At that moment, a gurney came rushing in, with another close on its heels. An elderly man and an elderly woman.
Paul was the paramedic with the elderly man who appeared to be in worse shape than the woman on the second gurney. Both wore oxygen masks, but the woman kept taking hers off to talk to the paramedic pushing her.
They had no empty bay to put either of the new patients, but hopefully the kidney stone patient would be out of his room soon. Plus, the transport crew was on their way to admit another patient up to the medical floor. Goodness knew the emergency room was giving them a workout with so many more than normal admissions thanks to the smoke inhalation victims needing respiratory observation at least overnight.
Sarah rushed over to meet Paul since the elderly man appeared to
be more critically injured. “There’s not an empty bay. Let’s pull him over this way so he’s not in the direct line of traffic and you can give me report while I do my assessment.”
“Ed Johnson and his wife, Clara...” Paul gestured over to the other gurney “...were trapped in their apartment bathroom. Like almost everyone brought in tonight, Ed is suffering from smoke inhalation, but his main injury is from a fall that occurred when he and his wife were trying to get out of the building.”
“Tripped over my own two feet,” the man said between coughs, his words muffled by his oxygen mask.
“His wife is a retired nurse and took a rolled-up bed sheet, put it under his arms, and dragged him back into their apartment. She blocked their doors with wet towels, and barricaded them in their bathroom where she called 911 and begged for help.”
For a brief moment Sarah tried to imagine the pure terror the couple had to have felt. She shuddered.
“Thank God someone got to them.”
Paul nodded, then a light dawned on his face. “Actually, it was my buddy, the one you met with the little girl a couple of weeks ago, who pulled them out.”
“Jude?”
“That’s him.” Paul grinned. “Figured you’d remember him. He’s that kind of guy.”
Jude had rescued the couple, had saved their lives.
“Were they the last of the victims?” she asked, hopeful.
Paul’s smile faded and he shook his head. “There were still others trapped. They’d called for everyone to evacuate the building as we loaded the ambulance with the Johnsons.”
“Jude was out then?” she asked, praying that he’d heeded the warning.
Paul shook his head. “I don’t think so. Like I told you before, that man is first one in and last one out.” Paul finished giving report, then took off to get back to the fire scene, ready for the next load.
“Good man,” her patient said through his oxygen mask after Paul had left.
“Paul? I only know him from coming into contact with him here, but, yes, he seems to be.”
Mr. Johnson shook his head. “Didn’t mean him.”
It took Sarah a few seconds to realize Mr. Johnson meant Jude.
“I’m glad he got you out.”
Mr. Johnson coughed so hard his oxygen sats dropped several points and Sarah began to wonder if she was going to have to suction, then intubate him.
When he finally cleared his throat, he grabbed Sarah’s hand. “You’re Dr. Sarah Grayson?”
She blinked in surprise. “I am.”
“Said he was sorry.”
“You must be...” She started to say “confused”, but why else would Mr. Johnson say something of the sort unless Jude had indeed talked about her?
The question was why? Why would he say anything about her at all? Much less tell a virtual stranger that he was sorry?
“He said I might see you here.” Mr. Johnson paused to cough and this time Sarah did suction him to clear the mucus from his throat.