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| Page Three |
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Dix was helping redirect the exam table light down onto Chet's hands so Rivers could see what he was doing. "About the same. You could go up and visit him if you'd like." "Hey... I wanna come too." Chet said, trying to sit up. Roy, Gage and Dr. Early all held him down onto the gurney. Kelly stared at the ceiling, grinning like an idiot and he added. "Glad my ploy worked and I got here to Rampart so I can see him while still on duty. Thanks, Gage. Thanks, DeSoto, for playing along..." Kelly said, muzzily serious. "Who's playing, Chet? Your hands are really busted.. And Cap took you OFF duty." Roy informed him. "Now keep still."Gage told him firmly. Then he looked up and mouthed to Dix and the docs, "Want us to strap him down?" he said from the corner of his mouth. Joe smiled and shook his head. "He seems cooperative enough. And that MS will be wearing off in a few minutes. I'll change it over to Meperidine so he won't be so tripped out before we get started setting those fractured knuckles." "Think he'll need surgery, doc?" Roy asked Rivers. "No. These breaks I can manually reduce right here. The x-rays will confirm what I'm seeing now when they come through." Craig admitted. "Listen, has Chet ever broken his hands before? That may effect his recovery time; from a few days to perhaps two weeks or so." "Nah, doc. He's been living a charmed life. No fractures, even after eight years with the fire department." Gage told him. Roy concurred. "It's the rest of us who haven't been so lucky." "Really.." Rivers said conversationally polite. He didn't inquire further. Gage looked up at Dix. "And Stoker's number's up for the first time. He's the one Chet was so upset about. Say, Dr. Early. Can we leave to go check up on Stoker? Think you three can handle Chet on your own down here?" "Yeah, sure Johnny. Go right ahead. We'll make sure Kelly behaves himself while we get him squared away and into a pair of hand casts." Joe said. "See you in a bit, Chet.. Now stay put." "Righto, Johnny boy...." Kelly giggled. Dix mumbled to them as they passed. "He's in ICU six, second floor." so Chet wouldn't hear. "Thanks Dix, we'll be back in a few.." Roy said, holding up his walkie talkie. "I've got a fresh coffee pot on by the call station.." Dix added. "Help yourselves." Roy and Johnny left the room. "Hey, bring me some...." Chet piped up. "I'm thirsty!" he shouted belatedly. Dix turned back to the bed. "Sorry, Kelly. You're NPO for a while because of that lovely pain med you took in the rear. " she guessed, seeing no IV hanging by Chet's head. Then she looked up at the docs. "Want a line started for that Meperidine backup?" Joe sighed and nodded. "Looks like we need it if he's feeling dry. Make it a 500 cc Normal Saline Drip, wide open. We'll crank it down when he's better hydrated. He probably lost some fluid volume working that punching bag so hard." "I'll get right on it.." Dixie answered, moving to the Treatment Room drug cabinet to find the proper IV and set up. She took off the stethoscope that she had been using to take a vitals set on him. "BP's steady. 126/68. Pulse 90, Respirations 22." "So he really is thirsty.." Joe concluded from Chet's heart rate. "Looks like it." Rivers said from where he had his head band light down over his eyes while he gently probed how each knuckle displacement situated with each finger on Kelly's hands. Chet started humming tunelessly again, lost in his drugged stupor, while Rivers and Early started to set up the equipment and things they would need to set Chet's hands. X-ray arrived to take pictures after Dix was through starting and stringing Chet's IV on a pole, and everyone vacated the room until the films were finished being exposed. --------------------------------------------- Roy and Johnny felt small went they entered Mike Stoker's critical care room. |
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Despite all their know how and training, the sight of the respirator and all the tubes in place around Mike took them aback. Stoker was still and ghastly white under the dim light of the bed's wall illumination. The soot that had covered him had been washed away and all his face burns were shiny with silvadene. Johnny nodded a silent greeting to the nurse sitting by Mike's bed and stepped forward, being careful not to disturb any of the connections to the machines monitoring him. Gage set a hand on Mike's arm. He was relieved to find Stoker's skin warm and dry, unlike the cold clamminess he remembered from the fire when they had found Kelly's report of Stoker's arrested state to be true. Roy asked the nurse, "Has he tried to fight the airway yet?" She shook her head apologetically and smiled. "Want me to leave you alone for a few minutes?" she asked. Gage didn't say anything but he felt his head nod yes and dimly, he was aware that Roy was nodding, too. Roy and Johnny didn't even notice the intensive care nurse depart, leaving the three of them alone. Johnny felt his eyes lock onto Mike's tightly bandaged ones and he shifted his grip to Mike's hand, squeezing it. Johnny just swallowed, finding himself unable to speak. Roy leaned down close to Mike's ear when he saw Johnny falter, and he asked for him. "Hey Stoker.. It's just us. How are you doing? Looks like the nurses and doctors are taking really good care of you here.." DeSoto smiled. "Your EKG looks good. And it's probably not long before the docs will lift your sedation so you can begin to wake up." Johnny just continued to hang onto Mike's hand, listening to his partner talk, lost in a worried haze as he watched the respirator breathe for his friend in its slow artificial pattern. Gage's uncharacteristic quietness made Roy keep up a running dialogue to quell his own unspoken fears. Roy sighed, and grimaced, patting Mike's blanketed shoulder. "Cap's made some progress on who started that fire. Your instincts were right. That warehouse was a case of arson. Some kids involved so far, and for some reason, Cap's protecting their identities, perhaps to get his witness to give up more information... W- We'll get to the bottom of this." Johnny still didn't say anything. Roy began to fidget in the chair where he sat and he gave Johnny his privacy by not looking at him. "You'll never guess how Johnny and I got to come up here after visiting hours like this. You're not going to believe this. Chet went one on one with the locker room punching bag and lost. Busted six knuckles as far as Johnny and I could tell. We'll get him up here to see you as soon as he's finished getting patched up." DeSoto put on a brave smile, as if the expression would somehow translate into his voice for Mike's benefit. "He was pretty upset he couldn't do more for you after he dug you out. But he did a good job keeping you breathing until Johnny, he and I could get you outta there and to the 02 and all our gear. You left us for a bit then, but we managed to shock you back after only a couple of minutes' work." Roy's eyes were following Mike's EKG and he was heartened that it had picked up a bit while he continued to talk. Johnny didn't miss the responsive signs either and his expression brightened. Finally, Gage found his voice. "Yeah, we were lucky. D*mned lucky. Oh, you might notice when you wake that your eyes are bandaged. That's from that hot water pipe that broke above you when the roof gave way so you just concentrate on getting better and-- and... and thinking positively about that because we really want ya back at the station as soon as possible. Doesn't feel the same without you. " Johnny grinned tightly. "We're not the only ones who feel that way. You'll never guess who showed up just as we were taking Chet to the hospital to get his hands set. I'll give you a hint. He's brown, hairy and has four legs." |
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Roy chuckled. "Yep. It's Boot. Went right to the engine, looking for ya. No doubt he's got plans to keep the seat warm until you get better. So get better, kay?" Mike didn't move. But the EKG didn't slow its reactive rate either. DeSoto and Gage got to their feet and waved the nurse at the ICU desk back into the room, indicating that their visit was over. She left her post and came back into the room. Johnny asked her. "How long has he been listening to people like this?" he asked throwing a hand at the overhead EKG above the bed. The nurse fussed with Stoker's pillows and blankets before settling back into her observation chair at his bed's foot. "Oh, for about an hour now. Looks like his sedation's wearing off early." "That's great. That's great." Johnny said quietly. "Would you give us a call when he's extubated? It would really mean a lot to all of us guys at the station to know he's snapping out of it, know what I mean...? We also want to know about his.. well, whether or not he can.... you know." "See? " the young nurse suggested. "I think I can do that. You two are with 51's right?" "Yeah.." Roy replied. "Dixie's got your number and I can get that easily enough. I'm here until eleven and I will call when it happens." "Thanks. We ah, we really appreciate it.." "No problem.." she said, turning back to watch Stoker's EKG and respirator's venting rate. DeSoto conducted his partner out the door without saying a word, excusing them both from the room. Out in the hall, Johnny asked. "Wow, do you think he was really hearing us in there?" "Johnny, now you know better than to doubt what your eyes are telling you. Of course he heard us. Someone would have to be dead to not hear you." he quipped. "Very funny." Gage frowned, then he smiled. "Hey, Chet's gonna like this news. " then he remembered. "Ooo, but he's probably getting his knuckles set right now. I hate being in the room when fractures are getting reduced. Why don't you and I wait it out in the nurse's lounge?" An amused grin filled Roy's face. "All right. I'll give in to your one squeamish tendency..Know that the coffee's bound to be old in there." Johnny was already halfway to the elevator. "Umm hmm.." he replied. "But it's out of earshot of Chet's treatment room." "Chicken.." "No, just.. selective.. If I was a fan of medieval torturing practices, I'd be there." Gage said, uncomfortably rubbing nervous hands on his shirt's front. "Chet's gonna be given Versed. He'll feel the initial setting of his knuckles the second it happens, but then he'll forget about it right away the moment it's over. That's the beauty of that particular drug." Roy suggested. "I know.. I know.." Johnny twitched with a shiver. "I just have .....never been able to convince myself that it really works that way. Screams are screams." Roy grinned, but he was very merciful for a six year paramedic partner. "Come on junior. Let's go hide out then, until it's over." "Thanks.." Gage said wanly. ----------------------------------------------------- Back at the station house, the gang was all wearing their night pullup trousers and boots despite being out of service for the rest of the early dawn until their called replacements could arrive to fill Chet and Stoker's places on the engine. They were in a circle around the engine's open cab door. "Now that's devotion.." Cap said, not minding Boot's muddy paws resting where the scraggly dog lay, dusty from the many miles he must have travelled to get from ten's to 51's. "Looks like we're going to have to get a prybar to get him outta that driver's seat." Marco plunked Henry's old bowl down full of left over hamburger on the concrete floor and Boot was out of the engine like a cannon shot for the grub. Lopez grinned. "Or a bowl of vittles." Hank closed the engine's door after brushing off the dirt from the seat onto the stone floor with satisfaction. Both men crouched over the dog, caressing his fur affectionately. "Good boy, nice to see you again. Hope you stay a long time." they coo-ed. Then Marco said, "Even Mike's gonna love seeing you ag--" he broke off, fighting a sob. Boot stopped eating immediately and looked up, staring into Marco's face. He whined, setting his paws on Marco's shoulders and he licked his face once before turning back to wolf down his dinner. Lopez laughed and grimaced, wiping dog food and dirt off his cheek. "Gee, can't hide anything from you, Boot." "Guess not." Cap agreed, standing. "Give him a good B-A-T-H when he's through in the locker room tub, all right? I'll get breakfast going.." "You're cooking?" "Yeah.. got a problem with that?" Hank challenged. "No. Just never ever remember you doing that before, Cap." Marco said, sheepishly. "First time for everything. Sort of like Boot here coming back to a firehouse he's already visited.." "I guess.." Lopez said, affectionately patting Boot's sides until he was warned off with a don't-bug-me, I'm-eating growl from Boot. "Ok.. ok. Uncle. Lick that clean when you're done big fella.." he said, standing. Cap made his way into the kitchen and the empty chairs there. Through the window, he could already see the light of dawn peeking through the cracks of the shade pulled down there. Foregoing decorum, Cap pulled up on the shade, letting in the rich rising sun's light into the room until it flooded the kitchen in a tawny glow. Its warmth felt good after a sleepless night and soon, he felt comfortably relaxed despite events. Then Cap turned to the frig to plan out breakfast. It took a force of will to taper down portions on the stove enough for five only instead of the usual six. ::I hope Roy and Johnny make time to run up to Stoker's room to check up on him. I hate not knowing how he's doing.:: Marco and Cap had eaten already and three full plates were sitting in the oven, keeping warm, when they heard the garage doors rumble open with the squad's return. Roy and Johnny wearily entered the kitchen and sat down in the chairs. Boot immediately went for Roy's lap where he sat, sniffing his hands and shirt eagerly. "Yeah, boy, we all saw him. Stoker's doing ok. " he said to both dog and Cap. "He's even listening up when spoken to." |
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"That's good news.." Hank said. "Chow's in the oven.. Where's Kelly?" "Sleeping it off." Gage replied. "I sent him to his bunk. Gonna be another hour before the meds the docs gave him wear off enough for him to feel hungry. Then I'll take him home if there's time, before our replacements arrive." "Who's coming?" Roy asked. Cap said, "Don't rightly know. The Chief didn't say any names. Remind me to have Chet talk to McConike before he ships outta here. There's that message the Chief wants to give him.." "What message?" Johnny said. " 'Don't forget your gloves again, Kelly' kind of message? I fell for that once from you, remember?" Hank laughed. "No, actually. He wouldn't tell me over the phone. Said it was between him and Kelly." Johnny and Roy's face fell. They suddenly knew what it was. Roy finally said the unthinkable. "The chief's aiming at Kelly taking Stoker's engineering spot, isn't he?" Cap didn't say anything. Then he just nodded. "Most likely, if things don't pan out for the best with Stoker's eyesight." Gage slammed his mug down on the table. "Well, isn't that just lovely. Mike's not even six hours back from near death, and already, McConike's washing him up..." Cap turned appraising eyes on his fiery paramedic. "Now Gage, you know this is just backup contingency. No one is retiring anybody just yet." "Then why that for Kelly's-ears-only phone call...?" Johnny asked bitterly. To that, Cap had no easy answer. |
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An hour later, Chet arose from his recuperative nap and made his way into the kitchen, "Oh man, I feel like something Boot dragged in. Hiya, Boot." he said. "How are the hands?" Roy asked, pulling up a chair and pouring a mug of coffee out for him. "Thick. But they don't hurt much anymore." "That's the Versed.." Johnny smirked with amusement. "Wait until later when that memory blocker starts to wear off." |
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