The silence of the night was broken by the sounds of fire alarms going off through the city. The dispatcher's voice was heard throughout the fire hall. There had been another explosion in the warehouse district.
Chris had been talking to Chief Reilly when he heard the alarm. He told him bye and ran to the staging area, where he slipped into the pants and boots that stood there waiting for him. He grabbed his bunker coat and hat and was headed for the truck when he saw Buck and JD sliding down the fire pole. They were quick to put on equipment and make their way to the truck. He turned his head to see if his men were in place before opening the doors. Ezra and Nathan were in the rescue truck all ready as the doors opened.
"All right, Jess, let's roll," Chris commanded with a tired sound in his voice.
Jess drove the truck down the driveway and turned right. He didn't ask where he was going. This would be his third trip today into the warehouse district. Chris was starting to worry about his men. There were signs of fatigue in their responses to the alarm. Any other time he would have been yelling at them for not responding faster, but this was the third fire in the last twelve hours. This was the eighth one in the warehouse district. His thinking was interrupted by the voice of Chief Murphy on the radio.
"Captain Larabee, this is Chief Murphy. I need your men on the north side of the warehouse. Have Nathan and Ezra come to the front where I am. We have some people who are hurt."
"Understood, Chief."
"Nathan, did you hear where you guys are to report?"
"We're changing directions for Chief Murphy's position," replied Nathan.
As Jess drove closer, Chris saw the flames as they danced in the night sky. The sounds of the sirens were heard coming from all directions. Chris gave orders to Jess to position the truck in front of the warehouse. Buck and JD were all ready pulling hoses from the truck. JD had grabbed a wrench and started to twist the cap off the hydrant. JD watched as Buck screwed the nozzle on the hydrant. Chris turned to hear Buck yelling for the men to grab the hose as JD turned the water on.
Chris walked over to show Buck and the others which direction he wanted the water to go. He pointed to the roof where Ladder Company 6 was spraying water on the roof. He could feel the heat from the fire as the sweat rolled down his face. He turned to see more trucks arriving. He heard himself yelling orders to the men as they came closer. Then he heard the sound of Chief Murphy's voice over the radio calling his name.
"This is Captain Larabee, Chief."
"Chris, we may have a man trapped inside. Two guards were brought out. They told us there is one more. Take some men and check it out."
"Buck, bring Jess and report to me," Chris ordered as he removed his helmet and adjusted his oxygen mask.
"We're on our way now, Chris," replied Buck as he and Jess ran to Chris's position.
Chris could see them as he put his helmet back on. He heard an explosion from behind him and turned to see the flames as they shot out higher. They moved to lie flat on the ground as the debris fell all around them. Chris looked to see if there was any more, then he gave the all clear. Buck and Jess stood up and adjusted their air tanks. They saw Chris walking toward them.
"You guys all right?" Chris asked as he lifted his air mask.
"I guess so, but that explosion had to have taken out the last of the roof," answered Buck.
"I take it that we're going inside for a rescue?" Jess asked.
"How did you know?" Chris responded as he grinned at Jess.
"Who are we looking for?" asked Buck.
"The chief received confirmation that there were three guards and only two got out."
"Do they have any idea where he was before the fire started?"
"Yeah Buck, his last known location was the security office and it's in the front of the building. Ladder 3 is laying down a heavy spray of water in that area."
They started toward the building where they felt the water as it fell on them. Chris reached to open the door.
"One more thing before we go in. We only have thirty minutes to find him before we have to come back out," Chris informed them as he opened the door wider.
Chris walked through the door followed by Buck and Jess. They felt a blast of hot air as they moved in closer. They turned on flashlights to help them see. Chris started off in the direction of the security office. The thick smoke was making it hard to see anything.
"Buck, Jess, we're going to have to get down and crawl. Use your hands to feel for him."
They had been crawling for what seemed like forever when Chris heard Jess yelling in his earpiece that he had his hand on an arm of the guard.
"Jess start pulling him out. Buck can you see Jess?" Chris asked as he started toward the sound of Jess's voice.
Buck was still crawling toward Jess when his hand hit a leg.
"Buck, is that you?"
"Yeah, it's me and that's my hand on your leg. I'm going to bring my hand up to the guard's leg."
Buck moved his hand until he had hooked his own arm under the guard's left arm.
"Jess, bring your arm up and hook it under his right arm. When I tell you to move, we'll have to move as fast as we can. I just took his pulse and it's very weak and thready," Buck continued as he removed the small air tank from his pocket and put the air mask on the guard.
"Buck, you have him ready to move? Our time is almost up," yelled Chris as he was still looking around
"He's ready, Chris."
"You and Jess start for the door. I'm right behind you."
He had seen something earlier on the floor and he was still trying to find it. He was determined to find it, but he had to be careful. His oxygen was low. The heavy smoke made it almost impossible to see anything. Chris took his flashlight out and pointed it toward the area where he had seen the object.
There was a sudden flash of light against the wall. Chris crawled near it and placed his hand on the object. He felt the small cylinder and the wire that was attached to it as he heard the hissing sound from his tank. His air supply was low and he knew that he had only minutes to get out. He knew that he would have to run to make it out. He found the rope that Buck had laid out for them to follow. Grabbing it, he ran until he found the opened door and stumbled out. He could hear Buck yelling as he took off the oxygen mask.
"Chris, how many times have you told us that we only have thirty minutes to get in an out, so what do you do? You go sightseeing for something that you thought you saw," Buck yelled at Chris.
Chris listened to Buck's yelling, but he was more interested in what he had found. He walked to a lighted area to get a better look at the object he was carrying in his bunker pocket. Buck was still following him and still yelling about the next time he might not get out. Chris was standing in front of the command post when he stopped and turned around to face Buck. "Buck, I know everything that you're saying, but I saw this lying by the door," Chris responded as he pulled out the round cylinder and wire from his pocket.
"Chris, do you know what that is you're holding?" Buck asked as he looked at Chris.
"I'd have to say it was a detonator. It's not in too good shape, but we may have the cause behind the explosion," replied Chris as he put the cylinder and wire into a bag.
"Chris, does Vin know you found that?" asked Buck with a puzzled look on his face.
"Speaking of Vin, has anyone seen him since earlier this afternoon? When this alarm went off, I set off his pager to let him know. I haven't seen or heard from him."
"I saw him about 4:00. He said that he was going to the hospital to check on Lisa. This pregnancy has caused a lot of complications for both of them."
"If something had happen to Lisa, I'm sure he would have let us know."
"Hey Chris, Chief Murphy's looking for you. They have the fire out and he's looking for you. Hey, Buck what's wrong with Chris?"
"No one has heard from Vin since he left to go to the hospital."
Chris walked to the command post where Chief Murphy was. He still had the device in his hand. This could be the proof that they needed to show Reilly that they were dealing with an arsonist.
"Chris, this fire is just about out. Stations 2 and 4 are going to handle the mop up so take your boys and go back to the station. Jess tells me that you found something during the rescue?"
"Yes, I did. It's a small cylinder with a wire attachment. There's not much left of it, but it may prove to Reilly that there is an arsonist working in this area."
Chris turned and walked back to his trucks where the boys were rolling up the hoses and putting away equipment. He felt something as it hit his face. He looked up to see that it had started to snow. Chris watched as the boys finished and then climbed back on the trucks. He opened the door and stepped up into the cab of the truck. Jess started the truck and then turned it around and drove it out to the street and back to the firehouse. Chris sat in silence, still worried about Vin. It wasn't like him not to report in. The snow was coming down heavier and the flakes were bigger. Chris picked up the cell phone and started dialing Vin's number. He listened to it ringing as they crossed Miller's Bridge and headed for the station.
In the quietness of new fallen snow, the ringing sound of a phone could be heard as it lay in the seat beside the driver. The ringing continued, but he couldn't hear it as he lay there with his head against the steering wheel. Blood pumped from the deep gash in the man's head. The snow continued to fall on the truck as it lay upside down in the creek, the sound of the phone still ringing.
Chris stood in the doorway and watched as the last of the trucks rolled back in. Men started to climb out of the trucks and walked to their lockers. He could see the fatigue in his men as they took off their equipment and got it ready for the next run. There was hardly any talk as they worked to put the equipment back in order. He knew they would quickly find the nearest bed and maybe get some sleep before the alarm went off again.
Chris walked back into his office and picked up the cup of coffee he had poured a few moments ago. It was barely warm, but he still drank it. He was still worried about Vin. It had been eight hours and still no word from him. It wasn't like Vin. He was the city's only arson investigator and with what he had found at this last fire, it made him wonder about the cause of the others.
His thoughts were broken by the sound of a door sliding open. He opened his door to see that Nathan and Ezra were back with the rescue truck. The sounds of Ezra's complaining about no sleep echoed through the station. He walked over to the rescue truck where Nathan was still listening to Ezra complain. He told them good night and then walked to the door to close it, He stood there in the door and looked at the snow as it continued to fall. He didn't like what he saw. The snow was getting heavier and the wind was starting blow.
Chris closed the door and walked back to his office. He picked the phone and dialed Vin's cell phone. After several rings, he hung the phone up. He thought he heard a noise. He looked up to see Buck standing at the door. He motioned for him to come in. Buck opened the door and walked in. He saw the worried look on Chris's face.
"Vin still not answering his phone?" asked Buck as he poured coffee into a cup.
"I just tried again and there is still no answer," Chris replied as he looked at Buck.
"Chris, have you called the police department to see if they have had any reports of an accident?"
"I called their dispatcher earlier when we were at that last fire. She said that there had been no reports of an accident. I even called Lisa and she said that Vin left when the pager went off," replied an angry Chris as he slammed his fist into the door.
"Chris, that's not going to help find Vin."
"I know that, but it still bothers me."
"Then let's go look for him instead of just standing here wondering where he is."
"I thought about that earlier, but where do we start? Then I told myself that I needed to leave from the hospital and take the route he would have taken."
"Then let's do it, Chris. Grab a radio and let's go look for him."
Chris picked up the phone and dialed a number for the phone in the sleep quarters. Nathan heard the phone ringing and walked to the phone on the wall.
"This is Nathan," he replied.
"It's Chris. Buck and I are going looking for Vin. You're in charge while I'm gone. I have a radio with me, so if the alarm goes off, you can get a hold of me."
"No problem, Chris. Just be careful, it's pretty bad out there. If you find him, I'll be waiting for the call."
Chris and Buck walked out his office and to the front door where Chris's Ram was parked. He knew that he could go anywhere with it. He started it and turned right to go the hospital. He pulled the flashlight out from the pouch in the door panel. He knew that he would need it to search with. The snow was going to be a problem as it became heavier.
Chris drove the miles to the hospital. He turned into the parking lot and sat there in silence. He had to think what Vin would have done. Would he go back to the station or go to the scene of the fire? Chris knew what he would do. Report to the station and if he found no one there, he would respond to the fire.
"Do you have any idea which way he may have went?" asked Buck.
"If I'm right, he would go to the station and finding no one there, he would report to the fire. Keep your eyes on the road between here and the station."
Chris drove out of the parking lot and turned on to Travis Lane. If Vin were to go back to the station, then this would be the way, he thought. He started slowly driving down the road. Buck felt the wind as it blew. He looked at Chris. There was that look he had seen before, like the time when JD had been hurt in a motorcycle accident last summer. He had been hurt real bad and no one knew if he would be all right, but a few weeks later JD was back at work.
"I wish this wind would stop just long enough so we could see. Between it and the snow blowing, it's getting hard to see," Chris commented.
"We can't do anything about the wind or snow, we just have to keep looking," Buck said as he kept moving the flashlight around hoping to see something.
Chris watched the road as he drove, but all he could see was the snow snakes as they slithered across the road from the wind blowing them. They could hear the voices of the police officers over the scanner as they patrolled the streets. They were on the lookout for any sign of Vin.
The wind blew so hard against what was left of the truck, you could hear the rattling sound as it shook, the snow drifting all around it. The man inside was still trapped in a seat belt that held him in the seat. His head was still in the same position, as the blood still slowly rolled down his face.
"Buck, call the dispatcher. Have them call the weather service and see when this storm is suppose to end?"
"Dispatch, this is Lieutenant Wilmington. Has there been news on when this storm will end?"
"According to the weather service, the storm is supposed to last until sometime this afternoon," replied the dispatcher.
"That's just great. We can barely see and now they are saying at least twelve more hours of this wind and snow," growled an angry Chris.
"I know, Chris, but all we can do is to keep looking for Vin," Buck said as he tried to calm Chris.
Chris and Buck continued to follow Travis Lane, which would take them to the station. There were still no signs of Vin or his truck on either side of the road. The sounds of the howling wind and the blowing snow broke the silence in the truck. Buck could see the tension in Chris's face as he looked out the window of the truck. They were nearing Miller's Bridge and then it would be another couple miles before they would be at the station and still no sign of Vin.
"Captain Larabee, what's your 20? This is Deputy Nichols please respond."
"This is Captain Larabee. I'm currently on Travis Lane."
"How far are you from the bridge?"
"About a mile or so," answered Chris.
"We need you to come to the bridge. There's been an accident near there. The driver is all right, but when he got out of his car to see how far down he was in the ditch, he saw what looks to be a vehicle overturned in the creek."
"Nichols, can you see the license on the vehicle? Can you describe the vehicle?"
"No, sorry sir. The storm has done a good job covering it."
"Nichols we're close. I can see the flashing lights of your car."
"Do you think it might be Vin's truck?" Buck asked with an anxious sound in his voice.
"They can't tell if it's his truck. Nichols can't see the plate because of the snow. Buck, behind my seat there's a rope grab it. I'll have to go down and check it out."
As Chris and Buck drove closer, they didn't see the faint light as it slowly moved toward the vehicle. It flowed through the air till it fell on Vin's face. The light slowly moved over his face until it came to the gash in his head. Suddenly there was a soft voice from the light.
"I'm here for you," whispered the soft voice as it floated back in to the night sky.
"He doesn't have much longer does he?"
"No, he doesn't."
"Can't we do something for him?"
"All we can do is wait and see."
Chris could see the bridge and the car that sat in the ditch as he drove up to it and stopped. He opened the door and grabbed the flashlight as he stepped out of the truck. Chris started toward the snow-covered car, Buck right behind carrying the rope. They just barely saw Nichols standing there. He was still trying to talk to the man about what he had seen.
"Deputy, what do you have here?" Chris asked.
"He was driving toward the bridge when he hit some drifting snow and lost control of the car, sending it into a spin out. This is where he ended up in the ditch. Chris, just listen to him all right."
"All right I'll listen to him," answered Chris.
"Like I told the deputy, I only saw it when I got out of my car to check on how far I was in the ditch. That's when I noticed what looked tires sticking out of the snow. I tried to get a better look, but the wind and snow made it impossible for me to see," replied the stranger.
"Can you show me where you were standing when you saw the tires?" asked Chris calmly as he started to walk closer to the bridge.
Chris watched the man as he walked to the corner of the bridge and pointed down to the mound of snow lying close to the edge. He moved closer to get a better look, but the wind and snow was making it hard to see. He turned the flashlight on to get a better look. He pointed the light at the area, that's when he saw the snowed covered tire. Chris moved the light until he saw a reflection of the light as it struck the object.
"Buck, I'm going to have to go down there and get a better look. It's a vehicle of some kind and it's been here for a while, but I can't tell if anyone's inside."
"Chris, I'll tie the rope to this part of the bridge. It seems to be the closet to reaching the vehicle."
"That's fine Buck. I can lower myself down to where I can see inside."
"Chris, I brought the radios from the truck, just in case you need help."
Chris clipped the radio to his belt. With help from Buck, he grabbed the rope and started to slide down the embankment until he could see the window. Using his glove, he wiped away the snow off the glass. He looked inside and found Vin laying on the steering wheel. Blood was everywhere. He couldn't see how bad he was.
"Buck, it's Vin's truck and he's inside and he looks to be badly hurt. I tapped on the window with no response. He appears to be unconscious from what I could see. Call dispatch and tell them to hurry."
"I hear you Chris. Dispatch, this is Lt. Wilmington. I need you to set off the alarm for Station House 1. I need Trucks 1 and 2 as well as Rescue 1 dispatched to Miller's Bridge. Please advise the station to get the Jaws ready. Josiah Sanchez is also needed on site."
In the distance, Buck could hear the alarm going off as the trucks were starting to roll out of the station.
"Buck, it's Nathan. How badly is he hurt?"
"Nathan, this is Chris. He's not moving and he has a pretty bad gash on his forehead, his lips are blue. I just looked in the window and down by his left foot there is a pool of blood forming from where the blood is dripping."
Buck looked up to hear the sound of the sirens as the trucks were starting to enter the bridge. After a few minutes, the first truck came to a stop. JD jumped from the running board to hit the ground running toward Buck. Jess was not to far behind carrying ropes. As they reached the side of the bridge, JD found a pillar to tie the rope on, Jess had all ready thrown his rope over the side. Buck watched as they both climbed over and started down toward Chris.
"Chris, JD and Jess are on their way down," Buck informed his boss.
"Buck, tell Sam I need the Jaws down here. The door on the truck is too badly damaged to get open," yelled Chris.
"Chris, it's JD. I'm almost to the truck. Jess is right behind me."
"Does one of you have something to break the glass in the truck? I need to check on Vin's condition."
"Chris, I have a small hammer attached to my belt," replied JD as he slowly moved further down the rope
"Buck, where's the Jaws?"
"Sam's coming now with the Jaws. He's tying the rope through the handle now. Chris... heads up. We're putting the Jaws over the side now," replied Buck as he and Sam slowly started to lower the Jaws to Chris.
"Chris, here's the hammer," JD said as he took the hammer off his belt and handed it to Chris.
Chris took the hammer and started to hit the side window with small taps till cracks started to form in the glass. Chris turned the hammer sideways and continued hitting the glass till he heard it break loose. He pulled out the biggest pieces and then he put his hand in until he could touch Vin.
"Nathan," called Chris in to the radio.
"Go ahead, Chris. What's his condition now?"
"From what I can see, he's suffering from hypothermia. His pulse is very weak and thready."
"Chris, we need you to move so we can use Jaws," JD said as he moved closer till he could fit the jaws between the doorframe and the door.
"Are you ready, JD?" Asked Jess as he held the line for the jaws.
"I'm ready," JD replied, firmly holding on to jaws as he turned the switch on.
They all stood and watched as the Jaws mouth slowly opened pulling the door away from the frame. JD continued until Chris grabbed the door and with a hard push he moved it to the front of the truck.
"Nathan, send down a neck brace and we need to move as fast as we can to get him out of here."
Buck lowered the neck brace to Chris. Then using the ropes, they tied the backboard and started to lower it. Chris slowly put the brace around Vin's neck with very little movement. Chris slowly moved Vin until he was lying back in the seat. Then he slowly turned him to lay him down so that JD and Jess could grab his shoulders and slowly pull him out of the truck cab. Chris grabbed his legs and then they laid Vin on the backboard. Chris grabbed the blankets that had come down with the board and covered Vin, tucking the edges under all around him. JD and Jess started to secure the straps over Vin. Chris grabbed the basket that had been lowered to lift Vin.
"Buck, Vin is secured start pulling him up," ordered Chris as he watched the basket being pulled up by the men. JD and Jess started to the climb back up the rope. Chris started to pull himself up on the other rope until he grabbed the edge of the bridge and pulled himself up and over to the other side. Chris turned his head as he heard the sound of the siren on the ambulance as it left the scene and was headed for the hospital.
"Chris, I'll go to the hospital and stay with Vin. Does Lisa know yet?" Josiah asked.
"No she doesn't and we can't say anything just yet. The last time I talked to Vin he said that she was having complications and they don't want anything to upset her," Chris replied.
"It doesn't look good, does it, Chris?" asked Buck with a worried look on his face
"No, it doesn't," replied Chris with a sad look.
"The boys are going back to the station, I'll be there shortly."
"Okay Buck, I'm going to the hospital."
Buck walked to Truck 1 and opened the door and climbed in. He watched as Chris drove off following Josiah in his truck. Buck was sitting in the cab of the truck when he thought he saw a flashlight. He just shook it off as they drove back to the station. The light slowly floated in the night sky. There was the sound of a whispering voice as it floated toward the ambulance.
"Is he okay?" asked the soft voice.
"We don't know yet. They just got him out of the truck, but he looks real bad," replied the older voice.
"They will ask for help from us, won't they?"
"Yes, they will and we will try everything that we can to help them."
"Once before, they let us touch'em."
"We don't know if we can and we don't know how bad he is."
"Can I touch him if they say it's okay?"
"Ethan, is that you again? You have to stop popping in like this. You have to stay there with her. She needs you."
"The doctor doesn't know if I'm going to be all right."
"Ethan, you have to go back for his sake. You may be the only one who can help him," replied the soft voice.
"All right, I'll go back."
"What you said may be true. We may have to let him come early so that he can help his father," replied the older voice as they floated upward in the night sky.
Chris opened the door to the emergency room and walked in. He went to the nurse's station to find out which room Vin was in, but there was no one at the desk. He felt the hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Josiah standing there.
"Josiah, how bad is he?" asked Chris with a worried look on his face.
"It doesn't look good, Chris. He has internal injuries, his body temp is in the high 80's and he still hasn't regained conscious yet. They have him in what they call a warming blanket. It's designed to bring up his body temp. There is a dial on the blanket that can be turned up to a certain temp."
"Do they know any more than that, Josiah?"
"I only know what they are telling me. Nathan and Ezra are with Vin and they may know more," Josiah replied.
"I'm sorry, Josiah. I'm just worried about Vin and this waiting is driving me crazy," Chris replied.
"Chris, I'll go and see if I can find out anything more all right?"
"All right, Josiah," Chris answered as he stood there looking out the window.
As he looked out the window, he noticed that the wind was starting to die down and it wasn't snowing as hard. He could see the twinkling of the stars as the clouds slowly floated away. The moonlight was dancing across the new fallen snow with a twinkling of its light. Chris had not heard the door as it opened or the sound of footsteps on the floor till he thought that he had heard Buck's voice. He turned to see if it was him. He watched as the men walked down the hallway where Chris stood.
"Chris, we're here for Vin. Has anyone said anything to you about his condition?"
"Josiah was here a few minutes ago and told me his condition has not changed. He's suffering from hypothermia and a concussion. He has some internal damage, but they don't know till they are done with more tests," answered Chris as he walked toward the waiting room.
"Chief Murphy called the station just before we left. He is sending men from Station 2 and 3 to cover our shift. He knows that we have to be here and the other guys will be here soon," Buck informed him.
"Someone needs to let Lisa know. I'll do it, but first I need to talk to her doctor. Vin told me that she's a high-risk pregnancy. They have been afraid that the complications could cause severe harm or even death to the baby," replied Chris as he started down the hallway.
"Chris, it's Nathan and he's with a doctor," JD said.
Chris turned and started back toward Buck and the others. He saw the look on his face and it made him start to wonder.
"Chris, Dr Woods has news on Vin's condition," stated Nathan.
"Can we please go to the waiting room where I can tell you what you need to know?" Dr. Woods asked.
"Buck, go get the others and have them come to the waiting room," replied Chris with a sad look on his face.
Chris followed Nathan and the doctor to waiting room where the others joined them.
"Gentlemen, I know that you have been waiting for word on the condition of your friend, but we had several tests to run before we could say anything. What I'm going to tell you is what we know so far. We have been able to raise his body temp up to 92 degrees, but it still has to go up more. He does have internal injuries. His kidneys are badly bruised; he has a punctured lung and a ruptured spleen. He has a severe head trauma. He was unconscious when they brought him in and he has since gone into a coma. When the truck rolled, the steering wheel was jammed into his throat. His larynx and several smaller bones in that area of the neck have been crushed.
We had to put a trach in his throat to open that area. He has been put on a respirator. The coma is a result of swelling in the brain. I wish I could tell you that everything will be all right, but I can't. All we can do is to wait and see. If any of you have any questions, just call my office. Captain Larabee, has anyone been to see Mrs. Tanner yet?"
"No, not yet. I need to talk to her doctor first. She is having complications and I'm not sure how I'm going to do this."
"I know Mrs. Tanner's doctor. I'll call him and have him come to the hospital. He'll know how to do it. Once again, I'm here if anyone has any questions."
"Dr. Woods, where are they going to take Vin?" asked Buck as he turned his head to look at the doctor.
"They will be moving him to ICU soon. They have one more test to run. It's a CAT scan to determine if there is any brain activity. There is a waiting room just outside of the unit. It's a very large room, so you all can be there. Captain Larabee, do you have a number I can give to Dr. Reuben so he can call you about Mrs. Tanner?"
"This is my card and it has my number on it," Chris replied as he handed the card to Dr. Woods.
Chris could only look at his men after hearing what the doctor had to say about Vin. He knew how they felt. He had those same feelings in the pit of his stomach. Chris picked up his hat from the chair and started out the door to the hallway. He stopped and turned back to his men.
"Buck, I have something to do. You and the boys go ahead and go to the waiting room. I'll be there shortly."
"Sure, Chris." Replied Buck
Chris walked back out the door and down the hallway until he came to the emergency room doors. They opened as he walked in front of them. He put his hat on and zipped up his coat as he stepped out into the cold. He started for his truck, which was still parked in the entrance to the ER. He went to open his door when his emotions started to give in to how he felt at that moment. He could feel the tears as they rolled down his face. He slammed the door shut and started yelling at the night sky.
"Why him?" he questioned as he yelled at the sky. "He hasn't done anything wrong and he's just getting his life together after all he's been through. Can't you give him a chance? He lost his first wife in an accident, then he met Lisa a few months later. He's got a right to be happy. You want to take someone then take me," screamed Chris as he started to hit his truck.
Chris was leaning his head against the window as he pounded his fists into the truck. Chris couldn't stop crying, as he yelled no over and over. It's not fair, he thought. Then he turned and looked up at the sky.
"You have to do something, you just can't do nothing. There has to be some way," he demanded as he continued yelling at the sky.
Buck stood in the ER doorway. He could see Chris walking around and he heard him yelling. He knew how Chris felt. They all felt the same way. He could see the anger in Chris's face and the emotions on his face. Buck started toward Chris who was just standing there with an angry look on his face as the tears still fell from his eyes. He touched him on his shoulder, Chris turned to see who it was.
"Chris, Nathan and Ezra just told us that they are taking Vin to ICU. They said that as soon as he is settled in, we can see him. Chris, what did you do? There's blood on your hands."
"I got mad and hit my truck, I didn't notice it."
"When we go in, you need to have them checked."
"I'm all right. I just hit my knuckles and nothing is broke," said Chris as he took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands off.
Chris and Buck walked to the door and down the hallway to the elevator and up to the third floor, where they saw the others standing just outside of ICU.
"Chris, we all can go in now, but then only two or three at a time," said Nathan as he hit the panel on the wall and the doors to ICU opened.
Chris looked at Buck as they started to walk through the doors. They saw Josiah standing in the room next to the bed. Chris walked into the room and stood beside the bed. The others came closer to the bed and stood there. Chris just stood there looking at Vin and the machines that he was now attached to.
"Chris, all we can do now is wait and see what happens," Nathan said quietly as they all stood there.
Just outside Vin's window, there was a twinkling of lights as they floated down from the sky.
"He's mad, isn't he?" asked the soft voice.
"Yes, he is."
"I feel helpless because I know that we can help, but he wouldn't let us, would he?"
"No, he wouldn't, and only he can make that choice."
"I had forgotten how mad they can become."
"There's more. This is his friend who could die and that means more."
"All we can do is wait."
"He has a lot of friends. The one called Josiah has been praying for him. The others are going to the chapel."
"All we can do is watch now. We have to leave, he wants to know," replied the soft voice as they started to float away into the night sky.
Chris had walked to the window and looked out. He saw the twinkling of the lights in the sky. Please, he thought, you have to help him.
The sounds of a phone ringing could be heard as it echoed through the waiting room. Chris was starting to slowly move from the chair where he had fallen asleep. He still could hear the phone. He pulled his cell phone out and found it was ringing.
"Hello?" answered Chris.
"Is this Captain Larabee?"
"Yes, it is."
"This is Dr. Reuben. Dr. Woods called my office about Mrs. Tanner's husband's condition. You do know that she is a high risk?"
"Yes I do."
"Then give me a day or so. She has been asking for him, but we told her that he would call and let her know when he was coming."
"Is there something that I should know about Lisa?"
"Mrs. Tanner's condition is slowly getting worse. Her blood pressure is still very high, which could cause a problem for the baby. We are checking her blood pressure every hour. If it doesn't drop soon, then we will have to go ahead and deliver the baby," Dr. Reuben replied.
"Keep in touch with me on Lisa's condition and if I can help, I will."
"I will, Captain Larabee, she may need a hand to hold. I'll call as soon as I know anything," said Dr. Reuben.
Chris put his phone back in his jacket. He looked for the cup he had been using earlier for coffee, but after a few seconds he gave up and went to find the coffee pot. He looked out the door before turning right to go down the hallway. He had walked for a while before a nurse asked him if he needed help. He showed her his empty cup and she pointed to a door across from her.
"Captain Larabee, you'll find the coffee machine in that room. There are also vending machines for your use. This is the staff lounge, but you and your men may feel free to use it," replied the nurse.
"Thank you," replied Chris as he threw away the old cup and picked up a new one.
He poured coffee into the cup and took a few sips as he looked at the items in the vending machine, but he just shook his head and walked toward the door. He turned to his right and started down the hallway. He saw Buck coming toward him. He had to laugh. Buck looked just like he felt.
"Where did you find the coffee?" asked Buck as he came closer.
"It's just behind me in that room marked staff lounge," replied Chris.
"The others were starting to wake up as I left the room. Has there been any change in Vin's condition?"
"I haven't heard anything more since the last report. I was going to the nurse's station to see if they had anything new."
Chris walked back to the waiting room to check on the boys. JD was sitting on the edge of the sofa. He was barely awake and Jess was just lying there. His eyes were open, but he knew that no one was home. He saw Ezra over in the corner. He was trying to play solitaire, but his heart wasn't in it as he laid the cards on the table. He turned and started to walk toward the doors for ICU. He pushed the panel on the wall and waited for the doors to slide open.
He walked through the doors and then just stood there as they closed behind him. He watched as the nurses were busy taking care of the patients. He walked the few steps to Vin's room. He could see him lying in the bed through the glass wall. Josiah stood beside the bed with his rosary in his hand. He knew that he had been here all night.
"All we can do is to wait and see," stated Josiah as he looked at Chris.
"I know, but it's frustrating to see him lying there, unable to do anything," Chris said.
Chris and Josiah were standing beside Vin's bed talking when Chris heard the ringing of his cell phone. He took it off his belt to answer it.
"Captain Larabee"
"This is Dr. Reuben. There has been a change in Mrs. Tanner's condition since I talked to you this morning. She has gone into labor. We have had to stop it because of her blood pressure, but we are getting her ready for OR. The baby can only be born by Cesarean for her sake. Can you come to the maternity floor? She's been asking for Vin."
"Yes, I can, but what can I do for her?"
"You're going to the OR with her and hold her hand. Mr. Tanner made some arrangements for you to be with his wife in the event he couldn't," replied Dr. Reuben.
"I'm on my way now," Chris said as he put his phone back on his belt.
"What's happened with Lisa?" asked Josiah as he watched Chris turn and start out the door.
"Lisa's gone into labor," said Chris as his hand touched the doorframe.
"Go, I'll stay with Vin."
Chris walked to the ICU doors and pushed the panel on the wall. In a few seconds, the doors opened and Chris walked through them on his way to the elevator.
"Chris, where are you going?" asked Buck as he walked toward Chris.
"Lisa's gone into labor and Dr. Reuben asked me to come to the maternity ward."
"Mind if I come along and help? I know something about having kids. I already have four kids."
"I have no problems with that, Buck."
Buck followed Chris into the elevator. As the doors closed behind them, Chris stood there worried about what he would say to Lisa. He knew that he had to wait until the baby was born, then some how he would have to break it to her slowly. He wondered how she would respond to it. It had been twenty-four hours since they had found Vin and still they didn't know how they felt.
Chris had been thinking about Lisa and didn't hear the elevator as it came to a stop. The doors opened and Chris and Buck walked out of the elevator and turned to the left. Chris looked till he found the sign that showed them how to get to the maternity ward.
"Buck, this way through the double doors."
Buck and Chris walked through the doors and down the hallway till the came to a nurse's station.
"Excuse me, I'm looking for a Dr. Reuben," Said Chris as he tried to get the attention of a nurse.
"Can I help you?" asked the nurse who came up behind Chris.
"Yes, Dr. Reuben called and asked me to come to this floor. I'm Captain Larabee."
"Dr. Reuben is in with Mrs. Tanner. I'll let him know that you are here," she replied as the nurse walked off down the hall.
Chris watched as she entered a room. A few seconds later, Dr. Reuben could be seen as he came out of the room. He stopped and gave orders to a nurse who had walked up to him. He watched as the doctor continued down the hall where he and Buck were standing.
"Captain Larabee, I asked you to come here because Mrs. Tanner needs someone for support in the OR. Since you are her husband's best friend, would you be willing to help her?"
"What do I have to do?"
"Hold her hand and just talk to her. Mrs. Tanner is scared. She doesn't know where her husband is and we have had to stop the labor twice now."
"I can do it for Lisa and Vin."
"If you'll follow my nurse, she will get you ready."
"Buck, you need to do this too since you have four kids," said Chris as he started down the hall with the nurse.
"He says that you have children?"
"Yes I do," replied Buck.
"Then you know what to do to help.""
"I guess so," said Buck.
"Then follow Alice and she will get you ready too."
Buck followed Chris and the nurse to pre-op where they changed into scrubs for the OR. Alice showed them how to wash their hands as she took two masks out of the drawer and tied them around their necks. Chris had dried his hands off and was watching Alice as she went about making sure they were ready.
"When you are needed, a nurse will come and get you. That's when you tie the mask like I showed you. Do not leave this room. A nurse will come through those double doors when they are ready," Alice instructed them.
Chris thought he could hear an alarm as he sat in the chair. He was half asleep in the chair. He didn't even remember falling asleep. The last thing he remembered was being in the room with Vin, after his son had been born. He started to move around in the chair, then he finally was able to stretch. He could still hear the alarm. Just then a nurse walked into the room and replaced the IV bag, which had run out. The alarm was gone. Chris realized that it had been the IV. Chris stood up and started to walk around the room. He knew that he needed coffee badly. He walked to the door and turned to go to the staff lounge when he heard his name called out. He turned to see Vin's doctor coming toward him.
Captain Larabee, have you been to check on Vin yet?" asked Dr. Howard.
"I just left his room. I slept there in a chair last night."
"He has had a quiet night according to his chart. There were no more seizures. We don't know what caused them, so I have ordered tests done to find the cause. As soon as I know anything, I'll let you know."
Chris walked through the doors and down the hallway. He could smell the coffee as it floated in the air. He poured a cup and started back to Vin's room.
"Could you use some company while you wait?" asked Buck as he stood in the doorway of the waiting room.
"I guess so," Chris replied.
They walked back through the doors that led to ICU. Chris stopped and looked at Vin as he lay there in the bed. Except for the seizures, he had not moved since being brought to the hospital. He walked into the room and sat back down in the chair. Buck had sat in the chair opposite Chris.
"Excuse me, my name is Mrs. Lee and I'll be Mr. Tanner's nurse for the next three days. If you have any questions, just ask me. You're Captain Larabee and you are Lt. Wilmington?"
"Yes, ma'am, but you can call me Buck."
"My first name is Chris."
"While you two are sitting with Mr. Tanner, you should talk to him. We have learned that people who are in a coma have been known to wake up from people talking to them."
"What do we talk about?" asked Buck as he looked at Chris.
"Did you all grow up together or live in the same neighborhood?" asked Mrs. Lee as she walked out the door.
Chris looked over to see Buck starting to laugh.
"What's so funny, Buck?"
"Mrs. Lee made me remember the first time we met Vin."
"I remember that day. His family had just moved here. He was in the yard trying to play catch and he kept dropping the ball," laughed Chris.
"We just stood there watching him and he never did catch the ball. He got so mad that he threw the glove down and then kicked it."
"I also remember that we laughed at him because he couldn't catch the ball," Chris replied.
"He started yelling at us because we were laughing at him and his mom came to the door and called him to come in," Buck continued.
"Remember when she called him Vincent and he got mad and started jumping up and down. That's when he told his mom that his name was Vin," smiled Chris.
"It didn't take Vin long before he was one of us, even when we got into trouble," Buck stated.
"Buck, it was because of Vin that we got into trouble," replied Chris with a frown on his face.
"It wasn't long after that the others moved into the neighborhood."
Buck and Chris were so involved in remembering their childhood that they didn't hear Josiah as he walked into the room.
"Remembering what we were like as kids?" asked Josiah with a smile on his face.
"The nurse said it was good to talk to Vin, so we got to remembering the days when we were all kids," Buck replied.
"Trust me, I can remember those days. My dad had just been given his first church in the local neighborhood. I was afraid of moving to our new house. I remember not leaving the house for several days till my little sister had gone outside. My mom was busy so she asked me to go get her. That's when I first saw you and Buck. You both looked at me like there was something wrong," Josiah remembered.
"Then one day Buck and I got into a fight with some other kids. They were winning till Josiah came and helped us. It was the next day that we went to your house and asked if you wanted to be our friend," said Chris as he sat there laughing.
"I remember that was the day that I met his sister, Kathy. I knew that I was in love with her at the age of nine," replied Buck as he looked at Josiah and smiled
"I also told you to stay away from her or I would hit you. Then you made those goo-goo eyes at her. That's when I hit you."
Nathan and the others were walking toward Vin's room when they heard the sound of laughter. As they got closer, Nathan realized that they were talking to Vin, but he could hear what they were talking about. He remembered those days when his parents had moved the whole family to a new house. He liked the new house, but they were the only black family on the block.
"What are they laughing about, Nathan?" asked Ezra.
"They are talking about when we were kids," Nathan replied as he smiled while walking toward Vin's room.
"Nathan, what are you smiling about?"
"I was thinking about when we were kids. I remember when you moved there with your mother. She was always trying to give us coolies all the time and you just sat there not saying anything."
"That's because you all made fun of the way I talked just because I had an accent. When you learn to talk you might have one too, if you're from the south," Ezra stated.
Soon Nathan and Ezra were standing in the door to Vin's room. They could hear the others talking and laughing.
"Excuse me, I need to get into Mr. Tanner's room," the nurse stated as she tapped Nathan on the shoulder
As she walked in the room, she saw that there was no change in Vin's condition.
"In a few minutes, two orderlies are going to take him for some tests. There has been no change since he was brought in and they want to see what's happening. After that, the doctor will come in and talk to you and to Mrs. Tanner," the nurse informed them as she turned and walked out the door.
They all watched as she left. Before they had all been talking and laughing about what they had all been like as kids and no matter happened, they had all stayed together as friends. Chris thought about when he told them about joining the fire department. The next day there they all stood ready to join. When JD turned eighteen, he was the last of them to join. Now one of them lay there in the bed. There was the possibility he could never recover. Chris looked around the room and he saw the look on each of their faces.
"We came to get Mr. Tanner and take him for some tests. You can wait in the waiting room till we bring him back," stated the orderly.
"No problem," said Chris as he walked out the door.
He stopped and watched as they moved Vin through the doors. Then he followed till they came to the waiting room where he stopped. The next few hours would be the longest that they ever had to wait. Chris walked to the staff lounge and poured a cup of coffee. He just stood there staring at the cup. He could feel the numbness as it started to hit hard.
"Chris, are you all right?" asked Buck who was standing in the doorway of the room.
"I don't know. I guess I expected him to come out of this and everything would be all right, but not now."
"All we can do is to go back to the waiting room until the doctor comes in," Buck said.
Chris and Buck started to walk back to the waiting room when suddenly, Chris stopped and turned his head to the left.
"Buck, did you tap me on the shoulder?"
"No, I didn't, why do you ask?"
"Because it felt like someone's hand was on my shoulder," replied Chris with a worried tone in his voice.
Chris started back to the waiting room. He couldn't get the feeling out of his mind. He had no doubt that there had been a hand on his shoulder.
"They have no idea what they are in for, do they?" asked the soft voice as it slowly moved through the hall.
"No they don't, but this is a test for them that will change all of them. It has to be done. He said he knows how close they are, but he wants to know how hard they will fight for him or what they will do," replied the older voice.
"Look at them. They are very sad. I wish I could do something for them," stated the soft voice
"Here comes the doctor. He doesn't look too happy. What he is about to tell them could tear them all apart, but it's the test that they must go through. We will come back later to see what they do."
JD was standing in the doorway when he heard the elevators open. He watched as they moved Vin's bed out of it and down the hallway to ICU. They started to follow the doors, but stopped just outside his room. Chris could see Lisa sitting beside Vin's bed. She was holding his hand and they saw that she had been crying.
"Mrs. Tanner would like all of you to be in the room with her. The doctor will be here shortly with the results of the test," the nurse informed them.
Chris walked in and went to stand behind Lisa as the others slowly went and stood around the bed. They heard the sound of footsteps as Dr. Woods came in the room. He walked toward the bed and then stopped.
"A few days ago Dr. Reuben and I talked and we made the decision to tell Mrs. Tanner about her husband's condition. She took it very calmly. We told her that his friends have been here since day one. It was her request that all of you be here," Dr. Woods said.
"Chris, I don't blame you or any of the others for not telling me about Vin. Dr. Reuben said that you wanted to but he stopped you because of my condition. Now I need all of you to help me. Dr. Reuben said that you and Buck were in the delivery with me when Ethan was born. No matter what happens to Vin, I know that he will have six dads to take care of him."
"The results of the test were not good. We were afraid of this, but we needed to be sure first. Mr. Tanner is what is known as clinically brain dead. There was very little when he was brought in, but there is no activity now. What I'm going to say to you is not easy for me to do. Right now Mr. Tanner is being kept alive on life support. We can keep him on it forever, but he will never come out it. You have a decision to make; whether you want to take him off or leave him on. I will leave and let all you talk. Just call my office when you decide. I'm very sorry."
"Is this the test he's talking about, but that would be killing his friend?" asked the soft voice
"This is what he wants. He is testing their faith. He knows that they all love Vin as a friend, but are they willing to let him go. He also wants to know who will plead for Vin's life," replied the older voice.
"Are we going to stay here or are we going back and watch from there?"
"No, we are to stay here till he calls us," said the older voice as he walked toward Chris and placed his hand on his shoulder.
Chris turned his head. There was that feeling again, he thought.
Chris watched as Lisa sat there holding Vin's hand. He wished he were as strong as she appeared to be. He didn't know how she did it. Only hours before the doctor had told them that Vin was brain dead and that they had to make a decision. They could leave him on life support and he would be a vegetable the rest of his life or they could remove it and let him die on his own.
He thought about what Lisa had asked of them. They were his closest friends and she wanted them to help in the decision. He didn't know if he could do it. Chris remembered what Josiah had told them about how God would feel if they did it. He wouldn't blame them for they would be setting Vin's soul free. Chris started to walk out of Vin's room. He stopped in the doorway and took one last look before walking back to the waiting room. As he entered the room, he saw the looks on their faces. It was a hard decision for them too.
"We need to talk about what Lisa asked of us," said Chris as he walked in the room and sat down at a table.
"It's not right. I can't make that kind of choice," yelled an angry JD as he walked off to another part of the room.
"Is it fair to Vin, to be on life support the rest of his life? He will never see Ethan grow up or get married and have kids," answered Nathan.
"I have to agree with JD, I don't know if I can," replied Buck with a worried look on his face.
"Have any of you thought what Vin would want us to do?" asked Ezra.
"He would tell us to pull the plug rather then be a vegetable forever," Josiah stated.
"How do we know that he's not going to wake up?" asked JD.
"They have run every test that they can do and there is still no brain activity," replied Nathan.
"Have any of you thought about Lisa? She has been by Vin's bed since yesterday. The nurses are bringing the baby to her to feed. She sits there holding him knowing that his dad will be gone. This is not an easy choice for her to make that's why she needs us to help," Chris said.
"We have to remember that there is a part of Vin in all of us. While his dad is gone, Ethan will still have all of us to help him as he grows up," said Josiah.
"I've been listening to you all. It's not an easy decision to make, but I know that Vin would want me to go on with my life and raise our son the way we planned to," Lisa replied.
"Have you made your decision, Lisa?" asked Chris as he walked to the door.
"I'm going to ask them to take him off life support in the morning and let him go. I wanted to know if all of you could be there please?" Lisa asked.
"We'll be there in the morning for you," Chris answered as he watched Lisa turn and walk out of the room.
"Chris, can you please call Dr. Woods for me?"
Chris could only watch as she walked back to Vin's room. He saw the sadness in her face and there were the tears she had cried. Chris turned and walked to the phone on the wall. He took out the card that had Dr. Wood's number on it. He dialed the number, but as he did it, he could feel the emotions as they started to come to the surface. He could hear the ringing till Dr. Wood's nurse answered it.
"This is Dr. Woods office, can I help you?"
"This Captain Larabee. Will you tell Dr. Woods that we have made a decision? The life support is to be turned off tomorrow morning," Chris answered as he tried to wipe the tears away.
"I'll tell him and I'm very sorry about Mr. Tanner," replied the nurse.
Chris hung up the phone and started to walk down the hall till he saw the sign on the wall that said Chapel and pointed to the right. He pushed the door open and started to walk in. The others were all ready here, each of them making their request. He sat down in one of the pews, not sure if he knew how do this.
How do I tell you what I want when you all ready know? Yes, I yelled and screamed at you, but he is my best friend and you want to take him away from me. I'm sorry for everything that I said about you. I need your help; you have to find a way for him to live. You know how it's done, thought Chris.
"He's asking for his help?" asked the soft voice.
"Yes he is, but it's not enough," said the older voice.
"What do you mean, it's not enough?"
"Before it's over, he will make that sacrifice for Vin."
"Oh, I see what you're talking about."
"If Vin is really his friend then he will do what he has to do," said the older voice as he slowly moved forward and touched Chris on the left shoulder.
Chris looked up and turned to the left. Once again he felt like someone had touched his shoulder, but when he looked, there was no one there. He just looked at the cross that hung on the wall.
I have always heard that you help people when they need it, he thought. I've asked for your help before, but you never have helped me, but I'm asking you to help Vin. I'll do anything you want.
"What do you want him to do?" asked Josiah as he sat down next to Chris.
"I want him to help Vin."
"A man can only do so much in his life. There are some things he can do, but there are those that you must be able to do. Chris, in the last few days, I have seen a different you. You want help because you blame yourself for what happened to Vin. You have been telling yourself that if you had followed department policy, Vin wouldn't have been allowed to leave till his shift was over, but this was Vin and he wanted to see Lisa. So you let him go and when he tried to respond that's when the accident happened," Josiah said.
"I wanted to tell him no, but you're right. This was Vin and he said that he needed to see Lisa," replied Chris as he turned to look at Josiah.
"You didn't know that it was going to start snowing. You can't blame yourself. Were you there driving the truck? You have asked him for help. All you can do now is to wait and see what happens," replied Josiah as he stood up and walked out of the chapel.
Chris watched as the others slowly walked out. He could see the sadness on their faces. They walked back to the waiting room. Chris stood up and followed them out. Chris had been so lost in his thoughts that he had not heard what JD said to him till he repeated it.
"When we were sitting in the chapel, I remembered what Vin did to me when I was little. My mom told me that I must of been about a month old when Vin came in the house and took me. He had my blanket in a wagon and he laid me on it and then he started to pull the wagon behind him. Vin told me all about it and how my mom screamed when she thought I had been stolen. He told me that after a while he brought me back. He wanted to show me to his mom so she would know what a new baby brother would look like. I guess I became his baby brother," replied JD.
"I guess we all are thinking about Vin," Buck said.
Chris turned and slowly walked out the room. He hit the panel on the wall and waited as the doors opened. He walked through them and headed down to Vin's room. He stopped in the door and looked to find Lisa with her head lying on Vin's bed. He saw that she was holding his hand in hers. He heard a baby softly crying. He looked to find a bassinet with Ethan in it. He picked him up and held him in his arms. He found his bottle and gave it to him. He walked to the window where he looked at the stars and then at the face of the baby as the moon's glow lit up his face.
"Dear God. I have asked you for help so many times today, but now I ask you once again so that this little baby has his dad when he grows up. If you want something from me, just ask and you can have it," Chris prayed as he stood there in the window and watched the twinkling lights.
"What's he going to do now?" asked the soft voice.
"He has been listening to all of them, but he's not sure yet."
"He has to think about Ethan, he needs his dad," said the soft voice.
"I know that, but remember, we were there when Vin's mom died and how much it hurt him," replied the older voice.
"He was a little boy when it happened and he was standing beside her bed when he told himself that when he had a little boy, he would never leave them," said the soft voice.
"We just have to wait and see what he does," replied the older voice as they looked in the window at Chris holding Ethan.
"Chris, is Ethan okay?" asked Lisa as she was waking up.
"He's fine, I came in the room and he was crying so I gave him a bottle. I hope it was all right?" asked Chris as he walked back to the bassinet and laid him down.
"That's fine Chris. After Vin's gone, I'll need a lot of help from all you. All of you will have to be his dad," Lisa replied as she started to cry.
"The boys and I will always be there for both of you."
"Did Dr. Woods say what time he would do it?"
"He called me and said that he would be here at 8:00 this morning."
"I don't really want to do this. If I could leave him just like he is, I would because he would still be here with me, but it wouldn't be right. That's why I agreed," cried Lisa as she held on to Vin's hand.
"Lisa, it's almost time and I need to get the guys. Will you be all right?"
"Yes, I will be."
Chris walked to the door and stopped and turned to see Lisa moving Vin's hair from around his face. He started down to the waiting room. He stood in the doorway. He didn't have to say anything as they stood and walked slowly to the door.
"It's 7:30 and Lisa wants us all to be there. The doctor will be here shortly . She doesn't want to be alone," Chris informed them with a tearful sound in his voice.
As they entered the room, they saw Dr. Woods standing next to the bed.
"After he is off life support and they have taken the respirator tube out of his mouth, they are going to move him to another room so you call all stay with him till its over. It won't be too long before it's over. I'll come in every fifteen minutes and check him," stated Dr. Woods.
They just stood there and watched as the doctor slowly removed the iv's and the breathing tube. A nurse came in carrying a pan with water in it. She took a cloth out and started to wipe Vin's face and his arms where the iv's had been. Then they watched as two orderlies moved Vin's bed from the wall and turned it till they could move it out the door.
Chris held Lisa's hand as they followed him to the room. They watched as his bed was moved into a new position. A nurse had Ethan as she walked into the room. She moved his bassinet next to Vin's bed. Josiah was standing next to the bed as he started to give last rites to Vin.
Chris stood up and stretched his arms. He didn't know how long he had been sitting in the chair, but he remembered that they had all been talking. He walked over to the bed, where the nurse had moved the head of the bed up a little.
"Well... what's he going to do?" asked the soft voice as she moved around the room.
"I don't know," said the older voice.
"He can't let him just die."
"That's his decision, not ours."
"Look at what she is doing," said the soft voice as she watched Lisa putting Ethan in Vin's arm.
"She wants him to hold his son just for a while."
"Have you two been watching everything?" asked the elderly voice.
"Yes, we have," answered the soft voice.
"I have made a decision," said the elderly voice.
"What happens now?"
"I want you to give Ethan an angel's kiss while his dad is holding him," said the elderly voice to the soft voice. "And you are to give Vin an angel's touch on the shoulder," continued the elderly voice to the older voice.
Chris walked to Vin's bed to check on him. He was still with them. He smiled as he saw that Ethan had fallen asleep. He moved the chair closer to the bed and sat back down. He didn't know how much longer it would be.
"We have to stay and make sure that everything goes the way he wants it to," said the soft voice.
"It shouldn't be too much longer. I just checked and he is starting to mend. Look he is starting to smile. Before we leave, I have to give Chris a message from him."
As the two voices looked at Vin, they could see his eyelids as they slowly started to flutter. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked down to see that he was holding Ethan. He just smiled as he held him closer. He leaned down to give him a kiss. That's when he saw the little red heart on his shoulder. I see that angel kissed you. He looked up to see Lisa beside the bed.
He turned to see Chris sitting next to the bed. The others were sitting around the room sound asleep. His head still hurt but he could live with that. Vin slowly looked around the room. He could see the sad looks on their faces. He turned to the right where he heard someone crying. It's Lisa, why is she crying? he asked himself. He slowly moved his hand to touch Lisa on her head.
"Lisa, why are you crying?" asked Vin as he stroked her hair.
"Because I'm going to lose Vin. I have a right to cry. Who asked me that question?" asked Lisa as she looked around the room.
"I did," answered Vin.
Lisa looked up to see Vin smiling as he held his son.
"This can't be happening. I must be dreaming. Chris did you just hear Vin? I thought that I heard him talking," said Lisa.
"Lisa, look at me, it is me and I'm talking to you," replied Vin.
Chris looked at Lisa and then turned to look at Vin, who was sitting up in bed. He thought that he had heard Vin talking too, but his eyes were still closed.
"Lisa his eyes are still closed, you must have been dreaming, maybe you should put Ethan back in his bassinet," Chris said.
Lisa stood up and started to take the baby from Vin's arms when suddenly a hand grabbed her arm.
"Why are you taking him?" asked Vin.
"Because I need to put him in the bassinet. Chris, you thought I should, so why did you just ask me?" asked Lisa.
"Lisa, I didn't ask you anything?"
"No, I did."
"Lisa, Chris, look at Vin," replied JD as he smiled at Vin.
Chris turned to see Vin slowly open his eyes.
"Lisa, look at Vin," Chris said as he smiled at Vin.
"Lisa, look at me. Please just look," Vin begged as he watched her slowly turn to look at him. He could see the tears as they fell from her face.
"Vin!" cried Lisa as she hugged him
"Yes, it's me, but why am I in the hospital? My head really hurts."
"I'll go get the doctor," said Nathan as he started to smile while going out the door.
"Vin, do you remember anything?" Josiah asked.
"Maybe bits and pieces that's all."
"Eventually he will remember what happened," replied Josiah.
"Nathan came and got me, he tried to tell me that Mr. Tanner has come out of his coma, but its not possible. His body is going through all of this out of a reaction to being off of life support."
The boys started to move away from the bed as the doctor came closer. They could see the surprise look on his face as he saw Vin sitting in the bed and smiling.
"He is really awake. I don't know what to say, except that maybe it's a miracle. You must have an angel watching you. For right now I'll leave you with your friends, but tomorrow, we will have to start running tests to make sure of everything. How did you feel before you opened your eyes?
"There was a white light and I thought that I saw these angels. I was lying in a bed holding Ethan, when the one angel kissed him on the shoulder and then I felt a hand on my shoulder. After a while, I heard someone crying. That's when I opened my eyes to see that it was Lisa. She kept saying that she would always remember me after I was gone."
"Vin, you have been in a coma for two weeks. Your injuries left you brain dead. The decision was made to take you off life support and let you die peacefully, but like I said, you must have an angel watching over you," replied Dr. Woods as he walked out the door.
"Vin, do you remember what happened?" asked Chris.
"I remember leaving the hospital, that's when the pager went off. I looked to see that it was dispatch. I stopped and called her and she told me about the fire. By that time, it was snowing pretty heavy. I started to drive again. The roads were bad and that must have been when I hit a slick spot in the road. I remember the truck started to roll, but I don't remember after that."
"This little guy was born shortly after. Buck and I were in the operating room with her," replied Chris.
"Lisa, what did you name him?"
"I gave him the first name of Ethan, but the boys gave him his middle name."
"His name is Ethan Vincent Tanner. We thought you would like it," said Chris as he looked at Vin and smiled.
"You know that I hate the name Vincent because that's what my real name is."
"We know that. We need to leave so that you two can be alone with the baby. I think we all are going home to sleep in a bed. We have been sleeping anywhere we could. We'll be back tomorrow," replied Chris as they started to walk out of the room.
As they walked down the hallway and through the ER doors to the outside, Chris just stopped and looked at the night sky as he stood there. He saw the twinkling lights floating in the air. He felt the hand as it touched his shoulder.
"He says to tell you that he'll be here in fifty or sixty for you when it's your turn and to stop yelling at him. He hears you when you want him," said the soft voice.
Chris just shook his head smiled as he followed the boys.
THE END