Chapter 9
At the lake the focus was on getting Chet's temperature down. It wasn't really too high but they didn't have a thermometer with them so they weren't sure how high or how it was changing.
"I take it this is not a good thing," Chet responded to all the attention he was getting.
"You can say that buddy." John responded as he tried to get Chet to drink yet another of his foul tasting herbal concoctions.
"At least when I tried to get you guys to take vitamins at the station they were in pill form and you didn't have to taste them," Chet complained. "This stuff is worse than the last stuff."
"So what do you think the problem is?" Captain Stanley knelt close by.
"He must have aspirated when he was vomiting last night," Roy was in full paramedic mode. "it looks like he's got a bit of pneumonia."
"I think the best thing to do is for you and John here to stay and take care of him while Mike and I hike back to the trucks and go for help." Captain Stanley started issuing orders.
"A, no." Chet interrupted. "It's dark now and you'll just get hurt. Johnny's already sprained his ankle trying to gather these twigs he's making me drink."
"We'll be alright pall." Captain Stanley assured, "We both have high powered flashlights and the stars are mighty bright tonight. You know how Mike can see as well as a cat in the dark."
"You'd just be taking a risk for nothing." Chet still dared to resist his Captain. "I'm not going to get treatment anyway."
"Chet," Johnny was stunned by his statement, "This is something they can treat, you still have more time."
Chet placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, "remember Johnny, we talked about this." "This was one of the scenarios in the living will we filled out together. I've already made my choice. You agreed to honor it."
"But Chet there is still time, you still have time, what about your mother's birthday?"
"I'm not sure I would have made it anyway, at least not in any real capacity, you know as well as I do the amount of drugs it's taking to keep me going now. It's better this way," Chet answered. "It will be easier on her if she doesn't have to watch me die."
The five men looked to each other their tears hidden by the darkness but not the catches in their breathing or the quiet choking sighs.
"Hey John, don't your people just put their sick and dying up on scaffolding and walk away from them?" Chet asked in an off handed effort to ease the tension. It didn't go over too well.
"Not in my life time," John tried to understand his sick friend's crude humor. "I think the health department would have a problem with that now a days'"
"Not to mention a few other departments," Captain Stanley spoke with a tone of disgust in his voice. "Now either Mike and I are going for help or we're making a stretcher and we're taking you with us."
"Will you quit acting like you're the captain here." Chet started acting very insubordinate. "There's not a fire truck around, they're off duty and I'm on leave, 'terminal leave' in every sense of the word. And I don't have to take your orders any more."
There was a stiff silence as Captain and former crew member looked into each other's eyes, not in anger but uncertainty. Chet had called his bluff and he knew he had to back down, "This one's not your call Cap, the decision's been made. Please don't fight me on this. It will just make it harder on everyone and there is nothing any of you can do to change the out come."
There was another long pause before Captain Stanley finally sighed and gave a nod of his head. "We can't just leave you here Pall." He added with some resolve.
"Chet," Johnny stepped forward taking his friends hand, "Chet, we've got to get you out of here one way or another and even with out treatment you'll be more comfortable at home. And I for one would really not like to remember this trip as the one we brought you home in a body bag,"
Chet softened his stance and sighed, "I'm not quite that bad off yet. All right, lets get some rest then as soon as it's light enough to see the ground we're walking on we should head back," then he added with a tone that told everyone he meant business, "While I can still help get my own sorry butt out of here."
Reluctantly the men did rest but no one slept, of that Chet was very aware. In anticipation of the first hint of daylight camp was broke down and packed in the dark and while Marco taped up Johnny's ankle using the skill he learned on his soccer team, Roy refilled Chet's medication dispenser by flashlight and positioned it where they could easily get at it and where it still wouldn't interfere with the back pack straps. Chet's back pack was stripped of as much stuff as they could possible stuff in someone else's pack leaving him only a change of socks, a Jacket and a couple of canteens filled with Johnny's tea.
Chet pulled himself to his feet when he heard the rest whispering about how best to construct a stretcher and shouldered his pack, "My legs work just fine, I see no reason not to use them as long as I can."
Cap sighed in resignation, "Alright, the sun won't crest the mountain for about an hour but I think there's enough light to see where we're going, John, since this is your tea party, lead us out."
Johnny pulled two of Chet's suckers from his pocket and stuffed them in Chet's shirt pocket, "Let me know if I get going to fast for ya there buddy," he then started walking in the direction they needed to go and everyone followed along keeping a close eye on Chet as they walked.
The first mile and a half was fine as Chet's determination amazed everyone including himself. But after that he started to slow down and stumble a little. Roy and Cap were quick to take hold of his arms and help pull him along but it wasn't far before He needed a break. They coaxed him to drink but he wasn't able to get enough fluid in to compensate for the temperature that they were all sure was rising now. Still after a moment Chet stubbornly pulled himself to his feet again and they were off.
It was on their third such break when the bottom dropped out. It began when Chet started coughing which cause immediate and severe pain that his medication couldn't handle and then vomiting, not just emptying your stomach vomiting but non stop pile producing vomiting that took a good ten minutes to stop. Johnny had already pulled his pack from his shoulders and was digging through the medications gathering the ones he needed to help Chet when Chet went limp in Mike's arms.
Roy instantly reached to check a carotid pulse but froze inches away from his mark, Chet's words of "When you can't find that anymore are you going to be able to walk away and not do anything about it?" echoing in his mind. Was the time at hand when he promised that he would be able to not do anything about it?
Chet's quiet moan and movement of his head brought a sigh to everyone surrounding him as Marco slipped under his shoulders to help Mike hold him up. Johnny kneeling at his side now with the needed medications in his hand but hesitant.
"What are you waiting for?" Cap inquired.
"To see if he really needs this." Johnny explained.
"If you're worried about knocking him out don't, we can carry him." Mike offered knowing that he spoke for everyone.
"That's not it," John answered.
"It's a sedative," Roy answered seeing the emotions welling up in his partner. "It will suppress his breathing more than it already is."
And then they understood. Not only were the paramedics faced with having to withhold treatment to keep their friend, not just some stranger but their friend and brother, alive when they knew they could do it. They were faced with making a choice between keeping him comfortable at the risk of shortening what time he did have.
Chet licked his dry lips with his dry tongue and slowly rolled his head and opened his eyes. After taking in the worried looks of his friends he looked beyond them. "Wow", he whispered, "look at the sunrise."
They all turned to behold the colors unfolding above the mountains as each one of them took hold of one of Chet's hands overlapping as was required to do so.
"John, old buddy, old pall, would you do a favor for me," Chet quietly asked.
"Anything," John answered.
"Could you get a picture of that for my Mom?" Chet made his request.
"Sure thing," John then deposited the medication in his shirt pocket and pulled out his camera to get the requested picture and then he turned the camera to his friends. And reaching around to take a hold of Chet's hand once again he took a picture of the six men holding hands. Being careful not to get Chet's face in the picture because no one wanted to remember him looking so sick and he knew Chet would never want to be remembered that way.
After a few minutes of rest, Chet tried to get up once again but wasn't able to. A tent was pulled out and once Chet was placed on it they were able to roll up the sides to give them a hand hold and the five men carried their brother. They weren't hurrying now. They each felt inside that the time was close at hand to say good bye. A good-bye they had been counting on being able to put off for a few months, perhaps even a year. Still there wasn't one of them that wanted to be anywhere else but with their friend.
