In honor of the EMS and all they have done for us.
Note: some situations are true stories but are in no violation of HIPAA. If you are offended and recognize the situation in which this story is based off of or see a violation of HIPAA Please contact 10000reasons immediately and it will be brought down.
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction and some details will be stretched or altered to protect patient identity, dramatize for viewer enjoyment, and fit the universe to which these situations have been altered to match its surroundings. All characters are copyright to Nintendo and Game Freak.
Thank you
X X X X
Lu stared at the fast food displayed on the restaurants TVs. He was hoping maybe something new would be appetizing enough to change his order, but that didn't look like the case today. Lu sighed before hearing the the magic word that would save him from the monotony of waiting lines.
"Next!"
Lu stepped up and the cashier looked up from the ordering machine. He scrunched his eyebrows saying again, "Next?"
Lu rolled his eyes. Being a Lucario had many perks, but this was not one of them. Lu covered his maw and cleared his throat. The cashier leaned over his machine and raised his eyebrows.
"Oh, a Lucario. You ordering for your trainer, little buddy? I don't speak Pokémon so just point at what you want. Nice costume, by the way, your trainer a coordinator? It' sure looks like it."
Lu sighed and lifted his ID card from his pant-loop up to eye level. After getting a good look of the ID, Lu let it go and it quickly snapped back into place. The cashier turned red and apologized, "S-Sorry, pal. Probably should have been able to tell with that cos…uh, uniform you were wearing. What'll it be?"
"Two Number sixes, please." Lu crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.
The cashier nodded and tapped the touch screen a few time then added, "And to drink with those?"
"Waters. Large."
The cashier nodded again and pulled out two large cups, "Here you go, that'll be thirteen hundred ninety-five."
Lu pulled out his wallet, took out his credit card, and gave it to the cashier. The Cashier ran it through the machine and gave him two receipts. "This one is yours and this one you sign."
Lu signed the one, kept the other with his number, and was wished a good day. He waited for the order that took its sweet time getting to him and finally returned to his truck. Inside waiting was his best friend and partner Zeiden. He was a Zoroark who had served eight years in the EMP service.
"Hey, what took you so long this time?" Zeiden asked.
"The Cashier was admiring my 'costume.'" Lu explained with a fake smile.
"Oh-ho, I bet that was good." Zeiden took his bag of food and bit into the wrapped meat.
Lu scoffed and started bitting into his own food, "Would be if I were your everyday Pokémon and not a paramedic. Next time, you're getting the order. Your taller and a whole lot less fabulous."
"Oy, I am all the fab in he world. All the fab!" Zeiden said pointing a claw at his partner.
Lu couldn't help but laugh. "Yup, you are all the fab. You and your maw full of food are unquestionably more fab than a clean, polite Lucario like myself." Lu took another bite and briefly lifted and dropped his eyebrows.
"Diff ifn't ova," Zeiden glared. He swallowed and his eyes returned to his food. "On a different note, there's a Pokémon tournament being held in the stadium tomorrow. You going?"
Lu thought about it for a moment and shrugged, "Uh, yeah, I believe so."
Zeiden nodded and asked, "To watch or as a provider?"
Lu scoffed again and answered, "Yes. What to you think? I scheduled."
"Mm, okay, I guess that means I ought to too. Besides, we'll get in free. It's not like they need us frequently anyway. A whole lot cheaper if you ask me."
"You read my mind," Lu chuckled, "So, you bringing anyone special to the show?"
"Pft, you kidding?" Zeiden asked, "You and me both know that we're freaks of nature. Very cool freaks of nature but freaks of nature none the less."
"Us being able to talk makes us freaks of nature?" Lu asked with a full maw.
"You heard it on the radio. Those people think that the 'privilege of speech' is human thing. Anything else that talks is either a freak or a programmed, mechanized piece of intelligence that only exists for the good of humanity and should not have a will. Case in point, no GFs. Even the Pokémon who aren't like us don't care."
Lu shrugged, "I don't know, we aren't the only freaks, man. You've got EMP one all the way to EMP thirty to decide from and then there's the fire trucks and the ER, Rescue teams… Could have met one of them. We're not an all male society or something."
"Yeah, but we never see each other much outside of the workplace, man. You and I are lucky enough to get together and have a barbecue with some of the others. It's like a one in a million chance. We live so freaking far apart in this region."
"Yeah, but hey, I'm sure you'll come around, settle down; get a family?" They shared a laugh. "Heck, you could probably score a real great girl. She'll welcome you home every night, cook you dinner…"
"Yeah yeah yeah yeah, I get it; don't get my hopes up. But that's what I want some day. What about you?"
"Me?" Lu raise his eyebrows again.
Zeiden rolled his eyes, "No, I was talking to the fire hydrant behind you, outside… Of course you! You're a freaking paramedic and have been one for sixteen years! Arceus knows you need it more than me."
Lu shrugged, "I don't know. Like you said: we're freaks. Nobody wants us."
Zeiden shrugged as well and nodded. Both of them were nearly done with their food. The rest of the eating was quiet. One of the radios hummed along dull tone before a woman's voice replaced it. "Dispatch to EMP Ten, EMP Six is requesting ALS backup at Solaceon Town, over."
Zeiden finished his last bite and replied, "Copy that, dispatch, what is the patient, over?"
"Patient is a two year old Ekans with Lacerations and signs of overkill, over."
Overkill was a term used for continuous damage on a person or Pokémon that surpassed the point of fainting or inability to battle. It often presented with stacked up damage, this is more than one injury in one place, or dark bruises painted everywhere on the body. Overkill is illegal in all regions but wild Pokémon never obeyed the law.
"Copy that we are moving to intercept." Zeiden started the truck and exited the fast food parking lot. The town wasn't far from their location. Hearthome was actually only a couple miles from Solaceon. When they arrived at the scene, Lu already had his gloves and glasses on. Zeiden was equipping his protection as Lu approached the Raichu and Weavile who looked more than happy to see him.
The Weavile was busy so the Raichu approached. "Lu, thank Arceus, it's good to see you. This is our patient, he is a two year old male Ekans with lacerations across all five quadrants of his body. He also has signs of Overkill. We immediately patched up the lacerations upon arrival. His Airway is not opening with any of our adjuncts but my partner is trying to assist ventilators with a bag valve and patient's breathing is labored. Circulation seems fine within Ekans species standards and beyond his lacerations he has no major bleeding. We have found no other injuries, the trainer has stated he has no medications or allergies, and hasn't taken anything for his condition. His past oral intake was lunch thirty minutes ago."
"Thanks, Ryan, any vitals?"
"You got here before we could take any." Ryan replied.
"Alright, Let me see him." Lu approached the Ekans and felt his pulse. It was weak but within normal limits.
The Ekans hissed weakly and moaned in pain. Lu lifted his paw and looked at Wendy, the Weavile. "He's P and the AVPU scale." She explained. "No improvements so far. Can you open his airway?"
"We'll have to transport. Nice ambulance, did the wilds redecorate or something?" Lu asked pointing at the totaled but still in one piece ambulance.
"They did but we fought them off. Probably should have called law enforcement. The trainer is over there with her mother. We still need consent to transport."
Lu nodded and turned to Ryan, "Let her know the details and lets load and go; I'm going to preform a Laryngoscopy. Zeiden, take over for Wendy so she can drive. Wendy, have you tried a combitube?"
"Unfortunately, the wild Pokémon damaged them. None of them were going to work. None that would fit anyway," Wendy explained.
Lu sighed, "Okay we'll try that then go up from their. And before you get in the truck, bring a backboard, please."
"You got it, Lu." Wendy left the two to manage the Ekans.
Zeiden secured the Ekan's head and started to manage the airway as best he could. Ryan, after getting consent, assisted Zeiden as best he could. Zeiden shook his head as he scanned the Ekan's condition. "You think he's going to make it?"
Lu sighed again, "If he does he'll have quite the story to tell his buddies."
"I've got the backboard." Wendy set the board beside the ground and Zeiden led the positioning. As soon as the Ekans was on and splinted, Wendy took the front while the other three providers took the cabin. The trainer and her mother were welcome to come in as well.
The trainer watched nervously as the EMP providers acted quickly as a team. "Is my Ekans going to be okay?"
Lu did his best to assure her but he knew it wouldn't be enough, "We will do what we can for your Ekans. Whatever fight you got into he wasn't prepared for. Can you tell us fully what happened?"
The girl looked at her mother who was petting her head. "It's alright dear, it wasn't your fault. It's not everyday that a crowed of Pokémon attack like that."
she sniffed and wiped her eyes, "My Ekans and I were going on a walk from Solaceon Town when a herd of Ponitas came by and stomped around us. They were running from something. They trampled him and got away but then the Zubats came. He tried to protect me but he just couldn't after getting so beat up." She returned to sobbing remembering the whole horror scene fresh in her mind.
"In the middle of the day?" Lu couldn't believe it. Zubats weren't daytime flyers. If they were out and about in the middle of day there had to be something wrong.
"Yeah, they were some pretty vicious Zubats too." Ryan added, "Wendy and I almost became patients ourselves."
"Ah, the tube's not opening it. There's something blocking it. Lu, we need to do the Laryngoscopy and see what's doing it. If this keeps up you know what we have to do."
"The trips too short he'll be fine," Lu shook, "Besides, if his breathing is labored then a Tracheostomy is unnecessary."
"What's that?" Asked the trainer's mother.
"It's an incision at the throat leading to the trachea and the airway so we an bypass whatever's stopping the airways. 'Scuse me, Zeiden."
Lu took a metal stick with a light and camera and attached it to the EKG. He listened for the breathing with a stethoscope and noted a high pitched wheezing. "He has a lower obstruction. Let's see what we've got." Lu then took a straight tube and the the thin straight laryngoscope and slowly inserted both through the mouth. The camera went a little ways before it was stopped by their mysterious object. "There she is. We've somehow swallowed a stone. He's got some airspace but… that may not be enough. He's becoming cyanotic."
"What to you want to do? We can't remove that thing." Ryan stared at the stone then at Lu.
Lu was silent, but then an idea formed. "Give me a pediatric tube."
Ryan complied and gave him the larger of the pediatrics. Lu took it and carefully inserted the tube at the opening. It was just enough to where they could start assisting ventilations effectively.
"Okay, oxygenated BVM, Zeiden. Ryan, radio the hospital."
Zeiden complied and attached all the necessary equipment for the BVM then gave it to Lu. Lu assisted the ventilations all through the ride. Along the way, the Ekans was beginning to return to natural color. As soon as they reached the Pokémon Center Emergency Room they took the Ekans out and transferred their care. A Delphox with a team of two Audinos and a Lopunny we're already there when they stolled in. Zeiden provided the hand off while Lu stayed back. He watched from the distance as the Ekans stretcher faded away. And took a turn to the left, Zeiden with them. Ryan and Wendy were contacting Medical Control about the incident with their ambulance.
Lu took a deep breath smelling the familiar scent of rubbing alcohol and taking off his gloves, starting with the left paw. "Another day in the ambulance." He finished removing his gloves and threw them in a biohazard container. After that he washed his hands at the Ambulance sink and added some disinfectant to his paws. "Now for the hard part." He hated filling out forms. They were the worst part of the day. He Recalled his information, being thankful for photographic memor and perfect recall and started with the times. As he worked, he couldn't help but overhear a conversation between a doctor and a nurse.
"Hello, Doctor Whitey, are you ready to go home?" Smiled an Audino.
"Oh absolutely, Abby. I'm just thrilled to sit back and watch some TV," Giggled the doctor, "Tonight was pretty active."
"Night shifts sure are a pain, arn't they?" The nurse said after laughing with the doctor.
"Well you have a good rest of the day, Abby." Said the Gardevoir.
"You as well," The Audino replied.
The doctor? Was she a doctor? She looked more like a miracle! Lu dropped his pen staring at the Gardevoir taking off her sterile cover, put it in a basket, and take on an extremely fashionable coat, immediately switching lives. She was so beautiful. He wanted to flip his pen in his paw as he ogled her form and her smile but the absence of such pen reorientated him.
"Oh shoot." He realched for his pen that had somehow traveled a good distance in front of him. He leaned over to pick it up only to meet his paw with a white hand. When he looked up his eyes locked with that beautiful Gardevoir. She seemed to widen her own pair when the lock clicked.
"Oh…H-hello there." She blushed a little at the small distance between them. It wasnt till she pulled back and noticed his attire and badge that she turned to normal. "Oh wow, your an EMP provider! It's nice to meet you." She extended her hand out to shake his paw.
"P-Pleasure's all mine," Lu smiled. She was actually talking to him! He had to have fallen asleep. Such beauty didn't exist in the world, and he was never this lucky! Besides, the work form narrative was so tedious that it wouldn't have been the first time. But…her hand felt so real… and soft. And that smile. That bright smile that she wore as she spoke with him. That smile he was gladly taking all for himself… There was no… possible… way that this could be real.
"So, are you a Paramedic?" She asked as his paw left her hand.
"Yes, I am," He nodded. "Been here twenty years. But I've been a paramedic only sixteen of those years."
Her eyes popped hearing him claim such a dynamic thing. "Twenty years! You were doing this way before I was. This is only my third year. Wow. So you really know your stuff then."
"I get that a lot." Lu scratched his head. The urge to identify himself overpowered the conversation disallowing them to talk about his painful twenty years of service. "My name is Lucius. Lucius Mihalavich. My friends call me Lu. You might as well. I haven't heard anyone call me by Lucius since before I joined the EMP."
"That's a really nice name. And my name is Doctor Galena Whitney. Here I'm called doctor Whitney, but my friends and just about most people who know me call me Galena. You may as well if I can call you Lu." She took a moment to giggle. "'Lu.' That's a really cute nickname. You break many hearts, Lu. You look like you do."
Lu scratched his head and the realization hit him like a baseball. Was she hitting on him? "Oh, not at all. I spend more time keeping them beating then... breaking them." They spoke the same language, it would be a shame to skip out on the humor that came with it.
"Oh? So your one of those." She sighed loosing that valuable smile.
Lu tilted his head and asked, "One of what?"
Galena answered, "You think all that nonsense about being a freak of nature and a slave to man-kind's will is applicable to you. Well let me ease some weight off your chest. Their idiots, morons, people who don't know first thing about what Pokémon moves can really do if your not playing by the book. They're research is completely based off of their passion. A Pokémon center no longer does the job. We're evolving, Lu, pokémon and people alike and we're only going to get stronger from here on out. Pokémon can no longer battle safely. It's s matter of truth. Lu, you're a very kind and caring Pokémon for staying in the service this long. Don't listen to those weirdos on the radio. Just stick to what you have done, not what they say."
Lu smiled nodded a thanks, "I appreciate that. It's really nice that you would stop and say that."
Galena's smile came back and was followed with a reply, "Any time. I guess...I'll go. Wouldn't want to keep you here longer than you have to and it would be a shame if you had to finish that later."
Lu clicked his pen and agreed, "Yeah it would. Well, it wouldn't matter much. My partner is taking his sweet time. I'm stuck here until he comes back."
Galena's face lit up again, "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stay here longer. My favorite program doesn't play until three anyway."
The two spent what felt like hours talking. They talked about some favorite TV shows, foods, restaurants, and artists. Lu had a more county taste in music, but Galena had a more modern "up to date" taste. Lu did like some of the "up to date" artists, but he wasn't much of a fan of everyday celebrities musicians talking about breakups, drugs, getting drunk, and sex. No, lyrical music that didn't have a much effort to it appealed to him. Instrumentals had an all new set of rules.
Before he knew it they were talking about more intimate things. Galena never dated, much like Lu hadn't either, but unlike Lu she had nearly hit off with a good looking Galade. It didn't work out since he moved the day after she met him during med school. She wasn't all into him anyway. Lu was never anything more than friends with his fellow students and always kept it that way. Turned out he was a heartbreaker, not that he rejected the idea. He had told seven girls that he wasn't interested. Oddly enough, and not many knew this, one of them was actually human. It wasn't an unheard of idea, but it was rather frowned upon.
Now the conversation was getting warmer. They went to interests, hopes for the future, number of kids they want, how many boys or girls…taste in lovers. Lu was trying not to explain to the Gardevoir in front of him that she fit bill quite perfectly. But she was actually quite blunt with him. He had to ask himself if she was trying to get him to ask her out or something.
Seeing as he was uncertain, she finally went out with it herself, "Now I know you did this to seven other women but I'm feeling a bit lucky today. When are you done with your shift?"
Lu looked at his watch and replied, "About six hours."
She tilted head side to side. "Okay, that's acceptable. How about we meet for dinner tonight? I'd love to talk some more and… get to know you better maybe?"
He was surprised by the question, even though he was suspecting it would come he didn't think it would be so different then the other girls. Well, he couldn't say no forever.
"I wouldn't mind that. I don't have any other plans."
She was excited, he could her the aura just kissing his with its warmth. "Great! Here, this is my number, call me when your out, okay?"
"Absolutely," came the answers.
Galena stood to her feet and shouldered her purse. "I look forward to it. Goodbye, Lu. Can't wait to see you again."
"Bye," Lu waved and chuckled to himself. He could't help but watch her hips sway as she walked. But the feeling didn't last forever. He still needed to work. His shift wasn't done yet. "Speaking of which, where the heck is Zeiden?"
Right on cue, Zeiden came jogging back to Lu with an apology. "Hey, sorry man. After the doctor got the Ekans they had to transfer care to someone who could get that stone out of his throat. I talked to the trainer and her mother and they've been reassured everything's fine." Lu wrote down in the narrative what was said and finished up the sheet.
For now Lu was going to ignore it. They needed to get back to work. "Alright, let's go. We end to get back into service."They left it at that for now and returned to the ambulance district. As they were cleaning the Ambulance Lu's curiosity peeked. Lu did that math in his head. Upon average, those things shouldn't have taken forty-five minutes. "You know, all of that shouldn't have taken so long now that I think about it. What else were you doing? Your aura is…really bright"
Zeiden bounced his head side to side as he moped the floor admitting what was said was true. "After the patients trainer and her mother left the doctor talked to me. She's a Delphox and man is she hot."
"She's a fire type, Delphoxes are bound to be hot." Lu gave his partner a grin. he was leaned up against the entrance wall watching the Zoroark mop.
"Aw, come on, Lu you know what I mean. I mean she's a creature of absolute beauty and grace. Her paws worked miracles on that Ekans before she transferred care. She was mercy incarnate, man."
Lu chuckled again. "Okay, so you invited her to watch the tournament, right? And she said yes?"
"How did you know?" Zeiden lifted an eyebrow. His moping halted
Lu motioned to himself. "Lucario. I can feel the excitement radiating off of you, remember? What happened to: we're freaks and nobody cares?"
"That was then, this is different. She's a freak like me. Talks, full of fab, no trainer; lives on her own. What's not to like? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get your chance one day."
"Already did." Lu grinned; Zeiden lifted and eye brow nice again. The Lucario grabbed a disinfectant spray and rag and started at the platforms.
"I say and quote in your own words, 'What ever happened to: we're freaks and nobody cares?'"
"And I say and quote in your own words, 'That was then, this is different.' You get her name and number?"
"Darn tootin' i did. You?"
"I did indeed." Lu stopped wiping the surface and grabbed a list of things that needed to be packed. "Her name is Galena. You?"
"Delilah. So, I imagine that you didn't ask her to the tournament. Your working as a medic over there."
Lu shook his head. "No, but she asked me to dinner, so you could say I have a win."
Zeiden crossed his arms, "Oh ho ho, smooth operatah, am I right? I know who wears the pants in this relationship."
"Zeiden, if I wasn't scheduled for the tournament i would have asked her too. She just had a backup plan and I didn't. I would have never thought of going to dinner."
"Your know why?" Zeiden asked leaning into him.
Lu leaned back and asked in return, "Why?"
"Because you're not a romantic. You're just a nerd!" Zeiden pointed at him and hooted in victory. Lu glared and dully laughed.
"Very funny, I'm so owned by your sick burn. You know what? I need to get more combitubes. You keep moping up that slop."
"Yup, sure. Hey, listen, want some advice?"
"No, I want some quiet. Since when were you the relationship master? You've never been in one until now?"
"Eh, fair enough but I'm not the one who fried his social life to a burnt crisp for twenty years." Zeiden smirked in crossing his arms. His eyebrows shifted up and down a couple times.
Lu dropped his head and shook it, "Now that was good, I'll admit it. But that was way bellow the belt, man, I'm prone now, trying to crawl away from this and your kicking me."
"It establishes victory," Zeiden shrugged. "Better get those combitubes. I'll shut up now."
After restocking, Lu and Zeiden returned to their shift and finished around eighteen hundred hours. Zeiden, being the only one between the two with a car, offered to take him home, but the walk wasn't far and he still needed to call Galena.
"Alright, you sure I can't drop you off? I mean, like you said, it isn't far from here." Zeiden offered once more.
"I'll be alright Zeiden. Thanks, though. See you tomorrow maybe. Have a good rest of the day."
Zeiden waved and offered his goodbyes and good luck then it was off to home for him. Lu sat on one of the district's benches and quietly said a goodbye as well. It was a more quiet day than usual this time. Perhaps in his entire carrier. He didn't want to think about all that though. He still had a call to make.