IN GOOD COMPANY

PART 2

It was only 7:30 when Johnny arrived at Station 51. It was rare that he was this early, but he was hoping to have a chance to talk to Charlie Dwyer before the shift change. He therefore had mixed emotions when he walked in to find the bay empty.  It didn’t happen often, but when both the engine and squad were already on runs at the shift change, it meant that they got to ease into their day, something that Johnny usually enjoyed.  This morning it annoyed him since he knew that Charlie wouldn’t want to hang around to talk when he did get back, and that would have likely been his only chance.

Finding the kitchen empty when he stuck his head through the door, Johnny headed for the locker room which was also empty.  As he started to get changed into his uniform, he wondered if he had ever been alone in the station before.  He couldn’t think of a time.  He didn’t realize that he was finding it disconcerting until he startled and dropped his shoe when the locker room door opened.  He looked up to see Billy Hanks standing in the door with a grin on his face.

“Geez, Johnny.  Chill.” 

“Oh, man.  You know, this place feels pretty empty when there’s no one here.  You scared me,” Johnny admitted.

“Well you can relax.  I’m here to work with you, not mug you.”  Billy laughed as he headed for one of the guest lockers.  “By the way, that’s a very astute observation.”

“What?”

“‘The place feels empty when there’s no one here.’  That’s deep, Johnny.  You should write poetry.”

“You know what I meant.  Hey, is Roy sick?”

“I don’t know, but Chet is, remember?  I’m covering for him.  My car is dead again, so I got dropped off.  Why are you here so early?”  Billy asked.

“I wanted to catch Charlie before he left.  So much for that.  Hey, aren’t you on shift at 127 tomorrow? Be careful you don’t overdo it.”

“No problem.  We all work 48 hours when we pull an extra shift.  What do you want with Charlie?”

“Right,” Johnny replied.  “We all do it.  Sometimes.  Not twice a week like you have lately.  I want to ask him about a movie.”

“What movie?  And I only need a few more shifts to make it work.” 

“Seems to me you keep saying that.  How many is a few?  I’ve got a date tomorrow night, and she wants to go to a movie.  I was hoping Charlie would have a suggestion.  He goes to the movies a lot.”

“So what movies are you considering?  And I don’t know how many is in a few.  It’s a moving target.  The down payment money keeps disappearing to other things.  First it’s my car.  Now Bonnie needs to get her wedding dress altered because she lost weight.  Turns out that costs a lot of money.  It would be cheaper to buy a new one, but she’s set on this one.”

Johnny, now in uniform, stood and turned to face Billy.  “Seriously, Billy.  You have to be careful.  Two extra shifts a week is too much.  I know you’ve got a lot on your plate with saving for a house, the wedding, and now car trouble.  But bad things can happen when you’re exhausted and find yourself in a burning building.  Bonnie may want that dress, but I guarantee you that she wants her groom to be able to dance with her at her wedding more than she wants that dress.”

“Now you sound like Bonnie.  Don’t worry.  I’ve got this under control.  I’ve never needed much sleep anyways.” 

Billy finished buttoning his shirt as Roy entered the locker room.  Before he could ask, Billy told him, “I’m covering for Chet.  Johnny’s early because he wants to ask Charlie about a movie but I don’t know which one.  We haven’t managed to cover that yet.” 

Roy nodded and asked Johnny, “You taking Maureen to the movies tomorrow night?”

Before Johnny could answer, Billy jumped in. “Oooh. You know her name.  So this isn’t a first date. Is he serious about her, Roy?”

“You could ask me, since I’m right here,” Johnny pointed out.

“Would you tell me?” Billy asked.

“Probably not.” Johnny turned back to Roy.  “She wants to go to the movies.  I was thinking about King Kong or Rocky.  I think Charlie said he’s seen them both.  You seen either of them?”

Roy and Billy looked at each other before Roy answered. 

“Really, Johnny?  You’re trying to choose between a movie about a boxer and a movie about a giant ape for your date?  Maybe instead of asking Charlie, you should ask Maureen what she wants to see.”

“I don’t know him all that well,” Billy added, “but I bet Charlie doesn’t take his dates to see movies like that.” 

“You know, guys, I’m not an idiot.  And you’re right.  Charlie probably doesn’t take his dates to movies like that.  But Charlie isn’t dating Maureen...  At least I don’t think he is.  I guess with him you never know.  Maybe I should ask.  Do you think he would do that?  She was busy last time I asked her out.  No.  How would he even have met her?  She doesn’t work at the hospital.”

Ignoring Johnny’s detour, Billy told him, “Usually I don’t think you’re an idiot, but if you take your date to see either of those movies I may need to reassess that.  I’d take Roy’s advice and ask her what she wants to see.”

“Yeah, well she picked last time, and she wants me to pick this time.”

“Okay,” Roy said.  “That’s a good starting point.  What movie did she pick last time?” 

“I was braced for a chick flick, but she picked Carrie.  She loved it and was hanging onto me pretty close near the end.  Turned out to be a pretty good date movie, if you know what I mean.”

“Really?” Roy was obviously surprised.  “She wanted to see Carrie?”

“I know, but she said she loves movies like that.”

“Well, then you have your answer,” Billy said as he opened the door to head for the kitchen.  “Two guys beating on each other is hardly romantic or scary.  I know Rocky’s a love story, but most of it is guys beating on each other.  There’s a lot of blood, and it isn’t in a bucket at a prom.  King Kong would be better.  But maybe you should see if Marathon Man is still at any theaters.  Now that flick is scary.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“Station 51. Man injured in a fall.  Valley View Drive off Union Pass.  Note, that section of the road was closed yesterday because it was washed out by the storm.  Use caution on approach.  The road is considered unstable.”

Captain Stanley confirmed the call then handed the slip to Roy.  “Stop when we get to Valley View.  We’ll assess it before we take the engine up there.  We might need to approach on foot.”

~~~~~~~~~~

“At least it’s stopped raining for the moment,” Johnny said as the squad approached Valley View Drive.  He pointed to the side of the road.  “See there?”  An A frame barricade that looked like a long saw horse with orange diagonal stripes was just off the road.  “I bet that was blocking the entrance to Valley View and someone moved it.  Let’s stop here.  I’ll go talk to Cap.”

Roy watched as his partner climbed out of the squad and joined Captain Stanley at the base of Valley View.  They talked for just a minute, then hurried about 100 feet up the road, just far enough to see around the bend.  His HT squawked, and he heard Cap say, “Men, there’s no way we’re bringing either vehicle up here.  We’ll have to bring what we can by foot and make a second trip if we need to.  The erosion is bad and everything is mud.  We’ll need a ladder to create a stable edge for the ropes.”  Roy got out of the squad and began pulling together the equipment.  

“Looks like someone’s over the side,” Johnny told him a few minutes later when he returned.  “There’s a woman up a ways near the edge looking down.  Their car is up there too.  It’s going over if any more of the road erodes.  We’re going to need climbing gear, including as many ropes as we can carry.  The wind is going to make this complicated. Let’s put the medical gear in the stokes.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Captain Stanley radioed LA to update them on the condition of the road, grabbed an armful of ropes, and headed up the road with his men.  Moving at a quick pace despite the steep incline, it only took the crew a few minutes to round the bend, and Cap had a chance to take in the scene more fully.  For reasons he could not imagine, the car, which he assumed belonged to the woman and whoever was over the side, had been parked on the left side of the road, very near the edge.  The front fender was less than two feet from the edge and the road it sat on was cracking.  Beyond that, a young woman was waving to them, switching between looking at them and looking down the side. 

“Hurry,” she called out.  “He’s not moving.” 

“Miss, please move back away from the edge,” Cap yelled out as they got closer.  “We’ll take care of him, but we don’t want to have to rescue you too.”

He was fairly certain that she had heard him, but she didn’t move back.  Instead she again leaned down and called, “Help is here.  Just hang on.  Please answer me.  Don’t be dead.  You can’t be dead!  Try to move!  Say something, damn it.  Answer me.”

Mike was in the lead and only a few feet away from her when she, without looking down, took a step closer to the edge.  He dropped the equipment he was carrying and reached her just in time to keep her from going over. 

“Come on now,” Cap heard him say, his tone far more gentle than the force of his pull as he moved them both back.  “You need to let us do our job.  We’re going to get him, but you need to stay over by the trees.”  Clearly not confident that she would follow his instructions, Mike guided her to the other side of the road. 

“Billy,” Cap said.  “Can you make sure she’s okay?” 

Billy agreed and took Mike’s place with the now crying woman.  Mike grabbed three ropes and started securing them to the largest trees available on the mountain side of the road.  Cap joined Roy, Johnny and Marco who were all looking at the man who had gone over the side. 

“Looks like he got too close and fell,” Marco said.

“Or he was standing here when this part of the road gave out,” Johnny suggested. 

“Yeah, well, either way, he was too close to the edge, a mistake we aren’t going to repeat,” Cap pointed out as they all took a step back.  He looked at the man, lying on the ground about 40 feet below them.  His fall had been stopped by a section of granite that had remained intact despite the eroding earth around it.  As his companion had noted, he was not moving.  “What do you think?” he asked his rescue men. 

“There’s not enough room on that rock for anyone but him,” Roy said.

“We’re going to have to depend on ropes,” Cap added.  “We could use more men, but we don’t have time to wait.  We’ll have to lower you down one at a time then tie you off.” 

Johnny continued the thought.  “We’ll secure him then you can lower the stokes and bring us back up again one at a time.”

Roy agreed.  “This wind is pretty strong and it seems to be picking up, even in just the few minutes we’ve been here.  If it gets much stronger, the right gust could take him off the ledge.  We need to move quickly to get him tied off, then we can pause to figure out how to get him back up.” 

“I’m going to call for another engine.  We won’t wait to start, but they might get here in time to help.”

Johnny nodded.  “Cap, I can’t be sure, but I think he’s still breathing down there, but he’s not moving at all.  We may want to see if there’s a copter available for transport.” 

“Right,” Cap said.  Calling out so everyone could hear he said, “Mike and Marco, the three of us will man the ropes.  Billy, once you’re set over there, get on the horn to Rampart.”

Mike was already setting up the ropes.  Before Marco joined him, he approached Johnny, carrying the knapsack that they sometimes used to carry equipment.  “I put in the BP cuff and stethoscope, a pen light, bandages, tape, wrap, and a C-collar.  What else do you want to bring down with you?”

Johnny smiled. “That’s perfect.  Thanks, Marco.  If we need anything else, we’ll have you guys send it down.”

Cap got Johnny’s and Roy’s attention.  “What do you want to do about the radio?”

“Since I’m going down first, let’s see if we can make it work without it,” Johnny said.  “If we can’t hear each other once I’m down, you can send it down with Roy or send it down later if we need it.  Right now, it’s just one more thing to hold on to.”

Cap considered the situation.  Having to treat the victim and keep themselves steady while hanging from a rope was going to be a challenge.  If the weather cooperated, they would be able to hear each other without it. 

“Okay.  We’ll send it down when and if it’s needed.”

~~~~~~~~~~

When Captain Stanley had asked Billy to tend to the woman, he had been momentarily surprised.  He had assumed he would be climbing, and it took him a minute to remember that he was here covering for Chet.  He smiled to himself as he remembered Johnny’s warning from the locker room.  He still had 46 hours of work ahead of him with no guarantee that there would be any sleep, or even any down time, during that stretch.  Maybe not starting out with a strenuous climb wasn’t such a bad thing.

Billy nodded to Mike to let him know that he had it, stepping in close enough to grab her if she darted back toward the edge.  “Miss,” he started the conversation, “my name is Billy Hanks.  I’m a fireman and a paramedic.  They’re going to go get him and bring him up, then we’ll treat what we can and get him to a hospital.  Believe me when I tell you that they are really good at what they do, so he’s getting the best help possible.”

Billy had gotten a quick look at the man and was careful not to promise that he would be okay, while still trying to ease her stress and anxiety.  “Why don’t we sit down here for a minute,” he suggested, pointing to a fallen tree.  “What’s your name?”

“Debbie,” she told him, but didn’t sit down.  “Dave’s been down there so long.  He hasn’t spoken to me since he fell.  He’s just moaned a lot.  But he stopped even that, now.  He hasn’t moved, and now he’s not making any noise at all.  I think he might be dead.” 

Billy was watching her face and had a moment’s warning before she moved to dart around him.  He stepped into her path. 

“Debbie, no.  You need to stay here.  We need to give them room to help Dave.  You can help by giving me as much information as you can.”

Debbie nodded but gave no other indication that she intended to comply.  “He’s dead.  I know he is.” She was breathing heavily, and her panic was clearly building.  “He’s dead!” 

Her move to get around Billy was quick, and it was only the fact that she stumbled that allowed Billy to grab hold of her.  “Debbie, stop!”

“Let go of me,” she said, starting to cry.  “He’s dead.  I need to be with him.” 

“Debbie, listen to me,” Billy insisted, not letting go of her arm.  “Dave is not dead.  He’s still breathing.  And what he needs right now is for those men over there to go down and get him.  And they can’t do that quickly if they’re also worried about you.  Okay?  So you need to stay here and tell me everything that you can about what happened.  Then I’m going to go help them, and you are still going to stay here out of the way.  Once he’s back up and safe, you can be with him again.”  Making sure he had her full attention he asked, “Do you understand?  Can you do that?”

Debbie was still shaking, but this time she allowed Billy to help her sit down on the log.

“Do you understand?” Billy asked again. 

Debbie nodded, this time adding.  “I know.  I need to stay out of the way or they won’t be able to help him.  I’m sorry.  I’m just so scared.”

Billy smiled at her.  “Of course you are.  Now, tell me what happened.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Captain Stanley helped Roy and Johnny secure their belts and harnesses, while they quickly reviewed the plan.  They would have to lower them one at a time due to their limited man power.  Johnny had already begun his descent when Billy approached.

“She’s really upset and worked up,” he told them, “but she’s okay.  She said that he fell about an hour ago.  He never moved or spoke to her after the fall, but he was groaning until about 20 minutes ago.  His name is Dave.  He’s 23.  He doesn’t have any medical problems that she knows about.  She’s only known him for a couple of months. She said there was someone else up here on a dirt bike when they got here.  He agreed to go find help, so he must be the one who called it in.”

“An hour,” Roy repeated.  “That’s not good.  Can they send a copter?”

“Maybe,” Cap told them. “Copter 10 is available but it’s unclear if they can navigate up here in this wind.  They’re going to get back to me.  86’s has been called in.  Their ETA is more than 20 minutes though. They just finished up a call on the opposite side of their district and they’re the closest crew available.”

“Cap,” Billy said, “If I man one of the lines, you and I can get Roy down right now.  Then once they're both down, you can lower me, and I can help.  If we can’t get a copter, every minute is going to count.” 

Captain Stanley looked at the woman who was still sitting where Billy had deposited her. She now seemed almost detached from everything.  But still …

“No, I don’t trust the girlfriend.  I don’t want you on a rope.  I need you ready to intervene.”

“Besides, with you already up here, we can send the stokes up first, and you can start treatment while they’re bringing us up,” Roy pointed out.

“Makes sense,” Billy acknowledged.  “I think she’s okay now, but I’ll keep an eye out. 

“I’m good,” Johnny shouted.  “Tie me off, and get Roy down here. Make it quick!  And hang on tight.  This wind is intense.”

“Okay,” Cap shouted.  “John, I can hear you.  Can you hear me alright?”

Johnny answered.  “We’re good for now.  As long as we shout.”

Captain Stanley gave Roy’s harness one last check, then went to help with the ropes.

~~~~~~~~~~

Johnny looked at the man in front of him and allowed himself to acknowledge that he was worried.  Despite his confidence in their safety equipment, he was fully aware of the fact that this rescue was treacherous.  His descent had made it clear just how strong the wind was blowing and the problems that it was going to create.  With no one below to steady the rope, and nothing but eroding dirt to grab hold of on the descent, his trip down to the victim had been hardly linear.  He made quick work of securing the unconscious man in front of him into the safety belt attached to a rope tied off up above.  He then looked for something that he could tie off to to keep from moving with the wind, but there was nothing.  There was also nothing that would allow him to get a foothold.  The best he would be able to do would be to hang onto the small ledge, and since that left him with just one hand, that was not going to be very helpful.

Johnny could hear Roy being lowered but he didn’t allow himself the luxury of looking up.  All of his focus was on the man in front of him.  Having secured the belt, Johnny was now focused on assessment, and it was quickly apparent that it wasn’t good.  The granite shelf that had stopped the fall was barely big enough to hold the man who fell.  It was a miracle that it had stopped him at all. 

As he began to check vitals, Johnny heard Roy getting close and saw his feet enter his peripheral field of vision.  “You need my help?” he offered, but didn’t look away from the man lying in front of him.

“No, I’m good, but you weren’t kidding about the wind,” Roy answered.  “Hold up on the stokes,” he shouted to the men topside. 

Johnny knew that his partner had reached the same conclusion he had.  “I don’t know how we’re going to do it, Roy.  The chances of no spinal injury are practically non-existent, and depending on how he landed, there are bound to be other broken bones.  We can get him into a collar easy enough, but there’s no way we’re going to get him onto a backboard down here.  The wind would make it impossible to control with all the surface area.  I don’t even know how we’re going to get him into a stokes.”

“Yeah,” Roy agreed. “What kind of shape is he in?”

“He seems to be breathing okay,” Johnny said.  “He has a clear airway.  His pulse is strong and regular.  His right pupil is blown, and there’s cerebral fluid in his ear.  There’s no reaction to a sternal rub. I haven’t checked his BP yet.  Can you check the Babinski while I do that?”

It was difficult to maneuver with no stability other than the ropes from which they were suspended.  Roy managed to remove the man’s left, high top sneaker, and Johnny noted that he made no effort to hang on to it, but simply let it fall.  Johnny, on the other hand, was acutely focused on not letting the BP cuff fall as he took that and the stethoscope out of the knapsack that now hung around his neck against his lower chest.

“BP is high,” Johnny told Roy.  “160 over 110.  Not surprising with the head injury, and it might mean we have no significant internal bleeding to worry about.”

“Let’s hope you’re right, because this guy needs something going in his favor.  He has a positive Babinski on the left.  I don’t want to remove his right sneaker.  His ankle is broken in multiple places, and I’m guessing his foot is pretty messed up inside that sneaker as well.  With the high top it’s probably providing some stability to both the foot and ankle.  Why don’t you check his lungs while I try to get a look at his belly, then we’ll figure out what to do.”

The tasks were easier suggested than accomplished.  Even using his left hand to try and steady himself, Johnny found himself in near constant motion as the wind swept around them, seeming to get stronger by the minute.  He was glad he had already gotten a blood pressure as he now found it surprisingly difficult to hear the air moving in the victim’s lungs given the sound of the air moving around them.  It was obvious that Roy was having an equally difficult time keeping steady, and the two of them needed to focus not only on assessing their victim, but also not knocking into the victim or each other.

What should have taken only a minute, took four or five but they were finally able to share their findings. 

“Lungs are clear… I think.”

“No indication of abdominal bleeding.  What do you mean, ‘I think?’”

“I’m hearing a whistling, but I’m pretty sure it’s the wind rather than wheezing.  But I can’t guarantee it isn’t both.”

“Got it,” Roy said.  He was checking the man’s legs as he spoke.  “Johnny, he’s got multiple breaks in his right tib/fib.  Not surprising given the shape of his ankle.  If at all possible, we’re going to want to splint the leg before we move him.  I don’t know if they’ll be able to repair his leg, but either way, we don’t want to add a punctured artery to this guy’s list of injuries.”

Johnny looked at the man lying on his back on the ledge.  “We have to assume that he has a spinal injury, maybe more than one, but I don’t …”

Before he could finish, the wind returned with a gust that pushed him into Roy.  They both reached out at the same time and grabbed the other’s arm, managing to keep from hitting each other, but not the ledge.  Johnny grimaced as his hip collided with the granite.  Roy’s grunt told him that he was not the only one who had made contact. 

Johnny looked at their victim.  Somehow they had avoided hitting him. Before the men could ask each other if they were okay, the question came from above. 

“You guys okay down there?”  Captain Stanley was asking.

They both yelled, “Yes.” 

“Cap,” Roy shouted, “He’s in really tough shape.  There’s a head injury, broken bones in at least one leg, and probably a spinal cord injury.  We’re trying to figure out the best way to get him up.  Can you contact Rampart?”

“I’ve already got them standing by.  What have we got?” Billy called back.

Johnny answered.  “160 over 110.  Pulse 70 and strong.  Respiration 15, airway clear. The stethoscope is picking up the sounds from the wind so it’s tough to hear, but I think his lungs are clear as well.  No pain response.  Right pupil is blown, left is sluggish, positive Babinski on the left, mangled right ankle and leg.  We don’t dare take off the sneaker to look at the foot.  Likely spinal cord injury and other broken bones.  No indication of abdominal injuries.  I’m going to put on the collar, and we’ll try to put the leg in a splint, but we’re going to have to get him topside before we can begin any type of treatment or do any further assessment.”

“Got it,” Billy called down.  “Are you going to be able to get him on a backboard before you put him in the stokes?”

This time it was Roy who replied. “No way.  The wind would turn it into a weapon.  We don’t even know yet how we’re going to get him into a stokes.”

“Okay,” Billy said.  “Let me talk to Brackett while you figure it out.  I’ll let him know the dilemma.  Maybe he’ll have some input.” 

Johnny turned his attention back to Roy while Billy connected with Rampart.  “There’s no way to stabilize the stokes.  There’s nothing to put it on, and no way to keep it from moving everywhere when we try to put him in it.”

“What about if we get Billy down here?  Maybe with three of us we could make it work.  The only other option I can think of is to bring him up with a belt and harness, and you know what that’s going to do to any spinal injury.”

Johnny thought about it then said, “A third person might do it. If they lowered the stokes with two or even three ropes…”

“Right,” Roy said.  “We’ll definitely need a third man with us though.”

“I think we should try.  If it doesn’t work we’ll have to send him up in the belt and harness, but it would be a whole lot better if we didn’t have to.  It will take more time but I think it’s worth the trade off.”

Roy didn’t have a chance to respond before another blast of wind caught both of them.  Johnny had hold of the injured man and the ledge and managed to stay more or less in place.  Roy’s hold was only on the rope and the wind swung him away from the ledge.  Johnny could do nothing but watch as the wind slammed Roy against the mountain side.  There was no rock where he hit, and his impact with the wet, eroding earth created a spray of mud which the wind blew around with him.

“Roy!” Johnny yelled.

“I’m okay,” Roy assured him as the rope swung him back toward his original position.  Johnny reached out to stop Roy’s forward motion before he hit the ledge again.

“You really okay?”  Johnny asked. 

Roy was covered with mud and he spit some out of his mouth before answering. “Wow, that wasn’t much fun.  I’m going to feel this tonight, but I’m okay.  The mud is a little messier than rock, but far less painful when you hit it.”  He looked up at the sky.  “I sure hope we can do this before the rain starts again.  And my guess is the wind is going to get worse before it lets up.”

“You okay down there?”  The question came from above for the second time in a few minutes. 

Roy nodded at Johnny, indicating he should be the one who answered.  They both knew that an assurance from the paramedic who had not just slammed into the ridge would carry more credibility with the men up top.

“He’s okay, Cap, but we need to make this happen before the wind gets any worse than it already is.  Can you send down the stokes with enough straps to make sure the victim can’t move around?  You’re going to have to send it down with a lead rope for us to hang onto while you lower and raise it.  And we need a third man.  Can you free up Billy?”

“Sure thing.  What do you want first, Billy or the stokes?”

“Billy,” Roy told him.  “And send him with a leg splint.”

“OK.  He’ll be down in a minute.  Hang on.  And I mean that literally, DeSoto!” 

~~~~~~~~~~

Billy looked at Debbie who was sitting on a boulder, her head in her hands.  She was no longer even looking toward the edge.  She could still bolt, but it was no longer a high risk, and since Sheriff Vince Howard had arrived, he could tend to other things.  He picked up the biophone and moved close to the edge where he could relay information from to and from the hospital. 

“Rampart, this is Squad 51.” 

Dixie picked up.  “Hold on, 51.”  Billy heard her say, “Kel, they’re back,” before she got back on the line.  “Go ahead, 51.  Do you have him?”

“That’s a partial ‘yes,’ Rampart.  Roy and Johnny are with him, and I have an initial assessment.  However, he’s still on the side of the ridge and not yet in a place where we can begin treatment.”

“Understood, 51.  Tell me what you’ve got.”  This time the voice belonged to Dr. Brackett.

“OK, Doc.  It’s now been over an hour since he fell.  He’s unconscious and apparently has been for about 40 minutes now.  Prior to that he was reportedly groaning, but not communicating and no movement.  BP is 160 over 110.  The right pupil is blown, left pupil sluggish, and there is clear fluid in his ear.  He does not respond to pain.  He has a positive Babinski on the left with likely spinal cord injury based on that and the mechanics of the fall. We have him in a cervical collar.  He has a badly damaged right ankle and likely foot.  We haven’t removed that shoe because it’s providing some stability at the moment.  He has multiple fractures of his right tibia and fibula. His pulse is 70 and strong.  There are no indications of abdominal bleeding.”

“How about his breathing?”

“Respirations are 15.  His airway is clear, but the wind is causing a whistling in the stethoscope so they aren’t able to accurately assess his lung sounds.  Johnny thinks his lungs are clear, but he’s not positive.”

“51, How long before you get him into a position where you can begin treatment?”

“That’s unknown, Rampart.  It’s a fairly complicated and high risk rescue.  The guys are working hanging from ropes and harnesses.  They have no foothold and nothing to stabilize them.  There are high winds and they’re being blown around.  The victim is now tied off, but even so, his position is precarious. With the right gust he could end up hanging from a rope with just a belt.  With all this wind we aren’t going to be able to manipulate a backboard. It’s too light weight with too much surface area.  The wind will turn it into a weapon. Quite honestly, we don’t even know if we’re going to be able to manipulate a stokes, so we don’t know yet how we’re getting him back up.  We may end up needing to pull him up with the harness.” 

“OK, 51.  Spinal precautions are important, but you’re the ones who know what’s possible and what isn’t.  Just do your best, and we’ll deal with the outcome.  I’ll support whatever decisions you need to make about that.”

“Thanks.  I’ll let them know that.”  

“Will you be able to splint the leg before you move him?”

“I don’t know, Doc.  We will if we can.”

“Billy,” Cap called out.  “Get your gear.  You’re going down.”

“Belt’s already on, Cap,” he shouted back.  Into the biophone he said, “Doc, they’re sending me down to help.  Someone will be back in touch as soon as we have anything new to report.”

“We’ll be standing by, 51,” Brackett assured him, adding, “And, Billy.  Be careful.”

“Will do, Doc.  Thanks.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Captain Stanley talked to Billy as he helped him get into a harness.  “They asked for a leg splint.  I want you to have both hands to hang on, so I’ll attach it to your belt.  I’m also sending you down with a handy talkie.  I know you have no free hands.  I’m going to tie it to your belt too so that if you drop it you’ll still have it.”

“Good.  Look, I think that we should use lead ropes wherever we can here.  It only helps so much when the guys holding the lead ropes are blowing around too, but it will help some, both going down and up.”

“Stoker’s ahead of you on that one,” Vince said as he approached the two men holding an extra rope that he connected to Billy’s belt.  “By the way, I told them you’re pretty short on help up here.  The sheriff’s office is sending another car.  He should be here in a few minutes.”

Captain Stanley’s relief and gratitude was evident when he said, “Thanks Vince.  That’s great.”

Cap looked at Billy and he tightened the knots on the extra rope.  “Unfortunately, all copters have been grounded because of the wind.  The one headed to us had to land in a field.”

Billy groaned.  “Oh, that is not good news.”

“No,” Cap agreed.  “But the ambulance is still on the way.  It should be here by the time we get him back up.”  Having decided to use carabiners for the splint and radio, he gave them each a tug to make sure they weren’t going to pull off, then told Billy, “Okay.  I think you’re all set.”

“Okay then.  Let’s go.” 

Billy headed for the edge and yelled “Heads up!”  When Roy looked up, he threw the lead rope down, knowing he didn’t have to explain what it was.  Roy grabbed the rope and gave him a thumbs up.

Billy smiled at Cap.  Pointing to the splint and radio attached to his belt he said, “I’ve got everything, Cap.”  To the others he yelled, “Hang on tight, boys!”  He rechecked his ropes then took a tight hold and yelled, “Here we go.”  With that, he began his descent. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Dr. Brackett listened as the scanner announced that all helicopters were being grounded because of the wind.  He shook his head and sighed as he re-read the notes he had just taken on 51’s victim.

He looked up when he heard Dixie ask, “What’s wrong?” 

Surprised by her question he was about to respond but realized they were not alone at the bay station. The question had not been directed at him but at Kim Jacobs, the nursing supervisor for the evening shift who was now standing at the desk, reading a patient chart. 

“What’s wrong?” Dixie repeated, having failed to get Kim’s attention with her first attempt.  This time Kim looked at her.

“Huh?”

“You look upset, troubled,” Dixie told her.

“Oh, sorry,” Kim replied, “I didn’t mean to.”

“But you do.  So what’s wrong?”

“No, really, I was just thinking about something…  It doesn’t matter.  Sorry.” 

The scanner sounded again.  “Engine 51, this is LA.  Come in.” 

Dr. Brackett, Dixie, and Kim all stopped to listen as the crew was informed that Engine 86 was delayed by a mudslide blocking the road.  They were going to need to turn around and detour which was putting their new ETA at 20 minutes from now.  Dr. Brackett looked at the women standing with him and noted that the frown had returned to Kim’s expression. He was about to ask about it, but Dixie beat him to it.

“Well, now there’s that look again.  You look like the weight of the world has landed on your shoulders.”

“Sometimes I just get thinking is all.  I wonder …. No, it’s got nothing to do with my job.  Forget it.  Look, I’m here to cover for Carol, not distract you all.”

“It’s actually pretty slow at the moment.  Were we doing anything besides waiting on 51, Dix?” Brackett inquired.

“Well, I was about to grab a cup of coffee, but I can do that, and wait on 51, and talk to the two of you all at the same time.”

“Looks like you’re stuck, Kim,” Brackett pointed out.  “We aren’t busy, so you have no excuse to not tell us what’s bothering you.”

“Okay.  Fine.  It’s this rescue.  It just makes me wonder, that’s all.  I didn’t hear it from the very beginning, but I think I get the gist.  There’s a guy over the side of a mountain in really tough shape.  The rescue team would like more men, but they aren’t available.  Gage and DeSoto are out there, hanging off the cliff with just ropes, getting blown around in winds bad enough to ground the helicopters.  It may already be too late to make a difference for the guy they’re trying to rescue.  Right?”

Dr. Brackett nodded.  “That about sums it up.”

Now that she had started, Kim no longer hesitated.  “And now they’re sending down a third man.  So does anyone ever stop and ask, ‘Does the potential benefit justify the risk?’ Do we ever tell them it’s not worth risking everything on the outside chance that he may walk again when it’s doubtful that he’ll even survive?”

“Not us,” Brackett told her.  “Never.  It’s not our call.  It’s not our expertise.  It’s not our decision.”

Kim seemed a bit surprised by his response and stopped for a moment before going on.  “Okay.  I get that.  But what about the men at the scene?  Do they ever do a risk benefit assessment before they attempt something?  Do they ever decide that the risk is too great compared to the potential outcome?”

Dixie answered.  “I think they always assess it.  As for deciding not to do it, it’s rare, but yes.  The commanding officer at the scene can make that call.  I know that command has made calls not to enter a building to look for a missing person because of the risk from the fire or collapse.  I know they’re more likely to make that call if conditions suggest no one inside could still be alive.  But when they know, or even have hope, that someone is still alive and trapped, I’ve known them to almost literally move mountains to get to them.”

“We’ve seen the aftermath of decisions to not try,” Brackett said.  “For our guys, it’s always worse than an attempt that fails.  They can know that it was the right decision, but that rarely helps much.”

“I can see that,” Kim acknowledged.  “But take this situation.  So one guy goes down.  But as soon as he assesses the victim, and sees the risk up close and personal, why not just pull him out?  Why put a second and then third guy at risk to try to prevent something like a spinal injury that’s probably already happened?  What’s the expression, ‘Grab and go?’ Why not do that?”

“It’s like I just said,” Brackett told her.  “We aren’t there. It’s not our call. We need to trust their judgement on that.”

“And if they ask your opinion on whether it’s worth the risk, do you tell them?” Kim wanted to know.

Brackett smiled.  “I’ve never been asked, at least not directly.  They don’t care what I think on that one, nor should they.  But if they even come close to asking indirectly, like Billy just did, I tell them that they need to trust their own judgement, and I’ll back them up if anyone questions their decision.”

“Do all the doctors do that?”

“Probably not, but they should.”

“They’re lucky to have you in their corner,” Kim told him. 

“We’re lucky to have them on the front line.  They save a lot of lives and prevent a lot of injuries by knowing how to handle their victims and doing it so well.  And they’ve saved lives by deciding not to stabilize or treat the victim before moving them.  I’d never second guess them on that,” he said.

“You better not,” Dixie said, looking him directly in the eye with a knowing smile.  “They do plenty of second guessing on their own.  They do not need our help with that!”

~~~~~~~~~~

Roy watched as the lead rope was thrown down.  He grabbed hold and tried to keep it steady as Billy began his descent.  Deciding that his best bet was to hold the rope with one hand and the ledge with his other, he had to accept just how little help the lead rope was going to be.  After all, the wind was blowing them as well as Billy, and hanging onto the lead rope, with the added force of Billy’s weight being blown along with Roy, it was impossible for Roy to provide much in the way of stability because he found it impossible to stay still himself. 

He looked at Johnny.  “One good gust and I’m going to lose my grip on this ledge and we’re both going to swing.”

Johnny nodded.  “Come closer so I can hang onto the rope too.  It might help.”

Roy used his tenuous grip on the ledge to move close enough to allow Johnny to also grab the lead rope.  “You know,” he said “this might solve the problem, or we might all find ourselves doing a trapeze act all hanging from the same ropes.”

“Yeah,” was all Johnny said, but it was enough to let Roy know that his partner shared his fear.  This rescue could get out of control really fast.”

~~~~~~~~~~

When Billy started his descent he knew that it was going to be tough and was going to get worse before it was done.  But despite giving Rampart the heads up that they might need to bring this guy up without spinal precautions, he didn’t really consider that an option.  True, they couldn’t use the backboard, but with the three of them they would be able to make it work to stabilize him with the stokes.  He was confident of that fact.

He was only 20 feet into his descent when that confidence was blown away by a gale force gust.  With men guiding the rope both up top and down below, he was surprised when the wind was still able to shove him from behind and push him face first toward the earth four feet in front of him. With only an instant to react, instinct took over, and Billy closed his eyes as he reached out with one hand, trying to minimize the impact.  His hand made first contact.  It slowed him down, but the force was too great, and his body continued forward.  Billy yelled out when his face was the next to hit. 

“Damn!!!!”

“Billy!”  The shouts came at him from both directions. “You okay?” 

Unsure where to direct his answer, he simply held out a thumbs up and yelled, “Keep going!  Get me down there.”

As he restarted his descent, Billy blinked rapidly, trying, with little success, to clear the mud that had gotten into his eyes when he had opened them.  He wanted to wipe his eyes, but there was no way he was letting go of the rope with his left hand, and his right hand was covered with more mud than his face. 

Nearing his destination, he felt a hand grab hold of his ankle and guide him the rest of the way down. Feeling more secure, at least for the moment, he used his clean hand to wipe his eyes.  Once level with the others, he forced a smile, grabbed hold of the ledge and said, “Hey, good to see you.  How’ve you been?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Johnny shook his head at Billy’s attempt at levity.  He had watched as the man’s outstretched hand had made contact with the ridge.  Rather than stop its forward motion, his body had continued its trajectory.  His arm, which had been straight out in front of him at shoulder level, could no longer move forward with the rest of his body.  Had Billy locked his elbow, which would have been the natural thing to do, Johnny had no doubt that his shoulder would have been dislocated, but Billy, consciously or unconsciously, had instead bent his elbow, allowing his arm to absorb more of the force.  Even so, his arm had been suddenly and rather violently pushed back behind the rest of his body.

Johnny handed him an unwrapped, unused, four by four that he had shoved into his shirt pocket when he decided he didn’t need it. “Here,” he said to Billy, who was still trying to wipe mud out of his eyes.  “It might work better than your hand.” 

“You hit hard, Billy,” Roy said.  “Are you injured?” 

Johnny noted the use of the word injured.  It was Roy’s way of acknowledging that “hurt” was pretty much a given. 

“Have either of you ever been body slammed by a 250 pound linebacker?” was Billy’s response.

“Yeah,” Roy answered.  “About 10 minutes ago.  Look, I hate to admit it, but we need to rethink this thing.”

Johnny knew where Roy was headed.  He was considering objecting when the next gust hit.  Johnny lost his grip on the ledge as the wind shoved him to the side and into Roy, who was being blown into Billy.  The three men grabbed out for each other as they were all lifted away from the ledge.  Johnny could do nothing but watch, in horror, as the wind caught the victim’s body and moved it almost a foot, leaving his legs now hanging over the edge.  As one, the three men leaned toward the ledge, but the wind was in control, and they were at its mercy. 

Seconds later, Johnny let out a grunt as his hip once again met the rocky ledge.  Though his eyes were on the victim, he knew from the sounds that came from Roy and Billy, they’d also had a rough landing. 

“Time to go,” he heard Billy say. 

“Johnny?” Roy asked. 

Johnny hated to accept defeat, but he had now reached the same conclusion as the others.  Despite the risk from lifting him with just the belt and harness, the risk from the wind while they tried to maneuver a stokes was even greater.  If he had any doubt left it was removed when Billy’s radio came to life. 

“Forget the stokes,” Captain Stanley ordered.  “Bring him up with the harness, and do it now.” 

Johnny and the others flashed a thumbs up.  “Roy,” Johnny said, “maybe you guys can get the leg splint on while I adjust and tighten the harness?”

“Let’s try,” Roy agreed.  “Maybe we can at least prevent a punctured artery.”  Roy looked at the victim’s legs, no longer on the ledge from just below the knee down.  “Of course, we may be too late for even that,” he said.  “Billy, come closer so I can grab the splint, then try to hold his leg steady.”

~~~~~~~~~~

With the rapidly deteriorating scene, and the precarious conditions faced by his rescue team, Captain Stanley had had little opportunity to pay attention to what was happening around him up top, a situation made acceptable only because of the confidence he had in Mike and Marco and the additional help they were getting from Vince.  From his position near the edge, he had focused on monitoring what was happening below and grabbing hold of a rope as needed, part of their mostly futile attempts to provide some additional stability.  Now, the decision to proceed without the stokes, and a God-sent lull in the wind, allowed him a moment to take it all in. 

With no one currently being raised or lowered, the four ropes holding the men below were each secured to a different tree on the other side of the road.  Vince had joined Mike and Marco in manning the ropes.  At the moment, Marco was rechecking the knots.  Mike appeared to be running each rope, checking for frailties that could cause problems.  Vince was rapidly shifting his eyes from one rope to the next, watching for any indication of problems at the other end.  Thank God for these guys!

From down the road he saw three people approaching.  Two men, dressed in white, were carrying, rather than rolling, a gurney up the crumbling road.  They were with the additional deputy Vince had promised.  Cap allowed himself to feel some relief.  He wished it was the crew of Engine 86 who was walking toward him, but the ambulance attendants would be a huge help once the victim was back up and could stay with Debbie and even help with the ropes in the meantime.  He knew the deputy would be willing and capable of helping to bring the men back up. 

Shifting his attention back to the men hanging below, Cap lifted the radio.  “Guys, the ambulance is here and the additional deputy has also arrived.”  All three men were engaged with both hands, so he added, “no need to reply or acknowledge.  Just let me know when you’re ready to start coming back up.  Make it fast.”  He knew he had not really needed to add the last comment, but he also knew the men below were torn about the decision to move forward with just the belt and harness, and he didn’t want them to reconsider that decision with the arrival of more help. 

Cap reached for the biophone at his feet.  “Rampart, this is Squad 51.”

Brackett was immediately on the line.  “Go ahead, 51.”

“Rampart, conditions have seriously deteriorated.  Be advised we are bringing the victim up with a belt and harness.  We’ll be in touch as soon as he’s topside.  The helicopters are grounded.  The ambulance is now at scene.”

“Understood, 51.  We’re standing by.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Wrapping the last of the gauze around the victim’s leg and splint, Roy realized that it had been several minutes since the last strong gust of wind had changed the course of this rescue.  It was a relief but was unlikely to last. 

“I think the splint’s all set,” Billy said, rechecking what they had done.  “It’s been quiet,” he added. 

“Too quiet,” Johnny said as he took the man’s pulse one more time.  “You watch.  The next one’s going to be a doozy.”

“Let’s make this happen now,” Roy said.  “Johnny, do you want to ride up with him?  With the added manpower they should be able to lift you both at once.  Once he’s off the ledge Billy and I will be able to use it to create a bit more stability from this side.”

Johnny agreed.  Billy unclipped the radio hanging from his belt, making sure not to disturb the cord and carabiner that also connected it to him. 

“Cap, this is Billy.  Come in.”

“You ready?” Cap answered immediately.

“We are.  We’d like to send Johnny and the victim up at the same time.  Is that possible from your end?”

Roy heard Cap’s “That’s affirmative,” and turned to help Johnny recheck his own harness and belt.  He expected to hear Billy set things up with Cap and the men above and was surprised when instead Billy held out the radio toward him. 

“I’m just the extra in this, remember?” Billy said.  “This is your show.”  When Roy didn’t immediately reach for the radio, Billy continued.  “I know you already have a clear picture of how this is going to work in your head.  You should be the one talking to Captain Stanley.”

“Maybe,” Roy said.  “Problem with that is the radio is attached to you.”

“Attached with a long cord,” Billy pointed out, again holding the radio out.  “You talk to Cap.  I’ll triple check this guy here,” he said pointing to Johnny.

Roy took the radio.  Billy was right.  He had a very clear picture in his head of how this all was going to work. He opened the radio connection and explained his idea to Cap.  He was surprised and pleased with the answer.

“Roy, we just got another man.  What if we pull Billy up at the same time.  If Johnny’s behind him and Billy’s in front of him, that’s even more stability and more hands to hang onto ropes. 

Roy looked at Johnny and Billy and both nodded without hesitation. 

“Okay, Cap.  That sounds good.  Give us one more minute to get that set up then we’ll be ready to go.”

“This is the first time this thing has gotten better instead of worse,” Johnny noted as he checked Billy’s harness and belt.  “The wind has eased, we have an additional man.  This might end better than I thought it would.”

“Roy, I’m going to move the radio from my belt to yours.  If we move quickly, we may get out of this in the same shape we’re in right now,” Billy said. 

“Maybe,” Roy said, taking the carabiner from Billy and securing it to his own belt, “You guys ready?”

Both Johnny and Billy agreed and the three of them proceeded to coordinate the set up with the men above.  Minutes later Johnny and Billy were standing on the ledge with the now upright victim sandwiched between them.

“Roy,” Johnny said, “use the carabiners to attach him to me at our belts.  Connect him as closely as you can.  Billy, what about if I hold your rope and you hold mine?  With the three of us together we’ll still stay upright, and that might give us a firmer hold on him and let us help each other.”

“That might work,” Billy agreed. 

Roy followed Johnny’s instructions, then, with the stability of the ledge still beneath their feet, he watched as they tried it out.  “It looks good,” Roy told them.  “How does it feel?”

“It feels pretty secure, actually,” Billy answered. 

“Yeah, it does,” Johnny agreed.  “Of course that’s without any gusts.  I’m betting this respite doesn’t last the whole way up.  But better we swing together than alone.  Let’s do it.”

Roy lifted the radio to let Cap know, but was interrupted by a clap of thunder.  It wasn’t too close, but it wasn’t that far away either.  Roy lifted the radio to tell them they were set to go.  Cap beat him to it. 

“Roy!” was all Cap said.

“Bring them up, Cap.”

“Okay,” Cap answered.  “You hang on, Roy.  We’ll be back to you in a few minutes.”

“I’m counting on that, Cap,” Roy told him.  If Cap said anything else, Roy didn’t hear it.  He couldn’t hear anything over the sound of more thunder. 

~~~~~~~~~~

Captain Stanley tried to remain patient as his men made their final preparations before beginning their ascent.  The arrival of a third deputy had been unanticipated and incredibly helpful, especially since he was large, strong, and well-coordinated.  With Mike, Marco, and himself each taking a rope with one of the deputies, they would be able to pull up the victim and two paramedics at the same time.  His team down the ridge had quickly agreed to the plan.

There was a downside which they had not discussed.  It meant Roy was going to wait below alone while the others were pulled up.  That was less than ideal, but still seemed to be the best option.  If the wind gusts held off, it wouldn’t be a problem.  If they didn’t, well, the men had not been able to do much to help each other as they swung in the wind since they were all on the move at the same time.  The benefits seemed to outweigh the risks.  And even if there was another gust, Roy would still be secured with a belt and rope.  He would likely swing again like they all had, but he wouldn’t fall. 

This was taking too long.  Cap lifted the radio to ask what was happening but his voice was drowned out by the thunder that suddenly filled the air and echoed around them. 

“Roy!” he shouted into the radio. 

Roy answered immediately.  He must have already had the radio in hand. 

“Bring them up, Cap.”

Cap agreed, reminded Roy that they would get him up soon, clipped the radio to his belt, and moved back into position to help pull them up. 

Once the ascent was underway, progress was steady.  Unfortunately, Cap couldn’t work the ropes and also watch over the side.  Roy seemed to have thought of this and kept up a steady progress report on the radio. 

“They’re almost there,” Roy finally announced. “Ten more feet.”

“Hold on, men,” Cap said and progress came to a stop. 

“One minute,” Cap said into the radio, turning to the ambulance attendants.  Luckily they were men Cap knew.  He addressed Angelo, the larger of the two men. 

“Hey, Angie, do you think you can take my place here?”

Angie quickly agreed and within seconds was standing in Cap’s place, tightly holding onto the rope.  No one questioned the move. Clearly they had also seen the problem.  Someone needed to be at the edge to help.  Moving forward Cap was pleased to see Hal, the second attendant, come forward to join him without needing to be asked. 

Another clap of thunder was followed by Roy’s voice on the radio. 

“Everything okay up there?”

“We’re ready to move again.  Hang on.”  Cap would explain the delay later if needed.  He signaled to the crew behind him and the ascent resumed. 

Once the men were about five feet from the top, Billy detached himself from the trio and told Cap to stop pulling him up.  He prepared to help push Johnny and Dave from just below.  Johnny let go of the rope and used both hands to hang onto the man in front of him.

“Hold on,” Cap said again.  Turning only enough to be sure to be heard, he told Marco, “Tie Billy off, and you guys come help here.”

Turning back to the men now near the top of the ridge, but still hanging over the side, he said, “Billy, we’re tying you off.  That way Marco and Vince can help lift Johnny and Dave.  Johnny, don’t try to help.  You just focus on keeping him as stable as possible.”

Cap watched Johnny reposition his grip around the unconscious man in his arms and heard him say, “Dave, huh?  Guess I really should know your name, after all we’ve been through together.  Okay Dave, well you just stick with me.  Actually, you just stick to me, okay?”

With Marco, Vince, and the second ambulance attendant now at his side, Cap asked Johnny and Billy, “Are we ready?” 

“Ready, Cap,” they both agreed.

“Okay, men,” Cap told everyone.  “Be careful.  We’re lifting them up as if they were one person.  Dave stays firmly attached to Johnny until they’re both lying here and Johnny tells us what to do next.”  Another crash of thunder made him add, “Careful, but quick.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Johnny had both his arms wrapped securely around the chest of the man he was holding, his fingers intertwined.  With that and their belts attached to each other at the waist, they were moving almost as one. 

Well, I’m able to move as if you’re a part of me, Dave, Johnny thought.  I suppose that’s a bit more accurate.  After all, you aren’t actually able to move at all, are you?  Despite all of the man’s injuries, attached as they were, Johnny had become very aware of the fact that the man he was holding, Dave, continued to have a steady heartbeat and was breathing without difficulty.  He had also begun to fully understand that the breathing was the only movement beyond that which was being caused by external forces.  There were no shifts, no jerks, no muscle twitches.  Even his face was completely still. 

Johnny’s contemplation was interrupted by the hands that reached under his shoulders and started to carefully lift.  He focused on keeping his back perfectly straight, thereby keeping Dave’s back straight.  He could feel Billy pushing from below.  The higher that he was lifted, the more hands that joined the effort.  In moments he felt himself being lowered again until he was flat on his back on the ground, Dave lying on top of him. 

Wow, Dave.  You weigh more than I thought you did.  People were still holding Dave to keep him flat, but Johnny was now bearing most of his weight on his chest.  He couldn’t see who was standing around him so he addressed whoever was there. 

“Okay, we need the backboard.  You can slide it right in under him, on top of me.  Don’t worry about me.  Focus on keeping him flat.”

It was Marco who answered him.  “Johnny, we have the backboard right here.  Turn your head so that I don’t take your nose off when I slide  … Ay, Dios Mio!”

Johnny did not need to ask what was happening.  Marco’s simple declaration was accompanied by a force that tried to lift him off the ground and might have succeeded had he not been surrounded by three men who somehow managed to both hang on and not land on him and Dave when they were pushed over.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw the backboard take to the air.  The men around him were calling out to each other but the wind was carrying away their words.

A second burst immediately followed the first.  This one felt even stronger.  He didn’t know if Billy had been pulled up yet or if he was still hanging from the side.  He did know that Roy was still below, suspended from a rope, this time on his own.  He’ll be okay, he told himself.  He has to be.

Johnny wished he could see what was happening.  He wished he knew if Billy was on solid ground.  He wished he could run to the side, throw his rope over, and repel down to Roy.  But whatever Johnny wished he could do, in reality he could do nothing but once again tighten his hold on the man lying on his chest, hope that the wind would again let up, and trust that his crew would quickly get the situation under control.  Again.  Only this time they had one more complication.  It was raining.

~~~~~~~~~~

Billy hung from the side of the ridge.  It had been only seconds since Johnny and their victim had been pulled up. He had done his best to help, but Johnny would surely have something to say later about where his hand had ended up as he pushed from below.  He knew they must be safely on the ground when Mike appeared at the edge. 

“You ready?” Mike asked. 

“Get Roy first,” Billy told him. 

Mike shook his head.  “Roy’s next but you’re in the way.  A deputy and Angie are pulling.  Ready?”

“Read…”

Billy stopped mid word.  Something had changed.  He knew it even though his rope had not yet started to swing.  Mike must have sensed it as well because he yelled out, “Roy! Hang on!”

Billy tightened his grip as he felt himself lifted, not by the rescue crew, but by the gale force wind.  With only five feet between him and the top, there was less rope, and the circumference of his swing was far less than it had been below.  When the rope reached its limit, it stopped moving.  Billy did not. Instead he found himself horizontal. The wind released him but the momentum caused his body to continue to follow its trajectory and he ended up almost upside down before he slammed back down, this time absorbing the impact with his hip. 

Before he could so much as curse, a second gust grabbed him.  As Billy began an instant replay, he caught sight of another rope coming at him from the right.  Roy!  He reached out and grabbed it.  The second rope changed his path, and this time it was his other hip that took the worst of his landing.

At least the pain is symmetrical now, he thought.  Gripping his rope in his left hand and Roy’s in his right, he looked up, hoping to see Mike still standing there, but the surface was momentarily empty.  He tried to look around, thinking that Mike might have just taken a few steps back, but he found that seeing anything above him was difficult.  He had no free hands to shield his eyes and it was raining.  Just perfect! 

He looked down instead and found Roy.  He was no longer on the ledge, but hanging next to it.  He was looking upward, despite the rain, and yelled, “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Billy shouted.  “You?” 

“Yeah,” Roy answered.  Billy knew they were both lying. 

Looking at his right hand, he tracked the rope and confirmed that it was the one attached to Roy.  He gripped it a bit tighter and knew he wouldn’t let it go until they were both safely up top. 

“Billy, hang on.  You’re coming up now.”  It was Cap, not Mike. 

He was going to ask if Mike was okay, but didn’t get the chance.  A flash of lightning lit the sky, followed almost immediately by a crash that sounded like it was only feet away. 

Holy shit, that’s right on top of us. 

Movement to his right caught his attention, and he turned to see the car tumbling off the edge of the ridge.  It was no more than 10 feet away.  It wasn’t on a path to hit them, but that could change with the wind.

“Roy!” he called out once again, this time in a near scream.  

Billy could do nothing but hold his breath and pray as the car connected with the mountainside, tumbling and crashing its way past Roy.  It came close enough that Roy must have felt it pass, but, thank God, it hadn’t hit.

“You okay?” Billy asked again.  But as the words left his mouth, he knew that Roy would not answer.  He would be focused on more urgent things. 

The rope, which a moment before had been secured up top and stable in his gloved right hand, was suddenly sliding down through his grip with such force that he couldn’t get hold of it.  The fact that it was wet didn’t help, but he knew he would not have been able to stop it, even if it was dry.  Then, with an abrupt jerk, it stopped on its own.  His own back and abdomen tightened in sympathy as he imagined what it had been like at the bottom of that rope. 

Looking down, Billy could no longer see Roy.  He knew from the weight on the rope that he was still attached, but the bottom of the rope and Roy had disappeared, the view obstructed by the ledge on which they had all been standing just a few minutes ago. 

Billy was shaken to his core and truly afraid for the first time in a very long time.  He had no idea what, but something had gone badly wrong up above.  He knew the men would make it right again, but he wasn’t going to just hang around and wait on them. 

He looked up.  When the car fell, Cap had paused, but held his ground.  Now he was gone, undoubtedly dealing with whatever had happened to Roy’s rope.  It was taut again now, but without knowing what happened, Billy assumed it could happen again.  In his head he could see a way to help.  He wasn’t sure he could pull it off, but he had to try.

Taking hold of the large carabiner attached to his own belt, he slipped Roy’s rope into it.  That was the easy part.  It was the next part that was in question.  He needed to wrap the rope around it, and to do that he needed slack.  To create slack, he had to lift Roy at least a few inches. 

Billy could lift far more than Roy weighed, but with no way to brace himself and no way to engage his leg muscles in the effort, it would be much harder.  Then there was his shoulder, the arm that had been forced to move beyond its intended limits when the mountain had rudely blocked its path.  He moved his shoulder and back.  It hurt like hell but everything seemed to be working. 

He knew that, all things considered, this may not be possible.  But he had to try. He focused all of his remaining strength and energy into his back, arms, and hands.  With a deep breath and a prayer, he moved both hands to Roy’s rope and heaved.  The pain was intense but he ignored it.  It took a sustained effort, but it worked, and he found himself with the few inches of play that he needed to loop the rope and maneuver the carabiner to connect the two. 

His muscles gave out before he wanted to let go, but he had hung on long enough.  Now, if Roy started to fall again, he might be able to slow him down.  He could also now use the rope to quickly repel down.  He could be at Roy’s side in seconds this way, rather than the many minutes it would take the crew above to lower him. 

Billy felt a pull on his rope and realized he still needed to share this plan with Cap. 

“Billy, what the hell happened?” Cap wanted to know.  “You weigh twice as much as you did a minute ago.”

Billy asked his own question instead of answering.  “What happened to Roy’s rope?  Why did he fall?” 

“The damn tree went over.  What’s hanging you up?” 

Again Billy asked rather than answered.  “Is Roy hurt?”

“I don’t know.  He’s not answering the radio.  I need to get him up here.  I need to get you both up here.”

“No,” Billy said.  “Not up.  You need to get me down.”

“No.  And we don’t have time to discuss it.”

“If he’s hurt and he’s alone and he swings again?”

“You’re hurt.  Besides, by the time I get you down there we could have God knows how many more gusts.  No.”

“But, Cap…”

“I said, no.  You’re coming up now!”

Billy clearly heard Captain Stanley’s distress and determination, but he had to try one more time. 

“You don’t understand, Cap.  I’m already on his rope.  I was holding onto it when he dropped.  I couldn’t stop it, but now I’ve got it wrapped around my carabiner.  I can repel and be with him in seconds.  I just need you to give me enough slack in my rope to do that.”

There was no answer.  Billy hoped Cap was quickly running this through in his head, but he may have decided to just stop arguing and haul Billy up whether he agreed or not.  He decided he had to try again.

“Cap, if he’s hurt and alone and he swings again, it’s going to be bad.  And you know we’re going to swing again.”

“Your arm?”

“I just managed to lift Roy so I’d say it’s okay.”

Cap looked at his shoulder then asked, “How secure is your hold on his rope?”

Thank God. “It’s good Cap.  I need a radio.”

Cap got low to the ground and was able to reach down enough to hand it to him.  Billy half expected him to instead grab his arm and pull, but he didn’t. 

“Billy, are you sure about this?  This is a huge risk.”

“If he’s unconscious and swings alone, Cap …. He won’t survive the impact.”

“I know…. Okay.  Keep hold of Roy’s rope.  He fell about 12 feet so he’s a little more than 50 feet down now.  We’ll give you enough slack so that your rope should stop you just before you reach Roy even if you can’t stop yourself.”

“Do it,” Billy said.  Cap signaled to whoever was behind him, Billy’s rope went slack.  Roy’s rope remained taut. He tested his set up by carefully lowering himself a few inches.  It worked.

He looked at Cap.  “See you soon.”

“Be careful.”

“You bet.”  Billy loosened his grip and began his fast, but hopefully controlled, descent.

~~~~~~~~~~

The chaos that had momentarily surrounded Johnny and Dave calmed as the wind once again eased.  Johnny took advantage of the moment and forced his own thoughts to calm as well.  The immediate situation required his full attention.  He took a deep breath to help him refocus.  Only, it wasn’t all that deep. The man still lying on his chest was making deep breathing more of a concept than a reality.  He was about to remind people that he and Dave were still lying there, but it wasn’t necessary.  Marco was again at his side and picked up where he had left off.  Almost. 

“Johnny, you still with us under there?” Marco asked. 

“Yeah.  Let’s start again.” 

“Okay.  Only we no longer have a backboard.  Last I saw it, it was in the sky over the side.  For all I know it’s still in flight.”

“Yeah, I thought I saw it lift off.  Let’s hope it landed somewhere other than Roy’s face.” That image filled Johnny’s mind, but he forced it aside.  “We’ll make due.  We can use the half board.”

“Sorry.  We had it out and it’s gone too.  What do you want to do?”

“Bring the gurney.  We’ll just have to lift him.  Get as many hands as you can, but don’t pull people away from…”  Billy must be up by now, but Roy…

“Don’t pull the guys off the ridge.” 

“The gurney’s already right here, and we have five guys.  Two at the head and shoulders, two at the back and hips, and one at the feet, right?”

“Five guys?  If you have five guys here, who’s helping … at the edge?”  Johnny trusted everyone involved in this rescue, but he couldn’t stop the words from leaving his mouth.

“86 just got here.” 

86. That means four more trained men. Thank God.  Johnny paused to consider if their presence meant any other options were available.

“Cap’s on it, Johnny.  Stay with me.  Is that how you want us to move him since we don’t have the boards, or do you want to do it another way?”

Johnny knew that Marco’s words meant that he thought he was focused on Roy, not the man still lying on top of him.  He had to admit that he wasn’t entirely wrong.   86 is here he reminded himself and again forced everything but Dave out of his mind. 

“It’s the best choice we’ve got.  Let’s do it.”

“Okay guys.  You heard how we’re going to do this.  Let’s make it happen.”

Johnny still couldn’t see much other than Dave and the feet on the ground near his head so he didn’t know who was helping Marco to lift the man but in less than a minute’s time he was off Johnny’s chest and lying on the gurney. 

Marco offered Johnny a hand to help him to his feet.  He gladly accepted.  “Thanks, Marco,” he said, forcing a grin.  “Do you think you can get me the drug box and the biophone?  Unless those blew away too,” he added in all seriousness. 

“They’re right here,” Marco told him, pointing next to the stretcher.  “You can thank Vince for that.  When the third gust hit he threw himself on them like a man diving onto a live grenade to save his friends.”

Johnny opened the biophone and looked at Vince, this time not needing to force the smile on his face.  “Third gust?  How did I miss that?  Thanks, Vince.  Rampart, this is Squad 51.” 

“Hey no problem,” Vince said while they waited for the hospital to pick up. “No way I was going to let that work out go to waste.” He flexed his shoulder.  “Never thought I’d say this to you of all people, Gage, but if you expect me to haul you up another mountain, you’re going to have to lose weight.”

Johnny allowed himself a moment’s respite and smiled again.  “You just need to beef up, Vince.  But thanks just the same.  Good save.  Rampart, this is Squad 51.  Do you read?” he repeated. 

“Least I could do,” Vince said.  “Besides, I was in Nam.  I acted on instinct.  After the sky exploded and the tree fell, I let go of you and dove to protect the really important stuff.”

Vince’s words registered at the same moment that Rampart responded. 

“We read you, 51.  Go ahead.” 

Dr. Early was speaking through the biophone.  Johnny was still holding the receiver, and he heard them respond, but his attention was no longer on the hospital.

“The tree fell?  What tree?”  He looked around.  One of the trees being used to brace a rope was uprooted and was now lying flat on the ground. The rope had been pulled higher on the trunk.  It’s forward motion had been stopped by a branch, but the rope had shifted at least ten feet toward the ridge when it toppled.  Cap and 86’s four men were at the edge, holding both ropes and talking while looking down.  Mike was examining the rope.  There was no sign of Roy or Billy. 

Damn!  “Marco, where are they?  Why isn’t Billy up yet?  What the hell happened?  Are they okay?”

“Billy’s okay,” Marco assured him.  “He’s on his way down to Roy.” 

“Why?” Johnny demanded, trying to keep his tone under control. “Is Roy hurt?”

To Marco’s credit he didn’t hesitate or offer false assurances when answering. 

“We don’t know.  He’s not answering the radio.”

Johnny took a step toward the ridge before catching himself and turning back to look at Marco, Dave, and the biophone. 

“Was that Roy’s tree?”  He knew the conflict must be readable on his face when Marco answered. 

“Yes.  Cap, Mike, and Billy are on it.  You can’t do anything they aren’t already doing, Johnny.  Trust them.  We need you here.”

Despite his overwhelming urge to make a different decision, Johnny knew Marco was right.  He took one more look toward the ridge.

“Rampart, this is Squad 51.  Do you read?”

~~~~~~~~~~

Kelly Brackett arrived back at the bay station just in time to hear Joe Early acknowledge 51’s call.  It was Johnny who was calling in.  That probably meant that they were finally back up top.  If so, they could now complete their assessment and begin treatment. That would be very good news, but it was not what they heard.  What they heard instead was anything but good. 

Johnny was talking, but not to them.  He suspected that the paramedic was still holding the receiver of the biophone because they could hear him clearly. He was fairly sure that the other voice they could hear was Marco.  Everything else was just noise. 

“The tree fell?  What tree?”

Kel looked at Joe.  Dixie and Kim had joined them.

“Marco, where are they?  Why isn’t Billy up yet?  What the hell happened?  Are they okay?”  Johnny’s voice was still controlled but just barely.

“Billy’s okay.  He’s on his way down to Roy.” 

Kel saw Kim catch her breath.  Dixie took a step toward the radio. 

“Why? Is Roy hurt?” 

“We don’t know.  He’s not answering the radio.”

“Oh no,” Dixie whispered.

“Was that Roy’s tree?”  The level of anxiety in Johnny’s voice was increasing.

“He’s losing it,” Kim said.

“Just give him a second,” Dixie told her.

Though it wasn’t unexpected, Kel cringed when they heard Marco’s answer.

“Yes.  Cap, Mike, and Billy are on it.  You can’t do anything they aren’t already doing, Johnny.  Trust them.  We need you here.”

There was a few seconds pause, and Kel could imagine what was going through Johnny’s head in that brief moment.  But he quickly understood that whatever was going through his head didn’t matter.  The next words he heard were calm and controlled.  And they were directed to them.

“Rampart, this is Squad 51.  Do you read?”

“We read you, 51,” Joe answered.

“Rampart, we finally have the victim back up top, on solid ground.  Pulse is still 70, steady and strong.  Respiration is 16 and also strong.  The victim has not shown any sign of consciousness since the time we arrived on the scene.  There is no discernible movement other than breathing.  Hold on for BP and further assessment.”

Had he not just heard all that had transpired a moment ago, Kel would have had no idea that Johnny had anything on his mind other than the man lying in front of him.  Now they heard nothing.  Johnny had closed the connection while he did his work. They would wait for him to open it again. 

“What about Roy?” Kim’s question was directed at all of them. 

Joe answered with a shrug.  “I think we have to wait for Johnny to say something.  I’m sure he’ll tell us when there’s something he thinks we need to know.”

“But he probably doesn’t even realize that we heard anything.  He may not tell us.”

“And no one is going to ask!” Dixie snapped. 

Kel was surprised at the intensity of her declaration. 

“Dix?” 

“For all he knows, Roy’s dead.  If Johnny’s managed to somehow put that aside and focus on taking care of his victim instead, we are certainly NOT going to add to his struggle by asking him about Roy.”

Kel looked at his head nurse and friend.  Dixie was protective of all of the paramedics, especially these two.  He knew she was worried about Roy.  He also knew she was worried about how his partner was handling it all.  After all, when it came right down to it, he suspected her maternal instincts were triggered by Johnny in particular.

“Of course we aren’t.  Joe said it.  Johnny will tell us when he thinks there’s something we need to know.  But unlike Johnny and Marco, I think we can allow ourselves to worry about Roy and Billy.” 

“And all we know is that Roy isn’t answering his radio,” Joe pointed out.  “He may have dropped it or he may not be in a position to let go of the ropes to answer it.”

Dixie turned a bit red and said, “I know.  Sorry.  I just…”. She stopped.

“We all ‘just…’ Joe said.

“They’re tough, Dix,” Kim said.  “They’ll all be okay.  I can feel it.”

Dixie smiled.  “Thanks.”

Kel had moved behind her, and put his hands on her shoulders. “These guys are very good at this stuff and they do it all the time.  We just don’t usually hear about it until after the fact,” he said to everybody.

Leaning over, he whispered in Dixie’s ear.  “Don’t worry, Momma Bear. Your cub is all grown up.  He can handle this, probably better than us.”  He stopped but then added, “Whatever the outcome.”

He felt her take a deep breath and release it before she shrugged him off.  She turned to look at him and mouthed “Thanks.”  There were tears in her eyes. She wiped them away and turned back to face the others just as the radio opened again.

“Rampart, Squad 51.”

Kel looked at Dixie and knew that she had caught it too, the slight abbreviation of the standard ID.  Leaving off “this is” before the “Squad 51” was inconsequential except that Johnny was always very precise in his radio protocol, more so even than Roy.  The dropping of those two small words spoke volumes about his level of exhaustion, probably both physical and emotional.

“Go ahead, 51,” Joe answered, then added, “We’re here.”  Kel knew Joe hadn’t missed it either.

“Rampart, the victim’s BP hasn’t changed.  160 over 110.  His pupils are both blown.  There’s clear fluid in both ears.  There’s some bleeding from the back of his head, but I’d have to move his neck to get a closer look.  I was able to apply a bandage while we were still below.  There’s no risk from the bleeding, and if there’s a skull fracture it isn’t discernible to the touch.  There’s no hematoma on his face or skull.  There was no hematoma on his neck when we applied the collar down below.  His abdomen is soft with no indication of internal bleeding. 

“We were able to splint his leg and ankle before bringing him up, and there’s no indication of any significant bleeding in the leg. We kept the high top sneaker on while we were moving him, but I had to cut it off now because of swelling.”

There was a pause, then he continued. “Doc, there’s massive damage to the foot and ankle, multiple broken bones and tissue damage.  He does have a pedial pulse and somehow nothing broke through the skin. There’s no external bleeding, but the foot is essentially one large hematoma at this point. From the damage I’m guessing that his foot was the first thing to land when he fell.  We’re applying an additional splint specifically to the ankle and foot now.  There’s no way to check the Babinski on this foot.” 

“Okay, Johnny.  Start an IV with Ringers.  Also, draw a red top for a type and crossmatch.  Can you hook him up and send us a strip?” Joe asked. 

Kel noted the use of his name instead of the squad number. 

“10-4 on the IV, and we’ll have the red top for you when we pull in,” Johnny answered, “but we’ve got rain here and it’s getting worse.  The guys are trying to shield him, but it isn’t working really well.  I’d like to move him into the ambulance before I send the strip, but it will take a few minutes.  The road isn’t passable and it will take us about five minutes to carry the gurney down to the ambulance.”

“Can you start an IV before you move him?”

“No problem.  I can do that,” Johnny told them. He was back on in less than a minute.  Marco or someone else must still be with him helping.

“IV is in,” Johnny told them.  “Pulse and breathing still strong and stable. BP still 160 over 110. I’m ready to move him to the ambulance.” 

Thinking about what Johnny had just said about carrying the gurney, Kel wondered why they weren’t just going to put the backboard on a stretcher and carry him that way instead of having to carry a loaded gurney.

“Johnny, is he on a backboard at this point?” he asked.

There was a notable pause before Johnny answered. 

“Unfortunately, no.  There was a gale force gust right after we put the board on the ground next to him to make the transfer. It’s probably still flying around out there somewhere. We lost both the full and half boards.”

“Understood.  Did you lose any other equipment?”

“Probably, but nothing medical from what I can tell.”  Johnny must have felt the need to release some tension because he added, “Of course I can’t see the squad from my current position.  If the wind took that, we lost the OB kit.  I think that’s the only thing we didn’t bring up the hill with us.  I’ll be back in a few minutes from the ambulance.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Roy looked around him, trying to figure out what exactly just happened and how he ended up hanging here some 10 feet below the ridge that he had been standing on only a few minutes before.  It’s not that he missed any of it.  He was acutely aware of every second.  But everything took place in such rapid fire succession that he had to stop and sort it all out. 

Roy had been standing on the ledge when Johnny, Billy, and the victim were pulled up.  Knowing that Cap was manning the ropes and could no longer see down the side, he had tried to keep them informed of the progress as he saw it from below. He watched them lift Johnny and the victim up and out of sight, leaving Billy momentarily behind. 

That last leg of the rescue had been remarkably calm.  They weren’t blown off course even a little bit, and Roy had actually allowed himself to think that the worst was likely over.  It wasn’t.  

The first gust lifted him off the ledge and swung him wide.  There was no impact following that eruption, because a second wind blast took hold of him before the first swing resolved.  Something above had interrupted his swing on that one, and his landing wasn’t nearly as hard as he had anticipated.  When he stopped moving he found himself hanging next to the ledge. 

From that point on everything was a bit of a jumble.  He knew everything that happened, he just wasn’t completely sure of the order.  He spoke briefly to Billy.  The car that had been up top was now somewhere below him.  It was only feet away from him as it fell, close enough that the air current that it created pushed Roy aside and into the ledge.  The sky exploded with thunder and lightning close enough that he felt the charge in the air.  Did the rain start before or after the lighting?  He didn’t know, but it was falling heavily when he felt the world fall out from under him. 

Roy knew what it was like to have the thing that he was standing on suddenly give way.  One minute you had something solid beneath your feet and the next you didn’t.  You hoped that there would be something that you could grab hold of.  You prayed that the next solid surface was no more than one story below.  You braced for impact and the pain that would be sure to follow. 

Only this time, there was nothing under his feet to give way.  His sudden free fall was caused by something letting go above him, not below.  There was nothing to grab hold of, and the next solid surface was hundreds of feet below.

The reality of what was happening was right there in front of him, but he had no time to fully grasp what it all meant before everything changed again.  His free fall came to an abrupt halt with a harsh and unforgiving jerk.  Momentum and gravity combined to try to force his body to continue its journey downward while the rope, harness, and safety belt combined to prevent that from happening.  The sudden jolt was agony on his already battered body.  For a moment he thought he would pass out, but somehow the knowledge of what that could mean allowed him to hang on to consciousness.  He connected with the ridge before the rope settled him into his current position, hanging over the ledge that had previously held their victim, keeping him just far enough away from the side to prevent him from reaching it.

Having more or less sorted out what had just happened, Roy knew he needed to make some decisions about what was going to happen next.  He had every reason to believe that the men up top were getting ready to pull him up.  But the ledge, which was doing nothing to shelter him from the rain, was blocking his view.  And if he couldn’t see them, they couldn’t see him.

He reached for the radio attached to his belt.  It was still there, but as he lifted it he saw the damage and realized that it must have been between his hip and the ridge when they had collided.  With little hope of success, he tried to open a connection with the men above, but he heard nothing, not even static.  He reattached it to his belt, took a deep breath, and tried to focus on what was possible instead of what was not. 

He knew that climbing the wet rope after the beating he had taken was not an option. Hanging here waiting for the next gust of wind also did not seem to be a good choice, but it might be all he could do.

It’s okay, he told himself.  It’s not like they don’t know that I’m down here.  I don’t know what happened to the rope, but they do.  They stopped it and are just figuring out the best way to get me back up now that they can’t see me.  They’ll feel my weight.  They know I’m still on the rope.  I’d rather be waiting on the ledge where they can see me and I can feel the earth below my feet, but I’m safe here.  Well, unless the wind has other plans.

As risky and hard as it was to hang here and wait, Roy knew that he had an advantage over his partner.  He knew that Johnny was safe and on solid ground.  While he couldn’t be positive, he assumed that the same was true of Billy by now.  But with no sight line and no radio contact, Roy knew that Johnny and the rest of his crew above had no way of knowing his status.  As anxious as he was, he knew it likely paled in comparison to what each of them was experiencing. 

His thoughts were interrupted by an odd movement of his rope.  For a moment Roy thought that he was about to swing or drop again, but this was different.  His rope was vibrating in a way that he had never felt before.  Or had he?  He let himself focus on the feeling of the rope in his gloved hands instead of the odd sensation coming from his security belt and harness.  He knew what it was.  Someone was rappelling down his rope.  Given the speed with which he seemed to be moving, he hoped that whoever was on the rope was as good at stopping as he was at making a rapid descent.

~~~~~~~~~~

Billy had had only seconds to plan, but he knew exactly what he needed to do.  He was going to repel down as far as the ledge.  From there he would be able to see Roy and would quickly know how much he would be able to assist in his own ascent, if at all.  As long as he isn’t dead weight.  Billy allowed himself to drop quickly toward the ledge, not slowing till he was only two feet above the protruding granite.  Coming to a full stop he found himself able to shift himself enough to land feet first on the surface he had gladly left behind just a short time ago. 

Before he did anything else, Billy took the time to wrap Roy’s rope around his carabiner again, this time in a way that would not allow him to repel, but created a solid, unmoving connection between the two.  If Roy’s rope let go again up above, for any reason, he would stay connected to Billy.  They may still swing together, but they wouldn’t fall.  Secure in that knowledge, Billy took a small step toward the edge so that he could see below him.  He raised his hand with a thumbs up to the men above when he found himself looking down into a pained, but very conscious face.

“Hey, Roy,” he said with a huge, genuine grin.  “What ya doin?”

“Just hanging around,” Roy answered.  “It’s getting a bit old though. I think maybe it’s time to go help out up top.  You think you can give me a hand with that?”

“Well, since I’m here anyways.”  Remembering Roy’s earlier question to him, he asked, “Are you injured?”

“Who knows?” Roy answered truthfully.  “But either way, I’m ‘capable of assisting in my own rescue,’ as Cap might put it.”

“Okay,” Billy said.  “Then here’s the plan.  You’re tied off to my belt now, and there are about eight guys up above hanging onto both our ropes as if our lives depend on it, which I guess they kind of do.  Your rope isn’t going to slip again, but even if it were to let go, the worst thing that’s going to happen is I end up with a sore back.”

“Eight guys?” Roy asked.

“86 is here.  Roy, I’m going to pull you up to the ledge here.  You hang on to your rope until you can hang onto the ledge.  Then I’ll pull you up by your arms.  How are your arms and shoulders?  Can they take that?”

“No problem,” Roy assured him. 

“Okay, on the count of three, you jump.”

Roy just looked at him, saying nothing.

“Okay, fine.  Just hang there then and make me do all the work.  1, 2, 3!”

As Billy started to hoist Roy up, he saw the man’s face contort in pain with the new strain on those exact parts of Roy’s body that had just been assaulted by the sudden drop and abrupt stop.  Billy was tempted to hold off and try to find a different approach. 

Roy must have sensed that somehow, because there was no other reason for him to suddenly say, “I’m okay.  Just keep going.” 

Billy knew that if Roy could handle it, the best thing that he could do was to get him through the ordeal as quickly as possible.  With that, he lifted again and in less than a minute's time, Roy had hold of the ledge.  Taking up the slack, Billy tightened the connection to his belt then reached down and grabbed hold of both Roy’s arms. 

“I know it hurts, but we’re almost there,” he said.  “You ready?”

“Very ready,” Roy answered.  “You want me to pull while you lift?”

“Couldn’t hurt… Well, you know what I mean.  Again, on three.  1, 2, 3!”

And with one strong heave, it was done.  Both men were on the ledge.  Billy helped Roy up off his knees, then hooked his carabiner to Roy’s belt.  After checking it twice to make sure it was secure, he looked up and found himself almost nose to nose with the man now standing only inches in front of him. 

What Billy saw were eyes almost consumed in pain, exhaustion, and fear.  What Billy said was, “Bet you’re glad I used mouthwash this morning, huh?” He reached for the radio.

“Your efforts are appreciated.”  With that Roy closed his eyes and turned away, preventing any further insight. 

“Cap, this is Billy.  He’s conscious, moving on his own, and ready to get off this mountain.  How about a ride up?  We’re connected at the waist and on both ropes.  So wherever we go, we’re going together.”

“OK.  How badly is he hurt?”

“To quote the man, himself, ‘Who knows?’  We’ll figure it out when we get up there.”

“Okay.  Johnny’s getting Dave down to the ambulance then has a few things he needs to do before they take off.  Let’s get you up here now and maybe you can go in with him.”

“Okay, Cap.  We’re ready when you are.”  To Roy he said, “Can you help by hanging onto the rope?” 

“Oh yeah.  I’ve had a bit of practice today, after all.”

“Okay, well let’s do what Johnny and I did.  You grab my rope and I’ll grab yours.  That’s one more source of stability.” 

“Got it.  And, Billy, if we swing, no sweat.  We just stick together and ride it out.  You don’t need to try to protect me, got it?”

They were already moving up when Billy responded.  “Sure Roy, got it.  If you get in trouble, you’re on your own.  If I get in trouble, I’m on my own.  After all, that’s 51’s A shift’s motto, right?  Every man for himself?”

Roy shook his head.  “Remind me to roll my eyes at you once we’re out of the rain.”

Billy smiled.  “No need.  I can see it clearly in my mind already.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Captain Stanley stood at the edge and watched as Billy and Roy rose the last few feet, pulled by the men working the ropes behind him.  The rain and resulting mud was making everything go a bit slower up top.  Johnny and Angie were carrying Dave on a stretcher down the wet and tattered road.   Hal took on the task of lugging the biophone and drug box.  They had needed to stop and regroup when a stumble on a piece of loose pavement and the subsequent slip in the mud had almost ended with everyone, including Dave, on the ground.  As it was, some fancy footwork by his paramedic meant that no one fell.  But they lost the IV when the bag of Ringers was punctured by another, or maybe the same, piece of loose pavement.  Afraid of possible contamination, Johnny had immediately removed the whole set up and decided that they would best wait until they reached the ambulance before he put in a new IV catheter. 

The incident had created a few more tense moments and another regrettable delay in transport, but it also meant that Roy and Billy would be able to ride to Rampart along with Johnny.  If any one of his three men were hurt more than they knew or were acknowledging, the others would be at hand to help. 

With Billy and Roy now at the top, Cap signaled to Mike and Marco who left the ropes to the others and came forward to help Cap pull them up and over the edge. 

Leaning forward, his hands once again on the ropes, he heard Mike say, “Welcome back guys.  This time you’re not going anywhere but up.  Neither one of you.”

“You don’t do anything from here. Let us do the work,” Marco told them. 

“You heard the man,” Mike said when Roy reached for the edge to try to help.  “You’re off the clock, Roy.  Keep your hands to yourself and let us do the lifting.”

Normally that would have been all it took to get Roy, or any of his crew to let it go and let the others do their job.  But Roy seemed reluctant, something that Cap could fully understand, but not allow to continue. 

“Roy,” Cap said as Roy once again reached out, “remember, you trust us.  You’re not going to fall again.  You need to let go and let us do the lifting.  If you need to hang onto something, hang onto the rope.”

Billy started to say something, but Roy cut him off.  “Sorry, guys,” he said and let go.  But Cap could still see and feel his fear as he added, “It’s all yours.”

He, Mike, and Marco all grabbed hold of the two men, and with a maneuver that was efficient if not graceful, pulled them up to solid ground.

Mike and Marco made quick work of separating the two men from the various ropes and clips that were still holding them together then forcefully encouraged them to sit down.  Both men brushed them off. 

“Where’s Johnny? Did they leave already?” Roy demanded.  He didn’t give Cap a chance to answer.   “Did they get up okay?  Johnny got pretty beaten up down there.  I’d rather he wasn’t alone in the middle of nowhere if the guy goes sour.  If I leave now I’ll at least catch up with them if they have to pull over.” 

Cap was about to speak, but as soon as Roy stopped, Billy started.

“Hold on.  You shouldn’t be driving, Roy.  Cap, he’s in a lot of pain.  He probably needs to be looked at.  Why don’t I drive him into Rampart?”

Again Cap started to speak but was cut off before he could get a word out.  This time it was Marco.

“I don’t think either of them should be driving, especially in these conditions.  I’ll bring them both over, then bring back the squad and anyone they let come with me.”

“Is anyone going to let me talk?”  Cap finally broke in.  He pointedly waited for everyone to be silent before continuing in a calm voice.  “Roy, Billy … breathe.  Dave’s still alive, and Johnny’s okay.  At least he’s functioning at the moment.  And since the ambulance hasn’t left yet, you can both ride in it with Johnny.  You’re all headed for Rampart anyways.”

“Cap,” Roy said again. “Please tell me you didn’t hold the ambulance for us.”

“We talked about the possibility, but no, we didn’t.  They just haven’t been ready to leave yet.”

“Why, what’s the hold up?” Billy asked.

“A few things that have nothing to do with either of you.  Now, before you do become the cause of a delay, let’s get you down to the ambulance.  I’m sure that Johnny will be able to answer all of your questions on the way in.”

Cap would have liked nothing better than to have both men sit there and be checked out before moving another inch, but if they did that they would lose their ambulance and medical gear.  Considering his options he asked them, “Can you guys walk?”

They both nodded. 

“Okay, Mike you keep hold of Roy there, and I’ll hang on to Billy.  Marco, you run ahead and make sure they’re ready for us when we get there.  Guys, since you say you don’t need to be carried, we’re going to walk down to the ambulance.  You set the pace.  Quick is good, but it doesn’t save any time if we have to stop to peel one of you off the ground.  Understood?”

“I’m fine Cap.  I don’t need to …” Billy started but Cap interrupted him. 

“Let’s talk while we walk.  Hang onto me,” he told Billy as he put his arm around the man’s shoulder and under his opposite arm.  Looking to his left he noted with satisfaction that Roy had put his arm over Mike’s shoulder and was leaning on him as they started down the hill.  Billy, on the other hand, had made no move to hang onto him.

“See what Roy’s doing?” he said to Billy who just nodded.  “Good.  Do that.” 

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” Cap demanded.

“You’re too tall, Cap.  I’d have to stand on my tiptoes to put my arm around your shoulders, and I don’t really think that’s the best way to keep my balance.”

“Right,” Cap had to agree.  “Good point.  Okay, well hang onto my waist then, or my arm, or anywhere that feels right, but hang onto me.”

Cap smiled when he felt Billy’s arm move behind his back and hold onto him at the waist. 

“Okay then,” he said. 

When Cap spoke again, he raised his voice a little louder to be sure Roy could hear him as well. 

“So Johnny already knows this.  You three are done for the day.  Dwyer and Kirk are already waiting for the squad back at the station.  Marco will bring it in.  And LA is sending in a replacement for you as well, Billy.” 

Billy opened his mouth to say something but Cap didn’t give him the chance.  “The decision’s been made, so don’t waste your energy arguing. Since there was a delay, the two of you are going in the ambulance with Johnny and Dave.  When you get there, one of the doctors will take care of Dave, and the three of you will tell one of the other doctors about each and every encounter that you had with the wind or a rope or a ledge or a wall of rock or mud.  If you got so much as a rope burn or a bruise you tell the doctor about it and have him check it out.

“Roy, you and Johnny need medical clearance before I’m letting you back on duty.  Billy, as much as you seem like part of this crew right now, my authority over you only lasts until eight AM tomorrow.  I can order you to see a doctor and do whatever he tells you today, which I am ordering you to do, by the way, just in case you didn’t catch that.  What I can’t do is tell you that you have to stay home tomorrow.  I don’t have that authority.  But I watched what you went through today and Billy, I’m telling you, stay home tomorrow.  Consider it a strong suggestion and know that it’s one I’ll be making to your Captain when I get back to the station.”

Despite the fact that Cap was watching the ground for obstacles as they walked, his peripheral vision didn’t miss the victorious smile that flashed across Billy’s face ever so quickly. 

“Yeah, I know, Billy.  Harper will think I’m pampering you.  He probably won’t make you get medical clearance or tell you to stay home unless you tell him you need to do that.  Take my advice and tell him you need to stay home.  He won’t question it because he will have already heard it from me.”

“Yeah, but Cap…” Billy started. 

“But nothing, Billy.  Money problems or not, you aren’t helping anyone, most especially yourself or your wife to be, if you work when you’re not on your game.  And I promise you this.  You, my friend, are not going to be on your game tomorrow.  You took a beating, and you’re going to be one big ball of pain by morning.  Don’t be stupid. Stay home.” 

They were now only steps away from the ambulance.  Cap had one more thing to say before he let this go.  “Billy, talk to Roy.  He’ll tell you too. We both learned this the hard way.  In a job like this, part of taking care of your wife is taking care of yourself.  You need to remember that.” 

Cap noted that Billy didn’t object when he helped him climb into the ambulance.  He just said, “Thanks, Captain Stanley,” and looked down. 

“Okay, boys.  Your ETA to the hospital is about 30 minutes so that should give you plenty of time to play paramedic with each other on the way.  Not that I don’t trust any of you, but I have more trust in your commitment to look out for each other than for yourselves.  So, in this case, I remind you.  You are your brothers’ keeper.  Unless Dave requires your attention, I expect you to assess each other on the way in and make a full report to Rampart either on the way or once you arrive.  Furthermore, I expect each of you to make sure that the other two are okay before anyone leaves that hospital to go home.  Do I make myself clear?”

“Perfectly clear,” Johnny replied. 

“Got it,” was Roy’s response. 

Billy said nothing.  “Billy?”  Cap pushed.

“I understand, Captain.” 

Cap just shook his head as he closed the door and sent them, finally, on their way. 

~~~~~~~~~~

It was tight in the back of the ambulance with the three paramedics and Dave.  Johnny sat on the bench across from his patient.  Roy was in the jump seat nearest the front. Billy was between the two of them.  

Johnny studied the men sitting with him, making no attempt to hide his concern.  Even if he had wanted to be surreptitious about it, he would have failed.  Both men were looking him over with the same level of scrutiny.

Roy spoke first and Johnny had to admire his professionalism when the first question out of Roy’s mouth was, “How’s he doing?”

Johnny’s answer was succinct.  “Comatose, no movement, otherwise stable.”  Looking Roy up and down one more time he continued.  “When I heard you dropped I thought you were …. well, I thought a lot of things.  Glad to see I was mostly wrong.”

“Mostly?” Roy responded.

“Well, you’re alive and conscious and those are good things.  You also look like you’re in real pain though, partner.”

“I’ve had better days.  What about you?  You look like you just slid down that hill back there, face down and head first.  What happened?  Am I looking at the cause of the transport delay?”

“Only part of it.  I did trip on the way down the hill.  I almost fell and almost dropped Dave here, but in the end, all that hit the ground was the Ringers.  The bag burst and I had to stop and pull out the IV.  That was the biggest delay.”

“And the mud?” Roy pressed.

“Oh, you mean my hair treatment and new fashion statement?  That’s what happens when you slip trying to pick up the stethoscope that you left around your neck that somehow ended up in a puddle of mud.”

He pointed to the stethoscope that was encrusted in slimy mud.  “Luckily there was a clean one in the drug box.”

“Are you hurt?”

Johnny simply repeated Roy’s answer.  “I’ve had better days.”  Turning to the man sitting between them, he asked, “How about you, Billy?  How bad are you?  How’s your shoulder?”

Billy answered without looking up. “I can move it.  I’m okay.”

Johnny looked more closely at Billy, trying to decide whether or not he needed to press him for more.  He saw that Roy was doing the same.  He decided to let it go for the moment. 

Roy apparently made the same decision because his next comment was focused back on Dave.   “No backboard.”

Johnny shook his head.  “Keep watching out the window.  You might see it flying by.  The wind took it and the half board before we could get him onto it.”

Roy nodded.  “You took off the sneaker.” 

“I had to.  The swelling was getting pretty bad.  We were right to leave it on for the ride up though.  I wouldn’t be surprised if every bone in his foot and ankle is shattered.”

“Who’d you talk to at Rampart?” Roy asked.

“Sometimes Early, sometimes Brackett.”

“How much do they know about everything that happened here?”

“Just about everything there is to know, I think.  They know we pulled him up with a belt and harness and that we lost the backboards.  They know we all got blown around and beaten up.  I don’t know what I said, exactly, but I think I’ve got them worried about us, or at least about me.  They kept calling me ‘Johnny’ instead of ‘51.’  Come to think of it, I bet the connection was open when I learned that you had dropped and Billy here had gone back down after you.  I maybe didn’t sound all that calm in that moment.”

“No one ever did tell me what happened to my rope?  Why did I drop?”

“You were tied off to a tree.  The wind uprooted it, and it went down.  You went down with it.  The rope slid forward, but the knot held.  The loop caught on a branch.  Man, that must have hurt like all get out when you came to a stop.”

“I might use more colorful language to describe that particular moment in time, but yes, it hurt like all get out.”

Johnny saw Roy grimace as his partner turned toward Billy.  “Speaking of which,” Roy said, “maybe we should do what Cap said and at least get BP readings for each other before we get there.  I wouldn’t put it past Cap to check and make sure that we did.”

Johnny decided it was time to give voice to what he, and he suspected Roy, had been thinking. 

“You know, Roy, it occurs to me that there are four men in the back of this ambulance and only two are talking.  Now, it’s been my experience that Dave here is the silent type, but I haven’t known Billy to be this quiet since those first few days in training.”

“Now that you mention it, I see what you mean.  What’s up Billy?  Is the pain getting worse?” 

Billy looked away which prompted both Roy and Johnny to switch into full paramedic mode.  Roy took hold of Billy’s wrist and Johnny reached for the BP cuff. 

Billy pulled his arm away and with a look of disgust he said, “Nothing’s wrong.  I’m fine.  Leave me alone.”

“I’m not buying it, Billy,” Roy told him.  “You joked with me the whole time we were on the side of that ridge.  Now you look like you just lost your best friend and you’ve barely said one word since the doors closed.  Either you’re hurting, upset, or both.  Which is it?”

“Look, Billy,” Johnny said, “you heard Cap.  Brother’s keeper and all that?”

“Yes, I heard Cap.  I heard every single word he said and I have to say I’m confused.  Guys, I have no idea what I did to piss him off.  I did everything I could today.  I thought I did a pretty good job.  I don’t know what I did to make him so mad.”

Johnny looked at Roy.  “Do you know what he’s talking about?”

“Maybe,” Roy said.  “Look, Billy, I know that Cap had a lot to say on the way down to the ambulance.  I listened to everything he said but I don’t think I heard the same thing you did.  What makes you think he’s angry?”

“Everything, Roy.  You heard him.  He called me irresponsible.  He said I was putting people at risk.  He said I’m bad with money and I’m going to make a terrible husband. I thought he kind of liked me.  Man, I called that one wrong, huh?”

“Cap said all that?”  Johnny couldn’t believe it.  “Our Captain?  Hank Stanley?”

“Yup,” Billy said.  “He even said he’s going to call Harper.”

“Billy, I heard something totally different,” Roy told him.  “I think… no, I know, you’ve got it all wrong.”

“I don’t think so, Roy.”

“I listened to what he was saying, Billy,” Roy told him.  “I heard a man who has always liked you, but today started seeing you as one of his men.  He didn’t call you irresponsible.  He said he was worried about you working when you’re hurting, something he says to Johnny and me repeatedly, by the way.  I’ve heard him say it to Dwyer, but never anybody else who isn’t part of our crew, at least not the way he said it to you.”

“He didn’t say you’re bad with money.  He said that needing money isn’t a good reason to put yourself at risk.”  Roy continued.  “And he didn’t say you were going to be a bad husband, he said that, in this job, taking care of your wife also means taking care of yourself.”

“Cap said that?” Johnny double checked with Roy.  Roy nodded.

“Billy, Captain Stanley is a man who hates to be in the middle of any kind of conflict.  That’s why Chet and I get away with so much crap.  Cap would much rather walk away than insert himself into someone else’s problem.  He’s not saying you’re going to be a bad husband.  He’s sharing his experience, telling you up front what it took him years to figure out on his own.  And when it comes to his marriage, he’s a pretty private person unless he’s with people he likes and trusts.”

Johnny knew that Billy was paying close attention when he said, “Oh, I don’t know about that.  He was talking pretty freely about Grace when I was with you guys the day I got there early for B shift.”

“My point, exactly.”

Roy continued.  “And yes, he said he was going to call Harper, but not to report on you.  To tell him that you were hurting and needed to take a day off.  That’s what I heard.”

“I didn’t hear the words, Billy.” Johnny said, “but I do know Captain Stanley, and I’ve got to go with Roy on this one.  I don’t think Cap was telling you he was mad at you or didn’t like you.  Sounds to me like just the opposite.”

“You think?”

“Yes, I think.”  Johnny looked at his watch.  “We should be there in about 10 minutes.  You guys start playing paramedic with each other, as Cap so eloquently put it.  I’ll check Dave out one more time then subject myself to your vitals check as well.  After all, I don’t think Cap’s angry with any of us right now and I, for one, would like to keep it that way.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Dixie was standing at the bay station talking to Mike when Kim came out of treatment room three.  Right behind her was an orderly pushing a wheelchair containing Mrs. Frasier, a somewhat confused 92 year old who had been found walking alone on the street. 

“Is she being admitted?” Dixie asked.

Kim nodded.  “Joe’s got her a bed in neuro for the moment.  They’ll do more of an assessment while social services tries to locate family.  Anything from 51?” 

“They should be here in a few minutes.  Kel’s in his office.  He got a call from the battalion chief.  He’s got Kennedy from Orthopedics and Stapleton from neurosurgery coming down here. Sounds like the plan is to do a quick assessment here, decide what can wait and what can’t, get the blood work and imaging started and get him right into surgery.”

Joe Early joined them.  “This may be one of those times when there’s nothing we need to do for him here in the ER.  Dix, is six set up?” 

Dixie nodded.  “All set, Joe.  EKG and EEG set up and ready to go.  X-Ray is standing by.” 

“Forget X-Ray,” Joe told her.  “I just spoke to them.  Given the extent of the injuries, they want to work in the X-Ray lab instead of the ER if possible.  Stapleton and Kennedy have already agreed unless he’s not stable enough.” 

“Well, we’ll know in a minute,” Brackett said as he joined them.  “Looks like they’re coming in now.  Mike can you stick with the kid in two and talk to his mother when she gets here?  Kim, I want you with me in six.” 

Dixie smiled at her response.  “You want me?  Don’t you want Dixie?”

“Dixie and Joe have a few other potentially difficult patients that they need to assess,” Brackett told her.  To Dixie and Joe he said, “Just holler if you need back-up.”

The ambulance bay doors opened and five men walked in with a sixth lying motionless on a gurney.  Pointing to the ambulance attendants Dixie said, “You’re in six with Dr. Brackett.”

Turning to Johnny, Roy, and Billy she said, “You three are a mess.”  Looking specifically at Johnny she said, “You look like you’ve been rolling in the mud.”

“That would be one way to describe it,” Johnny acknowledged.  “Doesn’t Brackett need me in there for a minute for information?”

“Is there anything you haven’t told us already?”  Dixie wanted to know. 

“No, not that I can think of,” Johnny conceded.

“Well, then in that case you can just give me the red top if you have it.”  Johnny handed it to her.  

“I see no reason for you to contaminate more than one cleaned treatment room.  I want all three of you in treatment five.  Dr. Early and I are going to make sure none of you are about to collapse on us, then you all get treated to the shower room and a clean pair of scrubs before you come back to five which we will re-clean in your absence.”  

Looking them over a bit more closely as they stood there with their still wet hair and clothing; she removed even the joking toughness from her tone.  “Guys, after what you’ve been through I can hardly believe any of you are still standing.  Come on, let’s get your vitals then get you into warm, soapy showers and clean clothes.”

Roy stepped forward and handed her a partially dry piece of paper.  On it was each of their names, their pulse, BP, respiration, pupil check and even a basic neuro status check.  She looked at each of them, shook her head, and smiled. 

“You did this when?”

“In the ambulance on the way in,” Roy told her.  “Our patient  wasn’t really saying or doing much of anything and Captain Stanley threatened us with something, I’m not actually sure what, but there was a definite threat attached to his direction that we were to walk in here prepared with an assessment of each of us.” 

“I think his exact words were that we were to ‘play paramedic’ with each other on our way here,” Billy told them.

Roy nodded.  “None of us were really sure that we had the capacity to remember the numbers at this point so we decided to write them down.”  Looking at Dr. Early, Roy continued.  “Doc, given our compliance and proof of stable vitals, is there any chance we can start with the showers?”

“I don’t see why not.”  Dr. Early smiled at them.  “We have shower chairs in the stalls so as long as you don’t mind having someone waiting outside the stall in case you find yourselves in trouble, I think it makes sense.  After all, we need to be able to see all those bruises that are currently disguised by dirt.  By the way, did Captain Stanley provide any further directives? 

It was Billy who answered.  “Yes, sir, Dr. Early, sir.  He most certainly did.  We are to show you every bump, scrape, or owie.  We are to tell you about every close encounter that we had with an unmoving force such as a mountainside that rudely refused to get out of the way and instead blocked the path that the wind had chosen for us.  We are to remember that we are our brother’s keeper and that we are responsible for keeping the others honest in their self-reporting.”

He grinned and looked at Johnny and Roy, both of whom were almost laughing.  “Did I manage to get that all?  Did I miss anything?”

“Just the part about already being pulled off the rest of this shift and needing medical clearance before we return to duty,” Roy told them. 

“Well, yes.  The pulled off duty for the rest of this shift part is true for all of us.  I, however, have no request from my commanding officer for medical clearance before I return to duty.  That particular honor was bestowed only on my two honorable colleagues here.”

Dr. Brackett happened to choose just that moment to re-join the conversation that was still taking place in the hallway.  “Actually, Billy, you are part of that directive.  The chief called me just before you all arrived.  He explained that Captain Stanley doesn’t have the authority to extend the requirement for medical clearance to you, but he does and since your captain seems to be unavailable today, he has decided to act on his behalf.  All three of you are to present yourselves to us for a complete exam, follow all of our medical advice, and not report back to work until we say that you are ready to do so.  Oh, and Billy?  He also asked me to offer an opinion as to when you would be ready to pull overtime shifts again.  He seemed to think you had perhaps been doing a lot of that lately. 

“Now, to the showers, gentlemen.  Joe, Dixie, and I will be waiting for you when you return.” 

Dixie watched Billy salute Doctor Brackett, make a military style turn, then march toward the showers.  Roy rolled his eyes and followed him.  Johnny held back.  She watched as Roy stopped and turned back, waiting on Johnny.  The two looked at each other and Roy nodded and turned and headed for the shower.

“Johnny?”  It was Dr. Early who asked, and he provided no more direction than making it clear that they wanted to hear what Johnny had to say.

Johnny turned to Dr. Brackett.  “What about Dave?  You were in and out of there pretty quick.  Is he still alive?”

“He’s still alive.  Cardiac and pulmonary are still stable for now.  Stapleton and Kennedy are with him, and right now he needs specialists more than he needs me. Stapleton kindly suggested that I might be better utilized elsewhere.”

“That’s different,” Johnny said. 

Brackett smiled.  “It’s okay.  I agree with them.  Don’t worry, Johnny.  If I thought they needed me, I’d be standing right there, regardless of what anyone said.  And if anything changes, I’m right here.  He’s in good hands.  I promise.”

Dixie watched as the paramedic processed what Kel said and accepted it as truth. 

“Is it as bad as it looks?” Johnny wanted to know.

“I think so,” Brackett told him.  “We’re still waiting on imaging, but I can tell you already that we won’t be able to save his lower leg.  How did you describe it, ‘massive damage?’  That was conservative.  The foot and ankle are beyond any chance of repair.”

“What about the rest of his leg?”

“I don’t know.  We’ll have to see.  Unless they see bleeding that they don’t expect, they aren’t going to do anything with the leg right now except to keep it stable.  At least not today.”

“Was I right?  Are his lungs and heart stable despite everything else?” 

“Yes.  The injuries haven’t affected his cardiac or pulmonary status, at least not yet.”

“His head?” 

“Again, we’ll have to wait and see what the imaging says.  You saw it in the field.  The pupils are blown, there’s cerebral fluid and now blood in the ears, no pain response.  The brain injury is probably severe and possibly irreversible.”

“And his spinal cord?  Doc, I’m so sorry that we weren’t able to use the backboard.  We did apply a collar immediately, but bringing him up with just the belt and harness like that…  Doctor Brackett, he didn’t even move a single muscle, not even an involuntary twitch.  The only movement was his breathing.  Did we do that?”

Dixie could hear the distress in his voice, see it under the mud on his face.  She wanted to jump into the conversation, but held back.  It would mean more to him coming from Dr. Brackett. 

“Johnny,” Brackett began, his voice calm and steady, “the three of you got this man off that ledge and up 40 feet and to this hospital still alive, despite near impossible conditions.  That is remarkable.  I know that you couldn’t use the backboard or even the stokes, but the way I heard it from your chief, he didn’t come up with ‘just’ a belt and harness.  He came up sandwiched between two paramedics who did all they could to keep him flat and stable during the maneuver when it became apparent that other options were not possible.  Sounds like a pretty good improvisation to me.” 

“Thanks. Your confidence in us helped out there today.  But, Doc, you only answered part of my question.  What about the spinal cord injury?”

Dixie saw the tell-tale twitch that often preceded bad news coming from her friend.  She wondered what words he would choose. 

“Johnny, I just don’t know.  The imaging will certainly tell us some things and other tests will tell us more.  I think the spinal cord is likely damaged at the neck.  You said he wasn’t moving from the first moments after the fall.  It likely happened in the initial fall, not later.”

“Is there any chance he’ll walk again?” 

“You know I don’t quote odds, and so much about healing is something that happens despite us rather than because of us.  I’ve seen the unexpected happen and this could be one of those times, but I’ll be honest here and tell you that I don’t think the spinal cord damage is going to matter.  I think we’re going to find a skull fracture and severe brain injury.  I don’t think he’s going to live.”

Johnny started to say something but Brackett didn’t let him, wanting to finish first. 

“If I’m wrong and he lives, I don’t think he’ll regain the use of much below his chest.  And I think he’s going to lose the leg.” 

Dixie watched him absorb the information. 

“His name is Dave,” Johnny announced when he spoke again.  “Did anyone tell you that?  I don’t know a last name.  Just Dave.”

“The police told us, Johnny,” Dixie told him.  “They’re working on tracking down a last name so we can reach the family.”

“Debbie should know,” Johnny told them.  “The girlfriend.  Have you spoken to her?  She was kind of losing it at the scene.  I think one of the deputies brought her here though.” 

“The police are trying to find her to ask her if she knows his last name and anything about his family.”

“What do you mean, they’re trying to find her?  She drove off with one of the deputies.  Didn’t he bring her here?  How can they not know where she is?  She was desperate to be with him.  I can’t believe she isn’t here somewhere.”

“From what I was told, as soon as she saw him after you brought him to the top, she asked a deputy to bring her home.  He didn’t know they still needed information so he did.  He offered to bring her here, but she said she didn’t think she would be seeing him anymore and said she wanted to go home.”

Dixie watched Johnny shake his head in disbelief before he spoke again.  “Great.  Look, I think I’ll go take that shower now if it’s okay with you all.  Doc, thanks for being straight with me.  I’ll let the other guys know.”

Dixie saw him grab his side as he turned toward the showers.  Brackett saw it too, and he took a step toward him.  Johnny raised his hand to signal him to stop. 

“Nope, I’m okay, Doc.  It’s just that every time I don’t move something for a few minutes, it hollers the next time I do.  I promise you can check it out, but shower first, okay?  When I get back I guarantee you I’ll tell you about every little ache and pain.  I know Roy will too.  You might have to push Billy a bit on that front though.  I may be wrong, but I think he may have picked up one or two bad habits from me when figuring out how to address job related injuries.  You may have to undo that.  Sorry.” 

He turned and walked toward the showers saying, “Back in a jiff.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Twenty minutes later, Joe Early walked into treatment room five, following behind Dixie and Kel.  What he saw when he entered were three treatment tables, each with the back raised into a reclined but sitting position.  The three paramedics occupying the tables had apparently decided not to take advantage of what Joe knew was Dixie’s thought out positioning of the backs.  Instead each sat on a table with his legs hanging off the side.  All wore hospital issue green scrubs.  While their hair was still wet, this time it was clean and towel dried. 

Johnny, Roy, and Billy all looked at them as they entered the room, each wearing a forced smile pasted onto his now dirt free face.  Joe suspected that they were under the false impression that the smile would somehow mask the pain and fatigue that was plainly visible in their eyes, their jaw lines, and the way that each held his body. 

Their smiles were not genuine, but Joe’s was when he said, “You guys are crazy.  Why are you sitting like that instead of lying back with your feet up?  Dixie even propped the backs for you.”

“I don’t know about the two of them,” Roy answered, “but somehow the thought of trying to lift my legs up onto the table and twist around just seemed like a lot of work.”

“Speak for yourself, Roy,” Billy said.  “I could sit back if I wanted to, but I don’t need to.  I’m fine.” 

“He was speaking for himself.  He even said that.  And as for being fine, well if I didn’t think you’d be foolish enough to try, I’d dare you to raise that arm above your head without grimacing or groaning.”  Johnny’s pain and exhaustion was clearly evident in his voice if not his words.  “As for why I’m sitting this way, well, I just didn’t want to look like I was worse off than the two of them.  I mean, think about it.  If you all had walked in here and found the two of them sitting on the edge with their legs hanging down and me lying back, you’d all have made a beeline right for me.”

“Hey,” Roy cut in, “can we all please refrain from any references to ‘hanging down’ and ‘edges’ please?  I’ve had more than enough of that today, thank you.”

“Dix, Joe,” Brackett said, “let’s help them lie back so that they don’t fall if they pass out, then get new vitals.”  Pointing to Billy he said, “I’ll take this one.”

Joe moved over to Johnny as Dixie headed toward Roy and Billy complained, “Why me?”

“Because, my friend, you are an unknown on the injured list side of things around here.  I consider you more of a challenge.  Which, by the way, is not a compliment.”

Joe saw Johnny protect his side again as he shifted to move his legs onto the table.  He decided to bypass a new set of vitals for the moment.  Helping Johnny change positions he asked, “How bad is it?”

“Not horrible, Doc, but the pain makes sure that I know it’s still there whenever I move.  It’s mostly my left hip and side.  I took a few really hard hits to the hip when we were hanging then I pulled something in my side when I tripped and made some rather awkward moves rather than drop Dave.” Johnny looked toward Brackett and asked, “Anything new, Doc?”

“He’s still in radiology.  I know they were getting some CT scans.” 

Joe raised Johnny’s shirt and saw the bruise that traveled down from his side toward his hip.  He could also clearly see the lines where he had worn his safety belt and he suspected he would also be able to see where he had been held by the harness. 

Joe spoke to everyone in the room, not just Johnny, when he said, “You were all wearing safety belts and harnesses when you were being blown around and lifted and dropped and everything else, right?”

He noted that all three men nodded but Roy, in particular, looked pained at the mere thought. 

“I’m afraid you’re going to need to lose the scrubs.”  Joe tried for some compassion when he said it.  That tone was not present in the affirmation that came from his colleague.

“Absolutely,” Brackett said.  “We probably should have thought it out and sent you to the showers with johnnies instead.”

“Now wait just a minute,” Billy protested.  “If I’m injured at all, and I’m not saying that I am, I just hurt my arm, shoulder, and maybe my back.  My upper back.  I don’t see why I should have to strip down to my boxers.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” Roy said from across the room.  “You actually put your boxers back on after your shower?  Weren’t they wet from the rain?”

“Well, yeah,” Billy declared. “Didn’t you?  I mean, they didn’t give us any dry ones.”

“You’re something else.  You really are still a newbie at this injury stuff, aren’t you?”

Joe watched and noted that Billy had started to relax.  The others must have noted it as well, because no one moved to interrupt the exchange.

Johnny joined in and took it in a slightly different direction.  “Now wait just a minute.  You’re telling me that you don’t want to strip down in front of qualified medical personnel because of some twisted sense of modesty?  You, who just a short time ago had no compunction about grabbing hold of me in the exact same place that you are now worried about exposing to these fine people?”

“I knew you’d come back to that at some point.”  Billy said.  “I knew you would gripe about that even though it might have saved your life.”

“Saved my life?  How did you grabbing my family jewels save my life?”

“I didn’t say it did, I said it might have.  And I didn’t grab you.  I pushed.”

“That’s better?”

“Yes, it is.  In case you’ve forgotten, let me remind you.  I was supposed to be helping you and Dave get up top by guiding and pushing from below while the guys above you pulled.  I reached to push your butt.  It’s not my fault that you shifted at the last second and my hand ended up somewhere else.”

Joe had seen them do it before, most recently with Chet Kelly, but it was still fascinating to watch it play out in front of him.  In a matter of seconds they had managed to de-escalate the tension that was starting to build, using playful ribbing to reinforce that they were all in this together. Joe wondered if they even realized they were doing it.  He was sure that at least one of them was not fully aware of how much things had relaxed when he heard Billy’s next words.

“Not only that, but don’t forget that I was pushing with my left hand, which is not the hand I would normally use because I’m right handed, but my right arm and shoulder happened to be injured at the time and I had no choice.”

Joe watched Billy’s expression change as he heard the words leave his mouth and accepted the mistake he had just made.

“Okay, so maybe I’m hurting a little.”

“Guys,” Dixie said, refocusing the conversation, “as fascinating as all this is, we can’t count on the temporary quiet around here lasting.  Now do we need to separate the three of you, or can we proceed as we are?  Seems to me Captain Stanley was pretty straight forward in expressing his expectations and we can’t let him down, now can we?”

“Yes, ma’am.  I mean no ma’am.” Billy said.  “I do not want him mad at me again.”

“He wasn’t mad,” Roy started, then stopped when he saw Dixie turn toward him.  “Sorry, Dix.  It’s okay.  We’ll behave.”

“Okay then,” Dixie said to the room. “I’m not the doctor here, but I’m thinking that there’s x-rays in the future for at least one or two of you, so let’s move this along, shall we?  Roy, let me help you with that shirt.”

Joe turned his attention back to his current charge.  “Like she said, let’s lose the shirt.  Can you still raise your arms?”

Johnny answered by lifting his arms above his head.  “Go for it, Doc.  I’ll take any help you have to give.”

~~~~~~~~~~

An hour and a few X-Rays later, the men were back in the scrubs and gathered in the doctor’s lounge, waiting for Joanne to come pick them up.  Billy had a darkening bruise on his cheek where his face had connected with the ridge.  His arm was in a sling, which he’d been told to wear for a couple of days to let his shoulder rest.  Roy had a bandage at his hairline, protecting a laceration that he couldn’t remember getting.  All three were sporting adhesive bandages of various sizes covering antiseptic cream and abrasions on various parts of their arms and hands. The gloves that they had worn while handling the ropes had prevented any rope burns.  And though they were all covered with bruises, some visible, many not, there had been no broken bones or serious injuries to muscles, ligaments, or tendons.  All in all, they were walking away, relatively unscathed. 

Unscathed, but not without pain, Johnny thought as he stood when the lounge door opened.  It was Doctor Brackett.  Brackett had been called out part way through their exam but had clearly been filled in on the results.

“Gentlemen,” he said as he looked them each up and down, “I come bearing paperwork.”

He was holding several full size and several smaller papers in his hands.  Handing out the smaller papers he said, “First, prescriptions for painkillers.  Don’t hesitate to take them for the next few days if Tylenol isn’t working.  But don’t drive if you take them.”

Johnny took it, folded it without reading it, and put it in his wallet that was now housed in the pocket of the scrubs.  Roy and Billy did the same.

“Thanks, Doc,” Roy said for all of them.

“No thanks necessary, guys,” Brackett told them.  “I know you’re tough and all that, but do me a favor and take them if you need them.”  Holding up the other papers he said, “These are your medical clearance papers, requested by your chief.”

“After Captain Stanley talked to him,” Billy added.

Brackett looked at him and shook his head.  “I assume that’s true.  Time to let that go, Billy.  Like it or not, you are one of the men that Captain Stanley worries about now.  If I were you, I’d like it.  You could do a lot worse.”

Turning to Roy, he handed him a paper and said, “Roy, you’re off for a week.   Ice for pain or swelling, heat for stiffness, and do frequent, light stretching.  The pain should be getting better each day.  If it gets worse, I want to see you.  If you’re moving okay a week from today, you can go back to work.  If not, call me and we’ll set up some PT.   You be the judge but be smart about it.”

“No worries there, Doc.  If Joanne doesn’t keep me in line, these guys will.  Like Cap said, we may not all be the best at watching out for our own health, but we seem to be pretty good at keeping each other accountable.”

“That, I know,” Brackett smiled then turned to Johnny.

“You, my friend, have lots of bumps, scrapes, and bruises, but otherwise are in remarkably good shape given what you’ve been through. Keep using the antibacterial cream on those scrapes until they heal.  No heavy lifting or strenuous activity until your side feels better.  Like I told Roy, ice, heat, and light stretching.  The pain in your side should get better each day.  If it gets worse, I want to see you.  And I want to see you that day, not two days later.  Your next shift is in two days?”

“That’s right,” Johnny said.

“You’re going to miss it.  You can go back after that.”

“Got it,” Johnny said.  “Thanks.”

Brackett turned to Billy.  “As for you, you got lucky with that shoulder.  Keep your arm in the sling for a couple of days to give the shoulder a rest then come back and see me.  Use ice on the shoulder.  You’re off for at least tomorrow and your next shift after that.  Beyond that, we’ll see.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” Billy objected.  “How come I’m the only one who has to come back before I get clearance?”

Johnny didn’t miss the fact that Brackett looked at him before turning back to face Billy. 

“Don’t worry.  I’ll be watching them.  Remember, we’ve been down this road before.  But I also know they’ll have Captain Stanley and Joanne to snitch if they display less than stellar judgement, not to mention that they’ll call out each other.” 

He looked again at Johnny, and this time Roy, before continuing.  “With you, however, this is our first rodeo so to speak.  From what I know, Harper’s approach to leadership is somewhat different from Stanley’s and since I’ve never met Bonnie, I suspect she may be reluctant to pick up the phone and call me.  As for your partner, Tim’s still trying to impress you so I’m not sure he’d be all that anxious to push back if you say you’re okay.  Which leads us back to what’s written on that piece of paper.  You’re off for your next two shifts.  After that come see me and we’ll decide what’s next.”

Johnny thought that Billy was going to object further, but he decided to shut that down before they ran out of time.

“Doctor Brackett, what about Dave?  You got called out before.  Was it for him?”

Doctor Brackett looked down for just a moment and Johnny knew what was coming.  Looking at Roy and Billy he knew they too, had picked up on the sign. 

“No, Johnny.  It wasn’t for him, but I do have news.  The police reached his parents and they’re here.  The tests are back, and the results aren’t good.  The injury to his brain is severe.  His heart and lungs are now both showing signs of failing and his liver and kidneys are shutting down.  His parents just signed a DNR.  We won’t be doing any surgery at this point.  I’m sorry.  I know what you all went through for this one.  The evidence is standing, barely standing, right here in front of me.” 

Johnny saw him look at each of them before Brackett spoke again.

“Guys, you gave him everything you had and then some.  You did all you could to give him a chance.  In this case, I think it’s safe to say it was already too late before you got there.”

“Can I see him?” Johnny asked, then immediately rethought his question.  “I mean, I’d like to, but I know you’d have to ask his parents, and I wouldn’t want to do anything that would make this any harder on them.  They are the ones that matter now.”

“Let me talk to Stapleton,” Brackett answered.  “He’s the one who’s been talking to the parents.”

“Okay, Doc.  That makes sense. Thanks.  If it’s okay with you, I’ll hang out here until you know.” 

Turning to Roy and Billy he said, “I’ll find another way home.  You guys should go home when Joanne gets here.  There’s no need for you to wait too.”

Roy rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that day and Billy shook his head. 

“I don’t think so,” Roy said, pointing his partner to the couch as he reclaimed his seat there himself.

“Doc?” Billy asked.  “We’re going to wait with Johnny.  Would you rather we move to the cafeteria or waiting room?”

Brackett looked at them.  “You know, Billy, you may be new to this but I’m thinking you’re going to be a quick learner.  I’m hoping you don’t get too many opportunities to practice.  You guys are welcome to wait here.  I’ll tell Dixie to send Joanne down when she gets here, and I’ll be back and let you know as soon as I can.”

Opening the door he shook his head and added, “You guys are something else.”  He walked out and the door closed behind him.

“I think he likes us,” Billy said.

“Most of the time,” Roy added. 

Johnny just smiled, closed his eyes, and leaned back to wait

Part 3