Chapter 6

"How are you feeling?" Roy Desoto asked when he and his partner arrived and were briefed by the Captain.

"Embarrassed," was Laura's answer.

"Things like this happen to people in our profession." Johnny responded as he finished checking Laura's feet for any cuts.

"Yeah, Johnny here does his best work while he's sleep walking." Chet quipped. Laura had a comeback but Roy had just placed a thermometer in her mouth so she just gave him the same mischievous grin she had earlier at the station and nod her head mumbling something chapter 23. It had its desired effect on the fireman with the mustache who very quickly decided he had something else to do.

"You're running a slight fever." Roy informed Laura after reading the thermometer from her mouth. "It says 101.8." Roy waved the thermometer in Laura's direction.

"That may have contributed to your sleep walking," Johnny added, "You really should see a Doctor for treatment."

"Do we need an ambulance?" Captain Stanley responded quickly to the Paramedics reports.

"No, not for a slight temp," Laura spoke up quickly. "Even as directionally challenged as I am in this city I'm capable of finding an out patient department. Eventually."

"If you have a street map I can mark the route for you." Mike offered, "And yes I am very willing to do the driving tomorrow or when ever you're up to it."

"Thanks," Laura smiled and rested her head back against the camper.

"I could let you follow my patrol car to Rampart Memorial," a police officer offered.

"Aren't you the one that led me to the fire station this morning?" Laura squinted and shielded her eyes with her hand as she looked in to the face of the police officer talking to her.

"Yes Ma'am," The police officer stated then turned to Captain Stanley."She got turned around and confused in some road construction detours this morning; I let her follow me to your station."

"Thank you," Mike showed his appreciation to the officer that had helped Laura bring him the treasured letters he had yet to be able to read.

Laura self administered a couple of aspirins and grabbed some clean socks and replaced her shoes and then was guided to the driver's seat of her truck by both Mike and Captain Stanley. Once she started the ignition she rolled the window down and looked at the two firemen. "I'm still planning on tomorrow; I'll call in the morning and let you know where you can pick me up."

Mike was only able to nod his head and watch as she drove off after the police car.

"I guess things must have been pretty intense at some of those aid stations," Johnny commented, "I can't imagine reliving it through sleep walking though."

"You do it all the time," Roy informed his partner.

"Yeah Pall," Hank slapped the young paramedic on the shoulder, "We just put you back to bed."

"You're kidding, right," Johnny stood stunned.

The four men assembled just shook their head and moved to their assigned positions.

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At the hospital Laura parked her truck and made her way to the outpatient check in only to find the police officer who had led her there talking with the admitting nurse.

"They'll take good care of you here." The officer said as he officially turned Laura over to Miss Dixie McCall.

"Does that mean you have a straight jacket and a padded room with my name on them?" Laura questioned.

"No, I'm afraid there is a six month waiting list just to be able to make reservations in that department," Dixie smiled, "and I'm a head of you." "If you'll fill out these forms we'll see about finding you a room as soon as one opens up."

Laura sat down in a chair of the crowded emergency room waiting area and started answering the questions on the papers she had been handed. Once she was done she looked around and became aware that she wasn't the most serious of cases waiting to be treated. Walking up to the desk she handed her paperwork over to Miss McCall.

"You look like you could use some help," Laura commented.

"I'm afraid we have a shortage of nurses on tonight." Dixie smiled tiredly at her patient, grateful that she wasn't whining about the wait.

Laura pulled her wallet from her jacket pocket and pulled the snap undone allowing the strip of certification cards to drop from her hand and hang for Miss McCall to see, "I'm offering, can you use me?"

"I thought you were here as a patient?" Dixie was surprised by the offer as she noticed her patient was a registered nurse certified in emergency medicine, the paramedic license from New Mexico didn't slip her notice either.

"The sooner we get the rest of these patients taken care of the sooner you'll get to me."

Dixie looked at the surprising person in front of her for a moment then to the throngs waiting. "Do you feel you could gather vitals and initial histories on these patients?"

"Do you have a spare stethoscope and BP cuff or do I need to get mine from my truck?" Laura countered.

"I'll get you some and a lab coat," Dixie offered and stepped inside a closet to retrieve the objects needed. She watched as Laura gingerly pulled the lab coat over her left shoulder before easily slipping her right arm in its sleeve and going right to work. Over the few hours that followed three auto accidents came in and the victims of a house fire and Laura was asked to help out in one of the treatment rooms while Dr. Bracket sutured three children with lacerations.

"You must be new on staff, I don't think I've seen you before." Bracket commented as he finished up on the last and calmest of the three children.

"I'm not staff, I'm more of a draftee." Laura commented as she handed the doctor the tools he asked for.

"Where did Dix draft you from?" Bracket asked as he made his last stitch.

Laura handed him the bandage he requested then realized he was still waiting for an answer, "The waiting room."

Bracket lifted his patient down and turned him over to the orderly who led him back to his parents in the waiting room before turning back to Laura who was pulling her sterile gloves from her hands. The aspirins she had taken in the park had worn off and her temperature was rising again and the shoulder she suspected of being the problem was really starting to burn.

"I guess I should go see who's next." Laura sighed and moved toward the door only to have it open before she reached it and Dixie walk in.

"I was just coming to see who was next." Laura spoke to the nurse in the doorway.

"I believe it's your turn," Dixie produced a patient's chart handing it to Dr. Bracket. "This is Laura Elmer and she's complaining of a sore left shoulder and an elevated temperature."

"She wasn't kidding when she said you drafted her from the Waiting room." Bracket spoke in surprise as he eyed the chart that was handed to him. "It says here that you suspect shrapnel causing some infection?"

"Yeah I think so." Laura sat on the dr. stool to make the transition from medical worker to patient.

"How is it that you came to have shrapnel in your shoulder?"

"I was working the big earthquake in China about eight months ago when someone got the bright idea to use explosives to clear the ruble away so that we could get to some of the victims. I don't speak Chinese so I didn't get the message before things went boom."

"Why haven't you gotten it taken care of before now?" Bracket asked in exasperation.

"If you'd have been there you'd understand but since you weren't let's just say better late than never and let it go at that," Was Laura's reply as Dixie helped her to remove the borrowed lab coat and began to take her temperature.

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"Laura, Laura, can you hear me?" penetrated through the fog of anesthesia. "time to wake up now."

A few short hours later after her suspicions were confirmed Laura was waking up in the recovery room as Dr Bracket stood over her.

"Hi," Laura replied to the Nurses calling as she pried her eye's open to look at Dr. Bracket still in his scrubs his mask dangling around his neck. "What ever you did Doc it feels better."

"That's good to hear," Dr. Bracket responded, "It was fairly simple surgery, the fragments were working their way toward the surface. We suctioned out as much of the infection as we could. The Lab reports a simple staff infection I've already started you on an antibiotic that should take care of things. You're temperature broke about fifteen minutes ago."

"Thank you," Laura ran her tongue across her lips and tried to rise her head before resting it back and taking a deep breath. "How long before I can get out of here."

"You're making me think you don't like our company," Bracket scoffed.

"The company's great Doc, it's the laying around I can't stand."

"You're not planning to run off to another disaster somewhere are you?" Bracket inquired as much out of curiosity as trying to buy time to think.

"Oh, no, not for some time, I'm currently on a run and hide."

"A run and hide?"

"Yeah, you folks probably call it a leave of absence but for me the only way that happens is if I run and hide."

"I see," Bracket snickered again.

"Seriously Doc, I have some unfinished business to take care of, someone is trying to set up some appointments for in the morning. How soon can I get out of here?"

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Back at the station a late dinner was being thrown together while Hank sat in his office looking at the letter Laura had left for him. He had to agree they had managed to give Mike a life line but that was just the beginning. Opening up his old copy of 'Keep the Rescuers Rescuing' opening it to the table of contents and reading the chapter titles reminded him of what they were about.

Chapter 17 talked about being available and approachable to your fellow workers, being sure to let them know you're willing to listen if they want to talk. This chapter was nearly completely highlighted it was full of ways to let his men know he was willing to listen and that talking would help.

Chapter 18 focused on watching for signs and behaviors that indicated they needed to talk weather they wanted to or not. It also briefly touched on the topic of deciding when to pull them away from the action for time to regroup.

Chapter 19 was titled the 'crowbars of conversation', and gave several tips to get a person to open up even thought they were reluctant.

Chapter 20 was about giving hope, Make sure that you tell them, and tell them and tell them again, that no matter how bad they think things are they will get better, anything can be worked though and worked out, Hank read the highlighted sections again. Hank had to admit that his last conversation with Mike had gotten away from that hope but now he could feel it and he was sure Mike could feel some hope of finding the closure he so needed.

Hank picked up the paperback copy of 'never to strong to crumble,' and proceeded to smooth the pages out with the heal of his hand in an effort to soften up the spine before turning to chapter 38 , the releasing, Hank read about the emotional let down when the tension is finally relieved. Grabbing his highlighter he immediately started marking up the page and with a pen added notes in the margins. By the time he was through with that chapter he better understood why Laura had recommended Mike have some time off and completely agreed. He also thought he understood what Miss Elmer must go through after each major disaster she works and knew she would be able to help Mike through his let down.

He had just turned to Chapter 41 and read the title, 'the positive and negative affects of Teddy bears,' then the call, "Dinner's ready," Rang through the station and Hank hurried to the common room. When he arrived he could see Mike sitting on the sofa shaking the sleep from his mind as the station's lazy basset hound lounged across his lap.

Hank was just about to tackle his desert when the phone rang; answering it he was surprised to be talking to someone from headquarters after regular business hours. He talked for a while and took a few notes then hung up and turned to his engineer.

"Mike, could I see you in the office for a few minutes." It wasn't a question even thought he made it sound like one.

"That was Headquarters," Captain Stanley told Mike as soon as he sat down.

"This late?" Mike questioned.

"Yeah, my request today has had them working overtime in the archives."

"Did they find the information Laura told us about?"

"They think so," Hank informed then leaned back in his chair hoping a more relaxed position would help relax his man. "The information they have shows the third person in the whole as a Mitchel Striker but the person I just talked to has looked at the original signature and thinks it can just as easily be Michael Stoker."

"Dad didn't have the most legible signature," Mike looked hopeful, "That's probably why we haven't been able to get any information on him."

"They're asking that you wait till after 1 p.m. before you come to the office tomorrow so they can confirm their information and pull the rest of the records from that incident."

"Okay, I can do that,"

"Also, I'm putting you on personal leave next shift." Hank held his breath hoping his engineer didn't fight him on this because if Mike did he would have no real choice but to make it so that he was required to see the department physiatrist before he could come back and Hank still had hope that Miss Elmer could meet Mike's needs. "I believe you need some time to sort through all of this information you're going to get."

Mike sat silently but his shoulders slumped and his lips quivered, finally he raised his hand to his mouth in an attempt to hide his emotions and nod his head, "okay,"

With the hard part done Hank reached out and took hold of his engineer's shoulder and gave a slight squeeze and shake. "You okay Mike?"

There wasn't an immediate answer as Mike fought to control his emotions his eyes growing moist, He finally took a deep breath, "I will be,"

"If you want to talk my door is always open," Hank repeated the line he had said too many times to count. "I think we're finally going to get some information for you."

"I was beginning to think we weren't going to find anything," Mike sobbed slightly, his voice catching, "until today I just couldn't figure out why he was even there. I sometimes wondered if, if he, was a, cheating on my mom."

"Oh Mike," Hank sighed not having realized that thought had ever crossed the man's mind but understanding how disturbing it would be."

Hank and Mike sat silently for a while as Mike regained his composure Hank just rubbed his shoulder. When Mike was ready to leave Hank suggested that he go a head and hit the sack telling him the rest of the group would be along soon.

Mike just solemnly nod his head and slowly walked out of the office and toward the dorm.

As Mike stepped out of sight behind the engine Hank grabbed for his new book and opened it up to the chapter about Teddy Bears. It was one of the longest chapters in the book but once it was read Hank had a greater appreciation for his Wife and children but was at a loss as to how it applied to his Engineer. Leaning back to think Hank got an idea and headed for the common room.

Gently hefting Henry the station Mascot on to his shoulder Hank was carrying him from the room.

"Where are you going with Henry?" John asked in total confusion.

"I have a job for him to do." Hank gave as his only explanation.

"Henry?" Chet exclaimed in total surprise and although the others didn't say anything you could see the same surprise in their faces.

Later as the crew trickled off to bed they all noticed and silently snickered at the sleeping engineer with a dog tucked under one arm like a teddy bear.