Boss Me (2 page)

Fortunately, as the residents readjust to the slick, snow-covered roadways, none of the accidents have been too severe. A few bumped heads, marked torsos from seatbelts doing their jobs, and a bunch of bruised egos mixed in with the crinkled metal and broken glass. I’m working on my eighth call since I started my shift just five short hours ago at six a.m.

My oldest brother, Jake, and my brother-in-law, Maddox, have been on three of the eight calls I have responded to. As local deputies, those men are just as busy, if not busier than I am. Why people think they have to call 911 for officer assistance when the snowplow blocks their driveway or when they report the driver in front of them for driving ten miles per hour and they have places to go, I will never know. That is the nature of the beast. Like it or not, the entire town has their panties in a twist over the first big snowfall.

I’m loading up seventy-eight year old Johnson Parker in the back of the idling ambulance. Mr. Parker was driving down Main Street and had the green light when a small Ford Focus driven by an eighteen-year-old girl skidded on the ice through the intersection and into his passenger door. The damage doesn’t appear to be extensive, but Johnson has a history of heart problems and was complaining of chest pains following the accident. He’s on his way now, in my ambulance, to the emergency room for further evaluation.

The ride back to the hospital is bumpy to say the least. Ruts are left in the snow-packed roadways while plows continue to attempt to move the snow from every drivable surface in town. I continue to monitor Mr. Parker’s blood pressure as we slowly dredge our way towards our small, yet effective hospital.

Born and raised in the small town of Rivers Edge, I left only long enough for schooling. As soon as I graduated junior college after just two short years in St. Charles, I returned home to start my first official job as a paramedic at Rivers Edge Health Center. I was fortunate that they had an opening and were willing to give a young, fresh-faced twenty-one year old a shot. It has been my home away from home ever since.

I am the middle of the five Stevens kids. Jake married the love of his life, Erin this past August. Throw in the fact that Erin is carrying their twin girls, and I’ve never seen my oldest brother happier. In fact, I may never have really seen him happy. Jake always has been content with life. But happy? He bed-hopped for years until Erin re-entered his life two years ago. I enjoy sitting back and watching them go at it like a couple of old, grumpy men. Erin won’t put up with Jake’s bossy ways, which drives Jake crazy. They’re entertaining as hell and the thought of them becoming first-time parents together, to girls no less, has me excited to see what’s next for them.

Nate is a year younger than Jake and just proposed to his fiancée, Lia, last month. A firefighter to the core, Nate struggled with demons pertaining to his job. For years, he fought the desire to become serious with anyone, worried that his job would take him away at any time, leaving a young widow behind. It wasn’t until Lia walked into his life - or more accurately, smashed him over the head with a pan – that he changed his way of thinking. Lia has her own issues and demons. She comes from a past that includes an abusive, high-powered boyfriend and was on the run when she found herself in Rivers Edge. Nate did everything he could to protect her, which eventually included falling in love. They haven’t set a wedding date yet, but I expect that announcement anytime.

Travis is two years younger than me and helps run our family construction business with my dad. Travis and Josselyn celebrated their first anniversary last month; just a couple of weeks after their son, Grant, celebrated his first birthday. Travis and Josselyn’s beginning is an entertaining one. A one night stand resulting in pregnancy. Their situation might actually be one of the biggest fears for men everywhere. But not Travis. Travis handled it like I expected him to. Well, until he pushed Joss away when he became more focused on building their house than building their relationship. Fortunately, Travis wised up and worked hard to get her back into his life. If any of my brothers could have dealt with the hand he was given, there’s no doubt in my mind that it was Travis.

Avery is the baby of the family, five years younger than Travis. Avery and her husband, Maddox, had known each other for years when they started sneaking around behind everyone’s back. Of course, Maddox, being Jake’s best friend, didn’t exactly go about dating Avery the right way. Brooklyn, my niece, tattled on them one day while the three of us were picking pumpkins. I knew it was all going to blow up in her face when their secret came out, but she was determined to see where it went. Determined and stubborn: that’s Avery for you. Avery and Maddox were married a year and a half ago, and my nephew Ryder arrived this past March.

The beeping of the monitor pulls me out of my little daydream as we pull into the circular drive of the hospital. I prepare the patient for transfer into the hospital while Doug, the driver, comes around to assist me. The doors are thrown open and we both jump into action. Nurses and the attending ER doctor step outside and approach the arriving ambulance as the bitter cold December air bites our exposed skin.

“What have we got?” Dr. Tomlin states professionally, as we move Mr. Parker out of the belly of the ambulance and towards the sliding glass doors.

“Pulse ninety-five, BP one-fifty-seven over ninety-two. Patient is complaining of chest pains and has a history of heart ailments. Heart attack in 2004 and pacemaker in 2007,” I recite from memory as we are enveloped in the heat of the sterile examination room. It’s a stark change from the elements outside of those doors, but definitely welcome.

I step back as the nurses and physicians transfer the patient from the ambulance standard gurney to the awaiting hospital bed. Their movements are swift and their faces determined as they set out to work on Mr. Parker.

This is the only thing in life to truly get my blood pumping. The energy surrounding saving someone’s life or helping them heal is something amazing. Humbling. Thrilling. Of course, not all calls or visits to the ER have a happy ending. You do everything within your power to save the ones you can. It’s a motto I’ve had to adopt from that very first day I started my clinical rotation. Do what you can and pray for the ones you can’t save.

I’ve always been the fixer, the healer. Every bump and scrape Avery had when she was little was doctored up by me, while Mom kissed away the tears. It’s not because Mom was incapable of taking care of her, but because I reveled in it. When Nate fell out of the oak tree in the backyard and broke his arm? I insisted on watching as the doctor set the break and casted it. When Jake busted his chin wide open after he hit a rock and wiped out on his skateboard? I begged the doctor to let me help him stitch it up.

This? This is my element.

I head to the storage room to start the restock process for the rig. There’s no telling how quickly we’ll be called back out today so I want to make sure we’re locked, stocked, and ready to roll. With arms loaded up with supplies, I head back out into the bitter, freezing air.

Winter isn’t always horrible in the Midwest, but the past two years have proven to be brutal. Winds that burn your eyes. Temperatures that could freeze a witch’s nipple. Snow that never seems to let up. December and January last year were the worst, and it looks like they’re predicting it just as bad this year.

As I’m tearing down empty boxes in the supply room at the back of the emergency room, I hear the metal door squeak open. Doug peeks his head in and makes eye contact before bringing his full five foot, eight inch self inside the room.

“Hey, did you get it all stocked up?” he asks somewhat antsy on his feet.

“Yep. That case of alcohol swabs is the last thing to go,” I tell him, pointing to the small box sitting by the door.

“I’ll take them out,” he says as he bends down to pick them up. Doug shifts his weight back and forth for several seconds. I can tell something’s eating him, but for some reason, he won’t just say it.

“What’s up?” I finally ask, not able to take the suspense any longer.

“Uh, Cruella wants to see you as soon as possible in her office,” he mumbles before tucking tale and practically running out of the room.

Cruella. AKA Carmen Brady. AKA my bitch from hell boss.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out where she got the nickname. It was either that or Bitch Boss and we all felt like it would be less noticeable as to whom we are talking about if we left the word “bitch” out of it.

Carmen joined the staff at Rivers Edge Medical Center about ten months ago. Her bossy and condescending demeanor didn’t go over too well with everyone in the emergency department and the ambulance crew that she oversees. Especially when we went from a man who was as laid back and easy going as humanly possible to a know-it-all, authority-hungry witch of a woman. To say the transition between the two bosses was extreme, is an understatement. We’ve lost several good employees in the past few months, and with tight budgets hitting every department within the hospital, they aren’t in any hurry to hire more staff. It’s also the first time I’ve actually considered finding something new, as well.

The fact that Ms. Brady is attractive does not go unnoticed. She’s fucking hot. Her brown hair is radiant: soft and silky and begging for my fingers to tangle in it every time she walks into the room. In natural light, strips of red reflect from it, giving it a glowing auburn look. Her eyes are deep brown like smooth, rich chocolate. She’s a few inches shorter than me, probably around five-eight and has curves that almost make you forget how much of a royal bitch she is.

Almost.

I finish breaking down the boxes and decide to head out. The last thing I want is to keep the boss waiting and have her wreaking havoc on the department by coming down here. Like a storm cloud on the horizon, you never know what kind of damage she brings with her and will leave in her wake. The only certainty is that the storm is brewing.

I slowly make my way out of the room, automatically locking the door behind me as I go, and head towards the bank of three elevators. Carmen’s office is on the second floor with most of the others in administration. She is the newest member of the administration team, and has definitely made a name for herself. And not a good one.

The door opens with a swoosh and I press the button for the second floor. In a matter of seconds, I’m enclosed in the familiar spot heading towards my boss. With another swoosh, the door opens again and I step into the long, sterile hallway. Florescent lighting illuminates the standard gray floor tiles and white walls. The occasional picture promising motivational quotes or announcing hospital rules is the only images in this part of the building. Warm and inviting, it is not.

The door is closed when I finally reach Carmen’s office at the end of the hallway. I raise my hand to knock when I hear her voice, firm and terse on the other side. After several long seconds of listening, I conclude that Carmen must be on the phone since I don’t hear another voice. She sounds agitated. Annoyed.

Great.

I step away from the door to give her privacy. I don’t know who she’s talking to, and I frankly don’t care. I just hope she calms down before I have to walk in that office and face the high heel wearing she-devil.

After several minutes, I no longer hear talking coming from the other side of the door. I contemplate going over and knocking, but decide to give her a few more minutes. I hate to stir the beast.

And then she starts to yell again…

I distract myself with thoughts of Sunday’s upcoming family dinner. My family gets together every Sunday at my parents’ house. With Jake, Nate, Maddox, and sometimes myself working every other weekend, we don’t get the entire family together as much as I’d like. This Sunday just happens to be one of those weekends where everyone will be there. Talk of Nate and Lia’s pending wedding and the spring arrival of Jake and Erin’s twins are sure to be front and center at the dinner table. Plus, Christmas looms in three short weeks. I’m sure my niece, Brooklyn, has a list a mile and a half long.

Avery has been on me - again - about dating. I date. Okay, fine. I’ve dated. Not so much lately, especially since Carmen started here at the hospital and changed our entire scheduling format around for both the emergency and ambulance departments. Never mind that it might actually be a better system, which gives us the same amount of hours with more time off between days worked. I will never admit it out loud nor will I ever acknowledge it to her face.

Avery tried setting me up about two months ago with her part-timer, Sandra. Nice girl, really. She’s definitely cute with her dirty blond hair and blue eyes, but there just wasn’t that spark. That flare. That moment where you can’t wait another moment longer to taste her lips because the thought of waiting another second slowly kills you inside. At least not to the extent that Avery always talked about. We went to the movies and dinner a few times, but after a few dates, we both decided that friendship was all we’d ever have.

That hasn’t deterred my sister from name-dropping a few of the single ladies around town every time she sees me. Why she thinks I need a woman in my life is beyond me. I am content and happy being single. A few dates every now and again to keep me sane, get me out of the house, and keep the pipes from getting rusty - and I’m good. Work. That’s what I do. Twenty-four seven. My work is my life. I live, breathe, and thrive on the excitement of my job. It’s who I am.

As I lean against the wall across from Carmen’s office while she threatens whoever she’s speaking to on the phone within an inch of their life, I can’t help but acknowledge the stress of the job. EMTs and paramedics have been dropping like flies lately - mostly because of Carmen’s iron fist - and I’ve been left to pick up the slack. I’ve worked more overtime already these past two months than I did in total last year. Usually, I wouldn’t mind. But right now, I’m thinking that my weekend off will be a welcome reprieve.

Maybe I should call up one of the many names Avery has saved for me. Maybe I should enjoy female companionship over dinner. Maybe I should have a few drinks and flirt a little while shooting pool. Maybe I need to get laid.