Once in the SUV, Adam put on the spare helmet that hung behind the passenger seat. He was a bit nervous, a bit excited and most of all surprised that Bret had asked him to come along. He glanced over at his friend. This was a very different Bret Hart. The Bret Hart that drove the SUV was suddenly all fireman. His lips set in a grim line, his eyes on the two fire trucks speeding ahead of them. All three vehicles had their lights and sirens blaring.
"This is every firefighter's worst nightmare, an apartment fire. You grabbed your bag?" Bret glanced over at Adam. He noticed the man had grabbed his doctor's bag at some point.
"Yeah, I keep a spare in the car. After all, I might be needed. Are you sure you won't get in trouble for letting me tag along?" Adam asked, concern in his voice. He didn't want Bret in strife at work because of him.
"No, I won't be in trouble. Just stay either in or next to the SUV. You're being a doctor is a bit different from being a civilian. You can help people if needs be. Just promise me, you will stay with the SUV," Bret said in a firm tone as he drove the vehicle with purpose.
"I will Bret, I promise. I don't want you in trouble. Promise me, you will be careful," Adam's tone matched Bret's as he suddenly saw the burning building. Smoke billowed, even in the early darkness it filled the air like black smog.
The apartment complex was three stories with fifteen units. It was the middle apartment on the second floor where the fire had started. The building was in one of the poorest sections of Denver and was barely above the codes of construction. As the trucks pulled up the scene was in chaos.
"Stay here!" Bret said sharply to the physician as he jumped out of the SUV. He wore a portable radio on his coat. Hart vanished as he went to access the situation. Bret could tell the building was probably going to go down. It was worse than first thought. He called on his radio, "Issue a second and third alarm, roll at least two ambulances and more police. We have a doctor on site," he told the dispatcher in a calm but commanding tone.
Bret listened as Stations 32 and 19 were called in to help. They had the closest ladder trucks with cherry picker fire nozzles. Two ambulances from the University of Colorado Hospital, Adam's own were on the way as well.
One thing about Bret's men was they were so well-trained, Bret didn't need to be on top of them telling them what to do. Phil and John as the Lieutenants were perfectly capable of running the scene. That freed Bret up to run the command center. He could direct the other stations where to place their trucks and hoses. He could also set up the area where the ambulances could do their triage. Hart could also work with the police and that all took time. Time he didn't have if he had to "babysit" his men.
Bret came back to the SUV, "This is bad, there are people trapped on the third floor. We're going in as soon as the other stations are set up. I've asked for two wagons from U of C. I'll direct them over here to you, you'll know what to do. Prepare for burns, and smoke inhalation," Bret paused as his radio cracked into life.
"We're ready to go in, over," John's voice said as Bret listened carefully. Hart was getting his breathing gear out of the back of the SUV.
"Alright, I'm coming. Over," Bret answered back, he looked at Adam. "I have to go. You take charge of the ambulances. Use this," Hart handed Adam a walkie-talkie type radio. Bret then ran towards the burning building before Adam could say anything.
Adam's instincts took over. He had done field work before, but only during a drill. Hunter had arranged for an "airplane" crash at the old Denver Stapleton Airport last year. Adam had been in charge of triage assessment. That meant he quickly looked at a victim and decided how badly injured they were, then sent them to the proper treatment area. It was a difficult responsibility, but he'd scored one hundred percent in the drill. Hunter had been impressed.
Doctor Copeland got out of the SUV. He saw a flat grassy area nearby. He saw a Denver Police Officer setting up a road block near the second entrance to the apartment complex. He ran over to the man. "Help me set up a treatment area and send the ambulances over here please. I'm Doctor Adam Copeland, Captain Bret Hart put me in charge of medical treatment," Adam stated as he pulled out his wallet. He showed the police officer his identification card from the University of Colorado Hospital.
The police officer gave a nod and called a colleague over. Together they put yellow police tape around the area Adam had indicated. Just as they finished two U of C Med Center Ambulances pulled up where Adam pointed.
Adam knew the six members of the ambulance teams. The first ambulance revealed driver Ron Killings who everyone knew as "R-Truth", the attendant Zack Ryder and unique to the U of C, a nurse, Nikki Bella. The driver of the second ambulance was Ricardo Rodriguez, the attendant, Drew McIntyre and nurse, Brie Bella, who was also Nikki's twin sister.
They were all a bit surprised to see Adam, but they were glad a highly qualified doctor was on site. The sun had just set as the two policemen finished putting bright lights up in the medical treatment area.
"Don't spike any IV's yet, but have them ready. Get burn blankets and oxygen tanks. I don't know of any injuries yet, however there are people trapped on the third floor. We may need Med One on stand-by. Okay let's get to work," Adam ordered as he started helping set up the area. He always did his fair share. He might be a doctor, but he wasn't against doing the menial tasks required. That's why they respected Adam so much.
Meanwhile in the burning apartment complex. Bret, Jimmy, Jay, Roman, Seth and Dean were in search mode. The arrival of the other two fire stations meant most of Bret's men were freed up to do what they did best, search and rescue.
Bret and his team wore breathing masks and oxygen tanks on their backs. This also meant they were carrying potential explosives on their bodies, but that did not stop the men of Denver Fire Department 51.
"Keep the water going on that spot on the roof!" John commanded from the cherry picker attached to the ladder of one of the trucks from Station 32. The cherry picker ladder from Station 19 was working at the other end of the burning building.
Down in another taped off area, the people who lived in the building were watching their homes burn. They were in shock, they didn't have much and what they did have was vanishing before their horror filled and bewildered eyes. Most of the residents were young families with small children, however, there were two older couples that lived on the third floor, they were the ones who were trapped.
There were Mr. and Mrs. Jones in 3 D and Mr. and Mrs. Williams in 3 E. They were all loved by the others and the older couples often acted as baby sitters and parents to the younger couples. The residents of the fifteen Heritage Heights Apartments were a family.
"We need 3 D and E, two older couples. Probably find them near the kitchens or bedrooms. Keep your eyes open. Jim, Jay you stick with me. Roman take Dean and Seth and search E. Be careful and watch over each other," Bret gave his orders as they reached their destination.
The flames had not reached as far as the two apartments, but the smoke was thick and black. That alone was enough to kill, especially people in their sixties and over. The firemen moved quickly.
Adam had taken the Bella twins and gone to where the residents of the apartments were waiting and watching. He wanted to make sure none of them needed any medical treatment.
"Hi, I'm Doctor Adam Copeland from the University of Colorado Hospital. These are emergency treatment nurses, Nikki and Brie Bella. Is anyone hurt? Burned?" Adam asked softly and gently as his eyes scanned the people.
"My little boy, please. He has a burn on his hand and arm," one mother said as she held a little boy who was crying. He looked to be about four.
The doctor took the boy from his mother's arms. Brie and Nikki went around making sure no one else was hurt. Adam took the boy and his mother to the treatment area. Zack came over with a burn kit and Adam went to work on the little boy. His hand was worse than his arm. He'd grabbed the hot railing of the fire escape as he and his mother went down.
"You were a very brave boy to climb down the fire escape. I slid down the pole at the fire station and fell on my friend," Adam told the boy as he cleaned the burns. The story worked as the little boy laughed at Adam landing on Bret. The mother was grateful Adam had made her son laugh.
"I want to send him to the hospital, but it can wait a while. Zack look after him till we know more," Adam said to the mother, then the ambulance attendant. Zack nodded and took mother and son over to where they could sit and have some water while they waited.
The Bella sisters brought two more of the Heritage Heights residents over to the treatment area. The two victims were suffering from a bit of smoke inhalation. They needed some treatment with oxygen.
After about ten minutes of breathing the pure air, Adam pulled out his stethoscope and spent several minutes listening to their lungs. Smoke inhalation could be one of those "silent" killers. A person could very easily choke to death and in essence drown in fluid trapped in their lungs.
"Any pain when you inhale? I mean anywhere, not just in your chest?" Adam asked the young man he was checking over. He was a man of about twenty-five.
"A little. It feels like... a tight rope around my chest. That's the only place it hurts," he said honestly. Normally he didn't trust doctors, but something about Adam put him at ease.
"Okay. Keep this nearby, when you feel you need some air, take a few deep breaths. Drew will help. I want to send you to the hospital, just to make sure your lungs aren't damaged. Okay?" Adam asked the young man as his hand rested on his shoulder.
"If you say so, Doc. Okay, I go sit with them," the patient replied as he nodded to the boy and his mother in the refreshment area.
Adam nodded and Drew came over to help the young man. They moved to the other area. The other smoke inhalation victim, another young man, soon joined the others, waiting to go to the hospital. Adam contemplated calling a third ambulance to take them, but decided it could wait a while. No point in tying up another vehicle in waiting.
In the apartment complex, Roman, Dean and Seth knocked down the locked door of apartment 3 E. They knew from the information provided they were looking for William Williams and his wife Katala. The couple was in their mid sixties and as far as anyone knew, in perfect health.
Mrs. Williams was a retired school teacher and Mr. Williams was still working as the Dean of History at a local community college. They were well-loved and highly regarded by the Heritage Heights residents. Mrs. Williams often helped the kids after school and was known as Nana Kat by the children. All of the watching residents downstairs were hoping the Williams' would be found.
Seth went down to his knees and began searching with his powerful light. He worked in a grid pattern with Dean, who was searching at a walking crouch. Roman, as the tallest of the three stood erect and shone his search light just ahead of the other two. They progressed slowly in the smoke-filled air. The three firefighters also knew the flames were coming closer and closer. For now they were held at bay by the men of Station 32.
It wasn't long before they reached the kitchen. "I see a leg!" Seth called out through his respirator. Seth crept towards the leg that was sticking out from under a table. When he got there, he found Mrs. Williams, passed out, black soot around her nose and mouth. It was a clear sign of severe smoke inhalation.
"Rome, she needs to be carried out!" Dean called out to the big islander.
Reigns and Ambrose picked the woman up as gently as possible. Roman steadied her across his strong shoulders in the first thing a fireman learns, the fireman's carry. Roman left with Mrs. Williams while Dean and Seth continued searching for her husband. They headed out of the thoroughly searched kitchen, and moved towards the back part of the apartment.
In apartment 3 D, Bret was crawling along the floor, Jay was crouched over following his Captain while Jimmy worked the spot light. They had already cleared the living room and were heading towards the kitchen.
They were searching for Nell and Eddie Jones, a retired couple in their early seventies. They too, were regarded as grandparents by the kids of Heritage Heights. Eddie was the one that kept the old swing set in playable condition in the back of the apartment complex. He'd also taken it upon himself to build a huge sand box and cleaned it daily.
Nell was always baking cookies or cupcakes. She also made birthday cakes for the kids. Nell was also very good at sewing and nearly every family had a quilt made by Granny Nell. When she worked, she'd been a teller at the bank down the street and Eddie had been a construction contractor. They had been the first to move into Heritage Heights, and had watched it go from a nice place to almost nothing, but it was home.
Bret moved his light from side to side, he was headed towards the kitchen when his radio crackled into life, it was Lieutenant Brooks.
"Cap, you need to move it along. We're loosing control, a wind's come up! We're putting both pickers into the middle. The whole place is in danger! Over," Brooks' voice was calm, but had a frantic undertone.
"Ten-four. Any word from the others? Over," he asked the Lieutenant. Bret's voice sounded like a movie character through his respirator.
"Yeah, they brought the woman out about ten minutes ago. They just found the male in the bedroom, both unconscious. Over," Phil said with less calmness in his voice. He was getting more and more worried about the wind.
Down in the medical treatment area, the wind had also picked up, thankfully it was a warm wind. Adam and Nikki were working on Mrs. Williams, she was alive, but very weak.
"IV with ringers and turn the oxygen up to fifteen," Adam directed the nurse as he ran the stethoscope over the woman's chest to listen to her lungs. Her shirt had been cut off, but they left her bra on. She was covered with a blanket as she lay on the gurney from the ambulance.
Nikki did as Adam requested, moving swiftly but accurately. She expertly inserted the IV needle into the back of Mrs. Williams hand. She then turned up the knob on the oxygen bottle.
It wasn't long when Seth and Dean came with Mr. Williams slowly walking between them. As soon as he'd gotten into the fresh air, he'd began to come around and was able to walk. They brought him to the medical area.
As soon as they got Mr. Williams settled, the three firefighters went back to the burning building. They were stopped by Lieutenant Cena.
"Cap just called. He says stay out and help here. He doesn't want anyone else to worry about up there," John said with a bit of an exasperated sigh. Sometimes Bret was a little too over protective. They were used to it, but sometimes it was frustrating.
Roman, Seth and Dean got rid of their masks and oxygen tanks and replaced some of the men on the hoses. Holding a hose with thousands of pounds of pressure was hard work. The three other firefighters moved further down the hoses so they could relax their arms more.
Adam went to check on Mr. Williams, but he saw the Brie, Ron and Ricardo were doing an excellent job. He turned his focus back to the man's wife who was in a lot more serious condition.
All the while, Adam's mind was of course first on his patients, but also on his friend he knew was in the burning building. He could tell the wind was a factor on the flames. Adam could also tell by the firefighters actions that they were more frantic than before.
"My wife, please, how is my wife?" William Williams asked in a frantic tone as he pulled off the oxygen mask. Brie gently tried to ease the mask back onto the man's nose and mouth. "NO! I WANT TO SEE MY WIFE! SHE'S ALL I HAVE!" William was near tears as he cried out for his wife.
Adam has lost the woman's pulse, she wasn't breathing. "Ryder! Bring the defibrillator, STAT!" the doctor called out to the EMT.
He and Nikki were administering CPR on Mrs. Williams. Adam would compress her chest five times, then Nikki would give three breaths through mouth to mouth. They had a constant and steady rhythm.
Zack got the portable machine from the storage cabinet on the side of the ambulance. He ran back over to where the doctor and nurse were working on the patient. Ryder opened up the red, hard plastic "suit case" that contained a field defibrillator. The device was the same used in the hospital. It was used to shock a patients heart and hopefully make it beat once again.
"Charged and ready, Doc," Zack said after a few seconds. It was a state of the art piece of equipment. So much better and faster than the earlier model. He squeezed some conductive gel on the two paddles. Zack handed them to Adam as the doctor reached for them.
Adam rubbed the two paddles together to spread the gel. "Clear" he said to the nurse. Nikki backed off. Adam applied the paddles to Mrs. Williams chest and squeezed the triggers.
An electric shock went through the lifeless woman. Her body stiffened, then relaxed. Adam looked over at the monitor that was attached by suction cup diodes to Mrs. Williams chest, to measure her heart beat. She was still throwing a flat line.
"Charge to 400" Adam said to Zack. He then grabbed the radio Bret had given him. "Doctor Copeland to dispatch. Send Med Chopper One to scene of fire, over," he said into the device.
"Ten-four Doctor, Med One on the way,out." the dispatcher replied almost instantly.
Ryder handed Adam the freshly charged paddles. Again he applied them to Mrs. Williams. Her body reacted once again.
"Damn. Come on Mrs. Williams," Adam responded as once again the machine failed to start the patients heart. "Charge to 600" Adam said as he handed the paddles back to EMT Ryder. While the machine recharged to a higher shock value, Adam and Nikki resumed CPR.
Mr. Williams watched with tear filled eyes as Adam worked hard to bring his wife back to life. He breathed deeply of the pure oxygen. Brie gently rubbed his back as she too watched the intense scene.
In the smoke-filled apartment of Nell and Eddie Jones, the search continued. Bret crawled along slowly as they reached the bedroom. "Anyone here? Can anyone hear me? It's the fire department! Please, if you can't vocalize, knock three times!" Bret called out after removing his mask. He knew sometimes people hid, under beds, in closets or sometimes in the bath tub with the shower running.
Captain Hart thought he heard a muffled call for help that came from the left. He moved in the direction of what was probably the bathroom. The Uso cousins followed their boss, their lights cutting a path through the dense smoke. He could hear the crackle of the approaching flames.
Back a the triage area, they were still working to save Mrs. Williams as her husband watched with worry.
"Clear!" Adam called out. For the third time her body reacted. The physician absently handed Zack the paddles as his eyes focused on the flat line of the heart monitor. He was muttering silent words of encouragement.
"Nothing! Damn it! One more try, charge to 800! STAT!" Adam had one more chance for the defibrillator to work, after that he would have no choice but to pronounce Mrs. Katala Williams dead.
As Adam and Nikki resumed their CPR, the helicopter landed in the corner of the parking lot. The noise was loud. The chopper was the latest model, it was more like a fully loaded mobile emergency room.
Recently, the University of Colorado Hospital had been given a huge donation by one of the State's wealthiest families. That, combined with other donations, grants and fund-raisers enabled the hospital to purchase Med One and a new ambulance. It too was on the scene.
Ryder handed Adam the highly charged paddles. In all his career, only one other time had he gone to shock value 800 and even then the patient still died.
"Come on Mrs. Williams, you can do it. CLEAR!" Adam called out. For the last time, Mrs. Williams' body tensed and relaxed. Adam held on to the paddles as he watched the monitor. The line remained flat. The physician let out a sigh. He gave the paddles to Ryder and looked at his watch.
"Time of de..." Adam was interrupted by Nikki Bella.
"Doctor! Look! Sinus rhythm! She's alive!" the nurse cried out in an excited tone. She nearly had tears in her beautiful eyes.
Adam immediately went to work administering drugs into the IV tube. Nikki placed an oxygen mask over Mrs. Williams face, and turned the control knob to fifteen, almost maximum flow.
The color was coming back into the patients face as the Med One team took over. They had to stabilize her onto a special gurney that was especially made for the flying emergency room.
Adam was finally able to go talk to Mr. Williams. "Sir, I think your wife has a good chance now. He heart rate is getting stronger with every beat. You can fly with her if you wish. How are you feeling?" his voice was on the tired side, but still soft and caring.
"Oh thank you, Doctor, thank you! I saw how hard you worked to keep my Tallie alive. Thank you! I'm fine and please, I'll go with her. She's all I have," William said in a tear filled voice. He shook Adam's hand. When he stood he hugged the blond physician.
As he went over to his wife, Mr. Williams also thanked Nikki, she'd worked just as hard as Adam. She smiled when the older man hugged her. He followed as his wife was wheeled on a gurney towards the waiting helicopter.
Adam was finally able to check on his other three patients. He went to the little boy first. He was being brave, but Adam could tell the boy was hurting.
"Hey kiddo, won't be long now. My friend is working at the hospital. You'll like him, he talks funny because he comes from England, way across the ocean," he said with a smile as he carefully wrapped a fresh, wet cooling bandage around the boy's hand, up to his elbow.
"Will Nana Tally be okay? She tells stories about a places called Hermany," the boy asked with curious eyes as he sniffed back his tears.
"It's Germany, sweetie. She was born there," the boy's mother gently corrected her son.
Adam laughed a bit, "She will be sick for a while, but I think she will be fine. You know, I'd bet she'd like it if you made her a get well card," Adam said thoughtfully. He tried not to scare the boy, but he didn't want to lie, if Mrs. Williams didn't pull through.
"Hey yeah! All us kids could make her one. You're a nice doctor, you didn't shoot me!" the boys tone was lighter, the fresh bandage made his arm feel better. He was also thinking about the card idea. Adam had learned he was six years old, just small for his age, that's why he thought at first the boy was only four.
Adam laughed again, "you mean I didn't give you a shot. You might get one at the hospital, but I promise, it won't hurt a bit," Adam said truthfully. He knew his staff was excellent at distracting kids during shots.
Adam then moved to the two young men. They were both feeling fine. Adam listened to their lungs and breathing. He still wanted them checked at the hospital for the extra measure. They moaned about it, but agreed, so Adam was satisfied.
Everyone looked as the big helicopter fired up. It only took a few minutes and it was airborne. The flight would only take about fifteen minutes at most. As it was bigger and fully loaded it flew a bit slower, but unless there was a lot of turbulence, the ride was as smooth as glass.
Brie came up to Adam and handed him a bottle of cold water. They always kept a few bottles on ice in a cooler in one of the ambulances storage compartments.
"Adam, you and Nikki did a great job. Are you alright? You should rest by the way," the nurse spoke in a concerned tone.
The Bella sisters were part of another one of Hunter's test programs. While the EMT's were skilled, a nurse could administer drugs the EMT's couldn't. So far, it was working and several lives had been saved because of the advanced drug usage.
"Thanks, Brie. Nikki did a great job. Yeah, I'm... he's been in there a long time..." Adam's voice faded. He hadn't meant to express his worry for Bret out loud.
"Who?" Brie asked, her brow raised. She wondered who could cause Adam to be so worried. It almost sounded like a lover worried about his partner.
"Captain Hart. While he was living with the Helmsley's we got to be good friends. We were there for each other when we needed to talk about things. Brie, he's just a friend, okay?" Adam wanted to be honest, but he didn't want rumors started either. Shawn had a hard no gossiping rule, but still, things got said sometimes.
"That explains it. I knew you were worried about something. A good friend is nice to have. Oh wait, I remember. You worked on his husband who died. So sad. He's brave to go into a burning building," Brie said with a warm, friendly tone and soft smile.
"Yes, his name was Davy. Bret is brave. Not many of his rank would do that kind of work. He won't ask his men to do anything he wouldn't do. I'm going back to see to the patients. Be ready in case anyone else gets rescued. I think there are two more trapped," Adam said with a tone of pride as he spoke of Bret.
Brie nodded, she went to find her sister. They needed to get things ready in case they were needed again. Adam went back over to his patients, while he kept one eye on the burning Heritage Heights apartment building.
The flames were getting nearer to apartment 3-D. The hoses were all concentrated on the flickering fingers of Satan, but they weren't doing much good. The building was old and all made of wood and sheet rock. Sheet rock exploded as the flames reached it. The wind was also causing problems.
While all the firefighters were worried about their three colleagues in the building, no one was more worried than the men of Station 51. it drove them to keep the hoses going, no matter how hard the wind blew.
"They're in here. Stuffed towels under the door, I can't open it," Bret said as he pushed against the door.
"Open up if you can. Move the towel!" Jimmy called out, his mouth was nearly against the door. He banged on the resistant door.
"Cap. The other end is about to go! Chief says if you aren't out by then, he's coming in to drag you out! Over," John Cena's voice crackled over the radio.
"Ten-four. Tell the Chief not to worry. We've located someone in the bathroom. Almost to them, over," Bret responded. He knew Chief Lawler would do what he threatened, Bret wasn't about to let that happen.
"Ten-four, Cap. I'll tell the Chief, out." John responded. Cena was worried the flames were getting too close to his co-workers.
"Please, open the door or move the towel! We can get you out, but we have to hurry!" Bret said loudly to the door. "Use your porta-axe!" Bret said to Jay Uso. Hart listened for movement on the other side of the door.
It took Jay a couple of minutes, but he was able to chop into the door, close to the knob. Finally after a few more blows the door gave way. The three men entered the bathroom of apartment 3-D. Nell and Eddie Jones were lying on the floor. They had covered themselves with blankets. They had soaked them with water from the bathtub. The couple weren't moving.
Bret and the Uso cousins removed the heavy wet blankets. As soon as the coverings were removed, the older man and woman started to stir, they were alive!
The actions of the couple had kept them from being consumed by the heavy, choking smoke. They lifted their heads and looked up at their rescuers.
"Oh thank god! Please, get my wife!" Eddie said in a pleading tone. He slowly rose to his feet. He had a bad leg, as he suffered from arthritis.
"Don't worry. We'll get you both out of here. You did a good job in protecting yourselves. Come on we have to hurry," Bret said as he helped Mr. Jones. He could tell the man had a hard time walking. Captain Hart wrapped his arm around Eddie's waist. He then placed his breathing mask over the victims face.
Jimmy and Jay were helping Nell. She was fit and able to walk. Jay placed his mask over her face. The five people started to make their way to safety.
"LOOK OUT!" one of the firemen yelled. With a sudden, shaking rush, the Heritage Heights apartment building began to collapse into a burning, twisted heap.
Adam looked on with horror filled eyes. His heart leapt up to his throat. His lungs stopped working. His eyes froze open wide, as the building fell to the ground.
There was no sign of Bret or the others. The building had collapsed before they could get out!