Trust: The Test

By: srk51

“Guys, come on. It’s simple. All you do is close your eyes and fall backwards.” Chet closed his eyes for a moment while he spoke and leaned a little back to demonstrate his words.

“Chet, that’s just dumb.”

“Johnny, it’s not dumb. It’s a test of trust. Watch.” Chet stuck his head into the kitchen. “Marco, come here, will ya?” He didn’t wait for an answer before returning to Roy and Johnny, who leaned against the back of the squad, passing the time by listening to Chet’s most recent kick.

“I’m busy, Chet. What do you want?” Marco wiped his wet hands on a towel before throwing it over his shoulder.

As Chet pulled Marco over to stand in front of his audience, Mike stopped waxing the engine and stepped up closer to see what was going on.

“Okay, Marco.” Chet got about three feet behind him. “Close your eyes.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Marco, just close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“Look, I’m not going to do anything to you. It’s a test.”

Marco glanced behind him. “You’re not going to make me look silly, are you?”

“No, Marco. Someone’s already beaten me to that.” At Marco's dirty look, Chat slapped Marco’s arm. “Just a joke. Come on, help me out here.”

Marco turned forward to Johnny and Roy, who just shrugged. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, suspiciously looking around.

“Shut them!” Chet whined. “Geez!”

Marco threw him a warning glare before facing forward and closing his eyes.

Chet rubbed his hands together, then held them out. “Okay. Now fall back.”

“Oh no.” Marco opened his eyes and crossed his arms, shaking head.

“Yes, Marco. Just fall back, I’ll catch you.”

“Right, Chet. You may be a good pitcher, but I’ve seen you catch. No way.”

“Marco, come on, man. We’re a team, compadres. Don’t you trust me?

Marco looked uncomfortable.

“Well?”

“I’m thinking.”

“Marco!”

“Chet!”

Chet threw his hands up. “Oh, forget it. If you don’t trust me...”

“Alright! I trust you.” He wagged his index finger at Chet. “But if you drop me...”

“What kinda trust is that?”

“The only kind you’re going to get. Take it or leave it.” Marco started back to the kitchen.

Chet grabbed Marco's arm. “I’ll take it.”

“I think you’re crazy, Marco.” Mike leaned into the squad, his arm up on the railing.

“Who asked you?” Chet snapped, a bit miffed that Marco seemed to put so little faith in him. He turned his attention to Marco. “Now, are you ready?”

“I guess, as ready as I’ll ever be.” His eyes roamed the room at his co-workers, noticing the captain had come into the picture and was standing behind Mike. *At least I have witnesses.*

“Good, now close your eyes and fall backwards.” Chet got behind him again. “Just let me know when you’re ready.” He caught Marco’s expression. “Never mind. Just do it.”

They all watched as Marco nervously closes his eyes again, took a deep breath, held it and tipped back. Chet easily caught him before he hit the floor and everyone in the room exhaled with Marco.

A huge grin covered Chet’s face. “See, Marco. I knew you trusted me.”

“Whatever.” Marco picked disinterestedly at the towel over his shoulder.

“Hey. It’s an important thing to know for sure. I trust you. See?” Before anyone knew what was happening. Chet pivoted, turning his back to Marco, closed his eyes and fell back.

“What the..” “Hey!” “Uhhh...” “Chet!” All came in unison as everyone sprung forward.

Marco caught him, though before anyone else could move far.

Chet looked up at him snidely. “I knew you’d catch me.”

Marco let go, dropping Chet the last short distance to the floor.

"Omff." The wind knocked out of him, Chet slowly pulled himself off the floor while everyone snickered. "Very funny." He brushed off, glaring at Marco. "Thanks, what a pal."

"Don't mention it."

Chet approached Roy and Johnny. “So guys, how about you? How much does the best paramedic team in LA County really trust each other?”

Johnny pushed off the squad. “Chet, we don’t need a test to tell us that we can trust each other.”

“Uh huh.” Chet looked to Roy. “What about you Roy? Are you really so sure?”

Roy stood up, next to Johnny. “Chet, we’ve worked together for years. Of course, we trust each other.” He crossed his arms and looked down at Chet.

“Prove it.” Chet challenged. "Do the test.” Chet wagged his eyebrows and smiled around to the others, hoping to get some support. He didn’t have to try any harder to get it.

“Yeah.” Marco jumped in. “If I could do it...”

“I don’t see any harm in it.” Captain Stanley put in his opinion.

Mike just smiled and nodded.

“Oh, alright.” Johnny gave in to the majority. “It’s no big deal. Come on, Roy, we’ll show them. ” He stepped forward.

“No.” Roy’s quiet, lone protest got everyone’s attention.

“No?” Chet repeated. “Johnny...”

Johnny brushed Chet away, turning to his partner wearily. "Roy..."

Roy met John’s stance. “Johnny, we just agreed that we didn’t need to take any test.”

“Well, when we agreed that we didn't need to take it, was before I found out that you didn’t want to take it, but now that I found out that you don’t want to take it, I really think we should.”

“Johnny, what are you talking about?”

“Roy, I know I trust you, but I’m beginning to think that you don’t trust me as much as I thought.”

Roy was exasperated. “Johnny, I trust you! I just don’t think we need to play one of Chet’s games to prove it.” He couldn’t believe that Johnny could switch sides like he had.

Chet’s head suddenly popped up between the two friends, his mustache twitching mischievously. “Me thinks he protests too much.”

Roy glared at Chet, clearly annoyed. “Chet.” Chet retreated back a few steps to watch his handiwork in action.

“Now, don’t blame him because you don’t feel you can count on me.” Johnny put a hand to his chest.

“Johnny!” Roy looked around at everyone watching them argue. He raised a hand to his partner. “Fine, Johnny, fine. I think the whole thing is ridiculous, but...fine. Then I don’t want to ever hear a thing about it. Got it?”

“Yeah. I got it, but, hey, if you’ve got a problem...”

“Johnny! I don’t have a problem!”

“Okay! Fine! No problem!”

Roy glared at Chet who just smiled back. “Okay, then lets get this over with.”

“Good.” Chet stepped up. “Johnny, you first.” He positioned Roy behind John, both facing the Captain, Mike and Marco. “Okay, Gage, close your eyes and when you’re ready, fall. Got it?”

“Yes, I got it, Chet.” John’s voice oozed sarcasm, but he did what he was told. He closed his eyes, waited a moment, then fell backwards. Roy smoothly caught him and helped him back onto his feet.

Chet switched John and Roy’s position so that Johnny was now behind Roy. “Okay, Roy. Your turn. How much do you really trust your partner?”

Roy didn’t say anything. At this point he didn’t trust himself to say anything they’d want to hear.

Chet leaned in. “What was that Roy? I didn’t hear you answer?”

“Can we just do this!”

Chet looked at John. He could tell by the look on John’s face that this was really bothering him. “Sure.” Chet smiled. “Whenever you’re ready.” He stepped back.

Roy closed his eyes then opened them. Then he closed them, opening them a moment later. He repeated the processes again, before glancing over his shoulder.

“I knew it!” John exclaimed just as the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it.” Captain Stanley hurried off.”

“You don’t trust me!”

“I do, Johnny, I do.” He waved his hand in a placitating gesture while still having his back to John.

“Well, you got a funny way of showing it, Pally.”

From the tone of John’s voice it was obvious that he was taking things much too personally. Even Mike was beginning to look a bit uncomfortable.

Roy threw another death stare at Chet. “Okay. Okay.” He closed his eyes again, copied Marco’s deep breath and held it. He wavered on his feet, getting ready.

Johnny was beyond ready. The determined look on his face told everyone present that he had no intention not being there for his partner.

As the moments that Roy waited grew, Captain Stanley returned with the visitor who’d rung the doorbell. She walked up and stood close to Mike who greeted her quietly. Everyone except for Roy turned their attention to the woman. John leaned to the side to see around Roy’s indecisive stance, his jaw dropping.

*Who is that incredible looking chick?*

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

“Roy, I said I was sorry.” John moved his chair closer to Roy’s.

“I know you did.” Roy sat, leaning over the table, holding an icepack to the back of his head.

“But you’re still mad at me.”

“Johnny, I don’t want to talk about it.” He winced as he moved his chair away, returning the distance between the two.

“Roy...” Johnny leaned over, trying to lift the icepack, to check Roy’s head.

Roy slapped John’s hand away. He removed the pack from his head and placed it on his right elbow.

Hank came into the kitchen and sat across from them at the table. “Roy, are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital? I can call in a replacement for you?”

Roy replaced the icepack on his head. “No, Cap. I’m fine. It’s just a bump.”

“Well, if you’re sure.”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

“Did you let John check it?”

“No.” Roy looked away.

“I think he should. Just to be sure.”

Roy looked over at the cause of his headache. “Cap...”

“I could make it an order.”

Roy huffed, then slowly turned his back to John so he could look at his head. He removed the pack, letting it fall angrily to the table.

Johnny seemed afraid to touch him, knowing how angry he was. After a quick inspection, Johnny confirmed Roy’s assessment of having just a bump on the head. He also checked Roy’s elbow to make sure there was no fracture. “He's right, it looks like just a bump.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Hank turned to Roy. “You let me know if you need to go home.”

Roy looked sideways at Johnny, then to his captain. “Thanks Cap, but that won’t be necessary.”

Hank shook his head as he got up and walked out the room.

Johnny lowered his voice. “How about you’re...”

“It’s fine, so drop it.”

“Okay. I just know that you landed pretty hard.”

“I know how hard I landed. You don’t need to remind me about how hard I landed.”

“Roy, I’m...”

John’s continuing apology was drowned out by the tones. “Station 51, Station 18, structure fire at the San Gabriel Valley Animal Shelter. 1528 Palisade Dr. 1528 Palisade Dr. Time out: 13:23.”

Johnny and Roy jumped up. A hiss came from Roy at the sudden move. He put a hand to his sore backside and quickly hobbled to the door. John reached over to help him along, but the pained look on Roy’s face turned to irritation as he pulled away. “I can do it.”

John raised his hands and headed for the squad.

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

Between directions, Johnny kept looking at Roy, hoping the scowl on Roy’s face would ease by they time they got there.

“Roy, I know you’re angry...”

Roy gripped the wheel tighter. “Johnny, I’m not angry.”

“Well, it doesn’t seem that way to me.”

Roy turned away for a moment, glancing out his side window before looking forward, again. “Johnny, I don’t want to talk about it. Okay?”

“I knew it. You are angry.”

*I will be if you don’t shut up.* “Johnny, I...”

“Roy, look out!” Johnny cut Roy off, while raising his hand to the dash in anticipation of Roy deceleration.

Instinctively, Roy hit the brakes, just missing an Irish Setter, that ran across the road. The compression brakes from the engine echoed behind the squad. Oblivious to it’s near death, the dog barked at the vehicles and ran away. Roy put his foot on the gas, only to quickly break again when a little boy ran in front of the truck, following the dog down the road.

Both Johnny and Roy let out an audible breath, looking all around before moving forward. They drove a block more, made a right, and drove into complete animal mayhem. Cats, dogs, and other assorted critters scurried about. Most being trailed by it’s human owner, but others just running unattended, excited by all the noise.

The squad and engine used their horns to try and get everything out of their way so they could reach the building, half a block farther. It was hard to miss it. No flames were visible, yet, but dark smoke rolled from open windows on the third and fourth floors.

"Seems a strange type of building to have as a vets."

Roy pulled the squad to a stop. “I think I’ve heard about this place on the radio. It’s also used for training. I hope everyone is out by now.” Suddenly Roy was almost to the middle of the seat. “Geez!”

The huge face of a St. Bernard filled the drivers side window, it’s heavy duty front paws half way through. “WOOF!” Dog slobber flew from it’s mouth onto Roy’s arm and shirt.

“Aaaaaah.” Roy’s first instinct was to wipe the stuff, but stopped himself, knowing that it would just smear around, then he’d have it on his hands.

Johnny turned his head away and got out his side before Roy could see the amusement on his face. “Ah, Roy, why don’t you come out this side.”

The dog barked again, sending another spray around the inside of the truck. Roy dove head-long out the passenger’s side, rolling onto the ground. *Yuck.*

He pointedly ignored John’s lopsided grin as he got to his feet and slammed the door. John handed him a rag, which he took without an acknowledgement, and made an effort to wipe the slobber from his shirt while rounding the squad to retrieve his turnout coat.

The St. Bernard jumped from his inspection of the inside of the truck and trotted toward his new friend.

"Go away!" Roy shoved at the dog that nearly knocked him over.

Everyone was already getting instructions by the engine when Roy finally joined them. He felt a small satisfaction when he saw Johnny having his own problems with a cat that kept winding around his feet. Chet and Marco left for the hose bed, while Mike checked the gauges to be charged once Chet and Marco were in position.

"John, Roy, no one seems to be able to tell me for sure yet if everyone's out. Make a quick sweep."

"Right, Cap." Both John and Roy acknowledged.

At that moment, Roy was shoved from behind, stumbling into Hank. Hank awkwardly caught him, and both men looked toward the friendly, drooling, St. Bernard.

"Sorry, Cap." Roy backed away and turned to head to the building, stopping at the sight of Johnny a dozen feet away attempting to remove the cat that was at his feet earlier, from the front of his coat. Another cat had joined them and was about to use John's leg as a scratching post.

"Oh, you have to help me!"

Roy looked down into the face of an old lady. She reached out and tugged on his arm.

"My kitty, she’s stuck up on the pole."

Roy followed where she was pointing and saw a beige cat perched on the top of a phone pole. "Ma’am, that's probably the safest place for it right now." He moved to go around her, seeing that the first cat had made it to Johnny's shoulder and the second one was half way up John's leg and clawing for the hem of his turnout coat. Johnny was making a slow spin while trying to dislodge the animals.

The lady stepped in front of Roy, putting a hand to his chest. "You can't just leave her up there! She's terrified!"

Roy removed her hand calmly. "Ma’am, see that man over there...the one with the strip on his helmet?" He pointed to Captain Stanley.

"Of course, I do. I'm not blind. you know." She folded her arms in front of her and glared at Roy.

"No Ma’am, I'm sure you're not." He gently steered her in the Captain's direction. "He's the Captain here. You should go speak with him."

"Fine." The woman turned away smartly and shuffled quickly toward the man in charge. "Oh, young man..."

Roy shook his head and adjusted his gear, wishing he could just stay where he was and watch the twirling leather and fur spectacle before him, but they needed to get inside and do their job. He moved in closer, intent to help Johnny remove the cats when Johnny suddenly stopped turning, holding the scruff of the first cat. Without looking where it would land, Johnny tossed the cat, with more gentleness than it deserved, as far away from him as he could. The cat flew, spreading it's claws to catch the first thing it could come into contact with.

Roy tried ducking, but wasn't quick enough. The next thing he knew, the cat was digging into him. It's back claws dug into Roy's neck, while the front frantically scratched to get purchase on Roy's helmet, without much success.

Now there were two circling firemen in front of the building, but only for a moment. Johnny stopped when he heard Roy’s surprised, fur muffled shout. A shout that had the tone of a curse, yet at the same time sounded a lot like Johnny’s name. Johnny awkwardly made his way over to his partner while still trying to remove the second cat which had given up trying to claw its way up John’s coat. Instead it opted for the path a least resistance and went under it.

“Roy, I’m sorry! Ouch, ouch!” John reached under his coat with his right hand and for the other cat on Roy with his left. “I didn’t see you!”

The cat on Roy had slid down Roy’s helmet and now had its two front paws digging into Roy’s ears, while its back paws scratched on his skin at the turnout coat’s collar. Roy was trying to remove the cat, but when he pulled on it, the cat tightened it’s grip.

“AHHH!” Roy grabbed at the sides of his face when John tore the cat away.

“I’m sorry!” Johnny repeated, holding one cat by the scruff in his left and still digging under his coat with the other. “Ouch! Get off!” With a hard tug, Johnny pulled out the second cat.

“What are you doing to those cats?!” A woman’s voice pierced the noise of the frenzy around them.

Roy looked up from his half stooped position, his eyes peering from between his hands. Johnny froze, a cat dangling from each hand.

“Um, uh.” Johnny stammered, looking from the cats, to Roy, and back to the woman coming towards them.

“You can’t treat animals like that!” She snatched the felines from John’s outstretched hands. “Why, I ought to bring an officer of here and have you both arrested for beating up on these poor, scared, defenseless kittens.” She cooed at the cats, holding them close as she turned and stomped off “Did those mean men scare you? I know, I know, it’s okay.”

They stared in amazement at the docile cats in the woman’s arms. John snorted. “Defenseless? Can you believe that?” He looked at Roy and could see the scratches left by the cat. He reached out to examine them.

“Roy, I’m...”

Roy batted Johnny’s hand away. “Don’t! Don’t say it!” He turned out of John’s reach. “Just don’t say it.” He pulled off his glove and felt his face and ears.

“Well, at least let me look...” Johnny moved around to the front of Roy.

“No!” Roy batted John’s hand away again. “Don’t...!” Roy noticed John’s look of dejection. He took a calming breath. “Can we just get inside and make sure everyone’s out?” He glared at his partner as he moved around Johnny and headed toward the building once again, stopping at the door to be sure John was following. Instead he found John scraping the bottom of his boot off on the curb.

“Stupid animals.” John was muttering with distain.

Roy rolled his eyes, his patience was completely worn with his friend today. “Johnny will you quit messing around?”

“Messing around? Roy....” John grimsed at Roy’s unintentional pun. “Oh, ha ha. That was real funny.”

Once the words had come from his mouth, Roy realize what he’d said, but he just wasn’t in the mood. “I really wasn’t trying to be. Can we please, get going?” He waited for Johnny to reach him. “You first.” He held the door for John.

John avoided Roy’s cold stare as he lead the way through the door. “Sure, Roy.” He knew Roy was upset with him. Heck, he was upset with himself. *I can’t believe I dropped him. How could I have dropped my partner?* John shook his head. *Then I scratch him all up while pulling the cat away. He’s probably wondering if he can trust me at all. He probably had me go first because he felt he couldn’t count on me to watch his back.” Johnny glanced back a Roy, wondering how to make up for things.

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

“Ma’am, I really don’t have time for this right now.” Captain Stanley motioned for a police officer. “You really shouldn’t be this close. Why don’t you...”

The old woman pointed a finger in his face. “Don’t you ‘why don’t you’ me young man! I’m a tax payer and I want you to get my cat down...” She practically stomped her foot as she then pointed at the ground. “...right now!”

“Yes, Ma’am. I’m sure you do.” Stanley addressed the officer, indicating the woman. “Could you make sure she gets to a safe distance.”

The officer nodded his understanding and put a guiding hand to her elbow. “You’d better come with me. It’s not very safe here.”

“I’ll do no such thing!” The woman jerked her arm away. “I won’t leave my kitty up on that pole.”

The officer stood up straighter. “Well, Ma’am, you’re going to have to, unless you want to be physically removed.”

Hank tried not to smile at the officer’s bluff, or at least he hoped it was a bluff. He didn’t think it would look very good for the papers to find out that the police had forcibly handled an old lady who wanted her kitty rescued.

“You wouldn’t dare.” She searched his face for the truth, as the officer crossed his arms and glared down at her through his dark sunglasses. “Fine! I’ll get back.” She poked Hank in the shoulder. “You’d better get my kitty down or else. I know influential people, young man.” With that she turned and made her way to the perimeter that had been set up, telling everyone around her what she’d do if the fire department didn’t get her kitty for her.

Hank rubbed his forehead, cast a hateful stare at the cat on the pole and sighed.

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

John and Roy had made their sweep of the building from basement to the fourth floor and hadn’t found anyone, so they were making their way back down. They reached the second floor just as the fire enveloped the stairway leading to the third. It was quickly drenched by the firefighters who were making headway against the flames. Acknowledging the men, they continued to the first floor.

“Roy, I hear something.” Johnny stopped their forward pace.

“Johnny...”

“No really, this time I know I heard something.”

“Ah huh.” Roy listened for another noise that only Johnny seemed to be able to hear. “I don’t...” Then he heard it.

“There! Did you hear that?” Johnny’s muffed voice held a ‘see, I told you so’ tone.

Roy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I did. It came from down there.” He pointed down a hall toward a treatment room, then looked up at the waterlogged ceiling where the fire was being fought above them. “We’d better hurry, that ceiling doesn’t look too stable.”

They both trotted the distance to the treatment room and cautiously pushed the door open. Once inside, they both turned on their flashlights hoping to be able to see something in the dark, windowless room.

“Hello?” Johnny bellowed to be heard through his mask. “Is there anyone in here?” They crouched lower to get under the smoke.

“Fire Department!” Roy called, when he sensed a movement in the corner. “Hello? Johnny, over here.” He lead the way, shining his light to the opposite side of the room, looking for the source of their noise.

“WOOF!” Spewing from out of the smoke itself, slobber sprayed out and covered Roy’s face mask.

“What the...” Temporarily blinded, Roy felt something heavy shove into him and he fell on his sore backside with a startled grunt.

“Hey!” Johnny knelt next to Roy. “That’s the dog from outside. He must have followed us in.”

Roy pushed at the dog that dripped over him excitedly, while wiping an arm over his mask, creating white foamy streaks. “Great.” Roy struggled to get out from under the dog. He was beginning to feel claustrophobic pinned to the floor and not being able to see enough to get up. “You want to help me out here?” He set the flashlight down to take off his hat and remove his mask in time to see Johnny fight to pull the St. Bernard away. Roy got up, wiping his mask on his turnout coat, but it did little to remove the slimy slobber. Leather just didn’t absorb very well. His eyes stung from the smoke so he put the mask back on, pulled the light out once again, and headed for the door, the thick wet streaks making distortions in his field of vision.

When Roy reached the door he noticed that Johnny wasn’t following. He opened it enough to see that their time was just about out. “Johnny, let’s go, we have to get out of here before that ceiling comes down!”

“Come on, Dog!” Johnny tugged with all his might on the overgrown pups collar, but the dog only slid forward some as it stubbornly lowered its back end and refused to budge.

“Johnny, now!” Roy opened the door all the way and turned his back on the two, watching the ceiling bow, the water pouring down the walls.

The moment Roy fully opened the door, the dog bolted. Caught off guard, Johnny’s momentum was used against him and as he plopped onto the floor. The wind knocked out of him from falling back on his tank, Johnny released the collar as the St. Bernard trampled right over him, making a beeline for the door and safely. John saw that Roy wasn’t looking and made a grab for the dog, catching it’s tail. The dog let out a painful yelp, startling Johnny into letting go. It then continued, like a big, furry bulldozer through the door, knocking Roy’s legs out from under him. When the door swung shut behind the fleeing animal, Roy was once again on the floor. This time he spared his sore bottom and instead landed on his sore elbow, his light bouncing from his hand and rolled across the floor.

“Roy, are you okay?”

Johnny’s concerned question wasn’t answered.

“We’ve got to get out of here, now!” Roy scrambled to his feet, grabbed John’s light from him and then grabbed his partner to be sure he was following this time, and ran toward the door.

Just as Roy reached for the handle, the walls around them shook. They quickly moved away from the doorway and dove under the treatment table, trying to use it for whatever shelter it would afford. When everything stopped shaking, they were surprised to find the room still intact for the most part except for a few two-by-fours that came through from above in the corner. The door was tweaked and slightly ajar, but after a few pulls they were able get it open enough to see that the other side had not faired so well. Much of the second and third floors, from that section above, was blocking their exit. Roy was relieved to see that most of the debris seemed to be smoldering, or glowing, and not aflame like it had been when they passed through that floor a few minutes earlier.

Roy pushed the door shut, sighed and looked at his partner accusingly.

“What?” Johnny looked around defensively, the light under Roy’s face made his expression even more shadowed.

“Nothing.” *It would do any good to tell him that we’re buried in here because he wouldn’t leave when we needed to.* Roy retrieved his flashlight before returning Johnny’s. He then turned away, pulling off his mask to test the air while walking over to the table. The denser smoke had risen considerably so he conserved his oxygen. He pulled off his gloves and took out the HT. “HT51 to Engine 51.”

A moment of waiting. “Engine 51, go ahead.”

Roy leaned against the table, not wanting to tell his captain that they were trapped. “Um, Cap, we’re on the first floor in one of the treatment rooms. The ceiling has collapsed in the hallway outside it. We’re going to need assistance to get out.”

“HT 51, are you both okay?”

“That’s affirmative.”

“Okay. We’ll get you out.”

“Cap, what’s the status on the fire?”

“It looks like we’ve almost got it under control. Just sit tight, okay, pal?”

Roy set the HT down. *Sit tight.* He could make out Johnny, rummaging around the room, through the haze barely illuminated by their lights. “What are you doing?”

“I’m looking to see if there may be another way out. A vent or something that might be big enough for us to get through.” *Maybe do something right today.*

“Johnny, Cap said for us to stay put until they can reach us.”

“Well, it won’t hurt to look, besides, I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”

Roy shook his head and rubbed at the cat scratches on the side of his face and ears.

“Ahhh!”

Roy startled when John jumped back.

“Hey.” Johnny removed a glove, reached out and picked up a hamster that twitched it nose and sniffed at the air. “What are you doing here?” He held it up close, then turned it for Roy to see. “Roy, why would anyone bring a hamster to a vet?”

Roy shook his head. “Johnny, maybe you should leave it alone for just that reason. You don’t know why it was here.”*Germy, rat thing. At least Herbert knew what it was.* Roy shuddered watching the “rat’s” little, black nose protruding from Johnny’s hand wrapped gently around it.

Johnny inspected it closely, feeling it’s tiny heart beating faster than he’d be able to count, even if he’d tried. “Well, it looks healthy to me. Here, hold it while I look for a way out of here.” John unceremoniously shoved the rodent into Roy’s hand.

“No. Johnny...” At the sudden handoff, the hamster became skittish. Before he could