His stocky build and rugged good looks belied a dark side that hid within him. Jake 's work in the EMT field took him to many places throughout the city, most seedy and dangerous. Other's to the upscale outskirts of the city. He hated those calls the most.
All those rich, conceited, living in their own universe people. Oblivious of the struggles those from the inner city suffered with. At least the poor people were appreciative of any help they received. Sure, they weren't the cleanest, or even the nicest people, but they always appreciated the help when it came.
He had become so annoyed, he left the ambulance service and became the dispatch operator instead. He still served as a fill in when one of the EMT's was out sick or on vacation, but other than that, he was a phone jockey. It had it's benefits, but the hours were difficult, working as many as seventy-two hours in a four or five day period, but having as much free time as he did helped make up for the long arduous hours.
As luck would have it, and lady luck never treated him well, during one stretch filling in for EMT, he got a call to head to Weston. The most affluent suburb of Boston and the wealthiest city in Massachusetts. Some eighty year old guy having a heart attack and his thirty something trophy wife was watching her meal ticket die.
They rushed to the house and started CPR on the guy. His annoying wife, or girlfriend, or whatever she was, hovering over them like a vulture, waiting to see if the old man was gonna make it or not. She did little to hide her body and Jake took notice. He saw the way she looked at him, attracted, but disgusted at the same time.
His muscular build, broad shoulders and tall frame appealed to her animal instincts. Someone who could protect her when needed. A man she could manipulate and do the manual chores around the home. She figured he'd be good for a romp in the hay now and then but she'd find another lover who was more suited to her lifestyle.
Jake could feel her scorn. He wasn't rich enough for this woman and she was letting him know it. Not with words, but with her looks and actions. She took great pleasure in teasing him. Leaning close, letting him smell her perfume, putting her hands on his back and broad shoulders. Flirting in a casual, but not interested way. Probably something she had done her whole life he figured.
"Is he going to be alright?" she finally asked. Her tone uncaring, asking more as a matter of fact than any actual concern.
"I'm not gonna lie. He's in bad shape. We'll need to rush him to the hospital. Are you comfortable riding with us? I'm sure your husband could use having you there." the other EMT asked her.
"Well, I don't know how I'd get home. Perhaps I should drive myself, unless, one of you wants to drive me?"
Again, she made little effort hiding her true self thought Jake. She looked in a mirror on the wall, concerned more about looking good then about the man who's providing all this for her. He looked around the home. Its opulent decor and furnishings. I wonder what she gets if the old man croaks? It was an unspoken question.
"Sorry ma'am. One of us has to drive and the other has to monitor his vitals."
"Okay. I'll drive to the Netwon-Wellesley hospital by myself then."
"Sorry ma'am. He needs to go to Boston General. And fast. Maybe you can call a friend to take you there." Jake told her.
"Boston General? That's so far away."
She wasn't concerned about the distance because of her husbands health, only because of the inconvenience of having to go into the city.
"Here's my card. Call me if you have questions. We need to leave now." said Jake.
The busty woman took his card and stuck it in her bra then turned and left the room. She didn't even watch them take her husband to the ambulance.
"Can you believe that woman?" Jake asked the other EMT.
"What? Oh. Yah! Some piece of ass that one is."
"Something wrong with her. She doesn't care about this guy, only his money."
"Takes all types Jake. Hang on. Here we go."
With their passenger riding in the back, barely hanging onto life, the two EMT's continued to talk about the mans wife. A shitty thing to do, but the geezer wasn't long for this world, or so they figured.
"Hang in there buddy. We're almost to the hospital. They'll take real good care of you there." Jake said to the elderly man.
They arrived at Boston General and assisted the hospital staff unloading the man and rushing him into emergency surgery. There was no sign of the wife anywhere and it pissed Jake off.
"Can you believe it? She's know where in sight. She's a piece of work." Jake said to his fellow EMT.
"Yah. She was sexy. A real piece alright." came the reply.
It didn't sit well with Jake and he considered what he'd tell her if given the chance. The poor bastard married to that... Jake let the thought go as they received another emergency call. As they raced to the scene of an accident, Jake sat silently brooding. His mood immediately changed when they arrived at the accident. His inner nurturer coming out when he saw a little kid crying. Clearly part of the accident.
While the other EMT checked on the two drivers, Jake walked towards the little boy.
"Hi. My names Jake. I'm an EMT and I wanna ask you a couple of questions. Is that okay?"
The young boy nodded his head and Jake checked him for injuries, concussion symptoms and other assorted ailments. He gave the boy a thumbs up and walked him over to his parents who were just finishing up with the police report.
Just then his phone rang.
"Hello."
"Hello. This is Mrs. Pinotti. You took my husband to Boston General earlier this evening and gave me your card."
Jake knew in an instant who he was speaking with. The voluptuous, gold digging dark haired woman from Weston. He didn't like her, but had to admit, she was a looker.
"Yes Ma'am."
"I want to see him." she demanded.
"He's being taken good care of at Boston General. I'm sure you'll...."
She cut him off, saying.
"I want you to take me there."
"I'm sorry, ma..." again he was cut off.
She started crying, but he didn't believe for one minute they were real tears.
(sniff) "I don't know what to do. You have to help me." (sniff, sniff)
He knew he was being played but decided to offer help anyway. Besides, maybe she was genuine after all. His instincts told him otherwise. He promised he would come get her but she would have to wait until his shift was over. She reluctantly agreed, and she gave him her phone number so he could call when he was on his way.
After the long day, he headed back to his apartment. He had barely gotten in the shower when his phone rang again. Annoyed, he answered it without looking at the number.
"Hello."
"Where are you?"
"Who is this?"
"Mrs. Pinotti. You were supposed to pick me up two hours ago."
"Look Mrs. Pinotti. I just got off working twelve hours. I need to take a shower and a nap..."
As usual, she didn't want to listen to him, cutting his sentence short and demanded he pick her up immediately. He couldn't understand why, but he did as she demanded. He knocked on her door, once, twice and was about to leave when the door swung open. Mrs. Pinotti was a disheveled mess. Her eyes were puffy, her makeup smeared and her clothes didn't have the finely pressed look he expected. He wondered if he could've been wrong.
"What took so long?" she demanded as usual.
"Excuse me?" he was in no mood to take any shit from this woman.
She paused, faked cried again and just walked towards his car. She paused again looking at his 2007 Chevy Impala. The red paint peeling around the wheel wells, a small chip in the windshield and the exhaust from the 3.5L V6 engine was a little louder than normal.
"This is what you drive?"
Jake rolled his eyes, walked around to the drivers side and got in. She stood by the passenger's door, refusing to touch the vehicle. He started up the car and rolled down the window.
"Get in!" Now it was his turn to make demands.
Startled by his gruff exhortation, she reached for the door. Careful not to touch too much, she climbed in his vehicle.
"Well, at least it's clean on the inside." she said in a huff.
"Look lady. I don't have to do this." He wanted to tell her to sit there and shut up, but his training to be sensitive to persons who's loved ones are in distress held him in check. But it wouldn't take much to put him over the edge. He put the car in drive and took off a little faster than intended. He waited for the backlash, but there was none.
They drove in silence until they reached the hospital.
"You got a ride home?" he asked.
"Will you come in with me? Please?" Taken back by her softly spoken request, he once again gave in, escorting her inside. He waited for her to find what room he was in before turning to leave. She grabbed his arm, turned to him with tears welling up in her eyes.
"I don't think I can do this?"
"Do what?"
"See him." Her plea was met with silence. Jake just stood there, not saying anything, He looked around as her eyes pleaded with him.
"Please. Come with me to his room. If you're there I can get through this better."
She tugged at his arm until he relented and walked down the hall to the elevator. The buttons on the elevator had numbers and descriptions of what was on each floor. Jake pushed the number 4, for the intensive care unit. The doors opened and they walked towards the counter where a nurse was standing.
"Excuse me. Mr. Pinotti's room?" he asked.
The nurse looked up, somewhat startled, caution written all over her face.