Chapter 5 Terror in the E.R.
Cindy's shift started out as a routine shift in the Community General hospital emergency room. A skeleton staff was working due to the combination of record high temperatures and record poor air quality that was hitting Los Angeles at the time. The mid evening steady pace was abruptly shattered when three lone gunmen entered the E.R.
"I don't want shoot nobody." the first gunman said in broken English. He was unmistakably a terrorist of some kind.
"I'm Dr. Carter. Are you injured? Do you need medical attention?"
"I not hurt. All people sit and say nothing." the gunman ordered.
The few patients that were not confined a bed and staff did what they were told. Cindy was concerned for the bed ridden patients.
The terrorist continued to speak in a foreign language to his two comrades. Cindy recognized the language as being from the middle east somewhere, maybe Arabic. Cindy couldn't be sure.
"My friends go to hospital's operating room. Where is hospital's operating room?"
"What is so important about our hospital's operating rooms?" Dr. Carter asked.
Without warning the first gunman turned his rifle to Dr. Carter and shot him in the shoulder.
Instinctively Cindy moved towards the wounded doctor and started to treat his wounds.
"Move away from him" the second terrorist ordered.
"You shot him. He only asked you a question." Cindy continued to work to stop the bleeding.
The terrorist noticed Cindy's Air Force uniform under her lab coat.
"Stand up. Who are you? "he asked. "That is military uniform of some kind. What you doing at this hospital?" the gunman wanted to know.
"Oh, this little thing? Just something I slipped on this morning."
The gunman pointed his rifle at Dr. Carter once again.
"Okay. James Cindy. Captain, US Air Force Reserve Nurse Corp. O-592476295."
What nobody in the E.R. knew was at that very moment an important Mid eastern ambassador was being given a new chance at life. The only signs that a VIP was in the hospital were a few more security guards then usual. Mark and Steve were somewhere in the hospital. Cindy didn't know where, perhaps in Mark's office. Cindy needed to contact them and warn them somehow. Cindy slithered to the counter where she pushed the intercom button to Mark's office undetected. She hoped that this plan would work.
"In your operating room is our ambassador. Thanks to your doctors, he is getting second chance of life. We represent our country's Liberation movement. The average poor citizen of our country can not even feed his family. Why should politician get second chance while millions of his people starve everyday? .
Capt. James will go with my friends to the operating room and persuade the authorities to meet our demands."
"What are your demands?" Cindy asked, hoping she could buy some time for Steve or somebody to realize what was happening in the E.R.
"We demand the ambassador's surgery not to be done. Don't give him a second chance he does not deserve. Then we demand airplane to fly us to Cairo. First, we want to visit your operating suite.
"I don't know if that's possible." Cindy said trying not to show any fear.
"Make it possible, girlie, or many innocent people die."
"Okay, get that rifle out of my face," Cindy assured the gunman that she would do her best.
*********
In Mark's office Steve and Mark heard the conversation as it was happening in E.R. through the intercom that Cindy had switched on.
"Dad, they have Cindy. They know she is military. I have to go." Steve told Mark.
"Steve, I know they have Cindy. Do you have a plan?" Mark was concerned for Steve as well as for Cindy.
"Dad, I know that they are on their way to the O.R. I know my way and I trust that Cindy will try to slow them down whenever possible. I will be dressed as an O.R. assistant get Cindy to safety and do my job. Call the station for back up. Tell them we have a multiple hostage situation."
********
The three foreigners talked more and two left the E.R. with Cindy. The other stayed behind.
The first terrorist clumsily booby trapped the stair-well doors behind them. The second terrorist had his rifle pointed directly at Cindy. They used the booby traps because they thought that they could not be followed.
"You don't have to worry about me trying to escape. I'm not that foolish." Cindy stated as they reached the O.R. entrance.
"Get you and I in there, Capt." ordered the second terrorist. "My friend here will watch door."
"Okay. Let me think." Cindy said as she knocked on the O.R. door. She knew that that was not routine, and that the staff inside would be alerted. Cindy wasn't aware that Steve was one of the staff now inside the O.R.
"Please open the door," Cindy shouted. "It's a matter of life and death."
Steve recognized Cindy's voice and gave permission for the door to be opened. Cindy and the second terrorist stepped inside, while the other gunman waited outside. Cindy was shocked to see Steve dressed as an O.R. tech. She had a small idea of what he was planning. She was genuinely glad that he was there.
The terrorist already inside of the operating suite said something in their native language to his comrade who had just entered. Steve and Cindy glanced at each other, each able to read the others' thoughts.
Finally the terrorist that entered with Cindy made an announcement in his broken English. "I know there is one too many doctor here. Do not think that we are children playing games? Someone tell me who is fake doctor here and maybe rest of you live."
Nobody moved.
"You, Air Force." The terrorist pointed to Cindy. Steve's heart skipped a beat." You must know who fake doctor is, yes?" The terrorist held his rifle up against Cindy's throat. "Pretty Air Force lady you not have long to live, Tell me!"
Cindy said nothing. Steve's heart was pounding out of his chest. He wondered if the terrorists could detect his service 44-mm special that he concealed under the white scrubs. He couldn't lose Cindy now. He had just recently found the girl of his dreams. At that moment Steve started to step forward. The terrorist that was holding the rifle to Cindy now turned his weapon toward Steve. In the instant that followed Cindy leaped between the terrorist's rifle and Steve. Without warning she collapsed to the floor. Instinctively, Steve revealed his 44 special and shot and killed the terrorist. The other terrorist in the suite realized that he was out numbered and surrendered without incident.
Someone called hospital security and the terrorist outside the suite was apprehended. Steve was in shock holding the pliant Cindy in his arms. His clothes were covered with her blood. The slug had come to rest in Cindy's chest.
Steve carried Cindy from the suite and instinctively toward E.R. Steve met Mark in the corridor with Jesse and a stretcher. Steve laid Cindy down carefully.
"BP 80 and palpable, pulse 120 and thready." announced a nurse trying to take Cindy's vital signs.
"She's losing too much blood too fast. She's going into shock. Get some O negative blood Stat. Get her to an open O.R. Stat." Jesse looked over at Steve with an uncertain stare.
Except for Mark, Steve was left standing in an empty hallway. His white scrubs that he wore under cover were now stained crimson red with Cindy's blood. Steve's eyes looked, but they didn't see. He was in shock.
"Steve. Son. Let Jesse help Cindy. We can't do anything for her here. Come with me, and get some coffee. Get some rest. Let Jesse help Cindy. He will take good care of her. He's the best." Mark tried to comfort his son. He hoped that he was telling Steve the truth, that Jesse could help Cindy.
Cindy's shift started out as a routine shift in the Community General hospital emergency room. A skeleton staff was working due to the combination of record high temperatures and record poor air quality that was hitting Los Angeles at the time. The mid evening steady pace was abruptly shattered when three lone gunmen entered the E.R.
"I don't want shoot nobody." the first gunman said in broken English. He was unmistakably a terrorist of some kind.
"I'm Dr. Carter. Are you injured? Do you need medical attention?"
"I not hurt. All people sit and say nothing." the gunman ordered.
The few patients that were not confined a bed and staff did what they were told. Cindy was concerned for the bed ridden patients.
The terrorist continued to speak in a foreign language to his two comrades. Cindy recognized the language as being from the middle east somewhere, maybe Arabic. Cindy couldn't be sure.
"My friends go to hospital's operating room. Where is hospital's operating room?"
"What is so important about our hospital's operating rooms?" Dr. Carter asked.
Without warning the first gunman turned his rifle to Dr. Carter and shot him in the shoulder.
Instinctively Cindy moved towards the wounded doctor and started to treat his wounds.
"Move away from him" the second terrorist ordered.
"You shot him. He only asked you a question." Cindy continued to work to stop the bleeding.
The terrorist noticed Cindy's Air Force uniform under her lab coat.
"Stand up. Who are you? "he asked. "That is military uniform of some kind. What you doing at this hospital?" the gunman wanted to know.
"Oh, this little thing? Just something I slipped on this morning."
The gunman pointed his rifle at Dr. Carter once again.
"Okay. James Cindy. Captain, US Air Force Reserve Nurse Corp. O-592476295."
What nobody in the E.R. knew was at that very moment an important Mid eastern ambassador was being given a new chance at life. The only signs that a VIP was in the hospital were a few more security guards then usual. Mark and Steve were somewhere in the hospital. Cindy didn't know where, perhaps in Mark's office. Cindy needed to contact them and warn them somehow. Cindy slithered to the counter where she pushed the intercom button to Mark's office undetected. She hoped that this plan would work.
"In your operating room is our ambassador. Thanks to your doctors, he is getting second chance of life. We represent our country's Liberation movement. The average poor citizen of our country can not even feed his family. Why should politician get second chance while millions of his people starve everyday? .
Capt. James will go with my friends to the operating room and persuade the authorities to meet our demands."
"What are your demands?" Cindy asked, hoping she could buy some time for Steve or somebody to realize what was happening in the E.R.
"We demand the ambassador's surgery not to be done. Don't give him a second chance he does not deserve. Then we demand airplane to fly us to Cairo. First, we want to visit your operating suite.
"I don't know if that's possible." Cindy said trying not to show any fear.
"Make it possible, girlie, or many innocent people die."
"Okay, get that rifle out of my face," Cindy assured the gunman that she would do her best.
*********
In Mark's office Steve and Mark heard the conversation as it was happening in E.R. through the intercom that Cindy had switched on.
"Dad, they have Cindy. They know she is military. I have to go." Steve told Mark.
"Steve, I know they have Cindy. Do you have a plan?" Mark was concerned for Steve as well as for Cindy.
"Dad, I know that they are on their way to the O.R. I know my way and I trust that Cindy will try to slow them down whenever possible. I will be dressed as an O.R. assistant get Cindy to safety and do my job. Call the station for back up. Tell them we have a multiple hostage situation."
********
The three foreigners talked more and two left the E.R. with Cindy. The other stayed behind.
The first terrorist clumsily booby trapped the stair-well doors behind them. The second terrorist had his rifle pointed directly at Cindy. They used the booby traps because they thought that they could not be followed.
"You don't have to worry about me trying to escape. I'm not that foolish." Cindy stated as they reached the O.R. entrance.
"Get you and I in there, Capt." ordered the second terrorist. "My friend here will watch door."
"Okay. Let me think." Cindy said as she knocked on the O.R. door. She knew that that was not routine, and that the staff inside would be alerted. Cindy wasn't aware that Steve was one of the staff now inside the O.R.
"Please open the door," Cindy shouted. "It's a matter of life and death."
Steve recognized Cindy's voice and gave permission for the door to be opened. Cindy and the second terrorist stepped inside, while the other gunman waited outside. Cindy was shocked to see Steve dressed as an O.R. tech. She had a small idea of what he was planning. She was genuinely glad that he was there.
The terrorist already inside of the operating suite said something in their native language to his comrade who had just entered. Steve and Cindy glanced at each other, each able to read the others' thoughts.
Finally the terrorist that entered with Cindy made an announcement in his broken English. "I know there is one too many doctor here. Do not think that we are children playing games? Someone tell me who is fake doctor here and maybe rest of you live."
Nobody moved.
"You, Air Force." The terrorist pointed to Cindy. Steve's heart skipped a beat." You must know who fake doctor is, yes?" The terrorist held his rifle up against Cindy's throat. "Pretty Air Force lady you not have long to live, Tell me!"
Cindy said nothing. Steve's heart was pounding out of his chest. He wondered if the terrorists could detect his service 44-mm special that he concealed under the white scrubs. He couldn't lose Cindy now. He had just recently found the girl of his dreams. At that moment Steve started to step forward. The terrorist that was holding the rifle to Cindy now turned his weapon toward Steve. In the instant that followed Cindy leaped between the terrorist's rifle and Steve. Without warning she collapsed to the floor. Instinctively, Steve revealed his 44 special and shot and killed the terrorist. The other terrorist in the suite realized that he was out numbered and surrendered without incident.
Someone called hospital security and the terrorist outside the suite was apprehended. Steve was in shock holding the pliant Cindy in his arms. His clothes were covered with her blood. The slug had come to rest in Cindy's chest.
Steve carried Cindy from the suite and instinctively toward E.R. Steve met Mark in the corridor with Jesse and a stretcher. Steve laid Cindy down carefully.
"BP 80 and palpable, pulse 120 and thready." announced a nurse trying to take Cindy's vital signs.
"She's losing too much blood too fast. She's going into shock. Get some O negative blood Stat. Get her to an open O.R. Stat." Jesse looked over at Steve with an uncertain stare.
Except for Mark, Steve was left standing in an empty hallway. His white scrubs that he wore under cover were now stained crimson red with Cindy's blood. Steve's eyes looked, but they didn't see. He was in shock.
"Steve. Son. Let Jesse help Cindy. We can't do anything for her here. Come with me, and get some coffee. Get some rest. Let Jesse help Cindy. He will take good care of her. He's the best." Mark tried to comfort his son. He hoped that he was telling Steve the truth, that Jesse could help Cindy.