Chapter 9
Roland, Kylie, and Echo reached Central Park and had parked Ecto-2 along 5th Avenue as close to Harlem Meer as they could get. Central Park designers Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux had named this man-made water body "the Meer" which was Dutch for "small sea". It was a nod to the 17th century European settlers who first inhabited the village of Harlem. Today, families come to the area for catch-and-release fishing, skating and swimming at Lasker Rink and Pool. Harlem Meer is a thriving wildlife habitat and home to fish, turtles, muskrats, and waterfowl. Several varieties of trees, including oak, bald cypress, beech, black locust, and ginkgo surround it. Two gun emplacements, that had been intended for use during the War of 1812, were also nearby.
After suiting up, they were fanning out around the water for signs of Eduardo. Roland and Kylie had their newer versions of the proton packs on, while Echo had the version that her father had used when he had first started the business with Peter and Ray. Echo had grown up with this pack and knew it inside and out. She trusted it over the ones the new team wore. Not that the new team's packs were bad, it was just that she was not used to them. Egon had made the newer packs while she was at Juilliard and thus had never gotten to practice with them. That was fine by her as the proton pack she wore was just as capable of doing the job.
Echo stopped. She had been looking down just now and saw footprints in the wet grass. They could be anyone's but as she followed them with her flashlight she saw something black lying in the grass a few feet away. Echo hurried over to it and saw that it was a PKE meter. She took her radio off of her belt and keyed it on.
"Kylie. Roland. I found a PKE meter on the west side of Harlem Meer. Did Eduardo have one on him tonight?"
"Yes." came Kylie's static reply. "We'll met you there."
Keying the radio off and putting it back on her belt Echo reached down to pick up the PKE meter. She now saw it start to light up. There was definitely activity going on. As she placed her right hand on the handle she could feel herself being pulled forward, towards the trees, by an unseen entity. Echo tried to dig her heels into the wet grass and slow her forward momentum but was unsuccessful. As she reached the tree line Echo tried to grab her radio to let the others know what was happening when she felt herself falling down. She landed on something soft.
"Oomph." it said.
Echo untangled herself from whatever she had fallen on and searched around in the darkness with her hands to find her flashlight that she had lost.
"Sorry." she said to the figure she couldn't see.
"Doctor Spengler is that you?" came a voice she knew.
"Eduardo?' she asked.
"Yea it's me." he replied.
Echo gave up on finding her flashlight an reached back and turned on her proton pack. The soft glow from its lights helped her to see what she needed.
There was Eduardo. Alive but in no means able to get up by himself. He was lying on his proton pack, on his back. His left arm looking bruised with blood coming from his face. He was moaning in pain.
"Fell down the rabbit hole did ya?"
"Pulled down actually. I can't move my left arm Doctor Spengler and I can't find my radio to call the team.
"I know the feeling. He got me too. Thanks for breaking my fall by the way."
"Oh, think nothing of it."
Echo took her radio from her belt and keyed it on.
"Kylie. Roland. I found Eduardo. Repeat. I have found Eduardo. Call the paramedics and be on the look out for a demonic entity. He just took me for a ride down a rabbit hole."
"Is Eduardo O.K.?" Kylie's voice came over.
Echo looked to Eduardo and raised her eyebrows at him.
"Should I tell her?" she asked.
"Give me that damn thing." Eduardo said holding out his right hand to Echo.
Echo walked over to Eduardo, handed him the radio, and then pulled out her knife from her inside left calf pocket. As Eduardo was talking to Kylie she cut the straps to his proton pack and removed them from his right shoulder. As she cut the left one and was trying to remove it Eduardo screamed in pain.
"Eduardo?" Kylie said with worry in her voice.
Echo took the radio back from Eduardo.
"Kylie I have to take care of Eduardo. Make the call to the paramedics please." Echo said as she keyed off the radio and placed it back on her belt.
As Echo put her knife back into her calf pocket she could see that Eduardo's arm was separated from the socket. She would have to perform a manual relocation but she was going to have to get the proton pack out from under him first.
"Think you could sit up." she asked him.
"All I can do is try."
Echo took Eduardo's right hand with her right hand and placed her left hand on his proton pack.
"On the count of three, Deal?"
Eduardo nodded his head and held his breath.
"One. Two. Three."
As Echo said three she lifted Eduardo with her right hand while she slid the proton pack out from under him with her left hand. Eduardo screamed in pain and then fell limp onto the ground. He had passed out from the pain.
"Better for you you're not awake when I put your shoulder back in." Echo told the sleeping man.
Echo sat on the ground next to Eduardo's left side. Taking her left boot off she took Eduardo's left arm in both her hands and placed her stocking foot into his armpit. Bracing herself Echo bent the elbow at a 90 degree angle. She then rotated Eduardo's arm and shoulder inward, towards his chest making a letter "L". Slowly, but steadily she rotated the arm and shoulder outwards. When Eduardo's lower arm was just past the 90 degree mark to his chest the shoulder 'popped' back into the joint. Gently taking her foot away she rotated his arm back towards his chest and laid it down. Just then light flooded down upon her and Eduardo.
"Doctor Spengler?" Roland's voice could be heard from above.
"Thanks for the light. Hold it there while I splint Eduardo's arm."
Echo took the strap of her 'med' kit up and over her head and sat it on the ground next to her. She unzipped it and produced a triangular piece of material. Folding it in half and placing it gently under Eduardo's arm she knotted the ends together over his right shoulder.
"Kylie over here." Roland called above her.
Echo heard Kylie's voice a moment later. "Eduardo?"
"He's out cold." Echo called up to her replacing her boot. "Are the paramedics on the way?"
"Yes." Kylie replied.
"Kylie." Roland said. "Go back to Ecto-2 and wait for the paramedics there. That way when they come you can lead them here. Also give Professor Spengler and Garrett a call and fill them in on our progress."
When Kylie had left Roland called down to Doctor Spengler, "Anything I can do for you?"
"Got a ladder?" she teased him.
"Sorry. Fresh out."
Eduardo moaned. He was coming around. Echo knelt down beside him and took his right hand in hers checking his pulse.
"What.. What happened?" he grumbled.
"Sorry about that Eduardo." Echo told him. "The pain from your dislocated shoulder sent your brain into shutdown mode, but look on the bright side, while you were out I set your shoulder so they don't have to do that at the hospital."
"Thanks, I think."
"Anything else bothering you?" Echo asked as she checked Eduardo out.
"Just my pride."
Echo frowned. "Why is that?"
"Sorry Doctor Spengler." Eduardo said trying to sit up. "It's just that I can't find the nerve to ask Kylie to marry me."
As Echo helped Eduardo to sit upright she thought about this. What did she know about boyfriends. She didn't have one. Sure she had friends that were male in gender but not like Eduardo and Kylie who were in love with each other.
"Why do you think you can't ask her?" Echo said as she finally got Eduardo upright.
"I am afraid Kylie would think I'm not good enough for her," he sighed. "I guess what I really think is that I'm not good enough for her. Hell, Kylie probably didn't even care that I fell down this here 'rabbit hole' as you put it."
"That's where you are wrong Eduardo." Echo said as she dug into her 'med' kit for some gauze. Placing it above Eduardo's right eye, where he had a laceration, she continued.
"You should have seen her at the firehouse. Kylie blamed herself for your disappearance. She kept repeating that it was her fault."
"Really? You're not pulling my leg are you Doctor Spengler?" Eduardo questioned her as he took over holding the gauze above his eye.
As Echo dug for tape in her 'med' kit she answered him.
"No. Kylie was genereally concerned for your well being. She called Professor Spengler and me to come and help her find you. When you get out of here you two should sit down and talk. You both love each other and want to be with each other. You have a lot in common and like the same things." Echo finished taping the gauze in place and dropped the role of tape back into her kit.
Eduardo lowered his hand and looked Echo in the face.
"I guess I owe Kylie that much." he said. "I'll talk to her if we ever get out of this place."
"Oh ye of little faith. Now, Me or the EMT's?" she asked. Echo had dug a catheter out of her 'med' kit and was waving it in Eduardo's face.
"Do I need one? I feel fine except for the shoulder."
"Sorry. Everyone who walks through the doors of Mount Sinai Hospital gets one. I'll give you ten dollars if you let me do it though."
"Why?"
"Because it's after midnight on Saturday morning and Sal is on call."
"So?"
"Well how should I put this… Sal's a good man but can only put catheter's in someone's left arm. So I see a slight problem with that do you?"
"Yea, slight problem. O.K., will you just do it already."
Echo took Eduardo's right arm and tied a plastic rubber tourniquet around his bicep then with her bandage scissors she cut the ripstop material of Eduardo's blue jumpsuit up the center from the cuff to where her tourniquet was. As she swabbed the site, using expanding circular motions, with chlorhexidine she asked Eduardo to make a fist.
"Gladly. I'd love to get that demonic entity who dropped me down this here hole."
"Please tell me about it." Echo said.
Echo often played this trick on people. Take their minds off of what she was doing. She found it worked great.
"I was working my way around Harlem Meer. My PKE meter had picked up some Class 2's in the water but then they were gone just as quickly. I was trying to see where they went when something grabbed my left arm, pulling me across the grass and into the tree line. I tried to get away and grab my radio at the same time. Next thing I knew I felt that I was falling. I must have passed out because the only thing I remember after that was you landing on me."
As Eduardo had been talking Echo had visualized the vein. Stabilizing the vein and applying countertension to the skin Echo had inserted the stylet through the skin and observed for "flash back" as the blood slowly filled the chamber. Echo then slowly advanced the catheter into the vein and pulled out the stylet. She then removed the tourniquet and secured the end of the catheter with a cap. Echo then secured the catheter in place by placing tape over the lower half of the catheter hub taking care not to cover the tubing connection. As Echo finished taping the catheter in place they both heard sirens getting louder overhead.
"Calvary's here!" Roland called down from above.
"I hope they brought pizza. I'm starved." Eduardo called up to Roland.
Echo shook her head at Eduardo. The new team was just as much like her and her father. Caring for what happens to each other and able to laugh about the situation they were placed into.
Kylie's voice could now be heard.
"Doctor Spengler. Eduardo. The EMT's and paramedics are here."
"Thanks Kylie" Eduardo called to her.
"Eduardo are you O.K.? I've been so worried."
"I'm going to be fine thanks to Doctor Spengler here honey. Just give me a minute or two to get topside."
"Deal. Then I'm going to hug and kiss you." Kylie called to Eduardo.
"No hugging Kylie." Echo called up. "At least not for six weeks." she winked at Eduardo.
"Thanks." Eduardo silently mouthed to her.
Now a new voice came down to them.
"Doctor Spengler?" it said a little startled at first. "Are you the one that's hurt?"
"Sal! No it's Eduardo Rivera. A member of the 'Ghostbusters' team. Dislocated shoulder, which I set while he was out; laceration above right eye, will need some stitches; pulses are good; and a catheter placed. I need a harness to get him up top."
"Coming your way. Here catch."
Sal tossed his flashlight down to her. This was a police type that was nonbreakable and very bright. As she watched the light as it fell, so did her heart. Roland's light from above wasn't very bright. She figured they had fallen at least one story down. When Sal's light hit the ground and its beam rose upward she knew it was more like four floors. Eduardo was lucky to be alive and as a matter of fact so was she. Sal knew it too.
"Long way down Doctor Spengler" he called. "Hold tight."
Echo got up and went over to retrieve the light. As she was returning to where Eduardo was sitting she reached back and turned off her proton pack. Eduardo was now bathed in a bright light so she could see him better than before. He looked pale but that was understandable for what he had been through.
"Ready to get out of here?" she asked Eduardo setting the flashlight down in front of him.
"Anytime Doctor Spengler."
"Doctor Spengler?" Sal was back and called down to her. "Heads up." With that being said Sal tossed a rope and climbing harness down to her. As Echo crossed to pick it up Sal continued.
"The opening is too small up here to send a man with equipment down to help you. Can you get Eduardo into the harness yourself? We can pull him up on our end, but if you can't we will have to wait a couple of hours for the backhoe to come."
"No Sal, I got it on this end. Eduardo is conscious."
Echo took the harness over to where Eduardo was. Helping him place his legs into the harness and carefully buckling it up she helped Eduardo get to his feet. Ever so slowly, they crossed to the rope. As Echo was tying the rope in place she explained to Eduardo what he needed to do.
"You need to wrap your right hand around the rope like this." she showed him, "And your feet too. Lean into the rope and try to stay focused on the ceiling. What ever you do, don't look down."
"Double or nothing Doctor Spengler?" Eduardo asked as he got ready to be hauled upwards.
"On what?" Echo tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at him as she called up to Sal. "Ready to go."
"Ready here." Sal called down.
"On whether Kylie hugs me like you told her not to." Eduardo answered as he started to leave the ground.
"No way." Echo called up after him. "You win that bet hands down. Good Luck."
"Thanks Doctor Spengler. I owe you one." Eduardo called back.
After Eduardo had been taken up, Echo turned and started gathering her things. She pulled Eduardo's proton pack over to where the rope had been. The proton pack would have to go up next as she couldn't carry two. Echo then went back for her 'med' kit. Zippering it up she placed the strap back over her head and picked up Sal's flashlight. As she scanned the floor to see that she had gotten everything she noticed that the 'hole' was a small cave barely able to fit four to five people in. Echo's light fell onto the PKE meter a few feet away by some rocks.
"You know you started all this." Echo told the object as she picked it up and stuck it under her belt. Echo heard the rope falling and turning away from the rocks went back to it. She wrapped the rope around the frame of the proton pack and tied it off.
"Ready to go next." Echo called up to Sal. "One more trip after this."
"Ready here." Sal called down.
As the proton pack rose from view, Echo watched it go. She was tired and hungry. Echo had only eaten lunch at the University at noon and had not had any dinner because of Doctor Pla making her stay late. That pizza that Eduardo had mentioned was sounding good right now. Echo sighed and looked at her watch. One thirty in the morning it said. Bed. That's what she wanted. To sleep. To dream. Doctor Spengler was coming off of her 'adrenaline high'. Most rescue workers would get this on the job as the work was finished.
The rope hit Echo on her head as it came down for the last time. "Boy, I must be tired." Echo told herself. A harness was attached to the end. Echo quickly stepped into it and fastened it up. After tying the rope as she had done for Eduardo and putting the flashlight into the strap of her proton pack she called up to Sal.
"Ready to go last one."
"Ready here." came Sal's reply.
As Echo felt herself being pulled towards the surface she relaxed and started thinking about sleep. Coming down from a 'adrenaline high' most rescue workers would find themselves tired all of a sudden. Thus it was with her. As Echo started to doze she didn't notice the PKE meter on her belt starting to slowly beep at her. Echo totally missed the shouting on the surface and the proton streams going off. What Echo did notice was that when she was three stories up the PKE meter went right off the scale. She awoke to the blaring of the thing. Looking at the meter it was too late.
A demonic entity, intent on causing harm to living beings, grabbed her right leg from below and pulled down hard. Before she could yell for help the rope snapped from above.
"DOCTOR SPENGLER!" was all she heard being screamed at the top of someone's lungs before blackness overtook her as Sal's flashlight went out and she fell to the ground below.
Echo hit hard on her back, her proton pack taking most of the blow. The momentum caused her to bounce back up and then as she came back down again she hit her head and landed on her right side. Echo saw the blackness creeping up the corners of her vision and welcomed it over the pain that she was feeling. She closed her eyes and gave in to it. Slipping into unconsciousness.
