I is for IV
Roy was using his best calm voice in trying to explain the need for the IV to the man, but their patient was having none of it.
"No! No needles! I'm in enough pain without you boys using me for a dart board!"
"Okay, okay - calm down. If we can figure a way to rig the IV without it hurting you, do we have your permission?"
The man gave Roy a suspicious look, but finally nodded.
"I guess, but it's not going to happen. I have really sensitive skin, you know."
"We will make certain to take that into account, sir. While we think of the best way to go about it, we need to run a few standard tests. John, could you get an updated pressure reading?"
Johnny saw the direction Roy's eyes were actually looking in and grinned slightly, catching on to his partner's plan. Sure enough, as soon as Johnny started getting the blood pressure cuff in place, Roy pulled out his pen light and started to distract their patient.
"Alright, in cases like these, the doctors want us to record how your eyes are reacting to light and movement. I need you to close your left eye and then follow the light with your right eye. No, no - keep facing me. Don't move your head. Just your eye. That's right. Good. Now close the right eye and let's run the same test on your left."
Since they already had received permission from Rampart to start the IV, Johnny easily slide the needle into place and secured it with a strip of medical tape while the cuff was still inflated. Once finished, Johnny slowly deflated the cuff.
"I think I've figured out how to get your IV line going, sir."
"Are you sure it won't hurt?"
"Well, it didn't seem to bother you at the time, sir."
Blinking, the man turned away from Roy and stared at his arm.
"Well, I'll be a - how did you do that?"
Giving the man a reassuring smile, Johnny started the drip going.
"Lots and lots of practice, sir."
They didn't have a single additional word of complaint from the man the rest of the time as they readied him for the ambulance.
The next day, Dixie cornered them when they stopped for supplies.
"Remember Mister Warren?"
"The possible heart attack we brought in yesterday?"
"That's the one."
"He's alright, isn't he?"
"Oh, he's just fine. It wasn't a heart attack, he'd had a panic attack from his wife scheduling a dentist appointment for him. He apparently has a real phobia of needles."
Roy chuckled.
"Yeah, we noticed that."
"Do you know he was trying to make us call the two of you in to give him a shot he needed?"
Johnny started to laugh, but Dixie expression gave him pause.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Do I look like I'm kidding? I thought he was going to have a panic attack all over again, but Joe managed to calm him back down."
"Is Mister Warren still here?"
"No, we released him first thing this morning when his wife came to pick him up to take him to the dentist."
Roy and Johnny exchanged a look.
"You might be seeing him again soon, Dix. Remember, it was the dentist appointment was what started all that to begin with."
The handheld unit Roy was carrying went off - which both paramedics considered to be excellent timing. Closing her eyes, Dixie sighed and headed for the lounge.
"I need another cup of coffee. Preferably Irish."