Summary: Ranger Francis Gage becomes deaf after a criminal shoot his ex-girlfriend and ex-girlfriend's husband. Will he be permanently hearing impaired? Will he ever be able to hear again?
It was a beautiful day. Cars sped past by the courthouse; Ranger Headquarters. Texas Ranger Cordell Walker sat at his desk. It was a slow day. No case to solve; no troubles at all.
It was a beautiful night, as Rangers Sydney Cook and Francis Gage entered the reunion. The reunion was Ranger Francis' high school reunion.
It was a full house there, as Sydney and Gage stood by the food and drinks table. Gage held a wine glass of red punch, while his partner ate a bit of crackers. They both had their backs turned, when a couple came up to the Texas Ranger.
"Francis," the blond woman greeted him.
He turned around to see his former girlfriend from years ago.
"Melanie," he greeted back.
"Francis, how are you?"
"I'm good, Melanie. How are you?"
"I'm good. I'm married now. Did you come alone?"
"Oh. No."
He grabbed Sydney's hand and led her to Melanie.
"Syd, this is Melanie."
"And this is my husband. Ross."
"Hi, nice to meet you," Gage greeted, shaking his hand.
"Hi," Syd greeted, also shaking his hand.
"This is Sydney Cook," he introduced to Ross and Melanie.
"So, are you two married?" Ross asked.
"To each other?" Gage questioned. "Oh, no, no," he answered.
"No, we're not," Syd replied.
"Why don't you dance with Sydney, while Jack and I catch up with old times," Melanie told her hubby.
They danced for a few minutes and then Ross left. Sydney then came back to them and said, "I lost my dancing partner." When she told them that, Melanie said to them, "I have to go to the bathroom."
The Rangers walked out the doors, Gage asking, "It's early. Are you sure you want to leave?"
"Ya. I'm sure. It's early."
They stopped and turned to watch the couple starting to leave.
"I think he's jealous," Syd told Gage.
"You think?"
"Ya."
"You know what? I think I'm going to go talk to him."
"Okay."
She watched him, as he left to go catch up with him.
Just as he reached the couple, men in black in a dark car, started shooting at them. As it happened, he was too close and was on the ground in minutes.
Sydney Cook was outside, shooting with her handgun, as soon as she heard the gun fire. The men drove away speedily and unhurt, though.
She put her gun away when they sped away, and then went to Gage's side. He looked up at her, as she asked him, "Are you okay?" He didn't answer. After a minute of silence, he told her, "I can't hear."
That night Rangers Trivet, Cordell Walker, and Sydney Cook arrived at the hospital, including Walker's wife, Alex Cahill Walker. Because he couldn't hear, there was a computer hooked up where he could see the screen. That way, Dr. Farley could type what everybody said, and then Gage could answer.
A couple days later, he was given a device that he could carry around with him, so he knew what a person was saying.
Gage walked out of his place into a taxi cab. He had the driver drive him to the courthouse.
Gage walked into the office room. Sydney walked up to him and asked him, "Gage, how did you get here?" He looked at the device and read it. He then looked at her and answered, "Very delicately."
"Why don't you sit down."
"Okay," he agreed, and sat on a chair by her desk.
That night, she made dinner at his place for both of them. She took a bite. She looked at him when he just sat there. "Gage, come on. You have to eat something." He mouthed, 'I can't' and pointed to an ear. She leaned forward and pointed to her mouth and then to his plate of food. She then said, "Eat. You have to eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"Do you know what's going to happen if you don't?"
She made a motion of pretending to kick him.
"Alright. Alright, I'm eating. You're funny. You know that, Syd?" he said, finally starting to eat.
As she finished up her plate, she spoke. "I'm sorry. I know how much this must be hard for you."
"How could you know, Syd!?" he said, raising his voice. "Are your ears ringing right now!? You don't know!"
She just sat there and stared at him silently. He realized he had gone overboard; had hurt her feelings in one way or another. "Syd…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blow up like that." She nodded in acknowledgement.
The next day, they visited the school for the deaf. They thought it'd help him to communicate. Everybody agreed to have him go there to learn sign language affectively.
They walked in and were greeted by the teacher.
"Can I give you a tour?" she asked, while she signed it. He took out the device and read it. "Sure. Thank you," Ranger Cook answered for both her partner and herself. They then got a tour and were brought to her classroom, where her class was waiting.
"Class, this is Ranger Sydney Cook and Ranger Francis Gage. He recently lost his hearing," she said as she signed it, pointing to Gage and Sydney, after setting one hand sideways with the other on top. She then pointed to Gage, signed "lost", and pointed to her ear.
One of the kids raised his hand.
"Yes, Timmy?" she asked, gesturing to him and nodded "yes" once. He signed something and she told Gage while she signed, "He wants to know if you're a real Ranger."
"Tell Timmy that we're both real Rangers," he said, gesturing to himself and his partner. "Here's my proof," he told the class, pulling out his badge and showing it for all to see.
"Here. Let me show you how to sign that," she offered, as she continued signing for everybody. "Proof," she told him, laying one hand flat, and setting the other one sideways on top of the other hand. "Proof," he said, signing it after putting his badge away. He signed "proof" too hard and he shook his hand, saying "Ow." Everybody laughed when he did so.
The day went by quickly, with Gage learning sign language all in one day. At one point, the teacher said, "You're doing great. You learn fast."
After half the day went by, they had to leave.
"Well, we are all sad to see you leave," she said, signing it. She gestured to the whole class, put her hands into a ball, made language for "cry", which also translates to "sad," pointed to the Rangers, and then to the doorway.
Gage went over to Timmy, pulled out a chair, and sat in front of him. Timmy was seated in a chair, too. He signed, "I have to leave now." He pointed to himself, layed hands on top of each other and pointed to the doorway. Timmy made the sign, "I will miss you," and Gaged signed back, while saying, "I will miss you, too." He pointed to himself, put a hand on his own chest, pointed to Timmy, and then to himself again. Timmy got up out of his chair and hugged him. The Ranger hugged him back.
An hour later, they sat on a bench somewhere outside practicing sign language. "A, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, I, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10," they started. "I'm hungry," Gage said, signing, pointing to himself and rubbed his belly. "I'm cold," Sydney said, crossing her arms in a kind of "love" language, and swayed left to right in the symbolization. Little did they know, the same men that had killed Melanie and Ross, were in the same car watching them. The two Rangers laughed happily, as they left the bench and walked off.
The next day, they were stopped in their car by the curb, ready to drive off, when the men drove near. Gage's sixth sense kicked in. "Syd!" he yelled, getting her and himself down, just in time before one of the men started shooting at them. As soon as they passed, Sydney started forward, only to be stuck in traffic. "Come on!" he said.
They turned their sirens on full blast and drove quickly through traffic, only to lose them.
As they headed home, Gage spoke.
"You know, I was thinking. Walker said when a person loses one sense, all of the other senses get stronger. I think that's what happened." She nodded as she replied, "I think you're right, Gage."
It was a dark night. Rangers Sydney Cook and Francis Gage were at the courthouse on her computer. They were searching for info on the two men, while Rangers Walker and Trivet were out looking for them.
The phone rang and she answered.
"Ranger station. This is Sydney."
"Sydney, I need you to meet us at the old apartment building. We're going in after them tonight," he said, as he drove his Ford, white Ranger.
"Walker. Oh. Um, Walker, Gage is here, too."
"Tell him to just sit put there."
"Okay. See ya."
They hung up. She looked at him. He read her lips and watched, as she spoke and signed for him.
"That was Walker. They want me to go with them, but told me that you need to stay here." She used the "sit" sign for the last part. He said, "Okay," and then watched, as she left him alone and by himself.
As Rangers Walker, Trivet, and Sydney burst in after the men, the other guy was coming through the doors of the Rangers' office.
Gage stood up, turned around, saw him, and both men fought one on one. At one point Gage was able to take the guy's gun and toss it across the floor. They wrestled until the guy lay on the floor unconscious, Gage standing over him.
The Rangers entered to see what had probably happened.
In the end, both men were put in jail and sentenced to twenty years in prison without bail or parole.
The next day, the doctor had done another surgery on his ears. Sydney thought he wasn't awake and sat in a chair and spoke to him. "I wish you could hear me. There are things I wish I could tell you when you could actually hear me. I love your voice. Just the way you are. I love you." She then saw his socks and added, "Hey, what's up with those socks?"
"Hey, those are my favorite socks. Leave them alone, Syd," he said, turning his head to look at her.
"Oh my God! Did you hear me?"
"Every word. I heard you loud and clear."
"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, hurrying to the doorway. "Walker, come here! Gage can hear! He can hear!"
They all came in.
"You can hear us?" asked Walker.
"Loud and clear."
Everybody hugged him. First Sydney, then Trivet, and then, as he and Alex hugged he said, "Talk to me." So they all lived happily ever after.
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