Friday, May 6, 2011

From Chapter Six - Characters

The emergency services are full of talented and unusual people and some of those people I’ve worked with are unforgettable. Hubie was my first ambulance captain. He was a gregarious, happy guy with a ready smile and a unique high-pitched laugh heard regularly around the squad room. He was a perfect manager for us young guys; he knew exactly how much of the reins to give us before yanking them back hard. His normal smile would instantly disappear, replaced with a cold, hard stare and raised eyebrows. You didn’t quickly forget the lecture that would follow. I learned a lot about the care and feeding of young pups by watching Hubie. He never held a grudge and after whatever stupidity we had committed was over, it was over for good.

Hubie was truly a great medic; his only weakness was vomit. Not that any of us liked it, but he truly hated it. If a patient was puking, he could handle it and work through it, but you’d hear Hubie gagging right along with them.

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