by Sandy Nadeau
Hoo, boy. Here she sat, next to the partner she didn’t want to be a partner with. In more ways than one.
Jeannie looked back with a longing expression.
Steve adjusted his chair to face her more. He grinned. That expression would surely do her in. The instructor explained half of them were to take vitals, pulse, blood pressure, breathing, while the other half worked with the CPR manikins. “Do you want to check me first?”
Ronnie slid her chair around. “Sure.” She suppressed a sigh. She caught Jeannie’s glance. Ronnie should have found a way for Steve to sit with Jeannie. She couldn’t get out of it now.
He rolled up his sleeve. Oooh, what a bicep. She remembered that strong arm around her, holding her tight. Comforting her. Ronnie’s fingers trembled as she smoothed the blood pressure cuff around his arm to attach the Velcro. Why…was…she…shaking like this? Come on girl, snap out of it. She’d taken hundreds of pressures over the years. It’s not like he was the first guy she’d checked. She put the ear pieces of the stethoscope in and concentrated on listening. His tight, muscular, tanned arm lay there in front of her. She closed her eyes to concentrate better. She finished, reached up to remove the device from her ears and pulled to release his arm from the contraption. “One ten over seventy.” She looked up. Their gazes locked for the briefest moment and it transported her to another time. A happier time.
What is wrong with her? This was no time for memories. She reached to take his pulse. As she held her middle and ring finger against the rhythm, she could have sworn the pace picked up. Knowing she should check his breathing while taking the pulse, she watched the rise and fall of his chest. His…well-defined…chest. “Running close to a hundred Steve. That’s a bit high. Respirations about twenty.”
“You got me all twitter pated.” Steve grinned again.
Jeannie looked at them with a puzzled, shocked expression.
Ronnie’s heart sunk a bit.
She couldn’t look at Steve. “I haven’t heard that line since I was a kid.
“Facts are facts.”
Heat rose in her cheeks. Why didn’t she think to wait for Jeannie? She didn’t want to fall for him, but she stood on the edge of that precipice, all the while feeling her balance waver. “All right, your turn.” She held her arm out as he picked up the pressure cuff.
~*~
Steve wrapped the nylon piece around her slender, toned arm. Finding a normal pressure, he placed his fingers against her wrist. She looked away as he counted the respirations in the rise and fall of her chest. He glanced up as her face turned rosy then looked back down. He had to retain a professional attitude. He had to follow the protocol for respirations on anyone. The longest thirty seconds he’d had for a while. “Appears you’re normal. That’s a good thing. Surprising, but good.”
He ducked as Ronnie gave him a playful slap.
The class switched stations so Steve and Ronnie took their places next to the CPR manikin.
Even though he could perform CPR in his sleep, the constantly changing guidelines required that he stay on top of all the updates.
The training went well.
For the fifteen minute break, they slipped on their jackets and he followed her outside to a picnic area next to the training center. She held the door for him. The temperatures weren’t bad for fall. The sun had already slipped behind the surrounding foothills, so the evening chill settled in.
~*~
“What do you think of the class so far?” She took a drink, and then sat down at the picnic table with her back leaning against the hard, cold edge. She pulled two snack bars out of her coat pocket and handed one to Steve.
“Thanks. Hey, our old hiking snacks. I love these.” Steve unwrapped the familiar favorite and took a bite. “Class is good. The instructor seems very experienced. I think it’ll be good.” He sat next to her, leaned the crutches against the table, raised the clunky boot to the bench, and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees.
“Yeah, me, too. I’m glad I finally got the ball rolling for my EMT.” Her gaze stayed fixated on the silhouetted pine trees dotting the area.
“So…I was thinking. Maybe we could do dinner one of these nights.”
Ronnie glanced at him.
The dim street light illuminated the hopeful look in his eyes.
“Steve…” she paused as she thought of how she could word this. She hated to hurt anyone’s feelings, but she had to protect the barrier over her heart. “You know I don’t date firefighters any more. I just can’t handle the stress.”
“I know.” He lowered his head and looked down at his intertwined fingers. “I miss…us. What can I say? Listen, Ronnie. It’s no secret I still really like you. I’ve never stopped. I just want to spend more time with you. No strings attached.”
“More time means getting closer. It’s hard enough in class. I don’t think I can risk any more right now, Steve. I can’t bear the thought of going through what my mother went through when Dad died. It’s just too hard.”
“I don’t plan on dying. You need to trust the Lord with these worries. Why stop yourself from enjoying a relationship because of fear?”
“Steve, we’ve been through this. And you don’t know if you’ll die.” She looked away, her heart crashing again at the memory of when she had broken off their relationship. He might have been able to do more for her dad, but she couldn’t voice that to him. Logic told her he couldn’t have, but her heart wouldn’t accept it. Even though she had grown accustomed to the thought of maybe spending her life with him, it would become a life of fear and resentment. What if he didn’t make it out someday? What if he really could have saved her father, and didn’t? Losing her father still tore at her gut. They’d been so close. She missed him so much. Tears threatened to cross the threshold that she tried so hard to block.
Steve always had to bring up the “trust God” card.
She used to trust God. But now…how could she trust a God who allowed her father to die doing something so heroic? Her dad would have tried to keep John from going further into the fire. But John’s overconfidence kept him pushing them forward until he had sucked all the air out of his tank. Then the wall fell on them both, knocking John out and his mask off.
Her dad broke a cardinal rule by putting his mask on John as he attempted to save the man. Then part of the ceiling came crashing down and debris blocked the path of escape. Her dad had been able to drag John near the door where they were found. Dad died on the way to the hospital. He had breathed in too much of the toxic smoke for too long. How could she trust the same thing wouldn’t repeat itself? No, trust in a God like that would not be something she’d be doing anytime soon.
She had to admit, rejecting Steve would be so much easier if he weren’t so handsome, and kind…and giving…and a gentleman…and exactly what she wanted in a husband. Shaking her head, she sighed and crossed her arms. She had to find a way to push him toward Jeannie. To push him away.
“I’m sorry. I know. I’ll let it go. But…just know I’m here if you change your mind.” His eyebrows wiggled.
It made her snicker.
“No hard feelings?”
“No, no hard feelings. We should get back inside.” If these times continued she would fall into a danger zone she didn’t want to enter. She would have to spend breaks with others. Maybe she could encourage Jeannie to come along. Yeah, that would give her the opportunity to push them together.
“Hey, I bet Jeannie could take you home tonight.” Ronnie tried the suggestion as she held the door open for him.
“That would be silly. She lives in the opposite direction. You have to drive right by my house on your way home. You trying to get rid of me?”
“No, no. I…uh…just thought you might…never mind.” What could she possibly say here? Jeannie likes you. Go be with her. Deep down she didn’t really want to push them together no matter how much she tried to convince herself that her feelings for him were gone.
After class, they go
t in her truck and she turned on the radio, hoping it would distract any uncomfortable conversation on the ride home.
The oldies country station blared out a song about falling in love.
She quickly changed the station. She would not go there in her mind.
4
The pagers screamed out the emergency tone. As the sound ended, the dispatcher’s voice came over the unit, indicating a car had hit an elk near mile marker four on County Road 65.
Steve jumped to his feet and headed for the truck.
Troy, Jeannie, and Carl responded to the call with him.
Several weeks had passed since his ankle injury, and he was glad to be working again.
Troy hit the lights and siren. The vehicle laptop displayed a map to the location. The rookie leaned forward against the shoulder strap, eyes fixed forward. His leg bounced at a frantic pace.
“I know you’re excited, Troy, but remember, you have to keep it cool and do the job.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Just get there.” Troy’s impetuous behavior tended to get him in trouble with the chief. If he continued, he wouldn’t last with the department.
Steve didn’t want him lose his job.
Rounding the curves, they saw a car in the ditch. An elderly woman stood on the side of the road, wringing her hands.
A police car, coming from the other direction, pulled in behind her.
The driver’s side front end had smashed into a tree not far off the road. The car sat at a bit of an angle. The driver must have turned too sharp to avoid hitting the animal, which obviously didn’t work.
The elk limped out in the field across the road trying to catch up to the herd. A few more of the large animals stood watching.
More sirens headed to the scene.
Steve parked the large truck, partially blocking the roadway.
Troy jumped out and raced toward the car with the Jaws of Life.
Steve caught up, fighting a slight, leftover limp.
The young man behind the wheel had blood oozing from a wound on his face and a dazed expression.
Carl went to check on the woman.
“Get out of the way,” Troy yelled as he began to start up the Jaws.
“Troy, wait.”
“We have to get him out. Get out of the way.” He set the machine in the joint of the door.
“Troy. Stop. That isn’t neces…”
The roar stopped him mid-sentence. Steve reached over and shut off the machine. He put a hand against Troy’s chest and held it firm.
“What are you doing, man?”
Jeannie took the Jaws out of Troy’s hands and set it off to the side.
Steve reached out for the door handle and opened it. “Try it before you pry it, Troy.”
Troy’s face went instantly red.
“You can see the door isn’t damaged, Troy,” Jeannie said.
“All right. I get it.” Troy stomped back.
Steve knelt next to the driver, “Sit tight. We’ll get you out of here.” He began an assessment of the guy’s injuries.
“What…I didn’t see…Oh, man…my car.” He touched the bridge of his nose, saw the blood on his fingers and tried to get out of the car.
“Sit tight.” Steve put his hands on the victim’s shoulders. “You could have more injuries.” He took hold of the back of the man’s skull and placed his other hand under the chin, fingers bracing, holding firm in case of a neck injury. “Let the medics check you over.”
A paramedic and Ronnie came down to the car.
Ronnie crawled in the passenger side. “What have you got, Steve?”
Peter, the paramedic, crawled in the backseat directly behind the driver and stabilized the victim’s head from the sides, relieving Steve from his hold.
“Laceration on the nose. No other apparent injuries.”
Ronnie separated the collar used to protect the neck. “What’s your name?”
“Uh, Brandon.” His eyes looked dazed.
“Do you know what day it is?”
He paused a minute, “Friday?”
“How old are you, Brandon?”
“Twenty-five.”
“Brandon, we’re going to get this collar on you just in case you have any neck injuries, then get you back-boarded and out of here.”
“I’m fine. I can get out.”
Steve placed a hand on the man’s chest and the paramedic in the back seat shifted to keep a firm hold on Brandon’s head, preventing further movement.
“Humor me. Let’s just get you to the hospital and have you checked out.” Ronnie slipped the front of the plastic collar on him, and then slid the back half into place working around the medics’ hold. She nodded to Steve who attached it on the other side.
She checked his pupils for any further sign of a head injury. “So you found out elk rule the roads around here.”
“It jumped out in front of me so fast…”
“I hate when they do that.” She tended to the cut on the bridge of his nose. “Are you on any medications?”
Ronnie handled victims so well. She had a soothing presence and her humor helped to keep the patient at ease. She began to take his blood pressure, pulse and respiration, all the while speaking to Brandon in a calm voice.
Jeannie returned with the short board, and stood to the side ready to help if needed. She smiled so sweet at him.
The medic in the back seat continued to keep the patient’s head stabilized as Jeannie slid the board behind him.
Ronnie assisted in connecting the straps to hold him to the board, one strap going across his forehead and allowing Peter to release his hold.
Peter backed out of the rear seat telling Ronnie, “Guide his legs as we get him on the long board.”
The long board had already been positioned. They turned the victim to slowly lower him with the short board onto the long board. His upper body now stable, Ronnie aligned his legs.
The fire chief walked toward Steve, who now stood out of the way of the medics. George frowned at Troy, who hurried back to the truck carrying the Jaws. “What’s up with him?”
“Troy was ready to cut the car up, but the door wasn’t locked or damaged.”
“Assuming you told him?”
“Yep. Try it before you pry it.” Steve shrugged. “He forgot.”
“When is it going to sink into him?”
“Give him some time. You know how long it takes with some probies. We were all excitable in our probationary stage.”
“Keep me posted,” George said. “Looks like they’ve got the vic ready.”
Steve assisted in carrying the boarded patient up to the waiting ambulance.
As they closed the doors, Ronnie headed for her rig.
Steve caught up with her. “Good job back there, Ronnie.”
“Oh, yeah, thanks. Thanks for the help, too. I…uh…have to go.” The door closed and she was gone.
5
Ronnie had Friday off and headed over to help her mom pack up more of the house. She didn’t really want to go through the stuff she hadn’t taken to her apartment. But Mom had threatened to pitch it. She had no idea where she’d store it, even if she did keep it. “Mom? I’m here.”
“Hey, sis.” Adam finished taping the box in front of him. “Mom’s upstairs.”
“Hey, Adam. Thanks. I’ll go up and help her.” Ronnie headed up the wooden staircase nostalgically running her hand up the rail’s smooth wood.
Dad had replaced the original black metal railing for the beautiful oak years ago. He had spent many hours sanding and varnishing it to make sure it would last. It would probably outlive the house. It warmed her heart and made her realize how much she’d miss the place.
“Mom?”
“In here, honey.”
Dad’s old office. She’d avoided his room all this time. Her mom sat on the floor with an open box beside her loading books off the lowest shelf. Ronnie stopped in the doorway.
“Hey, Mom, Adam could do this room…” She co
uldn’t make the offer herself.
“Hi, sweetheart. No, I need to. I like to see your dad’s things. I don’t know why I’ve held onto them for so long. But now it’s time. I thought I’d donate his woodworking books to the technical college. Unless you want any of them.”
Ronnie sat down, crossed her legs and looked into the box. “No, I don’t think so.” She took a couple off the shelf and looked at the titles before putting them in the box. A heavy sigh escaped her lips. She’d always planned to be strong around her mom, but being here; around Dad’s things…she wanted to be a little girl again. Back when he still sat in this room planning his next project.
Her mom took her hand, patting it with the other. “It’s OK, honey.” Mom fought apparent aching muscles to stand. Placing her hands on her lower back, she stretched. “How’s your class going?”
Ronnie squeezed one more book into the box. “Oh, it’s good. A lot to remember, but I’m loving it.”
“And…” Her mom’s eyebrow quirked up. “How’s Steve?”
“Mom…”
“Just asking.” Her hands went up in surrender. She grabbed a smaller box, moved over to a desk drawer and began to unload it. “He’s a good man. I liked him. So did your dad.”
“I know, Mom. But it’s over. I’m not going to date him. We’re just stuck in the same class. Besides, there’s another gal in the department who really likes him.”
“Does he seem interested in this girl?”
“Oh, you know Steve. Well, men in general. I don’t think he has a clue. She keeps trying to get his attention. But, he’s all about the job.”
“Unless it was you, I bet.”
“Mom…”
“Could be a divine appointment that you are in that class with him.”
“Doubtful. We’re in the same town and both need the same class. That’s all. I know what you’re thinking. God did not put us together for this.” She abruptly grabbed the tape gun, positioned it, pulled back fast, and sealed the box. The sharp noise felt like her heart ripping again. Time to cram those memories back down where they belonged. She marked the lid for the college and slid it across the hardwood floor out to the hallway. She wanted to follow the box out of the room, but she wouldn’t leave the work to her mom.