Molly and Brenna compared each other’s wardrobes to see if they could find anything more inspired than what they were used to wearing. Finally they decided to just wear their own comfortable clothes. Molly pulled on her overalls over a green T-shirt while Brenna searched for her favorite pair of jeans to wear with a denim shirt.
They were standing in the yard examining the fading rhodies when Adam drove up.
“Come on, Zoe,” Brenna called, putting her in the house and locking the door. “Now watch, when we drive away, she’ll be at the window moping for all she’s worth.” Brenna climbed up in the middle of the seat and Adam shut the door behind Molly. As they drove off, Molly looked back at the parlor window and sure enough, there was Zoe staring after them with a woebegone expression on her furry face.
Molly laughed, “Brenna, that dog thinks she’s a person, I swear.”
Adam smiled. “Yeah, so does Max. It couldn't be because we spoil them, could it?"
"I don't spoil her!" Brenna exclaimed.
Molly gave her a slight shove. "Are you kidding me? The damn dog sleeps with you, Brenna!"
She tried to defend herself as Adam laughed, "Yeah, at least Max sleeps in his own bed."
Brenna dropped the conversation, well aware they weren't there in the middle of the night to save her from her nightmares while her faithful dog was. But Molly, remembering, patted her on the knee and held her tongue.
Adam pulled over in front of the Fire Department and helped them from his truck. The ambulance, fire truck and tanker had been pulled into the lot to make room for the dinner. They had been washed that afternoon and gleamed in the evening sun.
Adam led the women into the building, the unfamiliar fumes of diesel prickling their noses, overlayed with the more homey smell of spaghetti and garlic bread. On the side wall, yellow fire helmets and jackets hung in an orderly fashion; black rubber boots, with fire pants and suspenders bunched around the ankles, lined up in front of them.
“Hey, Adam, how is it you’ve managed to show up with two beautiful women? One is hard to find around here these days!” A stocky young man with ruddy cheeks approached, his hand outstretched.
“Hey, Barry, how’s it going? This is Brenna. She moved here recently, and this is her friend, Molly.” Adam introduced them as they shook hands.
“Moved here? People usually leave here, not move here. Most don’t come back to a small town like this...except for Adam.”
Adam smiled as he guided the women toward the back of the bay. “Well, I was never known for being predictable, was I?”
Barry followed along behind. “That’s for darn sure. We did some crazy things when we were kids. Our introduction to the fire department was being rescued off a third-story roof when we were five.”
Adam laughed. “That’s right. I’d just about forgotten that one. Barry’s brother told us he'd thrown Barry’s new baseball up there, and like a couple of fools, we believed him.”
He ushered them toward a tall, spare man with a full head of iron gray hair. “This is our captain, Jack Shaw.”
Jack shook their hands. “I’ve heard about you, Brenna. Have any interest in riding with the ambulance if we have a call tonight?”
Brenna looked at Molly. “Well, that’s something I hadn’t thought about. What do you think?”
Molly shrugged. “Sounds like fun to me.”
“Okay, thank you. Would Adam be there?”
“Oh, sure. We wouldn’t send you out cold with a bunch of strangers. And we wouldn’t expect anything from you. You’d be there to observe.”
“Thanks, that would be interesting.”
Adam took Brenna’s elbow and guided them around a couple of groups of people toward the long table laden with fragrant garlic bread and spaghetti. Brenna caught Wendy’s eye at the end of the table and waved. Wendy grinned and motioned surreptitiously at the young man ahead of her and Brenna realized this was the wonderful boyfriend she had heard about, and smiled her approval. He was about Wendy’s height with bright red hair and a weightlifter’s build. When they were done with the line, he turned, smiled at Wendy and motioned to a table. Brenna watched him guide her across the crowded bay. She hadn’t realized he was a firefighter, too. She turned her attention back to the matter at hand. After they loaded their plates with several different types of pasta, Adam led them to seats under an overhead heater.
He gestured to the people across the table. “Hi, guys," he said, and looked at Brenna. “This is the couple we’ll be responding with if we have a call tonight; Jim and Cece Laulainen.” He introduced them to Brenna and Molly. “Jim and Cece have been with the department for years. They own the hardware store in town.”
“Oh, yes, I’ve been there. It's where I got all my paint and wallpaper.”
“Glad to hear it. I hear you're baby nurses,” Cece said, a smile creasing her slightly worn face. She and her husband appeared to be in their late forties and had the faintly weathered skin of people who spend most of their time outside.
“Molly is, but I’m kind of on hiatus right now. I had to have some time away from medicine.”
“I can understand that. I had to take a break from the fire department a few years back. We just had too hard a winter, and suddenly I couldn’t take any more.’
Brenna looked at her sharply. “How did you get over that and come back?”
Cece shook her head and brushed long, graying bangs out of her blue eyes. “I guess it’s true that time heals. After a while, I began to miss the sirens and the action. I missed being able to help people. Selling hardware doesn’t really compare to that.”
Brenna chewed her garlic bread thoughtfully.
Molly put her fork down and looked at her friend. “It would be nice if that would happen for Brenna. I really miss her...everyone does. But every time I come up here, she seems more and more at home.”
Brenna smiled at her. “You’re right, I am. I miss you, too. But I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go back.”
Adam suddenly motioned to someone at the next table. A tall, well-built man rose out of his seat...and kept on rising.
Molly caught her breath. “How tall is he?”
“Six-five at last count. I think he’s stopped growing finally. He’s about twenty-eight. Hey, Tony, let me introduce you to Brenna and Molly. They’re the baby nurses from Portland I was telling you about.”
Brenna looked at Molly. Did the whole town know who they were? After living anonymously in a big city, she would feel odd next time she went to the grocery store, wondering who already knew who she was. She couldn't decide if it felt reassuring or intrusive. She looked back at Tony and shook the long, strong hand outstretched toward her across the table.
Molly shook his hand also, saying, “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Molly. I still live in Portland, but I’m up here frequently.” Hint, hint, she thought, an engaging smile on her face.
“Tony has a fishing boat here and occasionally runs charters,” Adam informed them.
Tony smiled and nodded, but appeared somewhat speechless. He dropped his dark brown eyes initially, but then appeared more at ease when Adam inquired about his business. After discussing the work he’d done on his boat through the winter, Tony turned and went back to his seat at the next table.
Molly took notice of his broad shoulders and the dark hair curling around his collar. “Is he married by any chance?”
Cece grinned. “No. But we’ve been working on that.” Her smile faded slightly. “He had a bad marriage a couple years ago and has had a hard time recovering from that. He married his high school sweetheart, but after awhile, she wasn’t so sweet. She’d been a cheerleader and homecoming queen and when the applause ended after high school, she took to partying and eventually ruined their marriage by staying out all night with guys who weren’t her husband. She moved away after he divorced her. Thank God he had the backbone to do that. For a while, I thought he was going to put up with her forever.”
Adam nodded. “He’s a lot stronger tha
n people give him credit for. He pulled together his dad’s dying fishing business and got rid of his witch of a wife. He’s a decent guy...and a good firefighter too. Always willing to help and push himself to the limit, but knows where that limit is, so he doesn’t end up endangering himself or the rest of us. When the adrenalin’s rushing, it can be hard to know what your limits are.”
“I can understand that. Although at the hospital, no one really cares what your limits are; you do what you have to do even if your blood sugar’s in the can because you haven’t eaten in nine hours.” Brenna shook her head. “I don’t even want to think about it. It’s such a relief to be away from it. I like it here.”
Adam smiled behind his garlic bread.
Jim wiped his plate clean and broke his silence. “Well, welcome to Seacliff. It’s always nice to get new blood in a small town.”
Brenna started to reply when an overhead speaker suddenly blared a high-pitched series of tones and a siren sounded from the roof outside. The tones ended and immediately a voice followed, “501, 501, respond to report of possible cardiac arrest at 11 Eucalyptus St. 70-year old male unconscious and breathing, history of heart problems. 11 Eucalyptus.”
Jim, Cece and Adam had jumped up with alarming speed and Jim and Cece ran for the ambulance while Adam spoke into a radio. “501 received, 11 Eucalyptus.” He motioned to Brenna and Molly and ran for the ambulance where Jim and Cece were already buckled in the front with the motor running and lights flashing. As soon as the women were seated, Jim pulled out, sirens blaring, while Adam pointed out the seatbelts on the bench seat. Brenna and Molly strapped themselves in hurriedly as Cece radioed, “Medical control from 501, we’re en route.”
“501 from Medical control...patient appears to have stopped breathing...CPR instructions being given to family at this time.” The dispatcher's voice was calm, but Brenna and Molly detected the underlying tone of urgency.
“Oh, shit,” Adam said as he checked the oxygen kit and tested the ambubag. “You know who this is, don’t you? Rodriguez, that fisherman who retired last year.”
“Oh, no, they’re such a sweet couple,” Cece said worriedly.
Brenna looked at Molly and saw her own racing heart reflected in Molly’s eyes. Geez, I haven’t felt like this in weeks...and I haven’t missed it either.
In what seemed a very short time, the ambulance pulled onto a side street and into the gravel driveway of a small, green house now lit up by flashing red and white strobe lights. “Medical control from 501, we’re on scene.”
Cece opened the side door and took a jump kit from Adam who followed with the oxygen bottle and a Heart-Start machine. Jim was already in the house as Brenna and Molly jumped out and followed Adam through the front door.
A small woman with curly white hair, wearing a flowered housecoat, backed away as Jim leaned over the elderly man sprawled on the braided living room rug, his skin an ashen gray.
Cece pulled patches for the Heart-Start out of a side pocket while Jim checked for respirations and a pulse. Adam had the ambubag ready to go when Jim called for it and, lifting the man’s chin, ventilated him as Cece hooked him up to the Heart-Start and Jim provided chest compressions. Turning the defibrillator on, Cece spoke into its recorder, reporting the date, patient status, and the personnel on the scene.
A whining sound, increasing in pitch, came from the machine as it charged itself to shock.
“Stand back, stand back,” came a monotone electronic voice, and Jim and Adam held their hands up.
“No shock indicated,” the machine reported on detecting no heartbeat.
Adam continued ventilation while Jim did compressions. Cece expertly inserted a needle into an antecubital vein, the first flashback of blood a dark color. Molly took the rapidly dripping IV bag from her and stood beside them.
“Stand back, stand back.”
Brenna stood off to the side with her arm around Mrs. Rodriguez, whose legs now began to buckle as a soft keening sound came from her throat. Brenna lowered her to the couch and, grabbing a tissue box from the end table, pushed several pink tissues into her hand.
“Mrs. Rodriguez, is there anyone we can call for you?” Brenna asked.
“No, no...” she cried. “We have no family. Please save him...”
“They’re doing their best,” murmured Brenna, patting her shoulder and looking helplessly over her head at Molly. They were both used to dealing with crises at the hospital, but to see someone dying in his own living room was a different thing altogether. No doctors, respiratory therapists, ventilators, IV pumps...
“No shock indicated,” the Heart Start reported again.
Adam and Jim continued CPR while Cece called the emergency room to talk to the attending physician. She hung up. “Okay, let’s go, I’ll get the gurney.”
“Stand back, stand back.”
The machine again reevaluated the man’s vital signs and registered asystole. “No shock indicated.” The EMTs started CPR again. The man’s skin had pinked up slightly from their efforts, but Jim and Adam looked grim. Cece rattled the gurney through the front door.
Brenna got Mrs. Rodriguez’ attention. “Do you have a car we can drive you to the hospital in?”
“Out front, the brown volvo. Is he alive?”
“They’re still working on him, okay? Let’s get your keys and a jacket so we can follow him.” The little woman nodded and rose stiffly to get her coat and purse as Molly helped the others load the man on the gurney and wheel him out to the ambulance. Brenna and Mrs. Rodriguez followed them out the door and down the wooden porch steps. Molly ran back to her while the gurney rolled into the back of the rig.
“Are you okay to take her in alone if I go with them to help? Or do you want to...”
“No, go,” Brenna said. “I’ll drive her in behind you. See you there.”
Molly hopped into the back of the ambulance and Cece pulled out of the driveway. Brenna helped Mrs. Rodriguez into the passenger side of her car as the ambulance sped away, sirens wailing and strobes flashing down the block.
Brenna sighed as she tossed her purse on the kitchen table. “I have to say, that is not something I feel like volunteering for.”
She had driven Mrs. Rodriguez to the hospital where a small Irish priest had met them in the emergency department and escorted the woman to a quiet room while the ER doctor assessed her husband. After a few medications were given with no response from the patient, the time of death was called by the doctor. Mr. Rodriguez had obviously been down too long for them to get him back. Adam and Jim came out of the cubicle looking haggard and Cece drove them back to the station where some volunteers had remained to hear the outcome of the call. Adam had immediately taken Brenna and Molly home while the Laulainens filled out the report.
Molly agreed. “I’ll take the nursery, thank you. We may have crises, but at least we’re in a familiar environment with all the equipment and help we need. Jim asked me to put a sat monitor on the guy and get his BP, but I didn’t know where anything was so I had to take over compressions. I’m exhausted.” She rubbed her arms and stretched.
“So much for not doing anything. Here, straddle that kitchen chair and I’ll rub your shoulders.”
“Yeah, Adam said that, in retrospect, they should have called for more help rather than using me, but at the time it seemed reasonable to just have me help since I’m used to CPR. I think he forgot when I do compressions at work, I use two fingers instead of two hands. Oh, that feels good. Hey, maybe you should become a massage therapist. I bet they don’t have one of those up here.”
“I bet you’re right, but no thank you.”
Zoe whined at the door and Brenna let her back in. “Ready for bed, girl? I am more than ready. I feel so bad thinking about Mrs. Rodriguez having to go home all alone.” Tears came to Brenna’s eyes. “And I hate that feeling! I’m glad I could be there for her tonight, but I can’t afford to be involved in situations like that right now; selfish as it sounds, I can’t handle it
.”
Molly patted her shoulder. “I already told you, it’s not wrong for you to just take care of yourself right now. You obviously have some stuff to work through. Maybe you should steer clear of the fire department.”
“I will. I don’t have to be there to see Adam.” They headed for the stairs.
She stood in front of the bathroom mirror and carefully unwound the pin curls in her soft brown hair, dropping bobby pins into a china bowl. She combed out the curls, being careful not to pull too hard, and then sprayed her head with hair spray. She turned from side to side to see the final result and was pleased. Now, to manage getting her hose on without snagging them with her fingers, the skin roughened from gardening.
She hurried up the stairs, her tiger kitty following behind only to be shut out of the room so he, too, wouldn’t snag her hose. She pulled a new slip and garter belt from the dresser and carefully donned her stockings. After straightening the seams, she attached them to her garter belt. Sliding her slip over her head, she enjoyed the soft feeling of the silk. Finally, hearing Martin’s car pull into the drive, she hurried to the closet to get her new blue dress. She and Margaret had gone shopping in Portland for something to wear on her tenth wedding anniversary and had found a beautiful sequined dress in Martin’s favorite shade of blue. She had been impatient to wear it ever since, taking it out of the closet each day to see it sparkle in the light.
She heard his footsteps on the stairs and her heart gave a little jump. Who would have guessed that a couple ten years married could still feel excited when one heard the other’s footsteps nearing? She had no idea as a young bride that they were not at the zenith of their relationship in their first year of marriage. Now she knew better, knew there was always something new to be discovered about each other if they took the time. She stepped into her rustling new dress as Martin came through the door.
“You look beautiful, dear. Do you want me to zip you up?”
She turned her back to him, smiling. He zipped her dress carefully and leaned over to nuzzle her neck. “You are more beautiful than you were on the day I married you.” His arm slid around her waist and his hand uncurled before her. She looked down to see the gleam of sapphires.
“Oh, Martin! Thank you, they’re beautiful,” she exclaimed, taking the earrings from his outstretched hand.
“Happy Anniversary, darling,” he smiled.
She went to the mirror to put on the earrings, a perfect match for her dress. Catching Martin’s eye in the mirror, she smiled. She looked back at her reflection, a healthy, attractive thirty year old woman. Healthy, but never able to give her husband the one gift that would have outshone any jewels, the glow on their own child’s face. Her heart constricted for a moment in an all too familiar pain, but she pushed it away. Tonight was a celebration; if their life story had not been spun in the way they would’ve chosen, they had still been blessed. She turned to her husband and kissed him soundly.
Chapter 31