by Jamie Davis
“What’s your name, sweetie?” Brynne asked.
The girl brushed her curly, platinum blonde hair out of her face, tucking it behind a slightly pointed ear. “I’m Anuja, Anuja Drinkwater,” she said in an airy voice. “This is my sister Jamila. We were walking home to the Barrens when this car came around the curve very fast. I jumped out of the way, but they hit Jamila. They stopped a bit down the road for a moment, then sped off and just left us here.” She started crying. She touched her sister’s face, stroking her cheek with a fingertip. “Is she going to be alright?”
Dean crouched back down and gripped her free hand to comfort her. “We’re going to do our best. You did the right thing calling for help.” He turned to Brynne. “Do you want to get the collar bag and backboard?”
“Got it,” she said. She moved the monitor up next to the girl on the ground. “Get her hooked up to the monitor. We’ll get IVs in the ambulance on the way.” She left to get the stretcher and other gear.
Dean hooked her up the heart monitor and saw a sinus tachycardia of 142 on the screen. No surprises there, he thought. She’s in pain and lost some blood. The blood pressure was 136/82, again not surprising given her injuries. It was not bad, she must not have lost enough blood to crash her blood pressure.
Brynne came back with the head and neck trauma gear and the stretcher. Dean didn’t think much of backboards for anything but lifting devices anymore. They were not terribly effective body splints, though they had been used that way for over fifty years. The fact was, the body was pretty good at splinting itself in most situations as far as back injuries went. Still, it was easier to lift the girl onto the stretcher after putting a cervical collar on her and carefully moving her onto the backboard. She groaned a little as they lifted her, but that was all. The two paramedics tried to be gentle.
Dean climbed in the back of the ambulance after they loaded her inside, and started two IVs in case her blood pressure dropped and he needed to give Jamila fluids. He planned on splinting and finishing the dressings Gibbie started on her legs on the way to the hospital. Anuja climbed in the front with Brynne’s urging to come along with her sister. Brynne got in the ambulance and pulled into the road, pausing briefly to call out the window to Gibbie, who was still animatedly directing the traffic and stopping cars.
“Don’t forget to put the road flares out before you leave, Gibbie,” she called, and pulled away with the lights and sirens blaring. Dean looked out the rear windows as the vampire was illuminated in the night by their flashing lights. He was waving at them as they sped off into the darkness toward the trauma center at ECMC.
———
Brynne made sure the ride to the hospital was both smooth and fast. Dean was able to bandage and splint Jamila’s lower legs before they arrived. Her vital signs remained stable on the way. He called the hospital on the med radio to alert them of the trauma patient inbound, using the code that the patient was part of the Unusual population so that the appropriate ER staff could be arranged.
As they pulled up on the ambulance ramp, a team of nurses and doctors waited for them to take the injured fairy girl right into the trauma assessment room and then probably surgery. Brynne opened the back doors, and Dean saw Ashley dressed in her scrubs, standing off to one side with the other members of the trauma team.
Dean unhooked his patient from the monitor and laid the IV bags on the stretcher mattress next to her after shutting the valves in the tubing. Doc Spirelli was on tonight and came right over to help Brynne pull out the stretcher and lower the wheeled undercarriage.
“Any changes since you called in, Dean?” Doctor Spirelli asked, looking in at the tiny patient on the stretcher.
“No changes,” Dean said, shaking his head. “The vitals are stable, and I was unable to find any other injuries other than the ones I listed on the radio. She did not regain consciousness and is still responsive only to painful stimuli.”
Dean and Brynne rolled the stretcher over to the hospital gurney there. With help from a few nurses, they lifted Jamila over to the gurney using the backboard that was still beneath her.
“Ok,” the doc said. He turned to the trauma team as they moved the patient towards the double automatic doors to the hospital’s emergency department and trauma rooms. “We’ll do a full trauma work up …” he continued talking as they went inside.
Ashley hung back, smiled at Dean and turned to look at Anuja, who was looking at the doors through which the trauma team rolled her sister. Dean introduced them to each other.
“Anuja, this is Ashley Moore,” the paramedic said. “She’s a nurse here at the hospital. She’ll take you inside and get some information from you about your sister.”
The fairy girl turned to look at Ashley and her eyes widened. She bowed deeply, touching her hand to her forehead in what looked like a salute. “Eldara, I’m humbled that you would arrive to help my sister. It is such a pleasure to meet one such as you.”
Dean looked on in amusement. That was certainly interesting. He thought Ashley was pretty special, but that was obviously for just mundane reasons. There was something else going on here with his new girlfriend and the Fae child.
“It is my pleasure to meet you, Anuja,” Ashley said lifting the girl out of her bow with a hand to her shoulder. “Let us maintain human appearances here at the hospital. I assure you, I’ll take no offense. Come inside and tell me about your sister and what happened. Then I’ll find out how she’s doing for you.” Ashley turned and winked at him and led the girl inside.
Brynne came over and tapped him on the shoulder. “Hey, help me get the stretcher made up so I can put us back in service.”
“What was all that about?” he asked as he helped with the sheets.
“I told you,” Brynne said. “She has a halo, an aura that is clearly evident to the other Unusuals. James told me that he recognized her for an Eldara Sister immediately after he first met her a few years ago.”
“Wait,” Dean said, stopping what he was doing. “You mean you weren’t kidding when you said she had a halo? Like a real angel-style halo?”
“Yes, Dean,” Brynne said rolling her eyes. “You are such a guy. You don’t listen very well. She’s an Eldara, a messenger of the Gods. They are the basis of the angel myth. For all we know, she could have been one of the heavenly hosts singing over the birth of Jesus Christ.”
“I heard you but I thought you were kidding,” Dean said. “I didn’t think you meant that she actually glowed with some sort of divine light.”
“You’ll have to ask if she can show it to you sometime,” Brynne said, climbing into the back of the ambulance rig, cleaning up the bandage wrappers and putting things away. “She can probably turn it up so you can see it, too. I would suspect that she can do something like that. It would explain why we think of angels as having halos or auras today.”
“I would feel weird asking her to do that,” Dean said.
“Why?” Brynne asked. “One of the perks of dating an Unusual is watching them do weird stuff. It’s like a magic show, but better, because it’s real.”
Dean thought about that as they finished picking up the trash from the call and wiping down the stretcher and surfaces in the back. The two paramedics climbed out after cleaning up and shut the rear doors of the unit. Brynne jumped in the driver’s side as Dean got in his familiar seat on the passenger side. Something else occurred to him.
“What are we going to do about Gibbie?” Dean asked.
“I don’t know,” Brynne said as she pulled the ambulance out onto the street and started back towards their station across town. “It was a good thing he got there before us. He did stop the bleeding before we showed up. Without that she might have been a lot worse off. He also did a passable job at traffic control, but I hesitate to encourage him. He doesn’t have the training and could get himself or someone else hurt.”
“Could we get him the training?” Dean pondered, thinking out loud. “The Fire Department has an auxiliary, and the
surrounding volunteer companies still have volunteer EMTs.”
“Hey, that’s a good idea,” Brynne said. “We could hook him up with the ECFD as an auxiliary member. Maybe he could even get EMT training. We’d just have to find him an evening class. I’ll call Chief Ari about the auxiliary thing and Mike Farver at the academy about EMT training.”
“There is always CERT training,” Dean suggested. He referred to the federal government’s Community Emergency Response Team training meant to serve a community in the event of a disaster. The training included disaster preparedness training and some basic first aid. They also learned some basics of light search and rescue activities.
“That’s a good idea, too,” Brynne said. “One of those should work and will help make sure Gibbie learns the right way to do things instead of him running around freelancing like he did tonight.”
“Where did he get all that gear, and the quick clotting impregnated gauze?” Dean wondered.
“Probably online,” Brynne answered. “You can get all that stuff on Amazon, the uniform shirt, pants, trauma shears, and even the quick clot gauze. I used it to put together an emergency kit for my apartment and car.”
“Really?” Dean said. “Can you get a good commercial tourniquet? I’ve always thought I should have one in my glove box just in case.”
“Dean, you should know by now. There’s very little you can’t buy on the internet,” Brynne said chuckling. “Put us back in service in case they need us for another call.”
Dean picked up the mic and called dispatch to alert them that U-191 was back in action after the call and wondered what else he could get on the internet for his personal first aid kit. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to check out what was available to have on hand just in case. He continued to think about it as the ambulance sped off into the night of Elk City.
Chapter 33
One thing Dean found waiting for him when he returned to the station was an email from his former teacher, Mike Farver. Mike wanted to meet up for breakfast and check in on how he was doing after that night’s shift was over. Dean was glad to hear from his mentor. He was looking forward to the opportunity to check in with him about his run-in with Zach. Mike would be able to counsel him on how to proceed. He trusted him.
The rest of the shift went quickly. There were a few routine medical calls for some elderly patients in the Unusual community. The remainder of the night was spent doing paperwork and chores around the station. By the time morning arrived, Dean was ready to go to breakfast and see his former academy instructor.
The next shift paramedics showed up, with Bill and then his partner Lynne arriving. The two were an interesting pair. Bill was older and balding, in his late fifties. He had been a paramedic for a long time. Bill had been one of the original Station U paramedics with Mike Farver. Lynne was a little younger, in her early forties. She had been instrumental in early programs to set up community paramedic outreach in the Elk City region. That had been why she had been tapped to move to Station U, where another underserved community needed attention.
“Hey, Dean,” Bill said as he came in followed by Lynne. “How was your night?”
“It wasn’t too bad,” Dean said. “We had a pedestrian struck first thing last night, but the rest of the shift was pretty slow. Brynne’s in the ambulance bay doing a final check on the gear for you guys.”
“I heard the pedestrian struck call on the scanner at home,” Lynne said. “That was out by the Barrens. We need to get a program in place out there for some wellness visits. There are some kids there who could use some attention instead of always waiting until they get bad enough to call an ambulance.” She looked at her partner. “Bill, maybe we can make a run out that way and check in with August, the unofficial mayor of the Barrens, about doing that during day shifts a couple of times a week, when we can get away.”
“I’m up for that,” Bill said. “August always gives us some of his home-made beer to bring back with us. That stuff is good, like something from the Old Country.”
“Good to know you have your priorities straight, Bill,” Dean quipped.
“You have no idea, Probie,” Bill replied. “If you get out there and see him, don’t turn him down. It is some truly excellent brew. Better than the piss-water beers most mainstream American brewers make. I keep telling him that he should start up a micro-brewery. He just laughs and says he makes just enough for himself and his friends. He doesn’t want to make more.”
Brynne came in from the ambulance bay into the squad room. “Make more of what?”
“Bill was going on about August Beche’s strange brewing capabilities,” Lynne said.
“It is good stuff,” Brynne said. “James gets a case or so every time he brews a batch. He keeps it around for special occasions.” She glanced at her watch as she heard a horn sound from the parking lot outside. “That must be him now. James said he was going to pick me up. Gotta go. Have a good shift, guys. See you tonight.” She grabbed her purse and jacket and headed out the door to the parking lot.
Dean watched her leave, wondering if James was planning on a snack from his partner before bed. He must have had a sour look on his face because Bill noticed it right away.
“Dean, dude, you have to let up on this whole ‘James the vampire dating your partner’ thing,” the older paramedic said as Dean continued to stare at the door to the parking lot. “Brynne can handle herself. She’s doing nothing she doesn’t want to do.”
“I know, Bill,” Dean said, turning and looking at the elder medic. “It just creeps me out.”
“Speaking of dating an Unusual, how are things with you and Nurse Ashley, Dean?” Lynne asked, changing the subject. “I heard you two had a date. I’ve been waiting to ask you what it’s like dating an actual angel?”
Dean blushed and stared at the floor in embarrassment. Bill clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t you listen to her, Dean. She just wants to think about it as one of her soccer-mom novels where the guy falls for the angel and all sorts of steamy, girly romance ensues. She’s a hot nurse, and that’s all we care about, right?”
“Uh, well, I don’t know if I’d put it that way either, Bill,” Dean said, uncomfortable with that characterization of the relationship that was developing. “I think she’s great, and I hope we can see each other again. That’s all.”
“Don’t listen to him, Dean,” Lynne said. “Ashley’s a nice girl and a good match for you. Don’t you let lecherous old men like Bill ruin your love life.”
Dean laughed as Bill made a face of shock at that description of his temperament. “Moi? Lecherous? I don’t know what you mean?”
“Yeah, right, Bill,” Lynne replied. “Try that innocent act on someone who doesn’t know what a letch you are.”
Dean picked up his jacket and slipped it on over his uniform shirt. “I think that’s my cue to leave. I’ll see you two in twelve.” He headed out the door as the other two paramedics said bye and got to work on their shift. He was enjoying getting to know the crew better at Station U. They weren’t just good paramedics. They were good people, and becoming good friends. He liked the way they looked out for each other. Maybe that was as good a reason as any for him to stop being concerned about his partner’s relationship with a vampire. He’d have to think on that. Perhaps Mike would have some thoughts on it, too. He had been Brynne’s partner before moving to the Fire Academy to train new paramedics.
He hopped into his pickup and backed out of his space in the parking lot, leaving the run-down industrial park that was home to Station U and heading to Hank’s Diner, where Mike was meeting him for breakfast.
———
The diner was busy, but Mike was already there when Dean arrived and had grabbed a booth. Daisy, one of the waitresses, said hi as Dean entered. He saw his mentor sitting at the back and walked over while he waived back at the waitress. Mike was sitting in the booth looking over the menu. He glanced up as Dean approached.
“Hi, Dean,” Mike said warmly.
“It’s good to see you.”
Dean reached out to shake Mike’s hand as he slid into the booth opposite him. Daisy came over and got their drink orders. Mike must not have been waiting long, he hadn’t ordered his coffee yet. Dean didn’t want any caffeine since he was going to be headed home to bed soon. He ordered a Sprite and grabbed a menu from where is was stashed behind the condiments at the end of the table, while she went to get their beverages.
Mike waited while he looked at the menu and when he set it down, spoke up cheerfully. “So, how have you been? It’s been a few weeks since I’ve talked with you.”
“It’s been good, mostly,” Dean said, qualifying his response.
Mike raised an eyebrow when Dean said “mostly” and probed right away. “What’s that mostly part? Is there something that isn’t as good as the rest?”
Dean thought for a moment about how to approach this. Daisy returned with their drinks, coffee for Mike and Sprite for him. He used the break while she took their orders to keep thinking. He watched her leave and looked back at Mike.
“I don’t know where to start, Mike. There’s been so much going on,” Dean said.
“Why don’t you start at the beginning,” Mike said. “What started you down this path to worrying about your work?”
“I think it mostly has to do with a call we had the other night. There was a patient attacked with burning lighter fluid, or gasoline or something. It was a pretty rough call, and I saw someone there who I wondered might be involved with it,” Dean said.
“You saw Brynne’s old partner, Zach,” Mike said, watching Dean’s eyes.
“Yes. How did you know?” Dean asked.
“I still keep in touch, and I hear things while at the academy,” Mike responded. “Do you think Zach did it? Burned the witch girl?”