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Code Blue
The ambulance jolted through dark streets, sirens clearing the way.
“BP’s dropping. Push fluids. Watch his sats. We’re not out of the woods yet.”
Matt’s right leg, a ruin of muscle and bone, jostled against the splint. Blood seeped through the dressings, spreading into the blanket.
“SpO2’s at 86.”
“Still too low. Keep bagging. If that lung collapses again, we won’t get him back.”
A gash above his brow had been hastily stitched, dried blood crusted at his hairline. The face was pale and strained.
“Captain Hartfield, huh? I’ve heard stories. He’s the one who never lost a firefighter on his watch, right?”
They all knew his name. Some had worked with him, or knew someone who had.
“Yeah,” one of them said. “Let’s make sure it stays that way.”
The monitor shrilled, sharp and erratic.
“Heart rate’s spiking. One-forty and climbing!”
“He’s crashing—”
The alarm tone cut out. The screen dropped into a flat line.
“Asystole! Start CPR!”
A medic climbed onto the bench, hands locked over Matt’s chest. Compressions landed hard and fast.
“Push epi!”
Another plunged the syringe into the line. Seconds stretched.
“I’ve got a rhythm,” someone said.
“Sinus rhythm returning. It’s faint, but it’s there.”
“Resume bagging. Fluids, now. That leg’s bleeding through again. Pressure.”
They moved without pause.
“Trauma bay, Medic 412 inbound. Request blood on arrival.”
As the ambulance rolled over a bump, the stretcher rocked. His chest rose and fell, each breath uneven.
The doctor looked down at Matt, voice lower. “He’s borderline. Keep him in range until we hit the doors.”
Sirens wailed as they sped toward the hospital.
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The Long Night