| Forgotten loves Part Three Previously: Johnny meets up with an old friend Authors notes: two years have past ************** It was two o'clock in the morning and the guys had just returned from a structure fire. They had just settled back in their bunks and barely got their heads on their pillows, when the Klaxons sounded again. " Station 51, female with unknown type injury, Hollywood strip, Across from Hooters Night Club, time out 2:42." " Station 51, KMG 365." Captain Stanley responded while his crew carried their tired bodies to the waitin vehicles. " Hey Junior, isn't the Hollywood strip where....." Roy started " Yep," Johnny interrupted." It's a breeding ground for gangs, druggies and prostitutes. You name it it's there." .......... Both the engine and squad pulled up to the strip to see it fully alive. Complete with neon lights and the average street walkers,most of them being half dressed young ladies obviously looking for their next meal. " Well at least the police are here to make sure things don't get out of hand." Roy said coming to a stop in front of the night club. " Stoker watch both the Engine and the Squad, we don't want to risk them getting vandelized." Stanley ordered as he knew that the strip was a very dangerous place and should be feared by all. Captain Stanley and the rest of his crew then walked up to Officer Vince Howard." What do we got here?" Captain asked " Well according to a wittness there's been a severe beating. I'm told that the victim is a well known prostitute who was beat up by her irate pimp. Other then that that's all we know." Officer Howard said ushering the Captain and his crew past the crowd. " " Excuse me." Roy said pushing his way through the crowd " Ohhhhh yeah, look at the sexy firemen, hey hose boys you want to party with me, I promise I wont charge to much." A voice flirted from the crowd. " Not in this life time." Chet said under his breath " Come on, give the guys some room to work." Howard demanded pushing the crowd back. " Gage, you want to get the vitals, Capt., we're going to need the oxygen." Roy announced setting up the biophone. " Rampart, this is County 51, Do you copy?" Roy said speaking into the receiver " This is Rampart, go ahead 51." Brackett responded " Rampart we have a female approximatly 23 years of age who is a victim of an assult. She has muliple lacerations and contusions on the face and a large himatoma on the right side of her head above the ear. There are numerous needle marks on the inside of both of her arms indicating drug addiction. The victim is somewhat unconscious at this time. Vitals are BP 90 over 40, Pulse is 60 and Resparations are 12 and labored. " 10-4 51, Start IV ringers lactate, Administer 6 liters O2 keep monitoring vitals and transport." Brackett ordered "10-4 Rampart." Soon the victim was loaded in the ambulance. Johnny sat on the bench next to the victim and checked her vitals once again. He then continued to clean the cuts off her face. As he looked closer to the girl next to him he felt as if his heart was going to leap out of his chest. " No it can't be, Nicci." Johnny said in disbelief barely in a whisper as the ambulance came to a stop. " Let's get her in room six." Brackett said walking up to the gurney before entering the room " You need us anymore?" Roy asked walking toward the door. " No, thanks guys." Brackett said " Come on Junior, lets go and get some sleep." Roy said nudging at his partner. Without a responce Roy nudged his partner again." Johnny you feeling okay? You look like you've seen a ghost. You're not coming down with something?" Turning to face his partner, Johnny gave a fake smile and responded." Who me, no I feel great." While tapping his chest before leaving the room. ............ My mind must be playing tricks on me. But she looked so much like her. If it was her what could have happened? No it can't be her. Johnny thought shaking the posibility out of his head Stealing glances at his partner, Roy could tell something was weighing heavy on his mind. His face looked ghost white and his eyes had the look of confussion and shock." Are you sure your not coming down with something?" Roy asked " No I'm fine, lets get some sleep kay." Johnny said ignoring Roy's concern **** The Next Morning***** Captain Stanley walked into the day room with his crew following close behind." Morning, your up kind of early." Stanley said walking over to the coffee pot. " Yeah I know I just couldn't sleep." Johnny said craddleing his chin in his hand As Captain Stanley took a seat at the table, he noticed Johnny's paled complexion. " Gage you feel okay you look kind of pale." " No I'm fine, just tired." Johnny assured " Johnny, Jo and I are taking the kids to the water slide after I rest up a bit, I was wondering if you wanted to tag along?" Roy asked " No that's okay, I have some plans." Johnny said thinking about the girl he saw last night " Must be pretty important plans to turn down the water park." Stanley said " Yeah they are." Johhny said ................. As Johnny walked through the parking lot at Rampart General, he pondered over the situation in his head. What if it's not her. But what if it is? Johnny was torn, a part of him wanted it to be her so he could find out why she left him. The other part of him didn't cause he couldn't bare the thought of his Nicci being on the streets. With that final thoughts he walked through the double doors. As Dixie watched Johnny walk up to the desk, she could sence something was wrong by the way he carried himself. Getting a closer look she saw that his face was drawn and his eyes were out lined with dark circles. " Hey Johnny what brings you by? You okay?" Dixie asked " I feel great." Johnny lied." I was wondering if I could visit the girl we brought in last night. " I guess you can see her. Why? Do you know her?" Dixie asked seeing that Johnny's eyes had the look of worry "No I dont know her. I was just wondering how she was doing." " Well fortunately she suffered no real serious injury, Kel says she should be released tomorrow. All and all I think she's pretty lucky. Do you realize how many people we see just like her that don't make it." Dixie said Johnny nodded his head then turning to the elevator. ............ Johnny stood in the shadows of the tiny room starring at the girl in the bed. From where he stood he could see that her face was still swollen and heavily bruised. Before he had the chance to change his mind he whispered." Nicci." The girl opened her blackened eyes to see a slender body standing in the door way." Who's there?" She asked in a small and broken voice " It's me Nicci, it's Johnny." Johnny slowly revealing himself. Looking up she managed to put the tall man into focus. She stared for a moment then turned her head in shame." Why you of all people." She whispered as tears formed in her eyes. Johnny stood there watching her body tremble." Nicci it's okay." Johnny said putting his hand on her shoulder for confort. "No, don't touch me." Nicci cried jerking away from his touch. Then drawing her legs to her chest. Johnny's heart broke as the girl he loved so much pull away from him in fear. " Nicci don't be scared of me, I'm not going to hurt you." Johnny said soothingly. It was obvious to him that she was very frightened. " Just go away, I don't want to see you." Nicci cried softly " Nicci my heart wont let me. I need to know why you left me." " I can't, you wouldn't understand." Nicci said " I can try, don't you think you owe me, I loved you so much, When you left you took apart of me with you." Johnny said sitting next to her on the bed. With those words she looked up." You mean you knew?" She asked " Knew what? Nicci come on, all I'm asking is that you be honest with me. The way you left me without so much as a letter, I thought you loved me." " Oh Johnny, don't think for a second I didn't love you cause I did, probably more then life it self. Back then you were my life. " Nicci said " Then why did you leave?" Johnny wanted to know Then choosing her words carefully she spoke barely audible." My dad, he kicked me out and made me move to Flordia to live with my aunt when he found out I was..." Nicci stopped to swallow a sob " When he found out what, Nicci tell me what did he find out." Johnny pleaded taking her hand to stop it from shaking. Only to have her withdraw it away. " Oh Johnny he found out I was pregnant. He was furious. He couldn't bare the thought of his daughter being knocked up by a half breed, As he always liked put it." Nicci said wipping the tears away. With shock taking control, Johnny sat on the edge of the bed" You mean you were pregnant and never told me? Nicci I don't understand, If you have my child then why are you on the street?" Johnny asked trying desperately to understand "Johnny I wanted to tell you but my dad made me move before I got the chance. I even tried writing you but my aunt was so strict and mean. Everytime I tried to write you or contact you she would get real mad and tell my uncle and he would beat me with his belt. He beat me so hard sometimes he left welts. I was so terrified of him that I stopped trying to tell you." Nicci said taking a deep breath and swallowing hard before continuing." Then one night it got to much for me and I tried to run a way but I was caught by the police and they took me back. My uncle beat the fuck out of me, he beat me so hard I couldn't hardly move. That same night I started bleeding, I......" Nicci whimpered in pain now shaking uncontrolably " Nicci what happened, Where is our baby?" Johnny wanted to know. " Johnny I never got the chance to hold our son, I miscarried that night." Nicci sobbed hanging her head Johnny's heart was breaking, Feeling the loss of his son that never got the chance to live. It was almost more then he could bare. With tears of his own he whispered" Oh Nicci I'm so sorry, I had no idea." " I didn't know what to do Johnny. All I knew was that I couldn't stay there anymore. So about a month after the miscarrige, I ran away and never looked back. I hitch hiked all the way to Montana to see you. But when I got there you were gone. I asked around but they said that you had moved. Nobody knew where you were. I thought about going back home to my dad, but I was still so angry with him. I didn't want to face him Johnny so I kept running, thats when I ended up in New York. I tried to make it but I was only sixteen years old, I had no money, nobody would give me a job. I was so cold and hungry, and living on the streets. Then I met Knuckles and He showed me how to survive on the streets and told me of a way that I could make money selling what guys wanted. I remember the first time I turned a trick, Oh God I cried, I felt so cheap and dirty. It wasn't my first choice for a carreer, you know. " Nicci stopped to wipe her tears. " Anyway, Knuckles knew it bothered me so he offered me a hit of heroin and I took it. When I was stoned nothing hurt me. When I came down Knuckles was always there to pick me up again. I knew I was getting hooked but I didn't care. I knew my life was over." Nicci sobbed turning back towards the wall. They sat there in silence as their tears fell. Johnny desperately searched for the right words that might ease her pain but he was speechless. Hearing the pain in Nicci's voice was more then he could stand. Then in a small voice she whimpered." Johnny I want out, I don't want to do live anymore, not like this." With those soft spoken words Johnny for the first time saw a glimmer of hope. " It's okay Nicci I'm here and I will help you." " There's nothing you can do Johnny, Knuckles won't let me go. He found out I was stashing money for a bus ticket. That's why he beat the hell out of me last night." Nicci cried turning to look at Johnny " It's okay Nicci, I'm here and I promise he wont hurt you again. I'm going to help you get out." Johnny said in a soothing voice " It's not that simple, He says that he would kill whoever tries to help me, besides look at me I'm a mess, I've been shooting up for more then six years." Nicci whimpered extending her arms to show the scars left behind from the needles. " I know Nicci, it's okay I'm here." Johnny assured " Does this look like it's okay to you." Nicci cried raising her voice." Anyway just leave and forget about me." Nicci sobbed turning to the wall Johnny placed his hand on her shoulder. " No Nicci I'm not going to leave you." Johnny said soothingly "DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND I DON'T WANT YOU ANYMORE, SO GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE AND LEAVE ME ALONE." Nicci screamed jerking away from his touch." Just go please." She whimpered while raising her trembleing hand to shield her head, terrified of being hurt. Johnny watched as Nicci shook uncontrolable and he realized that the best thing he could do was leave her." Okay Nicci I'll go if that's what you want but I'll be back. I'm not going to lose you again." Johnny whispered before leaving. ............. As Johnny sat in his Land Rover, he could no longer hold his tears back. He was lost, he didn't know how to help Nicci but he knew that he had to try. He knew that if he didn't do something he would lose her forever. Driving home he realized that he could never confide in Roy and the others or even tell a soul about Nicci or the situation. He could hear Roy tell him that he was making a mixtake getting involved and he knew that the rest would just harrass him about getting tangled up with a junkie let a lone a prostitute. TBC |