Leona unbuttoned the top button on her light blue and black St Synelia Ambulance polo shirt. She had agreed to help cover a swimming event in Tivana, but the weather had been unseasonably hot. She was fanning herself in the back of the ambulance when another man came around with a cup of red drink.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZQaPcb6Oe
"Here the organizers said to have some so we don't drop. Not that we've had much to do, it's been really quiet--"271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHTip3HaJl
"Shhhh," Leona put her left pointer across her lips as she accepted the cup from her male compatriot. "Please Kira, don't jinx it. We don't use the Q-word here."271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJ6rbvpA2J
"But it's so quiet! Why are we even here if nothing is happening!" Kira complained.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1quuGzLT40
"I know you're excited to put your skills to use, but it doesn't help for you to be wanting someone to be injured."271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEtSNjE8S2Z
Kira moved onto another woman sitting next to the ambulance and handed her a cup as well. "You want something to do too, right Mahtab?" Mahtab nodded with a bit of hesitation as she accepted the cup from Kira.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNpbg2rDnxU
"Maddy, don't let Kira get to you," Leona said as she sipped her drink. "Appreciate the down time while it lasts, because some days you'll never get to sit down." She paused and smiled at Mahtab, "And don't worry about being nervous. Just remember your training and you'll do fine. I have faith in you and your assessors do too, otherwise they'd not let you out here."271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz4iM1W8fot
Mahtab sighed, "I know, but its still nervous to have all of this responsibility."271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLP62h5rBq
"You need not do it alone. Unlike your assessment, we're a team here. Even Kira over here," he said as she motioned to Kira who was checking the first aid kits for the tenth time in the past five minutes. She then paused and stood up, "I think Kira is going to get his wish."271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIL5PI7rwVq
"Are you su--" Mahtab didn't get to finish her sentence as a person ran up to the group.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsoKsbMhyf
"One of the swimmers have cut their foot and need help!" they said, slightly out of breath.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5e6lJA31P8
"Alright team, lets move out," Leona said as she took one last gulp of her drink and tossed the cup and the remainder of its contents into the trash bin.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNLilxQIO7O
"You're just going to toss it like that?" Kira asked.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5nOYT9pbvV
"Tick tock, health waits for no one. Not even you trying to finish your drink off," Leona said as she grabbed a medic kit and tapped her watch. The trio raced out, Kira grabbing a clipboard with some papers and a pen, whilst Mahtab wound up with the radio. They didn't need to go far as the cut victim was a young girl sobbing and the event organizers had placed her away from the water.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiJ2hKfAzrZ
"Hi, we're from St Synelia, we're going to make you feel all better alright?" Leona said to the child as she knelt down at the child's foot and put on her gloves. The child nodded, through her tears. What appeared to be the child's mother was standing nearby, pacing back and forth. At least Leona thought it was the mother, or some other close relative as they shared similar brown eye and hair colour.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhOPpuNMa1Q
"Oh that looks pretty bad," Kira said before Leona gut checked him with her elbow. He looked at her and received a very sharp glare in return.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCpu2XJPkHU
"Not in front of the patient," she seethed. But the damage had been done and the child burst into tears.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLebnTUfCVk
"Is it really that bad?" the mother echoed.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5edoZljSv
"Not really," Leona said as she tried to refocus on the laceration. It really wasn't too deep, the cut had not penetrated much past the skin and no bones or muscle were showing. But the pressure of the gathering crowd and the fumble from Kira were taking her slightly off her game. She made a mess of trying to clean the wound of sand before fumbling a bit to get out the gauze and bandages from the kit.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhmgpmt9Qq
"It's going to be alright," Mahtab said softly to the child. "We'll get you up and ready in no time at all."271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfnRBR1GrFo
"Promise?" the child whimpered. Their eyes now firmly fixed on Mahtab.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiVWoakjVUp
"Promise," Mahtab said with a weak smile. "Leona is really good and fixing things, so you're in good hands."271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6hXevx51Ot
"She can fix things?" the girl seemed perplexed by the statement, tilting her head as if taking a moment to analyze the comment. The child then went wide eyed, as if a lightbulb went off in her head. "Can she fix Auntie Cleo?"271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnl2TrPbQNi
Mahtab was stumped for a moment. She looked over to Leona who was by now preparing to apply the bandage on her foot. She wanted to nudge Leona to confirm how she could answer, as no training manual ever prepared her for the precociousness of a child. She looked back at the child, still eagerly awaiting her answer, small hands near their mouth, flinching at the pain on her foot. Hopeful? Maybe that she could have something better to look forward to. She then remembered what Leona had told her earlier that day, and so she reached out to pat the girl on her head and smiled, "Yeah, I'm sure Leona probably can help with that too."271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuh4Zgc20S6
"Really?" the girl's eyes widened even more.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWWITBf8w8
"Really," Mahtab smiled.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh3SxTLnvVn
"And we're done!" Leona announced almost right on cue. "Your foot is fine, I'm going to talk to your mum about what she should do." She then spoke to Kira and Mahtab. "Kira, don't forget to stow that in the folder. We had to use a couple of the gauze and sterile water baths, and stores is going to absolutely love us if we don't tell them what we used." She handed the kit to Mahtab, "Maddy, help him restock it properly. You can also radio in that we're not transporting, patient seems well enough to move on their own and advise getting their doctor to look at it ASAP for infections and possible mild antibiotics."271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIaSdCU8JC
She nodded and the two returned back to the ambulance station while Leona talked with the child's mother for a time.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGnMAYrh2y
A short time later, Mahtab was about to sit down and reflect on what had just happened when she felt a wet hug. The child they had treated before had come up to personally thank her, "And when I grow up, I want to help people just like you helped me!" she beamed.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF5L1rBXhxL
"Awww, you're welcome." Mahtab smiled as the child then bounded back off towards her mother and the two left the area.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ktuI9fO5P
"Remember that feeling," Leona said as she returned to the ambulance area. "When you're having your hardest day, or the patients absolutely don't care about you or you feel as if you're not doing anything. Remember the feeling you just felt and know that you impact many by just being here and doing what we do. That days like today, are the days that you live for."271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz4Leei9eo
Mahtab nodded and smiled. She looked out towards where the child had been and laughed to herself. It had been an unforgettable day. One that she'd always live for.271Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysLFUkQAoK
