ABOVE AND BEYOND . . . . . . . REALLY

by ardavenport

[Author's note: Really, this should have happened on the show.]

"Hey, John, congratulations." The young intern, Swenson, grabbed his hand in a quick handshake in the busy emergency department hallway.

"Oh, uh yeah, thanks." He smiled back and Swenson hurried off. In the middle of the hallway, he looked to either side, but no other admirers stopped for him, though a volunteer in her pink and white striped smock smiled broadly at him as she pushed her cart by. Shrugging, Johnny moved on.

Roy was already at the base station, Nurse Dixie McCall standing, smiling at the counter. Sitting next to her, Dr. Kelly Brackett looked up from a blue folder.

"Looks like our skiing accident's got a pretty bad break, but he'll make it." Johnny rested his hands on the counter.

Dixie's brows rose at the improbability of anyone skiing in snow-less LA county. "He broke his leg skiing?"

Roy explained. It was one of their stranger rescues. "Yeah. Some guy wanted to keep in practice without making a trip up to the mountains, so he strapped a few pairs of roller skates to his skis and tried it going down a hill." He angled his hand in front of him in a downward slide.

"Didn't actually get on the slopes, but he still broke his leg." Brackett shook his head. He held up the blue folder. "Hey, congratulation, Johnny. Roy was just showing us his letter. Good job." A pretty young nurse with shoulder length brown hair (her name was Tracy Tolland, single) peered over his shoulder at it before looking up with an admiring smile. Johnny had his own letter, but it was in the front seat of the squad. The alarm had gone off just after they had been presented with them.

Johnny grinned back and shrugged. "Well, I mean, what else could we do? We had to help them out."

Roy agreed with his own big grin. "Yeah. It's nice to be recognized for doing something so . . . ."

Johnny finished for his more modest partner. "Outstanding? You can say it, Roy."

"I agree." Brackett nodded. "I worked on that guy. He would not have made it if you two hadn't been there." He got up from the chair and handed the letter back.

"It's nice to be appreciated, but still . . . I sure don't want to any more calls like that if I can help it." Roy folded the blue cover back.

Johnny agreed. "You're telling me."

Tolland, still smiling brightly, came over to him, laid her hand on his arm, stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. "Well, I think it's wonderful." Her breast brushed by his chest.

Surprised, the soft warmth from her lips still on his cheek, he stared back and didn't think to ask her what she was doing for dinner tomorrow before she hurried off. Mouth open, he turned around, his eyes following her down the hall. She had a very nice figure. He raised his hand. "Uuuuh."

"Ah, Johnny?"

She was gone amidst the other white hospital uniforms. But he had a feeling that he could ask her later.

"Johnny?"

He turned around back to his partner.

"Drug box? Supplies?"

"Huh?" He looked down. "Oh." He lifted the black box that he had forgotten that he still carried onto the counter.

Doctor Brackett shook his head. Standing between them, he put a hand on both paramedics' shoulders. "I've got to get going. Congratulations again, guys. Good work."

"Thanks, Doc."

"Thanks."

"Well, I think you two are just going to have to get used to a little hero-worship for awhile." Dixie sat down in the chair that Brackett had just left.

"Yeah, well if they're young and pretty, I don't think Johnny's going to have a problem with that." Roy put the letter down and opened the drug box on the counter.

"Well, don't you think we deserve a little recognition?"

"Sure. But I'll let you wear the bullet-proof vest and practice being the target from now on."

Johnny grimaced. "No, thank-you."

Dixie, who had been their friend for too long to be any more impressed than Brackett, still looked appreciative. "Wasn't the engine crew with you on that one? Did they get letters, too?"

Roy answered. "Oh, the chief had a letter for the Captain and the station, too, for helping. But," Roy's mouth quirked into another grin, "but we each got separate letters, addressed to us by name."

"Hey, Joe." Dixie picked up the blue folder.

Turning to look, Johnny looked to see the silver-haired doctor stop by.

"Oh, hey Doc, how's our skiing accident doing?"

"I'll know more when I see the x-rays, but it doesn't look like he'll be skiing anymore for quite awhile." He ended with a gentle laugh, scratching his head. Dixie handed him Roy's letter.

"Looks like we've got a couple heroes here."

"Oh?" Curious, Early flipped the cover back.

"Uh huh." Dixie proudly looked at both paramedics and they blushed while Joe Early read Roy's letter of commendation.

On August 9th, you responded to a call to assist the Police Department whose officers were engaged in a firefight with a man with a rifle in an abandoned building. When one of their offices was shot, you and your partner, at great personal risk, assisted the police in dragging the fallen officer to safety, and while under fire yourselves, you rendered medical aid that unquestionably saved his life.

Your coolness, bravery and persistence in the face of intense personal jeopardy reflect great credit on yourself and are in the finest tradition of this department.

Richard H. Houts,

Chief Engineer

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Mark VII Productions, Inc., Universal Studios and whoever else owns the 1970's TV show Emergency!; I am just playing in their sandbox.