Chapter Six
Friday Early Morning - 0000 C Shift
The first aid tent resembled a field hospital more than a first aid tent. It had happened faster than Roy could say, 'Vietnam'. After hunting down 19's squad, Johnny had pulled every single stretcher and backboard to lay unconscious firefighters on, the three cots in the tent weren't cutting it. Johnny momentarily left again to relocate the canopy tent outside the Mobile Command Center to give some privacy to the patient's overflowing outside. Roy and Johnny were looking after four people, each.
"Rampart to Klondike First Aid." two biophones operating on the same channel called. Roy, whose hands were free at the moment, picked it up. "Hospital personnel and equipment are ready to go, we're waiting for the Coast Guard for transport." Dr. Early reported. Roy copied with a grateful sigh.
Roy and Johnny had decided together, to request additional resources, without getting permission from Rable. In their opinion, they had waited long enough. It was midnight and there was no help coming, and no patient evacuation in sight. Fire department copters were still performing water drops and ambulances were out of the question as each transport would need a medic, and there weren't enough. They decided the reprimand couldn't be worse than the current situation. The eight firefighters and counting, needed help, bureaucracy be damned.
Johnny was in the midst of taking a blood pressure when someone cleared his throat. He looked up and stood from his crouched position. "Sir." he nodded, greeting Chief McConnikie.
"I hear you called Rampart for help." the Chief said.
Johnny nodded, "Roy and I did sir, but before you say anything-" Johnny started, automatically going into defensive mode. McConnikie held up his hand, stopping him. John hoped they weren't getting reprimanded now, they were a trifle busy. He looked back down at the men on stretchers, trying to prove a point.
"Good." McConnikie said, "I've requested help from the Army Reserve and bordering counties, relief should be here in the next couple hours." Johnny blinked, that was not at all what he was expecting. "I'm now Brush Fire Chief, you and DeSoto take orders from me." Johnny nodded, surprised at the turn of events. McConnikie marched away, leaving Johnny open mouthed under the meager tent.
He didn't have long to ponder recent events, a horn honked from a squad several feet away. Johnny cursed, it was 51's squad. His premonition at Rampart earlier was coming true. "Roy!" he shouted, "It's ours, it's 51!" Rampart couldn't get there faster.
Friday Early Morning - 0100 C Shift
At one in the morning, Doctor Kelly Brackett stepped out of a helicopter, feeling rather ruffled. He looked behind him to see if Dixie was as unsettled, but she looked the same as ever, despite her windswept appearance. Once the call for help had come from Gage and DeSoto, Brackett wanted to go there himself. He wanted to know why there were ten Code-I's there and three more in his emergency room. He wasn't a fire chief, but that was too many in his opinion. Brackett looked around, hoping for some type of directions on where to go. It was pitch black on the hill. Only a few lights illuminated the area, but they all pointed down, not great for navigating on foot. Someone caught his eye, Chief McConnikie was getting his attention. Brackett set off, Dixie following behind. "Chief McConnikie." Brackett greeted, reaching his hand out. "This is Nurse McCall." he said, introducing the two.
McConnikie shook both their hands, "Doctor Brackett, Nurse McCall." He pointed to a red sedan, with an empty utility truck behind. McConnikie hollered some instruction to the man taking boxes of medical supplies from the Coast Guard helicopter crew. "He'll follow behind." he said, turning back to the nurses and Doctor.
It was a short drive down the hill to Brush Fire Command, and Kel, upon arriving, was shocked at the sight. McConnikie didn't explain anything, but parked the car and marched them through the camp. The background noise was chaotic, generators, running engines, radios, and occasional shouts, all pulling for his attention. There were several vehicles that looked like RV's with antennas, another vehicle that looked like a food truck, several porta potties, and canopy tents everywhere. Not to mention the hundreds of apparatus parked, either with sleeping men nearby, or appearingly abandoned. The 'abandoned' squad's compartment doors were opened, medical supplies missing. To Kel, none of it made any sense. He shared a look with Dixie.
She didn't seem surprised. "It looks like a MASH unit." she said to him. Her gaze lingered on an empty squad, the number on it's side, 51. He noticed, since the helicopter flight, she had put her hair up in a military style bun. Her whole appearance had changed, yelling 'Military' to anyone who glanced her way. He suddenly remembered she was the head nurse at a MASH in Korea. Her comfort level in the helicopter made sense.
"This is the first aid tent, well tents." McConnikie said, waving his hand at the official looking tent, and the pathetic canopy. There were dim lights illuminating the wall-less tent, but Kel could see the shadow of six men laying with their feet elevated. "The truck shouldn't be far behind." he said before leaving them. Kel nodded grimly, the elevated legs was a clear indicator of no more supplies.
"Now it really feels like a MASH unit." Dixie said, rolling her sleeves up.
They walked up to the official looking tent, opened the flap and stepped inside. Brackett looked around. There were six people crammed in the tent with IV's.
Johnny and Roy were hunched over in the corner, digging through several drug boxes and talking to each other. "I thought I saw a catheter just there." There was rustling as medical supplies were shuffled around.
"I know we have a ringers left, if we just had a 18 gauge. Hell, I'll take a 24 at this point." Roy complained.
"Gage, DeSoto." Brackett said. They stood up so quickly, Kel was worried they'd hit their heads, or pass out, the way everything was going.
"Tell me you brought supplies." Gage said, not bothering with a greeting. Kel grimaced. The two confident and professional men he trained looked stressed, scared, and angry. All abnormal emotions for both of them.
"It's in a truck behind us," he answered. "What's going on here?" he demanded. Why were two medics looking after twelve patients?
"Too much." Gage replied cynically. "The guys with the IV's are semi stable, they're getting a bag wide open." Johnny said. "But could use a few more."
"The men outside could be better." DeSoto said, picking up where Gage left off. "They're all exhausted, dehydrated, and hypotensive. We wouldn't doubt their sugar's low too. Most of 'em have been on for 24 hours plus."
Brackett winced, that was a long time. "Don't you guys normally get relieved?" Brackett asked. Gage and DeSoto shared a look.
After a pause John answered, "Not yet Doc." Kel thought it sounded angry, a trait unexpected from Gage. An air horn sounded from outside, Brackett flinched, but Johnny looked at Roy with a grim nod. "I got it." Johnny said, slipping through the tent flap.
"Got what?" Kel asked in confusion, not understanding what the horn meant.
"Another one." Roy answered. Dixie frowned and followed Johnny outside. "Did the coast guard stick around? Our copters can't be used for medevacs, they're still trying to control the fire."