2 DAYS BEFORE VALENTINES DAY
*Knocks on door*
"Who's there?" Jacky said, from the other side of the door.
"It's Jackie," I said.
"Hey welcome Jackie!" Jacky said.
"Just in time for dinner. Hello Jack." Michelle said.
Someone knocked on the door.
"Who's ther... Chris." Michelle opened the door.
"LA is so small. And we meet again. Come with me." "Chris," said.
"No," Michelle said.
"You know you don't have a choice."
"Hey she said she don't wanna go with you, so I suggest you go hit the road now," I said. "(To Michelle) Behind me."
"Who are you?" "Chris" said
"That doesn't matter. Go hit the road before we call the cops."
"Do you know who I am?"
"Chris Andrew, real name unknown, suspected of assault and domestic violence against his girlfriend. I'm sure the PD had been looking for you for a while."
"Why do you know so much about me."
"I'm from the 118. Michelle's my partner." I said. "Are you going away now? Cause I am calling 911."
I pulled out my phone and called 911.
"Yes? I need the police. A man just came right up..."
"You son of a..." "Chris" left.
"Hey, are you serious?" Michelle asked.
"No of course not. I just help up my phone and he took it for real."
"What happened? " Jacky asked.
"Chris appeared. And he left." I said. "Wait. Crap. I think I screwed up. I should've called 911."
"It's alright. At least I have a camera installed at my front door. Hope that can capture his face." Jacky said. "Anyways, dinner's ready."
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VALENTINE'S DAY
09:00
LAFD STATION 118, LOS ANGELES
A, as a single male, f*ck valentine's day.
B, not sure if it's bad news or not, I got switched again.
"Hey, Michelle," I said.
"Let me guess. Did you get switched again? I thought that will end with you in LA." Michelle read my mind... Again.
09:10
"I can't believe she dumped me on valentine's day. Like I booked a table at her favorite restaurant months ago, and she thought a text can end this."
"It's alright... Hey are you alright?"
"No...I can't... I..."
"Oh god. Siri? Call 911!"
- 911 what's your emergency?
- My friend... His chest hurts a lot! I think he had a heart attack!
- Help is on the way.
09:15
"Hello? Los Angeles Fire Department!" Cap knocked on the door.
"Thank God you're here. Ian is having a heart attack. His chest hurts. Terribly." A girl opened the door.
"Do you know if Ian has any history of heart attacks before?" Chim asked.
"No. Not any as I recall."
"Cap, his stats... That does not look like a heart attack." Hen said.
"It's valentine's day today... right?" Michelle asked.
"Yes and he... got dumped."
"Lucy... you..." Ian said.
"I'm sorry about that, Ian...wait. Hang on." I said. And something came to my mind.
Going through emotionally stressful events can cause problems that look like a heart attack.
Jacky
You mean... Broken Heart Syndrome? 09:17
Seems like it.
"Broken Heart Syndrome," I said. "See, getting dumped on Valentine's day, might be related to this. I'm not very sure but the causes do match."
"A 12-lead ECG can tell us more about it. Michelle?" Chim said.
"On it!" Michelle replied, and grabbed the leads.
A FEW MOMENTS LATER
"Look at the ECG printout..." Hen said
"It looks similar to the one online..." I said.
"Ok. Load him to the Rescue and notify Mercy General." Cap said.
"Sure," I said.
ON THE RESCUE
"Thanks Lucy... You saved me again..." Ian said.
"Hey. We save each other's ass. Remember?" Lucy replied.
"Lucy... I know this is kinda sudden, but... we've been friends..."
Alright, I don't like the direction that things are going...
A FEW MOMENTS LATER
LOS ANGELES MERCY GENERAL HOSPITAL
"Bay one. What happened?" the doctor asked.
"Ian Torres, 20 years old. Chest pain. No history of heart attack and his 12 lead does not look like a heart attack." I said.
Hen opened the ambulance door.
"Oh." Dr. Stevens said.
Well... Someone's..... having a new girlfriend.
"Valentine's day." Michelle said while pushing the stretcher into the ER, "And also, the Fire Ace Bar is having an Early Anti-Valentines Night tonight. Singles are welcomed."
"Sure. Will be there." Dr. Stevens replied. "Let's move the patient. On my count, 1,2,3...."
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"I never thought that frenching is possible in an ambulance," Michelle said.
"Well, this is just Valentine's Day." Hen said.
"Alright. What else can go wrong..." I said.
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Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
"Well. Murphy's Law." Michelle said.
"Just asking for Jackie. For the Early Anti-Valentines Night..." I asked while being interrupted by something unmentionable.
*Unmentionable man-made noises*
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD STOP IT." I slid the windows between the driver cab and the Medical bay of the ambulance and shouted. "Yes. Please remain seated and buckled up for safety. Thank you for your cooperation."
See? Valentine's Day! Sex in the rescue! I guess I won't forget that for a while.
"Okay. Mr. Steward, can we go now?" Michelle asked.
"Yes, Ms. Captain."
"What were you asking about before?"
"Can I bring some friends over at UC to The Fire Ace tonight?"
"Of course. Just make sure they are single."
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17:00
-911 What's your emergency?
- There has been a terrible car crash! You gotta send somebody here!
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Jacky
"Rescue 118, Engine 118 respond to..." Dispatch assigned us to a case, not far away. Seems like a car collision.
A FEW MOMENTS LATER
"Someone hit the car and left the scene. Someone nearby saw the car and called 911." The police officer said. "3 people are stuck inside of the car, the driver is conscious."
"Ok, we will handle the scene from here. Hen, Jack, Michelle, Chim, access the scene. Buck, Eddie, Prepare for vehicle extrication." Cap said.
"Roger that."
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"Los Angeles Fire Department. I'm Jacky. Can you hear me?" I asked.
"You just had a car crash. We are trying to get you out. Stay there and don't move." Hen said.
"Maya...hows Maya.." the driver whispered.
"Hey hey hey don't move." Michelle tried to stop the driver.
"I know that you care about her, but you can't care about someone else when you are injured," I said. The driver nodded
"Alright. Accessing the rear section. Jacky hand me the C-Collar..." Chim said. "We are stabilizing your neck. Hold still...."
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Kayden... We... we were heading to our... wedding..." the driver said.
"Michelle, how's the passenger?" Hen asked.
"Unconscious, still breathing, found a pulse. Need a C-Collar." Michelle replied.
"Maya, can you hear me?" Hen asked. "No Response, her leg is pinned."
A FEW MOMENTS LATER
"Bobby, patients stable for extrication," Chim called into the radio.
Then, Buck and Eddie came over with the jaws of life and cutting tools.
"Maya, Kayden, we are cutting the car and pulling you guys out. Don't move." Captain said.
"Just hang in there!" I said.
"Clear! Here we go!" Buck said.
"Prepare the stretcher." Hen said.
"On my count. 1, 2, 3... pull! Again, 1, 2, 3, pull!" Chim said as we are transferring Maya onto the stretcher.
Kayden, on the driver's side, was transferred to a wheelchair.
ON THE RESCUE
"I am the worst fiancé alive... this is the last possible wedding that we can have and I screwed that up, as always."
"Hey, it's not your fault. The driver was drink driving. And what do you mean by the last wedding?"
"Maya's having cancer... a bad one..."
"Hey, how about you take your vows now? I had been a witness at weddings before." I said.
======================================
"Ok. Go Ahead." I said.
"I know I don't have much time so I will make it short. Maya, I would like to be with you forever, no matter what happens, I will be with you... and nothing will do us apart.....I love you, Maya." Kayden said, hike trying very hard to hold back his tears.
I patted him on the shoulder.
"Will, you, Maya Harris, take Kayden Lewis as your husband?" I asked.
"Yes," Maya whispered.
"You... may now kiss the bride."
Kayden kissed Maya, and this is when things go wrong.
*Loud bleep*
"Ok. Jacky start compressions. I will intubation." Hen said.
"Ok Kayden you need to give us some space." Michelle pulled Kayden away.
"Chim, call Mercy General." Hen said.
"Come on Maya... I know you can do this. Don't go." Michelle whispered.
LOS ANGELES MERCY GENERAL HOSPITAL
"Trauma patient, Maya Harris, 31, Car collision, GCS 5 On Rescue, 3 on scene. Cardiac arrest on arrival, shocked once, still asystole."
"On my count, 1,2,3!"
"We will take it from here."
"Charge 200 Joules!"
"Clear!"
"We got a pulse!"
"Take her up to the OR! Page Dr. Tyler!"
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22:00
THE FIRE ACE, WILSHIRE, LOS ANGELES
"Hey, all my boys are here," Michelle said. "Welcome to the Anti-Valentines Night. Oh and also Andy and Jackie!"
"Hello, Michelle, nice to meet you." Hey, this is the doctor from mercy General!
"Hello. This is Michelle, the paramedic that I had been talking about." I introduced Michelle to my university buddies. "And this is Mitch, Lucas, Jake, and Brooke. All from UCLA."
"Hello, nice to meet you all. Here have some beer." Michelle said.
"Hey, Michelle and Jacky and also Sam." A guy appeared.
"Buck! But I thought you aren't single?" Michelle said.
"Well, that is another story," Buck said.
"He's as single as always," Jacky added. 'Oh and also, this is Jackie. The guy inside me in the morning part of my shift."
"I'm Jackie. Nice to meet you Buck." I said.
"Hello, Jackie. Nice to meet you. Actually, the full name's Evan Buckley, but people just call me Buck."
"Actually, there were 4 Evans in the academy. So he ended up being Buck." Michelle said.
"Gosh, that's a great idea. Back then I got 5 Jackies and my Teacher had a hard time dealing with it." I said.
My English teacher eventually gave up and stick to Jackie, with occasional gestures and last names.
"Sam? Another beer please!" Michelle said.
*Writer's note: The State of California prohibits drinking under the age of 21. This law is intentionally bypassed, for the sake of the plot.*
2 GLASSES LATER
"Hey, Ed. You're hot." Michelle said. "This is Eddie, and this is Jackie. both hot."
"She's a bit drunk. by the way, hello Eddie." I said.
"Hey Jackie. Sam, can I have a glass of beer?" Eddie said.
4 GLASSES LATER
"Oh, I wonder where's Michelle..." I asked.
"Darts!" Jacky is throwing darts. He seems still not very drunk.
I don't feel well...
A FEW MOMENTS LATER
"Sam? More beer, please. I hurled." I said.
"Alright. But you need to stop for a bit." Sam replied.
"Ok. And you have any idea, where Michelle, has been?"
"She left with Buck, I called an Uber for them. Seems that they are in the middle of something."
"Hey, Jackie it's your turn..." Jacky said.
"Coming," I said. "Darts!"