The Narlington Chronicles

Pratt & Whitney Stadium stood approximately thirty miles from St. Narlington Neuroscience Hospital, which sat nestled in the small town of Wallingford, Connecticut. It was a world-class institution of healing and knowledge, under the watchful eye of Dr. Alistair Harris MD/Ph.D. As a tenured Chief Medical Officer, he assembled some of the world’s most renowned medical talent on the east coast. He had personally authored several cutting-edge studies in cognitive behavior. He additionally co-authored papers on the uses of psychedelic drugs to treat patients with PTSD. In what some would say voodoo science, these drugs somehow “reset” the brain by altering neurotransmitter levels, aiding in the rehabilitation of patients.

Fourteen minutes from St. Narlington, the ambulance expertly navigated the narrow streets of Wallingford. Edvin’s attention began to drift; he couldn’t help shake a nagging feeling in his gut. Where had he seen this girl? Kevin Spencer, ten years Edvin’s junior, was a gifted and talented paramedic. Early in his career, he obtained a Ph.D./MD in Cognitive Behavior and Molecular Biology at John Hopkins.

His life forever changed after one fateful day in late fall during his final ER rotation. Edvin and his partner at the time had retrieved a man from his home pool in Madison County. They did all they could but couldn’t reach him in time. Kevin knew at that moment what his calling and purpose were, knowing he wanted on the front lines, and the valuable time saved would be invaluable. He understood that time was needlessly lost; what if they had a rolling, portable emergency room? Kevin thought Armin D’Amboise would still be alive today. It did not take much cajoling, and with some generous benefactors, New Haven’s EMS ground fleet had set the benchmark for Emergency Medicine everywhere. Soon after, Kevin and Edvin became close friends bonding over their shared interests and experiences. Their newfound partnership spearheaded the program and, in the process, saved countless lives. A déjà vu experience came over them; it was a feeling they couldn’t place.

The rear cabin of the 1.2 million dollars mobile ER was surprisingly spacious. Kevin was closely monitoring Bianca’s vitals. Rhythmic sounds emanating from the monitors were somehow soothing for Katie as her mind drifted. However, today’s events had triggered some of her deepest and darkest fears. The last time she was in an ambulance, an eight gauge tube was sticking out of her mouth, and the contents of her stomach emptied into a red biohazard container.

Shortly after, a memorial banquet commemorates all of her late father’s achievements, honoring his life’s work. She had overindulged in consuming two bottles of Véuve Clícquo (high-end champagne) and an indeterminate amount of sleeping pills. Katie does not recall much of that day, hopeless and desperate to feel something; still reeling from the prior years’ tragic events of her father’s passing.

Dr. Harris and his team at St. Narlington employed cutting-edge technologies and techniques. Through their selfless efforts, Katie D’Amboise survived her ordeal. She could’ve easily found herself lying next to her father in Wuntruth memorial park. Katie was grateful and humbled for all the staff and their tireless efforts. The piercing sound of the heart monitor jolted Katie back to reality.

“Edvin, what’s our ETA?” Kevin’s voice had an air of concern to it. “We’re ten minutes out, good buddy!” Edvin clapped back. The heart monitor alerts intensified. “What’s happening!!” Katie and Amber said the expression on their faces was one of uncertainty. “You promised she’d be all right!” Katie’s voice cracked.

The Phillips K4500 was the top-of-line heart monitor and could sense heart arrhythmia, calibrated to auto-correct minor arrhythmias, with electrical impulse directed to the heart. Kevin had vetted this device implicitly and was confident in its design.

“Edvin, something is not right with the K4500,” Kevin said. Bringing his full attention to Bianca, “I am switching to manual and pushing 5 ml of Epi!” Kevin experienced enough to run the K4500 in manual mode. It was not often, but when the situation called for it, he followed the protocols to the letter. The two-ton vehicle reeled forward and to the left.” Sorry about that.” Edvin said. “Hold on, ladies, it’s going to get a little rough!” Edvin continued to press the accelerator. Katie felt an uneasy yet calming weight lift, but it was short-lived. The K4500 sprung to life; once holding a steady rhythmic display of lines and numbers, the screen was erratic. “Edvin, hurry up. I don’t want to lose her!” Edvin, for the first time tonight, looked panicked and worried.

“Pushing another 10 ml of Epi,” Edvin barked; the K4500 barely registered. The once quiet and spacious cabin was quickly descending into chaos. The K4500 lights and alerts were frantically blinking and displaying a freighting flat line. “Beginning CPR and compression!” Kevin bellowed. “Katie, grab me those two white paddles,” Kevin ordered. She fumbled through the cabin’s back and handed Kevin two innocent white paddles. “Stand clear charging 20!” Kevin called out. “No, Bianca, you can’t leave us!” Katie said as her eyes began to swell with tears.

Edvin pushed the mammoth hunk of steel to 120 mph. The audible whining of the turbo six cylinders was holding steady. Edvin’s attention split with the rear cabin and a minefield of debris. Something had to give. Edvin had only seconds to react to the accident ahead. A three-car pileup with a down-live power line was in his direct path. Edvin had to make a calculated split-second decision. Unaware of what was occurring, Kevin laid the two highly charged paddles on Bianca’s bare chest. Kevin briefly shifted his gaze and locked eyes with Edvin, the look of fear and dismay was palpable. Kevin knew he wasn’t going to save her with a simple glance, nor was he sure if they would make it either.

Kevin refocused his attention on his patient as he pressed the discarded button on the paddles. The modified van jumped the curb as Katie and Amber ejected through the rear doors landing in a pool of highly electrified water. The ambulance landed twenty feet from the shore’s edge into Haverford River and slowly sank into the rushing ice-cold waters. A supposed routine emergency call had ended in a supposed tragedy. Unbeknownst to Kevin and Edvin, mystical yet supernatural forces were at play.

The ambulance struck the water’s surface; a brief flash of blinding white light accompanied by a tremendous booming thunder, followed by enigmatic darkness and deafening silence. It was the last anyone who allegedly heard or saw Ambulance #1!