Page 10 of Deprivation

As I approach the door to my office, I walk over to Ava’s desk and ask if there’s any update on the patient with the possible shoulder dislocation.

“I just got off of the phone with his mother. They drove to Mary Immaculate. Apparently, it was a simple reduction. Dr. Lee was able to go and check on him after the reduction was performed by the emergency room physician.”

“Great. Glad to hear Dr. Lee could be of service,” I state with a bit of repugnance. “I think I’m going to head out. Thanks for your help today.” I turn to head back toward my office when I feel my cell phone vibrate in my pocket. Maybe they have something for me in the ER before I leave.Hell, I don’t want to go back there while she’s still here.I’d almost prefer to come back in the middle of the night than deal with the agonizing Ms. Kelly again today.I will not jerk off to this girl again,I think as I pull the phone from my pocket and note the caller, Calina. Sultry, beautiful, Calina. Just what tonight needs. I slide the button on the screen, answering the call before it has a chance to go to voicemail. “Hello, Calina.”

Chapter Five

Eleven Years Earlier

Kat

Racing down the highway, we finally reach the multivehicle accident. Firefighters are already on scene. It’s just another day in the life of a volunteer EMT. After piling all of the equipment we might need onto the stretcher, Jake and Melanie steer the gurney toward the first car in the trio we see, the front bumper is wedged beneath the car immediately anterior. Hearing a loud, sheering noise, I realize the firefighters are using the jaws of life to extricate someone from one of the other vehicles. I look toward Jake.

“Kat, grab C-spine on the lady in this car. I’m going to check with the lieutenant to see if we need to get another bus here. Melanie, grab a cervical collar for the patient in the car next to Kat. I’ll be right back,” he shouts over the sound of piercing metal on metal.

Peering in the open window of the car beside me, I see the elderly driver sitting stunned and quiet, seatbelt fastened about her thin frame. “Hi, ma’am. My name is Katarina. I’m going to reach in and place my hands on either side of your neck to stabilize it until we can get a collar around you for protection. Once we take you to the hospital to be evaluated, they may remove it if everything looks okay,” I attempt to reassure her.

“It all happened so fast,” she utters. “I left several car lengths in front of me, but all of a sudden the car in front of me was hitting the brakes and I just couldn’t stop in time.” Her voice quivers.

“I understand. Try to stay calm for me. What’s your name?”

“Dorothy, dear. My name is Dorothy.”

“Dorothy, once we get you to the hospital, I’m happy to try and call someone for you to let them know what happened. Do you recall if you hit your head? Did you lose consciousness?”

“I don’t think so.”

Feeling something wet on my fingertips, I look to ensure she isn’t bleeding from somewhere I’ve missed, just to realize this sweet woman is crying. I think about my grandmother and instantly feel such compassion for her.

“I know this is all very scary, but so far it sounds like this ER visit could just be precautionary, so try not to worry,” I attempt to comfort her again. I feel Melanie to my left, moving in front of me to fasten the hard cervical collar around Dorothy’s neck.

“I’m not worried for me, dear.” She sniffles. “I’m just hoping I haven’t hurt someone else.”

I look to Melanie, both of us trying not to let this dear woman’s tears affect us.

After Melanie has secured the collar, she advises me she’s running over to Jake to see what the plan is for any remaining patients requiring care. In the distance, I can hear an approaching siren and conclude Jake has, in fact, alerted dispatch there are additional patients requiring transport.

Dorothy reassures me she has no pain anywhere, thus I escort her to the ambulance to check her vital signs and allow her to ride sitting upright so another patient might be transported with us on the stretcher.

Looking out the back of the ambulance doors, I see Tyler jogging toward the accident, EMT bag slung over his shoulder. He’s smiling broadly and winks at me as he walks by. My heart literally feels like it has stopped beating for a second, and I consider whether Dorothy is well enough to drive this ambulance if Jake and Melanie have to break out the defibrillator in order to get my heart to start doing its damn job.

Before I can continue to contemplate my fate, Melanie climbs into the back of the ambulance briefly to advise they’re bringing another patient on the stretcher for transport. Melanie states she’ll have to drive to the hospital and I’ll have to manage care of the two individuals, as Jake is being pulled to assist Tyler with the patient being extricated from his car.

“Please, Lord, let them all be okay.” Dorothy sniffles again.

Buckling her into the bench seat, I stand to gather the blood pressure cuff and stethoscope. Before I can obtain Dorothy’s vitals, Melanie and an EMT whom I know as Huggie approach with a stretcher holding a girl of eighteen or nineteen. Knowing she’s my age makes me feel almost as concerned for her emotional well-being as I am for poor Dorothy. As I obtain their vital signs and prepare to contact the awaiting hospital, I look up to see Dorothy is holding the girl’s hand. Both of them are crying. I have to look away, blinking rapidly so I don’t join the tear fest in progress.

* * *

Returning to our home base, we crawl out of the ambulance and head toward the ambulance bay to enter the squad building. Normally, I enjoy a busy EMS shift, however, I have a lot on my plate at school and need to study before hitting the sack. We managed to pick up takeout on the way back from the ER without getting another call, but you never know when the next is coming.

I’ve slowly started to meet more people at the squad, but I’m sure it’s because I ride with Melanie and Jake. They joined the squad as sixteen-year-olds and were president and vice president of the Junior Squad at one point. I’m not sure when they began dating, but it appears they’re rarely apart. They’re cute together, and although they occasionally argue, it always seems a healthy disagreement they solve easily between themselves.No drama to see here. Just the kind of relationship I want to have one day. Huggie’s a good friend of theirs but is unable to ride with them often, given his college schedule.

As I bite down into my pita pocket of provolone, turkey, and mayo, I hear a door slam. I look over to Melanie, who shrugs her shoulders, mouth full of chips.

Huggie and Jake enter the room where we sit watching television, devouring our sandwiches and chips like we’ve been deprived of food for days. Jake grabs for his sandwich as he sits next to Melanie. “Don’t anyone talk to Tyler the rest of the evening. Dude just got dumped,” he utters as he bites into his meal.

Melanie and I immediately look up at him. I see heartbreaking concern etched on Melanie’s face. I put down my half-eaten pita and inquire, “God, is he okay?”

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