|
| |||||||
| |||||||
|
| Page Two |
|
Johnny tried desperately to regain an open path but failed. He withdrew his hand and stood, lifting Mary's hips higher onto the pillows. He began pushing on Mary's lower abdomen gently, firmly around the contraction, until he felt the baby internally slide backwards through Mary's skin. The pulse returned into the loop of birthing cord that he could see. He peeled off his now dirty gloves and put on another sterile pair before he reached in and regained a hasty path to the outside for the baby to breathe in. He no longer felt the tiny hiccups in the baby's neck. "Baby's quieter Roy. No movement. But the cord pulse's back." He nodded getting a new BP on Mary. "It's down. 90/52. Something's changing." "Not from here. There's still no blood." Right then the Sheriff burst through the door with Nicola, peeking his head through. "I was in the kitchen. That was the Doc. He's on his way." He paled when he saw Mary lying so silent with sweat covering her features. "How far away?" Johnny grunted, keeping the tenuous length of space over the cord so it wouldn't be sealed off again. "Stephen's Road." Bittner mumbled, staring in shock. "That's two minutes away.." Nicola added, her sculpted face equally stunned as Blaine's. "Oh, and I forgot to tell you, Mary's a diabetic.." |
 |
 |
|
"What?!" Gage said, glancing up at Sommers sharply. Roy and Johnny and Cap saw a pair of hands drag the two speechless Santa Rosa citizens back out of the bedroom and the door quickly closed shut again. ::That's a little medical history a little too late. Good riddance. Last thing we need is another pair of fainters. Thank you Marco, Mike and Chet.:: Gage thought. "Smell anything on her, Cap? Any ketosis?" Hank bent low, lifting the moaning mother's 02 mask and he sniffed lightly. "No.. her breath's not sweet." "Hypoglycemia?" Johnny said looking at Roy. "Most likely."DeSoto said, looking at Mary's eyes under a penlight."She's working pretty hard here." "Yeah, and she's too out to give her any oral glucose paste. Where's the Doc when you need him?" Gage said sarcastically, eyeing up all the IV bags and needles that they presently didn't have the authorization to use. Roy's hand reached for a bag of Ringer's and tubing, and a glucagon syringe. "Roy, don't. We can't.. Not yet.." DeSoto had almost touched them when the bedroom door flew open to reveal Doctor Frick himself, covered in blood. Roy snatched up the bags in a quick report. "Diabetic. Prolapse on the baby. Fetal heartbeat's up to 170. Hers is at 140. Real tachy. Her LOC's dropped 4 Glasgow points and the baby's quit moving.. What happened to you?" he added, eyeing up the doc's soiled sweatshirt. Dr. Frick said."IV Ringer's one arm TKO. 500 ml of an IV D5W on the other at 200 mls an hour and give her all of that glucagon in a push. Another little boy got worked over by the pack of feral dogs Nicola and the Sheriff have been trying to hunt down. He's gonna live. I got him in the living room being watched by your firefighter friends out there on an oxygen tank." "Feral dogs?" Cap asked. "Is that what we were hearing last night?" he asked in horror. "Yes. We've been hearing them every night." Doc Frick said gloving up rapidly and he kneeled next to Johnny. "What do you got?" the long haired hippy like moustached doctor asked Gage. "Prolapse, four minutes old. Lost a pulse in the cord once. Felt the baby attempt respirations but now I can't feel anything. Not one twitch since that happened about two minutes ago." "All right. Getting tired? We can trade off. You can hand me supplies as I need them." said Frick. Johnny unencumbered and stood back, peeling off his body fluid slick gloves and trading them for a third clean pair. "Ok,.. Both IV's and the glucagon is in, doc. I've marked down the time and rate on the bags" Roy said. "She's an insulin dependent diabetic, fellas. Most likely, she skipped lunch for being excited about this being another birthday. That injection and the IV's will bring her around shortly." The doc took his place maintaining the baby's birth canal and cord integrity. Then he reached in more fingers. "Got the baby's chin." and he reached in a tip of a pinky into the baby's mouth. Immediately, he felt sucking. A huge smile erupted from his face. "We got ourselves a fighter! Roy, get a new fetal heart rate for me, would you?" From the bed came.. "A fighter?. " said Mrs. Caine weakily as she recovered from her blackout. "I thought you said my baby was a dancer.." she smiled.. "Yeah well one's just as good as the other.." Johnny smiled right back at her. "Feel like some pushing? The doc's here." "Oh, is he?" Mary asked around Cap's hands cradling her face to help her breathe easier. "Anytime. I wanna surprise Jack when he gets... owwWWW." Roy announced. "Doc, the rate's 220 on the baby." he said urgently. "Here we go.." Doc Frick said, gently pulling as the baby's head advanced, until it had emerged into the open to the neck. Johnny rapidly suctioned out the tiny baby's nose and mouth with the bulb. The doc pulled another loop of cord he discovered from around the baby's neck with a couple of fingers. He frowned when he didn't find it beating. |
 |
 |
|
"Roy, there's nothing now." he whispered without sound about a pulse rate. Then aloud he said. "Mary..pant now and don't push anymore.. We have to let the baby's head rotate around for delivery. Won't take long." "....*gasp*...kay.. Just say ......when.." she groaned. A minute went by before another powerful contraction spun Mary's child into the proper position. Frick's eyes jerked over to the resuscitation gear and then at Roy in a subtle hint to get ready for some new trouble. DeSoto rose and got things ready. The baby's face had turned blue. "Ok, Mary. Push.. Push as hard as you can!" Frick urged. Cap let Mrs. Caine use his chest as a support and he held her up as she strained one last time in a supreme effort to finish the job. The baby's shoulders came easily with a lift and shove from side to side by the doctor. The baby's limp body slid out of Mary in a rush of fluid onto the bed. "It's a boy Mary! Nice job.." Johnny said, forcing a smile onto his face. "How is he?" she panted. "Can I see him?" she said through her O2 mask as Cap eased her back down onto her back. Again there was more suctioning. Gage quickly threaded in an infant airway as Roy attached a neonate ambu bag to the end of it. They both clamped off the cord with two clips as the doc checked for a baby's pulse quickly with a stethoscope. "Got one." Frick said at last. "He needs only those vents. Turn the O2 to 100% and hyperventilate him until he pinks up Roy. I think your son only needs a little brisk encouragement, Mrs. Caine. Give us a minute to cut the cord." Frick said."What's your new son's name gonna be, Mary?" "Darren. Darren Joseph Caine." she sighed. "That's a wonderful name. Same first name as my grandfather's." he said, snipping the cord in two between the clamps. "Now, how are you feeling? Your blood sugar got a little low there at the end." "Perfect.." Mary said muzzily, drifting into a happy sleep. "Well so is he..." Hank grinned. "He's got all his fingers and toes so rest easy. We'll stay to watch over you until the ambulance arrives." Tiny puffs of Roy's pure oxygen into Darren's lungs from the ambu finally drove away the deep blue from the baby's face, trunk and limbs. He actively began to thrash his arms and legs, gurgling, entirely flushed a healthy reddish pink. |
 |
 |
|
Doc Frick tugged out the airway and drained Darren's lungs of their remaining fluids. Soon, the baby's back was slapped as he hung by the ankles and that brought a thin powerful cry out the gaping mouth. "That's more like it. Apgar 2 to a 10. Welcome to Santa Rosa County, Darren Joseph." And the baby wailed anew when a great peal of thunder crashed just outside the Caine house as he was laid across his mother's breast in a cocoon of warm white blankets. |
 |
 |
|
******************************************************************* From : patti keiper <pattik1@hotmail.com> Sent : Saturday, June 26, 2004 2:17 AM Subject : Guess Who's Coming For Dinner? Sheriff Bittner was on the phone again, trying to get an ETA of the ambulance long overdue to arrive at the Caine house. His voice was growing in volume and frustration when he learned from Mable the switch board operator, that the storm warning had elevated to flash flood warning. "I don't care WHAT it takes to get them here, Mable. Just do it. I have a badly injured child now that the doc brought in as well as Mary and soon, her new baby, and they can't be delayed! No sirree. Now get on it and call when you get through to them.".. his pudgy flushed cheek twitched when he got another wail of panic from Mable. Blaine toned down his voice to a quiet calm level and he added."Maybe you can call up one of those new fangled helibirds from the southern counties to make a flight up here when the weather clears. Now I've got to go. The doc and the good fire boys who came with us need me. Do the best you can." and he clicked the phone down onto its receiver. ------------------------------------------- Out in the living room, Chet Kelly, Marco Lopez, Mike Stoker and the resort owner Nicola Sommers were all clustered around the small boy that Dr. Frick had entrusted to their care. He was stretched out on the couch on his back and his arms and neck were liberally wrapped in ace wraps and kerlix. Kelly was making sure that the oxygen he wore still flowed from the small tank at his feet. Marco was busy wrapping the rain soaked boy snuggly in afghans. Stoker was taking a pulse on the boy while he slept with his father seated by his head. The man was upset and talking, twisting the hem of the quilt covering his son in barely contained anger. "I told Aaron not to go to the swimming hole until the Sheriff said those pack dogs were all trapped and killed. He knows better! As soon as the storm breaks, I swear to G*d that I'm going to go out and put a bullet between the eyes of every snarling mongrel I run into. Look what they've done to him!" he cried. Nicola rose from her crouch. She had been making sure that Aaron's pressure dressings were still tight and controlling his bleeding. "Mr. Johnson, calm down. Now I made a promise to this town and to the Sheriff that I'd do everything possible to make these woods safe again for our kids. And I absolutely mean to do that. But a hunt of this size takes time, .." she said empathetically spreading her hands wide, "...resources.." We're going to have to do it Bittner's way or soon there will be more than just our town's children getting maimed out there. Stealth is the answer, Nate, quiet stealth. These are DOGS going wild out there, not wolves or coyotes! They most likely KNOW about people and how to avoid traditional hunters." "Yeah? Well that's not good enough Ms. Sommers.. Just how many little boys have to get shredded like my son here to prove to you and Blaine that this little domestic wildlife problem's a little more than just an isolated incident?!" said the angry father. There came a moan from the couch. "Daddy?.." said Aaron sleepily. "Are ..are they really gone? I'm so scared.." and the boy started crying. "My arms and neck hurt so bad." he sobbed. Nate Johnson leaned down and cradled his eight year old son and kissed his forehead. "Shhh. Easy Aaron. The doc will be right out to give you medicine to make that pain go away. I promise, but right now he's a little busy with...." A slap and then the cry of a baby came through the bedroom door that everyone could hear audibly.. Smack! " Wahhh....*gasp* WahhhHHHHhh!" "Now that's more like it..." celebrated Sheriff Bittner as he returned to the living room. "I tell you the Caines always have fine strong children when they have a mind to.. Hehe." he chuckled. Everyone's faces lit up with joyful smiles. Included Mr. Johnson's. "Do you hear that son? Mary's baby's finally here. Just think. In a few days, we can invite the Caines over for dinner and ..and then you can get start to get to know another future playmate. How does that sound?" But Aaron was beyond consoling. His terror from the feral dog attack was still very fresh in his mind. He didn't open his eyes and he began to tremble. Marco Lopez rose to start a fire in the Caine's wood stove. Nate stroked his son's forehead and didn't care when the rain water from his hair mingled with his tears as he let loose all his emotions quietly. Bittner observed Nate and silently motioned to Nicola to join him at his side. She did, grabbing a sweater and jeans to slide on over her skirt and plaid top that she had grabbed from her hastily snatched backpack on the way into the house earlier. Blaine's face was grave. "The ambulance might be delayed. Now we're gonna haveta figure out a way to get all these folks outta here and into town so the boy can get the surgery the doc says he'll need to repair his injuries." "Sheriff, just how bad is the weather out there?" she asked softly. "Bad enough. The valley lowlands are most likely to be flooded out. Probably already are. Mable mentioned warnings of the type." Nicola threw her head up in frustration after pulling on the thick woolen sweater over her head. "If only we were at my resort. I've plenty of survival gear and a solid Power Wagon." Blaine chuckled. "That's my girl. That's why you make such a good sworn deputy. Always the provider.." "Well, I'm not providing enough. Blaine, the boy's border line shocky according to what we've found. If the doc medicates him, he's not going to be in any shape to go anywhere." she confessed. |
 |
 |
|
A new voice spoke up from the living room door. "He'll be ready, Ms. Sommers. " said a newly shirt changed Doc Frick. "I'm going to start an IV on Aaron right now since my first priority's been taken care of.. It's a boy..." he said aloud to the room. Again smiles and celebration filled the air. "How's he doing?" asked Sheriff Bittner with undisguised glee. "Terrific. He's a big strapping example of the solid Caine family line." Frick said proudly." I wouldn't be surprised if he tips the scale at over nine pounds when we finally get a chance to weigh him." "Mary?" Nicola asked. "No complications. At least not birth wise. She became hypoglycemic because of all of her labor but a good hot meal should take care of that." Frick admitted. "Looks like I'll get a chance to fix one, Doc. We may be stranded. The storm's gonna flood the area up to our eyeballs.." Ms. Sommers said dryly. The doctor's face fell into concern. "Really? I thought this was just a little downpour." "Of biblical proportions according to Mable.." Blaine huffed. "Ok.. uh... I'll get started making Aaron more comfortable right now." Frick said, scratching his hippy beard absently. Johnny Gage and Cap quietly crept out of the bedroom and closed the door behind them. "I'll go get dinner on." Nicola said, eyeing up the black iron stove and antique kitchette across the room where they stood. "I'll help." Stoker volunteered. "Doc, his pulse's been in the 120's the last few minutes. But that might be because he's still upset." "Thanks,..uh.." "Stoker. Fireman Mike Stoker. Nice to finally meet you. Gage and DeSoto have told me all about you.." he said secretly, with a wink and he took Doc Frick's hand up in greeting for a second before joining Nicola huddled inside the frig. Doc blinked briefly."Looks like my reputation's preceded myself again I guess. I'll be glad to tell you the REAL stories Mr. Stoker. Later. Just to set the records straight." Gage paced over to the Doc's side. "Do you want me to start Aaron's IV? Roy says Mary's just about delivered the baby's placenta." "Yeah, go ahead. I'll go draw up his Versed for an IV push. It'll be better than MS if we're going to be packing it out of here." "We are?" Johnny startled. "Yeah..Flashflood's due any hour now. The roads might wash out before the ambulance gets here." Frick said, with resignation. "Marvelous.. Now I know why I moved to L.A." Gage admitted. "Why, because of those wonderful ripping Santa Ana winds you guys suffer every summer?" Frick asked wryly. "No, because of the lack of Noah's flood coming every spring like it seems to do up here." Johnny rejoined. Hank Stanley couldn't help but overhear. He frowned. Then he turned and got the other firemen's attentions. "Gang. Go turn the rover around and unload all the camp gear we got in it. That'll be our backup ambulance if they aren't here within the hour." "Right, Cap." Marco said, motioning to Kelly go come with him for a fast dash outside to get the white vehicle set for travel. Then he turned to the doctor. "Will the baby be all right in all this rain?" "He'll be fine. We can offset any further breathing trouble he might have by making an incubator out of a dresser drawer and a dry cleaner's plastic bag with an O2 tank. Roy's keeping tabs on his condition while Mary finishes up with the afterbirth." "Want that too?" Gage piped up. "Yeah, it'll make Mary's ob gyn exam later easier. I want to make sure she's got through delivery as well as I think she did." "ok, I'll take care of it after I get to Aaron." "Good deal." Cap said. Hank waited by the door until a soaking Kelly and Lopez returned from outside. "Man, it's raining torrents now." Chet said, shaking off rivers of water from a raincoat he had thrown on from the rover. "Johnny I brought this coat and your spare for Mary and Aaron if we need em getting out to the truck and we parked it at the head of the driveway." "Thanks, Kelly." Johnny said, hanging up the I.V. he had begun on the dozing boy onto the edge of a lampshade above his head. "Doc, all set for ya." Doc Frick kneeled to give the boy the medication. "Nate. This isn't a sedative. This will simply help Aaron,....not remember his discomfort as soon as he feels it." "Thanks, Doc. I appreciate it." Mr. Johnson said. His eyes were dry and he was calmer now that a plan of action had been formulated. "Gage." Frick said. "Yeah." "Mark down.." and he looked at his watch. ".03 mgs Versed into that D5W at 16:09 hours. After his drip runs in an initial 20cc's bolus, turn it TKO. He only lost around 300 cc's blood from his bites before I bound them up. None had arterial damage. Have a Ringer's on standby piggy back if his pressure drops below 80 systolic. No need for a survey. I already know his history." "Right." Johnny said, using one of his green pens that never left his side. He grinned at the luxury of having a live doctor at hand instead of just a voice on a phone. "You'll be fine, Aaron. Just give that medication a chance to work it's magic." he said to the child. Aaron Johnson sighed in his sleep and rolled over a little deeper into his pile of blankets. Nate began to snore, too, from where his head drooped onto his chest in an armchair. Gage rose and began to pack up all the sheriff's medical gear to take with them. ::I sure hope we don't have to rely on that ambulance. The rover's far far better at roughing it.:: The thunder booming around them began to recede, with a drenching solid rain taking its place. Nothing could be seen outside the windows. |
| ||
|
 |
 |
 |
|
"Easy way to find out." Chet Kelly piped up. He turned towards the bedroom where Mrs. Caine lay on her bed. "Excuse me, maam?" he asked from where he could see her. He dipped his head. "Uh, congratulations about the baby." he broke off, uncomfortable with bothering the exhausted new mother. Mrs. Caine nodded, encouraging him to go on with his question even as she hugged Darren to herself tighter as her fear grew. "Do you have an attic upstairs?" Chet went on. "Yes." "May we go up there to look around?" he asked. "You don't have to ask me for anything, sir. Do what you must. Keep my baby safe." she sobbed. Kelly turned to Cap, who still hadn't put two and two together yet. "We can open the upper story window and get on the roof to see how many there are. I know there's one over the half roof because I saw it when we got here. Maybe we can even secure the sheriff out there with ropes so he can shoot down a couple. Might scare the rest off." "Bound to be slippery." Cap said. "I'm willin to risk it." Blaine replied instantly. Hank angled his jaw, nodding the more and more he mulled it over. Then the rising din coming from the scratching, digging, hunting pack made up his mind for him. "Lopez help the Doc get Mary and Aaron set to move. Gage, Stoker, Kelly, come with me and we'll get things started in the attic. We don't want them still out there when those ambulance attendants arrive. In fact, we're no longer gonna wait. Bittner can radio town to cancel the call. We'll take them out ourselves. It's too dangerous here now with those animals and all the localized flooding going on." "Right." they answered. The five men ran up the wooden stairs as fast as they could go with the sheriff hastily loading his gun. "Nicola? Would you get the baby into that drawer incubator the doc talked about.." Gage said as he rushed after Cap. "I sure will." she said, untying her apron and turning off the stove. She hurried into the bedroom to join Roy at Mrs. Caine's side. "I know my way around medical gear so maybe I can help out that way, too." she told DeSoto. Roy nodded. "Now, first things first. We have to get both of them in as many warm clothes as possible." Doctor Frick did likewise with his patients in the living room to get ready to flee with Aaron and Mr. Johnson. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Easy now! We got ya.." Gage grunted as he, Cap, Kelly and Stoker hung onto the makeshift line holding the sheriff fast on his feet on the rain streaming roof. The sheriff was soaked and bedraggled but his aiming eye was true. He soon ended the life of the questing blood hound in a second. The gang winced at the yelp that echoed up to them. Bittner's face was grim. "I got five shots left. Let me watch them for a while to figure out who are the aggressive leader types. If I get them, the rest'll run." Hank nodded. "Take your time. We can hold you all day." "I know ya can.." Bittner said with confidence and an undisguised affection for the firefighters. "I've read all about the kind of training you guys do down in the big city." The gang watched, uneasy, as the sheriff started assessing the pack's members. "See that greyhound? She big, but shy. Her tail's down. She's a follower. Now that German Shepard, he's been wild a while, his coat's full of burrs and it's patchy from a fire. Hasn't been one here since last winter. The huskies are new. They're still wearing their collars. They're no threat and just along for the game. Probably joined up with the rest of them this morning. Now there's one. See her boys? That great big black dane's rallying them." |
 |
 |
|
He began to squeeze the trigger with the snarling dog in his sites who had locked eyes on him. A mat of shingle moss gave way under Bittner's right foot and he went down, his shot going wild, and he skidded over the edge of the roof. The milling dogs converged into a knot, racing to where he was falling. The gang flattened when the bullet bit a chunk of wood frame inches away from their heads. Kelly yelped, "Don't drop him!" And they strained to get back onto their feet. Lopez and Stoker were the first to stand and get the rope wrapping firmly around their wrists again to arrest Blaine's slide off the roof. Bittner's hat fell off and hit the muddy ground below. It was immediately torn apart by the dogs. Cap called out. "Sheriff, are you all right down there?!" "Yeah.. Get me up. I still got my gun! Ahh!" he said as the Great Dane leaped up and tore one of his pants legs. "And be quick about it! They're reaching my legs!" With concerted effort the four firefighters inched up Bittner's soggy bulk, hand over sweaty hand, until the lawman could throw a leg up over the gutter and crawl back onto his hands and knees onto the rain streaked cedar shingles. Thinking a moment, the sheriff threw his line around the base of the brick chimney for leverage in case he slipped again. "You hurt at all?" Hank hollered. Blaine wiped rain out of his face and ran fingers through his hair to get it out of his eyes. He looked down at his shredded pants leg. "Nah." Then he drew out the gun from his holster again. "I anchored myself round the chimney. You boys got some purchase now. Hold me fast!" And he aimed with great deliberation over a forearm. Bang! Chinggg..... a bullet riccocheted off Doc Frick's red station wagon and impacted dead center into the black dog's ribcage. The Dane leaped up, bit her side and then he fell down into a heap and didn't move again. "Got you you little piece of Cain.." he whispered with a tight grin. "Four left sheriff.." Chet called from the window. Blaine's sense of irony struck him and he glanced back at the curly haired fireman with a wave. "I know. I know young man. Thanks for keeping track.." he joked. An emaciated Doberman looked up from the hat he had just urinated on. He connected with Bittner's eyes and began to growl low in his throat. Blaine didn't break eye contact. "Sorry I gotta do this fella. That kind of behavior's just too rude for me. You're next in line.." And another shot snuffed out the pack member's sad fated life. Yelping, the others broke and ran around the house away from Blaine when the Doberman died but a German Shepard remained behind, standing guard over her mate's carcass. She, too, growled a warning at the man on the roof, her white teeth dripping. Sheriff Bittner took careful aim..... |
 |
 |
 |
|
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Roy was just finishing getting the baby into the dresser drawer resting on the bed, fussing with the oxygen tubing under the plastic in with the baby, when Mary suddenly screamed from where she was standing with Marco's help by the foot of the bed. A creamy white body burst through the bedroom window in a shower of glass and water. The growling filthy dog, knocked the new mother to the carpetting, attracted by the scent of blood and body fluid on her skin. Roy snatched up the baby's drawer and tossed it heavily to Marco, who caught it with blind luck and backed slowly out of the room. "Mary, don't move!" DeSoto said, spreading his arms wide to stave off the dog's growing idea to chase after Lopez. Mary trembled but lay still on the rug. She flinched when the growling dog sniffed at her waist and set a paw on her. The whole time, the dog kept his eyes locked on Roy, who was the only real threat in the room. Sniffing, the dog's attention wavered when it smelled the afterbirth inside a white plastic bag set on the floor. There was a sharp recoil of yellow and orange and a puff of gun powder and the white dog flew backwards into the wall, dying. |
 |
 |
 |
|
Nicola Sommers stood in the doorway, feet planted apart, with a gun firmly gripped into both of her hands. She didn't stop pointing the gun until a book thrown at the curr failed to rouse it. Then she saw Roy and Mary's frozen looks. "Nice ranch house. Guns in every corner." she remarked. Roy unlocked his muscles and knelt by Mary's side when the woman began to sob uncontrollably from where she lay on the floor. "Mary, are you all right? Did you hit your head? Are you hurt anywhere?" Mrs. Caine didn't answer, lost in a hysterical outburst of relief. Doctor Frick and Marco Lopez peeked through the door. "Did she get it?" "Yeah," Roy said, sitting Mrs. Caine up and hugging her to his chest to calm her down even as he took a pulse at her wrist. "I think she's ok, too. The dog didn't have time to bite her." He checked Mrs. Caine's I.V. It was all right and still running. "Glad I was watching you, Roy. The baby's upset but the Doc found no bumps or bruises." Marco said. "Darren's ok, Mary. Nate's watching him in the living room. He's ok." Mrs. Caine just sobbed weakily, letting her arms hang limply by her sides as Roy picked her up into an arm carry out of the room. "Let's get her out of here. And close that door Marco. The dog might still be alive." "I doubt that.." Nicola quipped, rechecking how many shots she had left in the antique revolver she had found. Four shots from upstairs rang out in regular deliberation faintly. Then it was quiet. Soon the others returned down the stairs, out of breath and sweating. Doc Frick saw Bittner's leg and greeted the sheriff with a warm blanket which he placed around his shoulders. "What in h*ll did you just do, Blaine. I told you no heroics with that angina you got.. Come over here and sit down!" he said angrily. Meekly, the dripping sheriff did so. "Now open your shirt.." Frick ordered, slipping on a stethoscope. "How do you feel?" "Terrific. The worst of them are all dead. And the others won't be coming back." "Shh!!" Frick hissed, listening to Blaine's chest. Chet Kelly's eyes got huge. "You mean we let a man with a bad heart hang from the roof just now?" "Shhh!" Cap shushed. "Let the doc get in his exam." "It was all my idea. You're free and clear young man.." Blaine said as he struggled to slow down his breathing rate. He was smiling but then his face twisted into one of pain as his hand absently gripped his gray maned chest. |
 |
 |
|
"Hmm.. thought you could fool me, huh.." Frick said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a bottle of nitro pills and he dug out one. "Here.. Melt this under your tongue.. Gage, could you get a pressure on him. We'll see if he needs a second once after we get our initial BP." "Sure, Doc. uh... Is he ok?" "Blaine here? Oh, yeah. He's fine. Did his open heart surgery myself. A quadruple bypass. He's unlikely to have another M.I anytime soon. That is, if he ever stops thinking he's some kind of Superman. That was a really stupid stunt you just pulled on these boys mister lawman." "Sue me old bones. Those feral dogs aren't ever gonna seige anyone else ever again." Sheriff smiled closing his eyes as Stoker set him on some oxygen. "All thanks ta me." "And me.." Nicola glared with mock outrage. "What an ego. Geesh.." and she crossed her arms together tapping a leather booted toe on the rug. "Ok. ok.. I'll give Annie Oakley over there some credit, too. She killed the original alpha male, a big rottweiler, when it dragged down a prize steer last autumn at the Fair Grounds. That's how we found out about the whole sorry feral dog mess in the first place." |
|
Roy said. "Chalk up one more point for Nicola, Sheriff." "Huh? What for?" "She took out one that came through the window at us in the bedroom." "It was the cream, Blaine. I told you he was brains behind the whole pack. He leaped through the glass and got inside to get at us just like I said he might do." "Ooo. well, ok.. You called me on that particular nasty brand of dog, too. I stand corrected." "And I'm grateful to BOTH of you." Mary said quietly from her arm chair where Marco sat with her. "You get better and recover fast, Blaine. You've got a christening to go to." she scolded. "Thank you, Mary.." the sheriff said instantly, cowed. Gage sat back from where he had taken the sheriff's blood pressure. "That nitroglycerin lowered his pressure a little bit. What is it usually?" "140/98." said doctor and patient simultaneously. "Well it's twenty millimeters mercury lower than that now.." Johnny grinned. "Fine. Blaine, have a second pill. You're still clenching your teeth." Frick fussed. "Come on now, open wide." "Aw, Doc. I hate the taste of those things." "They're better than baby aspirin." Gage quipped. "Those'll be next if your angina doesn't settle down." "Nope. Ain't gonna." Bittner grumbled, shaking his head and fighting the doc's attempts to put the pill into his mouth. Roy smiled. "Say, doc. Got an EKG/Defibrillator in that red station wagon of yours? Maybe we can jolt him into compliance." Frick rolled his eyes. " I don't think we need it. He's just being mule headed. I can wait a little longer." he said parking the pill onto a napkin in his hand so that it wouldn't start effecting him. "His pulse is very regular. And it'll stay that way if he stops carrying on like a crazed maniac at every little crisis cropping up in and out of town." "Doc, I'm the sheriff!" Blaine protested. "Who's got a sworn deputy who's so bored for something to do, that she's redesigning a resort into a bed and breakfast. Come on. You're sixty nine years old. And I've already ordered you medically to start easing off the job responsibilities. Try another little cack handed stunt like ya did on the roof just now and I swear I'll turn a report into the Board tendering a request for your early retirement.." the doctor warned. "You wouldn't dare.." "Just watch me.." Frick said without looking away or lowering his finger. "Hey,, Blaine. Go ahead and do something stupid. I kind of like the sound of my future title. Sheriff Nicola Sommers. It's got a nice ring to it." Blaine stuck a tongue out at Nicola. And Doc Frick immediately tossed in the second nitro pill. "There's a good boy. Now stay quiet for ten minutes. Thanks Nicola. That little schtick works every time." "Nothing like a man with an overblown pride for his profession." the young woman grinned toothily. Blaine's face screwed up at the bitter taste in his mouth. But he obeyed and didn't say anything else as he dissolved it and swallowed. Hank tapped the Doc on the shoulder. "So he's stable.." "As a rock. All of this is just precautionary." said Frick absently of Blaine's oxygen and the nitro pill bottle he had in his hand. "Ok. We'll leave when he's pain free again, splitting up into the three cars. Mr. Johnson's just agreed to help get Aaron into the hospital using his vehicle." "And I got the extra hand held radios we'll use." Sheriff said, raising a finger, in addition. "Sweet." Frick said. "Thanks Nate. So the Porsche'll get a little muddy. So what? It's for a good cause." "Speaking of cars getting messed, there's a new bullet hole in your car, Doctor Frick." Chet said. Mike Stoker slapped him on the arm for his bold line. But the Doctor was unsurprised. "Oh, another one? It's not the first time, boys. The ding'll just add more character. If it got on target bouncing off my fender, all is fine with me. " |
 |
 |
|
"It did. The head b*tch went down without a hitch." Blaine nodded. "Hey, did he just swear a curse word?" said little Aaron. "Dad, we should tell ol Mable on him." She'll wash his mouth out with soap for sure." And the tiny boy started laughing hysterically. "That the Versed talking?" Nate asked Roy. "Uh huh.." said DeSoto, burying a chin into his hand. "Don't worry. It'll wear off in a little bit." --------------------------------------------------------------------- Twenty minutes later, the three laden cars slowly made their way onto the highway almost invisible under a flowing sheet of rainwater. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
 |
 |
|
****************************************************************** From: "Cassidy Meyers" <killashandraRey@hotmail.com> Date: Wed Jun 30, 2004 3:41 pm Subject: Let the River Run.. "Geez," said Chet at one particular deep section of water lying across the road. "I hope they know where they're going up there." he bemoaned to his coworkers in the land rover about the silver porsche in front of their three car convoy. They were last in line, following Frick's eccentric red wagon. Johnny didn't say anything, thoroughly concentrating on the road ahead of them. Already, it was barely visible in the building rain and darkness surrounding them. Marco still clutched the handy talkie that was one of three that linked Nate's silver porsche, Doc Frick's red station wagon and Gage's truck all together. "Johnny, Roy says that the baby, Aaron and Mary are doing just fine. He's already gotten permission from Doc Frick to discontinue the two I.V.'s on the boy and the mother." "Thanks." Gage replied, not moving his eyes from the car in front. Cap sighed, keeping his eye as well on the red fender of the station wagon Frick was driving. The doc had Sheriff Bittner as a passenger so he could keep an eye on his heart pain. "Nate Johnson said that he knew the high places to travel during storms like this. We're just going to have to trust him to know what he's doing men. If you think about it, only a local would know their way around these parts come nightfall." "Doesn't mean I have to be comfortable with it." Kelly grumbled. "You should've sat with them, Cap." "Not my place to. The Sheriff's in charge of this rescue operation. Whether we like it or not, we're just along for the ride." Hank added, rubbing his damp nose. Mike Stoker gripped Cap's seat back and said. "Let's just hope we make town as soon as possible. I don't like the look of the mountainside to our left. Last sign we passed said 'Danger, Rockfall.' " "You're a bundle of comfort, Stoker. That's my side of the car." Kelly quipped, sinking down into his seat a little lower under his rain gear. "Better than my side near the drop off." Mike replied cheekily. Gage said loudly,, "Hang on!" and he swerved the five firefighter's rover around a fallen tree trunk. Chet hit his head. "Owww! Gage. Watch it!" "I AM watchin it. " Johnny panted. "Just shut up and let me drive or maybe you'd like to do this instead?" Gage glared into the rear view mirror. "Cut it out you, two." Cap ordered. "Kelly, he's doing fine so hush. Make yourself busy with reading a map or something if you're bored." "I'm not bored.." Chet parroted. "Lopez, did I say I was bored?" "Not exactly, but you're a little too fidgety for my liking." admitted the spanish fireman. "Thanks alot, amigo, same to you. If you roll down that window one more time checking to see how hard it's still raining I'm gonna--" "Do nothing, Chet. And I mean now..!" Hank snarled. All the men crowded in Johnny's muddy rover piped down. They knew when they had crossed a line when they heard that voice from Hank, on or off duty. "Thanks, Cap. Now maybe I can avoid obstacles a little easier.." Johnny huffed. "Is his head ok?" he asked of Kelly. "Right as it's ever gonna be." Hank admitted, still pinning Chet into vocal silence with his glare. "Ok. Just asking.." Johnny said, missing the joke entirely as he fought road and water. "Just passed a sign giving mileage distances. Looks like we've only got nine left to go before we hit town." -------------------------------------------------------------- Roy continually checked with Mary Caine and her new baby still inside the improvised dresser drawer incubator sitting on Nicola's knees. He had little Aaron in his lap where his body heat could keep the child warm and away from the chilled seat leather of his father's Porsche. "We've only one bridge crossing to go, Mr. DeSoto, then we'll gain some elevation away from all this flash flooding." Mr. Johnson said as he gripped his cow skin wrapped steering wheel. Roy nodded. |
 |
 |
|
| |||||||
 | |||||||
 | |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
|
|