Snakes have gone bye-bye now but the Stoker twins are back.

Too Much Time to Think

Unfortunately for the two still rattled paramedics the coffee pot in the doctor's lounge was on its last cups and the last cup of coffee most always leaves something to be desired as far as taste. One testing sip and their cups were poured down the drain and the cups washed out. A quick look at the clock on the wall and they knew it was coming up on shift change and someone would be assigned to make a fresh pot in just a little while, it wasn't their place to do it now.

When the cleaning lady came in to clean the room that was all the excuse the boys needed to go back out in the hall and wait near the nurse's station for word on Mike.

They knew he was cyanotic, that he wasn't getting enough air, but did they manage to force enough air into him to prevent brain damage? What about his neck, was it broken? Did they keep it immobilized enough to prevent spinal cord damage? What other injuries did he have that were made worse by the way they handled and moved him? They never had time to check him over completely and even though his shoulder and arm were clearly broken the need to move and get him where they could deal with his airway issues were so critical to his survival they just had to let the rest wait.

Johnny kept trying to comfort himself by telling himself he did the right thing. When he took a deep breath and closed his eyes in an attempt to calm his pulse rate all he could see were snake scales and in his mind he could repeatedly hear the sound of snapping of bones. He could feel his fingers starting to tingle and knew that he needed to stop with the deep breaths for a few minutes.

John thought to go see how Stan was doing but he couldn't bring himself to leave the spot in the hall where he could see the door where Mike was. They were either going to stabilize him or lose him in a matter of minutes it wouldn't be long now, one way or the other. Someone would soon be coming out of that room with news. John's feet might as well of been superglued to the floor.

John's first realization outside of his own thoughts was when he felt a touch on his back. Turning to see who was trying to get his attention he saw Laura Stoker standing there with her two boys holding onto her pant legs.

"Where's Mike? How bad was he hurt?" Laura asked in a clear panic that was so uncharacteristic of her. Her eyes were searching the hall, stopping briefly at every exam room door and John knew she was looking for her husband.

"He ah," John fought with his mind to find the right words. He and JoAnne had an understanding of what was to be said at a time like this but there was no such understanding with any other of his team's family members. To make matters worse John had no idea how much information she had already been given. Did she know this was a snake attack not a fire? Did she have any idea how big the snake in question was?

Besides John only knew the answer to one of Laura's questions. "The doctors are working with him in room one."

Laura finally locked eyes with John and John knew with one look he had told her so much more than he had intended as the panic in her eyes multiplied.

"Boys, you stay with your uncles, Mommy's going to go check on Daddy."

John felt the grip of two small hands take hold of his pants as he tried to stop Laura from running down the hall. Laura just turned back to him with a look of defiance.

"I know my way around, I can handle it." She then pulled away and walked straight to treatment room one.

Laura had seen and recognized the cart outside of room one as the surgical cart, she quickly pulled a hair cover on and then a surgical cover over her clothes before grabbing a face mask and hold it to her mouth and nose with one hand as she used the other to push the door open so that she could enter.

The doctors and staff working on Mike were either so busy they didn't notice or Laura was able to keep her shocked gasp silent. It didn't take her even a second to notice the trach tube being sutured in place and she was just as quick to notice the spinal immobilization on her husband.

She had been told by the Department representative that her husband had been using the fire hoses to help calm down some rather large snakes so that they could be relocated from a private home, where they had been pets, to a zoo, she couldn't remember which zoo nor did she really care. The only other piece of information they had given her was that, "Something went wrong and Mike had been injured and had to be taken to the hospital for treatment."

Of course she knew it was serious the moment she opened the door to see two men in dress uniforms. One of them was wearing the collar of a clergyman. If it was minor they would have just called her and told her Mike was at the hospital, they wouldn't have sent a car.

Laura forced herself to look at the heart monitor where she saw a stable sinus rhythm at a rate of 80, a little fast for Mike but well within normal parameters, trauma does that sort of thing. His breathing was totally assisted, but that was expected, she was comforted that he had been anesthetized for the procedure, they had had time for that. Why a trach? Why not just intubate? It had to have something to do with the spinal precautions. Just how bad was his neck injury? What was the rest of their life going to be like?

She noticed someone handing out leaded shields, everyone there would be staying close while they took x-rays. Laura grabbed one before they were all gone, she would be staying too. Breathing heavily and fighting to keep her tears silent Laura faded into a corner out of the way. It was a good thing there was enough staff to take care of her husband because she was clearly too close to this one. All she could do was silently watch.

-0-

Out in the hall, John was finding a welcome distraction in trying to comfort two little boys. He had determined that they must have Mike properly ventilated by now; at least that's what he told himself.

Squatting down to be closer to the boy's eye level he started to rub their backs with each of his hands. "Would you boy's like some juice?"

"Where Daddy?" one little boy asked. It was clear by the looks on their faces that they were frightened.

"Well um," Johnny took another breath trying hard to choose the right words for these boys. "Daddy got an owwie—",

"An Ow wow," one boy corrected his uncle.

"Yeah, yeah, an Ow wow, your daddy got an Ow wow and the doctors are working on him to make it all better. You're Mommy just went in to help them." Johnny watched closely to the boys reactions to what he had told them. They seemed to ease up and look a little less frightened.

"Mommy make Daddy hold still so docor can give him shot and put a ban'aid on." the other of the boys explained. John could live with that explanation for now if it helped the boys.

John stood up and offered the boys his two pointer fingers to take a hold of when Chet rushed up to him.

"How is he? Any word?" Chet spoke in full panic and a winded voice.

John just gave a subtle shake of his head before looking at the boys next to him drawing Chet's attention to them and their needs. "I was just going to take the boys to go get some juice."

"Hey that sounds like a great idea," Chet put on a fake smile and cheery voice. "Can I come too?"

Chet put forth a hand in an offer for one of the boys to take but they both tightened their hold on Johnny's fingers. "Unca's boy."

"OH, well in that case," all of Mike's shift mates were beginning to understand that the boys didn't just go to anyone. Chet started to lead the way keeping his eyes on the boys and not getting more than a step in front of them.

"You coming, Karl," Johnny asked? He had been a little concerned about the look on Karl's face as well and the tremor in his hands. Nothing to really worry about yet but he was keeping an eye on the guy.

Marco joined them as they walked down the hall and Chet held the door to the doctor's lounge open while everyone entered. As soon as they were through the door John looked at a nurse there and asked, "Is there some juice for these boys?"

"Sure," the nurse answered somewhat reluctantly but she at least tried to hide it from her voice as she moved to the fridge and pulled out a couple of small cartons of juice. The boys let go of Johnny's hands to claim their prize and Johnny and Chet worked together to move the boys over to a chair next to the table as they helped them put a straw in their cartons.

"Are these Laura's twins?" The nurse asked. The news that Laura's husband had been rushed into the ER and immediate surgery in critical condition had spread through the ER as fast as Mike did when he was brought in. She hadn't seen the boys since the day Laura brought them through to show them off the day they had a special party in Peds to celebrate all the preemies that survived to their first birthday. That had been nearly a year ago and the boys had sure grown since then. They looked more and more like their father.

Once the boys were distracted by their drinks Chet turned once again to Johnny and whispered. "How bad is he?"

John blew out a breath and then looked to see that the boys were having fun playing with their straws blowing bubbles in their juice between taking drinks. He then turned back and whispered just as softly. "They had to do an emergency tracheotomy in order for him to breathe."

"Isn't that where they cut,-?' Marco whispered also as he touched his own throat.

John just gave an affirmative nod with his head before whispering, "I don't really know anything else."

Once the boys were done with their juice, John just got them a second one. It had worked to keep them entertained why not continue. Before they were finished with their second drinks they both had other needs.

"Potty drill," the boys informed as they pulled at their crotches.

A panicked look came over John's face as he realized that all that juice had to go somewhere. Not sure what to do next Johnny was thrilled when the nurse stepped forward offering her hand to the boys. "I'll take them to the bathroom."

However the boys quickly threw their arms around Johnny's knees and held on tight. "Unca's boy."

With some understanding the nurse looked at Johnny, "Well you better hurry and take them, boys this age can't hold things very long."

John's saving grace was when Marco stepped forward. "I'll go with you."

"Unca's boy," one of the boys repeated.

"That's Okay," Marco just continued to hold his hand out, "I'm an uncle too, remember."

The boys seemed to accept that and one of them took Marco's hand and the four of them moved through the door and across the hall to the men's room.

Once there they found one of the two stalls was taped shut with a sign that said 'out of order' and the other was occupied. Knowing that boys this age couldn't wait there was no other choice than to introduce them to the urinals in the wall. Fortunately for them one of the janitors has just left a box of bathroom paper towels in the corner so Marco was quick to kick the box over next to the urinal and then lift one of the boys on it while Johnny lifted the other one. Working together to help them lower their trousers and panties Johnny talked to them as he had heard Mike do about aiming their little hoses and making sure they didn't make a mess.

-0-

Roy raced into the doctor's lounge with Dixie on his heels. Roy was wearing his street clothes and had his face covered with a disposable face mask but they could see that the eyes were full of concern. "I saw a news flash on TV but I couldn't tell for sure who it was they were moving into the ambulance though. Was it Cap?"

"NO," Chet was quick to answer; he was actually relieved to have their missing team mate around. "It was Mike. That thing crushed his windpipe and they had to do an emergency tracheotomy."

"Do we know any more?" Cap asked as he stepped in behind Roy. The Chief was right behind him.

Chet and Karl both shook their heads negatively.

"What about Laura, has she made it here yet?" Hank asked.

"Yeah, she's in the treatment room with Mike. Johnny had to take the boys across the hall."

"Laura's in the treatment room?" Dixie exclaimed.

"Yeah, Johnny tried to stop her, but she was pretty determined," Karl responded. This might not have been his regular crew but he had worked with Laura and he knew she was no one to challenge.

-0-

The door to treatment room one opened up and since the doctors were anxiously awaiting the preliminary x-rays they were quick to look up and surprised to see Dixie standing there holding a mask to her face.

"What's up, Dix?" Dr. Brackett questioned.

Dixie just moved her eyes around the room until she found Laura leaning against the wall. Kell Brackett, knowing Dixie well by now, turned to see what she was looking at.

"Laura, you shouldn't be here."

Dixie stepped the rest of the way into the room allowing the door to shut behind her, only to have it open again to allow the x-ray tech to enter with the newly developed films.

Dixie quickly moved over to put her arms around Laura and try to lead her from the room. "Let's go get some coffee and Kell will come talk to you as soon as he has something to tell you."

Laura held her ground. "Put them up," she told the doctor holding the films.

"Laura," Kell talked to the Medex on his staff. "I promise I'll come talk to you just as soon as we know what we're dealing with."

"You're going to have to show them to me sooner or later, I'm prepared for the worse, just put them up." Laura demanded and it was clear that short of a major scuffle she was not going to be moved.