Disclaimer : As always, I own nothing other than story plot and story idea and the few characters that pop up that you have no idea who they might be…like Isabel (Oh wait, you should know her by now), Brandy, Donny…um, Kristin and Matt, now they would all be mine…oh and Bren, but you have no idea who that is yet and won't know till the spin off of this series…ok, I'm done now.
A/N : Sorry the last chapter was so short, this one should prove to be a lot longer and extremely sad, but you'll find out in the end who dies…but don't cheat and go to the end now, read the whole thing and don't just peruse over it, you might miss something important! Please! Ok, this story will be done in no one's point of view, though at times it may switch from one person's perspective to another…without further adieu, on with the story. Enjoy!
THE POWER RANGERS IN :
THE HARDEST THING I EVER DID
PART 2
Chapter 6 : Death of a Hero
"Sir? Sir, can you hear me?" the paramedic asked. The man in the car did not stir. Four cars were involved, three rigs with large trailers attached, two mid-sized trucks, one jeep and one stock car, it was the strangest and one of the worst accidents the young paramedic had seen in his short career. All around sat mutilated and mangled metal, strange forms that had once been cars or trucks or any other assortment of vehicles, but were now nothing recognizable. Fatalities were not tallied nor were all the injured found yet, the authorities weren't even certain how many vehicles were really involved, they were just pretty much guessing at this point.
A man in his late thirties maybe early forties sat in the driver's seat of what had once been a beautiful jade green Ford Taurus. Now the vehicle was an unrecognizable mess of mutilated and twisted metal. The man's salt and pepper hair was streaked with drying blond, his head hung limp as if it were broken. What had once been a crisp and well-tailored business suit was now stained with blood and other unknown liquids…possible oils or gasoline from rupturing lines in the surrounding cars.
A woman who looked to be a bit younger than the man sat in the passenger seat of the car, her auburn hair pulled back into a French Twist, though now it was matted and clumped together with fresh blood. Her green eyes stared vacantly out of the shattered front windshield, the possibility of her still being alive was near zero because of the large piece of sheet metal that stuck out from her chest, splitting her heart in two.
A young child, about four or five years of age, sat in the back seat, her head sagging forward, her unruly brown hair hanging down into her face. Her breathing was sporadic, her life balancing on a very small thread of life. If she didn't get help soon she too would be counted amongst the fatalities that this strange accident had claimed so far.
"Ma'am? Sir?" the paramedic said again into the car, hoping for an answer but still drawing no response. He heard the faintest of moans come from the back. The child stirred from within the demolished wreckage of what had once been a car. Now it was just a junk heap. She raised her head to look up at the awestruck paramedic, her green eyes only opening partially. "Hello there sweetheart," he said softly once their eyes had met and locked. "Just hold on a sec while I go and get someone over here to see about getting you out, ok?" The paramedic asked the girl very softly.
She licked her lips, trying to moisten their chaftness. Dried blood was caked on her face, a small trickle of the thick red liquid ran from the corner of her mouth and down over her chin, dripping onto her dark red shorts. Fear and pain suddenly flooded across her face, centering in her emerald green eyes, as if she suddenly realized that her chances for survival were growing slimmer with each passing second. "Mommy…Daddy?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper.
The paramedic felt his heart break and shatter into a million little pieces. "Shh honey," he crooned softly, fearing the worse for the child's parents. "It's going to be alright," he lied, not looking into the child's eyes lest she would be able to see the lie hidden there. "I'm just going to find someone to get you and your Mommy and Daddy out of this mess."
The young paramedic walked away from the wrecked car, the smoke from still smoldering wreckages billowing around him. He continued to walk through the debris and total devastation, keeping his eyes intent on his destination as the moans of the wounded carried softly on the wind to his ears. He made his way toward a group of police officers, paramedics and firefighters, all grouped around a central fire truck. "Sir," he said walking up the EMT in charge of casualties. "I've got a young girl trapped in a car on the far side of the scene, with two possible fatalities."
The commanding officer just looked at the young paramedic momentarily. "What's her vitals and status Mr. Eck?" The superior officer asked after a moment's hesitation. "We're still trying to get into the heart of this mess, and to that jeep…"
Paramedic Eck glanced back toward the carnage that this accident had caused. It was extensive and disastrous, they were still removing corpses from some of the outlying wreckage, at least what they could get too, while trying to put out the fires that were further into the massacre. The soft hood of the white jeep was just visible over the hood of the rig sitting in its passenger side door. The trailer the rig carried had jack-knifed and was sitting parallel with the jeep, sitting precariously…almost looking like it would roll at any moment onto the jeep and the stock car sitting next to it. One more disaster waiting to happen.
"She's conscious, but I don't know for how much longer. She was strapped in the back seat of a mid-sized sedan, lacerations on her face, possible concussion. She's lucid, but not by much." Eck answered.
"I sure hope no one was riding in that passenger's seat," Paramedic Eck heard someone say from behind him. He turned to look back toward the accident and the jeep and stock car that were at the focal point of the whole mess. He had to agree though, the driver really didn't look like they would've faired much better. The jeep was blocked from three sides, the driver's side was wedged against the renegade race car, the passenger side was sitting flush with the front end of one of the rigs and the tail end was sitting against one of the other rigs, one of the trailers, and another car that had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The jeep's front end was sitting flush against the guard rails with one hell of a drop on the other side, it was taking the emergency crews forever to get to that jeep and the people inside, if they were still alive. Every possible vantage point was blocked off by one devastated vehicle or another…there just was no way to get to the jeep and its occupant or occupants unless one or more of the rigs or other demolished vehicles could be moved. Even then there was no guaranteeing that whoever was in the ground zero vehicles were even still alive. It was now a race against time, and time seemed to be winning at the moment.
"Ok, as soon as I got some people spared up I'll send them over." The lead EMT said, turning to look back over the accident. Rescue personnel were running in all different directions, some assisting in the evacuation of the outlying vehicles, while others were trying to get the fire hoses closer to vehicles that were still burning. It was a total and utter mess.
Paramedic Eck started to head back toward the area of the accident where he had found the young girl when he heard someone start to yell from behind him. Intrigued and wondering who was now loosing their temper he turned around to see whom it was yelling this time.
"I need one of those wreckers now!" the portly man yelled into the receiver of his dispatch radio, he paused as the person on the other end responded. "I don't care how you have things blocked off and rerouted-" another pause and the man began to turn three shades of red. "Now you listen to me and you listen good! I need those wreckers and rollbacks up here proto! Like yesterday. I need to get some of these cars out of the way so I can get into the heart of this accident." Again there was the pause and the man began to grind his teeth together. Paramedic Eck recognized him as Captain Donald Reed of the Fire and Rescue Unit #29. "Listen here you stupid, money pinching bureaucratic-" Captain Reed paused and rolled his eyes, for the first time making eye contact with young paramedic Eck. "I will not calm down or watch my language! I have reports of possible fuel leaks-"
His temper seemed to shrink suddenly and a brief if somewhat tired looking smile crossed his face. "Good, good," he said nodding his head. "They'll be coming up the southbound lane?" he nodded again, the tired smile still spread across his face. "Ok, good. We'll keep an eye out for them. Thank you again." Another momentary pause then, "Yes, we greatly appreciate it. Will the wreckers be able to handle large rigs with hauling trailers?" Captain Reed listened to the response, silently nodding his head. "Two of the trailers still have their contents-What?" Another pause. "Yes, race cars." Pause. "No, I have no idea what their weight is." Pause again. "You're going to send some of your larger wreckers for the rigs and their trailers? Ok, we'll expect you in the next five minutes. Thank you and good bye." He broke the connection signal through the dispatch radio and glared at the small device. "Asshole!" he hissed under his breath.
He looked up again at Paramedic Eck and motioned for the young man to come over. As the young paramedic approached, the old Fire Chief looked the younger man over, his eyes briefly resting on the nametag that spelled out S. ECK. "So what's your first name Eck?"
"Sean sir," the younger man answered. "Certified EMT, 3rd year paramedic." Sean briskly nodded and quickly saluted the other man.
"At ease Sean. What's the status so far, how many fatalities and such?" Captain Reed asked.
"I'm not actually certain sir, I've been surveying the outer perimeter of the accident scene…we just found two more possible fatalities on the further side of the scene." Sean turned his head away, to look over toward the direction that the young girl was in. Two EMT's, a police officer and four Firefighters were on their way in that direction. "We've got a triage set up near the western perimeter of the accident, with four ambulances on stand by, our head EMT is Daniel Wilder, all reports are being made to him. So far we're sending all the casualties over to County General in order of priority. Two people have been confirmed dead so far…with another five hurt, but we haven't made it into the main part of the accident scene."
"Captain Lyons?" Captain Reed spoke into the receiver of his dispatch radio. Static crackled back at him, then someone's voice blended in with the dancing static. "Come again, you were breaking up."
"Captain Lyons here, what's your status Reed?" came the reply.
"Not good. How many vehicles involved?" Captain Reed asked.
"More than we originally had thought." Came the reply over the crackling static.
"How many more?"
"A lot."
"Give me numbers." Captain Reed ordered.
"So far we've counted the three rigs and their haulers, eight passenger cars, three mid-sized trucks, one mini van, two jeeps and the stock car. But we haven't really made it into the main part of the accident, we don't know what those trailers and their rigs could be hiding-" sudden static and the sound of people yelling carried over the dispatch radio.
"It's rolling, it's rolling!" someone yelled.
"Clear the area! Get all unauthorized personal out of the area! Get those reporters back, hurry, hurry, hurry!" The yells carried on the air and Captain Reed and EMT Eck watched in silent horror as one of the large trailers suddenly lost its balance and tumbled, rolling right on top of the white jeep and the stock car lying next to it. The rig that had pulled it creaked, it's bearings snapping and releasing the trailer with a sickening thud. The large trailer had tipped, landing partially on the white jeep and the stock car sitting snuggly against it. The rig itself had snapped its rigging and bearings to the trailer and after flopping back down onto the roadway with a loud smash had coasted forward, smashing through the guardrails and plummeting down over the bank. In a loud and fiery crash, the rig reached the bottom and combusted into a large fiery ball of flames. Its driver never made it out.
People began screaming and yelling, running in all directions. "Come on!" Captain Reed yelled and grabbed hold of Sean by his collar and pulled him along behind him. "Once the dust settles I want people in there!" Captain Reed yelled into his receiver. "As soon as one of those wreckers gets here get it in there an get that trailer moved. I want to talk to the rest of the supervisors, we've got to start getting this mess cleaned up, and fast!"
"The trailer that just rolled still had its car inside, will the wrecker be able to handle that?" Someone asked from behind them. Captain Reed turned around to look at the speaker, it was the head EMT, Mr. Wilder.
"I sure as hell hope so!" he said and continued running in the direction of the fiasco that had just occurred. The two EMT's were close on his heels.
******
Kim groaned as she heard the creaking of metal over her head, slowly opening her eyes she glimpsed the titan just starting to roll toward her and Tommy. "Tommy!" she screamed and reached over for him. He grumbled something in his unconscious state of mind, but didn't wake up. "Tommy, wake up please!" Kim pleaded, trying to move, but she was wedged into the demolished vehicle. She watched as the huge titan rolled, smashing the roll bar of the tiny jeep. I'm going to die, I'm really going to die this time! She thought silently to herself. Oh God Tommy, I had so much to tell you, so much still to explain. To have it end this way, like this…it just can't. We just can't die like this!
The behemoth rolled even more, the creaking and splintering of metal growing loud in Kim's ears. She could feel blood trickling down over her face from a large gash just above her right eye. Blood mingled with the saliva in her mouth, but she wasn't sure if it was from a cute or internal damage…it was so difficult to breath…
She heard a loud creak, then it sounded like something snapped and the trailer's weight came thundering down on them even more. Kimberly screamed, not caring if anyone could hear her or not. Her life suddenly began to flash before her eyes, each and every image had something to do with Tommy and she could swear that her heart was about to break yet again…it just couldn't end like this, they were so close, so very close.
She glanced back over at Tommy, if the trailer did come completely down on them she needed to get his head and upper body further down into the jeep so that he wouldn't be crushed from the weight of the trailer…if they even survived that is. She grabbed hold of his arm and began tugging, all the while hearing the creaking from the trailer telling her she didn't have much time.
The trailer and rig had snapped apart, she'd heard the fiery explosion just moments before, but had no idea what it was, nor did she really want to know. Her main concern right now was trying to help Tommy. She heard the metallic creaking coming from the trailer and new that something was still holding the titan up keeping it from crashing down on them completely, she didn't have much time and she knew it. Then their time of reprieve was gone.
The beast suddenly pivoted and rolled completely, coming down with enough force to partially crumple the small jeep. Kim tightly entwined her hand with Tommy's hoping that if they both did die there that day that he would know how much she still cared about him and always would. "I love you Tommy," she said quietly, the words gently leaving her bruised lips. As the large trailer settled into place once more, the air in Kim's lungs left her with a great whoosh and it suddenly felt as if her chest were on fire, then the blackness came once more to envelope her and her mind was once more lost to the reality of the situation.
********
"I want three of my guys in there along with two paramedics, just in case there are any survivors after that thing rolled…" the tone of Captain Reed's voice told exactly what he thought of the chance of someone living after that trailer had rolled. "Can we get someone down in that gully to see if the driver of that rig survived!?" Again the tone of his voice told what his opinion was of that notion.
He dreaded the idea of sending any people up and over the wreckage, anything could happen…but they didn't have a lot of time. Seconds if anything more. So many things could go wrong, but he needed to know if anyone had survived, he needed to know if there were still anyone in there to help.
"On it sir!" one of his firefighters yelled, moments later three of his guys started to scramble up and over the deadly wreckage that had claimed unknown lives so far. Two paramedics were close on their heels, daring the deadly situation below them to try anything.
They clambered up and over scorched and burned cars, jumped across pieces of twisted metal that resembled absolutely nothing at all any more. Stopping at vehicles that still held people in them and quickly checking for any life signs, if they found none they continued in their wild quest to reach the center of the terrible accident.
A fire sprang up here or there and a vehicle collapsed in on itself, but those were only a few of the deterrents that the deadly carnage offered up. "Got something!" one of the firemen yelled as he approached one of the smoldering cars. The vehicle next to it still had a few live occupants…someone's dog, and the car's owner's baby twins. The parents had died, just like so many others that day. The mother was turned around in the seat, as if she was in her final moments checking on the precious lives of her children. Blood covered the back of her skull, what was left of it. The father sat slumped over the steering wheel, his chest had probably caved in after impacting against the steering wheel. The babies were listless and covered with blood, but none of it actually appeared to be their own. Their parents had died that fateful day, but the mother had died trying to save them…how many more would die before the end of this day?
In another car further in, a young couple was found huddled in the back of their decimated station wagon. The size of the car had been the only thing that had saved them, how they had time to get into the back of the car was a question in itself, but the paramedics and the firemen were just glad to find someone else alive in this chaotic mess.
Finally they reached ground zero for the accident, the white jeep was totaled, as well as the stock car sitting next to it, both vehicles had been done in by the weight of the over turning trailer…maybe if the huge beast hadn't overturned the occupants of the jeep would still be…
The sudden movement of the driver in the jeep, or what they could see of him beneath the trailer, threw everyone into motion. A helicopter was called in to help lift and move the trailer from its resting place, so that the occupants of the jeep could be freed. They waited for several minutes for the copter to arrive, in which time the wreckers had arrived. They needed the helicopter to lift the trailer up off of the jeep, not pull it off, so they had to wait for the copter to get there before they could do anything at all.
Once the copter finally got there, they had it attach a towing cable to the trailer and slowly lift it from the top of the jeep, trying not to jerk it or anything so it wouldn't cause any further damage to the jeep or its occupants. Once the trailer was safely off of the jeep one of the wreckers were then attached to pull the titan the rest of the way from the jeep.
Then the emergency crew flooded the jeep and the other cars within the center of the accident. Tommy and Kim were the last of the survivors to be removed from their crushed vehicles, but they also had to be cut from it, unlike most of the others. Tommy was loaded up into an ambulance with Kim shortly there after him, and they were both transported to County General at the same time. Tommy was semi-conscious but Kim was totally out of it. Miss and go for most of the ride to the hospital.
"We're loosing her…" one of the paramedics yelled.
"Get the defibulator." another of the EMT's yelled.
"60joule's." another one yelled. "On my mark. NOW!" Kim received a shock to her heart, it started beating momentarily, quite erratically then quit again.
"80joule's, NOW!" came the order again. Again her heart was shocked. Again it started to beat erratically before stopping once more.
"100joule's," came the order. Again her heart was shocked, this time it started to beat and continued to beat. "Third time's a charm." one of the EMT's said beneath their breath.
Tommy groaned and stirred, his head feeling like it had been ran over by a Mac truck…if only he knew. Slowly he opened his eyes, the harsh light of the ambulance wreaking havoc with his suddenly sensitive pupils. "What…?" he managed to get out before slipping into the black oblivion of the unconscious mind yet again.
"He's out again," one of the EMT's said as she attached the electric conduits to his chest to monitor his heartbeat. "His heart rate is pretty good, has anyone gotten his BP yet?"
"I'll get that. Did we get any information on this guy or his companion?" another paramedic asked.
Someone pulled a plastic bag from out of a locker. It contained Tommy's watch, his wallet and various other articles of his that had been removed from him once he had been brought into the ambulance. The EMT pulled the wallet from the bag and began flipping through it, looking for any form of ID. "Here we go. His name is Thomas J. Oliver. Local boy."
"What about her?"
"Don't know, I haven't been able to find any identification on her yet, actually didn't find anything on her other than this expensive watch. Did she have a coat or anything?"
"Not on her when they got her out of that jeep…did anyone find a purse or anything?"
"I don't think so," another paramedic answered from the front of the ambulance. "I'll radio one of the fire trucks to see if they can find anything in the wreckage of the jeep."
*******
Tommy started to come too again, it was like trying to climb up steps that were shrouded in darkness. He couldn't see anything, then when he thought he couldn't go any further the darkness finally split and a ray of sunlight lit everything up all around him. He could hear voices speaking all around him, but they sounded distant, so very distant, like they were in another room or even a continent away.
Slowly he opened his eyes, the light above him was harsh and he tried to lift one of his arms to shield his eyes from the bright illumination, but he found he couldn't move it. He looked over to realize that someone was sitting next to him. Kim? He wondered, only belatedly did he realize he wasn't in his jeep anymore and that he was lying down now. What in the hell happened? His mind began sorting through the various images that were suddenly assaulting his memory.
The rig. The lock brackets suddenly coming loose, the car rolling down from its home within the trailer's belly…the large snow leopard painted on the front…Beware the Leopard…Vicky's voice suddenly echoed in his ears. Was that what she was warning him against?
It had to be, it just had to be.
He looked back to the woman sitting next to him, her face was turned away from him, actually her whole body was facing away from him, toward the other side of the ambulance. "He's awake." he heard someone say from above his head. Tommy would've moved his head to look at the speaker but his neck was immobilized.
"Kim?" he managed to get out in a barely discernible whisper.
The woman turned around to look at him, a bright smile breaking across her face. "Well hello there, just a second while we check your vitals." she briskly moved from where she had been seated, that's when he got a good look at the other person in the ambulance with him. Kim.
"Kim?" his voice was just slightly stronger, the tone of worry in it apparent.
The EMT showed up in his field of vision again. "Is that her name?" she asked as she checked his blood pressure then checked his pulse. She ran a small flashlight across his line of vision and jotted something down quickly into a small notepad she held in one of her hands.
Tommy tried to nod his head, the effort awarded him a sharp pain jetting down his neck. "If you can speak that would be a lot safer right now than trying to move your head. We're not sure if you have any injuries to your neck or not."
"Yes."
"Can you tell me what your name is?"
"Tommy Oliver."
"Your age?"
"28"
"What state are you in?"
"Pain."
"Very funny. What state and city are you in?"
"Angel Grove, California."
"Very good. There doesn't seem to be any apparent brain damage or memory loss. But the doctors will make sure about that. What can you tell me about her? Her full name?"
"Kimberly Ann Hart. She's 27and a half."
"Ok…any relatives nearby?"
"No, she's staying with friends of ours…I can give you their number to get a hold of them if you like." Tommy closed his eyes as mind numbing pain washed over his body suddenly.
"Are you alright?"
He didn't answer, he couldn't find his voice at that time. Just as suddenly as the pain had come it was gone, and just moments later he fell back into unconsciousness.
*******
The ambulance pulled up to the hospital's emergency room doors minutes later, the emergency room staff was there waiting to take the injured in. "The female is unresponsive. The male is in and out of consciousness, but he is usually pretty lucid when he is conscious." One of the paramedics said as they unloaded their two charges. Tommy groaned as his stretcher was lowered from the ambulance and moved through the emergency room's sliding glass doors.
"Female went into cardiac arrest three times enroute." someone said as they passed Kim off to the emergency room's staff.
"What are her vitals?"
"She's not very stable. BP is low, we couldn't even get an accurate read. Her heart rate drops down to 48 beats per minutes then speeds up to over 120 and her breathing is labored. Possible collapsed lung."
"Ok…I want him over in Exam Room 4, take her to Exam Room 5. I'll be there momentarily, I just want to take a quick look at him. Have OR on stand by, I think we may have to take her over there." The head ER doctor said as he followed Tommy into the room designated 4 by the tiny numeral 4 just above the sliding curtain.
"Ok, what have we got here people, where's his chart at?" the doctor asked as he moved along side Tommy.
"Right here," a nurse answered from behind him as she handed him the chart attached to a small clipboard.
"Ok…" he silently perused over the notes. Possible fracture to the left tibia. Concussion, possible. Pupils dilated. He ran his hand along Tommy's arm, pausing at a point just below his elbow. "I think he may have a compound fracture right here…order x-rays." He then turned his attention to the lower part of Tommy's leg. "And I want his left ankle checked out too. Let me know when the results are back." With that he left and moved over to the room that he'd had Kim placed in.
Kim was still unresponsive, her eyes shut just like she was taking a nap. A nap she possibly may never wake up from again.
********
The ER was total pandemonium as Rocky, Isabel, Kat, Billy and Aisha walked in followed by Kristin. Doctors and nurses were running blindly from one exam stall to the next. Nurses were quickly passing stat sheets to each other while trying to jot down everything that the doctors were telling them. Orderlies were trying to find enough beds and wheel chairs for the amount of patients suddenly swamping the ER. Isabel went right up to the receptionist's desk, the girl was on a mission.
"Excuse me ma'am?" The receptionist looked up at her. "I'm looking for a few friends of mine. I was told they'd be here."
"We're kind of busy right now young lady." the receptionist said in a haughty tone. "If you'd just like to have a seat in the waiting room with everybody else, someone will be over to help you as soon as we have people freed up. There was a major accident you know."
"Yes I know there was a major accident, that's why we're here. But you don't seem to understand that, do you? Our friends were involved in that accident, and personally you don't look like you're to busy to help us so I suggest you do so before I decide to make a really huge scene right here and now!" Isabel said between clenched teeth.
The receptionist suddenly went as pale as a ghost. "Um alright. What were their names?"
"Thomas Oliver and Kimberly Hart."
The receptionist looked through a stack of papers in front of her, looking over the names until she came to the ones mentioned. "Ok, they were both brought in just five minutes ago. I don't have their complete results but I do know that Thomas is being kept over night for observations and they are getting ready to send Kimberly to an OR room." The receptionist looked up at the group, then her eyes slid over to the sliding doors as two more people walked in. "Thomas is over in Exam Room 4," She continued as she ignored those who had just come in, "right over there, but only family is allowed to visit right now." She said, even though she had pointed to a room right across from her desk. The two new people walked up to the group, some hugged while others just looked at each other, their eyes filled with tears.
Immediately Isabel ran over and gave Trini a huge hug, "They're taking her to the OR right now. They want to keep Tommy over night for observation." she whispered into Trini's ear. Trini's hold on the Aussie tightened until Isabel thought her flow of oxygen was going to be cute off. "Easy Trini. From what you have all told me about her, she's strong. She'll make it through this."
"I have to hope so," Trini said just as Tommy was wheeled out of the exam room they had put him in. His eyes met those of his friends. "Tommy!" Trini said and let go of Isabel, just starting her way over to him as the curtain next his room opened up and Kim was brought out on a stretcher.
She was hooked up to so many machines, she looked lost amongst all the wires and gadgetry. A gasp of dismay escaped from Trini's lips as she looked at the bruised and battered body of one of her best friends. Isabel walked up behind the traumatized Vietnamese woman and gently laid a comforting hand on her shoulder just as Jason walked up to her and took her into his arms.
Rocky walked up behind Isabel, he didn't touch her but she knew he was there. She leaned back just a bit so that her back rested against his chest. His arms came up around her and pulled her more completely against him, his chin resting in her hair. She drew in a shaky breath and released it just as the machines hooked up to Kim all started to beep at the same time.
It wasn't the short intermittent beeps they had been emitting earlier, but a long drawn out one that made everyone in the room hold their breath. "Code Red!" a nurse yelled out as she ran around the side of the gurney to get a better look at the readings the machines were giving. "She's flat lined!"
"Out of the way, come on people, move!" A doctor said as he quickly moved in to access the situation. He quickly checked her pulse, the bleak look on his face telling everyone the worse. "100 joules, NOW!!" he ordered as one of the nurses suddenly ran in with the defibulator machine.
Everyone moved out of the way, allowing the doctor and the nurse into administer the shock to Kim's heart. Her young body lurched with the force of the electrical shock…a heart beat showed on one of the support machines for a short period of time then flat lined again. "120 joules on my mark." Everyone cleared back again. The ex-Rangers and their friends watched in dismay as the doctor and nurse fought for their friend's life. "NOW!" The electrical buzz filled the room again and Kim's body jumped from it again. This time the heart beat didn't show up.
"160 NOW!" the doctor yelled, determined that the young woman wasn't going to die on his shift. The shock was administered again, her body jumped from the force but her heart didn't start to beat again. The doctor looked up at the nurse. "Mark time of death as," he looked up at the clock. "11:48 am." His eyes briefly made contact with the group of friends who looked at him with horror on their faces then he looked away, the trauma of the ordeal evident on his face.
"She's…?" Isabel said, she couldn't get the whole sentence out.
"She can't be, she just can't…" Kat said, her hands came up to her face in an attempt to stifle the sobs that were threatening to erupt from her throat.
"Kim…?" Trini's voice was soft with unshed tears. Her dark eyes swam as she turned around to bury her face in her husband's chest. "It can't be…God please tell me this isn't happening!" she cried as she clung to Jason.
"Kim?" they heard Tommy's voice ever so quietly ask, as if fearing that the worse was true…even though the worse had already happened. He tried to get up from the wheelchair they had put him in, but a nurse held him back.
"You shouldn't be trying to walk on that foot Mr. Oliver," the nurse said in a clipped tone.
"I don't damn well care!" he hollered at her. "Let me out of this damn chair right now!" the nurse didn't argue with him any further when he tried to get out of the chair once more. He hobbled his way over to Kim's prone body, placing one of his hands gently against her face. "Kim?" he said softly. "God, you can't leave me, not now."
She didn't respond and he could actually feel her skin cooling beneath his touch. "Kim." A tear silently made its way down his face and splashed against her closed eyelids. She still didn't move. "Kim," he said, his voice sounding hollow, even to his own ears. "Kim, love, you can't leave me. I still need you Beautiful, you have to come back to me!" he cried as he collapsed on top of her lifeless body.
********
The light was bright before her eyes. "It's not your time Kimberly." A voice said from the distance. Two shadows formed within the halo of the brilliant light. As she grew nearer to them she came to discover she recognized the both of them.
"Vicky, Isabel…what are you doing here?"
"Hello Kim," Vicky said as she reached out a hand to take one of Kim's in hers.
Kim's eyes wondered over to Isabel and she belatedly realized that though the girl looked an awful a lot like Isabel, she wasn't. "Who are you?"
"My name is Brenda Bryant. I'm Isabel's twin sister." Kim's eyes grew wide at this bit of news. She'd never knew that Isabel had a twin, no one had mentioned it to her.
"I don't have much time to explain, please tell her something for me, will you?" Brenda asked as she stepped up to stand next to Vicky and Kim.
Kim nodded her head.
"Tell her that I love her and miss her and that everything is going to be fine. Tell her when the call comes she must go, but she can't go alone, tell her to take Rocky with her. Please remember to tell her that, will you?"
Kimberly silently nodded. "Just how much do you know about us?"
"I've been watching over Iz ever since my death…if she wants to tell you any more about what happened that will be her choice. It's not mine to make."
Kim smiled as the two turned around and walked back toward the bright light. Kim shook her head and slowly started to follow then. "Kim, love, you can't leave me. I still need you Beautiful, you have to come back to me!" She heard his voice just as clear as if he were there with her. She turned back around and looked back the way she had come, the way was dark. Gray mists swirled around like sinister monsters waiting for her to try and return to the land of the living, as if daring her to try.