This story is part of an ongoing series.
The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.
Feedback and
constructive
criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.
This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.
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Part 7 - Acts of Horror, Acts of Heroism
"
And who can say why your heart cries
When your love dies?
Only time."
------Enya, 'Only Time'
9:05am, Wednesday, October 16th. As I sped down University Avenue past University Hospital with my blue lightbar blazing, I could see the plume of smoke obscuring the left side of the building. A Fire Department vehicle was already on the scene, and more were coming.
Within seconds of receiving a phone call from Carole's teacher that Carole had wanted me to be called because something was wrong, the first alert came to the Duty Desk of an explosion at the Hospital. I thought immediately of Laura, and I knew in my soul that I had to get to the Hospital immediately. I remember shouting orders to people as I ran down the hallway to the exit.
I took the drive to the far (south) side employees's parking lot, knowing I needed to stay out of the way of the Fire Department vehicles on the other side. After parking, I ran along the sidewalk in front of the hospital, not hindered by Police that were already there and setting up a perimeter.
As I got closer to the northwest wing, I could see that smoke was billowing out of the doors and windows that had been blown out by the explosion on the first and second floors. There was a huge hole in the end of the building, which is where the truck-bomb must've gone through, I thought to myself. I saw fire hoses going into the gap to the left side of the shell of what was left of the truck; firemen had gone inside and were putting out the fires.
"Commander!" I heard a voice call out behind me. I turned to see Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle running up, followed by twelve Patrol Officers. When Teresa got to me, she said "We're going to set up our tent right over there." I turned and looked; about thirty yards away and towards the middle of the grass lawn, Police Officers were already setting up the tent.
"We don't need a command tent yet." I said. "We need------" And then I stopped. A figure had just come out of the gaping hole. It was our Chaplain and Police Captain, Father Alberto Romano, wearing one of the BOW Enterprise 5-minute air masks. His uniform was covered with dust, but more importantly, he was carrying two infant babies in his arms.
Teresa and I ran up to him and he handed us the babies. Before we could stop him, he'd turned around and gone back inside, followed by more firefighters.
"Let's get these babies to the tent." I said. We carried them over there, and were met by nurses that had come from the front doors of the building.
"I'm going in there, too." I said to Teresa. "You take charge out here." I ran out and towards the damaged section. As I got to the façade, Father Romano was coming out again, with another baby, which appeared to be injured. He handed the baby to Corporal Hicks, but as he turned to go back in, Firefighters were ready this time, and they stopped him.
I went forward, but felt a hand clasp my shoulder. I turned to see Fire Marshal Roy Easley. "Hold on, Commander." he said. "You are not going in there. And I told them to keep Father Romano from going back in. We'll get everyone out."
I nodded. "Yeah, you're right." I said as I saw Teresa come up and lead Father Romano away from the building. He'd gone beyond the call of duty: our Chaplain's heroism had saved three infant lives.
Cindy Ross came up to me. "Hi Roy." she said to Easley, then to me she said "The Press control plan is in effect. We've put up a ribbon line 150 ft. away for cameramen and photographers, and 200 ft. away for reporters. Strongly enforced. But the sooner you have something for Captain Thompson to disseminate, the less rabid they will be." I nodded.
Cindy then said "Where's Laura? She okay?" It seemed like the world stopped and everyone around us froze in place as I turned to look at Cindy.
"She went in early, to deliver a baby by C-section." I said. "And I haven't heard anything from her."
"Holy shit." muttered Roy Easley. He began yelling for Firefighters, who had heard me and did not need to be told what to do. Cindy just stared at me, probably wondering why I wasn't acting like a chicken with its head cut off. The truth was... I felt like that, and much worse. But I also knew there was nothing I could do for my wife right now...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
9:25am, Wednesday, October 16th. The Police Chief and Deputy Chief, Fire Chief and Fire Marshal, and FBI Supervisory Agent for the local Resident Agency were at the Police tent. Next to it, Hospital employees were setting up the Hospital's emergency tent. It was better equipped to handle the patients that had been evacuated.
A lot of emergency equipment was stored in the wing that had been attacked, but I was told that this mobile unit had been stored on a truck in the E.R. parking lot, ready to be taken where needed after the recent Point Hollow HAZMAT incident. Silver lining to that cloud, I thought to myself.
Firefighters had gone around to the other side, and entered the damaged wing from the central corridor. Their switching of radio channels had not fooled Your Iron Crowbar, and I was listening in. It might've been better for me if I had not been.
"Second floor has collapsed into the first floor near the explosion point." one Fireman reported.
"Neonatal unit is destroyed. Looks like the oxygen in the room flashed. I have four bodies." came the next call.
"Two bodies, first floor center hallway." said one man. "One nurse, one male in civilian clothes."
"Two bodies in the rubble." said another voice. "One in scrubs. The other is a woman... ah man... her belly is cut open; she must've been being operated on."
My heart was sinking fast. The radio crackled...
"Two more in scrubs... hey! these two are alive! We need stretchers! And there's a baby with one of them... breathing, doesn't appear injured. We're bringing it out to triage..."
Part 8 - Surreality
Fire Marshal Roy Easley was listening to his radio, then came over to us. "They've evacuated that wing of the Hospital in case the structure fails." he said. "They won't evacuate the rest of it unless and until it's in danger of fire or structural failure."
"Makes sense." I said. Indeed, I'd wondered why there had been no mass evacuation of the facility. I would learn that the standard operating procedure was that doctors and nurses did not abandon their patients nor their posts until absolutely forced to.
"But there's no power, is there?" I asked.
"Power was never lost," said Easley, "but the air conditioning units were shut off so that smoke doesn't get sent to the rest of the building. The oxygen system was cut off, and the Gas Company has shut off the gas at the point the line enters the property."
EMS Assistant Chief and former Fire Marshal Zoe Singer came up with Teresa. "Anyone seen Dr. Cordell?" Zoe asked.
"No." I said.
"He's in surgery!" said a voice.
We turned to see the lovely black Nurse Jones, who worked part-time with Laura in her clinic in the Psychology Building, coming up to us.
"Commander Troy, they found your wife." Nurse Jones said. "She's alive, and was taken into surgery. Dr. Cordell is operating on her now."
The relief I felt at the news my wife was alive was almost debilitating, like the time I'd found Carole then Teresa alive after the Ward Harvester explosion. (
Author's note: 'Teresa's Christmas Finale', Ch. 02.
) I heard someone else mutter "Thank God." It was Teresa, who was literally holding me up after my knees had almost given out on me. I put my arm around her for support.
"Any idea who was found dead?" I asked.
"Her patient, Rhonda Hooper." Nurse Jones said. "Her surgical nurse, Kathy. Her neonatal nurse Connie survived, and was found holding the baby that had just been delivered. It appears to be okay. The father, Jim Hooper, was in the waiting room, and apparently went to the restroom. The explosion tore right through that room. He's dead."
Nurse Jones then said that the other nurse they'd found dead, in the center hallway, was the one we called 'Nurse Ratchett', with whom I had had run-ins in the past. (
Author's note: 'Hampered In His Plans', Ch. 01.
)
I turned to Cindy and said "Cindy, call Beatrice, Otis's mother. Beatrice is Rhonda's sister, and Beatrice will have to take in Rhonda's son and newborn daughter." Cindy fished out her cellphone.
"Commander Troy, what are you doing here?" scolded Chief Moynahan. "Get in there and see about your wife! We've got it covered out here. Now go!"
"Yes sir." I said. Teresa let me go, and I followed Nurse Jones into the Hospital through the front door.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
10:30am. I was on the sixth floor of the Hospital, in the corridor of the main part of the building. The hallway to the attacked wing had been evacuated and locked off. I looked through the waiting room window near the elevator that overlooked the front grounds.
An amazing amount of 'stuff' had happened. Except for the neonatal unit, the fires had been surprisingly limited, and had been completely put out. The Fire Department was still wary of potential hot spots. Whoever had built the Hospital had very wisely routed the electricity in such a way that sections could be turned off without affecting the rest of the Hospital, so the damaged wing was isolated from the rest of the Hospital.
Two additional bodies had been found, in what was left of the cab of the truck. Both were male, but were charred beyond recognition.
In addition to the Hospital tent being set up, the National Guard's 3497th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (M.A.S.H.) from Hamilton County had arrived, and a 200-bed hospital along with a full surgery O.R. had been set up under a huge tent and was ready to go. And it was being used; there had been 60 injured persons requiring treatment for injuries, some serious but fortunately none life-threatening.
I was listening in on the Police radio, and I was exceptionally pleased that Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle had followed the adage 'when in charge, take charge'. She was in full control of just about everything, coordinating the Police and Fire responses. The Police and Fire brass had wisely just gotten out of her way. And she did not radio for me even once. All she needed was a red crowbar... and she didn't really need that.
