“Don’t apologize, Captain Hansen.” I laced my fingers behind my back and pushed back my shoulders again. “I’m the newbie. I’ll win him over.”
“I have no doubt that you will,” Hansen said with a gentle smile. “Hansen and I have been friends for over eleven years. I know how he works. Let’s proceed with the tour.”
Captain Hansen gave me an in-depth tour of the rest of the station, showing me where the sleeping quarters were. The room was a decent size, and bunk beds sat cozily against either wall. It smelled gloriously of dirty socks and sweat, but I wasn’t about to complain. I’d first worried that I’d be in a separate room than my crew, once again singled out as the prissy female who didn’t belong there. I was glad that wasn’t the case. I would be treated the same as everyone else, and that’s how it was supposed to be.
“There’s a shower room just through here,” Hansen said, opening the door to another room with shower spigots and a tile floor that caved downhill to drain the water. There were no stalls, just little curtains to divide the area, but through another door was a private bathroom with a single toilet, and it looked like we all would share.
“Great.” I tried to sound as psyched as possible. “This is great.”
I passed him on the way to drop my bag on the bunk reserved for me. It was a bottom bunk in a corner, and I could only hope I wouldn’t be sharing it with Korbin. I sat down and looked up at Hansen. “Is there anything I can do? Chores? Dinner? Anything?”
“The day shift does chores, and dinner isn’t for another hour. Take advantage of the downtime and relax. It’s pretty rare.” Hansen turned to leave but then hesitated. “Hill?”
“Yes, sir?”
“Welcome to Ladder One.”
“Thank you, sir.” I laid back on my bed as Hansen disappeared down the stairs. It was quiet up here. I knew the crew was likely down in the basement working out. I wasn’t about to join them, as I wasn’t in the mood for more snide comments and mocking, so instead, I took advantage of the empty bathroom and gathered my hygiene products to take a quick shower. Just as I had turned on the water, the cry of the alarm blared through the building, startling me. I stumbled back, tripping over the underwear around my ankles, almost face-planting into the tiles. There was a loud, brash knock on the door, and one of the guys—Nick, I think was his name—called me through the door.
“Quit doing your hair, Hill, and get your ass down there, now!”
I shut off the water and pulled my shirt and khaki pants back on, struggling with the belt and the loose shoelace as I hopped on one foot out of the bathroom and towards the stairs, knocking my shin on the edge of one of the beds in the process. A shooting pain consumed me, and I grimaced and had to pause as a few of the guys ran past me up the stairs to retrieve their boots, ignoring my existence as I ungracefully stumbled towards the ambulance bay. Before I could step onto ground level, Korbin Hansen and Tanner Rey shouldered past me on either side, successfully throwing me into the wall ahead of us. I straightened up, irate, but they were already heading out the side door.
“Fuckers,” I muttered and rubbed at my bruised shoulder.
“Ladder One, Ambulance One, respond to 376 Pine Street for reports of a domestic dispute and possibly physical violence. Alcohol is thought to be involved.” The blare of dispatch came through the speakers, but it took me a moment to fully process it.
Hansen had mentioned earlier that I’d be running Basic Life Support today, which was fine with me. Fighting fires would come after more training. Pushing aside my annoyance at my crew, I raced through the side doors towards the ambulance bay, heart thudding against my ribs in anticipation, palms clamming with sweat.
I stepped into the driver’s side of the rig, clicking on my seatbelt as I leaned forward and typed the address into the GPS system. As I leaned back, the passenger’s door opened, and the lead medic slid into the driver’s side of the ambulance. It was Korbin.
“Well fuck me sideways,” he said, switching the siren and lights.
“Not even if you paid me.”
Korbin scoffed as I put the rig into gear and began the drive. The firetruck was right behind us. I knew that even though the call was not fire-related, it never hurt to have backup on an EMS call, especially one with the possibility of violence or unruly, intoxicated patients.
“Do you know what you’re doing?” he asked as I drove, and I shot him a look that I hoped would silence him, but it didn’t. “If you want me to drive, just holler,” he continued. “I know my way around Eagle River pretty well.”
“No way,” I said. “So do I.”
Ignoring the sarcasm in my tone, Korbin chuckled. “It’s all fun and games for you newbs until it’s not, isn’t that right?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Lieutenant,” Korbin said, eyes narrowing in my direction. And while I wanted nothing more than to flip him the finger, I couldn’t do it. He was still my boss, and I wasn’t ready to be kicked out yet.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,lieutenant,” I repeated. “Do you assume that every new firefighter that comes around isn’t here to work; they’re just here because of some shitty bet? Or to play games?”
“Some of them are,” said Lieutenant Hansen. “The majority, actually.”
“Well, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but I’m not here to play games,” I retorted, clenching my jaw to keep from shouting at him. “I’m here to work. To help people. And I’m sorry if that offends you.”
As we pulled into the patient’s parking lot, Korbin switched off the siren, and I put the rig into park. The firetruck was a minute behind, and other than us, the driveway was empty. Not another person was around.
“Well, go on then,” Korbin said. “Get the bag. I’m right behind you.”
Without thinking twice, I jumped out and grabbed the BLS bag from the side compartment, wild with exhilaration. I didn’t bother to see if Korbin was behind me as I approached the front door. My hands shook, fingers trembling, but it wasn’t with fear. A thin layer of sweat formed on the back of my neck, and I wiped it away. I felt good, determined to prove to myself I was just as capable as the guys on the crew, if not more so.
