Copyright: May 2001 By Robin R. Neher

THIS STORY IS WRITTEN FOR PLEASURE AND IS NOT INTENDED TO INFRINGE ON ANY PREEXISTING COPYRIGHTS THAT MAY BE VIOLATED. FEEL FREE TO SHARE WITH FRIENDS, BUT NOT FOR PROFIT.

THIS STORY IS FICTIONAL, A WORK OF THE WRITER'S IMAGINATION. THE CHARACTERS AND INCIDENTS USED IN THIS STORY ARE PURELY FICTIONAL AND ARE NOT BASED ON ANY PERSON AND/OR PERSON'S ACTUAL EXPERIENCES.

Title: Chet's Guilt

Author: Robin R. Neher

E-mail: NRobin1027@aol.com

Rating: R

Pairing: N/A

Fandom: Emergency!

Archive: Yes

Summary: The first part Told through Chet Kelly's and John Gage's eyes, This story depicts an incident where Johnny is accidentally injured by one of the Phantom's famous waterbombs.

Content Warning: Harsh language. Angst.

Chet's Guilt
by Robin R. Neher

I flailed as the water and bag hit me from above. As my footing went out from under me and I was blinded, I knew instantly what had happened. The Phantom had struck again. As I fell back, my head struck the floor hard and all went black
_________

I am horrified as Johnny crashes to the floor, then lays motionless

What have you done?! My mind screams as Cap Stanley and the others come rushing in at the sound of the crash. Roy rushes to his partner's side, but they are a world away to me, for I, Chester Brandon Kelly, am retreating into my own world of guilt and shame. It was just a water bomb! A harmless water bomb!

As Roy treats his best friend, Cap glares at me.

He knows! A voice inside my head screams that only I can hear. You're in for it now!

As Cap starts his rampage, I retreat further inside myself, seeing his mouth move, but not hearing his words. All I can do is stand there as Cap rages on, looking down at the still form of John Gage as Roy prepares him for transport to Rampart. I can hardly believe that an innocent prank did this to him.

After what seems like forever, I watch as Johnny is loaded onto an ambulance and taken to the hospital with Roy tending him. I then turn my attention back to Cap, who is still yelling. I know
that even though I am not hearing a word, I can feel Cap and the other's anger for what I have done. Their anger is justified for no matter how unintentional it was, John Gage was hurt by my hand. I'll be the one who has to bare that shame.

Like a zombie, I take off my badge and hand it to Hank, then clear out my locker and shuffle out of the station and into my own private hell.

________

As Chet was wondering what his future might hold, Roy DeSoto was pacing the waiting room of Rampart General's ER, waiting for word of his best friend. Nurse Dixie McCall came over to comfort the senior medic.

"Roy, what happened?" Dix asked quietly as she sat down on a chair.

"Chet!" Roy hissed. "Him and his damn pranks!"

"Let me guess, water bomb?" Dix guessed.

"Exactly." The red-haired Paramedic replied, barely containing his anger and contempt with Chet. "How could Chet have been so damn careless and stupid?!"

"Hold it, Roy." Dix said. "Where was Johnny in all this?"

"What do you mean?" Roy inquired.

"Roy, Johnny knows Chet as well as you do. Certainly a man of John's smarts would learn to look out for Chet and his pranks. Where's Captain Stanley's responsibility?" Dix explained. "Why does he let Chet play such pranks?"

Roy thought it over and decided that the head nurse did have some valid points.

Cap knows Kelly's track record, yet he lets him do this repeatedly to John. Roy thought.

"Dix, I'm gonna have a talk with Cap." Roy swore. "These kind of jokes just can't keep happening."
_____

At 51's, Cap was dealing with his own guilt. Hank sat at his desk, holding his badge and looking at it as Mike Stoker entered the office.

"Mike, why did I let this happen?" Hank asked of the Engineer.

"Cap,-" Mike warned.

"I'm the Captain of this shift, yet time and time again, I let Kelly target and victimize Gage." Cap said. "A captain is responsible for anything that goes on during his shift."

"Did you know what Chet was planning?" Mike asked in his quiet and shy way.

"No, but I knew his pattern!" Cap insisted. "When McConnikee hears about this, my ass is grass! All those times I called John a twit, I was the real twit!"

______

As Mike and Hank were talking in the office, Chief McConnikee arrived at the station after hearing about Johnny's injuries. As he entered Cap's office, Cap and Mike sprang to their feet.

"At ease." McConnikee instructed. "Hank, how's Gage?"

"We don't know, Sir." Cap replied. "DeSoto's still at Rampart. Chief, what happened was my fault and I accept full responsibility."

"Did you play that prank?" McConnikee asked Hank.

"No, but-" Hank began.

"But nothing!" The Chief told Cap. "Chet Kelly alone is responsible for what happened, not you."

"But, what Chet did, he did under my supervision." Cap argued. "I'm the most to blame for what happened to John Gage."

"I agree." Roy piped up as he entered the office, just having returned from Rampart in the squad. "Cap, you have let Kelly do this again and again. You as Captain, knew Chet's history."

"DeSoto, that doesn't make Stanley here to blame." McConnikee disagreed.

"I beg to differ!" Roy yelled. "Chief, Cap has let Kelly get away with this time after time! Henry Stanley, I am stripping you of command."

Hank meekly handed over his badge and bars to Chief McConnikee, then going into the lockeroom, Hank cleared out his locker and left.

"DeSoto, you didn't have to do that." McConnikee said.

"Chief, John Gage is in a coma." Roy informed the senior officer. "Stanley is partly responsible."

 ___________

Later that night, Hank Stanley sat alone, guilty and depressed over what had happened to Johnny in his car, on a freeway overpass. As he sat, Hank kept hearing a voice inside his head telling him that he and he alone was to blame for Johnny's being in a coma.

"Hank, you dumbass twit, you deserve everything you get and more!" The former Captain muttered to himself. "You let Kelly play jokes on Gage over and over! As Captain, you were responsible for anything that went on in that station during your twenty-four hours on duty!"

"No, Hank." Came the voice of Sherry Stanley, bringing her husband of ten years out of his thoughts.

"Honey, how did you find me?" Hank asked as the slim, blond woman joined him in the passenger seat of his sedan.

"Hank Stanley, I know you well. I know you like to come here and think." Sherry smirked. "Besides, Chief McConnikee called me after you left the station and told me what happened. We're gonna go home and have a nice, long talk about all this. The Chief drove me over here."

"Sherry, how could I have let Chet do something so dangerous?" Hank asked, starting the motor for the drive to his house.

"Hank, what happened was not your fault!" Sherry insisted, firmly. "It's the fault of two overgrown little boys named Gage and Kelly! Those two have been like little boys on a playground ever since they started working together!"

"Sherry, I felt like I ran a kindergarten sometimes." Hank told her.

"I can imagine!" A laughing Sherry agreed. "I have to be honest and say that if our house ever caught fire, I'd pray that John and Chet wouldn't be the ones sent to our rescue!"

"Honey, I know you weren't impressed with John or Chet from the first time you met them, but they are good at their jobs." Hank defended the men.

"Good or not, Johnny's got the IQ and patience of a three year old while Chet has the retention of a leaky roof." Sherry fought back. "Chet has pranked over and over and everytime you give him latrine duty or whatever, Chet never seems to learn from it, neither does John. John volunteers you fellas for things without even asking."

"Honey, they make mistakes, that's true, but they are some of the best men I've ever worked with." Cap answered.

*

Meanwhile, at his mother's house in San Francisco, Chester Kelly sat crying in his old room.

"Chester Brandon, is there anything I can do, Son?" Mrs. Grace Kelly asked, softly, coming in and sitting down next to her first born on his bed.

"No, I'm just trying to figure out what to say in my letter of resignation." Chet sobbed.

"Son, don't you think you're acting a bit prematurely?" Grace asked in her thick Irish brogue. "You heard Dr. Early, John just has a nasty concussion, that's all."

"But I'm the one that gave him that concussion, Mom!" Chet sobbed. "Roy probably wishes I was dead! The other guys too, not that I blame them!"

"Chet, what happened was an accident! You didn't mean to hurt John!" The short chubby-cheeked lady insisted. "Roy may be angry now, but I'll just be willin to wager that he's also concerned about his best friend. Roy loves all his fellow firemen like brothers, including you."

"Mom, you've never seen DeSoto when he's mad!" Chet told her. "He gives you either the silent treatment or he yells at you!"

"Chester, you have a visitor!" Hugh, one of Chet's brothers called.

"Who is it?" Chet called back.

"A Roy DeSoto!" Hugh answered

Chet threw his Mom a frightened look.

"Chet, you've got to face him." Grace said. "The sooner you do, the easier it will be."

Chet sighed, but he knew his Mom was right. He had to accept responsibility for what he done. Chet dragged his feet as he made his way downstairs to meet Roy, feeling like the young boy whose mother was about to spank him. As Chet descended the last stair, he was met by Roy's blue eyes piercing into him. The eyes held a coldness that sacred the mustached man.

"DeSoto," Chet greeted. "If you want to hit me, go ahead. I deserve that and more. I know that Johnny is your best friend. You have every right to be angry."

"Aren't you even gonna ask how John is?!" Roy hissed.

"I figured you'd get around to that." Chet replied, trying not to let his fear show.

"Chet, let's go outside." Roy invited. "I'd rather not have to do this in front of your family."

"What?" A fearful Chet asked.

"Outside!" Roy ordered.

Chet just followed Roy, hoping he'd still be alive when Roy was done.

*

Once out in the Kelly's back yard, Roy grabbed Chet and yanking the man's pants down, Roy smacked the bare ass several times. Chet cried in pain. When Roy was done, he stood Chet back up.

"Did you feel that?" Roy asked as Chet pulled his pants back up.

A crying Chet nodded.

"Good!" Roy replied. "I want you to reflect on this next time you even think of pulling a prank on anyone! That pain you just felt does not even begin to match what me and the other guys are feeling now! You haven't even cared enough to face us or Johnny!"

"Roy, don't you think I feel bad about what I did?!" Chet sobbed. "Lord knows I didn't mean for Johnny to be hurt! If I could take what happened back, I would! Roy, I'm going through hell now and if Johnny dies, I'll spend the rest of my life there! I'll pay for what I did til the day I die and for eternity afterwards! That punishment is far worse than death!"

"Chet, that's all well and good, but what we need from you now is to come back to Los Angeles and do your job. Part of accepting responsibility is to face your victims and what you did head on." Roy told him. "A man does not run and hide from the wrong he did and he does not use his family that way. Think about it." Roy finished, then walked to his truck to leave.

*

Two days later, Chet failed to show for work at the station.

"Well, I guess Kelly isn't a real man after all." Roy sighed as he sat at the table with his morning coffee.

"Roy, don't be so hard on Chet." Cap replied. "Sometimes living with oneself is far worse then facing us. "I should know."

"Cap, I'm sorry. You're not to blame for what happened, I know that now." Roy soothed. "You aren't a baby-sitter and can't be a referee to Chet and John all the time. Those two need to do some growing up."

"I agree." Hank replied. "I'm just glad Johnny's awake and talking again."

"When Johnny comes back, it's gonna start all over again." Roy warned.

"Not if I lay down the law." Cap smiled. "There are gonna be some changes around here."

"Cap?" Roy queried.

"I've made alot of mistakes. The worst one is being too much a friend and not enough of a Captain." Hank elaborated. "Hell, I was playing right along with you guys most of the time."

"Cap, there's nothing wrong with that. It's just that there have to be limits on how far pranks can go and when and where they can be played." Roy told his Captain. "We also have to not give Chet and Johnny an audience for their little war cause just by the guys watching, those two are encouraged."

"I see what you mean." Cap understood. "What if I let them play with a garden hose outside or let them prank each other out there?"

"Good idea." Roy nodded. "If they feel the urge to water bomb each other, why not let them wash the squad while they're having their water fight? If Chet flours Johnny's bed, he has to bake something for us, from scratch."

"I see, let the punishment fit the crime." Cap smiled.

END PART 7