By sharie05
December 23rd, 1974 Carlton, California.
"Gage… you've got a delivery!" Chet Kelly shouted as he slid the large cardboard box onto station 51's kitchen table.
Walking calmly into the kitchen Johnny casually picked up the package and smiled.
"Whose it from?" Roy asked as he walked up and stood next to his partner.
"Kaylie," John informed him with a large smile.
"Come on Gage, open it." Chet exclaimed pulling out a chair and sitting down.
"Hang on Chet, give me a minute." Johnny replied frowning as he held up his hand. Carefully pulling the tape off the box, Johnny opened the top and pulled out a large covered plate full of Christmas cookies. The note on top of the plate read: John these are for the guys, the other two are for you, Roy and Jo. Please tell everyone Merry Christmas for me. Everyone here is fine and Grandma Ruth sends you her love. I miss you John and I'm sorry we have to be apart this Christmas. I can't thank you enough for understanding; you mean the world to me. Be safe and I'll see you on the 30th. All my love, Kaylie.
"What's this Gage a love letter?" Chet asked before grabbing the paper. "I miss you Johnny," he cooed as he dodged Johnny's attempts to retrieve the note.
"Give it back Chet!"
"You mean the world to me Johnny." Chet read on while batting his eyelashes. "All my love… gees is she ever nuts."
"Kelly!" Captain Stanley shouted as he stood in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest.
"Come on Cap, can't a guy have any fun around here?" Chet whined as he held out the note for John.
"Thanks Cap," Johnny replied grabbing Kaylie's note. "The cookies are for you guys from Kaylie, she sent an extra plate for you and Jo, Roy."
"Hey these aren't half bad Gage." Chet stated as he took another large bite of a cookie.
"I shouldn't even let you have any," Johnny replied before walking out of the kitchen.
"What'd I do?" Chet asked innocently as cookie crumbs fell from his moustache.
Shaking his head before following after his partner, Roy walked across the apparatus bay. Quietly entering the locker room he watched as his partner and best friend sat in front of his locker fingering Kaylie's note. "You really miss her don't you," Roy said as he stepped further into the room.
"Yeah, I guess I didn't know how much until she was gone." Johnny replied as he folded up the note and stuck it away in his pocket.
"She's only been gone a week Junior," Roy said as he smiled and patted John's shoulder.
"Seems a lot longer than that," Johnny started before getting cut off by the station's tones.
"Station 51 child trapped, 2365 Old Canyon Road in the old Summit Grove Mine, that's 2365 Old Canyon Road in the old Summit Grove Mine. Time out 13:43."
"Station 51 10-4, KMG 365," Hank Stanley's deep baritone voice replied.
"I don't like the sound of this one," Johnny said as he took the slip from Roy's hand.
Nodding his head in agreement, Roy drove the squad out of the bay closely followed by the engine.
It only took 15 minutes for the squad and engine to make it out to the scene. Jumping out of the squad Roy was quickly confronted by a very angry, well dressed, middle-aged man.
"What the hell took you so long?" The man shouted as he grabbed Roy's arm.
"Hey now wait a minute," Roy began before the man cut him off.
"He's been in there for over half an hour!"
"Hey now take it easy," Johnny stated as he tried to come between his partner and the unknown man. "We can't possibly help you if don't let us know what the problem is."
"I'm sorry… it's… it's just my son, he fell." The man stated as he let go of Roy's arm.
"All right now that's a start, my names John Gage and this is my partner Roy DeSoto. Just exactly where did your son fall Mr.?" Johnny asked.
"James, James Taylor. My son and I were hiking on the hill over there and the ground just opened up and swallowed him." James stated as he pointed back behind the engine. "Please he's only seven."
"What's his name?" Roy asked as he grabbed gear from the truck.
"Jake, we call him JT."
"What have you got John?" Captain Stanley asked as he and the rest of the crew joined the paramedics.
"Cap there's a seven year old boy trapped in what appears to be an old mine shaft. His father stated that the ground just opened up and the boy fell in. We're not sure how far he's fallen or what the hole looks like." John replied.
"All right let's get the gear up there and take a look, but lets not get to close to the entrance incase the grounds ready to give way more. We don't want to bury the child any more than he may all ready be." Hank stated as the group started climbing the hill.
At the top of the hill, the old rotten timbers were easily visible sticking up at odd angles around a dark gaping hole. Looking at the timbers Johnny wondered just how Mr. Taylor could have missed seeing them in the first place. He also wondered why Mr. Taylor would wear a suit coat and tie out hiking.
Carefully easing himself closer to the hole by sliding on his stomach, Johnny took out his flashlight and shinned it down into the darkness.
"Can you see him?" Mr. Taylor asked anxiously as he tried to get closer to the hole.
"Stay here! You could cause it all to cave in." Captain Stanly shouted as he grabbed James' arm.
"He's about thirty feet down Cap," Johnny stated as he began sliding back away from the hole. "He doesn't appear to be moving."
"Can we get to him?" Hank asked as Johnny slid back, stood up and brushed himself off.
"I think so, if we could rig up some type of anchor to repel down off of I should be able to fit down there. It looks like it widens out at the bottom. "
"All right men lets get moving, Chet you and Marco grab the ladders off the engine. Mike, help John with his gear. Roy how about keeping an eye on Mr. Taylor for me pal." Hank said before patting Roy's shoulder.
It took very little time at all for Hank's crew to ready the scene. With the ladders lying across the hole, Johnny had a spot to anchor his ropes. "Be careful Gage," Chet stated as Johnny readied his line. "It doesn't look all that stable."
"I didn't know you cared so much Chet." Johnny joked as he carefully dangled his legs over the opening.
"Always the comedian Gage," Chet replied as he shook his head and knelt down on the end of the ladder across from Marco.
"All right, heading down." Johnny stated as he slipped through the rungs of the ladder and began lowering himself. The shaft was comprised mainly of dirt and a few rotten old timbers thrown around to stabilize it. From the amount of sand and rock dropping down all around him, Johnny didn't think the old timbers were doing their job any longer.
"About 20 more feet," Johnny shouted as he shinned his flashlight down. "I can see him."
Looking across the shafts opening, Chet saw concern written all over Marco's face. He himself didn't like the way the old timbers creaked or the way the dirt and rock seemed to let loose every once and awhile falling down into the shaft. "I hope Gage gets him out in a hurry," Marco stated before silently making the signs of the cross.
"Jake… Jake can you hear me?" Johnny shouted as he continued to lower himself towards the prone child. With every foot he dropped Johnny became more concerned about the small patient below him and less and less on the dirt and rocks continuously raining down on him. "Jake… I'm a fireman and I'm coming down to help you."
It was so quiet he almost missed it. The small voice below him seemed muffled and sad. "Jake try not to move, I'm almost down to you."
"My head hurts," the small boy cried out as he remained lying on his stomach.
"I know it does, just don't try and move OK?" Johnny said as he descended the last four feet. Touching down on the soft padded earth, Johnny quickly released his harness. Kneeling down next to the small child, he carefully ran his hands over the boy. "Jake, my names Johnny I'm a fireman, all I need for you to do is to stay as still as possible. Can you do that for me?"
"Uh huh," Jake replied quietly.
As Johnny touched the young boy's right thigh area, Jake cried out in pain. "Sorry about that Jake, I'll be more careful." Johnny commented as he continued feeling the boy's limbs. The swelling and heat felt through Jake's pants alarmed him, it wasn't at all characteristic of a fall that occurred less than an hour ago.
"I'm sorry I cried," Jake said more as a sob than actually words as he lay on his stomach.
"Hey none of that now, don't you worry I'm goanna get you out of here OK? Johnny stated as he gently rubbed Jakes back. "Just keep still for me."
"OK," Jake replied quietly. "You don't think my dad's goanna be mad do ya?"
"Don't you worry about that, I'm sure he'll be more than happy when you're out of this hole."
"Chet, I'm goanna need the drug box, biophone, a backboard, stokes, pediatric collar, and a pediatric traction splint." Johnny shouted as he shielded his face from the dirt raining down.
"Coming right down!" Chet hollered before carefully easing away from the hole.
"Cap we need to work fast, the grounds becoming more and more unstable around that opening." Chet relayed as he grabbed the necessary equipment.
"Chet, tell John to grab and go." Hank answered quickly before helping Chet with the backboard.
Lowering the items carefully into the hole, Chet flinched every time more dirt fell. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and the longer Johnny was down there the worse it got. "Gage, Cap says to grab and go!"
"I can't, he's got a head injury, probably spinal injury and a broken right femur. I need to secure him to the back board before I move him." Johnny yelled up.
"Cap he's says he can't move the boy quickly, we'll have to wait until he's secured him to the backboard."
"All right Chet, tell him to move as fast as he can." Hank replied from his spot fifteen feet from the hole.
"A back board? Why would you need that?" Mr. Taylor asked as he cast a worried glance over at Roy.
"It's just a precaution we use when there's been any type of a fall related injury. I can assure you Johnny's one of the best, he'll get your son out." Roy replied reassuringly as he placed his hand on James' shoulder.
"You don't think he's dead? I mean he fell so far and it's been so long? I couldn't hear him." James stated as he looked off towards the hole.
Mr. Taylor's words threw Roy for a loop, all the while he'd been standing with the man he couldn't help but feel that something just wasn't right. "I thought you said he fell about a half hour before we got here." Roy stated as he watched James' reaction carefully.
"I did… I just… I meant they've been down there for a while now, haven't they?" James tried to say convincingly as he turned to face Roy.
For the first time Roy really began to look at their victims father. For someone who claimed to be out hiking with his son he certainly wasn't dressed for the part. At 6' 2" tall Mr. Taylor was a large man; Roy guessed his weight at about 230 pounds. The brown suit coat and matching brown slacks he wore were neatly pressed. His tie and clean crisp white shirt both looked well made. The brown loafers he wore looked awfully expensive to be out hiking in.
"It shouldn't be much longer Mr. Taylor," Roy stated calmly. "If you'll excuse me a moment I'll see if I can find out what's going on."
Walking over to his captain Roy knew he really needed to talk with him. Something about Mr. Taylor and the accident with his son wasn't right. "Cap I need to talk with you about Mr. Taylor."
"What is it Roy," Hank replied as he turned to face his senior paramedic.
"Look at the way he's dressed, does he look like a man out on a hike with his son?" Roy asked as the pair watched Mr. Taylor fumble with his watch.
"No… no I don't suppose he does," Hank replied as he studied the man. "But that doesn't prove anything Roy."
"I know Cap… but something just doesn't feel right." Roy replied running his fingers through his hair.
"Keep an eye on him, we'll talk about this more once John is topside." Hank said reassuringly.
Carefully and skillfully placing the leg brace on Jake, Johnny prepared to turn the boy onto his back. This way he could secure Jake to the backboard and check out his head injury. "Jake I'm going to turn you over now, I want you to let me do all the work. Try and keep your neck as straight as possible, OK?" Johnny stated as he placed a reassuring hand gently on the boys back.
"Uh huh," Jake mumbled quietly.
Log rolling the boy onto the board; Johnny was immediately taken back by the condition of the wound on Jake's forehead. The large laceration was down to the bone and ran straight across the middle of the young boys forehead. It wasn't so much the size and depth of the wound but it's coloration that bothered him the most. This wound definitely didn't happen less than an hour ago, Jake had sustained this wound sometime in the past two days. The inflammation and blood crusted around the wounds edges confirmed it.
Placing the collar around Jake's neck and securing it, Johnny knew he needed to check the boy's pupil reaction. "Jake, I'm going to shine a light in your eyes for a moment. Just keep as still as you can." Pulling the pen light out of his pocket, Johnny gently cracked open Jake's swollen right eye and turned on the light.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Jake screamed as the light practically sliced a path through his head. "Please don't… I'll be good… I'll be… good," Jake mumbled as tears streamed down from the corner of his eyes.
Seeing the enlarged pupil and the reaction the kid had to light, Johnny knew he was in trouble. "It's all right Jake, I won't shine it in your eyes any more. I'm going to bandage this cut on your forehead and when I do I'm going to wrap some gauze around your eyes so the light won't hurt you."
"My head… hurts," the young boy sobbed.
"I know it does, do you remember when you hurt it?" Johnny asked as he carefully began cleaning the large wound.
"When I… fell… I think," Jake replied as tears continued to pour out of the sides of his closed and swollen eyes.
"And when was that?"
"Please don't make me tell," Jake whispered sadly. "He'll get… mad."
"Jake no one's going to be mad at you, it was an accident wasn't it?" Johnny asked as he wound gauze around the freshly cleaned wound.
"Please…. I don't… feel good," Jake said as the muscles in his stomach started to contract.
Quickly realizing the boy was going to throw up, Johnny grabbed the backboard and log rolled him onto his left side. Once the boy was finished with his dry heaves, he rolled him back over gently. "We'll have you feeling better in no time Jake."
"Please don't let him see me…" Jake mumbled as he closed his eyes tightly. "He'll be so mad."
"No one's going to be mad at you Jake," Johnny assured the young boy as he wiped the spittle from his mouth and set the boys leg in the splint. "Your father is really worried about you."
"No he's n…," Jake sobbed as his small body trembled.
"Hey calm down, it's going to be all right." Johnny soothed as he lightly brushed a hand across the top of Jake's head.
"Please… please don't… let him…" Jake mumbled as his tears absorbed into the gauze wrapped around his head.
A sick feeling began to well up in John's belly; a feeling that Jake's so called accident wasn't really an accident at all. A feeling that Jake's "father" may just be responsible for his sons' injuries.
"Chet, he's already. I need you to pull him up slowly don't jerk him around any. I'll have to contact Rampart once we're up top, there's no signal down here." Johnny yelled upward, watching as a shadow crossed over the hole.
"Nice and slow, got it!" Chet replied as he and Marco began pulling.
"Jake, I'll be coming up right behind you. Just remember to breath in through your nose and out your mouth. My partner will be right there when you reach the top."
"I'm… scared," Jake mumbled as his bottom lip trembled.
"Don't worry, these guys are the best. They won't let anything happen to you."
"But… he's…" Jake whispered before stopping suddenly as he began to move upward.
Johnny watched as the stokes slowly made it's way up towards the light. Dirt and small rocks rained down as the ropes slide over the edge. "Easy Chet," Johnny yelled as he used his arm to block the dirt from his eyes.
Chet and Marco pulled their precious cargo up as slowly and carefully as possible. Reaching the top they gently lifted the stokes out and over to the edge of the hole.
"Jake!" James yelled as he quickly ran towards his son.
"Stay back!" Chet yelled as he held out his hands to stop Mr. Taylor's progress. The added weight of the stokes plus Mr. Taylor was more than the already weakened dirt and timbers could hold. Large chunks of wood, rock, and dirt started to rain down the shaft towards Johnny.
Grabbing the stokes both Marco and Chet jumped back as a large section of the shaft caved in on itself. "Johnny!" Chet screamed as a plume of dust rose up and out of the old shaft. Crawling back on his stomach Chet peered over the edge of the remaining shaft. "Johnny… John can you hear me! Come on damn it answer me."
"Chet can you see him?" Hank questioned as he helped Roy move Jake and Mr. Taylor back away from the hole.
"I can't see anything Cap." Chet replied as he waved his hand trying to clear the dust. "Come on John answer me!"