Garrett’s choice of North Park was a good one. She’d reserved the flat area around the Boat House for the group to use. The activities that it afforded in close proximity were numerous and would meet with everyone’s approval.
The day had started early with Danni and Garrett arriving ready to set up the areas for fun. After that was done, they had time to spare before the first members of the group would arrive. It was then that the two women let the spark of adolescence light up their eyes and take off running for the swings. It wasn’t more than a minute before the long legs of the surgeon could be seen kicking off the backward stroke of the swing as she strove to go higher. Like two children out for a day of fun, their laughter could be heard as they giggled and talked back and forth.
"Gar, did you ever have a really good friend when you were growing up? I mean, besides your brother."
The surgeon didn’t need time to think. The answer was easy. "No, why?"
Danni shrugged her shoulders as she let the swing glide down of its own accord. "I was just wondering."
Garrett’s swing swooshed past the nurse’s in the opposite direction and her body leaned back with her head almost upside down to watch her friend. "How about you?"
"No," the blonde shook her head. "Mother would never allow it. Gar, why don’t we make believe that for just today we’re kids again? You know…do all the things that we missed out on doing with a close friend growing up." ‘Please, Gar, let me remember you as that close friend.’ Danni’s eyes pleaded her case.
Slowing, the surgeon brought her swing to a stop and sat there dangling on the seat as the chains jingled back and forth. The raven-haired woman took on a shy smile and nodded. "I think I’d like that."
And so the theme for the day was set by the words on their lips. Each one acting more like a big child than they would ever care to admit. From going out on the paddleboats, playing volleyball, to running as a team in the three-legged race they spent their time together. Then, when it came to tossing raw eggs back and forth until they finally broke, they were teens trapped inside the bodies of women, enjoying the day, the sun, and their time together as if nothing else mattered. It was a day that each one would remember for a long time.
Then without warning the laughter all came to a crashing halt. While waiting in the food line for their dinner, Diana Morgan had asked the question that Danni didn’t need to hear.
"So, Dr. Trivoli, will you be staying with us?" Diana waited hopefully for the answer. She didn’t want to think of losing another member of her growing pseudo family this soon. The young girl had come to look up to the surgeon for the caring way she handled the delicate situation when her family had been so devastatingly snatched from her.
The surgeon stopped short, her face became serious, as all she could do was shake her head, not wanting to ruin the day for either Danni or herself by saying what they both already knew but chose not to think about.
"Oh, I see," was Diana’s muted reply, "well, I’m glad that you’re with us today."
Garrett agreed and turned to see Danni become pale and nervous looking. Without a warning, the nurse swallowed hard and found herself needing to walk away before the tears sprang forth. "I…left something in the car. I’ll be back." Then she was gone.
She just couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to know what was going to happen. Danni just prayed that she’d be able to live through it.
In a few minutes, the nurse was able to cope once again as the rest of the day drew to a close. It would be a memory-filled time for them both to reminisce about.
Everything was dwindling down to the last in a series of things for the women. First it was their last ride into work together that started off the day, then their last mid morning coffee, and their last slow wait through the express line in the cafeteria for lunch. Then, on their way home from work, it was the last take-out pizza dinner that they’d pick up. Now in the hours slowly ticking by, they waited for their last call out and emergency flight. Each one wanted just once more to remember their time as a team but not really wanting to wish misfortune on anyone.
Just when it looked as if it was over, the pager went off, startling them both from the late night news broadcast that they were watching. Danni jumped up, and ran for the bathroom as Garrett got the message from the pager. "MVA with multiple victims."
The surgeon flipped her cellphone to her ear as she pressed the speed dial to the Command Center. "Trivoli here." She listened for a minute then ended the conversation. "We’re on our way with a ten minute ETA to the helipad."
The ride both by automobile and helicopter was quick and they were soon circling for the descent to the designated landing zone. The fly by over the accident scene showed the severity of the crash. They were able to make out the form of a vehicle in pieces as the impact with the utility pole had split it in two. Off to the other side of the road was another vehicle with its front end smashed and flipped onto its roof.
Danni shook her head in disbelief. "Can you image that?"
"Looks like we’ll have our work cut out for us down there." The surgeon sighed and mentally prepared herself for being the triage person who would decide which patient would be given a chance at life and who would be beyond help. "Cowboy, are there more choppers being sent to this scene?"
"That’s an affirmative, Doc." He looked into the rear compartment. "We doing a load and go?"
"No, I’ll have to triage and take the last one out."
"Gottcha, I’ll park us in the farthest slot." He turned his eyes back to the ground below as he picked out his spot. "I wonder if that was a wedding limo down there. What do you think?"
"No, there’s different colors to the clothing. My guess is that it was Prom Night." The blonde’s face was filled with emotion as she remembered the numerous Proms that she had attended at the hand of her mother. "They were probably having the time of their lives and now look at where they are, just trying to stay alive."
"Get us down there, Cowboy, and we’ll see what we can do." Garrett picked up on the melancholy in Danni’s voice.
The Scene Commander had explained the accident as another result of drunk driving at its best. The car on its roof had been traveling at a high rate of speed and went airborne when it crested the rise of the hill. The Limousine driver saw the hurtling car coming in his direction and stepped on the gas to get out of its way. That’s when he lost control and went broadside into the utility pole.
Garrett surveyed the scene of rescuers as they worked to meet the needs of all the patients. The team first took note of the patients that they could easily access as they made their way to the very open rear half of the limo. None of them had been wearing seatbelts as the array of bodies intertwined one with the other was evident. There were six in all; only two of which had been backboarded and collared as of yet. Danni and Garrett each stopped by one of them and did a quick assessment of their injuries and condition in general. Each one had some broken bones but was stable enough for a quick transport to the hospital without any other medical intervention. Their I.V.’s were checked for infiltration and drip flow and then they moved on to the next in the long line of patients.