Starlight Starbright

These good fellows don't belong to me but I promise when I'm done to pick um up, dust um off and with a kiss on the cheek return them safely home.

"Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood." Marie Curie.

Thanks for all the reviews!

Chapter 4

With scattered groans the men pushed back their chairs and headed to the bay. Taking the slip from Cap, Roy paused as he ran in front, opened the doors then headed to the Engine.

They pulled into a townhome complex that at some time in the past was nice. But now? Well let's just say, not the most reputable place in Carson. Most calls here were for drug overdoses, shootings or assaults. After giving Johnny the small talk on gut instinct Roy realized his was working in mild overdrive. He just looked at his partner sharing the 'I have a bad feeling about this one' glance with him.

The engine was right behind them. Climbing out Hank directed Marco and Mike to stay with Big Red. Even Hank was wary of this place and didn't relish leaving his equipment or men down there alone. As the group worked their way between the buildings they stepped over what seemed like hundreds of beer bottles and a couple of folks sleeping, curled up in boxes with tattered remnants of blankets.

Finding the right door Johnny knocked. Hearing the loud music beyond he knew that someone was home. He knocked again, "Fire Department!" After the third banging on the door it was opened by a pretty, tall, red headed young woman.

A big smile came on her face as she saw them, "Heyyy….look everyone, it's Firemen!"

Hank had no patience with her, "Did someone here call the fire department?"

She just smiled at them, "Fiirree..man." She giggled.

Roy noticed right away her pupils were dilated and that she must be high on something. "Mame, does someone here need help?"

She seemed to float in her long flowing gown as she twirled around in her own little world, "No, don't think so but you wanna party with us?" She opened the door wider to reveal a group of about 5 or 6 sitting in a circle with a cloud of smoke above them.

"No Mame we don't but are you sure that no one is sick?" Hank responded through gritted teeth.

She didn't even seem to hear him. Seeing the Cap's frustration Johnny stepped forward and flashed her a big smile, "Hey, you have a friend that didn't like the party very much?"

She stopped and shook her head, kinda sideways; they took it as a yes.

"We'd really like to check on her if you could show us where she is," Johnny continued.

She gave them a pouty frown, "Mandy won't play with us. She's sick today." She started walking and they followed her to the stairs.

They entered a bedroom that was bare of anything but a bed and a dresser. The only items on the little dresser were a couple of photos, some scattered makeup, and a stack of bills. There was very little here for the occupant to call her own.

Johnny and Roy approached the bed.

"Roy," Johnny said as he picked up the phone which was off the hook and tossed on the floor. They assumed she was the one who had called for help.

Roy knelt down beside the figure in the bed as Johnny moved to the other side and started opening the bio-phone.

She was curled up on her left side, facing Roy. Her eyes were closed, her mouth slightly open. He immediately could assess her pale color, diaphoretic skin and rapid shallow breaths.

Hank walked around the room, checking the dresser top and then the nightstand for any evidence of what seemed to be a possible drug overdose. He knew that knowledge of what she took could help them treat her at the hospital.

Roy spoke gently to her, "Mandy?" Getting no response he shook her shoulder and called her with a more stern voice, "Mandy! Open your eyes for me."

Hank had walked up behind Roy and picked up a bottle, shaking it before opening it. Roy glanced up.

"Aspirin. Only a few left in the bottle," Hank told him.

Amanda opened her eyes, slowly to see a fireman looking at her, his blue eyes full of worry.

Seeing her awake, "Mandy, I'm Roy, with the fire department. Are you sick?"

She shook her head slightly no. He watched her lick her dry lips and begin to try and speak.

"Amanda," she whispered.

Roy smiled at her, at least she was coherent enough to communicate with them. Not very typical of a drug overdose though. "Amanda did you take some pills?" Roy asked as he watched Johnny start to move the blanket down to try and get some vitals on her.

"Aspirin…for the…pain." She spoke through rapid shallow breaths. Her head didn't move but her eyes darted to Johnny's direction.

"That's my partner Johnny. We're gonna check your blood pressure okay?"

She nodded. Johnny slipped the cuff around her arm then paused long enough to check her pulse and breathing rate.

Roy noticed that she wasn't moving any, not even turning her head to look at him easier. He pushed the covers off her a little. She had beautiful blond hair neatly french braided down the back of her head and bright blue eyes. "Amanda? Where are you hurting?"

"Stom..ach," she spoke in a whisper.

Roy looked up to see Johnny's eyes. "BP is 50/30, pulse 140," Johnny said. His voice matched the deep concern that was reflected in his eyes.

"Amanda, I need to check your stomach ok?" Roy pulled down the covers a little more, to her hips. They could now see her mildly labored breathing. He reached down to palpate her abdomen and with one touch she cried out. His first thought, ruptured appendix? Taking his hand to her forehead he shook his head, no fever. Nothing was adding up so far.

Johnny got on the horn to Rampart, "Rampart, this is Squad 51, do you read me?"

"We read you 51, go ahead."

"Rampart, we have a female, approximately 25 years old. She is complaining of abdominal pain. She is pale, diaphoretic. BP is 50/30, pulse is 140, respirations are 36 rapid and labored. She is alert at this time although groggy."

"51, is there any fever?" Brackett asked.

"Negative Rampart, skin is cool to touch."

"Start IV of D5LR at KVO and transport immediately." Brackett was concerned with the marked hypotension and apparent state of shock the patient sounded to be in.

Roy heard her whisper something, "What did you say Amanda?"

"Accident." Her voice so soft he had to lean closer to hear her.

"You had an accident?"

She nodded her head.

"What kind of accident," he could feel his heart pounding. "Did you fall?"

A tear ran down her cheek as she looked to the other fireman standing near her bed, then she looked to Roy.

His mind was working overtime trying to interpret what she was trying to tell him, "Firemen?"

She nodded then raising her hand she pointed to his paramedic pin. Her breathing was more shallow now, less labored. Her eyelids growing heavier. Firemen? Paramedics?

"Amanda, were you in a car accident?"

She nodded.

Crap. He reached down and raised her shirt up to examine her abdomen more closely. The large darkened area on her left side was ominous. He palpated ever so gently but saw the grimace on her face.

Johnny picked up the phone again, "Rampart, we have found out that the patient was in an auto accident. There is a large bruised area to her left flank, abdominal rigidity and fullness."

"51, start a second IV, run both fluids wide open. Is there an ambulance at the scene yet?"

Johnny looked to Hank who shook his head no.

Roy felt his paramedic sense go into overdrive, car accident? If she was hurt this bad then why was she even at home?

"Please…help…me," her voice was barely audible now.

"Johnny, help me roll her over," Roy said. Together they shifted her to her back as she moaned with pain. Chet stood behind Johnny crouched next to the box. He began pulling out supplies as Johnny worked on getting the IV's established.

Getting the IV in, Johnny rechecked her vital signs, "BP now 40 palpable, pulse is 80."

"Chet, get the mask on her she's barely breathing now," Roy called over to him as he did a head to toe assessment on her looking for any other injuries.

Chet walked around the bed to the oxygen tank. Taking the mask and turning on the flow he moved to the head of the bed, behind Roy and placed the mask on her face. He looked down at the girl. She was pretty. She seemed almost out of place in this crappy place. He saw Hank on the HT checking on the ambulance again, then on Mike and Marco waiting outside. His eyes crossed the dresser top to see a small china doll wearing a pretty blue dress. Something about that stuck in his mind. Looking back at her he found himself studying her face. Why did she look familiar? Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. Pretty blond, blue dress.

"Uh Johnny."

Johnny looked up to the wide eyed fireman, "What?"

"It's her," Chet pointed to her with his eyes. "The girl from the accident this morning."

Johnny looked at her face, for really the first time. Roy had been talking to her and he had focused on vital signs, talking to Rampart, and IV's. But now he saw her and his heart fell. It was her.

Her eyelids were so heavy now, her breaths only a few as she looked at the dark headed handsome fireman next to her. There was so much she wanted to tell him. It wasn't his fault. That she was thankful for how nice he was to her, for the attention he paid to her. But mostly that she was sorry. Sorry for having lied to him and the nice policeman. She could see the fear in his eyes. Fear for her, she knew that. She had to let him know it wasn't his fault. Opening her mouth, she pushed the air from her tired lungs.

"Sorry..." was all she could get out before the darkness took her.

Her soft word sent a chill through him as he watched her close her eyes again.

"Johnny!" Roy called him back to the here and now.

"Get that second IV going. I'm going to have to put an airway in. Respirations are down to 6."

Johnny tried to focus on the immediate concerns, saving her life. Starting the IV and relaying the new vital signs to Rampart he watched Roy place the esophageal airway. Chet sat on the edge and gave her the breaths. Things seemed to move in slow motion from that point on as he placed her on the monitor.

Hank stood beside the bed and watched Johnny. He had heard what Chet said. This was the woman that centered on the whole discussion earlier today. The victim that he said was fine.

"Damn. Heart rate is 40 now," Roy cussed. "Let's get her to the floor."

Hank moved to her feet and they gently slid her down to the floor. Hank began the compressions while Roy drew up the meds that came over the radio from Rampart.

"Epinephrine is in, HR is now 80 Rampart. Ambulance is on scene. ETA 10 minutes." Johnny numbly updated Brackett.

"10-4 51." Brackett shook his head. He knew she had probably already bled too much. Calling to Dixie he askede for the OR team to be ready and waiting on her arrival. Then a question would have to answered. Why was she ever released from the scene of an accident to begin with?

They lifted her onto the stretcher with Chet continuing the ventilations. Johnny noticed that Roy was no longer making eye contact with him along with his Captains dark stare. He turned his fear for Amanda inside himself, to be dealt with later.

As they pushed the stretcher away from the bed the wheels slowed down as something got caught in them. Johnny reached down to pull it out. It was the sleeve of a silky baby blue dress lying on the floor. His stomach lurched as he tore it pulling it out of the wheel.

They proceeded down the stairs, passing the dancing red head and her group of intoxicated, drugged friends who were no longer even aware of their presence. Johnny started to climb into the ambulance but found a tight grip on his arm.

"Roy will take her in. Get the Squad," Hand told him abruptly.

Johnny looked up, his heart beating like a wild race horse, to see Roy closing the doors. He never even looked back at Johnny. Head down, Johnny gathered up the boxes and climbed into the truck pulling out behind the ambulance. Oh God, what have I done.

Mike and Marco watched the group come out the door but were taken back by the mood that seemed to surround them. The sense of urgency was there but Mike felt like the air could be cut with a knife, so thick with tension. He watched his Captain climb into the rig so they could head back to the station as the Squad and Ambulance drove off.

Hank picked up the radio, "LA, Station 51 10-8 to Rampart."

Did someone get hurt in there? Mike wondered.

Hank turned to his driver, "I'm following this one through myself." Then turned back to the front window.

Marco looked over to Chet but only found a face fraught with worry and a quick nod of his head told Marco now was not the time to ask.

Chet had seen Johnny get out of impossible places, survive ridiculous circumstances, and leave the hospital after seemingly unrecoverable injuries but this time he was truly worried about the fate of his friend.