Rescue
October 23, 1841
"Because I said so, Hair Boy!"
"Helga, I just thought I could get dinner tonight. You can get it tomorrow."
"I don't need your charity, dammit!"
"Helga, it's Subway, not a four-star steakhouse."
The two of them stood in front of the sandwich counter arguing while the poor employee looked at them in total confusion.
"So, uh, what kind of bread do you want?"
Helga turned to the employee and jabbed a finger at him. "Don't interrupt, kid."
"Helga-"
"911 to any units in the area of 10945 State Route 52, cross streets of Jay Street and Hagen Avenue, respond priority one for a shots fired call. Caller reports a victim down, unknown injuries. Suspect in possession of a shotgun and has retreated into the residence."
Arnold and Helga looked at each for a moment before running out the door, leaving a very confused Subway worker behind them.
"Give me the keys!" Helga said.
"No, I'm driving."
"Give the damn keys, that's an order!"
"Lieutenant says I'm supposed to do everything at this point, that includes driving," Arnold said with a smirk.
"Ugh, you're infuriating." Helga said. And yet, I adore you, she thought.
Helga and Arnold weren't the first unit on scene. Two State Police patrols were already there, as well as another Sheriff's unit and a local PD car that responded out of jurisdiction to assist. The call was at a misshapen and run-down apartment building up a dirt driveway that was partially washed out by years of rain and no maintenance. Helga and Arnold approached the perimeter, Arnold with his pistol and Helga carrying the patrol rifle. They took position behind cover and Helga addressed the State officer that was in charge of scene.
"Where's the suspect?"
"Witnesses say he retreated inside the house. Discharged one round from a pump shotgun at the victim and missed, then cracked him in the head with the stock before going inside. No one has seen him leave. There are two doors in, one on the side facing us and one on the left side. There are no doors on the back side of the apartment that access the rest of the building, so what you see here is pretty much every way in or out. SWAT is on their way."
Helga peered over the top of the abandoned refrigerator she and Arnold were sheltered behind. She saw what appeared to be a body laying on the ground near a fire pit, the fire still smoldering. It was only a few feet from the side of the building.
"Is that the victim?"
"Yeah."
"Is he dead?"
The State officer shrugged. "Don't know. No one has been able to get to him."
Helga glowered at the man. "So, you're just going to leave him there? He could be alive!"
The officer frowned. "Hey, my orders were to set up a perimeter and wait for SWAT and that's what I'm going to do. My sergeant is on his way."
"We're going to get him."
The officer shook his head. "The hell you are. This is my scene, and you're not breaking cover."
"I'm not part of your chain of command, bucko."
"You're not going out there," he said forcefully, color rising in his cheeks. He was getting angry.
Helga pointed to the prostrate figure on the ground. "If he's alive right now and dies before your team gets here, that's on you. But I'm sure as shit not going to let it be on me. If we go out there and get killed, you go right ahead and tell your supervisor that you ordered us not to go. But we are going." Helga stared at the officer, fury plainly visible in her blue eyes.
"You're not gonna stop her, Jim," the other state officer said.
The officer thought for a moment. "Fine. Go. We'll cover you. But I accept no responsibility for what happens to you out there."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you want. Thanks Bill." The other State officer waved at her. She turned to Arnold. "You ready?"
Arnold holstered his side arm and nodded. "What's the plan?"
"We'll swing out to the left, use that big tree as intermediate cover on the approach. We'll try to stay in line with that corner on the way up to cut down the possible angles he can use to shoot at us. I'll cover, you get him in a fireman's carry, and we get him to the car. We'll radio EMS once we're clear and meet them at their staging area. Capiche?"
Arnold nodded. Helga could tell he was nervous, but he looked determined. The two kept under cover as they moved to put the tree between them and the house. Helga ran up to the tree and unslung the rifle. She pointed it at the closest window and waited for Arnold to get to the tree.
"On me, Shortman," she said as she stepped out from behind the tree and walked toward the man on the ground. She kept the rifle pointed at the house as Arnold stayed close behind her. Her heart was beating faster and faster. She passed the victim and Arnold began to lift the man onto his shoulders.
"Good to go," he whispered.
"Move," she replied. Arnold carried the man back a quick walk while Helga backed away slowly toward the tree. Arnold went straight back through the perimeter while Helga covered from the tree. Once Arnold was clear and on his way to the patrol car, Helga broke cover and ran back. Arnold loaded the man into the back seat and Helga jumped behind the wheel. "Stay back there with him. Make sure he doesn't fall off the seat and get hurt worse." She pulled the magazine out of the rifle and cleared the chamber, then tossed both rifle and magazine into the passenger seat. She put the car in reverse and started backing out while she picked up the microphone.
"Papa Sierra three two six, 911. We'll be clear and en route to the EMS staging location with one male victim. Possible blunt trauma to the head."
"Received, three two six. What is the victim's status?"
Helga looked in the rear-view mirror at Arnold. "Unresponsive. Pulse weak and regular, 90 bpm. Respirations shallow, 20 per minute," he said.
Helga relayed the information to 911. "Received, three two six. EMS is staging at Elk Island Fire Company. AirMed is en route, ETA zero three."
"Three two six copies."
Elk Island Fire wasn't that far from the scene. As Helga arrived she could see that the fire company had already laid out lights in the parking lot as a landing zone for the medevac helicopter. Two ambulances were waiting for her arrival. She pulled up next to one and the paramedic opened the back door. He had Arnold stabilize the patient's head and neck while he applied a cervical collar. They slid a flexible stretcher under him and began to snap him in. The medic asked Arnold to climb out so he could start taking vitals on the patient. Helga could hear the helicopter approaching.
"You need help moving him?" Helga asked.
The medic shook his head. "Medevac is here. I only want to move him once."
The helicopter set down and the flight medics took over the patient. They moved him carefully to their own stretcher and loaded him into the passenger compartment. In a few minutes, the helicopter was airborne again. Helga watched it lift off and start to disappear into the distance. Arnold leaned heavily against the side of the car. His hands were shaking.
"Well," he said. "That was a trip."
"Sure was."
He looked up at her. "How can you not be scared doing something like that?"
Helga shook her head. "I was terrified, Football Head. But sometimes you just have to embrace the suck and do your job. Only guy I know that wouldn't be scared is Curly Gammelthorpe. But he's a certifiable whack job." She looked back at him. "Don't worry about the shakes. You're just coming down from the adrenaline dump. You'll be fine."
Arnold chuckled. "I'm not sure what scared me more. Running up to that house or being in the back seat without a belt on while you were driving."
Helga turned to him to snap off a retort but Arnold just winked at her. Be still, my heart! she thought, swooning.
"Uh, I… shut up, geek bait!" she yelled as she stomped off toward the fire house. Good recovery, she thought as she shook her head. She looked up at the volunteer firefighters standing around the front door. "Where does a woman have to go to get a bottle of water around here, sheesh!"
A/N: Real call, though the details are made up because I wasn't there. Two of our guys pulled a victim out. The victim survived. It was actually our scene and not state's, but there's always a little friction between departments. Also my posting schedule is all messed up. But I should still be on course for two updates a week.