"C’mon, c’mon…" Ryan muttered as the steering wheel was sawed off. "Careful,
you’re gonna jostle him!"
"Ryan!" Durfee said sharply.
Ryan took a breath and closed her eyes. She had already shed her heavy
overcoat, but it still felt as if the heat was pressing down on her. It had
been nearly an hour since the accident, and it seemed as if they were no
closer to removing Michael from the wrecked R.A. than when they had begun. I
hate this, she thought, I hate feeling like this…like there’s nothing I can
do…
"Got it! It’s off!" someone called.
Ryan sighed loudly. Finally. "Okay, Carla, switch sides," Ryan ordered. Carla
moved over silently, sensing Ryan’s growing anxiety. Laying one hand over
Bell’s bandaged left arm Carla watched as Ryan began to remove the top of
Bell’s jumpsuit, swiftly cutting through the thick material.
Ryan cut through Bell’s undershirt, and handed the scissors to Carla. Running
her fingers over Bell’s chest and abdomen, she felt for injuries. A large
purple bruise had already formed along his left side, and she winced, knowing
there were broken ribs. She pulled her stethoscope to her ears and listened
to his breathing.
"Ryan…" Carla’s voice cut through the rhythm of Bell’s faint heartbeat,
distant but urgent.
Removing the stethoscope from her ears, Ryan looked up…straight into Bell’s
open eyes.
***
"Michael," Ryan said, her lips moving, but no sound emerging. His eyes were
unfocused, looking at her, but…not seeing her. Clearing her throat, Ryan
tried again. "Michael? Michael, can you hear me?"
His eyes moved slowly in her direction, confused. "Ryan?" he whispered. He
blinked his eyes, trying to clear his mind…why was he…why couldn’t he move…
"Michael, stay still, okay? Don’t move…" Ryan moved one hand to his face,
stroking it lightly.
Bell looked at her…his vision was slowly becoming less blurred, and he could
see Ryan’s face just above his. She looked so…worried. "You okay, Ryan?" he
asked hoarsely.
She stared at him, a little stunned, and smiled. "I’m fine...I'm fine now."
she nodded. Her smile faded as she watched him squeeze his eyes shut and
flinch.
"My chest hurts…" he murmured.
Her hands still on his face, Ryan nodded again. "Yeah, don’t move-"
His eyes shot open in alarm. "The truck – there was a truck…" he choked out,
his breath coming in hitching gasps.
Ryan moved her hands to his shoulders, keeping him still. "Michael, don’t
move…listen to me, sssshhh, listen to me, okay?" His eyes found hers, and
Ryan fought to keep her fear from matching the panic she saw on his face.
"Listen to me…there was an accident, and you’re hurt…you have to keep still…"
Ryan started, trying to calm him.
"I crashed…the rig?"
"No! No, there was an accident…" she said slowly, "a truck went out of
control and…and there was a collision…" Seeing the question in his eyes, Ryan
answered him before he could speak. "You were the only one in the R.A….Wick
and I are fine…" She watched his face carefully. "We…you…we’re having some
trouble getting you out of the R.A., but, I promise you, we’re moving as fast
as we can…we’ll have you out of here real soon…"
"No one’s hurt…you’re not hurt, right?" he asked again, blinking. Something
was…he didn’t feel right…his head hurt so much…
"I’m fine, Wick’s fine, don’t worry-" her voice trailed off as she watched
the color drain from his face. "Michael?"
Bell swallowed, tasting the blood in his mouth. "I don’t…feel very good…Ryan…"
"I know," Ryan answered softly, her hands cupping his face, "I know…"
He opened his eyes, the pain evident. "How bad?"
Ryan debated for a moment, trying to think what to tell him. She needed to
keep him calm and still, but he would know if she were lying. He always did.
"Well, you’re going to be sporting some colorful bruises for a while…"
Bell stared at her, his eyes understanding. He gave her a half-hearted grin,
and Ryan let out a breath, relieved.
"How long…how long have I been out?"
Ryan gazed into his eyes, her expression more serious. "Almost an hour…you
really had me…us scared for a little while…"
"Well, look who’s decided to wake up!" Durfee patted Ryan on the back, and
she moved over, allowing him to talk to Bell.
Bell flashed a pained smile. "Hey, Cap…sorry about the rig…"
Durfee shook his head, masking his worry with a grin. "Ah, don’t worry about
it…at least we know where it is this time," he answered playfully. Durfee
took a breath. "I called your home, spoke to your brother…he’s on his way…"
Bell nodded a little. "Thanks…"
Durfee looked at Bell a moment longer. "Hang in there, son…we’re gonna have
you outta here real soon."
"That’s…what I hear," Bell answered, almost unable to hear his own voice as
he concentrated on breathing. His leg…it felt like it had been torn off. He
swallowed, watching Durfee move away.
"What?" he asked, realizing Ryan had been speaking to him.
"Oh, nothing," she murmured, checking the I.V.s.
Bell squinted, trying to clear his blurred vision. Ryan was disheveled, her
hair pulled back tightly and her sleeves rolled to the elbows. Her eyes were
looked…red? His eyes opened a little wider in comprehension. She’d been
crying.
"Hey, Ryan," he said to her softly, distracted from the pain as her eyes met
his, "it’ll be okay..."
****
"Remember…when we met…when I started? You were …always laughing…we’d go on
calls…and I wouldn’t be able…to get the gloves on straight…" Bell laughed in
between wheezing breaths.
Ryan smiled absently, listening as Bell continued. He had been talking for
over 10 minutes now, his voice quiet, amused, and…soothing. Ryan lifted the
stethoscope back to her ears as Carla chuckled at another joke. His blood
pressure had been slowly but steadily dropping, and Ryan struggled to keep
her anxiety in check, out of Bell’s sight.
She knew what he was trying to do…she had seen him do it with hundreds of
victims…distracting them with some funny little story or a joke…anything to
keep their minds off their pain. Except this time, Bell was doing it for her,
and…she wasn’t trapped in the rig, she wasn’t bleeding, but…he knew she was
in pain, and he was trying so hard to keep her mind off of it.
Ryan bit at her lip, holding back a deep sigh. She pulled the stethoscope to
rest around her neck, her fingers nervously playing with the end. "I’ll be
right back." She glanced at Carla, keeping her eyes from Bell’s face. Ryan
walked from the rig, her eyes searching the crowd of firefighters, police,
and other personnel. Spotting Durfee, she strode over, her legs aching from
having stood so long.
"How much longer till the second crane comes in?"
Durfee turned to Kathleen, the radio in his hand. "Not long…20 minutes at the
most…" He looked back at the R.A. "How’s he doing?"
Kathleen shook her head, feeling the air cool the sweat on the back of her
neck. "His BP is dropping, his breathing is getting worse, and he’s in a lot
of pain." She looked at Durfee. "He’s not good."
Durfee nodded and let out a breath. He looked around for a moment, trying to
control the anger he felt. "I hate to say it, but I almost wish that driver
was still alive – so I could…so I…I don’t even know…"
"I know…me, too." She sighed. "So you talked to his brother?"
Durfee nodded again. "Yeah, he was in a board meeting or something, he’s on
his way…I tried asking for his father, but he’s…" He looked at Kathleen,
"Ryan, did you know about his father?"
Ryan shook her head, confused. "What about his father?"
"Heart attack and stroke…little over a month ago."
Kathleen blanched. "What? I didn’t…I mean, I know Michael took some shifts
off, and he got a little quiet, but…"
Durfee shook his head. "I didn’t know either." He sighed. "Bell’s always been
very particular about keeping his personal life private."
Kathleen looked at him, silent.
"Hey, Ryan! Ryan, can you come over here?"
She turned to the R.A. and started back. . Out of the corner of her eye, she
could see Wick approaching with another bag of supplies. "Tell Wick."
Durfee nodded.
Running to the R.A., Kathleen leaned in. "What is it?" Carla didn’t say
anything, just nodded towards Bell.
"Hey, Ryan. I thought you’d gotten bored with me or something." Bell joked,
his voice hoarse.
Kathleen flashed him a smile and shook her head. "With you? Nah, never."
Bell almost laughed, but it hurt too much. He could barely take a breath…and
he was so damn cold… "Hey, Ryan…"
"Yeah…"
He tried to smile, not wanting to worry her. "I know this is gonna sound
crazy…"
"Bell, everything you say sounds crazy."
It was all he could do to keep from shaking with the cold. "Funny…but…you
think you could turn up the heat in here a little?"
Ryan looked at him and smiled. "Hey Carla, grab another blanket, okay?"
"No problem."
"See? No problem."
Bell nodded, his movement limited by the neck brace. He watched as Kathleen
reached in and adjusted the oxygen, then checked the I.V., still smiling.
"Hey…you can say it, you know…it’s not like I don’t know I’m going into
shock."
Kathleen turned her head away for a moment and let the smile drop. She turned
back and looked at Bell. His face was so pale, and she could see him
clenching his jaw to keep from shivering. Carla ran back with the blanket,
unfolding it as she approached the R.A. and handed it over.
Kathleen gently draped it over Bell, careful not to get it caught in the
I.V.s or the oxygen.
"I am a medic, after all."
"Yeah, I know that." Kathleen reached up and smoothed the hair from his
forehead. It was damp with sweat.
"You know what? That I’m a medic or that I’m in shock?" he joked weakly.
Kathleen didn’t have to force the smile that came this time. "Both, you dope."
Blue eyes, more than a little glazed, stared back at her. "Now, really, Ryan,
is that any way to speak to me?" He forced a grin. "I mean, I am the cutest
medic at the ’77…well, present company excepted, of course."
Kathleen laughed. "I think Wick might have something to say about that!"
Bell shook his head. The blanket wasn’t doing anything to stop the cold from
creeping in all around him. "Nah, Wick - " Bell stopped, his voice wavering.
It felt like the cold was drowning him, stealing the breath from him. "God,
Ryan…"
Kathleen felt her breath catch in her throat.
"What’s taking…so long, anyway?"
Kathleen shrugged her shoulders, her eyes never leaving Bell’s face. "You
know, the usual." She tried to lighten her tone. "Honestly, Bell, next time
you get in an accident, try to have the courtesy to not need to be hauled out
with the crane, okay?"
Bell gave her a lopsided grin as he tried to catch his breath. Kathleen
watched as his smile evaporated with the pain. "I’ll try…to remember
that…next time."
Kathleen moved her hand and cupped his face for a moment, her fingers
avoiding the bandaged gash on his temple. His eyes seemed to be looking at
something far away, then focused on her again. He took a shallow breath.
"It’s really…too bad…that we’re not…allowed to give…pain meds…"
Kathleen tried not to let the fear show on her face. She knew Bell, and if he
was asking for…she swallowed. He was hurting bad. Very bad. She nodded.
"Yeah…" she answered softly.
His breath was coming in short, labored gasps, and Kathleen reached over to
take his hand. "Hang in there, Michael, we're going to get you out of here
real soon...I promise." she whispered. Bell squeezed her hand lightly and
nodded. "I know..." he said, closing his eyes.
Kathleen watched in silence and felt his fingers loosen in her grip. She held
on and closed her eyes, as well, forcing back the burning heat there. Now
wasn't the time to cry. Michael needed her...he had never let her down, not
once, and she wouldn't do that to him. She swallowed and tried to find her
voice. "Hey, you remember when I came back to the job," she said quietly,
"you remember, and we were on that rescue - the one with the downed plane?"
He nodded once. "You remember that tumble you took? I thought I was going to
lose my voice calling your name! Straight down that cliff, and not a scratch
on you," she chuckled as Bell smiled, "When you looked up at me and waved, I
thought...I thought I had never been so relieved and so angry in my life..."
"You were angry at me?" he whispered, incredulous.
"You better believe it," she smiled, "you've got the best luck...who else can
take a header down a mountain and use it as an excuse to get out of the
incident paperwork?"
"What can I say...I'm charmed." he grinned. He winced as the pain in his
chest increased. "I guess...I guess not today, though, huh?"
Ryan took a breath and shook her head. "Nah...you're going to walk away from
this one," she held his hand just a little more tightly, "probably just so
you can show off to the rest of us." She smiled. "Besides, what about the
station house poker game tonight? I hear Bridges is looking for revenge.
Can't waste all your luck here..." She could feel his pulse in her fingers.
Bell opened his eyes and squinted at the sunlight. The pain and the cold had
become an overwhelming heaviness, bearing down on him. "Where's my...have you
called my brother?" It was getting harder to speak.
"Yeah, he's on his way." Kathleen leaned in closer. His voice had become so
soft, she was having trouble hearing him.
Bell tried to hang on to the hand holding his own. If he could just hang on,
he knew Ryan…and Wick, and the rest of the '77 would get him out. He
just...thoughts were drifting in and out of control. Bell swallowed, wishing
for something, anything...where was Will...he wanted his father...god, he
wanted his father…
"I know, Michael, ssshh, I know," Kathleen reached over to stroke his head.
Bell shifted, trying to look at her. "What?"
Kathleen tried not to hear the rushing sound in her ears. He was fading right
in front of her. "Your father...you said you wanted your father, Michael,"
she said, keeping her voice smooth and calm.
Had he said that out loud? Bell tried harder to focus on Kathleen, but
everything was becoming a blur...all he could see was a haze of golden
hair...she was so beautiful...he could feel his eyes closing again, but the
vision didn't leave his sight...it surrounded him...
Kathleen strained to make sense of Bell's hushed murmuring. She leaned in as
far as she could, tightening her grip on his hand. His eyes closed, and she
could feel his pulse become more erratic...slower...
"Michael…Michael, stay with me…please, stay with me." she said, her voice
beginning to break. No, she couldn't do this now. Kathleen took a deep
breath. "Hey, c'mon back..." she spoke again, her voice louder, "C'mon,
Bell!" She could barely feel his pulse anymore...he was so still...
She shook his hand gently...nothing. Kathleen forced her fingers to unlock
from his, and reached to his neck, feeling again for a pulse. Barely there.
Something in her...they had to get him out - now. "Hey!" She turned around
slightly, looking for Durfee. "Captain! Captain, we need to get him out of
here!" She didn't hear the desperation in her voice as she screamed.
