paused to allow time for all of his unspoken colorful adjectives to be inserted, “Gentleman, thinks that his mother might be having a heart attack.”
Ramirez nodded. “Very well, sir, will you please take us to your mother?”
The obese man nodded, “Yes. Yes. Please come quickly. I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her.”
Behind his back, Drifts and Ramirez exchanged a look. Ramirez nodded slightly. “Sir, when was the last time you saw your mother?”
“A few minutes ago, before I came out to wait for you.”
“What was her condition at that time?”
Growing impatient, the man said, “I told you already. Her chest was hurting her. She didn’t want me to call the ambulance. She said she didn’t want to trouble you nice people on the ambulance. I told her that she was being silly. This is what you guys do. Am I right or what?”
“You are,” Ramirez said.
“I think I’m beginning to like this lady,” Drifts muttered behind him.
Justin snorted.
The man held open the door and ushered them in. Drifts took the door and motioned him forward. “You’re our guide.”
The man grew slightly unsettled by Drifts’s suspicious gaze. “Uh . . . okay. You don’t need your flashlight, all of our lights are on.”
“Okay,” said Drifts. He made absolutely no attempt to put his titanium flashlight away.
At the threshold, the man turned to face them. “I do not suppose that I could ask you to take off your shoes before you come in? Mother doesn’t like it when people track dirt in on the carpet.”
Ramirez gave the man a flat stare. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh, okay. I didn’t think it would hurt to ask.” He turned to guide them in.
Ramirez caught his partner’s eyes and smiled at Drifts’s incredulous expression. The EMT mouthed the words, “What the fuck, man?” Ramirez shrugged.
They followed their guide in. Drifts made a point to grind the heels of his boots as they entered. The interior of the house itself was immaculate. Down a short hallway, the man guided them to a brightly-lit living room. On a plastic-covered couch, with a pink bathrobe on and curlers in her hair sat a spindly old woman. She was breathing heavily while she massaged her chest.
Her eyes widened as they entered the room. She rounded on their guide. “Louis, I told you not to bother these fine gentlemen! It’s the middle of the night, for goodness sake! What would the neighbors think?”
“Never mind what they would think, mother. I need to be sure that you’re okay. You’re not well.”
“Oh, pshaw. I told you already that I’ll see Dr. Lawrence the day after tomorrow.”
“Mother, I really think that you should let these men take you to the hospital.”
She waved the remark away. “I hardly think that will be necessary.”
“Mother, I . . .”
“Excuse me?” Ramirez quietly interjected.
The old woman met his eyes. “Oh pardon me, sir. What on Earth must you think about us, bickering like this, with nary an introduction? May I get you gentlemen anything?”
“No, ma’am, that won’t be necessary. My name is Leo. This is my partner, Sam, and our paramedic student, Justin.”
She looked at the young man. “A paramedic student. How very interesting.”
“And your name is . . .” Ramirez prompted.
“Oh excuse me. Where are my manners tonight? I’m Mrs. Carolina Browning. You have already met my son, Louis.”
“Well, Mrs. Browning, since we’re already here, may I ask what‘s ailing you tonight?”
“Oh I don’t wish to be a bother.”
“It’s no trouble at all, ma’am. This is what we do.”
“See, I told you, Mother,” Louis put in.
She scowled at her son. “I was not speaking to you, was I?” Her face softened a bit as she looked back at Ramirez. “You must excuse my Louis. He has always been so much of a worrier. When he was in kindergarten, he would stay awake during naptime so he
Ramirez nodded. “Very well, sir, will you please take us to your mother?”
The obese man nodded, “Yes. Yes. Please come quickly. I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose her.”
Behind his back, Drifts and Ramirez exchanged a look. Ramirez nodded slightly. “Sir, when was the last time you saw your mother?”
“A few minutes ago, before I came out to wait for you.”
“What was her condition at that time?”
Growing impatient, the man said, “I told you already. Her chest was hurting her. She didn’t want me to call the ambulance. She said she didn’t want to trouble you nice people on the ambulance. I told her that she was being silly. This is what you guys do. Am I right or what?”
“You are,” Ramirez said.
“I think I’m beginning to like this lady,” Drifts muttered behind him.
Justin snorted.
The man held open the door and ushered them in. Drifts took the door and motioned him forward. “You’re our guide.”
The man grew slightly unsettled by Drifts’s suspicious gaze. “Uh . . . okay. You don’t need your flashlight, all of our lights are on.”
“Okay,” said Drifts. He made absolutely no attempt to put his titanium flashlight away.
At the threshold, the man turned to face them. “I do not suppose that I could ask you to take off your shoes before you come in? Mother doesn’t like it when people track dirt in on the carpet.”
Ramirez gave the man a flat stare. “I don’t think so.”
“Oh, okay. I didn’t think it would hurt to ask.” He turned to guide them in.
Ramirez caught his partner’s eyes and smiled at Drifts’s incredulous expression. The EMT mouthed the words, “What the fuck, man?” Ramirez shrugged.
They followed their guide in. Drifts made a point to grind the heels of his boots as they entered. The interior of the house itself was immaculate. Down a short hallway, the man guided them to a brightly-lit living room. On a plastic-covered couch, with a pink bathrobe on and curlers in her hair sat a spindly old woman. She was breathing heavily while she massaged her chest.
Her eyes widened as they entered the room. She rounded on their guide. “Louis, I told you not to bother these fine gentlemen! It’s the middle of the night, for goodness sake! What would the neighbors think?”
“Never mind what they would think, mother. I need to be sure that you’re okay. You’re not well.”
“Oh, pshaw. I told you already that I’ll see Dr. Lawrence the day after tomorrow.”
“Mother, I really think that you should let these men take you to the hospital.”
She waved the remark away. “I hardly think that will be necessary.”
“Mother, I . . .”
“Excuse me?” Ramirez quietly interjected.
The old woman met his eyes. “Oh pardon me, sir. What on Earth must you think about us, bickering like this, with nary an introduction? May I get you gentlemen anything?”
“No, ma’am, that won’t be necessary. My name is Leo. This is my partner, Sam, and our paramedic student, Justin.”
She looked at the young man. “A paramedic student. How very interesting.”
“And your name is . . .” Ramirez prompted.
“Oh excuse me. Where are my manners tonight? I’m Mrs. Carolina Browning. You have already met my son, Louis.”
“Well, Mrs. Browning, since we’re already here, may I ask what‘s ailing you tonight?”
“Oh I don’t wish to be a bother.”
“It’s no trouble at all, ma’am. This is what we do.”
“See, I told you, Mother,” Louis put in.
She scowled at her son. “I was not speaking to you, was I?” Her face softened a bit as she looked back at Ramirez. “You must excuse my Louis. He has always been so much of a worrier. When he was in kindergarten, he would stay awake during naptime so he
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