r/HFY • u/hfyposter • Oct 25 '23
OC National Parks pt10 NSFW
(sorry for the break in posting. I'm back.)
The EMTs rushed over with their bags and started working. After two hits from the AED, Mike drew in a deep breath. It was a few short minutes before he was being loaded into the ambulance, Susan and David following behind the gurney..
“You should go with him.” Susan said to David.
“I… can’t.” he sigh, looking over his shoulder at where Thompson was on his phone having a heated conversation. “He’s trying to drum up trouble for me. It won't be long until my phone is the one blowing up. Besides, you’re the one that everyone saw exorcizing a demon or whatever. You should get scarce until they convince themselves it was swamp gas or something.”
“I really did that, didn’t I?” she said. “Doesn’t feel real.”
In the back of the ambulance, the older of the two medical staff coughed pointedly while half hanging out of the double doors. Behind him, the younger medic began setting a splint on Mike’s broken arm.
“Look, they are going to take him to the hospital in Westy.” David said, guiding Susan into the back, “I’ll call Richie and have her pick you up when he gets released. You two should still be careful. I’ll come get you in your car tomorrow before work?”
“Yeah, ok.” She said, climbing into the ambulance behind the EMTs. “What are you going to do with the mirror?”
David said nothing. He closed the doors to the back of the emergency vehicle and walked away.
CHAPTER 6
The ride back to the hospital was tense for everyone involved. The sun was getting low in the sky over the mountains west, though dusk was still some time off.
“Can you stop staring at me like that?” She said to the younger EMT in the back of the ambulance.
“Sorry.” He said, quickly looking back to the IV line he was preparing to run in Mike's good arm. “What the Hell did you do to him?”
“What?”Susan asked, heat in her voice. She reached over to place a hand on Mike’s shin from where she was seated by the rear door.
“Well, from where I was standing it looked like he fell and you shined something in his face while he was screaming. Then the grass did that- that thing.” the EMT’s voice trailed off.
Susan saw his name badge said ‘Adam’. “Is Adam a first name or a last name?” She asked.
“Huh? Oh, last name.” Adam said.
“He had something in his head, Adam. I just showed him a mirror. Whatever was in his head really didn’t like that. Or maybe that was Mike pushing it back out.” Susan shrugged.
“You’re being for real right now.” Adam said in a hushed voice.
“Dude, you saw what I saw. I don’t know anything more than you, I was just standing closer.” Susan said.
“Is this some kind of joke?” he asked, looking back to Mike and starting the intravenous line.
“I don’t believe it either.” Susan said. “Tomorrow I’m sure I will have figured out a rational explanation for it. Right now I don’t want to think about it.”
Adam busied himself for the next few minutes with securing the line and bag to the inside of the gurney. He then set about readjusting the flexible splint on Mike’s left arm. Susan could see from the shape of his forearm it was clearly broken.
Adam looked up at Susan after he finished. “So who is this guy?”
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u/Fontaigne Oct 25 '23
Were blood had stained -> where
Nice. A little thing like not asking a name puts a twist in the pit of this reader's stomach.
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle Oct 25 '23
/u/hfyposter has posted 9 other stories, including:
- National Parks pt9
- National Parks pt8
- National Parks pt7
- National Parks pt6
- National Parks pt5
- National Parks pt4
- National Parks pt3
- National Parks (pt2)
- January 3rd, 2002
This comment was automatically generated by Waffle v.4.6.1 'Biscotti'.
Message the mods if you have any issues with Waffle.
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u/Standard_Nothing_350 Oct 25 '23
This was a pleasant surprise. Your writing continues to be entrancing.
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u/hfyposter Oct 25 '23
“He’s a… coworker? I’m not really sure. I just got transferred here from Olympic National Park, outside of Seattle. I met him yesterday.”
“New in town?” Adam said.
“Yeah, but there seems to be a shortage of the ‘town’ part.” Susan said, smiling.
“Well there’s a bar in West Yellowstone a few of us are going to tonight after work. It’s called Joe’s Place, a bit of a Dive though.”
“I don’t think I’m getting out tonight.” She muttered just over the sounds of the ambulance, as it cornered. She was looking Mike over again to distract herself from the sway of the vehicle. Being jostled around at moderate to high speed and not being able to see the road was disorienting her. As her eyes traveled over his legs, she saw that he had urinated in his strain. Judging from the smell in the patient area, that wasn’t the only bodily function he had lost control of in his struggle.
Susan looked up at Adam. There was a faint and fading sting of rejection on his face. “I want to.” Susan said, a little rushed. “Mike is a whole third of the people I know in Yellowstone. I can’t leave him alone in the Emergency Room.” She continued, slowed trying to play it cool. Not cool enough, she judged from the light coming back to Adam’s face.
“Well the truth is,” He said looking away, “I’m there most nights.”
“Most?” Susan asked.
“Trivia, Karaoke, and 50 cent wing night, at least.” He amended.
“Oh god… Karaoke?” She asked. “You were so close to being cute…”
Adam looked up quickly, grinning ear to ear. “You think I’m cute?”
A soft wheezing sound stopped whatever Susan was about to say. She looked down from Adam’s face to see Mike’s. The contrast from Adam’s boyish grin to Mike’s silent scream of horror. His eyes were wide and straining out, the white of one juxtaposed next to the red of the other were blood had stained from corner to corner. His mouth gaped for air and his body shuddered, teeth clacking shut like he was biting. He began bucking and straining against the restraints holding him to the gurney. He looked more like a trapped and rabid animal than a man.
Adam was saying something to the older man driving, but Susan didn’t understand it, the voice seemed distant and muffled. Her eyes were locked on Mike’s. She could feel the draw into them, just like the thing in the woods had held her gaze just a moment too long. A ringing in Susan’s ears rose to a crescendo until she wrenched her head away to look at Adam.
“You think I’m cute?” He repeated, still grinning.
Susan felt horribly sick. She looked back down at Mike, his eyes were closed, he had never moved. She felt a tickling on the back of her neck like and insect under her hair and jolted in surprise.
“WOAH.” Adam said, half lunging to guard his patient from her and extending a hand to steady her. “Are you ok?”
Susan felt around on her neck and hairline but there was nothing there. “Yeah.” She said after a moment and gently slipped back from Adam’s offered hand, “I might be more shaken up than I thought.” she said looking at Mike again. Her stomach turned over looking at him. He wasn’t awake, he hadn’t soiled himself, and the only smells in the ambulance were an out of sight air freshener, the hint of lysol, and a sandalwood coming from Adam.
Adam followed her eyes to Mike and asked her, “What did you say about something in his head?”
“Do you have a trash can?” She said.
“Yeah, you kinda look pale” he rummaged behind a panel door. “Here.” he said, passing it to her. She yanked it from him with both hands in time to dry heave into it. After two more empty spasms from her stomach she looked up at Adam who had a very concerned look on his face. “ Did you eat anything today?” He asked.
“No-” She started and thick heavy bile pushed up through her mouth without warning. More mucus than fluid, she caught the mess in the small trash can. She rested her head on it for the next minute before saying, “I haven't been car sick since I was a little kid.” Suddenly, the aches from the mornings ride, the chaffing and blisters from the sprint back, and the silent panic from the encounter with the Not Tim Not Mike overwhelmed her fading adrenalin.
“Shhh…” Adam said. “We’ll be at the hospital in a few minutes.” She faded into a dreamless void.
Susie a voice said in her ear, hot breath on her neck.
Susan jerked back, one hand up and halfway through an arcing back hand, her swing stopped by Adam’s hand already on her wrist.
“We’re here, Ranger.” he said, the vehicle bouncing over a roadway transition. There was a foul taste in her mouth. Her head throbbed, her thighs screamed at her. Scratches on her arm from the struggle with Not Mike stung sharply.
“Oh. Right.” She said, then stared pointedly at his hand on her arm.
“Sorry.” He said. “I’m relatively young among the EMTs here, but I’ve been hit by people waking back here. You looked like a fighter.” He said, trying to make it a complement.
“I am.” She said without emphasis. “And sorry for swinging at you. Next time, just say my name.”
“Will there be a “next time” of me waking you up?” He said, the smile back on his face.
“Wrong take away, Adam.” Susan said, matching his smile. The ambulance brakes squeaked to a halt and hospital staff opened the door, Susan hopped out the door to clear the way for the gurney to come out. Adam followed Mike out and began patient information on to the ER staff.
Susan stood around somewhat awkwardly for a moment. The old EMT came over to her.
“Kid never asked your name.” He said.
“No.” She said, smiling. “I have to go with Mike. Stay safe.”
“You too.” The older EMT said while closing the back doors of the ambulance.