Earthquake by Nancy the Nifty Lady It was one of those typical mornings in Southern California. The weather would start off with a chill in the air and develop into a sweltering afternoon. Then the evening promised a hearty drop in temperature as the sun set. The crews of Los Angeles County's A-Shifts for the most part were asleep in their dorms throughout the county. The morning tones sounded at six o'clock bringing those crews to their feet and readiness until their relief shifts took over at eight. Station 51 was no exception. Engineer Mike Stoker was the first one in the day room and started a pot of coffee. The rest of the engine crew that consisted of Firemen Marco Lopez and Chet Kelly, and Captain Hank Stanley, wandered into the room, dressed in their turnout pants and boots with their department jackets on against the morning chill. Paramedics Roy DeSoto and Johnny Gage, similarly attired completed the shift. After the men got their coffee, they congregated around the kitchen table to read the paper and talk about their plans for their days off. 07:03. The first thing anyone noticed was the ripples in their cups of coffee. Next came the dancing of the cups across the trembling table. "Earthquake!" someone shouted the obvious as they all felt the roll of the floor. The men scrambled for their vehicles as the klaxons sounded. The paramedics jumped into the squad as Captain Stanley acknowledged the dispatcher with "KMG 365." The crew from Station 51 was headed to the epicenter of the quake along with numerous other stations. Upon reaching the area, the men couldn't help but notice the buildings that had taken the brunt of the earthquake's fury. The complex was made up of numerous two and three-story buildings. There were numerous small shops on the ground floors and offices on the upper floors. Fortunately because of the hour the quake had hit, most of the businesses were unoccupied. But, there was always the possibility that someone could have been in the building. The battalion chief met Station 51's crew and placed the entire crew on search and rescue. Hank led his men to the area of the complex designated as their search grid. Gage and DeSoto were his most experienced men for the job. They grouped into two teams. Gage and DeSoto would take the lead with Lopez and Kelly backing them up. Stoker and the captain would be their anchors on the outside. The unit their teams were to search had imploded in the center. Roy took the north end with Marco while Johnny headed to the southern side with Chet. Carefully the men picked through broken pieces of the building, looking for any sign that someone might be in there. Roy climbed through various openings, picking his way through the debris. "Anyone here? Fire department!" the strawberry blond called out as he went. He felt the safety rope tighten around his waist. "I need more slack, Marco!" "You got it, amigo," Marco called back and extended the length of rope to the paramedic. Again, Roy pushed forward in his search. He stopped to catch his breath and listen. Then he heard it. It was weak but he definitely heard it. "Is someone there?" he yelled. "Fire department! Can you answer me?" It took a moment but he heard it again. "Help! Help me, please!" a feminine voice reached his ears. "Keep calling and I'll find you!" he instructed the voice. He reached for his handi-talkie and contacted the Captain. "Cap? HT51 DeSoto." "Go ahead, HT51," Hank responded. "I've located a victim and I'm going to try and get to her." "10-4. We'll be standing by." "10-4. HT51 out." Roy clicked off the handi-talkie and placed it in the pocket of his turnout jacket. He moved forward and continued to crawl through the openings that seemed to get smaller and smaller. But the voice kept him going as he followed it. Roy found himself crawling into the bowels of the building. He pulled out his flashlight to help guide him. After a tedious trek, he finally reached a small chamber. Across the space, his torch exposed the upper body of a young woman. From what Roy could see, she appeared to be in her early twenties. She was covered in a film of dust and debris. Rivulets of her tears had make tracts down her face. "Hi there. My name's Roy DeSoto. I'm a fireman/paramedic." "Hi. I'm glad to meet you. Can you get me out of here?" she asked with effort. Even from where he was, Roy could tell that her breathing was labored. "Well, if I can't, I have a whole crew outside ready to help me. I'm going to try and get over there to you. Are you hurt anywhere?" "I'm not sure. My legs are trapped and I can't move them. Plus, I've breathed in a lot of dust." Roy could hear her wheezing as she spoke. "Okay. Just hang on. Hopefully this won't take too long." "Okay. I don't think I'm going anywhere." Roy reached into his pocket and withdrew the handi-talkie and told Hank what he needed. He heard his captain call Marco back to help. Then Roy began to make his way slowly toward the young woman. "What's your name?" he asked as he stopped momentarily to adjust himself around an undefinable object. "Jennifer. Jennifer Adams." A small smile formed on Roy's lips. "Jennifer? Really? That's the name of my little girl," he told the young woman. He moved forward. Gradually, he reached her side. "That's nice," Jennifer responded with a slight cough. Roy began taking her vitals and assessing how badly the young woman was trapped. He figured that with the use of the port-a-power jack, they could move the obstruction from her legs. Roy was just about to tell her just that when an aftershock rippled the building. Roy covered Jennifer protectively with his body as pieces of the building rained down upon them. After an indeterminable space of time, the shaking stopped. Slowly, Roy raised his head, shaking off the debris covering him now as well. "Are you okay, Jennifer?" he asked anxiously and breathed a sigh of relief as she began coughing. "I think so. What happened?" "I think that was an aftershock. The bad news is that it's blocked the way I came in here." "Can we still get out?" she asked worriedly. "My coworkers know basically where we are, so yes, we can still get out," he quickly assured her. Actually, the paramedic was a bit concerned as he discovered his handi-talkie crushed by a chunk of cement. But he knew his shift mates and he knew they would be out there working to get them out. Gradually, Roy pulled himself into a seated position near Jennifer's head. "Well, it looks like we're going to be here for a spell. Why don't you tell me about yourself?" he suggested once he had made himself somewhat comfortable. Jennifer looked up at her rescuer in the almost nonexistent light. Roy soon learned that she was a senior at UCLA, earning a degree in business administration. She came to be at this location this morning because she was working her way through college as a bookkeeper for a small business located in the complex. She had to arrive early in the morning in order to get her work done before she went to class. In turn, Roy told her about his wife, JoAnne, his son, Christopher, and his daughter, Jennifer. Soon Jennifer Adams knew all about the guys at the station and how Roy had been instrumental in getting the paramedic program going in Los Angeles County. They could both hear the sounds of something moving around them. "What's that?" Jennifer asked. "That's probably other firefighters trying to pull this mess off of us." "How long will it take?" Roy shook his head. "I don't know," he told her truthfully. "But we're okay for now. We won't run out of air or anything." "That's good." Jennifer shifted uncomfortably, rubbing her arms. "Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?" Roy wondered when his noticed her discomfort. "No. I'm fine," she wheezed out and then had a coughing fit. Roy moved closer to the girl. "Here, let me try and sit you up a bit. You can lean against me." "Okay. Thanks, Roy," she said gratefully. Supported in the crook of Roy's legs and chest, Jennifer found she could breathe a little easier. But she found the clasps of his turnout coat digging into her back. Finally, she decided to ask a favor of Roy. "Yes, Jennifer. What is it?" "Would it be possible for you to undo your coat? The buckles are biting into my back." "Sure. No problem. Hang on while I do that." Roy leaned back so that he could reach the clasps on his coat and release them. Then he resumed his position behind Jennifer. He could feel the softness of her hair as she leaned against his T-shirt. He felt a little self-conscious since they hadn't had time to dress in his uniform that morning. "Thank you, Roy," she said sighing softly. "When I was a little girl and I'd have a bad dream, I'd run into my parents' bedroom and climb into bed with them. I'd snuggle up against my daddy's chest, knowing I was safe. You make me feel like that, Roy. Safe. Thank you." Roy didn't know how to respond to that, so he said nothing for a moment. "You're welcome, Jennifer," he finally managed. They stopped talking then. Roy assumed that Jennifer had fallen asleep as he listened to her raspy breathing. He tried to concentrate on the sounds of possible rescue teams looking for them. And somewhere in that morning, the paramedic slipped into slumber. * * * * * * * John Gage paced the perimeter restlessly. "Cap! We have to do something!" he blurted out to Hank as he watched the heavy equipment being moved into place. All the teams had been pulled out of the ruins to make room for that equipment. Teams of tired men rested around the site, trying to recharge their energies. It was now noon and so little had been accomplished in the past hours. "John. You know we're doing everything we can. Just be patient," the captain advised. The dark-haired paramedic could not be placated. His partner was buried somewhere in that mess and he couldn't stand the wait. As soon as the heavy equipment was in place, the teams could continue digging away the crumbled building. The task was dispiriting with so little accomplished but not a man would leave a single stone unturned until it was complete. The afternoon came and went. The men continued to work tirelessly. As the sun set, light trucks were summoned to the scene. Fresh teams of rescuers arrived to take over for the men who had been working for nearly twelve hours. The tight-knit group of men from Station 51 refused to budge until Chief McConnikee ordered them from the scene. Captain Stanley had to forcibly remove his junior paramedic. The men returned to the station, put on their civvies and headed for home. All that is, except for John Gage. As soon as he could, he was headed back to the epicenter. He had to be there. Roy was his best friend. He wouldn't rest until he knew his friend's fate. * * * * * * * Roy awoke with a start. He had no idea how long he had been asleep but the room was dark now. He could still feel Jennifer's head against his chest. The area was filled with noise. From experience, Roy knew what the firemen were doing. He just had to hang on and wait. Suddenly there was a loud crack and a shaft of light fell across Roy's face. Then he heard a voice he didn't recognize yell out, "Found 'em! Hang on, buddy!" Roy's eyes blinked against the sudden change in the light. "Hey, Jennifer," he whispered. "See? I told you they'd find us!" John Gage was parked on the sidelines when he heard the roar of the workers cheer as they reached their coworker. Jumping from his Land Rover, the man ran to be there when they brought his friend out of the rubble. Roy tried to explain to his rescuers the nature of Jennifer's entrapment but the men ignored him as they hustled him into the stokes. Roy tried to wave his hand toward Jennifer but again, no one paid any attention to him. Johnny was waiting beside the squad when Roy was finally extricated. It was extreme relief to the younger man to learn his partner wasn't seriously injured, just dehydrated and stiff from his experience. The chief ordered the paramedics to take him into Rampart to get checked out. "No! I'm not leaving. Not until they get Jennifer out!" Roy protested angrily as they tried to move him to the ambulance. The men stopped and looked at each other, not knowing what to say. Johnny stepped up to the stretcher. "Roy, uh...she didn't make it," he told his friend gently. Roy's blue eyes flashed with disbelief. "You're lying! She's alive! I know she is!" Johnny placed his hand on Roy's shoulder. "I'm sorry, Pally. There's nothing anyone could have done." "But...we talked, Johnny. She wasn't hurt. She was just pinned down!" Roy searched his friend's face. "How could she be dead?" Johnny sighed. He didn't know what to say. The young woman the firemen had pulled from the building had a fractured skull and had obviously been dead for many hours. If Roy had talked to the young woman, then he knew his friend must have comforted her in those final hours. Finally, he looked at his friend. "We'll talk about later, Roy. I'll meet you at the hospital and then I'll take you home to your wife. Okay?" Roy sighed. Johnny could read the guilt on his partner's face. Recovery from this earthquake was going be from emotional wounds rather than physical ones. But, John Gage knew that his partner would not travel that road alone. Can you figure out who wrote this? |