Authors note ~ I think people underestimate just exactly what paramedics can see... I have decided to start a story showing how Dixie is affected by a certain shift. How it will impact her for the rest of her career, as well as her relationship with Jeff. It is all written completely in Dixie's point of view, I hope you will all enjoy it.
Me and Jeff have always got ourselves into bad situations, it was part of the job description really. There was the incident in which we believed Jeff had rabies, and a few shouts have made me really question my work as a paramedic. Some people could be so inconsiderate, so strange that even me and Jeff cringed.
Some shouts stick with you more than others, some will leave you in tears of joy. You could be the one delivering a baby into the world, in places that weren't designed for childbirth. From the back of the ambulance, to the middle of a cornfield. That got messy.
However, this shout seemed to affect me the most, me and Jeff saw the insight to one brave young girls life. How she had let herself be broken into a million pieces. Some people try to hide from mental health, but I always feel that it should be dealt with more care and consideration than physical health. You never know what they're thinking, how unstable they really are. Some people believe we should lock the sufferers away, strap them into white jackets and give them electric shocks. People who believed this needed locking up themselves.
Treating the mentally ill always takes it out of me, it's never a simple patch up. You can't help yourself but get involved, you can't physically see the pain that the person is going through. All you can do is listen, listen and hope that you are making a positive impact on their life.
Emily was one case that stuck out the most. Me and Jeff didn't even realise that she was in the house, the shout had started quite simple. There was a call from a neighbour who could hear shouting, the police wanted an ambulance as they feared it was a case of domestic violence, and they were right.
4 hours earlier...
"Jeff I haven't got a good feeling about this mate" I shivered in the ambulance, squinting out the window, watching the police about to break into the property.
"It's just another simple one I think Dix, one so called man, having to assault his wife" Jeff replied quietly, he was watching the house with me. After a few seconds we decided to get out, I lumbered the response kit on my shoulder.
"Alright Dix? Just keep beside me" Jeff placed his hand on my shoulder, he always had a protective side, it was rather sweet, but at the same time it could get rather annoying.
The police pushed in the door, then ran in in a tight line, the first thing we saw was a couple in the living room, in a deep heated argument. The man had blood coming from his nose, while the woman had what looked like two black eyes.
"WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN SPENDING OUR MONEY ON BRIAN?!" She screamed as the police officers pulled them apart from each other.
"EMILY'S BLOODY THERAPIST IS TAKING MOST OF IT! WHY DID WE HAVE TO GO PRIVATE?! YOU DOING IT TO LOOK GOOD TO THE SOCIAL?!" I looked at Jeff, he gave me a comforting look and approached the officer who was holding the man.
I looked at Jeff who began treatment, what was going on? The police eventually settled them by pulling them apart to opposite ends of the room, having them both in handcuffs. Jeff tended to the man while I went to the woman, she glared at me.
"You alright love?" I sat infront of her and opened the kit,
"Does it fucking look like I'm alright?!" She snarled, I looked at her black eyes. Although I wasn't sure if I felt any sympathy for the woman just yet.
"Aye, no need to talk to her like that" Jeff called from the other side of the room, I should have known he'd open his mouth.
"Will one of you go and get my fags?! They're upstairs in my bedroom" The woman shuffled on the sofa, I looked at the officer who nodded.
I sighed and got to my feet, it wasn't like she was that injured badly anyway. To be honest I felt it was a waste of my time attempting to treat her. I kicked my way through the rubbish and went upstairs, the stairs were steep and I could smell something rotten.
Once at the top of the stairs, I looked around the rooms trying to figure out which one was her bedroom. Pushing open the first door, I looked to the floor. There was a young woman, no older than 17, she was lying on the floor, bleeding. There was blood everywhere.
"JEFF I NEED YOU UP HERE WITH THE KIT NOW!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, I could see the blood gushing from her tiny wrists from some deep cuts. It was obvious what she has tried to do. I kneeled on the floor beside her, trying to stop the bleeding by applying pressure to her wrist.
"Please don't help me..." I heard a faint whisper, I put my spare hand on her cheek and stroked the hair from her eyes. Then moving my two fingers to her neck checking for a pulse... It was very slow and weak. I still couldn't believe how incredibly small she was, practically skin and bone. I wondered how long she had been up here, from the amount of blood I'd say a while.
"Sweetheart you need help, it's ok I'm a paramedic, my names Dixie... Can you tell me yours?" I gently pulled her body onto my lap. I could feel her burning up in my arms, her face was deathly pale. My hands were pressing onto her wrist, trying to stop the bleeding. Where was Jeff?! I needed his help and the kit now.
"Em... Emily... Dixie it hurts" I could barely understand what she was saying. It was then she began to choke before coughing up blood. Her eyes shot open and they were filling with tears, I encouraged her to move her head to the side, so she wasn't choking on any blood. I could see some pill residue being vomited up as well.
"Emily this is very important, have you taken any pills?" Looking beside her I saw several packets of empty pill boxes. Suddenly all my training was lost, I didn't know what to do to help her.
"Mmm..." She mumbled weakly, closing her eyes again.
"Sweetheart keep your eyes open for me" I begged, it was then that I lost her pulse.
"JEFFREY NOW!"