A/N So, I binge watched the old TV show, Rescue 911 recently, the one with William Shatner, and I was reminded that in some (usually rural, but not always) areas, you only had to be 16 years old to become a volunteer EMT, Fire Fighter, or search and rescue team member. This story is the result. I took first responders training twenty some odd years ago, and while I never recertified, I think I remembered all the proper terms and vernacular.

Reviews always appreciated!

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PROLOGUE

November, 2008

"Delaware County 911, what is the nature of your emergency?"

"Some bastards just beat up my son and his friend at the Sadie Hawkins dance at Westerville High! I was only five minutes late picking them up, and when I got here, they were laying in the parking lot, covered in blood!"

"Can you tell if they're breathing?"

"I don't know! I'm sorry, I'm just really scared and there's so much blood!"

"Okay, sir, calm down. Ambulances are on the way."

"Hold on boys, help is coming! Just hold on!"

December, 2008

"Please don't make me go back there, I don't want to die!" Blaine cried to his mother as she sat beside his hospital bed. He'd been trapped in this bed for over two weeks now, ever since those three guys had jumped them after the dance. Blaine had two broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, a concussion, and a broken cheek bone. He also had nerve damage in his lower back that would require multiple surgeries to alleviate. He was lucky. Derrick had a broken vertebrae in his back, and might never walk again. He'd also lost a kidney and part of his liver.

Pam Anderson leaned over her youngest son, stroking the hair from his forehead. "I promise, Blaine darling, I won't send you back there, not when they haven't caught those monsters yet. I'll talk to your dad, look at other options, but I won't let anyone hurt you ever again."

August, 2009

"Welcome to Dalton Academy's Freshman Orientation. I'm student body Junior Class President, Wes Montgomery. I am also one of the three Warblers' councilmen …"

Blaine wasn't really paying attention to the speaker, but was eyeing the other students gathered around him warily. He'd undergone three surgeries, six months of physical and occupational therapy, and dozens of trauma counseling sessions to get here, and was still pretty skittish around so many boys.

"Hi," a voice from behind him whispered, causing Blaine to jump a little. He turned around to see a bubbly looking bigger boy who kind of reminded him of the Pillsbury Dough Boy. The younger boy smiled kindly at him. "I'm Trent. You don't look like a Freshman."

The boy looked harmless enough. "I'm Blaine. I should be a Sophomore, but I spent most of last year in the hospital."

Trent looked sympathetic. "That's rough. Hope you're all better now. Were you at Dalton before that?"

Blaine shook his head. "Westerville High. I couldn't go back there, so my parents transferred me here."

Trent nodded. "I hear the courses are harder here, but the teachers are nice, and the students are friendlier than most public schools." He paused. "I got teased a lot in Junior high. That's why my dad decided to send me here. Guess I got lucky, my two older brothers went to military school."

Blaine frowned. "I feel like military school is the place where part of the curriculum is to be a bully."

Trent nodded his head. "There is some bullying, I'm sure. Both of my brothers are jerks, at least to me. But they also teach discipline there, which they need, seriously," he joked.

"Excuse me," said a voice from up front, causing both of them to turn their heads back to the front of the room. "Unless your discussion is related to the orientation, would you please mind listening with your ears and not your mouths?"

"Sorry," they both murmured, and paid attention to the rest of the long, boring welcome speech.

The first couple of weeks at Dalton were uneventful, for which Blaine was grateful. He and Trent had ended up as dorm mates, and had quickly become friends. Blaine was still a little leery around large groups of boys, but so far everyone had made him feel welcome, and he decided to take his counselor's advice and join a few clubs to make himself more comfortable around people again