|
The ride to the hospital was relatively short, only minutes, but each was a pressing challenge for the injured boy who constantly moaned in pain and shivered with cold. It was all Hyale could do to keep him warm and as comfortable as possible. At one point he caught the boy's eyes and wondered whether or not the white eye was an injury caused by the fire and if the physicians at the hospital could do anything about it. The outlook for that matter seemed grim, eye injuries often resulted in some sort of permanent damage that worsened or destroyed the sight in that eye all together.
He continued to watch over and monitor the boy, stroke his hair and mutter encouraging and comforting words until the ambulance finally came to a halt outside the Emergency Room at the hospital. "I know you're in pain Seth, but hang in there. We're at the hospital and the doctors are going to take good care of you. Just hold on," he spoke quickly, just as the back doors opened and a crowd of nurses and doctors helped to usher the boy out on the gurney and inside to an examination room.
"What is his status?" One doctor ordered as Hyale followed the group inside.
"He was caught under a collapse at a house fire. He has suffered severe smoke inhalation, has incurred several burns of varying degrees and I suspect he has several broken bones. He is only barely stable, his heart rate is irregular and his blood pressure low," Hyale reported, then giving the doctors the exact numbers from his examination.
Once he was finished with his report, Hyale was forced away from the examination room and the boy. He did his best to stay as long as possible. He was sure the boy would be frightened, but at this point his job was done. The boy's fate now rested in the competent hands of the hospital's doctors and nurses.
With a resigned sigh, Hyale made his way back out to the ambulance, running a hand through his matted mess of wet, grimy, smoke scented hair. Sitting into a slouch on the back bumper of the bus, the dark haired EMT bent over and rested his face in his hands. His heart was beating like crazy, the adrenaline in his system still not ready to settle down. He couldn't help but remember the boy's pale eyes and the look of pain on his face. He really hoped, he wasn't too late...
There was a hand on his shoulder. Hyale sat up to meet the eyes of his partner. "Hey, man, you should go home. You look like a wreck," Zach said, an expression of lighthearted concern on his face.
Hyale gave the man a weak smile. "Thanks Zach, but I want to stay and see if the boy is all right."
Zach gave him a stern look. "No can do bud. You need sleep. You've already saved enough people today. Leave some of the glory for the rest of us, eh?" The man laughed. "I already called a cab for you... and I'll give you a call when I hear about the condition of the boy."
Hyale gazed up at his partner appreciatively, affording him another half smile. "Thanks Zach."
"What are partners for?" He replied and waved back to Hyale as he headed back into the hospital.
Just then the cab arrived.
|