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Mike Stoker was a very observant man. That's why he's so quiet. His philosophy was 'keep the pie hole shut so the eye holes do their job'. Or rather, it was his grandfather's, a veteran of the Great War who never quite made it home.
So on that frigid rainy February night, when Mike spoke instead of backing Big Red into the bay, Hank, Marco and Chet knew shit was about to get serious.
"Cap," he said. "We have a situation with the guys in the squad. I think you need to go talk to them."
"Okay." Cap said, trusting his engineer fully. "You three stay here."
He looked sternly at Chet before climbing from the cab as Mike put it in park. Catching Mike’s eye, the understanding between the two was clear. Keep Chet away, even if it came down to sitting on him, until Cap gave them the all clear.
As he approached the squad the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. In a rare occurrence, Johnny sat behind the wheel. Curled around it more like, with his face buried in his arms. Roy was curled around Johnny, his cheek resting against his hair, a look of utter devastation on his face and in his unseeing eyes.
Hank could hear heart rending sobs as he tried to decide which door to approach. Choosing the drivers side he slowly opened the door, and discovered the source of the weeping.
"Hey Pal," he said gently. "What's going on?"
Receiving no response, he put a hand on Johnny’s shoulder. The simultaneous results were immediate.
"Don't touch me!" A fearful shriek.
"Don't touch him!" A warning.
Roy pulled Johnny closer as his sobs turned to panic. Johnny turned instinctively to his partner, hiding his face against Roy's shoulder.
"I got you Johnny. I've got you. They won't hurt you anymore. I will kill them if they try. I've got you…" Roy repeated the words over and over again rocking Johnny gently.
Overcoming his initial shock at the violent response, Hank realized that neither of his paramedics were fully in the present. At a loss he looked for his engineer and was surprised to see the three men standing at the hood of the squad with expressions of mingled shock and fear.
"Sorry Cap, we heard the yell." Marco answered the look.
"Cap, what's wrong with Johnny?" Chet’s pigeon forever his priority.
Mike just watched, his usual expression given way to worry.
"I don't know. Should we call another squad?"
"Rampart." Mike said quietly.
Cap nodded and went into his office to make the call. Mike took his captain's place.
What happened to you two? You're two of the strongest people I know…
Captain Stanley had been lucky when he called, catching Kel Brackett as he was headed off duty, and Joe Early as he was coming on. Both doctors left the ER in the hands of a pair of interns and arrived at the station twenty minutes later.
Johnny was quiet and the pair still now. But neither man moved or acknowledged the others. The doctors chose to approach the protector.
"Roy? Roy, it's Kel- ah, Dr. Brackett. Joe's here with me. We'd like to talk to you."
"Roy." Joe continued. "Can you tell us what happened?"
Roy twitched like he was trying to shoo away an irritating fly.
"Okay. How about I start." Kel continued. "You brought a patient in shortly after midnight. A female, aged twenty two. She was unconscious with depressed respiration. Suspected drug overdose. Her date-"
"Shhh.." Roy hushed as he wrapped both arms tighter around his partner. "Shhh."
"Roy." Joe said gently, "Roy did something like that happen to someone you or Johnny know?"
Roy turned a face that had aged considerably in the last hour to the doctors, the expression in his eyes indescribable.
"He was just a kid, Doc. Same age as my son. His foster parents traded him for drugs and it was the only way he'd cooperate."
His voice was quiet, but every man in that bay heard the words and was heartsick.
Roy's burning eyes gave way as he turned and rested his cheek against Johnny’s hair. He tightened his already vice-like grip around his partner.
"I'll keep you safe, Junior. I swear it."
Outside of the squad, the six other men exchanged a look, making their own pact between them.