Oblique
By krh
Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction based on the television series, Emergency. It is in no way intended to infringe on the copyrights of MARK VII LIMITED, Universal Studio or anyone else who may have legal rights to the characters and settings. I don't own the characters. Only using them for a short time and will return them in relatively the same shape as when borrowed.
AN: This came about as a challenge to myself to write a story where:
· Two members of are crew injured, Roy being one of them
· John cannot treat them on scene and need legitimate reason why not there
· John cannot know/learn anything more than teammates about status or care during the crisis
· Follow television episode format as much as possible meaning no long internal dialogue
Can’t promise I made these 100%. If anyone else wants to use the parameters and give it a try, go for it. The story does use a couple original characters. Any similarity between these characters and other people, real or otherwise, is purely coincidental. As always, any and all errors are mine. Enjoy.
*******
Watching the traffic maneuver around the engine, Engineer Mike Stoker tapped a melody on the steering wheel in time with the song in his head while he waited. The crew was doing inspections today as it had been quiet and no one wanted to stay in on the gorgeous day.
The appearance of three of his teammates coming out of a building spurred him to swing out of the big rig. As they approached, he could hear them chatting about what needed to be picked up at the grocery store on the way back to the station “Done?” he called out to the three teammates coming back to vehicles.
“Yeah, those two,” Paramedic John Gage said, nodding to the two building down the block, “haven’t changed. Quick walk through confirmed it. Cap and Roy took the big one,” he added. “I think Marco should make enchiladas tonight and Chet says burritos. What do you think?”
Smiling, Mike’s reply was drowned out by the sound of an approaching semi. Turning to see what was going on, the stunned firemen watched as the semi raced through the intersection narrowly missing other vehicles before slamming into a nearby warehouse, burying three quarters of itself into the building before stopping.
It had barely stopped before all were moving, three running for the building and one grabbing the microphone out of the engine.
“HT 51, Engine 51. Do you copy?” Stoker called, his eyes darting toward his teammates trying to access the semi. Getting no response and flipping channels, he barked into the mic. “LA, Engine 51. Motor vehicle accident and building collapse at our location. Unknown number of injuries. Firemen trapped. Notify utilities to shut off electricity and gas to the area. Need additional engine and squad for search efforts.”
*********
“Any way in over there?” John Gage called, peering in to the window of the mangled cab and seeing the driver slumped in the seat.
“Yeah,” Chet Kelly called back. “But he’s just beyond what I can reach. Marco’s gone for the jaws. Think we can get in.”
Turning, John tried to peer past the crumpled engine into the building. Looking up, he could tell there was substantial structural damage, but little else. “ROY? CAP?” he yelled, hoping for a response. Hearing Marco Lopez come back he jogged around the trailer to join the other two. Catching the turnout coat being tossed to him, he shrugged into it as the power tool came to life.
********
Watching the engine and squad come to a halt, Mike step forward to brief Engine 14’s captain.
“Stoker,” Captain Nelson acknowledged, coming to a stop. “Where’s Captain Stanley?”
“He and Desoto were in the building doing an inspection before the truck went into it. They had a radio but neither are responding,” Mike said grimly.
Pausing as Gage came jogging up, all eyes turned toward the arriving paramedic. “Driver’s DOA. Likely gone before the crash from the look of it.”
“Any idea where Stanley and Desoto may have been?” Nelson asked.
Shaking his head, Stoker frowned. “They were doing an inspection after an overhaul of the entire inside. Cap was marking up the layout sheet we had. They have been in there about twenty minutes.”
“Let’s hope that means they were in the back part,” the captain said. Turning to the waiting fireman he nodded toward the building. “We need an assessment of what kind of shape that building is in. Check for other points of entry also.”
************
Coughing, Roy Desoto raised his head and tried to peer through the dim, dusty air. “Cap?” he coughed out, turning his head to look around. Feeling blood run down his jaw and neck, he reached up and flinched as he encountered an open wound on his ear. Determining it was not serious, he tried to turnover, only to find he was being held back by drywall and two by fours.
“Cap?” he called again, reaching back to shove the debris away from himself. Pushing on the beam across his side, he was able to move it enough to roll over and finally get some leverage on it. Sitting up, and shoving the wood away, he saw the extent of the destruction around him. He wasn’t sure what had exactly happened, but he knew it wasn’t good. Seeing a boot nearby, Roy staggered to his feel to get to it.
“Cap?” he called again, moving items aside. Frowning when he saw a heavy beam lying across Stanley’s legs, he stepped over it to get to the captain’s head. “Cap?” he called again tapping his cheek before dropping his fingers to his throat to check for a pulse. When a moan answered him, Roy let out a breath. “Hey, easy,” he soothed, when he saw a frown and the edges of panic begin to show on Hank’s face before settling into a grimace. “Where do you hurt?”
“Roy?” Captain Hank Stanley asked, fighting to clear his eyes so he could open them. “What happened?”
“Not sure,” he answered, glancing around. “Don’t see or smell any fire so guessing something else happened. Where do you hurt?”
“Legs,” Stanley breathed out. “Feels like they are bleeding.”
Shifting down, Roy eased a hand under the beam and brought out bloody fingers. A renewed sense of urgency seeped into him. “Yeah, you are. Let’s see if we can get the beam off of you.”
Rising, Roy bent to get a better look at the beam in the dim light. “It’s a support beam,” he breathed out, frowning as he estimated the weight. From the looks of it, it was not going to be easy and it wasn’t moving very far. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Frowning, Hank did a quick assessment. “Nothing serious,” he said after a few moments.
Debating, Roy knew options weren’t good. “Are you sure?” he asked again knowing there was no way he could hold up the beam and move Hank. Hoping he was making the right call he blew out a breath. “Okay, if I lift this a little, think you can pull yourself out?”
Sticking out a hand for Roy to help him sit up, Hank nodded. “Do my best.”
Standing, Roy bent over to pull on the beam. “If you can’t do it, let me know,” he said, straddling the beam. “Ready?” Getting a nod, Roy heaved on the metal beam. A bolt of pain shot through his side, stealing his breath. Standing, he grabbed his side, willing the pain to go away.
“You okay?” Cap snapped, reaching to grab Roy if necessary.
“Yeah,” Roy breathed a few minutes later, his hand pressing into his lower side. “Give me a minute.” Blowing out a breath or two, he pushed gently on his torso to see if he could figure out what the problem was. Finding tenderness, he nodded to Cap. “Two by four hit me,” he offered, tipping his head toward the debris.
Shifting plans, Roy bent and snagged a large piece of metal to use as a lever. Sliding it under the beam, he was stopped by a hand on his leg. “You’re sure?”
“Let’s get you out of there,” Desoto replied, gripping the lever again. “On three,” he said beginning the countdown.
Straining to lift the beam, a groan left his mouth at the exertion and stabbing pain in his side. Slowly, he saw Cap’s legs move out, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. When they finally cleared, he let the beam drop and staggered toward his teammate. Dropping, he swallowed a curse at the site before him. In addition to blood, he could tell there were tendons and bone exposed in each leg.
“Need your belt,” Roy snapped, working to get his own free. Sliding it under the leg closest to him, he quickly tightened it to decrease the flow of blood. “Got it?” he snapped, reaching back for the other belt. When it did not appear, he looked back to find that the older man was having problems with the buckle. “I’ll get it,” Roy breathed, shoving the fumbling hands away. Quickly tugging on it to free it from the loops, he quickly applied the tourniquet to the other leg. “Can you feel your feet?” he asked looking up and waiting for the response. When Cap nodded, Roy patted his leg. “If you feel any tingling in your feet, let me know,” he said.
Reaching forward, he snagged Hank’s wrist to take a pulse. The fast and thready beats raised Roy’s alarms. “How about laying back?” he soothed, easing the older man back to the ground and laying a hand on his chest he counted breaths. “Try to slow down your breathing Cap,” he suggested.
“Feeling lightheaded,” Cap said, a hand coming to rest on his forehead. Closing his eyes, he focused on his breathing for a few seconds before opening them again. “Those didn’t look good,” he said, gesturing to his legs.
“Been better but nothing that can’t be fixed,” Roy tossed back, his hands moving to unbutton his shirt. “Got most of the bleeding stopped. Need to get something to stop any more of this dust from going in,” he said, shrugging out of his tee shirt. Pulling his scissors, he quickly snipped the hem to allow him to tear the t-shirt into two. “This is going to hurt a little,” he warned, easing Hank’s leg up to wrap the cotton around the wound and pulling it tight before tying a knot. He wasn’t pleased with the amount of red that quickly soaked the white material. Stepping over, he repeated the procedure on the other leg, before slipping his fingers under the belts to test their pressure. Tightening the belt on the left leg a little bit more, he wiped the blood from his hands on his pants before shrugging back into this uniform top.
“Any idea where the radio went?” Desoto asked, his eyes scouring the floor near where Cap had gone down.
*********
Climbing up the outside of the warehouse, Gage grimaced as he took a careful step onto the roof. Staying close to the edges, he moved gingerly toward the front of the building. The front half was virtually split from the back part, and what was left upright wasn’t going to take a lot of weight. Moving back to the ladder, he quickly came down. “Front half’s gone, back half looks okay,” he reported.
“There a fire door on the back side,” Marco Lopez reported. “We’ll have to cut it open though.”
“Yeah, well that’s better than the roof,” John commented, leading to the front and reporting what he had found to Engine 14’s captain.
**********
“How are you doing?” Roy asked checking to make sure bleeding had stopped. He had no luck finding the radio in the debris. The fact that they were not hearing anything on it made him think it was either buried deep or broken.
“Cold,” Stanley replied. “Remind me that from now on all inspections will be done with turnouts on,” he grumbled.
Chuckling at the grumbling, Roy shook his head. “How about sitting up and I’ll sit next to you,” he offered. “Concrete is stealing what little warmth you’ve got left with that blood loss.”
Maneuvering his teammate, Roy propped him against some overturned furniture. Before sitting down, he grabbed what appeared to be left of a pole lamp. “Better start making some noise,” he observed, sinking to the floor.
Cap caught the grimace that passed over Roy’s face as he sank to the floor. “You sure your side is okay?”
A small smile pulled on Desoto’s face erasing all signs of pain. “Sure,” he offered. “Just sore.” Waiting until Cap begrudgingly accepted the answer, Roy turned away, pretending to look for something to bang against. In reality, he was starting to wonder if something serious was wrong. He wasn’t usually nauseous and pretty sure his abdomen was starting to tighten up. There wasn’t anything that could be done about it if it was true so he saw no need to worry Cap with it. Seeing a metal pole not too far away, he took a tentative swing. The ringing sounded loud in the small space. “That should catch some attention,” Roy observed hitting it again.
*******
John watched impatiently as the big saw chewed up the metal door. It would depend on what they found on the other side as to how they would be proceeding.
As the saw stopped, two of the linemen from Engine 14 moved forward with crow bars to pry open the door. Moving it to the side, Chet and Marco moved closer to John to peer into the darkness.
Nodding, the Captain of the engine called back, “Going to have to do some digging but it looks stable,” he announced, stepping back. “Meyer, Lopez, James, you three head to west side. “Gage, Peters, Kelly, east. The rest of us will get your gear ready and relieve you as needed,” the captain ordered, splitting up the stations.
Raising the radio, he triggered the connection. “Engine 51, Engine 14, Captain 14. Get a couple lines ready to knock down dust in case it is needed.” Nodding to the men around them, he watched as they headed into and around the building toward the engines.
************
“How are you doing?” Roy asked, feeling the shivers reduce in Hank. “Feet still feel okay?”
A grunt met his questions. Shifting to his knees and nudging down, he lifted the pants to feel for the pulse point in Hank’s ankle. Finally finding it, he moved to the other leg to find the slow pulse there and counted the beats. “Feels slow,” he murmured, reaching up to ease the constriction in his leg. Watching carefully, he let out a breath of relief as the bleeding in his thigh did not seem to pick up.
Checking Hank’s carotid pulse and then his breathing, he noticed the older man was drooping. “Hey, Hank,” he called, shaking his arm. “You need to stay awake.”
Forcing his eyes open, Stanley nodded. “You’re too warm,” he said slowly. “Making me sleepy.”
“Uh huh,” Desoto said back. “I can fix that,” he countered, sitting back down but leaving a little room between the two men. “Guys should be here soon,” he offered, hitting the metal bar again. He hoped they would be anyway. Cap’s pulse was thready. With the coldness of the floor, he was pretty sure he was starting hypothermia also.
Shifting closer to give him warmth back, he felt Hank sink into his side. Knowing he had to do something to distract him and keep him awake, Roy nudged him with his elbow. “No sleeping,” he reminded him. “Jenny’s class is learning the state names in alphabetical order. You know them?”
“Use to,” Hank said, clearing his throat.
“Prove it.”
“Prove it?” Hank repeated, a little disbelief in his tone. Suspecting that the challenge wasn’t really a challenge but rather a distraction, Stanley shifted to sit up a little more. “Okay. Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas,” he finally started. Pausing, he nudged Desoto’s side. “How do I know you know them?”
“Alternate letters?” Roy chuckled.
Nodding, Hank said, “Your turn.”
“Nothing starts with b,” he quipped back.
“California, Colorado, Connecticut,” Stanley countered slowly.
“Delaware,” Roy threw out, feeling Cap starting to drop against him again. “You’re up,” he added.
Pausing a moment, Hank grunted. “Forgot District of Columbia.”
“No,” Roy countered. “Not a state. E’s?”
“None.”
“Florida,” Roy countered. When Cap didn’t respond right away, he moved his shoulder to dislodge Cap’s head a bit. “No sleeping,” he reminded. “You’re turn.”
Forcing his mind to think about what state he had heard last, he added, “Georgia.”
Hitting the bar again, he waited for the sound to stop. “Hawaii.”
Shifting a little to try to keep himself awake, Cap grumbled, “You keep getting easy letters.” Opening his eyes wide to try to force them to stay awake, he finally said, “Iowa.”
“Close,” Desoto added when Cap stopped with one state. “You’re missing a few before that one,” he said. “Testing me?” he added teasingly. Feeling a snort come from his superior, he nudged him again.
After a few moments, Cap said, “Switch.”
Frowning, Roy didn’t miss the way Cap’s voice was slurring more. Picking up his wrist, he counted the weak pulse again, estimating the time in his head. Hoping he was wrong in his count, he picked up the pole and banged it again. “Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa.”
After a few minutes, Cap lifted his hand slightly as if to tell Roy to go on. “Yep, no jays,” Roy said, banging again. “Kansas, Kentucky,” he added. In a few minutes, he chuckled when a slurred Marti Gras came out of the older man. “Been there?” he asked. “I remember my first time, one of my first leaves from service,” Desoto offered. “Think I still have a few strands of those Louisiana beads,” he teased. Banging again, he continued.
“Not sure I like this switching letters now. Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,” he said between bangs. “I think I’m doing more of this alphabet than you,” he added after a few minutes of silence, shifting his shoulder, partly to ease the weight, partly to wake up Stanley.
A weak “Captain’s prerogative” reached Roy.
A forced chuckle came out of Roy. Sobering, he reached up to feel Hank’s pulse again. “You need to hang on,” he murmured, squeezing Hank’s arm to stress his point.
Banging the pole again, he started again. “Nebraska, Nevada, New….” Faint yells stopped his progress.
“Desoto! Stanley!”
“YEAH,” Roy shouted back, hitting the pole again. “WE’RE HERE.”
“We’re coming,” was replied back. “Keep signaling if you can.”
“HURRY!” Refocusing back to the man getting heavier against him, he let out a breath and said, “Won’t be long now Cap,” before hitting the pole again.
********
“Did you hear that?” Peters asked, holding up his hand. The trio had been carefully picking their way through the debris looking for any sign of life. “FIRE DEPARTMENT,” he yelled again. “IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, MAKE SOME NOISE.”
Muffled yelling reached the trio.
“Behind here,” Kelly said, nodding at the pile of materials beside him. Starting to pull away items, he quickly ran into a large machine. “Crap,” he muttered. “Not moving that by ourselves. We must be pretty close to the semi,” he observed, noting the breaks of sunshine coming through the roof.
John frowned, scanning the ceiling to see how much room there was. The closer they were, the shakier the roof was going to be. No chance of using it for a brace if needed. Looking around he nodded. “Help me clear a little more and I think I can climb up there to see how deep this is or if there is another way.”
After a few minutes of clearing, John hoisted himself up on the large machine, picking his way up the side. Reaching the top of it, he noted there was a second machine behind it. Jumping over to it, he laid down to shine his flashlight into the small space below him. “Are you hurt?”
“Little banged up,” the man said, “but nothing too bad.”
“His arm,” the woman said, “I think it’s broken. I just have cuts and bruises.”
Running his flashlight around the space, he noted that the side of the machine was smooth metal. It appeared the machine was sitting across a corner of a room as there were walls on the back side of the people. There was limited room for another person in the small space. “Okay, hang on a minute and we’ll be down to get you out.” Turning, John raised his voice towards the other firemen. “Found them. Man and woman. Appears minor injuries but we’re going to need ropes, belts and more manpower. Going to have to hoist them out of here. And bring me a splint.”
“Got it,” Peters yelled back, nodding to Chet to head for the equipment. “Engine 14, HT-14. Have found two individuals. Need additional assistance for extraction.”
********
Watching and pulling away what he could, Roy felt a rush of relief when he saw the opening getting wide enough for a man to get through. “Good to see ya Marco,” he said greeting his teammate through the hole.
“Don’t like your new casa,” Lopez countered lightly before backing out to allow the paramedic with him to crawl through. He had seen enough to know both men were injured.
“Tim,” Roy greeted the new arrival. “Need full equipment,” he murmured to him lowly.
Pulling the walkie talkie from his pocket, Meyer reported in. “Engine 14, HT-14. Need ambulance, biophone, trauma box, defibulator, drug box, oxygen, blankets and two stokes ASAP. Will need Morgan also. James will meet you at the door to lead you in.”
**********
“HT-14, Engine-14. 10-4,” the Captain called, watching as the defibulator and scope were added to the waiting stokes of equipment. “Stoker head in and help with the civilian rescues. I’ll join you as soon as we get this delivered.” Looking at his engineer coming back with the stokes from 51 Squad, he added, “Nickels, you wait out here.”
Watching as Stoker and Kelly gathered the ropes and belts needed, he handed them a splint and wrap as they headed back in. Waiving over James, he handed him the second stokes and then nodded to his paramedic Kyle Morgan to indicate he was ready.
Following James and reaching the opening where two firemen crouched, they eased down the stokes. “Bad?” Captain Nelson asked, sliding the loaded carrier into the hole.
“Not sure, but Captain Stanley hasn’t said anything and Desoto looks bad,” Lopez said quietly, feeding the equipment through to Meyer and moving to allow Morgan to enter.
********
Reaching the spot where the two civilians were trapped, the four men began to prepare the ropes. Looking up, Kelly saw Gage waiting on top of the large machine at least fifteen
feet up. “How much?” he called.
“Better do thirty to forty feet,” John answered, glancing back to gauge the distance. Looking back, he asked, “Any news?”
Sharing a look with Kelly, Stoker answered. “Found them, they have some injuries. Don’t know how bad yet.”
Swallowing the lump that appeared in his throat at the news, John forced back the feelings to focus on the task at hand. That is what Roy would expect him to do. “Chet, going to need a hand up here.”
Climbing up with the end of the line in tow, Chet fed part of it back down for the belts. Pulling them up, he handed them to John.
Talking low, Gage tipped his head back toward the victims. “It’s tight in there. Not sure I’m going to be able to do much when I’m down there.” Tightening his belt, he wrapped the line around the hook. “The woman says she not hurt much so let’s get her up and that’ll give me space to splint his arm. We’re going to need something to span these two machines too.”
“Got it,” Chet said, turning back to tell the waiting fireman the plan.
Moving over to the edge, John called down to the trapped pair. “I’m going to come down and then we’ll get you pulled up.”
“There isn’t much room down here,” the woman called out nervously.
“I won’t take up much,” John joked back, nodding to Chet that he was ready.
“Okay, let’s go,” Chet yelled down, warning the others to brace for John’s descent.
*********
“What do you need?” Kyle Morgan asked, kneeling next to his partner.
“Cap’s in bad shape,” Meyers said, wrapping the bp cuff around his arm. “Deep lacerations, both legs. Roy estimates over 500 cc of blood loss. He’s cold and clammy. Pulse is weak. Haven’t had a chance to check out Roy but he’s not looking good,” he added tossing his head back to the man behind him.
“I’ll do it and get on the horn,” Kyle assured him, shifting around to Roy. “How are you doing?” he asked, picking up Roy’s arm to take his pulse.
“Been better,” Desoto breathed. “What happened?
“Semi though the side,” Morgan answered, frowning at the rapid beat of the pulse bellow his fingers. “Pain anywhere?”
“Lower left quadrant of torso. Took a pretty good hit there from falling beams,” Roy said
Nodding, Kyle pressed his hands on Roy’s torso, apologizing when he reached the tender area. “Were you unconscious?” he asked assessing where the dried blood on the side of Roy’s head had come from.
“Not sure.”
“Okay.” Spinning, Morgan flipped open the biophone lid and attached the antenna. “Rampart Base, Squad 14.” While he waiting, he jotted down Roy’s respiration and pulse and reached across for the available blood pressure cup.
“They find the owner and floor manager?” Roy asked, shifting to try to ease the pain in his side.
“Think so. Gage said there were two people trapped on the other side,” Kyle replied as he noted the call back from the hospital.
“Rampart, Squad 14. We have two Code I’s as result of a building collapse. First victim is approximately 39-year-old male, deep lacerations across both thighs with substantial blood loss. It is estimated over 500 ccs have been lost. Vitals are,” he said reaching out to accept the paper thrust at him and reciting it to the hospital. “Victim is showing signs of shock as well as hyperthermia from blood loss and laying on concrete. Bleeding is controlled at this time. Victim was unconscious for an undetermined amount of time. No signs of head injuries. We have him on five liters of oxygen. EKG will be ready in a few minutes. Second victim is approximately 34-year-old male, tenderness and rigidity in lower left quadrant of torso. Victim states he was hit there with boards that came down. Victim is unsure if he was unconscious but does have a cut on his left ear. Skin is warm to the touch and moist. Stand by for vitals.” Taking Roy’s blood pressure, he rattled off Roy’s vitals to the hospital, noting the sound of IV sets being opened.
“Ten-four. Victim one, start two IVs lactated ringers wide open and continue to control bleeding. The EKG will be lead 1,” Morgan repeated. “Victim two, IV ringers TKO, anti-shock suit as needed.” Pausing, he added, “Rampart, confirm you received the EKG.”
“Ten-four, Squad 14,” Morgan said after a moment. Putting down the phone, he accepted the IV kit being handed to him. “Brackett said to monitor rhythm and let him know of any changes.”
*******
Pushing the button on the call station, Doctor Kelly Brackett leaned forward. “14, on victim one, do you know his blood type?”
After a moment, the transmission was answered. “Victim two states victim one’s blood type is O Negative.”
“Copy 14. Get them in here as fast as you can.”
“Copy Rampart. Be advised there is another rescue occurring with at least two other victims.”
Acknowledging the additional information, Kel turned to Dixie McCall. “I want two units of blood down here as soon as possible and we’ll need at least two surgery rooms. Where’s Joe?”
“Room three. He should be about done,” Dixie stated. “You want me to give him a heads up?”
“Yeah, if nothing else, sounds like we need to evaluate at least one of them for potential head injury,” Kelly said lowly. “I’ll get ahold of orthopedics, gastroenterology and thoracics.”
*****
“Hey Cap,” Tim Meyer called, noticing that Stanley’s eyes had opened. Not sure if he would remember him or not, he introduced himself. “It’s Tim Meyer from 14. Doctor Brackett wants a couple IV’s in you,” he said, as he slid in the first needle. Taping down that one, he continued. “My partner Kyle Morgan is working on Roy. You guys gotta find better place to take a nap in,” he teased, preparing the second arm.
A huffed breath came out for Stanley. “Lou’ana,” he slurred out. Tensing, he tried to sit up. “Roy,” he said worriedly, resisting the hands trying to hold him down.
“We’ve got him, Cap. You need to calm down and lay still,” Meyer stressed, a sign of relief escaping with the older man slipped back into unconsciousness. Finishing the second IV, he took a moment to read the scope again, blowing out a breath when there was no change for the worse on it.
“Rampart,” Tim stated, picking up the handset. “Victim one was conscious briefly. Some confusion and agitation,” he reported. Listening briefly, he acknowledged the transmission before focusing back on Stanley. “You want to help me swap out these wraps?” he called, moving down to Cap’s legs.
Grabbing several compression wrappings and gauze pads, Kyle kneeled opposite Tim. “Afraid, there’s no going back on this shirt,” he teased Roy, unwrapping the shirt and seeing for the first time the extent of the cuts. “Ouch,” he observed, placing the gauze pads and wrapping it.
Helping Tim do the second leg, he noted the belts. “Ready?” he asked, preparing to loosen it. Getting an affirmative nod, he loosened the leather and removed it after receiving a second nod. Repeating it on the other leg, he tucked the belts into the trauma box. “Will get those back to you,” he told Roy when he noted him watching.
“How’s he doing?”
Frowning at the slurred tone, Kyle moved back over and picked up Roy’s wrist. “He’s stable,” he answered. “Let’s focus on you for a minute. Feeling dizzy or anything?”
“Nauseous,” Desoto breathed back, allowing his eyes to drift shut. “Light,” he added slowly. “Belly is starting to hurt bad.”
Yanking the trauma box closer, he pulled the rolled up anti-shock pants from the container. “Need a hand here,” he called out to Tim.
************
“Ready Mrs. Teagan?” John asked, making sure the belt was secure before smiling up at the woman.
“Marge, please,” she replied. “And, I guess as ready as I’m going to be.”
“You’ll be fine. Try to help them as much as you can by walking up the wall if possible.”
A chuckle left Marge’s lips. “Shouldn’t have worn heels today.”
Smiling at her, John called up “Ready Chet.” Watching and steadying her as she began to rise, Gage encouraged her to continue. “Good job, almost there. Okay when you get to the top, Chet will grab your hand and help you the rest of the way.” Watching until she was safely on the top, John turned his attention to the man beside him.
“Let’s take a look at that arm,” he said, reaching out to gently feel down the forearm. “Yeah, I’m afraid Marge was right. It’s broke,” he observed, leaning over to pick up the splint he had placed on the floor. “This will help to stabilize things and make it feel better,” he promised. Sliding it on, he asked, “Can you hold this for minute?” while he slid a hand into his pocket to retrieve the wrap he had stuffed there. “Yeah, just like that,” he added, beginning the process of securing the cardboard splint.
When he was finished, he reached over to grab the safety belt that had been lowered beside him. “Okay, same thing here,” he noted reaching to wrap the belt around his waist.
“I’m heavier than she was,” Jeff said in half jest, half nervousness. “You sure this is gonna work?”
Smiling, John nodded. “There’s four guys up there that have lifted things much heavier than you,” he assured him. “Trust me, I’ve been held up in worse places than this.”
Snorting, Jeff looked blandly at the paramedic. “That’d make me feel better if you didn’t weigh less than Marge does.”
“You’ll be fine,” Gage firmly stated, looking up. “Ready Chet?”
“Whenever you are,” Kelly called back.
“Let’s go,” John called. As the line tightened, he shielded the broken arm from hitting the wall. “That’s right, walk up if you can.” Watching as Jeff reached the top, he noted that Kelly pulled him up the top and began to undo the belt.
“See, no problem,” Kelly said to him, making sure he didn’t hit his arm as he worked. “Let’s get you the rest of the way down,” he added, gesturing for him toward the board thrown across the two machines. “Nice and easy,” he added as the man crossed the span. Following him, he noted the fireman already on the ladder waiting. “You okay climbing down or need a ride?” he asked Jeff.
“I think I can do it,” Jeff replied.
“Okay. Peters here is going to shadow you. Grab ahold and step around onto the rung there.” Watching as the man maneuvered himself onto the ladder, he nodded back to the fireman on the ladder indicating he had him.
Moving back to the second machine, he slid the rope down to Gage. Watching as he looped the rope through the clamp on his belt, he called for the others to begin pulling when John gave him the signal that he was ready.
Coming to the top of the machine, John nodded to Chet he was good and unhooked the line. Heading to the board across the span between the two machines, he crossed and reached the ladder. Swinging around it, he quickly scaled the treads and moved toward the two victims a short way away.
“Was there anyone else in the building?” John heard Captain Nelson ask.
“Us and the two firemen,” Marge said. “I hope they are okay. We,” she gestured toward Jeff, “came over here to get some paperwork they wanted.”
Not answering the woman, he moved aside so John could assess them better. “How are you feeling? Okay?” he asked in general looking at both victims. When both nodded, he glanced back at the captain. “Think it’s okay to get them out of here.” Looking back at the two, he added, “I’ll check you over when we get outside.”
Gesturing for them to start forward, John glanced back and saw the others gathering up the equipment. “Good thing they brought in a ladder,” he said, using the comment to divert attention from the disaster around them. “We would have had to do a little tree climbing to get back down.”
Coming through the doorway, the sound of an ambulance siren starting up caused John’s head to snap to the side. All he could see was Marco standing still watching the retreating lights. “Uh, er, let’s sit down over here,” he said gesturing toward the back of the squad. Once the two were seated, he murmured “I’ll be right back.”
Jogging over to Marco, he noted that Mike and Chet were arriving also. “Marco?” John said touching his arm when there was no immediate reaction.
Drawing a breath to try to steady his voice, Lopez looked toward his teammates. “It’s bad,” he said lowly. “Both of them.”
Hearing the indrawn breaths of concern from his teammates, John pressed, needing to know more. “What? How?”
“Roy’s got internal injuries someplace. Cap lost a lot of blood,” Marco said quietly, his eyes drawn back to the now empty street.
“GAGE.”
Captain Nelson’s call forced John back into motion. Noting the Captain was standing by the Squad, he tried to shake off the fear and jogged back to the squad.
“Thanks Cap,” he murmured, pulling the drug box from the side.
Picking up Marge’s wrist, he took her pulse. “You’ve got a few cuts and bruises,” he said to Marge, now that he could see her better. “Anything else we need to check out?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
Taking Jeff’s pulse, John paused a moment to check the pulse in his broken arm also. Feeling no concerning difference, he opened the drug box to get the blood pressure cuff from it. “Let’s get your blood pressure and then we’ll check in with the hospital.” Wrapping his arm, he asked, “How’s your pain?”
“Have to admit it hurts more now that I got nothing else to worry about,” Jeff said dryly. “Not too bad though.”
Nodding, John jotted down the readings before connecting the biophone. “Rampart, Squad 51.”
*****************
“Ambulance is close,” Dixie told Kel as he came out of a treatment room. “One and four are ready.”
Nodding, Kel paused. “I’ll take the legs in four. Have Joe take the other in one.”
Turning, she caught Joe Early’s attention down the hall. Meeting him, she said, “The two firemen are close. Kel wants you to take the internal bleed and possible head injury in one.”
“Any idea who?” Joe asked, starting to move toward the doorway where the patients would be wheeled in.
“14’s got them, but they didn’t say who.”
Waiting with the two doctors as they watched the ambulance back in, Dix moved out the door with a gurney. Stopping it where they could load the patient in the anti-shock suit, an emotional shock went through her as she saw who was on the stretcher. “Room one,” she called out walking beside it until she reached the doctors. Placing a hand on Joe’s arm to stop him, she said, “It’s Roy.”
Turning around as the ambulance gurney came in, she noted Hank on the other stretcher. She nodded to the paramedic trailing it. “Room four.”
Walking quickly with the stretcher, she darted in before the others to hold the door. After they had passed, Dixie moved over to help with the transfer. Hank had barely hit the table before Kel was assessing him as Carol quickly removed his clothing. Pausing at the wound area on the legs, she waiting for the doctor’s okay to cut through the bandages.
Pulling his stethoscope from his ears, he nodded when Dixie read off his BP. “Is the blood here?”
“I’ll have to check,” Dixie said moving out to the hall. Stopping by the desk, she picked up the phone to dial the pharmacy when she spotted an orderly coming down the hall with two units. “Here,” she called out meeting him. “I’ll take them,” barely left her mouth before she was heading back into the room. “I’ve got them,” she announced.
“Get one started,” Brackett ordered, easing the bandage off of one leg. “Carol, get some wrap in case this starts,” he murmured assessing the wound. Taking the pressure bandage from the nurse, he quickly wrapped the wound again. Moving around the table, he repeated the procedure on the other leg. Shaking his head, he moved up to check Hank’s upper body for injuries. “Surgery ready?”
Glancing at the clock, Dixie shook her head. “Room is, but orthopedics said surgeon wouldn’t be available for another fifteen.”
Frowning, Kel glanced back at Hank. “Let’s get him up there anyway. It’ll give him time to stabilize a little before they get started.”
Nodding, Dixie opened the door and waved at a couple orderlies. “Take him to surgery room two. Carol, stay with him. I’ll let them know you are on the way.”
Picking up the phone Dixie dialed the extension and watched as they prepped Hank to move. “Nurse McCall in Emergency. First of the surgical cases is coming up.”
Hanging up, she waited for Kel to finish his notes in the patient file. When he looked up, she tipped her head.
“Yeah, let’s go see if Joe needs help.”
*********
“10-4 Rampart. Ambulance is not on scene yet. Fifty-one out,” Gage said, biting at the frustration that wanted to erupt from him. Rising he moved over to where the other firemen were grouped. “Cap, they say how long before the ambulance would get here?”
“Fifteen at least,” Nelson replied, knowing the delay was not what the paramedic wanted to hear. “Stoker, Lopez and Kelly are securing the equipment so when you head to the hospital they can follow,” he added, hoping it somehow helped.
“Thanks Cap,” Gage nodded, a resigned sigh escaping him at the delay. On the way back to the squad, Chet stopped him. “Any news?”
Shaking his head, John said, “No and it seems there is no ambulance for another fifteen or so.”
“Man, of all the crazy things to happen,” Kelly said, shaking his head. “What are the odds that we would be inspecting this place at the same time as some guy keels over and plows into it.”
“I don’t think he planned it,” John replied dryly, his gaze traveling toward the building. “They’ll be okay,” he said encouragingly before turning back towards the squad and the two people waiting for transport. A muttered “I hope” escaped from John as he went.
*******
The sound of “He’s crashing,” met Kel and Dixie as they came through the door. “Get a second line in him,” Early barked, pumping back up the anti-shock suit.
“Joe?” Kel called as he came up to the table.
“Need to get him to surgery,” Joe replied. “I suspect that he ruptured his colon. The longer we wait, the more septic he’s going to become.”
“Blood pressure is 84 over 50,” Dixie called, removing the stethoscope from her ears. A wince escaped from her when Joe observed, “That’s better at least.”
“Surgery ready?” he asked Dixie.
Nodding, she replied, “On standby, waiting.” Moving to the door she motioned for staff to bring in a gurney. Holding the door for the nurse and orderly that came, she said, “Surgery room three, stat.”
“Dix, can you and Mike handle things down here?” Kel asked the head nurse as they watched Roy be transferred. “I’ll scrub in and be on standby in case either need help.”
“I’d like to do the same,” Joe added.
“Sure,” Dixie answered. “It’s been quiet today. Mike and I can handle it. If we get too backed up, I’ll reach out to Doctor Newsome and see if she can come in early.”
“Let’s go,” Brackett announced, leading the way out the door.
Leaving the room, Dixie noted that the paramedics for Station 14 were waiting. “Both headed to surgery,” she murmured as she eased herself on the stool. Putting a tight smile on her face, she added, “I’ll keep you posted.” As they started to move away, she called to stop them. “Where’s Johnny?” she asked.
“He was leading the other rescue, a man and a woman in another part of the building,” Kyle said. Looking at his partner, he swallowed. “He doesn’t know how bad it is,” he said softly.
***********
Escorting Marge through the emergency doors, John paused as Dixie met the gurney. “Room three,” she told the attendants. Looking over to John and Marge, she gestured to the waiting area, “If you take a seat, we’ll be with you as soon as we can.”
Ensuring Marge was settled, John smiled at her thank you before he headed down the hallway. As he passed the entrance, he paused to allow the others to catch up. Together the four made a beeline for the nurse’s desk. Reaching it, John rushed, “How are they?”
Drawing a breath to release her own tension, she looked up at the four anxious men. “They are both in surgery right now,” she said. When she noted John was going to ask more questions, she continued. “Roy has a ruptured colon. Captain Stanley has severe lacerations on both legs.” John’s reaction told the others how serious things were.
“Unfortunately, it’ll be a while before we know anything,” she said kindly. Watching John share concerned looks before running his hands through his hair, she broke down and laid a hand on his arm. “We have to hope for the best.” Looking at the group she slid from the stool. “Come on. Buy a girl a cup of coffee.”
*******
Waiting in the doctor’s break room, Marco covertly watched Johnny. The restlessness in his coworker was obvious. Marco felt a nudge on his foot. Looking over, Mike nodded his head slightly to indicated Marco should talk with him. Before he could do anything, John got up with his mug apparently to get another cup of coffee. However, John put the cup down by the sink and strode to the door. He was stopped by the door opening before he reached it.
“Joann and Emily are in Kel’s office,” Dixie reported from the doorway.
“Thanks,” Mike said softly. “I’ll go speak with them in a little bit. Miss McCall?” he called out as Dixie turned to leave the room. “Is there any news about Cap and Roy?”
“I’m afraid not,” Dixie said, coming back into the room. “Sometimes no news is good news,” she offered the anxious men. “The fact that the doctors are still working on them means they are fighting.”
“I know but it’s been over two hours already,” Chet answered, slumping in his chair.
“We should know something before too much longer,” Dix replied kindly.
Watching as John nodded and turned away from her, she raised an eyebrow at the others. An answering shake of Mike’s head told her that John was not doing well. When Marco moved over and placed a hand on John’s shoulder, she knew he was saying something but could not catch the words. She simply saw John nodding once in response.
Turning towards John and waiting until he looked towards her, she subtlety tipped her head to the hallway outside. Waiting until the door closed, Dixie began them moving down the hallway. “How are you doing?” she finally asked as they neared the desk.
Shrugging, John tried to put on a halfhearted smile. “You know,” he finally stated. Looking away for a minute, he added, “Not use to this side.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean. When Joe had his surgery, I think it was the longest three hours of my life.”
Toying with a pen on the desk, John was silent for moment before responding. “Last time I was on this side, it was with Drew Berk.” Looking up briefly, he focused back on the pen before adding, “That didn’t turn out well.” Dixie’s hand on his arm stopped his fidgeting.
“Roy’s not Drew,” Dixie answered softly. “Come on,” she said. “They should be done before long,” before heading down the hallway toward the recovery ward.
************
Coming out of the surgery area, doctors Brackett and Early let out a breath of relief. “That went about as well as it could have,” Kel stated pulling the surgical cap from his head.
“Yeah,” Joe answered, “but they aren’t out of the woods yet, especially Roy.”
Nodding, Kel held the door for Joe to go through. “I’ve already ordered IV antibiotics for him. That’s about all we can do at this point.”
Stopping at the recovery room, they noted that John and Dixie were watching as personnel monitored Roy’s vitals. Moving into the room, he stopped by the pair. “It’ll be a while before they are awake,” Kel said. “Come on,” he added touching John’s arm. “I’ll fill you in with the rest of your crew.”
“Their wives are in your office,” Dixie reported moving down the hallway with the group. “The others are in the doctor’s lounge.”
“You take the wives, I’ll take the firemen,” Kel stated, nodding at the Joe.
“Gee thanks,” Joe muttered, tipping his head at Dixie for her to accompany him. Smiling she nodded as the two diverted towards the office.
Following the doctor into the breakroom, John shook his head at the others’ silent question if he had any news. Waiting until Kel had gotten a cup of coffee and sat down, John could not hold back any longer. “Doc? Are they going to make it?”
Tossing John a tight smile, Kel took a sip before deliberately setting down the cup. “Hank is doing very well. They were able to repair the muscles and luckily there were no breaks, though I’m not sure why there wasn’t any with the amount of damage. He has a long road ahead of him, but he should make a full recovery,” he reported, sharing the good news.
“How long?” Chet asked
“He won’t be able to stand for several weeks and then we have to get the muscles working properly again,” the doctor answered. “It’ll likely be at least three months before I’ll clear him for duty again.”
“Man,” Chet breathed, happy Cap was going to make it, but concerned with the length of time it would take.
“And he’ll need you guys to help out,” Kel added, giving them hope that they could do something.
“He’ll have it,” Mike stated matter of factly, noting the nods from the others. “And Roy?” Mike asked, after the relief about Cap had settled.
A twitch of Kel’s jaw told John more than he was about to hear. “I’m not going to sugar coat it. Roy is critical and it is going to depend on how fast we can get on top of the infection as to how he will do.” Seeing a frown on Marco’s face he continued. “Roy ruptured his colon which allowed the body’s waste material to enter his torso. While they cleaned it out as best they could, there is a high probability that he will develop an infection in his abdominal walls due to the exposure.” Taking another sip to give the men a moment to absorb the news, he continued. “He’ll be moved to intensive care and monitored closely. While he’s there, only family will be able to visit.” Turning to John, he added, “As you are on Roy’s notification listing, I’ll arrange for you to get access and you can keep the others,” Kel tipped his head toward the rest of the crew, “updated.”
Swallowing the lump that was in his throat, John thanked Kel for the access. “And after the infection is cleared up?” he finally asked, refusing to believe it wouldn’t be.
“If we can get the infection cleared, with time, he should make a complete recovery.”
**********
A subtle beeping penetrated Roy’s awareness. Fighting to open his eyes, he could tell it was late in the evening by the low light in the area. He knew he was in a hospital and the beeping was the sound of his own heartbeat. Attempting to swallow, he felt the dryness of his lips and mouth as well as feel the nasal tube running down his throat.
The sound of someone coming closer reached him. In a moment, a nurse reached up to check the level of his IV bags. Bringing her eyes down to check his arms, she stopped when she realized his eyes were partially open. “Well hello Mister Desoto. You are in the intensive care unit of Rampart Hospital. I’m your nurse for the evening, Vicki,” she said as she dabbed a wet sponge on his lips.
“Wha hap’nd?” Roy breathed out, his voice ragged and rough from no use and dryness.
“You’ve been very ill,” Vicki said gently. “What’s important right now is that you are getting better.”
“W’tr?” he grunted.
“I’m sorry, but you can’t have anything by mouth. If you open a little, I can rub a wet sponge on your cheeks,” she offered. When she was finished with that, she moved down to check his foley before lifting the sheet slightly to check his side.
“I’m sure there will be some people very happy to hear you’re awake,” she said smiling, seeing him already begin to drift back to sleep. “They can see you tomorrow,” she assured him as he fell asleep.
Moving out for the room, she stopped at the nurses’ station and picked up the phone. Dialing it, she waited for someone to answer. When they did, she simply said, “This is Vicki Johnson from ICU. Mister Desoto was briefly awake.” Pausing, a smile pulled at her lips as she listened to the reaction on the other side. “No, he has gone back to sleep,” she said after a moment. Preparing to hang up, she replied, “Yes Doctor.”
***********
Picking up the receiver Kel quickly dialed the number and waited.
“LA County Fire Department, Station 51, Caption Howser speaking.”
“Captain, Doctor Brackett. May I speak to John Gage?…John, I just got word that Roy woke up for a bit… No, I haven’t seen him but his fever broke earlier today and his blood work is looking better.” Chuckling at the ruckus he was hearing on the other end of the line after his news was shared, he responded, “Yeah, I agree it has been a long seven days….No, wait until tomorrow afternoon. It’ll give me time to check him and then for him to rest…Yes, I called Joann already…Okay, you bet.”
Hanging up, he looked back at the two other persons in his office, smiling. “Bought time that hose jockey sounded like himself.”
**********
Coming into Roy’s room, Kel nodded at the nurse changing his IV. He noted his patient appeared to be sleeping as he moved the covers to look at his stomach. “How’d he do during the night?” Kel asked, picking up the chart at the end of the bed.
“Very well,” the nurse reported. “The night duty nurse said he was awake two times for brief periods and remembered where he was.”
“Good,” Kel said scanning the vitals. “I want to rerun the labs this morning. If it continues to improve, we can begin to wean him off some of the antibiotics.”
“Doc?”
The groggy rough voice drew a smile from Kel as he moved to the top of the bed. “Hey,” he greeted Roy leaning over him, “It’s good to see you awake. How do you feel?”
“Rough,” Roy said. After a moment, he added, “What happened?
“What do you remember?”
Licking his lips, he was grateful when the nurse moistened them. When he spoke, he was hesitant. “Washing the squad,” he finally said.
“I see,” Kel answered, standing up and crossing his arms. “When was that? What day?”
“Tuesday, the 11th.”
Nodding, Kel said, “We’ll have to check with John on the washing, but the date makes sense. You and Hank were injured last Tuesday in a building collapse.”
“Cap?” Roy broke in, his heart beat increasing. “How bad?”
“Easy,” Kel soothed. “He’s doing fine. You did a good job stopping the bleeding and minimizing the debris. We repaired the lacerations and now it’s just a matter of time to heal. He’s got quite a rehab ahead of him.”
Roy shook his head, not remembering any of what the doctor was telling him. “And me?”
“Ruptured colon,” the doctor said, watching how the news was received. “You’ve been pretty sick from the infection.”
“Wait,” Roy said, his mind trying to sort through what he had heard. “Last Tuesday?”
Nodding, Kel shifted to lay a hand on Roy’s bed. “You’ve been here for over a week,” he said. “We had quite a time getting the right mixture of antibiotics for you. If your labs continue to improve, we can take the drain out of your side and start some oral liquids. If you tolerate that for several days, then we start on some soft solid food. Hopefully we can get you in a general bed in the next week also.”
Seeing Roy nod slightly, he could tell he was beginning to fade. “You just take it easy and rest,” Bracket said squeezing Roy’s arm. “I’m sure JoAnn and John will be back this afternoon to see you.”
Smiling at the thought, he allowed his eyes to close. He vaguely heard Bracket issuing care orders before sleep gripped him again.
***********
Opening his eyes again, he could tell that time had passed by the difference in the sunlight in his room.
“Roy?”
Turning his head, Roy realized that John was sitting by the bed. “Hey,” he grunted out.
“Man, it’s good to hear you,” John said smiling. “I see you’ve got that grisly, gaunt look going,” he teased rubbing his chin.
Trying to clear his throat, Roy tried to raise his arm to touch his lips to indicated what he wanted but was stopped.
“Easy, you’ve got an IV in there.” Guessing what was needed John picked up the cup of water with the sponge and dabbed it on Roy’s lips. “Open,” he urged, running the wetness around his mouth briefly. “Better?”
“Yeah. Get a shave tomorrow,” he muttered, a welcoming smile pulling at his face. “You okay?”
“Me?” John asked surprised by the question. Chuckling he added, “I’m not the one in the bed.”
“Wasn’t sure. You look tired.”
Shrugging John waved it off. “Busy shift yesterday and I’ve been helping around the house. You gotta do something about that old mower. Bout destroyed my shoulder starting it,” he said, rubbing his shoulder as he rotated it.
“Just have to work the choke,” Roy countered, defending his equipment. Sobering, he continued. “How’s Cap?”
“Doing okay,” John replied. “Stewing about you. Said you kept saying you were okay when you were taking care of him.”
Roy shrugged. “Either I thought I was or there was no sense worrying him more.”
“Yeah, well, if I was you, I’d prepare for one of his little talks about keeping injuries from him,” John said, his fingers placing quotation marks in the air.
Snorting, a smiled pulled on Roy’s face. “Who are you working with?”
“Tim Meyer and Kyle Morgan from 14 have arranged for all of the teams to take one of your shifts. They were onsite and pulled you and Cap out and wanted to help out more. Have got you covered for almost two months right now. Kyle worked last night.” Seeing Roy’s discomfort at the thought of others doing something for him, John reminded, “You trained about every paramedic in the area.”
“We trained them,” Roy countered. “Fourteen pulled us out?”
Nodding, John shifted in his seat. “I was leading rescue of the plant owner and floor manager on the other side of building.” Looking away he added, “Didn’t know how bad you guys were until we made it to the hospital.” Glancing back, he pulled an apologetic shrug. “Didn’t care for that much.”
Grunting, Roy observed, “Know that feeling. Didn’t liked it much either.”
Silence descended between the two for a few moments. It was broken first by John. “Before I forget, Cap keeps talking about Louisiana. Said it was important to you. Any idea why?”
Frowning, Roy shook his head slightly. “No idea.” After a moment he added, “Unless I told him Jenny was learning the states and something stuck with that.” A self-depreciating smile tugged on Roy’s face. “Don’t remember much from that day.”
Nodding, John said he would relay that to Cap. It was evident that Roy was getting tired already. Seeing it, John looked at his watch. “I gotta go. My ten minutes is up,” he explained, acknowledging the nurse that peeked into the room to tell him the same thing. “You rest up and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thanks Johnny, for everything,” Roy said softly.
“No problem,” John replied. Pausing at the door, he took one more look before leaving the room, finally assured his friend was going to be okay.
The end (roll those credits)
12/4/24
*****
AN2: I do not remember if the names used for Roy’s daughter and Stanley’s wife are cannon or fanon. If they are fanon and you created them, please let me know of any objection of their use and I will change them. Also, the ten-minute limit for visitors in the ICU was the rules in the 70’s at my local hospital in case you were wondering where that came from. Hope you enjoyed.
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