Chapter 4

Ten days before the curtain goes up:

Emily Stanley raced into the school office, she had been called and asked to come in and pick up her daughter after a mishap, but no other information was given. Once in the main office she was led to the Nurses room to find her Kristen sitting on a bed affair, her arm was in a sling and on closer examination she noticed a magazine wrapped around her daughter's arm underneath.

"Krissy what happened?"

"There was a brief altercation earlier that escalated into a shoving match," the office aid took control of the story telling. "Your daughter stumbled down a few stairs and injured her arm trying to stop herself from falling the rest of the way."

At the roll of Kristen's eyes Emily knew things were being down played. "The girl you beat out for the part in the musical?" Emily directed her comments to her daughter who simply nod her head to confirm her mother's suspicion.

Emily had known for several days now that there were problems, her daughter hadn't said anything but she was clearly up tight, more so on the days her father was at work and couldn't attend the rehearsals. When she had tried to get her daughter to open up she simply said there was an 'epidemic of sour grapes going on around the school', from that Emily was pretty sure what was happening.

"She's going to be alright but there is a possibility that her arm is broken so I would recommend that she be seen by her physician," the Nurse explained in business fashion leaving Emily to wonder whose side the adults around were on.

Emily borrowed the phone to call their family doctor who told her to take her daughter to the hospital where he would order the x-rays and wait for the radiologist to read them before they decided what to do next. As she led her daughter to the main doors she noticed the principal and a couple of police officers talking with several people and the girl that was being held by one of the police officers was the head cheerleader in question. She was standing alone with the officer and looked quite angry as the other kids were huddled a short distance away telling the other officer and the principle what they had seen. All of the kids that were doing the talking stopped when they noticed Kristen and her mother going by and each waved and wished Kristen that nothing was broken before turning back and continuing with their story.

-0-

In their morning mail the area battalion Chiefs, the headquarters Chiefs, and the Head Chief Engineer, each received a nice colorful envelope with their mail. Most realized that it must be the anticipated information on the annual Christmas party and were quick to open it; others read the more important looking mail first and then opened theirs to read:

You are invited to

The most amazing Christmas Party of all time.

Join us and enjoy a production of the Nutcracker

Featuring one of our own dancing the Cavalier position.

Come and watch Captain Henry Stanley from our fire station 51

as the Nutcracker King beside his lovely daughter 'Kristen'

for a wonderful night away from the action.

Enclosed in each envelope were two tickets, half of those invited had tickets for the 10th the other half for the 11th to meet with their various shifts.

Chief McConnike laughed as he watched several of his colleagues open their invitations. He really didn't wish any harm for his once Engineer now Captain but he did have an incinerated hat to get even for.

-0-

At the station Hank seemed calmer than he had a few weeks ago; he was still seen working out behind the engine late in the evening and when his men took the time to notice they were amazed at some of the moves he was repeating until he could perform them smoothly.

Today he seemed happy and calm as he assigned chores and proceeded to his office and the mountain of paperwork waiting for him there between answering the phone.

The men were just finishing up their chores and gathering in the kitchen for a cup of coffee when the Captain walked in rubbing his hands.

"Ah guys," Hank started then paused for a moment to think about what he was going to ask, "Would the engine crew mind going to the hospital with me for a personal issue?"

"Are you alright Cap?" John was quick to answer as Roy stepped closer to his captain and started to reach for his wrist to check a pulse.

"I'm fine, just fine, I just got a call from my wife and it seems my daughter, 'Stumbled,' (Hank stumbled over the word,) on the stairs at school my wife took her to the hospital for x-rays to make sure it's not broken," Hank had explained now and felt slightly foolish for pulling his men away from the station for something so minor. After all it was coming up on lunch time and Marco was scheduled to do the cooking. "Of course if you'd all rather not go I could just wait for my wife to call me and tell me what the Doctor says."

"Come on Cap," Mike got to his feet and slapped his captain and friend on the shoulder in his momentum toward the engine. Chet and Marco were also moving in that direction.

"Relax Cap, even if her arm is broken she should still be able to dance," Chet commented in a joking manner, "She uses her feet for that, except when she's using someone else's that is."

Everyone knew their captain was worried when he didn't even give Chet a stern look.

A few minutes later three firemen were gathering around a vending machine while their captain slipped to the end of the hall outside the x-ray department where his daughter was sitting in a wheelchair, her arm was resting on top of two pillows in her lap with an ice pack on top of it and his wife sitting on a bench at her side.

"You didn't need to come from work," Emily stood and greeted her husband, "I didn't mean to scare you that bad."

"I'm still on call," Hank informed his wife, "If something comes in I'll just respond from here that's all." He then squatted down next to his daughter and rested his hand on her good arm as he looked into her eyes and studied what he was seeing there.

"You okay there honey?"

"Yeah dad," Kristen melted in her father's attention, "it doesn't hurt so bad now, we're just waiting for them to call the doctor with the results of the x-rays."

Hank leaned in a little closer, still looking his daughter in the eyes, "You didn't tell me you were being harassed at school this bad."

"It's not really been that bad," Kristen smiled warmly at her father. "It's only been just a few kids, but there's other kids that defend me most of the time. That's what happened today, it was one of the other cheerleaders that started telling Carol to shut up and they started yelling at each other until the other girl got shoved and she accidently bumped into me. I'm just glad that I didn't hurt my ankle or something like that."

Hank sighed in relief that it wasn't his young daughter against the rest of the school. "So it's really not that bad?"

"No, the only ones that say anything are just jealous," Kristen smiled warmly at her father.

"Yeah, well you worked really hard for this part, you deserved to get it." Hank smiled back at his daughter and gave her a mock punch to the jaw.

"That's not what their jealous about," Kristen's smile grew.

"Oh yeah, just what else is there to be jealous of," Hank was sure he was about to learn of a boyfriend that has slipped under his radar.

"They're jealous that I have a Dad that is so cool and that you'll do this kind of stuff with me." Kristen continued to smile.

A surprised Hank began to blush as his smiling wife moved in with a kiss for him and his daughter tried to give him a hug but moving hurt her arm so she stopped and just draped her good arm around her father's neck.

"Excuse me," Dr. Brackett stepped up to the girl who was in a group hug with her parents. "Dr. Farnsworth just gave me a call and asked if I could finish up here, if that's alright with you folks."

Hank pushed to his feet and turned to shake hands with Dr. Brackett, "No problem here," Hank accepted the doctor's help, "I take it the x-rays showed the arm is broken."

"There's a slight fracture in the smaller of the two bones in the arm, it's not even broken all the way through. We should be able to just put a brace on it and if she'll take it easy it should be completely healed in four to six weeks." Dr. Bracket reported to the relieved sighs of the two parents.

"I will be able to dance won't I?" Kristen was first to ask.

"That's right; I forgot I was treating a prema-ballerina here." Dr. Brackett smiled, "I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to dance. I want you to take today off though and keep the ice packs on and then take it real easy for the next couple of days. Even though this is a relatively minor injury it can still affect your balance for a couple of days."

"I can do that, I guess, they won't be working on my part today anyway," Kristen started to say more but saw her father stiffen and didn't want to give her father's secret away, "But how did you know I got the lead part?"

Dr. Brackett smiled again, "Oh just something I heard through the proud parent grapevine."

The handy talkie in Hanks hand summoned him and his crew to a smoke alarm in a storage room and Hank had no choice but to respond.

-0-

Six days before the curtain was scheduled to rise, the rehearsal was extra intense as everyone had a few kinks to work out in their performances even Hank. As a result the rehearsal was harder and drug out longer than they ever had before. It was over an hour later than they usually let out for the night and one of the back ground dancers started to act a little woozy. Hank was catching his breath when he noticed her stumble out of the dance line and hurried to catch her before she hit the stage as she collapsed.

Even thought he wasn't a paramedic Hank could tell that something was seriously wrong with the young dancer and instructed someone to call an ambulance and a paramedic squad as he did his part to keep the girl conscious and talking to him even if she really didn't make any sense.

"Does any one know if she's taken anything," Hank called out hoping to get any useful information available before the paramedics arrived. "You're not being snitches to tell me and it could save her life if you know anything."

"I don't know her very well," one girl spoke up from the back of the group but made no effort to come forward. "But I have seen her shooting up sometimes."

"Do you have any idea what she's shooting," Hank asked knowing that information was very important.

"I don't know but she keeps it in her purse." The girl in the back continued.

"Does any one know where her purse is?"

"It's on the table at the back of the stage," another girl called out, "She never lets it out of her site."

"Bring it here," Hank instructed as he turned back to his patient and lightly slapped her face, "Stay with me there, what is your name young lady?"

"ss ss si Cindy, Har hh Haroldsen, hel help," the girl got out.

"The Ambulance and the fire department are on their way," the dance instructor called out as she returned to the stage from her office. "They said they'd be here in about three minutes."

"Here's her purse," another student called out as the purse was handed over to Hank.

With witnesses to make sure he didn't steal anything Hank opened the purse and looked in, sure enough there were several small syringes and two viles inside the purse. Hank pulled one of the vials out and looked it over, "Insulin!" "Kristen quick get me a soda, there's some change in my coat."

"What kind," Kristen asked.

"It doesn't matter just hurry."

Kristen had just returned with a diet coke when the doors to the auditorium opened and in raced the paramedics from Station 36.

Hank wasn't sure if a diet soda would do the trick so he just turned to the paramedics coming in. "She's a diabetic, she's on insulin, we had an extra hard and long work out today and she collapsed, pulse is 140, respirations 20." Hank called out as he cradled the girls shoulders in his arms, then he turned to the paramedic next to him and noticed his own John Gage kneeling at his side throwing open the drug box.

Permission to treat was written into the permission to perform contract that each parent needed to sign so it was just a matter of a quick call to Rampart and Dr. Early ordered an IV with D5W and a bolus of dextrose. Soon Cindy was looking much better and moving around some on her own power.

It was Hank that convinced her to go to the hospital in the ambulance telling her that her parents would meet her there and everything was going to be all right. Hank even picked her up and placed her on the gurney while the paramedics handled the IV bag and saw to it that she was covered with a blanket.

The regular paramedic from 36's rode in with the patient while Hank helped John load the rest of his equipment so that he could follow him in, as the last of the compartments was being closed and latched Hank placed a hand on John's arm.

"John?"

"Don't worry Cap," John responded feeling for sure he knew exactly what was wanted. "I'm not Chet Kelly; no one is going to find out about this from me. I promise."

"Thanks," Hank let out with a sigh, John gave him a smile and a pat on the shoulder before climbing in the squad and pulling out to follow the ambulance.

As he watched the squad drive away Hank realized he had a power to influence at that moment that few adults ever have and he chose to return to the stage and gather the rest of the cast around him and praise them for coming forward and educate them a little on diabetes and how it effected the young girl's life.

"You honestly saved that young girls life tonight." Hank said, "She however is not using recreational drugs for the purpose of getting high. She is using a medication called insulin to treat a condition known as diabetes, that's where the pancreas, one of the organs in your body doesn't produce the substance necessary to process the sugars in her blood stream. She needs to give herself shots several times a day and be real careful about what and when she eats to keep her system working right. What happened tonight is that she went a little too long with out eating and worked out extra hard and her blood sugar got too low. That is a life threatening situation if it gets low enough, but I want you to remember how fast she got better once the paramedics gave her the medication she needed at that moment. They wouldn't have known what to give her if someone hadn't have told what they know. The same thing goes for what ever a person might be taking. I hope each and every one of you will always be willing to speak up whenever you know anything like that."

Since everyone's muscles were now cooled down rehearsal was ended for the evening and Hank took his daughter and headed to Rampart to see how Cindy was doing.

-0-

Once the Stanley father and daughter team reached the emergency room waiting area Kristen was able to point out Cindy's mother and by the time Hank and Kristen were at their side Dr. Early had walked up to the parents with good news about their daughter and a warning not to let it happen again.

"Cindy was so excited to get a part in the play," Cindy's mother began then paused, "I guess we're going to have to take her out of it." The mother looked sorrowful as she turned to her husband and Cindy's father for comfort and support.

"That choice is up to you and your doctors," Hank interrupted, "But I am going to ask you to reconsider. Now that we know about Cindy's condition we can take steps that will keep this from happening again."

"But Cindy's part is nothing that will stop the play from going on it's no big deal." Her Mother questioned, "Why do you want her to stay?"

"Because it is a big deal to Cindy," Hank answered quickly. "If she is pulled from this production now she'll be that much more likely to hide her condition in the future and possibly get herself in bigger trouble. If you let her stay and let us watch her we'll be giving her the message that she can do anything she wants, she just has to be careful and take care of herself. Not only that but she'll also help to teach the rest of the cast that people with diabetes are capable people and nothing to be afraid of."

"For what it's worth," Joe Early spoke again. "I have to agree with Captain Stanley here, the positive effects of helping her get through this program could be far reaching."

"Captain Stanley?" Cindy's Father questioned, "What are you the captain of?"