May 4, 0954, Granson Highway, Wisteria Lane Intersection.
He didn't look good. Two crimson streams ran from his nostrils, his right hand still holding a death grip on the shifter. The left arm was deformed above the elbow, with a wide tear on the shoulder. Kevin didn't budge when Edd applied dressings. As soon as the bleeding stopped, he tried to wake him.
"Hey, Kev, buddy. Talk to me here. Come on, dammit".
Finally, the first signs of alert came from Kevin.
"H-Hey, what... what happened?"
"You've been in a car wreck. try not to move, we've got someone holding your head in place, and we'll have you out in a few minutes".
Jackson held his head still, while Edd continued the assessment.
"Can you remember what happened here, Kevin?" He knew he had to keep him talking until the paramedics got set up.
"I, I tried pulling out before the truck got here, but the transmission slipped. The car just rolled out in front of him. God Fucking hell, my back". Kevin tried readjusting, but Jackson had a firm grip on his head, and Edd stopped him.
"Your back might be broke. You gotta stay still until we cut you out." Edd was frustrated. It was taking them too long to get their tools. Finally, Faye, Mansell, and Hewley came up. They had brought the K12 Saw, Jaw Cutters, A backboard kit, and the medic "Jump Bag".
"Ok, Edd, hold him still while I do this."
Before Edd knew what was happening, Faye fired up the Saw, and made the first cut through the door support. Three cuts later, and the door was ready to come off. Edd shifted to the passenger side, and joined Mansell, who was already starting an IV in Kevins good arm.
"Do me a favor, kid. Bleed the air off of this line, and we'll get a fluid bolus ready."
Edd got hold of the line, and rolled out the brake wheel, letting a stream of saline through the line. As soon as all the air was bled out, he stopped the stream, and hooked the line to the IV catheter. Edd once again opened the line up, allowing the life sustaining fluid to flow. Soon after, the door was off, and the crew began shifting Kevin onto the backboard. They had just gotten him on the board when the ambulance arrived.
Edd finished splinting Kevins arm, and he was loaded onto the ambulance.
"We'll run him to the LZ at Lemon Brook VFD, and Air Medic will take him into MidTown Casualty". The ambulance medic was interrupted by Kevin.
"You fucking saved me, Sockhead. God Dammit, you're the man".
"That would be the Bolus, bringing his blood pressure up, giving him temporary Euphoria". Mansell made a good point of killing a congratulations from the now stable patient.
"Gee, thanks. Fucking asshole". Edd was thinking to himself again. Mansell just laughed, as he cleaned up the scrapped of medical gear from the ground around the car. Edd picked up the K12, and began to take it up to the Rescue truck. County Sheriffs office had already opened up one lane to slow traffic, to avoid another wreck. Edd put the tooling back in the rear compartment, slamming the door shut, and was greeted by another familiar face.
"Hey, Cutie."
"God Fucking Dammit. Marie Kanker, in the flesh. What are you doing here." Edd was far beyond nice with her, after all the old times.
"Easy now. What happened to the sweet, stupid, smart Edd I love?" She giggled a bit.
"He died in a fire this morning. Just got the asshole that is sick of talking to a former stalker". Edd started to walk away.
"Oh yeah, heard about that one. You know, that janitor is already out of the ER, and wants to testify in front of OSHA?" Marie showed some knowledge of the early morning call.
"How did you know about that, Marie?" Edd looked back, and then noticed her uniform. She really had changed over the last couple of years. "When did they trust you with a badge?"
"About the same time they started trusting you with a hose. So, how's the first day? Liking it already?" Edd just tried to ignore her, walking back down the hill to the truck. He started to climb up into the truck, when she grabbed him by the collar of his turnout coat.
"Did I say you could walk away, Lover boy?" She held him in a makeshift armbar, and he whimpered a little bit.
"Ok, God, you've got a grip. What do you want outta me, Marie?"
She smiled at his submissiveness. "Tomorrow morning, when you get off work. Meet me at the old trailer. We're gonna have an actual date. Not like in high school when you tried to run out on me."
"Ok, Ok, fuck me" Edd said in frustration. "Not on a first date, boy" she bellowed, and let him go.
"Remember, tomorrow morning, or I'll hunt you down" She yelled, as she climbed back into the black Chevy Impala.
"What the fuck, St. Florian? Couldn't protect me from that one?" Edd chuckled.
He sat down in the truck, and immediately felt the stares of the rest of Engine 4.
Faye spoke up. "Well, you just got promoted. From college boy to Lover boy". She laughed, then continued in a mocking manner. "Tomorrow morning, at the trailer park". The other men laughed loudly.
"Fucking. Hell." Edd just stared out the window.
Jackson caught his breath, and called into the radio.
"Engine 4, Fire-Com, Clear of the scene, available".