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: Johnny's Addiction

Author: Robin R. Neher

E-mail: NRobin1027@aol.com

Rating: PG

Pairing: N/A

Fandom: Emergency!

Archive: Yes

Summary: In this story set after the events of the Emergency episode "Insomnia", Roy thinks he know what is causing Johnny's sleepless nights

Content Warning: Some harsh Language.

Johnny's Addiction
By Robin R. Neher

An hour after getting the call, Engine 51 returned to the station, Johnny Gage riding on the back. A sleepy Roy met it in the bay.

"Satisfied?" Roy asked.

"Yeah." Johnny nodded as Roy led him into the dorm.

"We need to talk, Junior." Roy told Johnny as each man sat down on his bed.

"I know, my insomnia." Johnny sighed. "I've already asked Cap for a few days off."

"And?" Roy demanded.

"It was denied." Johnny informed his partner. "Roy, am I safe for victims this way?"

"If you keep going this way, you won't be." Roy warned. "After shift, I'm taking you to see Doc Brackett."

"Okay." John shrugged.

"What? No argument?" A concerned Roy asked.

"Roy, there's something wrong if I'm not sleeping." John said. "Even I know that."
__________

The next morning, after getting off-duty, Roy waited in Rampart's ER as Dr. Brackett examined Johnny in treatment room 2. A few minutes later, the ER chief emerged, along with Johnny.

"Doc?" Roy asked, worry filling his blue eyes.

"Johnny's fine." Brackett said, much to Roy's relief. "Physically. Mentally, your partner is stressed out and exhausted."

"Doc, why isn't John sleeping?" Roy asked.

"Anxiety, pure and simple." Brackett replied. "Roy, you said Johnny's been upset lately, right?"

"Yeah, about the lack of night runs." Roy replied.

"That's what's doing it." Kel explained. "Johnny's an addict of sorts."

"An addict? You mean to a drug?" Roy inquired.

"Not drugs. Johnny Gage is an adrenaline junkie. You see, Roy, Johnny here gets a charge each time those tones sound at the station. The rescues are like a drug to him." Kel elaborated. "When Johnny got back to the station last night after that run, was he able to sleep?"

"Yeah, I slept like a baby." Johnny replied.

"Because you got your fix." Roy realized. "Johnny's been going through night call withdrawal."

"Exactly." Brackett smiled. "Once the night calls pick up again, Johnny will be fine. In the mean time, Johnny is fit for duty."

"What do we at the station do about his insomnia til then?" Roy asked. "We need our sleep too."

"Try staying up with Johnny." Brackett suggested. "Just you, Roy. What Johnny needs now is support and understanding, not teasing, not being told that he's obsessing over this. Also, you
might try cutting out the coffee at the station for awhile."

"The guys won't like that." Johnny worried.

"Just tell Cap and the rest they can get coffee elsewhere for awhile." Brackett smiled.

"Thanks, Doc." Roy grinned. "Johnny, you're gonna stay at my house for awhile where I can keep an eye on you."
_______

Twenty minutes later, Johnny and Roy arrived at Roy's house. Joanne rushed out to meet them. She greeted Roy with a kiss and Johnny with an understanding smile.

"Johnny, you aren't the only one who's gone through this." Joanne said as she and Roy led Johnny inside their house. "Chris went through the same thing six months ago."

"He did?" Johnny asked, yawning.

"He sure did." Roy replied.

"Johnny, Chris's room is all ready. Why don't you go and have a nap?" Jo suggested.

"I think I will." Johnny yawned, then headed upstairs.

"What did Kel say about this?" Joanne asked her husband.

"He says it's anxiety." Roy replied, sitting down on his recliner.

Roy then proceeded to tell his wife of John's addiction.

"Johnny does enjoy his work." Jo agreed. "Roy, what about you and John transferring temporally to a quieter station? I think that if you did, Johnny could learn how to sleep again without the calls."

"That might just work!" Roy grinned as his wife sat on his lap.
_______

"WHAT!!!?" Chet Kelly bellowed two days later when Roy told the shift there would be no coffee at the station for Johnny's sake. "How are we supposed to go without coffee?!"

"Chet, if you want coffee that bad, bring some from home, but there is to be no coffee here!" Roy shot back. "There will also be no teasing John about his problem, got it?"

"I'll make it an order." Cap Stanley added as Johnny came into the kitchen, just having changed into uniform. "John, did you sleep at all on your days off, Pal?"

"An hour here and there." Johnny answered. "It's just so frustrating!"

"I know, Pal." Hank soothed. "This will pass. Just give it time."

"Johnny, have you thought about taking sleeping pills?" Chet asked. "My Mom takes them when she can't sleep."

"Chet, Sleeping pills can become habit forming." Cap told the mustached man. "What Johnny needs is natural sleep. He also needs understanding from us. Johnny, come into the dorm. We have something that just night help you."

Oh no, not another rigged up stokes! Johnny thought as he reluctantly followed his Captain.

Upon arrival in the dorm, Johnny saw a hammock above his bunk.

"Cap?" Johnny gaped. "For me?"

"Try it out." Hank grinned.

Johnny got in the hammock and laid down.

"How does it feel?" Roy asked.

"It feels great." John replied. "The question is, will I get to sleep tonight?"

"All we can do is wait and see." Roy replied. "No sense getting anxious about it. The best thing you can do is take it easy."
___________

Later that night, Johnny was tucked into his hammock. As he rocked, Johnny hoped and preyed he'd fall asleep. Chet meanwhile, couldn't resist the urge to play a prank on the young man.

As he snuck over to Johnny's bed, Chet felt a tap on his shoulder. The Irishman turned to face Captain Stanley.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Hank demanded.

"N-nothing, Cap." Chet stammered. "Just getting a drink of water."

"Then why are you at Johnny's bunk?" Cap asked.

"I was just going to say good night to Gage." Chet lied.

Cap just shrugged and made his way back to his own bunk. Chet sighed, relived that he'd gotten away with the lie. As soon as Cap was sound asleep, Johnny crawled out of his hammock and sneaking over to the now sleeping Chet's bunk. Johnny uncovered Chet and removed his underwear. Then taking the underwear outside, Johnny hung them at the top of the station's flagpole.

Johnny then snickered as he returned to his hammock for a fitful night's sleep.

_________

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!" Chet screamed early the next morning when he saw he was half naked. "GGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGEEEEEEE E!!!!"

"Ah morning, Chester B." Johnny grinned, playing innocent.

"Gage! Where are my underwear?!" Chet demanded.

"Kelly, maybe you should look outside, Pal." Cap Stanley laughed.

Chet sprang out of bed to the laughter of Johnny and the others.

"My eyes!" Johnny yelled, teasingly. "I'm blind! I'm blind!"

Chet blushed when he realized he was showing his ass to his friends, along with some other things. He threw Johnny an angry look, then ran into the lockeroom.

Cap and the others had tears on their faces from laughing so hard.

"Junior, you finally one up-ed Chet!" Roy roared with laughter as he clapped Johnny on the shoulder. "Well done."

"Thank you. Thank you." Johnny grinned. "I had a feeling that Chet would try something last night, so I got him first!"

"How'd you figure that, John?" Cap chortled, unable to get the sight of a bare assed Chet out of his mind.

"Cap, you know Chet as well as I do." Johnny laughed. "You know he can't resist a chance to get me!"

Chet returned from the lockeroom at this time, in uniform, his face an expression of pure anger.

"You will pay for that, Gage!" Chet yelled. "When you least expect it, you will get yours! I'd look over your shoulder if I were you!"

"Chet, you touch him and you'll have to deal with me!" Roy warned, his tone icy.

"Not til I'm done with him!" Hank added, warningly. "Kelly, leave Gage alone or you'll wish you were never born!"

"You guys can't watch Gage all the time!" Chet warned, then went to put the coffee on.

**************

Two days later, all arrived for work as usual. Roy smiled over at his best friend as they put on their uniforms.

"So, you actually got a couple hours sleep last night, huh?" Roy asked.

"Yeah." Johnny grinned. "Two hours of uninterrupted slumber."

"That's something." Roy replied. "It's a step in the right direction."

"Roy, do me a favor, Huh? Don't tell the guys that Joanne rocked me to sleep last night. Chet would have a field day." Johnny told his friend. "He'd probably turn it into something like her and I having an affair."

"I won't say a word." Roy promised. "What are you gonna do about Chet?"

"I'll just leave him alone and hope he does the same for me." Johnny replied as they finished dressing and left the lockeroom as Chet was going in.

"Hi, Chet. How were the days off?" Johnny grinned in passing.

Chet just walked by without a word in reply.

"Chet, are you still pissed about that prank?" Roy asked as Johnny went for coffee.

"You bet I am!" Chet replied. "Johnny humiliated me!"

"Chet, you deserved it." Roy shot back. "Why can't you ever just let Johnny be?! He's going through a hard time right now! How can you be so damned insensitive to his insomnia?!"

"What about what it's doing to us?" Chet argued. "Everytime he stays up, we do too! It isn't fair to us! We need our sleep too!"

"Chet, Johnny is under alot of stress right now!" Roy told him. "We owe it to him to be understanding!"

"Well, I've been as understanding as I'm gonna be!" Chet yelled. "I say John should be replaced until he can sleep!"

"Chet, you're mad that Johnny showed you up. It doesn't give you the right to keep him from doing his job!" Roy countered. "He hasn't endangered anyone yet!"

"Ah, but he will." Chet warned. "A person can only go so long without sleep. Mark my words, DeSoto, Gage will mess up if he isn't benched."

With that, Chet headed toward the latrine.

*******

Later, in the squad, Roy noticed his partner was unusually quiet.

"Everything alright, John?" Roy asked.

"Yeah, just thinking. Maybe Chet is right." Johnny replied.

"Johnny, Brackett said you're fit for duty." Roy reminded his best friend as he made a right turn. "Don't let Chester B. get to ya."

"Chet does have a point." Johnny told Roy.

"Yeah, that he's an idiot!" Roy laughed. "Seriously, Junior, ignore Chet. He isn't a doctor."

As Johnny was about to argue, the CB came to life.

Squad 51, stand by for response.

Both men listened as tones sounded.

Engine 51, Squad 51, unknown type rescue at Hayword's department store. 10th and Villa. 10th and Villa. Timeout: 11:03.

"Squad 51, 10-4." Johnny responded.

Engine 51, 10-4, KMG-365. John and Roy heard Cap acknowledge over the radio as they sped toward the scene.

****

Arriving on scene minutes later, the Paramedics noted Engine fifty-one was already there. Chet came over and stopped John from getting out.

"Hey!" Johnny yelled.

"I'm sorry, Johnny, but this is for your own good." Chet said, then helped Roy grab the equipment. "C'mon, Roy, let's go."

"But-" Roy protested.

"DeSoto, forget about Gage! How can he help you if he can barely function himself?" Chet insisted. "Johnny, you stay here! That's an order!"

"Kelly, you shut up!" Cap bellowed. "Go on in, John."

"Thanks, Cap." Johnny grinned, crookedly, then followed Roy toward the building.

Cap then took Chet away from the engine to a back alley.

"What was the big idea back there?!" Cap demanded of the short man. "Since when are you qualified to give an order to anyone?!"

"Cap, Gage hasn't slept in days!" Chet whined. "How can he function like that?!"

"Chet, Dr. Brackett said Gage is fit for duty! You think I'd allow him to be here if he weren't?! It's one thing to be mad at Johnny, but that stunt you just pulled could've cost a victim his life! You're supposed to be a fireman!"

"Sorry, Sir." Chet whispered, hanging his head.

"When you go to med school, then you can decide whether John or anyone else is fit for duty!" Hank told him. "In the meantime, when we get back yo the station, I want you to pack your stuff and be gone! You are suspended for three shifts without pay!"

Chet just took off his badge and handed it to Cap.

"I'm outta here!" Chet yelled, flagging down a taxi.

"Where to, Mac?" The cabbie asked as Chet got in.

"Fire station fifty-one!" Chet growled.

Cap watched as the cab pulled away, then went back to join his crew or what was left of it.

"Mike, what do we have?" Hank asked his Engineer.

"According to Roy, an old lady who fell and broke her hip." Mike Stoker replied. "He and John are bringing her out. Where's Chet?"

"Suspended." Hank replied.

"Cap, Chet has a point." Mike quietly spoke up. "It's not fair to the other guys to have to deal with Johnny's insomnia. They need their sleep too."

"What are you suggesting?!" Hank demanded, defensively.

"That Johnny be given his own room." Mike replied. "Namely, the camper out back of the station."

"Hmmm, that's not a bad idea." Hank smiled.

______

Later that night, John Gage said good night to his friends and made his way to the camper out back. Roy had agreed that having Johnny sleep in the camper on a temporary basis was a good idea.

"Roy, you can go out there with him if you want, Pal." Cap offered as Roy got in his bunk.

"Cap. I think Johnny just needs space to resolve this in his own way." Roy replied. "I think we've been crushing him with suggestions as to how to get to sleep."

"So?" Marco prompted.

"Marco, too much attention to a problem like this can just make things worse for the sufferer. Only Johnny knows what goes on in his own head." Roy answered. "I still think anxiety is the key to this. I think Johnny has to be the one to solve this on his own."

"I agree, DeSoto." Craig Brice called from across the dorm.

Brice was filling in for Chet on the engine.

"We can't be nursemaids to Gage. We have our needs to think of too." Craig finished.

______

The wee hours of the morning found John Gage still wide awake.

"Four in the morning and no calls." John muttered to himself, fluffing his pillow for the umpteenth time.

C'mon, Gage! Why the hell can't you sleep?! Johnny's mind screamed. What are you anxious about, Johnny-boy? Are you upset about something? Maybe something you don't wanna deal with? Something you're holding back? What is it, John Roderick? Think!

Johnny turned over onto his stomach and swung out of bed. Flipping on the light, Johnny decided enough was enough. He quickly donned his bunker pants and leaving the camper, made his way inside the station to Cap's bunk.

"Cap! Wake up!" John requested. "I gotta talk to ya!"

"This better be good, Gage!" Cap warned, narrowing his eyes as he sat up in bed. "You just interrupted my date with all three of Charlie's Angels!"

"Sorry, Cap. Farrah, Kate and Jaclyn will have to wait!" Johnny whispered so as not to disturb the others. "I'm checking myself into Rampart."

"Kay." Cap yawned, drifting off again. "WHAT?!"

"I said I'm checking into the hospital." John repeated as Cap sprang out of bed and donned his own bunker pants.

"Let's go in the office!" Cap ordered.

The Paramedic followed,obidiently. Once the door was shut, Cap looked at John.

"Johnny, you are NOT going to Rampart!!" Hank bellowed. "Your problem is up here!!"

Cap pointed to his temple.

"You obsessed this to where it has a life of it's own! God, what a mind you have, Gage!! A little mountain turns into a molehill in Johnny's head! If you'd just lie down and go to sleep, this would resolve!" Hank told the younger man. There is nothing wrong with you that you didn't bring on yourself! Johnny, what is going through your damn head?!"

Johnny just shrugged.

"Now, I'm giving you a direct order! You get your skinny ass back to the camper, lay down in that bed and GO TO SLEEP!! I don't wanna see you again til that sun rises or we get a call, got it?! I don't care what you have to do to get there, just go to sleep!!"

"Yes, Sir." John quietly replied, then left the office.

Hank sighed as he made his way back to his own bed. As he was getting in, the tones sounded and the lights came up.

Engine 51 with squad 8, man sick. 100 Roderick Way. 100 Roderick way. Crosstreet: Jones. Timeout: O4:20.

"Engine 51, 10-4, KMG-365." Cap acknowledged, then ran to take his seat on board.

______

Outside, Johnny watched as the engine left the station, then made his way inside the camper.

Squad eight got that one. So? Why am I upset about it? John thought as he undressed and returned to bed.

Johnny closed his eyes and began breathing exercises. Johnny silently begged for sleep to claim him. It didn't and by the time six came around, Johnny was crying in frustration. Roy saw this when he went to make sure Johnny was up an hour later.

"Roy, I'll never sleep again!" Johnny sobbed.

"Johnny, it's not that bed yet." Roy soothed, gathering the distraught man in his arms. "You must be so frustrated right now."

"I just wish Cap would understand that if I could just go to sleep, I would!" Johnny cried. "I hate not being able to sleep!"

"I'm sure you do." Roy understood. "Johnny, I want you to take some time off."

"I'm scheduled to fill in at 16's!" Johnny sniffed.

"You've been doing alot of overtime lately." Roy noted. "It ends now. You're stretching yourself too thin, John. I'll call the Cap over at 16's and tell him to get someone else. You're gonna go home to bed."

"But!" Johnny argued.

"No buts!" Roy insisted. "Station sixteen can make it without you! You're not supermedic, ya know! No person is indispensable, it's time you realize that! The world will go on without John Gage there to rescue them for forty-eight hours!"

Johnny just sighed as he dressed in the civvies Roy brought from his locker. Roy then led him out of the camper. Outside, Dix was waiting.

"Johnny, you're going home with me." Dixie McCall informed him. "I do not want you alone right now."

Johnny just followed Dix to her car, knowing it was useless to argue with the head nurse.

______

John and Dix arrived at Dixie's apartment a few minutes later after picking up some clothes from John's apartment. Once inside, a tired Johnny headed toward Dixie's guest bedroom.

"Oh, no you don't!" Dix stopped him. "You don't try sleeping again til tonight. Dr. Brackett's orders."

Johnny yawned and returned to Dixie's couch.

"I'm so tired!" Johnny complained.

"I know, but if you go to sleep now, you won't sleep tonight." Dix told the young man. "Why don't you turn on the TV while I start breakfast? Watch a good gameshow or something, anything to keep you awake."

"Okay." Johnny yawned. "Dix, what the hell's the matter with me?"

"Johnny, as a nurse, I think your lack of sleep is due to a combination of factors. Brackett agrees." Dix replied. "Number one is you're overtired. You've been running yourself silly for the past few weeks, going from your shift to overtime at one station or another, then working another after that."

"Dix, I need the money." John yawned.

"Why?" Dix inquired, mixing her pancake batter as they talked. Johnny sat at the bar.

"Dix, I wanna ask Kate to marry me." Johnny revealed.

"John, that's wonderful!" Dix smiled.

"Trouble is, I can't afford an engagement ring." Johnny hung his head.

"I see." Dix nodded, understandingly. "You really love this girl, don't you?"

The girl that Dixie referred to was one Kathleen "Kate" Hudson. She and Johnny had met while Johnny was vacationing in Boston a year ago. Kate had been born and raised there, a member of one the city's wealthiest families. Johnny's intended was a pretty girl of about twenty-seven years old. Johnny fell in love right away with the 5'3 brunette as did Kate with Johnny.

Both had agreed to tell nobody of the romance until both felt the time was right. Johnny, however, couldn't keep his happiness hidden for long and soon, the cat was out of the bag. Johnny and Kate wrote back and forth regularly.

"Ah, Dix, who am I kidding?" John shook his head. "Kate would only laugh in my face if I proposed. Why would she want to marry a nothing hose jockey when she could have a man of means?"

"Johnny, you can take care of Kate." Dix soothed.

"How? I barely make enough for one person to live on! How will I provide for two? Kate has expensive tastes that I could never afford!" Johnny answered. "She's used to the finest clothes, food, everything!"

_____

As Morning turned into afternoon, Johnny was doing almost anything to stay awake. As he thumbed through the morning Times, Johnny got heartbreaking news. The society column announced that Kathleen Hudson had wed the heir to a seafood company the night before. Dixie held a devested Johnny as he cried.

"Oh, Honey, I'm so sorry." Dix sympathized.

"Me too, Junior." Roy offered as Dix ushered him inside after calling him to come over. "I know you loved her."

"Serves me right!" Johnny sobbed. "Who was I to think that Kate would marry a worthless redskin fireman?"

"Johnny, you're not worthless!" Dix told him. "Kate had her world in Boston."

"You live on a Fireman's pay in LA." Roy took over. "There can't be love with that much difference. Trust me, it wouldn't have worked. Look at Liz Taylor."

"Dammit, Roy, I loved her!" Johnny sobbed. "Roy, it's not fair! You get a pretty wife and two kids! Me, I come home to nothing!"

"Johnny," Dix stepped in.

"It's not fair!" Johnny sobbed. "What's Roy got that I don't?! Huh?! Tell me that!"

"Roy, I think you'd better leave." Dix quietly suggested.

Roy did so.

"Dix, Roy shouldn't be married at all!" Johnny cried.

"Okay, Fine!" Roy roared. "I'm not married anymore! You happy now, Johnny?! I'll give up my marriage just for you!"

"Roy, let's step outside." Dix requested, calmly.

Roy followed the nurse outside.

"Roy, Johnny's jealous!" Dix told him once the door was shut.

"Of what?!" Roy demanded.

"You have a wife and family waiting for you when you get in from work! Johnny has nothing but an empty apartment to go home to!" Dix hissed. "He looks at you, the same age he is and wonders why he doesn't have a wife and kids too! That may be at the heart of his insomnia! He loved Kate and now she's been married off to someone else!"

"Dix, Johnny is not ready for marriage!" Roy hissed. "I'm glad that Kate married the seafood king! Johnny thinks a relationship can just happen overnight! He has to get out of puberty before anyone will marry him!"

"Roy!" Dix hissed.

"Dixie, Johnny Gage is a zitless teenager! He looks at a girl's face and body, that's it! Nothing else matters to Johnny!" Roy hissed. "I don't think any respectable girl would even kiss him, much less marry him!"

Dix slapped Roy, hard across the face. Roy just turned and left the building. Dixie just sighed and went to deal with a distraught Johnny.

**

Later that afternoon, Dix was watching TV with a much calmer Johnny.

"Johnny, I'd kiss you." Dix said.

"Dixie, if you were only five years younger." Johnny smiled, weakly.

"Honey, maybe this is for the best." Dix offered. " If you had this hard a time buying a ring, then how could you have afforded a wedding?"

"I never thought of that." John realized. "Kate wouldn't have accepted a shot gun marriage by some justice of the peace."

END PART 11