Station 19 was quiet when the Aid Car returned, the two firefighters were silent. Maya Bishop and Robert Sullivan sat in silence in the car for five or so minutes before Sullivan stated "that was…" before being interrupted by the Aid Car door flying open and Bishop diving out to the bin. The sound of retching echoed through the empty barn. Sullivan stepped out of the Aid Car and walked around to where Bishop was standing over the bin. He placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "I know". After a few more retches, Bishop stood up, walked to the side of the barn and sat down with her back against the wall.


Maya Bishop was jolted awake by "Aid Car 19 respond to a report of an unconscious women in the car park of 18 Elliot Way West, Queen Anne" echoing through station 19. I looked at my watch before rolling out of bed. It was 3am and I had only been asleep for an hour.

As I walked out of my bunk room, I noticed the bunk room next door was closed. I flung it open and called out "Sullivan. Up". A groan escaped from the room as the sound of movement was heard. "How long were we down for Bishop?" Called Sullivan as the light clicked on. "An hour, tops", I called back

A few minutes later we climbed into the aid car and Sullivan asked "where are we going?" "Joe's" I shot back before adding, "probably a drunken fall." "How many will that make it for the night?" Queried Robert. 11, only 1 away from the station record" I sighed.

As we pulled out of the station, I noticed the rain had stopped and thought at least that is something.


Light started to infiltrate the Beanery and illuminated two silent figures staring into their mugs. Sullivan felt tears run down his checks as he thought about the women from the call. Whoever she was, he didn't think he had ever seen anyone so broken. He glanced towards Maya and saw that she was just as absorbed in her own thoughts as him. As hard as the thoughts were, he didn't want the rest of 19 to wake up and disturb the quiet. Having to talk about the call and explain what he saw would be so much worse.


As the aid car pulled into the car park of Joe's Bar, I saw four Seattle PD officers, two of them kneeling on the ground and two shining flash lights towards what must have been the woman they were here to help. It was clear, just from the way the Police were standing, this was no drunken fall.

Bishop stopped the aid car 25 metres from where the Police Officers were and we both barrelled out of the rig and round the back to grab the gear. I grabbed the kit bag and handed it to Bishop before grabbing the spinal board and pulling out the gurney. We started moving back around the front of the aid car and towards our patient.

We were met by one of the police officers at the front of our rig. Before I could say anything the officer said, "I'm Donnelly, we have an unidentified female, victim of assault. Maybe in her twenties. I have Landers and Hooper with her, we didn't want to touch or move her so they are just monitoring her breathing. I gulped, Donnelly sounded off. How badly was the women hurt to shake a police officer.

The words "I'm Bishop and this is Sullivan" brought me back to the world and the job I had to do. As we approached the victim, I saw that she was lying on her side with her head twisted unnaturally. A step closer and he saw that her face was covered in blood and bruises, her family wouldn't be able recognise her. It was bad, no that didn't describe it. This women had been attacked by an animal. I wanted to turn away, not see this anymore. I had seen so much, so many terrible things but this was too much.

I took a deep breath, turned off my thoughts and lowered myself to the ground so I could get to work.


The silence of the beanery was finally disturbed by Montgomery and Hughes' entrance. Laughter broke Bishop out of her thoughts, a welcome break if she was honest but she still couldn't help look at them with frustration. Hughes not reading the room blurred out, "gees, you guys look like shit". Sullivan's head turned to the beanery door as he silently stood up and headed to the courtyard. The slam of the door reverberated through the room.

Montgomery looked as if he was going to follow Sullivan when Bishop called out, "leave him, it was a shit night and he could use some peace" and adding in her head 'I know I certainly could'. As she expected, this resulted in a flurry of questions being sent her way. Not wanting to talk about, she shook her head and made her way out of the beanery.


Her face was black and blue, eyes were swollen shut and she had multiple lacerations over her face. On her neck, there was a dark bruise along with more swelling. As I continued to survey the person before me and take in all her injuries, I realised that poking out from the thermal blanket the police had used to cover her, were ripped clothes.

Bishop glances over to me and say "We need to work quickly, the longer she is out here…" I nod, "ok, you secure her airway, I'll start the IV."

I was focusing on the task at hand and was just about to insert the cannula into the back of the women's hand when my focus was interrupted by a short sharp "shit" from Sullivan. I looked towards him and was about to ask him what was wrong when he exclaimed "fuck, I need a smaller tube".

I let Sullivan focus on his task as I returned to mine. My first attempt fails, the second as well and by the third I am holding my breath. It works. I attach the iv bag and set the flow rate. I looked over to Sullivan and saw that he was still struggling to intubate the women. I glanced at the monitor, the women was de-compensating.

"Sullivan, you need to get that tube in quick, her oxygen is dropping and she is tachycardia"

"Bishop, bag her. I'm going to grab a paediatric et tube, these ones are just too big".

I swung around to where Sullivan was positioned, grabbed the ambu bag and mask and gently placed it over the women's face. I rhythmically squeezed the bag and watched as her oxygen levels climbed and her heart rate stabilised. I took a deep breath suddenly aware I had been holding my breath.

Sullivan returned with the smaller tube and came around to where I was placed. I looked at him and with a slight nod of my head indicated that I would try. I handed the ambu back to Sullivan and grabbed the ET tube in his hand but it only took a a few seconds to realise it wasn't going to work.

"It's not going to work Sullivan, let's just keep bagging her and get her across the road as quickly as possible".

"Sullivan replied "Alright" before turning to look at the officers standing to one side and saying "we are going to need your help". Without waiting for a response or any movement he continued, "help us lift her on the gurney. Now".

Sullivan directed the officers and in a few minutes our patient was been pushed towards the rig. After only a few steps, I hear a long beep from the monitor and immediately call out "we have lost a pulse, Sullivan you start compressions". Sullivan instantly sprung into action counting out the numbers.

I called the closest officer over, handed him the bag and tell him to squeeze it every two seconds. I quickly grabbed the defib and called out to Sullivan "pads". Without a word Sullivan pulled his hands away and I placed the pads on the patients chest. Sullivan instantly continued CPR and I turned to the monitor.

"Charging…clear" I call out and then watch the monitor while the shock is administered. A second later I call out "still in v-fib, continue CPR". I don't even glance over at Sullivan, I trust him just as he trusts me to my job. "I watch the monitor for two minutes before calling "charging" followed by "clear".

She is still in v-fib, so I quickly reach into the med box and pull out the Adrenalin. "Administrating 0.5mg of adrenaline" I call out as Sullivan continues compressions. We continue for ten minutes, there is no response and Sullivan looks at me and says "let's get her in the rig and across the road".

I nodded in response and turned to the police officer to tell him, "we need to move…you are going to have drive".