Chapter 5

The squad was called out twice during the night. The paramedics were extremely glad they'd gone to bed early. Especially since the second call was at 5:15 in the morning. When they were heading back from Rampart Johnny suggested breakfast.

"Hey, I'll do pancakes!" Matt offered.

"We can do bacon in the oven and make omelets," Roy added.

"I'll play sous chef and prep the stuff for the omelets," Johnny offered. They stopped at the market to pick up what was needed.

Itora woke to the wonderful smell of bacon. He breathed in the savory aroma feeling his mouth begin to water. Next he discerned coffee.

"Ok, I'm in heaven," he mumbled. Hanks snickered on the bunk across from him.

"No, still in LA," he said. "But Johnny's stomach must be awake. He's good at motivating his partner to cook when he's hungry."

"Smells like we're all gonna benefit," Mike sleepily remarked from over the wall.

"Hey, it's only 6:30!" Chet grumbled. "Some of us want ta sleep!" A pillow was launched over on top of him. Grumbling, he tucked it under his arm and kept his eyes closed.

"Well, I'm going to check out breakfast," Itora decided. He pulled on his turnouts and boots and clumped off to the kitchen. Stanley and Stoker were close behind.

"Morning, Cap!" Roy called out. "Can I interest you in a kitchen-sink omelet?" Matt poured out coffee and handed it to Itora. When the next two appeared, two more cups were readied.

"Kitchen sink?" he glanced over the senior paramedic's shoulder at the chopping board. Spring onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, tomatoes, olives and cheese were all present.

"Uhm, everything but the bell peppers?" he said. It seemed the man knew his way around a stove as he tossed in all the requested ingredients sans the cheese and tomato to heat. Two eggs were beaten with a fork and a little water. Once the "sink" was heated the egg mixture was tossed in.

Roy even had the 'flip' down. Soon cheese and tomatoes were added and the end result was plated.

"Pancakes? Bacon?" Matt asked. Itora gave a 'yups' and his plate was loaded down more. Soon he was seated by Johnny.

"Ready to grind down, bruddah?" the paramedic grinned over his half-finished breakfast. The Hawaiian had to laugh; the young man was going to get pidgin down before he went out on any runs in Hawaii!

"DeSoto no ka oi chef!" he teased right back. Gage waved a hand.

"Lips, sounds..." he gesticulated.

"He's the best chef," came the translation. Gage just grinned in agreement. Soon two more omelets were in evidence and the paramedics traded off.

"Hey, Cap," Roy said as he sat down. "Any chance you'll teach me some pidgin?"

"Sure, haole!" he grinned.

"Haole?" Hank asked.

"White tourist," he answered. "It has a negative connotation, so if the guys are calling you this just shake your head and call them 'lolo' which means idiot or dunce," he suggested.

"Maybe that will help," Roy said as he accepted a full plate from his partner. Matt was next. He happily crunched his bacon before pouring syrup over his large stack of cakes.

Marco came in next. He was dressed and ready for the day. With a grin he opened the fridge and grabbed a small jar of sliced jalapenos which were handed over to the current chef. Johnny looked askance at the choice, but incorporated it into his crew mate's omelet.

"I love it when Johnny's hungry!" Marco said as he settled down to his personally crafted breakfast. The so-named man returned to the table with a fresh pot of coffee and some more bacon wrapped in a pancake.

"mmmhmmm," he agreed as he topped off everyone's mugs. He'd just sat down when Chet managed to find his way into the kitchen.

"What's for breakfast?" he yawned as he asked. Which was when the tones went off.

"Squad 51, possible heart attack. 4530 Centrailia Boulevard. Cross street, Market Street. Time out 7:05."

"Hunter's breakfast, Chet," Gage said. "You find it, you cook it, you eat it!"

"Thanks for nothing!" the tardy man groused. The parmedics had loaded into the squad and were pulling out into the cool morning.

"Come on, amigo," Marco said, "they left stuff in the oven for you and there's omelet fixings left." Itora grinned and moved over to the stove to scramble eggs for Kelly.

"Turn left at the next light," Johnny directed. They were pleased that the drivers were pulling off to the right and that the intersections were cleared for them. When they arrived at the address, a small café tucked in a strip mall, a woman was waving a dishtowel.

"Oh, hurry! It's Mindy!" she cried. "She was waiting tables and then she was complaining her chest hurt and now she's… she's…"

"Where is she?" Johnny asked touching a elbow. He was carrying the drug box knowing his partners could manage the rest. Mindy was seated at a table, quite grey and having difficulty breathing. Gage immediately knelt down to do a quick assessment and tried to calm her down.

When Roy and Matt made it in the patient was lying down, feet slightly elevated. Looking up at his partner Gage shook his head. The senior paramedic immediately started to unload the defibrillator and leads.

"Matt," the senior paramedic handed leads to him. With Johnny's careful oversight the leads were placed in the proper locations and the screen began to show a degrading rhythm. Roy set out the paddles and turned to the biophone.

"Rampart, this is Squad 51," he said.

"Squad 51, this is Rampart," Joe Early's calm voice came over the speaker.

"Rampart, we have a female, approximately 50 years old complaining that her chest hurts. She is grey and diaphoretic. Pulse is 120 and bounding. BP is 170/120. Sending a strip on lead two," Roy rattled off succinctly. Early waited and began to read the strip. The peaks were erratic then fell flat.

"51, defibrillate immediately!" he said urgently. Matt found paddles in his hands as Roy spread gel on them. He rubbed them together to spread it then hovered over the woman.

"100 - 200 - 300 - 400," Johnny called out.

"CLEAR," Matt said as he did his first shock. He felt the body arch underneath his hands and pulled away the paddles.

"No conversion," Johnny said. "Again!"

"200 – 300 – 400," Roy timed it this time.

"CLEAR," Matt called out, the body arched once more and he pulled the paddles back.

"Got her back," Roy said. The Hawaiian paramedic sat back on his heels listening to the directions coming over the speaker for meds. Setting the paddles down and assisted in getting an IV started. Two different syringes were injected into ports and the heart rhythm settled down more.

"Matt, you'll ride in with the patient and me," Roy instructed.

As directed, the Hawaiian paramedic rode in the ambulannce. Johnny cleaned up the site and followed them in. When the younger paramedic arrived he found Dr. Brackett at the nurse's station with Dixie and Roy.

"Well, Matt seems just as excited as you were with his first difib," Kel said crossing his arms across his chest.

"I think he's still floating," Roy grinned. "We left him in with Dr. Early."

"Well, I think it's cute," Dixie smiled as she fussed with her paperwork. "What hospital is his partner working out of?"

"Uh, Rampart," Roy said.

"Yeah, he's just over at the 8's," Johnny said.

"We haven't seen him," Brackett said, rubbing his chin in concern. "What were the instructions you were given?"

"He's here training with us," DeSoto said. "The department issued certification for the length of the assignment. We'll get certification to work in Hawaii." They stood quietly pondering the situation.

"I'll call the paramedics at the 8's," Brackett decided. "Check and see if they were aware their trainee was certified."

"Stephan Lewis is the name of the paramedic assigned to the 8's," Johnny said. An exam room door opened and Matt came out, silly grin on his face. He walked over to his partners and looked at the discussion group.

"She's holding her own," he reported. "Wow! That was pupule!"

"Hey, hey, hey," Gage retorted. "It wasn't crazy! It was way cool! You did a good job!" Matt blushed to his hairline.

"It's ok, Matt," Dixie added. "Johnny was bouncing off the walls the first time he defib'd a patient." The Hawaiian paramedic just kept a grin plastered on his face.

"We need to get back," Roy said. He watched as Johnny placed a hand on Matt's back and pushed him towards the doors.

"See you!" Gage called out as they left.

Back at the station Matt immediately jumped on the phone to call his partner. He was so energized and excited!

"Captain John Rocky," the voice said, "station 8."

"Can I speak with Paramedic Stephan Lewis?" Matt asked all a twittered. He heard the captain call out and soon Stephan was on the phone.

"Stephan Lewis," his partner said.

"I DEFIBRILLATED!" Matt shouted over the phone.

"Ma-att!" Lewis complained.

"I got to defibrillate a patient!" he managed, quieter. Stephan was silent. He didn't even get to go into the hospital ER! Don't even discuss treating a patient!

"Wonderful," he growled. "Just wonderful."

"What?" Matt quickly asked. "What's wrong?"

"I haven't even been able to put on a bandage!" Stephan spoke low in his anger. "Haven't seen the inside of the ambulance or the ER! I'm on the sidelines just watchin'! It's all hammajang! These lolo haoles think I'm some mento idjit that just stands and drools!"

Matt didn't even know Stephan could get upset and here he was so caught up he was talking pidgin! In the fire station! The man who never, never broke his professional bearing had completely lost it.

"STEPHAN!" he practically yelled over the phone causing all the two paramedics at the table to look up.

"Stephan! Calm down," he lowered his voice. "Maybe you and me can trade sooner. Roy and Johnny have no problems letting me work on patients!"

"I'm going crazy over here!" Lewis's voice also dropped. "I mean, it's all business. They discuss some baseball and play some hoops, but that's about it. I finished my novel this morning."

"Aw, Stevie," Matt sympathized. "We'll go to the bookstore tomorrow."

"Yups," came the quiet reply.

"Hey, it'll be ok," Matt said. "I'll talk with Cap, see what's shakin'"

"Don't go causing problems, bruddah!" Lewis grumbled.

"I won't," he assured. "I'll see you in the morning!" Phones were hung up but Matt stood there pressing his head to the wall.

"Kapakahi!" He growled to himself.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Johnny retorted. "There are impressionable minds here!" Itora noted his knowledge of the word. Matt looked over at his two LA partners.

"Come on over and tell Junior and Pally what's the hap," Johnny said, waving his hand.

Matt looked over at the two paramedics then moved towards them. He sat in the chair by Johnny and accepted the arm thrown over his shoulder.

"Bruddah, you all nerjis already!" he said. "Just tell us." Hank watched as Itora's brow lifted slightly.

"Stephan's training is running differently than mine," he admitted quietly. "And I just make it worse tellin' him about my runs."

"What's happening over at the 8's?" Roy asked quietly.

"Nothing!" the man blew out his breath. That's the problem! Nothing's happening. He hasn't even held the IV bag for 'em."

"I thought it was suppose to be a hands-on training," Itora joined in the conversation. "We were all issued temporary certification to work in the county."

"That's what McConnikee told me," Stanley confirmed. "I wonder if the other captains were given the same information I got."

"I'll call the chief," Itora said, "and get this straightened out."

"You don't have to, Cap," Roy jumped in. "We spoke with Dr. Brackett today about that. He wondered where Lewis was doing his runs. He said he'd talk to the paramedics and get it worked out."

"Yeah, Doc'll get Lewis on track," Johnny agreed.

"I'll call Stephan tonight, see what's up," Itora decided. It would be better to go through the doctor than through the official lines.