The Vampire and The Paramedic (7 page)

At the bottom floor, in the parking garage,
James led her to a black SUV parked next to his silver Lexus. The
werewolf Rudy was leaning against the side of the black Ford
Expedition as they exited the elevator.

“Brynne,” James said. “I think you know
Rudy.”

Brynne extended her hand to her former
patient. “It’s good to see you under different circumstances,
Rudy,” she said, shaking his hand. “I don’t often get to see
patients after I drop them off at the hospital. You look fully
recovered.”

“I am, for the most part,” the werewolf
answered, holding up a scarred left hand. “I wanted to thank you
for all you did during my accident. I was going to get you a Jeep
or something in return for saving my life, but James told me you
don’t like that kind of overt gesture.” He smiled a toothy grin at
James.

James laughed as Brynne shot him a glance.
“He’s just pulling your leg. He was there when I mistakenly offered
you that inappropriate gift. He just likes to get jabs in at me
when he can, since he can’t take me in a standup fight.”

“We’ll see about that Boss,” Rudy said. “It’s
been a while since the two of us sparred. Perhaps we need to meet
up in the gym sometime soon?”

“Enough with the pissing match, gentlemen.
We’re not as impressed with it as you think we are.” Celeste came
around the far side of the SUV. She was wearing a head-to-toe black
leather outfit including pants and a biker-style jacket. “Shall we
go?” She said, climbing in the back seat. “Brynne, why don’t you
sit back here with me and let our sparring companions sit up
front?”

“Sounds good to me,” Brynne said. She hopped
up next to the female vampire in the back of the SUV.

James tossed Rudy the keys and climbed into
the passenger side while the werewolf went around to the driver’s
side. They pulled out of the parking spot and up towards the garage
exit, leaving the building and driving out into the night.

“Why the extra muscle, tonight?” Brynne
asked. “Are these ‘Barrens’ that dangerous?”

James turned in his seat up front to answer
her. “It is not necessarily dangerous, at least not all the time.
Just as you have areas of the city where it is not wise to travel
alone in the human parts of town, we have similar sections of town
that Unusuals of lesser economic prosperity live. Sometimes that
means they make decisions about their lives that aren’t wise. Our
show of force will deter them from making such foolish choices and
making me take action for an attack on my person.”

“Your person?” Brynne asked.

“Brynne,” Celeste offered. “Unusual society
is a hierarchy of different cultures within an overarching
organization. It is still quite like a feudal society from the
middle ages in many ways. Because of the powers that many of the
community members have and the dangers they pose to both other
Unusuals, and their human neighbors, strong leadership is necessary
to maintain control. James represents that leadership here in the
Elk City region. If someone were to attack him, he would have to
exact dire consequences on the attacker or attackers in order to
maintain discipline in the community.”

“But this is America,” Brynne said. “These
are citizens. You can’t just take the law into your own hands.”

“This is how we have maintained a somewhat
peaceful coexistence alongside humans for many years, now,” James
said. “We have no wish to return to the times of the witch hunts in
Salem or the mass vampire killings of the Spanish Inquisition.
Those events were sparked by an Unusual community that went
unchecked in their attacks on humans living nearby. We are a very
old society with very old traditions. It’s one of the reasons that
many of our kind were, and are, resistant to Doctor Spirelli’s
offer of assistance through your paramedic teams.”

“By appearing here tonight with James and a
show of force from the Unusual community leadership, we hope to
provide your paramedics the deterrent protections you need to do
your jobs,” Celeste explained. “That will protect you should you be
sent here on an emergency medical services call in your
ambulance.”

“So, showing up with a human paramedic in tow
is a way of showing your official approval for what we’re doing.
You're giving us a cultural foot in the door to get our medical job
done?” Brynne asked.

“Exactly,” James said. “You learned about
dealing with other cultures in paramedic classes, right?”

Brynne nodded. “Yes, a little bit. It was
mostly about being open-minded and being flexible.”

“These are the steps needed to get cultural
approval of using your services even though it goes against our
traditions,” James said, expanding on the concept. “Not everyone
will call 911 automatically just because we show up, but the hope
is that more will. And, as more Unusuals use the program’s
services, the rest of the community will see the benefits and
hopefully call for help when it is needed.”

“Makes sense,” Brynne said. “As long as we’re
safe. Scene safety is paramount for our paramedic and EMT ambulance
crews.”

Rudy chimed in from the driver’s seat.
“You’re completely safe, Brynne. I’ve spread the word far and wide
that any threat to you and your team is a threat to my pack and me.
You have the protection of the leadership in James and for the more
base-natured among us, the protection of my pack behind you.”

“Uh,” Brynne stammered. “That’s good to know.
I guess.”

James turned back to face front as Rudy drove
to the outskirts of Elk City, pulling off of the highway and onto a
series of backcountry roads lined with woods on either side. After
a few minutes more, they entered a run-down trailer park community
that stretched back into the woods on either side of the road. A
dilapidated wooden sign with fading and peeling paint read “Lordly
Barrens.”

The light of their headlights revealed a
group of about ten people standing at the edge of the parking area
near the entrance. Rudy pulled the SUV up to a spot near the group
and put the gear lever into park, turning off the vehicle.

“Here we are,” James said over his shoulder
as he removed his seatbelt. “Pay attention to the needs of the
different folks we see here, Brynne. I want you to give me an
honest assessment of what we might be able to provide to them in
the way of additional medical attention, aside from what you and
your team can offer.” He opened the door and climbed out, his
traveling companions joining him as they exited the vehicle. They
followed him as he strode up to the group waiting to greet
them.

“August, my good man, how are you?” James
asked as he walked up to the leading member of the group. He
clapped him on the shoulder. “It’s been too long.”

“Yes, my Lord, it has been too long,” The
burly, sandy blond haired man said. He was shorter than James’
six-foot frame at about five foot, ten inches and dressed in a
mixed match of dress clothes including plaid slacks and a lavender
sports coat. He looked like a used car salesperson from a 1970’s
sitcom.

“As my assistant Celeste said on the phone,
we wanted to introduce some of your people to a human paramedic
with whom we are working on a new project to provide medical
services to your community.”

“We are pleased to meet any of your
Lordship’s colleagues, my Lord,” August said. “I’m not sure we need
the services you are claiming we need. We have always cared for our
own, as you know.”

James could sense the doubt bubbling at the
surface of his mind. “All I ask is that you maintain an open mind.
Should one of your community call her paramedics for assistance,
you will treat them as if they were under my direct protections. Is
that clear?” He smiled back at Brynne, hoping she didn’t take this
man’s resistance as a sign of danger to herself or her colleagues
at Station U. He sorely wanted to impress her with his authority
here.

There was a sudden disturbance as a young
girl dressed in a tattered white dress ran up and whispered in the
ear of one of the adults at the back of August’s group. James
strained to hear what she was saying, but even his enhanced hearing
couldn’t pick it up. August had also turned to see what had
distracted his overlord’s attention, clearly annoyed at the
interruption.

“August, if you need to attend to something,”
James said, “Don’t let us keep you from your duties. We’ll just
stop in to visit some members of your community that Celeste has
identified as potentially needing assistance from time to
time.”

“I’m sorry, my Lord, at the interruption,”
August apologized. “Rebekah, what is it that the girl wants?”

The woman to whom the girl had been speaking
turned back to the group at the front. “I’m sorry August. Bamber
here just notified me that her sister is about to give birth to her
baby.”

“Well, fetch the midwife, then,” August
ordered. “There’s no reason to interrupt Lord James with something
so trivial.”

“The midwife is visiting her sister out of
town this week to help deliver her child,” Rebekah explained. “I
must go to offer assistance, the girl is young, and the delivery is
likely to be a difficult one.”

“I should go, too,” James heard Brynne say
from behind him. “There might be something I can do to help.”

“We’ll all go,” he announced to the group.
“August, let us see this child in need of medical attention.
Perhaps my companion can be of service to your community after
all.”

“As you wish, my Lord.” The burly man pushed
his way through his group of companions to the back where Rebekah
and the young girl were standing. “Make way for Lord James and his
companions.” The rest of the assembled community formed an opening,
making room for James and his group to follow. Brynne was right
behind him with Celeste and Rudy bringing up the rear.

“Rebekah, Lord James would like to see this
girl’s sister. Take us to her,” August commanded. Rebekah inclined
her head with a nod, took the little girl’s hand and led them all
back into the woods surrounding the house trailers of the
community. James heard Brynne start talking on her phone. Who could
she be calling now of all times?

“… Just bring the maternity kit to the
address I gave you, and give it to the person waiting there. Don’t
run lights and sirens, it’ll freak people out, just get here
quickly.” Brynne paused a moment, listening to the person on the
other end before speaking again. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll
clear it with Doc Spirelli. It’ll be fine. Just get that kit here.
Oh, and bring the extra ALS bag out of the closet. I should have
thought to bring it with me anyway.” Another brief pause, then,
“Ok, thanks. I’ll talk to you later and fill you in.”

She pushed the call end button and turned her
head to look back at Rudy. “Can you wait back at the SUV for the
ambulance I just called to drop a package off for me?”

Rudy looked at James, who nodded. “Uh, sure.
What is it?”

“It’s a kit with everything you need to
deliver a baby and a bag with spare bandages and some other
supplies,” Brynne replied as she continued following the others.
“It should be here in about five or ten minutes.”

James was again impressed with how Brynne
took control of a medical situation, even before she had arrived at
the side of her patient.

“Do as she says, Rudy. Bring the supplies
back to us as soon as they arrive.” James looked with reinforced
admiration at the short paramedic walking purposefully next to him
now. Again, she had proven she was more than just a run-of-the-mill
human. Were all paramedics like this or was it just Brynne? He
wondered about this as he and Celeste now trailed Brynne, who had
pushed forward and was talking earnestly with Rebekah at the front
of the group.

James wasn’t sure what he was still doing
here, in this tiny, dark, smelly house trailer in the Barrens.
Perhaps it was because he had never witnessed childbirth before, he
supposed. He had to admit, though, that it was more likely he was
mesmerized by the small human paramedic kneeling at the foot of the
mattress on the floor in this cramped bedroom. Brynne had arrived
in the trailer and began to exude a confidence that was a breath of
fresh air in the midst of the pandemonium that was the state of the
residents before she arrived. She had immediately followed the
little girl and Rebekah back to the bedroom where the grunts and
groans of the sister could be heard. The paramedic had shooed all
the family members from the room but the little sister and the
girl’s mother. Rebekah had been allowed to stay, too. Though Brynne
had shot him a sharp glance, she had said nothing of his presence
in the doorway. Celeste pressed against his back, watching over his
shoulder, her excitement and curiosity palpable at the surface of
her mind.

“Okay, Jenny, sweetie, the baby’s almost
here,” Brynne said calmly. “You need to take some deep breaths, and
when you feel another contraction come on, I want you to bear down
and push while Rebekah counts to ten. Then take another deep breath
and push again for ten. Got it?” She rested a hand on the very
pregnant belly of the girl lying on the bed.

“I’m tired,” Jenny said. “I don’t want to do
this anymore.”

“I know, Jenny,” Brynne consoled. “It’s
almost finished now. I can see the baby’s head.”

James glanced down and saw a wet, hairy,
curved bulge slightly protruding from the girl’s vaginal opening.
He couldn’t tear his eyes away, it was like nothing he had ever
seen before. Was that the top of the baby’s head?

“Oh, oh no, here comes another … ahhhrgh!”
Jenny wailed.

“Okay, Jenny, now push. Bear down and push
hard!” Brynne urged.

Rebekah sat at the head of the mattress, her
arms around the girl, counting down from ten quietly in her ear.
She used a pillow to help lift up the tired girl’s upper body as
she curled around her abdomen. Jenny’s face was red with effort,
and her red hair was plastered to her forehead and the sides of her
face with sweat. Rebekah watched Brynne’s face intently.