//------------------------------// // Late night calls are the worst. // Story: Equestrian Medical Service // by backdraft34 //------------------------------// BONG! The alarm on the wall sounded followed by an annoying automated voice that came over the enchanted communication stone. "AIR FIVE, TRANSPORT ONE, TRAUMA RESPONCE, (address redacted), ELDERLY MALE, GROUND LEVEL FALL, TIME OUT, ZERO TWO ONE SEVEN." "Why in Equestria would anypony be out of bed at this hour?" Lifeflight mumbled as he rolled out of bed. He grabbed his bright yellow medical vest and with a practiced flip got it on an snapped. As he trotted towards the door he slid his orange med bag over his head and across his barrel where it wouldn't interfere with his wings. With one last longing look at his nice, warm and comfy bed he turned and extended his midnight blue wings and took flight. "Air five enroute," he said into the communication stone on his vest. He banked slowly to the left and could see the transport team hitching up to the ambulance that would eventually take their paitent to the hospital. This emergency field medicine was somthing new the hospitals were trying out. They would have on pegasus medic fly to the call and provide immediate care while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. The ambulance was pulled by an earth pony while a unicorn medic rode in the back. Unfortunately only some of the larger cities were able to afford this new system as the comunication stones were very expensive, but in another year or two they should be able to provide for the smaller rural towns. The flight to the call was a short one and soon the two story duplex came into view. Lifeflight circled the building once to check the wind currents and find the best place to land. Seeing no balcony he decided that the front door was the best option. With practiced ease he glidded to the street below and neatly folded his wings back. "Air five onscene," he said into the stone as he reached for the door handle with a hoof. "Ten bits says it's locked and I have to break in through a window," he grumbled to himself. However much to his supprise the door opened easly in his grasp. "MEDICS!" he called into the dimly light house. "I'm in the kitchen, " came a gruff response. Lifeflight made his way gingerly towards the back of the house and into the kitchen. When he rounded the corner he say an elderly stallion laying on his side on the floor. One of his hips looked flat and the leg was bent at an odd angle. "My name is Lifeflight and I am with the hospital," he introduced himself. "So what's going on tonight?" "Well you see I was going to gets meself a glass of water, and when I got to this here blasted linoleum floor my hip just done went pop and downs I goes." The stalion said. "Alright, did you hit your head or neck on the way down or just kinda sit and lay down?" "Just slid on downs here. Nothing else hurts 'septin my hip here," he said while pointing to the obviously deformed hip. "Ok well I am going to go ahead and pad around your hip and see if we can't get some of that pressure off. If any thing hurts when I move it or touch it let me know ok?" Lifeflight said as he started pulling rolles of gauze and tape from his bag. "Now can you tell me your name please?" "Sure they calls me (redacted)." He said. "Ok (redacted) Have you had any recent surgeries? Any problems with your heart or need to take any medications on a regular basis?" "Well I just did have my hip fixed. Doc said it creaked and eeked when's I walked so I needed a tune up. Ticker is still going strong and I just need to take the feel goods till the pain goes way fer good." "Ok, just a few more questions for my paperwork and I need to get a blood pressure and heart rate really fast and the ambulance should be here soon," Lifeflight said. The rest of the questions were answered easly and with out much incident. Lifeflight was silently impressed with how tough this old stallion seemed to be. Haveing a dislocated hip is no walk in the park, well your not going to walk anywhere on a dislocated hip, but this oldtimer seemed to be takeing it all in stride. After about five more minutes of waiting the ambulance finally arrived. "Hey Thump, Buck we are back in the kitchen!" Lifeflight hollered down the hall. Shortly after a squat white unicorn with a brown mane and thick handlebar moustache walked in with a tan earth pony with close cropped mane and tail right behind. "This is Cardio Thump," Lifeflight motioned to the unicorn, "and this is his partner Buck. They are going to be the ones takeing you to the hospital." "So what do we have going on?" Cardio Thump asked. "This is (redacted) Recent hip surgery, ground level fall when his hip went out, no neck or back pain, vitals all in normal limits, no her pertinant medical history," Lifeflight rattled off with practiced ease. "Ok (redacted) what I am going to do is start an IV on you and give you some morphine to help take tbe edge off then we are going to use this special back board that comes apart and can slide under you. Then we will get yoh on the stretcher and head into tbe hospital. Sound good?" "Sounds good ta me boss. Not likes I can run aways from you if I wanted to," the stalion replied. "Ok Buck run out and grab the clamshell and the gurney. Lifeflight and I will start a line and get the meds in. Should be ready to transport in a couple." Cardio Thump turned to the stallion and said, "OK on the count of three you will feel a little pinch. "One, two." And before he said three the needle was in and set. "Life hoof me the tube please. Ok (redacted) you might feel a little burning sensation as the medication goes in, that's normal don't worry aabout it. I just need ylu to let me know if you start feeling like you are going to throw up or pass out on me ok? Life go ahead and open the bag to half and get me the stethoscope out of my bag since you are sooo touchy about who uses yours" "Sorry Thump but you know they go in my ears, then they go in your ears, then back in mine, and if we are swapping bodlh substances like that we may as well be kissing. Oh and your so not my type," Lifeflight snipped back sarcastically. With in a few minutes the stalion was scooped up and placed on the stretcher and placed in the back of the ambulance. "Alright if you guys don't need me I am going to go back in service," Lifeflight said as he was closing the ambulance doors. "Nope we got it from here sir. Thanks for your help and we will see you on the next one," Cardio Thump said from the back of the rig. "Alright have a good night guys, and (redacted) you vet better soon alright. I wanna see you in the running of tbe leaves next year," Lifeflight said with a grin. He then turned , spread his wings and took flight back towards headquarters. "Control air five will be clear of scene and back in service," he said i to the comunication stone. He glanced at his watch and saw it was only three forty in the morning so he could still get a couple hours of sleep before the big press interview tomorrow. He landed on his balcony silently and walked back inside, his bed beconing him like a lover. He shucked out of his vest st Nd placed his medbag on a hook by the door for easy access and sank into his bed. Stretching his hooves out Lifeflight rolled over and looked at the wall and that's when he saw the note REVENGE IS BEST SERVED ICE COLD As he read the last word his bed collapsed and a bucket of icewater fell from the ceiling drentching him from nose to rump. "You know of course this means war?" He shouted into the night air.