| Part Twelve: Previously: Knuckles warns Johnny that if he didn't give Nicci back he would take Joanne DeSoto Authors Notes: The next day Content Warning: ******** " Morning." Johnny greeted walking into the day room " Good morning, you look like you're in a good mood." Roy said seeing his partner smile for the first time in weeks " Oh I am in a good mood." Johnny said " And how's Nicci doing?" Captain Stanley asked " Oh she's doing great Cap. She'll be discharged in a couple days." Johnny said with a smile " Well that's good to hear. I hope things work out for her." " Thanks Cap." Johnny said just as the Klaxons sounded. " Station 51, woman injured Richards rehab Clinic. 112 Valley, time out 10:34." " Station 51 KMG 365." Captain Stanley responded ................. Captain Stanley and his crew walked into the six story building to find Paster Daniels standing waiting for their arrival." We got a call about someone being injured." Stanley announced " Yes right this way." Daniels said leading the Captain and his men up to the sixth floor. While the others stood in the doorway Roy and Johnny walked into the sick room to find a woman sitting on the bed with a bloody lip and a bruised eye. " Ma'me are you okay?" Roy asked " Yes I'm fine, I told them not to call." The nurxe insisted looking at Johnny " Well how did this happen?" Johnny asked " One of our residents was having a bad trip and I didn't move quick enough." She explained." Really I'm okay you guys don't need to tend to me." She assured " Lets just check you out to make sure, as long as we're here anyway." Roy said bending down at the nurses side. " You seem to be okay but you should go to the hospital and get looked at by a doctor." Roy suggested " I will but after I get off duty." The nurse assured " Station 51 available at scene." Stanley said into the Handy Talkie. As Johnny and the rest of them left the room, Johnny spotted Nicci standing in the hall." Hey Nicci." Johnny greeted walking up to her followed by his friends " Hi." Nicci said backing up from the men in front of her. Johnny became alarmed when he saw that Nicci was beginning to tremble for the first time in days." Nicci are you alright?" Johnny asked " I'm fine really it's just that well......" Nicci stopped looking at the others then turning to walk away. Walking up to her and taking her by the arm, his heart fell when he felt her flinch at his touch." Nicci you don't have to be afraid of them, they save lives everyday. And if it wasn't for my Captain, I wouldn't have been able to spend the day with you when Bambi was killed. Nicci, they give so much of themselves to the world they can't be all that scary. What do you say, would you give them a chance for me? I wont let them hurt you." Johnny soothed Without eye contact she slowly and cauiously walked back over to the others" Hi I'm Nicci." She said barely audible Taking turns each of them said hi. Being careful not to spook the already frightened girl. It was obvious she was terrified of them and none of them knew why. Then it was Stanley's turn." Hi Nicci I'm Captain Stanley." He greeted with a smile slowly exstending his hand. Nicci looked up to the Captain's face and started shaking uncontrolably. He was much scarier then the others. His eyes were shady and untrusting. His face looked suspiciously cold. She was terrified of him. But Johnny said that he was okay, and I trust Johnny she thought to herself. Very slowly and with caution she extended her trembleing hand to Captain Stanley. Suddenly a loud crash from the end of the hall sent her into panic." I'M SORRY DON'T HIT, I DIDN'T MEAN TO." She gasped bringing her arms up to shield her while bolting back in complete terror. Johnny craddled her in his arms to stop her from shaking." Shhhhhh Half Pint no one's going to hit you, Shhhhhh." Johnny soothed " NO HE'S GOING TO HURT ME AGAIN." She sobbed. Wittnessing the ordeal Paster Daniels walked up. " Mr. Gage, lets get her to her room. " He said getting on the other side of the terrified girl. Taking two steps Nicci stopped, " Johnny." She whimpered placing her hand over her mouth as she started to vomit blood. Steading her head Johnny soothed her " Shhhhh it's okay Nicci." As three nurses walked up to lend a hand. " I'm sorry." Nicci whimpered as her vomiting came to a stop. " It's okay Half Pint, come on I'll help you to your room." Johnny soothed as he guided her down the hall. Stroking her head as she dozed off, Johnny let out a sigh, " Oh Nicci." He whispered as tears streamed down his face. "Johnny,we have to go" Roy whispered peeking in the doorway while watching Nicci as she continnued to tremble in her slumber." " Okay." Johnny whispered. then leaning down he gave Nicci a kiss on the head. " I love you Half Pint, I'll be back as soon as I can." ............. Returning one hour later The men at station 51 watched as Johnny walked over to the phone." Hi this is Mr. Gage, I'm calling to see how Nicci's doing..... I see was it bad.........Oh man.... Well tell her I'll be there as soon as I can, and tell her that I love her." Johnny said swallowing his tears as he hung up the phone. " How is she?" Roy asked seeing the worry in his partners face " I don't know, she had a nightmare and then vomited more blood ." Johnny whispered dropping in a chair " Gage I don't understand why did she react that way to me, She was terrified that I was going to hit her." Stanley asked as the memory was still fresh in his mind. " I don't know Cap, Maybe because you are the Captain and you are authority." Johnny said." She don't like cops and maybe to her you look like one." " Well do you think she'll make it out in the world?" Chet asked, Seeing that everyone was looking at him he added." What, I just want to know that's all. I mean she's so scared, you have to wonder how she's going to deal with the outside world." " You have to admit that's a fair question." Roy said in Chet's deffence. Understanding that his friends were only being concerned he answered" I really can't say how she'll be." " I just want to know what happened to her to make her so scared." Marco said " I know and I wished I could tell you Marco, but I don't think you guys would understand." Johnny said " You'll never know unless you give us a try. What'll you say Pal." Stanley said With some hesitation Johnny spoke." There's not much to say. Nicci and I were going together in High School back in Montana. Her dad hated me and called me a good for nothing half breed. Everyday he would remind her that he didn't approve of us. Her dad made her move to Flordia, I never knew what happened or why she left. I never saw her again until the night we got the call on the strip about a month and a half ago." Johnny said " You mean she was the victim?" Roy asked " Yeah, I didn't know it until I got into the ambulance and that's when I reconized her." " Do you know why she moved to Flordia." Stanley asked " I do now. Her dad made her move when he found out I got her pregnant. He couldn't handle his little girl getting knocked up by a Half Breed. I didn't even know whe was pregnant she never got the chance to tell me." Johnny said sadly missing his son he never knew. " You mean you two have a baby together?" Roy asked looking over at Johnny in shock. " " No Roy, she miscarried." Johnny said hanging his head before continuing." After she lost the baby she ran away back to Montana and then kept running when she found that out I had moved. That's when she ended up on the streets of New York City. She was barely sixteen years old and very alone .You know the streets can be a very cruel place for a kid. . She was cold and hungry. Oh she tried to get jobs but nobody would give her a chance because of her age. So she did the only thing she could to support herself. You guys know what girls on the street have to do to get a meal. It wasn't long before she was getting strung out on drugs. She was getting high so that she wouldn't feel the pain of what she was doing just to surrive living on the streets." Johnny said in a whisper. Mike placed his hand on Johnny's shoulder." Yeah but she's going to be okay now, She's getting clean and she's not on the streets anymore." He said soothingly. " Yeah she is but guys you have to understand that people's told her that she was no good so many times she believes it. I know she's probably been beat bloody more times then what can be counted. That's why she's so frightened. Johnny sighed. TBC |