A Special Wedding or a Funeral?

Part II

A scream could be heard in the emergency wing as the sound of an explosion came over the HT. The first explosion was followed by two smaller ones. Then the HT went dead. The men of Engine 51’s A-shift were headed up the stairs before anyone else could get moving. Roy held Johnny as he cried. Somehow, they would all get through this together, but right now no one was sure how.

Hank Stanley was the first one to reach the fourth floor. Steeling himself for what he was about to find, he opened the stairwell door and turned towards Nicole’s office with Chet, Mike and Marco right behind. They were surprised to find there seemed to be no damage in the hallway. As they came to Nicole’s office door, they found it handing by one hinge. Looking inside they saw that the damage had been to the side that faced the outdoors. There was severe damage—but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been.

Marco and Chet were the next ones in the room. They moved around their Captain and started sorting through the debris. Chet stopped as he found a hand sticking out from under a file cabinet. Gulping, he tried to control his emotions. “Marco, I need your help getting this file cabinet up. There’s a hand here. I think I found them.” He didn’t try to stop the tears. How would Johnny get through this? How would any of them get through this? He wasn’t sure, but he was determined to be there for Johnny every step of the way.

Macro joined Chet and crossed himself before they picked up the file. He, too, let the tears fall. Nicole had found a very special place in all their lives and now there would be an empty spot.

Hank watched as Chet and Marco began to lift the file. This was one part of the job he hated, but Johnny was under his command and was a friend—he would be the one to tell him the news. There was a third person in the room letting the tears fall and not caring who knew it.

Chet and Marco got the file cabinet upright and started clearing away the pieces of ceiling and wall that had also fallen. When they got it cleared, they both looked at each other and blinked. Marco was the first one to find his voice. “Cap, there’s only one body here and it isn’t Nicole’s.”

“What? Well, let’s clear away the rest of this stuff and see if we can find her. She saved a lot of people’s lives today—it is the least she deserves.” Hank prayed that they would be able to find Nicole and in one piece.

“Cap! Chet! Marco! Come here, quick.” Mike had started cleaning the debris around the doorway. He was tossing debris right and left.

“What is it, Mike?” Captain Stanley was followed by Chet and Marco as they hurried to see what Mike wanted.

“I found Nicole.” He didn’t stop what he was doing as the others began to help. She was covered with pieces of ceiling and wall as well as a couple of the office chairs.

“Stop a minute.” Mike had found her left wrist. Knowing he wouldn’t find one, Mike wanted to check for a pulse anyway. He jumped when he felt a faint but steady pulse. “Cap, she’s alive!”

As Captain Stanley grabbed his HT, Mike, Chet and Marco returned to their task with a greater determination.

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

Johnny had finally been able to gain control of his emotions when the radio once again came to life with a transmission from an HT. Everyone had been waiting for a report on the damage so that appropriate personnel could be sent up to help.

“Dixie, can you hear me?” Hank forgot about proper protocol. He wanted a doctor up there immediately.

“Yes, Hank, I can. Go ahead.” Dixie wondered why he was talking to her instead of the Chief who was waiting for a report.

“Get Dr. Brackett up here NOW. Nicole is alive and needs immediate attention.” Hank didn’t wait for her response. He started helping the others extradite Nicole.

A cheer went up all through the crowd as Dixie and Dr. Brackett grabbed some supplies and headed for the stairs. “Mike, grab a gurney and meet us on the fourth floor.” Dr. Brackett ran through the stairwell door and took the stairs two at a time.

Dr. Brackett had just started working on Nicole when she regained consciousness. “Is it over? What happened to Cindy? Was anyone else hurt?”

Dr. Brackett jumped at the sound of her voice. “Yes, Nicole, it’s over.” He was amazed as the others that she was concerned about Cindy and the patients. “Cindy didn’t make it and we were able to get all the patients evacuated. Everyone is fine.”

Johnny was in a catatonic state. He had closed out the world—he wanted to be in a place where he would remember Nicole forever. The transmission and even the cheer didn’t penetrate his brain. All he knew was that Nicole was in a room that had just been blown up. How was he going to go on?

Roy hugged Joanne when the word came down about Nicole. He turned to look at Johnny and got worried. He could not get through to him. “Dr. Early, come here quick.”

Dr. Early hurried towards Roy. Taking one look at Johnny, he knew they had to get through to him somehow. For the fifteen minutes it would take to finish digging Nicole out, get her stable enough to move and back down to ER, Joanne, Roy, Dr. Early and even Chief McConikee tried to make Johnny understand that Nicole was alive.

Dr. Brackett guided Nicole’s gurney into treatment room three. Realizing Johnny needed to see for himself that she was alive; Dr. Early and Roy guided Johnny into the treatment room. Carol and Dr. Morton were helping Dixie and Dr. Brackett work. Johnny didn’t seem to be aware of what was going on around him.

 “Where’s Johnny?” Nicole needed to see him and have him hold her.

Roy took Johnny by the arm and led him towards Nicole. At first it didn’t register to Johnny what he was seeing. Then he saw her smile and was by her side instantly. “Nicole, I love you.” He leaned over to kiss her. Then he stood caressing her cheek and firmly holding her hand. “What are her injuries, Doc?” Johnny didn’t even look up as he asked.

“She is one very lucky lady. We will have to take her to surgery since she has some broken ribs and we think one punctured a lung. There is some internal bleeding, too. But other than that she is only battered and bruised.” Dr. Brackett was glad that the outcome had been so much better than what any of them had expected.

Hank was worried about his junior paramedic. Chief McConikee had released his men from the cleanup and he had seen the state Johnny was in as he was led into the treatment room. He looked up as Roy and Johnny came back into the lounge which had now been designated for the firefighters and others waiting for word on Nicole if they weren’t helping with the cleanup. Johnny had a smile on his face for the first time in hours.

“How’s Nicole?” Mike was the first one up which surprised everyone.

“She has some broken ribs—one of which punctured a lung and some internal bleeding so they are taking her to surgery right now. The battering she took will make her sore for quite a while, but she is going to be alright.” The stress of the events of the day finally caught up with Johnny and his knees buckled. Mike and Roy grabbed him and led him over to the couch so he could sit. Someone else handed him a sandwich and a cup of coffee. “Thanks, everyone. I wonder what happened up there.”

“Well, Nicole regained consciousness while we were up there and she told us what was going on those last few minutes.” Hank made sure Johnny was eating as he talked. “It seemed that at the last second Nicole was able to pull free from Cindy’s grasp and had made it over to the door when the first blast hit. She had the door opened and had ducked when the other two went off.”

“How much damage was done?” Roy couldn’t believe that she could live through a blast in the same room.

“Well, what we couldn’t tell from what was going on over the HT, Nicole had made sure all the bombs were by the outside wall of her office—across the room from the doorway. It took out the wall and floor halfway into her office. Cindy was thrown into the room with a file cabinet landing on top of her. The two offices on either side of Nicole’s had the same amount of damage. Other than that we don’t know because we wanted to get Nicole out of there when we found out she was alive.”

“With three bombs, I wonder why there wasn’t more damage in the immediate area.” Mike had started thinking about the state the room was in when they entered.

“I can answer that.” Captain Davison of Station 16 had just entered the room. “The main reason was because they were on the outside wall of the room and when they blew, they blew out instead of in. That added with the fact that only about 1/8 of the explosives of each bomb blew, we had a lot less damage than we would have had.”

“Why did only part of the explosives blow?” Johnny realized the damage that could have been done if all the explosives had blown.

“Whoever made the bomb didn’t know that they were doing. The only part that ignited was the ‘starting’ explosive for each bomb. But the path of the explosives indicate that each one shot out and didn’t connect with the rest of the explosives at all. I’m not sure why or how, but this is one time we had someone watching out for all of us.”

“What is the extent of the damage?” Chet was just thankful that a very special person had lived through it.

“Well, the whole outer wall and roof of that wing will need to be replaced. The three wards above and below as well as Nicole’s and the two offices on either side of hers will have to be rebuilt. If we hadn’t evacuated, the people in the six wards would have been killed. Considering what could have happened, I’d say our guardian angels were working overtime today.” Captain Davison nodded to Captain Stanley and left the room to go help finish the mop up.

“Nicole saved at least 24 lives if not more today, didn’t she?” Johnny thought he couldn’t love her anymore than he did, but at that moment he discovered he was wrong and his love doubled.

“Yes, Johnny, she’s a hero.” Roy put his arm around his best friend.

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

Johnny had fallen asleep about fifteen minutes after Nicole was taken up to surgery. With promises they would be called as soon as word came down, gradually the room emptied as stations were sent back to duty and hospital personnel returned to work as Rampart was again opened for business. By the time Dr. Brackett came to report on Nicole’s condition only the men of Station 51’s A-shift, Joanne, Jenny, Chris and Dixie were in the room.

“Johnny?” Dr. Brackett carefully shook Johnny awake.

“Huh, oh, Doc. How is she?” It only took a few seconds for Johnny to become fully alert. “When can I see her?”

“She came through surgery fine and is waiting for you in ICU. We want to keep her there overnight and let her lung heal. She is on a respirator. Come on, let’s go see her.” Dr. Brackett couldn’t keep the smile off his face. “She actually wants to see all of you, so we are going to let you in two at a time with Johnny being last by himself. Chris and Jenny can go in with Roy and Joanne.”

“We get to see Aunt Nicole, too?” Jenny knew that kids weren’t allowed in ICU. She had wanted to visit her Uncle Johnny there several times and they wouldn’t let her.

“Yep, she wants to see you, too, and whatever the lady who is a hero wants, she gets.” Dr. Brackett held the door open as the group filed out.

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

Nicole was released from the hospital a week later and once again went to stay with the DeSotos. She didn’t know it, but most of the hospital personnel, all the patients that were in the hospital that day and their families as well as all the rescue personnel on the scene that day had put in a request to the Mayor to honor Nicole for what she had done. All she would say whenever anyone brought it up was that she was not a hero—she was just making sure no one got hurt. Several contractors in LA had seen the news broadcast and had donated the supplies and services to repair the damaged wing of Rampart. It was at the dedication that a special ceremony honoring Nicole would be held. She didn’t know anything about it.


March, 1978

All the contractors had worked seven days a week to have the new wing completed only one month after the incident. Johnny planned to take Nicole out for the Valentine’s dinner they had missed because of her injuries. He took her to the fanciest restaurant in town and presented her with a diamond necklace during desert. She gave him the card that held the note presenting him with the fancy saddle he had been wanting for a long time. Roy had picked it up for her that morning and delivered it to the ranch so it would be there when he got home.

When Johnny asked for the check, the manager approached their table. “Your meals are on the house tonight. We would like to honor the lady who made it possible for all those patients to be evacuated without injury last month. You are our hero.”

Nicole blushed as Johnny grinned. Nicole deserved the attention even though she didn’t feel she did. Now the whole world knew how special she really was.

“Thank you.” Johnny shook the manager’s hand and was surprised when the manager said that even the waiter’s tip would come from the profits. Johnny knew that this was just the beginning of Nicole’s evening. Nicole was embarrassed at all the fuss.

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

As they entered the hospital’s auditorium, Johnny and Nicole were escorted to the front row. Nicole was surprised to see all of the men of Station 51’s A-shift and their families as well as Dixie, Dr. Brackett, Dr. Early, and Dr. Morton already there. She was even more surprised when halfway through the dedication ceremony the Mayor asked her and Johnny to join him on the stage. There he presented her with a plaque from the city and the medal usually presented to firefighters or policemen for acts of courage. She couldn’t believe it when she received a standing ovation.

At the end of the program she was escorted upstairs to see her new office. It was beautiful. She really couldn’t believe what everyone had done. Seeing the huge trademark grin on Johnny’s face made her proud to be a part of the firefighter/Rampart family.


May, 1978

The last two months had gone quickly for Johnny and Nicole and the men of Station 51. Everyone had gotten involved – A-shift and Rampart staff included. It was going to be a very special wedding for two very special people. Chet had gotten so involved in the wedding plans, he and Johnny were becoming good friends – they would never be as close as Johnny and Roy – but they were getting closer.

Johnny woke to the sun shining in his window. Today was the day he was getting married. He had often wondered how he would feel when this day came. Now he knew, he felt like he was walking on air. There was no nervousness or cold feet or anything like that—only a happiness he had never felt before. Johnny whistled as he got ready for what he considered to be the best day of his life.

Nicole, Joanne, Johnny and Roy had become very close. As a matter of fact, Joanne and Nicole had become as close as Roy and Johnny. Usually where you found one of the couples you could find the other

Johnny had just finished getting dressed when there was a knock on his door. When he opened it there stood Chet leading the way in, followed by the rest of A-shift. “We brought breakfast for your last morning as a single man.” Johnny smiled as Chet pulled out the donuts and sweet rolls they had brought while Roy poured everyone coffee from the pot Johnny had just made.

“Thanks guys, this is great!” Johnny had a huge smile.

Chet smiled back. “You know, Johnny, Nicole is the best thing that ever happed to you. If you do anything to hurt her you are going to have to answer to all of us.” The other guys all nodded their agreement.

“I know. And if I ever do anything that will hurt her, I want you guys to let me have it.” Johnny was thankful for their friendship.

“How did you ever get her to agree to go camping for two weeks for your honeymoon?” Chet was still trying to figure out why someone would want to go camping for their honeymoon.

“It was her idea. She planned the whole thing. After all, we met on a camping trip.” Johnny had been surprised himself when Nicole suggested they spend the two weeks camping. It was something they both loved.

After a breakfast of recapping some of Johnny’s “conquests,” the guys headed to the church for the wedding.

Johnny stood at the front of the church with Roy standing beside him. His smile grew twice as big as he saw Nicole start down the aisle on Captain Stanley’s arm. She was beautiful—oh she was pretty on the outside, but Johnny saw her—not just the outside. He felt like the most blessed man alive.

Everyone listened quietly as the ceremony began.

“Friends and loved ones, we are here in the presence of God, today to share with Nicole and John as they pledge their lives to each other forever. Today they will promise to face the future together, accepting whatever may lie ahead. Remember, Nicole and John, nothing is easier than saying the words and nothing harder than living them day after day. The promises you make today must be renewed and reaffirmed tomorrow and every day for the rest of your lives. At the end of this ceremony legally you will be man and wife, but each day you must decide that you want to make that promise anew.

Real love is caring as much about the welfare and happiness of your marriage partner as much as about your own. It is not total absorption in each other; it is looking outward and walking in the same direction--together. Love makes burdens lighter, because you divide them, joys more intense because you share them. It makes you stronger so you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not risk alone. No other human ties are more tender, no other vows are more sacred than those you are about to make. You are entering into the holy estate which is the deepest mystery of experience, and which is the very sacrament of divine love. Now as you stand in the presence of God, you must remember the responsibilities of a Christian man and wife.

“Who gives Nicole to be married to John?”

“I do.” Nicole turned and kissed Captain Stanley. After Hank had done the honors of presenting Nicole to Johnny, he slid in next to his wife, Chet, Mike and Beth Stoker, and Marco. He had taken over the Father role in Nicole’s life over the last two months in more ways than just giving her away at her wedding. They had all been there for her as she tried to regain her life. She still didn’t remember anything and had to relive her life through what others told her, but she was a part of their family.

Nicole stepped up on the platform and handed her flowers to Joanne.

“Having chosen each other as partners for life, you may now join hands.”

Nicole slid her hand into the hand waiting for her and entwined her fingers with the man of her dreams.

“John, God has appointed the man to be the spiritual head, responsible provider and initiator of love in a marriage. With His help, your strength must be the protection Nicole seeks, your character her pride and your life the haven for which she longs.

“Nicole, God's purpose for you is that you be a loving wife, and tenderly respond to John’s love with a deep sense of understanding, through a great faith in Christ who brought you together. God wants you to have the inner beauty of soul that never fades; that eternal youth that is found in holding fast the things that never age.

“John and Nicole, as you start your life together you need to remember that a Christian marriage is not living merely for each other; it is two uniting and joining hands to serve God; to become one in Him. As you face each new day do not expect your mate to be perfect, perfection belongs only to God. Don’t minimize each other's weaknesses, but always be swift to praise and magnify each other's points of comeliness and strength Look at each other through kind and patient eyes.

“God will lead you into such situations as well bless you and develop your characters as you walk together. He will give you enough tears to keep you tender, enough hurts to keep you compassionate, enough of failure to keep your hands clenched tightly in His, and enough success to make you sure you walk with Him.

“No matter what happens on the long road ahead don’t ever take each other's love for granted. Every moment of every day, treat yourself and each other with respect showing each other the love that says ‘I have chosen you,’ and experience the wonder that you have been chosen by your mate. When life is done, may you be found then as now, hand in hand, still thanking God for each other. May you ever serve Him happily, faithfully, together until you return to glory or until at last one shall lay the other into His arms.

As you face each frustration, difficulty and fear that will assail your relationship at times, remind yourselves of the love God has given you for each other and what brought you together. Focus on that love and the strength God will provide and not only on the things that seem wrong. With His strength and your love for each other, you can face the storms and trials in your life together.
 
“John, please tell Nicole how you feel.”

“I, John Roderick Gage, am honored that you, Nicole Angeline Schall, have consented to be my wedded wife. I will stand by you through whatever may come. I will make whatever adjustments are necessary so that we can share our lives as one, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony. I will love you, respect you, be honest with you always, comfort you, honor and keep you, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others keeping myself only for you so long as we both shall live.”

 “Nicole, please tell John how you feel.”

“I, Nicole Angeline Schall, thank God that you, John Roderick Gage, have consented to be my wedded husband. I will be honest with you always and stand by you through whatever may come. I will make whatever adjustments are necessary so that we can share our lives as one, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony. I will love you, comfort you, honor and keep you, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keeping myself only for you so long as we both shall live.”

“As a surprise for each other, John and Nicole have each written more to their vows.” Both were surprised, but pleased they had the same idea.

“John, you may start.”

“Nicole, I fell in love with you the day I saw you out on the camping trip. That’s where I first saw my Nicole. I knew that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. We have been through hard times the last couple of months, but we can get through all of this together. We stand here today before our family, friends and God to commit our lives to each other. I thank God that He has given you to be my partner as we start this life together, to complete me as my wife. Our love is pure and unconditional. You are in my heart to stay forever. You are more precious than diamonds or pearls to me. You are my soul mate, my heart song. You’re the twinkle in my eye, the gentle touch of a warm summer’s breeze, and the kiss of the warm sun on my cheek. Today I promise to be your strength, to stand beside you to daily face whatever lies ahead for the rest of our lives. As we start down this road together with my hand in yours and both our hands in God’s, I pledge you my undying love. Today we are no longer two halves; we become one. The future is unclear, but as we walk with God and depend on Him, I will be beside you to be your strength and shield, share the joys and trials we will face as one. We will not always agree, but I will listen to your views, your opinions, your feelings and I will openly share mine with you. There will be times of storm in our relationship, but with God’s help and strength, my love for you will never change or falter. Instead it will grow minute by minute. I ask God right now to help me be the kind of husband He wants me to be for you, to be your strength—your leaning post and the head of our home. I will love you, honor you, cherish you and protect you for the rest of our lives because today I marry my best friend, the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, love. Today we become one. I will be always faithful to you. I love you, Nicole, my special Nicole.”

“Nicole.”

“John, today is the first day of the rest of my life. But it is no longer mine alone; it is our life. Today we are no longer two halves, but one whole as we start down this road together. As we start this journey together today in front of family, friends and God, I thank God that He has given me you to be my husband, to complete me just as He gave Eve to Adam to complete him. Our hearts are entwined never to part but only grow in strength each day we spend together. Just as it has since the day I woke up two months ago, my love grows stronger every moment we are together. God has not promised that the road ahead will be paved only with good times. There will be times of sorrow, pain and trials. But He has promised His love, strength and grace to see us through. As He has promised to always be there, I pledge to you my heart, my honesty, and my soul to have with you wherever you go for the rest of our lives. So as I put my hand in yours, we will put both our hands in God’s and walk this path with Him as our guide and our strength. Because of God’s love and strength, I pledge you my undying love. I promise my support and strength as we take this journey one step at a time to face good times and bad. I will stand beside you, working with you. You are my heart song, my soul mate and I will listen to you. I will share my feelings, thoughts, needs and desires with you. I will gladly rejoice in your comfort and the strength you provide as I lean on you when I need to. I ask the Lord right now to help me be your helpmeet. The path that lies ahead will not always be easy or sunny, but with God’s strength and your love, I know we will make it through. I will love, honor and cherish you for the rest of our lives because today I marry my best friend—the one I laugh with, live for, dream with, love. Today we become one. John, I will be always faithful to you. I love you, John.

“John, what token do you give to show your love?”

“A ring.”

“Place the ring on Nicole’s finger.”

“Nicole, a ring is more than a symbol of our marriage. This ring is the emblem of eternity.  It is a seal of the vows we have given to one another. The circle of the ring is, as far as human eye can see, a perfect circle--with no beginning or end--so God too has perfect love for us and wants us to love one another in His grace--never, never ending.  This ring is made of precious metal.  You also are precious in God's sight and now in my love. When we are absent from each other, the presence of the ring reminds us to be faithful to and to fulfill our vows to each other. This ring is my pledge to you of my undying love and unending faithfulness as long as we both shall live.”

“Nicole, what token do you give to show your love?”

“A ring.”

“Place the ring on John’s finger.”

“John, this ring is a seal of my vow to you.  I present this to you as a token of my submission to you in Jesus Christ.  God has placed you as the head of our family.  I will depend upon you for strength. The beautiful metal out of which this ring is formed shows how lasting and imperishable the pledge of my love is for you today. It is a symbol of how precious you are to me. This ring is my pledge to you of my undying love and unending faithfulness as long as we both shall live.”

    “Nicole and John have picked a song to demonstrate the depth of their love for each other.”

 I Cross My Heart (George Strait)
Our love is unconditional, we knew it from the start.
I see it in your eyes you can feel it from my heart.
From here on after let's stay the way we are right now,
And share all the love and laughter that a lifetime will allow.

I cross my heart and promise to give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true.
In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine.

You will always be the miracle that makes my life complete,
And as long as there's a breath in me, I'll make yours just as sweet.
As we look into the future, it's as far as we can see,
So let's make each tomorrow be the best that it can be.

I cross my heart and promise to give all I've got to give to make all your dreams come true.
In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine.

And if along the way we find a day it starts to storm,
You've got the promise of my love to keep you warm.
In all the world you'll never find a love as true as mine, a love as true as mine.

Johnny looked lovingly into Nicole’s eyes as the songs said what was in his heart. He knew by the love for him in Nicole’s eyes that she felt the same way. They both knew that no matter what lay ahead, they would be able to face the future with the love of each other and God’s help.

 “On the small table in front are set up three candles. The two outside candles have been lighted to represent your lives up to this moment.  They are two distinct lights, each capable of going their separate ways.  To bring the happiness God designed for your homes, there must be the merging of these two lights into one light.  This is what the Lord meant when He said, ‘On this account a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.’ From now on, your thoughts shall be for each other, rather than for your individual selves.  Your plans shall be mutual, your joys and sorrows shall be shared.  As you each take a candle, and together light the center one, and extinguish your own candles, you will be letting the center candle represent the union of your lives into one flesh.  As this one light cannot be divided, neither shall your lives be divided, but a united testimony in a Christian home.  May the radiance of this one light be a testimony of your unity in the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Johnny and Nicole made their way to the front to light the unity candles. As they lit the center candle and blew out the two side candles, both thought of the strength they received from each other and the love that had made them one. Then they made their way back to the minister holding their hands.

“As you start your lives together, you are not to live selfishly as single persons do, protecting their own rights, making their own plans, but rather the Apostle tells us ‘Be subject to one another out of reverence for Christ,’ and truly, the more each of you loves Jesus Christ, the richer will be your love for one another. He tells us what that love is like with the words from I Cor. 13:4-8a.

“’Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails.

“Nicole, you are carrying roses today. Both of you need to remember that a rose is a precious flower just as your love is precious. Remember to keep that precious gift in a special place and water it so it will continue to grow every moment of every day for the rest of your lives. Give that gift the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that it deserves. Make it the highest priority in your life.
 
“John, Nicole has asked me to read an Indian Prayer she found and feels reflects what lies ahead as you begin your life together.

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no more loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other.
Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before
May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead, and through all the years.
May happiness be your companion, and your days together be good and long upon the earth.

“John and Nicole, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in holy matrimony and having heard the pledges of your faith in, and love to each other, and having sealed your solemn marital vows by the joining of your hands and giving and receiving of rings, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of the State of California, in the presence of God, whose grace to you is unmeasured, and these witnesses, I now pronounce you, John and Nicole, husband and wife. What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.”

"John, you may kiss your bride," the minister said with a smile.

Johnny slowly lifted Nicole’s veil and kissed his bride with all the passion in his heart. It was the clapping and cheering from those watching that made them remember where they were. Amidst the laughter and cheers they turned to face the congregation. Nicole retrieved her flowers from Joanne.

“And now it is my happy privilege to congratulate and introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. John Roderick Gage. May Christ be the Head of their home. May He be the unseen Guest at every meal, the Listener to every conversation. May Christ's love rule their hearts and lives.”

Chet was the first one on his feet clapping his hands. John and Nicole started down the aisle full of love for all their friends and family.

At the reception, Roy acted as emcee. Nicole listened as everyone shared their love, feelings and memories of the bride and groom. It was fun to hear how everyone felt about Johnny. Nicole felt a tug of sadness as she learned how much she had come to mean to these people, but couldn’t remember most of it and what she could was only because they had told her. But the most precious time for both Johnny and Nicole was when Roy read a poem Johnny had found just for Nicole.

I would ask of you, my darling,
A question soft and low,
That gives me many a heartache
As the moments come and go.

Your love I kppear.” Roy was so happy for his partner.

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

Johnny and Nicole left their car in the parking lot of the campgrounds. After checking in with the Rangers to let them know where they would be camping, they picked up their backpacks and camping gear and headed up the mountain. Johnny was a little sad knowing that Nicole would not remember the camping trip in these same mountains that brought them together.

As they came near their campsite the sun was just beginning to slide behind the mountains. They quickly set up camp and started their bonfire. Then Johnny led Nicole to a fallen log. He sat on the log and she sat on the ground in front of him leaning back in his embrace. There they watched as the sky became a beautiful palette of colors as the sun slid behind the mountain.

“It’s so peaceful and beautiful here. I could stay here with you forever.” Nicole turned so she could look at Johnny.”

“Yes, it is. I know what you mean about staying here forever. Sharing this with you makes it that much more special.” Johnny leaned down to kiss Nicole. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, I was so busy before the wedding and at the reception, I didn’t really eat that much. Do you want me to make something?” Nicole knew that Johnny didn’t like to cook very much.

“No, I have a surprise. I’ll fix supper.” Johnny was happy that Joanne had thought ahead and packed them a supper basket. Neither one would have to cook.

“Ok, I’ll just sit here then.” Nicole smiled as Johnny kissed her again and then got up to get them something to eat.

Johnny whistled while he worked. Listening to his whistling, Nicole smiled. ~Just like he did on the hikingppear.” Roy was so happy for his partner.

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

Johnny and Nicole left their car in the parking lot of the campgrounds. After checking in with the Rangers to let them know where they would be camping, they picked up their backpacks and camping gear and headed up the mountain. Johnny was a little sad knowing that Nicole would not remember the camping trip in these same mountains that brought them together.

As they came near their campsite the sun was just beginning to slide behind the mountains. They quickly set up camp and started their bonfire. Then Johnny led Nicole to a fallen log. He sat on the log and she sat on the ground in front of him leaning back in his embrace. There they watched as the sky became a beautiful palette of colors as the sun slid behind the mountain.

“It’s so peaceful and beautiful here. I could stay here with you forever.” Nicole turned so she could look at Johnny.”

“Yes, it is. I know what you mean about staying here forever. Sharing this with you makes it that much more special.” Johnny leaned down to kiss Nicole. “Are you hungry?”

“Yeah, I was so busy before the wedding and at the reception, I didn’t really eat that much. Do you want me to make something?” Nicole knew that Johnny didn’t like to cook very much.

“No, I have a surprise. I’ll fix supper.” Johnny was happy that Joanne had thought ahead and packed them a supper basket. Neither one would have to cook.

“Ok, I’ll just sit here then.” Nicole smiled as Johnny kissed her again and then got up to get them something to eat.

Johnny whistled while he worked. Listening to his whistling, Nicole smiled. ~Just like he did on the hiking trip where we met.~ Nicole sat up straight. Johnny’s whistling had triggered the memory of their first meeting. And then more memories came flooding back. Soon all her memories were once more firmly in place.

“Supper’s ready.” Johnny called but Nicole didn’t seem to hear him. “Nicole, supper’s ready.” When she still didn’t answer, he walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulder. “Supper’s ready, Nicole.”

Nicole started when she felt Johnny’s hands on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, I was just lost in thought, I guess.”

“What were you thinking about?” Johnny smiled as he pulled her up and turned her to face him.

“About the hiking trip where we first met. You were whistling the same tune you were just whistling and that’s what caught my attention.” Nicole wondered if he would catch on to the fact that she had remembered that time. They had not had a chance to really sit down and talk about their first meeting other than the fact it was on a camping trip.

“It was? I thought it was my good looks.” Johnny hadn’t quite caught on yet.

“Well, that too. And the way you were such a gentleman when we went through that old cabin. I wonder how Shades and his buddies got into the cabin. It was locked when we went there on our hiking trip—the guide needed a key, remember? You promised me a sunset I would never forget and you were right.” Nicole patiently waited for it to sink in.

“Well, they must have—wait a minute. You remembered?” Johnny looked like he was going to explode.

“Yep, I remembered. Your whistling brought back a good memory, which opened the gates for the rest. Some memories I’m not so sure I wanted to return, but there are more that I am so glad did come back. Now, we can talk some more while we eat.” Nicole kissed Johnny on the cheek and led him to their supper.


Roy was looking forward to his next shift tomorrow. Johnny would be back which meant no more Brice or Dwyer or anyone else. Oh, they were all good paramedics, but he needed his partner back. He smiled as he thought about the surprise waiting for Nicole and Johnny when they got back tonight. Chris and Jennifer had talked everyone into having a welcome home party for them. Right now he was helping Chet and Marco put up the last of the decorations.

Since they lived on a small farm outside of LA, it was easy to hide everyone’s cars. All of Station 51s A, and B shifts and their families or girlfriends, Dixie McCall, Dr. Kelly Brackett, Dr. Joe Early, Dr. Mike Morton, as well as some of the other paramedics with their families or girlfriends were there.

Roy, Chet and Marco had just finished the decorations when they heard the Land Rover pull into the driveway. They quickly hid with the rest of the guests waiting for the door to open. But ten minutes later, when no one had entered, Roy snuck out of his hiding place to see if they had been mistaken.

“Roy, do you see anything?” Joanne whispered when Roy hadn’t said anything.

“The Land Rover is in the driveway, but I don’t see Johnny or Nicole. Where could they be?” Roy was about to open the back door to look when he saw them coming out of the barn. “Here they come. They went to the barn first. Hey, Nicole’s on crutches. I wonder what happened.”

“Well, you better hide before they come in and find you.” Joanne pulled her husband back into the small bathroom just off the hallway.

“Well, they went to the car to get their stuff.” Roy was still concerned about Nicole being on crutches.

“Shhhhhh!” Chet heard the back door opening.

“Just leave the stuff here and I’ll take care of it tomorrow while you are at work. It will give me something to keep me busy.” Nicole took their gear and piled it neatly on the back porch.

“Roy and the kids must have fed the horses tonight. We’ll have to do something special for them.” Johnny hadn’t moved from the back porch.

Nicole and Johnny turned to look out the windows of their closed-in porch. Nicole sighed as she remembered the last two weeks. “The sunset is beautiful tonight, but nothing compares to the sunsets we saw these last two weeks.”

“You’re right. Come on, let’s go take it easy.” Nicole turned and started towards the door that went into the main part of the house. As they came through the kitchen, Nicole was being careful not to trip over something with her crutches so did not notice the decorations.

But Johnny did. “Nicole, what—“ Before he could finish his question everyone popped out of their hiding places. “Welcome, home.”

“Hey, thanks everyone.” Nicole sat in the closest chair. Her ankle was beginning to throb.

“Yeah, thanks. You really didn’t have to do this.” Johnny was overwhelmed as he realized how many friends they had.

“Let’s eat.” Chet had been waiting for four hours to eat.

Everyone laughed and soon the noise level began to rise. Johnny helped Nicole settle into the easy chair with the footrest raised so she would rest her leg. “I’ll bring you something to eat, ok.”

Nicole smiled as Johnny leaned down and kissed her head before going to get her something to eat.

“Hey, Johnny, what happened to Nicole?” Marco asked the question they all had been wondering since Nicole and Johnny had entered the house.

“Yeah, Gage, did you trip her?” Chet was trying to bait Johnny.

“Actually. no. She broke her ankle when we were rescuing a bunch of teenagers who slid down a cliff.” Johnny was proud of Nicole. He went on to relate what had happened. Late the night before, a distraught adult had come into their campsite when four members of the group he was chaperoning had fallen over a cliff trying to get away from a rattlesnake. They had slid down the embankment to a ledge about fifteen feet down and couldn’t get back up. Johnny tied a couple of ropes to a tree and climbed down the cliff. Nicole helped pull up each of the teenagers after Johnny tied the rope around them. Then she pulled as he climbed up. It was after everyone was at the top that a couple of the teenagers got excited when they thought the rattlesnake was still around. One of them jumped when he heard a twig snap and fell into Nicole. When she fell her leg was twisted under her and she broke her ankle.

“Man, Johnny, you can’t go anywhere without ending up rescuing someone, can you?” Chet was secretly proud of both Nicole and Johnny.

“I guess not, Chet. I guess not.” Johnny smiled as everyone chuckled and Roy slapped him on the back.

“Chet, now you know that Jenny and Chris are Johnny’s protectors so you’d better be careful what you say.” Nicole tried to let everyone know she had her memory back without coming right out and telling them.

“Well, my pigeon has been gone for two weeks. I have to make up for lost time.” Chet responded without even thinking about what Nicole had said. It seemed that no one had yet.

“But I’ll never forget the look on your face the day I met you when Jenny told you to behave. For that matter, I’ll never forget the looks on any of your faces on that day.” Nicole was trying hard to keep from laughing. Johnny was having a hard time keeping a straight face, too.

“And I want to thank all of you for being here today and everything you have done for me—us since I met you all. You have all been there and supported us in everything that has happened in our lives. And Mike, I never did get a chance to thank you for the support I saw in your face when Roy and Johnny were in that accident with the train. I knew that no matter what happened I’d be able to deal with it because of our friends.” Nicole knew that if someone didn’t catch on soon, they were going to have to just tell them.

Roy thought about what Nicole was saying. She was not talking about events that she had been told about, but looks on people’s faces that she would have to remember—no one could tell her the look on someone else’s face. “Hey, Johnny, you have some news for us, don’t you.”

“What, Nicole’s pregnant already?” Chet couldn’t help giving Johnny a hard time.

“No, at least we don’t know if she is—“ Johnny turned red as laughter broke out all around him. “—It wouldn’t be for lack of trying.” That statement brought another round of laughter included Johnny and Nicole.

“No, Chet, their news is that Nicole remembers everything, don’t you?” Roy smiled at Nicole.

“Yes, Roy, I do. It took Johnny’s off-key whistling to trigger it, but when one memory came back, they all did.” Nicole’s grin was the biggest of all.

Now the sounds were ones of laughter as everyone razzed Johnny about his whistling and congratulated them. It was good to be home.

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

Johnny was the first one in to work the next morning. He had changed into his uniform, made a pot of coffee and was reading the paper drinking his first cup of coffee when Roy and Chet entered the day room.

“Gage, what are you doing here so early?” Chet was so startled he couldn’t think of anything to say.

“I’m going to be early every morning.” Johnny liked making Chet speechless.

“I’ll believe it when I see it.” Chet still couldn’t believe Johnny had beat them all in on his first day back.

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

August, 1978

Johnny was true to his word. He was the first one in at every shift for the next two and a half months. Chet couldn’t believe it. But then again neither could any of the other members of A- shift.

“Hey, Johnny, married life must really agree with you.” Chet followed Johnny out of the day room for roll call.

“Yes, it does, Chet. I highly recommend it.” Johnny smiled as he fell into place.

“Good morning, fellas. I would like you to meet Cameron Donaldson. He is the new paramedic trainee that will be working with Roy and Johnny. Johnny, you will be his supervisor and in charge of his evaluation. He’s originally from back east and has only been in LA about six months.” Captain Stanley had handed out the duty assignments and then introduced the temporary member of Station 51s A-shift. Then Captain went down the line and introduced the guys before going back to his office.

Mike, Marco, and Chet shook Cameron’s hand and then went onto their assigned duties. Roy was the next one in line. When Johnny went to shake Cameron’s hand, he swallowed when he saw hatred in Cameron’s eyes. He had seen that type of hatred before. Cameron’s name also rang an alarm bell. This wasn’t the same Cameron Donaldson was it? 

Cameron immediately took a disliking to Johnny. What was this Indian trash doing working here? His kind should've been wiped out a long time ago. Well, if he had his way, John Gage would be fired and the white man who deserved the job would get it.

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Continued in Old Friends or Old Enemies?

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