En-GAGE-ment–Part 2
By Nancy F. Thysell, the Nifty Lady
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Johnny raced the distance between his house and Chris’s in less than twenty minutes. He pulled into the back yard and froze when he saw Chris’ pickup truck still parked there. He killed the engine on the Land Rover, jumped out and ran to the back door.
"Chris!" he yelled frantically as he pounded on the door. "Chris? It’s Johnny! Chris? Sweetie?"
He stopped and listened. How he wished Chris had a window in her back door! He thought he heard a moan but he wasn’t sure. He fumbled through his keys and found the spare key to Chris’ lock. A moment later he was through the back door and became alarmed when he found her on the floor in a semiconscious state.
Forcing himself into his paramedic mode, he began to assess her injuries. First he realized that he had to move the broken shards of glass away. That done, he knelt beside her and began to check her out. He found the gash on her hand but the bleeding had stopped, obviously some time ago. She moaned when he palpated her right leg but he didn’t detect any breaks. He immediately knew that he had to get her to the hospital. He ran to the living room and called Roy.
"Roy? It’s Johnny. I’m at Chris’...No, she not all right...No I don’t know for sure what happened. It looks like she fell off a step stool. Can you get over here right away?...No, I didn’t since she’s in the city. Look, I’ll call Rampart and see what I can do until you get here. Thanks partner. And Roy?...Hurry." As soon as he ended his call to Roy, he dialed for an ambulance. How he wished that Chris lived in the county so he could call for the paramedics! He grabbed the throw from the couch and took it to cover Chris with it.
Then Johnny pulled the telephone as close to the kitchen as he could. It barely reached the door. Not nearly close enough to talk on the phone and stay by Chris’ side. Quickly he dialed the land line number at the Rampart base station.
Dixie responded to the summons and picked up the land line.
"This is Rampart Emergency. Nurse McCall speaking."
"Dix? It’s John Gage."
Dixie knew immediately that it had to be serious because the guys didn’t use this number on their days off unless it was an emergency.
"What’s wrong Johnny?" she asked with concern.
"It’s Chris, Dixie. I think she fell off a step stool. She’s semiconscious and appears to be in a lot of pain. There was a broken bowl on the floor above her head and she’s got a nasty cut on her right palm."
"Have you called the paramedics?" Dixie inquired.
"No. Chris lives in Venice. It’s under the city’s jurisdiction. I’ve got Roy on the way over and I’ve called for an ambulance."
Dixie frowned at that. She hated the limitations of cross jurisdictions.
"Standby Johnny. I’ll go find you a doctor. In the meantime, get her vitals the best you can," Dixie directed.
"10-4," Johnny automatically responded and set the phone down on the floor. He moved to kneel beside Chris and took her pulse and respiration. He checked her pupils and double-checked her for injuries. Other than the cut on her hand and the way she responded in pain to his touch on her leg, Johnny couldn’t find any obvious injuries. He moved back to the phone and waited uneasily for either Roy to show up or to hear a doctor on the line.
It was only a few moments later that he heard Roy’s car pulling into the yard. In seconds Roy was through the back door. He took in the scene in an instant. There was broken glass above Chris’ head that appeared to have been swept together. Blood was splattered on the floor from the wound on her hand. Johnny had obviously pushed the step stool out of the way and covered Chris with a throw blanket. Now his partner sat in the doorway to the living room holding the receiver to his ear.
"Hey Roy. Thanks for coming," he said, holding his hand over the mouthpiece. The relief on Johnny’s face that Roy was there was more than apparent. "I’m waiting for a doctor."
Roy responded with a slight nod and knelt beside Chris. "What are her vitals?"
Johnny handed him the paper he had used to make his notes. Roy read it quickly and began his own assessment. He got up and stepped past Johnny and disappeared into Chris’ bedroom.
"Yeah, doc. I’m still here," Johnny sat up as he heard Dr. Brackett’s voice.
"What do you have, Johnny?" Dr. Kelly Brackett asked. Johnny relayed the vitals he had on Chris to the doctor.
"Okay. Have you called for an ambulance?" Brackett inquired.
"Affirmative, Rampart," Johnny acknowledged the doctor.
"Keep her immobilized as much as you can and transport as soon as possible. We’ll be waiting on you," the doctor told the young paramedic. He probably felt as frustrated as Johnny did at their inability to act.
"10-4 Rampart. And thanks doc," Johnny answered before hanging up. Roy returned with a small first aid kit, a couple of towels, and some string he had found. He handed one of the towels to Johnny.
"Let’s roll these up so we can rig up a collar for her neck," Roy suggested as he dressed the cut on Chris' hand. As the ambulance pulled up in front of Chris’ bungalow, they had her neck stabilized. Within a couple minutes the attendants had Chris loaded quickly. After showing the attendants his paramedic fire department ID, they allowed Johnny to ride in the back with Chris. Roy stayed to secure the house before he would follow them. An extremely worried Roy drove to Rampart as quickly as the law would allow.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dixie and Dr. Brackett were waiting when the ambulance carrying Chris pulled up to the automatic doors. Johnny never let go of Chris’ hand as they moved from the ambulance and into the ER. They hurried the gurney in a treatment room. They transferred Chris to the exam table and Johnny started to help out, trying to get Chris’ vitals. Dixie put a firm hand on his arm and led him away from the table.
"Johnny, you’re too close. You need to wait outside," the Head Nurse directed. Johnny gave her one of those "I can’t believe you" looks but her expression and tone tolerated no challenge. Resigned he slipped out the door and into the corridor. He raked a tense hand through his hair and rubbed his face. He began to pace the hall nervously.
Dixie turned her attention back to assisting Dr. Brackett. As she lifted Chris’ left arm to get her BP, Dixie noted the sparkling engagement ring on Chris’ hand. So I was right. It is Chris. She looked toward the hall briefly. Don’t worry Johnny. We'll take good care of her for you.
Roy joined Johnny almost ten minutes later. He had jogged from the parking lot to get there as quick as he could.
"How is she?" he asked breathlessly.
"Dixie kicked me out. I don’t know," Johnny revealed miserably. Roy placed a comforting hand on his partner’s shoulder.
"Let’s head down to the lounge and wait there. Come on, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee," Roy offered. Johnny followed numbly.
They waited for a while in silence. Roy decided it would be best if he let Johnny take the lead. But his junior partner was pointedly silent. He knew Johnny was probably blaming himself somehow for Chris’ accident.
"Why haven’t we heard anything?" Johnny finally exploded, startling Roy.
"Calm down, Johnny. You know these things take time. You know Brackett’s doing everything he can for her. It’ll be all right. You’ll see. Listen, I’m going to go call JoAnne. Have you eaten anything today?"
Johnny shook his head. "No, not yet."
"Then I’ll run down to the cafeteria and get some sandwiches after I call JoAnne," Roy informed Johnny.
"I’m not really hungry, Roy," Johnny responded softly.
"Well, I am. I’ll bring you back something anyway. Maybe by then we’ll know something." With that, Roy left the lounge and headed for the pay phones. He ran into Dixie on his way.
"How’s she doing?" Roy asked the nurse of their friend.
"She’s in x-ray now and Kel’s requested a specialist from orthopedics," Dixie replied.
"Why? Is it her leg? Neither Johnny nor I detected a fracture," Roy advised her.
"I’m not sure. The x-rays will tell us what we need to know. Tell Johnny that Chris did wake up but she’s in a lot of pain. There’s no concussion. She’s got some bruising from the fall and Kel had to put six stitches to close the cut on her hand. Now it’s a matter of waiting on the blood tests and the x-rays. Kel will be in to see Johnny as soon as he gets the report back."
"Thanks Dix. I’ll tell him. I’m on my way to call JoAnne and get some food from the cafeteria. So, don’t wait on me to talk to Johnny. He’s really worried about her."
"I figured as much. I saw the engagement ring. So, Chris is the one?" Dixie asked for confirmation.
Roy nodded with a smile. "Yeah, she’s the one. But I’m beginning to think she’s as accident prone as Johnny."
Dixie smiled and said with a chuckle, "Oh, I hope not. One disaster magnet around here is enough!"
Roy chuckled too. "I agree. I’ll see ya later. Thanks Dixie."
Dixie watched as Roy disappeared down the hall before she turned her mind back to the paperwork on her desk.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Johnny’s head jerked up expectantly when Roy returned with an armful of food. He carried a couple of wrapped sandwiches, chips, three cartons of milk and a piece of apple pie. The cafeteria was out of takeout bags so he had juggled the items from there back to the lounge. Johnny went to help him with his assortment and carried part of the feast to the table. He hated to admit that seeing the food now made him realize that he was hungry. He had to grin at Roy when he realized that two of the milks were for him.
"Thanks Roy," he said as he sat down and opened the sandwich closest to him and then a milk carton. Roy sat down across from him.
"No problem, junior." Roy replied and they ate their meal in companionable silence. Then Roy picked up the wrappers and the remains of their lunch and threw them in the trash can.
Johnny looked at his watch again. Why haven’t we heard anything?
"Man, Roy. I hate being on this end of an emergency," Johnny groused, rubbing his face. Roy almost choked on his words.
"You hate it? Johnny! Do you realize how many times I’ve been on this end of an emergency? And you were usually on the other," Roy said brusquely.
"Hey, I’m sorry Roy. I’m just so worried about her. What’s taking so long?" He really was sorry. He knew how Roy was always there for him. He was one constant in Johnny's life that he knew he could count on, no matter what.
"Dixie said Brackett would be in as soon as he had the labs and x-rays. You know that can sometimes take a long time," Roy pointed out the obvious.
Johnny made a face at Roy but he knew he was right. He stood up and began to pace. The nervous energy he felt needed an outlet. After another half-hour had passed, the door to the lounge opened and Dr. Brackett entered with a doctor that neither of the paramedics knew. Both men turned expectantly to the doctors.
"Johnny. Roy," Brackett acknowledged the two off duty paramedics before introducing the other doctor. "This is Dr. Warren Rosenberg. He’s an orthopedic specialist. Warren, this is John Gage and Roy DeSoto. They’re two of the best paramedics we have in the program."
The doctor shook hands with both Johnny and Roy.
"Dr. Brackett called me in for consult about Miss Martin’s leg. Which one of you is her fiancé?"
"I am," Johnny responded. "What’s wrong with Chris’ leg, doc?"
"Well, as you know, Miss Martin initially injured that leg in an accident about a year and a half ago. Then it was broken again recently in that fall. Unfortunately, that break must have weakened the bone even more. Despite the physical therapy she’s been undergoing, it hasn’t really healed the way that we had hoped. Evidently today, she suffered, basically, a stress injury. Ligaments and muscle have torn away from the bone. That’s why she was in so much pain. We’re taking her up to surgery now to see what we can do to repair the damage."
The color drained from Johnny’s face. "Right now?"
"Actually, she’s already on her way as we speak," Dr. Rosenberg said matter-of-factly. "I expect the surgery to take a minimum of four hours."
"Roy, why don’t you take Johnny home?" Brackett suggested. "You can’t do anything here but pace and worry. We’ll call you when she’s in recovery."
"No, I’m not leaving!" Johnny was adamant. Kel shoved his hands deep in the pockets of his lab coat in frustration.
"Johnny, you can’t do anything here that you can’t do at Roy’s or at home, except maybe get some rest. Please, go home!" Brackett insisted. Johnny looked at the doctor in disbelief. How could he ask him to leave?
Roy put a hand on Johnny’s arm. "He’s right Johnny. Come on, let’s go back to the house. JoAnne and the kids will help you pass the time."
Reluctantly, Johnny agreed. The two doctors left to perform the surgery. Roy led the way to his car in the parking lot. Johnny made his way slowly behind him. He didn’t want to leave because he felt so helpless. He hadn’t even had a chance to see her before they took her to surgery. His heart ached to be with her.
What Brackett hadn’t told Johnny was that they had been forced to heavily sedate Chris. She had been experiencing an extremely high level of pain and Brackett didn’t want that image etched in Johnny’s memory. Besides, he was not optimistic about the outcome of the surgery. Rosenberg was one of the best but this would be a delicate and tedious operation. The minutes began to tick away.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The car ride to Roy’s house was uncomfortably silent. Roy could tell how worried Johnny was and now was not the time to say anything. He pulled into his drive and Johnny followed him into the house. Eight-year-old Jennifer DeSoto immediately tackled him.
"Uncle Johnny!" she squealed with delight, hanging onto his legs tightly. He tousled her hair in greeting.
"Careful, Jen. You’re gonna knock Uncle Johnny off his feet," Roy admonished his daughter. She then let go of her favorite "Uncle" and flung herself into her daddy’s open arms.
"Hi Daddy," she exclaimed as she planted a wet kiss on his cheek.
"Hey sweetheart," Roy said as he responded with his own kiss on her cheek and hugged her. "Where’s your mom?"
"Kitchen." She had wrapped her arms around his neck and laid her head on his shoulder. A sigh of contentment escaped her lips. Both Roy and Johnny had to chuckle at that. As they stepped into the living room, JoAnne came out of the kitchen.
"Hi Honey. Hi Johnny. How’s Chris doing?" she asked as she wiped her hands off with a dish towel.
"She’s in surgery," Johnny replied flatly. "Brackett said it would be at least four hours."
"Oh, dear. What happened?" JoAnne had been worried but this didn't sound good.
Roy filled her in with as much as they knew.
"Does Aunt Chris have an owie?" Jennifer asked when her daddy finished.
"Yes honey, she does," her daddy confirmed.
"Why don’t you go play?" her mother suggested, firmly. Jennifer knew that tone of her mother's brooked no argument. Roy set her down and she skipped off to play. The three adults moved into the kitchen. Roy and Johnny sat down at the table. JoAnne poured each of them a cup of coffee from the pot she had just made and then turned back to her meal preparations.
Johnny held the cup of hot liquid with both hands and played with it. Roy watched his partner for a moment.
"Worrying isn’t going to help you know," he said gently.
"Yeah, I know but I just can’t help it. You saw her Roy. She had to be really hurting to be that out of it." Johnny gestured his hand emphatically.
"I know, Junior. Have you called her folks yet?" Roy asked calmly. Johnny jerked his head up and looked at Roy with dread on his face.
"No! Oh, man! I don’t want to call and tell them this!"
"They have a right to know. What if…"
"Don’t even think that!" Johnny interrupted sharply. He ran a hand through his hair. "She’ll be okay. Brackett said so!"
"Regardless, Johnny, her folks need to be told. I know how you feel. It’s not easy. And you have to remember one thing," the older paramedic said kindly.
Johnny eyed his partner curiously. "What?"
"They are her family. You aren’t. At least not yet," Roy pointed out carefully. He didn’t want to hurt his friend but the reality was the legality. An engagement didn’t legally allow Johnny any say in Chris’ care or treatment. Johnny just stared at Roy, not believing what he had just heard. But, he knew Roy was right. Damn! He was right.
"Then I guess I’d better call them. You mind running me over to Chris’? I don’t have their number with me and I need to get my car anyway," Johnny said as he finally resigned himself to the task.
"No problem, Pally. JoAnne? Call us over at Chris' if you hear from Dr. Brackett," Roy requested.
"Sure thing, hon. You two be careful. Johnny, are you coming back for dinner?" JoAnne asked him as the two friends started to leave.
"I don’t know Jo. Maybe. Let me take care of this first," Johnny responded apologetically.
"Well, there’s plenty if you care to, all right?"
"Thanks Jo. I appreciate it. Let’s go partner."
A moment later, JoAnne watched through the window as Roy backed his car out of the drive and they disappeared down the street. She sighed sadly and said a silent prayer for Johnny, Chris and the surgeons that were operating on her.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The conditions at the Los Angeles County Jail were maxed out to say the least. Prisoners that were due to be transported to state or federal facilities clogged the system. There had been numerous scuffles between inmates that day and tensions were mounting.
Jimmy Chandler was scared. He didn’t like being in such close quarters. As much as he didn’t want to go to the state prison, it had to be better than this. The prisoners shuffled along in bright orange jump suits to make escape visually difficult. The smell of body odors of the crowded cell lock was nauseating. Jimmy longed for the peace and quiet of the mission. This is all that fireman’s fault! I should have killed him outright when I had the chance. I’d be with Crystal right now.
Suddenly an argument broke out between two of the other inmates. Both men were huge in Jimmy’s estimation. One was black with a large Afro hairdo and bulging muscles. The other man was slightly smaller and his origin wasn’t as apparent even with a shaved head. The two men were nose to nose, growling threats at each other. Jimmy realized it was only a matter of minutes, maybe even seconds before there would be physical contact. There was no where to run. People were going to be hurt. Jimmy squeezed his eyes shut and prayed that he might be spared.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
It took the prison guards over an hour to break up the fight and sort out the mess. Two inmates were dead and there were nearly fifty injuries. Way more than the small clinic within the jail could handle. The most minor injuries were sent the jail infirmary. A bus was loaded with the more serious injuries for delivery to the hospital. Ambulances or helicopters transported the critical injuries. Every available officer from the Sheriff’s Department and the CHP were called upon to the scene to contain order. It was organized chaos. As the injured were removed, the situation inside the prison began to return to normalcy. Jail officials began the unpleasant task of determining what had sparked the incident. The paperwork alone would be a nightmare.
The prison bus made its way down the 405 Freeway en route to Rampart Emergency Hospital. Being a county facility, it was chosen to take the non-life threatening injuries. The more critical cases were transported to Harbor General.
Jimmy Chandler was wedged on a hard bench seat into an uncomfortable position between a bigger man than he and the bus window. His arm ached. He was certain that it was broken. Not to mention two or three cuts in places he couldn’t even see. The bright side of this excursion was that the window was down and he was breathing fresh air and for the time being, he was out of the slammer. He watched out the window as the hospital came into view. He hoped this trip to the ER was going to take a very long time. Then he caught his breath. He couldn’t believe his eyes as he watched a white Land Rover turn into the parking lot ahead of the bus. It was that fireman! Jimmy heart began to race with anticipation. Maybe things were looking up.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Johnny pulled in the parking lot at Rampart and found a vacated space and steered his Land Rover into the spot. He noticed the prison bus pass by with a minimum of awareness. His concern at the moment was to get to the surgical waiting room. He wanted to be there when Chris woke up in recovery. After Roy had dropped him off at Chris’, he had called her parents. Annie Martin had turned hysterical at the news. Fortunately her husband, Doug, was there to calm her down. Johnny was glad that Chris’ dad was so level headed. Doug had not been overly surprised by the news. He had been there when Chris had originally injured her leg. He was quite familiar with the doctor’s prognosis at that time. Johnny promised to call his future in-laws as soon as he had any news to give them. Then he had debated whether or not he should go back to Roy’s or the hospital. The hospital had won and now he was on the elevator on his way to the fifth floor.
Familiarity can be both a blessing and a curse. He had spent more time in Rampart than he cared to admit. It was like a home away from home in many ways. He knew many of the nurses. He had dated more than his share. Over the years he had also become acquainted with orderlies, technicians, residents, physical therapist, and even psychiatrists. His face was so familiar among the staff that they could just as easily ignore him. He stopped at the nurse’s station.
"Hi Margie," he greeted the duty nurse with a smile. Margie Henderson, a woman in her late forties with greying graying brunette hair, looked up at Johnny over the rim of her glasses, and smiled.
"Well, hello yourself John Gage. What can I do for you?" she inquired pleasantly.
Johnny leaned on the counter. "Any word on Crystal Martin’s surgery? Doctors Rosenberg and Brackett," he informed her. She checked her records for a moment.
"No. Nothing yet. Must still be in the OR. Friend of yours?" Margie asked. She could see how concerned Johnny was.
"Yeah. You could say that. She’s my fiancée. Look, I’m going down to the surgical waiting room. Would you let Dr. Brackett know I'm there? I’d want to be informed as soon as Chris is in recovery," Johnny requested before moving down the hall. He barely waited for Margie’s reply. He really didn’t want to get into a conversation about being engaged. Margie assured Johnny she’d let Dr. Brackett know where he was before he was out of earshot.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Emergency Room was swamped between normal emergency patients and the busload of prisoners and police personnel. Dixie McCall had her hands full controlling the chaos before her. Security was reinforcing the police presence. They had thirty-five prisoners to treat. There were broken arms, legs, ribs, and noses; not to mention lacerations of all sorts. One of the prisoners had been hit in the mouth and would have to be taken to the dentistry department. Dixie just shook her head at the mayhem. The things people would do to themselves and others.
The corridors were lined up with patients on stretchers and gurneys almost eliminating any room to walk. Dixie collared several orderlies and tried to reorganize a better traffic pattern. She wished Kel would finish the surgery on Chris soon. She needed him in the emergency room STAT. Doctors Joe Early and Mike Morton, along with a number of residents were trying to handle the prison overload. The paramedics from Stations 36 and 51 had been dispatched to the ER to assist anyway they could. Dixie was really looking forward to this day being over.
Jimmy Chandler sat on the edge of the exam table and waited patiently for the young resident to finish wrapping his arm. It wasn’t broken after all--just a sprain. His cuts had required stitches but all in all he had gotten through the brawl with only minor injuries. Two other inmates awaited treatment in the room with him. He knew that a guard stood outside the door. Jimmy’s mind was racing to formulate an escape.
The nurse helped him off the table and the next patient took his place on the exam table. Jimmy watched with mild interest as they took the prisoner’s vitals and examined his wounds. His break came when the man suddenly became combative at the sight of the needle the resident was going to inject in his arm. The resident’s yells brought in the guard from the door and an orderly. As the four of them wrestled with the struggling prisoner, Jimmy and the other prisoner slipped quietly out the door. The mass of activity in the corridor made it simple for them to traverse the hall unobtrusively. Jimmy slipped into a nearby storage closet.
Once inside the closet he looked for something to replace his prison garb. There was a laundry hamper near the door. It contained soiled scrubs. Well, at least they were better than his bright orange jumpsuit. He quickly stripped off the jumpsuit and pulled on the scrubs. He opened the door a crack and looked out into the hall. So far so good, they hadn’t missed him yet. Quietly he made his way into the corridor again and blended unnoticed into the hospital surroundings.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
End of Part 2, Continued in Part 3
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