Johnny and Nicole were on the trail going through
the woods of the Seminole Indian Reservation in Wewoka, Oklahoma enjoying
their walk. Something had pulled at both of them to come back to where
they had grown up. In Nicole’s hometown things had not changed
much—including the prejudice. So they had left there and arrived
in Johnny’s hometown two days ago. There things had changed—guys
that Johnny thought hated him for being a half-breed welcomed him with
open arms.
They had left the kids with Johnny’s childhood friend, Edward
Crowe. Johnny had been surprised when he ran into Edward again after
all these years. In school Edward had been one of the guys who had
teased him the most about being a half-breed. But when they had run
into each other in the hotel parking lot, Edward greeted him like he
was one of his best friends. During the talk they had over a cup of
coffee later that day, Edward had told Johnny that he had really wanted
to be friends where they were growing up but was too afraid to go against
the rest of the guys so he taunted Johnny unmercifully.
Johnny accepted Edward’s apology and soon the two turned to
talking about their careers. Edward had become the Chief of the Wewoka
Fire Department and was very interested in hearing about Johnny’s
career as a paramedic and now a Captain in the LA county fire department.
“Johnny? How long are you in town for? Would you be interested
in coming to talk to the Tribal Council about the paramedic program?
I think it would be good to try to get something like that started
here on the reservation.” Edward was thankful that Johnny had
been able to overcome all that he had gone through growing up both
at home and at school and had escaped what others had just given into.
“We’re here until the end of next week. I’d love
to. When would you like me to come?”
“I’ll call Mark Whitehorse and set up a meeting as soon
as possible. I’ll get in touch with you tonight at the hotel.
And thanks, Johnny.”
“You’re welcome, Edward. It has been good seeing you again.
Thanks for the coffee and let me know what you find out.”
Neither man noticed the look they received from another patron in
the restaurant as they were leaving and laughing over some of the things
they remembered about their school days together. If they had, both
men would have seen the hatred and been prepared to deal with what
lay ahead for them.
***************************
Johnny had told Nicole about his talk with Edward. She encouraged
him, knowing that Johnny loved the paramedic program and was always
happy to share it with others. They both were surprised when Edward
showed up at the hotel instead of just calling. Nicole and the kids
all took an instant liking to Edward and when he offered to watch the
kids for a while to give Johnny and Nicole some time alone, both jumped
at the offer.
Now they were enjoying a quiet walk through the woods. “Johnny,
Edward seems so nice. It’s too bad you couldn’t have been
friends when you were growing up.”
“Yeah, I know. I always liked Edward, but his best friend at
the time was Wade Featherstone. He was the worst kid in the school—always
beating up those he didn’t care for and taunting the rest. If
Edward had gone against him, he would have been beaten too. Wade didn’t
like me because I was a half-breed and ‘didn’t deserve
to live’. He didn’t dare do anything more than beat me
up once in awhile, though, because my father always came after him
when he did. My father felt he should be the only one that had the
right to beat me up. Anyway, Wade finally went too far and beat up
a kid he thought was a half-breed like me. The kid ended up paralyzed
from the waist down. It turned out the kid was related to someone with
a lot of money and had no Indian blood in him. Wade was sent away to
a school where he was supposed to get some help. I moved away before
he got out, so I don’t know what happened to him.”
“Well, it’s nice to know that you and Edward can be friends
now. He seemed to be excited about you going to the Tribal Council
about the paramedic program.”
They had reached the hotel once again and were delighted to see Edward
and his wife as well as his sister, Linda Crowe ann the
alley, but he did. He was soon joined by Edward Crowe and his brother-in-law,
Sergeant Robert Mateo, the Chief of Police. Halfway down the alley,
they found a little boy that had been severely beaten and left to die.
The boy looked to be about three years old.
Robert turned and ran back down the alley to find the nearest phone
and get help as fast as he could. Johnny’s paramedic training
kicked in and he asked Edward to get the bag he always carried (in
case anything happened to one of his kids) from the back of the stroller.
As Edward ran to get the bag, Johnny began assessing the boy’s
injuries. He knew the boy had some internal damage as well as some
cuts, bruises, a broken arm and a broken leg. But what broke his heart
was when he realized that the boy had Down syndrome. Why would anyone
want to hurt a child who had already suffered so much in his life?
Robert and Edward arrived back at the same time. Robert watched as
Edward kneeled down next to Johnny to assist in anyway he could. “An
ambulance is on the way. It should be here in ten minutes.”
“Thanks, Robert. Edward, can you get my stethoscope and BP cuff
out of my bag? I’ll need the bandages that are in there, too.”
Edward got out the requested items and watched as Johnny took the
vitals signs and stopped the bleeding from the cuts. “The ladies
took the kids back to the hotel.”
“Good, I don’t like the idea of them standing out there
anyway.” Johnny looked around the alley. “Robert? Edward?
Will you guys see if you can find something I can use to make splints
for his leg and arm? It can be either magan the
alley, but he did. He was soon joined by Edward Crowe and his brother-in-law,
Sergeant Robert Mateo, the Chief of Police. Halfway down the alley,
they found a little boy that had been severely beaten and left to die.
The boy looked to be about three years old.
Robert turned and ran back down the alley to find the nearest phone
and get help as fast as he could. Johnny’s paramedic training
kicked in and he asked Edward to get the bag he always carried (in
case anything happened to one of his kids) from the back of the stroller.
As Edward ran to get the bag, Johnny began assessing the boy’s
injuries. He knew the boy had some internal damage as well as some
cuts, bruises, a broken arm and a broken leg. But what broke his heart
was when he realized that the boy had Down syndrome. Why would anyone
want to hurt a child who had already suffered so much in his life?
Robert and Edward arrived back at the same time. Robert watched as
Edward kneeled down next to Johnny to assist in anyway he could. “An
ambulance is on the way. It should be here in ten minutes.”
“Thanks, Robert. Edward, can you get my stethoscope and BP cuff
out of my bag? I’ll need the bandages that are in there, too.”
Edward got out the requested items and watched as Johnny took the
vitals signs and stopped the bleeding from the cuts. “The ladies
took the kids back to the hotel.”
“Good, I don’t like the idea of them standing out there
anyway.” Johnny looked around the alley. “Robert? Edward?
Will you guys see if you can find something I can use to make splints
for his leg and arm? It can be either magazines or sticks.”
Johnny continued his examination as the two men looked to see what
they could find. They were both relieved when they found some small
boards that weren’t too dirty and looked about the right size.
Johnny smiled when he saw them. “Perfect.” Taking the boards
from the men, he pulled out the roll of bandage he had and created
make-shift splints to keep the arm and leg from being moved around
too much. Just as he finished the ambulance arrived for which he was
very grateful. There was nothing he could do to treat the internal
damage and the longer the boy was without treatment the less chance
he had of surviving.
The three men followed the ambulance to the hospital where Johnny
was able to relay his findings to the doctor. Dr. Samuel Whitefeather
was impressed and started ordering the tests needed to completely assess
the boy’s condition. He knew that Johnny had saved them at least
fifteen minutes if not more and those few minutes just might make the
difference in his chances for survival.
Twenty minutes later the doctor found the three men sitting around
a table in the small hospital cafeteria discussing the boy. “Mr.
Gage, thank you for your help. The boy did have some internal bleeding
and did need to have some surgery. If you hadn’t given us the
information you did, we would have spent an extra fifteen to twenty
minutes assessing the boy and getting his vitals. And that was fifteen
minutes he didn’t have. Are you a doctor, Mr. Gage?”
“No, I am a Captain with the LA County fire department. I have
been a paramedic since 1972. I’m just glad that we found him
when we did. I don’t know how long he was lying in that alley
before we found him. Will he be alright?”
“Yes, he will make a full recovery thanks to you. We got him
to surgery in time. Can you tell me a little more about being a paramedic?”
For the next half hour, Johnny told the three men about the paramedic
program and how it had grown and changed over the last eight years.
He was able to tell them about the people they were able to save and
even about some of those they weren’t.
Edward quickly informed the doctor and his brother-in-law that Johnny
would be presenting the paramedic program to the Tribal Council the
middle of the next week. The doctor was pleased to hear that and was
really interested in the program and what it could mean.
None of them noticed the angry eyes focused on them. “So they
were able to save that little piece of trash. Well, I guess he doesn’t
matter. But I’ll teach old Edward a lesson he won’t soon
forget for associating with that big piece of trash, Gage. Then I’ll
take care of Gage. I’ll rid this world of him.”
***************************
Johnny had fallen asleep in the chair in the waiting room as they
waited for word on the little boy’s condition. The phone call
that Robert had made to his office brought the news that the little
boy had been reported missing from the orphanage that afternoon and
that the little boy was deaf as a result of his Down syndrome. His
parents had left him for dead when he was an infant and no one wanted
an Indian baby with birth defects. Mayan Moshe Blackhorse would grow
up in the orphanage.
Dr. Whitefeather was glad he could tell these men that the little
boy was going to be fine. He would have to spend a few days in the
hospital, but he would make a full recovery.
***************************
Nicole knew what had Johnny so preoccupied. She knew as soon as he
had arrived back at the hotel the night before and told her about the
little boy what he would want to do. It was something she readily agreed
with, but would wait for him to suggest it. It was only a matter of
time before he did.
She wasn’t disappointed when ten minutes later; Johnny sought
her out in the small living area of the suite they were occupying in
the hotel. “Nicole, I’d like to talk to you about something.”
“Johnny, if you are going to tell me that you want to adopt
Mayan, I think it is a great idea. When do we start the paperwork?”
“I love you. I’m going to go see Robert and see what steps
we have to take and how long it will take for the process.” Johnny
smiled at his wife. He was amazed at how well she knew him. He was
also very thankful that she agreed with him.
Nicole laughed as Johnny practically ran out of the room on his errand.
She needed to talk with her “sister”. Calling home, Nicole
was glad to hear Joanne’s voice. Although she wanted to share
her news that they might be adopting Mayan, she didn’t want to
jinx it. So she just told Joanne that if everything worked out, they
would be bringing home a surprise.
***************************
Two hours later, Johnny, Nicole, Robert, Edward and Mr. Canfield,
a lawyer Edward had recommended, were sitting in the office of the
orphanage. They had just presented their idea to the Director of the
orphanage and were now awaiting her response. Both Johnny and Nicole
grew apprehensive as the Director looked through Mayan’s folder
and took her time in responding.
“Mayan has some handicaps that I believe you are aware of. Are
you sure you want to adopt him? Not only will his care be expensive,
but it will be emotionally taxing on your whole family.” Louise
Brainerd was not a Native American and had been assigned to the orphanage
by the State. She really couldn’t see how the two seemingly intelligent
people sitting in front of her could be making such a big mistake.
“Yes, we’re sure and the sooner we can get this process
started, the better it will be. We are heading back to LA the end of
next week and we would like to be able to Mayan with us as our son.” Johnny
held onto Nicole’s hand as if it was his lifeline.
“Ok, if it is what you really want, I’ll make a couple
of calls. If you will take a seat outside, I’ll make the calls
and then come to let you know what I find out.” She shook her
head as the group exited her office. Well, if they wanted to destroy
their lives who was she to stop them.
Fifteen minutes later she exited her office to find the group waiting
for her. “Well, I talked with the Tribal Council leader and the
judge. Since Mayan was left at the orphanage almost four years ago
and no one has wanted anything to do with him, they will approve the
adoption immediately. As soon as we fill out the paperwork and get
the judge’s signature, he will officially be your son.”
Nicole and Johnny both thanked the Director and beamed during the
whole afternoon as they completed each step in the process. Then when
they had the signed document in their hands, they headed towards the
hospital.
Again no one saw the eyes that had been following them since they
left the alley the night before.
***************************
Dr. Whitefeather was happy when the Gages broke the news that they
were officially Mayan’s parents. He led them to the pediatric
ward so they could talk to him and tell him themselves. He knew it
was the right thing for the little boy when he saw that the Gages were
communicating with him in sign language and Mayan was smiling. As the
boy fell asleep, he was holding onto Nicole’s hand. The good
doctor knew that Mayan Moshe Gage was going to recover faster than
he had first thought.
Again, no one saw the eyes following the Gages and growing angrier
as they appeared to be well liked by the hospital staff. They were
trash. What did they think they were doing? Who were they trying to
fool?
***************************
Johnny’s meeting with the Tribal Council went very well. They
were very interested in starting a paramedic program on the reservation
and asked him if he would return to help them get it started. He readily
agreed and said he would find out when he could take some time off
his job and return to set the wheels in motion. Edward Crowe had been
by his side the entire time and was thrilled that the Tribal Council
had decided to start the program. Dr. Samuel Whitefeather was there
to lend his support, too.
Outside the room, the eyes were getting angrier by the minute. Gage
has no right coming back here and trying to worm his way into the good
graces of the Council. Who did he think he was? Just because he was
a Captain in the LA County Fire Department, he had no right to think
he could come back here. LA was full of people who really aren’t
worth much—no better than Gage. Well, he would put his plans
into motion this weekend to teach Edward Crowe a lesson and to get
rid of that piece of trash.
***************************
Johnny and Nicole were packing up their things. They would be leaving
in a couple of days and with three kids it took awhile to get everything
together. They kept out only the essentials they would need for the
next two days and packed everything else. The last night they were
there, Edward Crowe and Robert Mateo took Johnny out to dinner to discuss
what they would need to do to prepare to implement the paramedic program
on the reservation. Edward and Robert both wanted to know what they
could do before Johnny returned to get the ball rolling.
None of them saw the eyes that followed their every move.
The three men had started back towards the hotel when Johnny spotted
smoke coming out of an abandoned building. Robert ran to call the fire
department and Edward and Johnny ran inside to see where the smoke
was coming from and if they could do anything. Neither one saw the
board that connected with Edward’s head and sent him into unconsciousness.
Johnny didn’t see it the second time as he bent down to check
on Edward just as the board sailed through the empty air where his
head had just been. He was not aware of the fact that Robert returning
with the fire crew close on his heels saved him from the same fate
as Edward.
None of the people at the fire saw the eyes that grew black with anger
as the fire was quickly extinguished and Edward was carried out to
a waiting ambulance. The anger grew as the man behind the eyes realized
that this part of his plan had been thwarted. Well, Edward had a concussion
and he would make sure that Edward knew that it could have been more
serious and would be if he didn’t stop associating with trash.
***************************
Johnny had felt a tinge of guilt at not being able to stay until Edward
Crowe was feeling better, but he really needed to return to LA not
only to get back to work but to make arrangements to help get the paramedic
program off the ground on the reservation. They stopped by the hospital
to say goodbye to the Crowes and the Mateos and were reassured by Edward
that he understood why they had to leave. He told Johnny when they
returned, the Gages were to be guests at the Crowe home. Johnny agreed
and left, knowing he had found new friends on the reservation.
No one saw the eyes watching them or the glint that was now a permanent
part of those eyes. No one noticed the car that followed the Gage van
out of Wewoka.
***************************
Station 51’s original A-Shift did what headquarters had hoped
they would do after they were promoted—they worked together as
a team whenever they were called out together at fires. Not only that—the “Station
51 Family” had grown closer and included Dixie, Early, Brackett
and Morton as well as all the crews and their families from all three
stations.
Most of the gatherings of the “Station 51 Family” were
held at the Gage ranch because that was the place that had the most
room and could easily handle all the members of the three crews as
well as their families. Besides, everyone loved riding the horses and
hiking through the woods and hills on the Gage’s ranch.
But today they were all at Roy’s house for the annual July Fourth
picnic since the Gages had gone to Oklahoma on vacation to learn more
about their heritage. As they were preparing for the “troops” to
arrive, Joanne and Roy felt a chill go down their spine—something
had happen to the Gages. Later Roy would be thankful the entire ‘family’ was
together when he got the phone call that could easily change their
lives forever.
***************************
Roy and Joanne had just gone back into the kitchen for more lemonade
and sodas when the phone rang.
“DeSoto residence” Roy wondered which friend was calling
which of his kids. Joanne wondered who was calling, too. She could
always tell by the look on Roy’s face who was calling, so she
turned to see if maybe it was Johnny and Nicole on the phone.
“Hello?--I’m Roy DeSoto……yes….when?
What happened?” The color drained from Roy’s face as he
listened to whoever was on the other end of the line. Joanne knew that
something was terribly wrong and went to get Hank Stanley and Dr. Brackett.
By the time they returned with the rest of the group following, Roy’s
knees had given out and he was sitting down. His face was as white
as a sheet. There were tears streaming down his face. “Yes, I’ll
let you know as soon as I can….Thank you for calling……Good-bye.” Roy
hung the phone up but dropped back into his seat and buried his head
in his hands.
Hank was kneeling by Roy’s side in a second. Placing a hand
on Roy’s shoulder, he knew that something had to be horribly
wrong. “Roy? Who was on the phone? What happened?” By this
time everyone was crowded as close as they could get to find out what
was going on.
Roy took a deep breath and looked up at the faces around him. “That
was a Sergeant Mateo from the Seminole Tribal Council police in Wewoka,
Oklahoma.”
The second he mentioned Oklahoma everyone knew whatever it was, it
involved the Gages.
Roy looked at his wife for strength as he continued. “Johnny,
Nicole and the kids were starting on their way home. However, before
they got too far out of town they were involved in a car accident.”
“Are they---?” Chet couldn’t finish his question.
Maybe if he didn’t finish it, he wouldn’t receive the answer
he was dreading he would get.
“The kids are fine. Nicole had stuffed blankets and pillows
around all of them so they could sleep. It prevented them from having
any serious injuries. But Johnny and Nicole weren’t so lucky.
He didn’t know the extent of their injuries; he just said that
Joanne and I are listed as next of kin for both of them, and that we
should get there as soon as possible. He did know that both of them
had lost a lot of blood at the scene.” Roy couldn’t keep
his emotions in and once again let the tears fall as he pulled Joanne
into his embrace and held onto her as if his life depended on it.
It was a somber group that stood and thought about what they had just
heard. Knowing someone had to take control, Hank and Kelly Brackett
took over and started making the decisions on what to do. Although
everyone there was close to the Gage family, the DeSotos were the closest—they
were more like brothers and sisters than just best friends. Everyone
determined they would help Roy and Joanne get through this.
The afternoon was a haze to both Roy and Joanne. It wasn’t until
Roy knew he had to pull himself together for Johnny and Nicole that
he realized they were on a plane headed for Oklahoma. He didn’t
remember how he got there. Seeing that Joanne had fallen into a fitful
sleep, Roy began to wonder who had made the reservations and how they
had gotten to the airport. He startled at the hand that was placed
on his arm. Turning to look at the person in the seat across the aisle
from him, he realized it was Hank Stanley.
“Roy, how are you doing?” Hank realized that Roy had begun
to take notice of the world around him once again.
“Hank, I’m hanging in there. How did we get here?” Roy
took a look around him and realized that Emily Stanley was sitting
next to her husband, Dr. Brackett and Dixie were ahead of them and
Mike and Beth Stoker were in front of the DeSotos.
“We didn’t think you were aware of what was going on.
Kel and I made the reservations and we all knew that someone would
need to take care of the kids while we find out what is going on with
Johnny and Nicole, so I called Chief McConikee and Mike and I came
along. Kel and Dixie came because even though there have been advances
in medicine, they know that medical attention on the reservations is
still lacking. Roy, we are all here for Johnny and Nicole, but we are
here for you and Joanne, too.” Hank was worried how Roy was going
to handle all this.
“Thanks, Chief. I really appreciate it.” Roy sent up a
silent thank you for the family and friends they had and a prayer for
his “family” in the hospital in Oklahoma.
They were preparing to land in Wewoka when Roy started going back
over the conversation he had with Sergeant Mateo. It was then that
Roy remembered something the policeman had said. He looked at Hank. “Chief,
the policeman said something that didn’t jive, but I didn’t
think about it until just now.” Roy had the attention of the
other members of their group.
“What was that, Roy?”
“He said that all three of the Gage children escaped with minor
injuries.”
“Three? Johnny and Nicole only have two children.” Hank
was just as puzzled as Roy.
“At least they did when they left.” Joanne recalled a
part of the last conversation she had with Nicole. Nicole had said
that if everything worked out right, they would be bringing home a
surprise. Joanne kept her thoughts to herself—there was enough
to worry about right now.
Roy wondered what Joanne meant by that comment as the plane taxied
to the terminal.
***************************
Sergeant Mateo was waiting for them as they exited the plane. Roy
knew who the policeman was without even reading his badge. “Sergeant,
can you tell us what happened?”
Sergeant Mateo waited until the rest of the group gathered around
him. “Let’s go sit on those chairs over there and I’ll
tell you everything.” The group followed him to a group of chairs
out of the way of the mainstream.
“Johnny and Nicole had been visiting several of their friends.
One of Johnny’s friends, Edward Crowe, is the head of the Wewoka
Fire Department. He took Johnny to meet with the tribal council to
talk about getting a paramedic program on the reservation. Wade Featherstone
was another guy that grew up with Johnny. He was the worst bully in
school and one of those who taunted Johnny unmercifully when they were
growing up because he was a half-breed. Wade hated Johnny because he
got out of all the mess and made something of himself. So when the
tribal council listened to Johnny and even invited him to come back
and help get the program started, it made him even angrier. He went
out and got drunk and he and some of his buddies followed them out
of town. One of my patrol cars was in the area and saw the accident.
Wade and some of his buddies were following Johnny and Nicole as they
were leaving. When they were far enough outside of town, Wade ran them
off the road and down an embankment. Nicole was trapped in the car
for two hours while the fire crew worked to get her out. I haven’t
had an update yet on their conditions.”
Sergeant Mateo told them about the fire where Edward
Crowe had been hurt and that Wade Featherstone admitted to hitting
Edward with the
board and wanting to kill him and Johnny. Wade had said he wanted to
teach Edward a lesson for associating with Johnny and to kill Johnny
because he was a half-breed and was nothing but “trash”.
Sergeant Mateo said that Wade and his buddies would be charged with
six counts
of attempted murder. If something would happen to either Johnny or
Nicole, that charge would be changed to include murder.”
Roy’s heart sank as the police officer talked about the charges.
He missed the part that said six counts or he would have questioned
the officer. Johnny, Nicole, two children and the fire fighter should
have been five. What he did catch was the part about the change in
charges if anything happened to Johnny or Nicole. That didn’t
sound good.
The group could not persuade Roy to check into the hotel first. He
had to head directly to the hospital. Of course, none of the others
would admit it, but they wanted to see Johnny and Nicole as soon as
possible, too.
Arriving at the hospital, Dr. Brackett took control. He found the
ER admitting desk and asked to speak to the doctor in charge. When
Dr. Samuel Whitefeather arrived, he introduced the members of the group.
Dr. Whitefeather shook hands with each one ending with Roy. “You
are listed as Mr. and Mrs. Gage’s next of kin.”
“Yes, but all of us here are family.” Roy knew the others
cared as deeply as he did about the two people they were there to find
out about.
“Well, let’s go into the lounge here. Someone just started
a fresh pot of coffee and I will update you on Mr. and Mrs. Gage.” He
opened the door to let the others into the room.
As soon as everyone had a cup of coffee and found a seat, Dr. Whitefeather
took a deep breath. “Mr. Gage is sedated and Mrs. Gage was just
taken to recovery.”
“Dr. Whitefeather, could you please call them Johnny and Nicole?
I know they would want you to.” Roy wasn’t used to hearing
his friends called by Mr. and Mrs.
“Sure, I know you’re right. In the two
weeks they were here, we became friends. Johnny had three broken ribs,
one of which
punctured his left lung causing a pneumothorax. He is on a respirator.
We sedated him at least until we could get Nicole in here for treatment.
When he first came in, we couldn’t get him to calm down. He was
worried about Nicole. So we sedated him and decided to keep him that
way until we could get Nicole in here. There was some bleeding from
a nicked artery in his left leg along with a compound fracture of both
the left leg and the right arm. He lost a lot of blood at the scene
since it took fifteen minutes for help to get there and another twenty
minutes before they could get him here for treatment. Dr. Brackett,
I know that you, Ms. McCall and Mr. DeSoto all know that fifteen minutes
when someone is bleeding from an artery is a very long time.” He
paused as Kel, Dixie and Roy all blanched and nodded. “He has
received four pints of blood and is scheduled to receive at least two
more. This is one time that I know that a paramedic program here would
have helped. I don’t know how he made it to the hospital much
less through surgery. When I stopped by ICU, his vital signs were good
and all indications are that he will make a full recovery.”
Dr. Whitefeather waited a few minutes to let what he had just told
the group sink in. He was dreading giving the report on Nicole.
“Doctor, what is Nicole’s condition?” Joanne was
the one that couldn’t wait any longer to find out how her “sister” was. “Is
she going to lose her babies?”
Taking another deep breath and gathering his thoughts, Dr. Whitefeather
looked at the group seated around him. “Right now it is touch
and go with Nicole. So far the babies seem to be fine, but that can
change at any time. It is a minute by minute thing. I don’t know
if Robert—Sergeant Mateo—told you or not, but it took the
fire department two hours to get her out of the vehicle. When the van
went over the embankment the right front corner of the van smashed
into a very large tree and she was pinned between the dashboard and
the seat. Nicole had severe internal bleeding caused by damage to her
kidneys and liver. The damage was repaired and the bleeding stopped,
but only time will tell if there is any permanent damage to her kidneys
or liver.” He stopped as he heard several gasps. He wasn’t
done with the bad news. “She also has a spinal cord injury. At
this point, there is some numbness. We feel she will make a full recovery
because there is some feeling and some movement. I just stopped by
recovery and her vital signs are good. All we can do is wait and pray.”
Emily, Joanne, Dixie and Beth all had tears streaming down their faces
by this time. The Gages had been through so much. Now it’s one
more thing. Beth Stoker thought of two kids who may lose a mother.
They were too young. “Doctor, where are the children?”
“The three kids are up in pediatrics right now. We admitted
them for overnight observation, but they should be able to be released
tomorrow.”
“Three? Dr. Whitefeather, Johnny and Nicole only have two children.” Roy
was wondering what was going on. Who was the third child that both
Dr. Whitefeather and Sergeant Mateo had mentioned?
“I guess things happened so fast, I forgot that the Gage’s
probably hadn’t had a chance to tell any of you yet. I’m
sure it was supposed to be a surprise when they arrived in LA, but
under the circumstances, I think you all should know that Johnny and
Nicole adopted a three-year old boy last week.” Dr. Whitefeather
told the group about the little boy, what had happened to him and what
Johnny and Nicole had done. “He was so happy to have a mom and
dad. I only hope that everything works out so that he still has a mom
and dad when they can return to LA.”
Joanne smiled to herself. She was right—another child was the
surprise they were bringing home with them. But that smile quickly
faded when she thought about her friend lying in a hospital bed fighting
for her life. “Can we see the children?”
“Sure, we have them all in one room so that they will not be
too scared. I think it is going to be best for them to see some familiar
faces right now.” Dr. Whitefeather stood and led Emily, Beth,
Dixie and Joanne out of the room as the four men sat and thought about
all they had just heard.
“Leave it to Johnny and Nicole to go away on vacation and bring
home another child.” Mike wanted to turn the clock back two days
and somehow make everything go away.
“Yeah, their love is unending. I’m glad they care so much
about others. I just pray that they will be around to keep sharing
that love.” Roy’s thoughts were running along the same
lines as Mike’s.
Dr. Whitefeather stopped back at the lounge and asked Dr. Brackett
to join him as he made his rounds and talk about advances in medicine.
***************************
The nurses had let the four women take the children down to the lounge.
Roy, Mike, Hank and Kel were holding the twins while Joanne, Beth,
and Emily were playing with Mayan and getting to know their new “nephew”.
Dixie was glad she had asked Nicole to teach her some sign language.
Although she wasn’t sure of everything the little boy said, she
knew enough to communicate with him and to learn that he had already
grown to love Johnny and Nicole. She sent up a silent prayer that both
Johnny and Nicole would recover fully from their injuries.
***************************
An hour after Dr. Whitefeather had informed them of Johnny and Nicole’s
conditions, the door to the lounge opened. Dr. Whitefeather, and Dr.
Brackett entered followed by Sergeant Mateo pushing someone in a wheelchair.
Roy wondered who the person in the wheelchair was. He didn’t
have long to wait.
“Everyone, I’ll like to introduce you to my brother-in-law,
Edward Crowe.” Robert pushed Edward over to the group.
“You’re Johnny’s friend.” Roy held out his
hand to shake Edward’s.
“I sure hope we started a friendship while he was here. I just
wish I had been a better friend to him while we were growing up.” Edward
shook Roy’s hand and smiled.
Introductions were made around the group. Then Dr. Whitefeather interrupted. “I
just stopped down to tell you Johnny is showing signs of waking up
and I thought some of you might like to visit him.”
“Yeah, I would.” Roy was on his feet and almost at the
door.
“I’d like to see him, too.” Mike was close behind.
“Come on, Mike, let’s go.” Roy had the door open
and waited for Mike who was only a couple of steps behind him. The
two men made record time in getting to Johnny’s room.
***************************
Johnny slowly opened his eyes and looked around. He knew he was in
a hospital. As he turned his head, Roy and Mike came into view. He
started to try to talk, but set off the vent alarm.
“Easy, Junior. You’re on a ventilator. Don’t try
to talk. We’re right here.” Roy was pleased to see his
friend awake. He saw the confusion in Johnny’s eyes.
Johnny remembered loading his family in the car and starting back
to LA. He didn’t remember anything after that. What had happened?
He must be in Rampart, but how did he get here and where was his family?
He started signing to Roy, but got frustrated when neither Roy nor
Mike could tell what he was saying. He needed to find out what happened
and where his family was.
Roy realized how upset Johnny was getting and knew he had to calm
him down.
Dixie entered the room carrying Mayan just as Roy was about to have
the doctor paged. “Hey, Johnny, this little guy is definitely
a keeper.”
Johnny smiled as much as he could and signed to Dixie. He knew he
had to be at Rampart if Dixie was here. Maybe he could get her to understand
that he needed to know what happened. ~What happened? How did we get
to Rampart? Where are Nicole and the twins?”
“Johnny, slow down. I think I know what you are asking. You
are not at Rampart. You are at the Wewoka Community Hospital. The twins
are with Joanne, Emily and Beth.” Dixie didn’t want to
be the one to break the news about Nicole.
~What happened?~ But as Johnny waited for Dixie’s answer, he
started to remember the truck that had followed them out of the town
and was way too close for comfort. He remembered feeling the bump when
the truck connected with their back bumper and sped up. He remembered
thinking that the guy was crazy just before the van went over the embankment.
He remembered seeing the tree that they were headed for. He started
to panic. ~Where’s Nicole?~ The last thing he remembered was
the crash as the right front corner connected with the tree.
Roy realized that Johnny was remembering the accident. He reached
out and grabbed Johnny’s hand. “You remember the accident,
don’t you?” He paused as Johnny’s eyes filled with
tears and he slowly nodded his head. “Johnny, the twins and Mayan
are fine. Thanks to the blankets and pillows Nicole placed around them,
not one of them had any scratches, cuts or bruises.” He stopped
to catch his breath. Roy knew that the news about Nicole should come
from him, but he really didn’t want to do it. Taking a deep breath,
he continued. “Johnny, Nicole is right next door. It took the
fire department two hours to get her out of the van. She had some damage
to her kidneys and liver which caused some internal bleeding. They
were able to repair the damage and stop the bleeding, but they have
to wait to see if there is any permanent damage. She also injured her
spinal cord. It is not permanent.”
Johnny squeezed Roy’s hand and let the tears slide down his
cheeks. He looked up as Mayan reached out for his father. Dixie gently
set him on the bed beside Johnny and watched as the two communicated
through sign language. All three smiled as Mayan carefully lay down
so he was in the crook of his father’s arm. It wasn’t long
before both Johnny and Mayan were asleep.
Dr. Whitefeather and Dr. Brackett entered the room just as the group
was getting ready to leave Johnny and Mayan sleeping. They realized
that they needed each other at the moment. Both needed the reassurance
their presence gave the other one. The two doctors smiled at the sight
of the sleeping man with his son wrapped in his arms. Dr. Whitefeather
carefully took Johnny’s vitals without waking either the man
or the little boy and the group quietly left.
***************************
The group gathered outside Nicole’s room to wait and see if
she would wake up. Dr. Whitefeather was beginning to worry because
she showed no signs of waking up and he didn’t know why. Dr.
Brackett checked her, too, and he couldn’t find a reason, either.
Mike, Beth, Hank, Emily, Roy, Joanne, Kel and Dixie sat in the waiting
room sending up a prayer that their friend would be ok and would soon
wake up.
***************************
After spending visiting hours with Johnny, Beth, Emily, and Dixie
said goodnight and were ready to head to the hotel. Johnny was discouraged
that there was no change in Nicole’s condition and had asked
the four men to stay. Joanne was getting ready to take Melanie and
Melinda back to their room in pediatrics where she would spend the
night with them. Mayan wouldn’t leave his father’s side.
Robert Mateo and his wife were waiting for the group in the waiting
room. “This is my wife, Linda. We would like to have some of
you stay with us and Edward and Barb Crowe would like to have the rest
of you stay with them while you are here in Wewoka. We have a large
ranch and have room for two couples and the twins when they are released.
Edward and Barb have room for the other two couples. Our properties
are right next to each other so you will all be together.”
Roy, Mike, Hank and Kel all smiled and secretly sighed in relief.
They were very worried about having the women at the hotel by themselves.
When Barb Crowe, the Mateos, and the three women were on their way
home and Joanne was settled in the twins’ room, the four men
entered Johnny’s room to wait with their friend.
***************************
It was six a.m. and Johnny had not been able to sleep very well. Hank,
Roy, Mike and Kel had all fallen asleep in the lazy boy chairs that
the hospital had brought into Johnny’s private room. Dr. Whitefeather
had removed the ventilator at 5 a.m. and Mayan was still asleep snuggled
in his father’s arms. But the tears were flowing down Johnny’s
face. He wanted to see Nicole and wanted her to be alright. He was
just about ready to call for a nurse to see if he could get some word
on her condition when Dr. Whitefeather walked in.
“They’re still asleep?” Dr. Whitefeather smiled
at Johnny’s four visitors. They had slept all the way through
the removal of Johnny’s ventilator.
“Yeah, they all are sleeping beauties and need their rest.” Johnny
tried to keep everything light.
“Well, I just wanted to come and tell you that Nicole is awake
and asking about you and the kids. I thought I’d take you to
see her. I think you both need it.” Dr. Whitefeather smiled as
Johnny was immediately trying to get out of bed. “Now, wait just
a minute until the nurse gets here with a wheelchair or you won’t
be allowed to go anywhere.” He laughed at the look on Johnny’s
face.
The nurse arrived with the wheelchair and helped the doctor get Johnny
into it. Mayan woke and seemed happy to be going for a ride. Somehow
the four visitors slept through the whole thing.
Seeing Nicole’s eyes light up when they arrived was well worth
the pain Johnny had felt in getting from the bed to the wheelchair.
Dr. Whitefeather laughed as Nicole, Johnny and Mayan were “talking” a
mile a minute. He decided that it was about time he learned sign language.
Johnny carefully placed Mayan on the bed so he could snuggle up to
his mother much like he did his father the night before. Johnny held
Nicole’s hand in his. He was glad his wife was alive even if
she still didn’t have any feeling from her waist down. As long
as they were together they could face whatever was in store for them
in the future.
Dr. Whitefeather quietly left the three members of the Gage family
enjoying being together. As he exited the room he ran into Hank, Mike,
Kel and Roy who were worried because they didn’t know where Johnny
and Mayan were. “Don’t worry, fellas, Mayan and Johnny
are in with Nicole.
“Is she awake?” Roy was afraid to ask.
“Yes she is.”
“Doc, how is she?” Roy was still concerned about the permanent
damage that may have been done.
“Well, her kidneys and liver are functioning at 100%. There
is still some swelling around her spinal cord, but she has more feeling
and movement than when she was first brought it. It will just be a
matter of time. However, in order to keep a lot of pressure off her
spinal cord as it heals, she will have to stay on her side on complete
bed rest until her babies are born. I was not worried about that though,
because I am sure that not only do they have all of you but probably
a lot more friends at home to help them through this time.”
Roy’s smiled. “You’re right there. There are a
lot of people who would like to say thank you to both Johnny and
Nicole for all they have done for them. Don’t worry. She will
be treated like a queen. We really appreciate all you have done for
them and I don’t want to sound ungrateful, but when can we
take them home.”
“The tribal council has a private plane that is large enough
to hold all of you. It is equipped with two beds that can be used for
Johnny and Nicole. Normally I would like to keep them here for at least
a week. But Dr. Brackett and I were talking and since he will be traveling
with you, we have made the arrangements for you all to fly home in
a couple of days.”
“And when we get home, we’ll check them into Rampart and
see how they do from there.” Dr. Brackett had wanted to take
them home, too.
“Can we see them for a minute?” Roy wanted to see for
himself that his friends were going to be ok.
“Sure, go ahead.” Dr. Whitefeather left to answer a page
while the four friends quietly opened the door.
Roy was the first one to step into the room. Johnny and Nicole were
so intent on Mayan and playing with him that they didn’t hear
the door open. Hank, Mike, Kel and Roy all smiled at the couple and
the newest member of the Gage family.
Johnny felt the presence of the other men in the room and turned.
Smiling he motioned them over. For the next half hour Johnny and Nicole
tried to teach the four men some signs so that they could communicate
with Mayan a little. Even Mayan laughed at some of the antics of the
grownups. As Johnny, Roy and Dr. Brackett started discussing the details
of their trip home, Nicole and Mayan drifted off to sleep.
Mike got the men’s attention and took Johnny’s wheelchair
as they quietly left them sleeping with Mayan wrapped in Nicole’s
arms much like he had been during the night with his father.
***************************
Mike took Johnny back to his room and when he drifted off to sleep,
Roy, Mike, Kel and Hank headed towards the cafeteria for breakfast.
As they reached the first floor, Dixie, Emily and Beth entered the
hospital. Joanne had just stopped at Nicole’s room and was told
the men had gone down to breakfast. She exited the elevator pushing
a twin stroller as she spied the group at the end of the hallway. It
was a happy group that spent the next hour in the cafeteria enjoying
breakfast and trying to keep two two-year olds happy and occupied.
Their laughter was contagious, though, as soon everyone in the cafeteria
had stopped to say hello and see the twins that were keeping eight
adults busy.
As she watched the four men playing with the kids, Joanne thought
about her friend that was lying upstairs. She had a set of twins that
were just a little over two years old, a three-year old she and Johnny
had just adopted and was expecting at least two more in a couple of
months. Nicole had confided in her that she felt she was going to have
three or more, but the doctor could only confirm two. If Nicole was
right, she would soon have several kids all under the age of four.
How did she handle it? Joanne had marveled at how well Nicole could
handle the twins by herself, but five or six? Joanne knew that Johnny
helped out whenever he was home. She realized once again how the two
of them formed a team and how special they really were.
***************************
Two days later, Johnny, Nicole, the twins and Mayan, Roy, Joanne,
Dr. Brackett, Dixie, Mike, Beth, Hank and Emily boarded the private
plane the tribal council owned. The tribal council had even dealt with
the insurance company so a new van would be waiting for them when they
arrived home. Johnny had insisted they didn’t need to do that,
but the tribal council said they owed it to the Gages since all of
them had known about Wade Featherstone’s prejudices and had even
overheard him say some threatening things about the Gages, but had
not done anything about it.
The Mateos and Crowes promised they would come to LA and visit. Friendships
had been formed and both the Wewoka firefighter and sheriff were glad
Johnny had found some very close friends who had become his family.
Both men sent up a silent thank you as they watched the plane take
off.
Johnny and Nicole both watched their new friends out the plane windows
until they could no longer see them. They were lying on the beds in
the back of the plane and were fighting falling asleep when they heard
Melanie and Melinda laughing. They both smiled as they watched their
friends played with their children. Dixie was playing with Mayan and
even he was laughing. They fell asleep thanking the Lord their family
was ok and that in a few short months there were be at least two more
members of their family.
***************************
Dr. Early, Dr. Morton, Chet, Kimberly, Marco and Rebecca were all
at the airport to meet them. The last two days had been filled with
arrangements being made for Nicole’s care. Dr. Brackett and Dixie
drove the couple to Rampart while Chet and Kimberly loaded the twins
into the van to head to the Gage ranch. They were going to stay there
to care for Melinda and Melanie. Mayan would be staying with Dixie
since she was the only one that knew sign language and the two had
formed a bond. All of the others determined they would learn sign language
as they watched the twins converse with Mayan just before they were
loaded into the van and Dixie’s car.
***************************
Johnny and Nicole spent four days in the hospital and were released.
Nicole spent every minute except when she needed to use the rest room
and for doctor’s visits on a bed that had been set up for her
in the living room. Joanne and Roy, Beth and Mike, Hank and Emily,
Chet and Kimberly and Marco and Rebecca took turns staying with the
Gages to take care of Nicole and make sure Johnny didn’t do more
than he should as he recovered. On the days that A-shift were on duty,
the five women along with Dixie and even Dr. Brackett stayed at the
ranch.
Johnny was cleared to go back to work the first of August. However,
after long hours of discussions with Chiefs McConikee and Stanley and
Dr. Brackett, it was decided that Johnny would spend the first three
weeks of August in Wewoka to help implement their paramedic program.
Dr. Brackett had flown back a couple of times to help Dr. Whitefeather
start the ball rolling so that when Johnny arrived his main function
would be to help set up the training for the paramedics. Of course,
he felt secure knowing that Nicole would have plenty of help when he
returned. And while he was gone, Nicole made sure that the kids each “spoke” to
him every day on the phone. She would tell him what Mayan had to say
and in turn tell Mayan that his daddy loved him.
The three weeks went fast and there were several willing firefighters
for the first class of paramedics for the Wewoka reservation. By the
third week, Johnny was just an observer as the doctors and nurses willing
took on the responsibility of the training. By the time he left, Johnny
knew the program was well off the ground and would be a success. He
felt good that he had been able to make a difference.
As he stepped off the plane, Johnny’s thoughts went to his family.
He had “spoken” to each of his kids every night, but they
were little and three weeks was a long time. Would they recognize him?
He didn’t have to worry, though, because as soon as he entered
the airport, three kids were reaching for him as they were being held
by his “family.” He smiled as he hugged, kissed and received
a “I love you Daddy” from each one. He found out later
that Nicole had shown the kids his picture several times a day and
made sure they were looking at it when they were talking to him on
the phone. His love for Nicole grew deeper.
On August 28, the group had a big party. It was Johnny’s 36th
birthday, but it was also Mayan’s 4th birthday. That plus the
fact that was thankful that their family was all together made for
a very happy celebration.
September, 1981
Stations 51, 14 and 24 had been called out to work together at several
large fires. Each time each crew did their part almost without having
to be assigned a job. Chief Stanley was always proud when the three
stations were working together. It was because Mike, Roy and Johnny
all followed his example as Captain that the three stations were great
places to work. Plus the three Captains had gotten their crews and
their families together outside of work much like the old A-shift crew
of Station 51 did, but it was usually all three stations at once. They
usually held the gatherings out at Johnny’s ranch as it was the
only place large enough to have that many people around. These gatherings
help to draw the new crews into the original “family” thus
expanding it. It was a great family to be a part of.
Today was no exception. The three stations had been called out to
a large chemical warehouse fire. As each station pulled up they received
their orders from Chief Stanley and went to work. Roy and Johnny both
sent their paramedics into the warehouse to do a search since there
were three guards unaccounted for. Mike had his paramedics, Russ Samson
and Greg Sanders, set up a triage area to handle the victims when they
were found and any firefighters who might have to be treated. Then
all three went to back up their firefighters on the hoses. Johnny’s
paramedic team of Jim Standish and Bob Carden brought out two of the
three guards and then went back into the warehouse to help Roy’s
paramedic crew of Kent Williamson and Andrew Clark look for the third
guard.
Johnny was on the east side backing up Peter Swanson, one of his firefighters
while Bill Canady, his other firefighter, was backing up Patrick Watson,
one of Roy’s firefighters. Roy was on the west side backing up
his other firefighter, John Michaels. Mike’s firefighters, Rich
Watkins and Craig McShane were on the south side. All the men knew
that Chet, Marco and Mike’s Engineer, Charles Cannon were the
best in the battalion. They had complete faith in them.
A second alarm had been called and three other stations were there
trying to help contain the beast, but it seemed like the firefighters
were fighting a losing battle. Johnny and Roy had taken a break and
both were worried. Their paramedics had been looking for the third
guard for over 20 minutes and had found no sign of him. Just as Roy
and Johnny had decided to go look for them, the call came over the
HTs from Chief Stanley that the third guard had found his way out the
back of the warehouse and was being treated by Russ and Greg.
Both Captains sighed with relief until a frantic call came over the
HTs. Johnny recognized Jim’s voice. “Get everyone out of
here now. There are some barrels of chemicals up here that are ready
to blow. Everyone MOVE!”
All the hoses were turned off as firefighters grabbed them and ran.
Johnny and Roy both prayed that their paramedics would make it out
of the building before it exploded. They stood together with Chief
Stanley and watched as firefighters poured out of the building. Then
the explosion came—their paramedics had not made it out.
Hank Stanley watched the expressions on Roy’s and Johnny’s
faces. He had been in that same situation several times as he sent
them in on rescues. He knew what they were feeling. Without a word
being said, both turned and ran for new tanks on their SCBA gear. They
wanted as much time as needed. Adjusting their masks, they were met
by Hank and then took off towards the warehouse as the teams of firefighters
picked up their hoses and went back to work. Hank knew he wouldn’t
be able to stop them and did what he had done many times when he was
their Captain—prayed for their safety.
***************************
Nicole and Joanne had chosen the same obstetrician and were even fortunate
enough to have their regularly scheduled appointments on the same day
one after the other. That made it easier as they would travel to the
doctor’s office and then have lunch together—often with
Dixie. It was the few rare times Nicole was allowed out of bed for
any length of time other than to walk to the bathroom. As soon as the
babies were born, however, she would be allowed to resume her normal
activities. That was something she was looking forward to.
Today they were on their way to another visit. Both women were at
the stage in their pregnancies that they were ready for it to be over.
As Joanne drove Nicole was telling her of Johnny’s latest endeavors
at trying to handle the three Gage kids all at once. Her description
of Johnny chasing them to try to get them down for a nap while Nicole
lay in the bed and watched had tears running down both women’s
cheeks. “I kept asking him if he wanted me to help, but he assured
me he could handle it. By the time he was done—he was ready for
a nap, too. I think he was the first one to sleep.”
As Joanne pulled up to a stop at a red light, the mood of both women
suddenly changed. Nicole looked over at the worry in Joanne’s
face that she knew mirrored her own. “Jo, I have this bad feeling
about Roy and Johnny.”
“I know, Nicole, I have it, too.” Joanne had been so glad
when Johnny and Roy both became Captains. There was less chance of
one of them getting hurt at a fire. However, today something had happened
and both women knew it. They were so worried about the firefighters,
that they never noticed the blue station wagon that was not even trying
to stop when their light turned green and his turned red. Just before
impact Joanne noticed it out of the corner of her eye and Nicole turned
to see it bearing down on them. Neither woman had time to think as
Joanne instinctively did what she could to avoid the impact. As the
two cars came together in the middle of the intersection, their world
went black.
***************************
Johnny and Roy headed into the warehouse to look for their paramedics.
To both men it felt like old times and they were happy to be working
together as a team again. Still able to read each other, Roy went left
as Johnny went right. But they kept each other in sight during their
search. Roy found Kent and Jim feverishly trying to dig out Bob and
Andrew. He waved at Johnny to let him know that he had found them and
started helping move the debris.
Johnny hurried towards the downed paramedics to help extradite them.
Between the four men they were able to get Bob and Andrew uncovered.
Jim and Kent picked them up in a fireman’s carry and started
out of the building with Kent leading the way. Roy was following Jim
with Johnny bringing up the rear. As they got close to the door, both
Johnny and Roy got a very bad feeling. Roy saw that Kent was out the
door so he gave Jim a little push to get him out of the way.
It was then that Johnny noticed the ceiling about to collapse. He
put on a burst of speed and grabbed Roy as Roy pushed Jim out the door.
As the ceiling collapsed, Johnny pulled Roy back out of the way. When
the dust settled, the way out was blocked but Johnny and Roy were unhurt.
Jim and Kent took their partners over to Russ and Greg for treatment
and then went back to help look for their Captains. Chief Stanley and
Captain Stoker were right beside them. Hank pulled out his HT. “HT
51 or HT 14, this is Chief Stanley. How do you read?”
“Chief Stanley, HT 51. Captain DeSoto and I are unhurt but we
can’t get out this way. We are going to try to find another way
out. The fire seems to be out in here.”
“10-4, HT 51. Let us know if you’re successful.” Hank
and Mike headed around to see if they could find another way to get
to the trapped Captains. Jim and Kent started pulling away the debris
at the front door. Hank and Mike had reached the back entrance when
Hank’s HT came to life.
“Chief Stanley, HT 51. The back door is blocked, too.” The
rest of Johnny’s transmission was cut short by another explosion.
Shouts came as the fire burst to life once again. Hoses were going
full blast against the beast and firefighters were running everywhere
doing their jobs. It looked like controlled chaos.
Hank was determined more than ever to find a way to get to Roy and
Johnny. His repeated calls went unanswered. He had never lost a man
as a Captain; he was not about to lose any now—especially not
Johnny or Roy.
Johnny couldn’t answer Hank’s calls because he had dropped
his HT when he saw the small fire near a barrel of chemicals. He knew
it was about to blow. Dropping the HT, he grabbed Roy and pulled him
into another room as far away from the chemicals as possible. It was
only then that he realized he had dropped the HT. Johnny pushed Roy
to the floor and covered him. When the explosion came, debris rained
down around them, but once again they would live. If Johnny hadn’t
pushed them to the floor they would have been hit by some of the debris
that rapidly became rockets from the force of the explosion. As it
was, the one large “rocket” that would have killed one
if not both of them slammed into the wall just over their heads as
they crouched down. Instead of even injuring them, it blew out the
wall, providing them with a way out of the burning building. Climbing
through the wall, they headed back out front.
Jim looked up when one of the firefighters from 24 called his name.
Seeing two firefighters helping Captain Gage and Captain DeSoto, he
grabbed Kent and the two of them took off running to the triage area
to treat their Captains. Jim pulled out his HT. “Chief Stanley,
Squad 51. Captain Gage and Captain DeSoto found a way out. We are treating
them now at the triage area.”
“Squad 51, Chief Stanley. 10-4 and thank you.” Before
he could put it away, however, it came to life again.
“Chief Stanley, Chief McConikee. We need to get Captain Gage
and Captain DeSoto to the hospital as soon as possible. What is their
status?”
“Chief McConikee, Chief Stanley. Both are being treated for
injuries sustained in the fire. Transport will be just as soon as the
ambulances arrive.”
“Hank, don’t wait for the ambulances. Stations 99 and
16 should be arriving momentarily. Have Johnny and Roy transported
by their crews Code-R. Joanne and Nicole were in a car accident. Both
women are fine but Roy and Johnny are about to become fathers again.”
Mike and Hank took off running towards the triage area as the crews
from Stations 99 and 16 arrived on the scene. “Engine 99 relieve
Engine 51. Engine 16 relieve Engine 14.” Hank didn’t even
break stride as he barked out the orders to switch companies. “Engine
51 and Engine 14 report to triage.”
Johnny and Roy were receiving O2 for the smoke they had eaten. Both
were covered with abrasions and contusions but that was all. Johnny
saw Hank and Mike running towards them with the crews from both Engine
51 and Engine 14 following close behind. He figured something really
bad must have happened and he was beginning to get worried.
“Jim, you take Captain Gage to Rampart in your squad Code-R.
Bob will be riding in with the rest of your crew on the engine. Kent,
you take Captain DeSoto to Rampart in your squad Code-R. Andrew will
be riding in with the rest of your crew on the engine.” Hank
started giving directions as soon as he was within hearing distance.
“What’s up, Chief?” Roy was getting just as worried
as Johnny. Neither one of them were injured seriously enough to have
to go to Rampart at all and certainly not Code-R in the squads instead
of waiting for an ambulance.
“Nicole and Joanne were in a car accident. They are both ok,
but they are in labor. You are both about to become fathers again.” Hank
laughed at the looks on his friends’ faces. He was surprised
that in less than two minutes, the four vehicles were on their way
to the hospital. He slapped Mike on the back and with grins on their
faces, the two men returned to the task at hand.
***************************
Neither woman was hurt in the accident other than a bump on their
heads, but the trauma was enough to start labor. Dixie smiled as she
went up to check on the two women. She was going to make sure they
were being well taken care of until their husbands arrived. Both women
had been put into one room and smiled as Dixie entered.
“Johnny and Roy are on their way.” Dixie stopped as both
women had a contraction. She smiled to herself as she thought back
over the two women’s pregnancies. For some reason they both were
experiencing the exact same things at the exact same time—morning
sickness, back aches, etc.
“I hope they get here soon, my contractions are only five minutes
apart.” Nicole was glad that some of the nurses had agreed to
stay with the two women until their husbands could get there.
***************************
Two hours later when Johnny and Roy went to the waiting room to tell
their crews that they were indeed fathers again, they were surprised
to find Chief McConikee, Chief Stanley, Captain Stoker and his crew
as well as their own crews.
The grin on Johnny’s face couldn’t have been any bigger
as he presented Michaela Joanne, Matthew Roy, Megan Nicole and Michael
John Gage. Johnny was carrying two of the quadruplets while a nurse
carried the other two. Roy’s grin matched Johnny’s as he
presented Crystal Nicole and Jason John DeSoto.
Everyone laughed as Jenny pushed her way through the grownups to stand
next to her Uncle Johnny. “Welcome Crystal, Jason, Michaela,
Matthew, Megan and Michael. Welcome to the family.”
Everyone echoed “Welcome to the family.” The ‘Station
51 Family’ had just grown by six new members.
***************************
Joanne and Roy needed a larger home for their growing family. Just
as they started looking for a place to buy, the ranch came next to
the Gage’s became available. So not only did the DeSotos become
the Gage’s neighbors, but they had twice as much room for all
their “Station 51” gatherings. Life was good.
Mid-December, 1981
It was a week before Christmas and Nicole and Johnny were babysitting
for the DeSotos so they could have a night out. They had left their
kids with Mrs. Martin, a lady from Nicole’s old apartment building
who was far away from her grandchildren and missed them terribly. Johnny
and Nicole took Chris and Jenny shopping for their parents’ Christmas
presents and to spend a little time with just the two kids. They had
one more store to go into before they were done for the evening.
Just before they could go into the store, Chris ran into some of the
older kids from his middle school. He was trying to be one of the “cool” crowd,
so he was hoping to become friends with these guys. They were the wrong
crowd to be running with and his parents had forbid him to even talk
to these kids.
When the three boys, Bill, Mark and Philip asked if he could “hang” with
them, he asked Johnny if he could go. His irritation showed when Jennifer
said that their parents wouldn’t like it because these guys were
always getting into trouble at school. Nicole looked at Chris. “Is
that true, Chris?”
“They don’t even know these guys. They are the cool kids
and I am going to be their friend. I am going with them.” Chris
started walking away.
“No, you aren’t, Chris.” Johnny grabbed Chris’ arm.
“You are not my parents. You are not my Aunt and Uncle—you
aren’t even family so you can’t tell me what to do. I am
going with them and you can’t stop me.” He pulled away
from Johnny and the four boys started running through the mall. It
was at the entrance that they ran into Bill’s older cousin, Wayne.
Wayne led the group out of the mall. What Chris didn’t know was
that Wayne and Bill were both carrying guns.
To be continued in Teenagers
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