Extreme Medical Services: Medical Care On The Fringes Of Humanity Read Free Page B

“Dean Flynn, congratulations on your achievement and graduation from the city college paramedic program. This is your letter of acceptance to employment as a paramedic for Elk City and pending the receipt of your state paramedic license, will act as your proof of licensure. Please report on Monday morning June 2 to Station U …”
        “Station U?” Dean muttered under his breath, his shoulders sagging a bit with disappointment. “Where the hell is station U?”

    ----

        Two days later, Dean had been driving around the outskirts of town as his phone’s GPS took him to his new work assignment. He looked a little startled when the sedate woman’s voice on his phone told him to turn left off of Route 40 into a rundown industrial park. “What kind of EMS station was in a dump like this?” He wondered aloud to himself. The directions took him to the very back of the industrial park past buildings and warehouses to the last parking lot on the right. He turned in as he saw the small sign on the metal siding that read “Paramedic Station U.”
        Dean drove his beat-up white Ford Ranger pickup into the lot and parked. There was only one other car in the lot, a small silver Nissan sedan. He glanced at his watch. Damn, he was late. He jumped out of the truck, quickly checking his reflection in the driver’s side window as he shut the door. Dean wanted to make a good impression on his preceptor, whoever they were. Maybe he could work his way out of this backwater station and into something more exciting. He still didn’t know what he had done that netted him this assignment.
        He turned and walked up to the steel entry door. It had a vertical rectangular slotted window in it, and he tried to peek inside as he turned the knob. He walked tentatively into the squad room for the first time at Station U.   Dean looked at the small woman behind the desk at the computer and said, “Hi, I'm Dean Flynn. I'm reporting for my first shift here.”
        Brynne looked up from the computer where she was working on a report and shook her head. "No freaking way."
        Dean pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and looked at it for second. "This is 'Station U' isn't it? It was a bit hard to find tucked away back here."
        Brynne held up a finger and picked up her desk phone. She pushed a button on speed dial and waited while it rang. "Chief …” She waited while she listened to a response and got an angry look on her face. "Stop laughing, and what do you mean 'You knew it was me?'"
        "I think I'm your new partner." Dean began, stopping at her upheld palm.
        "So it's final?" she paused. "And I assume he doesn't know what we do?" There was another pause. "Chief, you owe me … again." Brynne hung up the phone. She sighed as she looked at Dean standing in the doorway. “Yes, you're my new partner,” she said to him. “Sit down we've got a few things to talk about."

    He was still thinking about the events from earlier that night of his first call with their unique patients and meeting his new partner as Dean walked back into the crew quarters.  
        Brynne glanced up from the computer screen and laughed out loud at the expression on Dean’s face.  
        “How did you react when you saw your first real werewolf?” He retorted. “I didn’t even know they existed for until now!”
        “Oh, pretty much the same.” She said with a chuckle. “You have to start thinking about them as any other patient. Most of these people just want to blend in with the rest of us and live out their lives despite their unusual situations and living conditions.”
        “If you say so,” Dean responded.
        “I do say so, and for the time being, that’s going to be what you have to go on,” Brynne said. “Look, despite what I said earlier, I don’t intend for you to be a robot who follows me around and blindly does whatever I say. Sure, there will be some of that at first as you get used