Chapter 17

Joe had arrived and Dixie had filled him in with the situation at hand. Both were obviously relieved that at least they had both been found and were alive. It was short lived when they overheard the exclamation that Roy had just made.

It had been a slow day at Rampart Emergency, which was helpful. The other doctors and nurses on staff were able to care for the patients already there. This gave Joe and Dix the opportunity to listen in on what was happening. They grasped each others hands and said silent prayers to give the doctors and paramedics the skills and miracles they would need to save Brice and A.J. Neither one had to speak, they were in this business long enough to know the odds were stacked against her.

"Dix, I should call her Ruth and Bill and let them know what is happening...." He dreaded the call but knew they had every right to know what was happening with their daughter.

"Just wait Joe; let's find out if she is going to.......when she is going to be alright, when there is more information. It will be harder on them to know almost nothing and have to wait." In her head she was thinking, there won't be enough time to make to her side, if the worst happens.

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Gage froze when he heard Roy scream, he couldn't hear what his words were, only that there was panic in his voice. He kept on working with Morton and one of the RNs that had arrived on the chopper.

"Gage....GAGE!" Morton was trying to get his attention.

"I'm sorry Doc, what do you need?"

"Listen, Brice is stable for now, besides Daisy and I can handle this....go to her." Sometimes Morton was accused of not having a good bedside manner but today; he made up for all of those times.

Dr. Brackett had not run that fast and furious, since his days on his college track team. His usually impeccable tailored suit was muddy and torn. He was carrying in his hands among other bags, the defibrillator, trying not to fall. He couldn't afford to lose this piece of equipment. That theory was proven when he heard Roy's scream.

He arrived in just seconds after wards. Roy was performing chest compressions on her battered body while Hank was bagging her. Quickly Kel laid out the machine and began to it hook up and placed the paddles to her chest. When it reached 400 joules, he shouted, "CLEAR!!" Looking at the screen he could see her heart had begun to beat on its own, but not adequately enough, it would soon fail again.

Kel also noticed that her jugular veins were distended and her trachea was being displaced over to the right side. That meant Tension Pneumo., her heart and other lung where essentially being crushed by the pressure inside her chest. He pulled a syringe out of his pocket and yanked the plunger out with his teeth, he found the area that he wanted and pushed it into her chest. With some of the pressure being released from her chest cavity, she began to breathe on her own. However the fight to save her life had just begun.

Johnny had just gotten to her side, when Brackett plunged the needle into her chest. The sight of her nearly made him vomit, right then and there. She was almost unrecognizable. Her face was covered in dried blood from the head laceration, the right side of her chest was caved in, and lips had a bluish tint, instead of vibrant red. She looked like a fragile China Doll, instead of her usual tower of strength.

Roy looked up to catch his partner's eyes. They were brimming with tears of fear and frustration that were refusing to fall down his cheeks. "We got her back Johnny....." His voice trailed off as Brackett started to speak to them.

"Listen, I need to re inflate this lung, put in a chest tube. Normally I would do it in the hospital but she's not getting enough oxygen and the longer we wait the more complications could arise." He paused before beginning again, "I'm going to try and numb the area but this is going to be painful, she'll probably regain consciousness." Kel knew it had to be done but was thinking, "She's already been through so much."

He instructed the three men on what they each had to do. "Hank, you keep the O2 on her, she still needs it. Roy holds her arm above her head, later we'll secure it in that position and John you have to hold her, so she doesn't move."

The actual procedure took only seconds and Brackett was right, she woke up. Her scream reverberated right through them. She struggled violently against Gage and DeSoto, unaware in her state of mind that they were helping her. "Hold her down!" Ordered Brackett, "I have to secure the tube, with a couple of stitches." He was using more lidocaine to attempt to numb the area again.

Johnny was practically on top of her, trying to keep her still, when he leaned down to her face, "Baby, can you hear me? Listen, I'm here now...it's gonna be alright....I know, I know it hurts. You need to stay with me.....you can breath better now, right? That's why we did it, your lung collapsed and you couldn't breathe at all." He was pleading with her not to blame them for being yet another source of pain.

She stopped thrashing and her eyes fluttered open for a second. "Johnny…….?"

Yes, it's me Tehila, I'm not going anywhere. Right by your side is where I am staying"

As the back board, stokes and other equipment was brought over, Brackett continued his examination. He noted firmness and tenderness in her abdomen along with her other injuries. Her breath sounds still weren't equal but better than they had been a few minutes ago.

They secured her arm and packed soft gauze around her failed chest. She was gingerly strapped to the board and loaded into the Stokes basket. Her guys carried her over to the chopper and loaded her onto it, as Brackett and the two paramedics got on board as well. Brice had already been loaded on. Mike and Daisy were riding in the squad on the way back.

As it rose into the night sky, each and every man on the ground spontaneously got on their knees and a said a prayer.