I Need Medics in Here NOW & Coping

Hospital – Hallway Leading to Surgery

As the team rushed in Ed took point followed by Wordy, Lou, Jules and Greg. Upon entering the ER area they saw three unit soldiers kneeling on the floor down the hallway. A little further up the hallway they saw two more unit soldiers. But they were flat on their backs and not moving. Clearly they had been affected by the explosion.

Jules and Greg stopped to check on the kneeling men as Ed, Wordy and Lou continued on to the ones on the floor. Lou and Wordy took a knee quickly and checked the pulse of the men as Ed kept guard alert for any movement. They had no idea if the Barton's were loose in the hospital.

Wordy called out "I've got a strong pulse. I think he was just knocked out by the blast."

"Same here" Lou stated.

Forbes looked at the SRU Officer that knelt by him. His voice was off key due to the ringing in his ears as he reported "Master Corporal Forbes, second in command, our Sarge is one of the ones down. The surgery is the point of the explosion. Unsure of the cause. Both hostiles and four friendlies were in the surgery when it blew. One friendly is in the stairwell. Two more of my unit are upstairs covering the friendlies up there."

He swayed on his knees but still tried to rise. Forbes needed to check on Grey and Vinson.

Greg put his hand on Forbes' shoulder and said "Sit down before you fall down. My team will take it from here."

Forbes nodded and sat down. His head was splitting and even if he had made it to his feet he was sure he would have simply fallen over. He turned his eyes to Grey and Vinson and wondered if they were dead. His ears were ringing so badly he had not heard what the SRU officers said when they knelt next to Grey and Vinson.

So Forbes asked "Are my guys alive?"

Greg had just finished relaying to Ed what Forbes told him and that he would stay to cover the five men. As he talked to Ed he watched Jules help the other two unit soldiers sit against the wall. None of them were in any shape to move. Greg turned so he was facing Forbes and nodded as he answered "Yes they are alive."

Ed had acknowledge the info with a "Copy that" then he motioned for Wordy and Lou to move forward.

They needed to clear the surgery and determine if the Barton's had survived. If they had they needed to ensure they were secured before the emergency medical team could come in. Ed hoped Sam and Spike survived the blast. He wondered what caused it seeing no fire.

Greg looked at Jules and said "Jules go let Captain Tadman know it is clear for his medical team to enter the hallway. These guys need attention. Ed should have the surgery cleared by the time they get in here. Let him know the details."

He was holding out hope that those in the surgery were alive but it was one hell of a blast by the sounds they heard outside and the fact that the unit guys were all affected. Greg turned to Forbes and said "I will contact SRU Commander Holleran and he will contact General Braddock for you."

Forbes nodded. He closed his eyes as a wave of nausea hit him. Damn not another concussion he thought as he fought to not hurl.

Outside Craig Hospital

Jules raced outside and forgot to pull her protective face mask down. She located the Captain in charge and stated "You are cleared to go in the hallway. Three soldiers are dazed from the blast and two are unconscious in the hall. There is a potential of six critical that were in the room that the explosion occurred in. We don't know their status yet but there is no fire in the room. Once we determine the subjects are no threat you will be able to enter the surgery."

Then Jules turned and raced back inside ahead of the medical team. She was on edge and wanted to know the fate of Sam, Spike and Scott. A few tears slipped out thinking that it was quite possible they did not survive the blast. The tears started to trail down her face but froze mid-way in the subzero conditions.

Captain Tadman turned to the medical team and gave orders. The medical team grabbed their gear and headed in quickly.

Hospital – Surgery

Lou, Wordy and Ed entered the surgery with caution. They immediately saw four people on the floor, two men and two women. Ed headed for a man on the floor near an overturned bed. Wordy headed to the man on his side facing away from him across the room. Lou headed to two women in the back corner.

Ed removed one glove as he crouched down and checked for a pulse. He found none. Ed saw the odd angle of his neck and surmised it was broken in the blast. He turned the man over to see which Barton brother it was. Ed called out "Jonas Barton is dead."

Then Ed stood and headed to Lou and the two women. Lou looked up and said "Strong pulses. They are both alive."

Wordy checked the man on his side and didn't bother taking a pulse. It was Noah Barton and he was clearly dead with a valve deeply embedded in his forehead. The sight made him queasy. Wordy called out "Noah Barton is dead."

Then Wordy rounded the operating table as Ed and Lou were with the women. He was shocked by what he saw. Both Sam and Spike were lying on the floor. Sam was lying over Spike face down and looked like he was shielding him. Sam was bleeding from a cut on the back of his head and the blood was running down the side of his face and pooling on the ground.

He could not see Spike's face, it was turned away from him and covered by Sam. But he saw a large pool of blood around Spike. Wordy wondered whose blood it was. Was it Sam's or Spike's or both? He was afraid to move or turn Sam over. The image he had seen of Noah Barton was still fresh in his mind and was afraid Sam or Spike suffered a similar fate.

But he had to check. Wordy forced himself to kneel down and placed his fingers on Sam's neck. Relief flooded him. He shifted a bit and without moving Sam, Wordy reached under him and felt for Spike's pulse. It was much weaker than Sam's but it was there.

Wordy urgently called out "I need medics in here NOW! Sam and Spike are alive but Spike's pulse is very weak and one or both of them is losing a lot of blood. Sam is on top of Spike so I cannot tell who is bleeding."

Hospital – Hallway Outside the Surgery

"On the way" Jules called out as she reached Greg.

Greg was standing near Master Corporal Forbes and was about to call Commander Holleran. He saw Jules and put up a hand to stop her as she looked to be heading to the surgery. He said "Jules hold a moment."

Jules stopped and hastily wiped at the tears that began to melt and resume their trail down her face. She wanted to continue to the surgery room. She had to see Sam and Spike. But the Boss indicated for her to hold so she did.

Greg took in Jules state and felt it would be best if he gave her another job to focus on. The medical team would take care of Sam and Spike and Jules needed something to distract her. Greg directed "Jules I need you to check the stairwell for Scott then engage with the unit soldiers upstairs to find out the situation. I need to relay detailed information to Holleran so he can relay it to General Braddock."

"Copy" Jules responded. It pained her to not go directly to her two best friends but she nodded and quickly headed for the stairs.

Hospital – Stairwell

Jules yanked open the door. Laying on the floor was Scott. He was conscious but in the process of hacking up a lung from the sounds of it.

She dropped to her knees and helped him sit up against the wall as she said "Scott. Help is on its way. Hold tight."

Gasping for a breath after a long coughing fit Scott rasped out "Thanks." Then he asked "Sam, Spike, Vanessa, Minna?"

Jules assumed Vanessa and Minna were the two women that were hostages in the surgery with Sam and Spike. She said "All alive. Help is getting to them."

She did not tell him more. Scott looked to be doing badly and she would not burden him with that news. Besides she justified, she did not know their conditions yet. Alive, for now, was accurate.

Jules looked down at his leg seeing a bandage that had a huge green spot with a blue-green center. "Whoa, I thought it was Sam that was the one with the infected leg."

Scott wiped the sweat from his brow and said critically "Braddocks don't do things by half measures. Mine might be colorful but Sam's is much worse." Then Scott dissolved into another coughing fit.

Jules heard the stairwell door upstairs open. She announced herself "SRU the coast is clear. Is everyone up there okay?"

Hinder took the stairs two at a time as he bounded down "Yeah. What the hell happened? We heard the blast but were ordered to provide protection to those upstairs."

Jules shook her head "Not exactly sure. We got here just as things exploded. Five of your unit are down. Your Sarge and another are unconscious. Three others were dazed by the blast. The medical team is coming in. Are there any in need of medical attention upstairs?"

Hinder crouched down next to Scott. He said "No, the old doctor and nurses have that under control for now. I'm a unit medic. Let me have a look at you while the medical team is busy with the others."

Scott nodded and said "Vanessa, the ER doctor, said the infection is pseudo ageous something or other." He started hacking again.

Hinder cocked his head to the side "Never heard of that. Never seen discharge like this either. But I doubt that is causing your breathing problems."

"No probably a result of the hours I spent out in the weather" Scott said as he wiped his brow again then started in on another hacking fit.

The door at the top of the stairs opened again and Welch called down "Hinder status."

"Our guys are down, medical team is tending the wounded. With so many they will be stretched so I'm taking care of Scott" Hinder reported. Then he looked at the man and questioned "It is Scott right?"

Scott nodded. He thought the unit must have been supplied pictures of them. He was older but it depended on which pictures they were given. He leaned back and tried to catch his breath. His chest was so tight now.

Welch called down "The old doctor and his wife want to come down and assist with any wounded."

Hinder called up the stairs "Good, I could use his help with Scott. He's got an infection I've never seen before. I'll get the wheelchair from out in the hall. Carry him down."

Maisie made her way down as Welch went to go get Landry. She reached Scott and her face was full of concern "Oh Scott, my boy, you are not looking so well. Landry will be down in a moment. We will get you right as a fiddle my boy."

Then she looked over at the police officer kneeling next to Scott. Oh goodness. She sure looked a lot like Minna. There were differences to be sure. But she was sure this was Sam's Jules.

Maisie said "I'm Maisie Craig. My husband Landry was a surgeon."

Jules looked at the older kind woman and said "I'm Jules Callaghan."

Maisie gave her a soft smile. She was right. This was Sam's Jules. Maisie wondered if Jules knew Sam had a thing for her.

Scott breathed out with some difficulty "Doc Landry took the ski pole out of my leg and operated on Sam's." He looked at Maisie "Did …"

Maisie gently stroked Scott's fevered face "Don't you fret. Landry was able to remove all the infected tissue. My dear boy Sam will not be losing his leg if he gets proper antibiotics."

Then her face got very sad "But he will have another scar to add to his collection. He has so very many on his chest. Whatever happened to that dear sweet boy I knew when he was a teen?"

Scott took Maisie's hand and squeezed lightly "Too much. But he is okay. Sam is a survivor."

Welch settled Landry in the wheelchair and stepped back. Landry took one look at Scott's thigh and said "Wow I haven't seen Pseudomonas aeruginosa in years. Maisie we need to begin Scott on Ceftazidime via the IV. Go get Vera and Jasmin so they can unlock the pharmacy and get it and the meds needed by the others upstairs too."

Maisie headed upstairs quickly. Jules watched her go and thought the woman had to be in her seventies but she ran up the stairs like someone much younger. Jules hoped she was that spry when she got old.

Landry then turned to Hinder and said "I suspect you can start an IV."

Hinder nodded and opened his medic pack and pulled out the IV kit and a bag of saline. He began to prepare Scott for an IV. He thought Pseudomonas aeruginosa, he would have to look that one up so he was prepared should he ever encounter this in the field.

Jules stood and looked at the other Corporal and said "I'm Jules Callaghan. I need details from upstairs to relay."

Welch stated "Corporal Welch. There are nine patients, two nurses, one orderly, one ski patrolman, the doc and his wife and six family members of patients upstairs."

Jules nodded then she relayed the information on Scott's status and the number of people upstairs to the Boss. She turned when Scott started coughing so badly he could not catch his breath.

Landry said to Welch "There is a portal oxygen tank upstairs. Jeremy will know where. Get that and a mask for me quickly."

Welch raced up the stairs.

Jules knelt down next to Scott. She gently rubbed his back as he coughed and gasped for breath in between. Jules could not believe that all three were in such bad shape. A ski trip that should have been fun for them had turned into a disaster.

Hospital – Hallway Outside the Surgery

Shortly after Jules had headed for the stairs, Captain Tadman stopped at Greg and asked "Any survivors in the surgery?

Greg answered quickly so as to not delay them "Four. You are cleared to go in."

The Captain directed the majority of his team to head into the surgery since he expected that the most critically injured were in located there. He left one in the hall to assess the five in the hall as he said "Are any of your team able to help my guy in the hall?"

Greg knew that Lou also needed something to distract him from Spike's injury just like Jules had needed one due to Sam. He called out "Lou I need you to help the medic in the hall."

He did not get a copy but rather Lou said "I'm not leaving Spike."

Greg heard Ed say "Lou the medical team needs room. Go. They need room to work and help in the hall. Spike would not want you to shirk your responsibilities."

There was an angry grunt but then Greg saw Lou appear in the hall. Lou went directly to the medic and then assisted him in getting the soldiers onto backboards in preparation to move them. The Captain had directed his team to move the unconscious soldiers and the others to the ER treatment area. It was very small but had six bays.

Greg called out "Jules are there any able bodied men or women that can help down here?"

Jules answered "I'll see if any from upstairs can help."

Hospital – Surgery

Ed and Wordy stood back a moment and let the medics get close to the women and to Sam and Spike. They waited in case the medics in the surgery needed their assistance.

Wordy looked at Ed "What do you think happened in here?"

Shaking his head Ed's voice was edged with anger. He felt it rising and he could not keep it from his voice "No idea. Something exploded, we know that. But what went one before that who the hell knows?"

He looked at Sam covering Spike's body as the medics worked to put a cervical collar on him before they moved him. The concern for both of them came out as anger. Sam did it again he thought. Sam put Spike's well-being before himself, protecting Spike from the blast.

Lieutenant Fiona Parker looked at Ed and asked "Can you two help? We need to move him to get to the other."

Ed and Wordy moved forward quickly and helped the medics carefully roll Sam onto a backboard. They both saw the bloody bandage on Sam's leg as he was turned over.

As Sam was being strapped down Wordy said "That looks bad. God I hope Sam doesn't lose his leg."

Fiona looked up and asked "You know him?"

Ed responded "Yes. This is Sam and the other is Spike. They are our teammates."

Another medic was working to get a collar on Spike when he said "Spike?"

Wordy gave Spike's pat answer "His hair used to be spiky. Nickname stuck."

Once Sam was off of Spike, Fiona turned her attention to Spike. He was worse off at the moment. She cut away his shirt to examine what was causing the bleeding. Was it shrapnel or something else?

Wordy sucked in air as the gunshot wound in Spike's side was revealed. The blood on the floor, all of it was from Spike.

Ed's anger rose more as he looked at Spike and the amount of blood he lost. Then Ed looked over at Noah Barton and felt nothing for the dead man but anger. He did not know for sure but he suspected Noah shot Spike.

God dammit. Ed began wondering what really happened in here. How did Sam end up on top of Spike? How did Spike get shot? So many questions and no one to answer them right now. It was hard but he was managing to keep his emotions in check.

Fiona called out "Captain, we need blood." Then she looked at the medic in her charge and said "Get an IV started, we need to replace some fluids pronto. We need to type and cross match to determine Spike's blood type."

Lou had made his way back to the surgery. Three men, the unit man Welch and two guys named Ron and Jeremy had come to help in the hallway. All the unit men were now either in the ER or on their way.

He heard the doctor and responded "Same as mine."

Fiona looked up at the new arrival and asked "And that is?"

Lou went to where Spike was and dropped to his knees "O negative."

Fiona called out "Captain we need O negative."

Captain Tadman responded "On it." Then he raced outside to the sno-cat to their blood stores case. They had come prepared for anything. As he ran he asked "Fiona can he travel?"

Fiona Parker answered "The trip is too long. I need to operate first Sir. Once I determine the internal damage I can determine if he can make the trip."

Lou took a hold of Spike's hand and said "Hang on bro. Hang on please." He looked at the doctor and said "If you need blood for him, you can have mine."

Fiona smiled gently and her soft brown eyes showed compassion "We brought blood. I'll take good care of you friend."

A medic looked to Ed and Wordy and asked "Can you help me get Sam to the ER? We have set up a triage in there."

Ed and Wordy bent down and helped lift Sam carefully. Ed was at the head and he could see Sam's flushed face and felt the heat radiating off of him. He looked at Wordy "Sam cannot even go on vacation without shit happening to him."

Wordy looked at Sam's leg as he backed up out of the surgery. He didn't know what to say so he just remained silent. As they carried Sam they saw Scott being transported to the ER too. Jules was with him and Scott was on oxygen.

He finally said "We shouldn't let Sam take vacations anymore. Time off is likely to get him killed."

Ed couldn't help himself and he snorted "True. But then again, on the job is just as likely to get him killed."

Jules had been listening to it all and said "We need to wrap him up in bubble wrap no matter where he goes."

Greg understood what the team was doing. The situation was too tense. They had no clue if Sam, Spike and Scott would be okay. They were using humor to deal with the emotional storm that was brewing in each of them.

He chimed in "Gonna cost us a fortune to keep in him in bubble wrap."

Lou's voice was soft and smooth as he added "Think we need to start wrapping Spike up too. He's starting to take after Sam."