Chapter 7: Lights, Sirens
P O V: Erin Lindsay
"Dear God, watch over all policemen and law enforcement officers everywhere. Protect us from harm in the performance of our duty to stop crime, robbery, riots and violence. We pray, help us keep our streets and homes safe, day and night. We commend ourselves to your loving care, because our duty is dangerous. Grant us the strength and courage in our daily assignments. Dear God, protect us, Unite us safely with our families after duty has ended. Amen."
Everyday before we go out to these streets my fellow officers, I gather in the locker rooms before our shift starts we hold hands we put aside any personal differences we have with each other, we pray. Why? It's not because we're all deeply religious honestly I have a very shaky relationship with the almighty. We do it because we know that every call we answer has the very real potential to be our last. We wake up the same as anybody else each morning we put on our uniform or our suits if we are lucky enough to have reached a level beyond patrol. We kiss our spouses if we are lucky enough to have one, we ruffle our kids heads, tease them about the boy or girl they like nag them about homework, we take our dogs out or shoo the cat off our morning paper. We sip our coffee and make plans for dinner.
Than our day takes a different turn we don't just head to an office for a day of paperwork or stock trade, we put our hostlers on, we shine our shields, we strap our radios on and if need be we gear up in tactical gear, because unlike your stockbroker, your real estate agent, your local food server. We knock on doors not knowing what or who is behind them. We confront and arrest murderers, rapists, robbers, and pedophiles. Our lives are constantly putting on the line for the safety of others.
In the USA there are 900,000 sworn police officers to protect 325.7 million people on average 151 officers are killed in the line of duty every year. I've lost many good friends in my career. "Hailey stay with me," I hold back my tears a war of emotions raging inside of me as Shay and Foster race to the scene, the young man is already on their stretcher, but they won't turn us away there is a flurry of activity. Shay has taken charge yelling out orders to Foster, the boy is moved, his head restrained by the neck brace but he's mobile, he takes a seat on the side of the wall. "Strap her to the gurney, get the other headboard. She's fading fast we need to move," I don't let go of her wound which is pouring out blood faster than I can soak it up with the towels, scarlet red has stained my hands, her breathing is labored she's lost consciousness.
"BP is dropping Foster get me as many hemostatic gauze's as you can find we need to pack this wound," Shay looks around and yells for Kim to pass her the jacket she had discarded when she had gotten hot earlier. She quickly ties it around Hailey's waist using it as a tourniquet to hold the gauze's in place. She's sweating I can tell every part of her is aching, I know not just by the look of pain on twisted facial features, or the grunts she's giving but because I am hurting, my shoulders ache, my arms are shaking. We are not superhero's we are humans we ache, we hurt, we bleed just like you do.
"Breathing is shallow she's in respiratory distress we need to decompress foster you drive, I' I'll make this call," Foster nods fear in her eyes as she jumps out slamming the doors as Shay grabs the needle she needs, "I need to drain the fluids in her lungs it's causing her lungs to collapse," I nod moving to give her room to work. She's hooked to two IV's already as well as the monitor. "Foster I can't stress this enough fly time isn't on our side, I need you to go full code 3 lights, sirens,"
Hailey gasps as Shay successfully decompresses her eyes are focused her hands steady I'm not sure how she does it with a vehicle that is flying at speeds that are illegal for normal people. There isn't much I can right now I am afraid, I am sickened that this has happened again. I know Shay feels my fear. "Pray Erin it's all we can right now, turn it over to God,"
So I do I lift my eyes to the heaven's tears slowly falling as I feel my breathing steady. "Heavenly Father, Please be with our colleague who has been injured whilst on duty. Lord in your mercy,
Hear our prayer. Bless the work of the nurses and doctors, paramedics who are treating her.
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Bring your healing into her body, come restore her fully.
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. Be with her family, comfort them and keep them in her absence.
Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. May she know that she has served well and grant her peace of mind and heart. Lord in your great mercy, Hear our prayer. Amen."
Foster's speed gets us to Chicago Med in a total of three minutes and twenty seconds, but is it in time? Dr. Ava Bekker and Dr. Conner Rhodes quickly grab the stretcher as we pull up along with several nurses, my vision is still dancing as I feel Kim grab my arm where did she even come from? Why is she comforting me? shouldn't it be the other way around? She's her best friend.
I'm not sure how we make it to the waiting room or how long we are even there I know the rest of our team arrives along with 51, and many other police officers, so many that the room can't even hold them all. I feel Gabriela, Shay, Emily all come by me. I feel Jay sit next to me his hand rubs my back, I can't swallow, I can't talk. I don't need to though he just wraps his arms around me, "She's strong she has a reason to fight," He doesn't offer me promises he knows he can't control what happens only the doctors can, god. What he offers me is comfort understanding despite the face he hates me right now, he has every reason. I took off to New York two years ago on the night he wanted to propose to me. I never gave him a reason never called, wrote or made an effort to contact him.
Than I came back in May when I heard about Al, I came for his wife to pay my respects because she helped raise me since I was 14, when Hank took me in, I came because she had already lost her daughter now her husband. I came for Hank who had lost so much already, Camille his wife, his son Justin. I came because I needed to I wanted to, not for Jay or because of Jay. I stayed because Hank asked me to. I paid my dues, I'm not sure how Hank got me reinstated I don't ask questions. He gives me no answers he knows that if he needs me I will do anything for him even risk jail time.
Jay has spent months giving me evil eyes, grunting when I enter the room even snarling at me, I rather those though than the times he stands there confused wordlessly staring like a puppy who's been kicked in it's tummy too many times.
Getting up I shake him off I can't let him think he has a shot now, no matter how much I am hurting. I won't bring it to him, he doesn't need my baggage. I didn't leave New York or the FBI simply for them, I left because I let the job become too personal again, I blew it again, this time it didn't just almost cost me my job but my life.
My boss told me to take leave to find my serenity my calm, that's home Chicago, my family, friends. Hank comes to stand beside me his arm around my shoulder. "Kiddo you did everything you could no matter what this isn't on you, I need you to not only know this but believe it, Erin I need your head in the game, things are going to get messy. Hailey she's one of ours, we all know what happens when you attack one of ours, Antonio's kids are up to their damn necks in this, IA will be all over us, we are going to go off the books, we will have to lie and do things we can't take back, can you handle this if not walk away now, no judgment, Erin I only care about you being able to live with yourself, I need you to be healthy mentally, spiritually, physically understand?' I can only nod as I see Dr. Rhodes coming towards us. Deep breath Erin in, out. I can't tune out the song that's playing on the radio as I turn to hear what Dr. Rhodes is about to tell us, is it a sign?
"In the arms of the angels
fly away from here
from this dark cold world
from the fear that holds you here
It's okay to go if God is calling you home
Will never forget the sacrifice you made
You are our hero, you are the sister we all wish we had
Tell me how heaven feels is it as beautiful as we picture?"