Ride Along (Kelle/Lara)

[Lara DunCroft]

Lara pulled her cardigan together and held her coffee closer to her chest as she walked through the hospital's parking lot, towards the ambulance bay.

The air was fresh and cold, but then again it was still dark out Dark and breeze.

Kelle had invited Lara to go on a ride along with her, on the 5am shift no less.
And as insanely early as she had to get up, Lara had made the effort. She had even arrived a few minutes early.

Lara smiled as she got to Kelle who was waiting for her, "Morning." She greeted with a smile.

Tag: Kelle Lindsay, EMTP

(Ooc: Sorry my opening post is so short, blame it on my cold.)

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

Kelle was already going over the rig, making sure that everything was in place and ready to go as Steven checked out the narcotics and computers for the day, when Laura came over to her.  She'd told her partner to be expecting a rider, and he seemed to have taken it graciously. 

There were plenty of medics who didn't want to deal with riders, and she wasn't sure how Steven felt about them, but at least this was a doctor and not some young, starry-eyed EMT student who romanticized the job, the lights and sirens and the 'heroes'.

"Morning."

"Oh, morning!"  Kelle hopped out of the back of the rig, grinning.  "Welcome to the madness!  This is our home away from home, you want some coffee or just to jump into the grand tour?"

Steven Hudson Lara DunCroft

[Lara DunCroft]

"Welcome to the madness! This is our home away from home, you want some coffee or just to jump into the grand tour?"

Lara grinned at the amusing welcome.
She held up her coffee, showing Kelle that she was all set to get straight on with it.

"I'm ready ready to go, lets get to it." She smiled.

Lara turned to Steven with a smile, "Hey."
She held out her hand to shake his, "I'm Lara. I hope Kelle warned you about me." she grinned playfully

Lara motioned for the pair to go first, "After you." She said with a smile.

She was looking forwards to the experience.
It was probably going to be tough sure, but now that she was here and ready to go, Lara felt a little excited about it all and she was looking forwards to seeing how she would cope.

Tag: Kelle Lindsay, EMTP

[Steven Hudson]

Steven had been checking some paperwork with the Chief when Lara arrived, it was only when he walked into the bays that he saw her. Kelle had told him to expect a rider for the day which was a new thing but all in his stride he thought. He had gotten along with one partner he could deal with another for a day he thought trying not to go overboard with his usual attitude toward new people. Yes he could be charming and social when outside of work but work was exactly that he thought as he walked over to Kelle and Lara.

“Morning.” He said to both of them as he dropped off the clipboard he held in the front seat. Well he was trying to be pleasant and approachable he thought though at least she was a doctor. It could have been a lot worse he told himself. Steven shook her hand as he grinned and nodded, “Oh yeah, she warned me a little.” He said glancing toward Kelle with a ‘warn me about what?’ look on his face. Oh this was going to be one interesting ride along he thought.

“So Kelle, are you taking us on the tour?” He asked with a grin, well it was going to be fun to play the new guy he thought as he bowed to Kelle teasing her mostly. “Lead on oh fearless paramedic.” He said as he turned to Lara. “Makes me call her that every morning.” He teased grinning again as he rocked back on his heels.

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

Kelle rolled her eyes. "Goddess, remember? I said 'Goddess'." Then she glanced at Lara with a smile. "Men! Anyway, that's Steven, my partner. Don't mind him, I don't!" The banter was meant to be just that, playful exchange, and she was pretty sure the doctor could take it...and would dish it back once she was more comfortable with them.

"So, on your right, you have a bench seat and a wall...that's the easy part!" Well, there were IV supplies behind the seat, an oxygen port, but the cabinets were on the driver's side, and Kelle motioned to those. "Meds, other supplies, oxygen tubing and another port..." She nodded the the big red bag on the gurney. "Jump bag has the advanced airway equipment..."

They were interrupted as the pagers went off, dispatching them to a chest pain call. "Well, that was it!" She nodded to the seat at the head of the gurney. "Gloves up there for you, wear your seat belt, Steven is driving, stick with one of us, and if you see us running the other way, might be good to follow!"

Lara DunCroft Steven Hudson

[Lara DunCroft]

"Lead on oh fearless paramedic.” “Makes me call her that every morning.”

Lara grinned.
She was not sure how Steven was going to feel about here being there, but his amusing comment made her feel at easy.
He wasn't being standoffish or acting all superior, and that was a great start to their meeting.

"Goddess, remember? I said 'Goddess'." "Men! Anyway, that's Steven, my partner. Don't mind him, I don't!"

Lara chuckled.
The pair obviously shared a healthy dose of good natured banter and that was always a good thing between partners. It also helped to make the day to easier.

Lara made a mental note as Kelle showed here where everything was, it all seemed logical and simple enough.

Gloves up there for you, wear your seat belt, Steven is driving, stick with one of us, and if you see us running the other way, might be good to follow!"

Lara grinned and let out a chuckle, "Oh trust me I will." she said as she secured her messenger bag and strapped herself in ready to respond to the call out.

Tag: Steven Hudson, Kelle Lindsay, EMTP

[Steven Hudson]

Steven laughed as he coughed. “Sorry, lead on oh fearless Goddess... I knew there was something.” He said smirking as he nodded. “No she doesn’t mind me often.” He teased, Steven was used to messing around and being playful. It was just what they did and yes on occasion it was a little close to the wire but he guessed that the doctors had a similar way of coping with things. Humour and laughter could be the different between keeping it together and falling apart with what they saw.

Steven nodded when Kelle gave the rundown of what was there, he knew but it was never a harm to nod and look like he was learning it for the first time all over again. When the pagers went off he rolled his eyes, go figure that the first five minutes of lessons there would be a call to go to though he was interested to see just what Lara could do. “Hey my driving is precise and safe... very safe.” He said smirking as he jogged around to the driver’s side.

He put his seat belt on and leaned behind him to open the screen between the front and the back. “It’ll be fun, trust us or Kelle, maybe safer to trust her. And if everyone is buckled up then lets go.” He said as he put his foot to the floor as he flicked on the lights chuckling lightly. Well what more could he have asked for, as a kid it was fun to think about driving with flashing lights and now he got to do that every day or most days at work.

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

"'Safe' being relative!" Kelle called over the wail of the siren. She chuckled as she turned her attention to the computer mounted between the driver and passenger. "1625 Richland," she gave out the familiar address to a run-down mobile home park, "um...space 12, no priors..." There was a good deal of information they could get on the call, including maps, prior calls, and patient details.

"Sixty-two year old male, chest pain, short of breath," she called out the details loudly enough that their rider could hear, "dizzy, pale...have to take that all with a grain of salt, usually it sounds more dramatic on the computer!"

As Steven (expertly) guided the ambulance into the parking lot of the park, Kelle continued, laying out a plan to include Lara in the fun. "You can get a history if you'd like, while we get the vitals and stuff."

[Lara DunCroft]

"Buckled up and ready to roll." Lara said, gentle hitting the wall of the ambulance with an open hand letting Steven know that she was good to go.

"Sixty-two year old male, chest pain, short of breath," "dizzy, pale...have to take that all with a grain of salt, usually it sounds more dramatic on the computer!"

Lara smiled and shouted back, "It usually does in writing."

Lara had caught onto that one during her short stint in the emergency room...Especially when a concerned parent had filled out the questionnaire.

Lara had to admit that riding with the sirens on was rather fun.
Sure, she could see that the novelty would probably soon wear off when you did it nearly everyday, but Lara was an intern not a medic and the child in her was enjoying the ride.

"You can get a history if you'd like, while we get the vitals and stuff."

"Okay." Lara replied, acknowledging that she had heard.

Lara jumped out of the ambulance and followed the pair towards the mobile home.

Kelle and Steven might have been familiar with the park, but Lara had never been there before and she had no idea of what to expect once they got inside.

Just because it was a mobile home there was no reason to necessarily expect it was going to be a discussing, dirty mess. Thousands of people lived in mobile home and that's just what they were homes.

But on the other hands Lara had seen enough bad examples of mobile home on tv...and then there was what Kelle had said before about some places being so bad they had bugs falling from the ceiling...Yeah, Lara braced herself, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

Tag: Kelle Lindsay, EMTP, Steven Hudson.

[Steven Hudson]

“Yeah yeah she loves my driving.” Steven said smirking as he kept his eyes on the road ahead. He had managed to glance at the screen between them before they set off but he knew better than to do that now. People had a way of hearing sirens and doing every dangerous move in the book. “Nothing like a mobile home park in the morning.” He replied making a turn to head in the general direction.

It was easy enough to park up in the parking lot as he listened to Kelle lay out what they would be doing. “You good?” He asked Kelle as he jumped down from the drivers seat and readjusted the radio he carried. Everything got in way when driving though when he drove outside of work the lack of belts and radio’s felt strange to him and he found himself trying to adjust things the same way regardless.

Steven glanced over to Lara, “It’ll be fine, you doctors worry too much about what’s behind door number one.” He said grinning, well he had to admit the park was a familiar address and he would have been a food to not be a little wary as to what was behind each door. Normally it was a bad case of indigestion that some home remedies could fix easily. People were able to panic too often and dial three numbers for an emergency run of over the counter pain killers and antacids.

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

For the park, the home was actually fairly decent, and one that they actually hadn't been to before, although the steps were mushy and the outside railing loose.  But surprisingly, the interior didn't reek -- at least badly -- there was a crisp odor that might be recognized as a mixture of Tiger Balm and curry.

They were greeted by a small Asian woman who directed them to an older man sitting on a dingy couch.  He was laying back, pale beneath his dark skin, clammy, with his right hand rubbing the left side if his chest.  He had faint red welts along his ribs on his chest and back.

Glancing at Steven, Kelle shrugged, then started to put on the cardiac monitor, letting Lara deal with the couple who could barely speak English. 

"Pulse ox, then oxygen?" she spoke to Steven, "I'll get the twelve lead..."  Looked like the man might be having a heart attack.

[Lara DunCroft]

“It’ll be fine, you doctors worry too much about what’s behind door number one.”

Lara smiled at the comment.

"I try not to worry, the only thing worrying will change is my blood pressure." She replied with a grin.

Lara followed the pair up the steps.
She frowned and kept her eyes down watching her step as she went, being careful that nothing was going to give way under her.

The place was not to in bad shape and the smell of curry was not overpowering like in some houses she had been in.

Lara greeted the woman with a friendly smile and a simple hello as she followed Kelle and Steven inside.

The man did look well at all.
he was off color and clammy and he was sporting welts that Lara had only seen in medical books.

"Pulse ox, then oxygen?" "I'll get the twelve lead..."

Lara gave Kelle and Steven as much room to work as she could while she started on getting a medical history.

She smiled lightly and kept her tone friendly and reassuring.
But communication began to get tricky after Lara had taken their names and introduced herself.

But after trying a couple of methods she managed to get across most of what she was asking using a mixture of English, gestures and an English to Asian dictionary website on her phone.

It was not perfect and but it was enough to get her all of the vital info they needed. Technology could be so invaluable in situations like this!

Tag: Kelle Lindsay, EMTP, Steven Hudson

[Steven Hudson]

Steven wrinkled his nose at the odour that he could smell, on it’s own tiger balm was great and curry too but together. Together for him it just... well there were smells on the job that could be a whole lot worse than that he thought deciding not to make anything of it. When the Asian woman directed them to the older man Steven smiled in an attempt to appear friendly and welcoming.

He saw the faint red welts along his ribs and chest as he gave Kelle a look and shrugged again. Oh he had a feeling this was going to be one of those calls. There was already a language barrier which just made things a whole lot more difficult as basic questions he had an idea would take a lot more than normal. “Sure, let’s go this.” Steven said as he went about attaching a few leads and the oxygen mask to the older man.

“Got anything for us Doc?” He asked as he made sure the oxygen mask was in place before he glanced toward the monitor. This was not the typical call for a plaster and a kiss it better he thought though at least they had a doc too with them. It would make things interesting as he glanced to Kelle. “How’s the twelve lead?” He asked her grinning before he looked back to the patient.

[Kelle Lindsay, EMTP]

Hovering over the cardiac monitor, Kelle looked over the display as she waited for the 12-lead to analyze. "BP 110/70, pulse 108, pulse ox is 97%," she read, mostly for Lara's sake since she couldn't see the monitor.

Then she let out a breath as she tore off the 12-lead print-out and held it to the doctor. "STEMI," she told Steven. The man was having a heart attack and time was essential. "I'll send it to Chicago Med," she told Steven, messing with the dials on the front of the monitor. The EKG would go right to the ED, giving them a head's-up that they had a cardiac patient and giving the cardiologist a chance to look at it before they even got there.

Standing, she moved with Steven to grab the gurney and bring it close to the patient. "We'll load and go," she explained, "get the IV's en route, watch his rhythm, he have a cardiac history?" She glanced at Lara.

((Feel free to make up history, or say that the woman said 'no', but he's got medications for cardiac, high blood pressure, have fun with it! And if I get too technical, feel free to smack me! ))

Steven Hudson Lara DunCroft

[Lara DunCroft]

"BP 110/70, pulse 108, pulse ox is 97%,"

Lara could hear Kelle running off the stats but she was a little preoccupied trying to communicate with the woman.
She some how managed to pretty much took in all of what Kelle was saying, but her head was spinning taking in all of the information that was coming from all around here, not only in what people were saying but also in what she was deducing from everything she could smell and see.

The experience was a little overwhelming but she did an excellent job of not showing it. Outwardly she remained calm, friendly and reassuring.

“Got anything for us Doc?”

Lara glanced around at Steven, "Uh, yeah. He takes cardiac and HBP meds."

Lara turned back to the woman, talking to here for a second in the hybrid english/Asian language that seemed to be working (to a point) as the woman handed over two vials of pills.

"He's on chlorthalidone and Rivaroxaban." Lara said, immediately reading out the labels to Steve and Kelle.

"He hads a history of Cardiovascular disease, but he's never had a heart attack before."
She informed them, relaying what she had been able to establish from the man's wife.

(Ooc: I'd never smack you for getting too technical. I'm working on a script involving Drs and I'm gonna soak in all the technical stuff you say like a sponge! BTW don't know if put the right meds but I gave it a go! )