Loving A Firefighter (Loving Series)

by Susan Leigh Carlton

  “Immediately. We will start you off in human interest until you get comfortable with it. Incidentally, your salary will be increased this pay period to $104,900 annual.”

  Carrie’s jaw dropped. “This is incredible. I can’t tell you how grateful I am and I won’t let you down.”

  “We wouldn’t have made the move if we didn’t think you could do it. Now get out of here and go home.”

  Chapter 8

  Carrie didn’t want to call Chip since he was working and he might be on a run, so she waited for him to call her. He finally did at 8:17PM. She picked up the phone on the first ring. “Have you had a quiet day today?” she asked.”

  “Yes we have. Haven’t had a single run all day. That’s the way I like it too. What about you?”

  “I was hoping you’d ask. I’m changing jobs. I’m going to be a field reporter and will be getting on-air time. They asked if I was interested this afternoon. I start tomorrow. It doubles my salary. I’ll be able to move from this place to a real apartment or town home.”

  “I’m really proud of you and so happy for you honey.”

  “That’s twice.”

  “What’s twice?”

  “That’s twice you’ve called me honey. I’m walking on air right now. This is a big step toward my dream. If you’ll let me, I’d like to take you to dinner tomorrow night. How about it?”

  “Sounds like a plan. You will let me drive?”

  “Of course. I love your truck. It beats my Toyota any day.” There was a loud, blaring sound in the background. “What’s that sound?”

  “We’ve got a call”. I have to go. “Seven okay tomorrow?”

  “Yes, and be careful.”

  She watched the news, hoping not to see any reports of a major fire. She couldn’t stand it if anything happened to Chip now.

  The next day

  At 6:55 on the dot, there was a knock at the front door. Looking through the port, Carrie could see it was Chip. She opened the door and was in his arms as soon as he walked in the door. “Hey, what is this?”

  “I’m just really glad to see you. Now kiss me before I put lipstick on. I wouldn’t want to get it on your shirt.”

  “Well, I think I can handle that chore with pleasure.” He kissed her softly on the lips. At least it started softly. She molded her body against his, entwined her arms about his neck and kissed him back…hard. She broke away, and said, “Let me get some lipstick on and I’ll be good to go.”

  “Can I watch?”

  “You really want to?”

  “I do. I’ve never watched a TV star do makeup.”

  “Oh you,” and she playfully hit him on the shoulder. “Come on then.”

  He stood in the doorway and watched her. When she finished, he said, “That was sexy. You’re sexy, and you’re beautiful too.”

  “You’ve never said that before.”

  “What?”

  “That I’m beautiful. Do you really think so?”

  “Yes I do, now let’s go. I’m hungry.”

  “You almost spoiled it but I’ll take it.”

  “Where are we going?”

  “What about Outback”

  “Outback is good. Any place that has meat and potatoes has to be okay.”

  The dinner was very good and the service was excellent. Carrie and Chip ordered different desserts and shared them. Since the restaurant wasn’t crowded, they was no need to hurry. They talked over coffee, Carrie told him how excited she was about her new assignment, and she would have to update a wardrobe. She also asked if he would help shop for an apartment

  Chip agreed to help with the apartment. She asked and he talked about the work done by firemen during their downtime and how critical it was to keep the maintenance work on their equipment current. It had to be ready at all times.

  Altogether, they had spent over two hours at the restaurant but still were reluctant to bring the evening to an end. Carrie called for the check and reminded Chip it was her treat in celebration of her promotion. She extended her hands across the table and just stared into the deep pools that were his brown eyes. His hands were warm to the touch and were slightly rough, a result of wrestling with the heavy fire hoses. The check came, Carrie handed the waitperson a credit card. She massaged the backs of his hands, feeling the fine hairs on the tanned hands.

  For his part, Chip reveled in the softness of her hands. The long graceful fingers, the shiny French nails. He had never paid much attention to nails before, but the tapered fingers and the shiny smoothness of the nails fascinated him. “You have beautiful hands, Carrie. In fact, everything about you is beautiful. I’m glad I met you, though I wish it had been in better circumstances.”

  “You take life the way if comes and make the best of it when it gets here.”

  The waitperson came back, and Carrie signed the receipt. Chip pulled her chair back and hand in hand they walked out of the restaurant.

  The red Silverado was parked in the back and they made their way to it.

  As they approached it, a figure in a gray hoodie stepped from the shadows. In a voice filled with tension, hurt and anger came, “Is this why you’re doing this to me Carrie? Is he why you put the police on me? You had me arrested. Do you have any idea what happens to people like me in jail?”

  “Easy there, fella, she didn’t do anything you didn’t deserve. You could have killed her in the fire.”

  “You shut up. You just shut the hell up and get out of here.” His anger turned into a raging fury.

  “Take it easy. I’m not going anywhere, now why don’t you just be on your way and let me take Carrie home?”

  “I told you to shut up.” His right hand came out of the pocket in the hoodie.

  In the light of the parking lot lamps, Chip saw the glint of light off the metal and instantly recognized Nathan was holding a handgun. It was pointed at Carrie. “Step back, Carrie, step back now,” he commanded. He took a step toward Nathan.

  “Don’t move, or I’ll shoot you right where you stand.” Carrie now realized he held a gun. She screamed an ear piercing scream that went on and on.

  The scream startled Nathan. During this distraction, Chip pushed Carrie aside and lunged at Nathan. He heard the sound of a gunshot reverberating among the cars in the parking lot. It was as if a sledgehammer hit him in the chest. On the ground, he yelled, “Run Carrie. Run. Get out of here.”

  He struggled to his feet and lunged at Nathan again. Two more shots rang out. Chip fell to the asphalt of the parking lot. Lying on the pavement, Chip wondered, “Why did I fall?” Slowly his world faded to black.

  Another pair of shots rang out, this time Carrie spun around and fell. One more shot. It became deadly quiet in the parking lot. Then came the sound of many feet running. Restaurant patrons and passersby ran to see what was happening.

  Someone yelled, “Someone call 9-1-1.”

  Several people responded, “I’ve got it.”

  Another voice, “There are people down.”

  “There’s a girl here, shot, she’s bleeding.”

  “There are two men here. There’s a gun!”

  The wail of a siren came, the screeching of tortured tires, as a police cruiser turned into the parking lot, scattering the onlookers. It braked to an abrupt stop, tires smoking, leaving burned rubber on the lot surface.

  Two cops emerged from the car, one turned to move the crowd back, the other surveyed the scene and went to where, Chip and Nathan lay, still, and unmoving. Nathan had a wound to the head just above his ear. Chip was in a pool of blood.

  “Officer, there’s a girl over here who’s been shot too.”

  The officer kneeling over Chip and Nathan called out to his partner, “Get another ambulance here right now. We’ve got three down.” Seconds later, an EMT ambulance rolled into the lot, its red and blue lights flashing. The first EMT ran to where the policeman was. The policeman looked at him and said, “I think he’s dead,” indicating Nathan. “This one was hit at least twice and there’
s a wounded girl over there. I haven’t had a chance to look at her yet.”

  The EMT’s partner ran to where Carrie lay. As he did so, a man stepped from the crowd and said, “I’m a doctor, can I help?”

  “Take a look at the girl, doc, we just found her and I haven’t had a chance to check her out yet.” The first EMT said, “We’d better get Life Flight here. This one’s hit pretty bad.” The doctor called out, ‘So is this one.” The second EMT ran to the vehicle and grabbed another kit and returned to Carrie, where the doctor was trying to stanch the bleeding. Her pulse is steady, but slow.”

  In the distance, the flucketa, flucketa sound of an approaching helicopter got louder and louder. By this time, a second police car had pulled up. He and his partner stopped the street traffic, making room for the helicopter to land.

  The red Life Flight chopper landed, the emergency team rushed into the lot. The pilot stayed in the chopper, the engine idling, the rotors turning.

  One of the Life Flight EMT’s went to Carrie, the other to Chip. They ignored Nathan, who only needed the Medical Examiner to declare him dead.

  Once the EMT’s had IV’s in both the wounded, they decided both needed immediate transport to the Level 1 Trauma Center at Parkland Hospital. It was a short flight. They were met at the heliport on the roof by two trauma teams. Each team took a patient to an OR where X-Rays were taken and emergency surgery was started.

  It was determined Carrie had damage to her spleen, liver and shoulder. Apparently one of the projectiles had fragmented.

  Chip’s situation was much worse. Statistics show 70% to 80% of gunshot wounds are fatal, however if the patient arrives at the hospital showing signs of life, there is a 70% to 90% survivability rate. Chip was showing faint signs of life. The heart wound had to be repaired first. Fortunately, Parkland is one of the top trauma centers in the country with top cardiology surgeons available. One of these, Dr. Walters began working on Chip. X-Rays showed the bullet was lodged in the heart. At least it was not through and through. His identity was determined from his driver’s license in his wallet. His next of kin notification card indicated his parents were to be called. The police lieutenant that had been at the scene did the notification, informing them their son had been shot and was at Parkland. They left for the hospital immediately.

  Carrie’s identification was also determined from her license. Her mother was listed as next of kin. The phone number was her home number, where there was no answer. From Carrie’s phone, they found a cellphone number. They called the number and it was answered on the third ring. She was at work…at Parkland. When she was told of the incident, she was in the OR waiting room in five minutes, in her uniform. She was not allowed into the OR and would have to wait in the same area as other patient’s family. All they could tell her was that Carrie was in surgery.

  She settled in to wait. Shortly a couple walked in and identified themselves to the nurse at the desk, where they were told their son was in surgery and there was no other information available at the time.

  After an hour, a nurse came out and asked for the family of Carrie Evans. Carrie’s mother stood up and walked over and talked quietly with the nurse, whom she knew, as it turned out. The woman from the other family came over. “Did she say Carrie Evans? Are you Carrie’s mother?”

  “Yes why? Do you know Carrie?”

  “Our son was seeing a Carrie. She came to our house for dinner the other night.”

  “Oh my God, you’re Chip’s parents?”

  “Yes. He was shot in a parking lot at the Outback Restaurant. He’s in surgery.”

  “They must have been together. Carrie told me she was going out to celebrate her promotion. They must have been together. I’ve met Chip once but Carrie has told me so much about him. I work here at Parkland and my friend that just came out is going to keep me up to date on Carrie. I’ll ask her to do the same on Chip. She can get the real truth to us. Sometimes, they dance around the truth to protect the family.”

  They sat together now, comforting each other. The difference was Carrie’s mother knew how bad the situation was. They talked occasionally, but were mostly silent.

  Almost 45 minutes later, the nurse returned. She walked over and said, “Cheryl, may I talk with you please?”

  Mrs. Evans stood and walked to the other side of the room where the nurse said, “They had to remove a part of the spleen due to the extensive bleeding and are now repairing the lacerated liver. It will probably be another thirty minutes and they’ll close and take her to recovery. The doctor will be out then.”

  “The couple over here is Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds. Their son Chip is in surgery. He’s Carrie’s boyfriend and they were together when they were shot. Would you find out his condition for me and for them?”

  “Sure, I’ll find out from the circulating nurse and be right back out.”

  “Mr. Reynolds, Mrs. Reynolds, Anna is going to check on Chip’s condition and come back. She told me they removed a portion of Carrie’s spleen and repaired a tear in the liver. They should be finished in 45 minutes to an hour. Her wounds are serious but survivable.”

  Anna came back out and called Cheryl to the side again. The Reynolds watched intently but were out of earshot. They saw head shaking, but no smiles. Mrs. Evans came back.

  “Anna said Chip has three wounds, one is much like Carrie’s, a lacerated liver. That is the least serious of the three. Can we sit down please? Chip’s other wound is to the heart. A heart surgeon is working on him now. Anna was not able to find out any details, just what I told you. From my experience in the ER, I can tell you they have probably opened his chest to get at the heart. Anna said they did not have him on the heart bypass machine which is a good sign. Anna will keep us posted and I’ll be here with you, at least until Carrie starts waking up in recovery. That will be at least another hour.

  Would you like to get some coffee?”

  Both shook their heads. “We don’t want to leave.”

  “I was on duty and I have my pager. They can reach me instantly.”

  “We’d rather not leave.”

  “I have some pull around here. If you want, I can bum some coffee from the nurse’s lounge. Would you like me to do that.”

  “Thank you, but no, I don’t think I could hold anything down.”

  “I understand. Tell me if you change your mind.”

  * * *

  Another hour later, the door to the OR area opened and a doctor wearing green scrubs with a paper cap on his head, his mask dangling around his neck and wearing foot covers came out. “Mrs. Evans?”

  Cheryl stood and walked over to him. “I didn’t know that was your daughter I was working on. Well, she tolerated the surgery well. They’re closing and will have her in recovery in another fifteen minutes. I don’t think it is a good idea for you to go back until she awakens. I think she will be okay. She will be in one of the rooms on the surgical floor until she goes to a regular room in a day or two. Is that the family of the other patient?”

  Cheryl nodded. “He’s Carrie’s boyfriend. They were together. How is he doing?”

  “I peeked in as I came out. The circulating nurse told me the bullet lodged in his heart. They are working at getting it out now. It’s going to be a while. I don’t know if he’s going to make it or not.”

  “Thanks, Doctor, I appreciate it. Thank you for your work on Carrie. I’m glad it was you."

  “Did he give you any news?” asked Mrs. Reynolds.

  “They’ve starting closing on Carrie. She’ll be in recovery pretty soon, but it’ll be a while before she wakes up.”

  “Did you ask about Chip?”

  “I did. He told me he looked through the window in the door. He couldn’t go in because he wasn’t sterile. The circulating nurse told him the bullet did a lot of damage internally on Chip but he doesn’t know the condition. I would imagine Chip was in good physical condition so that’ll help him fight. You just never know how it’s going to turn out. I’ll stay here with you u
ntil Carrie wakes up.”

  “Thank you Mrs. Evans.”

  “Call me Cheryl, please.”

  * * *

  After Chip had been in surgery for 9 hours and 45 minutes, the doors to the surgery suites opened and a weary nurse emerged, still wearing surgical greens, a mask pulled down. “Reynolds family,” she called out. The Reynolds’s stood and the nurse led the way to a small consultation room. Mrs. Reynolds turned to Cheryl Evans, who had returned to the waiting area after visiting with Carrie in the recovery room and said, “Cheryl, please come with us.” The three of them went into the small room.

  “Your son is out of surgery and is in ICU recovery. The doctor will be in to talk with you shortly.”

  “Cheryl, how’s your daughter?”

  “They did a partial splenectomy, and sutured a lacerated liver. She came through okay considering she was shot twice. She was with Chip.”

  “I hope her recovery goes well. The doctor should be in any minute now.”

  They thanked the nurse, and settled back to wait for the doctor, who came in ten minutes later.

  He introduced himself and said, “I’m Dr. Walters. Your son is in pretty bad shape. We removed two bullets, one is still lodged in his heart.” There was a gasp from Mrs. Reynolds, who held tightly to her husband’s hand. One nicked his spine, but we won’t know the impact of it. There was one bullet in the liver that caused extensive damage. We removed part of the liver, but it will regenerate and I don’t expect any impairment. We’ll have to watch the heart function carefully. It stopped twice during surgery but we were able to resuscitate both times. We did not remove the bullet since that would have caused more trauma. A neurosurgeon will be monitoring the spinal injury for any impairment.

  He’s not out of the woods yet. He lost a lot of blood and received several pints during surgery. Here at Parkland, we believe in telling the family the true condition of the patient. If your son makes it through the night, he has a fifty-fifty chance of recovery. Our nurses are directed to not sugar coat the answer, so if you don’t want to know how bad the situation is, don’t ask.”