The Past Collides With The Present

"Mouse was awful quiet when she dropped you off today. Is everything ok between you two?" Roy asked as he backed the squad into a parking spot near the entrance to the emergency room.

"I really don't know Roy. We have our days when we seem inseparable, but then there are others that she wants to be by herself and she isn't the playful Mouse I have grown to love. It's like living with Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde. I never know who I am going to be dealing with," Johnny replied.
"Well don't give up, she'll come around eventually," Roy said.
"I'm sure with a little more concentrated Gage charm I will win her over to my side of the field," Johnny said confidently.
"Don't look now Junior, but I think you better get some of that concentrated Gage charm ready," Roy said quietly as he pointed down towards Dixie's area.
Roy and Johnny watched as Sarah laughed and flirted with a boyish looking fireman from another station. Dixie came out of a room and the men were so involved with watching the interaction in front of them they almost walked right into her.
"You guys here for supplies? What are you looking at Johnny? Your jaw would be on the floor if it weren’t attached to your face," Dixie asked.
"Who's that?" Johnny asked quietly, pointing to the fireman.
"I think Sarah said his name was James Lee. A friend of hers I guess," Dixie answered, nonchalantly.
Johnny, who couldn't bear to watch the scene any further, decided to break up the little session by announcing his presence. He walked up behind Sarah and picked her up off the floor. "How's your day going? Looks like you need a pick-me-up," Johnny whispered in her ear.
"Johnny, stop it! I'm working and this doesn't look real professional," Sarah reprimanded as he set her back on the floor.
"Well, I have to get back to the station, but it was great talking to you. We'll have to do it again sometime, but until then..Adieu Miss Sarah Ann. Adieu," the dashing, young firefighter said as he kissed her on the hand and walked away.
Dixie handed the supplies to Roy and Roy was about to make them available when he heard Johnny asking Sarah if she wanted to go get a soda.

"No thanks, I have to get back to work or they're going to think I went A.W.O.L. and start searching for me," Sarah replied as she picked up some charts.
"Well, at least let us help you with those, they seem awful heavy," Johnny offered.
"Johnny, I lift these things all day long. I appreciate the offer but I'm fine. Why don't you go find some hose to hang or a victim to help? I'll see you tomorrow when you get off shift," Sarah responded impatiently.
Johnny, refusing to give up asked, "Why don't you swing by the station after work and have dinner with us? Mike is making his famous spaghetti."
"Thanks anyway Johnny, but I have some errands to run tonight. I really have to go," Sarah said as she opened the door to the stairwell.
"Grouch!" Johnny muttered under his breath as he watched the door slam behind Sarah.
"Come on Johnny, we have to go too," Roy said shoving him in the direction of the door.
As they walked back out to the squad Johnny asked, "Did it get really chilly in there or was it just me? See what I mean about the Jekyll and Hyde syndrome. What was that all about? Who was that guy and why did he call her Sarah Ann. I've lived with her for a couple of years and I didn't even know her middle name," Ranted Johnny.
"I'm sure it's nothing Johnny. Maybe she's having a rough day," Roy reassured.
"She didn't seem to be having a bad day when she was drooling over James Lee the L.A. County fireman of the year. He must be new, as I don't think I've seen him around before," Johnny snorted.
"Let it go Junior. I'm sure there's nothing to it," Roy said as he started up the squad.
He knew the rest of the shift was going to be a long one if Johnny let the episode get to him. Roy didn't know if he could take an entire shift full of Johnny's ranting.
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"Where have you been?" Johnny questioned sternly as he opened the door for Sarah. "I expected you home hours ago. You didn't have car trouble did you?"
"And a good evening to you too Mr. Gage. I was out. I wasn't aware that Martial Law had been enacted," Sarah said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry. I was just worried that's all. Did you eat? Do you want me to throw something together for you?" Johnny responded, softening his tone.
"No, that's ok. I grabbed a bite on the way home and I think I'm just going to head off to bed," Sarah replied as she kissed Johnny on the forehead. "Goodnight."
Johnny, confused by Sarah’s attitude, watched as she crawled onto the couch and covered her head up with a pillow to block out the light. He decided to take a walk outside to check on the horses. Wolf was on the porch asleep but he looked up when he heard Johnny open the door. Wolf got up, stretched, and then escorted Johnny to and from the barn. Johnny scratched Wolf behind the ears and then headed into the house in hopes of some uninterrupted slumber.
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"I'll see you tonight after you get out of work. Marco is cooking tonight so swing by after you check in on the horses," Johnny offered as he kissed Sarah on the forehead.
"Sounds good. I may work a little late tonight as there is a possibility of overtime, but I should still be at the station by seven," Sarah replied.
"Sounds ok to me. Drive safe," Johnny said as he got out of the Land Rover and headed into the station.
Johnny was standing by his locker talking to Roy about the day before when Chet walked in.
"Hey Chet, how was your day off?" Johnny asked.
"What day off? I pulled some OT over at 10's. It was a quiet day but a very interesting one," Chet responded.
"Interesting how?" Johnny asked with curiosity.
Chet was about to open his mouth when the claxons went off. "Station 51; respond to traffic accident at the intersection of 223rd and Western. Time out 08:05."
Johnny immediately noticed the Land Rover sitting off to the side of the accident scene as Roy pulled the squad up. His mind raced into full panic mode with the thought of Mouse being hurt. He heard Sarah calling to him as he was putting on his turnout coat and grabbing his gear. Johnny ran in the direction of her voice, taking little notice of the crushed convertible and sedan in the middle of the intersection. Roy headed over to the sedan to see what he could do to help.
"Sarah, are you ok?" Johnny questioned as he looked for any obvious signs of injury.
Sarah saw the look of panic in Johnny's eyes and realized he thought she had been a part of the accident. "Calm down, I'm fine. I'm just a passer-by who stopped to help. This lady is the one who could really use your help. She was thrown from the convertible upon impact. She was conscious when I got down in here with her but she lapsed into unconsciousness about three minutes ago. Her breathing is labored. Pulse is slow and weak."
Johnny was totally blown away by her assessment. It seemed to him that she had picked up quite a bit of knowledge in the short time she had been at Rampart. "Do me a favor, go to the squad and get a cervical collar and ask Marco to come with you with the backboard?"
"No problem," Sarah said as she scurried off towards the squad.
Sarah grabbed the cervical collar and headed off to find Marco.
"Sarah!" Marco exclaimed as he watched a mud and blood covered Sarah ran towards him. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. I saw the accident happen and got out to help until you guys could get here. Johnny needs a backboard and a hand. I need to get to work as I'm already late. Here's the cervical collar he asked for, tell him I'll see him later," Sarah explained.
"I'll tell him," Marco said as he headed over to the squad.
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Sarah walked into the emergency room entrance and headed over to Dixie.
"Sarah? What happened to you?" Dixie asked.
"I stopped to play Good Samaritan on the way to work, but unfortunately I'm late now and I don't have any time to go home and change. Could I steal some scrubs from supply?"

"I'll go get you some. Why don't you head into the bathroom and get cleaned up?" Dixie offered.
Sarah washed up and headed down to the dungeon for a day of fun pulling and filing charts. It seemed rather dull compared to the excitement she had gotten to take part in earlier in the day.
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Johnny began to worry when dinner came and went without an appearance from Sarah. He sighed with relief as he watched the Land Rover pull behind the station.
Sarah, still dressed in scrubs, got out of the Land Rover. She was running really late and hadn't had time to get home to change.
"Hmm. Hmm. I can't put my finger on it but there is something really sexy about a pretty girl in scrubs," Johnny said playfully as he walked up to her and gave her a hug.
"You're not so bad yourself, Cowboy," Sarah responded. "Sorry I'm late but the incident this morning threw my whole schedule off."
"Speaking of the accident, I want to tell you again that you did a wonderful job this morning. I'm truly amazed at the amount of knowledge you have picked up working at Rampart," Johnny said with a smile.
"Well, it helps that I have my own live-in paramedic and that I'm always up to my ears in medical records all day long," Sarah responded.
"Are you hungry? I saved you a plate," Johnny asked.
"Sounds great," Sarah answered. She wasn't really hungry as she had gotten a bite to eat on the way to the station, but she didn't want to offend Johnny.
Chet walked by Sarah as she sat at the table. He had an evil grin on his face. "Sarah, what have you been up to lately?"
"Oh, you know, this and that. Nothing overly exciting," Sarah said raising her eyebrows. She had a sneaking suspicion that Chet was about to let a certain cat out of the bag.
"Johnny, I never got to tell you about my interesting day at 10's," Chet said as he watched Sarah's face for a reaction.
Sarah choked on her food and began to cough and sputter.
"Take it easy. Are you ok?" Johnny asked as the patted Sarah on the back.
"I just swallowed wrong that's all," Sarah gasped.
"Anyway, as I was saying, I had a very interesting day at 10's. Seems a friend of yours is spending quite a bit of time over there enjoying the company of a certain firefighter," Chet said as he watched the blood drain from Sarah's face.
"What are you talking about Chet?" Johnny questioned.
"I guess this means Sarah hasn't let you know about any of her extra curricular activities. It seems 10's has had a lot of Mouse sightings since a certain relief firefighter has been working over there. What is his name? James, Jim, Jimmy, something like that. Isn't that right Sarah?" Chet said with a smirk. He wasn't trying to be mean, he was just in a button-pushing mood.
Sarah looked down at the table in disbelief. Her mind raced as she tried to think of a good explanation, but she came up empty.
"What is he talking about? I thought you had a meeting yesterday?" Johnny stammered.
"She had a meeting all right. She spent the morning out back with Jimmy. There was quite a bit of giggling and laughing going on," Chet said as he proceeded to push the proverbial knife a little further into Sarah's forehead.
"Johnny, it‘s not something I'm really in the mood to discuss right now, especially here," Sarah whispered.
"What do you mean you don't want to discuss it? Is there something going on between you two? All I am asking is for you to be honest with me. I have a right to know," Johnny sputtered.
Sarah suddenly felt like a trapped bobcat and before she could stop it, her temper flared. "You have a right to know? Since when are you my guardian? I thought you were my friend. Did you ever think the reason I might not be saying anything to you about Jimmy is because there is nothing to say? What makes you think this involves you in any way?"
"I've seen the way you flirt with him. I'm tired of these little games you've been playing. I never know where you are or when you’ll be home. Most of the time you are nice and other times you are downright nasty. What's the deal?" Johnny asked.
The rest of the guys were beginning to feel uncomfortable with the arguing. No one could ever remember Sarah losing her temper and now that they were seeing it, they hoped it was a long time before they saw it again. They left the room one by one and headed out by the squad.
Chet looked like he wanted to crawl in a hole and die. He felt really bad knowing that he had instigated the whole event. He had only meant to get a rise out of Sarah and Johnny, not cause World War Three.
"I shouldn't have to explain anything to you. Accept me for who I am or don't accept me, it's as simple as that. Deal with it. I'm outta here," Sarah screeched as she got up from the table and headed towards the door.
Johnny felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. He started to get up to chase after Sarah but then thought the better of it. He listened as Sarah drove out of the driveway, squealing the tires as she drove away. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her this upset.
Roy came into the kitchen and sat down at the table. "Any idea what caused that?"
Johnny shook his head and stared at his coffee cup. "I don't have a clue. I'll try to call her later when she has calmed down."
Sarah heard the phone ringing as she walked in from the barn. She had spent a couple hours out up in the hayloft with Wolf trying to sort out her feelings. She was still angry. She wasn't angry with Johnny; she was upset with herself for not being totally honest with Johnny from the beginning. Sarah unplugged the phone from the wall. She needed a little more time to sort out her feelings before she let Johnny know the truth about Jimmy.
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The next morning Sarah decided to drop off the Land Rover and walk to work so she wouldn't have to face Johnny until he came to pick her up in the afternoon. She parked it in the usual spot and then headed down the road towards Rampart.
Why am I making such a big deal about James? It's not like there is something going on between us. He's just someone from my past. Why couldn't I have just been honest with Johnny from the beginning? Life would have been so much easier if I had.
Sarah was so deep in thought she didn't notice the sedan which had pulled over on the side of the road ahead of her. She began to walk by it when a familiar voice emanated out the window.
"Sarah, did you have car trouble? Do you want a lift?" Doctor Brackett asked.
Sarah came back to reality and said, "No, I just thought I would walk today, but since you're offering a ride, I'll take you up on it." She opened the door on the passenger's side and got in.
Doctor Brackett immediately sensed that all was not right in Sarah's world as she gazed out the window. "What's up? You look like you are a million miles away and looking for a place to land."
"Life, that's all. Just trying to sort stuff out," Sarah responded as she glanced over and noticed the look of concern on Doctor Brackett’s face. "Yeah, I know that if I want to talk about it you’ll be more than happy to listen. Thanks anyway, I can deal with this myself."
As they pulled into the doctor's parking area Sarah thanked Doctor Brackett for the ride and headed into work.
*********************************************
Johnny scratched his head in confusion as he noticed the Land Rover already parked in the back. "She still must be pretty sore if she didn't even want to see me this morning."
"Pride is a terrible thing Johnny. She lost her temper yesterday and showed us a side of her we've never seen. I'm sure when you pick her up this afternoon and show her that everything is still ok she'll come around," Roy responded as he handed Johnny a cup of coffee.
"Maybe I'll swing by Rampart around lunchtime and offer to buy her lunch, as a peace offering." Johnny said.
When Johnny got to Medical Records, the girl at the front desk told him that Sarah had already gone to lunch. Johnny thanked her and headed towards the cafeteria. When he got to the cafeteria, he saw Sarah sitting at a table but noticed immediately she was not alone.
The infamous James Lee had joined her at the table and it looked as though they were having a heart to heart as Sarah had a serious, almost tearful look on her face and Jimmy was squeezing and petting her hands trying to console her.

Not wanting to interfere, cause a scene or make matters worse, Johnny turned on his heels and headed back out the door.
Johnny looked at Sarah as she climbed into the Land Rover. He wanted to tell her everything would be ok; that they could work whatever had come between them out but he didn't know himself whether that was true. After a few moments of awkward silence Johnny asked, "How was your day?"
"Ok, I guess," Sarah responded.
"Anything exciting happen?" Johnny asked.
"No, nothing exciting ever happens with paper and charts, unless they catch fire and then we get to roast marshmallows until the fire department comes to ruin our fun," Sarah said sarcastically. She knew Johnny was only feeling her out before he attempted to probe further but she wasn't amused. She knew she had to come forward with the truth and she knew it needed to be tonight.
The rest of the drive home was filled with small talk about the weather and other issues of no importance to either of them. They headed in opposite directions when they finally got home. Johnny went into the barn to take care of the horses and Sarah into the house to change out of her work clothes. Sarah slipped into a sweatshirt and pair of jeans, reached into the refrigerator and grabbed the six-pack of beer and headed out towards the pasture with Wolf tagging closely behind.
As she sat on a rock, drinking beer and watching the sunset she began to understand why her father drank after her mother died. She was not condoning what he did by any means but she could definitely relate to him wallowing in the pain relieving qualities of alcohol. The rational part of her brain realized it was merely an avoidance tactic and that it was short-term solution but tonight it seemed the easiest way to go.
She was so deep in thought that she didn't even notice the sun had gone down and it was dark until she heard someone walking towards her. "Johnny? Is that you? What are you doing wandering around in the darkness?" Sarah slurred.
"I was about to ask you the same thing?" Johnny said as he came closer.
"I’m not wandering around in the darkness. I'm sitting on a rock having a picnic while I watch the sun go down," Sarah explained.
"Uh huh. I can see that. But the sun has been down for almost an hour now and if you are having a picnic, shouldn't you have food of some sort?" Johnny asked as he was beginning to realize just how inebriated Sarah was.
"Oh man, I knew I forgot something. Food. Well at least I remembered the drink. You want a beer?" Sarah asked as she sifted through the empty cans. "Oh, I'm sorry, this is the only one left and it's almost gone," Sarah said as she handed him the can.
Johnny took the can from her and sat down on the rock next to her. He tossed it in the pile of cans next to them.
"Jimmy called about an hour ago; he was wondering how you were doing. I told him you would call him back," Johnny said cautiously, not completely sure of the best way to bring up the subject of her "friend".
"How nice. Good old Jimmy Lee, always looking out for me. He's my pal. You're my pal too Johnny. I love you," Sarah slurred as she put her arm around him.
"That's nice Sarah, and when you have the courage to say that to me in a sober state, I'll be very happy. But until then, let's just be friends," Johnny said as he removed her arm from his shoulder.
Sarah began to babble. "Jimmy moved in next door when I was eight. I remember watching the moving van all day hoping that someone nice was going to move next door. I didn't want any sissy girls or bullyboys moving in. I saw him for the first time that evening after his dad had set up his swing-set. He was ten but he was small for his age, so I thought he was my age."
" I walked right up to him and introduced myself and said we were going to be best friends whether he liked it or not. I was bigger than he was so he couldn't argue. His mom called out to him when it was time to go in for the night. I can still hear her in that sweet southern accent. "James Lee, come in and clean up. Tell your friend you will see her tomorrow." I giggled when she called him James Lee because he introduced himself as Jimmy. From that point on, I refused to call him anything but James Lee. He retaliated by calling me Sarah Ann and to this day I'm one of the few people to call him by his full name and get away with it."
"If it's that simple, then why all the secrecy?" Johnny asked.
Sarah continued to babble, not taking notice of any of Johnny's questions. "When my mom died, Jimmy was there for me. He stayed by my side the whole time. When my Dad used to drink and things would get ugly I would slip out of the house and go hide in Jimmy's fort. He patched me up so many times; it's no wonder he is now trying to become a paramedic. That's the reason I have been out of the house and over to 10's so much. I've been helping him study."
" I should have told you from the start but it's a real awkward situation when your past life shows up and tries to meld with your present life. I'm a much different person than I was in those days, but seeing Jimmy at Rampart two months ago brought back a ton of memories, some good, some bad. I didn‘t know how to deal with it myself, so there was no way I could expect anyone else to understand."
"I would have understood Sarah, you just need to talk to me. I can't know what is going on with you if you don't talk to me," Johnny said as he wrapped his arms around her.
"The day Jimmy moved away was one of the saddest in my life. I was thirteen. I had already lost my mother and that day my best friend and protector was being pulled from me. I cried for days. Jimmy promised he would stay in contact but soon he hit high school and we went our separate ways. I recognized him immediately the day I saw him in the hallway at Rampart after the paramedic class had let out for the day," Sarah said as she placed her head on Johnny's chest. "I'm sorry Johnny, I'm sorry for everything. I certainly would understand if you wanted nothing more to do with me."
"Mouse, what is it going to take to convince you that there is such a thing as unconditional love. I don't think there is anything in this world you could do to change what I feel for you," Johnny said, kissing her on the top of the head.
It began to rain but neither of them took any notice. Sarah continued to explain about Jimmy, and Johnny did his best to keep her from falling off the rock while he listened.
"We're getting soaked Sarah, let's go in," Johnny suggested.
"It's raining?" Sarah asked.
"Yes kiddo, it's raining. Those are the drops of water that is falling from the sky getting your shirt wet," Johnny said as he helped her stand. She was so wobbly he had to assist her the entire way back to the house.
"Oh, I get it. Can you catch the drops like snowflakes on your tongue? That's something I have always wanted to do," Sarah babbled. "I’ve never seen snow, except on TV."
"It's not quite the same. Come on, let's get you inside," Johnny coaxed.
"Could we go up to the mountains sometime and play in the snow? Please, I have always wanted to have a snowball fight and build a snowman? Can we? Can we huh?" Sarah begged.
"If it will get you inside and out of this rain, then yes, your wish is my command. Now let’s get inside and get some dry clothes on," Johnny answered.
He walked her in and laid her on the couch. "You're such a pal. I'm really glad you are part of my life. I don't know where I would be without you," Sarah whispered.
"Probably drunk, out on a rock, in the middle of the pasture, getting soaked because you lack the sense to come in from the rain," Johnny said tossing a dry t-shirt and shorts in Sarah's general direction. He wasn’t too surprised when she didn’t reach for them seeing she seemed to be incapable of doing much except babbling.
"Come on Sarah, you have to get out of those wet clothes," Johnny commanded.
"The number you are trying to reach is no longer in service, please check the number and dial again," Sarah said as she stared blankly at the ceiling.
Johnny knew it wouldn't be long before she passed out so he sat her up and assisted her in removing her wet shirt. He was slightly embarrassed as he helped her but he did it with the utmost professionalism. A moment he had waited months for and now he couldn’t even take advantage of it. He laid her back down and placed her on her side in case she got sick.
"Thanks Johnny. You're a pal. I love you," Sarah slurred as she slipped into her slumber.
"I know you do my friend," Johnny rubbed her head. "Hopefully one day you can get the courage to be this open with me without the added alcohol factor." Johnny watched Sarah sleep for a while and then headed off to bed himself after a quick phone call to Roy.
"Good Morning Sunshine. It’s wakey-wakey time. Roy will be here in about fifteen minutes so you better get a move on." Johnny sang as he pulled the covers off of Sarah.
"Ack, what time is it? Why is Roy coming over? What does any of this have to do with me? I thought it was my day off," Sarah asked as she attempted grab the blankets and come out of her hangover induced fog.
"Oh, is my Mousey a little hung over this morning?" Johnny sang.
"Even if I weren’t hung over, I would have to beat on you. It’s way too early to be this cheerful," Sarah grumbled. She could tell Johnny was in one of his moods of persistence and she knew that no argument was going to be good enough for her to be allowed a few more hours sleep. Sarah dragged herself off of the couch and made her way to the bathroom to get ready for whatever torture Johnny had planned for her that day.
"Looks like someone had a rough night," Roy said innocently as he gave Sarah a hug.
"Word sure travels fast," Sarah replied.
"Well you know how it goes... telephone, television, telejohnny," Roy laughed.
"So, where are you boys dragging me off to today?" Sarah asked as she crawled into the back of the Land Rover.
"There are many paths in this world of ours. You chose to walk down the path of self-destruction last night in order to deal with your problems and stress. Today we are going to show you another path to walk when dealing with life. We are going for a quick little hike and then you are going to learn how to rockclimb," Johnny said with a grin.
"The only one placing obstacles in your way is you. If you can learn how to confront challenges instead of avoiding them, you will see how much easier life can be," Roy added.
"Oh wonderful, I get to spend my day off with the two philosophers Frik and Frak. Have you two been reading the articles in Playboy again instead of just looking at the pictures? I warned you about doing such things," Sarah admonished.
Johnny and Roy let out a laugh as Sarah playfully shook her finger at them.
"I really appreciate this guys, really I do, but have you forgotten about my "respect" for heights?" Sarah asked. "Isn’t it supposed to rain this afternoon?"
"A respect for heights is ok; a fear of heights is not. It’s just one more excuse for not experiencing something life has to offer," Johnny said. "Besides, you’ll be tied off with a rope and we won’t let you fall. Everything will be fine if you trust in me. You certainly didn‘t seem to mind the rain last night; it took me forever to convince you to go inside. We should have a couple hours of good climbing before any weather hits."
Johnny pulled the land rover off the road and into the parking lot. He turned to Sarah and said, "We’re here."
"Woo hoo, I'm excited now," Sarah said sarcastically.
They hiked on a trail for a short distance before they came upon the cliffs that Johnny liked to climb.
"You expect me to be able to climb up that? I’m not Spiderwoman ya know," Sarah whined as she watched Johnny and Roy unpack the gear.

"Don’t look at the entire picture, take it section by section. We’ll show you how it’s done and then let you try. Don’t worry, it will be ok," Roy said reassuringly.
Sarah sat on a rock and watched as Johnny skillfully climbed up to the top where he commenced securing the line. Sarah noticed a path off to the side of the ledge, which looked like it might get her close to the top. She decided to see if her suspicions were correct. She got up and headed up the path. A few minutes later, she found herself at the top of the cliff standing next to Johnny.
"Ok I climbed to the top. My my what a nice view. Can we go home now?" Sarah pleaded, knowing full well what the answer would be.
"That was pretty sneaky; I was wondering if you would realize the path was there. The answer is still no. You have much to learn little one. There are times in life when it’s ok to play the game and take the easy way out. There are other times you have to choose the path of most resistance and today my friend, scaling these rocks is the path you must choose instead of the easy dirt path that you originally chose. Let’s head back down so you can give this a try," Johnny answered.
Sarah watched as Roy climbed up the rocks and listened as Johnny taught her about belaying. Sarah wasn’t sure if she really trusted herself with someone else’s life in her hands. She began to notice all the outcroppings and cracks in the rocks which could be used as hand holds and foot holds. Maybe rock climbing would actually be fun, as long as she didn’t look down.
Roy made it up to the top and then threw down the rope to Sarah. It had been decided that Roy would coach from above and Johnny from below. Johnny hooked the rope through the carabiner and made sure Sarah’s harness was secure.
"Ok kiddo, it’s your turn to find out what you are made of," Johnny urged.
"I don’t know if I'm ready for this. It’s kind of high. What if my arms aren’t strong enough?" Sarah said voicing her concerns.
"I have faith in you, now you need to find the strength within yourself to face this problem head on. I would never put you in a situation I didn’t think you could handle. Go be one with the rocks.
"That’s what I'm afraid of...becoming one with the rocks, trees and/or ground," Sarah grumbled.
"Just remember, it’s just an ordinary day and it’s all your state of mind," Johnny said.
Sarah couldn’t believe her ears. Had Johnny said what she thought he had said? "Well I see someone else has met the old woman in the woods."
"What woman? What are you talking about?" Johnny asked slightly confused.
"Oh nothing, nothing at all. Let‘s get this party started," Sarah giggled.
"Climb on, my friend," Johnny answered, taking up the slack.
Sarah started to climb and found it easygoing through the first section until the hand and foot holds got fewer and farther between.
"Get your knees off the rocks. Any place your knees can go, your toes can go as well," Johnny called out.
Sarah growled under her breath. "I’ll show you where my knee can go if you are not careful."
"What did you say?" Johnny asked, pretending not to hear.
"Nothing. I can’t find a good handhold," Sarah grumbled.
"Reach up with your left hand about ten inches, feel around, there is a hold right there and then put your left foot where your left hand was and pull yourself up," Roy suggested.
Sarah, frustrated, began to growl under her breath. She didn’t comprehend how rock climbing in any way, shape or form could be considered a stress reliever. It seemed the more she climbed the more stressed she became.
She reached up and felt around until she found a handhold. As she began to pull herself up her foot slipped and she began to fall. Almost instantaneously she let out a screech and felt Johnny take up her slack.
Johnny watched Sarah sigh with relief when she realized that she wasn’t going to fall to her death. "Are you ok?"
"Um yeah, I think so," Sarah said placing herself back onto the rock. She began to lose her nerve as she stared at the rock in front of her. She looked up at Roy and down at Johnny. The self-preservation side of her wanted off of the rock but the "never say die" side of her became angry at the thought of quitting. She stayed motionless on the ledge for a couple of minutes before she finally yelled down to Johnny, "I’d like to come down, maybe try this again some other time."
"Sorry Sarah, you have to find out what you are made out of and I wouldn’t be doing a service to you to let you quit now. You only have a little bit further to climb and then after that you can decide if you are done for the day or wish to continue," Johnny replied.
Sarah looked up at Roy, pleading with her eyes for him to make Johnny come to his senses. Roy looked back down at her and said, "Come on Sarah. You can do it. You are doing fine, just a little bit further."
Sarah gritted her teeth and began to feel the frustration well up inside of her. She was mad at Johnny and Roy for putting herself in this situation and she was mad at herself for not being able to get herself out of the situation. She wiped a tear of frustration away from her cheek and looked up again at Roy.
"If you put all the energy you just wasted getting frustrated into your climbing; you would be up here by now. Come on Sarah. Give it a try. Don’t give in to your fears or frustrations," Roy coaxed.
Sarah growled under her breath and began to climb. Soon she found herself one handhold away from the top. Roy reached out his hand to help her up but she batted it away. This was something she had to finish completely on her own. She pulled herself up and found herself standing next to Roy. As Roy reached out to hug her Sarah began to experience a feeling of elation she had never felt before.
Sarah looked down at Johnny below and saw him grinning from ear to ear. At that moment there were no words that needed to be spoken by anyone. She finally understood what they were trying to teach her. She hugged Roy again and they both headed down the path where Johnny was waiting for them.
Sarah ran up to Johnny and gave him a big hug. "Wow, that was absolutely incredible. I have never felt this way before. Thanks for not letting me give up."
Johnny kissed her on the forehead. "I guess this means you forgive me for being mean. I would never give up on you so I don’t want you to either."
"Ok, now onto belaying. Sarah, I know you can do this and Roy will be right here to help you," Johnny said as he hooked himself into the carabiner.
Sarah couldn’t believe Johnny trusted her enough to put his life in her hands. She was a little overwhelmed at first but soon realized how easy belaying was. She couldn’t believe how skillfully Johnny climbed. She hoped one day to be as good as he was.
At one point Johnny slipped and lost his footing, he immediately felt Sarah take up the slack and then some.
"SLACK, SLACK GIVE ME SOME SLACK!" Johnny screeched in a high pitched voice.
"Sorry about that Johnny, I just wanted to make sure I didn’t cause you to fall from the rock and die," Sarah said as she gave him a little more line.
"That’s ok, you did fine. I just want to have children some day and you were causing restricted blood flow to some vital parts of that plan," Johnny replied as he began to climb again.
It didn’t take Johnny long to get to the top. He pulled the rope up and proceeded to move it slightly to the right so they could climb a different route up the rock face. Roy climbed up with Sarah belaying for him and then it came time for Sarah to decide if she wanted to climb again.
Johnny looked up at the sky and saw that it was getting darker. "Looks like someone has time for one more climb before the weather hits. Are you game?"
Sarah looked up at the sky above her and the climb ahead of her. Although it was a shorter route it seemed a little tougher. "Do you think I will have time?"
"If it starts to rain, we’ll just give you a repelling lesson," Johnny replied.
"Let’s go for it then," Sarah said placing the rope in Johnny’s hand so he could attach the line to her carabiner.
"That’s my girl," Johnny said as he tied Sarah off. "I’ll meet you up at the top."
Roy belayed for Sarah as Johnny ran up the goat path to the top.
Sarah began to climb up the crack in the rock. "Roy, I hope there isn’t anything living in this crack."
Roy let out a laugh. "I wouldn’t worry about it Mouse. If there is anything living in the crack it will just get a quick nibble of your fingers as you climb."
"That’s nice but I like having ten fingers, I have become attached to them and would hate to lose even one of them," Sarah giggled.
It began to rain ever so slightly. Sarah quickened her climbing pace as she was determined to get to the top before the clouds opened up. The rock was beginning to get slippery.
"How are you doing Mouse?" Johnny called out from above.
"OK, I just hope the weather holds out," Sarah said placing her foot on an outcropping.
As she pushed off to climb higher her foot slipped causing her to bang her forehead into the rock. Roy pulled up the slack and watched as Sarah eventually placed herself back on the rock after swinging like a pendulum for a brief moment of time.
"Are you ok?" Roy called out.
"Yeah, I'm fine, scraped my head a little but I'm ok," Sarah responded as she wiped a little blood off of her forehead.
Sarah continued to climb and the rain began coming down in buckets. Johnny reached out to give her a hand. This time Sarah accepted the helping hand as she had nothing to prove and the weather was beginning to get bad.
Johnny and Sarah grabbed the gear and began to head down the goat path. Roy was down below grabbing the rest of the gear. The path was quite slippery in spots and Johnny and Sarah had to watch every step they took. About halfway down the narrow path Sarah lost her footing and began to fall.
"Sarah!" Johnny screamed as he reached out to grab her sleeve. He watched helplessly as Sarah tumbled down the trail in front of him. She slid for a short distance and was finally able to come to a stop on the level ground.
Sarah hardly knew what hit her, one moment she was walking down the trail; the next thing she knew gravity was working full force sending her tumbling down the hill. She heard Johnny calling for her and then she felt her head bounce off a rock. The darkness enveloped her.
Johnny cautiously made his way down the trail. He certainly didn’t want to lose his balance and end up like Mouse. He hadn’t seen Sarah move since she landed. He called out for Roy. When he got to Sarah he saw that she was out cold.
"What happened?’’ Roy asked as he ran up to them.
"She slipped. I think she hit her head on a rock," Johnny said as he began to check her over. "Sarah? Sarah, can you hear me?"
"I’ll go get us some help. 99’s is just up the road," Roy offered.
Johnny tossed the keys to the Land Rover to Roy and noticed Sarah was beginning to stir. "Sarah? Can you open your eyes for me?"
"What happened? What am I doing lying on the ground?" Asked Sarah as she attempted to sit up.
Johnny held her down. "It’s ok Sarah; Roy has gone to get some help. Lie still. Do you remember what happened to you?"
"My head hurts," Sarah said as she reached her hand back and touched the back of her head. "Uh Johnny, I think I cut myself."
Johnny looked at Sarah’s hand and realized it was covered in blood. "Can you move your head? Does your neck hurt?"
Sarah moved her head from side to side. "Nope, just my head."
"Let me take a look." Johnny noticed a gash about an inch long on the back of Sarah’s head. He took off his shirt and held it on the wound to slow the bleeding until help arrived. "It’s really not too bad Sarah. Head lacerations bleed like crazy even when they are small," Johnny said reassuringly not wanting her to freak out on him.
"I don’t feel really good. I feel like I am going to be sick," Sarah whispered.
"You’re going to be ok, I promise," Johnny said looking down the trail for any sign of help.
Roy pulled into 99’s parking lot and headed into the station. He was glad the first firefighter he came across was a familiar face.
"De Soto? What brings you out this way?" Asked Ed.
"We have an injured climber down at Zuma beach. She has hit her head. Johnny’s with her," Roy explained.
Ed called out to the paramedics and then called in the alarm. The rescue squad and Land Rover raced down the road back to the parking lot. Roy helped grab the gear and led the way back to Sarah.
"Johnny, I’m cold. What happened?" Sarah whispered.
Johnny could see she was becoming shocky. "Hang in there Sarah, just a little bit longer."
"What happened? Why does my head hurt?" Sarah asked again.
"You're going to be ok. I need for you to stay with me," Johnny replied.
Johnny looked up and saw Roy and the paramedics headed towards them. He explained the situation to them as knelt down to examine Sarah. Johnny hooked up the biophone as the paramedics from 99 took Sarah’s vitals.
"Rampart this is Squad 51..I mean squad 99. How do you read me?" Johnny asked.
Doctor Brackett, Dixie and Jimmy were standing around the base station talking when they heard Johnny’s voice come over the line.
"Unit calling please repeat," Doctor Brackett answered, slightly confused.
"Sorry Rampart, this is John Gage and I am with squad 99. How do you read me?" Johnny repeated.
"Go ahead 99," Doctor Brackett responded.
"Rampart, we have a female victim, twenty-one years of age. It’s Mouse. She was injured in a fall when she hit her head on a rock. She has a one inch laceration on the back of her head with a probable concussion. She is shocky and is semi-conscious. Hold for vitals."
"We'll stand by, 99," Doctor Brackett responded.
"I was headed home, but if Sarah has been hurt, I will stay around if that is ok?" Jimmy asked.
"Sure," Dixie answered.
"We can take it from here. After all, we're the ones getting paid today," said one of the paramedics as he reached to take the receiver away from Johnny.
Johnny hesitantly passed the biophone over to one of the paramedics. He wanted to help but also realized he needed to let them do their job. He looked helplessly at Roy not quite knowing what to do.
Roy placed a hand on Johnny‘s shoulder and suggested. "Let’s get this gear into the Land Rover and then come back and help them haul Sarah out of here."
"Yeah, ok," Johnny said not taking his eyes off of Sarah.
The paramedic confirmed, "10-4 Rampart. IV, immobilize and transport. ETA 45 minutes."
Johnny looked back as he began to walk away and saw that Sarah was so out of it she didn’t even try to fight the IV. That alone was enough to set off Johnny’s panic button. He picked up the rest of the gear and ran to the Land Rover.
"How she doing?" Johnny asked as he knelt beside Sarah.
"Well, she’s gone a little hypotensive and bradycardic on us. We gave her some atropine and called for a copter to cut down on transport time. We are just about ready to bring her out to the parking lot if you want to give us a hand," the paramedic replied. "Let’s lift on three."
They could hear the helicopter setting down on the road above the parking lot as they exited the trail. The men loaded her up and one of the paramedics got in with her.
Johnny started to get in but Roy held him back. "Come on Junior, I know you want to help but you know all about how friends and family members can hinder the process of care. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to Rampart. I’ll drive."
Johnny began to argue but understood the point Roy was trying to make. He slid the door closed and backed up out of the way as the helicopter took off. They headed towards the Land Rover knowing the next forty miles would be some of the longest miles they had ever driven.
Jimmy was standing outside of the emergency room entrance when Johnny and Roy pulled up. He walked towards them as Johnny and Roy got out of the Land Rover.
"Johnny... Roy, it’s nice to finally get a chance to meet you. Sarah has told me so much about you. I just wish we were meeting under happier circumstances," Jimmy said.
"How is she doing? Have you heard anything?" Johnny asked.
The three men began to walk towards the entrance. "I came out to get some air. They are doing an echoencephalogram and a full skull series right now. Her vitals have stabilized," Jimmy replied.
They met Dixie in the hallway. "Why don’t you boys go get some coffee? I’ll come get you when there is some news."
Sarah opened her eyes when she heard Doctor Brackett asking her questions. "Are you trying to get a bigger medical record than Johnny has? If so, you are definitely off to a good start young lady. Do you know where you are?"
"Well you are here so either I'm at Rampart or I'm having a bad dream," Sarah said sarcastically.
"Ah, the wounded badger has come around. It’s nice to have you back. Do you remember what happened to you?"
"I'm guessing by the pain in my head that I fell down and went boom," Sarah responded.
"Yes, you fell down and went boom. Do you remember what you were doing before the fall?" Questioned Doctor Brackett.
"Johnny and Roy had spent the morning torturing me by tying me to rocks. It had started to rain so we packed up," answered Sarah.
"Do you remember anything else?" Asked Doctor Brackett.
"I remember when I was five and scraped my knee. Are we through playing twenty questions yet? Where’s Johnny and Roy? Can I go home?" Sarah asked impatiently.
"We’re through for now. Johnny, Roy and Jimmy are in the lounge waiting for news. I would like to keep you overnight for observation. I will send the guys up after we get you situated into a room with a view," reassured Doctor Brackett.
"Aw Doc, can’t I go home? I mean, the only thing better than having one paramedic at your bedside is having two paramedics and a paramedic trainee," Sarah whined.
"That’s not true. Having a kind and caring doctor like me watching over you is a lot nicer than that," kidded Doctor Brackett.
"To each his own," Sarah sighed.
"Now you be nice to me or I will send Doctor Morton in to take care of you. I know how well you and he get along," threatened Doctor Brackett.
"Uncle, Uncle, I'm sorry! I take back everything I said and thought...please, anyone but Morton," Sarah begged.
"Okay, Okay. You are forgiven, but just remember, one false move and that threat will become a reality," Doctor Brackett said. "I’ll go get an orderly so we can get you up to your room."
Sarah was lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling when the three men entered the room laughing.
"Hey, could you keep it down? There are people trying to heal in here," Sarah commanded.
Johnny came up to the head of the bed and kissed Sarah on the forehead. He was glad to see she was pretty much back to reality.
"How are you doing?" Johnny asked.
"My head hurts and it’s full of stitches. Tell me Wonderboy; exactly how is this outcome any better than the one I had last night. At least last night my head didn’t hurt and I got to spend the night in my own bed."
Johnny shuffled his feet uncomfortably and then saw that Sarah was smiling at him with an evil grin.
Johnny smiled back at her with the same evil grin. "One good thing to come out of all of this is we finally got to meet Jimmy. He told us some really interesting things about your childhood. Skeletons that were once trapped in a closet have now been let loose."
"Oh no! Jimmy, what have you been telling these guys? What about giving me some garden-variety loyalty?" Sarah asked.
"Just playing a game of red rover that’s all," Jimmy said. "And Johnny and Roy just happened to call me over to their side."
"That’s nice. Pick on the poor, wounded, defenseless girl. What‘s next? Are you going to find a puppy to kick?" Sarah questioned sarcastically. "What are your thoughts Roy? You have been way too quiet.
"I'm just trying to picture certain things that’s all. I'm glad you are ok," replied Roy.
"What things?" Sarah asked as she watched the three men look at each other and laugh.
Johnny responded with another evil grin. He bent down and whispered in her ear. "The other guys will really get a kick out of some of the things Jimmy has told us about you. It sheds a whole new light on things. For example, let us travel down memory lane to July 1967... It was shortly before 7 pm... Need I say more?"
Sarah looked at the three men with wide eyes. "You wouldn’t really tell the other guys about that would you? Chet would ride me for hours if he heard that story."
"For the right price, I would keep it a secret ,but I don’t know about the other two," Johnny whispered in Sarah’s ear.
Sarah belted Johnny in the head with her pillow and knew she would probably live to regret the day that Jimmy, Johnny and Roy met.
Log Book | Gage Brigade