See Chapter 1 for disclaimer

CHAPTER EIGHT

REUNION AMONG FRIENDS

The day after arriving in Boston Chet and Jeanette decided to do some Sightseeing.

Their first stops were by the JFK Library, the John Hancock Building, Bunker Hill, the Federal Reserve Bank, and the State Capitol Building.

Chet even made the Cab Driver take them past a few Fire Stations.

They noticed a small marketplace near their hotel.

The next day Chet and Jeanette decided to go to the Faneuil Hall Marketplace to buy the stuff they hadn't been able to buy in Boston.

"This is a real nice place Chet. Too bad they don't have anywhere like this in LA," Jeanette commented.

"I know Jeanette. Then maybe we would have our coats and so forth. You know I have a pretty sneaky idea."

"That being Chet?"

"Well as you know Christmas is coming up. Maybe we could buy some stuff while we are here to take home and place under the Kelly Family Christmas Tree for Timmy."

"That's not a bad idea Chet. In fact this is the perfect time to do it since Timmy isn't with us."

They were shopping away.

Tiredly, they were sitting on a bench along the marketplace when a patron went to put their cigarette into the ashtray that was part of a nearby trash barrel. Only for them to get distracted by a person calling out nearby, and to have the still hot cigarette land instead, in the actual barrel right on top of some cooking grease that had been inadvertently tossed into it.

Within Seconds there was the start of a blaze.

"Someone get me a bucket of water," Chet called.

"Sir, you think that's a good idea?" a passerby wondered.

"I'm a firefighter with the LA County Fire Department," Chet informed as he went to dump the water on the fire only for it to flare up and set his clothes on fire. He immediately dropped and rolled, trying unsuccessfully, to prevent sever burns.

Meanwhile, exiting a lower concourse of the Boston Garden following a Celtics game, were Paramedic Ming Chang with Federal Rescue, EMT Pat Rager and Driver John Olson.

The three workers normally operated out of nearby Cambridge but were given the detail at the Garden as a way to relax, though they also were on standby in case of serious injury.

"Boston this is Federal 7 calling in available from Boston Garden Detail," Rager called in on the radio.

"Boston 10-4," a dispatcher replied.

"So what do you want to do now?" Rager inquired.

"We could swing over to the Medical School and surprise Julie. She's been studying hard lately," Ming suggested.

Dung Do, Dung Do, Dung Do Dung Do.

"Engine 10, Ladder 1 Rescue 1, Car 3 trash can fire with injuries 4 Market Street, Cross Street Quincy Market. Time out 1642."
"You know guys we aren't too far away from there and it sounds like they will need an ambulance," Olson informed the others.

Ming reached over from his jump seat and grabbed the microphone.
"Federal 7 responding to Engine 10's rescue."

"Federal 7 10-4."

Olson then drove them to the scene. When they pulled up a firefighter with Rescue 1 called them over.

"Looks like he might have some burns," the fireman told him.

"This is interesting," Ming said, as he was examining Chet.

"What is Ming?" Rager wondered.

"Pat, remember back two years ago when I was out in LA and I did that overtime with Station 51?

How there was this one firefighter who was so prejudice, loved to put down a paramedic named John Gage, and was known as the Phantom? Well I think this might be the very firefighter," Ming said keeping it low.

He then turned toward Jeanette, "Excuse me ma'am but is this guy here Chet Kelly with LA station 51?"

"Yes, he is my husband. Why do you know him or something?"

"Yeah, we met a couple years ago when I was doing some OT with his station that had been arranged out here."

Right then, Chet regained consciousness.

"Hey, Kelly, how are you Mr. Prejudice?"

"Ming, what are you doing here?"
"Rescuing you."

"Why did you call me Mr. Prejudice?"

"Let me say this much, Chet, that's the one thing I remember the most about you. That and your love of practical jokes."

"Well I'm a new man, Ming.

For one thing I lost my prejudiced nature. It kind of placed me in the hospital for months and I just recovered fully from it.

I don't even make fun of Gage as much anymore, especially about his being a lefty, since I ended up left handed as a result."

Ming, meanwhile, was taking his vitals prior to calling it into Massachusetts General.

"Mass General, this is Federal 7."

"Go ahead Federal 7," came the voice of Dr. Mark Craig, the ER head.

"Mass General, we have a man in his late twenties, early thirties with multiple burns to his chest, and hands.

His respirations are 10 and shallow with diminished breath sounds at right base. Pulse 130 and thready. B/P 98/50."

"How did he get burns that bad?"

"He is a firefighter."

"We were doing some shopping inside and were thinking of doing some Christmas shopping for our son, when Chet noticed a fire in a trash barrel.

Of course, the firefighter in him tried to put it out, but it flared up at him almost as if it was a grease fire, since he had used water."
"Well who would think there would be grease in a public trash barrel," Chet said.

"Federal 7 monitor vitals and keep all areas moist. Also run an IV with Ringers Lactate at 100cc/hr."

"Chet, besides shopping, which you could have done in LA a lot easier, what brings you into Boston?" Ming inquired.

"It's my honeymoon, Ming. I just got married two weeks ago and, well Boston is the American Irish Capital."

"I see," Ming said.

"Well it might not be Rampart, but I'm going to take you into Massachusetts General Hospital and put you in the care of Dr. Mark Craig who, while he might not be Dr. Brackett, is a good doc."

Ming had a bit of fun carefully strapping Chet down on the stretcher.

He and Rager then placed Chet in the back of the Ambulance.

One of the guys from Rescue One rode in with them. Another guy drove Jeanette in.

"Ming, how is it that Cambridge's finest was in Boston?"

"It's real easy, Gerry, my crew got stuck with the Celtics detail.

We were thinking of checking on how Julie was doing when we heard the call over our radio and simply responded."

"That's how you got here so fast.

God, Chief Roland was just calling for about five more ambulances just as you pulled in.

It was definitely bad there. Wouldn't surprise me if they have to call every Apparatus in the District out.

Man, I thought it was overkill having us, Engine 10 Ladder 1 and District Chief Roland respond. Wouldn't surprise me if by now Deputy Chief Thatcher is there backing Roland up."

They were soon backing up to the ER entrance at Mass General. Jeanette was shortly behind them.

Dr. Craig personally signaled the stretcher containing Chet into a treatment room.

Jeanette meanwhile went to the desk.

"Hi, I'm Nurse Jeanette Kelly with Rampart General in LA. You mind if I borrow a phone for a couple minutes?" Jeanette inquired as she showed her nurses id to the lady.

"The face looks to match yours but it doesn't say Kelly it says Boucher."

"Look if you call Nurse Dixie McCall with the ER at Rampart she can vouch for me. Thing is Boucher is my maiden name."

The Nurse then made a long distance telephone call to Rampart.

"Nurse McCall, please, in the ER," the nurse said.

"Rampart Emergency, Dr. Morton."

"This is Nurse Annette Stephano with the ER at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. I'm looking for Nurse Dixie McCall."

"Hold on one second," Dr. Morton responded.

A minute later a different voice came on the line.

"Nurse McCall."
"Nurse McCall, I'm Annette Stephano, a nurse with the ER at Massachusetts General. Are you familiar with a Nurse Jeanette Boucher?"

"Yes I am and well she recently married a firefighter named Chet Kelly. Why do you ask?"

"She is in front of me and her ID said Boucher but she had identified herself as Kelly."

"You mind if I talk to her for a second?"

"Yes but I'm going to relent and let you anyway," Annette said. "Nurse McCall would like to speak with you."

"How is everything in LA Dixie?"

"It's doing good. Jeanette, how is the honeymoon going?"
"It was going good before Chet decided to play hero and attempted to single handedly put a fire out on his own.

Right now he is being examined by a doctor in the ER here after suffering burns to his chest and arms.

The real interesting thing is this federal paramedic named Ming seemed to know him."

"Was it Ming Chang with Federal 7? He was here a couple years ago on overtime. His wife is that famous basketball player Julie Fredericks."

"The Wheelchair Warrior? God, Timmy is a bit of a fan of hers. It could very well be him since he radioed in as Federal 7.

How is Timmy doing?"

"He is doing good. Should I tell him about his father's latest injury?"

"Very carefully Dixie," Jeanette said.

"Any idea where he was burned exactly?"

"Seemed like everywhere from the waist up," Jeanette replied.

"Do you know who the attending physician is?"

"The paramedic mentioned a Dr. Mark Craig. He compared him to Dr. Brackett."

"Thanks, Kel might have to call him in case it ends up complicating Chet's recovery from his last hospitalization."

They then hung up and Dixie went looking for Dr. Brackett. Being informed that he was in his office, where she knocked and got the signal to enter.

"Something up Dixie?" Dr. Brackett inquired.

"I just got off the phone with Jeanette."

"Where are the Kelly's at this time?"

"Chet is being examined by Mark Craig at Mass General."

"I was classmates with a Mark Craig at Hopkins. He was dating a girl named Ellen Bower at the time."

"Kel, don't you remember Ellen was my best friend?"

"Any idea why Chet is being examined by a doctor at Mass General?"

"He suffered burns to his chest and hands trying to put out a fire on his own.

"Kel, Ming Chang was the responding paramedic when Chet was burned."
"The same one who worked with Roy a couple years ago when Johnny was here with a broken leg? The Wheelchair Warriors Husband?"

"Wouldn't surprise me. Besides she did say he had called into Mass General as Federal 7."

"Ming is a good man. The way he handled the triage station at the La Quesadilla fire was almost textbook."

Kel walked out as he was paged right then.

"Treatment 2," a nurse said.

Kel noticed Roy DeSoto and John Gage were in the ER hinting that they had brought in the patient.

"Johnny, Roy, if you could stick around for a bit."

"Sure thing, Doc. Come on, Junior we'll wait in the lounge," Roy signaled to Johnny.

"It could be a bit so inform LA you are unavailable."

Dr. Brackett spent a few minutes getting the patient who had a sprained ankle and fractured knee, examined and prepped for casting.

He then went into the lounge and had Roy and Johnny follow him to his office.

"Hey Doc what's up?"

"Roy, you remember Ming Chang at all?"

"I think so isn't he a paramedic back East somewhere?"

"In Cambridge, Massachusetts.

It's a bit of a puzzler, but Ming responded to a fire scene at which Chet tried to put the fire out and suffered several burns.

The Doctor examining him in Boston, at Mass General, is a med school classmate of mine. Dixie got the scoop from Jeanette."

"Oh boy this will prove fun, Doc. I can just see that now," Johnny snickered.

"Oh great Johnny trying to out phantom The Phantom," Roy muttered.

"You might want to let the guys at the station know."

Kel said as his phone buzzed. "Dr. Brackett."

"Kel Brackett, how are you doing you old Sourpuss? You recognize my voice at all."

"Not really," Dr. Brackett admitted.

"Mark Craig, your old Buddy at Hopkins."

"Oh, hi, Mark, I understand one of LA County's finest firefighters is in your ER."

"Funny you should mention that, Kel, because your firefighter has given me permission to ask you for details about his last set of serious injuries. And also permission for us to discuss his current injuries."

"If you want, I could send our file on Firefighter Chet Kelly to you which includes everything we have on his last set of serious injuries."

"Actually, Kel, I think it would be better if you came out here. Chet's injuries now are pretty serious."

"How serious are we talking Mark?"

"He has third degree burns to his hands, arms, chest.

Second Degree to his chest, and abdomen, and some first degree burns to his face along with his chest and abdomen."

"I'll see what I can get for reservations.

To be honest Mark, I'm not surprised you called since Chet's wife, Jeanette, gave some basic details to Dixie McCall who informed me."

"Well Kel I hope to see you shortly."

Dr. Brackett then updated Roy and Johnny before he started making plans for the trip.

The plans included Dixie joining him and Timmy wanting to come along which Chet's mother quickly vetoed.