we’re not set up with a specific burn room, but exam five is larger, probably the best one.” She motioned for one of the volunteers to come over. Dave Ellis, the town dentist. “Dave, you go with Dr. Galbraith, and get the room ready. He’ll tell you what he needs. You can hang the IVs and get the saline ready.” She also signaled Catie, the owner of Catie’s Overlook, to help. Catie would fetch, Dave would actually assume some of the medical duty.
“Who are these people?” James whispered to her.
“They’re not trained to do the actual rescue out in the field, but I’ve trained them to help in the ER—they runerrands, go after supplies, carry messages, do whatever they can to help the medical staff. In the case of Dave Ellis, he’s got a fair amount of medical training as he’s a dentist, and he can do pretty much anything we need him to.”
“Amazing,” he said, looking around at the expanding sea of these volunteers. At least fifteen of them had wandered in now.
“Yes, they are,” she said, taking some pride in her little group.
“Not them. You. They’re here because of you, aren’t they?”
She looked up at him. Smiled. For a moment, an old longing filled her. She wanted to feel his arms around her, just a fleeting hug, but she stepped back before he saw the need reflected in her eyes. And he would. “They’re here because this is where they want to be. It has nothing to do with me.”
“I don’t believe that,” James argued. “Just look at the way they’re watching you, waiting for instructions.”
They were waiting for her and it was nice to be back. A little bit of normalcy in the midst of so many things that hadn’t been normal for so long. “Honestly, I’m a little nervous,” she whispered to him. “It’s been a while…not sure I’ll get my old rhythm back.”
“Smoke inhalation coming in…times three, ETA ten minutes,” Emoline shouted. “One critical, two stable.”
“You’re going to be fine,” James whispered, his lips practically brushing her ear. “It’s like riding a bicycle. You may not have been on one in a while, but once you get back on…”
She felt the tingle of his lips on her ear. It spread down her neck, down her arms, down to her toes. “Running anemergency is like riding a bicycle?” she asked, fighting not to visibly shiver.
“OK, so maybe the analogy was a little off, but you know what I mean.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I do. And thank you for having that confidence in me.”
“I know who you are. And usually I might say something like, if you need me, you know where I am. But I don’t have to say that, Fallon, because you won’t need me.”
That wasn’t true. She’d needed him from the first moment she’d laid eyes on him. That would never change. For her, James was everything, and her need for him was so close to the surface it was nearly touchable.
“Burn coming in, ETA twenty minutes. They’re telling me it’s minor,” Emoline called out.
Fallon drew in a deep breath. Smiled at James, reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. “I’m glad you’re here tonight,” she said, then turned to the group. “OK, I need two of you at the door to keep it clear…” She gave the instructions, volunteers scurried to obey, and within mere minutes the emergency room was ready. A short time later, while she was awaiting the arrival of Gabby Ranard, who was going to be doctor in charge, her dear old friend Edith Weston staggered into the emergency room on her own, looking ashen, confused. “Don’t feel good…called a taxi…” The rest of her words were garbled as Fallon rushed forward to grab her when the old woman started to pitch forward.
One of the volunteers was there right away with a wheelchair, helping Edith into it. Fallon assessed her pupils immediately, took a pulse after that. “Edith, can you tell me what happened?”
Edith looked up at her, flashed confusion. “I think Imay have had a slight stroke,
“Who are these people?” James whispered to her.
“They’re not trained to do the actual rescue out in the field, but I’ve trained them to help in the ER—they runerrands, go after supplies, carry messages, do whatever they can to help the medical staff. In the case of Dave Ellis, he’s got a fair amount of medical training as he’s a dentist, and he can do pretty much anything we need him to.”
“Amazing,” he said, looking around at the expanding sea of these volunteers. At least fifteen of them had wandered in now.
“Yes, they are,” she said, taking some pride in her little group.
“Not them. You. They’re here because of you, aren’t they?”
She looked up at him. Smiled. For a moment, an old longing filled her. She wanted to feel his arms around her, just a fleeting hug, but she stepped back before he saw the need reflected in her eyes. And he would. “They’re here because this is where they want to be. It has nothing to do with me.”
“I don’t believe that,” James argued. “Just look at the way they’re watching you, waiting for instructions.”
They were waiting for her and it was nice to be back. A little bit of normalcy in the midst of so many things that hadn’t been normal for so long. “Honestly, I’m a little nervous,” she whispered to him. “It’s been a while…not sure I’ll get my old rhythm back.”
“Smoke inhalation coming in…times three, ETA ten minutes,” Emoline shouted. “One critical, two stable.”
“You’re going to be fine,” James whispered, his lips practically brushing her ear. “It’s like riding a bicycle. You may not have been on one in a while, but once you get back on…”
She felt the tingle of his lips on her ear. It spread down her neck, down her arms, down to her toes. “Running anemergency is like riding a bicycle?” she asked, fighting not to visibly shiver.
“OK, so maybe the analogy was a little off, but you know what I mean.”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I do. And thank you for having that confidence in me.”
“I know who you are. And usually I might say something like, if you need me, you know where I am. But I don’t have to say that, Fallon, because you won’t need me.”
That wasn’t true. She’d needed him from the first moment she’d laid eyes on him. That would never change. For her, James was everything, and her need for him was so close to the surface it was nearly touchable.
“Burn coming in, ETA twenty minutes. They’re telling me it’s minor,” Emoline called out.
Fallon drew in a deep breath. Smiled at James, reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. “I’m glad you’re here tonight,” she said, then turned to the group. “OK, I need two of you at the door to keep it clear…” She gave the instructions, volunteers scurried to obey, and within mere minutes the emergency room was ready. A short time later, while she was awaiting the arrival of Gabby Ranard, who was going to be doctor in charge, her dear old friend Edith Weston staggered into the emergency room on her own, looking ashen, confused. “Don’t feel good…called a taxi…” The rest of her words were garbled as Fallon rushed forward to grab her when the old woman started to pitch forward.
One of the volunteers was there right away with a wheelchair, helping Edith into it. Fallon assessed her pupils immediately, took a pulse after that. “Edith, can you tell me what happened?”
Edith looked up at her, flashed confusion. “I think Imay have had a slight stroke,
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