Copyright: November 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: Comfort Zone

Author: Robin R. Neher

E-mail: NRobin1027@aol.com

Rating: R

Pairing: N/A

Archive: Yes

Fandom: Emergency

Summary: A little alternate universe on to the episode "Kidding".

Content Warning: Harsh language.

Comfort Zone
by Robin R. Neher

Roy DeSoto had enough of the loud argument between Johnny and Captain Stanley, so he entered the office.

"Never mind, Johnny! I'll do the damn tour of the hospital with the kids!" Roy yelled. "Here, take the squad and get outta here!"

Johnny Gage took squad 51's keys and left the office.

"Roy, I really wish you hadn't done that." Hank said.

"Cap, I have to ride with him, you don't." Roy explained. "He'd only spend all shift complaining about the tour. I might as well do it and get it over with. Why waste time asking Johnny to do
it? Johnny just doesn't have a feel for public relations nor the maturity. Hell, he'd probably bore them to death. Later, Cap."

Roy left the office and went into the apparatus bay.

"You want a lift to the school?" Johnny asked.

"Nah, I'll take my own car. You get the squad to the shop." Roy replied, then walked out to the parking lot in back of the station..Johnny watched as Roy left, then left to do his errand.

****

When Roy arrived at the hospital, he was met by the kid's teacher, Mrs. Anne Hooper.

"I was expecting John Gage." She said.

"I'm Roy DeSoto, his partner." Roy explained. "John couldn't make it."

"Oh," Anne replied. "Roy, I take it your partner didn't wanna do this."

"How'd you know?" Roy asked.

"I've seen him leading other class tours here. He seemed really ill at ease around the kids." The teacher told Roy. "Afterwards, some of them said they were bored and didn't want him leading the tour again."

"John just doesn't know how to deal with children." Roy answered. "Anyway, I promise, this tour will be alot more fun."

"Roy, there's something you should know about my class They're gifted students and not at all the average child." Anne told him. "Last year, when John did this, he treated them as if they were five years old, passing out cups of pop, candy and balloons."

Poor Johnny! No wonder he didn't wanna do this! Roy thought.

****

Johnny, meanwhile, was having problems of his own with the squad. It had died on him in front of a school.

"C'mon, C'mon!" Johnny growled, turning over the squad's engine."C'mon!"

Johnny kicked himself for taking the scenic route to the LaCoFd repair shop. Now, here he was stuck out in a rural area with no help. Johnny picked up the CB's mic.

"LA, this is squad 51." Johnny said.

All that came back over the radio was static.

"LA, this is squad fifty-one. Come in, please." Johnny tried again.

More static was all Johnny got in reply.

Gage, you dumbass! You gotta be in line of sight with a city for a CB to work! Johnny remembered. Well, you're screwed, Johnny -Boy! I doubt that school has a phone in it.

Johnny got out of the squad and went up to the small school house. He was afraid to try fixing the squad himself after the disaster of him and Roy trying to repair the squad's electrical system. Charlie was still mad at them for that.

As Johnny was about to knock, the door opened and a tall woman smiled at Johnny.

"Truck trouble?" She asked.

"Yeah, My name is John Gage. Could I please use a phone? I need to get some help out here." John pleaded. "I'm with the LA County fire department."

"Well, young man, I might let you use my phone under one condition." The teacher smiled, slyly. "That you put on a demonstration for my children. You see, it seems that you firemen think that because you wear a badge, that you can ignore the people who pay your salary. I have tried to get a fireman here for sometime, but it seems that none of you men are interested in us."

Johnny stood, taking in the teacher's words as it started to rain.

"Ma'am, did you call our training office?" Johnny asked.

"Many times." The teacher replied as lightening boomed and the power went off. "You may as well come in now."

Johnny followed the woman into a small coat room where she then confiscated his uniform, shirt and pants.

"What are ya doin?!" Johnny hissed, covering his naked chest.

"Humanizing you." The teacher replied. "Shoes and socks off too."

Johnny had no choice but to comply. The teacher then marched the almost naked Paramedic in front of her class.

"Class, this is Mr. Gage. He's a fireman/paramedic with the LA County fire department." The teacher said. "Everyone say hello."

"HELLO, MR. GAGE!" The class yelled.

"Mr. Gage is undressed cause I want you all to see that he is no god. He is a flesh a blood man that that just happens to put out fires for a living." The teacher explained. "He also helps the hurt people on scene until he can get them to a hospital."

*******

Later, as the class got their lunches and sat down to eat, the teacher led Johnny into her office after he finished dressing.

"Mr. Gage, frankly, your show stank." The teacher said straight out. "The kids picked up on your piss poor attitude. You acted like you did it cause mommy made you."

"My Captain!" John snapped.

"So that's it. Your Captain made you do something you didn't want to do." The teacher realized. "John, sometimes in life, we all have to do things we don't want to."

"I know, but Cap ordered me to do this!" Johnny complained.

"Is that not his job?" The teacher countered. "John, if I did not assign things to my class, we'd be very disorganized. The same is true for firemen. The stakes are much higher for you, I know, but in order for you station to function, there must be discipline and organization under the leadership of one person. the Captain."

Johnny realized that the teacher had a point.

"I guess I was being narrow minded." Johnny realized.

"And a jerk." The teacher laughed. "My name is Molly Robinson."

"I was gonna ask if you had a name." Johnny grinned.

"I'm married." Molly warned.

"Message received." John blushed, pushing the dirty thoughts he was having about this lady from his mind. "Hey, you were at the station earlier!"

"That's right." Molly smiled. "And I heard your fight with the Captain. John, you sounded like a two year old."

"I did." Johnny admitted. "I thought Roy was better for this tour."

"Your partner." Molly guessed.

Johnny nodded.

"He has kids." Molly remembered. "John, let's do some role playing."

"Yeah, let's!" Hank Stanley hissed. "John, you twit! Why did you not follow the directions I gave you?!"

"Captain, I do not like name calling!" Molly told Hank. "Johnny is a person and deserves respect!"

Molly, this is Captain Hank Stanley." Johnny introduced. "Cap, how did you find me?"

"I know you, Gage, and I'm tired of my orders being ignored!" Hank yelled. "We've been searching for you for over two hours! We've had to play musical squads to cover our district!"

"Cap, how was I supposed to know the squad would die on me?!" Johnny argued.

"Captain, how big is 51's area?" Molly asked.

"That's not the point. The point is that my squad was out of service for over two hours." Hank told her. "The department can't afford to have a squad unavailable for that long."

"John, are you hearing Hank?" Molly asked.

"No, not really." John replied. "I don't like being yelled at."

"Well, John, if you were me, how would you react?!" Hank demanded. "How would you feel if your Chief calls to chew your ass every five minutes cause one the squads and a Paramedic are missing?! McConnikee has chewed me a new asshole, thanks to you!"

"You tell em, Cap!" Chet Kelly cheered, joining him and Johnny inside the school. "Johnny, this is one of those days when I wonder who is really running station fifty-one? Cap or you? You seem to think that because you carry the title Firefighter/Paramedic, that entitles you to supersede Cap's decisions. You're a fireman, just like me, Pal, only with a little extra training! I get a little tired of you and people like you thinking you're special because you're a Paramedic! Johnny, anyone can start an IV or do CPR! It doesn't take a Paramedic to defibrillate someone or deliver a baby! Any EMT can read an EKG! C'mon, Cap. let's go!"

"Right behind you, Pal." Cap replied. "Gage, you're on your own. We don't need you!"

"What about the squad?" John inquired.

"You're the one that broke it, so you can be the one to repair it." Hank replied as he and Chet were leaving.

Johnny watched as Cap and Chet boarded the engine and left. Molly came and put a comforting arm around Johnny. At this time, the school's principal dismissed the kids, due to the power outage.

"What am I gonna do now?" Johnny wondered.

"Johnny, I have a confession to make." Molly said. "I'm not married. I only say that to keep men from thinking I'm easy."

"I understand." Johnny grinned, crookedly.

"I'm glad." Molly purred, stroking John's manhood through his work pants. "Stay the night with me?"

"I can't refuse." Johnny moaned, sinking to his knees.

*******

A few minutes later, Johnny and Molly were at her house not far from the school.

"Let's get you outta that uniform." Molly suggested, unbuttoning John's shirt.

Johnny stood there as she slowly undressed him.

"What a handsome man you are." Molly purred, taking off his undershirt over his head.

"Thanks," Johnny blushed, reaching to unbutton Molly's blouse.

As the blouse was shrugged off and the bra removed, John drank in the beauty standing before him.

"You know, now 'm glad that Cap left me here." Johnny smiled, caressing the tan body in front of him. "Screw him."

Molly giggled at that proclamation.

"Nah, I'd rather screw you." Molly grinned, then licked her lips.

"I wonder what the hell Cap's problem is! I'm not the one that got him chewed out by the Chief!" Johnny told Molly.

"No, but you were involved in the incident that did." Molly soothed. "It wasn't your fault the squad died, but you should not have taken the scenic way. He was upset cause his crew had to be taken out of service to find you."

"I never thought of that. I guess I never looked at things from through his bugles." Johnny realized. "Being a Captain is probably no picnic in the park."

"It's a bigger headache than you know." Molly replied. "My father is a Captain with the Boston fire department. He has the ulcers to go with it."

"Stress?" Johnny guessed.

"You think that being a Paramedic is high stress, try being a Captain or Chief sometime! It'll make the medics seem like child's play!" Molly said, then kissed Johnny hard. "You should see all the reports dad has to file at work!"

"Must be hell." Johnny mumbled around Molly's hot mouth.

"You bet it's hell, John Gage!" Molly hissed, biting his lip til it bled. "I bet you he, like Captain Stanley, has to deal with know it all firemen and fireman who think the station is a playground like your buddy, Chet."

Johnny screamed as Molly shoved him violently to the floor, then smacked his ass, sending him onto his stomach. Molly then ripped off the rest of her clothing. Before Johnny could react, she was on top of him, claiming him as her own.

The next thing John felt was the sting of a whip on his bare ass.

****

Johnny flinched in pain, but he was writhing in pleasure at the same time.

"YEE HA! RIDE EM, COWBOY!!" Molly yelled, clamoring onto Johnny's back and cracking the whip against the bare flesh. "GITTY YUP!!"

Johnny had no choice bit to comply, getting up on all fours and crawling around the living room with Molly on his back.

"Now you listen here, Gagie!" Molly told him. "I'm the boss now and either you do as I say or be punished! I've had that clunker you call a squad sent back to fifty-one, so there is no escape! Now, we're playing cowgirl and the Indian."

"Yes, Ma'am." Johnny replied.

Johnny again felt the sting of the whip.

"What?!" Molly demanded.

"I SAID, YES, MA'AM!" Johnny yelled.

"Better." Molly replied. "I know what you want, but the only way you get any is if I decide you do! You have no control, no rights, got it?!"

"YES, MA'AM!" Johnny replied, feeling Molly grab him by his erection and her bite his tip. "AAAAAAOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWW!!!!"

"SHUT UP!!!!" Molly commanded, whipping Johnny all the harder.

She then led Johnny to a bed and shoved him onto it. Molly then cuffed Johnny's hands to the headboard above, then tied his feet. Johnny was desperate for release, but knew better than to beg.

"Sex object." Johnny muttered.

"What?" Molly asked, as she started bathing Johnny in warm water.

"Now I know how some women I've dated feel." Johnny replied.

"You do have quite a reputation." Molly agreed. "Do you enjoy that reputation?"

"No." Johnny admitted. "Molly, I love you."

"Ditto." Molly smiled, then kissed him. "Johnny, I've selected you."

"Selected me?" Johnny asked. "For what?"

"To be my husband." Molly smiled. "Our Chief tells me you are reluctant to marry. You fear what a wife might go through if you were killed."

"You are Seminole?" Johnny gaped.

"Yes, my beloved." Molly smiled. "I know well the risks of your job, so put your fears to rest."

"Molly, Yes, I will be your husband." Johnny sobbed, happily. "Please, make love to me."

Molly smiled as she slid onto his penis.

"I will be a good wife to you." Molly whispered as Johnny began slow thrusts into her warm wetness.

****

Two days later, Johnny Gage was back at station fifty-one with his new bride. As Johnny changed for work, Molly went to the Captain's office where Hank Stanley was filling out paperwork.

"Captain Stanley? Got a minute?" Molly asked.

"Of course, Miss Robinson. Come in." Hank smiled. "Would you like some coffee?"

"No thank you and it's Mrs. Gage now." Molly smiled. "Johnny and I were married on the reservation last night."

"Congratulations." Cap smiled, then turned serious. "Mrs. Gage, I know you think I'm hard on John-"

"Maybe a little." Molly admitted. "My husband does have a stubborn streak, so much of one that sometimes he can't listen to those who only want the best for him."

"On that we agree." Hank nodded. "You see, my Job as John's Captain, is to prepare him for when he becomes a Captain."

"Yeah, but the way you do it is wrong." Molly told him. "My father would never treat your men the way you treat Johnny. He's a Captain in Boston's fire department."

"But I think your Dad would agree that if he felt his men would profit by an experience, he'd make them do it."

"Yeah, but he wouldn't browbeat them into it." Molly countered. "He'd listen to their fears, their worries, their needs and let them decide if they wanna do it. Johnny is not a dummy and he knows where his comfort zones are. If you'd stop playing king of the station and listen, Johnny just might come to respect you. Think like a person, not a snob with bars on his lapel."

With that, Molly left the office, kissed Johnny, then left the station. Cap shut the office door and returning to his desk, thought over what Molly had just said.

______

Outside, in the kitchen, Johnny sat at the table with a steaming cup of coffee. Roy joined him a second later.

"Do you think Cap was wrong?" Roy asked his best friend.

"I thought he was at first, but now, I'm not so sure." John stated. "Cap has a heap more to deal with on the job than we do."

"So?" Roy prompted.

"I don't think that it's Hank's job to assign tours and stuff based on our perceived strengths and weaknesses. His job is to make sure that when a request comes in, that it is filled." Johnny finished.

"Yeah, but shouldn't those requests be handled by someone comfortable with tours?" Roy asked.

*****

One week later, Hank called Mike into his office.

"Mike, Johnny comes back from his honeymoon tomorrow. I'm considering transferring him." Cap told his Engineer. "I can't do it anymore."

"What, Cap?" Mike asked. "Deal with John?"

"Yeah." Hank replied. "I'm tired of every order I give being turned into a debate. One unruly child can turn the whole class bad. I'm just like Henry Blake on MASH, dealing with my very own Hawkeye Pierce, except my Hawkeye, instead of wise cracking, tells me where I can stick my orders."

"Cap, you are a much stronger commander than Col. Blake on that show was. If that MASH unit had had you for it's CO, it might have been a better unit all around. Unlike that Henry, you show your authority. You aren't afraid to put your foot down." Mike soothed. "Johnny is Hawkeye-like too. While not having the sense of humor Hawkeye does on the show, he is like, Hawkeye, a super confident Paramedic, almost to the point of cockiness. They both are that way cause neither has been humbled yet. Johnny and the fictional Hawkeye will one day run into a situation that they might not be able to handle, even with their training."

"But, Hawkeye supposedly hated the Army. We didn't draft Johnny into the fire service." Hank pointed out.

"No, but like Hawkeye, Johnny dislikes some of the department's regulations and having a Captain that expects him to abide by them." The Engineer pointed out. "Henry Blake had the right idea, he just carried it too far. You have to choose your battles. Now, I don't mean being the total wuss the TV Henry was, but just not fighting Johnny over every little thing. Let's work out a simple strategy for dealing with Gage."

***

Two days later, Johnny was back on duty at fifty-ones and happily doing latrine duty. Cap came to greet Johnny as he worked.

"Mornin, Cap." Johnny greeted.

"That must've been some honeymoon." Cap smiled, noting Johnny's cheerful tone.

"Actually, I spent most of that week alone." Johnny revealed as he scrubbed the toilet. "Molly's Mom fell and broke her hip, so she had to go home and care for her."

"That's too bad, Pal." Cap sympathized.

"Not really, Cap." Johnny countered. "Her Mom doesn't like me anyway. She thinks I'm a bum her daughter got stuck with. That's what she said at our wedding. Now, I understand what Roy was talking about when Joanne's mother was coming!"

"Welcome to married life, Pal." Hank smiled. "When does Molly come home?"

"I don't know." John answered as he scrubbed a sink. "And I really don't give a damn. My life will not intertwine with Molly's. I'll have my own apartment and my own life, just as I always have."

"In Johnny's culture, the wife does not always live with the husband, right John?" Roy grinned.

"Is that right?!" Cap gaped.

"It sure is." Johnny grinned. "You see, my people believe that even though a couple is joined in spirit, does not always mean they have to live with or be monogamous with each other. The elders believe that this leads to much less chance of divorce later."

"Because each party can live as they each want to." Roy finished.

"Boy, we all could take a lesson from you." Cap whistled. "But what about AIDS? What if Molly gets pregnant by another man later?"

Before Johnny could answer, the tones sounded.

Engine 8, squad 51, station 2, structure fire, 1102 Webber St.1102 Webber St. Crosstreet: Victory. Timeout: 08:40.

"Not the way I wanted to start the shift." Johnny commented as he and Hank ran toward the bay.

"Squad 51, KMG-365." Roy responded, then got behind the wheel and Johnny took his place in the passenger seat.

Shortly after the squad left, Molly arrived. Cap was shocked to find tears on her face.

"Cap, can we talk in the office?" She requested

"Sure, Molly. Something wrong?" A concerned Hank asked as he led the way.

Once they were in the office, Hank shut the door.

"Please, sit down." Cap invited, gently, helping the distraught woman into a chair.

"Why in the hell did I marry him?!" Molly sobbed. "How could I have been so stupid?!"

"Johnny?" Hank prompted.

Molly nodded.

"What happened? Did you two have a fight?" A concerned Cap asked. "He told me you left cause your mother broke her hip."

"His ego was to hurt too tell you the truth." Molly realized. "We had a fight on our wedding night! We'd just checked into our hotel room. He went into the bathroom and when he emerged minutes later, he was naked and his arms were wide open!"

"I see, he wanted to make love." Cap guessed. "You didn't feel the same."

"I wouldn't have minded the lovemaking, but he refused to wear a condom." Molly sniffed. "I'm on the pill, but I also wanted him to use a rubber."

"Not an unreasonable request, given the STD's that are out there." Hank mused.

"It's not that. I just don't wanna have a baby right away." Molly revealed. "Johnny and I hadn't been married an hour and he was already taking about having babies!"

"Uh oh." Cap muttered. "This is just what I was afraid of. Sounds like Johnny's idea of marriage is revealing itself. It sounds like he thinks you're nothing but a baby-maker and that you should have kids off the bat."

"That's exactly what he thinks!" Molly sniffed. "He thinks I'm his wife, so that gives him certain rights!"

"Molly, what do you know of Johnny?" Hank asked her.

"Nothing really." Molly admitted. "I guess we married too quickly."

"Hey, Molly, if anyone's moving too fast, it's John." Cap soothed. "He told us that the wife does not always live with the husband in your culture."

"That was true, long ago." Molly replied. "I really hurt Johnny. No wonder he lied about what happened. Just what is it with men and their egos?"

"It's called hurt pride." Cap replied. "Johnny's pride is severely bruised right now. He's devested that his new wife won't do what should come naturally in a new marriage. I understand your reasons, but Johnny may not."

"I guess I should tell him why I don't want a baby right away." Molly mused.

"You should also reassure him that using a condom won't make him any less a man." Cap advised. "Also tell him that you being his wife does not entitle him to abuse you in any way, including sexually, but do it in a way that won't hurt his feelings."

"I see what you mean." Molly replied. "Maybe living separately is best for right now."

"At least until you get to know each other." Cap agreed as Molly rose to leave.

"Hank, thanks again." Molly smiled as she left the office.

*****

The next day, Sunday, John and Roy were at Johnny's apartment, watching football on his TV. Roy could tell that Johnny's mind was elsewhere, however.

"You okay?" Roy asked his friend.

"You tell me, Here I am, a newlywed, yet my wife is back on the rez with her family." Johnny softly replied. "I should be making love to her now. She should be here, with me. We were going along just fine until we got married, then, bam, it's, I don't want a baby, Johnny. Don't come near me, Johnny. I feel like she played me for a fool, Roy."

"Or you took advantage of her." Roy quietly countered. "Johnny, from the minute you and she exchanged vows, you were talking to her about kids."

"So?" Johnny prompted.

"Johnny, you didn't give her a chance to enjoy being a bride." Roy replied. "You didn't take into account her dreams and goals."

"I guess I didn't at that." Johnny realized. "Johnny the jerk strikes again."

"Not a jerk, just a man who was pushing things too fast." Molly smiled as she entered the apartment, bags in hand.

Roy silently grabbed his things and headed home. Molly sat her suitcases down and embraced Johnny. Johnny however did not return the hug.

"I thought you were going back to the reservation." Johnny said, coldly.

"John, you have every right to be angry, but, please, hear me out." Molly softly pleaded.

"I'm not mad, I'm hurt." John stated. "You abandoned me on my wedding night. I'll never get that night back, Molly. After you left that night, I didn't feel like a man."

"I understand that." Molly acknowledged. "It's just that when you came out of the bathroom like that and started talking of children and a house with a white picket fence, I got scared. Johnny, I don't want children yet. I like my life as it is now. I want to focus on my career for now. Sweetheart, they'll be plenty of time for us to have kids and a house down the road. Let's not rush things, kay? Let's just take time to get to know and love each other before we start trying to emulate the DeSotos."

"Honey, I'm sorry." Johnny whispered. "Forgive me?"

Molly embraced Johnny again and this time, he returned the hug. Both just held each other for a long time. After awhile, both sat down on Johnny's sofa.

"Molly, I was just as scared as you were." Johnny said, after a minute. "I still am scared."

"Of what, Hon?" Molly asked, brushing Johnny's bangs from his forehead.

"Of this. Marriage. Marriage means a lifetime commitment." Johnny replied. "I'm scared that I might not be able to be faithful to you."

"Johnny, I know how scary this is for you. You're used to being able to do as you wish and have any girl you want." Molly said. "You're afraid of being tied down."

Johnny nodded.

"Honey, don't you see through Roy and Cap how wonderful marriage can be? I'm not saying that everyday of our life together will be a honeymoon, no marriage is. Think about it, John Roderick, wouldn't you rather have a life with a woman who has promised to love only you throughout her life?" Molly asked. "Wouldn't you rather have that than a woman who may only want a one night stand?"

Johnny rose from the sofa and began to pace, then he spoke.

"Yes, maybe someday. Johnny replied. "It's just that now, I still want my life to be just mine. I don't wanna look back when I'm old and gray and wonder why I married so quickly. I don't wanna look back on my youth and think of all I missed. Molly, I love you, but I just don't think I'm ready to be a Roy yet. I live on a fireman's pay, it's barely enough to support one, much less two. When I get married, I want to be able to provide a nice home and all the things a family wants and needs."

"And you wanna marry someone that you've had the chance to get to know." Molly understood. "Johnny, will we work out? You and I?"

"I just don't know." Johnny replied. "I don't know that we know enough about each other to make a marriage work."

"But, if we don't try, will we regret it later?" Molly asked, not expecting Johnny to answer.

***

As weeks turned into months, Johnny and Molly wondered that again and again. Roy and the rest, much to Johnny's relief, supported him wholeheartedly. One day in March, as John and Roy were checking the squad prior to it's first run of the shift, Johnny turned to his partner.

"Roy, how do you do it?" Johnny asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Do what?" Roy replied as he checked an air bottle.

"How do you manage to stay faithful to Joanne?" Johnny asked. "I mean, there are alot of young, pretty girls out there that you could be with."

"Johnny, enough is enough." Roy decided. "How long have you two been married?"

"Six months." Johnny replied.

"And Molly hasn't spent even one night with you, has she?!" Roy asked of his partner. "You knew what you were doing when you stood there in your dress uniform in front of all of us and that minister and promised to love Molly forever. Now, almost seven months later, you still haven't spent even one day with her, but you sure as hell have been fucking other girls left and right!"

"Roy," Johnny stammered.

"Oh, I know Molly said she was okay with this little arrangement, but I'm not!" Roy cut him off. "Johnny, how can you do this to her, knowing what you promised her?! Doesn't it bother you at all that Molly is wishing for what you're giving freely to other women? Don't those vows you took mean anything to you?!"

Johnny looked up at Roy from the drug box.

"Pally, It's not that I don't love Molly, it's just that we got married not knowing anything about each other. I don't wanna share my life with someone I don't know. Surely you can understand that." Johnny replied. "Rampart, this is squad-"

Roy took the biophone receiver from John's hand and slammed it into it's cradle.

"Dammit, Johnny! This is a woman, a human being we're talking about here, not an unwanted puppy!" Roy yelled. "Molly has a heart, which she gave to you, lord only knows why! She loves you, Johnny! Can't you see that?!"

"She even told me so herself." Cap added, joining the men in the bay. "Johnny, I know this wasn't what you planned, but you did marry her, like it or not. Don't you think you owe her something? She doesn't deserve to be left in lingo like this, Pal."

Before anymore could be said, the tones sounded.

Squad 51, possible suicide 1034 E. Sheridan. 1034 E. Sheridan. Crosstreet: Olympic. Timeout: 07:30.

"Squad 51, KMG-365." Cap responded as Roy and Johnny quickly loaded their gear, got in the squad and sped toward the scene.

*****

An hour later, the guys learned what they'd suspected when they'd arrived on the scene of the suicide.

"Damn!" Johnny muttered after Dix gave them the news.

"His note said he did it cause his wife left him for another man." Dixie McCall told the medics, then went to meet the victim that squad 95 had just brought in.

Roy looked at Johnny.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." Roy noted. "You okay?".

"It's just what Dix said. I'll be right back, I need to make a phone call." Johnny replied, then walked toward the lounge.

"LA, Squad 51, available." Roy reported.

Squad 51. Sam acknowledged.

***

The next day, Johnny arrived home to find Molly waiting for him.

"Well, I'm here. What do you wanna talk to me about?" Molly asked.

"Molly, we had a call yesterday. A man committed suicide. He did it cause his wife left him for another man." Johnny explained.

"I should think you deal with that often." Molly replied.

"We do, but this one bothered me." Johnny told her.

"Why?" Molly asked.

"It made me think about what I was doing to you." Johnny answered. "I've been a total jerk to you and I'm sorry. Molly, don't go back to the rez. Stay here, with me, forever."