Page 84 of Forever Never
Brick stomped over to meet them and grabbed the paramedic. “Got a bronchodilator on you?”
Edison McDonough, island native and twenty-year emergency medicine veteran, had red hair going gray that peeked out from under a thick ski cap. He glanced in Remi’s direction and reached into one of the dozen pockets of his bag.
Brick fought the urge to snatch it from the man’s hands and shove it into Remi’s mouth himself to put an end to her torture…and his. There was a protocol to be observed. Rules that existed for a reason.
“You check out, Mr. Kleckner,” Edison told Keisha, the other EMT. “I’ll deal with Chief’s kid.”
“You got it,” Keisha said, grabbing her bag off the back and heading for Ben. “You got any cookies for me, Mr. Kleckner?”
“Remi Ford. Still getting in trouble, I see,” Edison teased, kneeling down in front of her.
Brick positioned himself at her back, standing guard.
She wheezed out a laugh. “You know me. Always…dying to be…the center…of attention.”
“Can we hurry this along?” Brick snarled, ignoring the looks they both shot him.
“Well, since I’m here.” Edison pulled his stethoscope out from under his coat.
“Is Mr. Kleckner…okay?” she asked, peering over the paramedic’s shoulder to where Keisha was coaxing Ben onto a sled behind one of the snowmobiles.
“He looks good,” Edison said. “It’s a good thing you found him when you did. You kept him warm and awake. Could have been a lot worse.”
Brick doubted that she was aware of doing it, but Remi had sagged back against his legs. It helped loosen the tightness in his chest.
“Is this any worse than previous attacks?”
“Ha. Walk…in the park,” she joked. But her labored breathing was like razor blades in Brick’s gut.
“Don’t have your rescue inhaler on you?” the paramedic asked, as if it wasn’t colossally irresponsible of her not to be carrying it. Brick’s fingers curled into fists. There was a time for bedside manner and there was a time to lay down the law.
Her shoulders tensed, and she shook her head. “I didn’t bring it. I’m…fine,” she insisted. “I can wait…until I…get back.”
Brick met Edison’s eyes and shook his head.
“All the same to you, Remi,” Edison said. “I’d sure feel better if you’d let me treat you here. You don’t want me having to face the wrath of your mom, now do you?”
“She is…terrifying,” she agreed weakly.
“Then let’s get some albuterol in you, and we’ll go from there. It’s too bad you don’t have your rescue inhaler on you,” he said, pulling a nebulizer out of his bag.
“Ah, shit,” Remi croaked, pressing her hands into her knees.
“You know the drill,” Edison said.
* * *
The paramedic leftBrick to supervise Remi while he checked on Ben’s condition. Brick stayed where he was, supporting her from behind as she took slow breaths that fogged the mask. He couldn’t seem to stop his own fingers from toying with her hair. She’d pulled it back in a long tail at the base of her neck.
In less than five minutes, her breathing was easier, and she ripped off the mask.
“Remi, I swear to God if you don’t—”
“How’s my other favorite patient?” Edison interrupted. He took out his stethoscope again and listened to her chest. “You’re going to need to get looked over by the doc. And it’s a real small island, so I’m gonna know if you don’t go straight there.”
“She’ll go,” Brick promised.
She looked up at him and frowned. He gave her hair a tug.
