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Too Young
by Junior
(The fourth installment of the HEROES AND FRIENDS series)
At 3:12 in the morning all of A shift was sound asleep. Among the regular sounds stirred a rustling from Roy’s bunk. He thrashed from side to side as he fought off whatever horror he was dreaming. Sweat poured off his face. In an instant it was all over when he awoke in terror, sitting straight up in his bed.Roy looked around the room to get his bearings on where he really was. The nightmare was still fresh in his mind as he felt his heart pounding in his ears. After his eyes focused and his breathing became more normal, Roy pulled his turnout pants on and walked into the bathroom.
The fluorescents over the mirror illuminated a ghostly light across Roy’s face. He ran the water in the sink but was already soaked by his own sweat. After drying off with a towel he starred into the bathroom mirror. He was too scared to blink.
When the rest of A shift woke up, they all pulled on their turnout pants and followed suit into the kitchen. Roy, already dressed...but poorly, sat at the table sipping his coffee.
“Good morning.” Roy greeted half-heartedly.
A few feeble mumbles were vocalized as the others all ganged up on the coffee pot.
John, with cup in hand, sat down next to Roy.
The others followed ceremoniously with their own cups.
“You ok?” John noticed Roy’s attire and tousled hair.
“Let’s just say that it was another bad night.” Roy stared at John with tired eyes.
John examined his partner and knew what the problem was. “You have that nightmare again?”
“Yeah.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“No.”
John backed off. He knew how stubborn Roy could get. This recurring nightmare wasn’t helping either. He was glad their shift was almost over. Dealing with Roy after one of his sleepless nights was enough to drive even Johnny insane. He looked over at his partner one more time. “Just remember, I’m here for ya buddy.”
***
Sky was preparing a romantic dinner for two when the phone rang. She walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver.
“Hello?”
“Hey Sky...It’s John.”
“How come I got the feeling you’re not calling to see what’s on the menu?” She joked.
“You got me there. Listen, I have to pull a little longer shift tonight. My replacement is running late. I’m sorry about dinner.” John apologized.
“Don’t worry. I understand. Hey, this is what I get for dating a fireman...and a cute one at that!” Sky chuckled.
“Heh, heh...thanks for the compliment. I wish you’d tell the others that.” John joked along with her. “I’m glad you understand. I’ll call you tomorrow, ok?”
“Sure John. Good night...and be safe.” She hung up the phone with her hand still lingering on the receiver.
At Station 5, John held the phone in his hand. He hated to break dates with Sky. As he stood in the kitchen thinking about calling her back, Roy walked in dressed in his civvies.
“You stuck here again?”
“Yeah...” John suddenly had an idea. “Hey Roy! Can you do me a huge favor?”
“What is it?” Roy hesitated.
John dug into his pants for his wallet. “Could you go over to the flower shop, pick out a bouquet of flowers for Sky and take them over to her with my apologies?”
Roy thought about it. This could give him the opportunity to talk to Sky about something he’s been keeping inside for way too long. “Ok. I’ll do it.”
“Thanks old buddy!” John beamed. “Just remember to tell her I’m sorry.”
***
Sky had just finished washing the dishes and was heading out to her backyard deck for some reading when she heard a knock at the door. She opened it to see Roy standing on the porch with flowers.
“Now Roy, what would John say if he saw you making the moves on his girlfriend?” She teased.
Roy laughed. “These are from Johnny. He asked me to bring these to you as an apology.”
“How sweet.” Sky accepted the flowers and took a long sniff. “Please, come in.” She stepped back so Roy could enter.
“Thanks.” He entered and closed the door. “So, how ya been?” Roy tried to make small talk as he was not sure how to confide in her. “You know we all miss your surprise dinners you used to cook for us before you became a famous writer.”
Sky came back into the front room and handed Roy a tall glass of iced tea. After he accepted she motioned for him to follow her out to the backyard deck.
The city of Carson was turning a bright orange color as the sun began to set. It would be almost another hour before all daylight was gone.
Sky offered Roy a seat on the lawn chair as she plopped herself down on a swinging hammock. “Roy, you didn’t come over here just to give me flowers.” She inquired.
Roy choked on his drink, startled that she had this insight of him.
“Are you ok?”
Roy was finally able to swallow. “Yes, I’m fine...and you’re right. How did you know?”
“Roy, we have had so many intellectual conversations that, through studying you within these talks, I was able to read your facial gestures along with the tone in your voice. I have a habit of doing this. Sorry I startled you.”
“No problem.” Roy smiled.
Throughout the evening, Roy confided in Sky about his recurring nightmare. That in his dream he was trying to save someone. The dream was always too dark and blurry. He could only hear people shouting, but never saw faces. Then he’d find himself in an exam room at a hospital. The room would be vacant except for him standing over the motionless body laying on the exam table covered by a white sheet. Roy could hear a voice begging for an answer why it couldn’t be saved. When he’d grab for the sheet he would wake up, usually terrified and disoriented.
Sky sat silently the whole time as Roy confessed this horror he could not stop from happening. Not knowing what the dream meant was tearing him up inside.
“So. what do you think?” Roy asked, exhausted from reliving the nightmare once again.
“I’m not sure, Roy. This could be a warning of something happening in the future or completely opposite.” Sky thought. “I must say though, that you look a lot better, both emotionally and physically, since you’ve told me this.”
He looked at Sky. “You know you’re right. I do feel better.” Roy stood up and stretched. He walked over to the railing which faced the 405 and looked up at the sky. “Sure is beautiful tonight. All those stars...”
Sky got up and joined him. “It sure is.The stars are plentiful and look...” she pointed to the crescent moon. “The moon sure is bright.”
Roy nodded in agreement. “Yeah...”
Sky’s thoughts drifted to Johnny. She sighed deeply without Roy hearing her. Oh John... I wonder if you are looking at the same moon?
Roy glanced over at Sky and knew that look. He knew she was thinking about him and missing him. Roy put his arm around her shoulder. “I’m sure he’s thinking of you right now.”
Meanwhile, over at Station 51, John had gone outside to take out a bag of garbage. After closing the lid on the can, he placed both hands on his lower back, closed his eyes and stretched. When he opened his eyes, his gaze fell upon the glowing moon.
***
A few weeks later...
“Gosh, I sure hate working rainy nights...” Marco commented. He stood facing the street from under the cover of the bay.
Steam rose up from the ground as the cool rain drops splashed down. Night was falling, and for once after many days, there was a chill in the wind.
“I’m sure it will be all right,” Stoker remarked.
Chet joined in on the discussion. “Well, as long as the crazy people stay home tonight.”
“It’s the rain that makes ‘em crazy,” Marco emphasized.
Over by the squad, Johnny and Roy were taking inventory of their supplies. As the two went through the equipment, John pulled a jewelry box out of his shirt pocket.
“So, that’s the bulge in your pocket all day,” Roy stated.
“Yeah...Here, take a look and tell me what you think.” John handed the box to Roy.
When Roy opened it he saw a stunning diamond ring. “This is beautiful,” he admired. Suddenly he snapped his head towards John. “Is this what I think it is?”
“Yep! I’m going to ask Sky to marry me. We’ve been dating for one year now and I just know she’s the one...” John was love struck.
Roy smiled and put his hand on John’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you. When are you planning on proposing to her?”
“After this shift. I’m off tomorrow and I have the whole day planned.” Johnny couldn’t be more happy. “Oh, and partner, I’d be honored if you would be my best man...if she says yes...well, you know.”
Roy laughed at John’s nervousness. “I know what you mean and I’d be honored, partner.”
The Klaxons went off.
“Station 51, car accident at the intersection of Wilmington Avenue and Carson Street. Time out, 20:47.”
“Station 51. KMG365,” Captain Stanley responded into the radio mike.
All the men scrambled to the vehicles, turned on their lights and sirens and excited the station. Once on the street they maneuvered through traffic on slick city streets. The rain came down in sheets when they had finally arrived to the scene. Between the night and pouring rain, visibility was extremely limited.
Roy and John pulled on their turnout coats and ran over to the compartment doors for the medical gear. They then ran over to the crash site.
Roy was having a bad feeling about this one.
From the looks of the accident, it seemed that one vehicle had broad-sided the other. Broken glass lay scattered across the whole intersection. The impact had caused one vehicle, an old pickup truck, to crush into half it’s size and take on a whole new shape. The other, a mustang, had minimal damage to the front.
Over by the engine, Cap gave Chet and Marco orders to disconnect all batteries and check for any gas leaks. He then ran over to Johnny first to see if an ambulance was needed.
“What do we have here, John?”
Gage was working on the victim in the mustang. He tilted his helmet back from his face and wiped his eyes with the reverse side of his wrist. “We have a male, unconscious, with some minor facial lacerations and a bump on his head. Vitals are stable. Oh, and Cap, there’s a strong odor of alcohol in the car and on his breath. We’ll need an ambulance here.” John was disgusted that drinking was the cause of another vehicle accident.
“You got it,” Cap affirmed as he headed off to the other vehicle. He pulled out the handie talkie and radioed dispatch to send an ambulance.
As Cap walked away, John took another set of vitals, wrote them down and proceeded to call Rampart on the biophone.
“Marco! Go help Gage over there,” Cap ordered as he pointed to the mustang.
“Right Cap!” Marco ran over to the car.
Roy was at the pickup trying to gain access inside. The weather had fogged up all the windows which were all unopenable. The windshield was shattered but still intact to the body. The whole frame was bent out of shape. Roy turned around and shouted, “I need a crowbar!”
Chet and Cap dashed over to Roy with the crowbar to lend a hand in opening the driver’s side door. As Chet and Roy worked on loosening the door, Cap stepped back to inspect the overall damage visually. He wondered if any person had survived in all that twisted metal.
The door cracked open just enough for Roy to squeeze his hand inside. As Chet kept working on the door, Roy looked in and saw a body slumped over the steering wheel. The whole dash was pushed up against the person.
“Hey, can you hear me?” Roy called out as he crammed his hand into the cab to get a pulse. “I have a pulse!” He announced. “It’s good but I need to get this person out now. Cap, the dash has the victim pinned. I’ll need the Jaws.”
“Ok!” Cap ran over to the squad and motioned for Stoker to help.
John already had his victim out, treated and stabilized. Off in the distance echoed the sirens of an approaching ambulance.
When Cap and Mike got back over to the pickup with the Jaws, Chet and Roy finally broke the door off providing full access to the victim. As Chet dragged the door out of the way, Roy started to check the person over. He gently moved the person back from the steering wheel and saw her face. Roy’s eyes grew wide. “Oh no! NO! Sky?” He turned towards the guys. “It’s Sky!”
“Get Gage over here Chet,” Cap ordered. He got closer to Roy. “How is she?”
“I don’t know yet. I...I...” Roy paused to calm himself. “Let me check her out.” Roy looked Sky over. He noticed a large bruise on her forehead. Many cuts on her face and body were bleeding heavily. “Sky? Can you hear me?” He flashed his penlight into her eyes.
Sky slowly pushed Roy’s hand away and moaned in pain. When she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry. Sky tried to move around.
“Shhhh...don’t move, Sky. Try to lay still,” Roy soothed as he checked her pupils again. Her right eye was sluggish and uneven.
Chet ran over to Johnny who was now loading the first victim into the ambulance. Between the time the man was extricated from his car to now, he had woken up. Still in a drunken state, he had become violent and took many swings at Johnny and the ambulance attendants. Restraints were put on the man as he spouted out obscenities to everyone nearby. Johnny, not having much patience with these people, just said “You’re welcome” and hopped back out of the ambulance.
“John, come quick. The other victim is Sky.”
John’s face turned white as all the color drained out of it. “Sky?” He looked at the man in the ambulance and frowned. He then raced over to the pickup truck leaving Chet far behind.
Hank stopped Johnny before he could see her. “Gage, keep it professional. You won’t do her any good if you let your emotions get in the way.”
“I know,” John gritted his teeth.
Cap released his grip on Gage and they both went over to Roy.
“Roy...how is she?” John worried. His mind raced through the worst scenarios.
“She’s not good at all, Johnny. We have got to get this dash off of her now!”
Mike, Chet and Marco set up the Jaws as Johnny, Roy and Cap took care of Sky.
“Cap, I’ll need you to relay messages to Rampart.” Roy started to write down the injuries on a sheet of paper.
“R...Roy, is...that...you?” Sky’s vision began to improve. “What happened? Where...am I?”
“Sky, you’ve been in a car accident. Do you remember anything?” Roy investigated.
“I don’t know,” Sky sighed. “I’m in pain...”
“Can you tell me where you hurt?” Johnny wiped Sky’s long hair out of her face.
“J...John...is that you?” She tried to concentrate on his face.
“Yeah sweetie. Listen, I need you to help us as best as you can by answering all our questions so we can treat you, ok?” John took a large compress and rubbed the blood out of her eyes and mouth.
“Ok...I’ll do what I can.” Sky glanced at John and Roy.
“That’s my girl,” John comforted.
“Good, good. Now, Sky, I’m going to start applying pressure to parts of your body. If it hurts, tell me.” Roy started to feel her arms.
“Nothing,” she informed.
“Ok, good. I’m going to check your legs now.”
Chet opened up a blanket to put over Sky for protection. The jaws of life were set up and Stoker waited for the go. Roy went under the blanket to continue his assessment. All the others stepped back and Stoker began to extricate her.
“AHHHHH!” Sky screamed as Roy applied pressure to her right leg.
“I’m sorry. That hurts, huh? Ok...” Roy slipped out from under the blanket and headed over to Johnny. The noise from the jaws echoed loudly. The rain blurred his site. All at once, Roy was reliving his nightmare...but this time it was real. He paused a short while to catch his composure as he pushed away his own fears.
“So, how is she?” Johnny asked.
“Well, so far she has a head injury with the possibility of intracranial bleeding. She also has a broken right femur. I didn’t check her torso yet.” Roy informed him.
“Roy...” Johnny looked at his partner. He couldn’t hide his anguish.
“Johnny, her vitals are stable for now. We’ll rush her to Rampart as soon as we can. We will do everything we possibly can.”
“Damn right we will!” John declared.
As soon as Mike turned off the jaws of life; Johnny, Roy, Chet and cap all helped pull Sky out. Marco laid down a blanket on the ground for her.
After getting her out, John noticed Sky’s chest looked abnormal. When he examined it, he felt many broken ribs. Moving down Sky’s abdomen, she had pain on rebounding and it was distended. Johnny wrote down her injuries and handed the paper to Cap who then relayed them to Rampart.
“10-4 squad 51. Start an IV with ringers and administer 6 liters of O2. Also, splint her right leg and put her on a backboard. Give me a new set of vitals after that.” Doctor Early ordered.
“10-4,” cap responded and then reiterated the instructions to the paramedics.
“I’ll get the splint and backboard.” Stoker ran off to the squad.
As Roy was setting up the IV, Sky tried to say something to him but was having a lot of difficulty doing so. Roy bent down closer to hear her.
“Roy...” she wheezed. “It’s getting h...hard to..." she swallowed, “...breathe.”
He immediately grabbed his stethoscope and listened to her airway. He heard gurgling between each intake.
“Shit...” he cursed. “Johnny! I think she has a punctured lung. Let’s get her in the ambulance now just in case we have to start an esophogeal airway.”
Johnny nodded and ran to get the attendants and gurney. Please don’t die. I need you.
Mike came back with the equipment and helped Roy place it on her. The rain was still coming down, leaving Sky to squint just to see anything. Cap saw this and unselfishly took his helmet off and held it over her head.
“Thank you,” Sky looked up at Cap and said with a voice muffled by the air mask.
He smiled back. “You just hang in there.” Cap choked back his tears.
Johnny returned with the attendants and gurney just in time to see Roy give Rampart new vitals and injuries.
“10-4, 51. Transport immediately.”
The whole crew said a silent prayer when they picked Sky up and placed her on the gurney. As Johnny rolled the gurney towards the ambulance, Cap pulled Roy aside. “Roy, I’ll let both of you go in with her and let Chet follow in the squad. As soon as we are done here, we’ll swing by. Take care of her.” Cap didn’t wait for a response. He walked away from Roy and headed back to the accident scene, his head hung low.
Roy jumped into the back of the ambulance. “Johnny, come on!” He waved his hand for John to come too.
John felt like he was in a whirlwind. His heart was aching and he felt sick to his stomach as he jumped in the back with Roy. “How is she doing?”
“Not good.” Roy checked her BP. He turned to the driver, “Let’s go...NOW!”
***
The emergency room doors burst open as Johnny and Roy wheeled Sky inside. Dixie saw who it was and couldn’t believe her eyes. “Is that...” she pointed.
“Yeah it is. Which room?” Roy asked.
“Room one,” Dixie answered.
They all entered treatment room one and switched Sky over to the table. As the gurney was rolled out by the attendants, Sky grabbed at John’s hand. Her eyes filled with panic.
“I’m not going anywhere, don’t worry.” He rubbed her hand and glanced over at Roy. “Roy is staying too.”
Doctor Early and Doctor Brackett barged into the room. Dixie had already given word as to who the patient was. Roy and John, not wanting to be in the way, backed into a corner.
During the time the doctors were examining her injuries, Sky began to cough. Her oxygen mask started to turn red as she choked on her own blood.
“SKY!” Johnny yelled. He lurched forward only to be held back by Roy.
Dixie looked at Roy to cue him to take John out of the room. With much hesitation, John was finally shoved out of the room. As the door swung closed, he saw Doctor Brackett take the oxygen mask off of Sky and roll her on to her side. Blood dripped to the floor.
“John, it’s up to the doctors now,” Roy voiced. He felt John’s body almost go limp and slowly walked his partner to the lounge.
Back in exam room one, Doctor Early was putting in a chest tube. Doctor Brackett had started another IV to keep her fluids going. Her heartbeat was becoming erratic and she was hooked up to an EKG monitor. Because of massive blood loss, Sky became shocky. Her every breath was becoming weaker than the last. She stared up at the people who held her life in their hands.
“Joe, she’s a mess,” Doctor Brackett expressed.
“I know, Kel. Even if we do get her stabilized, she won't make it through surgery.”
“Well, do something!” Dixie exclaimed. She couldn’t hide how upset she was.
***
“How is she?” Chet asked as he entered the lounge.
Johnny paced the room. His hands fiddled with a small box.
Roy looked at Chet. “No word yet. Are the others here?”
“I just heard over the radio that they are on their way.” Chet sat down. He was worn out both physically and mentally.
All three were silent.
***
Beep! Beep! Beep!
The EKG monitor alarm went off.
“She’s in V-fib! Quick paddles! Charge to 300!” Doctor Brackett rubbed the paddle together. “Clear!”
He zapped her. No conversion.
“Again! Charge to 350! Clear!”
Zap! Straight line.
Doctor Early started on CPR as Doctor Brackett pumped her with drugs to help start her heart. Joe was able to get a heartbeat.
“I have a weak pulse,” Doctor Early announced. He looked down at Sky and then at Doctor Brackett. “Kel...”
“I know, Joe...” Kel looked down at Sky.
***
“I can’t stand it anymore!” John raced for the door only to be stopped by Captain Stanley.
“Whoa there, pal,” Hank calmed John. “Where are you going?”
“Cap, I have to see her...I have to know if she’s ok!” John looked straight into Hank’s eyes. He didn’t want a Captain answer, he wanted a Hank answer.
“I understand. Just give us word when you do.” Hank let John leave.
***
The EKG alarms went off again.
Kel, Joe and Dix all tried their best to save her again, but it just wasn’t good enough. Sky’s injuries were too severe.
Dixie turned off all the monitors and walked out of the room.
Joe and Kel stood silently next to Sky’s lifeless body. Kel gripped his stethoscope in his hand. Joe hung his head as he closed Sky’s eyes for eternal sleep.
In one final angry outburst, Kel threw his stethoscope across the room. “Dammit!”
***
When Dix had walked out, Johnny stood leaning against the wall facing the door. She couldn’t look him in the eye as she hurried off to hide her tears.
“Dix?” Johnny tried to get her attention.
Doctor Brackett exited the room soon afterwards. He turned to look at John, but all he could muster was staring at the floor. “I’m sorry, John. Her injuries were too extensive to treat.”
John slid down the wall into a crouch. “No...” His eyes filled up with tears.
Brackett left Johnny to tell the others. After they were told the bad news, there was not a dry eye between them. Cap, Roy, Chet, Marco and Mike all went over by Johnny.
As the group came over, Johnny begged, “I want to see her.”
Without waiting for an answer, John stood up and went into treatment room one. Joe had the time to clean up a touch before he too had left the room by means of the side exit.
Sky lay in the middle of the room. Her body had tubes sticking out. Aside from the cuts and bruises, she looked quite peaceful.
Johnny pulled up a stool and sat down. For a very long time, he stared at her. He lay one hand on her cheek while holding her hand with the other. Bowing his head in despair, he started to cry. “Why did you have to die?”
Roy had silently snuck into the room just in time to see this emotional scene and see his partner crying out in despair. Roy shuddered as that horrid dream crept up on him again. If only he’d seen it coming, but it was too late. The nightmare became a reality.
The rest of the guys piled into the room and stood at the door, waiting to see their beloved neighbor for the last time.
“She’s gone...” John sobbed.
“We know,” Cap said, swallowing hard. His cheeks were streaked and wet.
The others stood and stared at her body, all the time wiping their own tears away.
In one last act of love, Johnny took the engagement ring out of the box and placed it on her finger. He kissed her on the lips. “Goodbye.”
***
Sky Greywolf was loved by many in the LAcoFD. When the word was spread about her passing, the fire department paid their last respects by offering a full honorary LAcoFD funeral. Hundreds of firefighters, friends and co-workers showed up for the wake and funeral.
The procession was a sight to see. Squad 51 led the line. Johnny drove. The engine followed, draped in black cloth and carried Sky to her grave. A two block long line of people walked behind.
At the grave site, everyone put a single rose upon her casket. After the last one was placed, her site looked like a mountain of lush red roses. People trickled away, a few at a time after the funeral was over. The only ones left were Station 51’s A shift. Her "adopted family" as she called them.
Each man walked up to say a special goodbye to their departed friend. They would then walk down to where the engine and squad were parked. Johnny was given the last goodbye.
After Roy said his own goodbye, he walked up to his partner. “Take your time. I’ll wait.” He looked at the others standing around. “We all will.” Roy patted John’s shoulder and then joined the others by the vehicles.
Johnny felt spent. All of his muscles ached from the last few days tensing his body in anger and hurt. He stood there overlooking her casket as birds chirped off in the distant trees. A light breeze mussed his hair. All in all, it was a beautiful day.
John loosened his tie and undid his collar. From under his shirt, he pulled out the charm Sky had given to him two Christmases ago. As he held the charm in his hand, John bent down and touched the casket with it.
“I will never forget you.” John's eyes filled up with tears. “You are with angels now. May you find some comfort and peace.”
He stood up straight again and let the charm hang outside his shirt. It sparkled in the sun. With one last final silent goodbye, John joined his friends.
Continue to the fifth and final installment, Lift Me Up.
Return to the first installment, Coming Out Of The Closet.
Return to the second installment, The Picnic
Return to the third installment, The Holidays