Roy started off by explaining the best he could, how he and Johnny felt. "There seems to be some animosity between us. In an emergency situation there's no room for niceties but we do need to at least be civil with each other."
"Oh what was said?" Dr Brackett asked looking over at Dr Kourie, who remained impervious.
"Well the stethoscope for one thing" Roy said as he turned and looked at the doctor. Dr Kourie held up his own stethoscope arrogantly.
"That still doesn't account for how rude you were out in the field. There was no need for that" Johnny said heatedly. Roy placed his hand on his shoulder, the motion calming him down. "There was no call for it" he said and lent back in his chair looking indignant.
"Owen do you care to elaborate?" asked Dr Brackett.
Dr Kourie scoffed "Seems your paramedics don't like to share their equipment" he answered. Johnny almost jumped out of his chair but Roy held him down by squeezing his arm.
"Dr Kourie there's a right way and a wrong way to obtain equipment and you ripping the stethoscope from around my neck was not the right way. All you had to do was ask...I'm just saying we know you don't like us...fine...but out in the field all personal feelings have to be ignored and we need to know that you'll back us up one hundred percent" Roy said with conviction.
Dr Brackett sighed, "Roy...Johnny...I wonder if you guys can leave Owen and me alone for a few minutes?" he asked.
Roy nodded his head "Sure" and rose from his chair pulling his scowling partner up with him. "Come on Johnny...let's go talk to Dixie" he said trying to snap his partner out of the foul mood he was in.
They walked over to Dixie's area. Roy lent on her counter while Johnny paced behind her. "Oh brother" she said rolling her eyes. She turned around and looked at Johnny "I just got rid of one and now I have another" she declared.
"What do you mean?" Roy asked.
"I've had Kel here all morning pacing up and down waiting for your first call and now I have his twin" she said with exasperation.
"Oh...He's been that anxious huh?"
Dixie nodded her head "Mmmmhmmm".
"Well I'd be anxious too knowing I was letting loose an uncivil, egotistical, arrogant colleague like that in the field" Johnny exclaimed.
"Why don't you tell us how you really feel?" Dixie said looking a bit annoyed with her friend.
Johnny's anger deflated, he bowed his head "I'm sorry...he just makes me feel so angry...nothing we do impresses him" he told the nurse he admired so much.
"Johnny you're not doing this to impress him...all we want you to do, is do your job and by doing your job he'll see how capable you firemen are...cause that's the issue...that your fireman" she explained to him.
"Ok" he agreed "But he needs to show some manners" he added.
"He does" Roy confirmed.
"Just give it time...that ego of his will deflate quite a bit once he has to get down and dirty like you guys out in the field...then he'll appreciate you a whole lot more" she told them winking at them.
"You really think that's all it's going to take?" Roy asked.
"Yep you mark my words" she told them.
"Owen I'm only going to tell you this once. You have to show these men respect. They are men who are willing to lay their reputations on the line every day. You have no right to undermine that. These men are carefully selected and only those who can show self discipline and dedication make it. Work with them Owen, who knows you might learn something."
Dr Kourie nodded, but was still unconvinced. He still firmly believed the fire department had no business being the feeder for paramedics.
Dr Brackett and Dr Kourie approached the counter. "All set Dr Kourie?" Roy asked.
Dr Kourie nodded; Roy and Johnny gathered their gear and headed for the ER doors. Dr Brackett shook his head at the exiting trio.
"That bad huh?"
"Worse...he's so" Dr Brackett searched for the right words.
"Uncivil...egotistical...arrogant..." Dixie injected, quoting Johnny.
Dr Brackett frowned at Dixie not expecting her to say that about a doctor. She shrugged "I'm just repeating the words of one of your paramedics" she said nonchalantly.
"Well I wouldn't quite go that far but I do see where they're coming from" he said, looking more concerned than earlier.
"The boys will bring him round" Dixie said knowingly.
"I hope so Dix...I hope so" Dr Bracket said as he made his way to his office.
The squad backed into the bay area in silence. Johnny jumped out of the squad before it finished moving. He raced to the dorms to do his chores and stay as far away from Dr Kourie as he could. "Ahh Dr Kourie, we have station chores to do so you might as well relax in the kitchen, grab a coffee" Roy said as he left the doctor standing next to the squad.
Everyone went about their business and basically ignored the doctor. It was Chet who tried to chip away at the ice. "You know you're working with two of the best paramedics in the county. I know I couldn't do what they do and not get paid extra for it" Chet said praising his friends. Dr Kourie thought about his last statement and Dr Brackett's words of 'theses are dedicated men' also came back to him.
The klaxons sounded for a structure fire. The entire station was called out. A small business next to a paint factory was fully ablaze. The impending danger was evident. An agitated worker in overalls approached Cap. "Two of my employees are still in there" he told the Cap.
"Roy...Johnny...we have two missing men inside. In and out, fast as you can" Cap told his paramedics.
"Dr Kourie you want to set up the gear?" Roy asked the doctor.
"I'll set up triage" the doctor replied. Roy nodded and joined his partner. They entered the building staying close to the ground. Roy found the first victim.
"I'll take him out and come back to help you" Roy told his partner. Johnny nodded and continued to search. He crawled further into the building; the heat was causing sweat to run down his body. He kept crawling searching through the debris. He felt a foot and as he moved closer he found the second worker unconscious pinned under shelving. He pulled as much debris as he could off the worker and felt for a carotid. It was there but was very faint. He pulled the worker out from under the debris, the fire was getting too close and the heat was overwhelming him. He felt along the worker's back. There were no signs of deformity so he continued to drag the worker across the floor. Roy joined him and together they carried the worker out of the building.
They laid the worker down on a blanket and quickly pulled their SCBA and jackets off. Johnny's shirt was soaked in sweat. Regardless of how exhausted he felt he continued to help Roy work on the worker. Mike appeared next to them with a bottle of water for the paramedics. Johnny gratefully accepted it but suddenly, an explosion rocked the area, the shockwave knocking all the firemen off their feet.
Cap called out "Johnny we need you" and waved him over. Johnny ran over to find Chet holding Marco up, blood trickling down the side of his face.
"He got hit by something flying through the air" Chet told Johnny.
"Thanks Chet I'll take care of him" Johnny told his friend as he took a hold of Marco and walked him over to triage. It had grown from the two workers to a total of seven men. Johnny, Roy and Dr Kourie worked alongside each other; another squad soon joined them to allow Dr Kourie to accompany the two workers to Rampart. The firemen were only suffering from minor injuries.
"Johnny you go in with Dr Kourie and get checked out. Your hands are shaking Johnny...Dr Kourie make sure he gets looked at" Roy told him. He nodded and pulled Johnny into the ambulance.
"He's right you know" Dr Kourie told Johnny. He started to take the young paramedic's blood pressure and noted his sweat covered body. "I'm going to start you on an IV to get your fluids and BP up" Dr Kourie told him. Johnny lent his head back and closed his eyes. "When was the last time you ate?" Dr Kourie asked him.
"I had toast for breakfast" Johnny replied.
"That's not enough for your metabolism. You need to make sure you snack when you work" he told the paramedic.
"I didn't know you cared Dr Kourie" Johnny said and smiled at the stoic doctor, for a minute he thought the doctor was going to smile.
Dr Kourie turned and checked the workers. The ambulance backed into the bay. The doors were opened and fresh air entered the ambulance. The gurneys were pulled out and Dr Kourie helped Johnny step out of the ambulance making sure he was steady on his feet. "You know, I could never do what you do...run into a burning building...I guess I owe you guys an apology" and with that the doctor was gone and Johnny was left standing holding his IV in the hallway. Dixie caught sight of him and grabbed his arm and led him to the doctor's lounge.
"Just sit here Johnny...I'll get you some juice" she told him. Heat exhaustion was causing the shaking and his head was pounding.
About an hour later Roy woke Johnny. "Is it time to go?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
"Time to go Johnny" Roy helped him sit up and gave him some more juice.
"Thanks...Roy...Dr Kourie apologised, I think" said Johnny. He walked stiffly but soon loosened up as he walked further. "He was impressed with us running into a burning building" Johnny told his partner.
"Works every time Junior" Roy slapped his partner on the back. They left the hospital and went back to the fire to continue with the triage; Dr Kourie was working on a broken ankle. The fire continued to rage out of control. The sound of exploding paint tins could be heard every so often. Johnny and Roy were called to help rescue a firemen caught under a ceiling collapse. They found the fireman pinned under a steel beam.
"I'll get the gear, he needs an IV now" Roy told his partner. Johnny continued to check the fireman for injuries.
Roy returned with their gear and Mike and Chet started the long process of cutting through the beam. Johnny checked the victim's chest and told Roy there were diminished breaths on the left side. Together they got all the vitals and Roy called them over their HT to Dr Kourie. They established an IV and immobilised an arm and shoulder.
"He needs a chest tube" Johnny told Roy.
"I know" said Roy. The area they were in was relatively safe from the fire but there was danger from falling debris. "I'm going to talk to Dr Kourie" Roy told his partner and left.
Roy found his Captain and the Battalion Chief. He explained the situation to them hoping they would give the doctor permission to enter the building. The three of them approached Dr Kourie.
Roy explained to Dr Kourie the situation. The victim was not moving anytime soon, cutting through the beam was estimated to take at least another hour. He explained the dangers and waited for Dr Kourie to make a decision. He picked up the biophone and called in asking for Dr Brackett.
"The decision is yours Owen" Dr Brackett told him, hoping the doctor would show the courage needed and go in to help the victim. "What are you going to do?" he asked his colleague.
"Can the paramedics perform this procedure in the field?" Dr Kourie asked Dr Brackett.
"This is outside their Scope of Practise Owen, I can't authorise that. You need to make a decision" Dr Brackett pushed.
"If I instruct them can they perform it?" he asked.
"Both men are capable of performing it but you will have to take responsibility for it, not the paramedics."
"Alright, I'll instruct them through it" Dr Kourie informed his superior.
Captain Stanley and the Battalion Chief listened to the conversation between the doctors. "I want to make sure you're clear on this Dr Kourie. You are taking full responsibility for my paramedics performing this procedure in the field" he said with conviction.
"Yes" Dr Kourie answered and handed Roy the necessary items for the procedure.
"Johnny will be doing it; he's in the better position so I'll relay the instructions. He'll need both hands anyway" Roy explained.
"Ok, call me when you're ready" Dr Kourie told the now running paramedic.
When Roy told Johnny what had happened, Johnny couldn't help thinking, if Dr Brackett were in his shoes he'd be in here performing the procedure without giving it a second thought. Mike and Chet stopped cutting.
"Mike I need you to listen carefully to what Dr Kourie says and what I say. I don't want anyone saying I didn't pass on the correct instructions, if something goes wrong" Roy told their engineer.
"Right, you know I've got your back" Mike told his friend.
They took deep breaths and started the procedure. To say Johnny was nervous was an understatement, but he kept himself calm and followed the instructions carefully. He had seen the procedure done many times so he already had a good idea as to what to do. The tube went in smoothly and in the end the victim was breathing easier. Everyone sighed in relief and the cutting continued.
Roy worried about his partner; he was looking fatigued and was sweating again. He passed him some water and told him to drink. The victim stabilized, they had bought him the time needed. When the beam was finally cut through they carefully transferred the victim into stokes. Two hours after first finding the victim, they exited the building and felt a sense of pride and accomplishment, something they hadn't been feeling the last few days.
Dr Kourie and Johnny went in the ambulance with the victim and Roy followed in the squad. Dr Kourie looked at his watch "My shift is over so I won't be coming back with you" he told Johnny.
Johnny just nodded, he was waiting for Dr Kourie to say something about the chest tubing, but he waited in vain. The doctor said nothing and Johnny started to worry. He thought that wall of ice may have melted low enough for the doctor to jump over to their side but he soon realised that this doctor was still not convinced.
"Dr Kourie, can I ask you something?"
"Yes" he answered blandly.
"Do you think a college graduate could do what we just did?"
Dr Kourie didn't commit himself "I really don't know" he answered.
"That's the trouble Dr Kourie, you need to be sure that they can do that...otherwise a lot of lives are going to be lost out there" Johnny said abjectly.
Roy picked up Johnny from the hospital. Dr Brackett was like a proud father patting them on the back. The paramedics were just happy that the fireman was going to make it. They went back to the fire scene and remained on standby. When they were released they made their way back to the station with the engine behind them; all the men were hungry, tired and in need of a shower.
Chief Sorenson was waiting for the squad and engine in the bay area. Cap jumped out of the engine and addressed his Chief "Chief Sorenson what are you doing here?" The Chief smiled but it was not a happy smile, Cap knew straight away something really bad was about to happen.
"Captain Stanley, Roy De Soto and John Gage I need to see you in the office". The rest of the crew looked at each other all thinking the same ominous thing. The door was shut and the muffled voice of the Chief officially addressing Roy and Johnny could be just heard through the closed door. Everyone swallowed hard.
"I've got a bad feeling about this" Chet voiced what they were all feeling.
When Cap shut the door, Roy and Johnny stood at attention "Roy De Soto and John Gage it is with great regret that I have to inform you that due to an enquiry being conducted by the EMS Bureau that you are suspended until such enquiry is fully conducted. Pending the outcome your certification for the Paramedic Program is also suspended. I'm sorry it's come to this, I know how hard you men have worked to improve the program but my hands and the department's hands are tied" Chief Sorenson said regretfully.
"Does Dr Brackett know?" Roy asked.
"I called and informed him only a few minutes ago...I'm sorry gentlemen but I'm required to take your badges and certification cards."
Roy and Johnny unpinned their badges; Johnny ran his thumb over his badge. The euphoria they had felt back at Rampart disappeared and now they felt sick to their stomachs.
Johnny was angry with himself for thinking everything was going to be alright. He knew from the day Dr Kourie threatened to have his certification taken away that nothing good would come of it and he was right. Everything he had worked so hard for was being taken away from him and he had nothing to fall back on. Rent and bills needed to be paid, how was he going to survive?