Hank turned to Emily. She already had her jacket on and said, "Look, Hank, I know what you're thinking. I know I am going to catch heck myself, so we'll do this on two conditions." "Yes?" "You will stay in your chair and you will tell me the second something is wrong. I don't want you to play Superman. John is like a son to me too." The seasoned Captain swallowed hard. He had expected to have to fight for the right to go back to the hospital. "Oh god honey, how can I thank you?" "Get better and then get our boys better." "Well I'll do what I can for the second one but I promise I will." With that the Stanley's made the trek to their car. Hank had his party manners on and behaved as well as he could. Although he hid it on the outside, his insides were torn up. He dozed off only a minute as Emily pulled up to the hospital. She wasn't surprised to see Roy standing outside. Desoto sighed knowingly as he ran for the truck and helped Emily get Hank out and settled. Hank was matter of fact. "Has he said anything?" "No, Cap, something tells me it's going to be hard to get him to speak. He wants to see Mike, but Brackett won't let him yet." "Yeah he's not going to be happy with me, either, but I can't let you guys go through this alone." The trio made their way inside. Before Dixie could say anything a blood curdling scream ripped through the hall from Johnny's room. As fast as they could, Roy and Hank headed for the room. Kel looked up stunned. Hank put up his hand as if to say later doc. Kel twitched but didn't say a word.  As Johnny started to thrash, Hank made his way  to the table and took one hand. Roy instinctively took the other. Hank's voice sounded like a worried father. "John, settle down it's Hank now look I need you to talk to me." Before the younger man spoke he reached for his Captain and held on tight. "Cap?" "Right here, pal." "God, I'm sorry I should have warned you." "Warned me? How?" "I...I could have...I should have..." Gage's voice fell off unsure of how to explain everything. Patti ---------- Johnny Gage met Cap's eyes in full. "I saw something critical on the day of the accident that I ended up dismissing, that I should have reported to you the minute I saw it." Roy DeSoto snorted. "Would you stop with the vague suppositions already? You're giving me the willies." he said partially irritated, very concerned. "What ever it was you think you did, I probably did, too. I was with you that whole day at work doing chores, going on calls, cleaning up afterwards. Same as you, remember? If anything weird happened, I'm just as responsible for being so oblivious. Now just what is or was so terrible?" Gage lowered his head and fidgetted with his fingers. "Remember Mike was doing some light maintenance on the engine? He had all the tools out, and the mechanics' creeper. Well, I... I... only noticed because I didn't want to trip over the d*mned thing like I always do so I kicked it out of the way for Boot to chase.... and when I did, my eye fell on the fluid bottle tray.  You know the one where everything's color coded? Well, uh.." Cap got firm. "Just out with it, Gage. This is a little stupid to agonize over it." "Okay, okay.. I'm.. getting to it. I'm getting to the point. Uh,... the label on the engine's brake fluid, the orange one that's always there? Well it was... " Johnny choked, his eyes beginning to fill with tears. "I noticed that it was.. was ... seriously out of date." "Oops. That's quite a gremlin. How long had it been bad?" Cap whispered. Gage sighed and finally couldn't meet the others' eyes. "About three and a half months expired, Cap, if I read it right." A shocked silence filled the room, just as a cloud floated by in front of the sun, casting everybody into faded shadow from the window. DeSoto was the first to discount the observation. "Oh, well. Doesn't mean the stuff wouldn't work if used. You know the manufacturers always add a safety, with an exaggerated expiration date time period. Just like the earlier dates on milk cartons." Gage agreed, weakly. "Yeah, I guess that's true. We don't have any freezing in California to worry about accelerating that end of life breakdown, right?" But his eyes were still worried, haunted. "But why is my gut feeling still there?" "Because you have a tendency to snowball imaginary issues, Johnny. Especially when you're under the weather physically. " Roy told him, tiredly, with a tinge of anger. "Whoa, whoa, whoa..." Stanley said, holding up two hands from the chair he was sitting carefully in. "Stop it right now." Hank became decisive, very fast. "Before we cry any kind of wolf one iota, let's get our particular odd fact absolutely straight here. I'm not a mechanic, but we all know one who is. So, John, let's solve that particular bad notion in your brain, right now." Stanley  picked up the phone and dialed the waiting room. "Hello, Dixie? Is Charlie still there? I figured he was waiting for Mike to wake up so they could visit. Could you put him on? We have a departmental thing to handle that's probably not that important." he emphasized, glaring at Gage with emphasis. Johnny frowned. "Hello, Charlie? Could you come to 214. We've got a question to add for the investigators that you might already know the answer to." ## Sure thing, Hank. I'll be right up. I'll leave de missus with a magazine.## The gang shifted nervously around Gage's bed while they waited. Nobody said a word. Finally, the door opened and the bent nosed, salt and pepper haired fire department jacketed mechanic entered. He was in a good mood, having heard Dixie's reassurance about Chet, Marco and Mike directly a few hours ago. His smile immediately dropped off again when he saw who it was who was a patient in the bed. "Gage? What the h*ll? I didn't know yous was injured at all.." "I'm not. Well,.." "It's cumulative, Charlie. Nothing big." Roy said.

"Oh. Okay. So everything's still all right in my world. Cool." "Not so cool." Johnny sighed, looking troubled. "Now I don't like the sound of that one bit." Charlie said, pulling up a chair. "So, spill the beans. I'm all ears." he said, suddenly completely professional. "It's nothing, Charlie." said Hank. "Just an idea that's probably unfounded." "So run it by me. I'm here, aren't I?" he laughed, softly. The others held their tongues. They knew to let Johnny finally go first as the next step to ease his tortured conscience that had physically sickened him. But Gage remained quiet. Charlie guessed a reason for any reluctance. "Hey.. Johnny... Do you see me yelling and screaming my head off about Red? She's already bound for the scrap yard on paper, after the investigators are done reassembling and examining her in that airport hanger. It was an accident, Gage. With purely environmental factors decided as the overriding cause." "M-maybe not." Johnny whispered, swallowing dryly. "Charlie, our brake fluid on the top off cart got old on us without anyone noticing." "How old is old? Old as me?" he joked. The others laughed. But not Johnny. "About three months I think. I...I don't know. I only remember seeing part of the markered date on the bottle." "Oh, well that's easy to solve. Just call the station and have somebody go read it again." Charlie shrugged. "I can do it from here." he said, reaching over and snatching up the green phone receiver. He dialed enthusiastically, his smile still plastered on his face with effort to ease the gang.  "Hello, Brice? Thought you might be there digging around the manuals to update them. Could yas do me a favor? Go over to the top off trolley and read off the date on the brake fluid can. I know. It's dumb, but somebody over here's gotta know." he said. "Yeah, that's right. That's the one. Now what does it say? Charlie pursed his lips. "..Uh, huh.. Right. March 19, ... Nineteen Seventy Eight. Right. Thanks a million. Solves a ton. See yas next week at Nine's." Click. Johnny closed his eyes and sank into his pillow. "Oh, thank G*d. That's next year." "D*mned straight. Neither Mike nor I would ever make a mistake like that, butthead. Now are yous through with me? I wanna get back by Dixie downstairs so I know the moment Mike's ready to start receiving his visitors. Glad I helped clear out that utter nonsense. Now get some sleep!" he said, bounding out of the room.

Gage sighed fully once the door was closed. "I feel stupid." "No, you feel relieved. Anyone wonders about what else could have happened in bad situations. Small things seem important if they're suddenly different than they should be and might be involved. That's normal the last time I checked." Hank lectured Johnny with a grin. Roy started grinning when the pulse he felt in Johnny's wrist suddenly slowed down and a yawn cracked wide open on his partner's face. "Get some sleep. That bug of yours is gone. Charlie killed it." "I am kind of tired." Johnny rasped. "So am I." Hank said. "Gimme one of your blankets. I'm sleeping right here. I promised Emily." Smiling at last, Gage obliged, tossing over the beige wool cover spread deftly. "I'll go see to Mike." DeSoto said, flipping off the room's light and closing the blinds to block out the now cloudy day.  "And I'll talk to Brackett. Just like I know we all want to do." "I already did." mumbled Hank sleepily from where he was already dozing. "Oh, well in that case, I'll think of something else to do to occupy myself. Marco and Chet are probably bored out of their minds." Roy nodded, leaving the two of them to nap. Gage was already snoring. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. Brackett sat in his office, alone with Joe, who sat in the arm chair opposite. "There's no mistake?" Early asked Kel. "None, I'm afraid. The security cameras clearly show Sharon Walters ordering that new orderly to the I.V. cabinet in Mike's pre-op room." "What's going to happen to him?" Joe asked. "It would be a shame if he got fired. He barely knows any english." "It's up to the administrators, Joe. If he indeed misinterpretted Sharon's orders and then read and took in the wrong fluid, he can't be trusted, even though he meant well. A patient's life was seriously at stake because of his decision. Stoker's. It doesn't matter that nobody wants to press charges. That man's simply a risk we can't have around." Early rubbed his lips. "But who hung that I.V. Kel? The wrong one was picked, yes. But only a nurse, a paramedic or doctor has the authority to physically change it." "That's a mystery we may never know, Joe. There are no cameras in the operating room." Brackett sighed. "I'd say we just move on from here like the administrators are suggesting, and make sure that Mike Stoker gets home in one perfect piece and back to his family, like we're in the business of doing. I'd say the Santa Ana winds have claimed enough for one week, don't you agree?" Joe Early nodded. "Those poor firefighters. It'll be at least a month or longer before Station 51 gets a new engine and at least that much longer or more until the rest of them are fit enough to return to duty. How will they cope in the meantime?" "Like they always do, Joe. By taking it one day at a time." Brackett smiled encouragingly. "Doctors like us can only wait and see what happens next." Laura -------------- Roy left Johnny and his Captain who were both comfortably asleep, and headed out into the hallway. Slowly he made his way to the ICU to see Stoker. On his way to the ICU, he bumped into an orderly who was mumbling unintelligibly in Spanish. "Excuse me," Roy politley said to the young man, then added, "I shoulda been paying better attention to where I was going." The paramedic was taken aback when he was only met with silence and an almost menacing glare from the orderly. As the man walked away from him, Roy stood watching for a few moments until he had disappeared around the corner. For some reason, the hair on the back of Roy's neck started to stand up and he couldn't shake off the creepy feeling that he had started to feel. Regaining his composure, Roy continued his way to the ICU to his seriously ill friend. As he approached Mike's room, he could see Mike's wife sitting in a chair beside her husband, who was currently asleep. Entering quietly, he smiled when she looked up at him. "Hey,Liz. How's he doing?" Getting up to greet the paramedic, Liz gave Roy a hug. "He's stable...but...Brackett and Early think that there may be some damage to his heart, among other organs. They wanna run some tests later today." "I'm sorry. How are *you* doing?" "I'm holding up okay, Roy. It's a heck of a thing to happen. How did you and Johnny escape all of this?" "Luck, I guess. Listen, if there's anything you need...let me know...or if you want Joanne to stay with you..." "I will...thanks." Roy nodded and left the room. Out in the hallway, he decided that he'd pay Chet and Marco a visit. Arriving at their room, he opened the door and peeked in. Seeing the two firefighters awake, Roy entered. "Good morning." Chet and Marco both looked up and smiled. "Hey." "Buenas dias." "How are you guys feeling?" "Better. Where's Gage?" asked a concerned Chet. When Roy didn't answer right away, the two of them knew something was wrong. "He's okay, isn't he?" Roy nodded his head. "Oh...it's nothing serious...a mild case of food poisoning or something." Chet continued to pump Roy for information. "Where is he now?" "He's here at the hospital. I left him a little while ago, and he was sleeping comfortably. Look, Johnny's fine...I came here to see how you guys were doing." It was Marco's turn to be concerned. "Roy, there's more to all of this than you're telling us. What's going on?" The paramedic hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to upset his friends, but understood that they wanted to know about the whole situation. "Johnny's blaming himself for the accident." Chet and Marco looked at each other briefly before turning their attention back to Roy. "Is Gage on something? Why would he think that all of this was *his* fault?" Roy sighed and went on to tell his friends about Johnny's perceived mistake about misreading the label on the brake fluid bottle, and Charlie's response to all of it. "Leave it to Gage. How are Mike and Cap doing?" "Cap's okay...in fact he's with Johnny now. I...I had no choice but to call him when Johnny started to get really agitated. Mike...he's stable but...I don't know how it's gonna play out for him. His wife is pretty worried." The three friends continued to talk for another fifteen minutes. "Have you heard about what's going to happen to the station...the engine and squad being totaled and all?" "No Chet, I haven't. Charlie mentioned something about replacement vehicles, but nothing else was said. The important thing is that we get all you guys back on your feet again." "How about you, amigo? As the last man of the shift still standing, you don't exactly look so hot, either." "I'm all right, Marco. Mostly just tired...the last few days have been pretty stressful. Well, I should get going...you two need your rest. I'll check back with you later." As Roy turned around and started for the door, he was interupted by Chet. "Hey...tell all the guys that me and Marco are okay, and that we say hello." "I will, Chet...take care." As Roy left his friends' room, he still couldn't shake the odd feeling he was having about the strange orderly that he had bumped into on his way to see Stoker. "Think I'll pay Dr. Brackett a visit...see what he has to say about it." Patti --------------- He started frowning when he saw that Johnny Gage had snuck out of his room to become his shadow. "Johnny, why aren't you in bed?! I thought they told you t--" Roy DeSoto almost ran into more surprise visitors outside of Marco and Chet's room. "Maximillion J. Lorentz?" he grinned, pleasantly surprised. He smiled when he saw flowers in Max's hands. "Those for the guys?" he guessed, pointing, trying to recover some politeness. "Yep.." said Max, then he gestured behind him. "Flowers,.. and him. I figured it be best if I finally called..." he said sheepishly. Dixie looked frightened beside a new official looking man, wearing a gun. Roy's face fell when he recognized the dark skinned Lt. Crockett from the police department, replete in his usual gray suit and power tie with a clearly displaying belt badge. "Wh-- what's going on?" Roy asked. Max pulled Roy back into Chet and Marco's room, uninvited, shushing him. He glanced over all of their shoulders, gesturing. "Dixie, you've got to go find him. Fast!" he told her. "In a minute. I want to know exactly what the trouble is so I can go handle it, okay." she said firmly. "Max.." Roy asked again. Maximillion ignored him, turning to the police lieutenant who already had a notebook and pen out after he had followed them inside. Chet and Marco were moused into silence from the smiles they had at the sight of the flowers arriving, at the next words they heard Mr. Lorentz say, as he finally told his tale to the police detective.

Mr. Lorentz lifted somber eyes wearily. "This is about Stoker, sir. I've.. got a grand nephew who works here. His mother was a Mexican dancer. About twenty years ago, she wed one of my brothers. You see, she thrilled to his wheeling and dealing on the stock market. Remember my mattress stash, boys?" "How can we forget.." Chet moaned. "Well, she was a bit sore that she never saw a dime after my brother lost his whole portion of his inheritance on the stocks, and my grand nephew, even more so. Why else do you think I would hide mine besides my strong hate of banks? She wanted my money, yes, but he wanted it worse, especially after my brother died." "What's his name, sir?" Crockett prompted. "Uh, it's Mexican. He and his mother moved back across the border the minute they heard I survived that warehouse fire and both of them swore to never speak a word of English to anyone, ever again." "Until now?" Dixie guessed, thinking of the orderly. Max just nodded, timidly, afraid. "Sir, the name? We need to speak with this man." said Lt. Crockett. "It's Hector Santiago." Dixie told him. Mr. Lorentz nodded, "And, there's more I think I have to tell you." "I don't understand.." Marco prompted, surprised. "That warehouse fire was no accident. They started it." "What?! Are you saying that building fire was a torch job?" Roy gasped. "Yep. To get rid of me. You see, Hector and his mother thought they'd get my life insurance policy after I was dead." Max told him. "Well why didn't you tell anyone after we pulled you out of there about all this?" Chet asked. "Yeah, Or when you visited us later at the station with your money?" Marco replied. Max studied his scuffed shoes. "I thought I could handle it by myself." "Oh, boy, an arson job? Headquarters isn't gonna be happy that Cap's gonna haveta reopen that case again." Chet bemoaned. Lt. Crockett still wasn't connecting the dots. "I still don't see a problem here at Rampart, Mr. Lorentz." "Oh, don't you?" Max started up. "My saved money and I made the papers. Didn't you see the article on page seven metro section? My picture and that mattress were all over it." Chet blanched, "And so were we, guys, taking inventory.." The gang looked at Kelly. "I....sort of saved it as a trophy clipping." Chet admitted. "Yep. And he hates you for it, Hector does. You boys got some of my money." "No, wait. Our charities did." Marco told him. Max began to pace, running nervous fingers through his hair. "Hector doesn't know that. Doesn't matter where it ended up in the end. Hector sees it wholly as the fire department, aka, your shift, as receiving undeserved gold." Max emphasized. "And there's our motive.." Lt. Crockett sighed. "Neat as a pin." Gage was indignant. "You mean, Mike's crossed I.V. error was on purpose?!" He couldn't quite wrap his brain around the idea of attempted murder. Lt. Crockett didn't horrify Johnny more, by physically replying. He swiftly got on the phone on a patient nightstand. "I want officers posted outside Johnny Gage, Marco Lopez, Chet Kelly and Mike Stoker's hospital rooms asap. And I want a pair of patrol cars sent out to the Stanley and DeSoto households..." he paused while his underlings took notes. Then he exploded, "I don't know their addresses, I didn't ask them! Call the fire department and use your sworn officer clout for the information you need." he growled, slamming the phone down hard. "I'll get security to start a sweep of the hospital." she told them all. "If Hector's here, they'll find him." Dixie shared, swiftly leaving the room. Crockett got worried fast when five minutes later, Dixie returned with word. "Nobody's seen him. And the punch clock hasn't been used. Not since last night when Mike was admitted." "We'll find him." Crockett promised. "Now that we know who we're looking for." "Or he'll find us.." Roy swallowed, thinking of his family and friends, one and all. Sherry ------------ Unknown to those in Chet and Marco's room, Hector Santiago had returned to the hospital. Quietly standing outside the door, Hector had heard the entire conversation, but hearing that Dixie was leaving the room, he quickly faded back into the shadows. Softly speaking, Hector said, "Damn it, that fireman is still alive...those Doctors, that's why ...that stupid nurse gave me what I needed, but those Doctors, that's why I failed, but I *won't* fail again. So, they think they can catch me, with that cop and what they call security in this place, that's a laugh. Well they better do it before the other firemen die...and this time, they will...maybe along with that pretty little nurse. Maximillion...I *will* have my due, that money is mine and I will have it." Quietly, Hector slipped back into the darkness to plan his next move and to decide who his next victim would be. ****** Back in the hospital room, Johnny looked over at his best friend, and softly said, "Oh Pally, don't even think that way. We've *all* been through enough." Looking at the dark haired paramedic, Crockett replied, "Roy's right Johnny, if what Mr. Lorentz here says is true, each and every one of you guys are targets. And this guy has proven that, with Stoker. But, I'm hoping with the extra security, nothing further will happen, but we aren't going to take any chances. Mr. Lorentz, I think I'll give you some protection as well, you could be a target just as the firemen are." Shaking his head, Max replied, "No Lieutenant Crockett, if they wanted to do something to me, they would have done it by now. No, no, I want you to make sure that all of these fine, brave young men, along with their families, are safe." Johnny looked at the older man, and replied, "Mr. Lorentz, Lieutenant Crockett's right. Besides, as you said, they already tried to kill you, in that warehouse fire. You need protection the same as we do." Again refusing, Max said, "No young man, I'm old and have lived a wonderful and exciting life, so whatever happens to me is not important. But you and the others...and your families...you are important, so don't worry about me. Now, gentlemen, I hope you all get well soon but if you all will excuse me, I'll be going now." Stepping in front of the door to block him from leaving, Roy asked, "Ah, where are you gonna go?" Smiling, Max replied, "Just out young man...just out." Stepping over beside Max, Lieutenant Crockett said, "Well, how 'bout if I go out with you. And I'm not taking no for an answer. Gentlemen, I'll be in touch." With that, the two men left the room, leaving the firemen to ponder all that had just transpired. Johnny looked around at his friends, and said, "Ya know...I think we could be in some trouble." Laura ------------ With the thought of something really serious possibly happening to Roy's family or to any of his other friends' families, Johnny awoke in a panic. Opening his eyes, the first person Johnny saw was Mike Stoker, who was looking back at him with a concerned, but smiling face. "Mike…is that you?" he asked the engineer uncertainly. "Yep…it's me, Johnny. How are you feeling?" Johnny lay in bed thinking for a few moments, before answering softly. "How…how am *I* feeling? How are YOU feeling? You…you almost didn't make it, Mike." The engineer looked over at his friend with a confused expression. "Hurting my shoulder is hardly `almost not making it'. What are you talking about, Johnny?" "The…the accident…the engine…and the squad…were totaled. You…you went into cardiac arrest. Your wife was here." "My wife? Johnny, I'm not even married. I should get a doctor. I'll be right back." Mike started to get up out of the chair, but the paramedic reached out and grabbed his hand. "No…no, I'm fine." "No, you're not. You don't even remember what happened yesterday. *You're* the one who could have died…you and Roy."

"Roy? What happened to Roy? He…he was the only one who wasn't hurt." "I'm sorry to say…the whole crew got banged up…you and Roy got the worst of it." When Mike continued to see Johnny's confused expression, he went on. "Roy broke his wrist and hurt his knee. He was able to go home, but you've been pretty out of it since yesterday morning." "Where's everyone else?" "Cap should be coming to relieve me soon…we've all been taking turns sitting with you. Like it or not, we've been really worried about you. Marco and Chet were here with you for most of yesterday…we've all been pulled off duty until next shift. You don't remember any of this?" Johnny looked at his friend…he was speechless. "I…I don't know." "That's okay. You have a real bad concussion…your memory is probably a little off." "It was so real…I…I thought…" Coming into the room was Captain Stanley and Dr. Early. "Oh, you're awake. How do you feel, Johnny?" Joe asked the paramedic. "I guess not too bad." "How's your head? Any headache?" "My head?" The doctor nodded. "Yes…your head. You have a rather serious concussion, and were in and out for the better part of almost two days." Johnny looked somewhat relieved at the doctor. "Well, then I guess that explains it…it was only a dream." Patti ---------------- Johnny Gage looked at Joe Early with a partly fearful, worried glance. Beside him, Mike Stoker took a chair by his bedside. Gage asked. "Okay, I am having trouble deciding what was real and what is fantasy, doc. So help me out a little." "Sure, Johnny. Dixie's been trying every vitals check to keep you current on things." Early shared, checking out Gage's pupils with his penlight. Gage winced. "Ouch. So, Mike, spell it out for me. The engine crashed?" "Yep." "All of us were injured?" "Yep." "The driver of the car who hit the squad died?" "Yep. Accidental collision. Nothing malicious." Cap shared. Joe looked up from his examination of Johnny's neural status and grip strength. "Johnny, you're normal so far apart from a little light sensitivity. Mike, you guys had a fatality at the accident?" "Yeah, doc. Roy said so." Mike told him. "A car couldn't stop in time on the freeway to avoid the squad when they stopped in front of the rolled over engine. It was pretty windy and on a blind curve." Johnny looked partially relieved when his memory matched up with those early facts. "Okay, I recall that. Now, tell me like a paramedic. What injuries did I find.. I mean, whoever dug us out, find on all of us?" Right then, Dixie opened Johnny's hospital door. "I can answer that. I figured you'd want a little grounding now that you're back into the land of the living." In her arms were six hospital charts. She flipped open the first one. "Johnny Gage. Unconscious, shock. Probable concussion. Long boarded and collared. Mild breathing difficulty, corrected with an oral airway and oxygen." Johnny felt his throat for soreness but didn't find any. Joe leaned in. "That was two days ago." One by one McCall read off the initial call reports on the gang from their records that first started off the biophone transmissions of their accident. "Station 127, 24 and 9's were your responders on scene. Let's see. Roy DeSoto. Conscious, left wrist fracture. Bruised right knee, ambulatory. Chet Kelly, unconscious due to shock and a brachial bleed. Stopped by direct pressure at the scene. Mike Stoker, bruised shoulder, no rotator cuff damage on initial nor any signs of shock. Henry Stanley. Cracked ribs, no pulmonary compromise. Split lip needing no minor surgery, just three stitches. Marco Lopez, a broken right index finger found following a correction of an obstructed airway." Johnny looked frightened. "Marco almost choked?" "Never lost a pulse." Dixie countered calmly, levelly. "It was due to some bitten tongue blood and the fact that he was found on his back, unconscious. He started breathing right away after a few breaths on ambu and some suction." She tossed the charts onto Johnny's bed so he could pore over them to his heart's content. "Johnny, everybody's fine, and so are you." she said with exasperation and finality. "So why fuss? It's not amnesia, just a need for a little catching up. And now you are." Gage wasn't comforted. "What did my x-rays show?" "Absolutely negative for any cranial bleeding or swelling. We kept you sedated to allow healing time." Joe told him. "So that's why I'm so muzzy." Gage scoffed. "It's temporary, just like I told you." Early said kindly. Mike Stoker added more. "Doc, he thought I was married and that a psychopath was trying to kill me." "That was probably a dream. As for the second part, there is a psychopath trying to kill all of you." Joe said matter of fact. "Every day so far." Gage's musing expression fell into one of shock. "There is?" "Yep." Dixie said, chuckling. "It's called fire, Fireman Gage. I hear it's totally commonplace in your profession." Johnny beaned her with a pillow. "Thanks a lot." "Just testing reactions." Dixie laughed, neatly blocking it. "After all, why wouldn't I want to see whether or not some friends had survived what they've started calling The Gale Force Nightmare in the news?" "That was some storm." Joe mused. "What? There was something like a hundred injuries either directly or indirectly caused by it that day that trucked through our E.R. alone. Including your station's crashes." Gage finally relaxed on the bed, stretched full out, burying his eyes. "Yeah, well I'm really glad it's finally all over." "Is it?" Mike Stoker asked, gesturing to the window across the room. Through the blinds, the sound of the Santa Ana winds picked up speed, and started howling. FIN

Click Rampart to return to the ETL.