An Act of Friendship
Chapter 8
…lilacs…
…it smelled like lilacs….
…he knew he should know that smell, but he just couldn't figure out why….
…it smelled good and comforting, but also, somehow wrong…
…green eyes...
…the smell didn't match the eyes, he knew that...
…he should be smelling roses. Roses always went with green eyes…
…roses, green eyes…and laughter…
…Joanne…
…where was Joanne...she needed him…
…can't breathe…
…suffocating…choking…
…the river…
…I'm drowning…
…Spirits…I've failed Joanne…
…pain…
…coming in waves…
…the waves crashing down on him…one after another…pulling him under…
…darkness surrounding him…
…Roy…I'm so sorry…
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Kel had just finished cleaning up when he received an urgent phone call. He didn't think he'd ever made it to the recovery room so quickly. As he raced into the room he saw Dixie leaning over Johnny, taking his pulse. "Dix?" he questioned as he noted movement behind Johnny's eyelids and sweat beading his forehead.
"BP is 85/65, pulse is 140," she answered.
Johnny's throat began to convulse and the vent alarm rang out. Kel barked, "10 mgs. Diazepam STAT." He turned the alarm off as he pulled his penlight out of his pocket and examined Johnny's eyes. He listened to his heart and lungs as Dixie prepared and administered the sedative.
After a few moments, Dixie retook his pulse. "Pulse is down to 125," she reported.
Kel nodded as he picked up Johnny's chart and scanned over the notes. "What happened, Dix?" he questioned as he made some notations.
Dixie grabbed a wet washcloth and started wiping Johnny's face as she replied, "About 10 minutes ago his heart rate slowly started picking up then he started triggering the vent, and you saw the rest." She ruffled Johnny's hair, "You need to relax, Tiger," she said affectionately.
Kel closed the chart and walked over to the heart monitor. As he scanned over the strip he noticed an occasional arrhythmia.'You're not going to make this easy, are you? Well, two can play that game my friend, he thought. "Dix let's give him 1.5 mgs. Lidocaine slow IV push." He made some additional notations in the chart then slotted it at the end of the bed and watched Johnny.
Dixie walked over to the drug cabinet and pulled out the necessary medication. As she loaded the syringe she questioned, "How much longer do you think you'll keep him in recovery?" She knew there were a bunch of anxious firemen just chomping at the bit to see their friend.
Kel crossed his arms as he contemplated the best course of action, "We'll wait another 30 minutes and then maybe we can get him moved up to ICU."
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As Roy walked into the waiting room, Chet shot up out of his chair, "Is it time?" he asked anxiously as he bounced on his feet. Roy suppressed a chuckle and replied, "Not yet Chet. I'm sure Brackett will be here soon," he shook his head, 'Jeez Chet…you're worse than my kids,' he thought in amusement.
Chet was crestfallen as he slumped back into his chair.
Marco grinned slyly as he patted Chet on the shoulder, "I thought you didn't care, mi amigo," he accused.
Chet blushed as he stammered, "Well, I…I don't…" he fidgeted in his seat. "I just knew Roy would want to see him," he replied smartly as Roy rolled his eyes.
Hank walked in and found Roy, Chet and Marco all sitting together talking. On the other side of the room, Mike was talking to a group of firefighters; he motioned for Mike to join them. After everyone was seated he said, "I just finished talking to the Chief and here's the deal, fellas. The Chief stood us down until after we see Johnny, but then we have to go back to quarters and get some rest." 'And I have an incident report to fill out for the Chief,' he thought with resignation. The paperwork was endless.
They all nodded. While they wished they could stay at the hospital, they were at least relieved that they wouldn't have to worry about getting called out before they could see Johnny.
"The Chief also said that he wants to meet with all of us tomorrow right after shift," Hank said as he looked at Roy, "He wants you to come too, as long as you're not needed here, pal."
Roy nodded and then remembered. "Uh, Cap…I don't have a car here."
Hank scratched his head, thinking. "I'll have Brice and Dwyer drop it off either when we go back later or first thing in the morning," Cap answered.
As Roy nodded, Hank noticed Mike had a tablet and pen in one hand. "Hey pal, what's that?" he questioned.
"Oh, I was just getting some volunteers," Mike explained sheepishly. At Cap's questioning look, he continued, "I know Johnny's neighbor has been tending the horses while Johnny's been injured…"
"Damn, I never even thought of it, I should've called Tom and told him about Johnny," Roy interjected as he rubbed a hand over his face.
"Roy…I already took care of it," Mike replied. "Tom said he hopes Johnny's okay and don't worry about the horses. He'll look after them for as long as Johnny needs," he assured. "Anyhow, I know a couple of the guys have been out riding at Johnny's place…and a few others were there helping when we rebuilt Johnny's house after the fire, so I thought maybe if I asked, they would give Tom a hand with the horses, make it easier on him," he said as he ducked his head. "As I was talking to some of the guys, Carlson of 36s suggested we set up a rotation schedule for sitting with Johnny, since he has no family. Everyone agreed that that was a good idea and now I have two lists," he said with a shrug.
Roy's throat tightened as he thought of all the people who were so willing to give of their time for his friend. About a year ago, Johnny's house had burned to the ground. Word had spread quickly throughout the department and before they knew it, the men of 51s were joined by over a hundred 'handymen' to help overhaul and rebuild. Now, those same men were rising to the occasion again. It made Roy feel small in the face of such compassion.
Marco chimed in, "I forgot to tell you, Roy. I spoke to Mama earlier and she was going to call all the ladies to see if they wanted to make up some casseroles and desserts and take them over to your house. She said she'd have Mrs. Harrison put them in the freezer."
Roy nodded his thanks, overwhelmed by the kindness of his friends. He blinked repeatedly trying to dispel the moisture that was gathering as he thought of Mama Lopez, Mrs. Kelly, Emily Stanley, and Beth Stoker spending all day baking and cooking to make it easier on Joanne. He wouldn't be surprised if when he went home, his house was thoroughly cleaned.
Not to be outdone, Chet spoke up. "I called my cousin, Roy. Her husband was going to call his cousin and have your wagon dredged out of the river. He said he'd have any personal effects boxed up and delivered to my house and he'd wait for word from you on what you wanted done with the car. And the best part, he said he'd have it all done for free…he owed me a favor." Chet said smugly.
Roy felt like a deer caught in the headlights, he wasn't sure how to respond. 'Gosh, I didn't even think about the car,' Roy thought, thankful that he had one less thing to worry about. He'd have to remember and call his insurance agent tomorrow, but knowing Chet, he wouldn't be surprised if he already had.
Hank sat stunned. He knew his men looked out for each other, but it never ceased to amaze him the lengths to which they would go. He glanced at Roy and saw him struggling with his emotions. Knowing that he needed some time and space, he offered, "Why don't you go check on Joanne, pal. If Dr. Brackett comes, we'll come get you."
Roy gave a quick nod and fled the room.
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Roy walked slowly to Joanne's room, pulling himself together. He still found it hard to believe that things were taken care of that he hadn't even thought about yet. He quietly entered her room and found her sound asleep. Being as careful as possible, he pulled the chart from the end of the bed and flipped it open. He saw that she'd had her last neuro check about 20 minutes ago followed by her meds. He knew she wouldn't wake anytime soon, so he replaced the chart and sat down in the chair next to her bed and let himself drift.
So much had happened that he felt like he had lived a week in this one day. He always found it interesting how time seemed elastic. When things were going well or you were having fun, time seemed to fly. But when things were going poorly or you were waiting for something, time seemed to drag, or sometimes like now, stop. He knew it really hadn't, but it sure felt like time had stopped.
He awoke with a start a short time later, surprised that he'd fallen asleep. He yawned then stretched before standing up. He gazed at Joanne for a few moments before leaning down and gently kissing her forehead. "I'll back in a little while, honey," he softly whispered before heading out the door.
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Roy got off the elevator and saw Brackett walk into the waiting room, he quickened his pace. He heard Cap asking Marco to go get him as he strode through the doorway.
Cap glanced at him and said, "Great timing, pal." He looked over at Dr. Brackett, "I guess we're ready now," he said as he stood.
Kel led the silent group of men up to the seventh floor. They entered the ICU ward and went to the waiting room. "Alright gentleman, as I said before, you can go in two at a time for five minutes only," he stated.
Cap rubbed his hands together as he decided the order. He knew Chet would have a hard time, so he decided he would go in with him. "Marco, why don't you and Mike go first? Chet and I can go next and then Roy, you can go last, that is if you don't mind," he looked at Roy for confirmation.
"That's fine by me, Cap. I don't mind," Roy replied.
By the time it was his turn, Roy felt sick. Marco and Mike had come back looking pale and shaken. Marco murmured prayers continually in Spanish as Mike turned slightly green, excused himself and fled…Roy assumed to the bathroom. A short while later Cap and Chet returned. Chet wouldn't look anywhere but at the floor as he sat down and bent forward, placing his elbows on his knees and his hands covering his face. Roy thought he saw his shoulders begin to shake. In alarm, he looked over at Cap, whose jaw was clenched and his eyes tear-bright. Cap placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a squeeze as he whispered hoarsely, "Be prepared, Roy. He looks bad." Roy nodded an acknowledgement before walking down the hall. As he neared Johnny's room he could hear some of the various machines beeping and clicking, keeping his friend alive. He stopped and closed his eyes, trying to prepare himself. He took a deep breath and walked through the door.