one americano with cream, hold the bingo

Had my last real C shift two days ago. Every call was bittersweet, because I kept thinking it was going to be the last. Had some interesting ones-- a DOA that initially came in as a code99, and as we raced to the scene, I begged RevMedic for the tube. He looked at me and squinched his eyebrows, and I was steeling myself for a wrestling match to the airway kit when we got to the bedroom and noticed the dependent lividity in the. . .uh. . .patient's limp arm. RevMed called for PD, and I got our things back in the bus. From one end of town to the other, all day long; a new onset CVA in a snazzily dressed lady who, as I was peeling back layers of a slinky evening gown for electrode sites, called herself a paramedic's nightmare. RevMedic snipped her pantyhose at the ankle, slapped on the leg leads, and we went vrooming to the hospital, where RevMedic got a hug for his troubles, and I got. . .nothing. But we went for coffee afterwards, and waited. . .and waited. . .for a girl to finish dressing her tea with at least 10 sugar packets, each individually torn, poured, and stirred. A few other calls during the day, a mildly jarring MVA with a couple of slightly hysterical teens and their even more hysterical mother; a call waaaaaayyyyy down south for general illness in the middle of the night, and then, 3 hours later, a call for something else right across the street from the first. The Rev quipped to the patient, "you should have just flagged us down when we were here earlier. . ." One of those trips, we're heading across the bridge, we get to the other side, flip on lights and sirens, and there's a car. Right there. Lots of room on the right for him to pull off. He keeps driving. In my lane. I go to pass left, forgetting about the VERY LARGE curb-high concrete divider in the middle of the street that knocked a "holy shit!" out of me and something a bit stronger out of The Rev. Judging by the condition of said divider, I am not the first to hit it, but dang, that hurt a little. After my teeth stopped reverberating in my jaw and my heart stopped trying to leap out of my mouth, Reverend cleared his throat and I knew I was going to hear another of his colossal understatements regarding my driving. I'm not sure if his eyes were tearing because he was trying to keep from laughing at me or because he bit his tongue on the touchdown. Had another patient so hypovolemic from emesis that nobody on scene could get a blood pressure, but by the time we got to the hospital, The Rev had a 16 and an 18 in place, fluids running. Up down up down up down all night long. I said my sniffly goodbyes to Reverend and the office staff the next morning, spent a very long time packing my things up, and when I couldn't put it off any longer, grabbed the pager for the on-call car and set out to say goodbye to the town. I stopped and got a pepperminty mocha, then headed to A's to change out of my stinky, slept-in uniform, have a shower, and then hit the town. The beachfront was remarkably busy for a cold winter day; business was booming at the cafe, and my usual lingering over eggs, fruit, and yogurt with strong, hot coffee and a good book was interrupted frequently by the anxious server hovering around tables behind me. Oh, well. After paying my bill, I walked down to the galleries and spent some time meandering. There's just something about the hush of a gallery, the smell of plaster and paint, the creak of the polished wood floors that appeals to me. And then, if I happen to find a piece that grabs me, I love just standing in front of it, soaking in the colors, the composition, the ambiance. I have no idea how long I was in there. I perused some local artists' paintings and photography for a good representation of the ocean, the bridge, or seagulls, all of which I have a special fondness for, but wasn't able to find one that captured the feeling I had in mind.
Next, I headed to a tiny little used bookstore with a crackling wood stove just inside the front door. I dropped a lot more than I should have for books, but what else is new?
Stopped at Fred Meyer for some food, then back to quarters where I spent some time with two of the A-shift crews. A called around 7, saying he was back in town, so I headed over to his place, started watching a movie, and promptly fell asleep. The pager, on scan, woke me several times through the night, but never for a tone out. Took it back to quarters this morning with a heavy heart. . .