THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
Part 3
Finally the sound of sirens could be heard in the distance and Terry got to her feet saying, "The ambulance is almost here, Charlie."
His only response was a moan of pain.
By the time she had stepped out onto the porch, the sirens were closer and she could see the ambulance as it turned onto the street. As soon as the emergency vehicle pulled to a stop in front of the house, the paramedics jumped out and grabbed their gear.
"He's in here!" Terry called out, holding the door open for them. The paramedics hurried in and setting their gear on the floor, they began to make their assessment of the young man.
"Can you tell us what's wrong, Sir?" one of the paramedics asked as she pulled out a stethoscope and BP cuff.
"Hurts," their patient moaned in obvious pain.
Her partner was already getting out an IV bag and kit. "We're going to give you something to take the edge off your pain before we examine you," he said and deftly inserted the IV needle into the back of Charlie's hand
Terry spoke up. "He's had nausea and vomiting and says his lower right side hurts," she explained.
The female paramedic took note of the FBI agent's words and turned to speak again to Charlie. "Do you have any known allergies?"
He shook his head. "No."
"Okay. I'm going to give you some morphine now. That should help." She reached into the drug box and removed a pre-measured syringe which she injected into the IV.
The painkiller rapidly took effect and the young man's body slowly relaxed.
"Good stuff-that morphine. Okay Jake and I are going get you to lie flat so we can check you out. Then you're getting a fast trip to enjoy the hospitality of the closest medical facility. They'll figure out what's wrong with you," she said.
"Terry says…it's pendicitis," Charlie said, his voice sounding slightly slurred.
The paramedics briefly glanced over at Terry who said, "Everything seemed to indicate that instead of the stomach flu."
Even with the morphine, Charlie still winced in pain as both paramedics carefully eased him onto his back and began to check his vital signs. Withdrawing the thermometer from his ear, the woman quietly said, "Temp's 102.4."
Jotting the readings down in a pocket notebook, Jake said, "If you can handle everything, Pam, I'll go get the gurney."
"Go ahead," she replied, her attention on their patient.
Terry had walked over to the far side of the couch to speak to Charlie. "I need to know where your wallet is with your ID. They'll probably need it later at the hospital to get insurance information."
"Upstairs…desk," he replied.
"Okay. I'll go get it," she said and reached to pat his shoulder. "I'll be right back. She looked at the paramedics. "What hospital are you taking him to?"
Huntington Memorial," Pam replied.
Terry nodded and headed up the stairs. She found the wallet just as Charlie said, lying on the desk in his bedroom. Carefully slipping it into her pocket, she made her way back downstairs.
Pam had finished her examination was packing up the gear. Looking up at Terry she said, "He'll be ready to transport as soon as Jake gets back."
I'll lock up and follow you," the young woman said.
"Good call on the appendicitis. With the stomach flu making its rounds it's easy to misdiagnose it as that unless you know what to look for," Pam said.
Jake quickly returned with the gurney and maneuvered it until it was up against the couch. Hooking the IV bag onto the pole, he said, "Pam and I are going to get you on the gurney and strap you in. Ready?"
"Ready," Charlie answered.
"You just let us do all the work, okay," the paramedic instructed as he and his partner carefully lifted Charlie and placed him on the gurney, quickly buckling the straps.
Terry leaned down to speak to Charlie. I'm just going to put away the groceries and lock up and then I'll see you at the hospital.
"You'll find…Don?" he asked.
"I'll find him. Don't worry," Terry promised. She watched as the paramedics wheeled Charlie out the door. Then picking up the forgotten bags of groceries, she quickly put them away. Grabbing the set of spare house keys from the kitchen, she headed out the door.
