I closed my eyes.
"Jesus."
"Yeah," Aspen agreed quietly. "From what I've heard from my brother, Danny wasn't there the last two days, and the bruises are at least two days old if you go by the yellow coloring." She hesitated. "But his alibi is someone that he won't give up to Downy, so it's his word against hers at this point. Which, unfortunately, she's got a leg up on him in terms of reliability since he's still dealing with the backlash over running his own sister down with his police cruiser while he was drunk."
I winced.
"I'm okay," I said to her, reading the worry in her tone.
"I know you are, but I'm still freaked out," she said. "When I got that call, I was in the middle of watching a YouTube video on how to start an IV," she sniffled. "I was so scared for you."
My heart melted. "Ass, I have to start work. But I want you to know that I love you."
Aspen snicker-sniffled. "Don't call me ass. I love you, best friend."
My heart warmed even more. "I love you, too."
I got out of the car after she hung up, shouldering my duffel bag, and went inside.
The moment I crossed over the threshold, I had a broom thrust into my hand.
"Let's get this shit over with, so we can get on with the rest of our day," my partner said before turning on his heel and taking a seat at the bar where he pulled out one of those healthy meals that was separated into three small sections.
Every single shift, the station was to be mopped and swept, but not in that order. And if it got dirty throughout the day, we were also expected to give it a second cleaning if that was what we had to do.
However, normally that was the lower rank's, which would be an EMT, job. Since both Sean and I were the same rank of paramedic, it was assumed that we would just share the duty.
Apparently, my partner for the day didn't think that.
"I'll get right on that," I lied, pushing the broom's handle until it rested against the wall. "After I catch up on some sleep."
With that, I walked into the bedroom-the one that Sean slept in since my usual one with my locker was occupied by the douche, and fell right to sleep. The nice thing was, Sean's sheets smelled like him, and it was the best sleep I'd ever gotten while at the station.
***
By the time the shift was nearly over, I was about ready to kill Larry, my asshole partner, who thought we still lived in the sixteenth century.
Women couldn't do man's work. Such as lifting a patient.
Just one example of what an ass he'd been this day.
Sean (3:24 PM): How goes it?
I wanted to pull my hair out.
Naomi (3:24 PM): If I never see this man again, it'll be too soon.
Sean (3:25 PM): What'd he do? Want me to kick his ass?
My mouth twitched.
Naomi (3:26 PM): We were at a patient's house, and he asked the patient's son to help lift him onto the gurney because I was 'just a girl' with puny muscles.
Sean's typing showed on the screen, and it took him over two minutes to reply.
Sean (3:28 PM): When I worked with him, he assumed that I couldn't do my job. Tried to drive. Then told our boss once we were done on shift that he recommended I take a few hours of CE to re-examine what it was like to be 'nice to patients.'
I winced.
Naomi (3:30 PM): Did you kill him after that? Because that's seriously what I want to do.
Sean (3:34 PM): No. But I did write him up for leaving the ambulance unattended with the keys in it because he was a douche.
That was a big no-no.
The ambulance was a million-dollar machine when you added in all the equipment and drugs that were on board along with the cost of the ambulance itself. We were instructed from day one of orientation never to leave the rigs unattended, and if we witnessed it being done, then to report it.
Naomi (3:34 PM): I didn't know you were so petty.
I laughed as I said this, knowing that he wouldn't apologize at all.
"Do you think you'll get to the sweeping and mopping some time today?" That was Larry, the loser.
I didn't bother looking up from my phone, instead focusing on deep breathing in order not to tell the man currently sitting next to me to fuck off and eat shit.
Luckily, my telephone rang, emitting a loud peel that made Larry the lazy jump.
Grinning inwardly, I put the phone to my ear.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Naomi. This is Dr. Corvey's office."
I blinked.
"Hello!" I said chipperly. "Is my appointment canceled?"
"No," the woman said. "We were just hoping you'd be willing to move it to this afternoon instead of tomorrow. Dr. Corvey has a conflict, and would like us to move all of tomorrow's appointments to today, if possible."