Game Wardens: Jayme & Tripp

by Andria Large

  Jayme was driving, Tripp was in the passenger seat, and Brendan and Will were in the back. They were on their way to base camp, all of them still exhausted. Jayme felt like he was more tired after his nap, than he was before it.

  He turned onto one street they had used the day before, only to get stopped by a river of rushing water. There was no way they could risk crossing it in the truck. It didn’t look deep, but you could never tell with those kinds of things. Plus, there was a bunch of debris in the water. Jayme watched what looked like a shed get pushed down the road in front of them.

  “Hey, what’s that?” Tripp said, and pointed out the front windshield.

  He looked at where Tripp was pointing, and inwardly groaned. There, sitting on the hood of a car in the middle of the rushing water; was a brown puppy, shivering and huddled up close to the windshield.

  “Looks like a puppy,” Brendan said, his face coming between them; as he leaned forward from the backseat.

  “We can’t just leave it there,” Tripp said, and made to get out of the truck.

  He grabbed Tripp's arm. “How the hell are we supposed to get to it?”

  “I’ll wade out there and grab him. I’m not leaving him there.”

  “Tripp, it’s too dangerous. You see all the shit rushing by us? You’ll get swept away by something.”

  “We’ll tie a rope around my waist, that way you guys can pull me back.”

  “No.”

  “I’m not leaving here without him,” Tripp said, and got out of the truck.

  “Fuck!” he exclaimed, and shoved open his door.

  Brendan and Will followed. They all stood at the front of the truck and looked at the water.

  “I’m going to have to agree with Jayme on this one, Tripp. It’s too dangerous,” Brendan said regretfully.

  “You just wanna leave the poor thing there to die?” Tripp snapped and motioned to the puppy.

  “He’ll be fine there until the water recedes, then he can go on his merry way,” Jayme argued.

  “What if the water gets higher, and the car gets swept away? He’ll be doomed.”

  “I’m sorry, but a puppy is not worth risking your life for,” he replied.

  Tripp stood there staring at him, a spark of defiance flaring in his eyes. Shit. Jayme was not going to win this battle.

  “I’m going. Help me or don’t, either way, I’m saving that dog,” Tripp said with finality. He was not going to budge on this.

  Tripp went to the back of the truck and opened the hatch. He came back unraveling a nylon rope. He wrapped one end around his waist; tying it off with a special knot so it wouldn’t come undone.

  “Goddammit.” He huffed, and picked up the line.

  Brendan wrapped some of the rope around his fist, as did Will. The three of them held tight to the rope, as Tripp waded out into the knee-deep water. He shuffled his feet, taking small steps toward the car. Jayme’s heart pounded as he watched. Anything could go wrong, and Tripp could lose his life in a second. He was not a praying man, but he prayed to whatever higher power there may be; that Tripp made it back to him safely.

  It took Tripp about five minutes to get to the puppy. They were the longest five minutes of Jayme’s life. Now he just had to get back. Tripp grabbed the puppy and tucked it under his arm like a football. He started to make his way back.

  Jayme took notice of the water steadily rising, by the time Tripp was halfway back; it was up to the tops of his thighs. Tripp was maybe about three feet away, when Will yelled for him to look out. He glanced to his right, and saw a car being swept right toward him. Tripp glanced at it, then looked at him.

  “Jayme! Catch!” he yelled, then lobbed the puppy at him.

  Jayme instinctively let go of the rope and caught the puppy just as the car slammed into Tripp.

  “NO!” he screamed, and watched in horror as Tripp went under the water; and the front of the car.

  The rope was stretched tight, and Brendan and Will struggled to hang on. Jayme placed the puppy on the ground and raced to the side of the raging water; where Tripp was definitely under the front of the car. Which had stopped moving several yards away.

  “Call for help!” he yelled at Brendan.

  “I can’t! I’d have to let go, and Will can’t hold it on his own.”

  “Fuck!” He ran back to the truck and tore apart the supplies to find another rope. He found it and ran back to where Tripp was. He’d been underwater for far too long. Jayme tied the rope around his waist, then tied it to the tree a few feet away. He had to get him out of the water, before it was too late.

  Jayme waded into the water and fought to keep his feet under him. The water was moving quickly around his legs. He made it to the car and followed the line that was tied to Tripp. It went under the front of the car, but Tripp was nowhere to be seen.

  Jayme reached into the water, barely keeping his head above it; and felt around under the front of the car. Eventually he felt Tripp’s head and shoulder. He grabbed his shirt and pulled, but Tripp didn’t budge. He figured with the rushing water, Tripp would be pushed away from the car; something must be stuck. He slid his hand along the rope tied around Tripp and found that it was caught on something under the car; trapping him there.

  He straightened, and screamed for Brendan and Will to let go of the rope. It took them a second to realize what he was saying, but they eventually figured it out and let it go. Jayme saw Brendan immediately pull out his phone. Good. Help would be here soon. He tried pulling Tripp now that they let go of the rope, but he still didn’t move. He reached under the car and tried to get the rope off of where it was snagged; but it was too tight, and he couldn’t get it. The only other thing he could think of was to cut the rope. He pulled his knife from his pocket and reached under the car once again. He sliced through the rope, and as soon as he did; Tripp came free. Jayme dropped the knife. Fuck it, he’d get another one; and grabbed Tripp under his arms. He was lifeless as Jayme pulled him free from under the car.

  He glanced back at the shore. How the hell was he going to get him there? He was going to have to put him over his shoulder. The car creaked and inched forward. Shit, he needed to move. He squatted, and hefted Tripp’s dead weight over his shoulder. He then began his trek back to dry land. He moved just in time, because the car decided it wanted to float down river some more.

  Brendan and Will waited for him, as he slowly made his way through the thigh deep water. The puppy waited with them as well. He sat obediently next to Will’s boot. When Jayme got close enough, Brendan and Will rushed in to help him. They helped lie him on the ground, so Jayme could assess him. He knew he wasn’t breathing, that was a given. He checked the pulse in Tripp’s neck, but it wasn’t there. He tried his wrist just in case, but he couldn’t find one there either.

  Unable to process what that meant, he went into life saving mode. He immediately started chest compressions. After thirty compressions, he did two breathes; then went back to compressions.

  “Jayme, let me help,” Brendan said.

  “Don’t touch him,” he barked, and continued what he was doing.

  Thirty compressions, two breaths, and repeat.

  Sirens filled the air, but he ignored them. He wasn’t going to stop. He couldn’t stop. Because if he stopped, then he’d lose Tripp; and he couldn’t lose Tripp.

  “Jayme, let the paramedics take over,” Brendan said, and touched his shoulder.

  He shrugged him off. “Not until he’s breathing.”

  “Come on, Jayme. They need to get him to the hospital,” Will said.

  “Guys, you’re gonna have to grab him,” someone he didn’t know said.

  He could hear everything, but nothing was really registering. Someone grabbed him under each arm and hauled him back. He fought like a mad man, punching and kicking; screaming for Tripp. He watched as they cut off his shirt and attached pads to his chest; while someone else inserted a breathing tube and hooked up a bag to it. Tripp’s body tensed as the AED that they
hooked up to him did its job. Jayme froze and held his breath, as he waited for the paramedic to check for a heart beat.

  “We got one, let’s get him loaded,” the paramedic said.

  Jayme sagged in relief against Brendan and Will, who were the ones that pulled him away. The ambulance was gone a minute later, siren wailing as it went. Jayme’s heart went with it. His whole world was in the back of that ambulance.

  “We have to go. Now,” he rasped, and headed for their truck.

  Brendan and Will followed. He slammed the back closed and hopped in the driver’s seat. Brendan stopped by his window.

  “Maybe I should drive?”

  “Get the fuck in, or I’m leaving you here.”

  “Oookay.” Brendan skirted the front of the car and climbed in the passenger seat.

  With Will in the back, he peeled out of there; and followed the ambulance to the hospital. Jayme shivered. He was soaking wet, and the adrenaline was starting to fade; making him really cold.

  A whining noise from the back seat caught his attention, and he looked in the rear view at Will. “What the fuck was that?” he asked, knowing full well what it was.

  Will grinned and held up the puppy.

  “Are you fucking kidding me?” he barked.

  “I couldn’t just leave him there,” Will said.

  “Fucking great.”

  When they got to the hospital, he parked and ran into the emergency room; leaving Brendan and Will behind. He ran up to the desk, startling the woman sitting behind it.

  “Can I... can I help you, officer?” she stuttered, her hand to her chest.

  “They just brought my partner in by ambulance. I need to be back there with him.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Listen, I don’t have time for all of the formalities. Just hit the button for the doors.”

  “Sir, I can’t--“

  “Do it!” he snapped, and banged his fist on the desk. “He could be dying back there!”

  “I’m sorry, sir. I can’t let you back without signing you in.”

  “Fuck!” Jayme raked a hand down his face and willed himself to calm the fuck down. He was never going to get anywhere acting like that. “His name is Tripp Littrell.”

  She typed in Tripp’s name, and went through the process of signing Jayme in. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. “Do you need a blanket or something?”

  “No, I just want to get back there to see my partner.”

  “Okay. You’re all signed in. He’s in bay 3,” she said, and nodded towards the double doors that led to triage.

  Jayme rushed over and squeezed through when there was just enough room to fit. He scanned the room numbers until he got to Tripp’s. There was a flurry of activity in his room, and Jayme heard someone shout for a crash cart. He ran to the doorway, to see doctors and nurses working to resuscitate Tripp.

  “Sir, you can’t be in here,” a stern female voice said from in front of him.

  He looked down at the petite little woman glaring up at him.

  “But--“

  “But nothing. You are not allowed to be here. Who let you in?”

  “I have every right to be here.”

  “Are you his family? Just because you’re a cop, doesn’t give you the right to be here.”

  “No, but--“

  “No one but family is allowed to be here.”

  “Will you shut up and listen to me for a minute?” he gritted out through clenched teeth.

  “If you’re going to be difficult, I’ll call security.”

  “That’s my fiancé dying in there!” he shouted at her.

  Her mouth snapped shut, and her face flushed. “Oh.”

  “Yeah, oh,” he said mockingly.

  “You can stand here, but you have to stay out of the way.”

  He nodded, and lifted his gaze to see that Tripp had been stabilized. Nurses and doctors filtered out of the room. One doctor stopped next to him.

  “Hi. I’m Dr. Lansing. Are you a relative of Tripp’s?”

  “Jayme. I’m Tripp’s fiancé.”

  Dr. Lansing sighed. “He’s fighting for his life. We’ve had to revive him twice already. As of right now, it’s not looking good.” He patted Jayme on the shoulder, then walked away.

  “You can go in and sit with him,” the mean little nurse said sadly.

  He swallowed hard. It took him a minute, but he eventually got his feet to move into the room. Tripp was hooked up to a ventilator, and all kinds of machines. He grabbed the chair that was against the wall, pulled it to Tripp’s bedside and sat down.

  He took Tripp’s limp hand and kissed the backs of his fingers. “All this for a fucking puppy.”

  The choked sob that escaped him caught him by surprise, but it was too late; he couldn’t stop the tears that poured down his face. It was quite possible that he’d never get to see his fiancé smile at him ever again. He’d never hear his voice or feel his touch. This could be it. All because Tripp had to save a puppy.

  He dropped his forehead to the back of Tripp’s hand, and just cried. The next thing he knew, someone was touching his shoulder. He lifted his head and saw the tiny spitfire nurse from earlier. Her expression on him was soft and warm, different from the stern, take no shit, expression from earlier.

  “You fell asleep, Honey,” she said.

  “Shit. How long was I out?”

  “A few hours.”

  He looked up at Tripp.

  “He’s stable. We’re going to move him to ICU in a few minutes. I just wanted to let you know.”

  “Thanks,” he replied, and shivered violently. The air conditioning was killing him. He was freezing in his wet uniform.

  “Do you want me to get you some scrubs, so you change out of those wet clothes?”

  “If it’s not too much trouble. I’d appreciate that.”

  “No problem, Sweetie. I’ll be right back.”

  She came back a few minutes later with scrub pants and a shirt. She also brought him those socks that the patients wear with the grippy bottoms.

  “I figured your boots are probably soaked too.”

  “Yeah. Thanks. Do you have a bag I can put my stuff in?”

  “Sure. Let me get one.”

  While she went to get a bag, he pulled the curtain and got changed. She came back just as he pushed the curtain aside. She handed him a purple tote bag with the hospital’s name and logo on it.

  “Great, thanks again.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  By the time he put all his stuff in the bag, another nurse came to take Tripp to ICU. He followed, wearing his new scrubs and socks. Fuck his boots, he wasn’t putting them back on right now.

  They got Tripp all hooked up and good to go, then left him to himself. He went to the phone that sat on the little tray and dialed the only number he had memorized. His phone was toast, he had it in his pocket when he went into the water. He tried turning it on, but it was done for.

  The phone rang for a minute before someone answered. “Hello?” his mom said.

  “Hey, mom.”

  “Jayme? What’s wrong?”

  His bottom lip trembled, and it took him a couple times before he could even talk. “It’s Tripp. He’s in ICU in Galveston. I don’t know if he’s gonna make it.”

  She gasped. “Oh my God, what happened?”

  “He had to save a puppy stuck on a car in the middle of a river of rushing water. A car hit him, and he got stuck under it. I got him out, but he...he was gone. The paramedics brought him back, but he’s already...he’s already had to be revived twice since he’s been here. They don’t know if he’s going to make it.”

  “Oh, Sweetie, I’m so sorry. What can I do?”

  “I don’t have Tripp’s mom’s number. My phone is dead. Can you try and look it up for me?”

  “Sure, Honey. Hold on, let me get on the computer.”

  After a few minutes of searching, she finally found the right number. He thanked her and
promised to call back with any news. He then called Donna, a rock of dread sitting in his stomach as he listened to it ringing.

  “Hello?”

  “Donna?”

  “Jayme? Is that you?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.”

  “Oh God. It’s Tripp isn’t it?”

  He couldn’t answer. His throat had closed up.

  “Jayme is he still alive?” she whispered.

  “Yes,” he croaked. “But it’s not looking good.”

  “Where are you?”

  “John Sealy Hospital in Galveston.”

  “I’m coming, okay? I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  “Okay.”

  “See you soon.”

  She hung up before he could answer. God, he hoped she made it.

  ~~~

  Jayme

  “Jayme?”

  He glanced over his shoulder to see Donna, Elianna, and Brett walking into the room. Relief crashed over him and brought tears to his eyes. He didn’t have to deal with this alone. He got up and went to them. Donna pulled him into a fierce hug. When she let him go, she cupped his face for a moment before moving on to see Tripp. Elianna was next, and then Brett.

  “It’s okay, man. Tripp’s a strong dude, he’ll make it,” Brett murmured to him, before giving him a squeeze and letting him go.

  He sniffed, and wiped his leaking eyes with the back of his hand. He nodded, but he didn’t feel as sure about it as Brett did.

  “What happened?” Elianna asked.

  Jayme told them what happened. He hoped it was the last time for a while that he’d have to relay the story. Just the thought of Tripp under that water like that made him nauseous. He was going to have nightmares about it for sure.

  “Has the doctor been in at all?” Donna asked, as she took Tripp’s hand and held it.

  “Yeah, a couple of times. He said that even if he does come out of it, he was under the water for too long; and he may have some brain damage.”

  Donna nodded.

  “Where’s the dog now?” Elianna asked.

  “My friends, Brendan and Will, have him.”