“Dick,” he mumbled before he keyed up the radio. “706 is on location.”
“At 19:27. Be advised, this is going to be for the Altered Mental Status. ALS was notified,”the dispatcher said.
“Received,” Chris said before stepping out of the truck.
Chris stepped out and grabbed the stair chair from the side compartment while James gathered the bag and defibrillator. Altered mental status was such a broad term, there was no telling what they’d find once they got inside the second-floor walk-up. The paramedics pulled up while they were still waiting for someone to come down and open the door. Chris was surprised to see Michael and Alyssa making their way up the walkway.
“So, I take itnowthe husband-and-wife rule is no longer a thing?” Chris asked as he pounded on the door. “It seems like you two are together every other shift.”
“It is in theory, but you know what a disaster the schedule always is,” Alyssa answered. “Anyway, were you not planning to tell me about your mom? I would have come and sat with you at the hospital. You didn’t have to do all that alone.”
That was exactly why Chris hadn’t told her. The last thing he needed was for Michael to show up at the hospital before he talked to Mallory. He still hadn’t told her everything, but at least she had returned to work so he wouldn’t have to worry about any awkward bedside revelations. His facial expression must have given him away, because Alyssa stood up straighter and pinned him with a look.
“You weren’t alone,” she accused.
“Says who? I was back and forth on the phone trying to reach my brother and I had to call my daughter and tell her and then deal with my ex. I had a lot going on.”
Michael had his arms crossed and was watching Chris’s response closely. Before he could say anything, the door finally swung open, revealing a young girl. Her hair was styled in two puffs and her brown eyes were wide with fear.
“Hi, sweetheart,” Alyssa stepped forward and greeted. “Is there someone sick upstairs?”
The little girl didn’t say anything. She nodded her head and turned around to go back upstairs. Chris shrugged and followed her up the steps and everyone else fell into step behind him. The girl stopped as soon as they cleared the top of the stairs.
“Pop Pop says I should never let strangers in the house. You won’t tell on me, will you?”
Chris coped with the job by remaining aloof, but he could never maintain the façade when it came to kids. “Sweetheart, we’re helpers. You did the right thing calling for help so there’s nothing to get in trouble for. Where is your Pop Pop? Is he sick?”
She nodded her head and pointed down the hallway. Alyssa started walking in that direction before Chris reached out and stopped her. “Let me and Michael check it out. You stay back here with James.”
“I’m not disabled. I can treat patients just as well as Michael can,” she complained.
“You’re pregnant and we don’t know what we’re walking into,” Chris countered.
“He’s right,” Michael agreed before she had a chance to argue. “We’ll be back.”
They walked into the bedroom to find an elderly gentleman on the floor next to his bed. He was breathing; they could hear it. Chris crouched down next to him and shook his shoulder. He didn’t stir, and Chris noticed the man’s shirt was damp with sweat.
“Probably diabetic. I’ll send Alyssa and James in and see if I can get any more info from the granddaughter,” Chris suggested before leaving the room.
“Well?” Alyssa was standing in the living room with her arms folded, clearly annoyed.
“Probably diabetic. You guys are good to go in,” he said before turning his attention to the little girl. “Does your Pop Pop take medicine? Do you know where it is?”
“I’ll show you.” She surprised him by taking his hand.
She led him into the kitchen and pointed at the refrigerator. On the front was a red sticker with the words “Vial of Life” across the top indicating his health information was inside.
“Awesome!” Chris said. “You did a great job showing this to me.”
He opened the refrigerator and pulled out the medicine bottle. Inside he found a list of medications and his medical history. He was an insulin dependent diabetic and had high blood pressure. Chris carried the bottle into the bedroom as Michael held up the glucometer.
“We have a winner!” he announced. “Forty-two.”
“He’s an insulin dependent diabetic and has high blood pressure,” Chris said, holding up the papers from the vial of life.
“Yeah, we figured,” Alyssa said as she pulled a blue box from the med bag. “Hopefully we’ll have him awake by the time we’re ready to transport.”
“Can I go with you guys?” the little girl asked.
