High Heat (Hotshots 2)

“I’m worried about O’Connor.” Bosler came over to him, mouth pursing and gaze darting back to where their crew boss was sitting near a stump. “She keeps saying she’s fine, but I think she’s overheating or something else medical is going on. She’s dizzy even if she won’t admit it, and her color’s no good.”

“Crap. Should we call for assistance?” There was a first aid tent set up at the fire camp and medics on-site staffing it. He and Bosler had been sharing radio duties as normal, but he was the one with it at the present.

“Come over with me. Let’s try to get O’Connor to agree before we go over her head.”

“Good idea.” He followed Bosler over to her. Bosler had been right—O’Connor’s color was a mix of pale and blotchy red patches, and she was sweating even harder than Rain. His limited first aid training had the hair on his neck prickling, unease gathering low in his belly. This wasn’t good. “Hey, Boss. You feeling okay?”

“Fisher. I take it Bosler’s been telling tales?” O’Connor’s voice was weary with a thready quality that worried Rain further.

“He thinks I should put a call in for some medical assistance for you. Tell you what, how about you let me call simply to put his mind at ease? We’ll get you checked out, Bosler can hold down the fort, and then you can be back out here with us once they get you hydrated or whatever else you might need?”

“You’re probably...right.” O’Connor blew out a pained breath between her teeth. Damn. Rain did not like where this was heading. Might simply be heat exhaustion, but it could also be her heart or something more serious. “Maybe...some electrolyte drink. Keep...having floaters in my eyes too. Never had heat...do me like this.”

“Okay. I’m going to radio in.” He was more than willing to take her nominal agreement that hydration could help as permission. “Base? This is hand crew four-five-one requesting medical assistance.”

“Four-five-one, we copy. What is the nature of your emergency?” Garrick’s voice was warm but concerned, and no matter what issues lay between them, Rain was damn glad he was on the call. Not only was he reassuring, but he was also good at his job. He’d get them help.

“Our crew boss is ill.” He quickly relayed O’Connor’s symptoms to Garrick. “I don’t think she can walk back to the hard line rendezvous point.”

“Copy that. I’m paging medical now to see what our options are. Despite this heat, wind conditions are a big concern today. See if she’ll drink some water, and I’ll be back in a second with a plan. Hang in there.”

Simply knowing Garrick was working on the problem helped. His last words felt personal somehow, a message to bolster him. After Rain ended the transmission, Bosler urged O’Connor to drink, which ended up being a mistake because she promptly threw it up.

“Sorry. Guess... I...am...little sick.” Her breathing was more labored now, and Rain wasn’t waiting for Garrick to get back to him, reaching for the radio even before she was done talking.

“Base? Four-five-one here with an update. Water was a no-go. The boss is vomiting now. She doesn’t report pain, but her breathing is getting rough. What’s the ETA on that assistance?”

“Copy that, four-five-one. We’ve got medics heading to you via truck, and we’re trying to get a helicopter for medical evacuation.”

“That’s good.” He couldn’t keep the relief out of his voice. He didn’t like not knowing how to help himself, didn’t like coming up against the limits of his rather sparse training, and he was seriously regretting not getting an EMT certification when he’d had the opportunity. Several others had stopped working, a small group gathering to see what was up. “And the rest of us?”

“Rather than pull the whole crew, your orders are to continue on. Bosler is your acting crew boss.”

“Copy that. I’ll let him know.” He wanted to keep Garrick on the line but tempered that impulse. Garrick could help them best if he wasn’t tethered to the call. Taking a deep breath, Rain went back over to Bosler. He’d simply have to work through the fluttering pulse of anxiety on his own.

“Okay, back to work, everyone. Help is on the way.” Bosler waved the onlookers away. “And no one else get dehydrated. Drink your fluids. More than you think you need. Fisher, you keep a lookout for the medics and keep listening to the radio chatter.”

It felt like a decade passed, but in reality, it wasn’t that long before the sound of a motor nearby cut through the forest. Two medics arrived with a stretcher for the boss. The older of the two, a woman with short gray hair, frowned as she took O’Connor’s vital signs.

“Damn this wind and smoke. Hopefully we’re able to rendezvous with the helitack crew, get her airlifted to Bend,” she said to him and Bosler, adding to his worries that this was more serious than simple heat exhaustion. “You did the right thing, calling for us.”