Captain Stanley sat at his desk musing over the coming day. His shift was about to become part of an department experiment. Roy DeSoto was on vacation and his replacement was going to be one of the female paramedics from Station 18. That in itself did not bother him, what did was how his men were going to react. They had all been briefed so there would be no surpirses. Everyone was obviously curious about the new arrival. "A" Shift had come in early and "C" Shift was noticably late in departing.
The few men who had substituted at 18 had told stories about the lack of personal interaction between the men and women. How the women were almost afraid to talk to the men. While Capt. Stanley was not one given to listening to rumors, he had heard the same comments from every man that had worked at 18 and that did worried him. His thoughts were interupted by a knock on the door. He looked up to see a woman in a Fire Department uniform standing there. She was average height, about 5' 6", and had a stocky build for a woman. Her long brown hair had a touch of grey and was pulled back into braid. He knew she was prior military so he was not surprised to see that she was older than most of the woman on the department.
"Good Morning, Captain," she said "I was told you wanted to see me."
"Come in," Stanley said.
The woman entered his office, extended her hand. "I'm Karen Jacobs." She said with a smile. "But everyone calls me KJ."
Cap' stood and shook her hand. "Hank Stanley. Nice to meet you. Have a seat," he said indicating the chair by his desk.
"Thank you."
Captain Stanley noticed a little too much activity in the vicinity of his office so he closed the door before he returned to his chair. After he was seated again he said. "As you can guess by everyone trying to polish the brass outside my door that you are the topic of discussion today."
Jacobs smiled and nodded. "I kind of figured that would be the case."
She leaned back in her chair, not completely relaxed but obviously not uncomfortable either.
"Captain, how much were you told about me?" she asked.
"Not much." he admitted. "I know you were in the military and that you're a good paramedic. Other than that, it's mostly rumors."
Karen Jacobs nodded again. "Well then, Sir, let me tell you a little about me and my background and see if we can put some fears to rest."
"Please do," said Stanley.
"I am single, but I don't date the men I work with, it causes too many problems. As you already know I'm prior military, the Coast Guard to be exact, so I'm used to being the only woman. I've been at Station 18 for less than a year so I'm still a rookie firefighter, but I'm not a rookie paramedic. I was a civilian paramedic up in San Francisco for about a year and a half. When L.A. began accepting woman as firefighters, I applied and as they say, the rest is history."
It was Cap's turn to lean back in his chair. "I see." he said "I'll have to admit that you're not quite what I expected."
"I had a feeling," she said. "You see Captain, I've heard the stories about our station as well."
"Uh huh... Are the stories true?" asked Stanley.
Jacobs looked down for a second then met Capt Stanley’s gaze.
"Before I answer that question, Sir, let me say something. I have a tendency to be a bit outspoken. I have a bad habit of speaking my mind, and what I have to say is not always in keeping with company policy. So, with all due respect, Captain, unless you really want to hear what I have to say, please don't ask the question."
This statement caught Capt. Stanley by surprise but he tried not to let it show. He nodded. "I consider myself duly warned," he said. "The question still stands, are the stories true?"
"For the most part, they are," she said "but not because the crew wants it that way. With no disrespect to them, it's our Captains. They're so scared that a sexual relationship is going to develop they don't want us to have any kind of a relationship with the men.
"I see....and how do you feel about that?"
Jacobs had heard a lot about Captain Stanley. She knew of his reputation for fairness and that he cared a great deal for the people that worked for him. She also knew she was taking a big chance. If any of this got back to Captain's Williams or Tacy, her return to Station 18 would not be a warm one, but she wanted this program to work. She took a deep breath and said.
"I think they're wrong. When I joined the Coast Guard, women had only been on active duty for a very short time. I saw what this kind of thinking can do. It creates an "us" against "them" attitude and it became a barrier to working as a team. Men and women have to learn to be friends and coworkers without there being anything else involved."
She paused, looking for a reaction from the man sitting across from her.
For his part, Capt. Stanley was amazed by what he was hearing. This was not at all what he had expected, especially from a rookie. But then this rookie had a lot more life experience than most rookies.
"How would you suggest we keep relationships from going too far?" he asked.
Karen leaned forward in her chair. "Set ground rules on personal relationships. What won’t be tolerated on the job. Then make sure management enforces those rules. Evenly... across the board. I'm not saying that will prevent all romance in the work place, after all we're still human. But, if everyone knows up front what the rules are and what the consequences are, they won’t have grounds for complaint when they get called on the carpet. Captain, I know this can work. It worked when the Coast Guard started setting standards for what was acceptable and what wasn't. I don't see why it can't work for the Fire Department also. That's why I volunteered for this assignment. I want to prove to everyone, male and female, that we don't have to work at segregated stations."
Captain Stanley sat quietly for several seconds. "I agree," he said finally. "You have a good grasp of the situation. I hope we can make it work."
"So do I, Captain," she said. "So do I.
Captain Stanley stood up and Karen stood up with him. He shook her hand and with a smile said, "Welcome to Station 51." He couldn't help but think that this was going to be an interesting couple of weeks.
* * * * * * * * * *
Captain Stanley gave KJ a tour of the station. In the bunkroom he showed her where her bunk was and explained that there wouldn't be much privacy as the station was built long before women were even being considered for the job. A privacy screen had been provided for her to change and sleep behind, and a sign had been hung on the bathroom door. It said "MEN" on one side and "WOMEN" on the other.
She stowed her bag in her locker and then it was time to meet the rest of the crew. When they walked into the kitchen everyone stopped what they were doing.
"Everyone," Stanley said. "This is Karen Jacobs. She's Roy’s replacement while he's on vacation."
"Please, call me KJ," she said.
All the guys came over and Cap introduced them as they shook her hand. After all the introductions were done, she and her partner, John Gage, headed out to the squad to do an equipment check.
* * * * * * * * * *
KJ immediately put the men at ease. She was obviously comfortable around them and they soon relaxed around her. Her one drawback, at least in Chet's eyes, was that she was not a dog person, so she was not over friendly with Henry.
Their first run was a heart attack. She had handled herself well and John had been pleasantly surprised. He was still not certain that women belonged in the Fire Department, but since he was going to be working with one for two weeks he had decided to take a wait and see attitude. By that afternoon, he had to admit that, so far, she was good paramedic. But she still hadn't fought a fire and that was going to be the ultimate test.
That test came shortly after dinner. The station was toned out to a two alarm warehouse fire. Two people had been trapped inside. John and Karen been sent in to find them. She had carried one of the victims out despite the fact that he out weighed her by about 50 pounds. And then treated him, while Gage tended to his victim. By the end of the shift, everyone was willing to admit that KJ was up to the job. Even Gage had to admit that he might have been mistaken about women in the department.
* * * * * * * * * *
It wasn't long before John and Karen were becoming friends. They talked about most things and argued about some of them. But agreed to disagree when they couldn't convince the other one that they were wrong. She also took the normal ribbing from the others in the humor it was meant and dished it right back. Everyone was learning common courtesy with regards to the bathroom. Always knocking before entering, regardless of what the sign said. And Karen slept in gym shorts and a T-shirt, helping to allay the fears of many of the wives and girlfriends that she would be running around the station in her undergarments. It pleased Captain Stanley to see that they were making the adjustment fairly quickly.
At the beginning of the third shift, Captain Stanley found Chief MacConakee waiting for him in his office.
"Good morning, Chief," he said. "What can I do for you?" But he already knew what the visit was about.
"Good morning, Hank," said the Chief. "How’s it going?"
"Fine," said Stanley. "Just fine."
Chief MacConakee nodded and took a sip of coffee.
"Chief, is anything the matter?" asked Stanley.
"No. Not really. I was just wondering how things were going with your substitute paramedic," he said.
"Jacobs? She's working out very well. She's an excellent paramedic and she's not a bad firefighter. She still has a lot to learn in the area but what rookie doesn't?"
Chief MacConakee smiled slightly. "Hank, he said. "You must know that this crew is under a microscope right now. The Department is watching this little experiment very closely. They're looking for any signs that this is a mistake."
"I know that, Chief. So far I haven't seen anything to indicate that there's a problem. The men are comfortable around her and she seems to be comfortable with them. There has been no sign of any hanky panky, and you know I've been watching for that." Cap stated.
"I know but....there are still a lot of senior people who don't think this is such a good idea."
Captain Stanley was starting to get a little irritated. "So what you're saying is that some of the people at headquarters want this to fail?"
MacConakee didn't say anything, he just sat quietly looking at his coffee cup.
Captain Stanley couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could headquarters be so ignorant?
"Chief, my whole crew is working very hard to make this work. And no one is working harder than Karen Jacobs. She really believes this could work Department wide," he said irritated.
Now Calm down, Hank..." MacConakee started.
"Calm Down?" Stanley interrupted. "Calm down when the department is trying to ruin this test. Using my crew and an excellent paramedic to prove that men and women can't work together." By this time Captain Stanley was pacing behind his desk. He turned and looked a the Chief. "I'll tell you one thing," he said. "Heaven forbid I should ever need a replacement, but I would take Jacobs before I'd take some of the men in this department!"
"I understand, Hank. She's a good paramedic and she wants this program to work," Chief said. "Did you know that she volunteered for this assignment against her Captain’s recommendations?"
Stanley stopped pacing and met MacConakee's gaze. "No," he said.
"She's taking a big chance," MacConakee said. "Personally, I believe she's right and obviously, so do you. Now it's up to you and your crew to prove it."
Captain Stanley sat back down and rubbed his face with his hands. "And we're trying Chief," he said. "Even Gage has had to admit that she can handle the job, and he was one of our more vocal opponents to women in the department."
"And the opposition is was well aware of that," he said. "That, and his reputation as a ladies man was why "he" was chosen to be her partner. They wanted the most difficult test they could come up with," MacConakee stated. "By the way, how are they getting along?"
"Fine," Cap said. "They work well together and they seem to get along personality wise as well."
"How about the others?"
"Everyone was a little nervous at first, but Jacobs quickly put them at ease. She took their ribbing in good humor and even dished some out. And she proved to everyone she was up to the task when she pulled that smoke inhalation victim out of that burning building last shift. She's quickly becoming just ‘one of the guys’," was his reply.
"Good....I'm glad to hear it," the Chief said. "I came by this morning to find out how it was going and to let you know that there would be an inquiry when these two weeks are over."
"An inquiry?" Stanley asked. "What for?"
"To go over the pro's and con's of this trial period. What worked, what didn't. Were there any problems that need to be addressed, etc."
"And when will this inquiry be?" Cap asked. "I want to make sure we can attend."
"The date hasn't been set yet," MacConakee said. "but, I'm doing everything I can to set a date when you and, if they chose, your crew can be there."
They talked for a few more minutes, then Chief MacConakee stood, and left the office. One his way out he passed Gage and KJ finishing the squad’s daily equipment check. As they headed for the kitchen Captain Stanley stuck his head out the office door.
"Could you two step into my office for a minute, please?"
John and KJ exchanged a knowing glance and entered Cap's office.
"Shut the door and have a seat," he said.
Gage could see that the Chief's visit had upset his Captain. "Is anything wrong, Cap?"
"No. Not yet anyway," was Cap’s reply. "But, I think in all fairness that I should tell you about the conversation I just had with the Chief."
Gage and Jacobs looked at each other and then back at the Captain.
"I take it the conversation was about me and my duties here," Jacobs said.
Stanley nodded. "It seems that there are some people in headquarters that want us to fall flat on our faces."
"KJ took a deep breath. "I knew there was opposition high up, but I didn't think Chief MacConakee was one of them," she said.
"He's not," was Cap's reply. "He came by to find out how things were going and to give me some advance warning. You see, there's going to be an inquiry at the end of this to decide if this experiment worked."
Cap look at Gage. "Do you know why you were chosen to be Karen's partner?"
John shook his head.
"You were chosen because of your criticism of women firefighters and your reputation as a ladies’ man. The opposition apparently figured you'd blow it by hitting on your partner."
He then turned to Karen and said, "And I also found out that you went against your Captain to volunteer for this program. That if it fails you're most likely going back to a cool reception." He paused for a minute. "I don't mean to put any more pressure on you than there already is, but I wanted you both to know how much was on the line."
John was mad. He jumped up out of his chair and took a couple of steps toward the door, then turned. "So what you’re saying is that our shift was chosen because someone figured I wasn't professional enough to deal with a woman for a partner. That I would hit on her and give them the ammunition they needed to keep the women at segregated stations?"
"That and the fact that you were outspoken in your opposition to women firefighters."
"Oh, man," John said. He looked over at Karen. She hadn't said a word during their exchange. She was just staring at the floor slowly shaking her head. "Karen, are you alright?"
"Yes," she said quietly. "It's just that I didn't believe someone would go to that much trouble to stack the deck against us." She looked at Captain Stanley and then at John. "I hope I've done something to change your mind about women firefighters."
John walked over and sat in the chair next to her. "You've done more than enough. In the past few days you carried your share of the load. You're a good paramedic. Heck, your one of the few people I know of that can blow Chet out of the water," he said with a grin.
"Thanks, John," she said, then she looked at Capt. Stanley. "And you, Captain, how do you feel?"
"Let me put it this way," Stanley said. "You can sub with my crew anytime."
"Thank you, Captain. Thank you both."
* * * * * * * * * *
The call came in shortly after lunch. People possibly trapped in an abandoned building. When Station 51 arrived on scene they discovered that the building was not only abandoned, but it was in the process of being demolished. The demolition team had broken for lunch and when they returned they discovered some homeless people in what was left of the building. They had tried to chase them out, but at least one man had run toward the back of the building and they weren't sure if he got out. They didn't want to start using the wrecking ball again until they were sure.
Captain Stanley looked at the building. It looked like a anything, even a sneeze, would bring it down. The top two floors and one corner of the first floor had already been hit by the wrecking ball. He put Lopez and Kelly on one team and Gage and Jacobs on the other. They put on their turnout coats and helmets and carefully entered the building.
The place was a maze of hazards, not the least of which was falling debris. They searched the building and found no sign of the man. Everyone was heading for the exit when the rumbling started. There was no where to run or hide. Gage looked up and realized the ceiling directly above them was starting to come down. He yelled at Karen, who was beside him and shoved her out of the way just as the building came crashing down around them.
As the building collapsed, Captain Stanley thought he was going to have a heart attack. Marco and Chet had been fairly close to the door and were able to make it out. They quickly realized that John and Karen were still inside. Captain Stanley called LA requesting an additional engine and squad to assist. As he turned back to his men, he heard LA tone out Station 18. Chet and Marco only had minor cuts and bruises and insisted on starting to search for their friends.
* * * * * * * * * *
The noise inside had been deafening. Then it was suddenly silent. Karen laid still for a minute trying to catch her breath. She was buried beneath parts of the ceiling and the air was thick with dust was making it difficult for her to catch her breath. She could feel pain in her back and ribs. She tried to call out to Gage, but the dust caused her to go into a painful coughing spell. When she was finally able to breath again, she decided that she was going to have to free herself. She slowly made her way out from under the rubble. as her eyes adjusted to the dim light she saw she was in a pocket about 20 x 20 feet. She called Johnny's name and was greeted with a moan. She followed the noise and found John almost completely buried under a large pile of debris. Karen quickly uncovered his head and checked his pulse. It was fairly strong, but rapid.
John felt like a truck was sitting on him. He couldn't move and it hurt to breath. He had heard Karen's coughing so he knew she was alive but didn't know how bad she was hurt. It seemed like forever when he felt someone check his pulse.
"KJ?" he asked hoarsely.
"Yeah, John, it's me," she said, relieved that he was conscious.
"You okay?"
"Just a few cuts and bruises, but I'll be fine." She knew she was lying but she didn't want him worrying about her. "Where do you hurt?"
"Everywhere," he said with a half smile.
"I don't suppose you could be a little more specific could you?" she asked smiling at his attempt at humor.
John gave a small nod. "My head, back, and chest. Also my left arm and leg. I don't think anything is broken but it hurts like hell." He paused. "What's our situation?" he asked.
"Not good," she replied. "We appear to be trapped in a small space. And from what I can see of it there's no way out. No openings anywhere."
"Shit," was all Gage could say. Karen agreed with him.
"Let's see if we can't get you out from under this mess."
John could only nod. "Just be careful, okay?"
"Always," Karen assured him.
It took Karen about a half hour to carefully remove most of the debris. The last thing to move was a large beam that was still pinned Gage's legs. She positioned her shoulder under the beam and pushed with everything she had. It took three tries to get it off John. On the last push a sharp pain shot down her back. She cried out in pain as the beam slid off her shoulder.
"Karen?" John asked. He was concerned because he knew he was in no shape to treat her if she were badly hurt.
"I'm okay. Just pulled something on that last push." She didn't tell him that her back felt like it was on fire.
She carefully turned back to John and began accessing his injuries. He had a bad cut on his head and another on his left leg. His left arm was swollen and he appeared to have some broken ribs. Then there was his complaint of back pain. The wound on his leg was deep and bleeding badly. She needed to control his bleeding but neither of them had a medkit. Karen looked at her partner, he was beginning to have problems breathing and he was still loosing blood. She took off her turnout coat and then quickly removed her uniform shirt and undershirt.
Under normal circumstances, John might have enjoyed the view, but right now he hurt too much. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"I need bandages to control the bleeding and this is all I've got," she said.
She was putting her turnout coat back on when there was another, smaller cave in. Karen dove to cover John. When the sky stopped falling she slowly rolled off John. She was only halfway in her turnout coat and some of the debris had hit her left arm leaving a deep cut. She was in some pain now. John looked over at her and realized she was hurt worse than she had said, and now there was a cut on her arm and a jagged cut on her right cheek.
"KJ?"
No answer.
"KJ?" he said louder.
"I'm still here John," she said weakly.
Karen rolled over and sat up. Seeing her own blood made her a little queasy, but she shook it off. "None of that, girl," she said to herself. "You're the only one that can help your partner."
She slowly reached for her shirts and began cutting them up with the scissors from her belt pack. She bandaged John's leg and his head and made a sling for his injured arm. She then took care of her own wounds. She gingerly put her arm into her turnout coat. Man, it hurt.
She noticed that Gage was having more and more trouble breathing, so was she. Because of the physical exertion of digging Gage out, she had inhaled a lot of dust. That same dust was making breathing difficult and she wasn't sure they were getting any fresh air from outside. She decided to try and prop John up and see if that helped his breathing. He was also slowly going into shock and she knew he needed to be kept warm.
"John, I need to get you out of your turnout coat," she said.
Karen very carefully maneuvered the turnout coat off John, then set it near the closest thing to a corner in the room. She then walked back to John and explained what she was going to do.
"I'm going to prop myself up in that corner over there and then prop you against my chest. That position should make it easier for you to breath and our body heat should keep us warm until they can get to us."
John agreed and mentally braced himself for the pain of the move. Karen placed her hands under his arms then slowly and gently slid John over to the corner.
* * * * * * * * * *
Outside Station 18 had arrived to assist with the search. Captain Stanley quickly briefed Captain Tacy on the situation. "The last we knew they were in the back of the building toward the North corner." So we're concentrating in that area." he finished.
Captain Tacy nodded as she looked at the building. Her crew was already assisting 51's in the search. Carefully picking through what was left of the building. Finally she asked, "Who's missing?"
My paramedics Gage and Jacobs," he said.
"Damn!" Tacy said. "That's all we need right now is for the media to pick up on this.
"I don't understand?" Stanley questioned.
"I'm sorry, Captain, but Gage's reputation is not unknown. If the media picks up on them trapped together, alone..." she began.
"Captain!" Stanley snapped. "Before you have them in some torrid affair under there, don't you think we should find out if they're alive first?"
Captain Tacy stopped short. She had regretted making the comment as soon as it had left her lips. "You're right, Captain. I'm sorry." She turned and went to check on her crew.
Captain Stanley turned back to the job of coordinating the search for "his people". He couldn't believe how angry her comment had made him. Just then the Battalion Chief's car drove into the parking lot. Stanley walked over to meet him. As he was briefed, Chief MacConakee couldn't help noticing how agitated the Captain appeared.
"Okay, Hank. I'll take over here, you go in and help find your people."
"Thanks, Chief." Hank said as he turned and headed for the building.
* * * * * * * * * *
Karen had maneuvered John into a semi-sitting position on her chest and had covered him with his turnout coat. He seemed to be breathing easier, but he was still wheezing. They both were, but John's consciousness level was dropping.
"Talk to me, Johnny. Don't you go to sleep," she ordered.
John managed a quiet chuckle. "Yes, Ma’am," he said.
"Tell me about Montana," she said.
So John told her about his family and life on the reservation. The good and the bad. The prejudices that he had lived with and the joy he felt in the open spaces and how much he enjoyed riding his horse. His voice was so quiet she could barely hear him. When he was finished, she was quiet for a moment. At last she said.
"I envy you, John Gage."
John look up at her, surprised by her statement. "You're kidding," he said.
"No, I'm not. I really do envy you. You see...even with all the garbage you had to put up with on the reservation, you know who you are," she said quietly.
"I'm not sure I understand." John questioned. "Your one of the most self-assured people I know."
"Maybe, but I don't know who I am." She said. "You see, John, I'm half Indian also. But most people don't pick up on that because my mother’s white features are dominant."
John was beginning to understand.
"Oh, I put up a pretty good front. And I know where I'm at, but half of me is missing. You see...my real father split as soon as he found out my mother was pregnant. I was raised white by my mother and step-father. My dad married my mom even though she was pregnant with me," she paused collecting her thoughts, this was something that she didn't usually reveal about herself. "Don't misunderstand, I love my dad. He stepped forward and raised me as his own, but lately, I've begun to wonder about my other half. Does that make sense?"
John knew exactly what she was talking about. "It makes perfect sense," he whispered. It's hard not knowing something that personal. If' you want, when we get out of here, I'll try to help you find your other half."
"I'd like that," she said out loud, then to herself she said. "If we get out of here."
After a couple of minutes she realized that John was too quiet. "John?" she said. "Johnny!" There was no answer, Gage had lost consciousness.
"Damn you, Gage, don't you die on me!" she said, instinctively holding him closer. She gently kissed him on the head, much like a mother would kiss a child. Then she laid her head back and waited for their rescuers.
* * * * * * * * * *
It had been over three hours since the cave-in. Another engine company and heavy equipment had been called in to help. The pressure was starting to get to everyone. The Captains were trying to put on an optimistic face, but it wasn't very convincing. Suddenly there was a shout. They had finally broken through. Captains Stanley and Tacy rushed over to the little opening that had been created.
"Can you see them?" shouted Tacy.
There wasn't an immediate reply, then Marco yelled. "I see them. John! Karen! Can you hear me?" There was no answer. Marco pulled his head out of the hole and looked over his shoulder. The concern on his face was obvious. "Cap! I can see them, but they're not responding and there's no movement."
"Let me take a look, pal." Stanley said as he moved up and took Marco's place. With the flashlight he could see John and Karen huddled together about ten feet from where they had broken through. They were both unconscious. They were covered in dirt and dust, with dark streaks of blood going down the sides of their faces. He swallowed hard and backed out. "Let's get this opened up," he ordered. "But be careful! We don't need to bring this down on them now that we're so close."
He knew that going slow and careful was going to be difficult now that they were so close, but it would be necessary if they were going to get Gage and Jacobs out alive.
After what seemed like an eternity, the opening was big enough for Cassie Kelly and Liz Pidgeon, the paramedics from Station 18, to enter the small space. Liz, the senior of the two, reached them first. She quickly checked for pulse. They were there, but they were weak.
"They're alive!" she yelled. There was a quiet rush of air outside as everyone began to breath again. "Get me cervical collars, backboards and stokes! NOW!"
There was a flurry of activity as firefighters scrambled for carry out her orders. Cassie and Liz began a further exam of their patients. They took note of the make shift bandages. They couldn't do a good evaluation of Karen because of the way she was holding John. But they could tell that both were having extreme difficulty breathing. Cassie went back to the opening. The equipment they had requested was handed into her.
"Cassie?"
She looked up and saw her brother Chet's worried face.
"Chet, we don't know yet. They're having difficulty breathing, but they are alive," she said gently. "Go get the resuscitators off both squads and get them set up." With that she returned to her patients.
Chet, glad to do anything to help, quickly headed for the squads.
Liz carefully placed the cervical collar on Gage. She didn't want to place him on the backboard until his neck was immobilized. The movement caused Karen to stir.
"Take it easy, KJ. We've got you," Liz said quietly.
"Pidge?" she asked hoarsely.
"Yeah, girl. You just sit tight while we take care of Gage, then it'll be your turn," she said.
"John!" Karen said and started to sit up.
Liz placed her hands on KJ's shoulders. "Don't move, Karen, we've got him. Do you understand? We've got him."
Karen stopped moving and visibly relaxed, then she felt Cassie and Liz gently move Gage out of her arms. Once he was secured to the backboard he was quickly strapped into the stokes and handed out. There were more than enough hands to help. Cassie went with Gage, he was going to need immediate medical treatment.
As soon as Cassie and John were out, Liz started checking Karen. As she checked her ribs, Karen moaned in pain.
"Shhhh. I know, honey, it hurts. I'm sorry," Liz said gently. She heard a noise behind her and saw Captain Stanley.
"I thought you might need some help," he said. "How's she doing?"
Pidge gave her head a quick shake and Stanley understood.
"Tell me, girl," Liz said trying to keep Karen conscious. "What happened to your uniform?"
"Bandages," was all Karen could manage.
Liz nodded as she remembered the bandages on Gage's wounds. As she put the cervical collar in place Karen cried out. That started another painful coughing spasm. It stopped only when Karen lost consciousness. They moved quickly to get her onto the backboard. Liz checked her again.
"Respiratory arrest!" Liz yelled. "Get me a resuscitator now!"
Never taking her eyes off her friend she spoke to Stanley. "We've got to get her out of here fast. Help me with the stokes." Karen was quickly packaged and again there was no shortage of helping hands. One of the firefighters had the resuscitator waiting outside. Liz quickly inserted an airway and started forced oxygen.
Rampart had been notified of the situation when it happened. They jumped on the radio as soon as Cassie had called. After passing Gage's vitals, they had ordered IV's and an airway. They were getting ready to transport when Karen was pulled out. Cassie looked at Liz, the worried look on her face told her what she needed to know, her friend was in bad shape. She climbed in the back of the ambulance with Gage and headed for Rampart.
As the ambulance carrying Gage arrived it was met by Dr. Brackett and Nurse McCall. He was immediately take to treatment room #1. During the ride in Cassie had used the biophone to explain the high concentration of dust that Gage and Jacobs had been breathing during their entrapment. A respiratory therapist was waiting for them in the treatment room. Since Gage was still breathing on his own, the RT placed him on a ventilator to assist his breathing. If the need should arise he could be placed on a respirator in seconds.
About fifteen minutes later, the ambulance carrying Jacobs arrived and was met by DR’s. Morton and Early and several nurses. She was rushed into treatment room #2. She was immediately placed on a respirator. Tests also showed that her blood gases were dangerously low. Jacobs lungs were filling with fluids in response to the large amount of dust she had inhaled. Dr. Morton quickly started pumping her with antibiotics and anti-inflammatory to try and stabilize her condition. Since she didn't appear to have any internal bleeding and the rest of the injuries weren't as life threatening, they would have to wait.
* * * * * * * * * *
After the ambulances had left the scene, the accident investigators took over. MacConakee had given both engines permission to stage from Rampart. Twenty Five minutes later the waiting room was full of firefighters.
The two Captains and Chief MacConakee were in Dr. Brackett’s office in a heated discussion. "I knew this would happen when they told me she would be partnered with Gage," Captain Tacy was saying.
"Now look here, Captain, Gage does have a reputation as a ladies’ man, but I can assure you that he has treated Jacob's with nothing but respect since she started with us." Captain Stanley defended his man.
"Then how do you explain that Jacobs was only wearing a bra when we found them?" Tacy demanded.
"I can't. But whatever the reason I'm sure it had something to do with keeping themselves alive," he said.
"I wonder," snapped Tacy.
Captain Stanley was close to exploding. It was taking every ounce of self control he had not to. "Captain," he said darkly, "do you really think either one of them was physically up to having an affair? They were barley alive when we got to them."
"The question still remains, Captain." Tacy shot back. "What happened to her uniform?"
Chief MacConakee was about to step in when a voice came from behind.
"Maybe I can shed some light on that."
They turned to see Dr. Brackett standing in the doorway. He entered the room and closed the door.
"How are they doing, Doc?" Stanley asked.
"Not good I'm afraid," Brackett replied. "Gage is on his way to surgery to repair the vein in his leg and a possible punctured lung. He went into respiratory arrest shortly before we took him up."
"And Jacobs?"
"She's on a respirator also. For whatever reason she seems to have breathed in more dust than John did. She also has a concussion, broken ribs and a back injury. We're trying to stabilize her now, but it doesn't look good."
Everyone in the room fell silent. Chief MacConakee broke the silence. "Doc, you said you might be able to answer Captain Tacy's question."
"Yes, I believe I can," Brackett replied as he sat down at his desk.
He tossed a plastic bag at the Chief who caught it easily. Inside were some material soaked with blood.
"I just removed those from John Gage's wounds. They appear to be pieces of a T-shirt and a firefighters uniform shirt. They were used as make shift bandages on Gage's leg and head wounds and a sling for his injured arm. And a quick check of Jacobs showed a similar bandage on her arm."
MacConakee turned the bag over in his hand thoughtfully. He stood and faced the two Captains. "I think," he said "that if......when they are able to talk, this will be confirmed. In the meantime any opinions to the contrary will be kept to ourselves. Right now what we need to concentrate on is the morale of your stations. Two of their friends.....two of your friends.....are fighting for their lives. Now... your stations have permissions to stage out of Rampart, but use your own judgment."
Both Captains nodded, not saying a word.
MacConakee turned to Dr. Brackett. "Doc, can I keep these?" indicating the bag of bandages.
"Please do. I've got no use for them," he said.
With that the Chief left the office and in his wake there was an uncomfortable silence.
* * * * * * * * * *
In the waiting room there was the tension of barely contained emotions. Suzy Parker, Karen’s regular partner and Captain Williams, the captain of Station 18's "B" shift, had arrived. Suzy was almost in tears when she heard about the accident. Everyone was doing their best to support each other. Waiting was always the hardest part. Everyone looked up as Dr. Brackett walked in. He looked at the sea of faces in front of him. It never ceased to amaze him how close these men and women were.
"Doc?" Marco said. "How are they?"
He shook his head and once again he relayed the condition of the two paramedics.
"I'm sorry I can't give you any better news," he finished.
Everyone was silent. It was unfortunate that there wasn't enough chairs in the room, they all needed to sit down. Chet turned and kicked the wall, then rested his head on it. Just like everyone else in the room he was about to lose it. Cassie walked over and put her arm around her brother’s shoulders. Captains Tacy and Stanley walked into the room to see all the firefighters supporting one another.
* * * * * * * * * *
During the next few days, there was always a Fire Department presence in the ICU waiting room. Roy had returned from vacation and spent a lot of his spare time with his partner. During this time Suzy and Roy got to know each other. They talked a lot and swapped stories about their respective partners.
The aggressive anti-biotic treatment was slowly working. Each day saw some improvement, finally, early on the third day, Johnny opened his eyes. The ICU nurse quickly notified Dr. Brackett. As Kel entered the room he was met by John's gaze. He walked up to John's bed. "Welcome back, my friend," he said with a smile.
John gave a slight nod. It was the only response he could give with the tube in his throat. Brackett saw a question on John's face.
"Karen Jacobs?" Brackett asked.
Again Gage nodded.
"She's in the next room," he said. "She's still unconscious. After we've run some tests and you've had some rest, I'll tell you what I know, okay?"
John closed his eyes. He had seen the look on Brackett’s face. He'd seen that look before and knew it meant that Karen might not make it. A tear slid down his face. Karen had saved his life and now he knew it might have cost her her own.
Dr. Brackett called Station 51 to let them know John had regained consciousness. The cheering on the other end made him smile. Then Stanley asked about Jacobs.
"No change yet, I'm afraid," he replied. He heard the celebration quiet as Cap relayed that news.
"Thanks, Doc," Stanley said. "We'll be by as soon as we get a chance. And Doc.....Call as soon as you have any news on Karen, okay?"
"You got it," Kel promised.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The guys from 51 came by the next morning after their shift. They were allowed to go in two at a time to see Gage. After they left his room they went over and stood looking in the window of KJ's room. They'd have stayed all day, but they were chased out by the ICU nurses.
The last one to see Gage was Captain Stanley. He couldn't help but think that John looked so helpless lying there. "How ya doin, pal?" he asked.
John nodded and tried to smile.
"You gave us all quite a scare. You know....I have enough grey hairs, you can stop adding to them anytime now," he joked. Again John smiled.
"Well, I'll leave you to get some rest. We'll be back tomorrow."
He patted Gage's arm and turned to go. John reached out and grabbed his hand. Stanley turned to see a look of concern on his face and he knew what he wanted.
"There's no change, John. She's still unconscious."
Gage let his hand fall to the bed. He knew that the longer Karen was unconscious the worse her changes were.
* * * * * * * * * *
Later that afternoon, Karen slowly opened her eyes. She felt like she was drowning. Something was preventing her from breathing normally. When she fought to breath the vent alarm went off. Suzy, who was sleeping in a chair near by, jumped to her feet. She ran to her partners side and tried to calm her down.
"It's okay, Karen," she said. "It's okay. You're on a respirator, don't fight it."
KJ focused in on her partner and began to settle down.
"Shhhhh. You're going to be alright," she said.
But the fear came back into her eyes when the ICU nurses rushed in the door. They had come running at the vent alarm.
"KJ! Look at me," Suzy said. "Look at me. It's just the nurses, they're not going to hurt you. Their not going to hurt you." Again Karen settled.
"You'll need to wait outside," one of the nurses said. "We need to run some tests."
"Okay," Suzy said. "Karen, I'll be right outside. As soon as they're done I'll be back, okay?
Karen closed her eyes and nodded.
* * * * * * * * * *
As soon as Suzy left Karen’s room, she headed for the phone. First she called Station 18 and let Captain Williams know that KJ was awake.
"Thank God," was all Williams could say. She quickly told the crew the news and the shouts of joy could be heard over the phone. Captain Williams said she would call Captain Tacy. As soon as she hung up Suzy called Station 51. The "B" Shift was on and they were just as glad to hear the news as "A" Shift would be. Captain Davis would call Captain Stanley as soon as they hung up. She then headed for Johnny's room. She wanted to tell him the news herself.
* * * * * * * * * *
Two days later Gage was removed from the respirator. But because her lung infection had been more severe, Karen had to stay on the machine another two days. As soon as he could talk, John told the story of what happened after the building collapsed. He told how Karen had dug him out, injuring herself in the process. How she had used her shirts to stop his bleeding and then kept him warm when he started going into shock.
When Karen was finally off the respirator, she told a similar story. Only she added the part about Gage pushing her out of the way as the building collapsed. "If he hadn't done that, we both would have been buried and probably died," she said.
As the story made it's way through the department, the Board of Inquiry was cancelled. It was decided to slowly integrate women into the rest of the stations. It was not going to happen overnight, but it would happen.
* * * * * * * * * *
Four weeks later, Gage and Jacobs were released. Crewmembers from both stations were on hand for the event. There were lots of handshakes and hugs from everyone. Even Captains Stanley and Tacy were on speaking terms again. A "getting out" party was planned. And what a party it was going to be.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Authors Note: There's alot of me in this story. When I joined the military nineteen years ago, women had only been on active duty for a short time. There were been nurmerous duty stations where I was the only women in the section. And once I was the only woman at the entire command. So, you see, I know well what it's like trying to fit into a "man's world".
I also want to thank Jane for letting me use the characters she created for Station 18. And allowing me to create a new member of "B" Shift for my story. I only hope I did them justice.
Editor's note: You did a great job!
