Things Are Looking Up


By Min

It was a sunny day in Los Angeles, but as Johnny Gage drove into the parking lot at Station 51, all he could see was clouds.  The scowl on his face was evident as he walked into the locker room.  "Hey, Pally, how's it going?" he asked his partner, Roy DeSoto. 

"Not bad, Junior, not bad, but it looks like you could use a few more days off."

"Not on your life, all I did this past week was think about what happened at the wedding, and how much I really had to be out my mind to think that I could get married and be happy." 

Roy looked his partner with compassion.  "It will happen, Junior, not every woman will leave you at the altar." 

"No, I won't open myself up for that again, not ever."  

Just then, Chet Kelly and Marco Lopez walked in and started getting ready for the shift about to start.  "Hey, Gage, meet any women this week?", asked the Phantom's alter ego.

"SHUT UP, CHET!" three voices shouted together. 

"Okay, okay, boy, aren't we a bit touchy."

"Chester B., you'll be doing latrines for the rest of your career if you don't knock it off right now," the voice of Captain Hank Stanley carried into the locker room.  "Roll call in 5 minutes, guys."  "Right Cap."

At that same moment, a small white station wagon was making its way down the 405, with an intense young woman at the wheel.  "Great, just ducky, I can't believe I overslept this morning and I'm going to be late for that interview at Rampart.  Better slow down before you get up close and personal with the local boys in blue, oops, too late! "  The siren was right behind her, and as she pulled over, she knew she'd been caught.

Officer Vince Howard got out of his cruiser and walked up the to white station wagon.  "In a bit of a hurry this morning, Miss?" 

"It's Doctor, and yes, I was." replied the young woman.  "I'm on my way to Rampart General Hospital for a job interview, and overslept, so I'm guilty as charged.  Give me the ticket, and I'll be on my way." 

"May I have your driver's license and registration, Doctor..." 

"Doctor Mulvaney, Melinda Mulvaney.  Here they are."

As Vince walked back to his cruiser, neither he nor the doctor was aware that they were about to be the first call for Station 51 that morning.

Rounding the curve behind the two vehicles, a light truck with a bickering couple was coming toward them.  The couple, who were going for round twenty of a several year fight, were so involved in their argument that they were not aware of their truck going over the center line, heading right for Vince and Melinda.  She had gotten out her car to say something to Vince when she saw the truck and her eyes grew wide with the horror of what was about to happen.  They were right next to the guardrails, with no place to go.

The truck hit the cruiser, then the little station wagon, crushing both vehicles in a tangled heap.  Vince was struck and flung over the guardrail; Melinda was thrown several feet and landed on her right side.  The occupants of the truck, not wearing seat belts, were pitched through their windshield, landing on the pavement.

A passing motorist notified the authorities.  Soon the familiar tones of the klaxons at Station 51 were heard, and Sam Lanier's deep baritone voice was saying," Station 51 motor vehicle accident, with injuries, on the 405 near Snelling Park, exit 37 north.  405 near Snelling Park, exit 37 north.  Ambulance and police are responding.  Time out, 8:35."

"Station 51, KMG-365."  The men of 51 jumped into their trucks, and as the squad pulled in behind Big Red, Roy DeSoto looked at his partner.  " Sounds like it's going to a messy one; they've got the police rolling too." 

"Yeah, I wonder how many victims we've got, Roy?  Next right."

Captain Hank Stanley sat in the jumpseat of Big Red and wondered the same thing.  When they turned onto the 405, Cap saw traffic backed up, and as they pulled up to the scene, a woman came running up to them.  " There's two people on the pavement, a woman near the cars, and someone over the side.  I called as soon as I could." 

Cap thanked her, and starting handing out assignments.  "Chet, pull an inch and a half and wash down the gas.  Marco, check for battery cables.  John, Roy, you know what to do."  Like the well-run team they were, everyone jumped to their tasks.  Mike Stoker, the handsome, quiet engineer, checked the gauges and made sure there was enough pressure in the hose.

Johnny's first task was to check the people on the road.  He shook his head at not finding pulses.  "They must have died instantly on impact."  Raising his handi-talkie, "Engine 51, this is HT 51. Cap, we have two Code Fs." 

"10-4, HT51.  Marco, we need blankets over those two." 

"Right, Cap."  The handsome Mexican man crossed himself as he placed the blankets over the bodies. "Vaya con Dios."

Roy headed for the young woman struggling to sit up, obviously in pain.  She grabbed his hand, and said, "never mind me, the officer over the side needs help.  He was thrown over the guardrails. Please go to him." 

Roy raised his HT, "engine 51, this is DeSoto, I have two victims, one over the side of the guardrail, and one here by the cars."

"10-4, Roy, we're on our way."

As he spoke, Roy's blue eyes were assessing Melinda's condition. "Ma'am..."

"It's Doctor, my name is Doctor Melinda Mulvaney. The officer needs you all more than I do right now.  I can wait." 

Johnny spoke up, "Roy, I'll stay with the doc and you guys check out the other victim.  I'll contact Rampart, and we'll relay through the HTs.

Just then Chet ran up.  "Hey you guys, Vince is down there, and he's unconscious."

Johnny got set up and checked the doctor.  As he took her pulse, he introduced himself, and gave her one of his trademark-crooked grins.

Checking her right side, he found a fractured shoulder, fractured arm, and fractured right ankle.    Grimacing in pain, she said,  "This is just great, story of my life, first I get dumped at the altar, now this. How are my vitals?" 

"Pupils equal and reactive, pulse 110, respirations 30, blood pressure 138 over over 96.  I'm gonna get on the horn to Rampart."  Johnny immobilized her injuries, and picked up the bio-phone.  "Rampart base, this is County 51 how do you read me?"

As she watched the dark-haired paramedic call in her vitals, she found herself thinking, "why couldn't I have met someone like him, instead that swine Geoff?  God, my body aches all over. I'm surprised I'm still conscious. I could use some MS right now, about 5 to 10 mg." She tried to take a deep breath, but it hurt too much. 

Roy, Chet, Marco and Cap climbed over the guardrails and went down the hill.  They found Officer Vince Howard in a large bush, trying to get out, and in a lot of pain.  "Roy, there's a woman...."

"We know, Johnny's with her now, and he's taking care of her. You need to lie still.  We'll get you out of here as soon as we can. Marco, we're gonna need the backboard, and a stokes."

"Right, Roy."

Lifting the HT to his face, Roy contacted Johnny, "Fireman Gage, this is Fireman DeSoto.  We have the injured officer, vitals are:  Pulse 110, and thready, respirations 30 and shallow, and B/P 100 over 70.  He is awake, and in pain.   Victim is complaining of pain in the lower right quadrant."  The HT was quiet as Johnny relayed the information to Rampart.  Dr. Joe Early instructed them to start an IV, D5W TKO, 5mg MS for pain, immobilize injuries on both patients, and transport.

Johnny looked at Melinda, who was relieved to hear that Vince was still alive.  "We're going to transport to Rampart, and they'll take good care of you there."

She thanked him for his help, and then said, "You know, I came here to start a new life, get a job with a hospital that had a paramedic program, so I could learn some new techniques.  I just didn't think I'd be observing it so closely, and so soon.  I'm glad I got to meet you, and I hope I get to see you all again really soon."

Just then the ambulance arrived, and the two victims were loaded in.  Roy rode to the hospital with them.  The rest of the crew picked up the mess from treating the victims.  Johnny looked at the departing vehicle, and smiled to himself.  "You'll be seeing me again, Doc, sooner than you think."  Climbing into the squad, he picked up the mic, "LA, squad 51 10-8 to Rampart Hospital for follow-up." 

"10-4, 51." 

He started the engine and as he put it gear, thought to himself, "Yup, things are starting to look up."



                                        
the end(for now)

Author's comments: Since this is my first story, I'm not quite sure what's going to happen next, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. I want to thank my darlin hubby John(aka Hunky Guy) for his love and encouragement these last 19+ years. Thank you Janet, for providing the site for the rest of us. I appreciate your encouragement to a novice writer.