Paramedic Pt. 09

"Thanks Doctor. Please send me a text if anything changes or he wakes up," said Jared. Jared filled the Doctor in on the assault, and the reasons for it. Jared also recommended Conner be placed on a 'no visitors' status, including the police and his father. The exceptions to this rule would be Zane or Sgt. Frank Myers. If any police show up, they were to call Sgt. Myers immediately and tell him.

"I will document it on his chart for you Jared, and it will be written as an order to be followed," he replied. "Why so specific about the police who have access to him?'

Jared and Liam explained the problem with Officer Newberry. The Doctor just shook his head in disbelief. "I know this type of thinking still exists but it shocks me every time I hear it firsthand."

They left the hospital and got into their unit. It had been very quiet while they were in the hospital. Jared phoned Rob and brought him up to speed on the call as well as the problem with Officer Newberry. Jared told him they were going to go back to the LGBT Center and talk with Zane. Rob had no problem with that and told them to make sure they had their radios with them.

Zane invited them into the coffee room to relax for a few minutes. Jared filled him in everything he knew. He also mentioned they had met with Sgt. Myers and discussed Officer Newberry's attitude with him. Jared told Zane the sergeant may come by and take a statement from him as well.

They all got a cup of fresh Guatemalan coffee and sat down. They chatted back and forth for a bit.

Jared stood, put his coffee cup in the dishwasher and said, "Time to hit the road, cutie."

Both Liam and Zane answered together they were ready and started to laugh. Jared gave them the finger and said to Liam, "You're riding in the back cabinet until we get a call. Zane can be the eye candy up front with me."

Liam gave an exaggerated pout and the finger to Jared.

They drove to the base to fill up with gas and had just started when a call came in for them. It was another case of chest pains. The call went like clockwork and they were soon dropping the patient off at the hospital.

It was near the end of their shift so they returned to base and went over their unit to make sure everything was stocked up.

The next morning, after their run and a quick snack, they arrived at the base. After grabbing their radios, they went to the shift room and as usual, Rob was sitting there looking at papers.

The boys greeted him and found out they were on floater again today.

"Melanie sent me a message and said she would be here about noon. I can't thank you enough Jared and by the way, my wife is quite happy now. But, she did give me shit for not speaking up earlier to the boss. She has no clue, Jared," laughed Rob.

Liam spoke up, "That's great, Rob. We're both happy to hear it." He turned to Jared and asked, "To the hospital to check on Conner?"

"Good idea, Liam," replied Jared.

"Do I want to know?" asked Rob.

"It's the kid we picked up yesterday at the LGBT Center. He has no one, and has been disowned by his family. So we are sort of going to try and find out if we can help him," said Jared.

"You really do have a big heart, Jared, and that goes for your little sidekick, too," said Rob.

Liam stuck his tongue out at Rob.

They left the base and headed to the hospital. There were seven other units on the road today and so far it had been quiet. They parked and advised dispatch by radio where they would be if needed. Liam sent a text message to Josh and Tyler and asked them if they could drop by the hospital to meet with Conner.

The two of them went up to the ICU and checked in at the Nurses Station. Conner had a quiet night and seemed to be doing better but not out of the woods yet. They still were monitoring for bleeds. He was going into surgery to place pins in his arm later today. The nurse told him Conner was one of the nicest young men she had met in a long time, but he was pulling himself into a shell. They were all worried about him psychologically as well as physically. Jared let the nurses know Tyler and Josh may be up to visit and the no police rule didn't apply to them.

They went down to the room and knocked at the door. When there was no answer, they went in anyways. Conner was lying in bed, the TV on but low in volume, just staring at the ceiling with open eyes.

Jared spoke "Conner?"

Conner looked over at him, "Yes?"

"I'm Jared, and this is Liam. We're the paramedics who were on duty yesterday and we dropped in to see how it's going."

"I appreciate what you guys did, but I've nothing to live for now. I have no money, no clothing, no home, and no family."

Liam spoke up, "We heard that yesterday and that's part of the reason we came to visit you. You have at least two friends, us."

Conner looked at them both for a moment and didn't say anything.

Liam and Jared got chairs and pulled them up next to the bed.

"Conner, there are many times in life a person needs help. There are other times a person needs someone to lean on. Hopefully it never happens to anyone but sometimes they also fall and need someone to catch them. You fell, and we caught you," said Jared.

Conner sat and looked at them for a moment before saying, "You're wasting your time. I'm an abomination in the eyes of God. My father was right, I should have died."

Jared spoke quickly, "Your father is wrong. The Creator loves all of his children with no restrictions. All of mankind are brothers and sisters."

Conner spoke, "I hear you, but I can't believe it. I've been taught for years that gay is choice, a lifestyle and its evil. Satan is behind making people gay."

Liam spoke up, "Conner, I'm gay and came out to my parents at 14." Liam told Conner about his coming out and the relationship his parents had with him until they died.

"Really? They didn't mind and still loved you?" asked Conner.

"Absolutely. That's what the Creator intended. Parents loving their children, and their children loving them back," explained Liam. "One of the best things I remember about my mom and dad was their hugs. We gave each other hugs all the time, even when I had left for college I still got and gave hugs when we got together."

"I can't remember the last time I had a hug," said Conner with a tear leaking out his eyes.

Jared then spoke up, "Conner, I'm gay as well. In fact, Liam and I are not only partners at work, but we are boyfriends as well."

"You're serious?" Conner said with a bit of enthusiasm in his voice.

"Yes Conner, its true," Jared replied. Jared looked at Liam and took his hand into his.

"Wow, you guys seem so normal. Sorry, I mean you don't seem... aw fuck," said a frustrated Conner.

"Conner, slow down. We're prepared to answer your questions but we don't want to overload you. You're still in a hospital and going for surgery this afternoon to pin your arm. We will have lots of time to talk," said Jared.

"I can't stay, Jared. I have to get out of here. Hospitals are expensive and I have nothing," said Conner.

"Conner, your expenses are covered and even your TV. The only thing not covered is pornos," laughed Jared.

Liam then added, "Yes, it's true. There is a hospital fund set up for young people who need help. The fund is covering everything. If you want some pornos, let me know and I will sneak them in for you."

"Liam!" said Jared.

"Ok. Jared will sneak them in," said Liam.

"Liam! That's not what I meant either," Jared said.

They both looked over at Conner and he was smiling, trying not to laugh because it hurt so much. "Are you two always like this?" he asked.

"No," said Jared at the same time Liam said, "Yes."

Conner started to laugh, and then winced in pain. "You two are ok," he said. "Do you really want to be my friends?" he asked.

Liam spoke, "Of course we want to be your friends."

"I wanted to be a paramedic, but my dad said faggots aren't allowed and don't deserve good jobs," said Conner. "God's people, or straights, get the important jobs."

"He was as wrong as Liam in a dress," said Jared. Jared leaned over to Conner and said, "His legs are too hairy and they are ugly."

"What's wrong with my legs?" asked Liam as he lifted a leg and pulled his pant leg up for everyone to see.

Conner started to laugh again. "You guys are unreal."

There was a knock at the door and a two heads popped in, one above the other.

"Are you guys decent?" asked Josh. The door opened and two large good looking policemen entered the room and closed the door.

Conner looked scared. Jared stood and said, "Conner, these two guys are our brothers, Josh and Tyler."

"Your brothers?" asked Conner.

"It's a long story, but we're brothers. None of us have family anymore so we became our own. We have two other brothers as well. One of them is a paramedic and the other is a fireman" explained Jared.

"Which one is which?" Conner asked Liam pointing at the two new arrivals.

"It's easier to tell them apart when they are naked, Josh is the smaller one," said Liam. He then held his hand up and separated his fingers about 3 inches apart.

Josh leaned forward and smacked the back of Liam's head slightly and said, "Asshole!"

Conner started laughing again.

Jared looked at Josh and Tyler. "You know Conner's background and story right?" asked Jared.

"Yes, we do," said Josh. "Tyler has been assigned the investigation. Officer Newberry is on meter ticket duty until the sergeant figures out what to do with him."

Tyler stepped forward. "You have nothing to fear from us, Conner. We're both gay and have boyfriends. My boyfriend is a paramedic and Josh's is a firefighter." Tyler leaned down and whispered, "Josh doesn't have high standards. When you have a small dick, you date anything including a fire fighter."

Josh stepped over and tried to give Tyler a pinch on the ass.

Conner was laughing again. "Are you sure you guys aren't really related? You are all nutcases!"

"But seriously, Conner, I'm the investigator on your assault now and I'd like to get a statement from you," said Tyler.

Conner looked at him, and then at Jared who nodded his head. "Ok," said Conner.

Jared's and Liam's radios warbled. They were needed for a transfer from the hospital to a nursing home on the edge of the city.

"Duty calls," said Liam. "We'll check in on you after our shift, Conner. Maybe even bring some real food for you to eat."

"Pizza?" asked Conner.

"Well, maybe this time," replied Jared.

The four brothers hugged and Jared left with Liam. Tyler got his note pad out and commenced taking Conner's statement. An hour later it was done and Tyler handed it to Conner, asking him to read it over. It took him a few minutes to read all the pages and afterwards, he signed the bottom of each page, handing it back to Tyler.

"I have a medical release here for to you sign as well, Conner. It gives us the authority to obtain a copy of your diagnosis and treatment for this assault as well as any photos or diagnostic imaging the hospital did."

Conner signed that paper as well and handed it back to Tyler.

"Conner, now I need to ask you one question not as a policeman but as a concerned friend. Have you been sexually active or at least had safe sex?"

Conner blushed and replied, "No, nothing at all."

"Good, I was going to suggest you get a blood test to confirm no problems resulting from sex but as you haven't had any, it's not necessary."

"Thanks for your concern, Tyler, and it was a good idea. I can't believe I told you I am still a virgin, unless jacking counts," said Conner.

"No, it doesn't count," Josh chuckled. "If it did, that would mean I lost my virginity at 9."

The three chuckled.

"Thanks for your cooperation, Conner," said Tyler. "When we're dealing with your dad, we'll be seeking for him to remain in custody but I think he will be released. So we will be asking for conditions of no contact with you, directly or indirectly. What about the rest of your family. Will they be a problem?"

"No, I don't think so. Mom was powerless to stop him but every time he beat me, she would help me out afterwards when it was safe. I have a younger brother who is 17 and still at the house. I'm concerned about his safety," replied Conner.

"Why's that?" asked Josh.

"As far as I know, he's straight. He and I are close because we aren't allowed to hang out with anyone outside of the church except when we are in school sports. He got a fair share of beatings as well when his teams didn't win or his marks weren't what dad thought were high enough," said Conner.

Tyler thought for minute and decided to take another statement, with a wider scope to cover what they had just spoken about. Just as he was to start, a nurse came in to check Conner's vital signs. After completing that task, she left. Tyler took another 45 minutes to get everything down on paper, which Conner signed as before.

The two policemen were just getting ready to leave when the Doctor came in and informed Conner he would be heading for surgery in a couple of hours to pin his broken arm. He also told him the CAT scan report was back, and everything was indicating his internal bleeding had stopped. Conner would be moved out of the ICU after the surgery and into a private room within the surgery ward. He figured if everything went well, he could probably get out in a couple of days.

"Conner," the Doctor started "We've noted some other issues and we will be scheduling a social worker to visit with you and have a chat. Don't worry, I don't think you insane or anything, especially when I compare you to those two," he said pointing at the two policemen. They were both making innocent faces and gestures of 'Who, Me?'

The Doctor continued, "I just want her to talk with you and see how you are coping with your situation, and maybe even be able to help you adjust."

Conner was listening to every word. "I appreciate your concern, Doctor, and appreciate what you are doing for me. I have four new friends and I'm sure they will help, too. I know what they have said to me has helped already."

The doctor smiled and said, "If you are mixed up with these two as well as Jared and Liam, I know things will work out. This isn't the first time these guys have helped someone."

Josh and Tyler gave their farewells, and left Conner talking with the doctor. In the elevator, Josh said, "Nice kid, isn't he?"

"He sure seems it," replied Tyler. "I have to go talk with his father now. You want to back me up, Joshie?"

"Absolutely, buddy," he replied.

They got into their cars and headed over to Conner's home. Josh pulled up in front while Tyler parked two houses down and walked to meet Josh at his car. They went out of service with dispatch at the address. They approached the house and even before knocking, they noticed the front door was open and they could see into the house through the screen door.

On the floor there was a set of legs in view, toes pointed down; the rest of the person hidden behind the wall of the hallway.

The two policemen moved into the house, guns drawn, cautiously moving in towards the victim. Tyler hit the emergency button on his radio carefully. It was immediately followed by the police dispatch calling units by number and giving the address to respond Code 4. They checked the kitchen and living room, yelling clear at each other as they progressed. They slowly went through the rest of the house and found it clear as well. The house didn't have a basement so it was a short search. There was a woman, face down in the hallway with a large pool of drying blood around her head. While they were clearing the house, they had found a young man in a pool of blood in what was most likely his bedroom. Neither person had a pulse when they checked. This didn't surprise either of them as the injuries were most likely caused by gunshots and the injuries appeared to be inconsistent with the continuance of life. There were 9mm casing near the bodies.

Tyler's cell phone rang and he answered it. It was Sgt. Myers, and Tyler explained what they had going on and the suspect they wanted to interview was on the run.

"Sgt. Myers, I don't think either one is alive, but the paramedics can confirm it when they get here. It looks like Conner's mother and brother from the family portraits smashed on the floor," said Tyler.

"Understood, Tyler. We'll be there in a couple of minutes," Sgt. Myers replied.

The two of them heard the multitude of sirens in the distance converging on the crime scene. Josh went to meet them at the door.

Jared and Liam had heard the dispatch for the assault victims in a home. They were still tied up on their transfer so the call was given to another crew. The dispatched crew had arrived on scene within a few moments, shortly thereafter calling dispatch to advise them by code of the patients being DOA and they were on standby at the scene for statements, but available for a call if needed.

Josh was in the back attending to the transfer patient when his cell phone rang. The call display showed it was Josh.

Jared answered the phone and simply said, "Go ahead, Josh."

Josh explained the situation they found at Conner's house. He also advised the father, the most likely suspect, was on the run.

Jared thought for a minute and then said, "Can you get someone to babysit Conner? If he's on the run, and from what Conner has said about him is right, he is unstable enough to try and finish the job by shooting Conner. We'll try and get back to the hospital to stay with Conner. When you do the notification, we want to be there to pick up the pieces."

"I'll deal with it," said Josh. "Sgt. Myers is here and I'll ask him."

Jared hung up the phone and moved up the front of the ambulance where he could speak with Liam.

"You heard?" said Jared.

"Just your end, Jared," said Liam. Jared filled him on the rest of the conversation.

"This is going to get rough, Liam" said Jared. Liam just nodded.

They finished their transfer and cleared with dispatch. Another call was dispatched to them almost immediately to head to a school. A grade 6 student had fallen off playground equipment and hurt his leg. Liam drove the ambulance normally for this type of call. Upon arrival they found a fairly husky young man with a lower leg injury. The leg was bending in an area where there was no joint for it to do so. The two paramedics treated the leg, splinted it, and loaded the child up on the stretcher, heading to the hospital.

After unloading and restocking the unit, they parked it with the intention of going upstairs to see Conner. Tyler pulled up in his car and rolled the window down.

"He just went in for surgery. Conner will be in there a couple of hours and then with pain medications, he won't be able to be told until morning. They're going to make sure he sleeps through the night. There is a police officer with him now and until Conner leaves the hospital," explained Tyler.

"Thanks, Tyler," said Jared. "Considering the circumstances, I have a feeling our family is going to grow by one person."

"I expected as much, Jared," said Tyler. "Josh told me that before I got here."

"I've had that feeling since we picked him up. Jared had that look on his face," said Liam. "I guess we can head back to base to see what is going on and a coffee."

"Sounds like a plan, Liam," said Jared. "Melanie should be here by now and I bet she has people running by now."

"Melanie is here?" asked Tyler with a smile.

Jared smiled and said, "Yup. John will be here tomorrow. They're here to help Rob get things back on track."

"Liam hasn't met Melanie yet, has he?" asked Tyler.

"No. He will when we get there," replied Jared.