Chapter 29
At Station 51 the crew were finally getting together to discuss some action plans for four new businesses that would be going into operations in their response area. Everyone in the room was trying to mentally tune out the overhead radio chatter as Cap drew his rough building diagram on the chalk board.
They managed to miss the first part of the call that was being sent out to station 85, but John's attention was drawn back to the loud speakers as the address was read, then the address was repeated and John was on his feet, panic covering his face. "That's my place!"
"What?" Hank jumped to attention, there was a reason why their calls were preceded by loud tones to get their attention first.
"They just dispatched squad 85 to my house!" John repeated.
Roy was quickly at Johnny's side taking a hold of his arm as he was looking like he was about to dart to the squad and pull out.
"I wasn't paying attention, did any one hear what the call was?" Cap inquired, He knew as well as John did that it was likely to be Elise they were responding to help but he also knew that if it wasn't Elise then it could be his wife or Roy's.
"It was a woman down call, cap," Mike revealed that he had paid attention.
Hank Stanley took a deep breath and let it out before placing his hand on John's shoulder. "Easy there pal it's probably just one of her seizures or something simple like that, you know the girls have been instructed to call in help over the littlest thing. Especially now that we know she's pregnant."
John let out a steadying breath and dangled his arms in an effort to relax, "yeah, yeah your right."
"Besides that," Chet made an effort to calm his friend, "the call was for a woman down you really have no idea which woman, I mean isn't there always more than one there."
Hank and Roy exchanged glances as they considered the slight possibility that it was either of their wives.
"Thanks a lot pal." Hank called out to his lineman. "Alright, we're not going to be able to focus on this exercise until we know for sure who and that everything is all right. Can you guys at least pretend you have some supplies to pick up at the hospital?"
"Actually Cap we do need some Saline. That burn patient this morning used up all we had and then the other paramedics on scene took them in so we haven't had the opportunity to replace it yet," Roy explained.
"Well you just got it, just remember not to run code R and to keep yourselves available." Captain Stanley gave his men permission to leave.
John quickly ran around the squad and climbed in on the passenger side while Cap walked Roy to the squad, "Um, you will give me a call if it turns out to be Em won't you?"
"Of course Cap," Roy smiled with his answer.
"Of course I want to know who ever it is, I just meant incase I personally need to get over there," Hank amended slightly.
"We understand Cap," Johnny gave his captain a worried smile but a smile none the less as the garage door opened and Roy started the squad's engine. Roy then proceeded to drive Johnny nuts by driving the speed limit on their way to the hospital.
The two worried paramedics still arrived ahead of squad 85, Johnny tried to push his way into the radio booth but soon felt the hand of Dixie pulling his collar and him back out.
One look at Dixie and John knew it was Elise, and he knew it was serious. It was all Roy could do to keep him out of the way once Elise was rolled in.
Elise was rolled pass them in trendelenburg position with her feet elevated, both paramedics were at her side one holding forced ventilation, the other holding two IV bags high. John couldn't see her face easily around the oxygen mask but his brief glimpse as she was rushed past him didn't look like she was conscious.
John tried to follow into the exam room but Roy wrapped his arms around his chest and held on, keeping him back. Finally Roy managed to drag his partner into the doctor's lounge and pushed him down into a chair. After several minutes Dixie came in to inform Johnny that Elise was stable and the doctor would be with him in a few more minutes to discuss what had happened and her care.
Once Johnny was calmed down and assured all would be fine, Roy left to give the captain an update call while John stayed behind and waited where he felt he would be easy for the doctor to find.
Roy had just left when two doctors entered the doctor's lounge one was Elise's obstetrician the other he had never met before but they were both carrying on a rather heated debate, "your treatment has put her in the hospital and you want to continue it? Just how can you justify that?" The obstetrician Dr. Anderton was questioning rather loudly.
"I believe this patient has a chance, with proper treatment, to heal all the damage that has been done to her heart." The new doctor carried on.
"And what about the life of her unborn child, The blood pressure you're suggesting won't sustain the infant growing inside of her," Dr. Anderton challenged.
"She should have never gotten pregnant in the first place." The other doctor countered heaping guilt on John's shoulders much heavier than he'd been carrying since he first suspected the possibility that his forgetfulness had led to such a thing.
"Yeah, well life happens sometimes and it's my experience that that is usually a very good thing." Dr. Anderton countered.
The volume of the two doctor's voices brought Doctors Bracket and Early into the room, "Dr. Mickelson, I'm afraid I have to agree with Dr. Anderton, I happen to know that my patient would not agree to the life your treatment would force on her, and the depression it would cause could be more damaging than all of her health issues combined. This patient is not a lab subject, she is a strong willed and accomplished human being with plans for her life that include living it to its fullest." Dr Early was doing the talking.
Dr. Brackett noticed Johnny sitting in the back ground listening to everything that was being said and motioned for him to follow him. As soon as the two of them had stepped through the door into the hall John grabbed Dr. Brackett's arm and turned him so that they were face to face. "What's this about a treatment that can heal the damage done to Elise's heart? Is there any truth in it?"
Dr. Brackett's mouth started to twitch and he pulled Johnny just a little farther down the hall to a slightly more private spot. "There is some research that is showing some promise. But Johnny your wife is not a candidate for that research."
"Is that just because she's pregnant?" John questioned the doctor as well as his own willingness to sacrifice his unborn child to the better good of his wife.
"Not just that," Dr. Brackett spoke quickly, understanding very well what the paramedic and loving devoted husband before him was thinking, "The nature of the injuries to your wife's heart are inconsistent with the research that is being done. I can also tell you that we've been suspecting for a while now, ever since the last of the foreign debris has been removed from your wife's heart, that it has been healing quite nicely under the treatment she has already been getting. I've sat in on a few discussions concerning your wife since that time and while it's too early to know for sure just yet, with what we're seeing there is a real possibility that when the battery on her pacemaker runs out she may not need it replaced."
"You mean she might not need the pacemaker in the future?" Johnny questioned with excitement.
"Remember what I said Johnny, at this point it's too soon to tell for sure," Dr. Brackett cautioned as he placed both hands on John's shoulders, "but there are some real indications that there is a real possibility of that."
John stood in the doctor's grasp letting the news flush through him, then a loud yell from the doctor's lounge pulled his attention back there. "So this new doctor is out in left field?"
"Johnny I could get in trouble for saying this, but yeah, I don't think he has your wife's overall health and well being in mind with the treatment he is insisting on. He definitely doesn't know your wife like we do."
"So what do we need to do now?" John questioned gesturing toward the treatment room he knew his wife was in.
"Well, it's my recommendation that we watch her carefully until the new drug that's dropped her blood pressure too low is out of her system, we need to be careful not to drive it too high with counter measures, so I'm prescribing that she have her vitals checked every fifteen minutes through the night and if adjustments need to happen they take place in tiny increments as the night goes on. However due to your wife's other medical issues and the health plan that she has we'll need to put her—"
"In ICU," John finished the good Doctor's sentence.
"That's correct, Johnny but I don't want you to worry, if all goes as I'm sure it will, you'll be able to take her home tomorrow."
John sighed in relief. "Can I see her?"
"Sure, right this way." Dr. Brackett started to lead the way.
"Just a minute," John stopped and turned back to the doctor's lounge, "I have something I need to do."
Once through the door John just walked up to the three doctor's that were still arguing the course of treatment and turned to both Dr. Early and Dr. Anderton, "Can you two find another Cardiologist that will work with you and not fight you?"
All three doctors were stunned into silence by the question but Dr. Early recovered the fastest. "Yes we can."
"Do it. And Dr. whoever you are, you're off the case." John then turned to leave.
"Just who do you think you are and what right do you have to dismiss me?"
"I have a medical power of attorney." Johnny gave as his last word and left the room without another.
John was then led to Elise's room as if he didn't already know the way but before he stepped inside he turned back to Dr. Brackett. "Thanks for being open and honest with me Doc. I really appreciate it."
John then saw two very pregnant and frantic friends and motioned them toward him. Taking both JoAnne and Emily in his arms at the same time he started shushing them and telling them that everything was alright.
"You both did all the right things, Elise is going to be just fine now. Now both of you settle down neither of you are in a condition to go getting all upset. We don't want you two to have any problems now."
Seeing his partner stepping up behind the women John put them both in his care before stepping in to visit with his wife for a moment before they moved her up to ICU.
John and Roy were called out to assist in a structure fire before Elise was moved, but when they took their victims, two boys that had been playing with matches and managed to burn their hands, to the hospital John took a moment to run up to ICU and check in on his wife. He would do that every time he was in the hospital through the night.
On the way back to the station, the tired and dirty paramedics rode silently until Roy broke the silence.
"I really appreciated you taking the time to calm my wife down at the hospital earlier, I know cap does too."
"What happened wasn't their fault, and they did everything right when it did happen," John countered. "The last thing I want or Elise for that matter is for them to get all upset and go into premature labor."
"Marco's older sister has taken the training to take care of Elise during the day, she's going to be helping her mother next week to finish learning the ropes and Brenda will be there at night. So when ever Jo and Cap's wife need to break away to take care of themselves just say the word." Johnny added.
Once at the station John gave Mike, his new tenant, a call and asked him to feed the colt while Roy filled Cap in on all the details of their wife's needs. It was after dinner when they finished their training but no one complained.
-0-
John did take Elise home the next day; because she had been kept awake all night by the vitals checks she was taken right to bed for some serious sleep, Even though the diaper making project they had been working on when she lost consciousness, was still covering a portion of the bay floor.
The new cardiologist had decided to return Elise to the previous medications schedule but prescribed frequent blood pressure checks and bed rest if it was above the set parameters.
After sleeping the better part of the day, Elise spent the late afternoon and evening hours working on the diapers only slightly hampered by her broken and casted arm. She did take a break to feed her four legged baby, her very large four legged baby, and fix dinner for she and John but that was about it.
The next day, while John worked with the horses, Elise started putting all of the blankets and newly made diapers and other baby things through the wash. John came in and showered in time to help her fold all the foreign objects that had been placed on the bed after coming out of the dryer.
Handling baby clothes was what John needed for the pregnancy to feel real to him. JoAnne and Emily's blankets and diapers were placed in plastic bags and sealed for John to take to work with him on his next shift and Elise placed their baby's things in the little dresser she had found at a thrift store and painted with bright colors.
There were a dozen tiny t-shirts, three dozen diapers, a dozen receiving blankets of various prints, and a package of baby socks and several generic night gowns. When they were finished and the packages for Emily and JoAnne were placed in the Rover, Elise sat on her bed and sighed. "I think we're ready. If this baby were born tomorrow we have everything we need to keep it warm, dry, and loved."
John lay awake that night feeling slightly in disagreement to his wife's feelings of readiness.
On his next shift he and Roy were performing an inspection on a boutique that carried among other things a selection of baby items.
After citing them for not keeping their emergency exit clear and easily accessible and the need for a fire extinguisher, Johnny went shopping.
When the men arrived back at the fire station for lunch John enjoyed showing off his purchases, four of the cutest little dresses he'd ever seen, Pink, yellow, peach and blue, with lots of lace and ruffles and even the little panties that went under the dress, also with lots of lace and ruffles. Two lacy bonnets, one that could be taken apart to make a hankie for the baby's wedding day. And three pair of hand knitted booties one of which looked like a pair of roller skates.
Even though his shift mates thought him a little nuts they were all enjoying Johnny's excitement and had to agree the dresses were real cute.
When he went to go hang the tiny dresses in his locker, Chet was quick to comment on the prospected look on the face of the chief if he were to do an inspection while they were hanging in John's locker. They all laughed at that mental image.
"So, I guess he knows he's getting a little girl," Hank commented to Roy during a quiet time later that evening.
"With all the tests their running on Elise, I'm not surprised that they know what they're having," Roy answered. "With one of each, Jo and I are just happy with whatever we get. What about you Cap, what do you want, boy or girl?"
"Well Roy this is number five for Em and I, with three boys and a girl already we'd like another little girl but we'll be happy no matter what, we just want it to be healthy and whichever we get we'll love it."
