To the readers who keep coming back to find out what happens next, thank you for returning month after month.
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As always, I hope y'all enjoy the new chapter.
The Boy Who Cried Sapphire Tears –- Part 15
The car dislodged itself from the tanker long enough for it to go sailing over the side of the cliff, but, a moment later, Bruce felt a great lurch and knew they were free falling. Only a second after that, did they come to a crashing halt, causing Bruce and Blake to sink into the backs of their seats. Bruce opened his eyes, not knowing what was happening and when he did, he saw the tanker falling at an alarming rate and knew that this wasn't going to be good.
He closed his eyes and sank further into his seat, bringing his head as far below the roof as possible, and then the tanker hit. The big metal tanker hit the front of the car and it collapsed upon itself, pinning both Blake and Bruce's legs in place. Bruce let out a whale of a scream from the pain of the dash crushing his legs. When the tanker couldn't go any further, it started to roll over the car and when it hit the roof, it crushed it like a steamroller crushing an aluminum can. As it did, Blake's head got caught between the seat and the roof, pinning it in such an awkward position. The only thing this ensured was that Blake wasn't going anywhere.
A couple more seconds passed and the air around Bruce fell very still. The tanker did the damage it was going to do to the car and then it was silent. Was he falling still, to his and Blake's death? What was happening? At this moment, he had no idea and just closed his eyes and steadied himself for what was to come.
After only about fifteen seconds, Bruce heard the loudest sound he had ever heard in his life. He wondered how he was still alive to hear it, knowing he had hit the bottom of the canyon, but then he opened his eyes from fear and noticed the brightness of the surrounding area and saw that he wasn't moving. Five seconds later, the area fell black once more.
Sitting in the living room, Mama and Papa were wondering what was taking Blake and Bruce so long. A moment later, everyone felt what seemed to be a small earthquake. Papa looked out the window just in time to see a massive fireball rising in the sky. Standing, he exclaimed, "What in blazes?!"
Everyone else moved to the windows to see the outside transition from bright as day, back to utter darkness.
"This isn't good, Papa," Mama said, worried, touching Papa's chest.
Before anyone else could move, Dwight was already out the door, heading for his truck. When the others arrived, he told them to get in the bed as he waited. A few climbed in and others chose another vehicle because of the frozen night. Out on the road, Dwight turned on his four wheel drive and slowly crept down the winding road. He kept going until Jackson, sitting in the front seat with Dwight, pointed and said, "There's a fire!"
Dwight pulled over to the side, near the cliff and everyone jumped out. They stood on the edge and looked down at the now twisted hunk of metal that was engorged in a raging fire. The fuel in the tanker exploded upon impact and now all that was left was pieces of shrapnel that were thrown as far away as two miles.
As Dwight, Jackson, Amy, Charles, and Miguel stood at the cliff, the other car rolled past the truck and stopped in front. Mama, Papa, Joan, Lindsey, Thomas, and Julie piled out and joined the others in watching the devastation. Lindsey moved further down the hill to see better because trees on the canyon walls were blocking her view. As she did, she noticed something else and started toward it. She looked to her left and saw a faint light coming from about 500 feet away. She slowly, but cautiously, make her way closer and when she was able, she saw the outline of a car sitting below the cliff wall. She knew instantly it was Bruce's car.
"OH, MY GOD!" She screamed.
Everyone turned toward her and she said, "Bruce's car—it's over the cliff! Dwight!" She called and everyone came running. Dwight, with his small but fast stature—and more than enough motive for speed—went sliding past everyone and was down at the shining light within seconds.
After classes that day, Robert and Todd decided on sunning themselves in the park across the street for about an hour or so, and then went on a five mile run. After they were done, they came back to shower before going out to dinner. Their other roommates weren't home, and they were too starved to wait. When they returned, they ended up in their room and their hormones got the better of them. After their hour and a half of fun, they decided to hit the sack early.
They ended up falling asleep about eight, cuddled together, as usual, but Todd tossed and turned a lot during the first hour. His body couldn't get settled, even though he was asleep. He spooned Robert for a bit, then turned on his back, then turned away from Robert, ended up on his stomach for a while, then finally, on his back once more. During this time, his head started thrashing back and forth, his breathing became labored and sweat covered him from head to foot.
Unbeknownst to him, in his dream state, his heart started beating harder and his dreams were becoming very disturbing. His mind put him in the backseat of a car with Blake, and someone else, in the front seat, going up a hill. He couldn't see who was driving—but his stomach gave a lurch, making his body break out into a sweat. Everything beyond the windows was pitch black—not even a star could be seen in the sky. Even in his sleep, Todd didn't like the way he was feeling. At that moment, the surrounding area became clear—stars shone brightly—and he saw Blake and the other man, who he now recognized from the ranch (but he still couldn't remember his name) more clearly. A second later, he saw the headlights of the car being reflected back from the sliver skin of the big truck, as it hit the car head on.
His chest was heaving with despair. Even though he didn't know it, his body was reacting to the dream he was having and it was wearing him down, physically. In his dream, Todd saw the car being dragged down the road and then finally over the cliff.
"NO!" Todd screamed, bolting upright from the bed.
Next to him, Robert woke with a start and turned to see Todd covered in sweat. "Todd? Are you okay?" Robert asked in a panic.
"No. I gotta call Blake," he answered, frantically searching for his phone on the night stand. When he found it, he grabbed it and pushed Blake's number.
He heard the phone start ringing and he kept repeating to himself, `Pick up, Blake. Please, pick up.' After five rings, it went to voicemail. He hung up and tried again. Still nothing. His panic was starting to get the better of him and tears started to form in his eyes. He repeated this process several more times, in hopes that what he dreamed wasn't real. Though there was a pain in his chest that told him it most definitely was.
Back in Montana, everyone was frantic about the car below the cliff. They could see both Blake and Bruce in their seats, but only Bruce was responsive, and barely at that. The car was pushed off the cliff by the tanker and by some pure luck, landed on a ledge about twenty feet down. The ledge was only about ten feet wide and the car was barely hanging on. Bruce could hear the car digging at the rocks and dirt and he could feel the car shift ever so slightly when the earth would give away.
He was more scared now than he was when he saw the truck coming for them. He knew, up on the ledge, his husband and friends were trying to figure out what to do, but he couldn't see them because of the dark. It was torture knowing that Dwight was so close, and yet he might never see Dwight's face again. He was just out of reach.
Mama pulled out his cell phone as soon as they saw the car and called 911. He knew that if something didn't happen soon, they were going to lose Blake and Bruce. His eyes kept scanning the horizon and kept listening for the sounds of sirens and when he finally heard them, he started to breathe a little easier. After a minute, there was another sound that got his attention. He heard a strange ringing sound and looked around to find its location. After a minute, he heard the ringing get louder and finally, he came across a phone that looked a lot like Blake's.
He picked it up and saw Todd's picture on the screen and answered it.
"Todd?" Mama asked.
"Who is this?" Todd demanded.
"It's Mama. Why are..." He was cut off.
"Mama, is Blake okay?" Todd asked in a rushed voice.
"Actually, no. I don't think so. How did you know?" Mama asked, not understanding.
"I don't know...I just... What's going on? What's happened?" Todd asked, anxious to find out.
"I'm not sure. There was an explosion and we all came down the road and Lindsey found Bruce's car sitting over the cliff on a ledge. Bruce and Blake went to get Amy's birthday cake. I don't know what happened," Mama explained, tears running down his cheeks.
"Oh, God!" Todd hand covered his mouth, muffling his voice.
"The paramedics are on their way. We just gotta figure out how to get to them," Mama said.
"How far down are they?" Todd asked, squeezing the tears from his eyes.
"About twenty feet or so, I think," Mama said.
"Can you see them?" Todd asked.
"No, it's too dark, but Bruce is talking a little. He said Blake is unconscious right now. Todd, I'll let you know something as soon as I do. The paramedics are pulling up now. Let me call you back in a few minutes, okay?" Mama asked over the howling sirens.
"Okay, but call me as soon as you know something, please," Todd begged.
"I will, I promise," Mama said, then hung up.
When Todd hung up, Robert asked what was wrong.
"Blake's been in an accident. He's on a cliff or something. I don't know anything else," he said, then looked at his phone. He scanned the listings and dialed the number for his home in Georgia.
"Hey, son?" Don answered.
"Dad—Blake's been hurt!" Todd said, without pausing.
"What? How?" Don head tried to wrap itself around Todd's tone of voice and the news he just shared. His relaxed mind, thankfully, was quick on the uptake. "What happened?"
"What's wrong?" Christine asked, grabbing her husband's arm. Her confusion was double his. She knew her son was on the phone, and her Don's tone sent a chill through her that only got colder as Don held up a finger, forcing her to wonder for a few more moments.
"I don't know. I had a dream that he was in an accident, and I called his phone, but Mama answered and said Blake was hurt. I don't know what's wrong yet, but Mama said he'd call me as soon as he knows anything. All he told me was that the car Blake was in is on a ledge, or a cliff or something. The paramedics just got there, so he let me go." There was a pregnant pause. In a barely audible voice, Todd added, "Blake's unconscious, Dad. I'm so scared." Don hadn't heard Todd sound so small since he was a little boy, crawling into their bed over a nightmare. There was only one thing he could think to do.
"Call me back as soon as you hear what's going on. I'm gonna call the pilots. Your mother and I are heading to Montana," Don said, taking control.
Christine looked at her husband and was very confused, but even more afraid. "What's going on?" She pleaded again.
Covering the phone, Don said to Christine, "Call Mark and Susan. Tell them we need to get to Missoula as soon as possible. We won't need Derik."
Without knowing what was happening, Christine made the calls and waited for Don to be done with Todd.
"Come and get me," Todd insisted, voice almost rising with hope..
"Not yet. Let us get there and find out what's going on. As soon as we know, we'll let you know," Don said.
"But Dad?" Todd said, more pissed than disappointed. He needed to see Blake—he needed to see him now!
"Todd, Blake might need us right now. Detouring to come and get you will only waste time. Let us get there and see what's happening," Don reasoned, trying to calm his son.
"I won't be able to concentrate. Not until I know he's okay," Todd said through his tears.
"You have to try. We should be there by the morning. I'll call you as soon as we know something. But right now, you call me as soon as Mama calls you back. Todd you need to stay focused. Just call me as soon as you hear anything."
"Okay," Todd said, defeated—yet still pissed—and hung up.
"Blake's been in an accident," Don finally explained to Christine.
"Oh, my God," Christine said, covering her mouth.
"The car he's in is on a ledge somewhere. Paramedics are there now. Todd's gonna call us as soon as he hears anything else."
Don called Pax immediately, heart pounding as the first ring went by...and the second...
"Hey, Don—" Pax answered pleasantly
"Pax, Blake's been in an accident. Christine and I are going to Montana. I don't know how long we'll be gone."
"When are you leaving?" Pax asked, somehow keeping calm.
"We're on our way to the airport now. We've already called Susan and Mark. They should be there soon," Don explained.
"Tristian and I'll meet you guys there. How bad is Blake hurt?" Pax asked.
"Don't know yet. We'll see you there. We're about to leave," Don said, grabbing his keys and wallet.
"Okay. See you shortly," Pax said before hanging up.
Ten minutes later, both Don and Christine were dressed and out the door heading to the airport, not even packing the bare essentials. When they arrived, Pax and Tristian were already there, waiting. Once they were all through security, they made it to the plane and as soon as the doors closed, Don's phone rang.
"Todd?" Don asked.
"They say it's bad. Mama said they have to get a crane out there to grab the...the car." Todd's tears were coming faster now and it took him a minute to get his next sentence out. "Dad. Mama said that Bruce told them that...that Blake's pulse is...weak. They're afraid..." Todd broke off, trying to find the courage to say the next four words. "...he won't make it," Todd sobbed.
"Don't think like that. Stay strong, Todd. We're in the plane now. We'll be in the air in five minutes. You have the satellite phone number?" Don asked.
"Yeah." Todd's voice sounded more like a croak as his throat closed.
"Call me back if you hear something else. I gotta go. In fact, I'll call you shortly," Don said.
"Okay, Dad," Todd barely said, and then hung up.
"What's happening?" Tristian asked.
"Blake's pulse is getting weak," Don said.
"What do you mean, weak?" Pax asked, unconsciously taking and squeezing Tristian's hand.
"I don't know. That's just what Todd told me," Don said, then everything fell silent.
Five minutes later, the jet was rolling down the runway and soon, they were airborne.
Back in Montana, the paramedics and the police were trying to figure out what to do. The Captain finally had to make a call to get a crane on the scene and it finally showed up.
"Johnny, we need you to grab the car A.S.A.P. It's been shifting on the ledge and it's gonna go any second," the Captain said.
Johnny walked over and saw the predicament and called over his co-driver. When Ryan arrived, they formulated a plan.
Ryan got suited up in a body harness and Johnny attached a cable to the back of the harness and then lowered down the big hook and handed it to Ryan.
"I'll lower you down slow to the side of the car. Inspect the underside before you hook it. Make sure the axle can hold the weight," Johnny said to Ryan.
"Got it. I need a flashlight," Ryan said, looking at Johnny.
Johnny unhooked the carabineer on his belt and handed over a small, but powerful flashlight. Ryan hooked it to his vest and stood on the edge. When he was ready, Johnny pulled the cable tight with the winch and a moment later, Ryan started leaning back and soon was falling over the edge with precision. Johnny made sure to give both Ryan's personal safety cable and the hook cable slack so that Ryan could take both down to position.
After a few tense minutes, Ryan made it down next to the car, being careful not to touch the ledge. He didn't want any extra weight on the earth. When Bruce opened his eyes, having them closed, trying to relax, he saw Ryan.
"Are you here to get me?" Bruce called through the busted window in a frightened, but raspy voice.
"Not yet, buddy. I gotta hook the car so you don't go over. After we get it hooked, they're gonna bring you up. But I gotta make sure the car doesn't leave this ledge," Ryan explained, not wanting to touch the car, but making his voice soft and gentle to try and comfort Bruce.
Trying to block the pain in his legs, Bruce looked at Ryan and said, "Not to be a pain, but you think you can hurry this up," then gave a fake laugh, trying to take his mind off his situation.
Ryan gave a small laugh and a smile. "For you, sir, I'll be as quick as lightning."
Bruce closed his eyes and prayed that Ryan could hook the car in time.
Ryan did his best not to touch the car, but he had to use it for leverage. The Captain and other police officers, as well as the paramedics and the group from the ranch, were standing on the ledge watching. A minute later, another D.O.T. truck showed up and set up some work lights. Within five minutes, it was like the sun had come up. Bruce could see exactly how he and Blake landed and it scared him even more. He scanned the faces up on the ledge but he couldn't make out Dwight.
"Dwight?" He called out in a pleading voice.
"I'm here, baby! I'm here!" Dwight called back, trying his best to hide his nervousness.
"I...I can't see you..." Bruce called in a broken voice as his tears fell.
A moment later, a silhouette waved its hand in the air and Bruce could finally concentrate on his husband. "I'm right here, Bruce. Keep your eyes on me."
Ryan used the car once more for leverage to turn himself the right way, but only to have the car shift even further. Bruce let out a painful scream and Ryan let go of the car and steadied himself using the wall. As the car slid further, a long, heavy piece of metal dislodged itself from the roof and fell downward, pointing at Blake. When the car stopped moving, the metal did not. It forced its way through Blake's right side, puncturing his ribs, stomach and lung.
Back in New York, Todd had just pulled on some underwear and was walking toward the bedroom door. He didn't make it halfway across the room when he was brought to his knees with a pain he had never felt before. His hands, instinctively, went to his lower right abdomen and put as much pressure as he could as he let out a roar that could wake the dead. The other roommates came running when they heard Todd scream and when they opened the door, they saw Robert slipping on his underwear and asked him what happened.
"I don't know. Something strange is going on. He was asleep, then he woke up from a nightmare and now, he's in pain...but he didn't do anything!" Robert said, scared.
Todd was holding onto his stomach, trying to squeeze the pain away, while his face contorted in agony. He was biting down on his teeth as hard as his jaw would allow and his eyes were closed. He also couldn't breathe very well. Keith came over and grabbed Todd's hands.
"Move your hands, Todd," he commanded, but Todd was too strong. "Todd," Keith called louder. "Move your hands so I can see what's wrong."
He felt Todd loosen his grip, slightly, and when he moved Todd's hands from his stomach, he saw nothing. He was confused as to what was hurting Todd. "Is it something inside?" Keith called.
"I don't know. It just hurts so much," Todd said through clenched teeth.
"Lay down," Nicky said, walking up next to them.
"I... can't... move. It hurts... too much," Todd said.
"Lay on the floor," Keith said to Todd, agreeing with Nicky, then over his shoulder he said, "Someone call 911."
Ricky moved quickly and got his cell phone and punched the three numbers. He explained everything that he was told and had witnessed to the operator along with the address and apartment number. He heard her type for a few seconds, then ask him a question for clarification. Once everything was done, she said the ambulance was on the way. Ricky, then went to the front door and grabbed the door phone and called the doorman and told him of the ambulance, and instructed him to let them up.
Up on the ledge, Dwight closed his eyes and held back tears, hearing his husband in so much pain. When the screaming stopped, he opened his eyes and called down.
"Stay strong, baby?" He didn't know what else to do except let Bruce know he was there. He always wanted to make sure that Bruce stayed conscious.
"I'm trying...I'm so scared," Bruce called back.
"Damnit!" Dwight cursed under his breath, as he folded one arm across his chest and brought his free hand up to his face. Mama walked over and put his arm around Dwight to try to comfort him.
The rest of the team from the ranch were all too stunned to do or say anything. Not one of them had a dry eye, though. Especially not Jackson. He had Buddy as his boyfriend now, and he loved Buddy with all his heart...But he loved Blake first and seeing the situation Blake and Bruce was in...it scared him. To possibly lose someone he fell in love with was too much to bear. He was doing everything to keep from going into his ugly cry. For Jackson, that would be breaking down completely, rocking himself into a fetal position and blocking everything else around him out until the tears stopped coming. He was saving his ugly cry for his friends when he knew they were safe.
One of the paramedics called down to Bruce and asked them what his injuries were. He told them, through his sobs, that his legs were crushed and he couldn't feel his feet anymore. He told them everything else was okay, as far as he knew. They asked if he felt pain anywhere else, and when he said no, they started asking about Blake.
He relayed what he could see of Blake, now that there was light and he told them of the cut to his forehead and how his legs appeared to be crushed as well. They asked him to reach over and feel his pulse again and see if it was the same or if it had gotten weaker. Bruce did as he was told and when he felt Blake's neck, he couldn't find a pulse.
"I can't find one," Bruce called out the window.
"Push harder. Move your fingers around. Try again," the paramedic called back.
Bruce moved his fingers to different areas and pushed in farther to feel for a pulse. After a couple of positions, he finally found one. A faint one, but at least it was a pulse.
"I found it. It's really weak. It's barely there. I don't know how much longer he can hold on," Bruce said, wincing in pain from his legs.
Back on the cliff, the Captain looked at the paramedic and said, "When we get them up here, you put what you need to put on him to monitor him, then get out of our way, okay Tom?"
By way of an answer, Tom nodded his head and went to the ambulance to retrieve his heart monitoring kit. Everyone on the ground was waiting, impatiently, just to make sure the car was secure. The one who was having the worst time waiting, was Dwight. He had more than friends in that car. The love of his life was hanging in the balance by what was left of a small ledge. Any moment, he knew that could be the last for Bruce and Blake. He tried to think positively, but he couldn't. All he could think about was losing Bruce, and it was crushing his insides.
Ryan was finally able to see under the car and looked over the axle of the front wheels. He looked at both ends of the axle and saw that they were still attached, without any damage that he could see. Shining the flashlight over toward the middle of the axle, he did see a break in the metal and hoped it would hold. He didn't know if it was new or old. He did know that there wasn't any danger for the car while in motion, but to have the entire weight of the car hanging in the air by the hook from that cracked axle, he didn't know what would happen.
Using the walkie talkie clipped to his belt, he relayed what he saw to Johnny and Johnny thought about it a moment and told him to go ahead and hook it. Ryan replaced the device and turned his attention back to the hook and the axle. Below him, he could hear the rocks and dirt slowly give way. As it fell from around the car, he could hear it hit the metal before falling into the air. He slowly reached as far as he could toward the middle of the axle and slowly moved the large hook over the bar. When it was hanging on the other side, he reached below the axle and grabbed it and heard more earth give way. He closed his eyes for a split second and then moved the hook and was about to place the cable in the hook's mouth when he heard and saw the car start to move. Everyone on the ledge started screaming with fear.
Before he could remove his arm, the ledge completely gave way and the car started falling. He pulled his hand with the hook back toward him as the car started moving faster. A piece of crushed metal bit down into Ryan's arm and cut him, deeply. By sheer luck, the hook grabbed the cable and the car only fell about 10 feet before it violently came to a halt. As it did, the dash dug further into Bruce's legs, causing him to scream. But over his scream, he heard a loud and utterly disgusting crack. During the free fall, the seats actually moved forward slightly, pressing Blake's head and neck harder into the roof of the car. When it stopped as suddenly as it did, the seats fell back about three inches, then came back to rest in the forward position, causing Blake's neck to snap.
In New York, the paramedics had arrived and were looking Todd over, having calmed him a bit, when he suddenly screamed in more pain, raising his hands to his neck. After he screamed, he said, through clenched teeth, "Make it stop!" Tears were running from his eyes faster than ever. The pain he was feeling was like nothing he had ever felt before and no one could explain why.
The paramedics were just as confused at Todd was. They couldn't understand what was causing his pain. They were there on an abdomen call, and now his neck started hurting. They were at a loss as to what to do. The only thing they knew to do was to take him to the hospital for tests. They picked him up and placed him on the gurney and strapped him in. Robert got dressed as quickly as possible and grabbed Todd's clothes and started following them out the door, when he heard a phone ringing. Robert stopped and turned back to the bed and saw it was Todd's phone.
He raced to grab it and then followed the paramedics through the apartment, toward the elevator.
"Hello?" Robert said, frantically.
"Todd?" Don asked, not recognizing the voice.
"No, it's Robert, Todd's roommate. Is this his dad?" Robert asked.
"Yes. Where's Todd?"
"He's going to the hospital. Something happened and he's in pain," Robert explained.
"What do you mean? What happened?" Don asked.
"I don't know, Mr. Blyth. He was fine one second and then in pain the next. The paramedics don't know what's wrong...they're taking him to the hospital," Robert said.
There was a very long pause on Don's end, for he had no idea what he needed to do. His son, his own flesh and blood, was on his way to the hospital for some unknown reason, while his other son's life—though not flesh and blood, but as close to a son as could be—was literally hanging in the balance. He thought of the options and realized that Todd was in the best place for him at the moment and Blake needed them more. If need be, he would be on a flight to New York the following morning, after checking on Blake.
"Mr. Blyth?" Robert called.
"Yeah, Robert. Call this number back as soon as you know what's going on. If they won't tell you anything, call me and put them on the phone," Don said.
"Okay, sir. We're getting in the elevator. I'm gonna lose you. I'll call with an update as soon as I know something," Robert said, then hung up as the paramedics wheeled Todd into the elevator. Once Robert was in, they started their ride to the ground floor.
"Shit!" Don screamed, as he hung up the satellite phone.
"What's wrong?" Christine asked, coming to him, shaking slightly.
"Todd's on his way to the hospital," Don explained.
"Why?" Christine asked, starting to form her own tears out of fear for both Todd and Blake.
"No fucking clue. Robert said he was in pain. That's all," Don said.
He fell back into the chair closest to the phone and put his head in his hands.
"Do we need to change course?" Pax asked of Don.
"No," Don said, keeping his face down. "Blake needs us more now. Todd's in good hands. We need to find out what's going on with Blake. In the morning, I'll fly to New York if I need to. His roommate is going to keep me up to date."
"But Don..." Christine started, tears falling from her eyes.
"Christine, Todd is going to the hospital. Robert didn't say anything about physical problems, only that Todd was in pain. Mama told Todd that Blake is in a car on a cliff. We don't know what's wrong with him. We need to get to Montana and find out. We need to be there in case any medical decisions need to be made." There was a pause as Don looked into Christine's eyes, then he finally asked, "Do you have the guardianship papers?"
Christine couldn't answer with her voice, instead, she shook her head.
"We're gonna need those to prove we can make the decisions. Can Tina get those for you?" Don asked.
Wiping her eyes, she nodded and said, "Yeah. I'll call her now," and moved over and picked up the satellite phone and punched Tina's number. When she answered, Christine asked her if Blake's guardianship papers were scanned into the mainframe of the office.
"Yeah, I remember doing it myself," Tina said. "Why?"
"There's been an accident. Decisions might need to be made. Don and I need that proof of guardianship," Christine explained.
"Give me a fax number, Christy. I'll send it now," Tina said, getting out of bed and heading to her office to access the Christine's old law office's mainframe to search for the document.
As Christine called out the number for the jet's fax machine, Tina wrote it down and told her it would get to her in five minutes and hung up. As soon as she did, Tina found the document, accessed the online fax machine and hit send.
Within two minutes, the fax started coming through. When it was done, Christine picked it up and looked at the paper. On it was her's, Don's and Blake's signature, making them his legal guardians. She went to sit next to her husband and handed him the paper. He took it, looked it over and folded it in half and held it tight.
Pax and Tristian didn't know what to do, so they did nothing except worry for their two young friends as they held each other's hand.
Back in Montana, the car was just about clear of the ledge when the axle started to buckle. Tommy knew that if he stopped the crane, he was sure he was going to lose the car. Every time the car moved in something less than a fluid motion, Bruce would scream in pain. He could feel the dashboard digging into his legs deeper with every bump and he knew they still had to set the car down on the ground. Something he was not looking forward to, but knew it had to happen.
As the back bumper made contact with the ground, Bruce's screams got louder, but at least he knew they were on the ground and they were no longer in danger. The axle lost a lot of the weight, and the creaking and moaning from the bent metal stopped. It held strong until the car was finally on all four tires again. When it was back, flat as it should be, the paramedics went to assess the two passengers and hooked Blake up to a heart monitor and started an IV drip. They found his heart beat, slow, but steady.
The other paramedic, Jason, headed to Bruce and looked him over and realized how much pain he was in. "Tom, what's the passenger's condition?"
"Unconscious, but a slow, steady beat," Tom called.
"Captain, we need the driver first," Jason called out.
The Captain gave the orders for the men to start working on the driver's side first. The men came over and threw a special blanket over Bruce and then started to cut. They used the Jaws of Life to pry the door away first, then used another tool to cut through the frame holding the roof in place near the windshield, and then the middle of the car between the front and rear seats. When the driver's side was done, they did the same with the passenger's side. After all the cuts were done, Jason called out and said that he needed to get in the backseat and hold Blake's head in place.
He knew that if they removed the roof and Blake's neck moved at all, he could be paralyzed, if he wasn't already, especially if his neck was broken. He squeezed his solid frame in between the door frame and the back of Blake's seat, trying his best not to move the seat at all. Once he was in, it was so cramped that he could barely move, but he did maneuver himself around and found Blake's head and wrapped his hands around Blake's head and chin and gave the okay.
The team threw another blanket over Jason and Blake and started to lift the roof away. When it moved about a foot in the air, the crane hook came down and grabbed it and held it in place while the men cut the frame in the back that was still holding the roof. They cut all but about five inches on each side, so that the roof could be lifted like a picnic basket lid so that the roof wouldn't fall or slide and cause any more damage to anyone around. Once the roof was far enough up, the remaining firemen and police assisted in bending the roof back over the trunk.
When it was clear, Dwight used his speed and ran to the car and jumped in the backseat.
"Hey, get outta there," the Captain called.
"I'm not going anywhere, damnit!" Dwight called, as he brought his arms around and Bruce grabbed his hands. He turned his attention to his husband and said, "I'm here, baby. I'm here."
Bruce, feeling and hearing Dwight, let out sobs of relief. Just having Dwight near him was all the comfort he needed.
The Captain was about to shout something else, but Jason turned his head and gave it a shake, telling the Captain not to bother. Jason knew that comfort might be the only thing that was going to help Bruce at the moment, especially when he saw how the dash was cutting into Bruce's legs. He had a feeling that both of Bruce's thighs were broken and it was going to be a painful process to get him loose.
The Captain stood back as the men did their work. They attached two bars between the rear door frame and the front. The accordion effect the tanker had on the car crushed everything backward, and these bars, when extended, was to push the frame apart. Before they attached the air hoses to the bars, one of the men looked at Bruce and said, "This is going to be painful, buddy. We're gonna get the dash off your legs, but it's gonna hurt like a bitch."
Thinking fast, Dwight took off his leather wrist cuff and gave it to Bruce to bite down on as he wrapped his arms around the seat and Bruce to comfort him as much as he could. When Bruce was ready with the cuff in his mouth, he grabbed Dwight's arms and nodded his head. When he did, he immediately started to give a loud, muffled scream as the front dash slowly started moving off his legs.
Back in New York, Todd was wheeled straight into the emergency room, but his screams had subsided. He felt physically exhausted, but the pain was still present. After the paramedics explained what happened, the ER staff took him straight to X-ray to see if there was any damage to the skeletal system. They X-rayed his neck first, and then reloaded the machine for the lower abdomen. After that picture was taken, they loaded up the film and waited as the machine processed.
Right before the first X-ray was done, Todd let out another scream of pain and instantly grabbed both his thighs. The X-ray technician was caught off guard and turned and saw Todd in torturing pain.
"What is it?" The technician asked, coming back to Todd.
"I don't know!" Todd screamed. "It's happening again," he added.
As the dash was removed from Bruce's legs, Jason looked over and saw that both his thighs were greatly deformed. What should be solid muscle was sunken in and Jason knew that both of his legs were broken. A second ambulance had arrived on the scene and the other one of the paramedics started helping Tom splint up Bruce's legs. The leather cuff hadn't been removed from Bruce's mouth, and it was needed while the two paramedics did what they had to do.
As they were working with Bruce, the men with the Jaws of Life and cutting machine started working on Blake's car door. When it was removed, Jason called to the other paramedic and told him that he needed a neck brace and the K.E.D. unit for Blake's extraction. A few moments later, the new guy returned with the neck brace and a green vest-like device with straps hanging from it.
The other two paramedics were finished with Bruce's legs and Tom ran back to his ambulance and retrieved the other K.E.D. unit as well as another neck brace. When he returned, they started with the neck brace, for precaution, and then the vest-like device. They slipped it behind Bruce's back and buckled the straps around his torso, abdomen, and lower stomach, then they used head straps and strapped his head in place.
They did the same to Blake, only they had to pack the empty space behind his neck with towels and gauze to keep his neck from moving. Once he was trapped in, they started working on his legs, to stabilize them as well.
Todd's pain had subsided for a short while, at least long enough for the technician to get X-rays of his thighs, when he started screaming again. This time the pain was more intense than before. He tried to sit up, but the pain was too much to bear, and he only lay there, tears streaming from his eyes, praying that this would stop soon.
Once the first team was done with Bruce's legs, they called for a medic chopper, then they started to remove Bruce from the car. Again, for Bruce, this was a painful process, and he no longer had Dwight there holding him. Once they had him removed from the seat of the car, they placed him on a backboard, and moved him over to the gurney while they waited for the chopper. They could hear the repeated thumps of the blades cutting the air and knew it was just a matter of seconds.
"Ground unit, this is chopper one. Will this be an air or land rescue?" The chopper pilot called over his radio.
Jason answered the call and said, "Air. We have two subjects, both with broken legs and one with a possible broken neck. We need to get them out of here as soon as possible."
"Roger that. Are you ready for loading?" The pilot asked.
"10-4. We have one ready now, the other is seconds from being prepared," Jason answered.
A few moments later, the helicopter flew over the area and started to hover. Seconds later, a basket was being dropped from the chopper to start the loading process.
The pain in Todd's legs were subsiding again, and the technician had done all he could. There was still no apparent reason for Todd's pain. None of his bones were broken and nothing seemed to be ruptured. Todd slipped off the table and was standing when the technician saw this and told him to sit back on the table until he returned with a wheelchair. Todd did as he was told, but was feeling a lot better. When the chair arrived, he sat down and a nurse wheeled him to a gurney waiting in the hall and helped him up.
"Can you please get my friend, Robert? I need to talk to him," Todd asked of the nurse.
She said she would and quickly left to the waiting room. A few minutes later, Robert was at Todd's side and Todd grabbed his hand.
"How are you feeling?" Robert asked, still worried.
"Better. I still feel pain, but I don't know why," Todd said, eyes still red from the tears that had escaped.
"You're stomach or your neck?" Robert asked.
"My thighs. While I was getting my X-rays, my thighs started hurting. It felt like they were being crushed" Todd said. Reaching down, he pulled up the gown that was put on him in the ambulance. What they both saw was frightening, but Robert beat Todd to voicing the fear. When Robert looked at Todd's thighs, he couldn't help himself and said, "Holy shit, Todd."
"What the hell?" Todd asked, looking down.
They were both staring at bruises that looked as if Todd had been beaten with a baseball bat.
"How did this happen?" Robert asked, rubbing his hand softly over the bruises.
"I didn't do anything. It just started like the others did," Todd explained.
Robert pulled the gown a little higher, trying hide Todd's exposed body and underwear, and saw another major bruise on his lower right stomach. "You have another one here," Robert said.
Without caring about modesty, Todd pulled the gown to the side, exposing himself to anyone who passed by, and looked down and ran his hand over the bruise and said, "It doesn't hurt anymore. How the hell did this happen?"
Robert looked at Todd's neck and said, "Bro, you have another one on your neck, too."
"Robert, I'm really scared. I have no idea what's going on," Todd said, looking at his roommate with newly formed tears.
"It's okay, Todd," Robert said, putting a hand on Todd's head. "You're in the best place. The doctors will figure this out," Robert finished, grabbing Todd's hand with his other.
"But what if..." Todd started, but couldn't finish.
His eyes started rolling to the back of his head and he was having a hard time breathing.
"Todd?" Robert called, shaking his friend. There was no response. "Doctor!" Robert called.
They had already loaded Bruce in the chopper and were in the process of loading Blake in the basket when there was a sharp, piercing sound from the heart monitor.
"Shit, we're losing him," Tom said.
One of the new paramedics grabbed the defibrillator and started charging the paddles. Jason ripped open Blake's shirt and placed two gel-type pads on either side of Blake's heart. When the paddles were ready, the paramedic placed the paddles on the pads and pressed the button. A moment later, a slow, but steady heart beat once again rang through the air.
"He's crashing," one of the Emergency Room nurses called out. "Get the crash cart," the doctor ordered to another of the nurses while putting her stethoscope back around her neck.
Robert had stepped back and had tears running down his cheeks, hands covering his mouth, scared that he was about to lose Todd forever.
As the doctor grabbed the paddles, she called for the amperage and waited for the machine to charge, the first nurse pulled the gown down for access to Todd's chest. Right before the doctor placed the paddles on Todd's chest; Todd took in a great big gulp of air, and then started coughing.
Jerking the paddles back from Todd, the doctor said, "What the..." She handed the paddles to the nurse and grabbed her stethoscope and placed it in her ears and the other end on Todd's chest. A loud and steady, healthy heartbeat was heard in the doctor's ears.
"I don't understand," the doctor mumbled to herself. A moment later, she ordered Todd to be sent to get a CAT scan.
"Where are y'all taking him?" Papa asked of Jason.
"Missoula Memorial. They'll be there in five minutes," Jason called out, watching as they brought Blake inside the chopper. A moment later, the chopper started toward the city of Missoula.
Jogging back to his friends and family, Papa told them where they were going and everyone piled into the two vehicles and waited for the road to clear before heading to Missoula.
While in route, Mama grabbed Blake's cell and called Todd's number. Two rings later, Robert answered, feeling a little more relieved.
"Todd?" Mama asked.
"No, it's his roommate. Who is this?" Robert asked.
"This is Mama. Um, Oliver West. From the ranch. Where's Todd?" Mama asked.
"He's in the hospital," Robert said.
"Why?" Mama asked.
"No one knows. He was just in a lot of pain. He's getting a CAT scan now. How's Blake?" Robert asked.
"They got him out of the car and he's on his way to the hospital. His heart stopped for a second, but they were able to revive him."
"Oh, my God. So did Todd's. They were just about to shock him, but he came back," Robert said.
"Todd's heart stopped, too?" Mama asked, disbelieving.
"Yeah. For no reason, it just stopped for a second. He's okay now, we hope. Is Blake okay?" Robert asked.
"He's got two broken legs, and his neck might be broken too. We don't know yet. He's also got a puncture wound to his stomach. We're on our way to the hospital now," Mama explained.
"Which one? I gotta call Todd's dad and let him know. They're on their way to Montana," Robert said.
"Who is?" Mama asked.
"Todd's parents. I think they're Blake's legal guardians or something."
"We're going to Missoula Memorial hospital. When you get done talking to them, tell them to call Blake's cell. I wanna talk to them too," Mama said.
"Okay. I'll let them know. Keep me informed of Blake's condition, okay?" Robert asked.
"I will. And you do the same for Todd's condition for me," Mama said.
"I will. Talk to you later," Robert said before hanging up and calling Don.
"I just talked to Mama," Robert said to Don when he answered the phone.
"What's going on? How's Todd?" Don asked.
"He's fine now, but for a few seconds, his heart stopped. He's good, everything's fine. He's getting a cat scan now. The doctors are just as confused as the rest of us," Robert said.
"Oh, God," Don said, feeling the first of his tears coming to the surface.
"But sir, Blake's heart stopped too. He's on his way to the hospital now. Missoula Memorial Mama said."
"Both of them died?" Don asked, and the room fell even more still.
"Who died?!" Christine demanded.
Don covered the phone and said, "Both Blake and Todd's hearts stopped. But they're both okay. Blake's on his way to the hospital and Todd's getting a CAT scan."
"What the fuck is going on?" Christine asked to no one, tears escaping fast.
"Mama told me to tell you to call Blake's cell phone. He wants to talk to you too," Robert said. "As soon as Todd's back, I'll have him call you if he can."
"Okay. Thanks Robert. Call me back if anything changes," Don said and called Blake's cell.
"Hello," Mama answered.
"Mama? This is Don. What's going on?"
Mama told him of what he knew and asked where they were.
"I don't know." Moving the phone away, Don said, "Pax, find out where we are, and when we'll arrive." Talking back in the phone, Don asked, "What's wrong with Blake?"
"From what we heard, both of his legs are broken, he's got a puncture wound in his stomach and his neck might be broken," Mama said. "We should be at the hospital in about fifteen minutes. Blake should be there by now."
"As soon as you know something, please call me back," Don said, then Pax came back and told him their location. "We're over Kansas now. We should be there in a couple more hours or so."
"When you get closer, call me back. I'll have someone come and get you. It's only about ten minutes from the hospital," Mama said.
"Thanks. If anything changes, please call me," Don said, before hanging up the phone. When he did, he lowered his head and emotions over took him. He covered his face and his sobs finally started to escape. Christine walked over to him, tears in her own eyes, and knelt down and grabbed his hands.
"They're gonna be okay, Don. They're tough, they can get through this," Christine said, hoping she was right, but somehow, not really believing what was coming from her mouth. But her hope and faith was all she had to hang onto, so that's what she was doing.
The chopper had landed about five minutes ago and they were in the elevator, heading down to the operating rooms to get Bruce and Blake in surgery as soon as possible.
In New York, the nurses hooked Todd up to a heart monitor before sliding him into the CT machine and started the procedure. During the procedure, the unexpected happened again.
In both Montana and New York, the rooms that Blake and Todd were in both fell silent, except for the lone, steady, non-pulsing sound of a beep.
To be continued...