He flashed his ID and his pilot’s license.
“Load him up. I’ll get coordinates in the air,” he said, and just like that, their concern for his ability to do this ended.
Hunt glanced at Ava once and then ran for the helipad and climbed inside the chopper, quickly familiarizing himself with the instrument panel as they loaded up the boy. An EMT tapped him on the shoulder.
“I’m Rolly. We’re good to go.”
Hunt began increasing the engine speed. The rotors were spinning faster and faster. The hospital personnel ran back toward the hospital as the chopper lifted off.
Ava watched, her heart pounding, and then they were gone.
“Good call, Ava,” Dr. Quick said.
Ava’s stomach was in knots, but there was another patient in distress to tend, so they hurried to the trauma bay to assess the unconscious pilot.
Meanwhile, Hunt was radioing Medi-Flight and the hospital in Savannah, explaining the emergency that had occurred and requesting coordinates to the destination.
* * *
The flight from Blessings to Savannah was brief, but still hair-raising for all involved.
Hunt could hear the medical team behind him in constant contact with the doctor at their destination and knew the child was in crisis, but he couldn’t think about that. His job was to get them there. The rest of it was on their shoulders and in God’s hands.
They’d been airborne a little over fifteen minutes before he had Savannah in sight. He radioed to the hospital that they were three minutes out and then continued on course.
A couple of minutes later, Rolly came up behind him and pointed.
“That’s our destination,” Rolly said, pointing to the helipad on the hospital roof.
“In my sight,” Hunt said, and within moments, he set the chopper down without a wobble. “What’s your protocol?”
“We transfer the patient and the med chart to the waiting team, and return to base,” Rolly said.
Hunt gave them a thumbs-up and then watched as the bay door slid open. Two team members jumped out, and two stayed inside to help steady the stretcher.
The hospital team came running, loaded the injured child onto a gurney along with a chart of his info and stats, and then began their own race against time, taking the child into the hospital, then straight to surgery.
Hunt radioed to Medi-Flight that the patient had been delivered, and as soon as the flight crew climbed back inside, they headed to base.
The anxiety of the emergency had passed. The trip from the hospital to their base was less than ten minutes by air, and this time when they landed, Hunt powered down. The medical team had their patient bay cleaned up, ready for their next run. When the door slid back, they began getting out.
“There’s the boss,” Rolly said, pointing to the man waiting near an office building. “Come with me, Hunt. We’ll figure out a way to get you home.”
Hunt followed them to the office and was quickly introduced to Niles Morehead, the director.
“Hunt, this is our boss, Niles Morehead. Niles, this is Hunt Knox, the man who helped us out, and he is one fine pilot,” Rolly said.
Niles shook Hunt’s hand. “I can’t thank you enough for stepping in. Dr. Quick called us from Blessings Hospital and gave us the lowdown on you. He said one of his nurses knew you and recommended you. So you flew choppers for the army, did you?”
“Yes, sir,” Hunt said. “And I still fly for an oil company.”
“How is Boyd? Has anyone heard?” Rolly asked.
“He had a heart attack,” Niles said. “We’re waiting to see if we have to go get him.”
“Mind if I wait around?” Hunt said. “If you go back, I’d like to hitch a ride home. Otherwise, I’ll have to call someone to pick me up or hitch a ride to a car rental to get back to Blessings.”
“No problem,” Niles said. “Have a seat inside the office. There’s coffee. Help yourself.”
Hunt went inside, got a cup of coffee, and settled into an old leather chair to wait it out.
One hour passed, and then another. One Medi-Flight crew went out to pick up injuries from a wreck on a freeway. Hunt was still in the waiting room when the phone rang again. A few minutes later, Niles came out of the office.
“You’ve got your ride. We’re going to get Boyd. They’re stabilizing him now. I have another pilot named Conrad getting a chopper flight-ready. I’ve called Rolly. He’s coming to walk you out to the chopper. Conrad knows what’s going on. Thanks again for helping us out, and it was nice meeting you.”
“Sure thing,” Hunt said, and walked out of the office. He saw Rolly running toward the office, and went to meet him.
Rolly arrived, breathless but smiling. “Follow me, Hunt,” he said, and led him toward the tarmac where the chopper was warming up.
The rotors were already turning, and the EMT crew was loading up when Rolly walked up behind the pilot and tapped him on the arm, shouting to be heard above the noise level.
“Conrad…this is Hunt Knox, the pilot who brought in Boyd’s chopper.”
Conrad gave Hunt a thumbs-up and gestured for him to get in.
Hunt nodded and climbed into the belly of the chopper.
The same team he’d flown with was already inside, checking supplies and waiting for takeoff.
Conrad climbed in, and then Rolly shut the door behind them.
Hunt acknowledged their greetings but barely had time to get a seat and buckle in before they were in the air. The ride was strangely silent. He knew the trip would be stressful for all of them because this time the patient they were picking up was also a friend.
Hopefully, Boyd would survive the heart attack and have a lot of years left of his life, although this was going to ground him from working as a pilot again. Then he said a quiet prayer for the little boy he had flown to Savannah and settled in for the flight.
* * *
Dr. Quick and the ER staff were getting Boyd ready for transport when they got word that Medi-Flight was only two minutes out. The orderlies were there, ready to move their patient to the helipad.
“Thanks for everything, Doc,” Boyd said.
Dr. Quick patted him on the arm. “Of course. That’s what we do. Your ride is here, and so are the orderlies to get you to it. Safe travels,” he said.
The chopper landed, and when the doors rolled back, Hunt was the first one out. He started walking toward the hospital and saw Ava coming toward him. He opened his arms, caught her in midstride, and held her close.
“Thank you! Thank you!” she kept saying. “We got word that Davey was still stable when they wheeled him into surgery. It’s the chance he needed, and you gave it to him!”