Chapter 11
When Johnny and Julie stepped inside again Julie just looked at Roy and then back at John. "It would be best if you got him into some clothes that will be comfortable for the long ride. If you can handle things, I really need to run over to the house and pick up some stuff and let dad know what's coming down the pike and that he's going to be watching Frank for a day or two."
"We've got things here," Johnny assured and quickly stepped up to Roy's duffel bag and started to pull out pajamas, well at least pajama bottoms. Roy did bring those on a camping trip where the rest of them just slept in their underwear or less.
Julie was quick to notice that the pajama's being pulled out were dirty and smelled of camp fire. With a hand on John's shoulder she stated, "I'll bring some clean ones back with me."
John was in agreement, Roy was mortified, Julie was just sure he'd get over it.
"He, He, he can have a pair of mine," Frank declared and dropping Roy's hand, hurried to his closet and returned quickly with a freshly laundered and carefully folded pair of flannel pajamas with flames and fire hose prints covering it.
"Th, Th, They're a, a, l, little big for m me," Frank declared as he held the pajamas forward.
"Thank you." Roy recognized the genuine nature in which they were being offered and looking at the man before him he figured that if they were big for Frank they would be big for him also but they were clean and like every mother, Roy's mother had always told him to wear clean clothes.
Julie left to let the men change in privacy and while Johnny was helping Roy change into the pajamas, which were just slightly larger than he needed, he filled Roy in on Dr. Early's instructions for him during the trip.
Roy was helped to lie back on the bed to rest until his ride arrived and he realized that he was half scared, half nervous, and half relieved that he was finally going home. He hadn't lain there long before Frank scooped up his hand once again and just held it.
Roy gave the young man's hand a squeeze and told him thank you then just allowed him to continue to hold his hand until Julie stuck her head in the door to the dorm saying their ride was just coming up the lane.
Camping and fishing gear had already been stored in a second closet, and now with the call to move out, Chet quickly scooped up the three duffel bags and Johnny and Frank worked together to ease Roy out of bed and to his feet.
Johnny was quick to notice the sway in Roy's stance that indicated dizziness and gave Roy's eyes one more good looking at. With an understanding look between knowing friends Johnny gave Roy's hand a squeeze with one hand and rubbed his back with his other. "We'll have you back in familiar territory by morning."
Frank was once again at Roy's side, pulling his arm around his shoulders. John just held on to Roy's other arm allowing him to use his hand to hold his pajama bottoms up as they walked.
Taking the walk slowly they were still down the stairs and around the barn before the eighteen wheeled semi came to a stop in the clear area between the main house and the barn. Once the glare of the sun reflecting off the numerous chrome parts stopped, the off duty firemen took in the newly washed and waxed, royal blue Peterbilt. Painted in fancy letters on the door of the cab was "Lazy J Trucking" and underneath the printed words was a magnetic sign reading 'Interstate Medical Transport'. It was at that moment that a sow's nose was seen poking through an opening in the side of the trailer the semi was pulling and when he focused on that single nose he was very aware that here were a lot more in there with her.
Julie and her father stepped up, between the two of them they were carrying Julie's two jump kits and an overnight bag that looked a little large for just overnight. Julie was wearing a one piece coverall suit with lettering on the back announcing her as an EMT IV and appropriate patches sewn on the shoulders and chest and an official looking plastic laminated identification tag clipped to her collar. Her hair was wet and pulled back into a pony tail indicating she had taken a quick shower but there wasn't an inch of her body that wasn't ready to go.
Three men that none of the LA crew had met before, hurried in front of Roy and his friends to open a door in the side of the tractor's sleeper section, and then place a set of steps in place. Julie, carrying her two jump kits, was the first to climb up in.
"Alright now let's get the rest of this cargo loaded." A man of average build and thick curly black hair looked right at Roy as he spoke. "Time's awaistin', we need to be hittin' that road."
Julie's overnight bag was taken from her father's hands and slid under the edge of the queen sized sleeper bed and given a good shove sending it sailing across the floor, the three duffels Chet was holding were next to be shoved in the space under the bed and then Roy was motioned up the steps.
Julie stuck her head out the door with a hand ready to help Roy up the steps. "Looks like you're going to have to settle for the top bunk. There wasn't room up there to have Doc sitting up as much as he needs to be."
Johnny managed to communicate to Frank that he could help Roy up the steps all by himself and proceeded to do so, walking side by side at the pace Roy set. Once they were at eye level with the sleeper portion of the cab they noticed Doc Frick reclined in the queen sized bed near the floor. In the corner was a large oxygen tank strapped to a support brace using belts and bungee cords. One oxygen set up was hooked up and on Dr. Frick, A glass bottle IV, with three piggybacked bags with additional medication were hanging from what looked like the wires of an umbrella hung upside down from the ceiling of the cab and held in place with clothes pins.
Roy reached up to take the steadying hand that was being offered to him and noticed the flinch on Julie's face reveling that he had grabbed a hold of one of her burns as he did so. Sill she steadied him and pulled him into the cab as he ascended the last two steps. Once inside Roy was assisted in stepping on the edge of the queen sized bed to rise himself into the twin sized bunk bed closer to the ceiling.
Johnny took over pulling the bedding over his partner and seeing to it that he was getting comfortable. Julie turned to a box of supplies that were sitting on the bed next to Dr. Frick and was soon hanging yet another IV bottle from the umbrella looking gizmo as she bled the attached tubing to fill it with fluid.
"All right Roy, we're going to get an IV going on you and then we'll be on our way." Julie spoke with the smile and enthusiasm of one who wasn't going to get stuck with a needle.
Julie stepped up on the side of the queen sized bed and bounced up and down a few times before shaking her head and stepping up to the top bunk and starting to tear some tape and stick it to the side of the bed in preparation of starting an IV. Johnny stood back nervously watching Julie work with her bandaged fingers but he has little to worry about; she was able to start an IV quickly and efficiently and was soon taping it into place while Johnny was allowed to adjust the drip under Dr. Frick's watchful eye.
As soon as the drip was flowing to Dr. Frick's satisfaction he reached into the box at his side and pulled out two pre loaded syringes. The one that had the least in it he took and after pinching off the tubing to Roy's IV inserted it in a port and pushed the plunger. "This is the stuff your Dr. Early wanted you to have to make the trip more pleasant for you."
Dr. Frick then handed the other syringe to Julie and indicated she was to inject it into the bottle of IV fluid. Julie did and even though Johnny questioned if that was something within the scope of her current certification he chose not to say a word.
Julie then pulled the bedding up around Roy and gave him another totally professional smile before looking around and seeing that Johnny was hooking up the needed oxygen cannula and getting it in place on Roy's face. As Johnny placed a supportive hand on Roy's shoulder Julie stuck her head out the side door.
"We're ready to go as soon as the rest of the caravan arrives," Julie called out as she noticed that Frank and Chet had managed to each slip their hands through one of the air holes in the side of the trailer petting one of the pigs that was pushing up to the side.
"Chet, we'll have you riding shotgun, Frank you be good for my dad now and I should be back in a couple of days."
Carl Clark stepped up and put his arm around Frank's shoulders. "We'll be fine. Frank and I have taken on the assignment of watching the four brush fire areas around here and make sure they don't flare up again."
A tall, dark curly haired man came walking up the side of the semi toward the trailer. "We've got the rest of the caravan on the same road map, this train's moving out in five. Alright you guys stop fraternizing with the hired help." Chet was given a slap on his shoulder and with a jolt of the man's head directed to the passenger side of the cab.
Chet pulled his hand out of the trailer and turned to Frank who did the same. "It's been nice to meet you Frank, if you ever get out to Los Angeles look me up and I'll let you look at my fire engine."
Frank smiled. "Can we go bowling?"
"You like to bowl?" Chet answered surprised that there was no stuttering in Frank's last statement.
"Yeah," Frank responded and followed up by performing the action of sending the ball down an alley.
"You bet, we'll have to work it all out," Chet responded with a smile.
With concern for his friend and the urgency of getting back to LA, Chet gave a wave of his hand and climbed into the cab of the semi and shut the door behind him. One last look and Chet smiled at the wave coming from Frank as he felt the engine beneath him come to life.
"You care givers might want to sit down and hang on to something until we get on a real road." The driver called as he put the truck in gear.
Julie quickly sat down and reached for the rail that ran up the side of the beds. Johnny followed suit and was looking for something to hang onto when the tractor rolled through a ditch and Johnny was bounced onto the floor.
"You're better off staying down for a few minutes." Julie placed one hand on his shoulder as he was struggling to get back up. "I'd like you to meet my cousin Jack Mumford; when he calls out a warning you don't have time to ask him to repeat it."
The semi drove around in a circle narrowly avoiding a pickup truck and going through the middle of a corral before pulling back on the drive out of the ranch. That's when Julie offered a hand up to Johnny and helped him to sit on the side of the queen bed where Dr. Frick was rocking back and forth with the bumpy ride. "So this is one of the famous Jack Mumford transfers," Dr. Frick was laughing breathlessly as he grabbed for the support bar above his head.
Julie pulled herself up on her feet and while holding onto her rail she reached up to place a hand on Roy's shoulder, "How you doing up here? We'll be back on the road in just a few seconds and the ride will even out."
"I'm fine," Roy answered but he then reached out and took a hold of Julie's hand.
Julie understood the slight disorientation caused by the meds he had been given along with being tossed around with at the very least a mild concussion and a whiplash neck injury and continued to hold his hand in comfort until the semi pulled onto the paved road. She then helped to position his pillows so that they supported his neck the best possible way. As soon as the ride smoothed out Johnny found his feet and was at Julie's side offering his support to his friend and partner.
Johnny had no sooner gotten to his feet when he heard a poor quality intercom in the sleeper section come to life.
"We have now reached cruising altitude. Those of you who are not confined to a bed feel free to move about with caution and should the call of nature sing out, alert the in flight stewardess and a personal receptacle never before used by anyone, will be personally delivered. There are no scenic sights to point out at this point so sleep if you can and if you can't, try harder."