Return of the Paramedics

Hello! Happy Friday, we’re on time, it’s been a week, it’s all good. How are y’all? Ready for some more of Leticia’s antics?? 😀

Without further ado…

Simion had said that I could go back to work if I felt better (how he had that authority was beyond me, but I wasn’t about to complain), what he didn’t tell me was that it was maybe, sorta,  kinda, probably… a little illegal. 

In fact. Jerry and Will should have taken me to the hospital. 

Thank goodness they weren’t trained extensively in law like they were in medical school, or I might have never left the ambulance. 

But what that meant was that ye good ol’ Jeff, the small town sheriff who ate at the Louisville Eatery thrice a week (don’t ask me how I know that, only have been working there for three hours, I felt like I knew a lot), found himself standing in the entrance to the back kitchen, his boots soaking up lettuce water, his expression that of a slightly disgruntled puppy. 

And what that meant was that a 100-year-old elder had to walk a blind man across the kitchen, through the muck my new co-workers had tried to convince me was just water, and explain things to the sheriff. 

Meanwhile I cowered behind the dishwasher, scrubbing a spot on the floor that didn’t need to be scrubbed, and wishing I would’ve taken my chance to go home. I’m too scared to answer my cellphone anyways, so they couldn’t have even called me to tell me that I needed to be carted to the nearest emergency room ASAP. 

Asher was busy rearranging Simion’s work-station, a gleeful smile on his face at the thought of his friend coming back and trying to work in the mess he created, Simion himself was on break, and Simon was under the dishwasher, fixing a broken pipe. 

Apparently the ambulance had scared away so many customers we all had nothing to do. 

Again. All of it was my fault. 

“What was your name again?” Simon looked over at me from under the dishwasher. 

“Annie.” 

He squinted. “No it’s not.” 

I huffed. “Leticia.” 

His eyebrows narrowed. 

“I’m not lying.” 

He shook his head and went back to tightening a pipe. “This is the most fun we’ve all had in a year.” 

“Well, you’re welcome.” I said as sarcastically as possible. “Meanwhile my resume is gonna look terrible when it says: ‘Let go for scaring customers away with an ambulance’. “ 

“Aw, it won’t look that bad. Samson won’t let old man Stein do anything to ya.” 

I glanced sideways at him. 

He just gave me a reassuring nod, which was all but reassuring, and shimmied his way out from under the dishwasher. “Better clean something else, squirt.” 

I all but threw my rag at him. I was his age, in his grade, and holding down the same job… Well, that last one had dubious prospects, but I could feel my face getting hotter, and I hoped nobody would see me in my little hiding spot. “Squirt,”  I muttered. “I’ll show you who’s-”

“Leticia!” 

Rats. I glanced up, spotting Nicole across the kitchen. Her blonde hair was frizzing, and her apron was covered in something that looked like grease. She saw me, and waved me over.

“On you go, miss.” Asher gave me an overexaggerated bow, finished with destroying Simion’s perfectly organized station. “If you faint on the way, make sure to-”

He got a face-full of my dirty rag. I couldn’t help myself. I wasn’t going to pass out anytime soon again, and if that creepy old man appeared I’d probably throw another rag at him too. Maybe he’d stop prowling the premises, hoping to scare unsuspecting adolescents into fainting spells and catapulting them into a career filled with perpetual teasing. 

I strode to Nicole, faking an air of confidence I didn’t feel as she dragged me over to the officer, elderly man, and blind youngster. “This is the girl.” 

Jeff nodded. “Howdy, Miss.” 

“Howdy, Jeff.” I coughed. 

“I’m sorry to tell ya, but law says we gotta get you properly checked out.” 

I glanced at the elderly man standing next to him, then at Nicole, then the blind man, then Jeff. “I-”

“It’ll be fine, but we gotta get ya a sign-off from the doc’s office.” Jeff gave me an old man smile. 

I did not want to go. But how on earth was I supposed to get out of it now? “Can I just go home?” I raised both eyebrows. 

Jeff scratched his head. “I don’t think so.” 

“It’s just to make sure you’re alright.” The old man looked at me through bright blue eyes. 

Slightly unnerved, I looked back at Jeff. “The hospital bill-” 

“Taken care of,” Jeff nodded. 

Rats. I resigned myself to my undeniable fate. I was going to get dragged across the county to the hospital all because of my overactive imagination. Rats! Why can’t you pull it together, Leticia? 

“I’ll call the ambulance.” the old man announced, pulling out a phone. 

My eyes got wide as saucers. “Wait-”

Almost instantly Jerry and Will came bounding through the door. 

I gaped. 

Nicole gaped. 

The old man did the old man version of gaping. 

And Jeff just rolled his eyes. 

Jerry gave me a grin. “Did ya faint again?” 

“NO.” I scowled.

Well that was fun! (At least for the readers. Poor Leticia.) Quite without my knowing it, Leticia has set herself up for a character arc, and I don’t know… I’m kind of excited to see where it goes! So let me know what you thought! What do you enjoy most about Leticia? What do you think she could improve on?

Have an epic Friday, and altogether wonderful weekend! We’ll be back on Monday with a fun post!

Louise Taylor