Author's Note: This story was posted under a different pen-name earlier in the year. I ended up giving the pen-name to a reader on this site who has since changed the name and removed any stories that were posted under it. I do plan on writing more for this fandom. Most of my stories will probably be centered around Mike, Captain Stanley, Doctor Bracket and Marco Lopez as those are my favorites in this series.

Disclaimer: Emergency and its characters belong to someone else. No profit was made in the writing of this story.

The Accident

The men of Station 51 all gathered in front of the engine for roll call, all chattering away with each other as they waited for Captain Stanley to emerge from his office to give the day's assignments.

"Where's Stoker?" Paramedic Johnny Gage asked Jeff Milstein, B Shift's engineer who was standing in the place of their own engineer, Mike Stoker.

The red-haired engineer shrugged his lean shoulders. "I don't know. I was getting ready to head out when Captain Stanley approached me and asked if I'd stay until Stoker got here."

"Did Cap know why he was late?" Marco Lopez asked, eavesdropping on the nearby conversation.

Jeff shook his head. "Nope. He's on the phone now trying to get a hold of him."

Just as the words left Jeff's mouth, Captain Stanley walked out of his office, his clipboard in hand as he approached. His dark eyes traveled to the temporary engineer. "Well Jeff, it looks like you're gonna be stuck with us until a replacement gets here."

"Is Mike sick?" Marco asked, a hint of concern evident in the man's voice. It was very rare that Mike Stoker was late or missed a shift.

"I have no idea if he is or not, Marco," Cap answered. "He's not answering his phone."

Though the captain tried desperately to hide it, each of his men could hear the deep concern in the older man's voice as he spoke. Deep down, each of them shared the same concern for their colleague's unknown whereabouts.

Cap coughed, bringing the men out of their thoughts. "Well, let's get started with today's duties shall we," he said as he gazed down at the clipboard. "Marco, you'll have…"

The klaxons sounded, interrupting Cap in mid sentence. "Station 51, respond to a car accident with injuries. 114 Main. Repeat 114 Main…"

Captain Stanley acknowledged the call while his men gathered in their assigned vehicles. Once Cap was seated next to Jeff in the engine, both trucks pulled out, their sirens roaring loudly as they raced down the busy street.

EMERGENCY!

Arriving on scene, the rescue responders saw a small 2-door green BMW smashed into a light pole with huge dents covering the driver side door.

Marco jumped out of the engine, eyeing the wreck before him. His heart sank at the site of the car as his concerned eyes met that of his captain who was also staring at the car. "Cap…"

Cap nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah, I know," he said as he started to rush over to the smashed up vehicle.

"It was unbelievable, officer," Cap heard a witness tell Officer Vince Howard as he was heading to the wrecked car. "This truck runs that stop sign, plowing into that BMW over there, backs up and speeds off! He didn't even bother to see if the other driver was all right or not…"

Cap shook his head angrily at the witness's account of how the accident occurred. He had seen similar occurrences in the past where a driver who caused an accident fled the scene, but he still never quite understood how such a person could be totally inconsiderate of the other driver he hit.

Getting to the car, the captain winced at the sight of blood smeared on the shattered window and prayed that he was wrong about who the driver of the car was.

Cap, struggling to get the door open, was more than thankful when Chet approached with a crowbar in hand.

"Thanks," he mumbled as he and Chet worked the crowbar to get the door opened.

Once opened, Cap handed the bar to Chet and peered inside the car. His gut turned when he saw the driver was exactly who he and Marco had suspected it was.

"Mike," he said softly as he took in the younger man's appearance. Mike had a large gash along his forehead, causing blood to drip down the left side of his face.

"Mike, pal, can you hear me?" Cap asked. He looked over at Chet, whose face expressed the same amount of concern as his. "Tell Desoto and Gage to hurry up. Let them know it's Mike and that he's unconscious."

Chet nodded and turned, rushing over to the station's two paramedics as Cap continued to talk to the wounded engineer, not knowing if he was being heard or not.

"Don't worry, pal, we're here for you. You're going to be all right."

EMERGENCY!

Doctor Bracket listened intensely as Johnny told him the information on Mike Stoker over the radio. "51, are there any other injuries besides the head wound?"

"Negative Rampart," Johnny replied. "We got the bleeding stopped and the wound covered, but he's still unconscious."

Bracket pressed his lips together at that last statement. It was common for patients with head wounds sustained in car accidents to lose consciousness, but usually it was for a short period of time - a few minutes at the most. Not almost ten minutes like Stoker had been.

"10-4, 51. Is the patient ready to transport?"

"Affirmative Rampart. He's being removed from the vehicle on a backboard now."

"Transport immediately and keep me advised if he regains conscious during transit," Bracket ordered.

"10-4 Rampart."

Bracket looked at Dixie who stood by his side. "Dix, when John and Roy arrive with Stoker, we'll put him in treatment room 2. Let's hope he regains consciousness by the time he gets here."

EMERGENCY!

Captain Stanley watched on worriedly as his engineer was loaded into the back of the ambulance. In all the years he had worked side by side with Mike, not once had he ever seen the young man injured. It was a sight he never expected to see since out of all of them, Mike had the safest job. He always stayed with the engine and never had to put himself in that risky position of being injured.

"Cap," Jeff began as he approached his captain, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Did you want to follow the ambulance to the hospital?"

Cap nodded. "Yeah, I do. Thanks," he said as he followed Jeff to the engine. Once they were both seated inside, they followed the roaring ambulance to Rampart Emergency Hospital, all praying that their colleague would be all right.

EMERGENCY!

Cap, Chet, Marco, and Jeff waited in the crowded corridor in front of treatment room 2 on word about Mike's condition. All they knew was that the engineer was still unconscious when Roy and John brought him in almost fifteen minutes earlier.

"What's taking so long?" Marco asked worriedly as he locked eyes with the other men of the engine crew.

Cap shook his head and rested his hand on Marco's shoulder. "Easy pal. We're all worried about Mike and we all want to know how he's doing in there, but the doctors need to take their time. I don't have to remind you that head wounds can be very serious."

Marco sighed and nodded, realizing that the man was right. "I just don't like waiting," he explained.

"None of us do," Jeff replied. "But I hear these doctors are the best and with Roy and John in there with them, Mike's in good hands."

"That's right," Cap agreed.

Chet shook his head. "I just can't believe it was Mike," he admitted. "He's one of the safest drivers I know."

Jeff shook his head. "It doesn't matter. It's the other driver you have to watch out for. You may be a safe driver, but that doesn't mean the guy next to you is."

"Cap," Roy greeted as he, John and Doctor Bracket emerged from treatment room 2.

"How is he?" Cap asked as he met the three men half way.

"He's got a serious concussion, but he's going to be all right. We'll keep him for a few days to make sure there are no complications such as severe dizziness or vomiting and then we'll send him home."

Cap sighed in relief, the same relief that was echoed by the other three men of the engine crew standing behind him. Cap looked back up at Bracket. "Does that mean he's regained consciousness?"

Bracket nodded. "That's right. He came around shortly after he was brought in."

"He wants to talk to you, Cap," Roy chimed in.

Cap nodded as he walked around the three men and disappeared inside the treatment room.

EMERGENCY!

Walking up the exam table, Cap smiled warmly at his pale and bandaged engineer. "How are you feeling?"

Mike nodded weakly, managing a week smile. "I'm okay, Cap."

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"I heard what you said," Mike replied softly. "Telling me to hang in there, that I would be all right."

Cap smiled but remained silent, allowing the younger man to continue.

"Thanks, Cap, for being there."

Cap gently rested his hand on Mike's shoulder. "Anytime, Pal. Anytime."

THE END