Sorry for the long wait!


The unexpected stop threw the disoriented paramedic off balance, causing her to land in Hank's lap. Blushing, she apologized and struggled to her feet.

"Are you OK?" Hank asked, as he held her steady.

"I'm fine, thank you," she responded, blush still visible on her cheeks.

The ambulance doors opened abruptly and Luna took a step away from Hank.

"I didn't realize we had two patients back here," said the driver.

"Well, our second patient didn't realize he was injured," she explained. "He is going to need a wheel chair.

"Okay," said the driver. "Let's take his brother in first," he said to Luna. "We'll come right back for you," said the driver, glancing at Hank.

"Okay, replied Hank, still a little loopy from the morphine. "Take good care of him, he is afraid of spiders."

"Don't worry," said Luna sweetly. "We will."

Hank watched silently as the two paramedics wheeled his brother away on the gurney. Hank wished he could be by his side and update the staff on his brother's condition, but he couldn't put weight on his leg. Frustrated and judgment impaired he decided not to wait for a wheel chair. With determination in his heart, Hank lifted his butt off of the bench with his arms, lowered himself onto the ambulance floor and scooted to the open back doors like a child. The pain wasn't too bad but the hardest part had yet to come.

Hank sat sideways dangling his good leg over the edge of the ambulance. Then, he lay down on his back so he could swing his splinted leg down. He couldn't reach the ground with his good leg, but thinking he was close, he slid off the side swinging his splinted leg down and standing upright in one swift motion. Unfortunately, the drop was about a foot more than he expected and he landed rather violently on his badly cut foot. Unable to compensate for his unsteadiness with his splinted leg, Hank was thrown off balance. He fell backwards against the hard metal stair of the ambulance, scraping his shoulder against it as he slid to the ground.

"Ow," Hank moaned aloud. "That was a stupid idea," he thought, as warm liquid trickled down his back.

Luna returned to the ambulance at that moment and just barely made out Hanks figure sitting on the ground.

"Hank? What did you do?" asked Luna as she rushed to his side.

"Sorry. I just wanted to go with my brother. I think this morphine is clouding my judgment."

"I have to agree," she said. "Are you alright?" she asked, unable to see his bloody shirt in the dark of the night.

"I think my back is bleeding," he replied.

"What am I going to do with you?" she asked as she took out her flash light. "There's a lot of blood back here. I'm going to cut off your shirt so I can take a look."

"Okay," Hank responded.

She removed his shirt and inspected his new wound. There was a large full thickness gash just above his right shoulder blade about 4 inches long.

"You cut yourself on the ambulance?" she asked, surprised.

"Yeah, why?" he asked.

"Well it's really bad. I can see your fatty tissue," she said as she walked over to examine the ambulance.

"Great, he said sarcastically. "Do you think I will win the scar competition with my brother now?"

"Quite possibly," she responded, smiling. I think this is what did it," she said, pointing to a sharp piece of rusty metal that stuck out from underneath the step. "When was your last tetanus shot?" she asked, as she climbed into the ambulance to get more bandages.

"I'm actually due for a booster," he responded.

"Okay," she said as she returned to his side. "I'm just going to wrap you up tightly until I hand you over to the hospital. I need to try to stop this bleeding before you pass out on me," she said as she placed a bulky bandage over the cut. While she held pressure, Hank helped her wrap gauze under his arms and across his chest. With both of her hands now free, Luna wrapped the gauze around his body a few more times.

Thinking about what Hank said to her earlier in the ambulance, she allowed her eyes to travel around his shirtless body, studying every shadow of muscle present in the dim lighting. Butterflies danced in her stomach as she pictured him holding her body tightly against his own. He had called her beautiful and she saw sincerity in his eyes, but her self-esteem was too low for her to believe him.

Luna's ex-boyfriend was an abusive man who always put her down. He had called her ugly and worthless so many times that she believed him wholeheartedly. The idea that a wonderful man that she just met, could think she was beautiful was impossible. "It is impossible, isn't it?" she wondered to herself.

"Okay Hank. Let's get you inside now. Do you think you can stand up if I help you or should I radio for my partner to come back out?" she asked, as she pushed the wheel chair directly behind him, locking the wheels in place.

"I think we can do this together," he said.

"Okay. I am going to grab under your arm and pull you up. I need you to keep all your weight on your good leg and lean back into the chair. Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yep, let's do this," he responded. Luna helped him up slowly and guided him into the chair. She could tell he was in pain but knew it would only last for a second. She raised the leg rest up so he could set his splinted leg on it and unlocked the wheels. "Good job Hank, now let's see if we can get you inside without any more injuries."


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