Humming to himself walking through the ambulance station, it was a new day and a new shift. It was also the day that the station was getting a new boss, which everyone was looking forward to. Walking into the locker room, regular paramedic Iain Dean walks through nodding to a few of the paramedics already in there. Humming to himself, pulling his jacket off hanging it up in his locker getting himself kitted up. Checking his hair in the mirror he nods to himself in the mirror, closing the locker door heading back out. Holding a hand up waving to the crews leaving their night shifts, he was glad he was on a day shift. He was also glad he was getting to meet the new boss on the first shift at the station. Everyone was a bit wary of having a new boss, excited but a bit apprehensive. Walking into the kitchenette pulling his cup out, making himself a coffee, he looks around watching everyone getting the ambulances ready. Looking down to the counter opening the morning paper, flicking through it.
"Leave the paper alone." Jeff walks in pointing to Iain. Iain looks up laughing looking to fellow colleague Jeff.
"As if I want your paper." Iain raises an eyebrow looking to Jeff who whips it off the counter.
"Never know, you might be getting old and decided you want to read the morning paper." He nods folding it up sticking it in his back pocket.
" 'ere, what if the new boss won't let ya have it ordered to the station?" Iain sips his coffee looking to Jeff who looks at him, horrified. "What? They might not."
Jeff shakes his head. "Unthinkable!" He taps his spoon on his cup chucking it into the sink. "They can shove it where the sun don't shine if they do say anything!" Jeff walks over to his spot on the sofa sitting down, resting his right foot up on his left knee, chucking his paper to the side. "Is said new boss here yet?"
Iain shakes his head. "Nah." He perches himself up on one of the stools. "They've probably got stuck in the ED with the tour. Ya know Phil is giving the tour, he's probably bored the poor boss to sleep." Jeff nods in agreement. Phil, the big boss as he was nicknamed, was a lovely bloke but he could be very boring at the best of times. Jeff and Iain fall silent sipping their coffees, wondering where the new boss had gotten too. They remain sat in silence, Jeff reading his paper, Iain on his phone flicking through his Facebook. The big question on everyone's lips was whether the new boss was going to be a male of female and how much experience did they actually have.
Fifteen minutes later the echo of a turbo charged engine can be heard throughout the ambulance station. Iain, Jeff and a few other paramedics who were sat in the depot look up and around. Iain and Jeff look across to one another, both getting up walking to the window. The other paramedics remain seated, watching from where they are sat.
"That's some beast of a car." Jeff remarks, standing with his cup. Iain nods slightly holding his empty cup. A black Porsche 918 rolls into the ambulance grounds. Iain raises his eyebrow.
"Bloody hell. Have they come in the wrong car park?" He folds his arms slightly, ledging his cup on the window sill. Jeff glances to Iain then back to the car.
"I dunno… do you think they'd let me sit in there though?" He looks to Iain, who gives him a look. "What? Worth an ask!" He grins as iain shakes his head. He picks his cup up washing it out then heads to the door, Jeff looks to him. "Where you going?"
"Where do ya think?" He nods to the Porsche. "Tell 'em they've come into the wrong car park." He pushes the door heading out into the yard towards the Porsche.
The drivers side door pushes open on the Porsche.
"Er… excuse me…?" Iain calls over seeing the door was now open. "Ya can't park In 'ere. Paramedics onleh." His broad Yorkshire accent coming through. He stops in his tracks as he sees the familiar green uniform as a woman climbs out of the car. She turns around looking to him, holding her ID up.
"I know. I'd hope I was a paramedic otherwise I'm not too sure what I am?" She looks to him stood in her green trousers and white shirt. "I hope you've got some spare uniform, mines been totalled by a drunk teenager." Her Liverpudlian accent strong. Iain stares at her, he swallows. "Sorry, can you not understand me?" She changes her accent to a none descript southern accent.
"Eh? Who? Me?" Iain shakes his head slightly looking to her, he pulls a face. "I'm northern, course I can understand ya." He steps back slightly watching the female grab her kit bag out of the Porsche, before closing the door behind her. She looks at him nodding.
"Well stop ya gorpin' and show me where your spare uniforms are. Then I'll do introductions." She looks to him. Iain stares at her for a few seconds before nodding turning around making his way to the store room where there were a few spare uniforms.
"One of them should fit ya." Iain stands there. The female turns around looking to him.
"You calling me fat?" She raises one of her perfectly arched eyebrows.
Iain shakes his head quickly. "No. No of course not! I meant… like… cos they're spares we don't really have that many sizes to choose from." Iain smiles a little nervously. This was a good first impression, not! The female looks to him no expression on her face before heading into the store room. She rummages through the piles of spare uniforms fishing one out in her size. She walks back out looking to iain. "Locker room and changing rooms over there." He points. The female nods heading over to them. Iain watches her then walks over to Jeff who was now outside admiring her car. Jeff looks to him shaking his head. "What?"
"Calling her fat way to go."
"Eh?! I didn't call her fat! I meant cos they're spare uniforms, there might not have been her size!" Iain proclaims looking to Jeff who smirks a bit trying not to laugh. "Oh shut up!" Iain tuts, Jeff laughs looking to the car.
"I wanna know how she can afford a car like this, doing this job." He looks to the car then points. "Even got a personalised number plate!" He pulls a face. "Wonder if she'd lend us some money." Iain laughs shaking his head looking around seeing the other paramedics making there way out. "So… is she the new boss then?" Iain shrugs. "Oh come on! You've just been talking to her you could have asked." Jef tuts looks at Iain who opens his mouth in shock.
"Oi! I was trying not to get myself into trouble. I ain't just gonna come out with 'oh are you the new boss cos you've got a nice car'. I mean how ridiculous." Iain looks at Jeff shaking his head. He looks at Jeff then turns around seeing the female behind him. He smiles to her.
"To answer that question… I am your new boss. Comfort Jones." She speaks looking around everyone. "I'm sure I'll get to know everyone at some point." She smiles looking to everyone before landing her eyes on Iain. He was a little taller than her, with brown eyes and dark brown hair which was spiked and quiffed up at the front. He wasn't bad looking even if she did say so herself.
Jeff looks to Iain expecting him to be first to say something but he remains silent. Jeff steps forward. "Nice to have you on board, Comfort." He smiles extending his hand out. "I'm Jeff. This is Iain." He looks to Iain who zones back in. Comfort smiles shaking Jeff's hand. He was bald, with piercing blue eyes. Slightly taller than her as well. She looks back to the other male who she now knew was Iain. "Are you coming out with us or are you more in the office?"
Comfort shakes her head. "Me being stuck in an office? Pffft! Nah. I like being out and about with my team. I used to work here many years ago, things changed I moved on. But I've worked my way up, saw the job posting and thought I'd give it a shot and here we are." She replies keeping her Liverpudlian accent dulled down a bit but it was still there. "Weird to be back to a whole new team but… if they're as welcoming as you two have been I'm sure I'll be fine." She smiles looking to the rest of the team giving them chance to introduce themselves by names. "I don't have many rules besides do your jobs as best as you can and we'll be best friends." She smiles to everyone now everyone was in a semi circle around her. "If you do need anything my office door is always open whether I am in there or not. Leave me a note or collar me and I will sit down and talk. We all have issues in this job, no one is perfect." She smiles to them all.
Iain looks at her, narrowing her eyes a little. He could tell by her little smile there was a bit of meaning behind that. He wondered what the meaning was. What was her issue? What had her issues been? What was her background? He breathes in folding his arms across his chest as he stands there pouting a little bit listening to her. Everyone seemed to like her already, he wasn't sure. Was this all a front or was she genuine? They'd all been so used to the last boss that having a new one, who was clearly very different was going to be tough. He looks at her as she stares to him he zones back from his thoughts.
"I'm coming out with you today. No third wheeling for me. I've plenty of experience." She looks to Iain with a smile. He nods.
Great! He was stuck with the boss who he'd already insulted. How much worse could it get?!
