Dang, 15 minutes before change of shift and my relief calls in sick. I have to take a late run and in this part of town, it's a long ride to the nearest hospital.
THE EMERGENCY
A local house has been converted into a home for persons with mental disabilities and they've called stating one of their residents is having a seizure.
THE ACTION
We're on scene shortly after the first responders and are led to the second floor and into a bedroom. Although it is almost 8 AM, this place is quiet. Our patient, the staff tells us, had a seizure as he awoke this morning. Nothing about this patient or the story we're being told looks, smells or even hints at a seizure. All vitals check out and we're not seeing anything wrong so I delve deeper into the history.
After interrogation the staff admits that the seizure did look similar to some shaking he's been doing as he wakes up in the mornings. "But the moaning was so loud!" the caretaker tells me. "Moaning? He was moaning while seizing? That's quite unusual" I tell her as we all downshift our response.
"What kind of moaning?" I ask and almost like he was cued another guest in another room begins to moan. Not a sick moan or a hurt moan, but kind of a 'Where is everybody?' moan. I smile and confirm with them that he has been having nightmares lately and this morning was likely a man waking from a bad dream.
"So he's not going to die?" She asks.
"We're all going to die." I deadpan and wish them a happy morning as we wander out. When I got back my relief was still not there. I moaned.
Comments