A/N: So, this follows The Researcher and The Fair. I'd intended this to be a trilogy (and I sincerely apologize for not actually finishing this as soon as I had intended) but inspiration struck. I now have plans to have a six part series.

Disclaimer: I regretfully do not own these characters. I simply play with them in my spare time and return them when I'm done. I am also not a medical professional.

The minute hand kept moving closer and closer to the eight on the clock. Fireman Roy Desoto shook his head and sipped his coffee. Cap was not going to be happy this morning. "Kelly's not here either," Marco Lopez commented from across the table. "They were going camping up in the mountains on their days off. Do you think something happened to them?"

Frowning, Roy sent another look at the clock. "I think we would have heard about it if it had," he answered. "No, they'll probably be racing in here any second, snapping at each other for being the reason they're late."

Mike Stoker looked dubious, but said nothing. Right at eight, Captain Hank Stanley walked out of his office. He raised his eyebrows at seeing two of his crew not yet there. "Any of you know where Gage and Kelly are?" he asked.

A concerned frown furrowed his forehead when he only received negative responses. He opened his mouth to continue, but was interrupted by a scuffle from the back. A moment later, John Gage and Chet Kelly came scrambling into view. They both were covered in mud and dirt, and neither of them looked happy.

"I assume there's a reason you're both late," Cap said sternly.

"Yes, sir," Johnny responded, standing at attention. He had a streak of dried mud on his cheek. "We had every intention of being here on time, sir, but we ran into an unexpected delay on the way down from the park yesterday evening."

Roy had a pretty good idea as to what that delay was, glancing at his partner out of the corner of his eye. He frowned as he heard what sounded like a squeak. "There was a landslide that blocked the road, Cap," Chet explained, confirming Roy's guess. "We spent all night digging our way out. Instead of going around like I suggested."

The last was muttered, almost too low for anyone to hear. Cap chose to ignore it as there was yet another squeak. Roy knew he wasn't hearing things because Mike's head turned slightly. "Alright. You two get cleaned up and in uniform," Cap ordered. "And then I want you both in my office."

"Yes, sir," the two firemen said in unison. Their affirmation was followed by an even shriller squeak.

"Gage, what is in your pocket?"

Clearing his throat, Johnny shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Chet turned an astonished look at the dark haired fireman. "Well, Cap, you see," Johnny began slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I couldn't just leave her there. Not so far out there with no one to look out for her."

As he spoke, he brought a gray handful of fluff out of his pocket. It mewed piteously. "Gage, I told you it would be fine," Chet hissed.

Cap heaved a sigh. "Get cleaned up," he looked slightly anxious as he hurried for the locker room when they were dismissed. He passed the mewing kitten to Mike, who stared at the kitten as if he didn't know what was expected of him."

Knowing that his partner wasn't likely going to be in a pleasant mood, Roy had a cup of coffee waiting when Johnny left the captain's office nearly a half hour later. "Rough trip?" he asked as the younger man accepted the offering.

"You have no idea," Johnny grumbled. He sipped the coffee before setting it down. He stretched his arms and then collapsed into a chair next to his partner. "Cap didn't come down too hard on us, though. I think he checked with the Rangers and knew we were telling the truth. There were other campers we were helping get out of the park."

He closed his eyes and slid down into a more comfortable position. "You brought back a friend," Roy remarked, looking over to where Mike, Marco, and Chet were leaning over the kitten. A small bowl of milk had been put on the floor for the pet. "What are you going to do with it?"

"I'll figure something out," Johnny insisted. "Anything will be better than leaving her out there to starve to death."

"You know, Chris was highly offended that you went camping without him," Roy told Johnny. "You're going to have to think up something creative to make it up to him."

"I'll add him to the list," Johnny mumbled. A second later, his eyes snapped open and he jerked upright. "Oh, geez. I forgot."

Roy watched in amusement as the dark haired paramedic scrambled to the phone. "What is it you forgot?" he asked as Johnny almost frantically dialed.

"I promised Colette I would call her when I got in last night," he responded. "I have to explain what happened so she's not mad at me."

Chuckling, Roy shook his head. "Its going to take more than a phone call to make up from breaking a promise to a woman, Junior," he teased. "I think you better prepare to lose a lot of money making up for this one."

Making a face, Johnny didn't have a response to that. He dejectedly replaced the phone on the cradle and sighed. "She must already be on her way to work," he decided. He walked slowly back to the table. "I'll call headquarters in a little while. She should be there by then and I can explain everything."

The rest of the crew had wandered away to start on their alloted chores for the shift. "How are things with you and Colette?" Roy asked as Johnny drained the rest of his coffee. "Joanne was just asking why you haven't brought her over the past few weeks."

"Everything is great," Johnny answered with a grin. "Colette is up for anything." His grin faded quickly though. "I keep worrying that she'll cave into her mother's demands and leave me for some other guy. No matter what I do, I just can't get on that woman's good side!"

"That is going to be something you'll have to deal with for the rest of your life, or until Colette's mother dies," Roy informed him. He frowned at the kitten that had walked to his feet. "There are times when she lets me know that I'm not good enough for her daughter. How does Colette's father feel about you?"

Johnny shrugged. "Its hard to say," he admitted. "I just met him last week and its not exactly comfortable being in the same room with both of Colette's parents. He's only here on a quick visit from Boston, so Colette has been spending a lot of time with him."

The kitten batted at Roy's right foot. Johnny stretched his arms. "Well, I better get to work on the latrines," he said. "I sure hope that we're not going to have a busy day because I am-."

The conversation was interrupted by the klaxons sounding. The two paramedics bolted from the table, while the kitten skittered to the closest chair she could hide under. "Squad 51, unknown emergency. 415 Tipton Ave. 415 Tipton Ave. Ambulance responding to address"

Roy scrawled out the address and handed the paper over to Johnny. "Squad 51, KMG-365," he acknowledged. He replaced the mic and climbed into the squad. He switched on the siren and took off. "I had to open my big mouth," Johnny mourned.

When Squad 51 pulled up in front of the address, they found a police car already on the curb and Officer Vince Howard at the front door. Moving efficiently, the paramedics pulled out the drug box and the radio. They hurried up to the porch.

"What have we got, Vince?" Roy asked.

The officer held open the door. "A young kid, about seven years old," he informed them. "Looks like a pretty severe case of the flu but I'm not the doctor. The grandmother is here taking care of him. She's his guardian. Follow me."

Vince led the way to the back of the house. An elderly woman was seated by a twin bed, wringing out a damp cloth. On the twin bed, propped up by pillows, was a little boy. His sandy brown hair was slick with sweat and his breathing was raspy.

"I'm Roy Desoto, my partner and I are paramedics," Roy said, going to her. "This is your grandson? How long has he been sick?"

"Two days, but he was worse today," the woman said worriedly. She stood up and unsteadily got out of the way. She kept her hand on the wall to keep her balance. "I tried to get my nephew to take us to the doctor, but he couldn't get off work and said he would come this evening if I thought Carl was getting worse. I don't drive, you see."

Nodding in understanding, Roy got out his stethoscope. "Hello there, young man," he said, moving to listen to the boy's breathing. A pair of brown, glassy eyes peered up at him. "What's your name?"

Carl's lips moved but the only sound was his raspy breathing. "His name is Carl," his grandmother supplied as Johnny began setting up the radio. "He just turned seven last week."

"Now Carl, you just stay calm and let us take care of you. I'm going to take your temperature now, ok?" Roy told him soothingly. He unwrapped the thermometer and slipped it into the boy's mouth. He wrapped his fingers around Carl's wrist and glanced at his watch. "What other symptoms has he had, Mrs.-?"

The grandmother hesitated. "Mrs. Williams. He's complained of being cold," she answered. "He's had a headache and coughing. He threw up some yesterday."

Noting that all down, Johnny picked up the biophone. "Rampart, this Squad 51. How do you read me?"

After a moment, the calm voice of Dixie McCall responded, "We read you. Go ahead 51."

"Rampart, we have a male, seven years old, displaying flu symptoms: fever, difficulty breathing, headache, and coughing," Johnny reported. He rattled off the vitals as Roy told them to him, ending with, "and he has a temperature of 102.3 degrees."

Carl jerked straight up and leaned over the side of the bed. Roy pushed the bucket over in time to catch the vomit. He helped the boy lay back, alarmed by the "Victim is vomiting as well, Rampart," Johnny added.

"10-4, 51," Dr. Early's voice responded. "If the parents are there, get permission to start an IV, D5W, and administer oxygen. Transport as soon as possible."

Johnny looked up at the woman. "Ma'am, are you his guardian?" he asked. She nodded. "We need to start an IV. Do we have your permission?"

"Yes, yes, of course," she responded, wringing her hands together.

Moving quickly, Johnny handed over the necessary items. "Ma'am, just stay calm," he advised soothingly. "We'll have Carl to the hospital in a jiffy and the doctors will take good care of him."

Carl whimpered as the needle entered his arm. "You're doing just fine," Roy told him. He taped the IV tube in place while Johnny slipped the oxygen mask into place. "I bet in a week you won't even remember that you were sick."

"I'll go see if that ambulance is here yet," Vince volunteered before hurrying out of the room.

Mrs. Williams brushed at her eyes. "He's had the flu before," she commented, her tone tremulous. "Why is it so bad this time?"

"There are different strains of the flu, ma'am," Roy explained, hearing the sounds that marked the arrival of the gurney. "Carl probably came into contact with a pretty tough strain. He'll be himself once the doctors do their job. You'll see. Everything is going to be fine."

A moment later, the ambulance attendants rushed into the room. Carl was shifted onto the gurney and strapped into place. Johnny quickly packed up all the equipment while Roy accompanied Carl and his grandmother in the ambulance.

Dixie McCall shook her head as the two paramedics joined her at the nurse's station. "That is the tenth flu victim to come in today, and about the fiftieth patient this week," she informed them. She shook her head. "This flu seems to be highly contagious."

"Dix, can I borrow your phone?" Johnny asked.

Raising an eyebrow, Dixie gestured to it in invitation. "Do I dare even ask?" she queried, glancing at Roy.

"He was delayed getting to the fire station and didn't have a chance to talk to Colette," Roy explained. "Apparently, he promised he would but now he hasn't been able to get a hold of her. He's worried she's going to be upset."

The head nurse nodded in understanding. "Should I tell him that Colette doesn't seem like the kind of girl to get angry over a missed phone call?"

"He was supposed to call her last night. He thinks that's going to make Colette furious, even though he has a pretty valid excuse for not calling."

That only made Dixie smile. Frowning, Johnny hung up. "She's not in today," he reported, sounding puzzled. "She took the week off. She didn't tell me she was going to do that. But why didn't she answer when I called her apartment?"

"Well, you said both of her parents are in town, she's probably with them," Roy told him. "Wait until tonight and then try calling her then."

"You could always send flowers," Dixie suggested. "That's a sure way of letting a girl know you're sorry to have broken a promise."

Johnny paused. "You know. That's not a bad idea. Thanks, Dix! Come on, Roy."

As his partner set off down the hallway, Roy turned to the nurse. "Flowers? I thought you said Colette wasn't the kind of girl to get upset."

Dixie smiled. "Oh, I did, and its completely true," she responded, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "See, we females have to stick together on these things and what girl doesn't love flowers? Trust me. Johnny won't have anything to worry about once he sends flowers."

"Remind me to never let you and Joanne conspire together."

"Miss McCall, Doctor Brackett needs you in Treatment Room Three," a young nurse said, hurrying over.

The nurse went one way and the paramedic went in the opposite direction.

Expertly, Roy backed the squad into place, trying to ignore his partners ramblings about florists and the best arrangements. He made no response to Johnny's question that he hadn't paid attention to. His attention went to where the rest of the crew was standing around the door to the office. "What's going on?" he asked.

Mike just shook his head. "Some lady walked in off the street," Chet responded as Johnny came around the back of the squad. "She's been demanding to see Gage."

"Gage!" Capt. Stanley's voice rang out. "You want to come join me for a moment?"

Quickly, Johnny sent a puzzled look at his partner and hurried to the office. The other men made room for him to get through. Frowning, Roy trailed after his partner. He managed to get closest to the door There was a petite woman standing in front of the desk. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun, making her look stern. The scowl on her face also didn't help make a good first impression.

"Mrs. Alderman," Johnny greeted politely though there was an edge to his voice. Roy flinched. He knew that tone well from when they dealt with unreasonable patients. "What can I do for you?"

"I want to speak to you in private, Gage," the woman said sharply.

Johnny sent a quick glance at the audience they had of the whole crew. "I think anything you have to say to me can be said in front of everyone here," he said firmly. "Because I really can't think of anything you have to say to me that I want to hear, unless Colette has been hurt."

Mrs. Alderman scoffed, her eyes glinting with annoyance. "Oh, I'm sure she's as fine as can be," she answered. "She and her father had plans of some kind. I want you to break up with her."

The rest of the crew was watching with curiosity, and Marco had his eyebrows raised. Johnny heaved a sigh that said he'd been through this before. "No," he answered. "Now if that's all you have to say, I'm on duty right now. Good day, Mrs. Alderman. Is there anything else, Cap?"

Mrs. Alderman gaped at him, her expression highly offended. At his captain's slight shake of the head, Johnny turned to walk out. "She's been offered a job in Boston," Mrs. Alderman called after him. Johnny came to a halt in the doorway. "A good one. The kind of job that only comes along once ina lifetime. An editor saw her article about the paramedic program."

"What does that have to do with me?" Johnny asked, not looking over his shoulder.

"Let her go," the woman said, her tone almost pleading. "For God's sake, let her achieve something in this world! Let her find someone who she won't have to worry about every time sirens go off."

"Seems to me that's Colette's choice, not yours," Johnny responded, in a calm, quiet tone. He pushed past his crewmates and went to the kitchen. Huffing, Mrs. Alderman stalked out of the station.

Chet Kelly let out a slow whistle. "He told her off," he commented.

Cap shook his head as he joined them at the doorway. "Hard to believe she's the chief's daughter," he said. He glanced over at Roy. "Has she been giving Johnny trouble this whole time?"

"Apparently," was all Roy could say in answer. "Johnny really hasn't made any complaints about it, though."

Slowly, the men went their separate ways. Chet was the last to move. "I can't think of any girl that would be worth that kind of harassment," he said. "I can't believe Johnny's still seeing Colette with her mother around."

"Well, Chet, maybe you just haven't found the right girl," Roy said, walking past his crewmember to go into the kitchen. There he found Johnny sitting at the table with a grin on his face. "What are you so happy about?"

"You heard Mrs. Alderman, right?" Johnny asked, sounding excited. Confused, Roy nodded. "She wants me to break up with Colette so that Colette will go back to Boston."

"I know, I heard it," Roy answered slowly. "I thought you'd be a little bit more offended by that."

"Don't you see? If she thinks Colette will refuse this job offer because of me, that means that Colette does care about me. I don't have to worry about her leaving me for another guy."

Roy heaved a sigh and shook his head. "Sometimes I think you worry over nothing, Junior."

Johnny sent him an offended look. "I wonder where Smoke ended up," he said, turning away.

"Don't tell me you named the cat."

"Gage!" Cap Stanley suddenly shouted.

Johnny's face paled and Roy chuckled. "I'd say its in the captain's office. You better move it before it destroys something you can't apologize for."

His partner moved so fast Roy was impressed.

A drill, a false alarm and then an oven fire brought Station 51 well past noon before the crew had their midday meal. On the way back from the false alarm, Johnny insisted Roy stop at a little florist shop and the dark haired paramedic arranged for a bouquet of daisies be delivered to his girlfriend's apartment that afternoon. Once that was done, Johnny was in his usual high energy frame of mind.

Over lunch, though, Chet decided to bring up Mrs. Alderman's visit by saying, "Hey, Johnny. You do know that women always turn out like their mothers, right?" he commented.

In the middle of devouring a ham sandwich, Johnny looked across the table with narrowed eyes. "Just what is that supposed to mean, Kelly?" he demanded.

All movement at the table came to a stop, everyone's attention going to the pair "I'm just saying that Mrs. Alderman is a bit of a harpy, and Colette could turn out like her in a few years," Chet responded, clearly not seeing the danger he was putting himself in. "I wouldn't think you'd go in for that kind of girl."

There was a moment of complete silence. Roy resisted the urge to groan. "That kind of girl," Johnny repeated slowly. He put what remained of his sandwich down, a sign he was taking the conversation very seriously. "Now what makes you think you know Colette well enough to make any kind of judgement?"

"I'm not making any kind of judgment," Chet responded. "Its just a well known fact that women always end up exactly like their mother, so-"

"Kelly, I'm going to say this once, and only once," Johnny said in a calm even tone, interrupting Chet's defense. "You will not ever say a word against Mrs. Alderman, and especially not a word about Colette's character. They are the chief's family, for crying out loud, and you ought to know better. You don't know what you're talking about."

"All I'm saying is that you must really be into Colette knowing how her mother is."

Johnny's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Kelly, put a lid on it," Cap snapped out.

Chet managed to look offended but kept his mouth shut. "Mrs. Alderman may not be the most pleasant person out there, but I can name off at least a dozen others who are worse," Johnny continued, as though he didn't think the point had been made. "She has every right to be concerned about her daughter."

"You don't have to speak up for her, Johnny," Roy told him. "I think Chet's got the message."

"Yeah, I got it," Chet said sharply. "Gage just can't take a little harmless teasing."

"A little teasing!" Johnny repeated, his voice rising. "Kelly-."

"That's enough, both of you," their captain said sharply.

"Kelly, you might want to stop and think about how many husbands you just offended," Mike spoke up.

Swiftly, Chet took the hint, glancing between Roy and Cap. "I didn't mean-," he began to say.

"Whatever you meant, stop," Roy advised, feeling the beginning of a headache pounding behind his eyes. He was relieved when the only sound for a few minutes was of food being consumed. That's when Roy noticed that Marco was merely poking at his lunch.

When everyone else cleared the table, with Johnny staying as far from Chet as possible, Roy leaned towards Marco. "Are you feeling alright?" he asked, keeping his voice low. "You didn't eat much."

"I think I'm coming down with something, Roy," Marco confessed, his voice hoarse. Smoke had jumped on the man's lap and was purring loudly. "My throat hurts like you wouldn't believe and every muscle in my body seems to ache. I felt fine when I came in this morning."

Overhearing, Cap stepped over. "Problem?" he asked in concern.

"Dixie said there's a nasty, highly contagious flu going around," Roy answered. "The boy Johnny and I took to Rampart this morning had it, and there have been several people hospitalized already. It kind of sounds like Marco might have caught it too."

"Think you can ride out the shift, Marco?" Cap asked.

Visibly, Marco hesitated. "Sure, Cap," he answered.

Cap looked over at Roy questioningly. The paramedic shook his head. "I don't recommend it, Cap, and I don't think any doctor would either," he said. "The flu isn't something a person should work through. What he needs is rest and plenty of liquids."

"I'll call into headquarters and see if we can get a replacement," Cap said decisively. He clapped Marco's shoulder. "I'd rather not have any of my men make themselves worse for no reason."

The fact that Marco just nodded in acceptance spoke volumes as to how he really felt. "We could get you to Rampart," Roy offered. "Have one of the docs there check you out."

Marco shook his head. "I'll just get to Mama's house," he answered. "She'll take care of me."

The tones for the squad sounded then and the two paramedics moved to the door. "Squad 51, injured woman. 2234 Willowbrook. 2234 Willowbrook. Ambulance has been dispatched," the dispatcher said.

Scrawling the address quickly, Roy lifted the mic to acknowledge. "Squad 51, KMG-365." He climbed into the squad, taking note of Johnny's tense expression. "Something wrong, Johnny?"

"That's the address of Colette's apartment building."

The squad barely came to a stop and Johnny had his seatbelt unlatched. The young paramedic pushed his door open and was getting the equipment out before Roy even had his door open. There was an older man standing at the door. "Please hurry," he called out. "I don't think she can breath very well. My wife is up with her right now."

"Mr. Masters," Johnny called over, holding the biophone and the drug boxes in his hands. Roy grabbed the oxygen and followed his partner up to the door. "Everything's going to be fine. Which apartment?"

Mr. Masters held the door open for them by leaning against it. "Number 6, Mr. Gage," he answered. "Its Miss Alderman. We didn't know she was sick, but when she didn't answer the door for the delivery, my wife went up to check on her. We knew she was here because her car was still out in front. She's very sick."

"There's going to be an ambulance coming," Roy told him. "Can you send them up to the apartment when they get here?"

The man nodded. Johnny had bypassed the elevator and was taking the stairs two at a time. Roy hurried after him. Several of the other residents of the building were poking their heads out of their doors on the second floor. More than one was grumbling about the noise and inconvenience. At the end of the hall, Johnny entered the last apartment.

A vase of daisies was sitting on the small table by the door. A few steps further in brought them to the living room where an empty mug sat on the coffee table. An empty box of tissues and a full wastebasket were by the couch. "Mrs. Masters?" Johnny called out, moving further into the apartment.

"Here!" In a small hallway, twenty three year old Colette Alderman was on the floor, her head propped by a single pillow. The wheezy sound of her breathing could be heard several feet away. Beside her was an older woman who was holding a damp cloth to Colette's head. "Oh, Mr. Gage," Mrs. Masters exclaimed, looking up. "I'm so glad you've come. I don't know how long she's been like this. I think she hit her head."

She stood up and moved to let the paramedics take her place. "Colette," Johnny said, kneeling beside his girlfriend. He took the rag off her head with one hand while he took her wrist in his right hand to check her pulse. "Colette, its Johnny. Can you hear me?" He glanced up at the landlady. "Has she opened her eyes or said anything?"

"No. I thought she was waking up a few minutes ago, and she mumbled something I couldn't understand," the older woman informed him, wringing her hands. "How could this have happened? If I had known she was ill, I would have checked on her sooner. I was just bringing her flowers up for her."

Quickly, Roy placed the oxygen near Colette's head as Johnny began to get Colette's vitals. The older paramedic began to set up the biophone as his partner gently pulled the woman to lie on her back and began to examine her head. He frowned, took the thermometer from its wrapping, and slipped it into Colette's mouth. "Fever?" Roy asked.

Johnny nodded. "That could be why she fell," he answered. He leaned in closer. "Colette. Colette, can you hear me?"

While his partner worked at bringing Colette around, Roy turned his attention to the biophone. "Rampart, this is Squad 51, how do you read?"

Seconds later, Dr. Brackett's voice responded, "We read you 51. Go ahead."

"Rampart, we have a female patient, 23 yrs old," Roy reported. He listed off the vitals from the pad of paper where Johnny had written, including the temperature of 104.2. When Roy looked up from the paper, he saw Johnny was holding Colette's hand up, revealing the blue tinge to her fingernails. "Victim is cyanotic and dehydrated. She appears to have fallen and hit her head. Pupils are equal and responsive."

The word made Mrs. Masters whimper with worry. "51, start IV, 45W," Dr. Brackett ordered. "Administer O2 and transport her as soon as possible."

Slowly, Colette's eyes flicked open and deep coughs racked her body. Johnny supported her and then helped her back down. The woman's eyes focused on the paramedic. "Johnny?" she whispered a frown, either of confusion of discomfort, creased her forehead. "What-?"

"There you are. Now you just stay calm, Colette," Johnny told her, flashing his typical charming grin. "Roy and I are here to take care of you. And we have Dr. Brackett waiting at Rampart to get you back on your feet."

The frown only became deeper as Roy handed Johnny the O2 mask. "You're supposed to be camping," she said. She coughed again, squeezing her eyes shut. Anything else she might have said was cut off by the mask over her mouth.

"Colette, keep your eyes open, alright?" Johnny told her. He tied a rubber tube around her arm, ripped open the alcohol swab, and then rubbed the inside of her arm. Sluggishly, Colette opened her eyes. "Now, the doctor has ordered you an IV, so we can start getting you hydrated, alright? Once we have the ambulance here you get a ride to the hospital."

The expression on Colette's face changed slightly and Johnny shook his head, chuckling. "Yeah, I know you bruise easily and an IV is going to make you sore for a week," he said to her as if she'd spoken. "Doc's orders."

Roy couldn't be sure if his partner's words were understood by the sick woman, who turned her head away. She tried to pull her arm away, but Johnny held it down with a gentle but firm grip. "It's only going to hurt for a moment, Colette," he said, keeping his tone soothing as he worked. "There, you see? Nothing to it."

"Desoto, Gage, the ambulance is here," Officer Vince Howard said from the living room.

Nodding, the paramedics moved to transport their patient. Working in the tight space was difficult, but they managed to get Colette off the floor and on the gurney. The woman's fingers had curled around the sleeve of Johnny's jacket and she stubbornly refused to let go as she was strapped in.

"Yeah, I'm riding along with you," Johnny told her as if they were carrying on a conversation. "You didn't think you could get rid of me that easily did you?"

Colette almost smiled and let go. Her eyes drifted closed as she was hurried out of her apartment.

It didn't take long for Dr. Brackett to diagnose Colette with a concussion and a mild case of pneumonia. There was no mistaking the worry on Johnny's face as he was forced to leave the room. "She'll be fine," Roy told him as they moved to the nurse's station. "You know Brackett's the best."

"It shouldn't have come to this," Johnny said leaning against the desk. He brought his fist down pausing to stop the force right before he rested it on the top of the desk. "If I'd called her yesterday like I promised, this wouldn't have happened."

Ending her phone call, Dixie raised an eyebrow at the two. "Don't tell me you're still worrying about apologizing to Colette," she said, her tone amused. "Johnny, she's not the kind of girl to hold a grudge."

"Dix, the patient we just brought in was Colette," Roy informed her. Dixie's eyes widened. "A case of the flu turning into pneumonia. She was cyanotic. No one knew she was sick. It could have been real bad, but Brackett is certain she'll recover with no problem."

"Oh, I see," Dixie said, her expression becoming concerned. "I'm so sorry, Johnny. But you know its not your fault."

"Yeah," Roy agreed quickly. "Didn't you hear what the Masters' said? Mrs. Masters went up with those flowers you sent, and that's how she ended up finding Colette sick. I think you saved Colette's life, Junior."

It took a moment for those words to register. "Hey, you know something? You're right!" the younger man exclaimed. His joy vanished just as quickly as it had come. "I sure hope she's alright. Has anyone called the chief? Or her parents?"

"You!"

Johnny flinched as Mrs. Alderman's voice echoed through the hallway. "Trouble?" Dixie asked in a low voice.

"Colette's mother," Roy explained quickly. He turned to face the irate woman with his partner. "Mrs. Alderman, I'm glad Officer Howard was able to get ahold of you-."

Mrs. Alderman pointed a finger at him, cutting him off with a sharp, "No, I'm not talking to you, fireman. Where is my daughter?"

Dixie's eyes had narrowed slightly and she moved around the desk to come between her favorite paramedics and the woman. "Miss Alderman is currently being examined by the doctors," she said. "If you'll please have a seat in the waiting room, I'll let you know when your daughter has been moved to a room and if there can be visitors."

"Can you tell me how bad she is? It was just a cold two days ago," Mrs. Alderman said, her tone shifting to one of pleading. Her focus was on the nurse now, and there was a complete change in her demeanor.

Catching Johnny's eye, Roy jerked his head in a gesture that they should get out while they could. Nodding once, the dark haired man moved around Dixie and Mrs. Alderman, heading for the door. He glanced over his shoulder at Treatment Room 3 once before it was out of his view.

"She really hates you, doesn't she?" Roy commented as they reached the Squad.

"The family dinners are the worst," Johnny concurred as he pulled the passenger door open. "Its a good thing the chief's wife makes some amazing lasagna."

Sliding in behind the wheel, Roy looked over at his partner. "You really are crazy about her aren't you," he said slowly.

Without answering, Johnny picked up the mic. "Squad 51 available," he reported. Dispatch acknowledged. "You know, I wonder what happened while I was gone," he commented in an offhand way. "I mean, Mrs Alderman hasn't seen or talked to Colette in two days and she assumed Colette was with her father. Why did no one know Colette was so sick?"

"You'll have to ask her when she's coherent," Roy said, starting the engine and putting the Squad into gear.

It didn't come as a surprise to Roy that Johnny remained on edge the whole way to the Station, even though the young man kept up a steady stream of remarks about everything and nothing. Keeping up with the younger man's thought process was exhausting. The headache that had been lurking hit Roy full force by the time they arrived at the station.

He could have groaned when he saw that Chet was mopping the bay floor. "Tough run?" the garrulous man asked, leaning against the mop handle.

"Not too bad," Roy responded, climbing out. He knew saying too much would only end badly. "Did Cap get a replacement for Marco?"

"Yeah, we've got Kirk for the rest of this shift," Chet answered, eyeing them with a suspicion. "Are you sure it wasn't a bad run? Gage looks stressed and you look like something the cat dragged in. Speaking of cats, your cat threw up on Cap's shoe earlier, Gage."

Johnny came around the squad, grimacing at the news. "I'm guessing Cap is going to want us to run a couple drills to get in tune with Kirk," he guessed, sounding resigned to being in their captain's bad graces for the day. "Did someone give Smoke something other than milk while we were gone? That might have been what made her sick."

"Yep, to both," Chet responded. His eyes lit up. "Johnny, did you finally get in touch with Colette? Is she mad at you? That's why Roy looks so bad. You're driving him crazy about how to make it up to Colette."

"I'm going to go have a word with Cap," the younger paramedic said to Roy, as if Chet hadn't spoken.

Straightening up, Chet watched Johnny walk to the office. "What's his problem?" he asked. "He's been a bear all day. And all over a chick?"

Feeling sharply aggravated, Roy glared at him. "That 'chick', Kelly, was our last victim that we just took to Rampart," he told him sharply. Chet stared at him in shock. "Colette had the flu that's going around and its turned into pneumonia. She has a concussion because lost her balance and hit her head."

"Is she going to be ok?" the quiet Mike Stoker asked in concern. He had Smoke in his hands.

Breathing out, Roy nodded, wincing as the move made his headache worse. "Dr. Brackett said she should recover without a problem," he answered. "She was coherent enough to recognize Johnny so that was good."

"I'm still trying to figure out how a great girl like Colette ended up with Gage," Sam Kirk commented as he joined the conversation. "I can think of at least five firemen who were less than pleased when they found out."

"You're not the only one who doesn't understand it," Chet told him. "But there's no accounting for a woman's taste."

Mike gave both men a look of disgust. "I'll make sure to let Colette know you think so the next time I see her," he commented. His words made Chet and Charlie look a little nervous.

"Alright, men," Cap said, coming out with Johnny on his heels. "Its drill time, since everyone seems to have nothing to do at the moment."

There were groans from most of the crew and Roy heaved a sigh. Somehow, he had the feeling that his headache wasn't going to have any reprieve.

Drills and runs kept the station hopping for the rest of the afternoon. Twice the paramedics ended up at Rampart, and each time Johnny pestered Dixie on how his girlfriend was doing. The head nurse was able to report an improvement in Colette's condition but also that Mrs. Alderman was in the room, thus stopping Johnny from going up to personally check on Colette.

While Roy understood why his partner was concerned, he couldn't bring himself to be happy at each report Johnny brought him. All he wanted was to get back to the station and rest. His headache had become steadily worse, and he knew it was making him less patient than usual.

Night finally came, and Roy was the first to crawl into his bunk. Kirk had thankfully kept from bringing up Colette again. Johnny had, nonetheless, found something to obsess over for the evening, namely the well being of Smoke, who had gotten underfoot and had been a victim of being stepped on by Chet.

"That cat better be gone after tomorrow, Gage," Cap warned as Johnny fused over the box that had been selected for Smoke to sleep in.

Not caring what excuse Johnny had, Roy pulled his blankets up over his head. He knew it was wishful thinking to hope for an interrupted night but at that point, he couldn't think of anything he wanted more.

When the tones sounded that night, Roy felt worse than than before. He forced himself up and into his turnout. Smoke was protesting the disturbance to her sleep from Johnny's pillow where she had moved to. Roy was the last one out of the dorms. "Station 51, house fire. 4623 W. 42nd St. 4-6-2-3 W. 42nd St. Time out: 434."

"Station 51, KMG -365," Cap responded, scrawling down the address. He passed the paper to Roy before he moved onto the Engine. Johnny traced out the route on the map before scrambling over to the other side of the squad.

"You know Chet's right," Johnny commented as they raced down the mostly empty street. "You do look terrible."

Roy found he didn't have anything to say in response to that observation. They pulled down a residential street and immediately spotted the one story house that was alight with fire. Smoke was pouring out of the open windows. Parking alongside the curb, the two paramedics jumped out.

A small group of neighbors had gathered on the sidewalk, and there was a police officer trying to keep them away. Right on their captain's heels, Roy and Johnny hurried to the officer. "Did the homeowner get out?" Cap asked, getting straight to the point. "Who called it in?"

"I did," a young man called out. He stepped forward. "I don't know how long it was on fire before I noticed it fifteen minutes ago. I have no idea if Mr. Reynolds is back or not. He and his daughter travel to New York every couple weeks."

"They are back," an older woman spoke up. "You can see his car in the driveway."

The news wasn't ideal. "Desoto, Gage, you're going to have to go in," Cap said, turning to the paramedics. "Kelly and Lopez will cover you. I'm afraid we're going to need another engine to keep this from spreading to the other houses."

Nodding, the men rushed back to the squad and pulled their tanks on. "You sure you're up for this?" Johnny asked.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," Roy responded. He decided he was really getting sick of comments about how he looked. "Let's go get them, Junior."

The rest of the crew had a stream of water already on the roof of the house. Moving as quickly as he could, Roy led the way up to the front porch. The door was unlocked and swung open with no problem.

There was no telling how long the fire had been burning. The entry was filled with smoke but the flames hadn't reached it yet. The partners worked their way past the living room and kitchen which was impenetrable. But in the hallway, they found a middle aged man struggling to get to his feet, his right hand clutching at his chest.

"Sir, are you alright?" Johnny demanded, grabbing the man's elbow to help steady him. He pulled his mask off his own face for the man to use.

Coughing, the man pushed the mask away. "My-daughter," he gasped out. "My...heart..."

"Johnny, get him out of here," Roy shouted close to his partner's ear. "I'll find the girl."

His partner's conveyed just how much Johnny was not happy with the idea of splitting up. Still, he nodded once and put his arm around the man's back. He slipped his oxygen mask over the man's face and hurried him to the front door, visibly taking more and more of the man's weight. The smoke hide them from sight in a matter of seconds.

Grateful for the fresh air coming from his tank, Roy followed the hallway back until he came to a closed door. He pushed it open and found that it was untouched by the fire but was filled with smoke. A teenage girl was sprawled in her bed, unconscious; presumably having been asleep and slowly being suffocated by the smoke.

Something crashed nearby. Moving quickly, Roy lifted the girl from the bed and onto his shoulder, keeping her wrapped in a blanket to keep her protected. When he turned to go back the way he'd come, he found himself cut off by the fire.

Grimacing, Roy moved to the outside wall. He reached for the HT and brought it up to his mouth. "HT-1, this is HT-2," he said. "I'm at the east wall with the last victim. I've got to go out the window."

"10-4, HT-2," came the response moments later.

Taking the small hammer from his belt, Roy broke the glass, knocking the shards off. He leaned his head through the opening and spotted Cap running towards him. Without needing to say another word, Roy carefully passed the girl out to his captain. As Cap carried the girl towards the Squad, Roy wriggled his way out.

Brushing his arm across his forehead, Roy was relieved to get away from the heat that was making sweat bead on his skin. He pulled the mask from his face as he knelt down next to his patient. Johnny had the drug box open and the biophone on. "Rampart, first victim is experiencing cardiac distress," the dark haired paramedic was saying. "I am administering oxygen, one hundred percent."

Firmly, Roy held the oxygen mask over the girl's face. "51, send me EKG," Dr. Early requested moments later.

"10-4, Rampart," Johnny acknowledged. He let the phone drop down so that his hands were free to set everything up. He sent a glance over at his partner. "Is she hurt?"

"Just smoke inhalation, I think," Roy responded, raspily. He cleared his throat and rubbed at his forehead in irritation. The night air was doing nothing to help cool down how hot he felt.

He didn't miss the fact that Johnny frowned at his action. But, the other paramedic finished attaching the leads and picked up the phone. "Rampart, this will be lead two."

His patient coughing caught Roy's attention and he refocused on the girl. Her eyes were open and she was fighting to sit up. "Hey, its alright," he told her. "I'm a paramedic with the LA fire department."

She calmed somewhat, but her hands latched around his wrists tightly. "Dad?" she asked, her voice muffled by the oxygen mask.

Roy looked over at his partner who was setting up an IV. "Don't you worry," he said, turning back to the girl. The wail of the ambulance could be heard in the distance as the firemen extinguished the flames. "Everything's going to be just fine."

By the time the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Johnny's patient had gone into v fib. The dark haired paramedic was riding the rails of the gurney, doing chest compressions. The patient was rushed into Treatment Room 1 where Dr. Early took over. When Johnny joined Roy at the nurses station, though, the man's heart had been restarted.

"The engine is returning to the station," Roy informed him. He lifted his arm and coughed into it. "Let's get going, Partner."

"Hold on a minute," Johnny said, looking up and down the hallway.

Roy groaned. "Johnny, you can't go visit Colette now," he complained.

"That's not what I'm waiting for," Johnny snapped back. He pushed away from the desk. "Hey, doc."

Dr. Morton had just turned down the hallway and came towards the paramedics with a questioning expression on his face. "What can I do for you two?" he asked.

"Well, he won't say anything, but Roy here is coming down with the flu," Johnny told him. Roy raised a hand to his face and sighed. "Now, one of our crew already went home and we all know the flu this time around is pretty nasty. I think he needs to be checked out before he ends up worse than he is."

"Johnny..." Roy began to say.

The doctor had already grabbed his arm. "Let's get you checked out, Desoto."

Swearing he would go home to rest, Roy narrowly avoided Dr. Morton admitting him. Relieved, the paramedic went to find his partner. The nurse was noticeably absent from her station. Wondering just how Johnny had managed to pull that off, Roy made his way through the quiet corridor to Colette's room.

Stepping into the room, Roy paused. Johnny had pulled a chair closer to the side of the bed, looking oddly out of place in his white t-shirt and turnout pants. He was holding Colette's hand and was talking in a low, gentle voice. "You're going to love Smoke," he was saying. "She'll fit right in at your apartment building-."

"Don't tell me you're pawning that cat off on a sick woman," Roy interrupted with a whisper, shaking his head at his partner.

"Pawning-? I'm not pawning anything!" Johnny objected, managing to keep his voice low. "I just think Smoke would be a good pet for Colette. What did Morton have to say?"

"Roy, you don't sound so good," Colette commented, startling both paramedics. She lifted her head and frowned at Roy. She paused and coughed. "I don't think being in damp gear is doing you any good either."

"Every time," Johnny complained, no longer quiet. "You always have something to say to Roy before you say anything to me. I'm beginning to think you like Roy more than you do me. Here I've been talking and thinking that you were sleeping."

Colette turned her head to look at him. "I woke up when you were telling me about the heart patient, but I didn't want to interrupt you," she told him. Her fingers tightened around Johnny's. "I think you should get your partner back to the station before he manages to lose his balance and hits his head like I did."

"Or before the nurse comes and kicks us out because its not visiting hours," Roy said pointedly.

Grimacing, Johnny stood up. "Its the safest time to visit," he remarked. He froze as he realized what had just left his mouth. "Colette-."

His girlfriend didn't let go of his hand. "Mom won't be back, Johnny," she told him. "She's going back to Boston today. She's going to have something bigger to worry over than you and me. Any time you visit will be safe"

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

Colette's eyes drifted closed. "Liar," she chided. "But I still love you. Move the daisies closer before you leave."

Johnny brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it. "I'll see you when I get off work," he promised.

As he watched his partner move the vase of daisies closer, Roy realized he now knew exactly how Johnny must have felt every time he'd been in the company of a couple: as though he'd witnessed something private. The moment was interrupted by an appalled voice.

"What are you doing in here?"

Flinching, the two paramedics hurried out of the room as a nurse stormed towards them and Colette laughed. "So, I guess I get a replacement to work with," Johnny said as they reached the elevator.

"You knew that would happen when you ratted me out to Morton," Roy pointed out. "I called it in already. My replacement is on his way to the station."

"Anyone with eyes could see you weren't feeling the greatest, and given how many are coming down with the flu, I figured it was better safe than sorry," Johnny said defensively. As the elevator doors slid closed, he frowned. "Wait. Do you know who its going to be? Please tell me its not Brice."

Roy glanced over and didn't even try to hide a smile. "I'm sure you two will get along just fine."

"Great. Just great. I should have kept my mouth shut and let you suffer through it since you didn't realize it for yourself. You know what he's like! I'm going to have to remember the squad will be locked and -."

For the first time, Roy felt relieved that he was the one who had the flu. He was more than ready to get home, crawl into bed, and leave others to take care of the city.