Chapter 28

Everyone stopped at Armadillo’s for breakfast on the way in, as was their usual.

Getting into site, they discovered the off-site power had been cut, and the backup generator had been let go dry on fuel. The rod shack lock had been busted off and the rod oven was standing open.

“Well fuck a duck” John said as he waved Carl over. He then said to Carl “We’re hosed for starting normally today.”

Looking at the room, he noted the wire that had been intended for the automated welding Process Qualification Record test weld. John had a bottle of Argon on his rig and the automated equipment for it. Looking at Carl, he said “Fuck the rules, I’m going to run the automated test over a manual root.”

Jose nodded as if to say, about damn time.

An hour later, John was set up, while Pixy ran ahead working the root passes up the line. John called Mary over after the weld was done. The UT showed it clean.

Looking at Carl he said, “We need the wire and gas now. The Mechanicals are going to be good. This was the same setup as the last line. I say we push forward even if it’s a risk. It’ll be tomorrow afternoon before the rods are legal to use. We’ll be at the pump station before then if we go this route.”

Carl nodded. “I have the filler wire at the shop. I’ll have the wire and the gas at the entrance in an hour.” Carl walked off on his phone at that.

John packed up everything, then rode a gator down to check on Pixy.

She was making the last 6010 root before the tie in weld to the pump station with Mei standing at the edge of the trench watching it.

When he got out of the gator, he heard a rifle shot then saw a puff of dirt opposite the trench.

He ran forward grabbing Mei, then jumped into the ditch with her.

Looking over at Pixy he yelled “STAY DOWN.”

Another rifle shot came that pinged off of metal somewhere on her rig.

John got on his radio and said, “Tell those stupid fucks we are being fired on near the pumping station.”

He turned to Mei and Pixy and said, “Run up the trench but keep your heads below the edge.”

A few seconds after they started off, John heard another shot, then he smelled acetylene.

He started running after the girls. He made it about thirty yards, then behind him BOOM!!

The pressure wave wasn’t killing strong in his position, but it did put him down. He looked up seeing a fireball incoming. A second later, it landed near him. He saw it was Mitten’s head. Looking back up the trench, he saw Pixy and Mei still scrambling down the trench. He tried to follow, but his head wouldn’t stop spinning. Finally, his world went black.

After an unknown amount of time, he came back to the world in a haze. An EMT was checking his pulse and Pixy was holding his hand crying. He squeezed her hand to let her know he was awake. He could see her mouth move, but could barely hear anything. It was then that he realized he was strapped in a stokes basket with the helicopter just pulling away. The techs transferred him to a gurney, then into the back of an ambulance.

He saw Pixy being held by Mei and Mary before they closed the door.

Half an hour later, he was in an emergency room. The images of Pixy crying, holding his hand, and of Mittens burning head, kept flashing through his mind. He could finally hear somewhat, and a persistent little prick kept asking if he could hear, while waving a light in his eyes. It was then that he noticed many of the people around him were speaking a language he didn’t recognize. Finally, he asked “Where am I?”

The guy answered “Hualapai Reservation Peach Springs Indian Health Center.”

John looked at the guy and asked “Why the hell did they take me here, this has to be at least an hour away from the nearest hospital from where I was at?”

The guy looked at him, and said, “They always send the Natives here if they are unsure of your insurance coverage.”

John by now had noticed the MD and asked “Can I assume you’re a doctor?”

He nodded yes.

“Well Doc, how many ‘Natives’ have died because of that, and who is ‘they’?”

“They are the regional hospital and the EMS service they run” The doctor replied.

John looked at him and said “Shit, my wife won’t have a clue where to find me.”

John then asked where his pants were. The doctor said “Your wallet and phone are at the admission desk. For reasons I cannot explain, the EMT cut away your pants leg.”

John looked at him and said “Can someone here grab my phone for me then?”

The doctor nodded and flagged an aid down. A few minutes later, John had his phone. He breathed a sigh of relief when it powered up.

Calling Pixy, she answered on the first ring, “John?! Where are you?”

He told her where he was at, then asked “Are you OK, was anyone else hurt?”

She was crying when she answered, “Yes I’m OK, no one else was hurt. The cops told us you were at the regional but they didn’t have you registered.”

In the background, he could hear a crowd talking so John said, “Let them know I’m OK. Grab some clothes for me and come spring me out of here, please.”

Pixy replied, “We’ll be there as soon as possible.”

The doctor looked at John and said “We still haven’t discussed your test results.”

John replied “Unless you tell me I’ll die if I leave, when my wife gets here, I’m leaving.”

The doctor looked irked after that statement then replied “Nothing that drastic, but you do have a concussion, so you won’t be getting a ‘cleared to return to work from me’.”