Marjy Becomes a …
by Marty P.
After many months of arduous studies, countless hours of field experience and intensive testing for certification, Marjy entered the workforce as a paramedic."Hey, Marjy! Congratulations! Roy told me you found a full-time job," Johnny called to Roy’s next door neighbor as he left his partner’s home.
"Yeah, but I’ll seldom see the DeSotos now. My work hours will be very irregular and I’ll be working out of a different hospital too," Marjy announced. "I guess it’s a good thing I live alone," she added.
"I know what you mean, but keep in touch, okay?" Johnny told her.
###
Six weeks later…
Roy and Johnny finished tinkering with Roy’s car and began relaxing in the backyard.
"So, Roy. How’s Marjy doing in her job?" Johnny inquired.
"I’m not sure. We hardly ever see her these days." He noticed her resting on a lawn chair in her backyard. "Why don’t you go ask her yourself?"
Johnny rose and went over to Marjy. She was in a one piece swimsuit. He touched her on the shoulder. "Hi, Marjy! How are you?" he questioned.
"Oh, hello Johnny," she said in a drowsy voice. "I guess I fell asleep. What time is it?"
"2:30," he told her after checking his watch. "How long have you been out here?"
"Oh my, it’s been about 2 hours!" She answered.
"Your skin feels pretty warm. Marjy, I think you got sunburned," he notified her after gently touching her back and shoulders.
"Boy, this is really embarrassing!" She exclaimed. "Not only did I fall asleep but I never rolled over! Talk about being half baked!"
"What’s going on, Johnny?" Roy said as he joined them.
"Well, it seems Marjy fell asleep and got sunburned," he notified his friend.
"Let’s help you inside Marjy," Roy said firmly. He and Johnny carefully removed her from the chair.
"I’ll find some towels," Johnny told Roy.
Roy led Marjy to her sofa. "Why don’t you lie down here?" He suggested.
"I’ll go get you a glass of water."
"I feel so foolish!" Marjy said heatedly. "I’m a trained paramedic now and I go and do this!"
"Man, it can happen to any of us, Marjy." Johnny remarked. "Here Marjy, why don’t you take these aspirin for the pain?"
They watched her swallow the tablets and then applied cool compresses to her sensitive skin.
Then Roy said, "Marjy, Joanne and I will check on you in a little while. Call us if you need anything."
"I need to go, too, Marjy," Johnny added. "Take care."
###
"Hello, Marjy!" Roy called to his neighbor. "I feel like we haven’t seen each other for about six months!"
She walked toward him, "Roy, it certainly has been quite awhile."
"So, how’s life as a paramedic?" he questioned her.
"Never dull! Recently I treated a twelve-year old who went into a diabetic coma. Then there was the man who forgot to move his thumb when he used his bandsaw, and the child who decided to jump out the window to see if he could fly. I guess I’m amazed at the variety of rescues I’ve encountered!" Marjy replied.
"Each one is unique. A paramedic is never bored!" Roy retorted.
###
Several weeks later…
"Marjy! What are you doing at the station?" Johnny asked her.
"Joanne asked me to drop something off for Roy," she said.
"Well, why don’t you meet everyone?" Johnny suggested.
"Hey guys, we have company!" He yelled.
"Marjy, meet Mike, Marco, Chet and Cap," he said as he performed the introductions.
Roy entered the room and said, "Joanne told me you’d be by. Thanks!"
"Well, I better be heading off to work," she stated as she walked toward the door.
"Marjy, are you limping?" Johnny queried as he approached her.
"Oh, I was really hoping you wouldn’t notice!" she exclaimed.
"What happened?" Roy asked.
"I accidentally ran over my foot with a gurney. Thankfully, the patient on it wasn’t very heavy."
"Are you all right?" Johnny continued.
"Yes, the doctor examined it. He told me I’ll limp a few more days but I’m fine," she said glibly. "Bye everyone. Nice to meet you all." She waved as she left the station.
"Watch out for those gurneys, Marjy!" Chet warned her loudly.
"Thanks, Chet! Don’t trip over any hoses!" she reciprocated.
###
The next day…
The DeSotos were eating dinner when they heard a knock at the door. Roy opened it to find Marjy beaming at him.
"Roy, I had to tell somebody!" She began excitedly. "I just delivered my first baby!"
"Congratulations Marjy," Roy replied. "You can’t describe the emotion you feel when you bring a new life into the world! It’s really unbelievable."
"It’s incredible!" she continued.
"Would you like to come in?" Roy asked.
"No, I can’t stick around. But, thanks so much for letting me share my news with you!"
###
A few days later…
"Hi Roy! How were your days off?" Johnny asked him as he changed into his uniform.
"They were pretty typical," Roy responded. "Oh, Marjy did stop by and tell me she delivered a baby. She was so excited when she gave me the news."
"Yeah, I remember the first baby I brought into the world. Pretty amazing feeling, isn’t it?" Johnny reminisced.
"You’re right. But, Marjy enjoys children so much I imagine she’ll be on an emotional high for several more days," Roy added.
###
A month later….
Johnny was helping Roy with yard work when they saw Marjy cleaning her garage.
"I guess it’s about time I did this. I haven’t done it since I moved in," Marjy told them.
"Need any help?" Roy questioned.
"No, I appreciate it but I’m almost finished," Marjy said.
They headed back to Roy’s front yard but stopped abruptly when they heard Marjy scream. The two men rushed to her aid.
"What’s the matter?" Roy said.
"I stepped on a rusty nail!" Marjy said in dismay.
"Okay, come over and sit on this stool." Johnny instructed her. He carefully removed her sandal and examined the puncture wound.
"Marjy, this is still bleeding. Where’s your first aid kit?"
"Over there on the work bench," she said as she pointed to it.
"I’ll go get it." Roy said to Johnny.
Johnny applied an antiseptic to the wound and a dressing. Then he turned to Marjy, "When did you last have a tetanus shot?"
"I think it was a few years ago when I cut my finger." She said to him.
"Well, let’s take you over to Rampart and make sure you’re okay." Johnny told her firmly.
###
Six weeks later…
"Joanne, thanks for the dinner invitation," Marjy said as she entered the DeSoto home.
"How are you, Marjy? It’s been so long since we’ve seen you," Joanne remarked.
"Keeping really busy. I’ve been pulling extra shifts for the last several weeks," Marjy replied.
"So, how is life as a paramedic?" Roy asked.
"I was recently on a run where we treated a 4-year-old who decided to taste all of the household cleaners under the sink. Don’t parents realize how toxic those solutions are? The poor child almost died!" She exclaimed in frustration.
"Those calls are always difficult, Marjy," Roy stated.
"Can we change the subject, please?" Joanne interjected. "I’ll let you two discuss this later if you want." She turned to Marjy, "What else are you doing these days?"
"Uh, not much. I guess I’ve been spending most of my time working," Marjy said reluctantly.
"Make sure you take some time away from work. Find time to relax," Roy strongly suggested. "You’ll burn out if you focus totally on being a paramedic."
"Thanks for the advice, Roy. I’ll keep that in mind."
###
Two weeks later…
"Sure is a beautiful day, Roy," Johnny said as he tossed the basketball into the hoop.
"Can’t argue with you there, Partner," Roy replied as he reached for the rebound.
"Where’s Chris today? He usually comes and plays with us," Johnny said as the ball hit its mark.
"He decided spending time with his friends was more important than hanging around with dear old dad," Roy answered as he dribbled past his friend.
Suddenly, they heard a plaintive cry for help from Marjy’s home. "Can anyone hear me? Help!"
They rushed over to her unlocked door and found her in the living room. They gazed at Marjy sitting on her floor in a lotus position.
"Marjy, what’s the matter? We heard you asking for help," Roy notified her.
"Guys, could you help me? I’m…stuck," Marjy said sheepishly.
"Stuck?" Johnny said to her, perplexed.
"Yeah, I got a muscle cramp and I can’t straighten out my legs," she told them painfully.
"Sure, we’ll help you out," Roy said nonchalantly.
The two men gently unfolded Marjy and helped her to a chair.
"Are you okay? Why were you doing yoga anyway?" Johnny asked her.
"Well, Roy suggested I find a way to relax. I’ve always heard yoga was relaxing. But I think I better find a different way to unwind, so to speak."
"Oh, Marjy, call us if you need us, okay?" Roy said.
Johnny and Roy chuckled as they headed back to their basketball scrimmage.
###
Three months later…
"I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the station," Johnny said as he was leaving Roy’s house.
You got it, Pally," Roy called after him.
Both of them saw Marjy pull into her driveway. She slowly got out of her car, looking very distraught.
"Marjy, what’s wrong?" Johnny asked very concerned.
"I just finished my shift. There was an auto accident. A girl, about Jennifer’s age didn’t make it," she said, her voice cracking.
"Man, those calls are always tough," Johnny said empathetically.
"Treating children is really difficult. When they die…" Roy added.
"I know Roy, it feels like my heart is breaking," Marjy interrupted.
"Do you have any plans tonight?" Johnny suggested.
"No, thought I’d catch up on some rest. I’ve been pretty busy lately," Marjy told him.
"Tell you what. Why don’t we just have a fun evening together?" Johnny suggested.
"Oh, Johnny, I don’t need a mercy date. You are very sweet but I’m okay," Marjy replied.
"I insist. I won’t take no for an answer," Johnny said emphatically.
That evening Johnny rang Marjy’s doorbell.
"Are you ready to go?" he said to her as she stood in the doorway.
"You forgot to tell me what you wanted to do," she stated.
"Oh, sorry about that. I guess I was thinking of pizza and a movie."
They soon arrived at the restaurant. The waitress brought their order and they started to eat. After Johnny polished off his fifth piece of pizza he realized Marjy was still toying with her first slice.
"Marjy, do you feel ill?" he questioned.
"No Johnny, I’m just not hungry," she informed him.
"I thought you might enjoy a comedy tonight," he continued.
"Sounds good. Let’s go," she said as she gathered her belongings.
After the movie, he drove her home. He turned to her and asked, "how did you like the movie?"
"What? I’m sorry, I guess I wasn’t listening, she replied apologetically. "I haven’t been very good company tonight."
"Marjy, can I come in for awhile?" he asked her. "I think we need to talk. You can’t internalize everything. Sadly, in our profession there will be tragedies."
"I know, Johnny. I just can’t forget about the child. I didn’t even know her name! If only she had been wearing a seatbelt!" she said, tormented.
"Marjy, you can’t control every situation and you can’t get emotionally involved," Johnny told her as he unlocked her door. "Why don’t you come over here and sit down?" He suggested as he guided her to the sofa. "Come on, don’t keep everything bottled up."
"Oh, Johnny…" she began and burst into tears.
"I know, I know," he said softly as he consoled her.
After her sobs subsided, he asked gently, "do you feel better?"
"Well, I could use a hug," she answered shyly.
"Sure thing." They embraced. "I better be going now. Get some sleep."
"Yes, 'doctor'. And Johnny, thank you so much!"
###
A month later…
"Jennifer, would you please take this plate of cookies over to Marjy?" Joanne asked her daughter. "I hope they cheer her up. She’s really been down lately."
"Sure, Mom."
Jennifer went over to Marjy’s front door and rang the bell. There was no answer so she returned home.
"Mom, do we still have a key to her house?"
"Here," Joanne said, handing her the key. "Why don’t you put the cookies on her kitchen counter?"
Jennifer entered Marjy’s house and headed to the kitchen. She stopped abruptly when she saw Marjy lying on the floor.
"Marjy, Marjy! Are you all right?" she cried in distress.
She dashed home and shouted, "Mom! Marjy’s lying on her kitchen floor and she won’t answer me!"
Joanne reached for the phone and dialed Station 51. Hank Stanley answered.
"Hello, Captain Stanley. This is Joanne DeSoto. My next door neighbor is down. Could you all come?"
"Be right there, Joanne." He hung up and contacted the dispatcher.
"Guys, we have a woman down. Joanne called it in. It’s your next door neighbor, Roy. Let’s roll, gentlemen."
Johnny glanced at Roy, "Marjy?" he mouthed. Roy nodded grimly.
Joanne and Jennifer returned to Marjy’s house to wait for the firefighters.
In a few moments, the vehicles rolled in. Johnny and Roy quickly gathered their equipment and entered the house.
"We’re in the kitchen, guys!" Joanne called.
The two paramedics quickly began to assess Marjy’s condition. "Roy, the pulse is 60, respirations are 12 and the blood pressure is 136/90."
"Marco, would you go and get the oxygen please?" Johnny requested.
"Thanks, Marco," Roy stated as he put her on oxygen. She began to regain consciousness.
"Johnny? Roy?" she said in confusion. "Wha…"
"It seems you fainted," Johnny notified her.
She tried to sit up.
"Whoa there, you’re not going anywhere." Johnny told her as he placed a restraining hand on her shoulder.
"Rampart, this is Squad 51. We have a female, approximately 32 years of age. Victim had a syncopal episode. Her vital signs are: pulse is 60, respirations are 12 and blood pressure is 136/90. Pupils are equal and reactive. We administered oxygen and she has regained consciousness," Roy told the hospital.
"Squad 51, start an IV with D5W TKO and transport as soon as possible," Dr. Brackett ordered.
"10-4, Rampart," Roy replied.
"Marjy, when’s the last time you ate something?" Johnny asked.
"Let’s see, I guess this is Tuesday. Oh, I ate Sunday afternoon. I just haven’t been really hungry recently. I’m all right, though, guys, really," she said adamantly.
"Okay, Marjy. We’ve established an IV. You’re going to the hospital to get checked out," Roy informed her.
At the hospital…
"Well hello, Marjy. We haven’t seen you here for awhile," Doctor Brackett said casually. "Johnny tells me you haven’t eaten in several days."
"No, Doctor. I just don’t have much of an appetite these days. I guess I’ve lost about fourteen pounds in the last month."
"Have you been having difficulty sleeping?" he continued.
"Yes, I dwell on what happened at work. I can’t seem to get the tragedies out of my mind," Marjy told him. "I seem to be tired all of the time, too."
"Are you enjoying your work these days?" he asked as he listened to her heart and lungs.
"No, not really. I’m always afraid I won’t be able to handle our calls," She said sadly.
"Why don’t you rest here and I’ll be back after we have the results of your tests?" Dr. Brackett informed her as he left the treatment room. He went out to the nurses’ station. Dixie, Johnny and Roy turned to him.
"How is she, Doc?" Johnny queried.
"Well, right now she’s suffering from exhaustion but I think the underlying problem is burnout," he reported.
"I know she takes her work home with her. At least she did about a month ago," Johnny told him.
"We really haven’t seen much of her recently. We’ve all been so busy. I should have seen this coming." Roy declared.
"Roy, don’t go blaming yourself," Dixie told him emphatically.
"Well, I’m going to admit her so we can keep an eye on her for a few days. I’ll let you know when you can see her," Doctor Brackett said as he departed.
###
Several days later…
"Marjy, we just stopped by between runs to see how you’re feeling," Roy said as he and Johnny came into her hospital room.
"Thanks, guys. I’m feeling more rested," Marjy informed them.
"You look more comfortable in bed than on the kitchen floor," Johnny added with an impish grin.
"Have you decided what you’re going to do?" Roy asked.
"Yeah, I want to take a leave of absence. I need to decide if I can learn to handle the stress of being a paramedic. I’ll probably take a vacation, too," Marjy told them. "Roy, would you and Joanne keep an eye on my house?" She requested.
"No problem, Marjy. Take all the time you need," Roy promised her.
"Sorry, Marjy, but we have to go now. Glad you’re feeling better!" Johnny called after them as they headed out the door.
###
Six weeks later…
After a busy shift, Roy and Johnny changed their clothes. Johnny turned to Roy and asked, "Have you heard anything from Marjy?"
"Not really," Roy replied. "She sent us a note and thanked us for keeping an eye on her house. She also wrote we would be seeing her soon. That was about a week ago. She didn’t give us any other information, though."
###
Two weeks later, at the station…
"Hey, Johnny! Roy! There’s a clown here to see you!" Chet hollered.
"Chet, cut it out! Who is it?" Johnny replied in frustration.
"I tell you guys, it really is a clown, come see," Chet said forcefully.
"All right, Chet. You better not be pulling our legs…" He stopped and stared at a woman with bright green hair, a bulbous red nose, greasepaint, and oversized, mismatched clothing.
"Marjy, is that you?" Roy asked in astonishment.
"Yeah, you know I’ve been away for awhile. I needed to see if I could continue working as a paramedic. I did some major soul searching," Marjy answered. "I decided I couldn’t really distance myself from the victims, especially the children."
"But, a clown?" Johnny said, puzzled.
"Well, I really love children and I want to make them happy. I have a sense of humor, though it has been well hidden recently. And I am really good at getting into uh, unusual situations," she said with a grin.
"How are you feeling, Marjy?" Roy interrupted.
"Much better, thanks! I feel like I have a new lease on life!" Marjy replied enthusiastically.
"Well, it’s great to see you have a sparkle back in your eye!" Johnny added.
"Have you decided on a clown name yet?"
"Yeah, Johnny, I am going to be known as Marjy Mishap!"
The Girl Next Door - Installment One
Further Adventures of the Girl Next Door - Installment Two
Marjy Falls Down On The Job - Installment Four
The Benefit - Installment Five