Story Market Day

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Late one night, Bekka and Garen were walking down by the pond, just some alone time out with the stars and the quiet night.

“You know, we need to come up with some sort of milestone or benchmark to give Angelique a sense of accomplishment, so she realizes how far she has come in so short of time.”

“What? Bekka the evil taskmaster wanting to reward her student? Next you will be telling me the sun will be rising in the west!” Garen was looking at Bekka with a mock shocked look on his face.

“Keep it up, mister, and Ill shove you into the pond!” Bekka gave him a shove on his shoulder. They went back to holding hands as they walked along the pond. “She has come a long way and you know it!”

“She keeps amazing me every day with how smart she is. I was beginning to worry you two were going to kill one another when we started the classes though.” Garen was chuckling now.

“Well, two Eastern European women arguing about something? Either one of us could give lessons on stubborn, but I have more experience.”

“No comment, I’m smarter than that!” Garen tried to dodge a swing but Bekka still had his hand in hers and he only partially ducked.

“So, what can we do for a milestone?” Bekka was right back on this topic.

“It needs to be tied to something tangible, and have a definite change in things afterwards.” Garen was thinking now, Bekka could smell the smoke. Finally he had it, or something that might work at least.

“Ok, we have been focusing on medical, especially initial trauma care and some other things. Why don’t I set up a full-fledged scenario as a culmination exercise? When she does well, notice there’s no ‘if’, she knows her stuff, we let her know she is officially a full member, or partner, or whatever. I have the other 10mm, and I have finished working on the long gun we are giving her. I know we already considered her a full member of our group, but maybe the formal and public declaration of such will convince her.”

“That sounds like it could work. Do the exercise at the end of this week after Thanksgiving? Will that give you enough time to work out a scenario?” Bekka knew which one he should use, but she didn’t know if he would.

“It should. I’m not sure what one to use?” Garen sounded like he was sorting through file boxes in his head, looking for the right one.”

“Sure you do,” Bekka paused a moment as he turned to her, trying to follow her train of thought. “And I’m sure she would do it for Angelique.” Bekka’s voice was quiet now. She knew what she was suggesting wasn’t easy for him. It wouldn’t be easy for Bekka or Kara either. Both would help by playing their part as they did on that fateful day many years ago.

“We have to talk to Kara before I commit to it. If so, you would be her helper, I would have to play Rickman, Kara would be Kara, and Allyson would have to be the observer/grader.” Garen’s voice was gruff with emotion. It was bad enough when he walked in that day back at the Center and it was just Kara in role after the bulk of it was over.

He looked at Bekka, his eyes wet with unshed tears. “Then all five of us get rip roaring drunk.”
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
One evening Angelique was still mulling over what Kara had told her they "loved" her. When Kara went into the shower to clean up after getting her Foley removed, Angelique started to think.

Kara was taking her time in the shower, making Angelique wait in the outer room. While she waited, Kara’s words kept echoing. “we love you”. No matter what she did, turn on loud music, turn on the tv or put a pillow over her head she could not make the words go away. She didn’t want to hear them. She didn’t feel love most of the time but only confusion. Most of these guys were distant a lot of the time, Allyson and Kara were kinda neutral most of the time. Bekka confused the hell out of her throughout her training and she received contrary messages; she was Jekyll and Hyde. Harsh and condescending when she was teaching and twenty minutes later, friendly and sweet as they were walking around the grounds. Garen always took Bekka’s side. Angelique sure didn’t feel loved, she was never sure of her place with the group. If this is what they call love it is no better than how her mom “loved” her. She don’t need this kind of love.

A tear came to eye. The only ones who she knew really loved was her grandfather and her father who were probably both dead. All she did know was the Count was right; revenge did not taste sweet and it did not fill the hole left by those you loved.

“Did you mean it? Do you guys love me?” The question had a weird tone to it.

“More than we can probably ever tell you. We just don’t always know how to show it in ways you can understand right now.”

Angelique was still thinking about this several days later.

Love? Did they mean it? She didn't understand.
 
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ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Thanksgiving was a melancholy affair for the most part. It had its ups and downs. The group was happy to be together for the most part, but they also felt the absence of people no longer with them or who’s fate was unknown.

In the couple of days leading up to it, everyone seemed extra busy. Garen was trying to finish the trauma block of training he was doing with Angelique. He was teaching and working with her almost exclusively, pushing her harder and harder on her techniques, critical thinking skills and the constant question of ‘what’s next?’.

Bekka had climbed up the ladder in the butler pantry and hauled down a couple of her cook books, some of which had been handed down a few generations. She was preparing most of the food. She was also working a couple extra treats for later.

Kara and Allyson had another task they were working. They had gone down the hill outside of the compound to check their closest neighbor. It used to be an old dairy farm years ago. When the husband had gotten sick, they sold the cows and would rent the pastures out to other nearby farmers.

Kara and Allyson had started a patrol routine around the outside of the compound to at least see if there were any signs of people snooping or coming around. They used several game cameras concealed in trees to help with this.

On one of their trips, they decided to be adventurous and check out how Mrs. Leary was getting on. Kara had known her casually in passing and now that everything was calmed down, she would check on her. She knew if Mrs. Leary had a problem, she would have probably already come over to Bekka and Garen’s for help.

The house was cold and dark when they got there. Mrs. Leary’s little Toyota was not in the driveway and not a sign of anyone around for some time judging by the lack of tracks in the snow or signs it had been shoveled. Kara decided to investigate further.

The back door was unlocked. Once they went inside, the air was still. There was dust on most of the counters, the fridge handle, and the cupboards, in all it looked like nothing had been here in months. There was also a sharp ammonia smell lingering in the air.

On edge now, the two started exploring. The cupboards still had food, the faucet still had water pressure from the tank fed by the windmill and well, all the windows were intact. It looked like someone just stepped out to the store and never came home.

The smell got worse as they got close to the door into the basement. About the time Kara added two and two together, the cause of the smell appeared in the room at blinding speed, startling the crap out of Allyson and Kara.

A healthy sized somewhat skinny Flame-Point Siamese darted into the room from the living room, leaping up on a small table near the old fashioned wall mounted telephone.

“Holy Shit!” Allyson exclaimed.

“Well, he or she is new!” Kara said as she started slowly towards the cat. “Cat door to the basement. What we are smelling is a couple months of unchanged litterbox.”

“Well, that’s revolting!” Allyson was trying to bring her heartrate back down. “So, it looks like Mrs. Leary died in the quake or wave?”

“Yeah, she would have never left this guy behind if she was still around.” Kara replied as she got closer to the now posing and wiggling cat. “Well, you are just the sweetest thing!” As Kara reached out, he was almost leaping in the air trying to connect with her hand for petting, his loud purrs echoing in the quiet house.

“Well, what are we going to do now, Kara?” Allyson wasn’t sure what the next step would be. They were just stopping on impulse to check up on her.

“We are going to take this guy back to the house, then we are going to strip everything we might want out of this house and take it back to our home. Their daughter was killed in New York on 9/11, and her husband was already dead. If she is alive and makes her way home, we will have secured her stuff. If she is already dead, then we have saved this guy and she wouldn’t begrudge us for it.”

The new four legged addition was a big hit and it was quite entertaining to watch the pecking order worked out by him and the other four cats in the house. The big Siamese thought he could throw his weight around when he first met the torties because they were roughly the same size at his first glance at a distance. That is until he stopped and took a second look as they got closer and closer. They had him by a couple of pounds easy, all of it muscle.

They must have been around the same age and were quite playful and ran like tornados through the house. He would chase them, then they would chase him. It was all fine and dandy until they came around the corner and almost ran into Merlin, who had at least half a foot more in size than all three of the others and ten pounds more in muscle than Hemdal.

For the next couple days, Kara and Allyson moved most of the contents out of Mrs. Leary’s house over to storage either in one of the connexes or up at the house.

It was sad for Mrs. Leary, but they tried to use rescuing Hemdal from the house as a positive thing. It still was a bit of a damper on some of the thanksgiving festivities.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Angelique was glad of the breather in the training at Thanksgiving. She needed some time for her brain to file all the data Garen had been cramming in it. She knew there was a thousand other condition she needed to learn, and she could spend a year learning about the heart and still not think she had a good grasp of it.

Right now, she had some non-specified class time over the next three days. Bekka gave her an assignment for operational planning, dovetailed with Garen’s medical assignment. She had until Saturday morning to plan and equip herself to provide medical support for a six person team able to take care of any medical or trauma emergency for up to twelve hours without more medical support arriving. Bekka had her working it from a logistical angle while Garen had her pulling the actual gear she thought she would need, packing the aid bag and support equipment and so forth.

She could ask advice, but she had to do the primary work and planning. She wasn’t sure what they were planning but they at least gave her three days to play with it.
 

Landcruiser

Contributing Member
But if she does well, a hell of a confidence booster
That is all if she does well, if she does not she will turn full teenaged girl meltdown and may never recover. Possibly zoning out and going into shaking fits at loud noises or the sight and smell of bodily fluids.
You painted an intense picture in the early story and I don't know any 17yr old currently that would mentally deal with the aftermath of that well.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
That is all if she does well, if she does not she will turn full teenaged girl meltdown and may never recover. Possibly zoning out and going into shaking fits at loud noises or the sight and smell of bodily fluids.
You painted an intense picture in the early story and I don't know any 17yr old currently that would mentally deal with the aftermath of that well.


You might be surprised at how resilient they can be. Some 18-24 year old students working through one of my scenarios -

IMG_2452.JPGIMG_2453.JPGIMG_2457.JPGIMG_2458.JPGIMG_2464.JPG
 

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
You might be surprised at how resilient they can be. Some 18-24 year old students working through one of my scenarios -

View attachment 260165View attachment 260166View attachment 260167View attachment 260168View attachment 260169
So yes "any 17yr old currently that would mentally deal" vs "the motivated & committed" would be a total cluster w/ long term ramifications. The difference is wanting to be there and preparation/training or being that 17YO run-of-the-mill entitled child pretending to be 'grown'; I see those everywhere.
And yes, no matter how committed or prepped we were, I'm sure there's many here who've had or may still have issues to this day.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
So yes "any 17yr old currently that would mentally deal" vs "the motivated & committed" would be a total cluster w/ long term ramifications. The difference is wanting to be there and preparation/training or being that 17YO run-of-the-mill entitled child pretending to be 'grown'; I see those everywhere.
And yes, no matter how committed or prepped we were, I'm sure there's many here who've had or may still have issues to this day.

Yup, but knowing you have skills to somewhat survive the shitshow go a long way to developing that divide between doing what needs be done with your hands and brain while your emotions are freaking out in their own little segmented crate to be dealt with later. Angelique has already been shot, shot at, fought brutal hand to hand, been horribly injured and felt like she was maybe going to die under her attacker's body. this may be just the thing to solidify and fuse that steel in her into a hardened blade instead of just raw ore.

Or

It might be the final straw that pushes her to only able to glue maccaroni to paper plates for the rest of her life

Or

somewhere in between.

It also depends on what scenario they decide to use.

Maybe they do the really brutal thing and she plays the part of Garen coming upon the smashed and twisted victim under the body of her dead assailant and she has to do the assessment and treatments of her own oh so recent wounding

Or

and so on and so forth
 

FireDance

TB Fanatic
Yup, but knowing you have skills to somewhat survive the shitshow go a long way to developing that divide between doing what needs be done with your hands and brain while your emotions are freaking out in their own little segmented crate to be dealt with later. Angelique has already been shot, shot at, fought brutal hand to hand, been horribly injured and felt like she was maybe going to die under her attacker's body. this may be just the thing to solidify and fuse that steel in her into a hardened blade instead of just raw ore.

Or

It might be the final straw that pushes her to only able to glue maccaroni to paper plates for the rest of her life

Or

somewhere in between.

It also depends on what scenario they decide to use.

Maybe they do the really brutal thing and she plays the part of Garen coming upon the smashed and twisted victim under the body of her dead assailant and she has to do the assessment and treatments of her own oh so recent wounding

Or

and so on and so forth
But. Whatever it is, it will be interesting and a good read. I don’t think she will go with macaroni.
 

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
Angelique has already been shot, shot at, fought brutal hand to hand, been horribly injured and felt like she was maybe going to die under her attacker's body. this may be just the thing to solidify and fuse that steel in her into a hardened blade instead of just raw ore.
Like I said training & commitment - nothing like barely surviving a situation to provide a truck load of motivation...
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
The Thanksgiving break ended all too soon and training began again. It was quick and difficult, over the next three days she had some non-specified class time. Bekka gave her an assignment for operational planning, dovetailed with Garen’s medical assignment. She had until Saturday morning to plan and equip herself to provide medical support for a six person team able to take care of any medical or trauma emergency for up to twelve hours without more medical support arriving. Bekka had her working it from a logistical angle while Garen had her pulling the actual gear she thought she would need, packing the aid bag and support equipment and so forth.

She could ask advice, but she had to do the primary work and planning. She wasn’t sure what they were planning but they at least gave her three days to play with it. She wondered if this was enough time and what she should really plan for what they had up their sleeves because in the back of her mind she knew something was going to go wrong with these guys, it always did. One of their mantras “the real world doesn’t read the text books, neither do bodies and shit will happen”.

Saturday morning was a long drawn out affair. It started with Angelique spending well over an hour going through the medical supplies loadout she had pulled, piece by piece, item by item, explaining each one and why she had it where she had it. This went from the pouches on her gear to the aid bag on her back to the second pack for a vehicle to the small hard case for her main location.

This all was in accordance with the planning tools she was taught for medical support;

RUCK ‐ the gear carried to the furthest point on a mission, generally carried by medical personnel dismounted.

TRUCK ‐ whatever additional equipment will be carried in mission‐specific transportation, whether that is trucks, boats, ATVs, kayaks, etc.

HOUSE ‐ gear available to the medic, but which is only feasible to be maintained at a team house, firebase, or other mission support site. It represents the highest level of care the operational element has organic to it.

PLANE ‐ planning stage included to allow the medical providers to consider how they will move patients on aircraft, whether MEDEVAC aircraft (those designated and equipped to move casualties as a primary mission) or CASEVAC (pre‐planned non‐medical mission support aircraft, opportunity or “slick”) aircraft.

One of the most frustrating things to Angelique? The whole time she was going through her gear, Garen never said good or bad about any of the choices she had made. It was always, ‘ok, why?’ followed by ‘and this?’ By the end of it, she wanted to strangle him! She had no idea if she did good or bad! What was the point! She needed feedback!

Garen just nodded when she was through. “Good, now it’s Bekka’s turn.” He quickly left, leaving the two of them standing there in the workshop. Angelique turned to Bekka.

“So, how did I do? Good? Bad? Rhinoceros?” She was clearly frustrated and flustered.

“Do you think you have what you would need, Angelique?” Bekka’s tone was soft but direct. Angelique was caught off guard by some different tone to Bekka’s voice. It wasn’t her instructor tone and wasn’t her instructor tone and wasn’t the lighter conversational one of when they were walking.

“Yeah, I think so, but I figured you guys would tell me if I’m right?”

Bekka got a sad look on her face. “The problem is, we don’t know. It’s always a matter of trying to plan for everything and then cutting the mountain of gear needed to the smallest amount that makes sense. You always end up with too much of one thing and not enough of some other thing. From what you described and showed Garen, you took this seriously, thought about all your choices to the best you could and tried to make sense of the fact you can never really know if you have the right stuff.”

Angelique stood there for a moment. Bekka’s reply was …….shocking? Disturbing? Unexpected for sure. If Bekka didn’t know, then did she do good or bad?

Bekka seemed to snap out of her reverie after a moment. “OK, Angelique, let’s go over the rest of your plan. I think the medical nuts and bolts are well developed and covered.”

Another couple hours of plans and projections ensued, covering water resupply, food plan, communications, transportation, fuel, ammo and a thousand more elements Bekka wanted to know. Finally, Bekka had seen enough.

“As far as your planning, your stuff is top notch, especially for a first full scale front to back support plan. Let’s get upstairs and have a good lunch. Then you will have about an hour and a half to repack your gear.” Bekka looked at her watch. “Your mission kicks off at 1400. I’ll be your partner, so let me know what extra you want me to have or to carry. I am not an advanced provider for the most part other than TCCC initial interventions. I will be your primary comms person and your extra pair of hands, but you will be the boss.”

Angelique looked at her like she had purple unicorns growing out of her head. “Mission? Leaving at 1400? Where are we going? What are we doing? It’s just you and me? Wait. Back up. Huh?”

“Here at 1400, you will be putting it all to the test. We wouldn’t have you pull and pack everything and then have you put it all back. Garen, Kara and Allyson have set up a testing scenario for you to put all of this training over the last several weeks together and see how you put it all to use.” Bekka could see the effect her words had on Angelique. She watched her pupils dilate, her skin flush and her pulse quicken.

Bekka reached out and took Angelique’s hands in hers. “Relax, you got this. We wouldn’t be doing it if we didn’t think you could.” Just remember your stuff, do what YOU know needs done, and don’t forget, you won’t be in there alone, I will be your assistant.”

“I don’t know if I can do this!” There was a tremor in Angelique’s voice now.

“You have survived more shit than a lot of highly trained people I used to know. They died, you didn’t. They gave up. You didn’t! Stop selling yourself short, Damnit! You got this!” Bekka was staring intently into Angelique’s eyes now. Angelique was reminded of her grandmother in that moment, the same fierce intensity.

Unbidden, Angelique’s Grandfather’s voice was in her head now just as loud as when he talked to her when she was scared and wishy-washy about fighting to stay here instead of going back to live with her mother and brother this fall.

“Leka, always remember, you may have gotten some of your looks from your mother, but you got your heart, your soul, your strength from my son, your father. You are not some weak little girl. You are a strong, beautiful and proud Russian woman! They would have to kill you to stop you, whatever you set your mind to.”

Angelique remembered that day, so clear and vivid. The next day she told her dad she was staying and not going back, and if he wouldn’t support her in this, she would live at her grandparents place until she could get a place of her own.

“OK, Bekka, what’s for lunch? I have a feeling I’m going to need a lot of energy for whatever crazy shit you guys have dreamed up for me next.”

Bekka saw the change in Angelique, right there in front of her. She wasn’t sure how or why, but she saw it. This woman, she wish she had her as a troop when she was active duty. In some ways she reminded her of Kara those many years ago.

“Open-faced turkey sandwiches with mash potatoes and gravy. We even still have some cranberry sauce left as well.”

The two went upstairs to the kitchen for lunch.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Several days before…

Kara and Allyson were talking. “So, with as good as Angelique has gotten, Garen was looking for a culmination exercise to help her and us realize how far and how good she has gotten.”

“Makes sense. We had phases and the graduation from the Academy but it basically meant you knew enough to go learn in the real world. So, what does Garen have in mind? We don’t have all the simulators and stuff from the Center.”

Kara fixed Allyson with a wry smile. “Something horrible and evil. When she pulls it off, there should be no question in anybody’s mind what she has learned and is capable, especially her own.”

“OK, Kara. You have my attention. I know some of the stuff you and Garen designed and we ran at the Center. This must really be a doozie.”

“It is, and it’s going to test her to her very limits.” Kara paused a moment. “And you are going to run the whole thing.” She said with a grin.

“I’m going to run it? Why? Are you and Garen going to be kicked back in the hot tub or something? Are you looking to make me the bad guy?”

“No, we are the casualties. All tubes, pipes, sticks and such are going to be live interventions for the moulaged wounds we will have. You will have a cheat sheet of injuries, vital signs and timelines. Bekka will be her partner but Angelique will be the one in charge, responsible for doing or directing everything. We are going to run a full on extended care scenario, 8 or 9 hours’ worth, real time. No simulated time passing. You will have the list of objectives she needs to work through and address.”

“OK, but why me run it and you two the casualties? Garen could run it and you and me play victim. He has run a lot more of these scenarios.” Now Allyson was curious.

“Because you weren’t there when it happened.” Kara took a deep breath before she continued. “You see, we are recreating a real event, one that Bekka, Garen and I were at. The three of us know what happened, what the wounds were, and how everything played out.” Kara paused again.

Allyson saw Kara was getting uncomfortable with the topic. She didn’t interrupt or prompt her. She knew Kara would start again when she was ready.

“We will lay out a diagram of all the injuries. I have the moulage set aside already.” She stopped talking again.

“I know, you already told me, Kara. What aren’t you telling me?”

“I’ve already been this casualty twice before. Garen has worked this scene once before, with Bekka beside him helping……..Helping piece me back together enough to live when I shouldn’t have……..” Kara’s voice was barely above a whisper.

Allyson didn’t know what to say. Finally Kara started talking again.

“We are going to make it as realistic as possible. We have enough stuff to set it up down in the training building. Initial contact will be in the big bay, then the secondary location will be in the conference room. We have enough gels for the lights and since Garen brought his hard drive back from the Center, we have all the audio we need.

“And what is the overall scenario?”

“Command detonated IED ambush at dusk, six casualties, four KIA and two injured, just like when it happened. Treat on the ‘X’, pull back to the building, treat and sustain until medivac’s projected arrival the next morning. Bad thing; she won’t have Bekka and four other team mates like Garen did. She will only have Bekka to help her. On the plus side, she doesn’t have to worry about really dying.” Kara reached into her cargo pocket and pulled out a 3”x5” card and handed it to Allyson. “Here’s a list of the major injuries she will have to address.”

Allyson skimmed the list. Shit! She didn’t know if she could treat and stabilize these two patients, and she had a lot more experience and training than Angelique. Looking at the list, Allyson also knew a lot more about Garen’s teaching core focus now. Whether he intended to or not, everything he was teaching her about trauma, combat care, prolonged care and catastrophic injury seemed to be built around treating casualties like these very ones he was going to test her on.

Kara saw the look on Allyson’s face. “Yeah, Allyson, the one other time I recreated my worst nightmare, I was the solo patient for a crew of high speed paramedics at the center and it ****ed them up pretty good. Me too. You asked me about ‘Crazy Naked Girl’. Now you know some of it. I wouldn’t willingly do it again except……..Garen asked me to, to help prove to Angelique just how good she has become. This time he will be right beside me as I recreate the worst day of my life…..again. It was also one of the worst days for Garen and Bekka as well. We are all diving back in and ripping everything open, reliving the horror, just to show Angelique she can do it.”

“You see, Garen can’t grade her as it goes. He would be measuring her against himself. If she is better, then it shows how bad he ****ed up, and if she is worse, then he didn’t learn from it and teach others how to avoid his **** ups. That’s why he has to immerse himself as the other survivor. It will give him a way to separate, stay a bit detached.”

“Pretty gruesome graduation exercise; send all your instructors to hell.” Allyson blurted out.

“And then we celebrate and get good and drunk.” Kara exclaimed.
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Angelique had a hard time focusing on eating. Her mind was racing down a thousand different paths trying to come up with anything she might have missed, anything else that might give her an edge in the upcoming test.

She was barely picking at her food. She looked across the table at Bekka when she heard her scraping her plate with her fork. Where Angelique was hardly eating, Bekka was wolfing down food like she was starving. Bekka saw her staring.

“Kid, you better put some fuel into you or you’re going to run out of energy and your brain will shut down.” Bekka went back to cleaning her plate. Moments later, she was finished and standing up.

“I will meet you downstairs. I have to get my own gear.” Bekka went to her bedroom to collect her equipment and to give Angelique some more time to get herself together.

Angelique forced herself to eat some more. Finally, she went downstairs. She had to repack everything for the scenario. Walking into the workshop, there were some new things out on the table for her, along with a note.

“Replace the real drugs with these and your weapons and magazines with these.” On the table were some weapons she recognized from their scavenging at the Center. They were marked with big blue stripes, but worked just like her normal MP-5 and pistol.

She wasn’t anticipating changing stuff out! She better hurry!
 

Lone_Hawk

Resident Spook
In their real life environment it would be a hard call for a blue gun. Yes, this is a test that they "think" they are controlling, but poop happens...
 

ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Angelique was startled when Bekka walked into the workshop. Bekka looked quite different to Angelique now. She was all decked out in her camo uniform and all her gear, blue stripped weapons and mags in place. She had an additional bag on her shoulder.

“Hey, put your real weapons and mags in the bag here with mine. We are just going to the training building but this way we will have them with us.” Moments later, the two of them were walking down the hill towards the training building.

As they were walking, Angelique noticed Bekka bouncing up and down a couple times about every ten steps or so. Finally, she had to ask.

“So, what’s with the bouncing?”

“Trying to make sure all my gear is settled into place right. I don’t want shit to be jacked up before we even start.”

“Oh…….” Moments later, Angelique was doing the bounce and walk routine.

They arrived at the back of the training building. Allyson was standing outside the back door waiting for them. Before Allyson started talking, Bekka held up her hand in a stop sign. Bekka turned to Angelique.

“OK, anything needs adjusting? Tightening? loosening? Remember, take it seriously, but We know you know enough to do this. Pay attention to Allyson’s instructions and briefing. I will be in there with you as your team mate to help you but you will be in charge.” Bekka turned back to Allyson when Angelique nodded. “OK, Allyson, we are all yours.”

Allyson nodded to Bekka. Now she was kind of back within her experience realm; briefing students for a scenario session. In an oddly formal tone, Allyson began speaking.

“So, Angelique, Bekka, you are the two-person crew returning to your team area in response to an IED Ambush of the rest of the support team. There are multiple casualties and an unknown number of attackers. When treating your casualties, you will use all live interventions except any that require cutting. If you decide your casualty’s conditions require a procedure like that, I will provide the testing medium for such. What are your questions before we begin?”

“Do we know how many casualties?”

“You two are part of a six-person team. You do not know how many are injured. It could be up to four.” Was Allyson’s answer.

“So, when do we start?” Angelique is really antsy now.

“I need to pop back in and start things up. I will open the door and the two of you will go in and start.”

Bekka spoke up. “Can you set this inside the door for us?”

“Sure. We will start in a moment.” Allyson took the bag with Bekka and Angelique’s weapons and darted into the main bay through the small door. As soon as the door closed, Bekka looked over at Angelique.

“Remember your steps, work your patients, and I will be there to help. You got this.”

Angelique was about to say something when the door was flung open. Smoke or fog was rolling out of the pitch-black doorway as Allyson’s voice came booming out. “Go! Go! Go!”
 
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ComCamGuy

Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
CCG, I bet most of your students have a real love/hate relationship with you! And wish I'd run into you at a class 35 years ago!
This is destined to be a best-selling book among the EMS community.
Thank you.

We were just doing the recertification testing for our paramedic staff members and we pulled out some of our older scenarios such as-

5'1" (size of our mannequin) 17 year old female primagravida at 8.5 months pregnant single vehicle car crash vicim. 76 Ford Mustang II slid sideways into one of those big green square metal boxes at the intersection. 15" of intrusion into the drivers compartment, deformed left leg mid-thigh, previous surgical below the knee amputation of left leg.BP 130/100, left flank rigidity, incontinant, and has no knowledge of the crash. No prenatal care. Depending on care givin and items assessed and treated, at about six minutes into the scenario, she starts to have a seizure.

or the person having the anaphilactic allergic reaction and is allergic to the preservatives in epinephrine.
 

Sportsman

Veteran Member
And, I wish you were training our local EMS!

My training was back in the day when try as they might, "realistic" scenarios were anything but realistic. Students couldn't even convince instructors to move the later hands-on practice lessons outside onto the grass, parking lot, and in ditches... they wanted it all to be in a classroom on a clean floor. Things have really improved in the last 40 years.

Thank you, again. If you haven't done it, I hope you consider writing similar novels from the EMS perspective without the SHTF aspects. I suspect that will also be a big seller, and help newbies advance their attitudes and skills.
 

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
And, I wish you were training our local EMS!

My training was back in the day when try as they might, "realistic" scenarios were anything but realistic. Students couldn't even convince instructors to move the later hands-on practice lessons outside onto the grass, parking lot, and in ditches... they wanted it all to be in a classroom on a clean floor. Things have really improved in the last 40 years.

Thank you, again. If you haven't done it, I hope you consider writing similar novels from the EMS perspective without the SHTF aspects. I suspect that will also be a big seller, and help newbies advance their attitudes and skills.
Maybe even a text book?
 

Old Gray Mare

TB Fanatic
EMS are usually only something people think about when needed. In rural areas a lot of them are volunteer. Training is important but it comes at the expense of family, friends, farm chores and sleep. I was once in the care of an EMS working on 35 hours of no sleep, trying to care for me in an ambulance speeding on winding back country roads. I trusted her implicitly.

May God bless them, guide them and keep them safe!
 
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