A NEAR TRAGEDY IN DALLAS
Syd was working on her morning reports when the phone rang. "Good morning, Range Cooke. How can I help you?" Syd said as she answered the phone. "Listen, and listen good. A bomb has been planted. It's set to go off at 4:00 this afternoon." The caller told her. Syd seen Trivette and Carlos coming in and got their attention. Syd quickly wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to Trivette. 'Trace this call immediately!'. Trivette was just sitting down at another desk when the caller hung up.
"Sorry Jimmy, he hung up just as you sat down." Syd said as she hung up her phone. "Who was it Syd?" Carlos asked. "I'm not sure who it was, but they said that a bomb has been planted here and is set to go off at 4:00 this afternoon." Syd said as she looked up at the clock, it was 1:00. "We've got exactly three hours to find that bomb guys. I'll get on the radio and notify the others." Syd said as she started to pick up the mike.
"Hold on a second Syd. That bomb could easily be triggered by any static electrical charge here in the building. A light switch, or using a radio. I'll go out to my car and notify the others." Carlos said as he left. Syd started searching the room and other areas. Carlos ran outside and nearly ran over Walker and Alex who were coming through the door. "What's the big hurry Carlos?" Walker asked. "We just got a call on the phone of a bomb that's been planted here. It's set to go off at 4:00 this afternoon." Carlos told them. "How long ago did the call come in?" Alex asked in a concerned voice. "It came in about 10 minutes ago.." Carlos told them. Alex and Walker ran inside to find Leslie. "Find anything yet?" Alex asked as she came in. Syd shook her head. "Nothing yet Alex." Syd told her.
It seemed like time had been put into slow motion. Everybody searched everywhere and everything trying to find the bomb before time ran out. Just then, the phone rang. "Ranger Cooke speaking. May I help you?" Syd said as she answered the phone. It was the same person who had called before. "You don't have much time left! You'll never find where I hid that bomb before it blows up!" The caller said with an evil laugh. Syd seen Jimmy and threw a pencil at him to get his attention. It hit Jimmy in the shoulder.
He turned around as he saw Syd motion to the phone frantically. She quickly wrote something down on a piece of paper. 'The bomber is on the line. Trace this immediately. Will keep him on as long as possible.' Jimmy nodded his head as he sat down in a nearby chair and tried to get the call traced. But, before he could get it traced, the caller hung up. "Damn! We nearly had him!" Syd said in a frustrated voice as she hung up the phone.
Tears fell down Syd's face as she ran out the door to check the rest of the building. Gage and Carlos were searching in one area of the building when Gage seen something that didn't look quite right. A closer look revealed that it wasn't what they were looking for. "Is that what we're looken' for Gage?" Carlos asked in a worried voice. Gage shook his head. "No, it's not Carlos. Whoever did this sure has got it well hidden." Gage said as they continued to look.
Time was starting to run out. Syd glanced at her watch, it was 3:15. That meant they only had 45 minutes left to try and find the bomb. "Where could it possibly be?" Syd thought to herself. Everybody had looked in every possible place that a bomb could be hidden. Just then, Syd seen Gage coming in with Trent. "Find anything?" Syd asked. Trentshook his head. "Whoever this guy is sure has found a good hiding place for that bomb. We've looked everywhere!" Trent told her.
"This would be a good time for someone to come in and say that they found the bomb." Gage told her as they sat there for a moment. "Did we look in every nook and cranny in the building?" Syd asked. "Everywhere that we know of." Gage replied. Just then, Syd thought of a place that nobody thought of looking. "Why didn't I think of looking there in the first place?!?" Syd said outloud as she ran out the door. "SYD! WAIT UP! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!?" Gage shouted as him and Trent ran after her. Syd ran up some stairs as she knew of a little cubby hole. Carefully, she opened the door and shined her flashlight inside. There it was, the bomb! There were only 30 minutes left till it went off.
Syd glanced back to see who was behind her, and found Gage standing there. "Gage! Go call the bomb squad and have them bring the container here as quickly as possible! We've got only 30 minutes left! HURRY!" Syd shouted. Gage turned around as he ran back the way he came. Carlos was just coming through the door when it swung open and hit him square in the nose. "Who in the hell did that?" Carlos asked as he rubbed at his nose. He didn't have to ask, but knew by the look on Gage's face that the bomb had been found.
"Has it been found Gage?" Carlos asked. Gage nodded his head as he got on the phone to the bomb squad and requested the container. "Where's Syd?" Carlos asked. "She's back there with the bomb. It's only got 30 minutes left." Gage told him as he ran back to where Syd was. Meanwhile, Syd was trying to figure out a way to get the bomb out. "Syd! The bomb squad is on the way with the container." Gage told her.
Syd nodded her head as she slowly and carefully lifted the bomb. Holding it like she would a baby, she cradled it in her arms as she made her way outside. "Tell that bomb squad to shake a leg Gage! We've only got 10 minutes left!" Syd shouted as she went outside to try and find a safe place for the bomb to explode. "Syd! There's a vacant lot across the street!" Carlos shouted to her. Syd nodded her head as she slowly made her way across the street.
Time was starting to run out, there was only a few minutes left when Syd set the bomb down in the middle of the vacant lot. "Hurry Syd! You only got one minute!" Trent shouted. She was only about 30 feet from it when it exploded with a loud 'BOOM!' The force of the explosion sent Syd flying through the air about 10 feet. Gage and Carlos ran over to her as she turned to see the bomb had exploded. "Are you okay Shorty?" Gage asked in a worried voice.
"What did you say Gage?" Syd asked as she gave him a strange look. "I said, are you okay?" Gage asked again. "I still didn't catch all of it Gage." Syd told him. He gave Carlos a worried look. "That explosion must have done something to her hearing. Come on Syd, we're getten' you to the hospital." Carlos said as he helped Syd to her feet.
Syd gave Carlos a strange look. "Did you say something to me Carlos?" Syd asked. Carlos smiled as he put an arm around her. "You're gonna be okay Syd. We're getting you to the hospital so they can check you over." Carlos told her, speaking slowly so she could understand him. Syd shrugged her shoulders. The blast had temporarily caused her to loose her hearing.
When Gage and Carlos got Syd to the hospital, they found out that Syd had suffered a temporary loss of hearing in both ears. "How long before she can be able to hear again?" Gage asked in a worried voice. "It's hard tellen' Gage. I've seen these clear up in a few days. Others took a few weeks. She can still hear. But to her, everything is muffled and distorted. So, if anybody needs to speak to her, they'll have to make sure she's looking right at them." The doctor told Gage as Syd came out of the treatment room, still shaking her head.
Gage smiled as he put an arm around Syd. "Come on honey, let's go home." Gage told her as she looked at him. Syd nodded her head. "Thank you." Syd said as she gave him a big hug. "You're welcome Syd. Don't worry. You'll get your hearing back in time." The doctor told her. Gage drove Leslie back toRanger Headquarters. Walker seen her has he came over to her and gave her a big hug. "I'm so glad you're okay Syd." Walker told her as tears fell down his cheeks.
Syd gave him a strange look. "What did you say? I couldn't hear what you just said." Syd told him. Walker gave Gage a worried look. "Is she okay Gage?" Walker asked in a worried voice. "She's got temporary hearing loss in both of her ears. It's hard tellen just when she'll be able to hear. It could be a few days. It could be a few weeks. She can still hear, but to her everything is muffled and distorted." Gage told Walker.
Syd knew that something wasn't right. She could see that everybody around her was talking, but the voices sounded different to her. It frustrated her when someone would talk to her, and she had to ask them to repeat what they had said. Several days later, Syd went over to C.D.'s for coffee and conversation with C.D. She walked in and seen someone she recognized.
"Well, how are you feelen' honey? I heard that you got hurt?" Erica asked as she came over to where Syd was sitting. Syd heard the voice and raised her head to see Erica standing there. "Did you just say somethen' to me Erica?" Syd asked. "I sure did honey. I just asked how you were feelen'." Erica asked her again. A big smile came over Syd's face. "I could hear your voice Erica!" Syd shouted as she jumped up and gave her a big hug. "That's wonderful honey. I'm so glad you can hear again." Erica said as she stood there. C.D. was talking with Jimmy when he heard Syd let out a loud scream, he jumped like he was shot. "What in the heck was that?" Jimmy asked as he looked arounnd.
C.D. looked over to where Syd was standing with Erica. "I think something good has happened Jimmy. Take a look." C.D. said as he pointed over to Syd. Jimmy turned around as he saw Syd standing there with a big smile on her face and tears falling down her cheeks. "I wondered what happened?" Jimmy asked as he got up. "Why don't you ask her yourself Jimmy?" C.D. told him.
Jimmy walked over to Syd as he put a hand on her shoulder. "You okay over here Syd?" Jimmy asked in a worried voice. Syd turned around as she gave him a big hug. "I am just fine Jimmy! I got my hearing back! I can hear again!" Syd said as she stood there. Jimmy had a big smile on his face as he returned the hug along with a kiss on the cheek. "I'm just so happy for you Syd. You were so worried if you'd ever be able to hear again." Jimmy replied as they left to head back to ranger headquarters to tell the others the good news.
Syd stopped when they got there. "What's wrong Syd?" Jimmy asked. "Let's have some fun Jimmy. Let's keep this between you and me for awhile. What do you say?" Syd asked him. Jimmy nodded his head. "Okay, just hope I can keep a straight face throughout the joke." Jimmy said with a grin. When they came in, nobody had any idea that Syd had her hearing back.
Gage came through the door right about then and was talking to Trent about something. Syd turned around to face them, she had heard her name being mentioned. "Did I just hear my name being mentioned Gage? What did I do this time?" Syd asked in a curious voice. Trent gave her a strange look, how could she possibly hear him when she was on the other side of the room.
"Could you hear what Gage was saying to me Syd?" Trent asked as he came over to her. Syd nodded her head. "I sure did Trent. You know Gage, there's an old sayen', 'if you can't say something nice about a person, then don't say anything at all.'." Syd told him. "It wasn't anything bad about you Syd. I was just asken' Trent if you were able to hear yet, and from the looks of it. You got your hearing back. Am I right?" Gage asked in a hopeful voice.
Syd nodded her head as tears fell down her cheeks. "That they did Gage. I got my hearing back! And, I must say that hearing you and Trent's sweet voices again is music to my ears." Syd said as Gage gave her a big hug. "I am just so glad honey. I was just so worried the whole time." Gage said as tears fell down his cheeks. Jimmy came over to them with a grin on his face. "I was there at C.D.'s when Syd's hearing came back." Jimmy replied with a smile.
That night, Gage and Syd were sitting by the fireplace. Syd had her head on Gage's lap as he looked down at her. She was trying to read the newspaper when she sensed that Gage was watching her. Syd looked up to see him looking at her and tears were falling down his cheeks. "What's wrong Gage?" Syd asked as she put the paper down and raised herself up to a sitting position.
"It's nothen' Syd. I guess I was just thinking about somethen'." Gage told her as he held her in his arms. "You wouldn't be haven' tears falling down your cheeks if it was nothen' Gage. Is there somethen' botheren' you?" Syd asked in a concerned voice. Gage again shook his head. "Really Syd, it's nothing." Gage told her as he looked into the fireplace. Syd knew something had to be bothering him for him to be so quiet like that.
The next morning, Syd got up earlier than Gage did as she drove to ranger headquarters to talk to Walker. She found him in his office. "Can I talk to you Walker?" Syd asked as she came in. "Come on in Syd. You're here mighty early. What's on your mind?" Walker asked as he got up and gave her a big hug. "I'm worried about Gage. Last night, we were sitting by the fireplace and Gage was looking at me and he was crying. I asked him what was wrong, but he wouldn't tell me. It's not like him to be that quiet." Syd told him.
"Well Syd, I think I know what the problem is. He was just so worried about you. When you got hurt when the bomb exploded and it affected your hearing. He was afraid that he would loose you." Walker told her. Syd smiled as she started to cry. Now she knew the reason why, Gage was worried about her. His love for her was being put to the test.
Just then, Walker seen Gage coming through the door. "Syd, look who just showed up. Tell him that you now understand why he was quiet last night." Walker told her. Syd smiled as she gave Walker a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. I think I will." Syd said as she left his office. Gage was just sitting down at his desk when he saw Syd standing there with a smile on her face.
"Can I see you in the conference room for a moment Ranger Gage?" Syd asked as she went over to the door and opened it. Jimmy gave Gage a worried look. "Ranger Gage? Wonder what you did Gage?" Jimmy asked in a curious voice. "It's hard tellen' Jimmy." Gage said as he followed Syd into the conference room. She closed the door behind her as she put her arms around him and held him close. "I understand why you were so quiet last night Gage. You were worried about me, right?" Syd asked. Gage nodded his head as tears fell down his cheeks.
"I was Shorty. I was just so afraid of losing you. Especially when your hearing was affected." Gage told her as he looked into her eyes. Syd smiled as she reached up and gently touched his face with her hand. "It's okay Gage. I knew from the moment I got hurt that our love was being put to the test." Syd said as Gage took her in his arms and held her close to him.
She could feel him tremble, she knew he was crying. "Gage, there's no need to cry. I'm fine now." Syd told him as she held onto him tighter. "I'm sorry Syd. It's just that I was just so worried about you." Gage told her as they stood there holding onto one another. "It's okay Gage. You don't need to apologize. This just shows that our love for one another was made that much stronger." Syd told him.
"I guess you're right Syd. Would you like to have lunch over at C.D.'s with me this noon? My treat." Gage said as they came out of the conference room. "I'd be glad to Gage." Syd said as she seen Walker sitting there at his desk with a big smile on his face. He knew that Syd would be able to get through and find out what was bothering Gage.
The End