Last Half Hour

Every Friday it seems I get a call in the last half hour of my shift. Happens today at 5:30. Motor vehicle on the avenue, where we've done countless motor vehicles before. This, like many of them, is a rush hour accident.

"Maybe it will be a refusal," I say to my partner.

"Maybe," he says.

It's not. Neck and back pain wants to go to one of the more distant hospitals. Can't talk him into going to the closer one.

I let my partner tech. I am feeling a little annoyed so it is not a good idea to tech if I can avoid it. I let my partner do it, and he is nice to the patient, a large surly man who is disgusted that his car is totaled. I am annoyed because the man was surly to me, and I am probably more annoyed because it is the last half hour of my shift and I want to get off. It isn't very professional to be annoyed at a patient for these reasons.

On the way to the hospital I hear two other calls go out in town. One at 5:45. One at 5:55. They would have gotten me either way.

I wanted to go to the gymn and get in a good workout. Instead I don't get back till seven and don't get to the gym until 7:30. The parking lot iias full so I park illegally because I really want to get in the gym. It closes at 8:00. I do some heavy squats and then some quick exercises to hit the rest of my body. No parking ticket.

Did three calls total -- a woman who fell and probably broke her hip and shoulder. I gave her 5 of morphine and she seemed comfortable on the ride, but then at the hospital when we moved her on to the hospital's bed, she started to get uncomfortable again, and I wished I had called for orders to give her more.

The other call was for a grandmother who caught her frying pan and then stove on fire with grease and nearly burned the kitchen down for the second time in a month. She had 1st and 2nd degree burns on her forehead from the heat. I also put her on a nonrebreather for all the smoke she inhaled.