Authors Note: It has been quite a while since I have updated. A bit of writers block I suppose. Thanks to TDT for your help and kind suggestion on how to work through this chapter. I hope you like my spin on your neat idea.
I will likely update again soon. I've been looking forward to the next chapter, and it's probably part of the reason why this one has been so difficult to write. Thanks to all you patient readers who have hung in there with me through the story, and endured the delay. Please enjoy!
Fragile
Chapter 26
Johnny though not exactly thrilled with the proceedings, good naturedly put up with the precautionary medical testing for damage due to smoke inhalation. With mother hen Roy hovering, really what choice did Johnny have? Following a breathing treatment, and about an hour spent with humidified oxygen, Johnny was released for duty provided Roy kept an eye on him for further complications,
Emancipation from the emergency room was followed by a short, uninterrupted ride back to station 51 where lunch awaited. It was Marco's day to prepare lunch, and the onion and cheese enchiladas were a tasty treat. Everyone settled in to wolfing down their food, leaving conversation until the meal was finished. Unfortunately, the last few morsels of goodness would have to remain un-eaten on Johnny and Roy's plates because the squad was called for a man down rescue before the medics could manage to clean their plates.
Sighing heavily, both men gulped last farewell drinks from their milk glasses before dashing to the squad. Captain Stanley acknowledged the call and handed the run slip to Roy through the squad window as Roy shifted the vehicle into gear. Roy passed the slip off to Johnny, and the two men rushed from the station with screaming siren and flashing red lights
Arriving on the scene for their call, Johnny and Roy found themselves at a nearby construction site. A security guard directed the squad through a gate in the chain link security fence toward a partially constructed steel framework for a building. At the base of one of the structural support columns they found a crowd of men surrounding a downed coworker.
Johnny gracefully disembarked from the rescue squad and hastily opened the side compartment to begin retrieving equipment. Roy slid the transmission into park and after turning the key to kill the engine, stepped out of the squad and approached the crowd of men.
"Excuse me, coming through." Roy said as he parted the small sea of people to access the victim. Looking around the group Roy asked "Can anyone tell me what happened here"
A heavy set man with brown hair and a red face answered Roy's inquiry. "Don't know mister. Sunny here was just walking and he sort of stopped, swayed a little then fell out. We haven't moved him. He's right where he fell."
Johnny pushed his way through the crowd as Roy knelt to begin examining their victim.
"What have we got?" Johnny said while lowering the drug box and biophone to the ground beside their victim.
Roy finished checking pupil responses while he answered. "His co-workers said he passed out."
Johnny and Roy made eye contact with one another. Both medics had noted the diaphoretic, red faced appearance of the victim, as well as the uncharacteristically humid and hot Southern California day. "You thinking maybe heat related?" Johnny surmised while opening the drug box to retrieve a thermometer, stethoscope and blood pressure cuff.
"Could be. It's worth checking." Roy said as he accepted the thermometer Johnny handed him. Johnny fitted the blood pressure cuff around the man's arm, and began to obtain a reading while Roy took Sunny's temperature, pulse and respiration. Johnny set up the biophone and made contact with Rampart while Roy reached over to snag the drug box. After contacting the hospital and relaying vitals, an I.V was ordered for their victim.
Roy had the I.V. ready to administer by the time Johnny had completed receiving the transmission and noting it on their MICU form for the case. After efficiently establishing the line, Roy taped everything in place, and adjusted the drip. Johnny spoke with the heavy set man who'd called the squad, and obtained pertinent information about the victim. Very shortly an ambulance arrived, and Sunny was carted off in the ambulance with Roy attending. Johnny cleared away the medical debris, and after informing the foreman where they would be taking Sunny, Johnny hopped into the squad and followed the ambulance to Rampart.
Inside the ambulance Roy began obtaining another set of vitals while the vehicle began the trek to Rampart. As he worked, Roy's mind drifted to the conversation he and Johnny had been having periodically about the uncertainties of life. Roy considered the case of the critical care nurse Veronica Fielder he and Johnny had rescued earlier that morning. The fluke that had caused such a strong, in control woman to become so suddenly in need of help seemed to be exactly that; a strange fluke. Roy supposed things of that sort could happen to anyone. And perhaps the woman had been careless, hadn't been watching her step.
Really as a paramedic, Roy had seen many circumstances that had occurred which might have been avoided with more careful attention. After all, though Roy had to admit to himself there were strange happenings only attributable to coincidence; many such events might have been avoided if the people involved had simply taken a little extra care in their actions.
Noting the vitals he'd just taken on to the MICU form, Roy shook his head in silent dismissal of the musings he had been enjoying because the ambulance was backing into the ambulance entrance for Rampart Emergency. Roy began preparing the patient for transfer from the ambulance to the hospital.
Reaching Rampart just behind the ambulance, Johnny hopped out to help unload their victim. After assisting in the unloading of the gurney, Johnny took the drug box and biophone from Roy, and stowed them in the squad's side compartment before entering the hospital. Rounding the corner into the Emergency department, Johnny found Roy at the nurse's desk.
"Hey Johnny." Dixie greeted the medic with a bright smile.
"Hey Dix." Johnny replied gracing her with a crooked grin as he sauntered up to the nurse's station. "How's our patient?"
Roy turned to address Johnny before Dixie answered. "He'll be fine. Doc says he has a little heat exhaustion."
Johnny nodded his acknowledgement of Roy's offered information. "Good deal." He replied congenially.
Dixie was continuing to study Johnny. "How are you doing Johnny?" She questioned.
Glancing back at Dixie, Johnny shrugged his shoulders. "I'm fine Dix. Don't worry though. Mother Roy'll keep an eye on me." He teased without looking over to see Roy's facial expression.
Roy rolled his eyes in response to Johnny's jibe, and only acknowledged him with a paternal pat on the head and a, "Got that right Junior. Someone has to."
Johnny ducked out of reach for Roy's patting hand, and snorted.
Observing the antics of her two favorite paramedics, Dixie giggled. Pointing her pen at Johnny in a warning gesture she chided "That's right Johnny. We have to look out for you."
Johnny ducked his head and blushed slightly under Dixie's scrutiny. "Ah geez guys!" He protested. "Ya don't have ta' take care of me. I'm a grown man and I am perfectly capable of taking…."
The Gage rant seemingly inevitable at this point was interrupted when the radio Johnny carried beeped calling for the medic's attention. Both men listened as they were dispatched to yet another man down call. Johnny quickly jotted the address on a slip of paper, and both men dashed from the hospital waving farewell to Dixie as they went.
Dixie called after them, "Be careful out there boys." There line of work could be dangerous and she found she was truly fond of the likable duo. With a slight shake of her head, and a knowing smirk decorating her lovely features, Dixie lowered her gaze to the chart she had been completing before Roy and Johnny's arrival at her desk. Roy and Johnny would take care of one another; she knew it as surely as she knew the sun would rise each morning. But, Dixie couldn't resist the urge to mother them, particularly Johnny. Men, especially altruistic men like Johnny and Roy somehow seemed to forget their own safety and health where caring for others was concerned. Assured her care taking and watchfulness were justified, Dixie cleared her mind then and returned to the work at hand.
Roy and Johnny arrived on scene for their man down call to discover the interpretation of the call could actually be taken literally. When the paramedics reached the designated address, they were met by a woman frantically waving them down from the sidewalk in front of a modest one story brick home. The yard of the home was filled with evidence of earth work. Piles of dirt were scattered here and there, and a deep though somewhat narrow trench led from the home out to the sidewalk.
The women who had flagged down the squad ran to the passenger side window even before Roy could get the vehicle to a complete stop.
"Oh, please hurry!" The woman begged breathlessly. "My husband was on the roof fixing the television antenna and he slipped. He rolled down the roof, then off…and he rolled right into the trench they have dug for installing new sewer pipes. I've called to him, but he doesn't answer. When he didn't answer, I called for you." She rambled rapidly.
Johnny cast a quick glance to Roy. Roy nodded and reached for the microphone to the radio. "L.A., this is squad 51. Please respond an engine and an ambulance to our location." Roy said into the radio hand set.
"10-4 squad 51." Responded the voice of Sam Lanier.
Roy replaced the radio microphone on its clip and hastily climbed from the squad. Quickly he moved over to the side of the dug out channel in order to get a fast look at their victim. With a hurried glance inside the five foot deep narrow ditch Roy saw a man in his late twenties lying partially on his right side. The man's right lower leg was bent at an unnatural angle, and the man appeared to be unconscious. After the quick initial inspection, Roy dashed back over to the squad to grab the drug box before returning to the trench where he gracefully lowered himself to the edge before easily sliding down to jump into the narrow cavern.
Johnny gently pushed the squad door open so the woman could step away from the door. While he moved he began to soothe the frightened lady. "Shhhh….it's gonna be all right ma'am. Calm down. We'll take good care of your husband."
The woman wrung her hands with anxiety though she took Johnny's door opening hint and stepped away from the truck to allow its occupant to step out. While she moved she continued to babble. "He's been down there almost ten minutes now. He's not answering. I don't know if he is still alive? He's all crumpled up down there. I looked over into the trench. His eyes are not open." Tears were now freely flowing down the frantic woman's face.
Johnny stepped from the squad and extended a comforting hand to the distraught woman's shoulder. The lady's hyper-aroused state concerned Johnny, and he realized she would need to be subdued to avoid complications from anxiety. In a soft voice he continued to console her. "O.K., we're here now. We'll get him out of there ma'am. Just take it easy." He offered though it was apparent his words were not being heard.
Even though Johnny was standing in very close proximity to the distressed woman, she had yet to make eye contact with him. Indeed, she seemed to be lost in her own obsessive whirlwind, and continued to babble as he spoke reassurances to her. Johnny squeezed her shoulder with his hand and shook her slightly. "Ma'am. Look at me please." He ordered while putting his face near enough to hers to make looking anywhere else impossible.
The firm hand shaking her shoulder caused the woman's frightened blue eyes to focus. A terrified gaze met intense brown eyes, and the woman finally stopped speaking.
"That's it." Johnny soothed. "What's your name ma'am?"
She sniffed tentatively before answering in a shaky voice. "Kim…um…Kimberly Danials."
"O.K. Kim. I'm Johnny Gage. What's your husband's name?" He gently inquired as he began to lead her toward the back bumper of the squad.
Allowing herself to be guided, Kim walked toward the rear of the little red truck. "um…my husband's name…? Uh…mmm…it's Mark." She said, speaking as if the words were being drawn from a far away location in her brain.
"All right ma'am." Johnny said softly. "We're gonna take care of Mark. Why don't you come on back here and sit down for me?" It wasn't a request. Johnny was steering the woman to the back bumper where he softly placed a hand on each of her shoulders and gently yet insistently pushed her down into a sitting position.
Squatting in front of Kim, Johnny maintained eye contact while he calmed her. As he spoke to the distraught victim's wife Johnny's keen ears picked up the sound of approaching sirens.
In the trench, Roy began his initial patient assessment of Mark. He could hear Johnny's soft voice attending to Mark's wife, and went about his work assured Johnny had the situation topside well in hand. Roy knew he'd need assistance when it came time to extricate the victim from the ditch, but the sound of sirens nearing the scene comforted Roy because he knew additional man power would arrive shortly.
Engine 51 arrived on scene to find Johnny with Kim at the rear of the squad, and Roy nowhere in sight. After checking in with Johnny, Captain Stanley began to deploy men in needed locations. Chet was sent to retrieve the backboard, cervical collar and splint from the squad. Marko and Mike pulled the roof ladder from the side of the engine, and took it over to the trench where they lowered it down to allow for easier access.
Chet reached the trench, and after handing off the items he carried, hastily climbed down the ladder into the pit to assist Roy. When Chet reached the bottom of the channel, Marco handed down the backboard and cervical collar while Mike trotted back over to the squad to retrieve the biophone.
After delegating tasks to his men, Hank Stanley moved over to stand with Johnny and Kim at the rear of the squad.
"John?" Captain Stanley softly questioned.
Johnny looked up at his Captain and offered a grateful grin. Turning back to the now calmer Kim Johnny said, "Kim, this is Captain Stanley. He's gonna stay with you for a few minutes while I go and check on your husband."
Kim, who had now somewhat regained her composure nodded mutely before Johnny stood to leave and quietly handed Kim off to Captain Stanley.
Inside the narrow ditch Roy fitted the cervical collar onto their victim. Mark's right leg was splinted and then Chet helped Roy gently roll the as yet unconscious Mark on to the backboard.
Johnny trotted over to the edge of the trench and called down to the men inside. "You guys need me down there?"
Roy looked up to his partner and replied, "No, I think we've about got it. Get on the horn to Rampart."
"O.K." Johnny replied while he squatted and reached for the biophone Mike pushed in his direction. "You got vitals for me?"
Roy called vitals up to Johnny, and they were duly noted on the pad of paper Johnny had slipped from his shirt pocket. Then Johnny contacted Rampart and began relaying information and taking treatment orders.
Mike and Marko moved into position on the edge of the trench as Roy and Chet hunkered down and grabbed the backboard in preparation to lift Mark out of the trench. Roy made eye contact with Chet and said, "Lift on three. One….two….three…." As both men began to lift the board and stand the loud sound of ripping fabric could be heard from the bottom of the ditch.
At first Roy didn't realize what he was hearing. Both firemen simply continued to lift the backboard until they were in a standing position. But at the sound, Roy made eye contact with Chet whose eyes suddenly became wide with instant realization, and some emotion akin to horror. After the two men reached a standing position, Roy cocked an inquisitive eyebrow toward Chet. Chet's face reddened slightly.
"You o.k. Chet?" Roy asked, genuinely concerned.
"Uh….yeah Roy. But I think my pants have become a casualty in the line of duty." Chet softly and sheepishly replied.
Roy briefly allowed himself to enjoy the humor in the current situation. Grinning broadly he said, "Ah….." And then Roy returned his attention to lifting the backboard carefully up for Mike and Marko to grab it and place it on the ground beside Johnny.
After Mark had been handed off, Roy closed the drug box and lifted it up for Marco to hand off to Johnny. Then Roy climbed the ladder to the surface, followed by a still as yet red faced Chet.
Johnny was already establishing the I.V. for Mark when Roy and Chet climbed from the hole. An ambulance had arrived on scene, and the two Mayfair attendants stood by waiting to load the victim onto the gurney.
When Chet crawled from the hole, he gingerly stepped from the top of the ladder, and bending his knees began to lift the ladder from the trench. Marco ran over to assist his pal, and cast a puzzled gaze at Chet.
"Amigo, are you all right. You're moving funny." Marco said as he bent to help pull the ladder up.
"I'm fine." Chet replied grumpily while still not bending over.
The two firemen exchanged an odd look, but Marko helped Chet carry the ladder over and re-mount it on the side of the engine.
Johnny and the EMT team from Mayfair placed the victim on the gurney, and Roy closed up the biophone and drug box.
Captain Stanley helped Kim get seated in the front of the ambulance. Johnny and one of the Mayfair guys climbed into the back of the ambulance, and Roy handed over the drug box and biophone before closing the back doors and giving them the standard all clear signal double tap.
As the ambulance was pulling away from the scene, Roy turned curious blue eyes in search of Chet. Spotting his target near big red, Roy strolled over to his shift mate.
"Are you all right there Chet?" Roy questioned. His facial expression was one of serious concern, but twinkling blue eyes betrayed him.
Chet rolled his eyes. "Should 'a known he wasn't gonna keep his mouth shut." Chet thought grumpily. "I'm just dandy Roy." He answered somewhat defensively. "Shouldn't you be heading out for Rampart right about now?"
Roy grinned. "I'm about to leave. Just thought I'd take a second to come on over and make sure you didn't strain anything in that lift at the bottom of the trench."
By this point in the conversation Marco had joined the pair of firemen. He hadn't realized Chet's predicament, and was already concerned given Chet's apparent awkward movement when his friend had begun to retrieve the ladder. So, in his unaware state, and having only heard Roy's part of the conversation Marco chimed in with, "Yeah Chet. Did you hurt yourself at the bottom of that ditch? You were moving pretty stiffly when you got out of there. Maybe you should let Roy have a look at your back."
Chet with a reddening face glared at Roy who returned the scathing look with an innocent smile of his own.
Captain Stanley who had been walking toward the engine and noticed his three men conversing walked up to the men in time to hear Marco suggest Chet might need an exam from Roy. His paternal concern piqued, Stanley walked directly over to Chet and placed a hand on the mustached man's shoulder. When Chet's surprised blue eyes met his, Hank raised a questioning eyebrow before asking, "Did you get hurt lifting there Kelly?"
Chet's face which was already pretty red from embarrassment brightened a couple more shades as he exhaled a sigh of frustration. "No Cap. I'm fine. Really." He offered helplessly.
Looking into the Irishmen's eyes, Stanley could easily see the other man's discomfort, and mistook it for a macho man not wanting to admit to weakness or injury. "Ya know Kelly, it might be a good idea if you let Roy have a look at you." Stanley 'suggested.'
Chet looked helplessly from his Captains serious face to Roy's now broadly grinning face. "Honestly DeSoto! You're as bad as your partner. Can't you give a guy a break?" Chet sputtered in exasperation.
Roy chuckled softly. "I have no idea what you are talking about Chet. My question was offered out of genuine concern for your well being." Roy replied, his persona radiating pure innocence. "It is entirely possible fabric might not have been the only thing that was strained in that lift. You were lifting a pretty heavy guy at an awkward angle."
Marco and Captain Stanley observed Roy and Chet's conversation with growing confusion and curiosity. Finally, when he could stand it no longer Hank Stanley said, "Chester B. What's going on here? Do I need to send you to Rampart?"
Chet sighed heavily, and didn't bother to answer verbally. Instead he turned his back on his Captain and Marko, and lifted up the bottom of his turn out coat bending his body slightly at the waist. When the coat was lifted, and Chet bent over slightly, white boxers could easily be seen through the large seam that had ripped at the crotch of his navy blue uniform pants.
Cap and Marco stood for a couple of seconds with mouths agape before they burst out laughing. Roy joined in the chuckle at Chet's expense.
Stoker, who had climbed into the cab of the truck and started the engine heard the commotion. "What's going on out there guys?" He called from the driver's seat of the rig.
Still chuckling, Hank opened the passenger's door and called in to his engineer. "Kelly is just modeling his new summer uniform for us."
Mike's face reflected utter confusion. "Summer uniform?" He quarried.
Still chuckling, Captain Stanley began to climb in. "Kelly, before you climb aboard, give Stoker a peak at your new fashion statement."
Chet rolled his eyes at his Captain, and began walking around the front of the engine. When he reached a point just in front of the driver, Chet pulled up the tail of his turn out coat and mooned Stoker. Mike chuckled and lightly tapped the air horn. The loud sound caused Chet to jump and lower his coat in surprise. This of course caused Roy, Cap, Mike and Marko to laugh all that much more.
"Oh ha ha guys." Chet huffed as he climbed into his seat.
Roy jumped into the squad and headed off to meet Johnny at Rampart while Engine 51 began to roll away from the scene with three of the four men aboard her still enjoying the moment.
While driving toward Rampart Roy considered the details of the rescue he had just completed. Again he had witnessed the aftermath of a situation where a man had been injured while doing a seemingly mundane task. Roy knew that Mark and Kim had likely not planned a trip to Rampart Emergency as part of their day. Yet there was probably a fairly good chance they could have avoided this little event with some attention to detail. Roy wondered why Mark had not thought to secure himself with a safety line while on the roof. Perhaps such forethought would have kept him from being injured.
Suddenly Roy realized a blue station wagon had swerved into his lane. Quickly Roy's attention became riveted fully on his driving. Hastily he maneuvered the squad into the next lane, and narrowly avoided a collision.
With a racing heart, and hands griping the wheel so firmly knuckles were white, Roy realized he needed to be paying more attention to the road lest he too find himself on the receiving end of an unplanned trip to Rampart In the back of an ambulance.
Roy shook his head in wonderment. Johnny wasn't far off when he said life turned on a dime. One minute he, Roy had been driving along deep in thought. The next an impending accident nearly found him. Row again silently vowed to pay more attention to detail. Dixie and Johnny might have been correct. Perhaps the odds were not looking good for Roy.