Chapter 7

  
Johnny sat in the cafeteria of the hospital poking at the meatloaf and mashed potatoes on the tray in front of him. 
 
“I know it’s not the best in the world,” Erin smiled gently at him, “but you gotta eat something.  You don’t want to pass out on us and make me start another IV on you and admit you, do you?”
 
Johnny gave her a half grin and short laugh. “You sound like Dixie.”
 
“Who’s Dixie?”
 
“She’s a friend back in L.A.  The charge E.R. nurse at Rampart where Roy and I are based out of.”
 
“Oh, are you an ambulance attendant?”  Erin asked, that would explain some of his knowledge.
 
Johnny truly smiled this time.  He was used to this common misunderstanding.  “Actually we are Firefighter/Paramedics with L.A. County.  We are trained in advanced life support and with a doctor’s authorization are able to administer life saving medications and procedures.  It’s a pretty new program.  Roy was in the first class and I was in the second class.  That was about 2 years ago.”
 
“You and Roy have been partners ever since?”
 
“Yep.  He’s more than just a partner though; he’s sort of like the big brother I always wanted.  His youngest kid, Jenny, has even started calling me Uncle Johnny.  She’s a real cutie.  She just turned 4 and boy is she a little spit fire, not at all afraid to speak her mind.  Roy and his wife Joanne are sure going to have their hands full.”  Johnny dropped his fork and sat up straight in his chair.  “Oh gods, Joanne!  I’ve got to let her know what’s going on.  I need to call her.” Johnny sprang from his chair.  “Is there a phone I could use?”
 
Erin stood up and took his tray, “Sure, you can use the one in Dr. Murphy’s office.  I’ll take this with us and you can finish eating it after you call her.”
 
Erin escorted Johnny to the office and sat the tray on the desk.  Johnny sat down and stared at the phone.  “I don’t know what to say to her.  I’m the one who’s supposed to protect Roy.  She’s going to hate me forever.”
 
Erin put her hand on his shoulder, “Johnny, would Roy risk his own life to save his children?  To save Joanne?”
 
“Of course he would.  Roy’s very protective of his family,” Johnny said proudly.
 
Erin smiled, “You said Roy is like your big brother.  I think Joanne would understand a big brother protecting his younger brother.  Don’t you?”
 
“I just don’t want to upset her.  I don’t want to worry her or the kids.”
 
“I think she’ll be more upset if you don’t call her.  Why don’t I go check on where they put that friend of yours while you make the call?”  Erin asked as she stepped out of the room.
 
Johnny stared at the phone and slowly picked it up.  He knew the phone number by heart.  One ring, two rings, “Hello, this is my house,” came a small female voice on the other end. 
 
Johnny broke into a big smile.  Roy and Joanne had been trying to teach Jenny how to answer the phone.  “It is your house, huh?  Well is this the lady of the house?” 
 
Johnny could almost hear the smile in the little 4 year olds voice when she next spoke.  “Uncle Johnny!  Are you home?  Did you bring me anything?  I really want a pony.  Daddy said you have horses where you went to visit.  Mommy, it’s Uncle Johnny.  I asked him if he brought me a pony back.  If he did could we please keep it?  I’d take good care of it.  Please.” 
 
Johnny started to laugh until his ribs reminded him of why he was calling.  “Jenny, sweetheart, could you put your mommy on for me please.”
 
“Johnny, hey, what’s all this about a horse?”  Joanne asked with a slight chuckle in her voice.  “You didn’t promise Jenny you were going to bring her one back did you?  Because if you did, you’d have to find a way to keep it at your apartment.   Our back yard is not big enough.”
 
Johnny smiled slightly, “Sorry Joanne, I don’t know how she got that idea.  She said something about Roy mentioning we had horses up here.”
 
“Speaking of Roy where is that husband of mine?”
 
Johnny sighed and took a deep breath, “Actually Joanne, that’s why I’m calling.”
 
He could hear Joanne sit down and her voice became serious, “Johnny, what’s wrong?  Where’s Roy?”
 
“We’re at Grant Mercy Hospital up here in Montana.  The doctor says Roy is going to be fine.  He was hurt while protecting me from being attacked.  He was cut by a knife on his left arm and then stabbed on the right side of his chest.  They were able to stitch up the arm in emergency, but had to take him up to surgery because the knife had penetrated his lung.  I haven’t seen him yet, but they told me that everything went well in surgery and that he was going to be moved to a regular floor and not ICU.”  Johnny sank back in his chair.  A tear rolled down his cheek and his voice shook, “I’m so sorry Joanne, gods I am so sorry.  It should have been me.”
 
“Johnny, listen to me, it shouldn’t have been anyone so don’t blame yourself.  I know you would have protected him if you could.  You said yourself that he is going to be okay.  Now, I’m not going to be able to get up there to be with him so promise me that you will be there when he wakes up.  Promise me that if his condition changes in the slightest you will call me.  And Johnny, promise me that you will take care of yourself too.  Okay?”  Joanne said with strength in her voice.
 
“Okay Joanne, I promise.”  Johnny said, amazed at the calmness in her voice.  “Joanne, are you going to be okay?”
 
“Johnny, I’m a firefighter’s wife, for better or for worse.  This isn’t the first time I’ve gotten a call from a hospital and I am sure it’s not going to be the last.  If I need any help, I’ll call the other wives.  If you could have the doctor give me a call, I’ll call Hank.  Take care of him for me Johnny, and take care of yourself too.”  With that Joanne hung up.
 
Johnny hung up the phone and let out a long shuddering breath.  He never ceased to be amazed at how strong a woman Joanne was.  He looked at the tray of food in front of him and remembered his promises to not only take care of Roy, but to also take care of himself.  His stomach reminded him that he hadn’t had anything to eat since lunch.
 
As he was finishing the last of the meatloaf Erin poked her head in, “Hey Johnny, glad to see you finally found your appetite.  I found out your friend, Roy, is in Room 218 and is listed in stable condition.  Before you go upstairs though, there are two ladies and a Deputy Sheriff out here looking for you.”
 
Johnny stood up, “Thanks Erin, you’ve been very helpful.  I wish there was someway I could repay you for all your kindness.”
 
Erin smiled, “Maybe when your friend’s a little better you could take me out to dinner and tell me more about L.A. and this paramedic program.”
 
“It’s a deal,” Johnny said, smiling back at her.
 
Erin led Johnny out to the waiting room where Carol, Amy and Ray were seated.  As Johnny approached Amy jumped up and threw her arms around him.  Johnny drew in a short breath and winced as her arms encircled his bruised and battered ribs. 
 
“Oh Johnny, I was so scared.  Ray said that he thought you had been hurt, but he didn’t know how bad.”  Amy said with tears running down her cheeks.
 
“Shhhh, it’s going to be okay.  Don’t worry.  I’m okay really.  Just a couple of bumps and bruises.”  Johnny leaned over and kissed her forehead.  “Just like old times.  A couple stitches and I’m good to go.”
 
Ray had noticed Johnny’s discomfort from having Amy’s arms circling him and stepped forward to disengage her. “Let him have some breathing room Amy.”
 
Amy turned and put her arm around Ray, “Johnny, I was hoping to introduce you two under better circumstances, but I would like you to meet Ray Two Ponies.  Ray, this is my brother Johnny Gage.”
 
Ray stuck out his right hand, “Nice to officially meet you, Johnny.  I remember watching you run at a couple of the track meets.  You were pretty good.”
 
Johnny reached out and shook the offered hand, “As I remember, you were one of the best quarterbacks our school ever produced.  I always thought you’d go on to college with an athletic scholarship.”
 
“Well, unfortunately, there aren’t too many recruiters that come out to watch a small reservation team play,”  Ray said shrugging his shoulders, “Besides, after meeting Amy, I looked into law enforcement so I could help get people like Strongbow off the streets.”
 
A look of hope flashed in Johnny’s eyes “Did you get that son of a bitch?”
 
Ray looked grim and shook his head, “Sorry Johnny, we haven’t found him yet.  We have an APB out on him so it’s just a matter of time.”
 
Carol stepped up, noticing the slight look of panic in Johnny’s eyes.  “Ray, why don’t you take Amy down to the cafeteria and get her something to eat now that we know Johnny’s okay.”
 
As Amy and Ray headed for the cafeteria, Johnny leaned back against the wall and wrapped his arms around himself.  “He’s still out there, they didn’t get him.  He knows I’m back.  He’s going to find me and then he’s going to … to… he’s going to…” Johnny’s body started to shake at the thought of Strongbow forcing himself upon him again. 
 
Carol reached up and gently stroked Johnny’s cheek, “It’s going to be okay Johnny, you heard Ray, they have an APB out on him.  They’ll catch him and this time he’ll go away for good.  Now, why don’t we go find Roy and see how he’s doing?”
 
The mention of Roy had the desired effect Carol had hoped for.  Johnny pushed all concern for himself to the back and focused on his friend.  “The nurse said he’s in room 218.  I told Joanne I would be there when he wakes up.”
 
 
Johnny sat in the chair he had pulled up next to Roy’s bed.  His left hand rested gently on Roy’s left wrist, his fingers reflexively searching out the strong radial pulse.  The gentle steady push on his finger tips a constant reassurance that Roy was alive.  When he and Carol had reached the floor the nurses advised them that Roy woke up briefly in recovery and was oriented to where he was and what had happened.  They left him on the vent to give his right lung a little more support until he was more alert and awake for a longer period of time.
 
Exhaustion had caught up with Johnny and he was lightly dozing when he felt a slight twitch under his hand.  Standing up instantly he had to catch himself on the bed rail as a wave of dizziness washed over him.  Looking over at Roy, he saw two concerned eyes looking back at him.  Johnny smiled slightly, here was Roy laying in a hospital bed with a tube down his throat and he was worrying about Johnny.
 
“Hey pally, how ya doing?” 
 
Roy pointed to the tube sticking out his mouth.
 
“The nurses say they’ll take you off the vent as soon as you stay awake long enough.  Probably in the morning when the doc makes rounds.  They just want to give your lung a little more time to rest.  I called Joanne.  She’s doing okay.  She sends her love.”
 
Roy pointed to Johnny.
 
“Don’t worry about me.  I’m fine.  Just a few more bumps and bruises.  How about you?  Do you need anything?  Do you want me to go get the nurse?”  Johnny asked, purposefully directing the conversation away from himself.
 
Roy shook his head no slightly as his eyes started to drift back to sleep.
 
Johnny patted Roy’s shoulder, “Okay pally, you get some more sleep.  I’ll be here when you wake up again.”  Johnny sat back down in the chair and placed his hand back on Roy’s wrist.  The steady pulse lulling him to sleep.
 
 
After the 7:00am shift change, Nurse Jody Knight started making her rounds.  The load was fairly light. There were the 3 from the previous morning and 1 new admittance last night.  Jody checked on the previous 3 first, making sure they were waking up and getting ready for breakfast, saving the new admittance for last, so she would have a little more time to review his stats.  As she walked into the room she saw a gentleman in a chair next to the bed fast asleep under a blanket the previous nurse had tucked around him.  She had been advised that the patient’s friend had spent the night sitting vigil.  Quietly walking up to the side of the bed she noticed the patient was awake, his left hand protectively resting on top of the other gentleman’s left hand.  Slowly the patient lifted his right finger toward his lips in a shushing motion and then pointed at his friend.  Jody nodded and spoke in a quiet voice.  “Good morning Mr. DeSoto, my name is Jody and I’ll be your nurse this morning.  I’m going to take a quick check and see how you are doing.  Okay?”
 
Roy gave her a thumb up and then pointed to the tube still in his throat.  God how he hated not being able to talk.  He understood the necessity of it, but he had been awake now for about a half an hour and he was definitely at the point of wanting it out.
 
Jody smiled slightly, “I know, you want that out.  Your surgeon, Dr. Signini, will probably be around in about an hour and once he checks you over we’ll see if we can get you off that.  Now let me get some vitals on you and see about getting some of these dressings changed.  Unfortunately I’m going to need your friend to move so I can get to the dressings on your arm over there.”
 
Turning his head slightly to face Johnny, Roy gently gave his hand a squeeze.  Johnny’s eyes flew open and he looked around trying to orient himself.  As his eyes finally come to rest on Roy’s, a big smile graced his face, “Hey partner, how’s it going?”  Johnny noticed the nurse standing on the other side of the bed.  “How’s he doing?  Are they going to be able to take him off the vent soon?”
 
Jody looked up from the chart she had been recording his current vitals on, “Well his stats look very good so I would venture to guess that when the doctor makes his rounds this morning he’ll probably order the vent removed.  He should be by in about an hour, if you’d like to go down to the cafeteria and grab some breakfast.”
 
Johnny felt Roy grasp his hand a little tighter, “Thanks anyway, I think I’ll stay here until they remove the vent.  I know how scary it is not being able to communicate with anyone while you have a tube down your throat.”  Johnny locked eyes with his partner, reassuring him that he wasn’t going anywhere.  The panicked look in Roy’s eyes was replaced by a look of gratitude. 
 
Jody nodded and smiled, “That’ll be just fine.  Once I’m done changing the dressing on his chest here, I’ll need over on that side to take care of his arm.”  In short order Jody had all the dressings changed and had left to prepare for the morning breakfasts and meds.
 
Johnny came back over and sat on the edge of the bed and filled Roy in on the pretty nurse he had met in E.R., making small talk until the doctor arrived.  True to her word, approximately an hour latter, Dr. Signini came through on rounds.
 
“Good morning Mr. DeSoto, I’m Dr. Signini.  The nurses tell me you’re pretty anxious to get that tube out of your throat.  Well let me take a look at your chest and see how things look.”  Dr. Signini looked up at Johnny who was now standing by the bedside holding onto Roy’s hand.  “You must be the young man who brought him in.  Dr Murphy said that if it wasn’t for your handy work before he got here that he might not have made it.  You did a really great job stabilizing that knife.  How did you know not to pull it out?”
 
Johnny looked down at Roy, “Honestly I don’t remember much about last night, I guess I went on autopilot.  Roy and I are paramedics back in L.A. County.  Much like the military corp. men over in Vietnam, we’re trained to provide immediate life saving interventions under the directives of a doctor prior to the patient’s arrival at the hospital.”
 
“Hmmm, sounds like something Dr. Murphy would love to have up here.  It could really make a difference.  Now,” Dr. Signini said looking back at Roy, “the sight looks really good and your lung sounds are clear and equal.  So if you’re ready let’s get rid of that tube.”  Jody came in and gently moved Johnny down towards Roy’s feet.  She quickly unhooked the machine and removed the tape holding it in place
 
Johnny moved over and stood by Roy’s right side next to the doctor.  Taking hold of Roy’s hand lending him the strength he knew Roy would need as they removed the tube.
 
“Okay Mr. DeSoto, this is going to hurt a little, but I need you to cough forcefully as I pull the tube out.  You ready?” Dr. Signini asked as looked down into Roy’s eyes.  Roy nodded.  “Alright then, on the count of three I need you to cough, one, two, three.”
 
The pain that gripped Roy’s chest rivaled the initial injury as the doctor pulled the tube from his throat in one smooth motion.  The forceful cough turned into spasms of dry heaves as his body tried to rectify the sensations it was feeling. His eyes slammed shut and sweat broke out on his forehead.  Johnny stepped up to the head of the bed and placed his left hand under Roy’s neck, his right hand still desperately clutched in Roy’s right hand.  Johnny stood there quietly holding his friend until the spasms eased.  “You’re going to be okay, don’t worry, it only hurts like hell for a few minutes.  Just try to start taking slow breaths.  That’s right nice and steady,” Johnny crooned gently.  While Johnny had Roy cradled in his arms, Dr. Signini walked around to the other side of the bed and placed his stethoscope on Roy’s back. 
 
After a few moments, as Roy’s breaths began to even out, Dr. Signini pronounced, “Sounding good, sounding good.  I’m going to put a nasal cannula on you to give you a little more O2, but I definitely think you are on the road to recovery.”  Jody came back in with a pitcher of ice chips and left them on the bedside table.  Dr. Signini gave her a few orders and left the room.  Jody looked at Johnny who was now soothing Roy by running a hand across his sweat soaked forehead.  She stepped into the bathroom and retrieved a washcloth. Returning from the bathroom she handed it to Johnny who dabbed the sweat from his friends face and neck.  “When he’s ready, there are some ice chips he can have to help sooth his throat.  You seem to have things under control here.  I’ll check back in an hour.  If you need me before then, don’t hesitate to call.”
 
Johnny sat on the edge of the bed, quietly listening to his friend’s shallow ragged breathing.  He knew the breaths would even out and deepen in time.  Noticing Roy trying to swallow and not having much success with a dry mouth, Johnny stepped over and scooped up a spoonful of ice chips.  “Here, this will help.”
 
Roy gratefully accepted the ice and relished in the cool moisture that soothed his throat.  Testing his voice he whispered, “Thanks.”
 
“Not a problem partner.  How you doin?”
 
“Feel like lungs ripped out.”
 
“Yeah,” Johnny agreed. “Extubation is never easy.  I swear, the next doctor that says ‘it’s gong to hurt a little’, I’m going to intubate, strap to a bed, leave there for 24 hours and then extubate.”
 
“What time?  Day?”  Roy croaked.
 
“It’s about 9am.  You’ve been here for about 18 hours.”
 
“You?”
 
“Don’t worry about me, I’m fine.  You just concentrate on getting better.”
 
Roy shook his head, “I meant, you been here all night?”
 
“I wanted to make sure you were going to be okay.”
 
“Fine, just need rest.  You too.  Go back to Carol’s.  Eat.  Sleep.  See you tonight.”  As Roy’s eyes drifted close he whispered one more word, “Promise.”
 
“I promise partner, I promise.”  Johnny said as he stood up and headed for the door. 

 
Song of Life
 
Chapter 8
 
Carol drove Johnny back to her place and after a brunch of left over meatloaf, eggs and hash browns she put him to bed.  He was asleep in a matter of minutes, his left arm draped across his eyes, warding out the evils of the world.  And unless the spirits were close, she knew that wouldn’t last.  The nightmares would be back.  Already his body was trembling and a soft whispered, ‘no, please don’t’ escaped his lips.  She was not a medicine woman, but some of the ladies of the tribe had given her some talismans to help protect the ill when Jack was in his last stages of cancer.  Pulling the box out from under her bed she carried it back to Johnny’s room.  First she took out the pouch of tobacco and starting at his head sprinkled it around his body clockwise.  Next she took the dream catcher out and tied it on the headboard above his head.  Finally she took a rust colored feather with a dark brown stripe across the top 4th and held it close to her own heart.  Looking toward the ceiling she quietly spoke, “Jack, please help him to have a strong courageous heart.”  Leaning over Carol placed the feather on Johnny’s chest.  His breathing slowed and his body stilled.  “Rest well Johnny, nothing can hurt you now.”  Quietly turning, she left the room, closing the door behind her.  Outside a hawk flew to the tree beside the window of the room where the now still figure slept.  It would stay close by until the evil was no longer a threat. 
 
When Johnny awoke it was dark outside.  Slowly sitting up, the feather that lay on his chest fell onto his lap.  Picking it up, he carefully examined the magnificent Red Tail Hawk feather.  Gently he laid it on his pillow and noticed the dream catcher and the ring of tobacco.  The old man in the cave that he stayed with when he was 8 had used similar medicine to help him sleep undisturbed.  No wonder he felt as if he had slept for a week.  Stretching, his bladder reminded him that it had at least been several hours since he was awake.  Getting up, he went to the bathroom and then took a long hot shower.  The water on his sore muscles, bruises and burns reminded him of all that had transpired.  Finishing up and pulling on a clean pair of pants he found Carol sitting in her favorite chair reading a book.
 
“Hey sleepy head, I was beginning to wonder when you were going to get up and join the world.” She closed the book and placed it on the table next to her. 
 
“Thanks for the protective circle, how long was I out?”  Johnny asked as he walked over to the front window and looked out.  A faint pink was just starting to peek out above the horizon to the east. 
 
Carol came and stood beside him, “I’d say about 18 hours.” 
 
“I should have been at the hospital with Roy.”
 
“I called and spoke with him last night.  He said he was glad you were getting the rest you needed and he told me to ‘under no circumstances wake you’.  I think he is as worried about you as you are about him.”
 
“How did he sound?”
 
“He sounded tired but okay.  I spoke with one of the nurses who said that he had slept most of the day and that he had even taken some clear broth and jello for dinner.  They said that if he did well through the night that they would give him something a little more solid this morning.  Speaking of food, let’s go rustle something up in the kitchen.  My food has got to be better than the hospital’s.”
 
Johnny gave Carol a crooked smile, “That’s not saying much, even Chet’s cooking is better than the hospital’s.”
 
Carol reached up and ruffled Johnny’s hair; she had learned a long time ago not to playfully swat at him, “Come on you scamp, just for that you get to cook the sausage.”
 
 
 
After breakfast Johnny helped Carol with a few chores around the farm and then headed to the hospital.  As if almost out of reflex, he headed to the Emergency Room first.  Walking into the admitting area, he stood there looking confused and a little disoriented.  The ER clerk looked up from her stack of paperwork and gave him the once over, trying to figure out if he was high on something and going to be a problem.
 
“If you need to see a doctor you’re going to have to fill out these forms and take a seat,” she said looking a little put off. 
 
“I came to check up on my partner, he was brought in by ambulance.” Johnny replied looking around for a familiar face.
 
“What’s his name?” the clerk asked in a bored tone.
 
“Roy, Roy DeSoto.”  Johnny replied.
 
After a few minutes of flipping through papers she looked up at him.  “I don’t see his information here.  Have you checked the morgue?”
 
Johnny was not only confused now; he was also starting to panic, “The morgue?  But he was fine when I last saw him.”
 
“Well, if he came into the ER then I would have his information here and since I don’t, then it’s most likely that they took him straight to the morgue.”  She was doing her best to get rid of him.  She knew his type, reservation trash.  Why didn’t they just stay on their own land and go to their own clinics.
 
Johnny was definitely panicking at this point.  “He can’t be in the morgue; he was fine when I left!  Why didn’t anyone call me?  There’s got to be a mistake!”
 
Erin, who had arrived an hour and a half early for her shift hoping to catch up to the young man she had met last night, heard the commotion.  “What’s going on over here Courtney?”
 
Courtney looked a little relieved; the nurse would help clear this ‘rezzie’ out of here.  “Nurse Shaw, I was just trying to inform this ‘gentleman’ that I didn’t have any paperwork on his friend here and that it might be possible that they took him to the morgue.”
 
“Actually, his friend was admitted last night and is upstairs in a room.  Did you think to call admitting?”  Erin really did not care for this girl’s attitude.
 
“Well, he didn’t say that his friend was brought in last night.”  Courtney replied defensively.
 
“That’s fine Courtney, I’ll take it from here,” Erin said turning to Johnny, “I was hoping I would run into you today.”
 
“Erin, what did she mean, ‘Roy was in the morgue’?  He is okay, isn’t he?
 
Erin placed a reassuring hand on Johnny’s arm, “I’m sure he’s okay.  Why don’t I buy you a cup of coffee?  You don’t want to go see Roy while you are all upset.”   Erin had hoped he would say yes, she had some very important news to tell him.
 
“I’d like that, thanks.” Johnny still looked confused, but less panicked.
 
As they walked down the hall, Erin looked over at Johnny and thought back to the picture of a young man about the same age that sat on her mother’s dresser.  The picture was of her uncle that died when she was only 5 years old.  She knew very little of her uncle.  She knew that her uncle had married an Indian woman and moved away.  Her mother told her that it was because of ‘that woman’ that her uncle had died.  Because of their loss, her grandparents, who had tolerated the local Native Americans, ended up hating them with a passion.  That passion ate at them, leaving them bitter and hateful.  Her mother, when they passed away, carried on that hatred.  Erin grew distant from her mother because of that hatred, a hatred Erin could not accept or tolerate.  As soon as she was old enough she moved to California to live with her aunt, her mother’s older sister, where she studied to become a nurse.  It was there that she met Dr. Murphy who talked about going out and practicing medicine among the needy and the poor.  It was at his encouraging that she followed him and found herself back in her home town providing comfort and care to all in need.  Since her return, she’d had little contact with her mother so it was no wonder that her mother refused to talk to her this morning about a young man she met at the hospital.  A young man that carried the same last name as her grandparents and bore an uncanny resemblance to her uncle.  It wasn’t until she called her aunt that she learned the whole story, a story she was anxious to share with her long lost cousin. 
 
Erin grabbed two cups of coffee and sat down at the table opposite of Johnny.  “Johnny, I know we only met last night, but would you mind telling me a little bit about your family?”
 
“My family?  What’s to tell?”  Johnny, caught a little off guard, asked.
 
“Well, I know you are from L.A., but do you have family here?”
 
“My little sister Amy, you met her last night, she’s living with the Two Ponies now, and there’s my friend Carol.  I came back to pay respects to her husband Jack who recently passed away.  He was my track coach and mentor.”  Johnny took a cautious sip of his coffee wondering where this conversation was going.
 
“What about your parents?  Do they live in the area?”
 
“My step dad still lives on the reservation.  He’s one of the Elders there.  But I try not to have much contact with him.”
 
“From the looks of last night, you didn’t have too much success in that department..  What about your mom and your real dad?”
 
“My mom passed away when I was 13 and my dad died when I was 2.”  Johnny played with the lip of the cup.
 
Erin pressed on, “Do you have any other family? Grandparents?”
 
Johnny made a face, “My mom was Indian and my dad was white.  Neither side wanted a half breed.  It’s getting late and I need to get upstairs and see Roy.  Thanks for the coffee.”
 
Before he could stand up, Erin placed a hand on his arm, “Johnny wait, I didn’t mean to upset you.  Johnny, I had an uncle that married an Indian lady when I was about 2 years old.  I don’t remember much about him because he died when I was 5.  My mom and my grandparents would only talk about his life up until he married and moved away.  Only my Aunt Rosa who lives in Berkley ever talked about my uncle and his wife.  She had visited them shortly after the birth of their son.  She said they were the happiest family she had ever seen.  When I spoke with her last night she said it had been so long ago that she had forgotten the child’s first name.  But she couldn’t forget the middle name because it was the same as her brother, my uncle’s first name.  My uncle’s name was Roderick Gage.”
 
Johnny sat there blinking, trying to absorb the information he had just received.  “That’s my father’s name.”  He shook his head, “But…my mom, she told me that I had no other family.  She said that my father’s family disowned us.”
 
“They did.  At least my grandparents and my mother did.  When my uncle died they could not accept the fact that he had left behind an Indian wife and child so they forbade anyone to ever talk about them.  I couldn’t forget though.  I couldn’t accept their hatred so when I was old enough I moved to California to live with my Aunt Rosa.  She kept the memory and the love for my uncle’s family alive in my heart.  I had always wondered what happened to them.  When I moved back here, I asked around, but no one would talk to me.  My only regret now is that I didn’t find them… find you sooner.”
 
Johnny sat there speechless.  Not only had he been reunited with his sister, but he now had a cousin.  “I don’t know what to say.  I can’t believe it.  I was told that no one on my father’s side would want me because I was nothing but a worthless piece of half breed trash.”
 
“You are not worthless Johnny.  If anything, you are worth more than all those close minded, bigoted people.  And I’ll tell you something else; I am not the only one who thinks that way.  When I talked to Aunt Rosa she was ready to fly up here on the next available flight.  She can’t wait to see you.  I finally convinced her that you had enough going on up here and that it would be better to wait until you returned to L.A.” 
 
Johnny broke into a huge grin, “I got a cousin and an aunt.”  Jumping up he grabbed Erin’s hand, “Come on, I gotta go tell Roy.  He’s gonna flip.”
 
“Slow down Johnny, I need to get back to the E.R. I start my shift in 20 minutes.  Why don’t I stop by on my break?”  She leaned over and gave Johnny a long hug and then handed him a piece of paper.  “This is my address and phone number.  It also has my … our… Aunt Rosa’s information.”
 
“Roy’s never going to believe this, I’ve got a pretty nurse’s number and I didn’t even have to ask her for it.”  Johnny smiled his crooked smile, “Too bad she’s my cousin.”
 
 
“I don’t believe it,” Roy said, trying not to laugh.  “You’re here for less than 48 hours and you are already getting phone numbers of nurses.” 
 
“This is different Roy.  She’s bright, charming, witty, and did I mention she’s pretty too?”  Johnny was having fun.
 
“Yeah and what’s going to happen when you leave to go back to L.A.?  You haven’t decided to stay here have you?”
 
“No, I’m not gonna stay here.  She has an aunt in Berkley.  We’ll get to see each other every now and then.  Especially on holidays.  I can’t wait for you to meet her.  But enough about me, how’re you doing?”  Johnny asked as he pulled up a chair and finally sat down; his youthful exuberance quieting. 

“Doing better, the doctor said they would probably take out the chest tube this evening.  He said the wound was clean and should heal nicely, the arm too.  Hey listen Johnny; I really want to thank you.  You saved my life out there.  Someone with less experience would have probably taken the knife out and that would have collapsed my lung for sure.”
 
“Hey man, it’s nothing you wouldn’t have done for me.  In fact, if you hadn’t come in when you did I don’t know what that bastard would have done to me.”  Johnny shuddered at the thought.
 
“Don’t worry partner, it’s over now.”
 
“That’s the problem Roy, it’s not over.  He’s still out there, and now he knows I’m here.”
 
“He may be out there, but not for long.  We have every unit on alert.  We’ll find him,” said a voice from the doorway. 
 
“Ray,” Johnny said, standing up and beckoning him into the room, “I don’t think you’ve officially met my partner and the only reason I am not ‘the best paramedic in L.A.’, Roy DeSoto.  Roy this is Ray Two Ponies, Amy’s fiancée.”
 
“Nice to meet ya Roy, glad to see you’re doing a lot better than the last time I saw you.  I want to thank you for making sure Amy got to safety.  Unfortunately I’m not here on a social visit.  I was wondering if you were up to giving me a statement about what happened the other day.  Johnny, I’ll need to get your statement too.”
 
Roy looked at Johnny who was chewing on his lower lip, “You ready for this partner?”
 
“Yeah,” Johnny said looking up and drawing strength from Roy, “Yeah, I’m ready.”
 
 
 
Two hours later Amy knocked on the door to Roy’s room, “Am I interrupting?  I was told that I would find Ray and Johnny here.”
 
Ray stood up and walked over to the young woman.  The official business had long since been taken care of and the guys had been talking shop, “Come on in honey, what’s up?”
 
“I was wondering if the two of you wanted to go get something to eat, that’s if it’s alright with you Roy.”
 
Roy smiled, “Now I know how Johnny feels.  He’s usually the one being left behind in a hospital bed while the rest of us step out for a bite to eat.”
 
“Did I hear someone mention stepping out for a bite to eat?” Erin asked as she stepped through the door, “Looks like I came at the right time.”
Johnny’s eyes lit up, “Erin, come on in.  I want you to meet everyone.  You probably know Ray from work, I’m sure he’s brought you a few patients.  You met my sister Amy.  And this is my partner and best friend Roy.  Erin’s the nurse I was telling you about Roy, the one from the E.R. that took care of us the other night.”
 
“Nice to officially meet you Erin,” Roy said as he gently lifted his hand in greeting. 
 
“This is awesome,” Johnny said bubbling over with excitement.  “It’s almost like a big family reunion now that Erin’s here.”
 
“Slow down Johnny, you’re not making any sense,”  Roy said looking confused.
 
“Well, remember how I told you that she was pretty and smart and charming, well that’s not the best part, the best part is she’s also a Gage.  Well, her real last name is Shaw, but her mom’s maiden name is Gage.”  Johnny looked around at everyone in the room with a big goofy grin on his face, “Don’t you get it?  Her mom and my dad were sister and brother.  She’s my cousin.  And I have another Aunt in California that wants to meet me.”
 
Roy smiled.  “That’s fantastic Junior.”
 
“Yeah it is, isn’t it?  Now I have two families, you guys in L.A. and my real family.  I can’t wait to get back to L.A. and tell everyone.”
 
“Speaking of getting back,” Roy said yawning, “Did it ever occur to you that when I get out of here, I’m not going to be able to help drive back and you’re not in any shape to drive the whole way either?”
 
“Man, that’s right,” Johnny frowned.
 
“Wait, I have an idea,” Erin piped in, “I have some time off I have to burn before I loose it, I could take a week off and drive down with you.  Then Aunt Rosa could meet me down there and I can introduce the two of you.  Why don’t we discuss it over dinner? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starved.  They’re slow in the E.R. right now so they told me I could take a longer dinner break, but I will have to get back to work.  There’s a great little place across the street that makes the best hamburgers and fries.”
 
“Wow Junior, she sounds just like you.  She even has your appetite.”
 
Johnny smiled, “You want us to bring you anything back?”
 
“I don’t think that hamburgers and fries are on my diet right now.  Maybe a vanilla milkshake though,” Roy said yawning again.  The day’s activities were catching up with him.
 
“Sure Pally, why don’t you get some rest and I’ll be back a little later.”  Johnny patted Roy on the leg.  Roy’s eyes were already starting to drift close. 
 
Quietly the four left the room and headed for the elevator.  Johnny literally bounced down the hall, his excitement barely contained.  His mood was infectious and the group happily chatted as they rode the elevator down to the first floor and walked out the front door.  Erin pointed to the little mom and pop dinner across the street and they headed for the curb to cross.  The sun was just starting to touch the tops of the mountains in the west and the evening air had cooled. 
 
Erin shivered as a mountain breeze blew through.  “You know what; I’d better grab my jacket real quick.  I’ll just be a sec.”
 
Johnny bounced on ahead, “I’ll go save us a spot,” he said as he stepped off the curb and into the street.
 
Down at the other end of the street an old blue Ford pick up truck sat idling.  Charles knew that if he waited long enough that no good piece of trash would blow across his path again.  This time he was going to end things for good.
 
The pick-up’s engines revved and it leaped forward, picking up speed as it barreled down the main street, heading straight for Johnny.  Charles glared at the young man in the middle of the road.  ‘How dare he walk around as if he was one of our equals?  Damn half breed needs to be put in his place.  He’s not fit to live among us.’ Charles thought to himself.
 
“Johnny!  Watch out!”  Erin, Ray, and Amy shouted from the sidewalk.
 
Johnny turned toward them and caught sight of the fast approaching truck.  He knew he would never make it to safety in time.
 
As the singer sang your song of death,
I cried for Joy, for now that life will cheat you no more.
 
The skree of a hawk cut through the night as it dove toward the truck then pulled up at the last minute.  Seeing the large bird heading straight for his windshield, Charles threw his hands up in front of his face.  The truck swerved erratically, missing Johnny by what seemed to be mere inches, smashing into the side of a brick building.
 
Amy rushed over to Johnny and threw her arms around him, “Oh my God, I can’t believe he almost killed you.”
 
“Johnny, you okay?”  Erin asked as she put her hand on Johnny’s shoulder.
 
“Yeah, not a scratch.”  Johnny replied in a dazed voice as he saw Ray run over to the remains of the pick-up.

Slowly walking over to the crumbled mess, Johnny stopped and looked down at the trapped man.  He hadn’t been wearing a seat belt so his head was partially embedded in the windshield, his body bent over the steering wheel.  Instinctively reaching for the carotid pulse Johnny knew that he wouldn’t find one.  Charles Strongbow was dead; killed instantaneously upon impact.  A myriad of emotions washed over Johnny as he stood there.  He was afraid that it wasn’t true, he was happy that it was, he was mad that Charles didn’t suffer like he had, he was sad that even though Charles wasn’t a good father Amy now had lost both her parents.  But most of all he was relieved, relieved that it was finally over.  It was over, and now he could go on with his life, a life that promised a better future than he could have ever dreamed.
 
 
Song of Life
 
Epilogue
 
 
High in the mountains at the edge of the woods, an old man, dressed in the buckskin regalia of the ancestors, stood.  A smile added more wrinkles to the deep lines etched in the weathered face.  He watched the sun shoot golden beams across the sky as it slipped behind the mountain.  A hawk swooped across the lake and landed on the man’s out reached arm.  “So my friend, it seems the demon is no more and our young man has found a family as well as a brother to watch out for him.  Although the one he calls brother is not of the people, his heart is noble.”
 
The Hawk fluttered into the air and in a swirl of mist transformed into a tall dark haired man in a cape of feathers.  His bright green eyes shown out from a finely chiseled tan face.  “Yes,” Jack Kemp’s spirit spoke, “the bond is deep and their friendship will last the tests of time.  I am glad to see that the singer’s last two verses have changed for John Roderick Gage’s song of life.”
 
 
When the singer sang your song of birth,
I cried for Joy, for now behold your life.
 
When the singer sang your song of childhood,
I cried of Rage, for all you had felt was the pain of life.
 
When the singer sang your song of adulthood,
I cried for Hope, for you had felt kindness in life.
 
And when the singer sings your song of death,
I will cry for Joy because you have learned love in life.
 
 
Authors notes:  Thank you all for your continued support and encouragement. I want to also think all the person’s who beta read the different chapters.  Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.  I could not have done this with out your helpful advice.  This was the longest story I have ever written and though it took some time to get all the pieces done, I hope it was worth the wait.  I know I left a lot of loose ends hanging with this story, but I just felt that it needed to end where it did.  I do have a long term plan for this story line and will continue writing.  I will bring the boys home and Johnny will tell everyone about his past.  If you have already read my story “That Night” then you already have a preview of one of the reactions.  I also plan on discovering more about this mysterious piece of land Jack left for Johnny and meeting his Aunt Rosa (a forward thinking individual from the Berkley CA of the 60’s and 70’s).  Thank you all again.