Independence Day

"Unit 12, I have a call coming out of a private residence for you. Standby for page."

The page comes through; 25 year old male had a syncopal episode at home. We arrive on scene and find a confused young man sitting on the floor alone in his home. He doesn't really remember what happened, just that he suddenly woke up on the floor and it didn't seem right. As we pull the gurney in we try to get him to stand up. He blushes and explains that he's paralyzed from the waist down. We help him up and get him out of the house and into the rig. As my partner starts the engine I start delving a little deeper into this guys medical history.

"May I ask how you became um.. Paralyzed?"

"14 days. 14 days home from Iraq. I survived the warzone, come home and 14 days later I get hit by a drunk driver."

He shook his head and chuckled.

"How ironic is that? I mean, I came home from Iraq in one piece and 2 weeks later I'm paralyzed."

It was one of the few times in my job that I had absolutely nothing to say. I stared down at my run sheet, pen poised over the paper in the 'Medical history' column. I put the pen down and turned my head to gaze out the back window. 25 years old. A soldier in our military. And he's lost his independence because some asshole decided he was going to drive home drunk.
He sighed and laid his head back against the gurney. We dropped him off at the hospital and I give a report to the nurse. She looks at me with sadness in her eyes as I explain;
"Patient was involved in an MVA that caused the paraplegia. Drunk driver I guess.."

"Wow. That's so f***ed up. Ugh, alright, take him to radiology for an MRI."

"Yea, no problem."

"Have a happy 4th, be careful out there you guys."

"Thanks."


Over and out-
The PSYCH wrangler