Slings and Arrows Path 1 by Kajakat Roy couldn't believe his eyes.  Sticking out from Johnny's left shoulder blade was a metal arrow.  He dropped the drug box and some of its contents spilled out.  "Johnny?  Johnny can you hear me?"  Roy's voice faltered, not knowing how hurt his friend was.  "LA, this is squad 51.  I have a code I at our location.  Respond an ambulance." "Do you need additional help?"  The dispatcher asked.  "Yes."  His answer was direct, yet shaky. "10-4 51." Roy heard the tones for Engine 51 as he assessed Johnny's wound.   The arrow entered Johnny's back, above the left shoulder blade and angled down.  From his training Roy knew not to try to remove the arrow.  Instead, he took Johnny's vital signs and wrote them down in his jotter.  The pen trembled in his hand.  From the amount of arrow that was sticking out, Roy estimated that four inches of the arrow was in Johnny's body and depending on the angle, could be near his lungs or heart. Roy picked up the biophone and connected the link to the base. "Rampart Base, this is County 51." "Go ahead 51."  Morton was manning the base and heard the fear in Roy's voice. "Rampart, I have a 30 year old male with a metal arrow piercing his left shoulder.  It entered at the left shoulder and is angling down.  The arrow has not passed through to the front and I estimate that four inches have penetrated his body.  Vital signs are " Roy relayed Johnny's vital signs to Morton. Morton worked in emergency medicine for some time now and thought he heard everything.  "Did you say an arrow, 51?" "Affirmative Rampart." "Is the victim conscious?" "Negative Rampart." "Okay 51, start and IV with Ringers Lactate. Start patient on 4 liters of O2.  Immobilize the wound.  Has the ambulance arrived yet?" "No Rampart." "Okay 51, transport as soon as possible.  It is imperative that the wound is disturbed as little as possible.  Understood 51?"  Morton heard Roy's acknowledgment.  'An arrow wound.'  Morton shook his head, knowing he'd need help with this one. E!E!E!E!E!E!!! Johnny vaguely felt something on his nose making him itch.  He wanted to move to scratch but couldn't.  The pain in his left shoulder was intense.  As he opened his eyes he saw brown dirt and ants walking around.  He became more aware he was flat on his stomach with his left cheek on the hard ground.  The more aware he became the more discomfort he felt in his back.  He tried to lift his head up to find Roy, but couldn't.  Even trying to say Roy's name was too much of an effort.  Instead, surrendering back to the darkness was his only liberating option. Roy hung the phone up, took the IV set up out from the drug box.  Johnny wasn't moving, which alarmed Roy.  He knew he couldn't turn Johnny over to start the IV.  He'd have to turn Johnny's arm around and tape the IV in place and secure a splint around it. Thankfully the sound of sirens were heard in the distance.  He hoped the engine crew would be able to find them.  Hell he didn't even know where he was. "Sorry Johnny."  Roy said as he established the IV.  He knew how much Johnny hated getting stuck with a needle.  Johnny moaned from the pain of the insertion. "Squad 51, this is Engine 51 along with the ambulance crew.  We are at your address, but don't see you." Roy looked around for some landmarks but didn't find any except lots of tall trees surrounding the baseball field. "Cap, we're in a baseball field.  Can you have Mike hit the airhorn.  Maybe I'll get a direction and distance."  Several seconds later Roy heard the engine's airhorn.  He turned his head in its direction.  "Cap, I'd say we're a half a mile away heading west.  Maybe you can find Mr. Kone, the camp director, for help." "10-4 Squad 51.  Hang in there Roy."  Cap's voice was reassuring. 'Hang in there Junior.'  All Roy could do was sit on the ground next to his wounded friend, monitor his vital signs and wait for the engine crew to find him.  Roy started to think about Johnny's injury.  'How could Johnny be hit with an arrow?  We did see some archery ranges.  But we weren't walking near any of them.' Roy was wakened from his reverie when the biophone squawked, "County 51, has the ambulance arrived yet?" "Yes and no, Rampart.  The ambulance is here, but the crew has to get to us." "Let's have an update on the vital signs." Roy took Johnny's vitals and became concerned seeing the drop in blood pressure.  "Rampart, vitals are .." "County 51, start another IV.  Is there much blood around the wound?" Earlier, Roy cut Johnny's shirt to take a better look at the wound.  Seeing the arrow embedded in Johnny's body caused Roy to shudder. Even if it weren't his friend, seeing this type of violation on anyone would upset Roy.  There was no bleeding around the wound, which led Roy to believe that there must be internal bleeding, causing the drop in blood pressure.  He reported his findings back to Rampart, then started the second IV.  After that IV was established, Roy looked up and was relieved to see Mr. Kone, Cap and the ambulance crew walking up to him.  "Oh my God," Stanley said as he saw his paramedic impaled with the arrow.  "What happened Roy?"  The ambulance crew had similar comments. "First Johnny's talking to me and the next I know, he's where you see him." "Oh my, my."  Mr. Kone said as he approached the group.  The archery range isn't over here.  How did this happen?"  Mr. Kone paled as he looked at Johnny. "Cap, we have to be careful moving him onto the stretcher and we have to be even more cautious carrying him to the ambulance.  Any jostling can make the damage worse" "Roy, would it help if we got the ambulance here?" "Time wise, yes, but all the jostling as it headed back to the main road wouldn't be good.  The four of us can carry him safely. "Okay Roy.  Are you ready to transfer him to the stretcher?" Roy shook his head, but his face whitened.  Cap saw his change in pallor and went over to support Roy.  "Take a couple of deep breaths Roy.  Johnny needs you."  Roy complied and the color returned to his face.  "Ready?"  This time when Roy shook his head, it was with more conviction.  The four men bent down and with Roy's guidance, placed Johnny's body in the stretcher.  Johnny stirred a bit, but didn't regain consciousness. "Can I help?"  The camp director asked. "You can help us carry some equipment."  The Cap pointed to the biophone and drugbox. Arnold Kone picked up the equipment and led the men back to the camp entrance and the awaiting ambulance. E!E!E!E!E!E!!! The ride to the hospital took forever.  That's what Roy thought.  He kept himself busy by monitoring Johnny's vital signs.  What he saw was alarming.  Johnny's blood pressure was dropping and the ringers was barely doing the job.  If the arrow wasn't so precariously set into Johnny's body, he knew Rampart would want Johnny to be in an anti shock suit.  But not knowing how deep the arrow was or what angle it was, no one wanted to take chances and risk having the arrow do anymore damage.  Roy awoke from his thoughts as the ambulance pulled into the hospital.  Standing at the bay was Morton and Brackett. "Treatment room two," Brackett ordered as the attendants and Roy hurried Johnny into the room.  As Roy walked in, Dixie stopped him.  The look in his eyes was of desperation. "No Roy.  Not now.  Let them take care of him." "But ." "Roy, I understand, but you've been with him for what forty-five minutes, alone?  You must be exhausted."  Dixie's expression was of concern.  Softly she said, "go into the lounge and get yourself something to drink.  Sit down.  Call JoAnne.  Call the station.  You know I'll find you as soon as Kel has something to tell us." Dixie gave Roy a push and he slowly moved toward the lounge.  He looked over his shoulder as Dixie walked back into the treatment room.  He heard Brackett yell, 'where is that damm x-ray.'  Dixie was right.  There was nothing that Roy could do, so he went to the lounge. Sitting down with a steaming, yet stale, cup of coffee in his hand, Roy's limbs began to shake.  The adrenaline was wearing off and fear was taking over.  Roy remembered all of the serious injuries his partner went through, the monkey virus, the snakebite and the car accident, just to name a few.  But this metal arrow so close to Johnny's heart and lungs was too disturbing to think of.  Roy wondered if Johnny would survive this injury so close to his heart. After sixty minutes of torture, worrying about Johnny's condition, Dixie came into the room, wearing surgical scrubs.  From the look on her face, Roy knew it was bad news.  He stood up. "Is Johnny, is he ..?"  Roy couldn't complete the sentence.  He couldn't ask if Johnny was dead. Dixie shook her head no.  She cleared her throat in order to control her emotions.  "No, Johnny's still hanging in there.  The x-ray showed the arrowhead broke off and tore the left atrium and pulmonary artery.  That's what's caused all of the bleeding.  Brackett removed the pieces and repaired the damage to his heart and the shoulder muscles."  Tears filled Dixie's eyes and she paused again.  "He's on his way up to ICU." The look on Roy's face was enough to crack the mask that hung so precariously on Dixie's face.  "We don't know if Johnny'll make it.  His age and general health is in his favor, but the damage, Roy, the damage was "  She trailed off unable or unwilling to complete her thoughts. "I better call the guys and let them know.  Can I see him Dix?" Dixie got up and walked over to the sink.  She turned on the faucet and gently splashed some water on her face.  "I'll bring you upstairs in fifteen minutes, Roy." "Thanks."  Roy was usually soft spoken, but that one word barely was heard.  Roy knew that Johnny would no longer be a fireman if he survived.  And he wondered if Johnny would want to live knowing that he couldn't do what he loved to do.  He slowly walked over to the phone to make the call to the station.  If he didn't break down making that call, he'd telephone JoAnne and ask her to join him at the hospital.  He needed her with him. E!E!E!E!E!E!!! Johnny was in ICU for three days when the first of a series of setbacks occurred.  Septicemia, blood poisoning, developed.  Johnny was immediately put on a dose of antibiotics.  However, this complication left him weaker and added further damage to his heart. Three days after that, Johnny developed an infection in the lining surrounding his heart.  Different antibiotics were prescribed with the hopes of stopping the infection before any further damage occurred.  However, the doctors weren't successful and the endocarditis further damaged his weakened muscle. Through all of this, Johnny remained unconscious.  And through all of this, Roy came by to visit whenever time allowed him to. After three more days in ICU, Johnny's vital signs showed some signs of improvement.  At one point he opened his eyes and started to gag on the vent, which set the alarm off.  The ICU nurse came to him and called for Brackett.  Although Johnny hated being on the vent, he understood the need when Brackett told him what happened and that he needed to be on it for at least twenty-four more hours.  Brackett vowed if Johnny showed signs of improvement, the vent would be removed. As promised, a day later, Johnny was well enough to be moved to a room.  Well enough if you include all the machines and medicines that were helping to get his body back in shape. One afternoon Roy went to visit and found Johnny listening to music. Johnny looked up when he saw the door open. "Hi Roy."  His voice was so weak and raspy. "Junior.  How ya feeling?" A smile appeared on Johnny's ashen face.  "Alive, Pally alive." Roy pulled a chair closer to Johnny, so he wouldn't have to strain to hear his partner speak.  He knew how weak Johnny was and thought his partner must weigh about 140 pounds now.  Johnny was always lithe, but now he was gaunt. "You ever think about dying Roy?" Roy wasn't surprised to hear Johnny ask the question and it wasn't the first time the two discussed it.  Years ago, when Drew, Johnny's police officer friend died, the two had their first conversation about death. "Yeah, I do, sometimes.  Why are you thinking about it now?" "Yeah, Roy, I am.  I don't know if you spoke with Brackett, but my heart isn't doing too well."  Johnny said that and was out of breath.  He looked into Roy's blue eyes and saw his friend's concern.   Roy knew something was wrong, but he didn't want to pry and it wasn't his place to ask Johnny's doctors.  Johnny closed his eyes for a minute to gather the energy to continue to speak.  "I'm on the list for a heart transplant." "Transplant?  It's that bad?"  What else could Roy say?  The news Johnny just told him, stunned him. Johnny shook his head, "yeah, Roy.  The endocarditis damaged my heart.  My heart just cannot keep up.  And it's only going to get worse, so a decision was made to put me on the list.  If it occurs, and it's a big if, I'll be Rampart's first heart transplant patient.  It's nice to know Brackett has some pull in Rampart too."  Johnny stopped speaking as he had to catch his breath again. Johnny knew he told Roy an emotional mouthful.  Johnny knew about his own predicament for twenty-four hour and came to terms with it. Hell he came to terms with his own mortality years ago, when he was bitten by the snake.  When he was on Big Red racing toward Rampart, he knew the venom got into his veins.  He saw the signs and had enough medical knowledge to know his life was in danger.  But he wasn't afraid.  He was at peace. Now, he had to get his best friend to rest easy too.  Knowing Roy for so many years, Johnny believed this conversation would be tough on his sensitive friend. "Roy, I'm not afraid of dying.  In fact, it's more appealing than being stuck to these machines.  Hell, I can't even get outta bed without getting winded.  And you know how much I hate needles.  This is no quality of life for me."  Johnny closed his eyes.  Every sentence tired him out more. Roy was angered and helpless.  He was mad that Johnny appeared to have given up and helpless that there was not a damm thing he could do about it.  Trying to remain calm Roy spoke up.  "But that doesn't mean you should give up, Junior.  Just like you said, you're on the list."  This news about a heart transplant had Roy's head spinning and he didn't like it at all. "Roy, you an' I know that I can be on that list for a long time before a heart can be found.  I don't know how long this one," Johnny pointed to his own, "is willin' to last." "Johnny, please don't give up.  You've always been a fighter and now's not the time to quit the battle, your battle to live." Johnny smiled, "always the poet, Roy.  I'm not afraid to die.  I was raised to believe that there is a better life after this one is done.  And I also know I'll see my parents there and some of my friends, like Drew.  And hopefully many years from now in the distant future, I'll see you again."  A tear started rolling out from the corner of Johnny's left eye, so he closed them. Roy didn't know what to say.  Never in his career did he ever think he'd hear his partner talk this way.  Unable to display how upset he was, he said, "I don't want to tire you out, Johnny.  I'll come back with JoAnne tomorrow."  Roy slowly got up, but Johnny didn't open his eyes.  Roy took one last look and left the room.  He leaned against the wall outside Johnny's room, too stunned from what he just heard.  He used his jacket's sleeve across his eyes, as a tissue.  E!E!E!E!E!E!!! Three days later JoAnne and Roy were in Johnny's room.  During those three days, JoAnne brought in hand drawn pictures that Chris and Jenny gave her.  There were also flowers and stuffed animals decorating the shelves.  JoAnne sat by Johnny's bed, holding his hand.  Every once in awhile Johnny would squeeze JoAnne's hand, letting her know he was still with them.  The DeSotos received a call during the night that Johnny's condition worsened and he asked for them to come sit with him.  Johnny's lungs were filling up with fluids as his heart was having a difficult time keeping up with his body's needs.  He was heading toward congestive heart failure at the age of 30. Roy was pacing back and forth.  He was biting the inside of his cheek and wringing his hands.  JoAnne was softly crying.  Johnny opened his eyes to this sight and was a bit distressed. "Jo, please don't cry."  His voice sounded so weak. JoAnne was not expecting to hear Johnny.  Roy too, stopped in his tracks. "If I thought this would hurt you, I wouldn't have asked ya here."  Johnny took a breath and shifted in his bed.  "Damm beds.  Never could get comfortable in 'em."  Johnny took another breath and looked at JoAnne and then to Roy.  "I'm okay with this.  This is the hand God dealt and I'm okay playing it.  Please don't be upset." "John Gage," JoAnne said between sobs, "you are not going to tell me how I should feel.  If I want to cry, well, it's a woman's prerogative."  She gave his hand a squeeze and then smiled.  Her smile was returned with one of his own. Johnny's breathing slowed down more.  "Do the kids know?" Roy spoke for the first time.  "Chris and Jenny understand that you're ill.  Chris realizes how sick you are.  Jenny sees the tension, but doesn't know why." "You'll let Chris know that he's " "Don't you talk that way Johnny."  JoAnne raised her voice at him.  "You are not leaving us.  Not now.  Not ever." Johnny smiled again.  "Could never pull one over on you JoAnne."  He closed his eyes.  JoAnne released her hold on Johnny's hand and stood up and kissed his forehead..  She pointed to the chair indicating to Roy to sit down.  JoAnne, on the other hand, walked out from the room so she could compose herself. Roy sniffled which caused Johnny to open his eyes and speak.  "I saw Chet yesterday.  He promised to take good care of the Rover." "You're giving your car to him?  The man who drives a car from the 19th century?  What are you nuts?"  Roy laughed at his own comment. "Don't worry Roy, you and your family are taken care of too." Roy cringed.  He didn't want to hear this talk from Johnny, but was powerless to say anything.  How can you tell a dying man not to say what ever he wanted to say? "Hey Roy?"  Roy looked back at Johnny making eye contact.  He saw his partner's eyes were bright and alert.  "I would never trade any of my days working with you.  Ever. They were the best days of my short life. "He kept eye contact with Roy to see his reaction.  And when Roy blushed and smiled, Johnny was content and he closed his eyes. Roy watched the monitors and knew his partner was still alive, but probably exhausted by his visitors.  Roy sat in the chair, watching Johnny's chest rise and fall.  Occasionally, Johnny's eyes would flutter.  Perhaps Johnny was dreaming.  Or maybe he was seeing what's on the other side.  Roy didn't want to think that.  He didn't want Johnny to see the other side and believe it was okay to cross the Rainbow Bridge.  No, Johnny was still need on earth with him.  At thirty, Johnny had too many good years ahead.  True, his firefighting days were over, but Johnny could contribute to the world with so many other talents. Twenty minutes later, JoAnne came back into Johnny's room, bringing Roy out from his daydreams.  She had a big smile on her face.  Doctors Brackett and Morton followed her in. "Johnny?"  Brackett said but continued without waiting for Johnny to open his eyes.  "We found a heart and it's on its way here.  It looks real good Johnny, a real good match."  Everyone look at Johnny for a reaction.  They all breathed a sigh of relief when a tear came from his left eye and a crooked grin appeared on his face. Go to Path 2  (to read the alternate story) return to main menu Kajakat's comments:  So how many tissues did you need?  All medical errors are my very own.  I want to thank the JG Pen Guins for their suggestions on how to do the stories.  If you haven't read the other one, please do.  It's very different from this one.  And I'd love to get your feedback.