Chapter 29
Four hours later Elise woke up and found herself on the sofa in Dr. Brackett's office. Dixie was in the armchair at her side reading a book, while on the desk at her side rested the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope Elise last remembered being used on her.
It took a minute for the clock on the wall to come into focus but once it did she was aware of how long she had been out.
"Must have been one of my more involved seizures," Elise commented as she slid her feet to the floor and pushed herself into a sitting position.
"No seizure this time," Dixie responded before handing Elise a glass of orange juice. "You really out did yourself at that accident today I knew you were going to crash one way or another so I pulled you in here where it would be quiet, you fell asleep before I could finish taking your vitals."
"Oh, the medic, did he make it? And what about your mother and baby?"
"The baby's fine, the mother's fine, she just needs a blood transfusion. The paramedic is still hanging in there; they were able to stop the bleeding into his chest and fix a small hole in his heart. He's still touch and go but the doctors are optimistic. If he can make it through the night he'll have a real chance." Dixie explained. "Dr. Brackett was a bit miffed at your chest tube until he saw what you did, he was expecting more of a surgical procedure from what he heard on the radio but he had to admit what you made a real difference. He's worried that he won't be able to cover for you though."
"Cover for me, why would he need to cover for me?"
"What you're licensed to do in Montana seems to be a little beyond what nurses here are covered for." Dixie explained.
"Oh that, I'm field rescue certified, in trauma. I did get certified here in California too before my accident."
"I've never heard of such a thing," Dixie was intrigued.
So I was told," Elise spoke between sips of orange juice, "At least a dozen times when I was transferring my licenses here. Once they took the time to look it up they found all the specs on it though. Seems it's something the military uses but not so much civilian nurses in these parts. I thought it was a good thing to pick up since I was responding out in the field from time to time."
"So you were planning to come this way before your accident," Dixie read between the lines.
Elise just looked up at her with squinting eyes and nodded her head.
"You have a headache?" Dixie asked.
"A beaut'. I'd have to say this is the first time I've gotten a hangover from a rescue but the vibration from the jaws and then the fire engine they sat me down on to rest sure did a number on my head. I guess that's why I'm what they call medically retired."
With Elise's confession of pain, Dixie used the phone on Dr. Brackett's desk to ask Dr. Early to come to the office before she started a new set of vitals on Elise, complete with checking her pupils this time.
Dr. Early was concerned enough to order a set of skull x-rays and compare them with previous x-rays.
John was in the hospital after a run and stopped to check on his wife while they were waiting for the x-rays to be read and for Dr. Early to consult with the other brain surgeon on Elise's case. When he learned that his wife was being evaluated for possible complications to working with the jaws he was at her side waiting for the test results too.
When the doctors all gathered in Dr. Brackett's office, Dr. Brackett included, there were schooled expressions on their face.
"We don't think there was any real damage done to the previous skull injuries but it is clear she should not be doing that kind of work again." Dr. Rosemire started. "The pacemaker alone should render her medically retired from all rescue work with the fire department and she shouldn't be working in said conditions until that helmet plate is removed."
"Hey docs, I didn't go looking for it they crashed right in front of my front door." Elise defended herself as she rested against John's chest on the sofa in Dr. Brackett's office.
"I'm sorry, I understood you responded to the accident from a fire station." The good Doctor showed his confusion.
"A decommissioned one," Elise added, "it's not like I was working there, at least not as a firefighter."
Dixie and John couldn't keep from laughing at the confused look on the doctor's face and started the explanation of turning the decommissioned fire station into a home."
"What are you going to do with the extra large garage area," the doctor asked, bringing on a few more chuckles.
"Right now it's a combination living room, indoor gym and garage." Elise answered before adding, "We reserve the right however, to do something else with it tomorrow or the next day."
"I can't say this any other way," Dr. Rosemire got serious again. "Even if we get the best possible results from your upcoming surgery you will not be able to return to rescue work. There has just been too much damage done."
"I know that Doctor," Elise answered solemnly, "I know I was the last person who should have taken on that accident today, but I was the only one there and, despite my inabilities, I do know what to do in those situations, and I knew what I know could make the difference between life and death." Elise turned to look at John out of the corner of her eye. He was still behind her letting her rest against him as he held his arms around her.
With a faint smile she continued, "I was taught by L.A.'s finest at the fire academy here and in one on one tutoring." Elise reached and took a hold of John's hand. "Unlike this guy behind me, I've never rolled on an auto accident or a mountain rescue where I wasn't totally terrified. I'm not going to really miss that part of my past life. The only way I ever got through it was to visualize John here talking me through every move I made. I fantasized using his confidence and skill to get me through nearly everything I was called on to do. Now today, when he was really there talking me through things it was just like my fantasies of old and it didn't change a thing. I was still scared half to death. It's a wonder I didn't fall apart and have a seizure right in the middle of that whole incident making everything worse."
Elise turned her attention to her head brain surgeon. "I do hope that when you get though taking out all my spare parts that you leave enough to be useful at something and that I'll have abilities to do something of worth, but I also know that you can't even begin to answer that question just yet and it's driving me nuts. And the last thing I need to do is lie around my new house worrying about it. Yet that's all you seem to want me to do."
Elise leaned forward and rested her elbows on her thighs. "From here on out I suggest we start talking about what I can do and stop building on the oversized list of things I can't do."
While John was in the office listening to test results, Roy dealt with the questions of where the old homemade back board and supplies that were labeled ERH belonged. Dr. Morton thought it stood for ER Hospital and was trying to find out which closet they were stored in but Roy educated him that it stood for "Elise Rose Holbrook".
"The current Mrs. John Gage?" Morton questioned.
"The one and the same," Roy confirmed.
"She had to have her own gear where she came from?" Morton was again wowed at the thought.
"She didn't always know which rescue team was going to respond with her or how long it would take them to get there so, yes, she had and still has her own gear." Elise answered from the newly opened door to Dr. Brackett's office. "Most of the EMT's in our area carry their own gear. We think of it as a way of life, as opposed to watching someone suffer and die waiting for help to arrive."
"And how far away was the nearest hospital?" Dr. Brackett asked. Having been informed by Dixie that Elise did have some field training; he was a little less angry with her and more curious about her. He had to admit she did save that paramedic's life. He also figured she'd be needed to help him accept his Medical Retirement.
"Depending where you were, in the real trouble spots it was anywhere from one hour to six," Elise answered. "More if we had to haul them out of a canyon on foot or pull them off a cliff."
Dr Brackett could only shake his head in wonder before looking at Dixie and seeing a similar determination to get the job done in her.
Elise was ordered to bed, as soon as she arrived home, and given a prescription for the pain. Since she and Dixie would be going home by Taxi, Elise's rescue equipment was strapped on top of the squad and taken back to the station where it would be loaded in John's Rover to be taken home at the end of the shift.
The ride back to the station was a quiet one. Roy glanced at his partner several times and wanted to say something to offer comfort.
"Your wife surprised me out there today," Roy started. John turned to face him but didn't say a word. "She really knows how to handle the Jaws. Most women wouldn't even be able to lift them let alone use them, and without help."
"She trained hard for it," John answered then turned to look out the window in thought.
Not knowing what else to say Roy let the silence linger.
John had heard Eess's call loud and clear. Thinking about the upcoming surgery was driving her nuts. She needed distractions, and clearly the upcoming reception was not doing the trick.
He hadn't yet had to face an injury that would cost him his career but he'd had a few that had sidelined him for a while. He understood well her statement, 'From here on out I suggest we start talking about what I can do and stop building on the oversized list of things I can't do.'
His experience with the hospital staff told him they would be hard pressed to be able to do that, but he would. At that moment in that squad, backing into the bay, John vowed he would do all that he could to help Elise do everything she could, and find a way to help her do anything she wanted to do. He knew they needed to be cautious until the surgery, but after that they would find a way to do anything her heart desired.
When the squad was parked, Captain Stanley was standing in the bay with a questioning look on his face as he pointed to the extra gear on the back of the squad. Roy just pointed to Johnny coming around the back of the engine.
"It's Eess's," John answered as he untied it and pulled the board and stokes under his arm before hauling it out to his rover.
When the equipment was locked up in the Rover, John walked right to the office and knocked on the doorframe to get his Captain's attention.