Goodbye and Hello
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.
"Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing." Gloria Naylor.
This is a long chapter for you. I really want to know what you think about it :)
Chapter 18
Johnny heard his name called through the dark smoke before his body impacted with the first floor. Amazingly he remained conscious as the floor immediately gave way under him and felt himself continue to fall. It only took an instant for the realization of what was happening for him to know that this might be his last fire, his last injury. In that instant he thought of his best friend Roy and called out to him in his mind, to save him. Darkness took him as his body hit the last floor with a brutal impact.
As soon as the bodies hit the bottom the men from 110 ran down the stairs to the second floor. Two drug the hose with them, wetting down the path before them as they searched for their comrades. When they reached them they were easily found as most of the debris was underneath them. Neither man was moving.
Dover radioed in the two men down call and turned to Clark who was already at their sides. He was the medic of the group and got to work right away at assessing their injuries. Chet was closest to him, he felt for a pulse, yes, thank God one was there. His head was mostly protected from his helmet although he would have at least a concussion. Clark quickly ran his hands across his body, broken shoulder and collar bone, broken ribs, his breathing was slightly labored, nothing obvious on his abdomen but that didn't mean much right off the bat. His right leg was broken with an open fracture.
He turned around, "I need backboards, c-collars and leg splints right now to get them out of here." He looked back down to see Chet stirring.
"Chet, don't move. You're hurt but we're gonna get you out of here."
Chet looked up, the smoke thick was burning his eyes. He blinked several times not sure what to say.
"Take it easy pally," the paramedic said smiling at him.
Chet nodded slightly, grimaced and managed to creek out a small smile. He knew he would be okay now. Then he fell back into unconsciousness.
Clark next moved over to Johnny. He carefully removed his facemask which now had a big crack in it, his helmet already knocked off somewhere in the process of the fall. He ran his finger along the deep laceration on his forehead, brushing the dark sweat soaked curly hair from his face.
"Johnny?" He called to him but got no response at all. He continued his exam. There was blood in his ears but he couldn't tell where it was coming from, his pupils sluggish but reactive. He gently palpated the broken ribs, his markedly labored breathing indicated the probability of a collapsed lung. There was a large abrasion and contusion across his abdomen so surely internal injuries were likely. He also had one broken leg and ankle.
Robinson and Dover came up behind him with the equipment and he worked at getting them secured for transport. His eyes staying concentrated on Johnny at all times.
"Okay, let's get um out of here," he called out. The building was deteriorating around them and time was running out fast now. The quickest path and only available route took them to the back side of the building where they hurried out into the fresh air. They placed the two victims down at the side of the nearest squad and Clark started pulling out boxes with the other's help. His partner for the shift had already left with another fireman down leaving him alone at the moment to work.
Thank goodness Dover was skilled at assisting the paramedics and was quickly pulling out IV supplies for him. His captain came jogging over to the squad to see what was going on. Looking down at the two injured for a fraction of a second he was just grateful it wasn't his own men but any fireman down was heart wrenching for him. No Captain liked to see another fireman hurt.
Seeing who the injured men were Captain Powter knelt down next to the medic, "Can you handle this?"
He looked up, his face full of stress and worry, "Yes Cap." His voice was confident. He knew he was the lifeline for both of these men and had no intentions of losing them.
Powter got on the bio-phone and connected them to Rampart, "Rampart this is Squad 110. Do you read?"
"Go ahead 110," Joe Early's voice came across.
"Rampart we have two firemen down." Powter gave the report of injuries as relayed by Clark. He knew this was hard on this paramedic as he knew both of the injured men. He then passed all the orders to the medic.
The IV's were started, their vital signs were precarious. Both were in shock and their conditions continued to worsen right before his eyes. "Come on you two, don't do this to me," he whispered. Looking up he saw the ambulance attendants coming up behind him. He was ready to move them out. He knew the sooner the better.
Hank was pacing now on the verge of going into the building himself, against orders, when the Chief came running over.
"Chief?" Hank said anxiously.
He knew what Hank wanted to hear and he was never so grateful as to give him the news himself, "It was Gage and Kelly."
Hank, Mike and Marco had a flash of panic across their faces.
"They got um out," he paused to make sure they were hearing him at this point. "Their both alive."
"Where are they?" Hank asked.
"Other side of the building," he motioned with his head. "They have a paramedic with them."
Hank slapped him on the shoulder with a big grin on his face, "Thanks Chief."
Hank turned to Marco as they were now loading him onto a stretcher for transport, "We'll see you there pally."
Marco just nodded, still worried about his friends. Mike and Hank took off in a run to get around the building.
He climbed in the back of the ambulance with his two patients. As he watched the doors close he could see Hank and Mike running up. Dover slapped the back of the doors and the ambulance pulled out before they could reach it.
"Damn," Hank said watching the ambulance pull out before seeing his men. He turned to Powter, "How are they Kyle?"
He never wanted to give bad news but he knew that Hank would want the truth, "Critical Hank, looks bad."
Hank and Mike went back to the engine. With three of the crew down the Chief put them 10-8 to Rampart and possibly for the rest of the shift if he couldn't find replacements. They pulled in lines and gathered up the supplies in a hurry knowing this was not where they wanted to be.
Brice took the squad in followed by Mike and Hank. The ride was quiet as they worried about their friends. Hank was more dismayed by what was happening to this family. It seemed to be falling apart. He was concerned about both men but he was very concerned about Johnny. The young man was already deeply depressed and Hank felt he was on the verge of quitting all together. Now hurt? Without Roy here, how would he find the will power to overcome this? He made a mental note to track down Roy as soon as they had a report on Johnny knowing he would want to know.
He sat in the back of the ambulance tending to his patients, monitoring vital signs, checking fluids and talking to both of them. He couldn't believe this was happening. They had to make it.
"Squad 110 to Rampart," he called in.
"Go ahead 110," Early answered.
"Rampart. Vitals on victim one are now pulse 130, respirations 8 and very labored, BP 70/50. Feel that he will need an airway soon."
"Go ahead with airway when indicated 110. Open IV to wide open. What is your ETA?"
"10-4 on the IV wide open and airway. ETA 7 minutes."
Johnny was fading, his vital signs weakening and it was killing this man who was fighting to save his life.
"Come on, I know you can fight this Johnny. Don't give up. I'm here," he said quietly.
As he squeezed his shoulder Johnny stopped breathing. Skillfully and quickly he placed the airway and handed the ambu bag to the attendant to give him the breaths.
The ambulance was greeted by Nurse Carol and Joe Early. He smiled at the medic for only a moment then looked down at who the injured men were. He shook his head knowing how hard this was for this particular medic. They got them into treatment rooms just as Brackett came off the elevator.
"Joe, what you got?" Brackett called out.
"Kel, it's Johnny and Chet. If you'll take Chet I'll get Johnny. Looks like he has a head injury."
Brackett just wanted to cuss up a storm as he entered the treatment room. They had moved Chet to the exam table. "Chet? Can you hear me?" He asked.
Chet moaned. Good, he was at least trying to come around.
"Carole, let's get a skull film, chest and that leg first." He then proceeded to do a complete physical exam and worked to stabilize his vital signs.
Joe went into Johnny's room while the medic moved to the head of his bed, staying close to him. It didn't even occur to Carole to ask him to move. He assisted them in hooking Johnny up to the monitors while Joe began his exam. An alarm sounded.
"His heart rate is 50," Clark said urgently.
Joe moved to the head of his bed and placed an endotrachael tube in his airway and handed the ambu bag to the medic. He began the rhythmic breaths to the unconscious man before him. His heart aching for his friend. The improved ventilation to his lungs helped to temporarily stabilize his heart rate.
Joe examined his head wound and the blood from his ears, "Carole, get us set up for an emergency look at his head." He looked up, "I'm not convinced the blood is from his head."
The medic nodded. He then moved over as the respiratory therapist came in with the ventilator to get Johnny hooked up.
"His right lung is down, several broken ribs." He moved down to his abdomen. "It's now firm, he's bleeding internally." He looked back up again. "We need to operate right away to stop the bleeding."
"Dr. Early, his pressure is down to 50/30."
Joe motioned to Clark, "Get that plasmanate started. Carole start a second IV and run it wide open. We have to get his pressure stabilized for him to tolerate the surgery. We also need 6 units of blood."
"Dr. the lab says we are short of AB positive."
The medic who watched him intently knew how to fix that, "Give him mine."
This man standing here was the help Johnny needed. In more ways than one.
Hank and Mike entered the waiting room and headed for the nurses desk.
"Hey fellows," Dixie said as she was just coming on duty. The fact that Hank and Mike were here meant something had gone wrong for the 51 crew. "What happened?" Instantly concerned.
"Marco is here with a hurt ankle," he said then took a deep breath. "Chet and Johnny. They fell through two floors in a building fire. We wanted to check on how they were doing."
Johnny? She felt her heart skip a couple of beats. "I just got here but let me find out what's going on okay." She hurried down the hall into the treatment rooms.
The first one she came too had Marco in it. "Marco? How are you doing?" She asked with concern. He looked okay, covered with black soot and exhausted but otherwise okay.
"Doc says I've twisted my ankle but at least it's not broken. How's Johnny and Chet?" The worry was obvious in his eyes for his friends.
"I don't know yet but Hank and Mike are here. I'll send them in." She said as she patted him on the shoulder.
"Thanks Dixie," he smiled back at her.
She moved back into the hallway. "Guys," she called to the desk. "Marco's in here. You can check on him while I find the other two okay?"
They nodded. At least they had found one missing friend.
Dixie then went straight across the hall to find Chet with Brackett. He looked up to see her come in, "Dix, glad you're here."
"How is he Kel?" She said as she moved to his side and put her hand on his shoulder.
He stirred and opened his eyes. "Chet?" She spoke softly to him.
"Roy?"
Dixie laughed at looked at Kel, "I hope he has a head injury."
He just smiled, "Yea, but don't feel special he called me Roy too."
She smiled, "And we're surprised that is who he's looking for when he's hurt?"
"Guess not," Brackett said.
"Hank and Mike are here and wanted an update."
"He's on his way to surgery. Broken compound fracture of the leg. He also has a concussion, some broken ribs and a punctured lung. They will put his chest tube in upstairs. Fractured collar bone and shoulder. He took a pretty good beating."
"Hank said they fell through two floors at a fire. It's a miracle their even alive."
Brackett motioned to the door, "I don't think Johnny came out of the building so lucky, he's in 4."
Dixie left the room and took a deep breath. It was so hard to think of Johnny hurt. He was like a part of her own family. And now? How would he get through this without Roy? She had seen the change in him over the last few months and then was shocked when Kel had told her that Johnny actually quit the paramedic program. They had met with him, both of them, trying to convince him to stay on. But he was no longer the same Johnny that they had come to know and love here at the hospital.
She entered the room to find Johnny on the table, pale, diaphoretic and unconscious. His cut up turn out coat now laying on the floor. Her eyes tracked around the room to find Joe at the x-ray box looking at his recent films, then she looked at the paramedic at the head of his bed and froze.
Hank saw Dixie come out of Johnny's room and come down the hallway towards the waiting room. They had moved out there when Marco was taken for his cast.
"Dixie?" Hank asked, a knot growing in his gut over her expression.
"Hank," she said, sitting down in the chair next to him.
"Chet's in surgery now. He's critical but all his injuries are fixable. It will just take time for him to heal." She took a deep breath. "Johnny's worse, he has a head injury, collapsed lung and had to be put on the ventilator when they brought him in. It looks like he has internal injuries so they are taking him up to the OR now."
They all looked up to see Johnny being wheeled into the staff elevator. Hank watched the medic move into the elevator with him, staying right by his side. He wasn't sure who he was until he saw the back of his coat more clearly, Clark. Hank knew him from the 110 station.
He and Mike stood up with Dixie at his side.
"Why don't you guys get some coffee then come up to the ICU waiting room. I'll let you know as soon as they get out of surgery."
The two men nodded, knowing that there was nothing else they could do right now. They left the little waiting room and headed for the cafeteria. First Hank had a phone call to make.
He stood outside the OR and paced. His two friends were in there, fighting for their lives. It was horrible seeing them go down. He had tried to yell and warn them of the danger behind them but it hadn't worked. He didn't reach them soon enough and then he had to watch them fall, crashing through another floor to the bottom. The image replayed in his mind over and over. He didn't know what he would do if they didn't make it. If Johnny didn't make it.