CHAPTER 2
Monday Morning
Beep…Beep…Beep…BEEP! "What the hell was that annoying sound," John thought angrily as his eyes slowly opened. His sat up turning his head back and forth trying to hone in on it. CRAP! How could it be Monday morning already? John slammed his hand down on the alarm clock, silencing the offensive thing before taking both hands and rubbing his face. He glanced at the clock. It read 6:30am.
He lay back down in his bed and his eyes drifted shut once again. It had been an incredible weekend. He had met a beautiful young lady while at the beach with the DeSoto family. The two had gone out last night and he replayed the evening in his mind. A slow grin spread across his face.
Suddenly he jolted awake and flew out of bed; breathless. How long had he been laying there? Damn it…he couldn't be late AGAIN! HOW, he asked himself, could the Klaxon alarms wake him from a dead sleep at work and in a matter of seconds, he could be dressed and sitting in the squad fully alert? Yet at home he couldn't drag his sorry butt out of bed to save his life. GEEZ, he would be pulling latrine duty for a month!
John Gage ripped open the drawers of his dresser grabbing boxers, a white t-shirt and some socks. He picked up the jeans off the chair by his door as he made a mad dash from his bedroom to the bathroom. He quickly took care of the basic necessities, and ran to the kitchen to snatch up his keys and scanned the apartment for his shoes. His eyes stumbled upon the clock in the kitchen.
It was 7:07am.
"AWWWWW MAN! Next time, GENIUS, look at the stupid clock before ya freak out," he chastised himself. After a few moments he calmed down and shook his head. Well, at least he wouldn't be late. John decided to swing by the bakery and pick up some donuts for the shift.
XXXXX
At 7:36am he walked into Station 51's day room and set the box of donuts on the kitchen table. He had already eaten a couple of the jelly filled ones in the car. He knew from past experience there would be none left once Chet arrived.
He sauntered into the locker room to get dressed. Roy, who was already there, looked up in surprise.
"What…Can't a guy be early?" John hissed out.
Roy couldn't resist. "Well, yea…a GUY can be early…but it usually isn't you!"
"Oh, that's good Roy…very funny," Johnny shot back. He opened his locker door, reaching in to shake the blue uniform shirt from its hanger. He proceeded to shove his arms through the holes. He caught his partner's sly grin out of the corner of his eye and had to laugh himself. What could he say? The man was right. He smirked at his partner as they both finished getting dressed.
Johnny and Roy were sitting at the table enjoying their first cup of coffee when the rest of the A-shift filed into the day room. Chet, spotting the box of donuts, made a beeline for them. He picked up the pastry and took a big bite. The jelly squirted out the sides dribbling all over his uniform shirt. He looked down in dismay as the guys started laughing.
Johnny rolled his eyes and couldn't resist…"Chet, did you take stupid pills this morning or something? How many times does that have to happen before ya learn the proper technique for eating a jelly donut?"
Roy chimed in "Hey what's it called when you keep doing the same dumb thing over and over again expecting to get a different result?"
"Insanity!" Marco and Mike said in unison.
"Gage…why don't you go play on the freeway…and take your buddies with ya," Chet shot back.
"That cut me deep amigo," Marco replied with a grin.
Henry, who was stationed at his post on the leather couch, slowly lifted his head up to see what all the commotion was about. Seeing nothing that interested him, he let his head drop, readjusted his body to get comfortable, and fell back asleep.
"You guys need to get some new material," Hank commented jerking his head towards the sleeping hound. "You can't even hold Henry's attention."
"Hey, come on Cap. Using Henry as an example is not exactly setting the bar very high. I don't think he would move off that couch even if it was on fire," Chet replied.
"Well Chet, next time you are given the day room to clean just make sure you don't use any "special solvents" to wipe down the couch. You know, like the one your friend gave you to repair those skis; and Henry should be safe. But I will keep the fire extinguisher handy…just in case," Roy smirked.
Captain Stanley hadn't forgotten that incident and looked over at his lineman with a frown.
Chet had bought a used pair of skis and was in the locker room working on them. A friend had given him a "homemade" solvent to use…which ended up in the damn things catching on fire. Roy had to rush in and put the blaze out with a fire extinguisher. Chet's newfound enthusiasm for skiing went out almost as quickly as the flames.
Yea…his crew liked to keep him on his toes alright.
Cap glanced up at the clock noting the time. "Ok, enough team building, let's get lined up for roll call." The crew pushed back their chairs just as the tones went off.
"Station 51…Station 36…Squad 110…multi-vehicle accident with injuries on the Santa Monica Freeway mile marker number 45…Time out 0802."
The men filed out the door and ran for their vehicles. "Man, this is NO WAY to start off the day," he said to no one in particular as he made his way to the podium.
Stanley's thoughts went back to his last shift. Nodding his head…he had a gut feeling he had made the right decision to finish his work that night.
Station 51: 10-8
The crew of Station 51 pulled up on the scene and stared wide eyed at the sight before them.
Crumpled vehicles littered the road. The people that were not injured exited their cars looking stunned at the scene around them. In the middle of the chaos was a huge Charter bus. It had come to rest on its left side perpendicular to the lanes of traffic. The front end was pressed up against the cement divider. Suitcases and other personal affects of the passengers had been evicted from the compartment bin of the vehicle. They were scattered in every direction.
The pavement around the bus was wet and the pool of liquid was getting larger…the gas tank had ruptured.
It was times like this that Captain Stanley's strong leadership skills stood out. His eyes scanned and assessed with amazing speed. Within seconds his voice, calm and commanding, began directing his men.
"Kelly, grab an inch and half and get on that gas spill."
"Lopez, make sure we have no issues that's gonna spark a fire…then check back."
"Gage, find a way inside that bus. I need information. How many people, what kind of injuries, and the best way to get 'em out."
"DeSoto, get started on the other vehicles. When squad 36 arrives I will have them relieve you and get back here and help Gage."
The crew of 51's had absolute faith in their Captain and his abilities. They flew into action without a moment's hesitation.
Once his men had dispersed, Hank turned his attention to the other responding units. "Station 110, take the West side and begin checking vehicles and the status of the victims."
"Squad 36, respond to our location on the East side and assist DeSoto with victims from this end."
The tasks assigned, Captain Stanley keyed up the HT again, "LA this is Engine 51, we have a Charter bus on its side with a gas leak. There are at least twelve other vehicles involved in this incident. Respond Battalion 14, I need another Engine Company and squad, and at least six ambulances."
"10-4 Engine 51," Sam Lanier responded and he proceeded to immediately tone out the second alarm.
"Engine 36 from Engine 51," Hank continued as soon as the radio traffic cleared.
"Go ahead Engine 51," responded Captain Miller.
"Let's set up a triage designation at your end. I want to keep people clear of this bus until we figure out just what we are dealing with."
"10-4 Engine 51…we got it covered."
One of the regular police officers and friend, Vince Howard, quickly approached Captain Stanley.
"Hi Hank…what a mess!" Vince replied shaking his head.
"You can say that again. Do you know what the hell happened?"
Vince nodded his head and replied, "Witnesses say the bus apparently blew a front tire. It looks like the driver overcompensated and lost control. At the speed he was traveling, the whole thing flipped on its side and skidded almost 100 feet before it came to a stop. It took out all the cars in its path."
"OK, well the bus is leaking fuel and we want to try and head off any potential explosions. I need your guys to keep these people back. We don't need any further injuries to deal with," the Captain stated firmly.
"You got it. Let me know if there is anything else we can do to help."
Marco came trotting up to his boss "So far so good Cap, I will keep an eye on it though in case something crops up."
"Good man…Go and see if you can give Gage some help," Stanley directed. Marco nodded and took off.
John Gage, with helmet, turnout coat, and gloves in place, approached the vehicle to begin his climb.
Something was wrong.
He paused for a second trying to put his finger on what it was. Then it hit him. He cocked his head to the side…
There wasn't any sound coming from inside the bus.
He had been on enough of these types of accidents to know that he should be hearing people yelling and crying out for help. Looking around at the large number of items cast about the pavement was indicative that the vehicle had not been empty.
Concern mounting, John agilely scaled the undercarriage of the bus and pulled his lean body forward until he was on top of the vehicle. He laid down the pry bar tool he had brought, and holding his breath, peered through a window looking down into the wreckage.
XXXXX
Roy had separated from his partner grabbing the biophone and drug box out of the squad as he headed toward the car closest to him. He could see a male subject sitting upright in the driver's seat. For all intensive purposes, the guy looked like he was just patiently waiting for traffic to start moving. Roy attempted to gain access through the driver's side door without success due to the excessive damage.
"Hang on…I am going around to the other side," he called to encourage the victim.
Roy went around the back of the vehicle and tried the passenger's side door. It opened with ease and he proceeded to climbed inside. The victim, Roy estimated, was in his 20's. His eyes were open staring straight ahead. As the paramedic moved forward to start his assessment, he realized the man was not responding to his verbal questions and was not moving.
Not even his eyes. They remained, unblinking, on the road ahead. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. Roy had a flashback to a call they had a couple years ago at a car repair shop. A young man had been found, alive, but in a catatonic state with his eyes fixed open.
Whether it was because of that memory, instincts, or a hope that he was wrong, the fingers of Roy's right hand reached out to touch the neck of the statue before him. He waited and then re-adjusted his fingers. He felt no sensation of life below his practiced digits. He grabbed his pen light and checked the young man's pupils. There was no reaction. Roy reached behind him stowing the light back into the pouch on his belt.
The blond haired paramedic slowly started to back out of the car until his feet were on the ground. He stood up and looked around. He noticed the team from 36, Senior Paramedic Neil Beck and his partner Jack Bradley, were jogging up towards him.
"What have we got Roy?" Beck called out.
The paramedic shook his head and replied "He's gone."
Beck looked at his partner, "I think we've got it from here. Why don't you split and go help out Johnny…I think he is gonna need it."
Roy gave him a nod and turned to walk away. He wondered just how many wounded and dead they were going to have. At the thought, he picked up his pace and went to go find his partner.
XXXXX
John Gage peered into the overturned bus and was surprised at what he saw.
The crowd of people below were obviously scared and upset, but sat quietly.
As his face appeared in the window all their eyes turned upward to stare at him expectantly.
John located a partially broken window immediately adjacent to the one he was at. He wanted to clear the remaining glass from its frame but didn't want the fragments to rain down upon the already injured passengers. John moved quickly further down and found another window closer to the front of the bus. No victims were immediately below it. He broke through and, after clearing away the remnants, dropped himself cautiously inside. John looked around, his trained eyes rapidly evaluating the situation.
"Hey, how you guys doin?" was all that he managed to say to the silent group. "Well… THAT was profound. I sound like I just casually dropped in for a Barbeque," he thought.
A sandy haired man in his early 40's started to make his way towards him.
"Hi" he responded. "My name is Dr. Richard Hoffman. These two men behind me, he gestured with his hand, are Bill and Joe. They are paramedics from Pasadena." The two men waved acknowledging the doctors introduction, and feeling compelled to make it official, pulled out their wallets displaying their badges and Identification.
"I'm John…John Gage. I'm a paramedic with LA County…Nice to meet ya."
He now understood. These three men had stepped in and immediately taken control of the situation, keeping these people calm and reassured that help was on the way.
John smiled at the men. His eyes conveying the appreciation he so desperately wanted to verbalize at that moment. They shook their head in understanding and smiled back.
Gage pulled off his gloves and stuffed them in his pocket. He started to move around the passengers taking inventory as the doctor spoke. "John, we have done a quick check and the majority of people just have minor injuries; Bumps, bruises, cuts, and some broken bones. We have four others that are unconscious…but breathing. We haven't had a chance yet to get to the driver."
Bill and Joe had been closely monitoring the unconscious victims. John made his way over to them.
Bill replied "These four all had window seats on the left side of the bus. It looks like they sustained head injuries when the bus tipped over. Doc said we are going to need to get them out of here and get some lines going. No internal injuries that we can find." John took a quick look at the four most seriously wounded, confirming their findings.
Johnny nodded and reached in to grab the HT from his pocket.
"Engine 51…HT 51"
"Go ahead Gage," Hank responded.
"Cap, I've got about forty people in here. There is a doctor on board along with two off duty paramedics. He relayed the information he had received. "We are going to need a few more guys in here to help. Have them bring bandages and splints and some ladders to get the people who are mobile outta here. Also four cervical collars, backboards, and stokes. The faster we get them out the better. I'm gonna head up and check on the driver."
"10-4...help is on the way Pal," Captain Stanley replied.
He turned to the group at large. "OK," Johnny called out reassuringly, "I have more guys coming. Don't worry…we are going to get you all out of here safely and taken care of."
He had no sooner finished talking when they heard the sound of ladders slapping against the side of the bus and feet making their way up the rungs. He looked up a few seconds later and saw Roy along with several other familiar faces through the windows. They lowered a ladder down and started their decent. Confident the passengers would be well taken care of, John made his way up to the front of the bus.
Hank had just completed a quick walk around the crash site with Chief McConnikee at his side. They estimated twenty victims in addition to the people inside the bus when he heard Gage's transmission.
"LA…Battalion 14," McConnikee called.
"Go ahead Battalion 14"
"Contact Rampart and Harbor General, advise them we have had a major MVA on the Santa Monica freeway and have an estimated sixty potential patients. We are setting up a triage and will provide further information as it becomes available on the seriousness of the injuries. Have them evaluate how many they believe they can handle and if we need to divert some to St. Francis."
"10-4 We will make contact and advise."
XXXXX
The blond haired bus driver was unconscious and bleeding from a facial laceration. It looked like he also cracked his head when the side of the vehicle hit the road. John ran his hands over the man's head finding a large bump on the left side. He continued working his way down the neck and spine, noting no deformities. He carefully inserted his thumbs in the man's ears and drew them back examining them. No blood or fluid. That was a good sign. John took out his pen light and gently lifted the closed eye lids. The left pupil was sluggish.
Pulse 90 and weak.
Respirations 16.
BP 100 by palpation.
John mentally recorded the vitals. He turned and saw Caldwell from squad 45 coming up behind him. "Need some help?" Ryan asked.
"Ahhh…ya…Just give me a second, I still need to finish checking him over." John ran his hands over the man's arms and then moved to his abdomen and chest. He was grateful to find his belly was soft, no sign of internal injuries. The man moaned slightly as the medic's hands examined the ribs on his left side. They didn't shift under the pressure, indicating they weren't broken, but possibly bruised or cracked. He continued on to the victim's legs. John checked carefully for any abnormalities or signs of bleeding.
"Damn it" John muttered, "I think his left foot is pinned." Johnny twisted himself around to see if he could get a visual on what the problem was.
"Hey Ryan…" he called from below, "We are gonna need a cervical collar and backboard for this guy as well. Also, get the porta-power."
"You got it," Ryan exclaimed as he turned and headed out.
Adam Washington, the senior paramedic of Squad 45, leaned in a moment later. He had been helping treat and evacuate the other passengers on the bus.
"Hey Johnny, how's it going? You need anything?"
"Hey Adam...no, I think I'm good. Your partner is running to get me some equipment. I think we got it covered," Johnny replied.
The man nodded."We are about ready to transport the second wave of patients. A couple of ambulances are headed to Harbor General. I am going with this next group to Rampart. I will let Caldwell know when he gets back."
"Got it...see ya later," Johnny said.
Ryan returned a short time later with the requested items. "They are moving the other passengers fast. They almost got about everyone out," he related to the paramedic as he handed him the cervical collar. John swiftly got it in place, dressed the wound, and went to work on freeing the man's trapped foot.
Marco, true to his word, had been keeping an eye on the bus watching for any signs of trouble.
It was a good thing he was.
While assisting with the evacuation of the last people on the bus, Marco saw a plume of smoke coming from the engine compartment. His eyes widened.
He turned his head and saw Hank Stanley standing near their rig talking to Stoker.
"CAP…CAP…!" He shouted as he ran towards him. Stanley looked up as Marco closed the distance.
"We've got smoke coming from the engine…"
"Marco, grab another inch and half. KELLY," he shouted "get that line on the engine compartment of the bus…it's starting to smoke."
The men advanced on the vehicle as flames suddenly made their appearance.
"HT 51 from Engine 51, the bus is on fire…you need to get out NOW!"
Caldwell had been watching Johnny and then his attention was diverted as he saw the smoke. "Gage, we better hurry…I see smoke." John straightened up confirming Ryan's words. The sound of his Captain's voice suddenly blared over the Handy talkie "…the bus is on fire…you need to get out NOW!"
John stared down at his patient and his eyes fell upon the gold wedding band on the victim's left hand. He had a wife... and probably kids. John, like Roy, experienced his own flashback to a prior run.
A man had been trapped in a burning vehicle and his diligent attempts to extricate the victim had been unsuccessful. John had not averted his eyes from the horrific scene and watched helplessly as the man was engulfed by the flames.
He was NOT going to let that happen again.
John went back to work re-doubling his efforts despite the radio traffic emanating from of the HT ordering them out. Caldwell stared at the HT… "Gage, he said softly…we can't do anymore. We have to get out of here!"
"No, I am not leaving this man to die," Johnny vowed silently as he worked in the cramped space.
"I…almost…got…it…" he stated panting with the effort.
Caldwell stared hard at John Gage. His eyes fixating on the medic's very faded last name imprinted on the back of his turnout coat. It was barely readable, unlike his own which could be discernible a full mile away. Ryan felt a deep sense of respect and admiration for the man in front of him. He figured if Gage's coat could talk, it would probably rip his owner a new one for all the hair raising situations it had been put through.
This being one of them.
"THERE!" Johnny stated triumphantly, breaking Ryan's train of thought. The crushed metal finally relinquished its hold on the driver's foot.
John Gage regretted not being able to put the man on the backboard and prayed he didn't have any spinal injuries. But there wasn't time. They would have to risk it.
The flames, despites the firemen's best efforts, were on the move. Johnny and Ryan could feel the heat building inside the vehicle. Sweat ran freely down their faces and the uniform shirts clung tight to their bodies.
Johnny pulled the victim towards him and then angled him sideways onto his lap. This done, he put his arms under the victim's armpits and firmly grabbed both the man's wrists in his hands. He backed out pulling the man with him.
"Thank God he is unconscious," John thought.
"RYAN...grab his legs and let's move!"
Caldwell followed John's directions and the two made their way back to the passenger area of the bus where a ladder was still in place through one of the windows. Water was raining down on them through the smashed windows as anxious faces watched the men's progress from topside.
John put his back to the ladder, and feeling it with his feet, climbed a few rungs with the man still in his arms. He paused estimating he was close enough. He repositioned his grip on the man and together he and Ryan pushed hard shoving the victim upwards into waiting hands. The firemen hoisted the man the rest of the way out of the opening. "Watch his left ankle," Gage warned "he has a probable fracture."
Johnny flipped his body so it was forward facing on the ladder. Before starting his own ascent, John confirmed that Caldwell was right behind him.
He was.
In fact he almost ran Gage over in his attempt to get up the ladder and out of the bus.
"Hmmmm," John thought as he started to climb. "The guy must be taking lessons from Kelly."
The driver was rushed over to the triage area with Gage following close behind. Ryan, who knew his partner had already left with one of the ambulances, decided to stick with the dark haired paramedic. John stripped off his turnout coat casting it carelessly to the ground. The helmet had been abandoned long ago. His victim had been placed on one of the many yellow blankets that had decorated the ground.
"Ryan, grab the O2 and let's get him started on 6 liters," John advised.
Johnny knelt down next to the man with his back to Roy who was already working on another victim. The tools of their trade sat between the two men allowing them to separately work on their patients, but have joint access to their equipment.
John reached over and grabbed the Biophone.
"Rampart, this is squad 51…how do you read?" He asked.
"This is Rampart," came the familiar voice of Dr. Kelly Bracket.
"Rampart, I have another victim of this MVA. He was the driver of the bus. Victim is a male approximately thirty-two years old. He is unconscious, a contusion to the left side of his head, possible cracked ribs, probable left broken ankle. We have him on O2…stand by for vitals."
Johnny grabbed the spare stethoscope out of the drug box and placed it around his neck. "Hey Roy," he said reaching one arm behind him. The blond haired paramedic instinctively slapped the BP cuff he had been using into his partners waiting hand. John's fingers wrapped around it and he proceeded to maneuver it onto his patients arm.
After securing the vitals John Gage plucked his green pen from his shirt pocket and scribbled the information on his notepad. He picked up the biophone once again passing the information on to the doctor waiting at the other end.
Dr. Bracket listened intently. "10-4 51…start and IV D5W TKO on your patient. Keep him immobilized, splint the fracture, and maintain the O2. Give me another set of vitals in five minutes. Advise DeSoto to commence with an IV normal saline on victim six along with 5 mg MS IM for the pain."
"10-4 Rampart," he acknowledged as he pulled the drug box closer to him grabbing the necessary items.
"Johnny," Roy said without looking back.
"On the ground next to ya"
"OK…thanks," Roy said reaching for the IV bag and box containing the tubing.
John pushed the drug box back towards Roy knowing his partner would need it to grab the syringe and MS.
Ryan Caldwell and another newbie paramedic, Jack Bradley, from station 36 watched in fascination as the two partners worked. They were impressed with not only the men's skills and proficiency but the way they interacted and communicated with each other.
McConnikee was watching too, but not the team of DeSoto and Gage. He had seen them in action countless times and understood why the men were engrossed in the scene before them. HIS attention was focused on Caldwell and Bradley. McConnikee's thoughts returned to his idea from a couple days ago, and his desire to pursue it was even stronger.
XXXXX
A short distance away, a heavy set man in his late fifties was talking to a young woman. Roy had just finished administering the MS injection to his victim when he looked up.
The couple caught his attention.
The female seemed upset and was animated in her gestures. The older man shook his head and turned to walk away. Roy immediately understood the young woman's concerns. The subject was sweating profusely, had his hands to his chest, and his face grimaced in pain. No sooner had Roy processed what he had seen and the man went down. Roy jumped to his feet.
"Johnny!" Roy shouted, "A man just collapsed across the street. Looks like a cardiac...can…"
"I gottcha covered...GO!"
"Jack," Roy stated, "grab the equipment…your comin with me."
Jack Bradley gathered the equipment and raced behind DeSoto to the fallen man. The two paramedics dropped to the ground and a flurry of activity ensued. McConnikee moved closer. He noted DeSoto's calm and patient demeanor with the newbie. Jack was at total ease working with the senior paramedic and it showed. The kid did an outstanding job and McConnikee saw the look of confidence on his face.
"Hey Ryan…looks like you and me are partnered again," Johnny said grinning at the young man. "Let's check these guys vitals one more time before we get them loaded into the ambulance." Ryan smiled back at the idea of Gage's first remark.
"You got it Johnny, I'll take Roy's place...I mean patient," he replied.
The conversation had reached McConnikee's ears. He liked what he was seeing...and hearing. He just wasn't quite sure of the logistics. But it would come to him. He was confident of that.
Gage and Caldwell finished up and got their patients loaded in the ambulance. Caldwell climbed in and sat down.
"Stay here and keep an eye on them," Johnny instructed. "I'll be right back."
Gage made his way over to Desoto and Bradley. "You need a hand Pally or are you all set?" he asked. "We're fine Johnny… thanks," Jack here did a real good job. The guy is stabilized and we should be ready to go in a few minutes."
"Good deal. I am going to let Cap know Caldwell and I are heading into Rampart. His partner as well as Jack's went in with some other patients a little while ago…So we can all meet up there. I will see if Cap can make arrangements to get all our squads to the hospital," John finished.
"Sounds good...see ya at Rampart," Roy stated.
The dark haired paramedic sought out his Captain and informed him of the plan. The man nodded in agreement.
"Nice work today John"
"Thanks Cap...we'll see you guys later."
John started to walk back. He hoped the two off duty paramedics, Bill and Joe, along with the Dr. Hoffman ended up at Rampart instead of Harbor General. He wanted the opportunity to buy them a cup of coffee and hear their version of what happened. He also figured Cap might want to contact their Department and give the guys an "atta boy" for a job well done.
John finished this thought as he approached the ambulance. He opened the back door and jumped inside, slamming the door behind him.
XXXXX
The ambulance arrived at Rampart and chaos reigned once again. It was a madhouse. Johnny and Ryan helped the orderlies guide the stretchers through the maze of people lining the hallway.
Dixie spotted her favorite dark haired paramedic and swiftly went to his side.
"Take both of your patients in treatment room five. I already have two other people in there, but it's the best we can do at this point. Dr. Early is inside...by himself. Do you think you could hang around and give him a hand?"
"Sure thing Dix, we probably have awhile to wait anyways until our squad shows up," Johnny replied.
"Thanks" Dix said gratefully giving him a warm smile, "You guys are the best!"
Almost two hours later things had somewhat calmed down. The group of paramedics had restocked their depleted supplies and then made their way to the staff lounge to escape, grab a quick cup of coffee, and reunite with their respective partners.
Roy had just sat down on the couch next to Johnny as Chet burst through the door. He spotted DeSoto and lobbed the squad keys at him.
"THERE YOU ARE...I have been looking ALL over for you guys! Must be nice…kickin back and relaxing. You paramedics got it made! Oh yea...AND I'm going to start charging livery service fees if I have to keep haulin YOUR squad all over LA," he balked.
The group of men simply stared at the fireman during his tirade.
"Man, he is wound up tight," Roy murmured to his partner as he easily caught the keys.
"Yea? I bet I could get him wound up tighter," Johnny said in a challenging voice, his thoughts going back to this morning and some unfinished "team building" as the Cap called it.
"Hey Kelly…What's that red stuff on your shirt?" John taunted.
Chet, having forgotten the jelly donut incident from the morning, looked down and then his face turned as red as the stain.
He gave John a sinister glare before turning and stalking out of the room. The guys snorted in laughter.
"Hey," Bradley stated "How is he getting back to your station?"
"I'm guessing the guys on the engine followed him in. Cap knows the Emergency room was probably swamped and they would appreciate having us hang around to lend a hand. He's a pretty perceptive guy," Roy offered. "And Junior… you are definitely pushing your luck. When the Phantom strikes he is going to show no mercy."
"Yea yea…whatever," Johnny replied as he went to take a sip of his coffee. The cup barely reached his lips before…
"LA…Squad 51 what's your status?"
Johnny stared at the HT in disbelief as he yelled back at it...
"HUNGRY!"
Both paramedics pulled themselves up off the couch and earned sympathetic looks from their peers. John sighed and depressed the button "Squad 51 is available from Rampart."
"10-4. Respond with Engine 51 for a man trapped… 4113 Maple Street…4-1-1-3 Maple Street…Cross Street Harding…Time out 1148.
"Squad 51 10-4…Later guys," they said as they raced out the door.
Take 5...And 13 Minutes
10:40pm.
The crew of station 51 backed their vehicles into the bay. They had been running nonstop since this morning's freeway accident and were hungry and exhausted. They dragged themselves into the day room and collapsed into the chairs around the kitchen table. They were leery to say the words "breakfast", "lunch", "dinner", "snack" or mention any food item by name, fearing it would set off the alarm again. It seemed to be the "taboo" topic of the day.
Marco finally decided to risk it and got up and walked to the refrigerator peering inside.
"Sandwiches OK?" He asked with his head still in the fridge. They all froze in anticipation. The room remained blissfully silent.
A tired chorus of "Yea… Sure… Whatever…" followed. They were too beat to really care what form of nutrition passed through their mouths, as long as it filled the void in their stomachs.
Marco started taking out lunch meat and other items for their dinner. Mike got up and helped by getting plates, cups, and silverware.
The remaining four went to get cleaned up and headed into the dorm to set out their turnout gear. When they returned, the food was on the table. Kelly had switched on the TV and the men watched and ate in silence.
Cap finished first and headed into his office closing the door. The crew's eyes followed his movements not envying the paperwork the man now faced. Kelly cleared the table while Johnny and Roy quickly did the dishes. By 11:25pm the men were all in bed, except for their Captain. Hank decidedly had enough a mere thirty minutes into his paper nightmare before calling it quits. He shuffled to the dorm and fell into bed. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
XXXXX
Five hours and thirteen minutes after the vehicles pulled into the station...the tones sounded again. They were part of a second alarm assignment. The men let out a collective groan. They slid out of the comforts of their warm beds trying to shake off the sleep and get their heads focused on the task at hand.
"Station 51…Station 110… Assist Station 10, Station 45, Squad 36, and Battalion 14 with a structure fire…1505 Market Street... 1-5-0-5 Market Street…Cross Street Lowden…Time out 0353."
The structure was a large medical supply company. There were offices in the front and a 28,000 square foot warehouse attached to the rear. The black smoke could be seen billowing upward in the early morning sky before the building even came into view.
At the scene John leaped out of the squad to help Marco haul hose off the rig and hook up to the nearest fire hydrant. Mike pulled the engine away letting the lines unravel as he went. Reaching his intended destination, he threw the rig in park, jumped out, and prepared to charge the lines. Kelly and Lopez, with hoses in hand, joined the other firefighters already engaged in battle against the raging fire.
Once his task was complete, Gage jogged the short distance up to where Roy had parked the squad and was already out and donning his gear. Johnny copied his actions opening the compartment and slinging his SCBA across his back. The mask dangled freely in front of him. He also grabbed some rope and looped it over his shoulder. He had a feeling...
"Engine 51...Battalion 14," McConnikee called out. "Respond to the command post with your paramedics...on the double."
"10-4…on our way," Stanley replied. The three men wasted no time maneuvering their way around the hose obstacle course that lay before them. Hank took in the fiery structure in front of him and then a side glance at the two men keeping pace next to him. He knew without out a doubt where his boys were headed...and he didn't like it.
The three men of 51 reached the command post and looked expectantly at the Chief waiting to be briefed.
"Hank," McConnikee began, "the owner advised he had two men working overnight doing inventory. They were trapped somewhere inside the Warehouse. Squad's 45 and 36 went inside to do the search. There was an explosion. 45 managed to locate one of the victim's and got him out. They are working on him now..." he paused.
"Attempts to raise 36 have been unsuccessful. We have been able to get a couple of crews with lines back inside the warehouse. I need your men to go in and find the other victim…along with Beck and Bradley. Be advised the warehouse stores various medical supplies…including 02 and Nitrous Oxide," McConnikee added.
"Chief," DeSoto spoke up. "It's a big Warehouse. Where did 45 find their victim? The other guy may be close. And do we have a last location for 36?"
"Affirmative DeSoto...45 found the victim at the southwest end of the building. 36 was headed that way, assuming the two men were probably in close proximately to one another, when the explosion occurred." The men nodded with this additional information and started toward the building.
Captain Stanley followed his paramedics to the docking bay which was the only clear entry point into the warehouse. A crew was standing by keeping a steady flow of water streaming in.
John looked down and saw a coil of rope lying discarded in a puddle at his feet. His eyes followed the length of it finally coming to rest on the severed end. The burned edges told John the other half was somewhere inside, probably attached to a paramedic's body. He desperately hoped it could still be called a "lifeline".
Gage set his jaw in determination and removed the rope off his own shoulder and secured it around his partner's waist. When he was finished he handed the remaining slack to his boss. He felt his right pocket making sure the handy talkie was safely stowed inside. Both men pulled the masks over their faces and adjusted the straps. They took a couple of test breaths before flipping their helmets up off the back of their necks, and finally tugging gloves into place.
"You guys know the drill...keep your heads down and get the hell outta there if things go south...UNDERSTOOD!" Hank said pointedly.
"Understood Cap," Roy replied in a muffled voice.
"GAGE?"
"Yea Cap...understood," John answered.
Captain Stanley watched the rope feed out from his hands as it disappeared inside...along with his men.
Roy and Johnny moved rapidly through the vast interior. Their eyes scanning and ears straining to hear any sounds that might lead them to their victim's.
Navigating through the warehouse was proving to be a treacherous task. Tall metal shelving units filled with stock were weakening under the heat and additional weight of the water. Many had already collapsed and others were threatening to do so. The fire had taken a firm hold and the linemen had their work cut out for them trying to beat it down. The two partners moved further and further into the building, hoping they were headed in the right direction.
Several moments later, John's eye caught a glimpse of something. He stopped abruptly staring hard. It was the end of a rope. Roy's eyes tracked his partners stare and he saw it to. Both men moved forward following the trail. They had gone only about fifteen yards when they saw the rope disappeared under a large piece of shelving. They stepped around the fallen structure and found Beck lying, unmoving, beneath it.
Bradley had been trying desperately to free his partner without luck. He looked up with relief as he saw the medics of 51. "ROY...JOHN! I can't get him out. Beck has the HT in his pocket and I couldn't call...I was gonna go for help, but the rest of lifeline was gone."
"OK Jack…don't worry. The three of us are gonna get him out."
"Johnny, you grab one end and I will get the other. Let's see if between the two of us we can lift this shelving off him. Jack, if we can get it up, you need to slide him out quick…OK?"
The man nodded and Johnny and Roy moved into place.
"On three… One...two...THREE!"
Both men lifted with everything they had. Their muscles screamed in protest but the shelf rose slowly. Jack grabbed his partner and pulled him clear. John and Roy let the metal prison fall back into place.
"Jack," Johnny said. "Do you know where the other victim is?"
"We thought we heard someone calling and were making our way through the aisles when there was an explosion, and everything came down around us."
"Are you hurt?" Johnny asked.
"I'm ok…just banged up my leg a little. I can walk on it…no problem."
Johnny knelt down next to Beck and reached into his turnout coat locating the HT while Roy checked on the fallen paramedic.
"Engine 51…HT 51 can you copy me?" Johnny shouted above the noise as he tested the radio.
"10-4 HT 51...I copy you," Stanley replied.
"We've located 36...Beck is hurt...he is unconscious. Bradley has a minor leg injury but otherwise appears ok. We think the other victim is close. Stand by."
"10-4…standing by."
Johnny handed 36's HT to Jack as he lifted the mask off his face. "I am gonna head to the other side of this unit and see if I can find our victim."
Roy hesitated a moment and then nodded.
John let the mask fall back into place and quickly ran to the end of the aisle and made two hard rights. He jogged around fallen debris and jumped out of the way as items continued to come crashing down.
"Gage?!" came the voice of Bradley from his pocket. He reached for the radio keying up, "All Good," he said.
Johnny continued his forward movement. His eyes came upon the subject lying on the ground before him. He had a lot of debris on top of him and also a large carton rested on his legs and the small of his back. Seeing the paramedic the man called weakly "Over here…PLEASE HELP ME!"
John moved quickly towards the trapped man. As he got closer he noticed something covering the victim's face. He also saw a half empty bottle of saline solution on the floor.
John Gage grinned and applauded the man's ingenuity.
The victim had located a box of surgical masks and the saline. He had doubled up the masks and soaked them in the solution before placing them over his nose and mouth, giving him some protection from the smoke.
John noted the man had some minor burns on his arms and a gash on his forehead.
"What's your name?"
"Scott," the man answered weakly pulling the masks from his face.
"Ok Scott, John replied, already starting to clear the debris away, "I'm gonna get this carton off of you. Do you feel any pain in your legs or back?"
"Uh, yea…maybe a little."
John bent down and got in position. He was able to catch the writing on the side of the carton.
EMISES BASINS - COUNT 1000. He rolled his eyes. The carton was busted open and he had a fleeting thought about snatching a handful. With all the stuff falling down in this place, he was sure a concussion was in his future. Dix would be impressed if he brought in his own supply when he graced the ER with his presence.
He sighed and gave the box a shove rolling it off his victim. "How are your legs?" John inquired as he checked the guy out quickly. Scott moved them easily back and forth and then pushed himself into a sitting position. John nodded; the man did not appear to be too seriously injured. He reached up and slipped off his mask offering it to his victim. Scott pulled the mask to his face and gratefully took in the fresh air. John allowed him a few deep breaths and then knew they had to get moving.
"Do ya think you can get up?" John yelled.
"Yea…I think so," Scott answered. The dark haired paramedic helped the man up and noted he appeared to be pretty stable on his feet. He was glad his victim would be able to walk on his own; it would have been a hell of a job trying to carry him through what John had now dubbed the "war zone."
"OK Scott…you good?" John asked, "Cause we need to get outta here….FAST."
"WAIT…wait a minute!" he shouted, "My friend… He is around here somewhere! You have to…" John put both his hands up palms out and stopped him. "It's ok… it's ok. He's safe… some other firemen already got him out." The man breathed a sigh of relief.
John removed the HT from his pocket. "Jack, I got him and he is mobile...listen, you guys take Beck and start movin. Untie Roy's line and leave it. When I make my way back around...I can follow it out."
Roy hesitated...he didn't like the idea of leaving Johnny behind, but Beck was not in good shape.
Jack looked at Roy. "You want me to go help him?"
"No…it sounds like he's got it under control."
"Ok Johnny...you'll be right behind us?" Jack confirmed.
"YES...get going!" John said sharply.
"Engine 51 from HT 36" Bradley called.
"Go ahead"
"DeSoto and I are heading out with Beck. We are gonna leave the line for Gage to follow with his victim…so don't retract it."
"10-4"
Roy undid the line around his waist and let it drop to the ground. Jack helped hoist his partner onto the older man's shoulders.
"Ok Roy, I'll lead us out. You ready?"
"Yea…let's move!"
Gage and Scott made their way back to the spot the others had just vacated. He found the line and picked it up. John explained quickly to his victim. "See this rope," he pointed with his gloved finger leading the trail in front of him. The man nodded.
"If something happens and we get separated…you keep following that line. Got it?" The man nodded again.
"OK…let's go." He placed the man in front of him and they began to move. John scanned the area around them alert for any signs of danger. He had to side step a couple times to dodge falling debris.
They were about thirty feet from the exit when it happened.
"RUN!" Gage bellowed. The startled man found a burst of energy and sprinted forward just as a massive section of the ceiling caved in behind him. The sound was deafening and Scott just barely made it through the exit in time. He was shaking from head to toe but turned with extreme relief and gratitude to thank his rescuer for saving his life.
The young fireman was not there.