And A Happy New Year?
copyright 2000

Sequel to All I Want for Christmas

Three days before New Years Eve dawned cloudy and rainy, the weather man was most correct when he said that the rest of the year was going to be wetter than normal in the Los Angeles area. The area had already seen over 8 inches of rain in a 96 hour period and the hills were as the song goes, slip slidin away.

Now since Roy and Johnny were both out of commission, the squad was being run by Brice and Bellingham. The rest of the shift mates were not enjoying the two, but then the chief was running things short handed as there was a strong strain of flu going around.

"Man I can't wait til Johnny and Roy get back. How much longer, Cap?" Chet asked on that rainy day.

"Not soon enough for me. I'll tell you guys. I have never missed a co-worker like I miss my paramedics. I don't know how long I'll last though if I have to put up with the bickering duo. Hopefully this flu bug will pass fast and not hit this station as hard as it's hit others. Now no O.T. if you can avoid it. I don't want any of you getting sick too."

All men agreed with the Captain.

Johnny was sitting in the wheel chair pushed up to the French doors in the dining room. He hadn't been able to get outside in two days. He was not a happy camper and he was making Roy crazy with his cabin fever.

Johnny wasn't due to have his cast checked and possibly removed for another four weeks, he couldn't walk and his leg itched like hell, and he let Roy know it every chance he could get.

"Johnny. If you don't shut up I am going to shut you up." Roy didn't even bother to look at his lover. He was due to get his wrist released from it's support in two days and his shoulder would be ready for therapy in three. Lars was still there just not as much. For which the boys were eternally grateful.

Johnny's mouthed flapped open then closed just as fast. Roy had never been that mean to him before. Johnny turned his wheel chair away from the door and tried his best to push it to the bedroom. He had a bar hanging over the bed to help him get into the bed so he didn't need help there. He just needed help getting there, and he wasn't going to ask Roy for help.

Johnny made it most of the way before the chair tipped over. He cried out in pain and frustration. Roy came down the hall and saw Johnny dragging himself the rest of the way to the bedroom. Roy could barely hear the snuffling noises his lover was making. Roy was just too damn mad to do anything. He was pissed at Johnny and he needed to get away from him. Johnny made it to the bedroom after ten minutes of crawling. He had to stop often to wipe his nose on his shirt.

Roy sat down on the couch and read the morning paper, the kids wouldn't be coming due to the flu bug that was going around. Jo didn't want either man exposed to it. She knew what it could do to Johnny if he caught so much as a sniffle, so she postponed the kids's visits until the flu bug was gone. Roy knew she wouldn't go out of her way to keep him from seeing the kids.

Johnny didn't know how long he'd been laying on the floor of the bedroom right next to the bed, all he knew was that once he had gotten to the bed he just didn't have the strength to pull himself up into a standing position so he could use the bar to get into bed, he also knew that he was still tired and very cold despite the sweat pants and sweatshirt. He wondered why Roy hadn't come in or Lars for that matter. He was supposed to be there by now.

Roy was sleeping on the couch when he heard the car pull into the drive. He woke completely when he heard Lars come in through the mud room.

"Hi Lars, how's traffic out there?" Roy asked, he knew he probably wouldn't get any conversation outside the medical.

"It's shitty out there. The idiots are out in droves. Where's John?" Lars actually made conversation.

"Last I saw he was making his way to the bedroom. That was about two hours ago. I haven't heard anything since he threw his little hissy fit and headed back to bed."

Lars headed to the bedroom. Roy heard the curse Lars exclaimed upon entering the room.

Johnny looked up at Lars with a small smile. His teeth were chattering and he was trying to curl up to get warm. He was still too far from the bed to even pull a blanket down to cover himself. Now there was a chance that the flu bug going around was going to catch Johnny.

Roy came into the room in time to see Lars pick Johnny up and lay him in the bed. Roy saw that Johnny was pale and seemed to be cold.

"What happened Johnny? You fall out of bed?"

"No Roy, I never made it to bed. I couldn't get close enough to pull myself up and I didn't call for you because I know you are mad at me and won't help me." Johnny turned away from his lover after saying this and burrowed under the covers. Lars placed another blanket over the cold man. He then took his vitals as well as temperature. He then left the room to go prepare lunch and set out the medications that Johnny was still on.

Roy looked at Johnny and saw that the man was trying hard not to cry. Roy's heart broke when he saw this. He went over and sat on the bed, Johnny moved farther away from him. He refused to look at Roy or even acknowledge his presence. He just laid there wiping at his eyes and praying that Roy would just leave him alone.

Lars brought Johnny a bowl of Chicken soup and some crackers. He knew that Johnny was getting sick. He already had a temperature of 99 degrees. He was worried. In all the time he'd been working in this house he had not felt any tension between the two men. He knew they loved each other very much. He hoped the fight wasn't a long one.

Johnny ate the soup slowly he was not feeling very hungry but he didn't want to be on Lars' bad side either. He figured one person mad at him was enough.

Roy came in after lunch, he wanted to take a nap and thought that maybe he could make up with Johnny and do a little Bunny warming in the process. No dice though. Johnny stayed on his side of the bed as far to the edge as he could get without falling out. He wouldn't talk to Roy or let Roy touch him. He figured that he wasn't worth anything if Roy wanted to hurt him. He knew what to do when some one said that if he didn't shut up they'd shut him up, he knew that that meant he was in big trouble. So he decided that he wouldn't talk.

Roy tried to get Johnny to come closer. He used every trick he knew. Finally giving up Roy got out of bed and went back to the couch. He soon fell asleep. Johnny fell into a fitful sleep after Roy left.

He dreamed that Roy had left him. He was alone in a bed and there was no one around to take the pain away or to scratch the itch in his leg. He tossed and turned thrashing around. He was sweating bad and the dream was fast turning into a nightmare.

Roy heard Johnny scream. He hadn't witnessed one of Johnny's night terrors in almost a year, he thought they were done. Apparently he was wrong.

Roy went to Johnny and reached out to wake him. Johnny let out a whimper and pushed himself away. He knew Roy didn't want him anymore and he could get by alone. He had in the past and he would again.

Johnny woke up bathed in sweat. The dream has so real. He just knew that what he'd dreamed was going to happen. His grandfather had told him when he was just a little boy, before his mom had died, that his dreams were a way of the gods telling him what was to come in his life and if he were to pay heed to them, then what ever he dreamed would come to be. Johnny did not want this to happen but he thought there was no way to change the minds of the gods and what they wanted of Johnny.

Roy saw that Johnny was now awake and he offered him a glass of water knowing that the fever was making Johnny very dehydrated. Johnny pushed Roy away. "What do you want?" he asked of his lover. "You sure didn't want to help me when I fell! Just leave me alone." Johnny was in no mood to work through what was bothering him. Roy left him to get over his sulk.

"You know Johnny, you don't have to act like a brat." Roy left the room and went back to the kitchen. Lars was cooking them dinner and he wanted to see if his help was needed.

'A brat huh?' Johnny thought. 'I'll show you a brat!' Johnny picked up the phone and dialed the number from heart. He sighed when he heard Dixie McCall on the other end of the line.

"Rampart Emergency, Dixie McCall speaking."

"Hi Dix, Johnny, is Dr. Brackett there?"

Dixie was taken aback that Johnny would be asking to speak to a doctor on his own. "Sure Johnny, hang on a minute." Dixie placed Johnny on hold then went in to the doctor's office to talk to him.

"Kel, John Gage is on line three. I think something's wrong. He sounds like he's been crying. Can you talk to him?"

"Sure Dix, just give me a minute and send him through. I hope it isn't anything serious. We all know how John Gage and the common cold get along."

Dix went back to her desk and put the call through.

Dr. Brackett came out of the office fifteen minutes later looking rather upset. He went to the base station and found Dixie and Dr. Early talking.

"Just the two I need. Come into my office for a minute." Kel led the way.

"What's wrong." Joe Early asked.

"Well it seems something's going on between Johnny and Roy. Johnny wants us to admit him back into the hospital until the cast comes off. He said that he and Roy had a falling out. Now Roy hasn't called any of you has he?"

After getting head shakes he continued," Roy is due in tomorrow to get his wrist x-rayed and a release to start solo nursing for Johnny. Johnny is coming in to have his leg checked and a new cast put on if deemed necessary. He then stated that he was not going to go home. Roy wasn't talking to him so he decided that he would get better care here."

Dixie had a sudden thought, "Kel, you remember the last time he was here and the nightmares Johnny had? Well I was thinking. What could Roy have done that was so bad that Johnny would want to stay in a hospital knowing that he will just begin to have the nightmares again."

"I don't know Dix, but he was adamant that we keep him and not tell Roy." Kel stood up and crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his two friends.

"I think we need to talk to both men and get to the bottom of this whole mess." Joe Early stated. They then left the office and towards their appointed rounds.

Roy DeSoto just didn't know what was going on. He knew that Johnny probably came down with a cold after having spent several hours on the floor of the bedroom they were using until they could move around better. He also knew that Johnny felt he didn't want him to talk, but for the life of him, he just didn't know what to do about the cold shoulder he was getting.

'Oh well, I'll talk to Dix in the morning and see if she has any suggestions.' he thought to himself as he went up the stairs to sleep in the bedroom he normally shared with his lover. Johnny had made it clear earlier that afternoon that he did not want to share a bed with Roy.

Johnny lay alone in the bed staring at the ceiling wishing that Roy was with him. Roy had come in earlier and tried to talk to Johnny, yet no apologies had been spoken so Johnny thought Roy was still mad and didn't want him to speak even though Roy asked a lot of questions. Tears ran down Johnny's cheeks as he thought of the words Roy had said earlier and the way he'd treated his lover after John had fallen out of his chair.

'Damn it!' Johnny thought to himself, 'every time I find someone I care about, shit like this happens. I am not meant to be happy or have some one to love or love me back.' Johnny sank even deeper into his depression. 'Well at least at Rampart I won't have to worry about taking up Roy's time and making him miss spending time with his kids.' Johnny cried himself to sleep.

Lars helped Johnny to get ready to go to the doctor, Roy was waiting with Jo in her station wagon. She was taking them because she had a big enough car to accommodate Johnny and his cast.

Once under way Jo talked to Roy about him taking the kids for the weekend. Even though there was still the flu bug going around, Jo wanted to spend New Years eve with Matt Cross, her boyfriend. Roy was more than happy to take them even though he and Johnny had planned to spend it by themselves, he had a feeling that something was wrong with Johnny and he would want his kids there for company.

Johnny sat in the back seat leaning against the door. He was glad Roy would get to spend time with his children. He would be in the hospital so Roy would be able to focus all his attention on his kids and not have to worry about catering to Johnny's every whim. At least this is how John Gage saw the way he was to Roy. He had become what he had vowed never to become, a burden on anybody. He thought once he was in the hospital then maybe he could figure out what to do to get out of Roy's hair. His first thought was that he needed to find a new place to work. He wanted to stay with the fire department but knew that he couldn't work with Roy. He didn't want to be constantly reminded of what he couldn't have. He hurt inside and had no one to talk to about it at that moment.

Roy looked back at Johnny and saw that he had closed his eyes, he assumed he was sleeping. Roy took that time to think about what had happened between them. He hoped it wasn't anything serious.

They arrived at Rampart in record time and total silence. Dixie met them out side and with two orderlies help they got Johnny out of the car and onto a gurney. She directed the orderlies to take Johnny into Room 2 then she led Roy into Room 4.

Dixie took one look at Roy and knew there was trouble brewin' and she was just the person to get to the bottom of the trouble with her two favorite people.

"Okay Roy DeSoto, what is your problem. Johnny called Dr. Brackett yesterday all upset and crying. He seems to think that you two have had a falling out. Now what did you do to that poor boy in the other room?"

"I have no idea Dix. He's been acting like a spoiled brat for the past two days. He was grousing around yesterday complaining about how he couldn't go out because of the rain and I just got sick of hearing it so I told him to shut up or I'd shut him up..." A light bulb went off in Roy's head. "Oh my God, Dixie, I told Johnny I'd shut him up if he didn't...I forgot! No wonder he wouldn't let me touch him yesterday. He must think I don't want him anymore. What can I do. He won't listen to me. You know how he gets."

Dixie put an arm around Roy's shoulder and squeezed. "Knowing what caused the problem is half the battle, Roy, now you have to find a way to get him to see your view and to understand that you won't hurt him." Dixie left the room so Dr. Early could check him out.

Dr. Brackett was in Room 2 with Johnny. He was scowling at the man. "You have a temperature and you won't tell me why. I know what you told me on the phone yesterday but you didn't say that you were sick with more than a head cold. Dammit John, I need you to talk honestly to me."

Johnny got a strange look on his face as he turned away from the doctor. In a small voice he told him what happened right down to Roy watching him as he crawled back to the bedroom and not helping him out. He also told how Roy had called him a brat.

Now Kel understood why Johnny was acting the way he was. He knew more about Johnny's upbringing then all his friends did. Kelly Brackett knew Johnny from when he arrived in the city at the age of 15. He was beaten down and depressed. A priest had brought him in and asked the doctor to save his life, and he did. Now it was up to him to save it again.

"Look Johnny, I know right now it sounds like Roy doesn't like you or want you anymore, but you have to remember that you didn't help matters by bitching about the weather all the time. Now I'm sure Roy didn't mean that he would hurt you physically. Would you like me to talk to him and see what we can do to save your friendship and partnership?"

Johnny shrugged his shoulders but was non-committal at this point. "I guess. It doesn't matter to me."

"You know John, Roy was right. You are a brat!" Kelly Brackett left the room and crossed the hall. He had another bull headed paramedic to deal with.

Johnny turned onto his side and cursed himself for thinking that anyone could like him for who he was.

Dixie entered the room Johnny was in and saw him laying facing away from the door, she could tell by the way his shoulders were shaking that he was crying. She walked up to him and brushed his hair away from his face. "Hey handsome." Dixie said in her usual greeting to the young man. She knew he could use as much self-confidence as possible and she really did think he was handsome.

Johnny opened his eyes and looked at Dixie. She also had known Johnny when he was a scared 15 year old who a local catholic priest had brought in back some 13 years ago. She saw that boy now in front of her instead of the man he had grown up to be.

"Hold me Dixie. I lost Roy yesterday. I was acting up and he told me to shut up," he was trying to talk and cry at the same time so the story was coming out in fits and starts." Oh Dix, I was so bad. He wouldn't even help me after I fell out of my wheel chair. I had to crawl on the floor to my bedroom, he watched me do it too. I was left to get myself back to bed and I couldn't!" Just then Johnny sneezed and started coughing real hard.

Dixie went into Head Nurse mode and started taking Johnny's vitals. She noted that he had a temperature of 101 degrees and sounded real congested. After making notes on his chart she went to the phone and paged Dr. Brackett.

"Well Johnny, you got your wish. I'm going to admit you but I am not going to keep it a secret from Roy or any one else. Dix, draw some blood and get x-ray up here stat. I want a chest x-ray and then we'll see if he just goes to a room or to ICU." Brackett turned on his heal and left the room. Johnny was now feeling every bit as miserable as he looked.

Roy looked up from the magazine he had been reading while he waited for Johnny to be finished, he saw Dr. Brackett heading his way.

"What's wrong Doc.?" Roy knew it had to be Johnny. 'Only Johnny could get into trouble while at the hospital' he thought.

"Johnny has pneumonia Roy. It's not bad, we seemed to have caught it just as it was starting. I'm admitting him because he wants to be admitted. Roy do you mind if I ask you some personal questions?"

"Depends on the questions. I can always refuse to answer."

"What's going on between you and Johnny? He called me up yesterday in tears wanting to know if I would admit him until the cast was off his leg. Did you two have a fight?"

"Not a fight really, he was acting like a brat and I told him so. I know he's vulnerable but I should be able to tell him when he's acting like a child with out him pulling this crap. If he wants to stay then fine, let him stay."

"You don't seem to understand Roy, he thinks it's over between you and that you don't love him anymore. He made it sound like you never really loved him. You know his history Roy. He's been hurt and abandoned all his life. You were like an anchor for him. He needed you then and he needs you now."

Roy thought about what the doctor had said and made his decision. "What room is he in Doc?"

"Well depending on what his temp is I just might put him on the third floor. Why don't you give me a couple of minutes then I'll tell you the room number."

Roy watched Dr. Brackett walk down the hall. He didn't even hear Jo walk up beside him. "What's wrong Roy? You look like you've just lost your best friend." Jo looked closer and saw that she might not be that far off. "Roy is everything okay with Johnny?"

"He had pneumonia Jo. He caught it because I was too pissed at him to help him get back to bed yesterday and he spent over two hours lying huddled on the floor of the bedroom because he couldn't pull himself up."

Jo looked at her ex-husband and weighed what she was about to say carefully. "Now you listen to me Roy, you are in no way responsible for Johnny being sick. Now you get that notion out of your head this instance."

Dr. Brackett came down the hall just then. "Roy he's in room 318. You can go up but don't expect too much. He's feeling pretty bad, I think he said he felt rather 'shitty'. Now go and see him and try to make up okay?"

Roy went up to Johnny's room and stood just inside the door watching his lover sleep.

Johnny was having that dream again. He tried to wake up but the dream was just too strong. It didn't want to let him go. He struggled to sit up, he couldn't breath, his throat felt like it was on fire. He then felt himself being lifted up and a glass placed to his lips. He drank greedily.

He was gently placed back down and told in quiet words that all was well and that he needed to go back to sleep. He was more than happy to oblige the voice and he quickly and quietly sank back into the darkness of sleep.

Roy heaved a sigh as he covered Johnny back up after sponging off his torso. The fever was tenacious but the antibiotics were working. He was going to be just fine the doctors told Roy. Roy had his doubts.

He stayed with his lover for two days. He was finally over the worst of it on the morning of New Years Eve.

Johnny looked around the dim room. He saw Roy sitting in a chair fast asleep. He pushed the call button not wanting to wake Roy up.

Betty came in and saw Johnny awake. She went over to the bed and took his vitals and then went to page Dr. Brackett. She then brought Johnny a fresh pitcher of water. He drank like a good boy then laid back on his pillows. He then looked at Betty and spoke. "How long has he been here?"

Betty looked at Roy and smiled. She went over and pulled up the blanket before she answered Johnny, "Since they brought you up here. He's really concerned about you, I think he likes you a lot." Betty had no idea of the type of relationship the men shared.

"You think so?" Johnny said in his little boy lost voice. Most women found the act endearing, not Betty. She did though understand Johnny's need for reassurance when he was sick so she patted him on the arm and gave him a smile as she left the room to get his medicine.

Roy started shifting in the chair trying to get comfortable. He cracked open an eye and saw two brown ones staring back at him.

"Hi Roy." Johnny's little boy voice was still there.

"Hi Babe, how are you feeling today?" Roy stood and approached the bed slowly. During Johnny's battle with the fever induced nightmares he had clobbered Roy in the face so that now he sported a real nice shiner.

"M thirsty but I feel okay. What day is it?" Johnny's voice sounded stronger as he spoke.

"It's New Years Eve babe, I'm hoping I can take you home with me so we can celebrate like we originally planned. I promise no Barry Manilow."

Johnny couldn't help it he just had to laugh. "I just hate that man, how can Dick Clark have him sing? He sounds so...so nasally. I don't know. Now if he has that Bette Midler chick, then it'll be worth watching this year."

Roy sat on the side of the bed and ran a finger along Johnny's jaw line. He was so happy, things were looking better, now all he had to do was put in the fix.

"Look Johnny, I'm sorry about the other day, I mean, you wouldn'ta gotten sick if I hadn't been such an asshole and had helped you out. Can you forgive me?"

Johnny looked at Roy and dropped his gaze. "You don't need to be forgiven, I do. I was acting just like you said, like a brat. Hell Dr. Brackett even called me a brat. I'm sorry Roy. I was just so damn bored and it seemed to me you weren't listening to me. I didn't mean to make an ass out of myself. I just seem to have a knack for doing that."

Roy folded his arms around his lover. He wanted him to feel his love. He had missed it over the last three days.

Dr. Brackett entered the room and witnessed the kiss that passed between the two paramedics. "Ahem. May I interrupt for a minute?"

Johnny and Roy broke apart but Roy stayed on the bed. He held onto Johnny's good hand tightly. He wasn't going to let this man go ever again.

"Well your temp is down and it looks like you two have made up. Now, John, how do you feel?"

Johnny looked the doctor straight in the eye and deadpanned, "Usually with my fingers doc."

All three men cracked up at that time. "Okay, you hose jockey. Roy, there are two friends of yours waiting to take you home. Do you think you can take care of Johnny now? You have been officially cleared for nursing duty by Joe, so what do you say? Care to free up a bed for a real sick person?"

Mike Stoker pulled the car into the drive. Brandon got out and removed the wheel chair from the trunk of the BMW sedan. He then went over to the back passenger side and opened the door. Roy dislodged himself and then pulled Johnny out towards him. He then levered the man up and over and sat him in the chair.

Mike pushed the chair up the ramp that had been installed two weeks ago when it was learned that Johnny would spend six to eight weeks in a wheelchair. Roy opened the front door and saw that the house had been cleaned and put back in order. They wheeled Johnny over to the couch and helped him to lower himself on it. After he was settled Mike and Brandon wished the men a happy new year and left.

Roy sat down on the coffee table and took Johnny's hands tenderly in his mindful of the sore collarbone.

"I know you wanted to get me something special for Christmas, but then we had the accident that left us like we are. I also wanted to get you something special. I had ordered it several weeks ago. Jo took me to pick it up the day before we had our fight, I hope you like it and will wear it." He then gave a small jewelry box to his lover.

Inside was a ring. A plain gold band with a rope woven around it. On the inside was engraved Forever. Roy took the ring out of the box and put it on Johnny's left ring finger. "I mean that John Gage. Forever." He then tenderly kissed the stunned man.

Johnny looked at Roy and smiled. "I had a little help with this from some friends, but if you will look on the mantel there is a book by Shakespeare, if you will bring it to me, I have something for you."

Roy handed the book to Johnny who opened it to reveal that it was really a safe. He opened it making a big show out of it. Once opened he pulled out a case similar to the one Roy had handed him. "I picked this out around your birthday and changed my mind about giving it to you. Mike and Brandon have been holding on to it since I picked it up. I'm not sure if you will want it or wear it." He then handed Roy the box.

Inside was a ring not to dissimilar to the one Roy had given Johnny, showing how much the two men thought alike. Inside this one was engraved 'Always'. Johnny put it on Roy's finger and pulled him in for a searing kiss.

Pulling apart, Roy looked at Johnny and just had to say it, "So, does this mean we're married?"

"Happy New Year Babe." Johnny kissed his lover again.

Sorry folks, no sex just sap. My muse is making fun of me right now so I am off to have a nice night. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone. krys

~fini~