Hearken Unto Me, Dear Sister
Chapter One
by Raven Blackthorne
The paramedic approached her Mobile Intensive Care Unit, keys dangling in a rhythmic jingle as she walked. Damn, it was hot tonight! That meant trouble, no matter how you looked at it. They would be hopping from one end of Downtown to the other without a chance to rest. She shook her head in dismay. She knew she would not be able to handle the steady flow of jobs tonight. Not the way she felt.
"Hey, Psycho! " It was her partner, Don, "Demented Don", the other half of what was now commonly refered as the "Demented Duo" of ALS. "What's goin' down, baby? You look totally beat! You okay?"
She looked at him with a weary, half-meant smile. She shook her head. What was she going to do? Tell him that she'd been on one hell of a rollercoaster ride the last few nights? The nightmares, the delirium that followed....and the hunger she felt that she could not even begin to explain. Hell, she couldn't eat even if she wanted to. She hadn't been able to eat, but that burning hunger was there.
"Hey Don. What you up to? How's that new baby of yours? Still keeping you up at night ?" Azrael knew she was not going to win this play of ' Let's Change The Subject', not with her partner of four years. He knew her too well.
Walking over to her, he grabbed the jump kit out of her hand, and placing a strong arm around her shoulder, they both walked around to the side of the truck where the medications were kept. "Y'know, I didn't see or hear from you in 3 nights. You broke your dinner date with my wife and me, and then you never show up for work.......2 nights in a row......now I would say that is strictly out of character for YOU of all people." He scrutinized her for a moment in the bright flourescent lighting of the ambulance bay. "And you're way too pale to be working tonight."
Don opened the palm of his right hand, and his partner placed the keys in it willingly. He opened the med cabinet and the pair began to examine their stock of meds, IVs and the like.
"Hey, sis, the boss been lookin' for you. You didn't by any chance stop by his office before punching in, did you? I mean, look at you, girl, you're scary lookin'!"
She was touched by Don's concern, but she didn't see any point in trying to explain the bizarre occurences over the last 72 hours.
"AZRAEL! Who told you to come out here without speaking to me first!" That booming voice belonged to her crew chief, Brian Finnegan. He came to them on long, angry strides, and then, with one look at the subject of his irritation stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh........I guess you had a good reason for not calling in after all." Irritation turned to concern. He turned his gaze to her partner and then back to her........."I think you should come into the ED and have yourself checked over, Az."
She looked at both of them and then feigned a deep sigh ( she hadn't needed to take a breath in 2 days). "Look, Bri.....I really don't feel well but don't want to hassle the Doc right now. Why don't you just let me go home....I think I might need a leave of absence......can you arrange that for me?"
Lt. Finnegan. You never wanted to get on his bad side. He could be one Hell of a good man but cross him the wrong way and you're history. She looked deep into his tanned face, into his sky-blue eyes, begging him to consider what she was saying to him.
"Look. I know I should have called in and all that. Normally I would have. I just haven't even had the strength to get out of bed. I literally had to force myself to come in tonight. I know this will leave you short-staffed, but I would never ask you this if I didn't feel so horrid."
"OK. I know you well enough to realize the noncommunication was unlike you, but I can't let you leave until I get you signed in and looked at. I'll pull the rig off the street for now and ask Mercy Hospital if they could spare another crew to cover our area in the meantime. I know you've got vacation leave coming up. I'll see what I can do. Come with me, Missy." And with that said, the good lieutenant led his good little paramedic into the Emergency Room doors.
Chapter One
by Raven Blackthorne
The paramedic approached her Mobile Intensive Care Unit, keys dangling in a rhythmic jingle as she walked. Damn, it was hot tonight! That meant trouble, no matter how you looked at it. They would be hopping from one end of Downtown to the other without a chance to rest. She shook her head in dismay. She knew she would not be able to handle the steady flow of jobs tonight. Not the way she felt.
"Hey, Psycho! " It was her partner, Don, "Demented Don", the other half of what was now commonly refered as the "Demented Duo" of ALS. "What's goin' down, baby? You look totally beat! You okay?"
She looked at him with a weary, half-meant smile. She shook her head. What was she going to do? Tell him that she'd been on one hell of a rollercoaster ride the last few nights? The nightmares, the delirium that followed....and the hunger she felt that she could not even begin to explain. Hell, she couldn't eat even if she wanted to. She hadn't been able to eat, but that burning hunger was there.
"Hey Don. What you up to? How's that new baby of yours? Still keeping you up at night ?" Azrael knew she was not going to win this play of ' Let's Change The Subject', not with her partner of four years. He knew her too well.
Walking over to her, he grabbed the jump kit out of her hand, and placing a strong arm around her shoulder, they both walked around to the side of the truck where the medications were kept. "Y'know, I didn't see or hear from you in 3 nights. You broke your dinner date with my wife and me, and then you never show up for work.......2 nights in a row......now I would say that is strictly out of character for YOU of all people." He scrutinized her for a moment in the bright flourescent lighting of the ambulance bay. "And you're way too pale to be working tonight."
Don opened the palm of his right hand, and his partner placed the keys in it willingly. He opened the med cabinet and the pair began to examine their stock of meds, IVs and the like.
"Hey, sis, the boss been lookin' for you. You didn't by any chance stop by his office before punching in, did you? I mean, look at you, girl, you're scary lookin'!"
She was touched by Don's concern, but she didn't see any point in trying to explain the bizarre occurences over the last 72 hours.
"AZRAEL! Who told you to come out here without speaking to me first!" That booming voice belonged to her crew chief, Brian Finnegan. He came to them on long, angry strides, and then, with one look at the subject of his irritation stopped dead in his tracks. "Oh........I guess you had a good reason for not calling in after all." Irritation turned to concern. He turned his gaze to her partner and then back to her........."I think you should come into the ED and have yourself checked over, Az."
She looked at both of them and then feigned a deep sigh ( she hadn't needed to take a breath in 2 days). "Look, Bri.....I really don't feel well but don't want to hassle the Doc right now. Why don't you just let me go home....I think I might need a leave of absence......can you arrange that for me?"
Lt. Finnegan. You never wanted to get on his bad side. He could be one Hell of a good man but cross him the wrong way and you're history. She looked deep into his tanned face, into his sky-blue eyes, begging him to consider what she was saying to him.
"Look. I know I should have called in and all that. Normally I would have. I just haven't even had the strength to get out of bed. I literally had to force myself to come in tonight. I know this will leave you short-staffed, but I would never ask you this if I didn't feel so horrid."
"OK. I know you well enough to realize the noncommunication was unlike you, but I can't let you leave until I get you signed in and looked at. I'll pull the rig off the street for now and ask Mercy Hospital if they could spare another crew to cover our area in the meantime. I know you've got vacation leave coming up. I'll see what I can do. Come with me, Missy." And with that said, the good lieutenant led his good little paramedic into the Emergency Room doors.