These Questions
Chapter 25 - Freezing Waters, Part Five
"Dr. Carter!"
He and Abby spun around to see a woman approaching them.
"Mercy just received a call," she said over the events around her.
"And?"
"Bomb threat," she said.
-
"What?" Carter said in disbelief.
"Five minutes ago," she replied. "Threat spoke of a bomb, possibly two or three, that would get rid of the entire ER and more."
"Why are they going for the ER?" Haleh asked, as she stood next to them.
"Both the ER and the ICU are getting tossed in this situation," she said. "ER's the immediate care."
"Oh, my God," Abby said. "And they have no idea who's responsible?"
"Not the slightest idea," the woman said with a shake of her head. "Have you had any recent protests or different occurrings lately?"
Carter thought, but shook his head. "None that I recall, and usually we get branded with pretty memorable stuff."
"Carter," Abby said, "we can't take these people to Mercy."
"Why?" the woman asked.
"Why?" Carter repeated. "Why? Mercy might blow! That's only more deaths, more casualties!"
"This couldn't be the real thing," the woman said. "It might be some sick joke."
"Was it a sick joke when they killed Northwestern?" Abby shouted.
Someone screamed behind them. Another someone was yelling loudly, but everyone was yelling. The noise was an enormous cloud over the entire staff.
"We have to take them to Mercy," she said. "There's no where else."
"Are you sure?" Carter said.
"There's no room here at County or Sacred Heart," the woman protested.
"There's not much room here, but we can manage," he said. "We've fought in worse situations."
The woman nodded. "Sacred Heart's too far away."
"Is it too risky to take the chopper around?" Haleh questioned.
Carter looked at Abby. She was watching as the staff merged with the sixty-some patients in the lot. It was unbelievable. Everyone was crying for help.
"We could do that," the woman answered.
"Whatever you do," Abby said, "we have to stop them from taking those patients to Mercy."
"They're going to Mercy, ma'am," another man said, coming toward them.
"They cannot go to Mercy!" Abby screamed. "With that, we'll only get more patients here. It'll get worse. I advise you evacuate Mercy as well."
"Miss - "
"Abby's right," Carter said. "We'd be fools to send them to Mercy."
Carter nodded and ran back to the cluster of ambulances near him. Everyone questioned him again as he climbed to the top of it once more, megaphone in hand. "Everyone!"
Once again, the small crowd around him assisted him in quieting the crowd. There were small murmurs, and a fight was breaking out between a paramedic and a frustrated Jerry near him.
"Shut up!" Carter shouted. Enough of the lot did, so he continued. "There's been a change in plans."
They all groaned and began to question him angrily.
"What the hell?" someone moaned.
"Mercy got a call," he shouted.
"We're freezing out here!"
"What the hell is going on?"
They all chorused another groan, but this time there were gasps as well. Their heads darted around and the patients and some of the paramedics were already asking questions.
"We can't take them to Mercy!" a paramedic nearby shouted.
"Exactly!" Carter cried. "Any critical patients originally on their way to Mercy, get them inside. They are *not* going to Mercy!"
"That's twice as much work for us!" Another voice said.
"Well," he said, "that could be half as much damage in the end if these people are serious about Mercy."
"What do we do?" yet another voice called out.
Carter scratched the back of his head. Abby was still looking up at him, hopefully. "Get every patient on their way to Mercy into the ER. If anyone can have their injuries assessed by another department, get them to where they need to go."
"Carter!" Lily called from below. "There are already two on the way to Mercy!"
"Two ambulances?" he shouted downward to her. She nodded her consent and ran off to help Lydia. He looked around and sighed. "Alright, can we call them back?"
"No," the man from the previous conversation yelled to him. "We're swamped as it is."
"Get them back here!" Carter shouted. "If they get taken over there, they might - "
"I'm aware of the situation! We're not calling them to turn around."
"Damn it," Carter said. He climbed down from the ambulance roof again and began to walk through the crowds, shouting commands as he rounded them inside. He was pointing every direction, with a voice directed to many different people.
"Carter," Abby said from behind him.
He continued his instructions for a second, then turned around to see her.
"Some guy wants you to have this," she said, handing him a walkie. "He's on channel four."
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"You're my assistant," he said.
"Since when?"
"Since always," he shouted. The noise was worse with three children with lacerations, as a parent on a gurney refused treatment. "Go get one yourself. Come back in here with me."
She nodded with a sure smile and turned away. She was amazing, he thought.
"Romano!"
He turned around and met Carter's face. "Yeah?"
"How's Lewis?" he asked.
"Fine," he said. "She just got knocked out a little, but she's still got a broken leg and arm. Otherwise, she'll be fine."
How this was fine, he didn't know. But he nodded anyway, setting it aside for a moment.
"You're in charge," Romano said. "Good luck." With that, he attended to the rest of the patients all arguing behind him.
