Borrowed Time

By

Pally

Warning: Contains some racial violence against Johnny. Also contains some harsh remarks concerning that issue. It is not intended to offend anyone; it is just necessary to the story line.

Johnny Gage and Roy DeSoto, Los Angeles County Paramedics, eyed the stacks of medical supplies at Rampart Hospital.  It had been a rough day and night for them with continuous calls since they came on duty 12 hours prior.  Johnny grabbed the coffeepot and poured a cup for Roy and himself.  He gingerly handed a cup to his partner.  Dixie McCall, ER Charge Nurse, checked over the supply paperwork.

“Thanks,” said Roy as he took a sip, blowing gently across the surface of the liquid.

“You’re welcome,” Johnny replied, leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes.

Dixie finished checking off the list and handed the supply receipt to Roy.  “Here’s your receipt, Roy”, she said, dangling the multicolored copies in front of the tired paramedic’s face.

“Thanks, Dix,” Roy replied, as he grabbed the copies, folded them carefully and placed them in his pocket.

“You guys sure are busy today,” remarked Dixie, taking the opportunity to get her own cup of coffee.

“And tonight,” sighed Johnny, never opening his eyes.

“I think we’re going to break the old record of 17 runs in one shift,” said Roy.

Dixie looked at her two favorite paramedics with an indulgent glance. “Maybe you’ll get lucky and things will quiet down,” she said.

Johnny sighed, “The rate our luck is going I wouldn’t count on it.”

The HT came to life with a squawk.  “Squad 51, what’s your status?”

Johnny remained propped against the wall, but his eyes were opened and fixed on Roy as he picked up the HT.  “Please tell them we’re broke down.”

Roy shook his head and depressed the “talk” button.  “Squad 51 available,” he said.

“Stand by Squad 51 for response.”  A string of tones followed the dispatcher’s request.  Johnny and Roy straightened up, stretching lightly as they waited for the assignment.  “Structure fire 928 Castle Pines Road.  Time out 2140.”

“Squad 51 10-4,” Roy answered into the HT.  He scooped up the closest supplies and hugged them to his chest.  He smiled at the nurse, who was watching the paramedics over the top of her coffee cup.  “Bye Dixie.”

Johnny picked up the remainder of the IV bags and winked at Dixie, saying “See ya Dix.”

After quickly packing away the drugs, syringes and other paraphernalia, Roy and Johnny jumped into the squad and took off, lights flashing and sirens screaming.

Ten minutes later, Squad 51 pulled through the ornate entrance of a gated community and roared down the main street.  Noting the blazing mansion and the multitude of fire engines, Roy pulled past and parked the squad a little distance away.  Pulling on turnouts, the paramedics ran over the Capt. Stanley.

“Where do you want us Cap?” Roy asked.  Before Cap could reply, a well-dressed gentleman surrounded by four police officers ran up and grabbed his sleeve.

“You have got to get my daughter!  She never made it out!”  Cap regarded the man and his police escort quizzically.

“Where was she when you last saw her?” Cap asked.

The man replied, “she was going to her room.”

“And,” Cap said slowly, trying to get the man to calm down, “where’s her room?”

“It’s the last room on the left, 3^rd floor.  Her name is Ariana.”  The man looked back at the inferno, his eyes full of fear.

“Roy, John,” Cap didn’t have to finish his sentence before the paramedics were headed for the squad.

“We’re on our way, Cap.  Let’s go Junior,” Roy said over his shoulder.  They pulled air masks and bottles out of the squad’s compartments and shrugged into the breathing apparatus.  Checking that the oxygen was flowing, they made their way inside the burning house.

Inside, the visibility was rotten with black smoke billowing everywhere.  Finding the staircase, Johnny slowly climbed upwards, followed closely by his partner.  At the second landing, the pair turned toward the bedrooms and counted the doors down the left-hand side.

“Ariana?  Ariana?” Johnny yelled above the roar of the fire.  He pulled off his glove and placed his palm on the door.  “It’s cool, Roy, let’s go in.”

The opening door revealed more thick, black smoke.  Roy shouted to his partner, “Johnny, you go left, I’ll go right.”  Johnny nodded his agreement and disappeared into the haze.

Johnny swept the left perimeter of the room, only to bump into the bed.  Spreading his arms out, he found the bed empty except for the covers.  “Ariana?  Ariana?”  Working his way slowly around the bed frame, he encountered a hand sticking out from under it.  Quickly checking for a pulse, he yelled for Roy.  “Roy, Roy?  I found her.  The pulse is weak, but it’s steady.”

Roy appeared out of the smoke, which was getting thicker and thicker.  Johnny removed his air mask and placed it over the girl’s face as he lifted her off the floor.  “Let’s get out of here before it comes down on us!” Roy suggested, leading the way out of the room.  He looked over his shoulder to make sure Johnny was right behind him.  They slowly crept down the stairs, Johnny coughing as he alternated breathing through the mask with the girl.

As they made their way out of the house, Johnny began to cough spasmodically and Roy smoothly took the girl from him, casting a worried look at his partner.  Between them, they placed Ariana carefully on the groundsheet thoughtfully provided by Cap.  As Roy set up the oxygen mask and tank for his patient, he looked up at Johnny, who had retrieved his own mask and was breathing deeply from it.  “Hey, are you OK, Johnny?” he asked his friend.  Johnny nodded.  “I’ll get her vitals while you get Rampart on the horn,” Roy continued.

Taking the mask away, Johnny coughed, replied “kay,” and shook his head as a wave of lightheadedness came over him.

Roy reached out and grabbed his sleeve.  He said “hey are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine, fine,” he replied, snapping open the biophone and setting up the antennae.  “Rampart, this is Squad 51, how do you read?”

After a pause, the biophone squawked to life, “Loud and clear go ahead 51.”  Dr. Brackett sounded calm and unruffled as usual.

Johnny depressed the talk button on the handset and began his report.  “Rampart, we have a female victim, approximately 26 years old.  She was trapped in a burning house.  She has inhaled smoke.  We have her on 6 liters of O₂.  She is unconscious at this time.”  Johnny stopped talking and began to cough in earnest.

Dr. Brackett questioned, “Do you have any vitals, 51?”

Johnny managed to squeak out, “affirmative, Rampart, stand by,” as he was overcome by coughing.  Roy reached for the biophone; his blue eyes troubled, and relayed the vitals to Rampart.

“10-4 Rampart, IV normal saline,” the senior member of the team answered, reaching for the drug box

The biophone squawked one more time.  “Squad 51, has the ambulance arrived yet?”

Roy replied, “10-4 Rampart, it just arrived, we will be transporting as soon as we get her loaded.”

“10-4, 51,” Roy closed up the biophone and the drug box, and prepared to transport the patient.

“You wanna ride in with her?” he asked Johnny, thinly disguising his worry over his partner by not looking directly at him.

“Okay,” Johnny replied, coughing repeatedly as he helped load the gurney into the ambulance.  Roy thumped the doors, signaling to the driver that the doors were closed.  The ambulance pulled away.

Captain Stanley ambled over as Roy gathered up Johnny’s helmet and their equipment.  “Pretty close in there?” he asked, stooping to pick up the remaining gear.

Roy sighed, “yeah, real close.”

“How’d she look?”  Cap helped load up the squad and secured the doors, before he removed his helmet and ran a hand through his sweaty hair.

Roy latched the last compartment as he replied, “mostly smoke inhalation.  She’ll be okay.”  He smiled at his captain as he swung into the driver’s seat and pointed the vehicle towards Rampart.

In treatment room 3 of Rampart’s ER, Dr. Brackett examined Ariana.  He questioned Johnny, who remained in the room making himself useful, handing the doctor instruments, and checking the IV flow rate.  The young woman began to come around, her unfocused eyes roving the ceiling until the concerned faces of Dr. Brackett and Johnny hove into view.

“Wh..wh..what happened?” Ariana whispered.

Dr. Brackett leaned over the table and said, “you’re at Rampart General Hospital.  You were trapped in a fire.  I’m Dr. Brackett.  This young man here is John Gage.  He and his partner got you out just in time.”

Ariana looked over at Johnny and smiled, earning her a lop-sided grin in return.  Her eyes slowly blinked as she tried to stay awake.  “Thank you, John Gage,” she murmured, falling asleep.  Dr. Brackett pulled up the

side rails on the bed and nodded to Johnny to follow him out.  As they entered the hallway, Roy came wandering up, the HT hanging loosely in his left hand.

“How is she?” Roy asked.

Dr. Brackett replied, “she’ll be okay.  She’s really lucky you found her as fast as you did.”  He was about to say more when a fit of coughing by Johnny interrupted him.

“Doc, would you take a look at Johnny, he took in a lot of smoke.  He was a little dizzy and lightheaded after we got out,” reported Roy, an expression of calculated worry on his smoke-smudged face.

Johnny glared at his partner, saying, “I’m fine, it’s no big deal.  I took in a little smoke and I wasn’t that dizzy or lightheaded.”  His brown eyes locked with Roy’s blue ones.  Roy lifted an eyebrow and refused to look away.

Dr. Brackett settled the matter.  “Come on Johnny, treatment room 2, now.”

“Doc, I’m fine, really…” Johnny spluttered.

Roy stuck in his two cents worth.  “You’re not fine, you’ve been hacking ever since you came out of the fire.”  He crossed his arms across his chest.

Johnny pleaded, “come on, I’m fine, really,” as he began a coughing fit.

Dr. Bracket grabbed him by the elbow and said, “come on Johnny, you know the drill.”

Johnny sighed, “yeah, yeah,” and shot a malevolent glare at his partner.  Roy just smiled and headed for the coffeepot.

Twenty minutes later, Johnny and Dr. Brackett looked at his chest x-ray on the light box.

“Okay, the x-rays are negative and so are your lungs.  Your throat will be a little aggravated from the smoke but that should be better in a couple of days,” said the dark-haired doctor.  He shook his head in amusement at the number of times he had been in just this situation with this young paramedic.

Johnny asked, “so I can get dressed and get back to work?”

“Yeah, go ahead, but if you start wheezing, or have any problems breathing, you get back here right away, okay?” Dr. Brackett waggled a finger in Johnny’s face.

“I will,” Johnny replied, his voice slightly raspy.

From the corner of the room where he was seated on a stool, Roy DeSoto said, “I’ll keep an eye on him, doc.”  Johnny stuck his tongue out at Roy.

“Thanks Mom.”

Dr. Brackett turned to Roy.  “Hey Roy, make sure he cleans up.  It’s a disgrace to the uniform.”  He winked at the two paramedics and left, smiling to himself.

Roy picked up John’s uniform shirt and said, “I didn’t know Brackett was such a comic.”

Johnny pulled his head out from under the tap.  “He’s not.”

 He took the towel proffered by his friend and dried off.  Pulling his undershirt back on, he reached for the uniform shirt.  After a brief tug-of-war with Roy, he managed to get dressed.

Walking down the hallway of the emergency department moments later, Roy and John were disconcerted to see several news crews and journalists running down towards treatment room 3.  Dixie stood near the base station, the phone glued to her ear.  She rolled her eyes at the paramedics.

“What’s going on Dix?”

She sighed, “a media circus, and its only going to get worse before it gets better.”  She muttered a few words into the receiver and then hung up.

Roy looked at Johnny, then back at Dixie.  “Is a celebrity here?”

Dixie smiled tightly.  “You could say that – the mayor’s daughter.  You brought her in.  Her name is Ariana Wyle.”

In unison, Johnny and Roy blurted, “the mayor’s daughter?”

Roy looked at John and added, “that explains all the police around the guy who ran up to Cap.”

“It was the mayor himself and we didn’t even recognize him!” said Johnny, shaking his head in amazement.

“Well,” said Dixie, “he’s only been mayor for a couple of weeks.  I hate to change the subject but I need your help.”   She batted her eyelashes at the pair, knowing they’d do anything for her.

“Sure, Dix, what?” asked Roy.

Dixie moved in close to the men, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was within earshot.  “I need to get her moved to a private room without the press knowing where she’s at.  Here’s what I wanna do…”

With lots of gestures, she explained the plan to them.  Johnny and Roy nodded and walked off down the hall, looking as if they were headed back to work.  They wandered past the reporters and casually entered the treatment room next to 3.  Brackett looked up at them as they appeared and hung up the phone.

“Dixie told me what the plan is,” Dr. Brackett said to Roy and they began to go over the details.

Johnny walked over to the exam table where Ariana was lying.  She was awake and staring at the ceiling until she saw the dark-eyed, dark-haired paramedic standing over her.

“Hi.  How are you feeling?” Johnny asked, his voice slightly husky.  He coughed into his fist a couple of times. 

Ariana replied, “Okay, I guess.  You’re one of the paramedics that brought me out, aren’t you?  Sounds like you took in some smoke, too,” she smiled at him.

“Yeah,” Johnny grinned bashfully.  “I’m Johnny Gage.”

“Oh yeah, that’s right.  My head is a little fuzzy,” she closed her eyes briefly.  “Are you going to be okay, Johnny?”

Johnny smiled back at her; “I’ll be okay in a day or two.”

Roy finished his conversation with Dr. Brackett and moved quietly over to the exam table.  “Sorry to interrupt, but we need to get the plan in motion.”

Startled, Ariana looked up and asked, “What plan?”

Dr. Brackett joined them.  “We’re going to move you to your room but the press is all over outside.  So, what we want to do is put you on a gurney and cover you up with a sheet.  Then Johnny and Roy will take you up to your room.”  Brackett smiled his sideways smile at the girl.

She smiled back.  “I’ll look like a dead body being taken to the morgue!”

“That’s right,” Dr. Bracket replied.

Ariana looked at Roy, Johnny and the Doc in turn.  “Okay, let’s do it!”  They transferred her to the gurney and placed a sheet over her.  Roy and Johnny carefully wheeled her out past the reporters without attracting their attention.  Once in the elevator, Roy punched the 3 button.

“Shhh,” whispered Johnny, unnecessarily as they were the only ones in the elevator.  Roy rolled his eyes at his partner. 

“This isn’t a spy movie, you know, Junior,” he said.  Johnny just glared at him.  The sheet moved slightly as the “corpse” giggled.

Once on the third floor, Ariana was quickly installed in her bed.

“There you go,” said Roy.

Ariana smoothed down the sheet and smiled at him, “Thanks.”

Roy blushed and ducked his head.  “You’re welcome.”

Johnny rolled his own eyes at his partner’s discomfort and moved to Ariana’s side.  “Hopefully, they won’t find you for awhile.”

“I hope not, but once my dad gets here, they’ll know where I am,” Ariana sighed.

Roy smiled reassuringly, “I’m sure Dixie will keep you hidden.”  The HT squawked to life in his hand.

“Squad 51, what’s your status?”

“Squad 51 available,” Roy answered.  Johnny looked expectantly at his partner.  Roy shrugged and held the HT at chest height, waiting for the tones.  Ariana merely raised her eyebrows.

“Stand by Squad 51.”  The tones began.  “Station 51 – Traffic accident with injuries – Cross street Webster and University.  Time out 2415.”

Roy brought the HT up to his face and depressed the talk button.  “Squad 51, 10-4.”  He turned to Ariana and said, “We have to go now, Ariana.”

The girl smiled at them, “Thanks for bringing me up here and for what you did at the fire.”

Johnny smiled back, “You’re welcome!”  He and Roy headed for the door.

“Hey guys,” Ariana called as they paused at looked back at her, “be careful.”

Johnny flashed her the famous Gage grin, “Always!”

Roy grabbed his partner’s arm and pulled him out the door.  “Come on, Romeo, we have a T/A waiting for us.”

Ariana closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, The mayor, Nicolas Wyle, and his wife appeared at Station 51.  Captain Stanley escorted them into his office.  Chet, observing them, ran to the dorm and cornered Johnny and Roy as they made their bunks.

“Roy, Gage, the mayor and his wife are here and cap wants to see you in his office now,” he said.

Roy replied, “Okay, tell them we’ll be right there.”

“Okay, but hurry up!” Chet scurried out of the dorm followed by the paramedics.  As they walked across the apparatus floor, Johnny flicked imaginary dust off Roy’s shoulders.  Roy slapped him away.

“Cut it out, Junior!”

As Johnny and Roy entered the office, Cap pushed himself off the desk where he had been perched.  Indicating the visitors, he said, “Mayor Wyle, Mrs. Wyle, this is Roy DeSoto and his partner John Gage.”  They shake hands and Mrs. Wyle impulsively hugs them.

“Thank you so much for saving our daughter!” she exclaimed, as she wiped a few tears from her eyes.

Mayor Wyle added, “We wanted to thank you personally for what you did.”

Roy smiled, his blue eyes shining.  “You’re very welcome.  We were just doing our job.”

“Just saving your daughter is thanks enough,” Johnny added.

Mayor and Mrs. Wyle looked at each other, smiling.  Mrs. Wyle said, “Please, there must be something we can do.”

“Well”, Johnny said, “you can make a donation to the Firemen’s Fund.  I’m sure that would be appreciated.”

Roy commented, “It helps considerably should one of us fall.”

“I’ll have a check sent to the Fund as soon as I get back to the office,” Mayor Wyle beamed.

Johnny smiled back, “Thank you!”

Mayor Wyle stuck out his hand to shake Johnny’s again, “No, thank you.”  He and his wife stood to leave and Cap offered to walk them out.

Midmorning found the paramedics at Rampart on a supply run.  Johnny poured himself a cup of coffee.  Dixie breezed up to the desk.

“Hey Dixie, “ he said to the busy nurse, “how’s Ari doing?”

Dixie smiled at the young man.  “Doing real good, she’s going to be released in just a bit.”

Roy remarked, “That’s good to hear.”

“Yeah, it is,” Johnny replied.  He took a sip of coffee.  “I think I’ll go up and see her before she leaves.  I’ll be back.”

Roy rolled his eyes.  “Just hurry.”

Johnny put his hands out in a calming gesture, “I will, I will,” he turned and practically ran to the elevator.

Knocking on Ariana’s door, Johnny checked himself over quickly.  No stray smudges, loose threads, or specks of dust could be seen.

“It’s open,” said Ariana’s voice.  Johnny opened the door and walked in.

“Johnny! Hi,” she said with a huge smile.

Johnny smiled back.  “Hi.  Dixie said you were being released in a little bit.”

“Yeah, she said they needed the bed for someone sick.”  She laughed along with the paramedic.  “Your voice sounds better.”

Johnny replied, “It’s still a little raspy, but I’ll get better.”  He grinned at the girl in the bed.

Ari smiled.  “I kinda like it.  It gives you character.”

Johnny laughed.  “A raspy voice gives me character?  And I thought it was my scars!”

Ari smiled devilishly and said, “Maybe I could see them sometime!”

Johnny cleared his throat and blushed lightly.  “Ah, well, you’re the mayor’s daughter and I’m a fireman, we don’t exactly travel in the same social circles.”

“I know,” Ari replied, “but we could tweak the circle a little.”  Johnny looked at her, knowing what she was implying.

“Are you saying you wanna go out with me?” he asked.

“Yes, well, that is if you’re not seeing someone.”

Johnny looked her straight in the eye.  “I’m not seeing anyone.”

Ari raised an eyebrow.  “Now I am surprised.  I thought you’d be involved.”

“I cancelled all my dates this week.  I needed some rest.”  He flashed his crooked grin and they both laughed.  Johnny sat down on her bed.

Ari asked, “So, how about we see a movie?  When’s your next day off?”

Johnny thought briefly, then replied, “I’m off Friday and Saturday.”

“Great!” Ari said, “How about Friday night?  We can grab the late show.”

Johnny smiled.  “Okay.  Sounds like a plan.”

Ari touched Johnny’s hand.  “It’s a date, then,” she said.

The door flew open, revealing a very tan, blonde man who glared at Johnny when he saw Ari’s hand in his.  Johnny stood up, uncertain.

The man asked, “Are you okay?  I just found out.”  He brushed past Johnny and reached out to hug Ari.  She pushed him away with an annoyed look on her face.

“What are you doing here, Jeff?”  Ari glared at the blonde man.

“I was worried about you,” he said, taking her hand.  She pulled it away angrily.  “Can we please talk?  Alone?” he said pointedly to Johnny.

Ari replied, “We have nothing to talk about.”

Johnny quickly said, “Ahh, Ari, I’d better go so you can talk.”  He moved toward the door.

Ari looked at him anxiously.  “Johnny, leave your number with Dixie.  I’ll call you Friday night.”

Johnny nodded.  “Alright, I’ll talk to you then.”  The door swung shut behind him.

Ari turned to Jeff.  “We don’t have anything to talk about, Jeff.  I said all I had to say when I broke up with you three months ago.”

“I’ve changed, Ari.  I’m not the same person I was then.”  Jeff tried to look repentant.

Ari spat back, “Once a racist, always a racist.  You said and did a lot of cruel things to my friends.  I’ll never forgive you for what you did.”

Jeff spread his arms wide.  “It was just a prank.”

“Yeah, sure it was.  You and your cohorts stripped Angie naked and left her at the cemetery alone.  While she was crying and blinded by tears, a car hit her from behind and killed her.  What a prank.  She was my friend, Jeff!”  Ari turned her head away from Jeff, tears brimming in her own eyes.

Jeff shrugged.  “I said I was sorry.  If she hadn’t started walking she wouldn’t have gotten hit!”

“Get out of her now!”  Ari screamed.

“I’ll leave but we aren’t done talking,” Jeff said softly, his voice full of menace.

~~~~~~~~~~           

In the hallway, Jeff grabbed the elbow of a passing nurse.  “Hi, excuse me.  I wanted to know the name of a paramedic.  He saved my girlfriend from a fire.  But I all I know is his first name – Johnny.”

The nurse smiled, she knew Johnny personally.  “There’s only one paramedic named Johnny and that’s Johnny Gage out of 51,” she replied.

Jeff smiled back, but not with his eyes.  “Great, thanks!”  He sauntered down the hallway towards the elevator.

Meanwhile, Ari was thinking about her friend Angie and what happened.  She picked up her water glass, took a sip, then proceeded to pitch the whole thing at the door, just as Dixie walked in. 

“Hey!  Good thing I ducked.  What’s going on?” Dixie asked.

Ari sighed, “I’m sorry, Dixie, I was having some bad memories and took it out on the glass.”  She wiped a tear away with the back of her hand.  “I’m sorry.”

Dixie sat down on the bed.  “Do you want to talk about it?”

“It’s a long story, Dixie,” Ari replied. 

Dixie looked at her watch.  “We have an hour.”  She smiled at Ari.  Ari proceeded to tell her everything about Jeff and what he did to Angie. 

“A racist!  That poor girl.  Wasn’t he arrested?”  Dixie vehemently exclaimed.

“No, questioned, then let go.  His dad is extremely wealthy.  Angie’s family was paid off, then they moved away.  Jeff and his cronies are terrorizing the kids that aren’t white.  Some of those kids are my friends.”  Ari shifted in the bed, obviously uncomfortable with the topic of conversation.

“Why don’t they go to the police?”  Dixie was outraged.

Ari sighed again.  “They can’t prove it’s him and his friends.  They wear masks and even if they ID them, they’re too scared of what might happen.”  Ari’s hands knotted themselves in her lap.

Dixie asked, “Besides Angie, has anyone been killed?”

Ari looked up at her.  “No, but it’s just a matter of time ‘til someone is.”

“It’s too bad no one has the courage to tell the police what’s going on before someone else gets hurt.”  Dixie looked at the girl meaningfully.

At the end of shift on Friday morning, Johnny Gage left the station for home, unaware that he was being followed.  Jeff parked across the street and watched Johnny go into his apartment.  Getting out of his truck, Jeff walked to a phone booth on the corner.

“Hello?”

“Cole, it’s Jeff.  I need you to help me with a problem,” Jeff said.

Cole replied, “Sure, what?”

Jeff twisted around in the phone booth to look back at Johnny’s apartment.  “Call Wade and meet me here at the Woodland Hills Apartments as soon as you can.”

“Okay.  I’ll call him.”  Cole hung up.

Twenty minutes later, Cole and Wade arrived together.

Wade asked his friend, “So, what do you want us to do?”

Jeff cleared his throat.  “I overheard Ari say she and the redskin had a date to go to the movie theater tonight.  Follow them and make sure he gets the point that Ari won’t be seeing her again.”

Wade looked at Cole.  “How bad to you want the point to get across?”

Jeff’s eyes glittered.  “I don’t want him killed, I just want him to know Ari is off limits.”

“What about Ari?” Cole asked.

“I don’t want her hurt.  Just roughed up somewhat.”

Cole nodded.  “You got it.”

Later that evening, Johnny and Ari pulled up to the Starlight Theater and found the front parking lot full.

“Wow, I’ve never seen it this full for a late show!  I’ll drop you off at the front and I’ll park in the back and meet you inside.”

Ari smiled.  “You don’t have to do that.  I don’t mind walking.”

“Are you sure?” Johnny grinned his trademark lopsided grin.

“I’m sure.”

Johnny drove to the back and parked.  He opened the door for Ari and took her arm.  As they started for the theater, Johnny felt a hand grabbing him from behind.  He was shoved against the wall, hitting the side of his head.  Cole shoved the barrel of a gun into his back.  Wade put his hand around Ari’s waist, and his other over her mouth.

“Ahh, whatda'ya want?!” Johnny grimaced.  He could hear Ari struggling and whimpering.  “My wallet is in my left back pocket.  Take what’s in it. Just don’t hurt the girl, please?”  Cole spun Johnny around and put the gun to his head.

“We’ll take whatever we want, Tonto.  You listen up and listen good.  Stay away from Ari, half-breed.”  He hit Johnny with the butt of the gun several times.  Johnny fell to the ground unconscious.  Ari saw Johnny go down and fought to get to him.  Grabbing her by the arm, Wade threw her against the building, watching as she slid to the ground.

Ari fell to her side, feeling the gravel digging into her hands.  For a moment she felt nauseous, then she saw a tall figure standing over her.  Lifting her head, she saw Cole leering down at her, while Wade stood over Johnny.  Ari cringed, fearing the blows she knew would come next.  Kneeling down next to her, Cole pointed the gun over towards Johnny’s prone form.

“See that boyfriend of yours over there?” Cole asked menacingly, seeing the fear in her eyes.  “That’s right, you should be scared; you should be scared enough to stop seeing him.  You see, tonight was just a warning.  We wanted to show you that we meant business this time.  If you continue to see him, then the next time, he won’t be so lucky, he won’t be alive when we leave here,” he sneered, watching Wade kick Johnny once more in the side.

“Remember what we said,” Wade warned once more. “Stay away from the redskin or next time we won’t be so generous.”

Ari watched them walk away and then proceeded to pass out.

Twenty minutes later, Roy DeSoto received a call that Johnny and Ari had been taken to Rampart Emergency.  Roy went directly to the ER and found Dixie sitting at the base station going over some files.  He walked up to her.

“Dixie, what happened?” he asked.

Dixie sighed and looked at the blue eyed paramedic.  He must have been awakened as his normally well-groomed hair was sticking up on one side.  “They were attacked behind the Starlight Movie Theater.”

“How bad are they hurt?”  Roy tried to control his anxiety.  He bit his lower lip as he waited for Dixie’s answer.

“They pistol-whipped Johnny.  Kel’s in with him.  Joe is with Ari.”

Roy looked directly at the nurse.  “How bad was Ari hurt?  Was she, she…?”

“No, she wasn’t.”  Roy let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding.  “She has a bruise on her right cheek.”  Just then, two police officers walked down the hallway towards them.  They came up to the desk.

“I’m Officer Marelli and this is Officer Ryder,” said the taller of the two.  “We have orders to guard Mr. Gage and Ms. Wyle until further notice.”

Dixie directed, “Mr. Gage is in treatment room two.  Ms. Wyle is in there,” she indicated with a wave of her hand.

Officer Ryder nodded to her.  “Thank you.”  They walked over to the treatment rooms and assumed their protective roles.

Roy heard a familiar voice and turned to see Detective Crockett strolling down the hall directly at him.

“DeSoto!”

“Detective Crockett,” Roy replied as he held out his hand.

“How’s Gage and Ms. Wyle?” the detective asked.

Roy shrugged.  “They’re still being examined.”

Dixie stood and put aside her files.  “I’ll see what I can find out for you.”

“Thanks, Dix,” Roy smiled at her as she patted his arm.  She headed for treatment room two first.

Detective Crockett looked directly at Roy.  “Roy, are you up to answering a few questions?”

“Sure, I’ll answer what I can,” Roy frowned slightly, wondering what he could possibly know that would help.  Crockett opened a note pad.

“Has Gage been threatened by any former patients or family members?”

Roy shook his head.  “No.”

“Has Gage broken up with anyone who didn’t want to break up?”

Again Roy shook his head, “No”.  Crockett closed his notepad.

“Thanks, Roy.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful,” Roy said ruefully.

Detective Crockett shrugged his shoulders.  “It’s okay, Roy.”

Dixie came of treatment room three and walked over to the men.

“You can see Ms. Wyle now, Detective,” she said.

“Thanks, Ms. McCall.”  The detective walked over to treatment room three and after a brief knock, went in.

“How’s Johnny?”  Roy’s eyes were worried.

Dixie studied him.  “He has a concussion.  Kel said there’s no skull fracture.”

“That’s good to hear,” Roy nodded, as Kel came out of the treatment room. “Hey Doc!”

Dr. Brackett turned to the paramedic.  “Hi, Roy.  I see Dixie gave you the news.”

“Yeah.  When can I see him?”

“In about 20 minutes.  I’m having him moved upstairs.  I want to keep him under observation for a couple of days.”  Dr. Brackett tossed the chart on the counter.  Dixie caught it just as it was sliding off.

Roy said, “I’d better call Joanne and Cap and tell them what’s happening.”  He walked over the pay phone.

Kel poured himself a cup of coffee and set it on the counter.

“Dix, are you ready for some coffee?” he asked.  She looked up at him.

“No thanks.  Maybe later.”  She looked at treatment room three as the door opened and Detective Crockett came out looking at his notes.  He ambled towards them.  “Detective, did Ari give you any leads on who did this?”

The detective rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  “As a matter of fact, she did, but I’m not at liberty to say who that is at this time.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get an arrest warrant.”  He saluted them slightly with an upraised hand and left.

Kel frowned.  “I hope he gets who’s behind the attack.”

“I’m sure he will,” Dixie replied.  Joe Early exited the exam room and walked over to his colleagues.  “How’s Ari, Joe?”

Joe said, “She’ll be fine, mostly a bruise on her cheek.  She refuses to have her father informed of the situation.  Under the circumstances I think he should be told.”  Joe eyed the guards.

Dixie sighed.  “Let me talk to her.  Maybe I can convince her.”

“Good luck,” Joe grinned at her.  Dixie smiled back and walked past the guards into the exam room.

Ari sat on the exam table, holding an ice pack up to her cheek.  She looked up as Dixie entered.

“Hi Dixie.”

“Hi yourself,” Dixie replied.  “How are you feeling?”

Ari grimaced.  “My cheek hurts like hell.  Dix, how’s Johnny?  Dr. Early wouldn’t tell me.  Please, is he okay?”  Anxiety flickered across her pale face.

Dixie nodded.  “He’s okay, he has a concussion.  Dr. Brackett is going to keep him under observation for a couple of days.”

Ari let out a long sigh.  “Thank God.  Can I see him?”

“Maybe later,” Dixie said gently.  “I think you need to call your dad and tell him that you’re okay.”

Ari dismissed the idea with a wave of her hand.  “I’ll call him later.  My first concern is Johnny.”

Dixie crossed her arms across her chest.  “Your first concern should be your father.  The press will be calling him, asking him questions about what happened.  He should hear from you that you’re okay.”

Ari rolled her eyes.  “I’ll call him and tell him what happened.  I just don’t want him to come down here.”

“I’m sure as long as he knows that you are safe and being guarded by the police, that should put his mind at ease.” Dixie said.  Ari looked at her as if she had grown two heads.

“Guarded?  Is Johnny being guarded as well?” Ari managed to splutter.

“Yes,” Dixie replied shortly.

Ari took in a deep breath, squared her shoulders and said, “Can you find me a phone?”

Dixie smiled as she turned to leave.  “Sure thing.”  As she began to walk away, she heard Ari crying.  Wrapping her arms around the girl, Dixie helped soothe away the tears.

A couple of hours later, Det. Crockett located Roy outside of Johnny’s room.

“Roy, how’s Gage doing?” he inquired.

Roy puffed his cheeks out, subconsciously letting his breath out slowly.  “He’s still unconscious.”

The detective looked dismayed.  “Ahh, I was hoping he’d be awake by now.”

“He should be.”  The detective could hear the concern in the paramedic’s voice.  Roy looked up at him. 

“What did you need to talk to him about?  What happened?”

Det. Crockett replied, “Yeah, and that I have an arrest warrant issued.”

Roy’s blue eyes widened quickly.  “For whom?”

“Jeff Montgomery.  He’s Ariana’s ex-boyfriend.”

“What?  He attacked them?!”  Roy’s agitation was apparent in his tense posture.

“No, Ariana said he wasn’t there but she’s pretty sure he’s behind the attack.  I checked him out and he has several dismissed cases involving assaults.  Mostly on minorities,” Crockett added, almost as an afterthought.

“Are you saying this guy is a racist?”  Roy asked.

Crockett looked away uneasily.  “I’m afraid so.”

Roy hesitantly questioned, “Have any of these assaults been fatal?”

The detective studied Roy for a second before answering.  “Yes, one.”

“Let me guess.  Being the mayor’s daughter, it was swept under the rug,” he asked. Roy was upset and not about to let the subject go.  He stuck his hands in his pockets to prevent himself from making fists.

“No, it wasn’t.  Ariana told the police all she knew.  The family dropped the charges and moved after they had been paid off.  She stopped seeing him right after that and from what she says he doesn’t take no very well.”  The detective looked at his watch.  “I better go.  I hope he wakes up soon.”

Roy watched him depart.  “So do I, so do I.”  Pushing the door ahead of him, Roy entered Johnny’s room.  He sat down next to the bed and studied Johnny’s sleeping face.  “Junior, we need to have a long talk when you wake up and it had better be soon.”  Sitting back in the chair, the weary paramedic was soon fast asleep.

At 6:30 am, Roy woke up, stiff and sore from his night in the chair.  Johnny was still unconscious.  As Roy stretched and rubbed his weary back, Dixie came in the door.

“Morning, Dix,” Roy’s voice was raspy.

“Morning, Roy, how’s our star patient?” Dixie replied as she looked over Johnny’s chart.

Roy massaged his shoulder absently.  “He still hasn’t woken up.”

Hearing the worry in his voice, Dixie set the chart down and looked at him.  “He will, Roy, he just needs time.  Why don’t you get some coffee and stretch your legs?”

Roy started to shake his head.  “I, I...”

Dixie was adamant.  “Roy, go.  You need to keep your strength up.”

“You’re right.  Will you page me if he wakes up?” 

Dixie smiled.  “You know I will.”

“Thanks, Dix,” he said tiredly, closing the door softly behind him.  Dixie studied Johnny’s sleeping form.  She brushed a stray piece of hair from his face.  Hearing her name paged to Emergency, the nurse reluctantly left him.

Ari slipped quietly into Johnny’s room.  Walking over to his bed, she saw the white bandage around his head.  She sat down and placed her hand over his.

“Johnny, I’m so sorry.”  Ari began to cry.  She rubbed her hand absently over her face, wiping the tears away.  “This shouldn’t have happened.”

“That’s right.  It shouldn’t have.”  Roy had come in behind her.  She turned and looked at the blonde paramedic and sensed that he was not happy to see her.  She stood up, gently laying Johnny’s hand back on the covers.

Roy went on.  “But it has, and I won’t have Johnny hurt again because of you.”

“Roy, please!” Ari cried.  “I know you’re upset with me because of what happened…”

Roy’s voice was like a knife.  “Upset doesn’t even come close to what I’m feeling.  I don’t want you to come back in here and see Johnny again.”

Ari pleaded with him.  “Please Roy, I’m sorry, believe me.”

“I want you out of here now!” Roy took a step towards her as she took a step back.

Ari turned away and looked at Johnny.  Wiping her tears, she took a deep breath of resolve and faced Roy.  “I’m not leaving Johnny until I can talk to him.”

“No,” Roy replied in a deceptively calm voice, “you’re not, you are leaving now,” Roy said firmly as he glared at Ari.  She took a step back, seeing the anger in his eyes.

“Roy, I can understand why you’re angry, but don’t make me leave!  I never meant for any of this to happen!  Please let me stay until he wakes up.”  She struggled with Roy, not noticing that Johnny was coming around.  Hearing the raised voices, he opened his eyes to see his partner and girlfriend pulling at each other.  “Please let me stay until he wakes, that’s all I’m asking,” Ari cried.

“No, you’ve put him through too much as it is.  He could have been killed because of you,” Roy replied.

“You can’t keep me from him, you can’t do this,” she pleaded.

“He’s my best friend and partner, I’ll do whatever I have to do; whether you’re the mayor’s daughter or not.”

Johnny slowly starts coming around, hearing their voices.  Trying to focus, he sees Ari’s back towards him and the stern look on Roy’s face.

“I don’t need my Dad to fight my battles for me, and I’m not going to start now,” she fought back.

“Do I have any say in this?”

Hearing Johnny’s groggy voice, Roy quickly let go of Ari and rushed over to the bed.  Ari stood at the door, her eyes wide.

Roy’s smile was wide.  “You’re awake, I’ll get Dr. Brackett.”  He started to turn away.

Johnny said, “No.  Brackett can wait.  I wanna know what’s going on?  And what’s this about you not allowing Ari to see me?”

Roy shrugged, his initial anger at Ari replaced by joy at seeing his partner awake.  “She’s the reason you were beaten.  Her ex-boyfriend doesn’t like the fact you had started to see her.  He’s a racist, too, isn’t he Ari?”  Both paramedics looked at Ari.  Her tears were flowing down her cheeks.

Regaining her composure, Ari walked to the bed.  “What Roy says is true.  But he didn’t tell you that after what happened to Angie, I reported to the police everything that I knew about.  Jeff disappeared right after Angie’s family moved after they were paid off.  I haven’t seen him for six months.  I could feel him watching me every time I left the house.  My father had bodyguards following me every second of the day.  You know what it feels like to be constantly watched?  Not very much fun.  Bye Johnny.”  She ran from the room.

“Ari, Ari come back!”  Johnny tried to sit up but Roy gently pushed him back down.

“Stay put!  I’m getting Dr. Brackett.”  Roy left, looking down each hallway for Ari as he went.  Dixie caught up to him.

“Roy, is everything okay?”

“No,” he replied, his facial muscles working overtime to contain his anger, “it’s not.”

Two days later, Johnny was released from the hospital.  He refused to allow Roy to drive him home and Chet had the honor.  Roy and Johnny hadn’t spoken since Ari had blown up at them in Johnny’s hospital room.  Climbing into Chet’s car, Johnny leaned his head back in the seat and closed his eyes.

“Johnny, you okay?”  Chet inquired.

“I’m fine, Chet, really.”

“You don’t seem fine.”

“Chet, I’m not in the mood to get into it with you!”

“Look, I know something is going on between you and Roy because if things were fine, he’d be the one driving you home now.”  Johnny opened his eyes and peered at Chet.

“Things were said and until we have the opportunity to settle it there’s no point in getting into it.  It’s over and done.

Chet signaled a right turn.  “What was said?”

Johnny closed his eyes again and shrugged.  “It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters, Johnny.  You and Roy are best friends and partners.”  Chet was anxious to put things right.

Johnny sighed.  “You left one part out.”

“What’s that, John?”

“He thinks he’s my mother and he can tell me who I can see and who I can’t.  Hell, I’m surprised he doesn’t set a curfew!”  Johnny rolled his eyes.

“He doesn’t want you to get hurt again, Johnny.  You’re his best friend!”  Chet couldn’t understand why Johnny didn’t seem to get it.

“Fine, he can be my friend, but not my protector.”  Chet can see that Johnny is serious and found himself at a loss for words.

Pulling up at Johnny’s apartment complex, Chet asked, “Can I help you with anything?”

“No thanks, Chet.  I’ll see ya Monday.”  Johnny climbed out and shut the door.  Chet watched him walk towards his apartment and disappear inside. 

Nicholas Wyle knocked on his daughter’s bedroom door.

“Ari, are you okay?”

Ari lay on her back across her bed, staring at the ceiling.  She wiped away some tears.

“I’m fine, Dad, really.  I just don’t feel real good.”

“Do you want me to call a doctor?”  Nicholas tried to keep the paternal worry out of his voice.

“No, Dad.  It’s just a stomach ache.”  Ari lied.

“Are you sure?”

Ari tried to lighten her voice for her father.  “Yes, Dad.  I’m just going to stay in bed.  You better go or you’ll be late.”

“Call me later, so I’ll know you’re okay, okay?”  Nicholas put his ear to the door.

“I will, Dad.”  She heard him move off down the hallway.  Covering her face, she began to sob in earnest.

A few hours later, the phone rang.  Ari set down her tea and picked up the receiver.  “Hello?”

“Hi,” said Johnny.

Ari smiled.  “Hi.  How are you doing?”

“Miserable.  I really need to talk to you.”

“I need to talk to you, too.”

Johnny said, “We can meet at Carini’s Italian restaurant tomorrow night around 7 p.m.  Do you know where it is?”

“Yes,” Ari replied, “I’ve been there a couple of times.”

“Okay, I’ll see ya there, then,” Johnny gently hung up the phone.

Meanwhile, Jeff kept his distance but watched Johnny’s every move.  He and Mark sat in his car watching Gage’s apartment.

“So how much longer do we keep waiting for the Redskin to do something?”  Mark asked.

“Until he does,” Jeff said, watching Johnny walking to the Rover.  “Looks like the time has come.”  They followed Johnny to Carini’s.

At the restaurant, Jeff and Mark slipped in a side door just in time to see Ari hug Johnny.  Jeff could barely control his anger.  The hostess seated Ari and Johnny at a cozy table in the back.  Jeff was on the verge of losing control when Johnny touched Ari’s hand

Mark whispered to Jeff.  “So, what’s the plan?”

“I don’t know yet, but I will.”  Jeff kept glaring at the couple.  Ari smiled at Johnny as he smiled back.  Leaning over, Johnny lightly kissed her on the lips.  Mark could tell it was just a matter of time before Jeff lost it.  He hoped whatever Jeff had planned would happen fast.

The back of the restaurant began to fill up with people.  Jeff whispered in Mark’s ear.  Mark nodded, and began to walk towards Ari and Johnny’s table.  The waiter was bringing a bottle of wine to the table.  Johnny studied the label and nodded his approval.  As the waiter began to pour the wine, Jeff nodded to Mark.  He bumped into the waiter and spilled the wine all over Johnny’s pants.  Johnny jumped up.

Mark exclaimed, “Oh, I’m sorry!  I, I tripped!”

The waiter rushed to get a towel.  “I’m sorry, sir!”

Johnny said, “It’s okay really, it was an accident.”  Ari tried to help Johnny mop up the stain.  “Where’s your men’s room?”

“It’s in the back over there,” the waiter replied, pointing.  “I’m so sorry, sir.”

Johnny smiled slightly.  “It’s okay.  It’s no big deal.  Accidents happen.”

“Can I do anything?” Mark asked.

Johnny shook his head.  “No, no, it’s okay really.”  He looked over at Ari.  “I’ll be right back.  I’m going to the men’s room to see if I can get the wine out.  I’ll be right back.”  He touched her hand softly and smiled at her.  She smiled back.

“I’ll be waiting,” Ari said seductively.

Johnny flashed her the Gage smile.  “I hope so!”  He turned and made his way between the tables to the men’s room.

Mark handed Ari some money.  “At least let me buy your dinner for you.  After what I did.”

“You don’t need to do that, really.  It was just an accident.”  Ari shook her head.

“Please accept my apology then?”  Mark pleaded.

Ari replied, “Okay, thank you.”

Johnny made his way to the restroom only to be shoved against the wall before he could react.  He feels the cold steel of a knife against his neck.

“Hello Redskin.  I’d slit your throat right now, but we have some unfinished business,” Jeff snarled menacingly.

Johnny tried to see his attacker.  “What kind of business?”

Jeff snarled, “Deadly business.  Now you do what you’re told or I’ll have my friend hurt Ari so badly you won’t be able to recognize her.”

Johnny inhaled sharply.  “I’ll do whatever you want.  Just don’t hurt Ari please.”

Jeff chuckled softly.  “Thought you’d see things my way.  Now put your hands behind you, nice and slow.”

Johnny did as he was told.  He could feel handcuffs being placed on his wrists.  Jeff clamped them down tightly.  Johnny could feel them cutting into his skin.

“Now we’re going to leave.  You draw attention to us and I’ll sever your spinal cord, got it?”  Jeff increased the pressure on Johnny’s throat with the blade of the knife.

“I, I got it,” Johnny replied.

“Let’s go.”  Jeff forced Johnny to walk in front of him as they exited the door, unaware they had been watched.

Ari looked at her watch with growing concern that Johnny hadn’t returned.  She got up from the table and walked to where the restrooms were.  She saw the manager in animated discussion with a woman.  She walked closer to eavesdrop.

“Ma'am, are you sure?” the manager questioned.

“Yes,” the woman replied, “I’m sure.”

The manager reached for the phone.  “Okay, I’ll call the police.” 

Ari walked over to the woman.  “Excuse me, what’s going on?”

The woman said, “A man was forced out of here by knife point about 10 minutes ago.”

Ari gasped.  “What did he look like, the man being forced?”

The woman considered her answer.  “He was tall, about 6’1”, dark hair, extremely good looking…” The color drained from Ari’s face.  “Are you okay?  Do you know the guy?”

“Yeah,” Ari managed to squeak out, “I do.”

Within 20 minutes the police had arrived, along with Roy DeSoto, whom Vince had called, when he realized who the kidnap victim was.

Roy ran straight to Vince.  “Vince, what happened?” he asked, the panic was evident in his voice.

“Johnny was forced out of here at knife point,” Vince explained.

“Why?  Why would anybody want to kidnap Johnny?”  Roy ran an agitated hand through his sandy blonde hair.

“I was hoping you could tell me, Roy,” Vince replied.

Roy shook his head in bewilderment.  “Vince, you know Johnny, he doesn’t have any enemies.”

Vince agreed.  “He’s an all around good guy, Roy.  But this just doesn’t make sense.”

Roy stood, lost in thought for few moments.  “Vince, what was Johnny doing here?”

Vince opened his notebook and studied it.  “He was having dinner with Ariana Wyle.”

“He was here with Ari?”  Roy looked stunned.

“Yeah,” Vince replied, “Didn’t you know?”

Roy looked chagrined.  “No, but then again, he and I haven’t been really talking the last couple of days.”

Vince said, “Oh really?  Why?”

“Let’s just say it was a difference of opinion on him seeing Ari.”  Roy shook his head again.  Then a thought occurred to him.  “Is Ari okay?”

Vince pointed towards a door.  “She’s fine, she’s in the manager’s office.  She’s pretty upset.”

“Have you called her dad?” Roy asked.

Vince rolled his eyes.  “She pleaded for me not to.  He’s going to find out, it’s just a matter of time.”

“I’ll talk to her.”  Vince can see the worry in Roy’s face.

“I’m sorry, Roy.”

Roy looked at the police officer.  “So am I”.

As the door opened, Ari looked up and saw Roy, saw the concern on his face.  She had been crying and her eyes still brimmed with unshed tears.  Roy walked over to her.

“I should have called you myself but I couldn’t.”  She wiped her eyes and nose.  Roy took a couple of steps closer to her.  She looked at him.

Roy said softly, “Things were said in a moment of anger.  What was said doesn’t matter now.  All that matters now is we find Johnny.”

She looked up into his blue eyes.  “Until we find him he’s living on borrowed time.”

Roy opened his arms to Ari and she moved into them, wrapping her arms around his waist.  She began to sob.

A knock at the door caught Roy’s attention and he turned his head to see Vince peek in.  He nodded at Roy.  Returning the nod, Roy gently moved Ari away.  Bending down to look into her face he said, “Vince needs to talk to me.  I’ll be right back, okay?”

Leaving Ari digging in her purse for tissues, Roy crossed the room to Vince.  “Whatch'a got?”

Vince pulled out his notebook.  “We have description of what the guy looked like.”  Ari crept up behind them.  “White male, 5’8” to 5’9”, blonde hair, hazel eyes, about 180.  Approximately 28 or 29 years of age…”

Ari gasped.  “Oh no!  Jeff’s got him!” 

Jeff shoved Johnny to the living room floor of his parents’ mansion in Topanga Canyon.  Johnny landed hard on his shoulder and he winced, looking up at Jeff.

“You know, Redskin, if you had just listened to the warnings, I wouldn’t have to kill you,” Jeff said conversationally.

Johnny rolled his eyes.  “I don’t take warnings well.”

Jeff glared.  “I can see that.  And now you’ll pay for it.”  He leaned over Johnny with a large hunting knife.

Ari reached into her purse and pulled out a photo.  She ran past Roy and Vince into the hallway.  Spotting Shauna, the nurse, talking to another officer, she gently touched her shoulder.

“Excuse me, is this the man you saw take Mr. Gage?”  Ari held out the photo of her and Jeff.

“That’s him!” the young nurse replied.

Roy and Vince caught the last part of the conversation.  Roy asked, “Ari, do you have any idea where Jeff would have taken Johnny?”

Ari ran her hand through her hair and closed her eyes.  Suddenly she opened her eyes wide, an excited expression spreading across her face.  “He’s taken him to his folks’ mansion.  It’s up in Topanga Canyon.  It’s still under construction.”

“What’s the address?”  Roy had to shake Ari who was lost in thought.  “Ari, Ari!  What’s the address?”  His eyes frantic, the paramedic pleaded with the girl.

Ari thought.  “5143 Aspen Way.”  She swayed on her feet.  Roy gripped her arm tighter to support her.

“Let me sit you down and check you out,” he offered, assisting her to a chair.

Ari waved him away.  “No, I’m fine, really.”  She smiled briefly at Johnny’s partner.

Vince walked over.  “I called for back-up.  We’d better go.”

“Vince, can I talk to you alone please, it’s important,” Ari said urgently to the policeman.

“Okay, but let’s hurry.”  Ari and Vince walked down the hallway a distance.  Reaching into her purse, Ari pulls out a medium-sided ashtray.  Just as Vince starts to turn, she hits him hard on the back of his head.  As he slid to the ground, Ari grabbed the gun from its holster.

“I’m sorry, Vince,” Ari whispered as she ran past Shauna and out the door.

A few moments later Roy exited the office.  Noticing Shauna, he asked her, “Excuse me, have you seen Officer Howard, or Miss Wyle?”

The nurse replied, “Ahh, I saw Miss Wyle running around the corner and then out the door…” At that moment, Vince stumbled around the corner, holding his head.

“Roy,” Vince moaned.  Roy noticed blood stains on his friend’s shoulder and ran to him.  

“Vince!  What happened?  Where’s Ari?”  Roy helped Vince to a chair and began to examine his head.

Vince shook his head ruefully.  “She hit me with something.  I went down.  I didn’t see which direction she went in.” 

“Did you lose consciousness at all?”  Roy was in paramedic mode for the time being.  He swallowed down his worry by working.

“No, just stunned me.”  Vince looked a little sheepish.

“I’m going to call for an ambulance,” Roy stated, looking around for the phone.

Vince grabbed his arm.  “No, we don’t have time.”

“Vince, you’re hurt.  A head injury isn’t something to mess around with.  You need to be treated,” Roy said emphatically.  Vince just looked at him.

“She’s got my gun, Roy.”

Jeff placed the tip of the blade on Johnny’s neck.  “You getting scared, Redskin, knowing that I can slit your throat with this very sharp knife?”

Johnny swallowed hard.  “You don’t scare me.  I’m not afraid to die.”

Jeff sneered, “You will be.”  Standing up, he left the room.

Johnny looked frantically for a way to escape, noticing several drop cloths lying around with several open cans of paint thinner.  The room appeared to be still under construction.  Johnny managed to sit up in the chair when Jeff returned carrying 2 kerosene lanterns.  Setting them down on the floor next to the paint thinner, he stared down at his victim.

“Soon as it gets dark, Redskin, you and I are going for a walk and only one of us is coming back...”

Johnny shrugged, trying to look calm.  “Why wait ‘til later when you can do it now?”

Jeff lifted a hand as though to strike him.  “Don’t tempt me.”

“You know, Jeff,” Johnny began, “once the cops figure out you’re the one that’s behind this, this place will be crawling with cops.”

Shaking his head, Jeff replied, “No one saw us and by the time they figure it out, IF they figure it out, you’ll be dead.”

“Killing me will be a death sentence.”  Johnny tried to reason with the man.

Jeff walked over to Johnny.  Bending down, he placed the tip of the knife on Johnny’s chest.  Johnny took a deep breath.

“Killing you will be worth it but they have to catch me first.  They have no witnesses,” Jeff said in a low, menacing voice.

A click of gun distracted them.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Jeff.  They have a witness and she ID’d you from a picture of the two of us.  The police are on the way here.  Now back away from Johnny,” Ari said, eerily calm.

Jeff quickly grabbed Johnny and pulled him up roughly.  Johnny winced from his shoulder pain and felt the numbness in his wrists.  The cuffs had cut cruelly into his skin and blood slicked his hands.  Looking up, he saw Ari pointing the gun at them.

“Put the gun down, Ari,” Jeff held his hand out to her.

Ari shook her head.  “No.  Let him go, the police are coming.  Make it easy on yourself, give him up.”  The gun shook, too.

Jeff forced Johnny to walk sideways, ending up next to the lanterns.

Jeff said, “All I ever wanted was you and you wanted this Redskin.  Will you have him and his blood on your hands?”  He placed the knife at Johnny’s throat.

Johnny closed his eyes, “Don’t do this, man.”

“No!” Ari screamed.  Before Jeff can bring the knife across Johnny’s throat, Johnny hit him hard in the chest with his elbow.  Jeff lost his grip on Johnny, who tried to get to Ari.  Jeff grabbed him from behind and they scuffled, eventually falling onto the lanterns and containers of paint thinner.  A fire erupted amongst the spilling liquid.  Jeff slugged Johnny in the face when a shot rang out.  Jeff fell over, rolling away from Johnny.

“Johnny, Johnny, are you okay?”  Ari pleaded.

“I’m fine, we gotta get out of here,” Johnny replied.  Ari helped him up, noticing for the first time the blood on his wrists.

“You’re bleeding,” she stammered.

Johnny nodded slightly.  “We don’t have time to worry about that now.  The fire is spreading fast.”  The smoke began to thicken.  They made it almost to the door when Johnny fell to the floor.

Coughing, Johnny said, “You go and get out of here.  Stay low to the ground.  Ari, get out of here!”

Ari’s eyes were tearing, from smoke and emotion.  “I’m not leaving you.  Come on!”  She tried to pull him up, but he was too heavy.  She coughed spasmodically.

“Get out of here now!” Johnny rasped.  “This place is going up like a tinder box.”

Ari cried, “I can’t leave you!”

“Get the hell out of here NOW!”  He pushed at her as she leaned down and kissed him.  As she pulled away tears ran down her cheeks.

“I’ll get help, they’ll get you out, I promise.”  Ari still didn’t go.

Johnny locked eyes with her.  “GO!”

Ari reluctantly left him, crawling along the floor.  The smoke and heat were unbearable and her lungs felt like they were on fire.  She made it to the door and opened it.  Running outside, she collapsed on the lawn.

Roy and Vince arrived on the scene, along with several police and fire department vehicles.  Roy ran over to Ari.

“Dawson, grab the O2,” Roy called over his shoulder.  Captain Stanley began calling orders into his HT, requesting additional companies, and deploying the men.  Dawson and Dwyer carried their equipment over to Roy and Ari.  Quickly setting up the oxygen, Dawson fit the facemask over the girl’s soot-smeared face.  She began to cough and regain her senses.

“Johnny!  Johnny!”  Ari struggled with Roy as he tried to hold her down.

“Ari, where’s Johnny and Jeff?”  Roy asked, trying to keep the worry from his voice.

Ari gestured towards the house.  “Inside.  Jeff’s dead.  Johnny’s still inside.  I couldn’t get him out.”

Roy yelled to his captain.  “Cap, Johnny’s still in there.  I’m going in.”  He stood and turned toward the inferno.

Captain Stanley quickly replied, “No.  Dwyer and Dawson will.”  He looked down at Ari.  “Ari, can you tell us where you last saw Johnny?”

“About 10 feet from the door,” Ari said tearfully, “please hurry!”

Dawson called Rampart for orders and began to set up an IV.  After taking care of Ari, he and Dwyer began to suit up to enter the fire.  Just then, they heard a thunderous crash.

Chet yelled, “Cap, the roof just went!”

Ari screamed, “NOOOOOOO!”

Four long and intense days passed.  Roy sat in his usual place next to Johnny’s bed.  Dr. Brackett had just removed the ventilator and was checking his patient’s vitals.

“Well Johnny, I think a couple more days here, then you can be released.  I have to tell you, you really gave us a scare,” Brackett said, replacing his stethoscope around his neck.

“Sorry Doc,” Johnny whispered, his voice unaccustomed to speech after the discomfort of the vent tube.

The doctor patted his foot as he turned to leave the room.  “I’ll check on you later.”

“Okay,” Johnny replied.

Roy sighed.  “You know, Johnny, we tease you about having 9 lives like a cat.  That doesn’t mean you have to keep finding ways to use them.”  He and Johnny both laughed.  “You know I still don’t know what happened after the roof fell in?”  He raised a questioning eyebrow.

“Well,” Johnny shifted in his bed to a more comfortable position.  “After Ari left I knew I had to get close to the door.  I could hear the groaning of the timbers, I knew it was a matter of time before it came crashing down.  I managed to get to my knees and stood up.  I got about two feet from the door, then things are a little fuzzy.”  He ran his hand through his hair.  He looked at the bandages around his wrists.  Roy frowned at him.

“Are your wrists hurting?” he asked.  “What’s wrong?”

Johnny shook his head.  “It’s not my wrists.  I thought Ari might come and see me after all that we’ve been through and she hasn’t.”  His voice was as sad as Roy had ever heard it.

Roy leaned forward on his chair.  “Johnny, Ari has been here ever since they brought you in.  She had been close to exhaustion the last three days.  Brackett told her to go home and get some rest before she ended up in the bed next to you.  At first she wasn’t about to listen to him so I threatened to call her dad.  She left this morning just before they took you off the vent.”

“I can’t believe she stayed here the whole time,” Johnny marveled.

“Believe it.”  Roy patted Johnny on the shoulder.  “I’ll check on you later.  Get some rest, okay?”

Johnny smiled at his partner.  “I will.”

But sleep eluded him, as his thoughts held nothing but Ari.

Over the next two days, Roy and Joanne planned a welcome back party for Johnny.  Roy picked him up from the hospital and took him back to the DeSoto house.  When they arrived, they found all the guys from A-shift in the backyard.  Johnny sank down onto a step.

“Hey Johnny!  Want a beer?” Chet asked.

Johnny reached out gratefully.  “Thanks, Chet.”

Chet looked closely at him.  “You okay?”

Johnny looked thoughtful.  “Yeah, I’m fine, I just thought…” He stopped talking when he heard a familiar voice.

Ari appeared on the deck.  “If you thought for one minute I wouldn’t come to your party, you’re nuts!”

Chet laughed.  “He’s nuttier than a fruitcake!”

Johnny rolled his eyes.  “Shut up, Chet.”

Chet pretended outrage.  “Fine, I’ll go where I’m appreciated.”

Johnny grinned, “Alaska?”

“Ha-ha.”  Chet strolled over to the beer keg.  Ari sat down next to Johnny.

Ari tucked her hand in the crook of Johnny’s elbow.  “I’m so glad you’re out of the hospital, I was so worried.”

Johnny nodded.  “I am, too.  Roy told me you stayed the whole time with me and that Brackett made you go home.”

“Yeah, I was so scared.  I thought I’d lost you when the roof fell.”  She nestled closer.

Johnny smiled.  “Let’s not talk about that now, let’s go dance!”  He helped her up and wrapped his arms around her.  “I think I could get used to this!”

Ari smiled back.  “We’re living on borrowed time, Johnny.  Let’s make it count!”  She kissed him long and deep.  So lost in the moment, they don’t hear the clapping from everyone.  Several moments later, they break the embrace in red-faced embarrassment.

“Hey, Gage!  What’s the encore going to be?” Chet hollered.

“This.”  And with that, Johnny dipped Ari in a long embrace and kissed her.  After several minutes, Chet turned to Roy.

“What are they doing?  Going for the Guinness Book of Records?”

In unison, everyone yelled, “Shut up Chet!”

THE END

Author’s note: For Kat – thanks for all the help and encouragement.  Big thanks to Cel for all the typing and tweaking and new friendship.