Chapter 77

Present – Masha – Taking care of Jack

I retrieve my Vanya from Liz Morgan and race toward the reverse of the cabin. I round the corner and I cannot believe my eyes! Jennifer is working on Miranda while Irina and Bernie are performing CPR on my Jack!

I quickly assess the situation and my first responsibility must be to my Jack. I order, "Bernie, please take Ivan while I replace you. Alexi, please enter our domicile and acquire the AED¹ device. Irina, continue doing rescue breaths."

¹ Automated External Defibrillator – A civilian version of a defibrillator. The main difference is that it will not defibrillate unless it senses either no pulse or an ineffective pulse.

I perform an intensive precordial thump on my husband's chest, check his pulse (which is still absent), then begin the compressions and question, "What precipitated Jack's cardiac event."

Irina informs me, "He unwisely touched the control collar on the Ursus arctos horribilis and it delivered a tremendous electrical shock to his system."

I realize that the AED might not be sufficiently powerful because of the nature of the electrical shock trigger which caused the problem. I decide to pursue an alternate treatment and order, "Irina, take over compressions while I prepare an injection."

I prepare the injection, clean the area over his heart, push the needle into his heart, inject the adrenaline and pray...

Present – Jens – Working on Mira

I'm working my ass off on Mira and things don't look too good. She definitely has some bleeding from her – well, her female area.

Alexi brings the level three trauma bag and Mira calmly instructs me, "Ms. Donaldson, please prepare an injection of Terbutaline and administer it intravenously to my corporeal self. Once you have completed that you must monitor my blood pressure and pulse rate."

Then she questions, "Masha, do you possess a fetal heart rate monitor?"

Masha answers, "I am sorry Miranda, I do not have that piece of equipment."

Mira continues, "Then Ms. Donaldson, you must also use a stethoscope to monitor the heart rate of my fetus."

I begin to monitor Mira's and her baby's heart rate and Mira's blood pressure when Todd walks up and signs...

Present – Todd – At the scene

I walk up and immediately see and smell the remnants of the grizzly bear. I observe the control collar and that raises my suspicions. I sign to Jennifer, "The helicopter is waiting if you need a medical evacuation."

Jennifer yells, "Masha how is Jack doing? Do you need to take him to the hospital?"

She states, "His heart is beating and he is breathing on his own. After my experience with American hospitals, I would prefer to avoid them! Besides, Jack is finally regaining consciousness."

Then Jennifer says, "Todd, I think we need to get Mira to a hospital ASAP."

Mira smiles and calmly agrees, "Yes that would be most advisable."

Bernie and I carefully pick up Mira and carry her toward the waiting helicopter; Jennifer follows and says, "I will travel to the hospital with her."

We load Mira into the helicopter, Jennifer jumps in along with Alexi and the level three trauma bag and Jennifer asks, "Todd what are you going to do?"

I smile grimly at her and sign, "I'm going hunting..."

Present – Jack – At the scene

I wake up with one hell of a fucking headache, my chest hurts like someone had been pounding the hell out of it, see my lovely wife over me and immediately demand, "Masha what happened?"

She smiles at me and scolds, "Jack, once again you behaved unwisely and touched something which you should not have."

If I didn't feel so terrible, I would have laughed my ass off! She always bugged the hell out of me for this 'problem' - hell it's just my natural male curiosity. Then I fucking remember the damn collar on the grizzly bear. I begin to sit up but Masha holds me down and warns, "My Jack, I just brought you back from the dead, so please do not sit up too soon."

I speculate, "Masha, something strange is going on here. First there shouldn't have been any grizzly bears in this area and second the damn bear had some sort of control collar. I can't help but feel we're still in danger."

She says, "Jack, Todd is here and he will take care of any danger whether real or imagined."

Imagined my ass! Something is going on. I question, "Where the hell is Jens?"

Masha states, "She and Alexi escorted Mira to the hospital."

I ask, "So what are our defensive resources?"

Ira walks up and replies, "Myself and Todd."

Masha reminds them, "And of course me."

I order, "Well, I hate like hell to do this, but let's get everyone inside the cabin and lock it the hell down."

Masha and Ira help me up and, with their help, I slowly walk toward the cabin. Damn what the hell happened to my chest! I order, "Everyone into the cabin, now!"

We enter the cabin, I use the control panel to lock it down and state, "Listen I'm not sure what the hell is going on. But, this high-tech alarm system shouldn't have let that damn grizzly bear get anywhere near the cabin. I can only assume that it's been compromised and we can't really trust it."

Ira questions, "Cpt. Jack, with the uncertainty of the situation might it be better to abide in the subterranean passages?"

Masha quickly questions, "When did my Jack become a Captain and what is this matter of subterranean passages?"

Ira explains, "We have appointed your husband the de facto Captain of our group and there is an extensive subterranean complex below our feet."

Masha laughs, "Oui mon capitain, we should depart to these subterranean passages."

All of us head to the basement, I slide back the bookcase, open the door and we all enter into the tunnels.