IN GOOD COMPANY

PART 3

Captain Stanley set his coffee cup on the table and picked up the newspaper.  It wasn’t that he really needed to catch up on the daily news, but having his face hidden by the paper was a great way to take in all the noisy chatter of his crew without actively participating.  He’d learned a long time ago that sometimes it was better to just listen.  

It had been several weeks since the cliff-side rescue.   A few phone calls and his requested authorizations meant that he was completely confident in his paramedics’ full recovery.  He’d said more than a few thank-you prayers for the fact that their injuries had been minor.  That run could’ve been career or even life-ending for any of the three men.  Knowing that the victim hadn’t made it was a bitter pill, but these men were professionals.  They knew going in that the victim’s odds weren’t very good.  Still, that didn’t mean the guys didn’t care or that it hadn’t affected them.  It was one of the questions Hank made sure to put before Dr. Brackett during their last conversation.  He was grateful that the doctor understood his concern, and even more grateful for Brackett’s reassurance.  The three paramedics were fine.

Chet was recovering but not yet cleared for the strenuous work of fire-fighting, and Billy was still trying to augment his house-fund, so 51’s had an extra paramedic again this shift.  Hank hoped, as always, that the other medic wouldn’t be needed in that capacity. 

The sound of laughter made Hank smile as he heard his two paramedics exit the squad and head for the kitchen.  They’d been out on four runs already today, while the engine crew had only dealt with one small trash fire.  Lunch had come and gone, so he suspected that Roy and Johnny were famished.  Johnny confirmed that as he headed for the refrigerator.

“Hi Cap.  What was lunch?”

“Stew.”

“Mike’s stew?”

“Still warm on the stove for ya.”

“Yes!  That’s just what the doctor ordered.  Although he ordered it about two hours ago.”

Roy didn’t need to be told, he’d already spotted the bowls on the table.

“Here, Johnny.  Quit talking about it and dish it up before we get called out again.”

Roy’s gentle teasing was just the right impetus.  Johnny grabbed the bowl from his partner and hurried to ladle up a generous helping of beef stew.  By the time the rest of the crew came in from hanging the hoses a few minutes later, the two paramedics were halfway through their stew and several slices of bread.

“About time you guys decided to take a break.”  Billy teased.  

“We’re just trying to get our runs out of the way before you guys get busy,”  Johnny shot back, around a mouthful of bread.

Marco and Mike simply laughed as they poured cups of coffee and joined their captain at the table.    

“How are things going at home, Roy?  Your mother-in-law in a better mood these days?”

Roy looked around as the other four men went completely silent.  But his quick grin at Captain Stanley caused everyone to relax.

“Your sisters must be good for Joanne’s mother.  They’ve had lunch several times and I think it has helped a little.”

“How are plans for the party, Cap?”  Johnny asked, in an obvious attempt to change the subject.

Roy’s sigh wasn’t lost on Hank, but he had a hunch that had more to do with the subject of Joanne’s mom rather than his party.  

Lowering his paper, Cap frowned slightly.

“This party has taken on a life of its own. Grace has spent so much time planning and organizing that I think she’s overdoing it.  I’m getting too old for birthday parties anyway.”

“Ah Cap, that’s okay, you’re worth it.”  Johnny intoned to the grins of his shift mates.

Hank merely shrugged as he folded up the newspaper, then headed for his office.  He was muttering as he went through the doorway but they all managed to hear him grumble, “I told her not to get carried away.”

Just then the klaxons went off and Cap switched directions.  Chair legs scraped the floor and spoons clattered in two bowls as the whole crew jumped up and followed him into the bay.

“Engine 51, Squad 51.  Fire in a warehouse.  1591 Bay Street.  Time out, 2:41.”

“10-4”  Hank answered as he scribbled the address on the tag sheet and handed it off to Roy in the squad.  Then he hurried around the engine and climbed into his seat just in time for Mike to pull out of the station.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mike followed the squad into a large asphalt parking area, stopping just inside an old sagging gate.  Patches of weeds and grass growing up through the cracks lent an air to the dilapidated complex.  At the far end of the lot, smoke was billowing out of the front of a concrete-block structure.  It was clearly some type of old cannery, meaning there was probably no working water source other than the hydrant on the street.  Obviously Captain Stanley had already reached the same conclusion and was quick to give instructions to his crew.

“Marco.  Pull an inch and a half.”

Marco and Billy jumped out in unison and within minutes they had the end of the hose off the back of the truck as Mike pulled closer to the fire.  Closer to the entrance, he parked Big Red and climbed out, immediately heading for his job of manning the engine as the men hooked the hose to a hydrant and prepared to fight the fire.  Roy and Johnny were pulling on their turnout coats while standing next to a police cruiser where Cap was deep in conversation with Officer Vince Howard.  Anxious to know what exactly was happening, Mike knew his duty came first and stayed by the engine as he adjusted the water pressure and checked the gauges.

Once the hoses were set, Marco and Billy advanced to the large open doorway, spraying a stack of boxes and old lumber that were in flames.  At that point, Mike was free to join the others and get a better handle on what was going on. 

“Mike, it looks like we have some teenagers with fireworks in there.  Vince has called for additional officers to help get them rounded up, and I’m going to call for backup in case they start more fires before they can be apprehended.  This old cannery has a lot of rooms to search through, so it could take a while."

“Cap, Johnny and I are ready.”

“Okay, Roy.  You’ve got the radio?”

“Yes.”

“Vince, you sure you want to go in with the guys before we get a handle on this fire?  It might be better if you wait.”

“I’m sure.  It looks like your guys are getting it knocked down, and there’s plenty of room to get around it.  I want to get these kids before they start something worse.”

“Agreed.  Okay, we’ll send in help once we get this fire under control, and get some more resources.”

Mike headed back to the engine, more curious than ever about how Vince ended up following these kids to the warehouse.  But he knew that would be a story told around the kitchen table at the station; after things were cleaned up here.  He just hoped there would be a good ending, and not something that included injured kids.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~

Roy, Johnny and Vince searched the first part of the building together.  It was clear that with Vince’s delay while calling the Fire Department, the teenagers had managed to get ahead of him.  Maybe they weren’t even in the vicinity.  But they had to act on the premise that the boys were here and could cause damage.  To the building or themselves.    

Ten minutes in, and they were all thinking the same thing.  The three of them together weren’t making much progress.  Roy was the first to voice it.

“We’ll cover more ground if we split up.”

“Yeah.”   

“I was just thinking the same thing.”  Vince echoed.

“Okay.  Let’s take a look around.  Fifteen minutes and we meet back here.  Vince has a radio, but we only have one between us, so I don’t want to split up for any longer than that.  Agreed, Johnny?”

“Yeah, makes sense.”

“Sound okay, Vince?”

“Yeah.”

“All right.  But be careful.”  Roy urged.

Johnny nodded at Roy before heading towards the back of the building.  It was obvious that neither liked the idea of separating for the search, but with the lack of manpower, they didn’t have much choice.  Another radio would’ve been helpful, but that wasn’t an option either.  So Roy carried their only form of communication.

“Remember, fifteen minutes and we meet back here,” Roy called out.

Johnny and Vince’s “yep” and “got it” followed in quick succession as the three men continued the search alone.  

The warehouse was separated into various rooms and work spaces, divided by old conveyors and metal dump bins.  Johnny found it interesting that the owners would’ve left so much behind.  But he was also grateful that for the most part, he was dealing with steel or metal, instead of the more combustible cardboard that might be expected in a storage facility.  This place surely had to be some kind of cannery in its heyday.  As he searched the first room, Johnny noticed various catwalks dangling overhead, most of them secure, but a few tilted at odd angles.  He did his best to steer clear of those areas.  

The more worrisome discovery was the rotted posts and beams that were apparent the deeper he moved into the building.  Once he located what seemed to be a cook room of sorts, Johnny was certain that the area was unsafe.  Years of heat and steam had accelerated the decaying process of the wood supports, meaning that there was a high risk of collapse no matter which way he turned.

As he was staring up at yet another catwalk hanging unevenly overhead, Johnny jumped when a firecracker went off a few feet ahead of him.  Breaking into a sprint, Johnny found the smoking debris in seconds, but there was no one in sight.  Whether the culprit had lit the incendiary in place or tossed it there from another location, he wasn’t sure.   

“Come on, man, this is no good.  It’s not safe in here.   Come out now before someone gets hurt!”

His call was answered by a distant laugh, and Johnny wondered how the offender managed to get so far ahead of him.   But clearly hollering out a warning wasn’t going to help.   A quick check of his watch showed that he was almost halfway through the allotted fifteen minutes.  If he headed back now, he would meet Roy and Vince with minutes to spare.  But that wouldn’t help them find or stop the potential arsonists, not to mention that with kids running around this unsafe area lighting fireworks there was every chance a rescue would be in order soon.  Johnny moved on, quickening his steps as he made his way farther into the building.  Besides, it was always quicker going back, so it only made sense that he could fudge a little on the time.

Another loud pop ahead confirmed that Johnny was moving in the right direction.   Hurrying forward, he watched carefully for signs of movement, but this area was as deserted as all the other rooms.

As Johnny reached the large block doorway leading into yet another group of rooms, he stopped to check the time again.  He really couldn’t afford to go any farther.   No matter how much he disliked it, the search would have to be abandoned for now.  Either the kids would slip out undetected, or maybe a larger search party with radios in hand could apprehend the deviants.   Johnny clenched his fists, looking around as if an easy answer would present itself.  He knew that Vince had called for police backup, and barring any additional fires, the crew of 51’s would probably be released soon anyway.  None of this was Johnny’s best-case scenario, and it sure rankled that he hadn’t been able to stop the kids, especially since he’d been so close.  But he was experienced enough to know that sometimes they just had to let it go.

With a frustrated sigh, the paramedic turned back to retrace his steps.  He really would need to hurry now or Roy would be headed this way on a search of his own.  

He’d gone all of twenty steps, maybe, when Johnny had a sudden premonition.  In his business, you didn’t ignore that twitchy feeling or sudden raising of the hair on your arms.  Looking up through the shadows, Johnny could just barely discern movement, as if the ceiling itself had shifted, and that’s when the premonition turned to panic.  His split second decision to run was made one second too late.  A roar of decaying wooden posts splitting and metal being sheared off filled his ears as the loft above collapsed.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Roy jogged back toward the meeting place, grateful that there had been no other fires, or at least not in his search area.  But he couldn’t discount the series of popping sounds and one very loud crash from off in the distance.  It made him all the more anxious to meet up with his partner and Vince.  Reaching the designated area, Roy was disappointed to find that he was the first one back.  Pulling the radio from his pocket, he started to call Cap when he heard his name being called.  It wasn’t the voice he was hoping for, but was grateful nevertheless.  Vince was coming slowly toward him, two young men in his grasp.

“Give me a hand, Roy.  We have a couple of young men who need some attention.”

Roy could tell from Vince’s tone of voice that he was more frustrated than worried about the teenagers.  But they were each a little bloody and clearly shook up.  Roy brushed aside his own apprehension over his missing partner as he made the boys sit on a concrete curb so he could look them over.  

“Mostly scrapes and bruises, Vince.  What happened?”

“They both took a tumble off a concrete ramp.  Lucky for them it was a short ramp.”

Roy would’ve grinned but his frustration at the whole situation kept him serious.  

“Where’s Johnny?  Did he find the other one?”  Vince questioned.

“There’s more?”

“Yeah, these two admitted that their leader took off in the other direction.  Seems he’s the one with the fireworks.”

“Johnny hasn’t come back yet.”

Vince and Roy exchanged a worried glance as Roy pulled the radio from his pocket again.

“Engine 51, this is Squad 51.”

“Squad 51, we read you.”

“Cap, Vince found two of the boys.  They have some superficial cuts and bruises, but they’re okay.   Johnny hasn’t come out yet, and there’s one other boy still missing.”

“Okay.  The fire is under control out here, so Marco and Billy will be joining you in a few minutes.  38’s is on the way.  I’ll send you some additional help as soon as they arrive.”

“10-4 Cap.”

Slipping the radio back in his turnout coat, Roy watched as Vince motioned for the two boys to stand up.  

“I’ll take these two back to the squad then call for back-up.  As soon as I can get them transported to the station, I’ll come back and help search for the third one.  And Johnny.”

“And Johnny.”

Roy winced slightly as he nodded at Vince.   This was a fairly straight-forward call, but he had a bad feeling about his missing partner.  Watching Vince maneuver the two boys towards the front of the building, Roy was grateful to see Marco and Billy already hurrying toward him.

“Which way, Roy?” asked Billy.

“Johnny headed toward the back of the building.  There are a lot of passages to choose from, so I’m not exactly sure which path he took.  And don’t forget we still have a missing kid to deal with.”

“And his fireworks,” mumbled Marco.

“Yeah.  Let’s get going.”  Roy muttered as he led the way.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Johnny attempted to swat at the stupid fly buzzing around his ear, or at least that’s what he thought it was. Maybe it was a bee. But the sudden white-hot pain in his arm made him forget all about the buzzing and focus on biting back an oath instead.  It took several long minutes before the intense pain subsided enough for him to think clearly.  Except, nothing seemed clear.  Where was he?  And why was he lying face down in a pile of dust and debris?  

“R . . oy?”

His voice was almost non-existent, only making Johnny more concerned.  What the hell happened and where were the guys?  Why wasn’t someone helping him off the floor?  Or were they in trouble too?

“Roooooy?”

This time his voice came out a little stronger, but the effort only caused him to cough.  That didn’t help the pounding in his head or the knife-sharp pain that returned to his shoulder. 

Fighting through another round of agony, Johnny tried not to thrash about.  His first attempt to get up and look for Roy was his last.  Something was sitting on his legs.  He was trapped, and he knew it.

Struggling to stay calm, Johnny tried to remember what he’d been doing.  Nothing came to him.  He could only turn his head a little, but Johnny did his best to check out his surroundings. It wasn’t easy since even moving that little bit caused his head to pound and his stomach to turn.  Nausea was the last thing he needed right now.

Concentrating on what he could see, Johnny was disappointed when the only thing in sight was metal and pieces of concrete, covered with thick dust.  There was so much dust still in the air that nothing else was visible from his small cocoon.  It didn’t take much for Johnny to deduce that he was trapped under a pile of rubble.  Falling back on his paramedic training, he focused on running through the list of questions he might ask any other victim.  

“Victim?  I’m not . . a  . victim.”  

More coughing followed his frustrated words, reminding Johnny that it was better not to talk.  At least not until he figured out where he was or what had happened.   

Since the memory was still fuzzy, he analyzed his medical state instead.  Airway was clear, with breathing okay.  Unless he tried to holler. His head hurt.  Bad.  It felt like there was something jabbing his left leg.  But that and the screaming pain in his shoulder seemed to be the worst of it.  Well, that and the fact that he couldn’t get up.

Johnny felt the world shift as he turned his head once more causing him to fight off an intense urge to lose his lunch.

“Lunch?  Was that the last meal I had before I ended up... here?  But where’s here?”  

He wasn’t sure if his words were whispered out loud or if they were just hollered inside his head, but the repercussions were too much.  The dim world of his dusty cocoon turned black as if someone just flipped off the lights.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Marco watched as Roy led them through the abandoned building.  He could tell from the set of the paramedic’s shoulders that Roy was worried about his partner.   But this wasn’t new territory.  Too many calls resulted in a search or rescue of one of their members.  They all knew it was part of the job.  But that didn’t make it any easier to deal with when a partner, a friend, was missing.  

“Johnny?  Holler out if you can hear me.”

Roy’s voice was tinged with concern, but Marco tried to keep his thoughts positive as they moved through the empty rooms.  After all, there wasn’t any real reason to assume that Johnny was in trouble.  Maybe he lost track of time.  Maybe he found the kid and was taking time getting him back.  Maybe there was a small blaze that he needed to attend to before returning to meet Roy and Vince.  Yes, there were a hundred-and-one reasons why their crewmate was missing, and none of them involved injury.     

Of course, there were also the one or two reasons that could point to a bigger problem.  And they’d also dealt with those in the past.  Marco fervently hoped that wasn’t the case today. 

“Marco, watch out!”    

The fireman felt a hand on his shoulder pushing him to the left just as a metal bar crashed to the right of him.  It was difficult to talk, given the pounding of his heart, but Marco managed a feeble “thanks Billy.”

“No problem, man.  That was a close one.”

“You two okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine, Roy.  But keep your eyes open, it’s not safe in here.”  Billy answered.

“That’s putting it mildly.”  Marco managed.

The two hurried to catch up with Roy while watching overhead and looking in the areas on each side.  It was bad enough having to search for their missing friend along with some crazy kid, but now they had to deal with an unstable structure.  Marco couldn’t help but wish they were back at the Station enjoying a cup of coffee.

Another five minutes of careful footsteps and diligent searching brought the three men to yet another opening in a block wall.  There was a difference here, though. Where the other rooms had been open with scattered catwalks and metal work, this area seemed to be filled with wreckage.  It was obvious that a large section of the ceiling and overhead walkways had collapsed.   Old wooden posts stood out amongst twisted metal, and dust hung thickly in the air.  The men realized instantly that the debris field they were looking at was new. 

“Johnny!!!”

“John!”

Roy immediately began to dig into the pile as if his life depended on it, and Marco instinctively knew that Johnny’s probably did.  It was the best explanation for why their friend hadn’t returned at the designated time.  But he could also see that Roy’s reaction was based on friendship vs. protocol.  

“Roy, stop.  We don’t even know he’s here.”

Roy’s heavy breathing confirmed Marco’s suspicions.  

“You’re right.  We need help.”

Pulling out his radio, Roy took a deep calming breath while surveying the rubble.

“Engine 51, this is Squad 51.”

Doing away with protocol, Cap’s worried voice came through:

“Roy, did you find him, or the kid?”

“Cap, we found an area where part of the building has collapsed.  We suspect Johnny is in or near here.  Probably the kid too.  We’re going to need help!”

“10-4.  Three men from 38’s are already headed for you.  We’ll be right behind them with equipment.”

“10-4.”

While Roy was on the radio, Marco and Billy had been evaluating the area.  There was no way to tell if Johnny had been caught in the collapse or where to start searching.  No tell-tale signs were visible from the doorway, but with such a large area, they needed some clue as to if or where they should start digging.  Billy had already started working his way around the pile, clearly being careful with each step.  Now Roy did the same.

“Johnny, can you hear me?”

Marco winced at the sound of Roy’s plea, but followed his lead, working around the opposite side of the heap.

“John!  Where are you?”

The three firemen were still searching for clues or signs when the men from 38’s crew joined them.

“Roy?  Where do you want us to start?”

“We don’t know if he’s even in here, Scott.”

Marco crawled over a small pile of metal just as he heard Billy’s shout.

“Roy!  Over here!”

No words were spoken but five men managed to navigate the debris within seconds.  By the time Marco got to him, Roy was holding Johnny’s helmet in his hands while looking around frantically.

“Johnny!   Johnny, can you hear me?”

Nothing.

“John!”

Silence.

“Okay, let’s start here, but careful guys.  This pile isn’t stable, and we don’t know exactly where he’s at, or if that kid is in here too.”

With unspoken agreement, the firemen donned their gloves and attacked the pile.   Piece by piece, they removed what they could of concrete, wood  and small metal sections, each man conscious of what the result could be if he wasn’t careful.  

They would have to wait for a saw to cut the longer segments, but Marco knew it wouldn’t be long before Cap and Mike joined them with the equipment.   Or at least that’s what he silently prayed for.  He’d caught sight of Roy’s expression enough times to know that Captain Stanley was definitely needed here.   It was too hard to be a best friend and also be a leader in that same friend’s rescue.

“Johnny!”

Marco pulled out another piece of metal and laid it on the growing pile behind him.  The lack of response from John was concerning.  Was he somewhere else?  Was he hurt too bad to answer?  Or was he . . 

“Roy.  Fill me in, pal.  What’ve we got here?”

Marco nodded at Billy who stopped what he was doing to join them.  Both men were extremely grateful to hear their captain’s voice.  And from the slump of Roy’s shoulders, Marco knew that the paramedic felt the same.

“Cap, we’re not sure where he’s at.  But Billy found his helmet, so we’ve been focusing on this side of the debris field.  It’s mostly metal and wood, but there’s a lot of concrete mixed in with it.  We’ve already found multiple spaces, so we’re hoping that wherever Johnny is, there’s a decent air supply.”

“I heard you calling.  No answer?”

“Nothing yet.”

“All right.  Mike’s got the saw.  Let’s get started on some of this bigger stuff and see if we can make a better opening.  Marco, give Mike a hand.  Billy, I brought the bio-phone and drug box.  Why don’t you get set up back by the doorway in case we need to contact Rampart.  Scott, let’s get a couple of you on the other side of this mess.  We need to make sure we keep things stabilized as we open this up.”

“Yes sir.”

“Sure Cap.”

Marco moved immediately to Mike’s side, grateful for Caps quick assessment and steady leadership.  Roy was back on his knees, working at loosening another piece of concrete, but Marco could sense that the paramedic was also relieved.  Mike started the saw as Marco steadied the first of many metal pieces that required cutting.  He hoped it wouldn’t take many before they located Johnny.

The sound of the saw reverberated through the room as Mike made quick work of several long pieces of metal.  He just started on another length when they were stopped by a primeval scream.  Mike shut off the saw just as Roy reacted:

“Johnny!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

That damn bee was back.  Or was it a fly?  Whichever, this time it was much louder and more obnoxious.  Johnny reached up to swat the thing away but his hand met with something hard instead of a small bothersome insect.    The pain that flared from his hand, to arm, to head was indescribable, and resulted in a cry of agony that just made everything worse.  Only when the initial anguish finally subsided did he realize that the bee had stopped buzzing.  It was a small victory, but at this point, Johnny was grateful for anything.   

His mouth felt like sawdust and everything hurt.  It took several minutes for his heart to slow down enough for Johnny to evaluate his surroundings and try to figure out where he was and what had happened.  He had a brief feeling of Déjà vu but no clear thoughts followed.  

“What the hell . . Roy?”

Johnny knew his partner’s voice.  What he didn’t know was why Roy would be yelling at him.   Had he done something wrong?   Was someone in trouble because of him?  Or was he supposed to be doing something and hadn’t followed through?  Whatever the answer, he knew well enough that his first order of business was to answer.

“Roy?”

His answer was anything but audible.  Johnny knew he’d called out, even classified it as a shout in his head.  Problem was, he was pretty sure that was the only place it was heard, was in his head.  And his head was currently screaming back at him.  That or someone was poking his head with white-hot pokers.  Either way, he lost track of Roy.

Johnny tried in vain to move away from the pain, but that action only awakened his shoulder pain, and the two of them together was more than one man could handle.   The only sound Johnny managed was one more whispered “Roy” before he gave up and let the darkness take him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Did you hear him?  I’m sure it was Johnny.  Did you hear him, Cap?”

“We all did, Roy.  He’s in there, but where exactly?”

“I don’t know.  Marco?  Did you get a fix on him?”

“He’s somewhere to the left of us, I think.”

“Mike, shift over that way a bit, but let’s go careful, men.  And let’s shut down every five minutes.  Roy, you keep your ears open.”  Captain Stanley ordered.

Roy nodded in agreement as the others returned to their work.  He was grateful for the feel of a hand on his shoulder as Billy moved past him.

“Hang in there, Roy, we’ll get him.”

“Yeah.  But in time?”

“You know it.”  Billy squeezed his shoulder before returning to his digging.

Roy hadn’t meant to sound negative, but he knew Billy understood.   It was simple fear talking.  They’d all been through this before; probably one too many times, when it came to Johnny.  But Roy did his best to keep his emotions under wraps as he returned to digging out the debris.  It wasn’t easy.  Other than the battered helmet, they’d found nothing to prove that Johnny was here.  Nothing except that cry of pain. 

Movement from the far corner of the rubble brought Roy back in focus. 

“Hey Roy, sorry it took me so long to get back.  We heard on the radio that Johnny’s down.  What happened?”

Vince’s look of concern almost broke Roy’s control, but he swallowed hard and answered as if he was making a report.

“Looks like the catwalks and ceiling collapsed in here.  It’s all new with the dust still settling when we got here.  The only sign we found is Johnny’s helmet, and . .”  Roy swiped a hand across his face before he continued, “and his . . scream.”

Vince’s look was grim and he paused as if surveying the area.  Roy wasn’t sure if the officer was looking for something or just giving the paramedic some time.  When Vince finally spoke again, his tone was filled with compassion though his words were all business.

“No sign of the kid, either?”

“No.  Nothing.”

“Let me get my guys lined out and then I’ll give you a hand.”

Roy didn’t answer but continued working as Vince spoke to the two officers behind him.  After instructing them to search for the kid on the other side of the collapse and report back, Vince began to dig.  Roy didn’t manage more than a quiet, “thanks man.”  

Several of the five minute breaks had passed when Roy stopped for a moment to survey the scene.  Cap and Billy were digging to the left of Marco who was intently selecting and holding long sections of pipe for Mike to cut away.  The guys from 38’s were scattered amongst 51’s crew, each man digging through the rubble while looking for some sign of the missing paramedic.  

Mike started his saw again as Roy tugged his gloves back on and returned to his digging. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Johnny opened his eyes to that insistent buzzing again.  His initial impulse to swat at something was stopped as he recognized the sound of a saw.  There was no bee or fly.  Someone was cutting on something.  Something so close that he had the urge to move away from the sound and smell.   Instead, he managed to call out.

“Stop!!”

As if on cue, the saw went silent only to be replaced by several familiar voices.

“John?”

“Johnny?”

His first holler had made his head swim with pain, so it took several deep breaths and a few more calls from his friends before Johnny was able to respond.

“Yeah.  I’m . . here.”

“Are you hurt?”  Roy’s worried voice carried over Hank’s more subtle query of “are you okay, Pal?”

“mmm okay.”

Johnny closed his eyes and worked to control the pain as he listened to the numerous voices outside of his cocoon.

“Did you get a fix on him, Marco?”

“I believe we’re close, Cap.  Look over here.”

“Mike, here’s a shovel.”

“Thanks Billy.”

“Cap, he doesn’t sound good.” 

“See if you can get more out of him, Roy.”

“Billy, why don’t you get back on the phone to Rampart so they know we’re close.”

“Sure, Cap.”

Through all of the chatter, Johnny felt like he was swimming in pain.  It came in waves.   First in his head, then his shoulder, and finally somewhere lower, in his leg.  Johnny was having a hard time focusing, and the desire to close his eyes and drift away was almost overwhelming.  He would’ve given in, if not for the sound of his partner’s voice.

“Johnny?  I need you to talk to me.  We’re trying to pinpoint your position, so it helps if you can keep talking.”

“I’m here.”  Johnny mumbled automatically.  “Right  . . here.”

There was a brief hesitation before Roy answered.


 

“That’s good, Johnny.  Keep talking.  We’re all working to get you out.  Are you hurt?”

“I’m . . okay.”

From his position on the other side of the debris, Roy gritted his teeth.  It was such a typical response from his partner, but this time Roy felt no humor.  Instead, he tried to hide the frustration in his voice.

“Come on, John, I need some specifics.  Dr. Brackett is going to expect more information.”

Roy shook his head at Marco, both men clearly worried by the lack of reply.

“Johnny?”


 

“Yeah . . okay.   My head . . hurts.   Shoulder.  Maybe . . leg.”

“Okay.  That helps.  Are you on your back or your stomach?”

“ . . stomach.”

“Can you see anything from where you’re lying?”

“ . . no.  Maybe . . maybe metal?”

“Yeah.”

Billy stepped up to Roy and asked quietly, “can you ask about the kid?”

Roy nodded before asking his partner.

“Johnny, is the kid with you?”

There was a long pause before Johnny answered.

“Wh . . what  . . kid?”

Roy’s eyes widened and Billy winced.  

“It’s okay, Roy.”  Billy said quietly.   “We’ll keep looking.”

Roy worked to steady his voice before calling out to Johnny again.

“How’s your shoulder?”

There was no answer this time, and Roy struggled to keep his composure as he leaned closer to the debris field.

“Johnny?  You still with me?”

A very faint  “uuhhh” came back.

“Johnny, you need to stay awake.  Tell me more about your shoulder.”

No response confirmed what Roy suspected.  Johnny was probably unconscious.  How bad was the head injury?  Was he losing blood somewhere?  Was he suffocating?  Too many variables meant that time was of the essence.

“Hang on, partner.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hank Stanley worked silently alongside his crew.  The initial chatter had passed and now they were diligently but carefully digging through the debris field, hoping to find Johnny.  In time.  Stanley didn’t need to look at Roy to know that was his biggest fear.

And there was the kid to locate or rescue; if he was even in this mess.   As captain, Stanley knew better than to let emotions get the best of him, but times like this made it hard.  Here they were, searching for their injured friend and all because a bunch of teenagers were trying to show off.

Hank was grateful that he had such a good group of men to work with.  They were a close-knit group, and that included Billy as Chet’s fill-in.  Heck, it even included the guys from Station 38.   He was proud to call LA County his home, but especially when it came to situations like this.  The fire department had some of the best men in the business, in his opinion, but when any one of their members were down, the guys went above and beyond.  That’s what was happening now, and though it tore at his gut to know it was once again his youngest charge that was in trouble, Hank knew these men wouldn’t stop until Johnny was found.  He just prayed he could add the word “safe” to that.  

“Captain Stanley?”

The tired voice came from Vince, and Hank was once again grateful for the man’s help in their search.

“Yeah, Vince, what’ve you got?”

“If you can spare a minute . .”

Hank dropped the shovel he’d been using and followed the police officer to the doorway.  There, covered with dust but basically unhurt was a 15 year old boy, each arm encased in another officer’s hand.

“I wanted you to know that Officer Davis and Officer Ward found this young man unharmed.  He still has a lighter and a pocketful of fireworks.”

Captain Stanley put his hands in his pockets, unwilling to let this punk kid see his clenched fists.  He kept his voice low but civil as he asked his question.

“Do you know what happened to the paramedic who was following you?”

The kid looked defiant, but a quick squeeze to his left arm by Officer Davis must’ve changed the boy’s mind.

“I think that ceiling fell on him.  But I didn’t do anything.  I was just running ahead when I heard this loud crash.  I went back for a look but didn’t see anybody, so I kept going.”

Cap didn’t respond, but continued to stare at the young man until the youth finally looked down as if to study his shoes.  Vince finished the meeting with a quiet command to his junior officers.

“Take him out to the car and keep him there until I finish.  Then we’ll make some calls and see if we can locate his parents.”

Another defiant lift of the boy’s chin was the last thing Hank saw as the officers turned and escorted the kid out of the building.

“Thanks Vince.  I’ve got to get back to-”

“Cap!   We found him!”

Hank charged back through the debris until he was standing next to Billy.

“Where?  Can we get him out?”

“Not yet, Cap.  He’s underneath some of this twisted metal, but we can see him.”  Marco answered excitedly.  

Hank moved closer until he was kneeling next to Roy.

“What do you think?”

“Cap, if we can cut some of this out, I think I can get down to him.”

The captain peered through the opening, studying the still form of his youngest paramedic pinned under metal and other debris.  It didn’t take much to realize that space was at a premium, and he regretted his next words, knowing they weren’t what his senior paramedic wanted to hear. 

“Roy, Billy’s smaller.”

There was a brief pause, but Hank knew the paramedic was trying to come to grips with his statement.  It was slow in coming, but Roy finally agreed.

“Okay, Cap.”

Hank put a hand on Roy’s shoulder, in appreciation or support, he wasn’t sure himself.  But he kept that hand there as he turned to his engineer.

“Mike, let’s get this opened up.”

The sound of Mike’s saw stopped all other conversation.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Johnny!”

“mmmm . .”

“Johnny, can you hear me?”

“umm . . I don’t . . . Roy?”

“Yeah it’s me, partner.  How’re ya doing?”

“mmm . . okay.”

“How about something a little more specific?”

 “uhhh . . I’m fine?”

Roy almost laughed in relief at Johnny’s feeble but definitely pat answer.

It was just too familiar.

“We might as well tattoo that on your forehead, Junior.”

“mm . . Dix won’t . . like it.”

“Dixie won’t like it?  Why’s that?”

“She . . she doesn’t like . . tattoos.”

This time Roy did chuckle, though it was faint-hearted at best.

“Seriously, Johnny, I need more information.  How’s the pain?  Is there any bleeding?”

The reply was faint and not what he was waiting for.

“Where . . are you?”  

“I’m to your left, about ten feet.  If you can look up a little, you’ll see me.”

Roy could tell Johnny was trying, and after several long minutes he finally managed to tilt his head a little.  It was a relief when Roy found himself looking into the brown eyes of his barely conscious partner.

“Hang on, Johnny.  The guys are working on an opening so Billy can get in to you.  Then we can get an IV started.  But first, I need to know more about your injuries.  Can you help me out?”

“Billy?”

Roy shook his head at the way his partner kept skirting the issue.

“Yeah, Billy’s with us today, remember?  He’s filling in for Chet.”

“ . . oh . . okay.”

“Johnny, I need you to tell me how you’re doing.”

“mmm . . fine.”

“How’s he doing Roy?”

Captain Stanley’s voice was a welcome change to the frustration Roy felt in trying to converse with his partner.

“I’m not getting much, Cap.  He’s barely conscious and not tracking well.  We need to get in there.”

“Shouldn’t be much longer.  Mike’s cut everything from this side and the guys are clearing a path through the rubble.  Then we should be able to get Billy in there to assess the situation.  I want to know what we’re looking at so we can get him safely out of there.”

“Okay, do what you have to do.  I just want to get a check on his vitals.” 

“Right.” 

Cap moved back toward where Mike and Marco were working while Roy tried to get his partner’s attention again.

“Hey, Johnny, Cap says they’re getting close.  Billy will be down there in a few minutes.”

“Roy . . you . . coming too?”

“Soon, Johnny, real soon.  Now tell me about your injuries.  Dr. Brackett is waiting for an update.”

“mmm . . . hurts.”

“Where?”

“ Head . . shoulder.  Leg.”

Roy checked off the injuries in his head.  Johnny was giving him the same list as earlier, and in the same order.  There was small consolation in that, but it was something.  Knowing that there wouldn’t be much information Johnny could give about his head injury, Roy went with the next thing on the list.

“What’s wrong with your shoulder, Johnny?”

“umm . . . think it’s . . dis . . dislocated.”

Roy nodded thoughtfully.  That could be a painful injury, and coupled with the possible concussion could definitely account for Johnny’s fading in and out.

“What about the leg?  Can you tell me more about that?”

There was such a long pause, Roy was almost sure his partner was unconscious again.  Until a long low moan of pain reached his ears.

“Johnny?  Are you with me?  What’s going on?”

“Yeah . . uhh . . just a . . Roy . . I think . . I think it might be bleeding, Roy.  Can’t reach my leg.  Tried, but too much . . stuff in the way.  Feels like something’s . . pinching.”

“Okay, Johnny.  Hang in there.  We’ll be down to you soon.”

“Roy?  You’re coming . . Roy?”

He swallowed hard before answering again.

“We’re coming, Johnny.”

Rubbing a hand across his forehead, Roy was close to a shout:

“Cap.  We need to get in there.  Now!”

~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~

Billy worked quickly, organizing their equipment and supplies so that everything would be ready when Johnny was finally rescued.  While he worked, Billy kept his eye on Roy, fully aware that Captain Stanley and the other men of 51’s crew were doing the same.  It was never good when a partner was hurt or down, but for a pair like Roy and Johnny who’d allowed their working relationship to morph into a strong friendship, the level of tension increased tenfold.  Billy had heard of some fire departments that discouraged crews from developing friendships outside of work, but in his experience, he’d seen only positives from the camaraderie that was evident at places like Station 51.  Their rescue on the cliff a few weeks ago was a perfect example.

Still, there was a lot of emotion caught up in this kind of teamwork; emotion that could threaten a guy’s ability to work well in the pressure of a rescue.   Especially the rescue of someone you thought of as a brother, and not just a coworker.  He’d never seen a lapse like that in any of the LA County crews he’d been a part of, but then he’d also never been involved in a firefighter’s rescue quite like this either.   Billy made a mental note to continue his vigilance for Roy, though his gut instinct told him he wouldn’t need to.  Roy might be worried about Johnny, but he was too professional to let that worry fully take over.

Truth of the matter was, Billy had yet to work with a partner that elicited this kind of connection personally.  He liked the paramedic he was currently assigned with. Tim was a good paramedic and a decent guy.  But they were still getting used to each other and hadn’t really connected on a personal level.   Billy secretly hoped that Tim would be the kind of partner that clicked with him the way Roy and Johnny connected with each other.   He knew that kind of friendship was rare, but a guy could always hope.

Looking around at the other members’ of 51’s crew, Billy watched Mike and Marco working feverishly to widen an opening so they could get to the injured paramedic.  They were equally intent on their work and it looked like they might be getting close.  Everyone was concerned about the stability of the debris, so Billy was encouraged when he noticed Captain Stanley talking to the Captain of 38’s, each pointing and gesturing enough that Billy was sure they had some plan in mind.  This definitely wasn’t a scenario he would’ve asked for, but just like his earlier rescues with this crew, he was glad to be a part of their team.  They would stop at nothing to save a victim; especially if that victim was one of their own.  

Turning back to the supplies, Billy opened up a small satchel and began to fill it with items that might be needed for Johnny’s care.  Since there would be such a small area to work in, they had decided to take only the necessities.  With practiced ease, Billy slipped a BP cuff into the bag along with a stethoscope.  Then he chose several IV setups, along with a bag of D5W and another with Ringers.  They didn’t want to limit their options, but be fully prepared when the doctor’s instructions came.  And it was simply not feasible to drag the whole drug box along into tight quarters.  Tucking in a few 4x4 bandages and a roll of gauze, Billy felt like he’d included everything he and Roy had discussed, but he looked over the remaining supplies in case he missed anything.  Just then, someone stepped up behind him, and Billy knew without looking who was watching.

“Think we should take any drugs in, Roy?”

“No need.  I doubt that Brackett or any other doctor will approve pain meds, even for the dislocated shoulder.  At least until we know how bad the head injury is.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“Cap, Roy!  Come look.”  Marco hollered.

Billy grabbed the bag and followed Roy to where Mike and Marco had just finished clearing an opening.  Captain Stanley was on one knee, peering into the rubble as Mike pointed towards the injured paramedic. 

“What’ve you got, Mike?”  Roy’s voice was filled with worry, his patience clearly wearing thin.

“Looks like there’s more space in there than we thought, Roy.  But it also looks like Johnny’s caught under some of that metal catwalk.  I was just showing Cap where some of the metal seems to be connected to that catwalk above.  It looks like a large section fell on Johnny, then this debris just filled in around it.”

Stanley was nodding his head as Roy looked past him, eagerly trying to determine how bad it was.   

“You’re right, Mike, there’s more space than we expected.  Okay, Roy, you go in and take care of your partner.  Billy, you man the radio.  But Roy, we need a good assessment on the debris so we can start working from here.”  

“Will do, Cap.   And . . thanks.”

They all knew that Roy was more than grateful for the opportunity to be the first one in.

“Here you go, Roy.”  

Billy handed over the small satchel of supplies hoping it would do until they could either widen the space or get Johnny out.  

“Let us know if you need anything else in there, and we’ll get it passed through.”

With a quick nod, Roy took the bag then crouched down and crawled through the narrow opening in the twisted metal. 

~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~

Working his way into the rubble, Roy was careful not to bump his head on a large chunk of concrete tilted precariously just inside the opening.  It took only a few minutes to crawl the three or four yards to Johnny’s side, but considering the amount of debris he had to get through, it seemed much longer.  All that was lost when Roy got his first look at his friend.  

“How’s he look?”  

Hank’s anxious voice didn’t give Roy much time to assess the situation.  He understood the captain’s worry, but didn’t take time to answer.

“Johnny?”

There was no response.

“Johnny?  Can you hear me?”

Still nothing.  Dropping the bag, Roy laid one hand on Johnny’s back and took a deep breath in an effort to stay calm. Doing his best to assess the patient in an objective way, Roy tried to overlook the pale skin and lax features of someone he’d come to think of as a brother.  With a sigh, Roy muttered under his breath.

“Geez, Johnny, you’re a mess.”

He almost lost it when a voice responded.

“Thanks . . a lot.”

Roy couldn’t help the long pause.  It took that long for him to get his voice under control.

“Ahhh, so you’re with me again.”

“y . . yeah . . kinda.  Where . . are we?”

“Don’t you remember?”

Roy ran his hand down Johnny’s arms, carefully checking for cuts or broken bones.  But as he worked, he was clearly aware that Johnny was taking a long time to answer.

“uh . . rescue?”

“Yeah.”

“Roy.”  What’ve you got?”  Billy interrupted.

“He’s conscious, but barely.  He’s pale. Skin is cool and clammy.  Johnny was right about the shoulder being dislocated.  I can tell from this angle that it doesn’t look good.”

“How about the arm?”  

“Color looks okay, Billy.  Circulation must be unimpeded.”

Roy kept one hand on his partner’s arm as he continued to assess Johnny’s injuries.  The dislocated shoulder was obvious, but it was harder to evaluate the head injury.  With Johnny on his stomach, it was impossible to check his pupils from this angle.  And the leg was definitely out of reach.  Shaking his head in frustration, Roy strove to stay calm.  

“Okay. What about his BP?”  Billy’s voice helped him refocus.

“Working on it.”

It was hard to do with so much debris in the way, but Roy managed to get the BP cuff wrapped around Johnny’s arm and inflated.  Then he frowned at the numbers.

“BP is 90 over 60.”

“I’ll see about an IV.” 

Roy could hear Billy contacting Rampart and knew it was only a matter of minutes before the IV would be approved.  Wasting no time, he pulled the necessary items from the satchel.

“Let’s see if we can get you a little more comfortable, okay Junior?”

“’k . . home?”

“Soon, Johnny, real soon.”

“o . . k”

“Roy?  Brackett’s asking about the head injury.”

“With the way he’s positioned, I haven’t been able to check his pupils.   I’m going to need to clear some of this debris from around his head.”

“Okay.”

Roy absentmindedly dusted some of the debris from Johnny’s back. 

“Johnny, you still with me?”

“mmm.”

“Okay, hang in there.  We’re just waiting on Brackett’s okay for the IV.  That should help you feel a little better.”

The lack of response from Johnny wasn’t encouraging, but Roy was grateful that at least he was finally next to his partner with the ability to do something. 

Looking around, Roy was amazed at how the collapsing catwalk had provided a layer of protection for his partner.  Although precarious, the crisscrossed metal created a cavity that literally kept Johnny from being buried alive.  As he waited for Rampart’s go-ahead, Roy noticed a black lump along the edge of the debris.  Reaching over, he loosened Johnny’s helmet from the rubble and for one brief moment, held the damaged gear in his hands, wondering at what point the protection was ripped away.  But his musing was immediately interrupted by Billy’s voice calling out.

“Roy!  Brackett said to start the IV with Ringers Lactate.”

“Thanks, Billy.”

Dropping the helmet, Roy grabbed his scissors just as he felt Johnny tense beneath his grasp.

“R . .oy?  What . . Roy?”

“Yeah, Johnny, I’m right here.  I’m just going to cut your jacket so I can start an IV, but I’m going to need you to hold still.”  

The movement intensified, followed by a cry of pain, prompting Roy to grasp his friend’s arm in reassurance.

“Johnny, calm down.  You’re okay.”

“Roy?  What . . happened?  Why . .”

“Johnny, you’re just making things worse.  You need to lie still.  We’re working to get you out of here right now, but I need to get this IV started.”

“Why . . what . .  ?  Roy?   Where are . . you.   You . . okay?”

“Yes, Johnny, I’m fine.  You’re going to be okay too.  Just hang in there, partner.”

Even in this small confined space, Johnny seemed oblivious to Roy’s instructions.   It wasn’t that he could move that much, but Roy could tell that even this minor thrashing around wasn’t helping Johnny’s shoulder, or his head wound for that matter.  And it didn’t help that in this position, he couldn’t see Roy.

“Johnny, calm down.”

Hank’s concerned voice seemed to affect Johnny, his movement slowing. 

“Roy?  What’s happening?”   

“Hang on, Cap.  He’s okay, just confused and upset.  We’re working on it.”

Roy busied himself with inserting the IV and adjusting the flow, keeping his voice low and calm as he talked Johnny through the process.  He was relieved to see his partner respond and within minutes, Johnny was quiet again.  It was at that point that Roy finally sat back on his heels and studied his partner’s predicament.  

With the debris pinning his legs down, there was no way to get Johnny turned over.  And with all the metalwork so close, it didn’t give him any room to check Johnny’s pupils or assess his head injury.  Worse, if Johnny had been right and there was bleeding from his leg, he needed to do something and fast.  

“Cap, he’s wedged in here pretty tight.  That metal catwalk you saw goes all the way through the pile and is pinning him from thighs down.   It looks like there’s a piece of floor that’s angled over his upper body, and from what I can see, it looks fairly stable.  Most of the stuff around his head and arms is loose.  But I can’t turn him.  I’m going to need a shovel in here, and a tarp to lay over him while we work.”

“Okay Roy, you got it.”

Pulling on his gloves, Roy started moving bits of concrete and metal pieces from around Johnny’s upper body.  But the lack of movement or response from Johnny was concerning

“Johnny?  Are you still with me?”

“R . . Roy?”

“Right here, partner.  How’re you doing?”

“ . . fine.  Wh . . are you?”

“I’m good.  Just working to get you out of here and on the way to Rampart.”

“You . . hurt?”

Roy shook his head, bothered by the weak and repetitive comments.  

“I’m fine, Johnny.  Can you remember what happened?”

There was no reply.  With Johnny looking in the other direction, it still didn’t afford Roy the opportunity to check his pupils, and there was too much rubble still covering him to try turning him.

Stanley’s voice was a welcome interruption.

“Roy, do you think there’s room to send Billy in?”

“Yeah, it’s tight, but I could use his help.”

“Okay, he’s headed in with a shovel, tarp and first aid blanket.”

“Thanks.”  

Roy was pulling pieces of debris away from Johnny’s legs when minutes later, shovel in hand, Billy joined him.  Roy could hear Mike and Marco working on the outside of the pile, and without thinking, sent off a silent prayer that this rescue would be quick and smooth.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~~

Johnny opened his eyes to a haze of grey dust.  It took him several minutes to realize that the voices he was hearing were his shift mates and not some residual conversation from a dream.  He wasn’t sure what was going on or even where he was, but he instinctively knew it wasn’t good.  Drawing in a shallow breath, he fought the urge to reach for his head when he recognized the pull of a needle and the sense of a length of tubing running up his arm. An IV.   So it was bad.  He was hurt.  Again.

The voices slowly came into focus and he realized that one of them had been addressing him.  Roy.

“Johnny, you with me?”

It took another long moment to focus enough energy to make a plausible reply, even if it was just a simple:

“Yeah”

“Good.  Looks like that IV is doing its job.”

Roy’s voice and the soft sigh that accompanied it told Johnny that his friend must’ve been worried.

“’mmm okay . . Roy.”

“Sure you are, Junior.  Never doubted it.”

There was a quick but gentle touch of Roy’s hand on his arm that did more to wake Johnny up than all the saline in the world.  Cautiously, he tried moving and was rewarded with the instant realization that he was caught under something.  From the feel of things, he wasn’t getting out soon.  Johnny’s head hurt, and even with the simple shifting of his body he knew that he’d injured his shoulder.  Still he felt alert enough to know Roy needed a little encouragement, and it wouldn’t hurt to keep things light.

“that IV . . doing its job . . going to get me . . unstuck?”

A snicker from somewhere behind Roy let Johnny know that Billy was right here with them.  Wherever “here” was.   

“What’s wrong, Gage?  You don’t like the service here?”

“service . . okay . . location . . lousy.”

“Picky, picky.”  Billy teased. 

Johnny didn’t mean to get serious, but the confusion was too much.  He had to know.

“Roy.  . what . . happened?”   

“What do you remember?”

“I . . ummm  . . a warehouse?  We were  . .  looking for someone?”

“Yeah, a couple kids.”

Like a switch, those simple words brought things back into focus.

“Fireworks.  They were throwing . . fireworks.”

“Right.”

“You . . Vince . . okay?”  

“Yeah, we’re all fine.  You’re the only one who got caught in this mess.”

“The . . kid?”

“Vince says he’s okay too.  They’re taking him down to the station now.”

“’k”

“Just hang on, Johnny, all the guys are working to get you out, but I need you to just stay calm and let us do the work.”

Johnny tried to do just as Roy suggested and closed his eyes to the dusty haze while trying not to focus on the pain.  There was a lot of commotion going on around him and now that he wasn’t trying to answer questions, he could concentrate on the voices that woke him in the first place.

“Mike, there’s a long pipe just to your right.  Looks like that one goes all the way to the floor, but next to it are two short ones that aren’t connected.  Looks safe to cut those out.”

“Got it, Roy.”

The saw that had been idling was now revving up and the conversations grew in volume as the men struggled to communicate.

“Cap, I’ve got some more to send out.”

“Right behind you, Billy.  Can you push that short piece a little closer so I can grab it.”

“Roy, what does this one look like?”  Marco’s voice was almost a shout when the saw suddenly quieted.

“Hang on, let me check.”

Johnny felt like he was in some kind of weird circus where there was all motion and no clear connection.  What were the guys doing and shouldn’t he be helping?  Moving slightly, he was quickly reminded why he wasn’t helping.  His crew, his friends, were working to get “him” out.

“Okay, Marco, that one is clear.”

“Billy, can you check by his leg?  Do you see anything yet?”

“Not yet, Roy.  Cap, could we get a smaller shovel in here?”

“On the way, Billy.”

“Roy, I need to know if this part of the catwalk is on Johnny.”

“I can’t tell Mike.  Can you shine your flashlight on it?”

“See it?”

“Yeah, Mike, that’s part of the main piece.”

“Okay.”

“Billy, here’s the shovel, and another collapsible bucket.  I have some of the guys from 38’s by the opening here.  You send the debris out and they’ll get rid of it.”

“Thanks Cap!”

“Marco, if you move that concrete by your hand, we might be able to clear some of the area over his head.”

“I’m on it!”

The conversation continued around him, while the pain came in waves, his shoulder when it was jostled, his head a never ending thrum in the background, his leg . . .   But the continued voices and movement had the odd quality of lulling Johnny until he almost lost track of what was happening.  He knew the conversations were ongoing, work was progressing, but he couldn’t connect all the movement to an actual sense of time.  And so he floated.  Trusting that Roy, Cap and all the guys were watching out for him, he did his best to ignore the pain, the noise, and smells while letting his mind focus on other things . .  good memories of fishing trips and campouts, playing with Roy’s kids or riding his horse.   Until . . 

“Noooo!”

There was instant silence, but Johnny barely noticed.  The red-hot, fire-like pain consumed him.  Minutes or hours, he didn’t know, but the firm hold of Roy’s hand on his arm was the first realization that there was someone else in the world and he wasn’t alone.

“Breathe, Johnny, just breathe.”

He couldn’t answer, the pain was too much.  He was trying.  God knows he was trying.  Johnny could hear Roy’s calm reassurance and from somewhere in the distance he could make out Billy’s voice answering Cap.  But he couldn’t figure out where the pain was actually centered or what had set it off.  All Johnny knew was that what little sight he had was fading, and he finally closed his eyes and let the pain take over.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“What the hell just happened?”

“Johnny!”

“Roy?  Is he okay?”

“Johnny, can you hear me?”

“Mike, which piece were you working on?”

“Billy, check his BP.”

“This short one across the top, it was loose, don’t think it did anything.”

“Cap, I think the whole thing shifted.  I think it might’ve put more pressure on his back and legs.”

“Billy, let’s trade places.”

“Okay, Cap, I’m coming out.  Roy, his BP is down to 80/55.”

“Tell Rampart.”

“Will do.”

“Watch out Cap, that metal to your left goes right across his back.”

“Mike, get Captain Martin over here.  Roy, what do you think?”

Surprised but grateful when he realized that Captain Stanley was kneeling next to him, Roy sat back on his heels, taking a deep breath as the initial sense of panic died away.  His pause also allowed for the dis-jointed exchange to meld into a more coherent discussion.  But his concern for Johnny was still very much at the surface, and Roy worked to keep his voice steady as he answered.

“I don’t know Cap.  Seems like the whole thing just shifted.  I can’t tell where he was hurting the most, but I suspect it was his legs.”

“I’d like to get a saw down here, but you were right when you said it’s tight, Roy.  We sure don’t want to risk having the rest of this stuff cave in on him.”

“Cap, whatever we do, we need to speed it up.  If he is bleeding, we don’t have a lot of time.”

“Understood.   I have a better idea of what we’re looking at now, so I’m going to back out of here and talk to Martin.  I’ll send Billy back in.  You hang tight.”

Roy nodded as Cap worked his way back to the opening.  And just like that, everything seemed to speed up again, the conversation flowing around him while Roy struggled to split his focus between the rescue work and Johnny’s condition.

“Roy, here’s another bucket for you!”

“Thanks Marco.”

“Roy, Billy said that Brackett wants another set of vitals.  I’ve got his BP, but let me know if you have anything to add.”

“Johnny.  Are you with me, partner?  You need to wake up and tell us where you’re hurting.  Johnny!”

“Mike, look at this section, what do you think if we cut this in half?   It’s not attached to the lower part, but its weight might be making things worse.”

“Makes sense.  I’ll try it.”

“Marco, you and Brent help Mike with this side, Sam and I will hold onto it from the other side.”

“Billy, tell Brackett that Johnny’s vitals are the same.  He seems pretty stable but still unconscious.”

“Okay, Roy.”

“Hank, have one of your men support that long pipe to your right.  It’s hung up on the upper catwalk.”

“Will do, Martin.  Mike, do you see the one Captain Martin is talking about?”

“Yeah, Cap, working on it.   Okay, that section is free.”

“Thanks Mike.  Men, let’s see if we can pull this away from the pile.  Any weight we can get off Johnny will help.  On my count of three . . .”

“Ready!”

“Roy?”

“Billy . . give me a hand here.  Yeah, Cap, we’re ready.”

“Three . . Two . . One . .”

“Roy?  Okay?”

“Yeah, we’re good.  Didn’t cause any problems down here.”

“Mike, how’s it look?”

“Looks like it helped to open up this top part.  I think we can cut some more of this section out now, if Roy’s ready.”

“Make it quick, Mike!”

“Marco, hold onto this piece for me.”

“Billy, glad you’re back.  I’m going to brace this section over Johnny, can you support the section over his legs?”

“I’ve got it, Roy.”

“Cap, I think we’re ready.  We’ll do our best to hold things steady down here.”

“Okay, guys, time to keep your heads down.  Don’t want you to get any dust or metal shavings in your eyes.  And this is going to be loud . . .”

Roy tightened his grip on the edges of the metal catwalk, tucking his head down as Mike fired up the saw.  The sound of blade against metal drowned out everything else, but Roy was almost relieved.   He appreciated the brief reprieve, a chance to have a few minutes of silent thought vs. the constant peppering of updates and questions from the other four, equally worried shift mates. This moment in time was his, to plan, to contemplate . . to pray.  Praying wasn’t his norm, but today it seemed more than appropriate.

From his position, angled halfway across his partner’s silent form, Roy’s line of sight was focused on the back of Johnny’s head.   If the dark hair hadn’t been sprinkled with a layer of white concrete dust, Roy might’ve thought Johnny was simply sprawled on his living room floor taking a nap after playing with Chris and Jen.   Roy’s hands were both clutching the metal rails of the long catwalk, so the urge to ruffle Johnny’s hair in an effort to wake his friend went unfulfilled.   Instead, he watched for any sign that Johnny might be coming to.  There was none.

The metal above shifted and for a moment, Roy held his breath, but the catwalk didn’t move.  Mike’s saw revved up again and the cutting continued, giving Roy a little more time to silently replay the last hour.  

It wasn’t the first time he’d worked on rescuing or treating his partner, and there were a few situations Roy didn’t want to remember.  Even Dixie had commented on how lucky Johnny was, and Roy agreed with her one hundred percent.  But the other side of that coin was the number of close calls his friend had.  No one could accuse Johnny of being unsafe or reckless, but he did seem to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time more often than naught. Like today, it could just as easily have been Roy in this part of the building when the ceiling collapsed.  Why Johnny?  Yet here they were . . .

Roy closed his eyes for a moment, struggling to get a handle on his emotions.  Injuries.  Yeah, he’d focus on Johnny’s injuries.

Obviously the head injury was the most worrisome.  It was a given that they were looking at a concussion at best.  But without being able to check Johnny’s pupils, or his ears for fluid, there wasn’t much more than guesswork for him to do at this point.  Thankfully his partner had been able to answer Roy’s questions when he was awake.  That was encouraging.  

The shoulder injury was serious but not life threatening.  Painful?  Absolutely.  And if the pain was bad enough, it could push Johnny towards shock.  But with good circulation and color in the arm, the dislocated shoulder might be the least of their worries.  

The wildcard in all of this was Johnny’s leg.   What were they dealing with there?   Was there bleeding?  Broken or crushed bones?   Roy cringed just thinking about the options and struggled once more with keeping his feelings in check.  What would a serious injury like a crushed leg do to his active partner?  Would it end his career?  Or worse, his life?   

Roy felt his throat tighten, the pain very real as he swallowed hard.   Instantly he started coughing and only then realized that another cloud of dust was settling around them.   He assumed Mike was making some headway, he just hoped it would be in time.

Letting his focus shift to ‘time’ and what the next part of the rescue would look like, Roy imagined several different scenarios after Johnny was free from the wreckage.  He knew that no matter what they found, time would be of the essence.  And if Johnny was bleeding, then the clock was ticking and there wouldn’t be many spare minutes to go around.  The problem was this area didn’t allow for much in the way of working space.  They’d definitely need a backboard and another set of hands would be helpful. And getting Johnny across the debris and out the narrow opening might make for a bumpy ride for the injured paramedic.  Roy had the feeling that if he were looking for a silver lining, he wasn’t going to find it.  There just wasn’t much about this scenario that looked good right now.

His arms were tired, extended over his head while holding onto the catwalk.  The frustration of waiting was growing and as Roy kept looking at his friend, the feeling of helplessness became overwhelming.  Just when Roy felt he couldn’t wait any longer, someone hollered a warning and the saw went quiet.  Immediately the peppering of questions and updates resumed.

“That’s it, Cap.”

“Good work, Mike.”

“Roy?  Billy?   You guys doing okay?”

“We’re good.  Can we let go of this yet?”

“Hang on for just a minute, Roy.  Okay men, let’s get around this whole section.  Watch your footing, though.  We don’t want to send any more debris down on them.”

“We’re ready down here.”

“Mike?”

“Yeah Cap, we’re good.”

“On a count of three.  One, Two, Three!”

“Careful!”

“Slow now!”

“Watch your footing.”

“A little to the left, Marco.”

“Got it.”

“Are we clear?”

“Yeah!”

“Let’s set it down.”

“Watch your arm, Cap!”

“Easy.”

“Good job, men.  Roy?  How’s it look?”

Cap’s question was like an echo to the one in Roy’s head.  How did it look?  Was Johnny in any better position now than he was two minutes ago?  

Not much had changed from Roy’s perspective, other than part of the weight of the scaffold was reduced.  Although that was a huge piece of the puzzle, Roy just wished they were on the last piece instead of the first.  With his arms now released from holding the metal, Roy did a quick check of his partner, relieved that there was no major change in Johnny’s vitals.  But he wasn’t coming around either, and that part was not encouraging.

“Roy?”

“He’s hanging in there, Cap.  Need to get this next piece off his legs though.”

Stanley didn’t answer, but Roy didn’t really expect him to.  Instead, the captain could be heard issuing orders to the crews above them.  Several men were digging to open their escape route, while the others were moving pieces and removing debris from the sides.  

“Billy, let's trade places, okay?”

“Okay.”

Roy wondered if he was reading anything into the reluctant tone of the other paramedic.  But he pushed forward, feeling instinctively that he needed to be there when Johnny’s legs were freed.  Billy carefully edged past Roy as they exchanged places, pausing for one brief moment to lay a hand on Roy’s shoulder.

“You sure?”

It was in that instant that Roy understood the reluctant tone.  In some small way, Billy was trying to protect him.  

“Yeah, I’m sure.  He’s my responsibility.”

Roy didn’t mean anything disrespectful with his comment, and he was relieved when Billy nodded in understanding.  The two men quickly took their places, Billy near Johnny’s head and Roy kneeling next to Johnny’s legs.  Taking hold of the short handled shovel that Billy had been using, Roy continued to work on the debris around his partner.  There wasn’t a lot he could do until the catwalk was removed, but at least this was something.

As he dug and scraped debris away from his friend, Roy focused again on the conversations taking place around him.  It was clear that Cap and the crew were making progress, but that didn’t stop him from anxiously wishing the rescue was complete.  Johnny needed out of here, now.  When the conversation changed from normal discussions and instructions to a heightened sense of excitement, Roy took notice.  Maybe they were finally getting close.

“Cap, this end is clear!”

“Good work, Mike.  Now men, let’s get this thing off Johnny.

“Where will we set this section, Cap?”

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to move it very far.”

“Can we lift it straight up and slide it next to this other section?”

“Looks like that would work.”

“Cap!  Cap!  We’re through.”

At that very moment, Roy felt rather than saw the movement of dirt and debris behind him.  The opening to their small crawl space was now at least six foot wide, the grinning faces of five firemen staring back at Roy.

His first response was a muttered “Thank God” followed immediately “and you guys!”

“Okay Roy, we’re looking good here.  Are you ready?”

Roy turned back to see Captain Stanley peering down at him from above the catwalk.  

“Whenever you are!”

Roy didn’t focus on the men scrambling around overhead, instead he returned to his scraping and digging, anxious to open up an avenue of sight for Johnny’s lower extremities.  Even with the catwalk removed, there was still a pile of debris that filled in around the larger pieces of metal.

“Okay, men, on three.”

The countdown was quick and as Hank said “three” the catwalk moved upward.  In that split second, Roy’s shovel scraped the last of the debris off the side of Johnny’s left leg, uncovering a puddle of red-dust .

“Stop!  Cap, stop.  STOP!”

A brief moment of silence was immediately followed with Cap’s urgent call:

“Do you want us to set it back down?”

“No!  Hold it steady.  I need to see what we have before you move it again.”  Roy answered.  “Billy, I need pressure bandages!  Marco, get me a tourniquet.  NOW!”

Roy grabbed the bandages that appeared over his shoulder.  His heart was racing as he covered what he could see of the wound and watched as his fingers turned red.  

“What’ve we got, Roy?”

Cap’s ‘no-nonsense’ tone prompted Roy’s immediate but terse reply.

“Looks like a deep puncture wound to the back of his right thigh.  The catwalk must’ve been acting like a tourniquet.   I’m using bandages but I can’t get enough pressure on them to slow the bleeding, and there’s not enough space to get a real tourniquet around his leg.”

“Okay, what do we need to do, Roy?”

Roy hesitated for a split second as Marco slipped in beside him, tourniquet in hand.   The site of that particular tool brought both relief and a feeling of dread to the paramedic.  He knew the dangers of cutting off blood supply to a limb, but he also knew that if this metal had nicked or cut an artery, they might not have time to worry about Johnny ever walking again.

“Cap, as soon as Billy and Marco are ready, we need this metal off him.  Fast.  We’ll get the tourniquet on, then wrap and run if needed.”

Roy could see Billy from the corner of his eye, nodding in agreement.  And from above him, the heavy breathing of several firemen holding the catwalk confirmed that everyone was ready to get this show on the road.  Glancing over to Marco, his brief nod told him that everyone was ready.  Now if he only could be sure that Johnny was.  But his best friend was silent; completely unaware of the tension around him.

“Okay Cap.  We’re ready.”

“Lift!”  

Cap’s shout was followed by the grunt and groans of multiple firemen.  And immediately the catwalk was raised away from Johnny’s legs, up over the rescuer’s heads and onto the pile beyond.  But Roy had stopped watching after the first few inches.  The flow of blood had increased and his work had begun.

“Marco, see if you can lift his leg just a few inches.  Billy, give me some more bandages, then see if you can get the tourniquet on.  Cap, can you get in touch with Rampart?”  

The movement and voices around him seemed to slow and fade as Roy realized that his partner was moving, but not from their ministrations.  Clearly the weight of the metal had caused Johnny pain, but now the release of that pressure had opened up a whole new world of hurt for the man.  And in one horrifying anomaly, instead of causing unconsciousness, this change brought Johnny around.

“Roy?  Oh . . God.  What?   . . Roy?”

“Hold still Johnny, I need you to hold still.”

“God . . it hurts . . Roy?”

“Hang on, Junior.  Just hang on.”

Throwing up another silent prayer, Roy cringed as his friend tried to move away from him.  He wanted to do something to help, but there weren’t enough hands for Roy to let go.  The tourniquet wasn’t in place.  The bleeding hadn’t slowed.  So rather than being able to check his friend’s vitals,  contact a doctor, or just put his hand on Johnny to calm him, Roy was forced to press the blood filled bandages even harder, hoping against hope that this wasn’t the end.  He felt almost guilty for his relief when Johnny suddenly went limp.

“Got it, Roy!” 

And like that, things sped up again.

“Good, Billy, but just a little tighter.  Looks like it’s working.  The bleeding is slowing.  Marco, let his leg down easy now.   We’ll leave him like this until we get a backboard in here.  Billy, can you check his pupils?”

“Roy?  I’ve got Dr. Brackett on the horn.”

“Thanks Cap.  Billy will have vitals in just a minute.  Do we have a backboard ready?”

“Right behind you, Roy.”

“Marco, slide it up close.  As soon as Billy gets his vitals, we’re going to roll him over, but we need to watch his shoulder.”

“Roy, his pupils are equal and reactive.”

“Thank God!”

“BP is 70 over 40. Respirations are 15.  Skin is still cold and clammy.  I’m afraid he might be going into shock.”

“Cap?  Did you get that?”

“Got it.”

Roy could hear Hank relaying the information, and Brackett’s voice coming back, his tone full of concern.  That didn’t make Roy feel any better, but it was about what he expected.  The length of time Johnny had been trapped and bleeding wasn’t good. 

“Dr. Brackett said to monitor the tourniquet, keep the IV going and get him to Rampart, stat.”

Marco was stuffing their supplies back into the bag in order to shove it back towards the opening where willing hands grabbed it.

“We’re all set here.  Are you ready, Roy?”  

“We could use another set of hands.”

“I can help you.”

Although Mike’s presence in the small area surprised him, Roy didn’t react.

“Mike, help Billy up by Johnny’s head.  We need to watch his shoulder; keep it as close to his chest as possible as we turn him over.  I’d rather turn him the other way, but there just isn’t room.  Billy?  You got his head?”

“I’m ready.”

“Okay.  Marco, you’ve got his feet.”

“Yes.”

“Where’s the backboard?”

“We’re ready with it, Roy.”

Roy was grateful for the quick response and for Cap’s voice which gave him more reassurance than the paramedic could’ve asked for. Every member of 51’s crew was right here, front and center, ready to do whatever was needed to get their injured member the help he needed.  

“Let’s get it as close to him as we can.  When the time comes, push it under him as fast as possible, okay Cap?”

“Got it, Roy.”

The men maneuvered their bodies over the thin backboard as it was situated next to Johnny.  This time Roy did pause for one brief instant to lay a hand on his partner’s back, grateful to feel the movement of life beneath his hand.  Taking a deep breath and willing himself to stay calm he took control.

“All right, guys, let’s do this in one turn.  Ready.  One, Two, Three.”

The men worked together as if they’d practiced this move for hours.  Billy held Johnny’s head carefully but firmly between his hands while Mike took hold of John’s torso.  It wasn’t easy, considering the odd angle of the paramedic’s injured shoulder, but the engineer handled his part with ease.  Marco held Johnny’s legs, cautiously helping move the lower extremities while keeping the wounded appendage as still as possible.  Roy had the hardest part, but that’s exactly as he’d intended it.  Rolling Johnny towards him while managing the tourniquet was a delicate balance of strength and finesse. There was even one brief moment when Roy realized that he was so tense that he was biting his lip.  Then, halfway through the turn, he almost hollered:

“Backboard!”

Almost instantaneously, hands came from behind to push the backboard underneath the unconscious man.  And just as quickly, the men had Johnny on his back.   Roy didn’t take time to relax or even be grateful for their progress.  The ashen color of Johnny’s face wasn’t just from the concrete dust that still filtered over them.   Roy was grateful that he didn’t have to urge the others to hurry.  They all understood the need to hurry.  Billy was already cinching the strap over Johnny’s torso as Roy and Marco finished the lower sets.  Then without speaking the men worked as one to turn the board and begin the slow journey up and out of the rubble.  

What Roy hadn’t truly realized was how many firemen were waiting to help.  Hands reached to grab the board, assist the paramedics and gather equipment.  Even the long walk back to the front entrance was avoided when Captain Martin directed them to take a different path to the right.  A large set of double doors had been forced open, and just outside was an ambulance.  Roy worked hard to keep the emotion out of his voice, but he hoped this group of men knew how grateful he was.  

Within minutes, Johnny was placed, backboard and all, onto a gurney which was immediately pushed into the ambulance.  Roy was right behind and without asking, Billy climbed in too.  From the look on Hank’s face, Roy had a feeling that he’d missed the part where his captain ordered the second paramedic along.  It was another thank-you he’d have to make when this was all over. 

Roy and Billy were already busy working, pulling out stethoscopes and a BP cuff, readying the bio-phone to call Rampart again.  But just as the doors started to swing shut, Roy glanced up and caught sight of numerous worried faces staring at the ambulance.  Lots of thank-you’s he thought to himself.  This was a helluva bunch of guys to work with, and no matter what happened, he knew he would always be grateful.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Dixie stepped out of treatment room three and headed for the nurses station.  The last patient she’d assisted with had taken a bad turn, meaning she hadn’t been near the radio for some time and was anxious for word on John Gage.  It had been several hours since the first call from Billy, who was filling in with 51’s again.  The paramedic’s tone of voice was enough to convince her that this call was serious; learning that Johnny was the missing paramedic made it even more than serious to Dixie.  

Hurrying across the hallway to her desk, Dixie stopped at the sight of Kel Brackett hunched over the radio.  But when she saw his expression, her heart almost stopped.

“Kel?  Kel, what is it?”

The doctor looked up from the radio, his face unreadable.  That alone caused Dixie to swallow hard.

“Kel?  Is Johnny . . is he?”

“No.  No, he’s alive, Dix.  They got him out.”

“And?”

“They had to wrap and run.”

“Oh no.  What . . how bad is he?”

Kel shook his head as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“As they suspected, the shoulder is dislocated.  His pupils are equal and reactive, so that’s encouraging.  Vitals are shaky but they have an IV going. It’s the leg that has me most concerned.  They have a tourniquet on and Roy said that the bleeding has slowed down, but-”

“Will you need me?”  Joe Early interrupted.

“Yes, Joe, I will.  More hands the better on this one.  He has a head injury on top of the dislocated shoulder.  But we don’t know how much blood he’s lost or how much damage there is to the leg.  There are just a lot of variables here that have me worried.  I have Lisa setting up Treatment Room One and I just called in Dr. Evans to be on standby.  If the leg is in bad shape, I want an expert on hand.”

Dixie looked down for a moment, only then realizing that her hands were tightly clasped together.

“How long?”

“They’re maybe ten minutes out, but I’m hoping they can shave a few minutes off that time.”

“Okay.  I . .  I’ll go help Lisa.”  

Dixie could hear her own hesitation, but the looks of understanding from both Kel and Joe assured her that they were feeling the same.  Johnny was family.  It had been hard enough only a few short weeks ago when the whole paramedic crew of 51’s ended up in treatment rooms, but the hospital staff had known in advance that they were mostly just banged up.  

This was different.  They already knew that Johnny had several injuries, including a head injury which could range from a simple headache to a severe concussion or worse.  Now they had the added concern of a serious wound.  How much blood had Johnny already lost?  Was there major damage to the leg tissue, muscles or even bone?  Too many possibilities flashed through Dixie’s mind as she made her way back across the hallway.  

Pushing through the door of Treatment One she was grateful for the competent nurses working under her.  Lisa was already organizing things just the way Dr. Brackett would want them, meaning Dixie wouldn’t have much to do in the minutes ahead.  But right now she needed to keep busy.  

“Lisa, let’s get the surgical trays prepped, just in case they need to do something here instead of in the operating room.”

“Yes, Miss McCall.”

The two nurses worked quietly and efficiently together until Joe pushed the door open only minutes later.

“They’re almost here, Dix.”

She didn’t answer but followed Joe into the hallway where she found Kel waiting next to a gurney.  They knew from the transmissions that Johnny had been placed on a backboard during extrication, so Kel decided it would be quicker to transfer him on the board directly from the ambulance to a hospital gurney.  It wasn’t much, but they all knew that every second could count.  

Dixie spent the last few minutes thinking about her friends and what they were willing to do for each other.  From the guys out in the field to the staff at the hospital, everyone was doing their job, but doing it with an extra dose of feeling for one of their own.

“Okay, here we go.”

Kel’s voice was like a beacon to the others and they followed him quickly through the double doors.  Two orderlies moved the gurney forward as the ambulance backed into place, and they barely let the vehicle stop before pulling open its doors.  

The grim faces of Roy and Billy were the first thing Dixie saw, but seconds later she could make out the pale unconscious features of her favorite paramedic as they moved the backboard from the ambulance to the hospital gurney.  Johnny looked white, from the ashen shade of his face to his concrete-dusted clothing.  The only real mark of color was a dark red bandage wrapped around his right leg, the contrast a cruel cue of what might lay in store.   

“Treatment Room One, guys.  Let’s go!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Roy trotted beside the gurney, his eyes glued to the face of his unconscious partner.  Dr. Brackett mirrored him on the other side of the gurney firing off instructions in between his litany of questions, but Roy knew the doctor wasn’t mad, just worried.  Roy also knew he was supplying the needed information with Billy’s help, but it was almost like his brain was on auto-pilot.  The analytical part of his mind was focusing on his friend.  And though that wasn’t the protocol they’d been trained with, Roy felt no guilt.  He’d done his part.  Johnny was in the doctor’s care now.  Still, with Billy’s help they were able to fill Brackett in on the details such as the new bag of Ringers they’d started, that Johnny’s BP had dropped just before they pulled in and that the injured man had not come around once during transport, not even when Roy had tried a sternal rub.

But as they rounded the corner into Treatment Room One, Roy felt as if he was suddenly catapulted into a scene from a movie.  There were doctors, nurses and techs coming and going as if in some strange dance.  For someone unused to the medical field, it could’ve been described as nothing more than ordered chaos and calculated confusion.  But Roy knew that each and every member of this team had a job and was doing it to the very best of their ability.  So when Dixie grabbed the IV bag from his hand, Roy let go with complete trust.

“Roy, cut off his clothes for us.”

Without hesitation, Roy pulled out his scissors and began to cut the clothing from his friend’s unconscious body.  He was quick but careful, pushing back the vivid realization that he’d watched his partner put these very clothes on only hours before.  It was a bizarre comparison as he made the final cut that opened up a leg of Johnny’s pants.  And it didn’t help when Johnny’s wallet fell out of his pants pocket.   Roy found himself staring at the small leather item lying on the floor, and was afraid for one brief moment that the sight of this private article would be his undoing.   Then Dixie scooped up the wallet and deposited it into a plastic bag the hospital used for personal items, and Roy felt like he could breathe again.

Kel was studying Johnny’s leg, his expression guarded.

“I’d like to get a better look at the leg, let’s see if we can get him turned a bit.” 

Roy and Billy both moved up to help the doctor, the three of them working carefully to move Johnny just enough to allow Kel a decent look at the wound.  But Roy felt like he was holding his breath the whole time. He was relieved when Brackett quickly urged them to get Johnny back in position on the gurney.  

“Joe?  Get x-ray in here.  We need pictures, but I don’t want to move Johnny any more than we have to.”

“Sure Kel.”

Roy felt like he was moving in slow motion as he gathered up Johnny’s clothing, but he knew that they’d only been in the room for several minutes.  Kel was checking Johnny’s reflexes as Joe finished his instructions to the x-ray team, and Billy quietly stepped up to take the ruined uniform, his silent look of understanding an odd bit of reassurance.  

Fiddling with Johnny’s IV tubing, Roy watched warily for any sign of movement.  It was hard to see Johnny so still; an unnatural stillness that was completely opposite of his normally animated partner.  Yet Roy was encouraged as he checked the scopes, tracking the numbers and listening to the doctors.  They were worried but optimistic.  Things weren’t as dire as they could’ve been.  Or so Roy kept telling himself.

The leg injury had them all worried.  The blood loss was concerning, the damage to Johnny’s leg a possible career-ending injury.  But all Roy could think was “he’s alive . .”   Later, when things were truly calmer, he would expound on the second part of that thought . . . like “why did this happen on such a routine call as kids playing with fireworks?”  He knew the pat answer, all rescue men knew, but it still bore some contemplation.  Thankfully Dr. Brackett interrupted his line of thinking:

“Dix, we need to get that unit of blood started.”

“It’s ready.  Roy, can you give me a hand?”

Roy started to turn towards Dixie when movement on the gurney caught his attention followed almost simultaneously with a whispered  “Roy?  What . .”

Without hesitation Roy moved back to the gurney, grateful to catch Dixie’s look of approval as she motioned for another nurse to help her.  Roy gently grasped Johnny’s good arm as he leaned over the gurney.

“You’re okay, Johnny.   You’re at Rampart.”

“Why?  What . . happened?”

“Don’t you remember?  The cave in?”

“Cave?  We were . . in a . . cave?”

His worried question was accompanied by a burst of energy.  Johnny moved frantically on the bed even trying a faint attempt at sitting up though Roy was easily able to keep him down with one hand.  

Roy looked up into the worried gaze of Dr. Brackett.

“Johnny?  Do you remember anything about the rescue you and Roy were on?”

“Roy?   Where . . Roy?”

“I’m right here, Johnny.  You’re safe.  But we need you to answer Dr. Brackett’s question?”

“Why . . ohh . . my head.   My leg . . ”

Dixie joined them, her questioning gaze received an immediate nod of agreement from Dr. Brackett, and Roy was instantly grateful for their skilled teamwork.  Her voice, when she spoke to Johnny, was gentle and reassuring.  And it was exactly what the young man needed.

“Ssshh, Johnny.  Just rest.  You’re going to be fine.”

“Is . . Roy . . he . .”

“Roy is right here.  He’s fine.  Just rest for now.  Ssshh.”

The relief in the room was almost palpable as the patient finally quieted and closed his eyes.  Roy kept his hand on Johnny’s arm, unwilling to break what he felt was a needed connection.  

Dr. Brackett and Dr. Early were examining Johnny’s leg again while Dixie monitored the transfusion.  The nurses were checking monitors and tracking data, and Roy suddenly felt somewhat in the way.  But he didn’t move.  And thankfully, no one asked him to.

“Billy, we need to check this tourniquet again.”

“Sure Doc.  We loosened it about 10 minutes ago.  The bleeding was a little less than the first time.”

“That’s good.  Hopefully we aren’t dealing with extended blood loss here.  Sure wish we knew exactly when the puncture took place.  If it was during the initial collapse, there could be more damage due to the amount of time that steel was in his leg.  If it was injured during the rescue, then we might be lucky and possibly looking at less damage-”

“Doc,” Roy interrupted, “Johnny said that it felt like something was wrong with his leg from the beginning, although he couldn’t be specific.  But there wasn’t a large amount of blood on the scene.  We kind of thought it was cut when the metal was moved off of him.”

“Okay, Roy, that’s good to know.   Let’s see what we have now.”

Brackett didn’t say much, but his expression told Roy that he wasn’t pleased.   But he did mumble:  “we need to get those x-rays.”

 As if on cue, the door opened as several techs pushed the portable x-ray machine into the room.

“Good.  Let’s go over what we need.”

Dr. Brackett stepped over to the x-ray team and the group talked quietly about which pictures were necessary and how they would manage the angles needed.  For his part, Roy let his mind focus on his friend again, willing to let the doctors and staff deal with the details.  He just wanted Johnny to open his eyes again.  Or better yet, for this whole nightmare to be over with.

A soft voice accompanied the hand that grasped his arm, and Roy knew that Dixie was going to pull him away.  

“Come on, Roy, let’s step out in the hall for a few minutes and let these guys do their job.”

Without a word, Roy reluctantly allowed the nurse to lead him to the door, only stopping for a moment to glance back before the door closed behind him.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“Let’s go into the lounge while we’re waiting, Roy.”

“No.  I’m okay right here.”

The paramedic leaned up against the counter directly across from Treatment One, his eyes trained on the closed door.

“At least let me get you a cup of coffee while we wait.”

“Yeah, I guess.  Okay.”

“Billy?”

“Sure.  Thanks Dix.”

Roy looked over at the other paramedic in surprise.  He hadn’t noticed the younger man following him into the hall, but was glad that Billy was here.  Dixie quickly returned, carrying two steaming mugs of coffee for the paramedics.

“Are you sure you don’t want to wait in the lounge?”  Dixie urged.

Roy answered with a simple shake of his head.   The nurse quietly laid a hand on his arm.

“He’s going to be okay, Roy.  You have to believe that.”

“Yeah, I know.  I just wish . .”

“Here, why don’t you use my phone to call Joanne and let her know what’s happening.”

Dixie caught Billy’s nod of agreement, but Roy didn’t move.  In fact, he was silent for several minutes before finally answering.

“I’ll wait until he goes up to surgery, then I’ll call her.”

Dixie nodded quietly then took a seat at her desk.  She continued to watch as Roy’s face reflected a combination of regret and worry.  She knew these men well and Roy’s expression spoke volumes.  He was probably thinking he should’ve found Johnny sooner, done more, or protected his partner better.  None of that was realistic on a logical level, but on an emotional one, it made perfect sense.  Roy and John were more than friends, they were like brothers.  But even with all those emotions playing across his face, Roy had a job to do, and Dixie was relieved that he’d been professional enough to stay on top of things and attend to whatever task was needed.  Right now that task evidently was to keep it together for his friend.  Billy had stepped back against the wall, and Dixie could tell that the younger paramedic was also keeping a close eye on Roy, ready to help in that capacity if necessary.

For her part, Dixie tried to keep busy, working mindlessly on the nurse’s schedule that she would most likely have to correct when this was all over. 

Yet her mind continued to focus on the paramedic inside the treatment room.  Johnny had always been one of her favorites, from the time the brash young man had gone through the training program and helped push Brackett to accept paramedics, until a few weeks ago when he winked at her as he left the ER with more bumps and bruises than he cared to admit.  She’d give anything if she could walk back in that room right now and see those big brown eyes, with maybe a wink to boot.

The trio remained silent for most of the ten minutes it took for the x-ray team to get their pictures.  When the door finally opened to reveal the machine being pushed back into the hall, Roy immediately set down his still-full cup of coffee and headed back to his partner.  Billy and Dixie followed close behind. 

Entering the treatment room, Dixie was struck almost immediately by the realization that Johnny wouldn’t be winking at her anytime soon.  In fact, the anxious looks exchanged between Kel and Joe told her more than she wanted to know.  Their years of experience along with the time they’d worked together made these two one of the most skilled teams she knew.  That made their current attitude all the more concerning.  These men were very worried.  And that realization brought her focus directly to their conversation.

“What do you think Kel?”

“I think you’re right.  We need to stop wasting time and get him into surgery.  We can’t leave this tourniquet on too much longer and there’s just too much to repair down here.”

“Is Evans ready?”

“Dixie?”

“He’s standing by.  I’ll tell him you’re on the way.”

“Good.”

Joe and Kel moved to the corner of the room where they conversed quietly for a few minutes.  Dixie was already working with Lisa to prep Johnny and the gurney to be moved.  From her vantage point she could see that Roy was staring silently at his partner.   He stayed that way until the doctors moved back toward the gurney.

“I agree, Joe.  The head injury is concerning, but we’ll know soon enough if there’s a fracture to deal with.  So while we’re waiting for the x-rays, let’s get him into the operating room.   We’re a little short-staffed this afternoon, but if Dixie can get us covered, I’d like to have you join us in surgery.”

“Sure, Kel.   I’ll come up as soon as we have some other doctors on the floor.  Until then, keep us informed, okay?”

Kel’s nod was brief but they all knew he understood their need to know how Johnny was doing.

“Okay, let’s get him upstairs.”

Dixie watched out of the corner of her eye, noticing that most of the others were surreptitiously doing the same as Roy stepped closer to his friend and leaned down to whisper something in Johnny’s ear.  No one knew what words of friendship or encouragement the man uttered, but it didn’t matter.  They all felt strongly about the caring, funny, sometimes exasperating, kind and generous man lying unconscious on the table.  No one begrudged Roy the few seconds he spent with his hand on Johnny’s good shoulder, and everyone kept busy in an effort to allow what little pretension of privacy they could.  But the interaction was one-sided and brief.  Roy straightened up and once more adjusted the tubing on Johnny’s IV, then stood back as Kel called in two orderlies to move the patient to an operating room.   Dixie followed Roy and Billy back into the hallway, each silently watching as Johnny was wheeled down the hallway to the elevator.

“He’ll be okay, Roy.  Kel is worried but optimistic.  And Dr. Evans is an excellent vascular surgeon.”

“I know.  I know . .”

“Come on.  Let’s go to the lounge to wait.  It’s a little more private and more comfortable than the main lobby.”

“We probably need to report in.”  Roy answered reluctantly.

“You’re okay, Roy.  Marco is waiting outside to take me back to the station, and Cap said that you’re relieved for the rest of the shift.”  Billy interjected.

Roy’s expression, though slightly confused at the information, seemed relieved.  It was clear that although he’d accepted he would need to return to duty, he hadn’t wanted to leave the hospital.  Dixie smiled at Billy then took Roy’s arm.

“Come on Roy, let’s get that cup of coffee.  And this time, you can drink it.”

Roy didn’t answer but accompanied the nurse willingly down the hall.

“Call us when you know something, Roy.”  Bill called after them.

A feeble wave of his hand was Roy’s only answer, but Dixie knew that Billy understood.  Still, she glanced back over her shoulder and caught Billy’s eye, nodding slightly to assure the paramedic that they would be the first on the list for news. 

“Thanks Dixie.”  

Dixie ushered Roy into the lounge as Billy headed for the exit.  She watched him for a moment, not surprised to see his shoulders slump as he made his way down the hall.  It was how they all felt today. 

            ~~~~~~

Roy stared at the clock, willing the second hand to move faster.  But the little piece of plastic simply ticked the seconds by, one click at a time, slowly moving around the face of the clock until another minute had passed.  Rubbing a hand across his eyes, Roy tried to find something else to focus on.  

It had been over an hour since the last update, and Roy was concerned.  He knew he shouldn’t be.  Johnny was in good hands and Dr. Early’s last bulletin had been hopeful.  Still, there were so many things that could happen during surgery.  

But then so many things . .  so many things could’ve happened differently.  Roy leaned back against the couch, grateful that there was no one else in the room right now as he reflected on the past hours.  

From the time they’d first started looking for Johnny until he saw the elevator doors close behind his friend, Roy had been scared.  He wasn’t sure why.  They’d been through more than a few scrapes and challenges, numerous injuries and several very close calls over the years.  Why was this one different?  Roy couldn’t put his finger on it.  Maybe it was the fact that they’d just come off of another hairy rescue where they’d all walked away, grateful to be alive.  Then to see Johnny unconscious under a pile of metal  . . maybe it was just that proverbial straw.  

Finding his friend and then getting him released from the metal prison had been enough to stress anyone, but watching Johnny in the ambulance had been even harder.   With his eyes closed, Roy clearly remembered the inside of the ambulance and how he felt on the ride in:  

Johnny was completely still, his face almost as white as the cover on the stretcher.  He hadn’t made a sound or moved in any way since the attendants loaded him into the back of the vehicle.  Billy was invaluable as they worked together to get another set of vitals and adjust the tourniquet. No doctor or paramedic ever wanted to see blood supply disrupted for more than a few minutes; the potential damage was alarming.  And Roy was no exception, especially when the tourniquet was being used on his best friend.  Once he’d re-tightened the strap and cleaned up the bloody gauze from the process, Roy sat back and really looked at Johnny again.  He had a feeling he’d see a flashback of that vision for some time to come.  Billy started talking then, and though Roy would be hard-pressed to repeat the conversation, he was grateful for the younger man’s attempt to relieve the tension.  There wasnt anything else to do.  Rampart had been updated, the ambulance driver had been instructed to make his best time, and the only thing left was to wait, watch and wonder.  Billy’s chatter helped.  

The Squad trailed close behind them.  Roy assumed it was Marco that followed them in, but he wasn’t sure.  So many things about the last few minutes at the rescue site were blurry.  The one thing in focus was Cap’s instructions to call them as soon as there was any news.  Roy hoped it was a good call.  And soon.

Roy was grateful for the driver, the lack of traffic and whatever else made them arrive in good time.  Seeing familiar landmarks caused him to take notice and Roy felt like shouting when the ambulance turned into Rampart then backed up to the ER entrance.  The doors opening to the worried faces of Dr. Brackett and Dixie McCall reminded him that Johnny was in good hands with friends that cared.

After getting John into the doctor’s hands, it had been only a matter of time until they moved him into surgery.  It seemed like they had spent hours in that treatment room, but after Johnny was taken upstairs, Roy realized they’d only been there a scant 20 minutes.  That had been the hardest part; watching his partner being wheeled into the elevator on his way to an operating room and God knows what kind of outcome.  Well, maybe that wasn’t the hardest part.  The moment he laid his hand on Johnny’s shoulder and leaned down to whisper a simple “hang in there, Uncle Johnny, you have family that needs you” was more intense than Roy cared to admit.   

Now . . now he was left to wait.  Roy was grateful again for the privacy of the lounge where only a few doctors or nurses had slipped in for a cup of coffee.  Each one stopped to ask about Johnny or encourage Roy in some way but he wished that Joanne was sitting here beside him instead.  He’d called and talked with her several times, but in the end they both agreed that it was best for her to be home with the kids and wait for Roy to call with updates on Johnny’s condition.  After his initial call to the station, Roy had received several calls from Captain Stanley, just to “check-in” he’d said, but Roy knew that he and the rest of the crew were just as worried as he was.  Hank had promised to stop by after their shift was over.

Roy had walked the room a hundred times, switched the tv off and on almost as many, and he’d stared out the window enough times to know how many cars were in the parking lot and what routes the security guards walked each quarter hour.  He’d watched as the sun descended in the west and the street lights started to wink on.  Still he was left waiting and wondering.  The only thing he really wanted to know was still out of his grasp.  Would Johnny be okay?

Another thirty rounds of that little plastic arm passed and Roy was staring at the ceiling tiles when the door opened again.  Only this time it wasn’t a nurse or doctor looking for a few minutes respite from their shift.  Kel Brackett, still dressed in scrubs and looking extremely tired, stepped into the room with Dixie right behind him.  But other than their fatigue, the first thing Roy noticed was the relaxed and relieved grins each wore.

“Doc?  He’s . . Johnny’s?”

“Johnny is going to be fine, Roy.  Dr. Evans did an amazing job repairing the damage and stitching him up. You were right.  We figure that metal must’ve acted like a stopper in a bottle.  The metal must’ve been pressing on his leg, but the cut wasn’t severe at that point.  The pressure kept the bleeding to a minimum until it was removed, then the major damage occurred.  Your quick action with the tourniquet and careful monitoring meant that the blood loss wasn’t as bad as we’d feared.  Dr. Evans took extra time during surgery to make sure the blood flow was good and there wasn’t any major muscle damage.  He was very satisfied with the results.  Took a lot of stitches to repair and close it all up, and it’s going to take some time, but the only thing Johnny will have to show is a nice scar for some girl to admire.”

Roy had a feeling his grin was reaching from ear to ear.  The news was better than he’d hoped for.  The wound had looked to be so deep and the time frame too long for there to be hope for a complete recovery.

“How about his shoulder?” 

“He’s going to be sore for a while, but he should be fine there too.  Probably a little PT in his future, but nothing that will stop him from working again.  His vitals are all back in a good range, no more threat of shock. And before you ask, we’re watching him closely with neurological checks every half hour for the first few hours after he comes out of the anesthesia.  But Joe and I both believe that other than a serious concussion, he’s okay on that front too.  He may suffer from headaches for a few weeks, but you’re familiar with that routine.”

“Thank God.”

“Yes, there’s been a bit of that going around, Roy.  That partner of yours definitely surprised us this time.  He’s one lucky man.”

“He surprised all of us, Doc.  If you’d have seen him trapped under that pile of . . well, lucky is putting it lightly.”

All three of them were silent for a moment, each reflecting on how good it would be to see Johnny up and around again.  And how very different things could’ve been.

“So, Doc . . can I-“

“Yes, Roy, I’ve told them you would be allowed in, but only for a few minutes.  He’s in Recovery but already starting to wake up.”

“Thanks, Doc.  Thanks a lot.”

Kel knew, without a doubt, that the thanks Roy was offering was for so much more than the visit.

“You’re welcome, Roy.  Now go see your partner.”

Dixie laid a hand on his arm as Roy moved past them to the door.  

“I’ll be up in a few minutes, Roy.”

“Okay, Dix, see you there.”

Roy felt like a new man, his step lighter and his grin wider.  A short elevator ride and two hallways got him to the door of the Recovery Room where Rita, the nurse at that station, smiled warmly as Roy stepped up to the window.

“Through the door and two beds to the left, Roy.  I think they’re expecting you.”

Roy smiled, his voice failing him as he simply raised his hand in passing.

The door swung quietly shut behind him as Roy stepped into the ward.  Rita was right, though, they were expecting him.  Luckily, several of the women were nurses he knew and they opened a path to Johnny’s side without hesitation.  

Johnny was still pale, but the dust was gone from his skin and hair.  His shoulder was bound tightly to his body again, and there was a tent over whatever contraption they’d rigged up to keep his leg off the bed. But Roy was grateful to see that Johnny wasn’t sporting a lot of tubes or lines, just the basics.

Moving to stand carefully beside the bed, Roy studied Johnny’s features.

Even asleep, he looked better than when he left the treatment room.  Just seeing the numbers on the machines and the pink tinge to his friend’s skin reassured Roy that Dr. Brackett had been right.  Not that he ever really doubted, but sometimes a man just had to see for himself.

“Roy . .”

The voice was faint, tired and more than a little groggy, but Johnny was definitely aware.

“I’m right here, Johnny.”

“Doing better.”

It was a statement, not a question, and Roy knew his partner well enough to know that those words covered more than just his prognosis.  It was a correlation of the rescue, his condition, Roy’s state of mind and maybe more.  But Roy was willing to keep it simple.

“Much better.  You’re going to be fine, Junior.  Just fine.”

“Was getting  . . worried.”

“You and me both.  But the doctor’s have you all patched up now, and you’ll be back in the squad before you know it.”

“Good.  Didn’t want . . be my . . last run.”

“No way, Johnny.  But you get some rest now.  I’ll be back to see you later.”

“K”

The nurse stepped between them to check Johnny’s IV and Roy quietly turned to leave.

“Roy?”

‘Yeah, Johnny.”

“Thanks man.”

“Get some rest.”

Roy grinned at his friend who was already asleep again, then headed back to the nurses station.  

Dixie was waiting and she smiled warmly as he approached her.

“He’s doing okay?”

“Dixie, he looks great.  I’m going to head back to the lounge and make some phone calls.”

“Sounds good, Roy.  I’m going to check on Johnny, but then I’ll be back in the ER.  I will keep you updated.  Just give me a call any time this evening.”

“What?  Wait.  I’m not going anywhere.”

“He’ll be fine, Roy.  Go home and get some rest.”

“Oh I will, Dixie, I will.  But later.  After he’s settled in a room.  I’ll stick around until then.”

Dixie smiled and nodded at him, and Roy knew that she wouldn’t argue.  At least for now.

“I’ll see you downstairs.”

Then, with footsteps much lighter than they’d been since morning, Roy DeSoto headed for the elevator.   As he punched #1 on the elevator key pad, he settled back against the wall and smiled.  His biggest decision right now seemed to be who he would call first, Cap or Joanne.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Part 4