#and twi's ADORABLE smile whenever he holds puppies

[skyloftian-nutcase]

An Eventful Night (LU in Healthcare)

More Plot :D

Legend is an unwilling hero, Hyrule nearly has a breakdown when dispatch doesn't get the info right, and Twilight make s a new friend and begins Project Make Wild Like Puppers.

Just a fair warning, Hyrule's section is a little intense but not graphic and it has a good ending.

(AO3 link)

Legend winced as his lower back ached. If he stepped the wrong way, if he reached the wrong way, it would throb annoyingly. He hadn’t thought he’d done anything particularly strenuous at work last night, but he supposed it was all just catching up to him.

Grabbing a heating pad, he headed for the den where he could lay on the floor where the fuzzy carpet was. Enough cushioning to not make it worse, enough firmness to help his back alongside the heat.

Walking into the den, he froze and frowned. “You’re in my spot.”

“But this is the best spot on the floor!”

“Rav, that’s my spot.”

“You wouldn’t kick me out, would you, Mr. Hero? This area is so comfortable—”

Legend groaned, rolling his eyes. “Ugh, fine, just scoot over a little.”

Ravio chirped happily, scooching as minimally as possible and barely leaving any room on the rug for Legend. Sighing heavily, the travel nurse slowly lowered himself down and situated the heating pad under his lower back. The pair laid down beside each other in comfortable silence before Ravio broke it.

"Have you ever thought about how insignificant we are in comparison to the rest of the world?”

“Rav, for heaven’s sake, just let me—”

Legend felt his phone vibrate and he bit back another grumble. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled it out and saw that it was from Warriors. That was enough to make him plop it down on his stomach without reading it. He was already sore and growing steadily more annoyed, he didn’t need whatever sassy remark that irritating soldier could come up with adding to it.

“Well, what I was going to say is, we—you know, we’re so, so tiny in comparison to everything else happening in the world,” Ravio continued thoughtfully, gesturing towards the ceiling with a hand.

“We don’t matter, I get it,” Legend snapped.

Ravio glanced at him, looking concerned. “I wasn’t going to say that. What I was going to say was that despite how small we are, we still make a difference. You do every day, you know.”

Legend side eyed his roommate. “What in the world has gotten into you? Have you been off for a few days?”

Ravio nodded, smiling.

Legend rolled his eyes. “Of course you have. You get way too philosophical when you have time off.”

“Nothing wrong with contemplating things!”

“I’m not a hero, Rav.”

“Of course you are!! You, all the nurses and techs and doctors and physical therapists and respiratory therapists and everyone, you’re all heroes!”

“Is that why you sell my stuff?”

“One does have to make a living—”

“You have a job, Ravio.”

“B-but what if it isn’t enough, you know I need comforts and the world can be so unpredictable and scary—”

Legend’s phone buzzed again. Sighing even more heavily than last time, Legend snatched the blasted object to put it on do not disturb when his eyes caught some of the words in the texts.

—help and I don’t know what—

Furrowing his brow, the travel nurse unlocked his phone to read the messages fully.

hey need a a favor wellaact ually actually maybe more of yeah I need a favor look I might be a liytle tipsyandd cant drive ok hang on swearica n type ha stnadby Ok. Typing slow. Need a drive. Ride Whatever I can’t drive myself an I need help and I don’t know what else to do Don’t want Wind to see me like this pls

Legend stared at the mess of texts. He… what? Why was Warriors drunk texting him of all people? He typed, Can’t you call Time? Or Sky?

Time would fuss Sky would worry Pls Ledge?

Legend frowned. You think I won’t fuss?

You alwayssfuss

His ire flared. I do not!!

LEDGE RIDE PLS

This night couldn’t get any worse. UGH FINE YOU MORON JUST TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE

As Warriors started typing, Legend sat up, hissing as his back protested. Ravio looked at him confusedly. “Where are you going?”

“I have to pick up an idiot,” he answered, heading for the front door where the jackets and shoes were. He could just go in his pajamas, it wasn’t like he was getting out of the car, anyway. When Warriors finally replied, he looked up the address…

…And grew steadily more confused. The bar was in the Seer District, where Warriors lived. Why couldn’t he just call a taxi, or maybe even walk?

Shaking his head, Legend hopped in the car and drove to the location. He texted Warriors and saw the door to the bar open.

His friend stumbled a little as he stepped out, but he steadied himself. Smiling at the car, he nearly fell into the door, making Legend jump, before he opened it and laughed. “Hey, Ledge!”

Legend tossed a few items into the back so the passenger seat was clear. “Get in, idiot.”

Warriors climbed in with as much grace as a newly born foal, hitting his head while doing so. It was honestly so sad it almost made Legend feel bad for him.

Almost.

“Thanks, man,” Wars slurred, slouching in the seat.

Legend waited a moment and then said, “Close the door.”

Warriors managed to latch his fingers around the handle by the third try and slammed it shut.

“Buckle up.”

The nurse spent another minute fumbling with the seat belt before Legend finally snatched it out of his hands and locked it in place.

“Now, where are we going? What’s your address?”

Warriors stared off into space, body language weary all of a sudden. “Anywhere.”

Legend grew even more bewildered. “What?”

“Anywhere,” Warriors repeated. “I don’t give a shit. Nowhere. The woods. A shelter. Anywhere.”

“Wars, your address—”

“I don’t wanna go home.”

Legend was about to argue, growing agitated, when Warriors rolled his head to the side to look at him. His drunken cheer from earlier was gone, and his exhaustion was more evident than ever. His eyes, usually sharp and analytical, were dark and dull.

“Ledge, I don’ wanna go home,” he said.

“What about Wind?” Legend asked hesitantly.

“I told’im I was working.”

Legend’s chest tightened. Warriors wouldn’t lie to Wind just to go out drinking. Something was genuinely wrong.

Sighing, he made a decision and put the car in drive, wordlessly getting back on the road as his mind went through different scenarios over what was happening. Warriors slouched more in the seat, staring ahead. When they finally slipped into a parking space, his friend looked around, disoriented. “Where…?”

“We’re at my place,” Legend answered. “Come on.”

Legend exited the car without any more explanation, taking a deep, steadying breath and heading for the door that led to the stairwell. He paused, reconsidered, and headed for the elevator instead just as Warriors stumbled out of the car. The travel nurse grabbed his hand and guided him into the elevator. Both were silent until Warriors gasped just as they reached Legend’s floor.

“You’re a real one,” Warriors giggled, leaning heavily on Legend and ruffling his hair. “Thanks.”

Legend snarled, shoving him off and then yelping and grabbing Warriors as he almost fell in the opposite direction. “Just shut up and walk, good grief.”

The pair reached Legend’s apartment, and he promptly dragged Warriors to the den. He gave Ravio a quick gruff, “Move,” and stomped across the room as his roommate squeaked and scurried out of the way. Warriors stumbled to the sofa and promptly collapsed onto it.

Sighing heavily, Legend went to the kitchen, grabbed a glass of water, a bottle of Tylenol, and a trash can. When he returned to the sofa Warriors was staring at the ceiling, his brow crinkled together.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled as the travel nurse approached him.

Legend paused a moment, exasperation temporarily forgotten, and then slowly put the items down on the table beside the couch. “Just go to sleep, Wars. And… and if you want to talk about what caused this… you know, when you’re sober…”

Warriors squeezed his eyes closed and turned away.

“…Or not,” Legend muttered, unsure what else to say. This had never been his strong suit. “Well, either way. Get some sleep.”

Grabbing a blanket, Legend tossed it over Warriors, making sure his friend was warm, and then went to his bedroom, shrugging when Ravio threw him a curious glance.

XXX

Hyrule bit his lip to hold back his laughter as he watched an entertaining video on his phone. His legs swung out carelessly in front of him, blowing off what little nervous energy he had reserved in him, a byproduct of being on call waiting for dispatch to send them to an emergency. On either side of him, seated in chairs and working on the computers provided for reports, were Dawn and Aurora, while Mo relaxed in a chair by the doorway. Scooting a little farther onto the table he was sitting on, he finally let out a laugh as he got a text from Mo with an edited picture of Aurora making an exasperated face.

Before he could have a chance to explain his outburst to the girls, the tones dropped and dispatch blared overhead: “Rescue 18, Medic 1896 respond to 89 Kawa Circle for difficulty breathing.”

Hyrule playfully shoved Mo as they headed towards the ambulance. “You can’t just send me stuff like that when Aurora’s right there, you jerk.”

Mo laughed as he hopped into the driver’s seat. “It was worth it for the look on your face.”

Rolling his eyes, the paramedic grabbed the mic and keyed up. “ECC, Medic 1896 responding.”

“Medic 1896, you’re responding at 2329 for a 21-year-old male patient with a trach who is ventilator dependent – family stated they were swapping out trachs and were unable to place the new one and are now bagging the patient.”

Hyrule’s cheer immediately drained out of him as Mo muttered a curse under his breath. Well… that escalated quickly. He started going through different scenarios and wondering how in the world he was even supposed to handle this. A patient with a trach was a patient with a surgical airway, which already put them far out of his scope of practice. He knew how to suction such an airway, he knew how to make those airways, but that was about all he could do. Placing a new trach into the airway? That was not in his training.

But it was in the family’s training. If he could just guide them to put a new trach in then that should resolve the issue. The reason this patient was having difficulty breathing was because he lost his connection to the ventilator.

As Hyrule went through all of this in his mind, Mo managed to pull up to the house, catching the medic off guard. He supposed it hadn’t been too far from the station. The fire department had already arrived and were inside; neither Hyrule nor Mo had heard a peep from them after their initial radio traffic indicating they’d gotten there.

“Well, fire isn’t saying anything drastic so it can’t be that bad,” Mo remarked as the pair hopped out of the ambulance, not bothering to take in equipment since the fire department would have already done so.

Hyrule hummed in acknowledgement, pushing the front door open and immediately his eyes fell on a group of firefighters huddled around each other on the ground. Hyrule squinted, looking to see what they were doing, wondering why they were in a circle on the floor when there was clearly no young man lying in their midst.

And then he saw it.

They were huddled around a baby.

Hyrule’s heart and mind stopped together, the world freezing around him, and his veins filled with ice.

Dispatch had gotten the age wrong. This wasn’t a twenty-one-year-old.

It was a twenty-one-month-old baby.

Hyrule found himself floundering, struggling to reorient his mind, having expected something completely different and not prepared for this scenario. He leaned over the firefighters and tried to ask what was going on, but it was apparent they were mentally scrambling as much as he was, and they told him nothing. He heard them speaking to each other about the baby’s heart rate lowering, which was an extremely ominous sign that the baby was about to going into cardiac arrest.

Oh, fuck. We’re about to code a baby.

Hyrule turned and immediately headed for the ambulance to grab more supplies, his mind whirling as he tried to run the protocol of pediatric cardiac arrest, as he tried to accept the fact that this child was about to die because he couldn’t breathe.

By the time the medic got back to the house, however, one of the firefighters met him outside. “The parents got the trach back in and they’re putting him back on the ventilator.”

Immediate relief slammed into Hyrule. That was the treatment the baby needed, the one thing he couldn’t provide. He threw up a quick thank you to the sky and saw Mo coming outside carrying the baby while another firefighter carried the portable ventilator just beside him. Hyrule did a quick assessment, much happier with how the baby looked – the little one was perking up quickly, recovering from his hypoxia. The parents followed next, and Hyrule talked to them briefly to get a sense of what had happened while the others settled the infant into a pediatric harness on the stretcher.

Once the baby was secure, Hyrule and Mo got vital signs and were both satisfied with what they saw. Hyrule gave a thumbs up to his partner and everyone else except for the baby, Hyrule, and the father stepped out as they headed to the hospital.

The trip was blessedly uneventful, with Hyrule trying to reassure the panic stricken father and keeping a close eye on the baby. Once they reached the hospital and transferred care, however, Hyrule and Mo both entered the EMS room and waited for the door to close before immediately yelling at the same time.

“What the fuck!” Hyrule threw his hands on the air. “Dispatch said twenty-one-year-old—”

“That was not what I was expecting to walk into—”

“And fire was saying fucking nothing—”

“Oh my gosh that was a disaster—”

“Why were they even doing a trach swap at freaking midnight—”

“Why the hell couldn’t dispatch get the age right—”

The pair panted for air, staring at each other, and then sighed heavily, leaning against the wall.

“Drinks after the shift?” Mo asked.

“Drinks after the shift,” Hyrule agreed.

XXX

Twilight squirmed once more, twisting around in the bed to no avail. He had a day shift tomorrow but he’d only just gotten off night shifts with one day break in between to reset his sleep cycle and it wasn’t working. It was almost midnight; he’d have to wake up in five hours as it was, he had to get some sleep.

Good grief he missed EMS. At least with the squad he could self-schedule and just stick to a consistent routine.

The thought process cut itself off hastily as his mind wandered to other aspects of his former career and he twisted sharply in the bed once more. Wild was fast asleep in the bed across from him, snoring softly.

At least someone was going to be well rested before work.

A noise caught Twilight’s attention, making him stiffen. It sounded like someone was sifting through trash outside the room. Their motel wasn’t exactly in the safest part of town, and Twilight immediately stiffened, slowly reaching for the pocketknife on the nightstand. As the noise continued, he crept out of bed, peering between the blinds, unsure what he was going to see.

There was no silhouette of a person, and Twilight squinted, glancing downward, and then he gasped.

Hastening to the door, he opened it gently so as not to startle the source of the noise. As he poked his head out ever-so-slightly, the black puppy froze in place, ears peeling back as it grew anxious.

“Hi baby,” he said softly, crouching down so he was at eye level with the little ball of fluff. “Where’s your home?”

The puppy watched him uneasily, its tail swishing slightly in a hesitant greeting. It stumbled towards him with uncoordinated steps, sniffing with its wet little nose. Once it got close enough it started sniffing Twilight’s face and neck, making him giggle. His response excited the puppy, who only sniffed him more and started to lick his face as he outright laughed and fell onto the ground, overwhelmed with puppy kisses.

“Twi, what in the world…?” Wild blearily asked from his bed before growing silent.

“Come on, buddy, let’s get you some food,” Twilight said as he scooped up the little puppy, who grew still in his hold. Closing the door and locking it once more, he turned to see Wild staring at him in bewilderment.

“You brought it inside?” Wild asked.

“Of course I brought him inside, he’s starving,” Twilight insisted. “Aren’t you, buddy?”

Wild sighed, laying back down and closing his eyes. “Just don’t put him on my bed, I don’t want him making a mess on me.”

Twilight nuzzled the puppy with his cheek. “That means I get all the puppy kisses to myself.”

“And the fleas, probably.”

Twilight paused in mid chuckle, his stomach squirming a little. Ah. Yes. There was that. Then he shook his head. “It’s okay. We’ll get him all cleaned up.” “We?”

Twilight rolled his eyes. “All right, all right, I’ll get him all cleaned up. Can’t sleep anyway. What are we gonna call you, little guy?”

Wild groaned. “We’re not actually keeping him, are we?”

“Of course we are! Where else would he go?”

“A shelter?”

“He’s a baby!”

“He’s a feral puppy. Might as well be a wolf, you don’t just adopt those—”

Twilight gasped in delight. “Wolfie! That’s great, thanks Wild.”

Wild’s mouth became a thin line and then he turned the other way with a defeated sigh. “You’re welcome. Good night.”