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The Story Unfolds... Season Six, Episode Forty Six §§ The Long Hours §§ Debut Launch: June 1st, 2007. ************************************************** From: Mark Panitz <mrpanitz@yahoo.com> Subject: A Day At The Pier Date: Wed May 30, 2007 7:28 pm It was a beautiful summer day. Roy and Gage were just coming on duty. "What a beautiful day. Too bad we can’t go the beach." he said with a smirk, throwing his clean set of shower towels into the back of his locker with a snap of his wrist. Roy regarded his partner ruefully. "Be careful. Your wish might come true." Just then, the tones beeped. Engine 51 and Squad 51 were called to respond to a relocation move to station 110 by the marina as standby. “10-4, L.A." Captain Stanley replied. "KMA." he said, using that part of the county's affirmation. Johnny celebrated as he buttoned his shirt up the rest of the way as he followed Roy out to the vehicle bay. "Hey, I got my wish!" Gage replied. Roy just rolled his eyes as he opened up the squad's door. |
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Station 110 was out of service for the day, gone to the fire academy for training, so the gang made themselves quickly at home on the dock as their official for-a-shift fill in. They parked nearby and went out onto Station 110's pier to the main house located there. They soon spied the station's fire boat under the eaves. Seeing the boat brought back some memories for the gang as they arranged how they needed to be configured gear and apparatus wise for future calls. Johnny instinctively shuddered at the sharp sea breezes ruffling his hair. DeSoto, too, picked up his navy work jacket's collar. "Man, do you remember the guy who drove off Pacific Avenue into the channel?" Roy muttered, eyeing up the dark ocean shifting beneath their feet through the slates below as he rubbed his arms against the chill. "Boy do I." said Gage. "I was soaking wet!" he said, grabbing a couple of medical boxes from the squad's gear stow to set in the middle of the dock garage with a stokes near where the boat was housed in its water channel. He did so in order to make room so they could pack their water rescue equipment better inside the squad for quicker access. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, at Santa Monica Airport, an instructor and student pilot where practicing take offs and landings. They had made three successful landings in what was known as the touch and go. On the last pass, as they took off again, they flew into a flock of seagulls coming off the waves, and one got noisily ingested into their front end single prop engine. In seconds, the feathery debris caused the engine to quit and the plane's occupants soon realized that they wouldn’t make it back over the airport. The instructor got on an emergency frequency on their radio. Fast. ##Mayday! Mayday! This is November 5622. We are going in!## he shouted at the control tower he knew was watching, as their plane crashed right off Santa Monica Pier, into the Pacific Ocean. |
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Soon, down the beach, the tones began to sing. ##Engine 51, Squad 51. Respond with Santa Monica Fire on automatic aid to Santa Monica Pier. Baywatch lifeguards and the Coast Guard are also responding.## "Hey, that's on the sand beach." Roy yelled to the others. The gang responded to the busy tourist pier in minutes, in their trucks. |
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They met up with Baywatch lifeguards, staring down into the water off to the north side, about half way down the recreational pier. Hank exited the Ward, putting on his turnout coat. "Do you know what we got?" he asked them. "Just now, a plane down. A student and instructor." said a young, dark haired lifeguard, putting on his life can float's elastic strap over his head and shoulder rapidly. He pointed to where a trail of bubbles was fizzing at the surface of the shallow sea. Underwater, they could see the outline of a crumpled Cessna haphazardly sprawled on its back in the murk whenever the wave crests receded into deep troughs. |
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Roy chuckled, remembering the police helicopter they had attended to off the jetty located a quarter of a mile away from Santa Monica's pier last year. "We know." he chuckled, peeling out of his shoes. "Floats are valuable." he joked, pointing to the buoys the lifeguards were holding as they climbed up over the railing and stood on the edge to start timing the surf waves in preparation for their high jump. Stanley reassured the lifeguard. "We'll have our own back up boat here in a few minutes. You won't have to watch us at all." he said. Then he lifted his HT. "Engine 51 to HT 51. E.T.A. ?" he asked over the sound of seabirds and the waves. Chet Kelly's voice rang out over all their handy talkie's. ##Just rounding Point Loma. I'll be there in four with the gear. Scuba's already laid out.## "Good man." replied Cap. "Come even with the lifeguards' rescue boat. She's due here shortly. Squad 51's going in." ##10-4.## said Chet, shouting to be heard over the roar of the motor of Fireboat 110. ##I see your position clearly.## he said as he located the two red specks that were the squad and engine parked on the pier, just past the boardwalk cafes. Cap looked at Marco and Stoker. "Rappel down there using ropes, and act as stokes guides." he ordered. "Right, Cap." they replied as they ran back to the engine to get their belts. |
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Looking up, Cap could just make out two white "V"s arrowing their way toward the accident site on the breakers. One of them was yellow. ::That's Malibu One, the Baywatch boat.:: he recognized. :: Well, for once, we've tied arrival times. So much the better for these victims. If they're still alive.:: he thought, punching down the antennae of his radio. As the three lifeguards, Roy and Johnny lined up on the railing, Gage leaned over to his partner. "Feel like changing your mind?" he said, holding his arms out to balance himself in the sharp breeze roaring around them. "What? And miss all this?" DeSoto grinned broadly. "Like you said, it's a beautiful day, junior. Just perfect for taking a swim." "All right." said Johnny, licking his lips as he counted the waves, looking for the deep cresting top of one. "Let's go." "After you..." Roy said with the sweep of his hand. "Funny man.." Johnny said, making a face, still hesitating. "I'm just.....being your spotter until you resurface again." Roy said, licking his own lips. |
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************************************************** From: MM <monstermoof4me@comcast.net> Date: Thu Jun 21, 2007 12:15 pm Subject: A Friend In Need Swimming strongly, Johnny followed the three lifeguards out toward the wrecked plane. He could vaguely see the plane’s tail, not quite submerged in the water. As the lifeguards neared the downed plane, they could see two men in the water. One of them was holding onto a piece of wreckage and struggling to hold the second person’s head out of the water. Seeing help approaching, the man called out, “Help! He’s hurt...I can’t hold him much longer.” The first lifeguard of the group swam up to the men and carefully took hold of the injured man. As the others approached, he said, “I’ve got him now, sir. You just hold tight and we’ll have you taken care of momentarily.” He glanced back and was glad to see that Gage was only about twenty feet away. “I hope I didn’t hurt him.” the man panted. “I had to pull Mike out of the plane. I know he took in at least a little seawater. We had to submerge to get out. He said his back hurts and I could clearly see his right arm is broken. I didn’t have any way to stop the bleeding.” |
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“Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of him.” the second lifeguard reassured him. “It looks like you need a little help yourself, sir.” he said, observing the bloody trail leaking from the man’s scalp. “The paramedics are right behind us. We’ll get you both taken care of.” Swimming up, Johnny began to assess the situation. He could hear Roy a few feet behind him. Seeing the first victim was conscious and oriented, he maneuvered himself around the two lifeguards supporting the second victim. He paused a split second as shock filled him - the victim was Dr. Mike Morton. Gage quickly spurred himself back into action and began examining his friend, speaking softly to him as he proceeded. “Doc? Can you tell me what happened?” “Johnny?” Mike managed to gasp out. Overhearing Johnny’s question, the pilot sputtered angrily, “We crashed, mister! That’s what happened. Isn’t it pretty obvious?” Roy had just arrived on the scene and turned to the pilot, gently explaining in his soft-spoken voice, “We know that, sir. My partner is trying to find out what Dr. Morton remembers.” Treading water, he glanced over at Johnny and Mike briefly while he spoke to the pilot; he wanted to help Mike but knew his first priority had to be taking care of *this* victim. Ignoring the burning in his own legs, he said, “You have quite a bump on your head there, sir. Did you lose consciousness at all?” --------------------------------------------------------------- Meanwhile, Chet had picked up 51's remaining crew, the lifeguard lieutenant and the equipment. As they sped toward the scene of the plane wreck, Captain Stanley said to the lieutenant, “My paramedics are two of the county’s original paramedics. They’ve been trained since before the program was officially off the ground. Gage can act a bit like a twit at times but believe me, he and Roy are who I’d want tending me if I was hurt.” He paused momentarily, briefly reminiscing, then added, “For that matter they *did* treat me once when some power lines went down and I got zapped by the current.” --------------------------------------------------------------- “Johnny?” Mike Morton mumbled again. He tried to focus but was having a difficult time doing so. He sputtered in surprise as a wave broke over the group, and then began coughing as he weakly fought the supine position the lifeguards held him in. |
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“Hold still Doc, we've got you.” Johnny said, his voice reassuring as he examined the intern as thoroughly as possible in the water. He grimly noted the compound fracture of Mike’s right humerus and the two-inch laceration on his head. “My back...pain...Johnny.” Mike stuttered, his voice laced with fear. He’d seen far too many cases where the victim had ended up paralyzed and he found himself terrified that he, too, might end up that way. “We’re going to have you out of here very quickly, Doc.” Johnny stated. “Can you tell me what you remember happening?” “Birds..those dratted gulls.” Mike moaned. “Then...we crashed. I think I was out a couple minutes...Harold was leaning over me...seat belt stuck...water coming in fast. My arm...couldn’t move it...my back...hurts. I think I went out again...next thing I knew we were in the water with Harold keeping me afloat.” Seeing the boat approaching in the distance, Johnny said, “We’ve got more help coming, Mike. Once they get here with our gear we’ll get you on your way to Rampart. Hang in there, okay?” Hearing the rattling in Morton’s chest, Johnny felt concerned about the amount of water his friend might have taken in. He briefly made eye contact with Roy, silently letting his partner know their friend appeared to be in serious condition. Shivering uncontrollably, the intern mused, “Why’d I enter that darn radio contest? I should...have just stuck to medicine. I think I’m going to...forget about flying a pl....” Morton broke off as a fresh wave of pain washed over him. He looked at Johnny in desperation as he felt himself slipping away. Johnny watched helplessly as Mike’s eyes rolled back in his head. “He’s out.” he said to the lifeguards who were helping support the doctor. He was grateful to see the fireboat approaching. Chet slowed the boat as they approached, coming towards the scene as carefully as possible. “I need a c-collar and backboard!” Johnny called out as soon as the boat had stopped. “I’ve also got to get his arm splinted. Compound fracture of his right humerus. We’re going to need a chopper, Cap.” “You got it, pal.” Captain Stanley said as he pulled out his HT. “L.A., this is engine 51. Please respond a chopper to our location.” After receiving L.A.’s acknowledgment, he leaned over to assist in the rescue. “Holy cow! Is that Dr. Morton?” “Yeah, I’m afraid so.” Johnny answered solemnly. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- While the others were assisting with Dr. Morton, the third lifeguard crawled into the boat and he and Mike Stoker helped Harold in, too. Roy quickly followed, hoping that he would be able to turn their man’s care over to one of his crewmates and be free to help with Mike’s care. Unfortunately, as Harold tried to put his weight onto his left foot it gave out, sending him crashing to the floor. Stoker’s quick reflexes saved the man from hitting his head on the side of the boat, but Harold’s lower leg lay twisted at an odd angle, clearly broken. Roy dismissed all thoughts of leaving this victim as he promptly knelt by the man’s side and began his exam. ----------------------------------------------------------------- With the lifeguards' help, Johnny got the still unconscious intern strapped to the backboard and splinted his arm. A stokes was lowered and they lifted Mike into it. Then many hands reached out and carefully lifted him into the boat. Johnny scrambled up the boat’s ladder and quickly set about taking his patient’s vitals. ---------------------------------------------------------------- ##Rampart, this is Squad 51.## Head Nurse Dixie McCall and Dr. Kelly Brackett turned from the chart they were looking over and stepped into the hospital’s base station. ##Rampart , this is Squad 5-1. How do you read?## Johnny’s voice announced. “Squad 51, this is Rampart. We read you loud and clear.” Dixie answered. She picked up a notepad ready to write the details of the case on the run sheet. |
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##Rampart, we have two male victims from a small plane that crashed into the bay. Victim one, approximate age twenty-five, was being supported in the water on our arrival. He was conscious and talking at first but has since lost consciousness. Victim has a palpable fracture of his vertebrae at T5/T6, a compound fracture of his right humerus, as well as a visible laceration on his forehead approximately two-inches long. We’ve extracted victim from the water and are using full spinal precautions. His arm has been immobilized. Vital signs: blood pressure 130/85, pulse 70, respirations 20 and somewhat labored. Patient appears to have ingested some seawater and lungs have definite rales. He's on O2. Stand by for details on victim two.## “Squad 51, victim one, start an IV, D5W t.k.o. and transport as soon as possible.” Dr. Brackett advised. ##10-4 Rampart, IV, D5W t.k.o. Also, Rampart, please be advised that victim number one is Dr. Morton.## As Johnny revealed this last bit of information, Dixie gave an audible gasp. Dr. Brackett grimaced. He reached out and squeezed Dixie’s shoulder as he said,“He’s stable for now, Dix. You know we’ll do everything we can.” “I know, Kel.” Dixie responded. “What on earth was he doing on that plane?” she wondered out loud. “I think I remember him commenting about winning some contest on the radio that gave him a dozen flying lessons.” --------------------------------------------------------------------- Twenty minutes later, Dr. Brackett, Dr. Early and Dixie were on the rooftop meeting the helicopter that brought Mike and Johnny in. The other victim, Harold, was now stable and would be arriving with Roy in an ambulance shortly. A soggy Johnny walked alongside the gurney as he gave an update on Mike’s condition. “He’s been in and out of consciousness several times. When he’s awake he seems oriented to time and place, although he’s not quite with it, so to speak.” Once in the treatment room the two doctors made quick work of examining Mike. X-ray arrived almost immediately and soon the two Rampart doctors were looking at Mike’s x-rays. “It looks like Mike has a vertebral compression fracture, Joe.” Kel said grimly, his lip twitching as it often did when he was worried. “I believe surgery will be needed - on his back as well as his arm.” Joe stated. |
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“Unfortunately, I concur.” Kel then turned to Dixie and requested, “Dix please call the O.R. and tell them we need to bring Mike up STAT.” “Right away, Kel. Orthopedics just called. Dr. Johnston is on his way.” Dixie said as she picked up the phone. Kel and Joe turned their attention back to Mike. Once again conscious, he asked through chattering teeth, “Kel, how bad is my back? Level with me please.” Placing his arm gently on his colleague's good arm, Kel looked him in the eyes and spoke reassuringly, saying..... ******************************************************** From: Rampartbase <rampartbase@yahoo.com> Date: Thu Jun 21, 2007 10:17 pm Subject: Completion "We'll know more after we get an ortho to look at these x-rays." Kel replied. He had Dixie call the surgeon to meet them upstairs. |
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From: "patti keiper" <pattik1@hotmail.com> Date: Thu Jun 28, 2007 5:53 pm Subject: All for the sake of money... Roy DeSoto and Johnny Gage got back from the hospital as soon as they could. They tried not to think about Dr. Morton's injury. The plane crash had been serious, and both of them knew the outcome didn't look good for the future. "Hey, Roy." whispered Johnny, as he concentrated on wiping down the chrome of the rescue squad. "What you think his chances of developing paralysis are?" "I don't know. I guess that all depends on what they find in the x-rays." Roy shrugged. "I guess you're right." said Johnny. "I just wish I could've been there before he went into surgery. I wanted to tell them a few things more. And to, you know, offer him a word of encouragement or two." said Gage as he rubbed both of his red eyes and sighed deeply. Desoto looked up and watched the cars whiz by down the avenue through the open garage door. He kept imagining that there was something that they could have handled better during the rescue, but each time, Dr. Brackett's reassurances that he still remembered, refuted any blame for that. Captain Stanley came out of his office with some paperwork and looked at both of them. "I know you guys are still down about this, but dinner's almost ready." Gage startled, whirling on his feet. "Oh, okay. We'll be right in." Johnny put his hands in his rear pockets and slowly headed for the kitchen. "Uh,...Roy, did you hear that?" DeSoto still scrubbed the top rack chrome with a vengeance bordering on frustration. He didn't look up. "Roy, chow's on." Johnny said again, rapping on the side of the squad a little louder. |
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DeSoto blinked a few times. "Lunch already?" Still numb, DeSoto slowly followed in his partner's footsteps.:: Why can't I get this rescue out of my mind?:: he thought.:: It's not like Mike was dying or anything.:: he reasoned. Then another part of himself gave the answer.:: It's because you know him, stupid.:: The rest of the gang set the table quietly. Most of them had already showered off the sea salt itching their skin. Marco saw the expression on the paramedics' faces and pushed the plate of chicken in front of them first. "Dig in, fellas. I made plenty." he said with a forced cheerfulness. Both Roy and Johnny nodded, and took their share reluctantly. Captain Stanley slammed down his fork, with a bang. "Well, is he going to get better, or isn't he?" Both Johnny and Roy flinched. "Dr. Brackett seems to think that he's going to be okay." Johnny replied. "W-We know that he's in surgery, and that his vital signs were stable when we left him." "Well then, why the long faces?" Chet Kelly asked. Gage picked at his food. "It's just really hard, you know, when you know your victim." "That's exactly it." Roy emphasized as he played restlessly with his napkin on the table. Marco Lopez tried to lighten their moods by throwing a piece of chicken at Henry. "Here you go, boy." When the brown and white hound dog caught it, he celebrated. "Hey, hey!" He looked up with a smile but found that he hadn't cheered up anybody, including himself. Mike Stoker took a long swallow of his milk, and then he took a big breath. "I don't know about any of you but as soon as soon as we're done eating, I'm going to give Dixie a call right back." Hank Stanley jumped on the suggestion. "Now that sounds like a plan of action, the best one I've heard all day." "I guess so." whispered Johnny, slowly buttering the potatoes on his plate with a knife. Over on the couch, Henry the dog whined. He didn't know what was going on, but something wasn't right with his human gang, and he wasn't about to be quiet about it. Yawning nervously, he jumped down and made a beeline for Roy and Johnny's legs. Snuffling loudly, he began to rub his snout back and forth across both their pairs of shoes. |
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It finally worked. A smile cracked out of both of them. The two paramedics began to relax. Johnny managed to snatch up a chicken leg, and he bit into it with an appetite. Stoker smiled. "Guess you did all right with my recipe, Marco. It's not going to waste." he quipped. Roy finally had to laugh at that, and he almost choked. Johnny Gage shot up out of his chair. "I'm fine! I'm fine!" Roy told him, coughing up some food. "Henry just bumped me." "Are you sure?" Gage asked, still not believing him. Roy nodded, still sputtering. Captain Stanley eyeballed them both with a close look. "Do I have to tell you pipe down?" "No,.." chuckled Chet. "He needs to pipe up." The joke was lost on Cap. He just kept shoveling in his dinner like there was no tomorrow. "Yeah, well, anyways, there I was with my arms full of this guy's stretcher, right?" Chet Kelly said eagerly. "And the waves kept coming, and coming. I thought we were never gonna get out of there. But you guys did a swell job and everybody was okay, and that's the important thing, so quit moping. Right, Henry?" Henry barked once with emphasis, as if agreeing with him. Captain Stanley swallowed his last mouthful and quickly got up and left the table. He rushed over to the TV set and turned on the news. Rampart Hospital was the subject matter. And that took the entire gang by surprise. Gage almost spit out the meat in his mouth. "What's going on over there now?" he cried indignantly. "Another brushfire?" Cap was actually stunned. "I haven't the foggiest clue. But I promise you I'll find out in seconds." The gang was riveted by the scene showing on the TV set. A milling crowd surrounded the emergency entrance, with picketing signs. They could just make out some chanting. ## No more work! Too little pay! No more work! Too little pay!## The sight brought Roy and Johnny to their feet. "Just what the h@ll is going on?!" Gage demanded chipmunk cheeked. Roy's mouth flopped open. "Looks like a surgeon's strike or--" |
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Johnny Gage barged ahead of all of them as they clustered around the TV set. As they got closer, it was clear that the uniforms people were wearing, were surgical blue, and not nursing white. The phone on the wall started to ring urgently and Roy DeSoto was the closest one to pick it up. It was Dixie. ##Roy, have you heard yet? They're med-evacuating everybody who's scheduled for an operation today to other hospitals. It looks like their AMA union negotiations fell through.## "My G@d. Is that happening to Mike Morton?" ##Yes. He was one of the first ones to go. He's on the way to Mercy right now.## Desoto frowned. "Is there anything we can do?" Dixie sighed angrily in his ear. ##Don't I wish you could! But even Dr. Brackett's hands are tied. The orthopedic surgeon he had all set for Mike, was forced to stop scrubbing up by an angry mob.## "Um, okay, geez, this is awful. Could you keep us posted with how he's doing?" DeSoto asked. ##I sure will, Roy. Gotta go. Bye.## "Goodbye." Roy hung up the phone in total shock. He rejoined the others and sat down in his chair numbly. "What was that all about?" Kelly asked. "I'm afraid it isn't good news." DeSoto told them. Gage sat up a little straighter from where he was slumped. "Is it Dr. Morton?" "No. I mean, yeah. Uh, sort of. You see, his surgeon's debunked. Apparently, there's a doctor's strike going on that's just begun. That was Dixie just now, filling us in on all the nitty-gritty." Roy sighed in frustration. "Let's just hope we can-" Gage began. The tones went off. It was a call for the entire Station 51. Disturbed beyond words once again, the gang made for the trucks. L.A. County Dispatch sounded out a big one. A minute later, they were ready, and on the move with lights and sirens blaring. |
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