For My Sis Kathey I write this chapter before any other. Thanks Sis for being my most loyal fan in what ever I do.
Chapter 5
When Jo heard her husband reporting that their daughter was missing she nearly went to pieces. Cap just took the phone from Roy and gave him a gentle shove in the direction of his wife. Roy held his wife and listened as Cap identified himself as a family friend and answered every question that was asked of him. When he noticed Chris standing in the hall way with terror all over his face Roy reached his arm out and beckoned him closer. When Chris came to his side he wrapped one arm around him and pulled him tight to his side.
"All right, we'll be waiting on the front lawn for them," Hank informed into the phone and then hung it up before turning to Roy and his family, "That asked if you have a recent picture of her and if you can have it ready" Hank relayed.
JoAnne knew right where to find one and ran to the closet where she pulled out a box and quickly found a nice glossy eight by ten and two attached five by sevens. Then everyone moved as one to the front lawn just as a police car pulled up with out sirens and two police officers got out.
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While her parents were on the verge of needing a squad themselves young Jenny was only four blocks away. When Tracy had told her that her brother hadn't been able to wake their mother up all afternoon Jenny felt the call of a first responder.
It's really no wonder that no one saw them get off even though they were seated in the middle of the bus they were the first ones off when it stopped and Tracy's stop and before the last student was off Jenny and Tracy had run nearly the full distance to Tracy's home.
Allen opened the door when he heard his sister trying her key and when they saw him he had tears in his eyes, "I think Mom's dying, I don't know what to do," he got out before Jenny ran through the door only asking where she was.
As soon as Jenny was in the bedroom she placed her hand on Mrs. Baldwin's temple then in a panic she moved for a carotid pulse and let out a slight sigh. She then placed her hand on the women's stomach before picking up the phone from the table at the side of the bed.
Pulling her card out of her bag that had all the phone numbers on it Jenny called the dispatch line and quickly and professionally requested a Squad and an ambulance. She had even remembered to look at the house number when she came in and, , "One of the nails on the last 6 has come out so it's upside down and looks like a 9." Jenny added. "Please tell them to hurry and can you connect me to Rampart emergency so I can tell them stuff and ask them what to do until the squad gets here?"
Jenny waited and waited for the connections to be made and then the phone at Rampart to be answered. When Jenny heard "Rampart Emergency Nurse McCall speaking," she was ready to go.
"Nurse Dixie, this is Jenny DeSoto, There is a really really sick lady here, her boy hasn't been able to wake her up all afternoon, she has not temple pulse but she does have a neck pulse. It is 140 fast and really soft. Her respirations are 20 and her face looks really white. There's lots of medicines on the table next to her bed but I don't know what she took, I only have a small blood pressure cuff but she has really skinny arms should I use it anyway and get blood pressure numbers.
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Dixie had responded to Jenny's declaration of a really really sick lady by pulling a note book over and taking notes of everything she said.
"Yes Jenny, use your cuff and get a blood pressure, it might not be totally accurate but it will give us an idea how sick the patient is." Dixie instructed then covered the phone and called, "Kell," before waving him over to the desk.
"Kell, I have Roy's daughter on the phone, she has a woman who hasn't been able to be woken up all afternoon pulse is 140 and weak, respirations 20 and very pale she says there's lots of medicine bottles by the bedside she's currently getting a BP with her ped's cuff. The call is being routed through fire dispatch and they assured me a squad and an ambulance are on the way to the location."
"Do you have and ETA on that squad, and what are the medicines on the bed side?"
"I'll ask, as soon as Jenny gets back on the phone."
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While Jenny had her stethoscope in her ears collecting a blood pressure reading there was a knock at the door.
Allen hurried to get it hoping to find an ambulance in front of the house but instead there was a nicely dressed lady with a notepad in her arms. "May I please speak with your mother," the woman asked.
"NO, she's really sick we're waiting for an ambulance to take her to a doctor." Allen responded and the woman gently pushed her way in and Allen led her to the bedroom.
When they entered the door Jenny was talking on the phone, "I got 78 on top of 40" she said totally baffling the new arrival. "Okay just a minute I'll check." Jenny then handed the phone to Tracy and climbed on the bed and rolling her little hand into a fist rubbed her knuckles in the middle of the women's chest. Mrs., Baldwin groaned and rolled her head a little but that was all the response Jenny could get.
She took the phone back from Tracy and looked at the new comer in the room.
"Who are you?" Jenny asked, and she asked with such authority in her voice that the woman answered.
"I'm Miss Marlow from Child Protective Services,"
"Do you know how to say the names of medicines?" Jenny responded.
"Yes, a lot of them,"
"Good you can tell the Doctor what all those medicines are," Jenny motioned to the bedside table then put the phone to her ear to report. "Dr. Brackett I rubbed her chest and she moaned but she didn't wake up, I think I can hear a siren coming but I'm not sure. There's a lady here from child protection something who says she can say the names of medicines so I'm going to let her tell you what they are."
Jenny then handed the phone to Miss Marlow and went back to the task of trying to place couch cushions under her patient's legs. Pulling the sheets and blankets out from their tucked in position under the mattress Jenny noticed something.
Interrupting Miss Marlow's count of the bottles of Heparin Jenny asked to talk with the doctor once again.
It took prompting from Dr. Brackett who had heard Jenny's request on the phone but she did hand the phone over.
"Dr. Brackett the lady has a really big bruise on her leg, there is a big lump with it that is bigger than an orange should I still lift her legs?" "Okay should I put a splint on it?"
The answer to both questions was no and then Jenny was given instructions to tell the paramedics to bring in their oxygen and give the phone back to Miss Marlow.
Even with her limited knowledge of medicine Miss Marlow was starting to put a few things together. "Dr. Brackett all of these medicines are sample bottles. There is a note here from the free clinic with instructions to take the Heparin and to stay off her feet and another note with instructions for Aspirin for a shoulder injury dated four days earlier, I'm also seeing several bottles of over the counter antacids in the waist basket at the side of the bed."
When the squad came around the corner they found Jenny standing on the front sidewalk waving both hands above her head and a stethoscope around her neck.
The passenger side paramedic got out of the cab and quickly knelt down next to Jenny, "Are you the one who called us?"
Jenny nod her head and started giving orders, "the lady is in the house first door on the,,," she had to turn around and think for just a second they turned back, "Left. Dr Brackett is on the phone waiting for you to talk to him and he said to tell you to be sure to take your oxygen in with you."
The paramedic was stunned by his instructions but followed them and grabbing his share of the needed supplies he led the way in the house with his partner following and carrying the rest of the load.
Just as the paramedics reached the door a police car pulled up and parked at an angle in front of the squad. The police officer that got out was quick to recognize the famous mini medic who currently had an APB out on her.
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At the DeSoto residence Hank had managed to get one of the police officer's attention and was leaning on the hood of the cop car filling him in on the phone call that he had with young Jenny the day before including his suspicions that she was somehow mixed up in a child abuse case.
While the Cap talked with one officer Roy, his wife and his son were talking to the other and young Chris was really being hard on himself because he hadn't kept better track of his sister.
Cap had just finished telling the officer that he didn't know any other details about what the young girl might be involved in or any names to share when the radio in the police car got his attention.
"Adam 13 Charlie calling in, I have arrived on scene, paramedics on sight and I have also found our missing girl. She seems fine but there is clearly something going on here. The ambulance is just pulling in request a second unit at this location to help with traffic."
"Roy they've found her," Cap called out as the officer he was talking to climbed through the window to respond to the radio transmission.
Roy and JoAnne were let inside the patrol car and Cap promised to take care of Chris.
By the time the patrol car arrived on the scene the patient was loaded and the ambulance was pulling out.
Roy knew he could get more information out of the second paramedic so once he and his wife were let out of the back of the patrol car, (the back doors only open from the outside) he offered to help load the rest of his equipment.
"Bad?" Roy asked, knowing the paramedic and counting on him recognizing him.
"Yeah, she was mixing drugs that don't go together. It's gonna be close. Thanks to some little pipsqueak in there that knew enough to call the hospital the Dr. was ready with order for us as soon as we got here. She just might have made the difference between life and death."
Roy watched as the medic climbed in the squad and let the police officer direct him out, then reached for his wife and moved toward the house. Once they were standing in the doorway they found Vince talking to three children one being their daughter and an official looking woman standing over them.
Jenny still had her stethoscope around her neck and her blood pressure cuff in her hand while her other arm was wrapped around one frightened little girl who looked to be her same age. Roy also took in the bruises on the boy's face and the casted arm in a sling and knew this was the family his daughter had gotten mixed up with.
"Is there anyone we can call to take care of you while your mom's in the hospital?" Vince was asking.
"Mom usually takes us to the emergency crisis shelter," Allen spoke, "When ever she can't be home with us. The phone number is on the card that's slipped under the light switch cover next to the phone."
"I'm taking custody of all three of these children for the time being and I would appreciate it if you could arrange transportation to Rampart hospital and for them to be examined." Miss Marlow ordered very officially.