JERAMEDIC

It was early summer on a  Saturday night. A call came out and we were next up. “Later guys, keep my bed warm for me yeah?” I jokingly said to the other crew as I walked through the front room. My pager went off before I got to the ambulance, I silenced it on my belt without reading the text. “802 on air” I said over the radio. “chhhh 802, Firewood ave cross of State Street on a stabbing with multiple victims, PD en route you’ll be responding with 202 and Engine 36.” “802 copies Firewood and State” I said.

The call was north of us, almost at the boarder of the next neighboring city. The other ambulance out of station 2 was closer and would get there first. For almost the last two years I had been working in some of the more “less then desirable communities” of the city. Unfortunately, violent crimes were common here. However they also often turned out to be less severe once all the smoke had cleared. Gun shot wounds would end up as shots fired but no injuries. Stabbings would end up as minor lacerations or threats with a knife. Tonight would be different.

Five minutes in to our response and less then a mile away I could see the Police helicopter with it’s spotlight over the scene, 202 came on the radio and said they were on scene with PD. We arrived a minute or so later and were met with several unattended police cars that were blocking our entrance. “what the hell is this!” my partner said as he brought the ambulance to a slow stop. One officer saw us and ran over to start moving the cars but it was taking too long. “I’ll see ya in there” I said as I got out of the ambulance.

I grabbed the jump bag and a backboard and started making my way through the maze of police cars. I saw the crew from 202 about 40 ft ahead on the side walk, they were getting a young man on to a backboard as a firefighter did CPR. “Ray what do you need?” I yelled as I ran closer, “I got this!” he said, “there’s another kid with a bad Lac on the wall over there!” I turned and saw a teenage male sitting on a low cinder block wall, the police helicopters spotlight shined over him for a moment and I could see his shirt was soaked with blood and he was holding his right arm.

I got up to him and saw he had a long laceration from his wrist to his elbow, and a through and through puncture to his bicep . “what’s your name?, are you hurt any where else?” I asked as I cut his shirt off. I ran my hands over his chest and back looking for other wounds, he looked clear. I started to wrap his arm in kerlix, Speaking as a worked “you’re gona be alright, what’s your name?.” No answer. I heard the familiar rumble of my ambulances diesel engine behind me, I looked over my shoulder to see my partner pulling up to the sidewalk. I also realized that 202′s  rescue was in full view of my patient. “um, is my friend ok?” he asked. “I don’t know, we are doing all we can. I want to just worry about you right now.” His arm was wrapped and I wanted him in the ambulance where there was more light and I could do a better assessment.

202 left Code 3 (lights and sirens) as we loaded our patient.  “is my friend going to be ok?” he asked again. “we are doing our best for him, he’ll be at the hospital soon and there will be a lot of people waiting for him.” Now after a more detailed assessment  I could see that his injuries were isolated only to his right arm. The Kerlix was holding up so I wasn’t to concerned about an arterial bleed.  I finished the rest of my assessment and interview on the way to the hospital. We transported Code 2 (without lights and sirens) so we had some time to talk.

On the way he told me the story of what had happened.  They were walking home from a high school football game. A black 1960′s chevy impala pulled up and four older men got out. I say “men” but they probably were not much older the my patient, who was barely 17y/o. One man started harassing the boys ” where you from punk? who you with?”  “we don’t bang man, we cool ok” my patient said. Then the “alpha male” of the group and lead antagonist pulled a knife and rushed closer. “whacha think I’m playin wich you!, dis ain’t no game.” He attacked, cutting my patients arm. His friend pushed him out of the way and got between the two, there was a short struggle and the boy fell to the ground bleeding and gasping for air. The four got back in the car and were gone.

*                             *                              *

We arrived at the Hospital. We unloaded our patient and I saw 202′s ambulance parked with it’s back doors still open. As we walked down the hallway I made it a point to push the gurney a bit faster as we past the trauma room. Thankfully the curtain was drawn. In the main ER there were two runs waiting in front of us, A transfer and a BLS Patient with flu symptoms.

I walked up to the triage nurse and gave a quick report. I told her that our patient was part of the same incident as the trauma that had come  in.  “is he stable?” she asked. “yes but he needs a work up.” “ok, well it might be awhile” she said. “I understand”  I walked back . “is my friend alright? Where is he?” “He’s in another part of the hospital, the doctors are working on him. He may even be in surgery now, I’m sorry I just don’t know.” My partner came over and started taking a new set of vital signs, I took this opportunity to go back down the hall.

I saw 202 standing out side the trauma room, the curtain was half open now and nurses and techs were slowly walking out and throwing away their plastic gowns in a red bio-hazard  trash can outside the door. Ray caught my eye and shook his head. I looked down and slowly walked back to the main ER.

Now the triage nurse was talking and getting basic information from my patient. when she was finished he turned to me. “Do you know anything about my friend yet? when can I see him?” My stomach ached and I felt my heart beat harder. “I don’t know, he’s still with the doctors. We are just going to have to see what they say.”

That hurt. I knew.  I knew his best friend was dead, I knew he was still warm and less the 50ft away. I knew….  I never lie to patients. But I did today. I don’t know why I couldn’t tell him. Perhaps I felt it wasn’t my job, or maybe I didn’t feel like I was old enough to give that kind of news. Yes I was older then him but, not by much. I’m not proud that I lied. I don’t think it was right, but I’m not sure it was wrong either.

Just than a Police officer and a homicide detective showed up . They asked if they could talk  to the boy, I said yes and stepped back to give them room. As the interview went on I watched as he had to relive and tell the tragic story again. With each passing minute he looked younger and younger.

I thought about what I was like at 17y/o. If my friend and I were just walking down the street and then were suddenly attacked. what if I were killed?, what if  my friend was killed? This boy was hurt and scared, but he was also calm and brave.  A room opened up and we helped the boy get on to the hospital bed. “you’ll be alright” I told him. “thanks” he said. Just then his friends parents came in the room and ran to comfort the boy, they hadn’t been told yet. The police followed close behind and started to ask more questions. I left the room.

My partner was already outside with the gurney, and on my way back down the hall I ran into the trauma surgeon. I asked about the boy. He said that he had been stabbed four times in the chest. One went through his left ventricle. when ever a patient dies you ask your self if there was something I could have done better or different. In this case there was nothing that would have helped, he bled out in less then a minute. If he hadn’t tried to protect his friend then he might still be alive. But then again things may have just ended up the other way around.

I thought I’d make it outside before the inevitable but I wasn’t fast enough. There it was, the worst and most haunting sound you can hear. The scream of a mother who has lost her child. It first echos off the cold tile floors and then rattles in your head, then you feel it in your chest before your mind rewinds and plays it all back for you.

Back at station the other crew asked “hey how was that stabbing?” “It Sucked” I told them.  I watched the news that night and they never mentioned the murder. The next morning I checked the internet and still couldn’t find any details. A week later I heard that three of the four suspects had been caught, and that they were wanted for other crimes.  I suppose some justice was served. But that won’t change what happened on that early summers night.