Chapter 7

John Mendes stood next to the two women, aware once again of the pain and anxiety on their faces and he was reminded of why he did this job; this job that put him in contact with so much pain and suffering and more often than not, the ugliness in the world. This was why he did this every day – to serve his fellow citizens, to help them out of life-threatening situations and give them support and comfort whenever he could.

'Sara, Elizabeth, why don't we sit for a minute' he said directing them to a spot at the back of one of the ambulances that was standing by. There wasn't a more intimate situation than sharing the personal lives of two women who were terrified for their husbands' safety and they had begun to refer to each other on a first name basis hours ago.

'You're going to hear what's going on through the paramedic and the police radios. Try to stay calm. The people in there have only one mission and that's to get Peter and Neal out of there and back to you' he said looking into their eyes

The women nodded but he could sense the level of anxiety in their eyes and he smiled once again, hoping to bring them a semblance of reassurance.

'The side of the car that Neal is on has sustained the most damage' he said

Sara's eyes widened as he continued to speak.

'Peter is more easily accessible. He was probably getting into the car when the collapse occurred. The driver's door is open and there's a single cement beam there blocking access to him. Peter is lying half way in the car with his left leg hanging out. The crews are going to start with him'

'But...' Sara began

John put his hand up gently asking her to be patient. 'The passenger side of the car suffered the most damage. There is much more debris on that side of the vehicle and the crew is evaluating if it's easier to get Neal out from the driver's side or dig him out from his side of the car'

Sara nodded but the look of worry in her eyes just intensified as Elizabeth reached out to take her friend's hand in hers.

'Peter and Neal are in bad shape, I will not try to tell you otherwise. We don't know the extent of their injuries yet but we do know that Peter's leg has been under a cement beam for almost twenty four hours so that will be a major issue. Neal, we're not as certain of since he's been unconscious most of the time but from what Peter tells us, he had been lucid at times which is very encouraging'

Again Sara nodded stoically thinking back to the long months following Neal's car accident and how he had struggled in every way to get his life back. She prayed this would not be a repeat of that horrible period in their lives. She'd been pregnant with Liam at the time and he had struggled with remembering everything in their lives including Hope's existence and their life as a family. But she held on to the few words she had heard him utter when Hope had spoken to him on the phone earlier. She knew how strong her husband was and that he would fight to stay alive and to return to his family.

John was once again speaking, doing his due diligence to prepare the women for what was about to happen over the next little while.

'They've both suffered from dehydration and they have been breathing in dust and debris for a long time so their breathing will be an issue. I just want you to know that the minute they are brought out, they will be receiving the best care possible. The hospital is on standby and ready for any and all eventuality.'

'What about Dr. Perez?' Sara asked thinking back to her request to bring in the specialist from the Brain Injury Clinic at Lenox Hill where Neal had been hospitalized and still visited every few months. She had asked that he be brought in to consult so the best decisions regarding Neal's head injury could be made promptly.

'He's already at Mount Sinai, waiting' answered Mendez 'as you requested'

Sara smiled and nodded.

'There's every chance that Peter will be coming out first. They'll stabilize him as best they can and they'll load him up into the ambulance. Elizabeth you can ride along. I'm certain that Neal won't be far behind, Sara, and once he's out, he will be assessed and you can go with him to the hospital. Right behind Peter' he insisted, as encouragement for Sara.

WCWCWC

'Agent Burke, Agent Burke' the soft female voice called out

Despite the level of activity around the car and the noise produced by the various pieces of machinery, Peter had somehow managed to slip into sleep - or was it unconsciousness, he didn't know - as the crews continued to work around them.

'Sir' said the young woman once again, forcing Peter to look up in her direction. She was standing in that small opening between the car door and the beam which, to Peter's dismay, was still as big as a house on his left leg. He could see the NY paramedic patch on her shoulder, a uniform he had seen hundreds of times over the years and he blinked to bring her into focus. She couldn't be more that 25 years old, if that, but the calm smile on her face was the most incredible thing Peter had ever seen.

'Sir, they're going to be lifting the beam off your leg in just one minute but I need you to try not to move your leg when they do that, okay? I'll be right here and as soon as I can get to you I need to check you out before we can actually move you. Can you do that?' she asked, finally her arm reaching out in the small space to gently touch his.

Peter nodded but no sound would come out. He was trained in first aid and had been the first on the scene of many accidents and shootings and he knew the drill. He just couldn't wait to get the hell out of this car.

Peter knew from his symptoms that he had severe dehydration, not only from not having had any liquids for almost twenty four hours but also from breathing in dust and debris; he suspected he had a collapsed lung – the left one – and he knew he had several fractures of his left leg. He just prayed that the small movements he had been able to make over the past several hours would allow him to keep his leg, his fear being that it might need to be amputated.

Beside him, Neal was out cold, having barely taken a sip of water before helplessly letting the bottle drop to the floor of the car. He could sense commotion on the passenger side of the car but the debris on that side seemed much larger and he hadn't seen anybody in that area yet.

Suddenly, a loud motor was heard and Peter could almost immediately start to feel the pressure on his leg start to diminish as he took in a deep breath of air. It took a little over a minute and the young woman was back in his sights carrying supplies and equipment and kneeling by his side.

'Good job, sir' she said

'I think consider...' Peter coughed, roughly 'considering the circumstances, you can call me Peter' he said as he smiled weakly

She was immediately bringing an oxygen mask to his face, cutting him off as she smiled back at him, the kind of smile that only comes from someone who's doing their job for all the right reasons.

'All right, Peter, we'll go with that' she was saying 'Now, I need you to start taking a few deep breaths'

Peter immediately began to feel some relief as he took a deep breath from the mask, turning his head towards Neal with a questioning look in his eyes.

'I know, Peter, you're worried about your partner. We're going to get to him in just a minute. Now I'm going to immobilize your leg as best I can and then we're going to have to carry you for a few feet to where we have a stretcher. All I need you to do is to keep breathing and try to let your body relax'

Peter was half hanging out of the car as it was and with the young woman giving directions, there were suddenly half a dozen big strapping men in his field of vision, ready to lift him out and carry him to safety... to Elizabeth.

He let himself relax as much as he possibly could considering the excruciating pain in his leg and within seconds he was lying prone on a stretcher and the young woman was hooking him up to an IV, probably liquids and some pain medication he thought as he felt himself slipping away.

WCWCWC

Sara and Elizabeth stood nearby, practically paralysed with fear, as they listened through the paramedic's radio to the exchange going on just a few feet away. They could hear Peter's voice and the young woman speaking calmly and softly to him and they heard the sound of the gurney being rolled on the uneven surface first through the radio, then finally they heard it as it got nearer to where they were standing.

Sara was terrified. She had heard the paramedic say that they would get to Neal as soon as they could. She knew that meant he was not as easily accessible as Peter had been; add to that the fact that Neal hadn't said a word and Sara's level of anxiety was off the charts. Despite herself, she continued to clutch her hands, looking down and noticing they were going white from the lack of circulation.

After what seemed like minutes, the stretcher came into view and Elizabeth caught sight of her husband lying unconscious, already hooked up to an IV. She ran the last few steps towards him, the paramedics briefly stepping aside to let her have a good look at her husband's face. It looked just like it always had when he slept except for the deep worry lines on his forehead which were surely a result of the pain he was still experiencing despite his lack of consciousness. He was pale but his face was otherwise as it always appeared and she took solace in that momentarily as she finally reached him and touched his arm.

'Peter' she called and somehow the sound of her voice temporarily brought him back and he slowly opened his eyes to look up at his wife's beautiful face, the face he had been focussing on for the last twenty four hours, the face that kept him going whenever the going got rough.

'Hi hon' he whispered through his mask making her laugh and cry at the same time as she realized he was fully conscious of his surroundings.

'Hi hon' she said back, de rigueur

The remaining paramedics began to crowd around him as they took vital signs, adjusted his IV and began reinforcing the makeshift splint on his leg. Elizabeth moved back and caught a glance of Sara's face a mixture of relief at seeing Peter safe and worry at what was to come. Sara made her way over and hugged Elizabeth tightly.

'Go, go with him' said Sara, her voice shaking 'Neal and I...' her voice broke 'Neal and I will be right behind you'

Elizabeth nodded and held Sara's hand, squeezing it and finally letting go and making her way to the ambulance to take her place next to Peter who had slipped away once again.

Sara smiled at her and turned back towards the debris.

Neal was still in there.

TBC