacked hard into the side of the castle. The impact caused part of the castle to break off, apparently an important structural support. Johnny jumped back, and watched helplessly as the enormous castle collapsed to the ground. Then he remembered his partner told him to meet him there. Roy had been closer to the castle than he was, so he had to get there first. He was being chased, so he probably hid inside. Johnny's heart leapt to his throat as he gazed upon the mountain of plastic blocks that now covered his best friend. “ Roy !”
“You! Call the fire department!” Johnny started frantically digging through the thousands of little blocks. “ Roy ! Roy ! Can you hear me?”
The manager approached Johnny. “Excuse me, but what do you think you're doing? Do you have any idea how much that display cost?”
Johnny looked disgustedly at the manager. He didn't even honor the question with a response. “Look, I'm a Los Angeles County Firefighter/Paramedic, and my partner is buried under your precious castle. Go out and wait for the fire department to get here!” Johnny continued digging.
A few moments later, Johnny found a foot. He felt for a pulse. It was there and it was strong! Then, he found a leg, and an arm. Soon, he had uncovered Roy 's body from the rubble. He was unconscious. Johnny rolled him over carefully, keeping his spine straight. “ Roy ! Can you hear me? Open your eyes!”
Roy 's eyelids fluttered, then opened. He blinked slowly and Johnny noticed his eyes seemed unfocused.
Johnny tried again to get his friend to respond to his voice. “ Roy ! It's Johnny! Can you hear me?”
Roy blinked again. “Prince…Charming…” Then he lost consciousness.
Paramedics Craig Brice and Bob Bellingham made their way through the crowded store. Brice commented to his partner. “You see, Bellingham . This is precisely the reason why I always complete my holiday shopping well before Thanksgiving using my categorized, alphabetized list.
Bellingham sighed and shook his head. He saw Johnny kneeling beside an unconscious man in the middle of thousands of colored blocks. “Johnny? What happened, man?”
“We were here to get a doll for Roy 's daughter. Roy had the last one, and had to hide in the castle to get away from some other shoppers who were chasing him.”
Brice shook his head as he took Roy 's vitals. “Senseless, utterly senseless…”
Bellingham was looking around. “What castle?”
Johnny indicated the blocks strewn all over the floor.
Bellingham nodded as realization struck. “Ah!”
Brice was on the biophone. “Rampart we have a male in his early thirties who was involved in a castle collapse. He is currently unconscious and slightly responsive to painful stimulus. He has a large contusion over his right temple. Pupils are equal and reactive, but slightly sluggish. Pulse is 90, respirations are 20, and BP is 120 over 70.”
Brackett's voice could be heard over the biophone. “16, did you say…a castle?”
“That is affirmative, Rampart. A castle made of small plastic building blocks.”
Bellingham and Johnny assisted Brice in unison. “Legos.”
Brice clarified. “Legos, Rampart.”
Brackett was trying to figure this out. “16, how large was the castle?”
Brice looked at Johnny who was trying to find a spot to put Jennifer's doll and warding off grabby shoppers who were trying to take it. “Gage? The castle? How big?”
“Oh…uh…50 feet maybe.”
Brice turned back to the biophone. “Rampart, the castle was approximately 50 feet tall.”
Brackett was mentally trying to calculate the weight of a 50 foot lego structure. “16, how long has the patient been unconscious?”
“Gage?” Brice was getting impatient with Johnny's continual shifting and dodging.
“He came to for a few seconds right before you got here…about 10 minutes.”
“Rampart, the patient was unconscious when found. He regained consciousness briefly and has now been comatose for approximately 10 minutes.”
“10-4, 16. Start an IV D5W TKO. Take full spinal precautions and transport.”
Johnny helped Bellingham and Brice roll Roy onto the backboard and load him onto the waiting gurney. Johnny left a note for Joanne with the manager of the store, paid for Jennifer's doll, and drove Roy 's car to Rampart.
The ambulance backed into Rampart's emergency entrance. Dixie was waiting at the door. She saw the patient and was surprised it was Roy . “Bob? What happened? Let's take him to 3.”
“Apparently he was hiding in a 50 foot lego castle at ToyWorld. Someone shoved Johnny into the castle and the whole thing came crashing down on top of him.”
Dixie shook her head. “You know if it were Johnny on that gurney, I might believe that.”
The gurney was wheeled into the treatment room where Brackett was already waiting.
Brackett was also surprised to see the off duty paramedic. “ Roy ?” Then to Bob, “This is who was buried under a 50 foot lego tower?”
Bob helped transfer Roy to the examination table. “Yeah, Doc, and it was a castle.”
Brackett chuckled. “You know, if it was Johnny, I might believe you.”
Brackett shone his penlight into Roy 's eyes. He tried to get his attention. “ Roy ! Roy Desoto, it's Dr. Brackett. Can you hear me?” Brackett tried a sternal rub.
Roy 's eyelids fluttered and he opened his eyes, blinking at the bright overhead light.
“ Roy , can you hear me? Do you know where you are?”
Roy closed his eyes, then opened them again. “Camelot?”
Brackett's mouth twitched. He continued to look at Roy . “Do you know your name?”
Roy looked confused for a moment. “Cinder…ella…where's…where's Prince Charming?” He closed his eyes and was out again.
Brackett looked alarmingly at Dixie . “Better get Joe, and tell X-ray I want a full skull series and lateral C-spine.” Brackett strode out into the hall, followed by Bob. “Cinderella and Prince Charming?”
Bob leaned against the wall. “Well…it WAS a castle.”
The two men looked up to see Johnny bounding down the hall, a large bag in his hand. He neared Brackett and Bellingham . “How's Roy ?”
Brackett crossed his arms. “Well, Johnny, he regained consciousness briefly, but he was very confused. He thought he was in Camelot, said his name was Cinderella, and wondered where Prince Charming was.”
At that moment, Dixie joined the group in the hallway.
Johnny looked at the floor and blushed. “That would be me,” he said barely loud enough to be heard.
Brackett looked inquiringly at the young paramedic. “What, Johnny?”
“Prince Charming. He called me that when he first regained consciousness.”
Dixie gave Johnny a once over with her eyes. “Well, that sounds pretty accurate.” She noticed blood on Johnny's arm and his generally disheveled appearance. She was also curious about the bag. “What happened to you? And, what's in the bag?”
“Well…” He held up the bag. “This? This is the last Kiddy Carry-all doll. This is the reason Roy ended up here today. I was afraid to leave it in the car!”
Dixie took Johnny by the elbow. “Well, Prince Charming…why don't we put that in a safe place and when we're done, we can stop by that treatment room over there and take care of that sword wound.”
Bob remembered something. “Hey, Dix! From what I heard, he got slammed into that castle pretty hard, too!”
Johnny cast a menacing glance at Bob over his shoulder as he was led into Brackett's office to stash the gift.
An hour, a bandage, and a few X-rays later, Johnny was deemed in one piece. Brackett had been in to tell him Roy had regained consciousness and was responding well to the neuro checks. He no longer thought he was Cinderella in Camelot, nor was he searching for Prince Charming. He had a moderate concussion and was expected to be fine.
Johnny quietly entered Roy 's room. He was pleased to see Roy awake. “Hey, pally! How are you feeling?”
Roy was groggy and he had a pounding headache. “Like I like it better when I'm on that side of the bed.” He indicated where Johnny was standing.
Johnny smiled and sat down in the plastic chair beside the bed. “It does feel a little strange doesn't it?”
Roy smiled back. “Remind me not to give you a hard time next time you have a concussion.”
“Feel like crap, huh?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, Roy …you'll be happy to know I managed to secure Jennifer's doll and she is safe and sound downstairs, locked in Brackett's closet?”
“Really? Thanks, Johnny. That will mean a lot to Jennifer.”
“No, problem. I nearly lost a limb in the process, but…” he held up his bandaged arm.
“You okay?” Even when Johnny was on this side of the bed, Roy worried.
“I'll live. By the way… Roy ?”
“Huh?”
“Listen…I will take the lead on the highest of rescues for you, I will squeeze myself into tight spaces, and I will haul your butt out of a burning building…straight through the flames if I have to, but do me a favor, OK?”
“What's that, Johnny?”
“Don't EVER ask me to go shopping with you on Black Friday again. It's too dangerous.”
THE END
Authors notes: This is dedicated to E!lf. Thanks for the great stories! Here's a Roy owie, just for you!
Erin …thank you for the idea, and for providing the late night eye candy. Erin will attest that this is based on a true story…the trampling and the grabbing part.
Maryann…thanks for convincing me that writing is something I should be doing, not thinking about…
And to Johnny owie fans everywhere: I promise to hurt Johnny in my next story!