The Seven Day Itch

By: srk51

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" The log boat hit the bottom of the slope with a force that sent a crescent-shaped wave of water cascading onto the spectators standing close to the ride pit, creating a brief relief from the summer heat.

"That was great, Uncle Johnny! Let's do it again!" Jennifer danced around while they exited the ride area, sending water flying from her wet hair. John laughed as he watched her jump around in her new flower print swimsuit.

The southern California heat had broken records for almost a week. So when the DeSotos had invited him to go to the water Park on the paramedic's day off, he'd jumped at the chance.

"Sounds good to me, but why don't we wait for your mom and dad and see what they want to do. I think your mom was about to suggest lunch."

The rest of the family soon exited. John cringed a bit when he saw Roy. Even with the sun block he'd applied, Roy's body was turning a bright pink and John suspected that before the day was over his fair-skinned partner was going to be very uncomfortable. Chris pulled John's attention away from Roy. The boy was practically bouncing off the railing running ahead of Roy and JoAnne. "Let's go again! I want to ride with Johnny this time!" He grabbed John's hand and dragged him toward the entrance.

Roy ran up and grabbed onto his son before he could go too far. "Whoa. Hold up there. Twice is enough for right now. There're other rides to ride. Besides, it's time for lunch."

"Aw, but Dad!" The whine from the two kids in unison was almost musical.

"No, buts. Let's go." Roy led each of his kids by the shoulder and glanced over John with a smirk. "You, too, Junior."

"Aw, Roy." John mimicked Chris and Jen. They laughed as he put his head down in mock disappointment and followed.

Roy carried a tray loaded with hotdogs and French fries to the table where Joanne was waiting with the kids. Johnny was right behind him carrying another tray of tall cups filled with lemonade. Jennifer and Chris each grabbed a hotdog and tore open the wrappers.

"Hey, you two," Joanne admonished, "slow down and remember your table manners."

Joanne turned her mother's look to include Johnny, who had both cheeks stuffed. He blushed and ducked his head.

Roy had to chuckle at his partner's reaction to Joanne. His laughter was abruptly cut off as Johnny slapped his sunburned arm. "Ow! What was THAT for?"

"That's for laughing at me!" Johnny replied indignantly.

"Well, you deserved it.” Roy tenderly tried to soothe the spot John had hit. “You didn't have to hit me like that!"

"I deserved it?! Let me tell you...."

"Ahem!" The sound of a throat clearing cam from across the table.

Johnny and Roy both turned toward the interruption. "What?" They exclaimed in irritation at the same time.

Both had the grace to blush when they saw Joanne’s pointed look at Chris and Jennifer, who were staring in open-mouthed glee at the two grown men who were squabbling right in front of them.

"Sorry." Both mumbled in unison, looking everywhere but at each other.

Once he saw that JoAnne had turned her attention back to her meal, Johnny made a face at Roy, causing Jen and Chris to begin laughing. JoAnne glared over at her two big kids as Roy returned John's gesture.

"Roy!"

"What? He started it!"

John produced a look of pure innocence. "Me? What'd I do?" He put a hand to his tan chest. "I was just sitting here eating my lunch! You're the one who's getting cranky because your sunburn's starting to hurt. I may have to take some vacation time in a few days when you start itching like crazy and molting all over."

Roy pointed a finger at John. "Look! Just because you've never been sunburn...."

"Enough!" JoAnne boomed over them. "I can't believe you two!" She looked down at their paper plates. Somehow they'd managed to finish their meal. "Are you two finished eating?"

John and Roy looked down at their empty plates.

“Yes,” said Johnny meekly.

"Yes, Honey," added Roy.

"Good. Then get out of here." She waved them away from the table, ignoring their protests. "You may enjoy inhaling your food, but we're going to sit and eat like normal people. Aren't we, kids?" She stared hard at Chris and Jen to stifle their laughter.

When Roy and John remained sitting in place, giving dirty looks to each other; she turned her stare to them. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get!”

They reluctantly got up to leave.

“Be back in 30 minutes and I think you both know which rides to stay away from until your food's had a chance to settle." She turned away from them.

They looked at her back for a moment, before turning and heading away. "Now, see what you did?" Roy lamented.

"What I did? You're the one who started it."

"I did not. But I'm the one who's going to get the lecture tonight when we get home. You don't have any idea..."

JoAnne smiled, listening to the two of them walk away.

--------------

“Come on, Roy. We have time for one more.”

“I’m coming. Will you slow down?” Roy didn’t know where John got his energy. He was glad they’d come to the park on a mid-week day. The lines were fairly short and he couldn’t imagine having to wait in the long weekend lines with his kids and his partner. Roy scratched his neck and winced. His sunburn was becoming hard to ignore. He wound around the rails that herded the people into the ride pickup area like cattle, smiling as he watched John hurdle the guides.

Roy took his time. He knew that John would wait for him. He also knew that the wait would irritate John. ‘Serves him right for slapping my sun burn.’ Roy resisted the urge to move even slower. He watch the expression of impatience on Johns face when a group of kids entered the ride entrance and began hurdling the rails just like John did, passing Roy and quickly getting into line. Finally, Roy cleared the rails and took his place.

“Well, it’s about time. Now we have to wait longer.” John crossed his arms indignantly. His irritation was soon forgotten when moments later two pretty, bikini clad women got in line behind them.

Roy rolled his eyes, watching his friend go into ‘suave` mode. The line continued to move forward with John being led along by the elbow without even being aware of it. As amusing as it was to watch John in action, Roy was also keeping an eye on the group ahead of him. One of the boys playfully shoved another. The other shoved back, pushing the first into a third. The third shoved the first into the second. Within seconds there was a cascade effect as one by one each of the kids began to join in. Roy moved closer to them with the intention of putting an end to the horseplay, when a careless shove sent one of the participants into a young couple in front of them. The couple tried to catch themselves but couldn’t avoid falling off the platform and into the water.

Roy pushed past the now contrite kids to help get the couple out of the water before the ride raft came back in for it’s next load of people. The couple stood up, coughing and sputtering, and a bit dazed. It was obvious that they’d swallowed some water. Roy looked to his left and saw the raft cresting the hill that would bring it down and into the pickup area. “You two have to get out of there! Come on!” The couple moved but not fast enough.

Roy jumped into the water, picked up the woman and nearly threw her up onto the platform.

“Hey!” The woman didn’t appreciate such rough handling.

Next, Roy reached over and grabbed the guy, but the man wasn’t about to be picked up. Roy forcefully pulled the man in the right direction, grateful when he looked up and saw his partner haul the man up then reach down for Roy. He heard the raft crash to the end of its ride and enter the terminal. John was quick to hoist him up, but not quick enough. Roy gasped as the incoming raft hit his right leg, trapping it between its sturdy rubber side and the guide wall of the ride. John continued to hold onto Roy until the raft stopped and the ride attendants rushed to unload its stunned passengers. Once the raft was empty, the attendants on the unloading platform grabbed the handles and yanked it up and out of the water. With Roy free, John was able to get him the rest of the way out of the water.

“Are you okay?” John watched Roy clench his teeth when he tried to put weight on his leg. “Here. You’d better sit down. You took quite a hit.” John could see Roy’s knee beginning to swell under the red cement burns that were starting to bleed. He turned his attention to the ride attendants. “Do you have any medical...”

The attendant handed him the ride’s first aid kit. “The medics are on their way.”

John smiled at him. “Good job. Thanks.” He pulled the things he needed from the kit and turned his attention back to Roy. “Are you hurt anywhere else except your knee?”

Roy made a valiant effort to hide the pain. “No, I don’t think so.” He heard John snicker. “What’s so funny?”

“Well, Roy, I just can’t take you anywhere, can I?” John leaned in closer to Roy’s knee. “And they call me accident prone. How does it feel, partner?”

Roy put a defensive hand toward John; the pain put aside for the moment. “One accident does not make me accident prone.”

John laughed. “One? You’ve had a lot more than one.”

“Okay, well, maybe more. But, I’ve never gotten into near as many accidents until I teamed up with you, Junior. You’re not just a victim, you’re a carrier.” Roy was going to continue, but the amused look on John’s face stopped him. John finished cleaning the scraps and tossed a bloodstained piece of gauze into a baggie, proud of his distraction tactic. “Oh, you just think you’re so smart, don’t you?”

“So, how’s the knee feel now, Pally?”

Roy scowled at John. “Still hurts.” But he had to admit that the distraction had taken his mind off of the initial pain and now his knee was just throbbing in time with his

heartbeat.

The crowd of onlookers parted to let the medics through. John patted Roy’s shoulder. “Here comes the cavalry.”

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JoAnne cleared off the table of all the used plates and napkins. She looked at one of the clocks positioned around the park, then over at Chris and Jennifer. *What’s taking those guys so long? It’s been over half an hour. Roy and John know we’d be waiting for them. The lines aren’t that long, even if they got stuck in one.*

Chris jumped up from the bench. “Mom can’t we go on one ride until they get back?” He pointed to the ride down the lane and across a short bridge. “It’s not that far away.”

JoAnne looked at the clock again. “How about we give them a few more minutes, honey.”

“Okay.” Chris plopped back onto the bench.

JoAnne pulled out two nickels from a small money zipper in her suit, and handed one to each of her children. “Here. Go over to the bridge and feed the fish for a while.”

They excitedly snagged the coins from her hand and ran to the bridge to purchase some corn to feed the fish. JoAnne kept one eye on them from the bench they’d just vacated and the other eye in the direction her two big kids had gone. It wasn’t long before Chris and Jen came back.

“Mommy, we want to go on the rides.” Jennifer pouted in boredom.

JoAnne pulled her close. “I know, sweetheart, but we really shouldn’t leave until your father and Johnny come back.”

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.

The three of them watched a medic cart, with a small, rotating, red light, bounce across the bridge, pass them, and then continue on down the path. JoAnne groaned, took a child in each hand, and followed.

--------------------------------------------------

“Okay, Mr. DeSoto, you just relax and let us do all the work.” The medic at Roy’s feet moved to the side and slid his arms under Roy’s legs, being mindful of his splinted right knee. The second medic got Roy under the arms and they both easily lifted him onto a small, foldout, rolling gurney.

Roy was embarrassed. He hated being the center of attention for all the people standing around. “Really, guys. This isn’t necessary. If you could just get me some crutches, I’m sure I could make it to the cart.”

“Sorry, Sir, but this is procedure.”

“Yeah, right. Procedure.” Roy’s head came up as if he’d just remembered something. He waved Johnny to him. “Johnny—JoAnne and the kids. They must be worried by now. Can you go get them?”

“That won’t be necessary.”

Roy and John turned to the crowd to find JoAnne pushing toward them, dragging their squirming children behind her. JoAnne breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that both Roy and John were all right as Chris and Jen saw their father and ran over to him.

“Honey. How did you know where to find us?”

She gave an amused shake of her head and bobbed her hand up and down. “Oh, it was nothing really. All we did was follow the bouncing red light.” She knelt down beside him. “So are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah. Hurt a bit but it’ll be okay.” He grimaced when a chilly wind caused him to shiver and made his knee flare up again.

“Uh-huh.” JoAnne wasn’t convinced. She looked between John and her husband. “Honestly, can’t you two stay out of trouble for one day?” She held up her index finger. “One day?”

John spoke up in defense. “Now, JoAnne. This really wasn’t our fault. See those kids over there...” He pointed toward the kids who’d started everything, frowning when he couldn’t find them. “Well, they were there. But they pushed this couple into the water.” He scanned the crowd for the couple. ‘Huh, that’s gratitude for ya.’ Well, anyway. If Roy hadn’t gone in after them, they could have been seriously hurt.”

JoAnne blinked at him sweetly. “Oh, no. It’s never either of your faults. Things just happen, right?”

“Right. He couldn’t just let those people get hurt now, could he?”

Her stern look softened. “No, Johnny, of course not.” She winked at Roy to let him know that she really wasn’t angry with him, before she continued with John. “So tell me, where were you while Roy was performing his superman act?”

“Whaa...well...hum...I was here.”

“Here?”

“Yeah. Here. I was just...hum...occupied.”

“Occupied?”

Roy snickered from the gurney at JoAnne giving John a hard time. Something about John just made a person want to do that. He was like a sparring magnet. Roy noticed that the attendants were ready to get him to the cart.

“Um, Jo?” He patted to arm. “What do say we get out of here?”

She looked over at the attendant, who nodded that they were ready. “Well, okay.” They all headed for the emergency exit. She pointed a finger at Johnny. “We’ll finish this later.”

He looked at the floor. “Yes, Ma’am.” From next to him he heard muffled snickers coming from Chris and Jen. He grunted at them, which caused them to laugh harder. “What are you two laughing at?”

Roy called over to John on their way down the ramp. “So, Johnny. Did you get their numbers?”

Johnny froze in his tracks at JoAnne’s stare. “You were trying to get some girl’s number while Roy was risking his life?”

Roy saw the look John threw his way and shrugged. *Whoa. If looks were baseballs, I’d have just got beaned between the eyes.* Roy smiled. *But they’re not.* “Hey! I’ll meet you all the first aid station.”

“Okay, daddy.” Chris and Jen answered for John and JoAnne.

John put his hand to his chest, like he always did when he was defending himself. “Jo, I went to help him out as soon as I realized what was happening. Besides, it wasn’t just a girl’s phone number.” He smiled and held up his first and second fingers and leaned in, obviously quite pleased with himself. “It was two girls’ phone numbers.”

The cart began to move down the lane and Roy leaned back on the gurney that was laid across the back of it. ‘I sure do love that woman.‘ His grin widened as the sound of his partner defending himself faded away. ‘Well, I guess my work is done.’ He looked at his sunburned body. ‘Next time he’ll think before slapping a persons sun burn.’

---------------------------------------------------------------

Four days later:

“Ohhhhh.”

Johnny ducked his head so his partner couldn’t see his smile.

“Ahhhhh.”

This time a snort escaped from John that he covered with a fake cough.

“You find this amusing, do you?” Roy stood in front of his locker shoving a stick down the collar of his shirt. It was the only way he could reach some of the peeling areas which were very slowly driving him insane.

John stuttered uncomfortably for a moment or two, Debating internally how he should answer. “Well, Roy, you’ve got to admit, it is kinda funny.”

Roy pulled the stick out and pointed it at John. “This is not funny. And if you’d ever gone through something like this, you’d have a little more sympathy.”

“What is that?” John grabbed the end of the stick that was wavering in his face. The end of it was in the shape of a small hand with fingers.

Roy pulled it way. “It’s a backscratcher. JoAnne bought it for me. She got tired of me using utensils and other things around the house.” He reached around behind himself and began scratching through his shirt, grunting and sighing softly with relief every time he hit a previously elusive area.

Chet poked his head into the locker room. “Hey, Roy, how’s the knee?” He watched Roy for a moment, smiling at his coworkers attempts to scratch.

“It’s great, Chet. Just great.” Roy was strategizing on how to contort himself to reach a new area when he realized that he was being stared at. “What! Don’t you guys have somewhere else to be?”

“No.” Chet crossed his arms.

“Nope.” John copied Chet and leaned against his locker.

“Well, then, I’ll leave.” He slammed his locker and headed for the door.

Chet brushed at his mustache. “Well, it’s not as if we’d have trouble finding you where ever you went, Hansel.”

Roy was about to ask him what he was talking about, but saw Johnny point at the floor. Where he’d been standing was a scattering of flaked off skin. With every scratch more were produced. Roy groaned, tucking in his shirt as he left for a broom.

----------------------------------------------------

“Roy?”

‘Grrrrrrr. Enough is enough! Stop itching, already!’

“Roy!”

“What?” Roy looked up into the face of his captain.

“Are you going to help John demonstrate how to use the new splint setup we got?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” He slid from his chair and went to join John, who was already up in front of everyone. His raw, flaking cheeks burning with embarrassment, he ignored the chuckle from the other guys.

******

Hank tried not to smile through the demonstration, but it was hard to watch Roy wiggle and twist, trying to concentrate. The question and answer part of the demonstration seemed to go much longer than it usually did and Hank felt like a hypocrite chastising the others when he was having a hard time controlling his own laughter.

******

When the demonstration was finally over, Roy dove for the scratcher he’d left on his chair. He didn’t care who laughed; he was desperate. *Where is it?* He looked all around the chair. “Okay, who took it?” He looked around him at all the innocent faces. The frustration and desperation were getting the best of him, as he searched for a corner or anything sturdy to lean against to scratch the itch. “Guys, this isn’t funny.” He took off for the doorframe of the day room.

Roy’s face fell in panic when the klaxons went off just then. He looked longingly at the doorway as he continued through it, resigning all possibility of getting his backscratcher returned anytime soon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

(Snort) Johnny clamped a hand over his mouth with mock chagrin.

Roy threw a quick glare at the passenger side of the squad, then returned his attention to the traffic. He scowled attempting to ignore his partner. *It isn’t funny. I itch like crazy and my so-called friends think it's funny.* First it was the initial torture of the burn, then the ever present (and increasing) itching. As if that wasn’t bad enough, once the top layer of skin was taken off, the under layer quickly dried, becoming parched and raw, cracking whenever he stretched. He couldn’t resist moving his back from side to side on the seat and at the same time reached under himself to scratch the back of his thigh.

(Snort)

“Johnny! Enough!” Roy saw John jump at the sudden outburst. He removed his hand from under his thigh and scratched at his chest. He hadn’t intended to yell as loud as he did, but he wasn’t sorry either. His friend’s uncaring attitude was really grating on his nerves.

The rest of the trip was made in silence except for John giving directions in monosyllablic fashion, and Roy’s scratching. Roy looked to his right, thinking John might be mad at him for the outburst, but all he saw on his partner’s face was amusement at Roy’s expense. His anger began to rise. *My friend. Right. You can see this is making me crazy, and all you do is laugh at me.*

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They drove up the canyon road to a parking area, where a lady began flagging them down. She ran up to the squad when it finally came to a stop. “Hurry, they’re trapped.”

John got out of the truck and led the woman over to meet the captain, who was coming up to them. “Ma’am, why don’t you tell the captain here what happened.”

The woman fidgeted, twisting her hands. “We were hiking...my husband, son, and I...and we were almost to the mine when I realized we forgot the water bottles we usually bring with us. I told them to go on ahead, that I’d come back for the water and meet them at the mine. When I got to the mine, and went inside, it was blocked. The whole thing was caved in.” She tugged at Hank’s coat. “Please, hurry.”

Hank put his hand over hers. “Okay. How far is the mine from here? Is there a road leading to it?”

“No, no road leading to it. There may have been at one time, but I think it’s all grown over. The mine’s a little over half a mile along the path.”

Stanley turned to his men. “Well, I guess we’re all going for a hike. Mike, Chet, Marco, grab the digging tools. Roy, John, get the minimum equipment you think you’ll need. We’ll put what we can in the stokes and carry the rest.”

John and Roy went to retrieve what they anticipated they would need. They reached for the drug box at the same time, bumping hands.

“I got it.” John reached for it again.

“No.” Roy snapped. “I got it. You bring the oxygen.”

John froze for a moment, as Roy jerked the box out of the compartment and stomped over to the pile forming in the stokes. He shrugged and pulled out the oxygen and biophone. “Grouch.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Soon they were following the woman up a wooded path. Roy had thought he was miserable before but now, sweating in his turnout coat, things had escalated to nearly unbearable. He irrationally remembered how the guys thought this itching was so humorous and became all the more enraged. He couldn’t even scratch at the mind-numbing itch now, since he held one end of the heavy stokes. *When this run is done, I’m going to find out who took my scratcher and belt him.*

Gage’s name stenciled on the back of his partner’s coat became Roy’s visual focus, as they hiked single file to the mine. Everything else around him was a blur. *Even JoAnne couldn’t stop laughing. Sure, she was helpful putting on lotion and getting me a

backscratcher, but she couldn’t hide the amusement in her voice. I even heard her laughing as she told someone on the phone about my itching. They don’t care. I’m just someone for them to laugh at. Roy the snake boy. Shedding all over the place.*

-----------------------------------------------------

John felt the opposite end of the stokes dip and heard a grunt. He looked back in time to see Roy drop to one knee. He’d assumed that Roy had heard his warning about the large tree root in the path. “Roy, you okay?”

Marco came up behind Roy to help him stand.

Roy immediately pulled his arm away. “I’m fine, leave me alone.”

The anger in Roy’s voice caused Marco to step back. Lopez looked at John in confusion, as Roy pushed upright.

John shook his head at Marco. He stared at his partner for a moment noticing that Roy appeared distracted. “Roy, are you sure you’re all right? You seem...”

Roy’s face drew into a frown. “I said I was fine. Something about that you don’t get?”

“Roy...”

“What’s the holdup?” Hank took in the expressions on their faces. He’s gaze stopped on Roy who attempted to mask his anger.

John and Marco shared a glance wondering if they should tell the captain about Roy’s odd behavior.

Roy turned away from captains stare. “Nothing, Cap. I just tripped over a tree root.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Fine.” Roy looked at the tree next to him.

Hank’s face matched John and Marco’s upon hearing the tension in Roy’s voice. “Well, then, lets get moving.” He made eye contact with John, indicating the John should keep watch on Roy. John nodded his agreement, and they continued up the path.

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*Arrrrrgggg! Please, please, just let me scratch!* Roy held back tears of frustration. ‘How far can this mine be?’ Every second seemed to drag on for an eternity.

Finally he heard the woman leading them yell something and run ahead of the men. “There! They’re in there!” She ran across a small clearing to the mouth of an old mine entrance.

Roy and John set the stokes down and joined the others gathered around the opening. Roy saw his chance for some relief in the form a jagged rock face. While the captain and Chet shined their lights into the mine, Roy took the opportunity to back up to the rock and rub his back. *Ahhhh.* It took a lot of will power not to verbalize his elation.

The only problem with scratching was that no matter how much you did it, it just kept itching. He flapped his coat in an effort to cool off. It felt good, but the circulating air dried his flaking skin and made him itch as if the skin had come alive and was crawling around on him. He fought down the urge to punch the rock, strip and go running naked, screaming insanely into the woods. *Stop, please, stop itching for just a little while.* He pleaded a silent prayer. *I can’t take much more of this.*

“Roy.” John hissed at him.

Roy broke out of his agonizing, personal, bubble to see everyone watching him. Mike and Hank were unloading digging tools from the stokes, Chet and Marco were latching up their coats ready to go inside the mine and John stood in front of him holding two shovels and a helmet light. Still, no matter what they were doing, their eyes were on him.

*Great. Now they’ll have more to laugh at me about.* Roy looked at the ground, not wanting to look at his so called friends. He buckled his coat, roughly grabbed the shovel and light from John’s hand and followed Marco and Chet into the opening. He was surprised that a small portable light had already been set up inside. Not much, but at least it would help. As he entered he saw the woman who’d called them walk over to Hank.

In his frame of mind he was sure she was going to inquire about the weird fireman rubbing against the side of a rock and flapping his coat like a bird. Hank would laugh and tell her about Roy’s peeling skin and how funny it was that his backscratcher was stolen. She would find it all amusing and laugh, despite the fact that her husband and son might be injured, or worse. Then Mike and John would join in. With all his might, he drove his shovel deep into the rocks and dirt.

---------------------------------------------------

Roy shoveled angrily, trying to keep his mind off his constant need to scratch. The scenario of the lady and everyone else laughing at him spurred him on. He knew down deep that he was being ridiculous, but his mind felt warped. He just couldn’t think rationally. “It’s not funny.”

“What’s not funny?” Chet dug his shovel into the dirt and rock.

Roy hadn’t realized he’d spoken out loud. “Nothing.” He snapped at Chet as he began digging.

“Okay, if you say so.” Chet shrugged and looked at Marco who just shook his head and kept shoveling.

“Yes! I say so!” Roy was surprised by the fact that he wanted to hit Chet.

Chet and Marco stopped digging. “Look, Roy, it’s almost time to take a break, why don’t we...”

“No.” Roy didn’t look at Chet. He felt he was losing his mind and the repetitive digging was an outlet for his destructive feelings.

Chet looked at Marco who nodded back. Chet then left the mine, returning a few minutes later and began shoveling again.

Roy didn’t seem to notice Chet’s exit or return, but he did look up when he felt a hand on his arm.

“Roy, you want to come out here?” Hank turned and left.

Roy sighed, knowing that the request was only phrased as a question. Chet and Marco refused to meet his accusing scowl, as they continued to dig.

-----------------------------------------------------

Hank watched Roy come out of the cave with a look of irritation on his face that Hank had rarely ever seen. He also noticed that Roy purposely ignored Johnny when John stood up from his break to inquire what was going on. Instead, Roy stalked right past his partner and strode stiffly up to Hank. “Roy, are you okay? I know you’re uncomfortable. If you need to sit this out let me know. I need every man to be paying attention in there.” Hank watched Roy fidget silently. “Well?”

Roy looked up. He put on a mask of professionalism and tried not to squirm as a streak of sweat tickled down his back. “No, Cap. I don’t need to sit this out.”

Hank surveyed his senior paramedic critically. “Okay, Roy, but if I see that you’re having any more problems, you spend the rest of this rescue in the squad. Got it?”

Roy forced himself to keep steady eye contact with his captain. “Yeah, Cap, I got it. Thanks.”

“Just don’t make me regret it. Okay, Pal?”

Roy nodded turned, intent on going back into the cave and resume digging, but Hank latched onto his turnout coat. “Hold up.” Hank turned and waved Mike over. “I found out that there’s another entrance that connects to this about half a mile over that ridge.” Hank pointed along a path that led upward and disappeared not far from them. “You and Mike head there and see if there’s a way to get to them from the other side. I’ve been told that it’s boarded up because it wasn’t deemed stable enough to have people traipsing in and out, so be careful. Okay?”

Both men acknowledged and went to gather any equipment that they might need to dig, before starting their trek.

“You got a handy talky with you?” Hank called after them, he didn’t want them out of contact.

Roy patted his pocket. “Yeah, Cap, I got it!”

“Good. Check in when you get there.” Hank watched as his two men walked up the path, entered the woods and disappeared.

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

Roy was thankful that it was Stoker who the captain had sent with him. Mike didn’t try to engage him in irritating chatter. With the mood Roy was in, he wasn’t sure that even the unobtrusive engineer was safe, and Roy knew that he’d only feel worse if he took his anger out on the quiet man, who had nothing to do with Roy’s situation. They had walked about a quarter of a mile in silence when Roy spotted a branch hanging down in the middle of the path.

He eyed it as he got closer. It wasn’t very big and would make an efficient scratcher. If it hadn’t been raining so much after the recent hot spell, he could have picked up any branch that fit the bill, but the whole forest was soggy and everything was mildewed. With as raw and cracked as his skin was he didn’t want it to become infected.

He felt his hope grow as they closed the distance on the branch. Mike pushed it aside as he walked past, leaving it swaying. Roy tucked his shovel under his arm and as he got to the branch, he reached up and gave it a good tug that should have, in his opinion, snapped it from it’s place. Instead, Roy found himself pulled back as the branch refused to give. He gave it another tug, than another.

“Roy?” Mike had stopped and was waiting.

“I’m coming.” Roy grunted as he dropped his shovel and used both hands to hang more of his weight onto his prize. “Come on!” He was practically sitting on the ground, but the limb didn’t give.

“Roy!”

“Yeah! Just a second!” The branch slipped from his hands, springing upward and snagging on some limbs higher up in the trees as Roy plopped ungracefully onto the ground. “Ahhhhh!” His fist hit the path in frustration as he looked upward.

“Roy.”

“I’m coming!” He moved to push himself up.

“No, Roy, don’t move!” The command in Mike voice made Roy freeze.

“What?”

“There’s a snake right behind you.”

“What?” He almost turned around to see if Mike was messing with him, but a rattling noise convinced him otherwise.

“Don’t move.”

“Easy for you to say.” Roy struggled not to shift his shoulders around under his coat.

“Just hold still.” Mike moved as close has he dared, the business end of his shovel ready to use against the snake should it decide not to leave on its own.

Roy tried to stay perfectly immobile, staring straight ahead, deep in concentration. He willed himself not to think about the itching.

They both jumped as the HT came alive in Roy’s pocket. The rattle grew more intense at their sudden movement and the snake began to move along the back of Roy and down the side of his leg.

“HT 51, Engine 51, what’s your status?”

Roy prayed to pass out right there. Between the heat and this snake next to him, he was sweating even more than before, and every trickle seemed to blaze a new trail down him.

“HT 51, do you copy?”

The snake slithered slowly over the top of Roy’s shoe, while Mike stood just off to the side prepared to do whatever was necessary if the snake appeared to strike.

Roy held his breath as the snake’s body cleared his foot, releasing it only when the reptile slithered its way down the path. He flopped onto his back to calm his jumbled nerves, using his weight to push his crawling back into the hard ground.

Mike knelt down next to him. “You okay?”

Roy nodded. “Yeah, thanks, Mike.”

“HT 51, please respond!”

Still lying on his back, Roy dug into his pocket and pulled out the handy talky. “Yeah, Cap, we’re here.”

“What’s going on? Why didn’t you answer?”

Roy accepted Mike’s hand, stood up, picked up his shovel, and followed Mike as they started out again. “Sorry, we had a...a...bit of a delay, but we’re almost to the entrance, we’ll check in when we get there.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine now, Cap. HT 51, out.” Roy really didn’t want to explain that the rescue was held up because of him.

Roy collapsed the antenna on the HT. Then examined the device as if he’d never seen it before, then pulled the antenna back out. He tested its strength as he wove his way over the path, his face lighting up. With an uncharacteristic squeal and a grin of triumph, he shoved the extension down the back of his collar and began to scrape it over his back, not even caring about the look of amusement on Mike’s face. For the moment, he was victor over the itch.

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

“Engine 51, this HT 51.”

Captain Stanley pulled his HT from his pocket. “Go ahead HT 51"

Roy’s voice crackled through the speaker. “We’re outside the entrance of the mine.”

“Okay, Roy, you and Mike be careful.”

“Ten-four, Cap.”

Hank shoved the talkie back into his pocket, relieved that his senior paramedic sounded back to normal. He looked around when he heard laughter coming from one of the trails running through the forest.

“No fair, Dad! Your foot touched the ground!” The young male voice laughed again.

“I tripped on a root, so it doesn’t count.” The teasing tone of an older male returned.

“Jack?” The woman standing next to Hank ran toward the trail, reaching it as the two “missing” family members emerged.

Captain Stanley trotted after her. “Ma’am, I’m assuming that this is your husband and son.”

The lady released her confused counterpart and grabbed her son to give him a big hug. “Yes, yes. This is my husband and son.” She addressed her husband. “Jack, where were you? I thought you were inside the mine.”

Jack turned serious, seeing that the Captain standing before him was interested in the answer to that question as well. “Um, no. When we got here, it was already blocked. The next place we were going to hike to was the waterfall.” He put a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Honey, I’m sorry. I thought that when you saw that the mine was closed off, you’d come to the falls. Tommy and I there waited for a while, but when you didn’t show we figured we come back and see what was taking so long. It didn’t even occur to me that you’d think we’d be in the mine.” He turned to Hank. “I’m really sorry about this.”

Hank smiled at the threesome. They were all safe. Yes, he and his men had been digging in that mine for almost two hours, but he preferred that to pulling out injured, or dead, bodies from that rubble of the mine. “That’s okay. I’m just glad you and your son are unhurt.” He turned back to the mine. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to gather up my men and let them know you’re all okay.”

He pulled the HT from his pocket as he strutted to the entrance where Johnny, Marco, and Chet were digging. “HT 51, this is Engine 51."