Sudden Response Page 9

  brother.

  Nathan simply turned his back on him and returned to the safety of his sleeping bag. "Just what I said. There's no way in hell that I'm hiring Joe. Besides, she has a job already. A good job I might add."

  "Why the hell wouldn't you hire Joe?" Eric demanded, unable to stop himself from feeling insulted on her behalf. "She's a good worker, never late, and she works her ass off."

  "She's also stubborn, pushy, and would laugh her ass off the first time I asked her to do something," Nathan pointed out.

  Eric opened his mouth to argue, but then closed it, realizing that he was right. Nathan would probably fire Joe's ass within the first hour. Joe was a great EMT and never argued or copped an attitude with one of their supervisors, but she'd have a hard time taking orders from a pushover like Nathan.

  "Besides," Nathan continued, "it's not like she'll be on light duty forever and I need someone for the long term."

  This is where it was going to get a little tricky. Thankfully Joe was still lightly snoring so he didn't have to worry about her overhearing the conversation and kicking his ass.

  Yet.

  "After tonight, I was thinking it might be better if Joe found something else to do."

  "You decided?" Eric could almost picture Nathan cocking an eyebrow with that tone.

  "Yes, but it's not only about tonight. This field is too dangerous for a woman like Joe," he ignored Nathan's snort of disbelief, "she needs a decent paying job, something that won't interfere with her having a life."

  "She seems to like her life just fine."

  "She deserves better."

  After a moment Nathan sighed warily. "I don't think Joe would be happy doing anything else, but after seeing what that bastard did to her tonight I have to admit that I wouldn't mind seeing her in a safer position, too."

  "Then you'll help me convince her to find something else to do?" Eric asked, trying not to sound too eager. He needed his brother on board with his plan. Tag teaming Joe might be his only hope. Of course if he got his mother on board......

  "Yeah, I'll help," Nathan said, not sounding too happy about it. "But when she finds out, and we both know that she will, don't be surprised when I sell your ass down the river."

  "Duly noted," Eric said happily as he laid back down and pulled Joe back into his arms. As long as she was off the ambulance and safe she could kick his ass and he'd take it with a smile.

  *******

  Joe continued to glare at the empty spot in her closet where her uniforms should be. She had absolutely no doubt who took them and why. It was probably the same reason why her car keys were gone.

  After throwing one last glare at her closet she stomped over to her nightstand, ignoring the bottle of pain medication, and snatched up her cell phone and dialed the number of the first bastard she was going to kill.

  "You take your pills?" was the first thing she heard when the phone connected.

  "You. Bastard," she bit out.

  "Did you take your pills?" he demanded again in a bored tone.

  "I don't know who you think you are, but you get your ass back over here with my uniforms or so help me I will-"

  "I'm sorry, but I can't have this conversation with you until you take your pills," Eric announced, cutting her off.

  "Why you little-"

  "Take your pills."

  "No," she snapped, even though her head was killing her.

  "If you want to talk then you'll take them," he said calmly.

  Glaring at absolutely nothing, Joe did her best to reign in her temper. After a minute she said, "Fine. I took them. Are you happy?"

  Eric sighed heavily. "I would be if you actually took them."

  "Fine!" she snapped, grabbing the small bottle of pills, knowing she wouldn't get anywhere until she took them. She quickly popped two into her mouth and swallowed them with the water someone left by her bed. "Now are you happy?" she asked as soon as she swallowed them.

  "Extremely," Eric said, sounding smug. The bastard.

  "Now bring back my car keys and uniforms," she bit out between clenched teeth.

  "Sorry, no can do. You're not supposed to drive while you have those pills in your system. So, I guess you'll just have to stay home and rest like a good little girl."

  "Eric,-" she started only to be cut off.

  "Besides, I can't really talk right now. I'm kind of busy here with work and all, but before I forget I was supposed to tell you that mom is really upset with you and hurt that you wouldn't let us call her last night."

  "W-what?" she choked out. "Who the hell told mom?" she demanded, wondering which one of them had broken their pact to keep Alice in the dark about injuries and hangovers. It had to be Nathan, she thought, inwardly cursing. Eric knew better. Besides he would never screw her over like this.

  "I did of course. You know it's really not nice to keep mom in the dark. Now, if you don't mind I really do have to get back to work," he said cheerfully.

  "Please tell me you're kidding," she said, panicking.

  "Nope," he said, making the word pop.

  Just as a few choice words popped into her head she heard her front door open. She swallowed hard. "Eric, please tell me that's you coming into the house right now."

  "Sweetheart?" Alice called, ruining all Joe's hopes that Eric had lied. "I made Jello!"

  "I hate you," she mumbled into the phone before hanging up, but not before she heard Eric laugh. The rat bastard.

  Chapter 12

  "Did they arrest him?" Greg asked Teddy as the two of them leaned against one of the box ambulances.

  Teddy shrugged as he pulled out a cigarette. "They probably will."

  Eric shifted the empty oxygen tank to his left hand so he could reach out and flick the cigarette out of Teddy's mouth. "No smoking in the garage, dickhead," he said, gesturing to the oxygen refill station to their right.

  With a sigh, Teddy put his pack away, but made no move to help Eric as he prepared truck fifteen for service. That didn't surprise him since the prick was lazy. He only exerted himself when he had to, and he made damn sure that he didn't have to most days. Normally that was bad enough, but today they had Greg third riding with them because the damn kid still needed to complete his training time. He really wished Bill had managed to get someone else to fill in for Joe today. He hated having this jerk influencing any of the newbies. The last thing any of them needed was another Teddy.

  "Has anyone showed you how to fill the tanks?" he asked Greg.

  "Yeah, I learned that a few days ago," Greg said in a bored tone.

  "Good," Eric said, thrusting the empty tank in his arms. "Then go fill this up."

  Greg looked like he was going to argue, but thankfully kept his mouth shut. He was not in the mood to deal with any bullshit today.

  "What will happen to him?" Greg asked, picking the conversation back up as he did what he was asked.

  "He'll probably be sent for an evaluation and have his medication tweaked until they find a dosage that works. Then he'll probably be sent to a new residential program," Eric said, walking over to the supply shelves to grab a box of synthetic gloves, size extra large. He was just about to grab a box of mediums out of habit when he remembered that Joe wasn't working with him.

  "He won't get arrested for hurting Joe?"

  "No," Eric said. "He's a mental patient. He's pretty much covered while he's receiving help."

  "That's fucked up," Greg said.

  "That's the job," Eric said, grabbing a box of pens and a fresh pack of run sheets.

  "What about the residential home? Will they get into trouble?"

  Eric chuckled without humor. "A slap on the hand."

  "Joe could sue the program," Teddy suggested, mostly to start shit.

  "She can sue?" Greg asked, sounding too damn eager for Eric's peace of mind.

  "She could, but she won't," Eric said firmly. That was too much drama, time, and bullshit for Joe.

  He finished checking out the ambulance and gestured
for Teddy to get his ass in the truck when the other man headed for the door, no doubt he thought he was planting his lazy ass on the couch and staying there until they had a call. Normally he wouldn't care so much, but he had a lot of shit to do today

  "Let's go," Eric said, grabbing the oxygen tank from Greg and secured the tank into its hold and attached the valves.

  "We don't have a call," Teddy pointed out when Eric jumped out of the back of the ambulance. "Until then I'm sitting down," he said, absently running his fingers over his taped nose.

  "I want to go check on Joe," Eric said, gesturing for Greg to climb in the back. After a short hesitation he grabbed his backpack and climbed inside.

  Eric walked around to the driver's side.

  "Check on her?" Teddy repeated, sounding confused. "Oh, come on!" he said seconds later. "You just talked to her!"

  "Are you done with your hissy fit, cupcake?" Eric said, pausing by the driver's side door. "Cause if you are I'd like to go check up on Joe before we get a call."

  Teddy waved him off. "Then go. Afterwards come and pick me up," Teddy said, heading for the door.

  "Get in the truck," Eric snapped, tired of this bullshit. He wasn't about to receive a write up because he left his crew member behind. If they received an emergency call it would be his ass in the sling for not having his partner. He'd have to refuse the call and that's a game he wouldn't play.

  "Or what? You'll write me up?" Teddy snorted.

  "In a heartbeat," Eric said with absolutely no hesitation as he climbed into the driver's side. He pulled on his seatbelt and started the vehicle, ignoring the little rant the prick was having. He wasn't too surprised when a minute later Teddy climbed into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut.

  "You're a fucking asshole, Eric," Teddy bit out angrily.

  "Uh huh," Eric said absently as he reached for the mike. "Echo seventeen to dispatch," he said.

  "Go ahead Echo seventeen," dispatch said.

  "We're on the air," he said, ignoring Teddy's murderous glare.

  "One minute, Echo seventeen."

  Eric slowly drove out of the garage as he waited for dispatch to tell them they were clear. Even though he'd left her less than two hours ago he was anxious to get back to her and make sure that she was okay. Thankfully his mother had a free day, not that she wouldn't have dropped everything to take care of Joe otherwise he would have banged out of his shift to take care of her.

  He didn't want to be here today working with this prick, but he knew if he missed work that would just piss Joe off more and only make her more determined to get back to work. She was too damn stubborn sometimes. He was not looking forward to the bullshit he was going to have to go through to get her off the truck permanently, but as long as she was safe and happy it would be worth it.

  "Echo seventeen?"

  "Echo seventeen," Eric said, knowing that tone. They were about to get a call. As long as it was short and sweet he didn't care. His eyes darted to the dashboard clock. It was barely half past nine in the morning. He hoped they didn't get screwed all day. Not that he had a problem with working, he didn't. He hated to sit around and normally loved to stay busy, but he was hoping for a chance to swing by Joe's and bring her something for lunch, knowing his mother wouldn't allow her to eat anything more than Jell-O and broth all day.

  "Echo seventeen, I need you to respond to Sunflower Nursing Home on 34 Chestnut Avenue for an unwitnessed fall."

  "Echo seventeen, responding to Sunflower Nursing home for an unwitnessed fall," he said into the mike.

  "Son of a bitch," Teddy snapped, pulling out a run sheet as Eric flipped the emergency lights on.

  "No one saw the patient fall?" Greg asked from the back of the ambulance, thankfully sounding a lot less nervous than he had last week.

  Teddy snorted out a chuckle. "They're all unwitnessed," he said, filling in their information on the run sheet.

  "What does that mean?"

  "It means," Eric started only to pause as he slammed on the brakes as some dumb fuck sped through the intersection almost slamming into them as they tried to race through before they lost the green light.

  He chuckled when he spotted a police car waiting in the opposite lane throw its emergency lights on and go after the prick. Eric paused in the middle of the intersection, allowing the police officer to take the turn and go after the jerk. With a wave of appreciation to the officer, Eric proceeded through the intersection.

  "Holy shit!" Greg gasped. "Weren't they supposed to stop?"

  "Yup," Eric said, switching the sounds of the sirens in demand for the cars in front of him to move out of the way. "You'll find that most people have enough common sense to move out of the way or stop at intersections so we can go, but there are others-"

  "Assholes," Teddy added, and for once they were in complete agreement about something.

  "-who will refuse to move out of the way, or will rush through the intersection whether or not they had the green, and my personal favorite are the assholes who ride our tail when we're responding."

  "Those are the ones who usually get creamed," Teddy pointed out.

  "Seriously?" Greg asked.

  "It usually happens when they try and follow an ambulance through an intersection," Eric explained, pulling into the long driveway of Sunflower Home.

  "That sucks," Greg mumbled distractedly.

  "Echo seventeen on scene," Eric said into the mike as he pulled to a stop at the front entrance.

  He shut the ambulance down and pulled the keys out. Some crews left the trucks running or the keys in the ignition and he would be the first one to admit that he used to make that mistake. A mental patient stealing a running ambulance right outside an emergency room a few years ago helped him break that habit quickly.

  Everyone had laughed at the crew even as they cringed, thinking that could have easily been any of them. The patient didn't damage the ambulance, but she did have a hell of a ride. Three hours later the police found the ambulance parked behind an abandoned building with the crew's lunch smeared all over the inside of ambulance. Thankfully no one had been hurt, but it could have easily gone the other way.

  "What did you mean about all the falls being unwitnessed?" Greg asked when Eric opened the doors to the back of the ambulance.

  "It usually means that whoever witnessed the fall or caused the injuries doesn't want to get written up so they usually report it as an unwitnessed fall," Eric explained as he jumped into the back of the ambulance and loaded the stretcher with the long backboard and the trauma bag.

  "And they get away with that?" Greg asked in disgust.

  "Yup," Teddy said, grabbing a handful of gloves to stuff in his pocket.

  "Are we going to report them?" Greg asked.

  "Can't report them unless you have clear proof or you witnessed the incident," Eric explained, hoping to calm the kid down. He knew how he felt. Sometimes it was frustrating to work in this field and see the things that they saw on a daily basis, but he knew that running to the state and reporting every little thing could actually cause more problems than they'd solve.

  "So they get away with it?"

  "No," Eric said, shaking his head and wishing Joe was here. She usually answered these questions and did a hell of lot better job at it than he was doing. "You have to remember that not every injury is abuse, especially when you're dealing with the elderly population. A lot of the calls you get that claim the patient fell and no one was around will be true. A lot of patients, young and old are bullheaded and hate asking for help or get sick of waiting for help and try to do things on their own that they know they shouldn't. So don't go jumping the gun and assuming abuse."

  "But you said-"

  "I know what I said," Eric cut him off. "The only thing that you can do is to write down every detail of the call and that includes the scene and what the staff says. Don't ever voice your