Chapter 2

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Johnny's panicked voice echoed through the bay. As Captain Stanley turned around to see what was causing the panic he felt his sinuses and eyes burn, the smell was so strong that he couldn't even begin to register what it smelled like instinctively he held his breath and raised his arm to protect his face as he tried to figure out what had just happened. It was hard to focus on his men through his watering eyes but what he thought he saw was a yellowish mist spraying outward from the draft hoses both toward the front and the back of the equipment bay as Marco and Mike were pulling their hands and arms up to protect their faces, Johnny was ducking wide to his right while grabbing Mike by the waist and turning to grab Marco in the same way as he pulled them away from the open ends of the draft hoses.

Chet had just stumbled off the back bumper of the engine and was kneeling on the floor behind the engine with both hands over his face.

"Cap, get the bay doors open!" Johnny called out as he started pulling Mike and Marco toward the doors. Cap hurried ahead of him an pressed the buttons to open both the front and the back doors as he saw Roy running from the locker room with his shirt unbuttoned in response to the commotion. Roy quickly covered his mouth and nose with his shirt tail before pulling Chet from the floor and moving in the direction his partner had drug the other two shift mates, stopping only briefly to grab the bio-phone and drug box on the way tucking one under his arm while holding the handle of the other. Cap was soon at his side to help but feeling his own lungs burning he raced back to the squad and grabbed the oxygen and a handy talkie.

Out on the lawn of the station Mike and Marco were both on their hands and knees retching and vomiting and Hank was quick to notice the wheezes coming form both of them as they fought to catch their breath between bouts of vomiting. Johnny was at their side working to unbutton Marco's uniform but he wasn't doing all that well himself. The left side of his face and side of his neck was covered with an oily amber colored substance and his skin was starting to blister underneath it.

Chet was fighting with Roy holding his hands tight to his face and screaming, "My eyes burn I can't see, I can't see."

"Cap we need the garden hose," Roy called out, "And we're going to need some help here."

With panting breaths John called out to his partner, "Get their clothes off and wash them down the best you can."

While Cap pulled the garden hose from the front of the building over flowing with water Johnny pulled the bio-phone open and struggled to get the antenna in place. Finally using his other hand to find the right spot he was able to feel the antenna into place. While Cap turned the hose over to Roy then pulled the handy talkie to his mouth.

"This is station 51 we have a code I times six at the station, request—"that was all he was able to say before he started vomiting and soon Chet was rolling on his side to do the same as Roy fought to keep the water aimed at rinsing his eyes out while knowing he was soon to be vomiting right along with the rest of them.

Chet, Mike and Cap were each trying to get their own uniforms off as Johnny and Roy stayed in paramedic mode. Marco was fighting too hard to catch his breath to do anything except hold himself on his hands and knees.

"Rampart this is squad 51 do you read?" Johnny panted into the head set turning a glance to his partner, "You nauseated too?" Roy nod his head, "Eyes burn?" Roy nod again, "Lungs burn?" once again Roy nod in the affirmative and knew Johnny was feeling all of those things also.

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At the nurses station Dixie was working on her nurse's schedule after her shift was over when she heard the Code I call in over the fire department scanner. She was listening in fear as the dispatcher called out two stations to respond when Johnny's call came in over the radio.

Doctors Early and Brackett were walking up to the nurse's desk just as Dixie answered the radio. "This is Rampart we read you loud and clear 51,"

"Rampart we have six victims of skunk spray," Johnny started pausing only to take a breath before he continued. "Three of them were sprayed in the face at point blank range; we are all experiencing difficulty with their vision and their breathing. All of us are suffering the following symptoms: Nausea, four of them vomiting the last two about to, burning in their eyes and lungs, blurred vision, running nose and eyes as well as increased saliva in the mouth. Mike and Marco are really getting in trouble with their breathing."

Dr. Early Quickly stepped up to the radio and pushed the talk button. "Administer 2 CC of atropine to Mike and Marco immediately. Do you have enough on hand to give everyone the same dose?"

"Negative Rampart we only carry four syringes full." Johnny responded then thought hard to remember if that tray was fully stocked. "We have more help on the way."

"Dix did you hear how many squads they dispatched?" Dr. Brackett asked as he stepped up to some reference books stored at the nurse's station.

"Two stations were called out." Dixie replied.

"Get on the phone to dispatch and tell them to send a third squad and probably four ambulances." Kell started instructing as he opened his book and started turning pages.

"Johnny, give the atropine to the four who where closest at the time of attack." Dr. Early made a command decision. "The rest of you make sure you get yours as soon as the first squad arrives."

Dixie picked up the phone, "connect me with fire dispatch stat."

Finding what he was looking for Dr. Brackett drew his finger down the page reading quickly as he listened to Dixie order a third squad he then took the phone from her.

"Dispatch, can you get information to all of those responding to this incident?" "Good relay information that they are to use their air mask when entering the building, everyone should be wearing rubber gloves at all times and their first order of business is to wash down all six victims with soap and continue washing them off for at least 15 minutes. Tell the squads to start two large bore IV's one every patient tell them to use ringers and run them wide open." "By the way what is their ETA?" Kel stood quiet for the first time listening to his answer and the additional information being relayed over the scanner. When the medical information was correctly relayed and each squad responded Kel thought of one more thing; "Oh and I think their going to need some help from Animal Control at the station."

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Back at the station both Johnny and Roy were having growing difficulties seeing what they were doing as their eyes watered so profusely.

Johnny just reached into the drug box and grabbed every thing that was in the tray marked atropine and set three pre loaded syringes down next to his bear legs. The package on the last one was pulled open and after making sure there was no air in the syringe Johnny reached over and shoved the needle into Marco's thigh. He was growing weak now and having trouble holding himself up so Johnny helped him a short distance away and to lay down on his side before returning and repeating this procedure with Mike.

Johnny then handed Roy one of the syringes to use on Chet who was still getting his eyes washed out.

Johnny then pealed open the last syringe and with out hesitation thrust its contents into Captain Stanley's thigh. Technically he should have gotten the last shot because he was closer to the action than Captain Stanley but Johnny altered the instructions from the four closest to the four who were showing the most symptoms.

"That one should have been yours Gage." Captain Stanley growled weakly and too late as he lay on the ground on his side with labored breathing.

"I hold my breath better than you do," John answered, "You need it more than I do."

Cap knew his paramedic was right but he could tell that John was close to being as bad off as he was. Roy had kept his back to the captain the whole time so Hank had not real idea how he was doing but he was also sure it wasn't great.

John gave his crew mates a quick glance; there they all were, on the front lawn of the station in full view of the public in nothing more than their underwear. For a moment he wished he had pulled Mike and Marco toward the back instead of the front but then he thought again. The grass was so much nicer to lay on than the asphalt and being in front meant the crews on their way could find them and come to their aid more quickly. Glancing back at the station Johnny considered making a made dash to the supply closet to get some blankets, the ones in the squad were surely contaminated by now, but he wasn't doing all that well himself and didn't think it was worth the risk of taking in more of that skunk spray to get them. His decision was made when he heard the welcome sound of sirens coming from both directions on the street in front of the station. The cavalry was arriving; he just had to hold on for another minute.

The first Squad had just pulled into the drive that led behind the station when Johnny crawled beyond his Captains feet and emptied the contents of his stomach. The Engine following the squad pulled up in front of the station blocking the view of their naked bodies from the street. As rubber gloves were passed around so were surgical masks that did little good to block the smell.

As a paramedic Johnny couldn't see knelt down next to him trying to roll him on his side to start an evaluation Johnny just turned his head and gasped. "Marco first, then Mike, then Chet, then Cap, Roy and I are the least effected." Triage had been done no need to do it again.

The reel hose was pulled from the engine and the shower began. The three crewmen on the newly arrived engine each took on two of the 51 crew and started lathering them up with soap while the Captain slipped into his SCBA and headed into the fumigated bay. By the time they were all lathered up the second station crew arrived and there were more men on hand to bathe the sickly crew. John and Roy finally got their atropine in their thighs by the time the third squad had arrived everyone had their two IV's started and running wide open. The third squad arrived just in time to replace two of the bags on Marco and Mike.

As Johnny lay on his side being washed down in cold water he listened to the paramedics call in to Rampart and the vitals he was hearing were far to low even his were not where they should be.

In the middle of reporting Vitals Johnny heard the Captain take over the bio-phone. "Rampart we have found the source of the odor in the station, there seems to be four or five black creatures with white stripes holed up in the draft hose on the engine. I believe these men are just suffering from the over powering smell in their station."

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At the hospital Dr. Early was shaking his head, "He doesn't have a clew what we're dealing with."

Dr. Early and Dr. Brackett exchanged glances before Kell walked across to the second radio and pressed the button. "We know what we're dealing with Station 51 informed us as well as they could before they were rendered incapable. Did you say four or five Skunks?"

Dr Bracket left now room for them to misunderstand his understandings. When the number of skunks was confirmed Kell again exchanged glances with Dr. Early. "We've got problems," Joe acknowledged.

"Yeah," Kell acknowledged before turning to Dixie and barking out orders. "Okay Dix get some help in here and we're going to need to cordon off a detox area, let's plan for at least eight rooms because I'm sure we're going to have to clean up some of the ones working on 51. We're going to need disposable hazmat suits for everyone working there and get a hold of the pharmacy we'll need at least twenty viles of Acetycistein if they don't have that many tell them to start calling other hospitals and get it. Have one vile ready to add to each of their IV's as soon as their ambulances arrive. We better have ready just in case we need it trach trays and respirators Mike and Marco's breathing is really compromised. I want chest x-rays on everyone starting with those two to check for Pulmonary Edema. Their already reporting blisters and ulcerations, have a healthy supply of antibiotic cream on hand and call in an ophthalmologist to take care of their eyes. Call Morton at home and have him come in we're going to need his help and call upstairs for some help to run the rest of emergency while we're dealing with this.

When all that is ready have pharmacy look up and prepare enough of the cleaning compound of peroxide and baking soda to give each man a couple of baths." Kell they turned back to the radio but turned around once more, "Oh and Dix, you better let everyone know it's not going to smell so great around here for a while."

"I'll do that," Dixie said with a scowl, the fire Captain who thought the crew was only sick of their own smell didn't have a clue.

Author's note: I told you in the beginning that this stuff can really happen. It usually happens to dogs that dig their way into the skunk's dens. But Humans are just as susceptible. It only takes one drop of skunk spray to fumigate the average home but the actual spray if it touches skin, is inhaled of ingested is toxic.