Washed Out

By

Dannyak

Author’s Note: Okay, I have tried this before, but this is the first one that I felt confident enough about to try and post it, if just barely! Thanks so very much to Nancy M., because without her, this story wouldn’t be here. So if you don’t like it, it’s all her fault!! (Just kidding, Nancy!) Enjoy, and keep in mind that I always love feedback!

Roy Desoto looked around for the thousandth time, his expression growing more panicked with each second. How could this be happening? How in the hell could this be happening? He sloshed back and forth in the mud and water, now almost a foot high. His eyes wandered again to where the muck and the ground ended and vast, emptiness of free falling air began…

He stole a glance at Mike Stoker. The shaken engineer looked like he was going to be sick. He was leaning against the large, solid trunk of an oak tree. Surprisingly, the tree was still standing. Somehow, Roy knew that Mike blamed himself for everything that was happening, but it wasn’t his fault. It was just an accident… a horrible mistake…

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"Johnny, are you okay?" Roy asked his partner, worriedly glancing at the passenger side of the squad. Johnny had been way too quiet. That is, for John Gage.

The slim, dark-haired paramedic scowled in reply. "I’m fine, Roy. Quit mothering me." He was in no mood for Roy to start this now, and it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle on his own. He looked back out the squad window at the gloomy atmosphere. It was pouring rain, and had been for the past thirty-eight hours. They were bound to get some flood calls in soon- most of the county had. The thick, dark clouds made it impossible to see the sun, laying low in the western sky. It was barely seven, and there still should have been some light left. Instead, it felt like ten.

Roy frowned. Johnny was not fine. He was pale, and the senior paramedic was afraid that he was running a fever. He fought the urge to press the back of his hand against Johnny’s forehead to get a rough estimate of his temperature. Well, at least until they got back to the station.

Johnny lay his head against the back of the seat. All he needed was a few aspirin. As they pulled back into the station, he felt the need to just jump out and go for the bottle, but his body disagreed with him miserably. He could barely sit up, let alone run.

Roy shut the engine off and turned to watch his partner slowly lift himself up and out of the squad door. When he had arrived this morning, he looked a little tired. But as the day progressed, his younger partner just seemed to get worse and worse. They hadn’t even had a call that involved much on the physical scale, either, yet his partner looked exhausted.

He, too, got out of the vehicle and was about to follow Johnny to the locker room when Captain Stanley called him from the kitchen. "Hey, Roy! Come get your chow while you have the chance!" He paused, and then added, "Where’s John?"

Roy sighed and joined his colleagues in the break room. He found them all lounging about, trying to pass the time until lights out. It had been a rather slow day, which was strange, considering all the rain and floods. He turned to the Captain, who was looking up from his paperwork expectantly. "He went to the locker room. He’s not feeling too hot."

"Is it anything that we should be concerned about?" Hank asked. He hated having to send any of his men home against their will, but he had to if it was going to affect the job. It was all part of being the captain.

"I don’t know, Cap." Roy replied, thinking. "He looks a little sick."

"I’m fine!" Johnny’s voice insisted from behind him. Nobody had seen the young paramedic standing in the doorway, listening. "I feel fine, I look fine, and I can work fine!"

Roy stepped aside and all eyes turned to Johnny. He didn’t look well at all. Roy and the others saw that he was as white as a ghost and was perspiring. Johnny walked over to the sink and poured himself a glass of water, downing it in a few gulps. He refilled the glass and went to sit at the table, oblivious to his friends staring at him.

"Maybe you should go home, pal." Hank suggested. He was worried at the paramedic’s appearance. Maybe they were making a big deal out of nothing, but you could never be too sure.

"I’m alright, Cap." Johnny sighed, exasperated. "I’ve just got a little headache, that’s all."

"I’m sure." Hank muttered. "Well, at least let Roy check you out."

"But I- "

"That’s an order, John. But eat something first." Cap said, sternly. He sighed. Johnny was as stubborn as a brick wall. At least there was such thing as rank! He didn’t want his friend’s condition going from fair to bad, to worse. It had been known to happen- a firefighter decides to go to work and wears his already weary body out to the max. Not a good idea, since they’d just be out for longer than they would have if they’d just taken the day off. Oh well, Hank knew that he was no exception to sometimes overworking himself.

"I- I’m not really hungry. I just need a few minutes for the aspirin to kick in." Johnny said quietly. He didn’t want the Cap to be mad at him, but he really didn’t have much of an appetite.

"John, you have to eat something!" Hank argued.

"Well, well, well. There is such thing as a miracle." Chet commented. "There’s gonna be enough food in the box for C-shift- ‘cuz Johnny’s not eating!"

Johnny was about to say something in his own defense when the klaxon sounded, followed by the voice of the dispatcher. He got up from the table and went back to the squad, only vaguely listening to the instructions of Headquarters.

"Station 51, mudslide. Injuries unknown. Ten miles north on Route 126. Ten miles north on route 1-2-6. Time out, 19:26."

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Captain Stanley looked around, surveying the area along the road. They were up in the mountains, but there really hadn’t been much of a slide. An inch or so high of mud was all that could be accounted for, leading from the mountain on their right side to off the side of the cliff on their left.

"Okay, guys," Cap said, getting the attention of his crew. "We’re going to look around to see if there’s anyone here, or hurt. Roy, you and Marco look around up on that hill. Mike, take Chet and look down the road."

"I’ll go with them." Johnny said, taking a step towards the squad truck for his gear. Cap held his arm out to stop him.

"Not this time, pal." Hank told the eager paramedic. "You’re staying here with me."

Johnny watched longingly as his friends set to work. He hated to sit around and do nothing. "I’m alright, Cap! See!" He waved his hands around him. "The aspirin worked!"

Hank sighed and raised his voice through his teeth. "You are going to stay right here, and that’s an order!" He poked his finger at the shorter man’s chest and then stepped around him to watch the rest of the team. He knew that Johnny wouldn’t argue with him any longer.

Speechless and upset, Johnny went to lean against the rig. He crossed his arms and watched Roy and Marco scale up the hill. Man, he hated when the Cap pulled rank. Just because he felt a little tired, didn’t mean that he couldn’t do a job!

When the others had disappeared from sight, Hank joined Johnny at the engine. Roy had the paramedics’ H.T., and Mike had taken Hank’s. If they saw anything or needed help, they could contact Cap through the engine’s radio.

Hank patted Johnny on the shoulder. "Maybe next time, pal. Just don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all."

Johnny didn’t reply, just frowned. He was still angry. There was nothing wrong with him! Cap just wanted to make him miserable or something. Why was it always him that the guys picked on?

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Roy and Marco reached the ledge and climbed on top. There was still a good thirty-five feet to the top of the hill, so they decided to stop here for a small break. As they looked around, they noticed a cave, small but large enough to fit a few people inside.

"Let’s check in there, Marco." Roy suggested, pulling himself to his feet. Marco did the same, and followed the paramedic to the mouth of the cave.

Roy shined his flashlight around inside before they entered. There didn’t seem to be anyone, or anything there. Thankfully- Roy was almost expecting a bear or something to chase them back outside. They ventured further inside and saw that the cave had not been reached by the muck of the outside world. It was about eight feet in width and twenty feet long. In the back, though, there was a small tunnel-like hole, just big enough for a person to squeeze through. Roy wasn’t sure how far the tunnel went, and wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to check. Instead, he shouted for an answer. "Hello? Anyone in there? Fire Department!"

They got an answer, but not the one they had expected. The ground beneath them began to slowly shake and vibrate. The quake lasted only a few seconds, and they were just about to return to their search when above and outside, Marco and Roy heard a slow rumble, and turned to the mouth of the cave to see mud splashing down the side of the mountain. Not like before- now there were tons of muck and water spilling over the side, and part of the overflow was quickly creeping into the cave. It was a large wave, and could easily take out a semi truck.

"Come on, Marco!" Roy shouted, and they crawled as fast as they could into the small tunnel, Marco leading the way. It was a tight fit, but they had to get away from the flooding mud.

As the two scraped through the rocky way, Roy couldn’t help but think about what was happening to the others.

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"John, how long have you been this, uh, this tired?" Hank asked, studying the paramedic’s expression. He didn’t feel like arguing with him, so he went along with Johnny’s explanation.

Johnny, sitting on the running board of the rig, frowned and kicked at the mud at his feet. "I’m not even tired anymore, Cap." He whined.

"Come on, Gage. Don’t play games with me."

"Sorry."

"How long have you been feeling this way?" Cap repeated.

Johnny looked up at his Captain’s face. He was surprised to see concern, and not sternness. He was really only thinking of him, and not punishing him, Johnny realized. This made him feel a little guilty about the way he had been acting. "A few days."

"And you haven’t eaten much, either, have you?"

Surprised, Johnny said, "How can you tell?"

Hank grinned. "The Captain knows all."

Suddenly, they heard a rumbling and felt the earth shake slightly. It lasted only a few moments, but was followed by a new, bubbling sound coming from above. They both looked up to see a whole ocean -full of mud sliding quickly down the mountainside and straight toward them. Before they could move, they were hit with the impact of the heavy dirt, slamming them against the engine.

The only thing Cap had time to do was grab hold of Johnny’s turnout coat before they were submerged in mud. He felt them sliding backwards, and then there was nothing under him.

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They were accustomed to earthquakes, especially ones as small as this one, but when Mike and Chet heard the sounds of the mudslide from behind them, they quickly ran for cover beside a large pile of boulders at the bottom of the hill. When they realized that the slide wasn’t coming their way, they got back up and went to investigate.

What they saw caught them totally by surprise.

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"I think it’s over." Marco commented. He had stopped pushing himself farther into the mountain, and looked back at Roy. It was hard to see his friend in the dark shadows of the cave.

Roy nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"Think it’s safe to go back?" The lead firefighter asked.

"It should be. If it hasn’t reached us, it shouldn’t have been as bad as we thought." Roy answered. He began pushing himself backwards the way they had came.

Soon, the two were outside of the tunnel and knee high in muck. They sloshed around to the mouth of the cave, and to edge of the ledge that they were on.

Marco gasped when he saw the damage. Several feet of mud coated everything, including the squad at the very edge of the slide. It had gotten the lighter load of muck and water. But nothing covered the engine.

Because the engine was gone.

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Hank Stanley sputtered and choked, pushing himself up from under the layer of mud that now covered the forest floor. He wiped muck from his eyes and mouth, so he could breathe and see again. He lifted his battered body to stand, feeling pain in his ankle and his lower back, along with sure bruises and cuts. He looked around to see that they had landed hundreds of feet down in the trees, and that he couldn’t even see the top anymore. In fact, he was several hundred feet away from the base of the mountain, where he figured they’d land. Instead, when they were swept up with the slide, they kept going until the mud stopped.

Cap panicked suddenly, remembering that Johnny had been with him when it happened. He began to slosh around, searching for the lost paramedic.

He had gone only a few feet when his legs came in contact with something. He fell to his knees and lifted the object up. It was Johnny.

Fortunately, when Cap lifted his head above the mud, Johnny started coughing and breathing on his own. He was unconscious, though, and Hank was unsure of what to do.

He realized that he had to get them to dry ground. But it was still raining and they were soaked to the bone in water and mud. How was he ever going to get them dry?

Bracing Johnny with his knees, Hank patted down his coat in search of his H.T. Then he remembered that he had given it to Mike.

Cap shivered, and took the time to look at his surroundings for the first time. He was startled to see the engine on its side, a few yards away. That must have been some powerful slide, he realized, to have taken the heavy vehicle over the cliff.

He decided to look inside Big Red, to see if there was anything they could use. Then they could take shelter further in the forest, under the trees. He couldn’t leave Johnny where he was, so after checking for any broken bones, Hank managed to drag the paramedic with him. It was more difficult than he had anticipated. His back, ankle, and now his shoulder gave him grief the whole way.

Cap reached the engine and painfully lifted the paramedic on top of the red vehicle. The driver’s side door was facing the sky, it’s window blown to bits. After making sure that Johnny wouldn’t fall off, he slowly and carefully let himself down into the cab through Mike’s window.

Thank God the other guys weren’t here. He thought. I hope they’re alright.

Cap sifted around, ignoring the growing pain in his head. In his search through the cab and eventually the compartments on the "top" of the engine, he found the First Aid kit, some emergency blankets wrapped in plastic, and rope. He was surprised that they weren’t scattered along with most of the other equipment along the forest floor.

The stokes. He mentally reminded himself. Find the stokes.

After checking where the wire basket was supposed to be, Hank realized he would have to look through the mud to find it. He was going to need it to haul Johnny and the supplies around through the heavy mud.

"Just hang in there, pal." He whispered to his unconscious friend before he moved away from the engine and to the direction of the mountain. He found himself dragging his feet- it would assist in locating the basket, but also, he couldn’t help it. He felt weak and cold, and wanted nothing more than to rest. But he couldn’t. Johnny needed him.

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Roy and Marco raced down the side of the mountain as fast as the rocky landscape would let them. They were met at the road by Mike and Chet. All four just looked at each other for a few seconds, then they ran for the ridge of the cliff.

They couldn’t see any sign of the engine, Cap, or Johnny. All that was visible down the side and at the bottom of the mountain were endless mud and trees. The view was unbelievable. Sure, they all had been called to deal with the after effects of a slide before, but none that had left behind this amount of damage. Many trees had been broken over, or just completely uprooted. Bushes had either been swept away in the mud or entirely drowned. But even though the scene looked chaotic, all was completely silent and still, adding to the eerie feel that the sight gave them.

Roy stumbled away from the ledge, not wanting to look any longer. There was no way that the missing firefighters had stayed on the road. And there was hardly any chance at all that they had survived the fall and the suffocating mud…

How can this be happening? He groaned inwardly.

Mike, too, wanted to get away from the edge of the solid ground. He found support leaning against an oak tree, one of the only things left standing in the area.

"You okay, Mikey?" Chet asked, concerned. He pushed through the heavy mud towards the engineer. Marco just sat down hard, too shocked for words at what had happened.

"It’s all my fault." Mike muttered, sliding down the base of the tree into a sitting position. He wasn’t talking to anyone in particular. "If I’d parked the engine further down, or…"

"It’s not your fault, Mike." Chet told him. He sat down beside Mike and slung his arm over his shoulder. He, too, was unsure if he could trust himself to stand anymore.

Roy looked at each of his colleagues as he began to pace. Mike looked like he was going to be sick. Chet looked as if he was about to cry. And Marco…well, his expression was that of incomprehensible shock. He looked scared, and disbelieving, and dumb all at once. Roy worried about him the most. He hadn’t said a single word since he had first observed the scene from the ledge on the hillside.

Roy took a deep breath, mentally bringing himself back to reality. He still had to inform LA of the situation, but right now his mind was drawing a blank. What was he going to say? He pulled out the H.T. from his coat and pressed the button.

"LA, this is Squad 51." He said.

"Go ahead, 51."

"LA, we, uh, we have a mudslide…"

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Half an hour after he began his search, Cap located the stokes twenty yards towards the direction of the hill. He brought it back to where Johnny still lay, on top of the engine.

Cap was struggling to get Johnny down and into the wire basket when the paramedic began to stir. "John? Hey, pal?" He asked, gently shaking his friend’s shoulder.

Johnny’s head moved back and forth a few times before he gave any response. Finally, his eyelids opened. At first, his brown eyes were unfocused and dazed. But then they closed in on Cap. "Cap?" He asked, his voice weak. "What…"

"Shh." Hank comforted. "It’s alright. I’m right here."

Johnny frowned, confused. "How…why…you’re all covered in mud." He told him.

Cap found it hard not to chuckle. "Yeah, pal. There was a mudslide. If only you could see yourself!" It was true. Johnny still looked like The Thing from the Black Lagoon. He had several gashes and scrapes on his face and neck, and blood smeared all over. He was probably pretty bruised, too. Actually, when he thought about it, Hank realized he couldn’t have looked all that much better based on the way he felt. "Do you remember?"

Johnny thought for a few seconds, but then it all came back to him. The gurgling sound, the wave of mud, Cap grabbing a hold of his coat… "Yeah, I remember. A-are you okay?" He asked, trying to push himself up from the stokes.

"Hold on there, pal. Let me take a look at you. Now, where does it hurt?" He paused, and then added, "And don’t give me any of that ‘I’m just tired’ crap!"

Johnny smiled, remembering their earlier spar. "Um, my head. A-and my ribs… my knee."

Cap surveyed his friend a second time, making sure that he hadn’t missed anything. There seemed to be no broken bones as far as he could tell, and his pupils seemed to be normal. "Do you think you’re alright to get up?" He asked.

Johnny nodded, and with Hank’s aid, pulled himself to his feet. He gazed around at the damage. He looked surprised, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he watched by the side of the rig as Cap gathered the supplies he had found and packaged them into the stokes. He noticed that something wasn’t quite right. "You’re limping, Cap."

Hank gave the paramedic a reassuring smile and he picked up the basket. "I just twisted it, that’s all."

"Are you sure you, aren’t, uh, tired, Cap?" Johnny joked.

Hank chuckled. "Ya twit."

"Do you need any help with that?" Johnny asked, taking a step towards him.

Cap waved him off. "No, I’m fine. You just worry about being able to walk. I figure that we should make our way into the woods and find shelter somewhere, at least until the rain stops."

The paramedic nodded in agreement. "Sounds good."

With that, the two firefighters slowly made their way into the forest, each in their own distress. Johnny was also limping, more noticeably, due to the shooting pain in his knee. The thick mud didn’t help them, either. Darkness had fallen, as well, and they were having trouble seeing where they were heading. Hank wished that he had been able to find a flashlight.

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The extra units took an hour to arrive. It seemed more like a day for the four awaiting firefighters. When they finally came, though, Mike, Marco, Roy, and Chet were unable to assist in the search for their lost friends. They wanted to, but the captain in charge insisted that they stayed topside.

It was probably a good idea. The freezing, emotionally drained group was too weak to even stand. Besides, it was going to take a long time to find the missing pair. Reluctantly, the captains had been forced to order the units to wait until the rain lifted a little before they let anyone over the side of the mountain. And if that wasn’t enough, they were also unable to work from where the slide had hit. It would be too much of a risk for the search parties to try and head down on the unstable side of the mountain, so they had to move at least a mile down the road to scale to the bottom. It was going to take even more time with the detour. But it was just too dangerous with the possibility of another slide, so workers had no choice but to try and repel there when the go ahead was given.

It was going to take so much time!

Roy sat in the mud, his back against the squad. He stared at his dirty hands, and didn’t care that he was cold, or about how he looked. All he could think about was how his two friends were out there somewhere, probably hurt or… even gone. And there was nothing he could do about it.

Marco was beside him. The short man had still said nothing for the past two hours. Roy looked over at him, seeing nothing but despair. He realized that he must have looked somewhat the same way.

"Hey." He said to Marco. He didn’t answer, and Roy put his hand on his friend’s knee. "Marco."

Finally Marco responded, looking up at the paramedic. He blinked his eyes and stared vacantly into Roy’s.

"They’re gonna be alright, Marco." Roy told him, trying to somehow comfort them both. "I know they will."

Marco nodded, not because he agreed, but to let him know that he understood. He knew that Roy was going through exactly what he was, and the paramedic had more things to worry about than how he was feeling. That was something about Roy- he always put his personal feelings aside to help somebody else.

Roy and Marco went back to their silent vigil.

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Johnny stumbled and fell forward, trying to catch himself with his hands. The fall caused another bolt of white hot pain to shoot from his knee and up his leg. He groaned and lay on his stomach for a moment, and then attempted to push himself up off the ground. He found that he couldn’t do it himself, and took the shoulder offered by Cap.

Hank knew that Johnny wasn’t doing well. Between the paramedic’s injuries and the hypothermia that was undoubtedly settling in, he knew that if he didn’t get them warm fast, that Johnny could only go downhill. He, too, was still in pain from his own injuries and was becoming hypothermic, their turnout coats offering little protection from the freezing cold downpour.

It was about two hours after they had started out. Although they were away from the mud of the slide, the ground was slick from the rain. Hank put down the stokes and pulled out one of the ropes, attaching one end to the wire basket and the other to his waist. This way, he could help Johnny along as they pressed further into the forest. They shouldn’t have to go too much further.

"Some of these places here would actually make nice pictures. Under better circumstances, of course." Cap said, trying to keep them both talking.

Johnny attempted a smile. "Yeah." He said, most of his concentration on keeping moving.

"You ever been out here to take any photos?"

Johnny shook his head. "No. But there are some nice spots a bit west of here. I think." He paused, trying to remember where they were. He continued anyway. "I go camping there sometimes."

"Sounds nice." Hank commented. "I took Emily and the kids camping once over in North Carolina, when we were visiting her folks. Emily’s parents took the kids down to the river for an hour or so. When they came back, each had a handful of minnows!" He shuddered involuntarily.

Johnny chuckled, and then coughed. "How come you hate fish so much, Cap?"

"I don’t know."

"Come on!"

Cap sighed. "When I was a kid, I hated them too. They’re just like snakes, but in the water. Slimy, scaly, ugly… ugh." He looked up ahead, scanning their surroundings. Trees and more trees, bushes and rocks. They were alongside a mountain again, although if it was the same one, he didn’t know. He couldn’t see very far ahead. It was so dark.

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It was after midnight. The leftover crew of Station 51’s A-shift had been banned from the search area. Search parties had finally been able to go over the side of the mountain an hour before. It would take a long time to scale down the side, however, let alone the extra time it would take because of having to move further down the road so it could still be hours before they heard anything.

They were all tired, but didn’t want to leave. They had to be there when their missing friends were found.

Chet and Marco had both eventually fell asleep, leaning against the squad and each huddled in a blanket. But Mike was nervously wakeful, and he sat staring vacantly at the rocky landscape.

Roy frowned. "Mike," He said, "This isn’t your fault. You know that, right?"

Mike just shook his head. "I should have…"

"You should have what? Parked the engine in a different spot? How were you to know that there was going to be a mudslide? You can’t see into the future, you know."

Mike smiled weakly at the paramedic. "Neither can you." He said.

"Huh?"

"You’re blaming yourself for not getting the Cap to send Johnny home. But even if you had, Captain Stanley still would have been by the engine."

Roy sighed, and contemplated what the engineer had said. "I guess you’re right. But so am I." He added.

"Yeah." Mike agreed. He studied his hand for a few seconds. "It just scares me to think about the fact that they’re probably out there, hurt and alone. And there’s nothing we can do about it."

"They aren’t alone." Roy pointed out. "They’re together." Hopefully. He added to himself. "And I’m scared too. The best thing to do is not to think about it." He sounded positive and calm on the outside, but inside Roy, too, had wondered the same things. Maybe they were waiting for them to come and help them. Maybe they weren’t even at the same location. Maybe, they were dying…

The engineer nodded. Don’t think. He told himself. But he couldn’t help it. Hank Stanley was the best captain they could have gotten, and they were letting him down by just sitting around.

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They had been moving for so long that they were both growing weaker by the minute. Hank looked down at Johnny to see the paramedic’s eyes half closed. His face, now washed of all the mud, was bruised and bloody, and yet still incredibly pale. Dammit! He thought to himself. I forced him to stay by the engine, and now he’s hurt and it’s all my fault!

He turned his eyes back to the mountain beside them. Suddenly, he spotted a dark shadow along the base of the large, rocky hill. It looked darker than anything else, and Hank realized that it was a cave. "Johnny." He said, steering his friend in the direction of the opening. Johnny lazily complied, too groggy to do anything else. "I think I see a cave."

Sure enough, there was an opening at the bottom of the mountain. Hank led Johnny to the opening, and looked inside before entering. The crevice was no more than six and a half feet high, and eight feet in width and length. But it was dry, and sheltered from the winds.

Cap helped Johnny ease down into a sitting position, and brought in the trailing stokes. He ripped open the four blankets that he had found, grabbed the First Aid kit, and went to join Johnny at the back of the cave. He wrapped two of the emergency blankets around Johnny and the rest around himself.

"Thanks, Cap." The paramedic mumbled, his eyes closed. Hank lifted Johnny’s head and shifted so that the paramedic’s head rested on his lap. It wasn’t much, but it offered some comfort.

Hank felt Johnny shaking with cold, and mentally kicked himself for being helpless to stop it. "How you feelin’, John?" He asked.

Johnny smiled. "Jus’ kinda tired is all."

Cap snickered. He opened the First Aid kit. Inside were gauze, pads, bandages, some infection cream, and a few other minor useful objects. From his position, Hank treated the large gash on Gage’s forehead and the smaller ones that he could see. That was all he did- he didn’t want to move Johnny anymore.

Then he tried to strike up conversation again. "When we get back, Emily’s gonna have a nice, hot dinner waiting for me. You can come over, I’m sure."

Johnny was quiet for a moment, but then he said, "You’re really lucky, Cap."

"How’s that?" Hank questioned, slightly amused.

The paramedic hesitated before answering. "Well, I mean… say, if you had a bad day, you go home, and there’s always someone there to cheer you up. Someone who cares. If something happened to you…" He trailed off and shut his eyes again. Cap was beginning to fear that he was unconscious when Johnny quietly continued, "Nobody’s ever going to miss me if something happens."

Surprised, Hank wasn’t sure how to answer. "Johnny, you know that’s not true…"

"Yes, it is." The paramedic interrupted. "I don’t have anybody."

"You have us." Hank argued. "We’ll miss you Johnny. Me and the guys." It was true, but somehow the conversation had created a pit in his stomach. He knew a lot about Johnny, but absolutely nothing about his family outside the station. What was he talking about? Surely he had a family…didn’t he?

An uncomfortable silence settled amongst the two men. After a while, Johnny said, "That means a lot, Cap. I’m sorry about the way I acted earlier. And I’m real sorry that I’m not being any help right now." Johnny’s face twisted in disgust at himself. "I tried, I really did. But I just can’t get myself to…"

"It’s not your fault, Johnny. You’re hurt. Just try and relax." Cap said to him. "And besides, this is all my fault."

"No it ain’t, Cap."

"Yes, it is." Hank argued. "I made you stay by the engine. If I’d let you go with the guys, this wouldn’t have happened. But no, I had to take charge… now look at you."

His words surprised Johnny. Sure, he had been angry before, but now he realized that what Cap had done was just for his own good. And now Johnny was helpless, and the captain was still trying to take care of him. No one, except Roy, had ever done that for him. "I don’t blame you, Cap." Johnny told him softly. "First of all, I shouldn’t have made such a fuss. And second, you did what you had to do, what you thought was best. You were right- the captain does know all. Thanks."

Hank sighed. "I don’t know what for." He mumbled. He still wished that he had listened to Johnny in the first place, or better yet, had sent him home before the run. Johnny was sick…

He remembered how pale Johnny had been, even before the slide. And something about him not eating. He’s probably dehydrated and starving now. Cap thought.

They didn’t feel like talking anymore, and after a few minutes, Cap heard the soft sounds of Johnny sleeping. He sighed again, and turned to watch the rain pouring outside the cave. "They’ll be here soon, Johnny. I promise."

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"Augh!" Roy cried out in frustration, jumping to his feet. It was driving him crazy. Why hadn’t they heard anything yet?! He was sick of just sitting and waiting. He was going to go out and look.

His sudden movement attracted the attention of his three colleagues, who immediately understood his plan. They got up to join him, and as a group they went to the Chief.

"Chief, we want to go out and look." Roy told him straight out.

The commander had expected this at one point or another, and he knew that there would be no stopping them. "Are you sure that you’re fit? You guys looked a little drained before."

"We’re fine, Chief." Chet said.

"We just want to go help our friends." Added Marco.

The four stood defiantly, daring the man to argue with them. Chief McConnike grinned slightly, and gave a defeated sigh. "Alright, but you all stick together, and report periodically." He understood how they felt, and wished to go and join the search himself, but he had to stay and keep order to the chaos. And besides, it would keep them busy. "I think that it will be alright to go down on this side of the mountain, now. It’s been a while, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble, but you guys have to be careful. Understand?"

The firefighters nodded eagerly, willing to do whatever necessary to help.

McConnike led the guys over to a nearby engine and stocked them with the needed supplies. Mike had the H.T., and Roy and Marco wielded flashlights. They were quick and efficient at getting ready- after all, it was their jobs. No matter what was going through their heads, they were still firefighters and their friends needed them. Soon all four were harnessed and ready to go off the side of the mountain.

They took it nice and slow at first, but soon, anxiety got the better of all four. They felt the need to be wherever Johnny and Cap were, and taking their time was just going to delay them. At least now they would be doing something, and not just sitting around and waiting. It had been six hours since the slide had swept the two men away. Time that they had wasted feeling sorry for themselves. It was stupid to feel guilty, but somehow, all four had laid the blame on themselves.

Once they reached the bottom, they stopped long enough to look around. Now that the mud had spread more, it was only about a foot high where it had been knee high. They were shocked when they spotted the engine.

The firefighters hurriedly made their way to where the big, red vehicle lay on its side. Mike reached it first, and checked inside, while the other three began to check around. They were frantic- if the engine was this bad, then in what condition could their friends possibly be?

Mike searched the cab thoroughly. He thought that they could have taken shelter inside, or something, but as he checked it, he found that there was about as much mud inside as there was on the ground outside the truck. Obviously, they weren’t there, and he was disappointed.

Suddenly, he spotted a black object poking out of the mud. He bent over to inspect it, and pulled it up. Mike found a black helmet, caked with mud and inscribed with the number 51. A white stripe lined the top and stretched to the back. A lump caught in Mike’s throat as he straightened up.

The engineer joined Roy, who was rapidly searching the area with his eyes and feet within possible range. The paramedic saw the helmet in Mike’s hands, but didn’t say anything. There was nothing that needed to be said.

The mud was slick and still a little thick, but it wasn’t enough to stop the desperate men. They spent almost an hour there, just looking back and forth. Cap and Johnny were nowhere to be found.

They were both disappointed and grateful- it was quite possible that the two missing men had tried to find a place away from the pounding rain. At least they hadn’t found them dead at the end of the slide. No news is good news.

Gradually, the four made their way into the woods. If Johnny and Cap had been walking around, they would have headed for shelter. But how were their friends? Had they made it, or had the remaining four men of Station 51’s A-shift overlooked a spot at the site?

So many questions boiled through their heads as they forced themselves to take the only plausible alternative to their friends being at the engine. Determined, they moved at a quick pace, even if it was just to keep their minds off the fate of their friends.

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Cap woke with a start. Damn, He thought. Must have dozed off. He looked down at Johnny, who was still sleeping. Hank put his hand on Johnny’s forehead. He was burning up.

He shifted out from under Johnny, carefully trying not to disturb him. He stood up and stretched, wincing as his body angrily protested. Then he glanced back at his unconscious friend and covered him with his own blankets. Still battling guilt over what happened, Cap only wished he hadn’t made Johnny stay at the engine. It was all his fault.

He sighed and made his way towards the opening of the cave. It was still pouring rain, and Hank wondered if it would ever stop. He realized that he would have to get them some food and water, and on that thought, stepped outside.

Water was definitely not hard to find, but what was he supposed to use as a container? Cap wished that he still had his helmet. That would have worked. Maybe one of the blankets, but he didn’t want them getting wet. Suddenly, he had it. Hank went back inside the cave and picked up the First Aid kit, emptying its contents on the hard, rocky floor. He brought the metal box back to the opening of their shelter and set it out to catch the rain falling from the heavens.

Well, that took care of the water, but where was he going to find food? Sure, there was probably plenty to eat in the forest, but what, and how far away? He didn’t want to go far from Johnny in case something happened. He decided to just scout around the area where they were.

Cap stepped back outside into the rain, pulling his collar up to protect himself from the waters and wind as much as possible. He was so cold, and tired, but there was no way he was going to let his friend down.

As he walked, he concentrated on anything but the pain he was feeling. He knew nothing was broken, but both his back and his ankle were still giving him difficulties, and he limped as he studied the plants around him.

It was funny that he had lived in California all his life, yet didn’t know a thing about the edible food in the forest. How could he be sure that if he got them something to eat, that it wasn’t poisonous? The only way Cap knew that he wouldn’t do that was if he found something that he was sure of.

He didn’t know how long they had been out there. At least ten hours, maybe more. All he was certain of was that someone had to find them soon, otherwise they were in big trouble.

Especially Johnny. Hank was confident that he was okay for now, but that was not going to last much longer. They needed help, but he couldn’t leave the paramedic alone. Johnny might need him.

He sighed, and forced himself to think about his mission instead of the situation that they were in.

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"Man, it sure isn’t going to let up, is it?" Chet muttered unhappily as the four friends trekked further into the trees. They had been looking for three hours and still no sign of Johnny or Cap. And even though Chet was beginning to lose hope on ever finding them alive, for the sake of the others he wasn’t going to voice his thoughts.

"No." Roy’s voice was flat. He was exhausted and freezing, not to mention extremely worried. The last thing he wanted to think about was the ‘what ifs’, yet his mind kept wandering there. What if it’s too late? What if they think that we’re not even trying? Suddenly, the slick forest floor won over and Roy’s feet slipped out from under him. He landed on his back, but not very hard thanks to the soft, mud-covered ground.

Immediately, Mike was there trying to help him up. But instead of accepting his hand, Roy brushed it away. "I’m fine." He muttered, pushing himself to his feet. Immediately afterwards, he regretted his attitude. He was embarrassed by the fall and upset because of the situation, but that didn’t mean he had to take it out on his friends. They felt just as bad as he did. "I’m sorry, Mike."

The engineer gave him a small smile. "It’s okay. I understand." He fingered Captain Stanley’s helmet, still in his hands.

"Thanks." Roy sighed, and the group began to move forward again. The firefighters were quiet for a long time, their downcast looks the only thing expressed. Chet wasn’t the only one of the bunch beginning to lose faith.

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence. "You remember that time we took Johnny’s date out sailing, Chet? You know, when he and Roy were stuck up at 86’s?" Marco said.

The other three firefighters looked at him, shocked that he had spoken. Marco had hardly said a single word at all; in fact, Mike had even talked more than him.

"Oh, uh, yeah." Chet replied, thinking. "I thought he was going to commit double homicide for sure."

Roy realized what Marco was trying to do, and joined in. "And remember when Johnny and I brought that fish back from Santa Rosa County, and Cap practically had a fit?"

"That was priceless."

"I still love the way Cap reacts to McConnike." Mike input, looking down at the helmet. "I’d like to know why he burnt the Chief’s hat."

"Yeah, so would I." Roy said.

Even though the attempt to lift their spirits had worked for a little while, it didn’t last for long. Soon, all four firefighters were quiet again, each torturing themselves with guilt and fear for their missing friends as they continued to search the woods for them.

Marco heaved a sigh. "They’re going to be okay, you guys."

Roy kicked at the ground. "We know, Marco." He said quietly. "We know."

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Hank was approaching the cave, his hands and pockets full with raspberries. It was the only thing he could be sure was safe, so it was the only thing he kept. At least it was something to eat. He knew that Johnny hadn’t eaten in a long time, even a while before this whole mess started.

If only I’d sent him home. He thought yet again with a sigh. He had only been gone for about half an hour, but he wished that he hadn’t taken so long.

Cap concentrated on keeping as much of the berries from spilling out of his cold hands as he could while entering the opening in the side of the mountain. His hands were freezing- his gloves lost somehow during the mudslide. And that wasn’t the only thing that was cold. Hank was shivering all over and couldn’t wait to climb back under the emergency blankets. His hair and turnout coat dripped with water.

As soon as he put the fruit down, he was going to head back out and grab the First Aid kit, now filled with rainwater from the clouds above.

Hank looked down from the berries at Johnny when he stepped into the cave, and immediately dropped them. He quickly rushed to the paramedic’s side. Johnny was shaking all over, his condition much worse than before. His teeth chattered and his lips were blue. Johnny was unconscious, and Hank immediately knew that he was in shock.

Cap dropped to his knees and crouched over the paramedic. "Johnny?" He said, shaking his shoulders. "Come on, pal, wake up. Johnny!" This was scaring him. He couldn’t be losing Johnny. Not now, not after all this! John was going to be just fine, if he had to give his own life to help him. Hank Stanley would not let John die.

Damn, I shouldn’t have left him alone! Hank sat against the wall and pulled the paramedic onto his lap. He wrapped his arms around Johnny, trying to warm him and still shaking him in attempt to revive the younger man. "Come on, Johnny! Don’t go out on me! John!"

Finally, his calls elicited a response as Johnny’s eyelids began to flutter. "Yeah, that’s it, pal! Wake up!"

The younger firefighter forced his eyes open, and he looked up at the cave ceiling. The captain noticed that his eyes were glazed as he searched his surroundings. "C-Cap?" His voice croaked when he finally spotted Hank above him.

"I’m right here, John." He told him, breathing a sigh of relief. He was conscious, even if he was still shaking like a leaf. Thank God. "How are you feeling?"

"C-cold. I-I woke…up a-and…you weren-n’t h-ere. I-I thought th-that…s-something h-had happened t-to you…" Johnny stuttered.

"Geez, I’m sorry John. I didn’t mean to scare you like that. I went out to find something to eat."

"O-oh…th-thanks…"

"Here." Cap said, reaching for the fallen berries. "Have some of these."

Johnny took the fruit offered and put a few into his mouth. He swished the fruit around with his tongue until it was thin enough to swallow. But once it reached his stomach, he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to handle any more. He told Hank. "I-I’m…kinda thirsty…though…" He added.

"Just a sec." Cap told him. He carefully eased himself out from under the paramedic and stood up, heading towards the opening of the cave. He brought the tin First Aid kit back in and helped Johnny take a drink of the overflowing water. "Better?" He asked as he settled back where he was before.

"Th-thanks." There was a pause, but then Johnny continued to speak. "C-Cap?"

"Yeah, John?"

"D-do you think…th-that R-Roy’s alright?"

Hank smiled. The two paramedics were really close, and it didn’t surprise him that Johnny would think of Roy at a time like this. "I’m sure he’s fine."

"P-positive?"

"Yeah. Don’t worry about it."

"’Kay." Johnny mumbled in reply. "Here…t-take some of… these blankets b-back…"

"No, it’s okay John." Cap assured. "You need them more than I do. Besides, you’ll keep me warm, even if you are just a little too thin…" He waited for a response from the paramedic, who was usually touchy about his weight. He didn’t get one, though, and looked down to see Johnny’s eyes had closed. "Johnny!" He exclaimed, panicking. Hank immediately tried to wake him up again, but with no avail. "Come on, Johnny, you can’t leave me! That’s an order!"

Hank checked Johnny’s carotid, relieved to find it there but upset to find it weak and irregular. Johnny was fading, and he knew it. He patted John’s cold face, trying one more time to revive him. It didn’t work.

He felt completely useless. He knew that the only thing left to do was to go for help, but he couldn’t just leave Johnny alone! Look what had happened when he went for food! And going for help would take much more time. So how in the hell could he make a choice like that?

Hank sat there, panicking. He was wasting time. He had to leave. Now. Johnny’s life depended on it.

No! I can’t leave him ! I just can’t…Cap glanced down at his friend, a lump forming in his throat and his eyes welling with tears. He looked so pale, hurt, helpless. Like a sick little boy. It made Hank sick to his stomach and he tore his eyes away. He knew what he had to do.

"Dammit, I’m so sorry, John… I wish it were me instead. I don’t want to leave you, but…" He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth, exhaling deeply. You have to do it, Hank. You’ve got to go for help. He opened his eyes again. "I’m coming back, Johnny. I’m going to get you some help." He took another deep breath and eased himself out from under him again. Hank stood and looked back down at his friend. "I’m going to come back. I promise, Johnny."

And with that, Hank turned and left the cave.

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"I kind of wish we packed food." Mike commented to the group as they were pushing into the forest. He ducked as Chet ahead of him pushed a branch away and it snapped back at Mike’s face. They were all tired and hungry, but no one complained, for they knew that however they were suffering, Johnny and Cap were way worse off.

Roy sighed and looked around him. The woods’ atmosphere wasn’t helping his mood any. Above the trees, the dark, looming clouds blocked any chance of moonlight. It was incredibly dark- if it wasn’t for the flashlights, their search would be virtually impossible. The rain kept coming in endless amounts. The trees offered little protection, for their branches were so wet that water dripped off of them and onto the helmets of the firefighters.

Even though deep down Roy had a feeling of dread that his best friend was never going to come over to his house for dinner and play with his kids ever again, he refused to give up on Johnny. The stubborn, junior partner would do the same for him if it were the other way around. In fact, Roy knew Johnny would deny that Roy was dead unless he actually saw the corpse, he’d search to the ends of the earth until then.

It was an obvious fact that the two had survived the mudslide, unless they had overlooked a spot. But the slide had happened such a long time ago, and it was just too cold. They were undoubtedly injured, and even if they had found shelter, it was too late. Too much time had passed.

Thirteen hours was just too long.

Roy tried to take his mind off of the horrible situation, his mind wandering to the week before. Johnny had been on another one of his kicks. This time, he had decided to try and find out if he was ‘lucky’ or not, asking everyone he saw and explaining the different theories on the definition of luck. Roy chuckled, remembering the debate he had held with Mike Morton. Johnny figured that luck could mean two different things- as in chance and as in fortune. Was he unlucky that he was so accident prone, or lucky that he always survived every incident without any permanent damage?

He said that it was alright to say that it was lucky that Roy had found a great wife and had two good kids, but it wouldn’t sound right if he said that it was just luck that it had happened. Morton, on the other hand, argued that there was no such thing as either; that you earned what you got and that was that.

Right now, Roy was disagreeing with Morton firmly. Johnny and Cap certainly didn’t deserve this to happen to them.

It looks like your luck ran out, Junior. Roy thought miserably. It was killing him to think about Johnny in the past tense, but he had to get used to it.

The senior paramedic’s eyes filled with tears just thinking about his spirited younger partner, and how all that passion was now put to waste. How was he going to go on knowing that Johnny had left this earth less than thirty years old? That he was never going to see that crooked, confident grin ever again, or hear about another one of John Gage’s schemes?

Stop it, Roy DeSoto! He mentally screamed at himself. You can’t give up like this! He could very well still be alive!

His thoughts were interrupted when suddenly out of the corner of his eye he saw Chet trip over the roots of a pine tree. He fell onto his stomach in the mud that layered the forest floor, dirtying his turnout gear. He lay there, face first in the mud, making no attempt to get back up.

Marco came to his side. "Are you alright, Chet?" He asked concernedly.

Chet roughly pushed himself up with his hands and into a sitting position. He glared up at the firefighter, growling, "Of course I’m not alright! What the hell do you think, Marco?!"

Marco was surprised. He backed up a little bit. "I-I’m sorry, Chet, I just- "

"Two good friends of mine are lost somewhere in this god-damn forest and you ask if I’m alright!?" Chet shouted hysterically. Then suddenly, as if just realizing what he had said, a look of shame passed onto Chet’s face. He stood up. "God, I’m so sorry, Marco. I don’t know what came over me."

Marco flashed him an understanding smile. "It’s alright, Chet. I think we’re all feeling out of sorts."

"I just want to find them!" Chet said in a frustrated sigh.

"Well we’re not going to find them just standing here." Mike commented. "Let’s keep moving."

The others nodded in agreement, and they began their search for Johnny and Cap again, trekking further into the wilderness. Their eyes searched the trees and the landscape. It was quite a remarkable sight, even in the almost pitch black night. The splatter of rainfall all around was almost mesmerizing, and the scent of pine mixed with the fresh rain smell invaded their senses. It would have made for a perfect walk… if that had been why they were there.

"Hey guys, look over there!" Marco shouted, bringing their thoughts from the predicament. "I think I see something!"

The others followed Marco’s outstretched and pointing arm with their eyes and straight ahead into the woods. Roy aimed his flashlight in the direction that Marco had his.

"I don’t see anything!" Chet hissed.

"Shh! I know what I saw! There’s something out there!" Marco whispered in return.

"Maybe it was a deer or something." Roy offered, not willing to get his hopes up. He didn’t think he could stand further disappointment.

"It’s not a deer!"

They stood quiet and still, waiting for any movement or sound. After a few seconds, the other three were beginning to lose patience, but Marco kept his torch aimed at where he saw what he saw.

"I know I saw something, guys!" He insisted.

They all started to move towards the spot where Marco said he spotted whatever it was, their beams bobbing as they moved.

"Hey, I see something!" Mike exclaimed suddenly. "It looks like…like a turnout coat, and it’s moving!"

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Hank breathed deeply, concentrating on staying on his feet and walking. He was shivering almost uncontrollably, and his knees and injured ankle threatened to give out on him. But he forced himself on; the only thing keeping him going was the injured paramedic that he had left behind.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t divert his thoughts from Johnny. The logical part of him knew that he was doing the right thing, but the emotional part… what if Johnny woke up again, and found himself all alone? He had mentioned doing that when Cap had went out for food. Would he be scared, or too far gone to care?

Hank was feeling a fierce protectiveness towards Johnny, only strengthened by their predicament. He had known him for about five years, ever since he first became the captain of Station 51. All of the five men in his crew were already there, and he was replacing Captain Hammer. They were all good men- efficient, professional, and close to each other. Hank felt privileged to be included in the group. They treated him with respect, but also, as a friend. Although, he was still afraid that they didn’t like him as a captain. They assured him over again that that wasn’t so, but still… All captains probably had similar feelings.

Cap paused for a moment to flex the muscles in his back. It was painful, but after he did that, his back always felt a little better. He wondered how bad it had been injured in the slide.

He went back to thinking about his men. Were they looking for them? Probably. He smiled at the thought. They were never ones to give up, even if the task at hand was one they hated. It would be finished, though with insufferable complaints.

He remembered the time when he, Marco, Chet, Johnny, and Mike had entered the barbershop quartet contest for the firemen’s picnic. Despite Roy’s wise warnings, they had practiced for weeks to enhance their singing abilities (what little ones there were), and in the end, they just ended up sounding even worse. It had been fun, nonetheless, and Hank wouldn’t have given up those two weeks for anything.

Suddenly, he felt a weird tingling in his lungs and began to cough. At first he couldn’t stop, so he sat on a rock, doubled over in the fit. Finally, it abated. His lungs were incredibly sore, and it was beginning to get hard to breathe.

Get up! He thought to himself. You have to keep going! Despite all his agony, he stood up again, and stumbled on.

This time, his mind was beginning to go blank, and his body moved mechanically. He was getting so tired… all he wanted to do was sleep…

"Cap!"

Hank heard the voice calling from somewhere to his left. But instead of feeling joy or relief, panic swept over him. Damn it, Hank! You’re going delusional! He shouted mentally to himself. Don’t do this now! Johnny needs you!

Despite his mental warnings, the voice persisted. It was now joined by several others. And if he was in his right mind, he could have sworn that they sounded like Roy, Chet, Marco, and Mike

No, no! Don’t do this! Stop thinking about the men, and you won’t hear them! Hank quickened his pace, trying to focus his mind on something else.

"Cap! Stop!"

Hank froze. That was so close, so real. He turned to his left, and was shocked to see Roy hurrying towards him. Behind Roy were Mike, Marco, and Chet. Am I hallucinating? He thought.

The fear that had gripped the hearts of the four firefighters for the past fourteen and a half hours slackened when they saw that it was Hank Stanley in the turnout coat and not another member of the search team. Overwhelmed with relief, they ran as fast as they could towards their captain. At first, Cap seemed not to hear them, but then he turned and saw them coming.

His face was bruised and cut, and he stumbled and limped as he walked. He didn’t look so great, but at least he was alive!

"Cap! You’re okay!" Marco exclaimed as they came up beside him.

Hank looked at the men, trying to orient himself. He wasn’t hallucinating- they were really there! Suddenly, his head began to reel and he found himself almost unable to stand. It was so much to take in- finally, help had arrived. "Johnny…he’s…" He began, finding himself unable to concentrate on the words.

Roy took the captain by the shoulders. "He’s what? Johnny’s what, Cap?"

Hank turned and pointed to the direction he had come from. "Hurt…cave…Johnny needs help…" As he tried to force out the words, Cap felt the sides of his vision beginning to close in and his knees buckle. He suddenly didn’t have any strength left. "Johnny…" Was the last word he muttered before slipping over the edge into unconsciousness.

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McConnike wiped the sweat off his brow as he glanced back down the edge of the mountain yet again. He realized that there was nothing else to see, and that if the crew had found anything, they would be contacting him, but he felt the urge to check anyway. Things were not going the way he wanted. First, why hadn’t Hank and John been found yet? It had been such a long time. And then there was the business on the west side, where all of the search parties, beside 51’s, had headed. They were unable to get through, because of another slide, and had to split up. One group would travel all the way back and down this side, while the others were going to try and find a way around.

"Battalion 14, this is H.T. 51." The voice rang out from the handi-talki in Chief McConnike’s pocket, startling him. It hadn’t been a half hour since their last update. They couldn’t have gotten in trouble, could they? Or…had they found Hank and John?

He pulled out the H.T. and pushed the button, holding it up to his mouth. "H.T. 51, this is Battalion 14. Go ahead."

"Chief, we found them!" Roy DeSoto’s voice informed him gleefully from the other end.

A huge smile spread across the Chief’s face as he replied, "That’s great, DeSoto! How are they?"

"Well, we found Cap. He’s pretty shook up. Hypothermia, exposure, several injuries, but he seems to be alright." Roy informed him.

"He’s okay? Let me talk to him." McConnike ordered, eager to hear the captain’s voice. He surprised himself at his enthusiasm.

"Sorry, Chief, he’s unconscious."

"Oh. How’s Gage?" The chief questioned, his joy diminishing somewhat with the news about Hank.

"We’re not sure yet." Roy’s voice dropped as he spoke. "Captain Stanley said something about a cave, and pointed to the location, but we still have to find him." Disappointment laced the paramedic’s response.

McConnike’s heart went out to his men, especially Roy at this point. "I’m sure he’ll be fine, Roy. Gage is a good man."

Roy sighed. "Yeah, I know, if anyone can get through it, it’s Johnny, right?"

"Am I that obvious?"

"No, it’s just that that’s what everyone says every time he gets himself into one of these disasters." Roy explained.

"Well, it’s true."

"When can help get out here?" Roy inquired.

McConnike groaned. "About that. There was a problem over on the west side search. The ridge between your point and their’s was also flooded, so they have to backtrack. There isn’t any more help until they can find a way around the slide. Squad 16 is here and standing by," He said, glancing at paramedics Brice and Bellingham as he spoke, "and are ready to assist. You can send some of your men to show them where you are. They can bring the equipment."

Roy didn’t answer for a minute, obviously appalled at the last bit of information. Finally, he answered, "10-4, I’ll, uh, send a couple of the guys to meet them on the way."

"Good, DeSoto." McConnike told him. Then he added, "And don’t worry. They’ll be fine."

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Roy sighed as he returned the H.T. back into his coat. He was sick of waiting. That was all he had done for the past God knew how many hours. And yet, that was what he was still doing. Roy had stayed with Chet to watch over Cap while Mike and Marco went to try and find Johnny, even though he really wanted to go after his partner. Wherever he was.

He looked back down at Hank, who was still unconscious. The lanky form of their captain was sprawled out under the protection of a large pine tree, where the guys had moved him. Roy had been checking him over before, and now he went to collect vitals again. While he reached for Hank’s radial pulse, he mentally went over the list of injuries again. Dislocated shoulder. Sprained ankle. Rigidness in the back. Multiple cuts, abrasions, and contusions. Exposure. Dehydration. Hypothermia. Roy shuddered at the thought of what condition Johnny could possibly be in if Cap was the one to go for help.

He glanced at the dark skies for an answer. The dark, looming clouds offered none as the rains continued to pour down from the heavens. The slick wet of the water in his face made him shiver, and he pulled his helmet tighter over his head.

"Hey, Roy!" Chet’s voice pulled him out of his musings. The paramedic turned his eyes to his friend. "Mike and Marco are back."

Roy looked over his shoulder, and sure enough, the two firefighters were trudging their way through the foliage and over to them. They both were minus their jackets and were carrying a set of stokes.

The stokes from the engine? Roy thought. Immediately, as soon as they reached him, he asked, "How’s Johnny? Did you find him? Is he…"

Mike gave him a comforting smile as they set down the wire basket beside Captain Stanley. "He’s alive, Roy. We heard you and the chief over the H.T. so we both came back to help."

"How bad is he?" Roy said, questioning further.

"Not so good. You have to get to him as soon as you can." Marco began. "Like Mike said, one of us would have stayed with him, but we heard that you might need us. We covered him with our coats, though."

Roy didn’t like the tone of voice his colleagues were using. They had to move, and now. Even Cap wasn’t looking so good. "Okay," He started. "Marco, you and Chet go to meet Brice and Bellingham. Mike will show me to where Johnny is, and we’ll bring Cap."

Marco nodded in agreement. "The cave that he’s in is protected from the wind and the rain. It will be a good place to wait."

Together, the four comrades packaged Captain Stanley as carefully as they could into the stokes and strapped him in. They said goodbye, and split up into their respective groups, Marco and Chet heading back in the direction of the original mudslide, and Mike and Roy trekking towards Johnny’s cave.

It took about fifteen minutes for the engineer to find the opening in the side of the mountain again. They had traveled silently, both fearing the worst about the junior paramedic. When Mike had finally found Johnny the first time, he was pretty far gone. What if he had died while they’d gone to get Roy? Should one of them have stayed with him? Would it have made any difference? They hadn’t wanted to elaborate Johnny’s condition to Roy, afraid of how he would react.

Mike waited at the edge of the cave hesitantly, before Roy took the lead and pulled the engineer in with his end of Cap’s stokes. Right away, the senior paramedic set down Hank and made his way towards Johnny.

Roy’s voice caught in his throat as he took in his partner and best friend. Johnny was no longer shaking, which was not a good sign. His lips were blue, his face was pale, bruised and bloody. His limp body was wrapped in Marco and Mike’s turnout coats and several yellow emergency blankets.

Roy fell to his knees and immediately began to assess Johnny’s condition. He forced himself to hold his emotions at bay while he checked for a pulse. He thought that his heart was going to stop when he actually found one.

But that didn’t mean that it couldn’t stop at any time. They needed the squad’s equipment to treat him. Johnny was in deep shock, hypothermia taking over his body. His breathing had slowed, his blood pressure was dropping. His body was shutting down.

Roy suddenly found himself panicking. "Johnny? Come on, wake up, Johnny!" He exclaimed, shaking his friend by the shoulders. His voice was high and pinched with emotion. "Look at me!" This couldn’t be happening! They had worked so hard on finding him, and now he was just going to fade out on them? Though he continued his attempts to revive his junior partner, Johnny didn’t stir.

Roy’s actions were scaring Mike. He grabbed the paramedic’s arm. "Roy! Calm down! He’s not going to wake up right now. Just wait until Brice and Bellingham get here with the equipment."

The paramedic glanced at Mike, and then back down at Johnny. He knew that the engineer was right, but he kept getting this feeling that if he tried hard enough to wake him up, then Johnny would respond. It was stupid, but what else was there to do?

He leaned his back against the wall, carefully pulling Johnny into his arms in hopes that his body heat might help revive the injured man. Somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to leave him, even if only a few feet away.

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Chet let out a huge sigh of relief when they saw Squad 16’s paramedics come in to view. It almost made him laugh, too. Craig Brice, the world’s Perfect Paramedic, all muddy, wet, and irate! Chet grinned. Johnny would have loved to see that…

Suddenly, thinking about Johnny caused him to remember the seriousness of the situation that they were in, and the smile instantly vanished. Instead, he stepped forward to relieve Bellingham of some of the heavy equipment. Marco did the same to help Brice.

"Thanks, guys." Bellingham told them gratefully. They had been travelling for quite a while, and he was beginning to tire.

Brice also was fatigued, but of course he wasn’t going to admit it. "Where are Gage and DeSoto?" Craig asked formally. He surveyed the area around them. More trees, mud, and rain. As a group, the four began to head back in the direction Chet and Marco had come from.

"They’re about a mile and half west of here." Chet informed them, pushing away branches of an evergreen tree as they threatened to slap him in the face. The other three did the same, all in single file.

"We have to hurry," Marco said. "Johnny wasn’t looking so well when we got to him."

Chet lowered his eyes sorrowfully. "Man, I hope he’s okay. I’d retire the Phantom permanently just to hear another crazy Gage scheme again."

"I didn’t know that you cared so much about him." Marco commented pointedly, quietly amused. It wasn’t often that Chet set himself up like that. Deep down, everyone knew that the Phantom and his target really did care about each other; the sarcasm and jokes were just their way of showing it.

Chet scowled. "Why do you guys say that every time? I just don’t- "

"Want to have to train a new pigeon." The other three joined in. Even Brice and Bellingham knew about that one.

Marco was thankful for the slight break of mood. There was way too much tension in the air, even between the firefighters themselves. The seriousness of the situation had really made them think about how dangerous their jobs really were. Now they might lose Johnny, and if they spent longer out in the rain, possibly even Cap. They didn’t know what they would do with themselves if that ever happened. Would any of us quit? Marco asked himself, concentrating on where he was walking as he pressed into the forest. I don’t think I could go back to work if Johnny and Cap died.

A sudden noise off to their left brought Marco out of his reverie and caused all of them to stop. They stood, frozen, eyes fixed on the area to the side of them.

"What was that?" Bellingham asked nervously. All kinds of animals lived up here in the mountain woodland. Even though he had never personally encountered anything dangerous in the woods, it had been known to happen.

"Probably just a deer or something." Brice replied, with exaggerated confidence. He was never one to show weakness in front of others. Inside, though, he was alarmed, and the guys knew it.

"I hope so…" Chet commented, not taking his eyes of the foliage.

They waited there for a few more moments, and then felt it was safe to let out the breaths that they were holding. They smirked at each other foolishly, and then began to continue on without a word. Maybe they were just being paranoid- uptight from the rough day.

But their relief was short-lived as a large form suddenly came crashing out of the trees. Startled, the four firefighters all leapt out of the way, each heading in a different direction, and only stopping when they heard the noise had stopped.

Chet had run straight ahead, and now turned back to see what the form had been. What he saw caused him to stop still – his muscles frozen. There, staring back at him from where he had been only a few seconds before, was a black bear.

Chet swallowed hard, and didn’t realize that he was holding his breath. He didn’t want to do anything to upset the bear, especially when it sure looked interested in him. Do black bears eat people? Chet questioned himself mentally. No, don’t be stupid. They don’t eat people, they just kill them. Came the morbid reply. He scowled at himself.

Just then, the bear reared up on its hind legs, a vicious snarl escaping from his lips. The full extent of the bear’s size was clearly visible- he was close to twice Chet’s size. The animal roared, its razor sharp teeth in full view, dripping with saliva.

Then the bear dropped down with a snort, and began to charge at the firefighter. The others watched helplessly; Chet was paralyzed with fear. Dammit, this can’t be happening! His frantic mind shouted.

"Chet! Run!" Marco shouted, it was the only thing he could think of to help his friend.

"Play dead!" Craig shouted almost in sync with Marco.

Everything seemed to be happening incredibly slowly. Chet watched the bear coming towards him. He glanced down, noticing that he still held the biophone in his right arm. Without even thinking about what he was doing, he threw back his arm, just seconds before the bear was on him. The fierce giant animal propelled itself forward with an extra burst of speed as he neared his prey…

Chet swung his arm and the large orange box as hard as he could, squeezing his eyes shut. He was jarred as the biophone connected, and fell to the ground.

When Chet finally reopened his eyes, he saw that the blow had stopped the bear’s attack. The animal was snorting and shaking its head violently, while backing away from the man on the ground. It continued to do so, its deep brown coat whipping back and forth, for a long while. Finally, it looked up once more into Chet’s eyes before disappearing back into the forest – still shaking its head.

Chet sat there, stunned. Even when Marco ran up to him he didn’t move.

"Chet, that was great! You fought a bear!" Marco said excitedly. "Wait ‘till everyone hears about this! I never would have thought of hitting it, Chet! Boy you sure showed him! I’ll bet it’ll have a headache for weeks!"

Chet looked up at his friend in disbelief. They had just been attacked by a bear and he was yakking it up! He had never seen Marco so wound up. He peered at the firefighter with amazement.

Marco frowned and squirmed under the intense attention. "What? Are you okay, Chet? He didn’t get at you, did he?"

It was too much. Chet burst out laughing. He laughed so hard that tears began to roll down his face and he was clutching side. He’s lost it. Marco thought. The Phantom has officially lost his marbles. At the thought, he, too, began to laugh.

After he finally regained control of himself, Chet shook his head to clear it and took Marco’s offered hand, pulling him to his feet. They both sighed, and each still wearing a silly grin.

A few feet away, a dumbfounded Bellingham and Brice watched the exchange with utter incredulity. They didn’t think that just Chet was crazy- both members of 51s were! Here they were in the wilderness, freezing, tired, afraid for their injured friends, and yet the two were actually laughing. How could they find anything in this entire situation funny?

"We’d better get going. We don’t have any more time to waste." Marco said finally, bringing the seriousness of the plight back to reality. The group silently continued into the woods; nothing else needed to be said. Each knew that the others were thinking about Captain Stanley and Johnny, and that if they didn’t return to the cave soon, that they could die.

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Roy watched the weak rise and fall of Johnny’s chest with plaintive eyes. His breathing was slow, slightly labored. The senior paramedic knew what happened after that- soon, Johnny would be fighting to breathe, and then would inevitably go into respiratory arrest. At the moment, he was wishing that he didn’t know it. It would make the wait easier.

But he was a paramedic. He knew how much trouble his best friend was in, and it was tearing him up inside that he couldn’t do anything about it. With all his training and experience, he was still unable to save the only person that he ever trusted completely, because of lack of the right equipment.

It killed him to see Johnny, who was normally so incredibly hyperactive, now lying so pale, drawn, and lifeless. Looking at his friend’s cold and battered face, Roy wished it were him laying on the cave floor instead of Johnny. It was so unfair. John Gage was a good person; hell, he worked every day saving the lives of people he didn’t even know. Now he lay on the cold, hard floor of a mountain cave, fighting for his life.

Sure, Johnny could be incredibly annoying at times. In fact, nearly every day he came up with something to obsess over, driving the rest of the crew, and especially Roy, insane. During these frequent moments, the last thing Roy wanted was to listen to him. But that was Johnny, and Roy would kill for the healthy, normal John Gage right now.

In the mere six years that Johnny and Roy had worked together, they had grown close. Very close. Roy remembered back to when he and Joanne had gone on that game show together. The guys bugged him that he should have taken Johnny with him instead. Roy had never really voiced how much the junior paramedic’s friendship meant to him; now he could only hope that Johnny knew.

Roy’s eyes filled with unspent tears. He reached over and checked Johnny’s pulse yet again, making sure he was still alive. God, where are they?

Mike watched quietly as Roy beat himself up over this. Los Angeles’ finest paramedic team was on the verge of breaking up. It was depressing- he had watched their friendship build up from the beginning. Now to see Johnny so close to death and Roy on the verge of a breakdown…it was too much.

He looked away and down at Captain Stanley. Their trusted, respect-worthy leader was also in dire need of medical attention, not as badly as Johnny, but getting there. Hank, like Johnny, wasn’t much of one to just sit still. He always had something to do, somewhere to go, people to watch over. Now the tables were turned, and they were watching over him.

At least Cap was showing some signs of life. His body shook with cold, a phase that Johnny had already been through. But what was really scaring Mike was the fact that something this severe could happen to even their captain. The almost unbreakable commander who was able to control chaos at its worst, and keep his men confident and in line.

Of course, Hank was no saint. He was paranoid about what people thought of him, and afraid of Chief McConnike. But he was up there with the best of them, and the crew respected him entirely.

Mike studied the cave surrounding them. The dull, hard walls felt like they were closing in on them. The situation was bad enough, without having the feeling of claustrophobia creeping up on him. And if that wasn’t enough, the constant dripping of water was a reminder of how bad it really was outside.

"You know we can’t work on them in here," Mike said aloud to Roy, "when the equipment comes. There’s not enough room."

Startled at the engineer’s voice, Roy first glanced up at Mike, processing what he had told him. Then his eyes flitted across the cave. "Yeah." He said.

"We’re going to have to move them outside."

"Yeah, I guess so." Roy answered, only half listening to what Mike was getting at.

"We’re going to have to set up some place to treat them." Mike continued, studying the paramedic for some sort of reaction. He looked back outside into the gloom. "There’s a large redwood that might make a good shelter from the rain. It looks large enough to fit all of us underneath."

Roy sighed, realizing how reserved he was being. "I’m sorry Mike, I haven’t been much of a help. Or much of a conversationalist."

"Don’t worry about it, Roy. I know how you’re feeling." The engineer assured him, lowering his eyes. "This is hard on all of us."

"Yeah." The paramedic agreed. Silence fell upon the two firefighters, as they both gave each other some time with their thoughts.

"I just wish they would get here already!" Mike exclaimed suddenly, surprising Roy yet again. The engineer, who was normally so silent, seemed really out of character. "They are taking so long! Don’t they realize that Cap and Johnny might die?!"

Roy hesitated. He knew that Mike didn’t realize what he was saying; he was just blowing off steam. It wasn’t often that Mike Stoker expressed his feelings out loud. "Mike- "

"I know, Roy. I didn’t mean that. It’s just that… I’m so sick of this!"

"I know."

"M-Mike?" A quiet voice stuttered, startling both weary firefighters. They looked to see the eyes of Captain Stanley on them. "R-Roy?"

"Yeah, Cap. How are you feeling?" Roy asked, immediately moving himself closer to Hank. He began to recheck the vitals again.

"Been…better."

"Not too long now, Cap." Mike assured him as he watched Roy check him out.

"Oh…" Hank groaned as Roy palpated his shoulder.

"You sure did a number on your shoulder, Cap. It’s dislocated." The paramedic told him. He felt underneath Hank’s back, checking how rigid it was.

"It…hurts…" Cap moaned, shutting his eyes.

"We know, Cap. You just have to hang in there." Mike said to him.

Hank’s eyes reopened, and he studied his two men in turn. "How’s…J-Johnny…?"

Roy and Mike frowned, glancing at each other. Should they tell him how Johnny really was? He deserves to know. Roy thought. "Cap, he’s not doing so well."

Cap winced, shutting his eyes again. "Roy…I’m so s-sorry…I c-couldn’t…"

"Cap, no. Don’t say that. It’s not your fault." Roy told him. How could he even think that way?

"Sh-should…have let him…go…He’d b-be fine…i-if it w-weren’t for…me. S-sorry, Roy…" Hank continued, ignoring Roy’s argument.

"Roy’s right, Cap." Mike commented. "It’s not your fault. Don’t worry about that now."

Captain Stanley stayed quiet, and the two other men assumed that he had fallen asleep. Roy looked over at the engineer with long eyes. They hadn’t expected the captain to be blaming himself, just like every one of them had been. If Johnny died, how were they ever going to deal with this?

Sure that Hank was going to be fine for the moment, Roy and Mike settled back down. No words had to be said; each knew what the other was thinking. Help needed to get there, now, or else…

They didn’t want to think about the ‘or else’. They continued their vigil. Though they were overwhelmed with the silence between them, the pounding of the rain outside was deafening as they tried to distract themselves from the fate of Johnny and Hank.

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Mike stirred at the sudden sound of rustling outside the cave. He didn’t realize that he had fallen asleep. He glanced over to Roy, who looked as if he had done the same. The exhausted paramedic lay stretched out beside his injured best friend. The sight made the engineer smile a little.

Mike looked down at Captain Stanley, who was still shivering in his sleep. Satisfied that he was still alive, Mike moved on over to Johnny, checking his pulse and respiration. He smiled down at the man when he found that he had both. Good old Johnny, the man of nine lives.

Just then he had a thought. What was that noise outside? Maybe he should wake up Roy. The engineer gently shook Roy’s shoulder, as not to startle him.

Roy woke almost immediately. Forgetting where he was for a moment, he took a quick look around, his eyes finally settling on Johnny. A look of regret and disgust flashed through the paramedic’s eyes when he realized what he had done. How could he fall asleep when his captain and best friend’s lives were depending on him? You really know how to take care of ‘em, don’t you, DeSoto? God, your best friend!

All of a sudden, he noticed the look of alarm on Mike’s face as his finger was pressed to his lips. "There’s something out there!" He hissed between his teeth.

They both went dead silent, straining to hear what it was that was rustling outside. The rain wasn’t helping very much, covering up the strange noise with its own drumming against the forest floor.

Suddenly, without warning, a form appeared at the mouth of the opening, scaring both Roy and Mike. They jumped and then froze, unsure of what exactly was there.

"Hello?" A voice called. "You guys still here?"

The two firefighters looked at each other foolishly as they realized that it was Chet. Finally, help had arrived! "Yeah, we’re here!" Roy said aloud, relief showing on his face. He quickly jumped up as Chet, Marco, Craig Brice, and Bob Bellingham filed into the cave. "Boy, are you guys ever a sight for sore eyes. We were afraid that you weren’t going to make it!"

"That’s for sure." Mike mumbled.

It was really cramped, and they all knew that treatment wasn’t going to happen unless they moved outside. Working together, the six firefighters packaged Johnny and Cap into the stokes that were there and the extra set that Bellingham was hauling. Mike showed them to the redwood he had spotted and they set up a treatment area as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Marco, Chet, and Mike moved out of the way to let the paramedics do their work. A knot formed in the pit of Marco’s stomach as he saw the condition of their two friends- they were even worse than before. He watched quietly as Craig began to assess Cap, and Roy and Bellingham began to work feverishly on Johnny.

As Chet stood back out of the way, he turned to Mike. "We almost didn’t make it." He told him, commenting on his earlier remark.

"What do you mean?"

"You should have seen it, Mike!" Marco said. "There was this bear, and he scared us all, and then he ran after Chet, and Chet hit it over the head!" He recapped.

Mike raised his eyebrows, not sure if his friend was delusional or just plain crazy.

"I wasn’t scared." Brice muttered as he removed the B.P. cuff from Hank’s arm.

"Chet, pass me the biophone." Roy said urgently, not even bothering to look up from Johnny’s limp form.

"Um…" Chet began, "It’s broken."

"What?! Never mind." Roy said, not wanting to take the time for an explanation. "Bob, set up a relay with Headquarters. Pulse is fifty, respiration is eight, B.P. is eighty over thirty-five." He gritted his teeth in frustration. Hurry, hurry…

Bellingham did just that, and got contact with Rampart.

"Severe hypothermia and shock. Tell them that he has several contusions, abrasions, and lacerations on the visible skin, including a large cut on the side of the head. Possible broken ribs, and possible knee injury."

"Right." Bellingham said, and then relayed the information via the H.T. Everyone held their breath as they awaited further instructions. Craig Brice continued to work on Cap.

"Here," Roy said, handing a few bags of IV solution over to the anxious crew of Engine 51. "Put these under your clothes to warm them up."

The three complied, taking everything Roy said very seriously. It was up to him to save Johnny now.

To try and get their minds off of their friends, Mike turned back to Chet and Marco. "How in the world did you break the biophone?"

"Chet used it to hit the bear over the head." Marco informed him, though he kept his eyes trained on the frenzied paramedics and their patients.

"You mean, there actually was a bear?"

"Yeah. And Chet fought it."

The engineer turned to the Irishman, but he wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. Mike could tell that he only wanted to watch, so he decided to let it drop, and lowered his eyes back to their friends.

"Squad 16, Rampart advises to start IVs…" The voice of the dispatcher said in the background. Roy didn’t even wait for the instructions to finish- he already knew what had to be done. Retrieving the bags from Marco, Chet, and Mike, he immediately set up the IVs, inserting them into Johnny’s left arm.

"Rampart wants a new set of vitals."

Roy nodded his head and bent over to retrieve the information. Holding his breath, he first went for the pulse, and then checked Johnny’s B.P. He groaned inwardly at his findings. "Tell them no change."

The others lowered their heads in disappointment. The rain pelted their bodies, dripping off their turnout gear. The weather seemed to match their moods.

At least Cap was beginning to come around. Craig Brice might be the most annoying person to work with, but he was an able and accomplished paramedic. With the warm IV, Hank seemed to be waking up.

Rampart ordered Roy to start another IV for Johnny that would hopefully stabilize the younger paramedic. Roy began to set it up, joining the flow into Johnny’s vein with the others. He waited a few moments, trying to avoid looking at his partner’s face, trying not to see his blue lips and beaten skin. Then, he took yet another set of vitals.

Listening to Johnny’s pulse, guarded hope lit Roy’s face. Everyone watched as he checked it again, just to make sure. Then Roy went on to check the blood pressure, and then his breathing. When he next looked up, Roy had a smile on his face.

"He’s beginning to stabilize." He informed the rest of the crew, his relief evident in the tone of his voice. Bob announced it to Rampart.

"Squad 16, is there an ambulance at your location?" Brackett asked from the other end.

"That’s negative, Rampart. We have to transport victims by hand to the top."

"Squad 16, this is Battalion 14." McConnike’s voice rang out from the H.T.

"This is Squad 16." Bellingham replied.

"Squad 16, I have arranged for an air ambulance to meet you at your location. They were finally cleared to take off."

"Rampart, do you copy?" Bob asked into the handi-talki.

"10-4, 16. Continue monitoring vitals and transport as soon as the chopper gets there."

"10-4, Rampart." Bellingham turned back to the crew, and saw hope on every one of their faces. An air ambulance would cut the time factor down to less than half. Maybe Johnny would be just fine after all.

"Now all we have to do is wait."

Roy looked back down at Johnny. Was it just him, or was he starting to look better? His vitals were getting better. His lips weren’t as blue. Or was he imagining that? Did he want it to happen so badly, that he was beginning to believe it really was? At least now he knew that Johnny had a chance.

He looked over at Captain Stanley, who was conscious and speaking quietly to Mike and Chet. "Hey, Cap." Roy said, "How are you feeling?"

Hank forced a smile. "Better than the last time we talked."

Roy gave him a genuine smile. "That’s great. You’ll be back at work in no time."

"You guys are just happy to get rid of me for a bit, aren’t you?"

"Wouldn’t you like to know." Chet told him, one of his mischievous grins creeping across his face. Even the Cap attempted to laugh.

"R-Roy?" A soft voice said from behind the paramedic. Roy’s heart skipped a beat as he turned to see the head of his partner moving back and forth, his eyelids fluttering.

"Johnny! Yeah, I’m here, pal." He shifted so that Johnny could see him. "Take it easy- don’t move around so much." He told him as the patient began to try and get up, without any success. An overwhelming feeling of joy was beginning to wash over Roy.

"C-cold."

"Yeah, I know. The chopper’s going to be here soon. We’ll get you to the hospital." Roy said.

"I-I thought…I’d n-never see…you again." Johnny stuttered, shaking with cold.

"Well, you were wrong."

"I g-guess that’s in my…f-favor, h-huh?"

"Not really."

Johnny continued to speak. "R-Roy…thanks for c-coming…after me."

"Anytime, Junior." Roy replied with a smile.

"W-where’s Cap?" Johnny asked.

"He’s over there with Craig Brice." Roy informed him.

"P-poor…guy." Johnny replied. "S-so he’s…alright then?"

"Sure." Roy said, happy to give his partner good news. "He’ll be fine."

"H-he saved my…life. I th-thought I…was going to…d-die."

"But you didn’t," Roy said, happily. "You’re going to be fine. That’s the important thing. Now you can go get banged up somewhere else."

"Ha, ha, Roy."

The two paramedics were quiet for a moment, understanding what each had gone through.

They both had much to say, but knew there was no need to voice it. They’d been friends long enough to know it was mutual.

"I’m glad that you’re alright, Johnny." Roy said, breaking the silence.

"Th-thanks, Roy. For everything."

"You’d do the same for me." The senior paramedic answered.

"Y-you’d better believe it…Pally. Y-you don’t th-think…I’d let you l-leave m-me alone…with the P-Perfect Paramedic…do you?"

"No, you wouldn’t be that considerate." Roy replied, grinning. He heaved a sigh, of relief, or joy, or whatever it was that he was feeling now. His junior partner looked weak, and beat up, but alive. He was still there, still going. Roy didn’t want to have to consider what would happen if things hadn’t turned out this way. He thought back to the hours when he didn’t know where Johnny was, or even to back in the cave, when he couldn’t do anything for him. No, that’s something he’d rather forget.

Johnny’s eyes closed momentarily, and Roy looked up and all around them. The other guys were crowded around Cap, giving the two paramedics a few moments alone. They were all muddy, tired, and not to mention still a little worried. Marco was talking animatedly, interrupted once in a while by Chet. Something about a bear. He’d ask about it someday, when he wasn’t so overwhelmed with what had just happened. But now, all he wanted to do was be right here with Johnny, where he belonged.

There was a whirring noise quickly growing louder, coming from above, and Roy looked up to see a large red and white chopper approaching in the distance. He gave a grateful nod towards the heavens.

The mud was still slick and plentiful, the trees dripping with water. But something was different, something had changed.

"Hey, Johnny!" Roy exclaimed.

Johnny forced his eyes back open, focusing them on his partner. "Mmm?"

"Look around." He told him with a grin.

Johnny lifted his head up slightly, trying to see what Roy was talking about. His eyes darted around the area as he tried to figure it out. After a moment he gave up and settled back down. He frowned, confused.

"The rain," Roy said, still grinning, "It finally stopped."

Johnny smiled and sighed. He didn’t think that the rain was ever going to stop, but Roy was right. The clouds were still dark and hovering, but there was no more water pouring from their depths. Above them, the air ambulance was coming down.

It was a gratifying feeling, to know that finally, after all this, the rain had ceased. It was somewhat comforting to Roy. He stood up as the chopper began its decent, getting ready to help lift the patients into the cab. The ambulance landed, and immediately two attendants stepped out to assist the two injured firefighters inside for the ride back to civilization. Roy stepped back, and observed his friends. They were bruised, scraped, cut up, pale, shivering, and Johnny and Cap were all in all far from healthy, but somehow, Roy knew that they were going to be just fine. As he joined the others in the helicopter, he thought, We always pull through, don’t we, Junior?

"Washed Out" ©2000 Dannyak. "Emergency!" and its characters © Mark VII Ltd. All rights reserved. No infringement of any copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. This is a work of fiction, and any similarity to actual persons or events is purely coinidental.