Sailing Away
Written by: Rosalind, Katy, Kathy, Pat, KC, Cin, Sheryl, Susan, Alice, Robin, Cassandra, Corey, Tammy #2, Jo, & Teresita
CHAPTER ONE
"So Gage, are you ready to take on the ocean?" Chet asked, looking at Johnny's reflection in the mirror while they shaved. "They say there are a lot of hot chicks on those ships."
"And a lot of them give you a fake phone number at the end of the trip," Marco chimed in. "My cousin Luis went on one of those cruise things. He met a ton of girls, but turns out some of them were married," he shook his head. "What a mess."
"Well I'm up for the challenge," Gage crowed. "I am gonna have the best time ever." He nudged his partner. "How about you Pally?"
"Suppose so." Roy grunted.
"What's with him?" Mike asked.
"Oh he's just sore 'cause he couldn't take Joanne."
~*~
Later that morning, coming back from a long run, Johnny watched his partner closely. "You're really worried about this trip aren't you?"
"No, not really." Roy replied.
Johnny could tell he was lying. "Then why the silence?"
"Remember the last time that we were on a boat?" He paused letting Johnny think. "Remember how sick you got?"
"Oh that, I did that to get her phone number,"John tried to keep his false bravado from showing.
"Yeah, and I'm the king of the free world." Roy looked at his partner. "Johnny, I know the difference between when you're sick and when you're trying to get a phone number." He let that sink in. "How do I know that I'm not going to be baby-sitting a sick you the whole trip?"
"Is that all you're worried about?" John laughed. "You won't be, honest! I went to Dr. Brackett and got seasick pills. I'll be fine. Really."
Roy shook his head in disbelief, as he backed the squad into the bay. He sat there a minute without saying anything, watching his partner. Captain Stanley walked up to the squad window, resting his wrist on the mirror. He leaned over, and commented on Roy's demeanor. "Something wrong, Roy?"
Roy opened the squad door and got out. "I'm telling you Cap, since I'm going on a cruise with Johnny, I'm going prepared. I know he's going to be seasick, so I asked Dr. Brackett for medicine." Roy gave them a satisfied smile, and continued into the kitchen.
Johnny rounded the back of the squad giving his Captain an incredulous grin, and joined his partner for coffee. "What do you mean he gave you some medicine?" Johnny asked Roy warily, as he poured coffee for the both of them. Roy picked up his cup.
"Medicine for seasickness," Roy smiled.
"What kind of medicine?" Johnny asked, as he reached for his cup.
"Don't worry about it. You have your pills, I have mine," Roy commented as he walked over to the table. Captain Stanley held his tongue, but couldn't prevent the smile that spread across his face.
Johnny joined the others at the table. "What are you talking about, Roy? I'm not gonna get sick on this trip!" Johnny stated, adamantly.
Chet decided to join the fun. "Sure, Gage, you say that now, but when you're on that ship, going up and down, up and down, and up and down," he started rocking back and forth, up and down in his chair, like he was actually on a ship.
"Shut up, Kelly, before you make all of us seasick!" Cap cautioned Chet.
"Besides," Johnny told them, "it's not like this is a little sailboat. This is a cruise ship," He scratched his neck. "It's too big to go up and down, up and down," he said in an imitation of Chet, leaving out the motions.
"With the sessions we'll be attending at the conference," interjected Mike, "we might not get to see a lot of the sea."
"The educational stuff is only when we're sailing on the open sea, though. Surely there will be time for some fun," Roy sighed. "Joanne's really upset she can't go. She thought this would be a perfect vacation without the kids."
"There isn't room, pal," Hank commented. "My wife wants to go, too, but with firefighters from all over the country, there just isn't enough space for everybody." Hank turned to leave, snapped his fingers, turned back to Roy, and looked directly at Chet. "Roy, did Dr. Brackett give you enough medicine, for others who might get sick?"
Chet was appalled that the Captain would imply something like seasickness. "Why are you looking at me? I never get sick!" He told them firmly. "It's not in my genetic makeup."
Cap smiled and shook his head. "Okay, pal, but I just want to make sure all bases are covered."
"Yeah, Cap, I have plenty." Roy nodded, sipping his coffee.
Mike looked at the implied two, and shook his head. "And if you two do get sick, I'm going to help him give you the medicine!"
"Okay, guys, back to chores, or we won't be going anywhere! Oh, and one last thing, let's stay healthy before we go." A round of "yes sirs" met Stanley's ears as he left the room.
Station 51 had a typical shift; a couple of minor fires, one child with his arm stuck in a stair railing, and an MVA. Of course, Johnny didn't tell anyone at the MVA that the car door had slammed into his knee causing it to bruise, and give him a slight limp. No way was he going to miss this once in a lifetime trip. Other than that, the day was uneventful, and all of A-shift came away unscathed.
Departure time arrived, and the guys car-pooled to the dock. As they exited the vehicle, they stopped to admire the stately ship that would be their home for the next few days.
"This is going to be great!" Chet exclaimed as he viewed the ship.
"Calm down, Kelly. This isn't a 'pleasure' trip," Hank reminded Chet. "There will be some work involved,"
"I know, Cap, but there will be plenty of free time after our meetings. I, for one, plan on taking advantage of that," Chet smiled broadly.
Roy gave him a look and reached into the back of the vehicle and pulled out a backpack with a red cross on the front. "This is my seasick prevention kit," he said, patting it protectively. "Johnny's not going to spoil this trip for me." He tucked the bag under his arm. "I'm going to have some fun on this trip, too."
"Roy, you're a married man!" Mike chimed in.
"I didn't mean that kind of fun." Roy clarified hastily. "There's all kinds of activities on board a ship of this size. I wouldn't call holding a bucket for 'handsome' over there, a 'fun activity'." They heard an offended snort from Johnny, and a snicker from Chet.
"I hear that!" Hank agreed. "Let's get a move-on men. We're not getting anywhere standing here on the docks."
"See if I jump in to save any of you, when you fall overboard," Johnny mumbled as they neared the gangplank.
"That reminds me," Hank began, "I've been trying to decide whether Gage should wear a life jacket for the entire cruise or only while he's on deck."
"Oh very funny, Cap," Johnny grumbled. The guys chuckled; thinking it was funny, even if Johnny didn't.
"I'm serious pal," Hank stated, "I gotta look out for the welfare of my men!" His grin stretched across his face.
Chet began, "At least, if he's seasick, we won't have to worry about him getting drunk, and falling overboard!"
Johnny shook his head, giving Chet a disgusted look. "Ha ha, Chet, that was so funny I almost forgot to laugh," He really wasn't in the mood to spar with the Irishman. He was outnumbered, and even Roy was having too much fun at his expense.
"Welcome aboard, gentlemen!" exclaimed the blonde hostess at the top of the gangplank. "I'm Marty, your Cruise Director. May I see your tickets?" The guys were distracted by the beautiful, woman with deep blue eyes. "All your cabin's are in the same corridor. " She shuffled quickly through their tickets. " Mr. Stanley, you're with Mr. Stoker in Lido 235; Mr. Lopez and Mr. DeSoto, you're in Lido 237, and Mr. Gage and Mr. Kelly, you're in Lido 239." She smiled at the men, handing back their boarding passes. "We sail at 3 pm, and the Life boat drill will be at 7."
"There are...um, enough lifeboats for everybody, right?" asked Chet.
"Chet," John rolled his eyes. "I don't think we're going that far north!"
"I was thinking of you, Gage!" replied Chet. "I wanted to make sure you wouldn't be swimming home, if there was a problem."
"Don't worry," Marty replied, smiling. "There are enough spaces for everybody.You'll see me around from time to time, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask. Enjoy your cruise!" She turned to the next passengers waiting to board.
"Gee," Johnny sounded disheartened, "I thought I'd be bunking with Roy this trip."
"Well, Junior," Roy grinned, tossing the seasickness kit to Chet. "Marco and I will be next door if you need us!" He waved at John, as he and Marco walked towards their room.
Chet opened the door and the two of them stepped into the room. "Man, I don't believe it," he muttered shaking his head. "I'm stuck with the pigeon!"
"Oh shut up, Chet," John grumbled, as he pushed his way past his bunkmate.
"Hey, watch it, Gage!"
Ignoring his companion, Johnny looked around the room for a second then dropped his bags on the floor, and plopped down on one of the beds. "I get this one." he smiled, bouncing up and down a little.
"Grow up Gage," it was Chet's turn to roll his eyes, "these beds are exactly the same." Whispering, "no wonder Roy is so happy to be rid of you!"
Johnny picked up his duffel bag and began rummaging through it. "There they are," he said as he pulled out a prescription bottle. I think I better take one of these. He raised an eyebrow at Chet. "Being stuck with you is enough to make anyone nauseous!" He headed for the bathroom and a glass of water
~*~
Roy was feeling very positive. Up until a few minutes ago, he hadn't even entertained the thought that he and Johnny would be in separate cabins! 'This definitely has to be a good sign,' he thought. "I have a very good feeling about this cruise," Roy nodded at Marco, with a smile that reached from ear to ear.
"Yeah, me too," Marco replied as he unpacked some of his things. "I just hope these walls are thick!" He laughed as he tapped on the wall that divided the two rooms.
~*~
The first of many meetings began a couple of hours after they left port. Everyone had arrived on time, except, of course, Johnny, who had never been on time for anything in his life. As Chet walked through the door, Roy looked to see if Johnny was following him.
"Chet, where's Johnny?" he asked.
"You mean he's not here?" Chet responded. "As soon as I got unpacked, I left the cabin and toured the ship. I never went back to the cabin, I came straight here." He thought for a moment before continuing "You know, come to think of it, as soon as we got settled in, Johnny took one of his sea-sick pills and said he was going to lie down for awhile before the first meeting started."
"Oh brother!" Roy replied, "I'll bet it knocked him out!"
Capt. Stanley walked over to the two men and asked, "Where's Johnny?"
Roy shook his head. "Chet said Johnny took one of the sea-sick pills and was going to lie down for awhile. It may have knocked him out."
"Chet, give him your key. Roy, you had better go check on him, and make sure he's okay." Hank closed his eyes and shook his head. I'll tell the Chief. Stay with him if you need to."
~*~
Roy knocked several times on the cabin door, but there was no answer. When he opened the door, Johnny was sprawled on the bed, one arm over his eyes, sound asleep. When Roy couldn't wake him, he checked his vitals, which were normal. Desoto checked the prescription bottle to see how many pills were left. The scrip had been for twenty-four, and now there was only twenty-one. The instructions on the bottle indicated that the maximum dosage was one pill every twelve hours
"Please don't tell me you took three!" Roy put the bottle in his pocket and went back into the room. "Johnny, come on, wake up!" When Johnny only stirred, and grumbled, Roy grabbed the ice bucket which was partially full of ice and cold water.
"Junior, I hate to do this to you!" Roy poured some of the ice water on his face. Johnny inhaled sharply but didn't wake. He threw the rest of the ice water down the length of his body.
Johnny sat up gasping. "ROY! What the hell do you think you are doing?" He staggered out of bed trying to get the ice off him.
"You were out cold! Johnny, how many pills did you take?" Roy asked as he threw a towel at his partner.
"I took two, why?" Johnny asked, as he stood shaking the ice out of his pants.
"It says on the bottle that you're only supposed to take one," He shook the bottle.
"I took the first one twelve hours ago," Johnny began guiltily, "so I wouldn't get sick just looking at the ship. I took the other two a couple hours apart when I got on board. I still didn't feel so good even after the first one, so I took another. There's no danger in that Roy, you know it as well as I do."
"There shouldn't be," his partner replied reading the label on the bottle, "but for some reason it didn't agree with you. Just to be sure this doesn't happen again, I'll hang onto your pills. When you need one, I'll give you one." There was a knock at the door so Roy opened it and waved the Cap into the room.
"Is everything okay?" Hank asked, looking at Johnny with concern.
"Yeah, Cap," Desoto answered. "He took an extra pill and it knocked him out cold. He's sleepy, but he's going to be fine. I'm holding the pills for him." Roy said as he patted the bottle in his pocket.
Johnny asked, "Did I miss something, Cap?"
"You've missed quite a bit of the first meeting." Cap checked his watch grimly. " Roy came down to check on you, and it's a good thing he did." He shook his head and continued, "Let me tell you, pally, if I ever hear you've done something like this again, you will be replacing Kelly on latrine duty for the entire time you work for me, do you understand?"
Johnny nodded and looked at the floor.
"Roy, I think it would be a good idea if you and Chet switched rooms,"
Roy's eyebrows shot up into his hairline, crestfallen. 'There goes my vacation,' he thought.
Johnny threw his hands up in the air. "Cap, I don't need a baby-sitter," Johnny snapped.
"Uh...Cap, I have the medication, so I don't think he can get into too much trouble," Roy stated with a hint of uncertainty. It was a well-known fact that if John didn't find trouble on his own, it usually found him. Roy wasn't quite ready to give up his hopes of a peaceful little vacation.
"Alright," Hank sighed, "you can stay in the rooms that you're in - for now, although I'm not entirely convinced that you don't need a baby-sitter, John." He turned to leave, stopping at the door, "Are you able to join us or were you planning to sit around here in those wet clothes all evening?"
"I'm coming!" Johnny answered.
Stanley left the room mumbling something inaudible, the last word being "twit".
The dark haired paramedic stood there, looking around the room. He was feeling groggy now that the initial shock of the cold water was wearing off.
Roy picked John's duffel bag up, lay it on the bed, and opened it. "Your clothes are here, Johnny." He pulled some clothes out of the bag.
"Roy, I don't need a baby sitter!" Johnny growled.
"I know you don't," Roy commented, "but if you don't mind, I think I'll wait for you." He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.
Johnny stood over his duffel bag, looking at the clothing. His breathing was slow and deep, like he was asleep on his feet.
"Johnny?" Roy stepped towards his partner. He could tell the medication was beginning to kick in, again. Johnny's eyes seemed glazed, and unfocused.
"Hum?"
"You okay?"
"Um," Johnny looked back at his duffel bag. "What am I looking for?" Roy shook his head and closed his eyes.
"Dry clothes," Roy told him.
"Oh yeah...." Johnny yawned and picked up the clothes Roy had pulled out. He stopped in the doorway of the bathroom. "There aren't any underwear in here," he looked at Desoto with a glazed over stare.
"I'll get them, you go into the bathroom and get those wet clothes off." Roy was distracted by the phone, and picked it up. "Hello?"
"How's Johnny doing, Roy?" it was Cap's voice on the other end of the phone.
"He's doing good, Cap. The meds are making him real drowsy, but I think he'll be fine. We'll be up in a few minutes." I hope, Roy thought.
"Good because the Chief is getting a little concerned."
"Not to worry, Cap. I'll have him there as soon as I can."
"Okay, Roy."
Roy hung up the phone, and headed to the bathroom. He wasn't prepared for what he saw.
Johnny was sitting on the toilet, seat up, with his shirt off, and his head propped against the wall, sound asleep. Roy shook his head, 'some vacation', he thought. He walked over and hoisted his unconscious partner from the toilet and carefully placed him in the bathtub. "Sorry about this buddy." he apologized, as he turned the shower on - cold.
"AAAHHHH!" Johnny screamed. His eyes popped open and he struggled to get up away from the cold water streaming down on him. "R-R-Roy w-what are y-you t-trying to d-do to me?" he stammered; now fully awake and shivering.
"I'm trying to wake you up!" Roy answered, "it was either that or stick your head in the toilet." Johnny stood there, dripping wet and shivering, with a look of bewilderment on his face.
"We have to get going Johnny, we're already late. Dry off and get dressed." Roy ordered handing him a towel. A few minutes later John was dressed and ready to go.
"How'd my bed get all wet?" he asked with a look of confusion.
"Oh brother!" Roy shook his head in disbelief as he opened the door and led his partner out into the hallway, locking the door behind them. "Come on Johnny." he urged.
"Uh...Roy...where are we going?"
"Johnny, quit fooling around and come on. You know Cap is expecting us to show up for that conference, and we're already late." Roy started down the hall, thinking that his partner was following him. He looked back to check, and saw that Johnny wasn't going to make it. The younger man was slumped against the wall, sliding slowly to the deck. Roy hurried back to him, and caught him by the elbow. "Okay, pally. I can see right now you aren't gonna make it, and even if you did, you'd fall asleep." Roy helped him back to his room and lay John on the bed. He patted his pocket, and headed back to the conference.
~*~
After sleeping a short time, the churning of Johnny's stomach woke him. "Oh man, I think I'm gonna..." he sprang from the bed and made a dash for the bathroom. A few minutes later, after emptying his stomach of what little had been in it, he stood over the sink splashing water on his face.
'What am I gonna do now?' He worried. 'If they find out I'm sick, I will never hear the end of it!' He was becoming more frustrated, trying to think of a way to gain control of this situation, and himself, when he spotted the bag that Roy had tossed to Chet before leaving for his room. He looked into the bag; the pills he had brought hadn't worked at all. "Hmmm..." he said to himself as he pulled a pill bottle from the bag. Trying to read the print on the small bottle, he wondered if these would do any better. He rationalized,' it's been awhile since I took the others, and I'll be okay.' The alternative was listening to the guys give him a hard time. He shrugged his shoulders, popping it into his mouth, and swallowing. He was still feeling a bit groggy - but with a renewed sense of confidence, he decided to take a walk and get some fresh air, hoping to clear his head.
~*~
Hank was waiting inside the door of the lecture room with Chet and Mike. "Where's Johnny?" Cap whispered to Roy.
Roy shook his head. "Those pills have messed with his system. He couldn't even make it down the hall to get here, let alone be able to stay awake through all of this," he gestured with his hand at the Chief. "I don't think he should be taking those pills anymore."
Chet overheard the conversation, and added his two cents' worth."But, what is he supposed to do about getting seasick? I have to share a room with him. I don't want to listen to him puking all over the place!"
Hank turned to Roy, "Is there anything that Dr. Brackett sent that you can give him?"
Roy nodded and whispered back, "Yeah, I can give him something I guess, if his stomach is still upset."
Mike leaned over, "We're getting dirty looks from McConnikee, we'd better sit down or leave."
Hank looked up and saw McConnikee glaring at them. "C'mon guys, lets listen to the rest of this." They sat down and tried to pay attention. By the time McConnikee stopped talking, the rest of the men of Station 51 were envying Johnny for missing his speech.
When they were dismissed, Roy got up, headed for room 239, and a certain sleeping paramedic. The rest of the crew was behind him, concerned that Gage would make them look badly in front of the whole LA County Fire Department.
Their Captain stopped them at the door. "Did you hide that medicine that Brackett gave you, Pal?" Cap asked.
"I think so," replied Roy. "He doesn't have the key to my cabin anyway. And I still have his pills."
"Are you sure those are the only ones he had?" asked Mike.
"If he had more he would have said something," Roy commented.
"Can I please get into my room?" Chet suddenly spoke up. "I've got to use the bathroom!" Roy rolled his eyes and unlocked the door while the others laughed. Chet pushed past him as soon as the door was open.
"Hey," he turned around and looked at the others. "Where's Gage?" Everyone piled into the room behind Chet. The cover on his bed was a mess, but Johnny was no where to be found.
Captain Stanley turned to Roy. "I thought you said Gage was out cold!" he responded from exasperation more than actual anger
.
"He was!" Roy replied, his voice tinged with more than a touch of anxiety. "Those pills couldn't have worn off completely. We've only been gone..." he looked down at his watch, " two hours." He looked at the men with distress. "Cap, if he's wandering around the ship in that condition..." Roy's words hung in the air as each man contemplated the possibilities. Somehow, the earlier jokes about Johnny falling overboard weren't quite as funny now.
"Alright," Stanley ordered in his captain's tone, "we'll start searching the ship."
"Aw Cap, do you know how big this ship is?" protested Kelly, returning from the bathroom. The silent glares he received from his station mates quelled any further comments.
"Get the crew members to help," Stanley continued. "The more people we have looking the faster we can find him." Nodding their agreement, the men quickly departed the cabin. No one voiced that they might already be too late to prevent the disaster prone Gage from winding up in trouble again.
~*~
Johnny leaned on the rail of the cruise ship, taking deep breaths. The fresh air wasn't really having the desired effect of clearing his head. He still felt groggy and queasy. Adding to this was a small drumbeat in his head threatening to develop into a major percussion number. He was hot, then cold and generally feeling lousy. He could feel his heart racing.
Gage lurched away from the rail toward the cruise ship deck doors. At this point, he didn't care if Chet razzed him from now 'til retirement--he had to get back to bed. He entered the elevator and blinked as all the numbers blurred together. He pushed a button and the lurch of the elevator bought a similar reaction to his stomach. He prayed he'd make it to the next floor without being sick.
As soon as the doors opened, Johnny stumbled off the elevator looking for a place to sit. The drum solo in his head had progressed to a steady beat, accompanied by the rhythms in his chest. Sweat had broken out on his upper lip. Once he could sit down, he would have the energy to return to his room.
Regardless of the embarrassment, he was beginning to worry that this was more than seasickness. Much as Johnny hated to admit it, he really needed Roy's help. He came to the ship's small movie theater,and sank into a cushioned seat. Hidden by the relative darkness of the dark theater, he sat back and fell asleep
~*~
Chet and Marco followed Roy closely as he marched down the hall searching for his partner. They didn't expect his abrupt stop, and ran into his backside. "Ow, Roy, what are you stopping for?" complained Chet, rubbing his nose.
Roy didn't hear him. His mind flashed back to the empty room, and something he had overlooked. He turned and marched back to Johnny's cabin, ignoring the protests of his colleagues. Roy opened the door and stared into the room, looking for something.
"What's going on Roy?" asked Marco, stepping in behind him.
Roy's bag was lying open on a small table. He went over and opened it. "Johnny, please tell me you didn't..." he muttered as he lifted a bottle
"What's wrong?" asked Marco, as he saw Roy pick up the bag. "Is something gone?"
Roy looked at him and nodded. Chet couldn't keep a small note of concern out of his voice.
"Roy, what exactly did Johnny take?"
Roy answered quietly. So quietly, that Marco and Chet didn't hear him.
"What was that?" Marco questioned.
"Xanax," Roy replied. Chet and Marco looked at each other, both still in the dark. Roy saw the confusion on their faces. "Xanax is an anti-anxiety drug, something along the lines of Valium"
"Valium can be nasty stuff," Chet remarked remembering a recent OD call.
"Did he take a lot?" asked Marco, recalling the same incident. Roy shook his head.
"It looks like he only took one. Normally that wouldn't do more than make him a bit sleepy. But, on top of the stuff he already has in his system..." He let the thought hang, and turned back to the door. "Come on. We've got to find Johnny. Chet, you go find a crew member, preferably one of the officers. Explain what's going on and see how many people they can spare to help us search. Marco, you go find McConnikee and tell him. Try to get some of the other guys on board for the meetings to look. I'm going to see if I can think where he might have gone."
"You're going to try to think like Gage?" Chet remarked, unbelievingly. "That's impossible. Nobody thinks like Gage, except Gage."
"Do you have a better idea?" snapped Roy, anxiety fueling his anger.
"No," answered Chet, quietly. "I'm sorry Roy, I shouldn't have said that," he turned and started away, looking back. "We'll find him Roy. I promise."
"Why'd he do it?" asked Marco. "Doesn't Johnny know what the medicine would do to him?"
"I don't know, Marco. Maybe our teasing him about getting seasick got to him. He was probably not quite awake when he took the pills either." Roy closed his eyes, trying to relax. His mind couldn't think. Unfortunately, Chet had been right - trying to think like Johnny, on a good day, would have been a challenge. Sometimes he had difficulty trying to understand his partner's train of thought and that was after working together closely for years. Now, with those thought patterns screwed up by the medicinal effects...
"Come on Johnny, where are you?"
~*~
Johnny was dead to the world, unaware of the search that was in progress. There were only a few other people in the theater, and he drifted in and out of consciousness, unnoticed by anyone. Every now and then, he'd awaken and peer up at the screen, longing for quiet. His sensory system, already out of balance from the motion of the waves, was not handling the added stimuli of the large screen very well. His stomach finally revolted and he was jolted back to consciousness. "Aw man, not again." he hurried from the theater, hand over his mouth.
Outside of the theater he spotted a restroom and made a desperate dash for it. Shoving open the door, he ran right into a very surprised Mike Stoker. "Johnny? Where the hell have you been?" he demanded.
Unable to answer, Gage dodged Stoker, making a beeline for a stall. Johnny thought he'd be sick all over the place, but it was only dry heaves. There wasn't anything left in his stomach to lose. He ended up sitting on the bathroom floor beside the toilet. He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"You okay, Johnny?" Mike asked.
" Dry heaves... I feel miserable." He struggled to get up and Mike helped him to his feet.
"Thanks man," Johnny told the engineer.
"You're welcome. Come on. We're going to find Roy." Mike guided his sick friend to the door.
Johnny sincerely hoped no one would see them, but Stanley met them at the end of the hall. "Where have you been?" he thundered when he saw Gage.
"Aw man. Listen Cap I-" Johnny started to explain himself.
Cap cut him off. "You can explain it to me later, when you're back to normal." He glared at the woozy paramedic.
"I was just taking him to Roy to get checked out." Stoker told him, still holding Johnny's arm. He could feel Johnny leaning heavily on him, and couldn't let him go.
"Good idea." Cap nodded approval. "As for you Gage, if I ever hear about you taking too much medicine-" Cap's warning was cut off when Johnny sagged as his knees gave out beneath him.
"Get him!" Stoker struggled to prevent Johnny from hitting the floor.
Hank grabbed Johnny's other side. He looked over at Stoker, "Where is Roy when I need him?"
They helped Johnny back to his room, only to find it locked. "Oh great!" Cap sputtered. "Mike stay here with him. I am going call the main desk and have them make an announcement. Don't let him out of your sight!"
A moment later, an announcement came over the ship's speakers. "Attention all Los Angles County Fire Fighters, John Gage has been found. Roy DeSoto, you are needed immediately in room 239."
"Well, hopefully that should bring them running." Cap said as the two men let Johnny slide gently down to the floor. Mike leaned against the wall as Hank began to pace. They heard the faint sound of footsteps coming down the corridor.
Roy rushed into the room and asked, "Is he okay?"
"I don't know." Stanley and Mike helped Johnny up. Chet unlocked the door, swinging it wide so the two men could help John over to his bed.
"Where did you find him?" Roy asked.
"He was running into the bathroom by the theater," Mike explained. "I followed him in, thinking he'd need some help, and then brought him here."
I don't want anyone else taking anything." Hank stated, firmly. "Roy, I want all those meds taken down to the infirmary. There will be no more accidents on this trip." Cap's eyes were serious. Roy look him over, see if you can get a call through to Brackett, find out what he has to say."
"Well, partner, in for a penny in for a pound," Roy leaned over and began to take Johnny's vitals.
Chet stood in the doorway, looking at the younger paramedic, shaking his head. "All this fuss over a couple of seasick pills. I hope this isn't an omen for the rest of the trip."
"Yeah," agreed Roy. "I hope so too. Johnny, can you hear me?" he tapped gently on his cheek.
Johnny responded, moving his head and opening his eyes. "Roy?" he looked up at his partner, groggily.
"Seeing to it that no one has a dull trip, hey Junior?"
What?" John asked. Chet quietly returned to the room, handing Roy a glass of 7-UP.
"Never mind, here try sipping a little of this..." Johnny took a drink then lay back on the pillow and closed his eyes.
"Roy?" he mumbled.
"Yeah Johnny."
"Roy, I wanna go home."
"Believe me, I'd take you there if I could!" Roy stated then turned to the other men.. "Cap, I'm sure he'll be okay, once the ship's doctor checks him over. I'll stay here with him, you guys can go on." Roy assured them. "Oh, Chet, go ahead and sleep in my bed," he added. Chet glanced at the clock; it read 12:30.
Chet, appalled at the suggestion, commented, "Sleep? Who's going to sleep? The night is still young fellas. If Gage is okay, I'm going to go find some chicks! You know, they say the girls stay up all night on these things!" he said with a devilish grin, wiggling his eyebrows. "Who's coming with me?"
"I'll go!" Marco replied eagerly - then glanced over at Roy and shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, if you don't need me."
Roy smiled and shook his head. "No you guys go ahead." He looked down at Johnny; his face was pale and had little red specks all over it from broken blood vessels. He looked so pathetic; it was impossible not to feel sorry for him.
The ship's doctor stopped by and examined Gage, agreeing that letting him sleep off the medications was the best course of action. After the doctor left, Roy pulled a paperback from his suit case and settled back on Chet's bunk. Several hours later, Roy heard Johnny stirring. Watching the younger man slowly sit up, Desoto wondered if he felt as bad as he looked, which was like death warmed over.
Johnny glanced over at him, then back to the floor. "Okay, go ahead, let me have it."
"Have what?" Roy asked knowingly,waiting for Johnny to admit it.
"You know what," the dark haired paramedic growled. "I was stupid, I know it, you know it, by now everybody on the ship probably knows it."
"I don't think it's that well known," Roy commented, earlier anxiety having given way to irritation. "I wanna know one thing, why? I know you know better. At least, I thought you did."
"I didn't want to ruin your trip," Johnny mumbled in reply.
"You didn't want to ruin my trip?"
"You were right about me getting sick." Gage groaned. "But I thought if I could stay ahead of it, you wouldn't have to worry about me, and the guys wouldn't have anything to razz me about at the picnics."
Roy sighed. They had given Johnny a hard time when they arrived. That still wasn't an excuse, but it did help him understand what his friend had been thinking. "Okay, I can see with the original prescription, maybe," Roy allowed, "But what on earth ever possessed you to take the Xanax on top of it?"
"Xanax?" Johnny questioned. "I took Zantac. My stomach was killing me, and I thought it would help."
"You didn't take Zantac Johnny, you took Xanax."
Johnny looked up. Even as lousy as he felt, he could understand the significance of that mistake. "Aw, man, I'm sorry Roy. I should have stayed home" He flopped back on the bed, burying his head in the pillow. "Roy."
"Hmmm?"
"Are you angry with me?"
"Yeah," Roy stated.
"Oh." Johnny replied sullenly, placing his arm over his head.
"But, " he continued, "I'm sure, as always, I'll get over it." Roy saw a faint smile cross the younger man's lips. He returned the smile.
"Why don't we try to get some sleep." Roy suggested, tossing his book on the night stand and turning the lamp off.
" 'Kay" Johnny mumbled. Roy was almost asleep, when he heard, "Roy"
"What now, Johnny?" he asked in frustration.
"Cap's gonna kill me!" John stated flatly.
"Probably," Roy muttered. "Then again he may just stick you with latrine duty for a couple of months, so that Chet can have a break."
"Oh, that's funny." There was a long pause, "I'm really sorry, Roy"
"I know you are, go to sleep, Johnny!" he insisted. 'You're worse than the kids are', Roy thought.
"Okay, g'night"
"Good night!"
~*~
The next morning Roy woke up and had a hard time prying his face off the pillow. He wasn't feeling so good and he stumbled as he stood up. "I must not have my sea legs yet", he muttered. He flipped on the bathroom light, looking at himself in the giant mirror. 'I'm glad Joanne isn't here to see this', Roy thought. 'She'd laugh herself silly.' He splashed water on his face, then flipped off the light as he left the room. His stomach lurched slightly with every move he made.
His stomach did a flip. "Oh no! What now?" Roy felt the bile rise in his throat and the tingle at the back of his jaw. He swallowed hard hoping that would take the sensation away but it didn't help. He put his hand over his mouth and ran back into the bathroom, almost missing the toilet as the urge to vomit overwhelmed him.
He sat there taking deep breaths, regathering his composure, and making sure that was the last 'evacuation' of his stomach. He closed his eyes to the pain that centered in his abdomen. He closed the lid to the seat, and used it for support as he sat down, both hands on his knees holding up the rest of his aching body.
"What's wrong, Roy?" his partners' deep voice startled him.
"I don't know." He stood, shakily to his feet, and went over to the sink. Johnny watched as Roy took a drink, swished it around in his mouth and spit into the sink. Taking another drink from the glass, he set it down on the counter top.
"Are you seasick?"
"I don't get seasick," Roy growled, pushing past his friend.
"Sure sounded like you were seasick to me," Johnny replied.
"Go back to bed, John, you're annoying me." He plopped back onto his bed, folding his hands over his stomach.
"You sure you're not seasick?" Johnny asked.
"Please, I don't feel good, leave me alone." Roy rolled over on his side, the pain in his middle causing him to groan.
"Roy, you don't sound so good."
"John, go away!"
Johnny stepped over to the bed, putting his hand on Roy's shoulder. "You're really hot. Have you got a summer cold or something?"
"You know, Gage, I think I liked you better when you were unconscious."
"Geez Roy, you don't have to be so grouchy, I'm just trying to help."
"If you really want to help, then go away!" Roy shouted. He got up and ran into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.
John sat down on the bed looking up when Chet came in.
"Gage, you look like hell! Where's Roy?" Chet asked walking into the room.
"Good morning to you, too!" he shot back. "Roy's in there." he pointed toward the bathroom.
"Don't tell me...he's sick too?" Chet asked, his eyes growing wider.
"Well, actually Chet, I feel a lot better now. I'm a little worried about him, though," he looked toward the bathroom door.
"I'm not talking about you Gage, it's the Cap, Marco, and Mike, they're all sick! They woke up puking their guts out this morning!" Chet looked over as the bathroom door opened, revealing the haggard-looking senior paramedic. Roy swayed on his feet, then leaned up against the doorway. Chet's eyes grew round staring at him. "And I thought Gage looked like hell!"
"Shut up, Kelly." was all Roy could get out, he was afraid to open his mouth any more.
Chet shook his head. "You sure are mean when you're sick."
"What do you want, Chet?" Roy spat out his name like it was a curse, and staggered back to bed. Johnny went to help, but was waved off.
"I need some medicine. The rest of the guys are sick, too," Chet stated.
"I know how they feel." said Johnny. He didn't feel so good himself, yet. He was glad there wasn't anything on his stomach, or he'd feel like his partner right about now. Roy carefully sat down on the bed. It was easier than walking, given that the room had started to spin. Johnny walked over and tried to feel Roy's forehead. He got his hand slapped.
"Uh, guys, the medicine?" asked Chet.
"Yeah, Roy, where is it?" asked Johnny. "I couldn't find it this morning."
"I was going to take it down to the infirmary this morning, but as you can see," he indicated his stomach.
Chet turned his attention on Gage. "Man, you are lucky! Cap's too sick to think about chewing you out!"
"Don't talk about chewing!" Roy gasped, and put his hand over his mouth.
"Shut up, Chet!" Johnny sat on the bed next to Roy. "Why is he the only one that nothing's happened to?
"Because he has the constitution of a horse," Roy commented sickly.
"I know that," Johnny responded. "But you guys aren't acting seasick. This is more of a bug than motion sickness. What did you guys eat last night that I didn't?"
"I want Joanne," he groaned. "She's the only one who can make me feel better." He rolled over on his side, away from all the commotion in the room. "Go away you two," Roy demanded. "My whole body hurts, and listening to you two talk is making my head pound like a sledge hammer against a metal anvil."
A wave of dizziness hit Johnny and he stopped caring about either man in the room. He walked over to his bed and fell back onto it. Roy, watching his partner, felt too sick to be concerned. He lay back on his bed. Chet sighed. Some cruise. The vacation from hell, he thought. He crossed the room and put his hand on Gage's forehead. Johnny's eyes flew open and he swatted at Chet's hand.
"You're a little hot there yourself, pal," he said to Johnny.
"Leave me alone, Chet." Johnny rolled on his side and shut his eyes. He grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around himself. He was cold, and he started shivering uncontrollably. Chet looked at Roy, his eyes were closed and he looked to be concentrating on staying as still as possible. He thought about the Cap, Marco, and Mike, all of whom were nearly as miserable and pathetic as these two guys.
" I'm with Johnny. It's got to be something we ate yesterday that you didn't, Chet." Roy moaned as he tried to get comfortable. "I feel like I did when I had food poisoning a few years ago. Did you eat the buffet with us?"
Chet shook his head, "No, I didn't see anything I wanted."
Roy closed his eyes a moment, thinking. "I think we all ate the chicken salad sandwiches. They tasted okay. Chet, you need to go tell the ship's doctor that there are five of us sick, and that it could be food poisoning. Ask if he can come by here." Chet nodded and left.
Johnny turned his head and looked at Roy. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Roy shook his head imperceptibly. Any movement caused his stomach to roll. "I'm really sorry about all this Roy."
"You didn't do anything, don't worry about it. How are you feeling?" Roy tried to make his partner feel better. Johnny lay back down on his bed.
"Woozy, drained, miserable, and embarrassed. I think that sums it up." Johnny replied. Roy's stomach protested again, causing him to run to the bathroom. Johnny followed him, wet a cloth, and handed it to him. Taking the cloth, Roy nodded his thanks. As the two men exited the bathroom, Johnny wasn't sure who was helping whom to the bed.
Roy groaned and lay back on the soft mattress. Johnny did the same. They closed their eyes enjoying the quietness of the room. "Johnny, there's some Immodium AD in my suitcase, Joanne won't let me leave home without it."
"That works with vomiting?" Johnny asked.
"I think I'll be needing it next. The cramps are unbelievable."
Johnny pondered Roy's statement for a moment, then finally catching on, shuddered. Man, I was feeling better before, he thought to himself, I gotta get out of here! "Hey Roy, I'll be right back, are you gonna be okay?" Roy waved his arm. "Oh, here's that stuff," he tossed the box at Roy, and left the room.
~*~
Gage knocked on Marco's door, then turned the knob and peeked into the room. He spotted Chet sitting on one of the beds, talking on the phone. He looked over at Marco laying on the other bed, and whispered, "Hey Marco, how ya doing?"
"Get lost!" Marco growled at him.
"Geez, everyone's a grump today!" He complained.
"What do you want John?" Chet asked, hanging up the phone.
"It's private!" he flashed an apologetic smile at Marco.
"Good, both of you get lost!" Marco grumbled, pulling the covers up to his face.
"What did I do?" Chet asked, with an injured look.
"Never mind him!" Johnny grabbed Chet's arm and pulled him out into the hallway. "Chet, I was thinking..."
"That's good John," he smiled with mock sincerity.
"Huh?" Johnny looked totally confused, and continued, ignoring Chet's comment. "We have to come up with a plan! I'm thinking that if we keep hanging around these guys, we are going to end up sick like them!" Chet looked at John in disbelief.
"We?" Chet emphasized, "What's this 'We'? You are one of 'them' John, or have you forgotten?" Chet hesitated for a moment. "Gage, you must be delirious, pal, you started this plague, remember?" He reached his hand out and touching Johnny's forehead. "Gage, I'd say you're running a temp of at least 101. "
'
"No, Chet." John commented. "Those guys are sick with something. I don't want to catch what they have."
"Gage, I really fail to see the..." Chet sighed, giving up. He realized at that moment, no matter what Gage said, he was truly the victim of a vacation into hell.
He could see himself now forced to wait on these guys, hand and foot. "Chet can you get me...7-up, medicine, water." He could hear each one asking for something different, and all at the same time. 'I should have volunteered at Rampart, for all the fun this is going to be,' Chet thought, letting his head drop.
"I've got a flu bug or a virus or something. I can't have food poisoning," John explained. "I didn't eat yesterday. Remember?"
'That's right,' Chet thought. 'He was already passed out, and hadn't eaten a thing.'
"Well, Gage, there's one thing wrong with your theory," Chet said. "If those guys have food poisoning, I won't catch it. But if you have some flu or virus, then you're the one who's contagious, so, do me a favor, and take your germs back to your own room!"
"But I'm not sick!" declared Johnny.
"You are too, sick, in more ways than one." Chet backed away from him, pulling his shirt up over his nose and mouth. "You're delirious!"
"Forget it." Johnny muttered. He turned around and started walking.
"Your room is that way Gage," pointing down the hall in the opposite direction.
Johnny looked back over his shoulder. "I'm not going back there! I'm gonna see if I can get a new room."
"But you're sick!"
"No, I'm not!" Johnny turned around and glared at Chet. Chet was dumbfounded. He'd heard of denial, but this was ridiculous. He wasn't about to drag Gage back to his room. Chet used the best threat he could think of,
"I'm gonna tell Cap!" Johnny shook his head, and dismissed Chet's comment with a wave of his hand. He was headed for the concierge desk; nothing was going to change his mind. He was going to get away from all these sick people.
~*~
"Excuse me," he said to the woman at the desk, "I need a new room." He promptly launched into an explanation about his sick co-workers, finishing up the story by demanding
new accommodations.
"I'm sorry, sir," said the woman, "but our cruise is sold out. I don't think I can help you."
"Excuse me? You can't help me?" Johnny's voice rose. "It's your cruise line's fault that I'm rooming with a man that got food poisoning from eating your food. You know, maybe someone should report you guys to the Board of Health." The manager overheard the irate paramedic, and stepped to his employee's defense.
"Denise, I'm sure we can help this man"
"But..." the woman started.
"I'm sorry sir," said the manager. "Of course we can accommodate you. Denise put Mr. uh..."
"Gage," Johnny responded.
"Put Mr. Gage in our VIP suite."
"But sir," the woman tried to speak again.
"That will be all, Denise. In fact, I'll take care of the arrangements. Go ahead and take Mr. Gage up to suite 27B. Sir, if you need anything else, please let me know." The manager handed Johnny the keys to his new room.
"Thank you," said Johnny, feeling pleased with himself. 'Wait till Chet sees this. He'll be sorry he didn't listen to me,' he thought.
Denise led Johnny to the elevator. When the doors opened, he saw hardwood floors, and beautifully carved wooden handrails. She stepped over to the door, turned the master key in the lock, and stepped aside. He entered a room that made the previous one look like a small supply closet. The suite had a living room, a dining room, and two bedrooms.
Johnny gasped as he wandered into the main bedroom. There was a king-size bed and a separate master bathroom. 'This is more like it. ' Johnny thought, 'I could get used to this.' The young woman left the room, while Johnny was checking things over. He bounced on the soft bed, and then promptly passed out.
~*~
Johnny woke to giggling in the front room. He sat up on the bed listening, 'maybe I'm dreaming.' He heard the giggling again. He stood up and went to the doorway. There on the couch was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen."Excuse me," he stepped into the room.
She squealed in surprise, and stood up. "What are you doing in my room?" She yelled.
"What am I doing in your room? What are you doing in my room?" He demanded walking over to the couch.
"Excuse me, don't you know who I am?" She asked, expecting him to recognize her.
"No, ma'am I don't, and frankly, the way I'm feeling, I don't care!" He stepped over to the door to the hallway. "I will kindly ask you to leave." He swung the door wide expecting her to exit.
"This is my room and I'm not going anywhere." She crossed her arms and gave him a challenging look.
~*~
Meanwhile, Chet was wishing he had eaten the chicken salad. He had spent the last five hours playing nursemaid to four groaning, sick and miserable men. 'They think they're suffering,' he moaned.
To top matters off, he had run into Charlie Dwyer and Bellingham. They had spent the day sipping tropical drinks at the pool bar with a bunch of bikini-clad babes. Chief McConnikee had eaten the chicken salad too, so most of the meetings had been canceled. To make matters worse, Chet was starving, but was afraid to eat the ship's cuisine. He slowly made his way to Roy's room, his old room.
Once there he was surprised to see Roy awake and looking slightly better. "How you feeling?" he asked Roy.
"Slightly less than human, but getting there," Roy answered. "Do a lot of people have this?"
"I spoke to the ship's doctor, so far about fifty people are sick. They considered turning the ship around, but the Doctor said it was a mild case and everyone should feel better in 24 to 48 hours."
"If this was mild," Roy commented, "I'd have hated to have a bad case! By the way, where's Johnny?"
Chet looked uneasy. "To tell you the truth Roy, I don't know. I haven't seen him for about five hours."
"Oh man," said Roy. "Did you check the movie theater again?"
"I did, Roy. I've been all over this ship." Chet sighed. "He was running a fever, but he didn't have the food poisoning. He didn't eat, remember?" Roy nodded. "He took off and I haven't seen him since. And believe me, I looked."
"Great," said Roy, sliding out of bed.
"Where are you going?" asked Chet.
"To find him," said Roy. "You know fevers and Johnny do not mix! And Chet, next time remind me to stay home!"
~*~
Meanwhile, back in the VIP Suite:
Johnny stared at the defiant young woman. He couldn't believe his situation. Ordinarily, being with a beautiful woman who refused to leave his side was his version of paradise. Now all he wanted, was to be left alone. His head was pounding and his stomach was starting to do that funny little flip again. He couldn't physically throw her out of the room. He walked past the woman to the phone, picking it up and dialing the main desk. The woman continued her crossed-arm glare.
"Hello, this is John Gage in Suite 27B, I have a woman he-" With a gasp the young woman rushed to the phone and pushed down the button.
"Did you say 27B?" she asked in a suddenly shaky voice.
"Yes," Johnny replied, "27B. See, it's right there on the door."
The young woman followed his pointing finger toward the door. Sure enough, there in big gold numbers it said 27B. "Oh my..." she exclaimed. "I thought that said 27D. I'm in 27D, right across the hall." She smiled at Johnny apologetically. "I guess I had a little too much to drink..."
"It's only 3:00 in the afternoon," Johnny muttered disgustedly.
"I was doing a photo shoot and publicity luncheon," the woman offered in way of explanation. "I'm afraid the sponsors were a little too liberal with the drinks."
"That's wonderful" Johnny remarked uninterestedly, "but I wasn't kidding about not feeling good so would you please, leave." As the woman started for the door, he turned back to the bedroom. Unfortunately, Johnny had not gone far when a wave of dizziness washed over him, and he stumbled against the wall. In an instant, the young woman was back at his side, taking his arm and helping to steady him.
"You really are sick," she remarked. She put her hand to his forehead. "You're burning up! Have you called the Doctor? Come on, let's get you to bed." Johnny didn't have a chance to respond, the woman continuing to talk as she led him to the bedroom and helped him climb into the bed. Sinking back onto the pillows he thought he heard her say something about getting the Doctor, then he closed his eyes and drifted off into oblivion.
~*~
A woman's giggle woke him from his sleep, again. "What's the matter Johnny? Are you seasick?"
"How did you know my name?" Johnny asked in surprise.
"Oh I know everything about you! I'm so glad we're in the same room together! It's much better than being sick in your room with Roy, don't you think?" she giggled again. Had she been scantily clad before?
"How did you know about Roy?" Johnny exclaimed, once he tore his eyes off her. I must be dreaming, he thought.
"You are!" giggled the woman, who promptly disappeared. Johnny sat up on the bed, quite alone in his new room.
"Aw man." he said. The room spun slowly around him. It had only been a dream... or had it? Was any part of what he remembered about the young woman real? Do I care? The way he felt at the moment even if she were real, he couldn't do anything about it. The room continued to spin so he lay back on the pillows. One part about the entire episode did make sense; he should call the doctor. If only he could reach the phone...
~*~
Chet followed Roy down the hall. "Roy, where are we going?" he called. The senior paramedic stopped, leaning against the wall.
"You said Johnny was raving about getting a new room, right? Well, let's go ask at the desk if he got one."
"No way, Roy," said Chet. "Even Gage wouldn't be stupid enough to do this on a business trip. Cap would kill him." Roy sighed,
"If he was feverish and manic, Chet, that's exactly what he would do." They made their way to the desk. Chet hung back while Roy talked to the man behind the desk.
"You won't believe this!" Roy commented, joining Chet. "Not only did he request a new room, but they put him in their VIP suite! We tried to ring the room, but there was no answer. The manager is going to walk us up there and let us check on him."
Chet muttered, "Leave it to Gage!"
The two men followed the manager to the VIP suite. Roy took a few deep breaths on the way. He was still suffering the effects of the food poisoning, and his body was letting him know it. The manager opened the door to the suite and Chet and Roy walked in.
"Wow," said Chet. "If he's been here for the past five hours, and he's not sick, I'm gonna kill him." Roy ignored Chet and entered the bedroom. Seeing Johnny passed out on the bed, he slowly approached him. He noted that Johnny was breathing shallowly and very pale. He went to place his hand on Johnny's forehead, feeling the heat before even making contact with the skin.
Roy looked at Chet, "Get the ship's doctor, Chet. Right now." Chet rushed out of the room to get the ship doctor. Roy picked up the phone and called Cap's room.
"Hello?"
"Cap, this is Roy. Johnny managed to get himself booked into another room."
"You don't snore that badly, Roy," Cap tried to make a joke, but it fell flat.
"Roy, how bad is he?"
"Bad, Cap. He's pale and sweaty, has a high temp, and is unconscious. I think you need to come up here. VIP suite 27B, is the room number. By the way, how are you feeling?"
"I've felt better. Mike is starting to feel halfway human again, too. I'll be up when I get cleaned up." Roy hung up the phone and Chet returned with the doctor.
The doctor sat down beside Johnny. "Did he have the chicken salad, too?" the doctor asked, as he got out the thermometer and stethoscope.
"No, I don't know what's wrong with him. He took some meds yesterday for seasickness, but I don't think he's had anything to eat since we left the docks." The doctor finished his exam, and removed the thermometer from Johnny's mouth.
"He has a temperature of 102, I am gonna take some blood and give him a shot of penicillin. I'll be back when I've gotten the results." He turned around to get the needle.
"Doctor, he is allergic to penicillin." The doctor looked at Roy as he prepared to take blood from Johnny's arm.
"I'll have to go back to my office to get the Biaxin then. He may need two, after I get the test results."
"Doc, what do you think it is?"
"I think it's a viral infection, but I'll know more when I get the test results."
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