Rock The Boat: IA Coaching

[Steven Hudson]

Steven glanced at the tarp and he nodded to her, “Thanks, looks like this could get a little cosy.” He joked as he saw the angle she was working at and it was awkward whatever way it was going to shape up. Nothing happened like it did in a textbook and this was everything but textbook. “On it, wont be pretty.” He said as he pulled the tape from the bag and set to work on it. Pretty was for classroom and the ER at times but this, this was practical over pretty.

Under the tarp it was awkward and the way the van rocked made any attempt at accurate a little more complicated. The roar of equipment and showers of glass. Well it just made things better and better until the fog of water arrived. For all that it was at least the fire department would help them if things got complicated. Water prevented fire and he could work with that even if it was uncomfortable at times. Much like them they were just doing their job.

“Yeah, just down there, i’ll go get it.” He said as he moved away from the tarp and went to fetch the back board. He brought it toward the front of the van propping it against the wall as he ducked back under the tarp, “Upside down woman, two in a tarp and foam and water... has to be a party of some kind right?” He said with a grin. “You sure you’re okay?” He asked Kelle wanting to know that she was because if she said no then he would need to get her out of there as soon as possible.

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

"Uh huh," Chevy nodded, then glanced at the monitor. "Her pressure is pretty low, we can dump fluids. but if she's got a head injury..." which was likely, considering that the woman hadn't come around yet, "...that'll just aggravate that."

It was a dilemma that even the doctors in the hospital would have to contend with...potentially lethal injuries with conflicting treatments. The patient needed to be at the hospital.

"Can you get a second line?" she called, bracing a foot against the headrest of the passenger seat. She couldn't see what was going on with the woman's legs, what with the tarp over them, but she could tell from the firefighters' chatter that they were getting close to freeing her.

"Earning a double shot chocolate espresso!" she added with a quick smile.

[Steven Hudson]

Steven hung his head as Kelle spoke, head injury and low pressure. Do one thing make the other worse, do nothing and risk it all. Steven wanted to yell at the fire department to work faster but they were all on the same team. “Yeah I’ll get a second line in.” He said as he moved back to his bag to pull another IV in, well this was going to be difficult he thought as he made his way back with the IV.

Nothing like a challenge as he made it work and placed a second line in. The tape on the second line was just as interesting as the first one but it was there for a purpose. Pretty hardly mattered when the patient was injured. At the mention of a double shot chocolate espresso he laughed. “Hey I’ll put in a third for that offer.” He said grinning as he saw her smile. “You still okay there?” He asked her as he could hear the chatter from the fire-fighters.

“Should be able to get out of here soon.” He said not that he minded being there but the patient needed a hospital. "Then i'll get you whatever it is you want from Starbucks." He added over the noise of chatter and people working around them.

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

"It's a deal," Kelle muttered, shifting to get into a better position under the woman, feeling a bit of glass cut into her shoulder, more of an inconvenience than anything, and certainly nothing she would report...little cuts and bruises, aches and pains were just part of the job, and not worth the paperwork involved.

"Hey!" one of the firefighters called, "we're about done here, let us know when you're ready and we'll free her."

"Got it!" Kelle looked at Steven, scooting even farther under the woman. "I can get her head and neck if you can control her body." She'd let him handle the bulk of the weight while she kept the woman's spine as aligned as she could as they lowered her to the backboard.

"Your call..."

[Steven Hudson]

Steven grinned as he moved to a better position to help. Small confined spaces were not among his favourite places in the world, it made doing their job difficult and he was not a trained gymnast to bend into places. Cuts, bruises and pain was all part of the job, lift a board wrong and it was your muscles or back that went. Move a certain way, twist wrong or generally have some really bad luck and a call out for medical attention could end up in the medics needed the attention.

When the fire-fighter called out Steven listened to Kelle talk. “I got the body, nothing like making a guy work for the chocolate huh.” He teased though he moved the back board into position. He hardly minded handling the bulk, he was a guy after all and if anything the heavy lifting was what he did not that he doubted Kelle but it was a tough enough job without throwing her into weight lifting too.

Moving the woman to the backboard, well it would make moving her from the van easier and at least they would have a patient that was the right side up. All in all it would work out, “Just tell me when you’re ready.” He said to Kelle as he moved into position to take the weight of the woman and keep her as aligned as possible.

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

"Chocolate gives you strength, right?" Kelle's voice was strained from the awkward position, but she could deal with it while she had to. With Steven ready, she called to the unseen firefighters, "Okay! We're ready!"

Bracing herself, she spread her hands across the woman's neck and shoulders, then nodded to Steven. "Got it, cut the belt."

There was no nice or easy way to do it, once the support holding her was released they got the brunt of her weight, but working together she and Steven lowered the woman onto the board.

"Go!" Kelle shouted and more unseen hands dragged the backboard with the woman on it out of the wreckage and from under the tarp. Quickly, Kelle scrambled after, knowing that Steven would be right behind her. As she stood, she blinked at all the bright spotlights, making the night scene easy to see, then took the chance to switch to clean gloves as the firefighters lifted the board to the gurney.

"Think we can have fire drive us in?" she asked Steven as they trotted toward the ambulance, "that way we can both be in back." That way they could give her more attention, and now that she was out 'diesel' was the priority treatment. At least her baby was probably already at the hospital, having been taken in by another unit.

[Steven Hudson]

Steven nodded as he heard her strained voice. “Right, lesson number one is complete.” He teased as he braced himself to take the weight of the woman. It had been done a few hundred times before but then there was always a nervousness until the patient was on the board and on the way to the hospital. He had a learned the hard way a lot could change in those moments.

With the woman on the board and Kelle scrambling after here Steven followed her out of the van. Once he was outside the lights hurt his eyes, it was hardly the same level of light as in the van. Outside was like up like tree as it took him a few moments to readjust as he swapped out his gloves tossing them to the side. If there was ever a time to be messy it was when you were a medic.

“Yeah, would make a change for them to drive us.” He said with a grin as he waved one of the fire-fighters over. “Listen, we need to work so need you to drive us.” He said watching the man nod. “Just don’t crash because I don’t want that set of paperwork.” He added not being mean just a friendly warning that turning up to the fire house in a busted ambulance was not how he wanted shift to end. “You okay with it?” He asked Kelle even though she had suggested it.

As he held open the ambulance door for her to get in. He tried to be courteous at times even if he was a hard ass at times about things. It was the way he was but people either got used to it or they simply transferred though he was glad Kelle was sticking around.

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

"Sure, I'm good."  Kelle grinned.  "They're just as afraid of the paperwork as we are!"

There were mounds of paperwork associated with any sort of incident beyond the most minor, not to mention drug tests and interviews, and honestly, for most of the rank and file that was great incentive to stay out of trouble.  That, and of course, no one wanted to get into trouble in the first place.

She settled into the jump seat at the patient's head, adjusting the oxygen mask as the unit started moving, sirens blaring.  With IV's already in place and bleeding controlled all that was left was to reassess the woman and look for the more minor, non-life-threatening injuries, and be prepared in case she crashed on them.

Fortunately, they got to the hospital without incident and turned the patient over to the awaiting trauma team.  As they headed back to the ambulance, Kelle looked at Steven, frowning.

"So, driver cleans up, only neither of us drove...."  Breaking into a grin, she swatted his arm.  "Tag, you're it!" she called as she broke into a jog.  Besides, she'd cleaned up after the last call, not that there had been much to do, and she still had the patient care report to finish, and this was going to be a long one.

"Oh, yeah," she called over her shoulder, "you still owe me chocolate!"

Steven Hudson

[Steven Hudson]

“Ha yeah, less paperwork we can all go home before the next shift starts.” He said chuckling, honestly patients in his head came first but the amount of time he spent filling out forms and reports. He felt like he was a admin assistant at times, shuffle it here, sign it there and make sure that in the end all the I were dotted and the T’s were crossed because the paper work that came after that, well he would be there to his retirement filling it out.

Steven sat himself against the side of the ambulance as he watched the monitors before giving a closer look over the woman. It was a pretty simple trip, nothing dramatic and the patient was alive when they dropped them off. Handing a live patient over always felt good and even if the walking away and not knowing was difficult well it was all part of a job that meant they got someone the help they needed in time. It was a case of win some and lose some, simple in theory not so simple when applied.

Steven saw her frown as he wondered what was wrong but then there was the grin and the swatted arm. He jogged after her, “Yeah driver cleans up, think we can drop it back at the fire house of a wash down?” He joked knowing that he’d probably be strung up by his toes for a stunt like that. “But chocolate... knew there was something I’d forgotten about.” He said with a grin, honestly after no chocolate and coffee well food was on his brain.

“Shall we go for Starbucks again? On me of course and I think I’m getting the first chocolate anything I see, maybe even chocolate coffee if they do it.” He said grinning; it had been one of those days where sweet anything would fix a lot. It was hardly healthy but then again he never cared much for healthy food on shift. That could be breakfast the next day.

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

"Deal!"  Kelle nodded with a grin, then offered, "How about I help you clean up, I can finish the paperwork at Starbucks."  That would get them there all the quicker, the paperwork could wait, and she was famished.  They'd been busy, and hadn't had a break in hours, so they were due.  Working together, it would only take a few minutes to get the unit back in shape.

"That woman's pretty lucky," she commented as they walked out to the ambulance bay, "and I heard someone say that her baby's all right...the dad is here."  They saw enough tragedy, it was good to hear that the kid was okay, and, while the woman was still critical, she had a fighting chance...and sometimes it was hard not to get a bloated ego knowing that they had had a hand in that chance...it was their job and they took it in stride, even though they would come back later to check on 'their' patient.

"Chocolate...man, let's go!"  Nudging him again, she broke into a jog.

Steven Hudson

[Steven Hudson]

“Sure, I mean we can always just spill coffee on the paperwork at Starbucks.” He joked though unfortunately paperwork cover their backsides at times and he hardly needed some over cautious doctor getting on their case about their chosen treatment methods or lack of paperwork. It never took long to clean up when two people were doing it.

“It’s great news, the family needs some good thrown their way.” He said with a smile, though he hated traffic accident more than any other incident. He’d take a fire or any other incident over a traffic accident usually as it was an accident that had killed his wife. It was simply nice to have a good end to things and to know that there was a good ending too. It was their job but a save was a good day and going back to see that everything was okay was the best part to see people happy to just be alive.

When Kelle mentioned chocolate and nudge him he laughed and jogged after her. He caught up and tapped her on the shoulder lightly as he tried to jog ahead of her for a moment as he grinned. “Yeah chocolate and lots of it! And coffee, and lots of chocolate on the coffee.” He said almost drooling at the thought as he headed back to the ambulance. “Might even get one of those chocolate stirrers and a few more for the road.” He stated thoughtfully as he could almost smell the coffee.

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

“Sure, I mean we can always just spill coffee on the paperwork at Starbucks.”

"Then they'd just make us start over," Kelle laughed, "and I already have part of it done."  Fact was, for the most part she (and most of them) hated 'paperwork', especially now that it was done electronically on the computer, which really was more of a glorified billing form.  The idiots at IT thought that everyone 1) fit into their little holes, and 2) had a legitimate complaint and 3) really needed an ambulance...none of which was true, so that there was a lot of hedging that made the forms kind of moot as a legal document.

At least this was one of the occasions when they really had been needed, and that made the documentation easier, but more lengthy.

"I'm just glad that at least the little one is all right."

[/i]“It’s great news, the family needs some good thrown their way.”[/i]

"Yep..."  And so did they.  Sure, a lot of what they did was flat-out BS, but even so, there was enough tragedy and suffering that it was good for them to have good outcomes when things could have totally gone the other way.

“Yeah chocolate and lots of it! And coffee, and lots of chocolate on the coffee.” He said almost drooling at the thought as he headed back to the ambulance. “Might even get one of those chocolate stirrers and a few more for the road.”

"Oh....no, nope, not that..."  Kelle gave him her 'mommy' look and shook her head.  "I know what all that caffeine and chocolate will do to you, and I'm not sitting next to you for the next four hours while you bounce off the ceiling!" 

Sure, they could go back to the station, but the rest of the crew would be asleep, and with only a few hours left in the shift, as far as Kelle was concerned, there wasn't much point in going to bed, but she didn't want to disturb the others.

"Of course, there's nothing like being up for the full twenty-four, huh?  And really...after a shift like this, I couldn't sleep anyway, at least for a while."  She shrugged.  "Well, let's just make it to the goodies and go from there!"

Steven Hudson

[Steven Hudson]

“Fair, I mean who wouldn’t want all of our paper sitting on a desk somewhere.” He joked, well it was to be done even if it was the biggest waste of time imaginable in his mind. Spend less time with filling things in and more time helping the patients, that made sense to him but making sure that people were billed correctly and that they needed an ambulance well. It was hardly as if people called for no good reason, so yes they got a few of those calls but still there was no use in arguing it.

The paperwork always wins. “Yeah, kids they tough it out. Least they will have a great story for school when they get there.” He said grinning, well there had to be an upside. The whole ‘i survived an accident’ well he was sure it would gain cool points in a school yard. It was nice to get the good news for a change, the whole ‘remember that guy you brought in, sorry he didn’t make it speech’ was old. He figured the doctors or nurses thought they helped but sometimes it was better off not knowing.

Steven saw the ‘mummy’ look as he laughed and gave his best annoyed child face. “Oh come on I swear to keep myself under control at all times and I won’t bounce. Just sway and groove? Please, please, please, please?” He asked clasping his hands together as he frowned. Four hours and shift would be over and sleep yeah; it was a case of might as well stay awake and the way to do that was bounce of the ceiling with a sugar and caffeine rush. “Please Kelle, I’ll do the cleaning for a week and paperwork too?” He offered with a grin.

“Twenty four feels like seventy two.” He said sighing, the shifts were long ones and occasionally he had to remind himself why he did the job. “Goodies ransack Starbucks and eat ourselves to sleep before next shift.” He said grinning again; well even the thought of food was making him bounce off anything as he had forgotten how hungry he was.

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

"Oh, right." Kelle rolled her eyes then laughed. She had no idea why Steven had a bad reputation as a partner, he just had to be handled properly...well, and maybe smacked around now and then!

Of course it could have to do with her charming, sweet personality -- The Paramedic Whisperer! -- or maybe because she'd decided to be up-front and honest with her partner, after all, they were stuck next to each other for full days at a time, and they had to work as a team. If there there was a problem it was best discussed then and not left to fester, and if you still couldn't get along after, you could present that to the Cap and ask for a change based on legit grounds.

"Anyone who walks away is lucky...within the parameters of being in a wreck in the first place, of course!" It was best just to avoid trouble, but...

And they saw every day how an instant could change life. This job never ceased to make her grateful for her health and for getting through another day unscathed.

"All right, then, all-night Starbucks...well, what's left of the night. We'll do espresso shots and triple-chocolate brownies!"

It was kind of crazy, but so was the job, and at this point going to bed was pointless. Flopping the monitor back onto the gurney and strapping it down, she looked at him. "Ready when you are!"

[Steven Hudson]

Steven laughed glad that they had been partnered together, she was the first one in a long time that had stuck around and not fled to the hills. His reputation was bad, he could be angry but the IA claim and suspension well what would any other person do when they attended a call with a family member involved. Lose it, maybe but no one hurt his family and his sister fiancé found that out the hard way. It explained why he was never able to meet the boyfriends until they were serious enough that his usual ‘i will break you’ speech only caused a twitch and not a sprint out the door.

Kelle was great, she knew how to work him too which was scary in its own sense as not many people could do that. There was that and she was hardly afraid to push him around which he appreciated more than he maybe showed. “True, but how some of them make it out alive I have no idea. I mean some of the things you see its just...” He could hardly describe some things but people were just lucky at times.

“Dont we get to live the high life, espresso shots and brownies.” He joked grinning though honestly there was nothing better than that to end a night or start a day or really at any point as time was relative. “I’m ready, jump in. Can’t keep the coffee and brownies waiting I mean what if someone else has the same idea?” He joked as he jumped into the driver’s seat.