A Small Change - Chapter Three:
That call wasn't so bad. I realized this wasn't for me. I wasn't fit to be and EMT. I sat in the back and watched Jamie bite him nail. Was that a habit? Probably. "That's disgusting..." I said to him.
"What?" He asked, confused.
Ahh, he could be so dense at times. "Nevermind." I rolled my eyes. I watched him at the corner of my eye and noticed he was looked at me confused. "Jamie, do you think this is right for me?"
"What? Being an EMT?" He asked, confused.
"Yeah, I mean, you HAD to join, and you decided to stay, but me, I just..." I searched, "joined." I couldn't think of the word I wanted, so I used dull 'joined'.
"Well, it's really not your thing, you can be an individual any more." I nodded.
"That's true." I said.
"And no black uniforms."
"I know..." I said, looking down at the ugly blue uniforms, grimacing. I had to say something, "So, Jamie. You like workin' here?"
"Yeah, I don't know why. I just get this feeling, saving peoples lives..." He paused, "You'll see when someone's dying and you save them, you'll want to stay."
"I don't think I could do it."
"Yeah, you will." He said, "You can do it." He smiled. The ambulance came to a stop and we went into the station. I plopped onto the couch next to Jamie and sighed.
"So this is it..." I said, "Being an EMT."
"Yep, this is it." Tyler said, walking past and onto the floor in front of Jamie's feet clicking on the T.V. I started getting tired after a few hours of sitting, no calls. Jamie and I watched Tyler and Val flirting, rolling our eyes. It was so disgusting.
"Jamie, why don't they just admit it?" I whispered.
"I don't know, they're pathetic." He said, "OH Tyler, your pants are really nice, you fit them well!" He imitated Val in a high-pitched voice. I had to laugh. I heard the siren go off and my stomach got butterflies.
"Oh God." I said when I heard Hank say. "Near death, choking 13 year old male."
"You can do it, Caitie." Jamie said, patting my hand which was laying on my knee and winked. I took a deep breath and leaned against the back of my seat. I was trailing off from reality when I felt Jamie's hand pull me out of the ambulance. I knew there was no time to fuss over this.
"I can't do this... Jamie. What if I mess up?" I held back tears, but still walked behind him.
"I believe in you." Was all he said before running to catch up. We ran into the house and I saw a older woman patting a teenage boys head, the boy was pale. Gasping for one breath of air. I watched everyone getting stuff ready. I knew it was my job to save him. There was no time to waste, I picked the boy up, he was very short, I did the hemlich-menouver,(dunno how to spell it!) and he spit out the food, he was still unconsious. I layed him down on the ground and gave him mouth to mouth resesitation whilel Jamie did CPR, Vall took his blood pressure and Hank and Tyler were setting up the backboard for him. He finally started breathing again. He sat up and his mother was crying. He looked at me, blankly.
"Thank you..." He said. He flung his arms around me. I was surprised at first and didn't hug him back, but I did hug him back. I watched over his shoulder at Jamie, who had a smile spread across his face.
***
That call wasn't so bad. I realized this wasn't for me. I wasn't fit to be and EMT. I sat in the back and watched Jamie bite him nail. Was that a habit? Probably. "That's disgusting..." I said to him.
"What?" He asked, confused.
Ahh, he could be so dense at times. "Nevermind." I rolled my eyes. I watched him at the corner of my eye and noticed he was looked at me confused. "Jamie, do you think this is right for me?"
"What? Being an EMT?" He asked, confused.
"Yeah, I mean, you HAD to join, and you decided to stay, but me, I just..." I searched, "joined." I couldn't think of the word I wanted, so I used dull 'joined'.
"Well, it's really not your thing, you can be an individual any more." I nodded.
"That's true." I said.
"And no black uniforms."
"I know..." I said, looking down at the ugly blue uniforms, grimacing. I had to say something, "So, Jamie. You like workin' here?"
"Yeah, I don't know why. I just get this feeling, saving peoples lives..." He paused, "You'll see when someone's dying and you save them, you'll want to stay."
"I don't think I could do it."
"Yeah, you will." He said, "You can do it." He smiled. The ambulance came to a stop and we went into the station. I plopped onto the couch next to Jamie and sighed.
"So this is it..." I said, "Being an EMT."
"Yep, this is it." Tyler said, walking past and onto the floor in front of Jamie's feet clicking on the T.V. I started getting tired after a few hours of sitting, no calls. Jamie and I watched Tyler and Val flirting, rolling our eyes. It was so disgusting.
"Jamie, why don't they just admit it?" I whispered.
"I don't know, they're pathetic." He said, "OH Tyler, your pants are really nice, you fit them well!" He imitated Val in a high-pitched voice. I had to laugh. I heard the siren go off and my stomach got butterflies.
"Oh God." I said when I heard Hank say. "Near death, choking 13 year old male."
"You can do it, Caitie." Jamie said, patting my hand which was laying on my knee and winked. I took a deep breath and leaned against the back of my seat. I was trailing off from reality when I felt Jamie's hand pull me out of the ambulance. I knew there was no time to fuss over this.
"I can't do this... Jamie. What if I mess up?" I held back tears, but still walked behind him.
"I believe in you." Was all he said before running to catch up. We ran into the house and I saw a older woman patting a teenage boys head, the boy was pale. Gasping for one breath of air. I watched everyone getting stuff ready. I knew it was my job to save him. There was no time to waste, I picked the boy up, he was very short, I did the hemlich-menouver,(dunno how to spell it!) and he spit out the food, he was still unconsious. I layed him down on the ground and gave him mouth to mouth resesitation whilel Jamie did CPR, Vall took his blood pressure and Hank and Tyler were setting up the backboard for him. He finally started breathing again. He sat up and his mother was crying. He looked at me, blankly.
"Thank you..." He said. He flung his arms around me. I was surprised at first and didn't hug him back, but I did hug him back. I watched over his shoulder at Jamie, who had a smile spread across his face.
***