The ambulance had pulled up in front of the establishment just a few minutes after they'd locked the door to close for the night but the clerks inside had thankfully waved Corey in. He'd graciously thanked them for their time and commented how it was a small relief he and his partner would at least be able to partake in some of the better coffee offered in the city before it got too late. After giving over a generous tip, Corey stepped out in the pouring rain and found himself drenched before he could cross the sidewalk to the large, waiting red and white truck.
"See?" The big man said, climbing into the passenger seat and pulling the door closed behind him. "I told you they closed at eleven." He handed over one of the steaming, cardboard cups of coffee to his partner and pulled the dark blue hat which was proudly emblazoned with the initials "KPD" on the front and tossed it onto the dashboard of the ambulance. "Next time you'll listen to me when I tell when the coffee shops close, right?" There was a faintly amused smirk that touched the large man's lips as he glanced to Ezra Cooper before turning his gaze to dig around in the bag for the handful of pastries he'd picked up to help them get through what was sure to be a long night ahead of them.
Last Edit: Nov 17, 2015 2:50:19 GMT -6 by Corey Spencer
Post by Ezra Cooper on Nov 3, 2015 18:55:28 GMT -6
Graciously plucking the the coffee cup out of the older mutant's hand and cupping it in his hands, Ezra rolled his dark brown eyes at his mentor before taking a tentative sip from the cup. "The last time I drove past here it said eight to ten, bro." He took another sip, this time a longer one before slipping the cup into the holder and reached down to grab at the first pastry his gloved hand curled upon.
The smell of coffee filled the front seat of the vehicle and Ezra couldn't help but sigh. Truth be told, he would rather be home, curled up in his tiny girlfriend's arms in their onesies, snuggled up under the covers. But nope. He was here with his burly partner who found joy in pointing out how wrong Ezra was.
"I would have been happy with a 7-11 cup of coffee and maybe those long garlic...oh yeah no. These. Keep giving me these." He nodded as he took a big bite out of his pastry.
Post by Corey Spencer on Nov 5, 2015 22:26:44 GMT -6
Corey only quirked a brow in his partner's direction. Ezra rambled a bit then switched his stance, which was an all too normal ocurrance these days. Ezra, it seemed, often forgot Corey played the role of the seasoned veteran in their partnership. He had the cool head while Ezra was the plucky comic relief. Or something along those lines.
With a slow nod Corey paused long enough to secure his seatbelt before plucking a danish from the bag and settling back into his seat. "I don't like dead night." He grumbled, eyes narrowing as he looked out the window to the dreary, rainy weather outside. "They never end quietly."
Ezra never forgot Corey's role. He just got used to it that it no longer became the top concern for the younger mutant. Everything was still so fresh and new and exciting for Ezra. He was a paramedic. Not exactly a firefighter like he had hoped to be but it was damn near close. And he got to work closely with his mentor. He couldn't have asked for a better gig.
Sure, the job was taxing as all hell and he had seen a lot more things than he could have hoped for but all of it was damn worth it at the end of the day.
Which was why Ezra sighed slightly at Corey's words. "Sometimes, I get scared when you say that. I know you've got body armour as your ability but there could be a latent gene in there that you don't know even exists which could just make you a psychic." He bit into his snack and narrowed his eyes at Corey.
Post by Corey Spencer on Nov 6, 2015 3:19:24 GMT -6
Corey's eyes narrowed as he started out the window for a long moment. He'd heard Ezra's words and even nodded at the time to show the younger paramedic that, but Corey didn't answer for a bit. He simply watched the rain coming down outside and contemplated what the gut feeling that had risen inside him meant.
"Nah, we'll be alright." Corey said suddenly as he snapped back to reality. He reached out and plucked his coffee cup from the holder and took a sip. "Anyway." Corey didn't want to talk about things that might happen. People in their position couldn't focus on much of anything save for the job in front of them. It paid to have tunnel vision when you did the work they were tasked with. "How's your girlfriend?" Corey asked in an effort to change the subject.
Post by Ezra Cooper on Nov 6, 2015 10:57:01 GMT -6
It was a good thing they were still stationary as Ezra looked over to the older man in confusion. It hardly seemed a good thing when he stared out the window like that. Ezra's eyebrows furrowed in the middle before finished off his pastry in two more bites before nodding when Corey finally seemed to be prompted out of his reverie.
As soon as Corey went into his next line of thought, Ezra's demeanour changed. The eyebrows eased down and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "She's been worth the wait and more." He responded, looking out the window as his dimples appeared even deeper in his cheeks. "Although I can't help but feel like...ever since we graduated, there's...you know how I used to tell you she would jump on me at random times for Skittles? I kinda don't see that energy and happiness anymore." He shrugged before shaking his head. "I don't know. Maybe she's growing out of that phase." Leaning back against his seat, he turned his head to look at Corey.
"There's nothing wrong with acting like a kid now right? I mean...growing up doesn't mean growing out of what we used to do, does it?"
Post by Corey Spencer on Nov 9, 2015 22:52:53 GMT -6
A brow quirked just slightly as Ezra spoke. Corey quickly picked up on the almost forlorn way in which the younger paramedic outlined his problems. The big man looked at Ezra as more than just a mentor or partner, though he'd yet to express such a thing vocally. At this point he felt more like a little brother to the former Green Beret. He listened intently before giving a slow nod. Surprisingly enough this wasn't the first time he'd been approached with a similar situation. Many of the soldiers placed under his care during his military days had been young men making the transition into adulthood. While the circumstances may have been drastically different in the army, the concept remained the same.
"It takes some people more time to figure out who they are as an adult." He said after Ezra had finished and looked to him for some sort of answer. Corey never thought of himself as a particularly solid choice to dispense advice but it sounded as though Ezra didn't have many other options. "You met her when she was, what? Fourteen? And she's twenty... two now?" Corey wasn't sure, though the numbers sounded at least close. "Obviously she's not the same person now as she was then. Graduating college is a big deal. It's a step not everyone handles well. She's probably just scared and uncertain."
Post by Ezra Cooper on Nov 10, 2015 17:53:50 GMT -6
Ezra listened as Corey spoke. Part of him understood what the older mutant was saying. Of course it made sense. Ezra was still holding on to the girl she had been. He had seen her through the transitions she went through. From being a scared high schooler, to a confident and spastic collegiate and now...was she reverting to that scared high schooler?
"I guess so. I guess I just wish she'd open up to me." He fashioned the statement into more of a question, which he didn't know why. It wasn't like Corey could actually do anything about it. Maybe Ezra should give Alex some time. Corey was right. This was just another transitioning period. He will help Alex along the way, that much was obvious. She was his girlfriend and he loved her. If he couldn't help her with all he had, he wouldn't be doing his job properly.
The radio crackled then. By the codes coming through, Ezra looked to Corey with curiosity and a bit of anxiety. It hadn't been a prediction but it was damn near close to one. Without a word, Ezra eased off the side of the road and maneuvered his way to their destination.
Post by Corey Spencer on Nov 11, 2015 20:23:30 GMT -6
The big man gave a faint nod as he listened to his younger partner. Corey would be kysing if he said he knew exactly what either of them were going through. He had enlisted in the Army the day he turned 18 and was able to do so without his parents' consent. College and the 'real world' didn't come until much later when he was already older and more world weary. It was a good thing being a non-commissioned officer practically made him a school councilor.
"Have you talked to her about it?" He asked, throwing out the most obvious course of action. "Tell her all this that you've noticed? She can't open up if she doesn't know you see it."
As it had a habit of doing, duty got the way of conversation. Corey sat up straight as the call came through the radio. The calm, collected voice of the dispatcher belied the scene that was being described by codes and emergency services jargon. With a glance to Ezra, Corey nodded. "We'll finish that talk later."
Post by Ezra Cooper on Nov 11, 2015 21:42:14 GMT -6
Corey's suggestion to talk to Alex was taken to note, though Ezra responded in the negative. "I haven't spoken to her. I guess I'm a little scared to open up that part. I don't want to ups-"
He was pulled into his driving and because the roads were clear, he didn't have to sound the siren, thank God. It always gave him a headache. They arrived at the scene and Ezra leapt into action, following Corey's lead, as always. Ezra was still fairly new to the work and though he was a quick study, he was still not confident enough to take the lead. In due time, perhaps, but for now, he was more than happy to let Corey take the lead.
Post by Corey Spencer on Nov 13, 2015 14:02:48 GMT -6
The scene wasn't a good one. Not that any call they received could have been labelled 'good' but some were far worse than others and this certainly was worse. If he hadn't seen so much come from one person before Corey would be amazed whoever it was laying on the dirty, wet ground of a back alley behind a supermarket could lose the amount of blood that had spilled out and still be alive. In spite of the situation's urgency, the big man moved with a resolute calm. His hands moved in practiced motions as he clearly and concisely communicated with his partner to stem the blood flow and stabilize the patient for transfer to the hospital. It was a set of tasks Corey had done a thousand times before and performed each with practiced ease even if he was rattled by the youth of the victim.
The boy, who couldn't have been more than 10 or 12 years old, looked to have met the wrong side of a knife. Numerous wounds had been opened up, though it was difficult to tell how long ago they'd been sustained. The details hardly mattered at this point. Corey and Ezra weren't there to investigate a crime, but save a life. Within a few short minutes the ambulance was pulling back out onto the street, lights flashing and siren blaring. The noise seemed to blur into one, nearly overwhelming cacophony. Theirs was a life of mind numbing hours of quiet interrupted by brief explosions of sound and activity.
It was a clean, efficient transfer with little in the way of problems. The boy was in bad shape and was only showing trace signs of life by the time he had found his way into the care of the ER nurses and doctors. Corey had ridden in the back of the ambulance while Ezra drove. Once it was all said and done, the big man stepped out through the automatic doors of the ER entrance and started toward where the ambulance was sitting. Corey's eyes shifted to his partner and he gave a shake of his head.
"It doesn't look good." He said quietly, immediately moving toward the passenger side of the truck. There was something bugging him that Ezra hadn't quite seen before, something about this call that rattled him in a way that was so unbecoming of the experienced medic. "Let's get back to the station and clean the truck." He said curtly, climbing into the cab.
Post by Ezra Cooper on Nov 16, 2015 16:20:40 GMT -6
Corey never ceased to amaze Ezra with how collected he seemed to portray outwardly despite dire circumstances. He didn't know exactly how long it would take for him to get that way but for now, he would just assist the good man himself. But he wouldn't downplay his own efficiency either as his hands practically had a life of it's own, going through the motions much like a seasoned medic would.
He too was rattled by how young the victim was. His mind was occupied by the task at hand but there was a part of him that was very curious as to what happened. Who would even do such a thing to a kid? Was it because it was easy?
As he waited for Corey to come out of the hospital, Ezra's hand trembled and he shook his head. What a night. He shook his hands off just as Corey returned. The look on his face sort of squeezed Ezra's heart a little. He may not have known the kid personally but that meant nothing in the grand scheme of things.
Ezra took in Corey's demeanour, noting something different in the man that he was about to comment on but was met with a curt order. He nodded and climbed into the front seat and proceeded to drive to the station in silence. Ezra was sort of glad he didn't still get consumed by grief for every person who didn't make it but it still hurt him a little. He needed to see his girlfriend now more than ever.
Once they arrived at the station, Ezra climbed out and took off his shirt, chucking it into his bag to wash. He watched Corey as he climbed to the back with the cleaning supplies. "You okay, boss?"
Post by Corey Spencer on Nov 17, 2015 2:45:29 GMT -6
Corey followed suit and rode along in the passenger seat of the ambulance in silence. There were no words that would ease the burdens of the images that flashed through his mind. Startling similarities had triggered long dormant memories. Memories that had blurred together into a singular, twisted miasma of pain, fear, blood and torment. Memories Corey hoped had been buried years ago under the weight of a life now void of the same lingering dread that had come to define so much of his life.
By the time the two paramedics had arrived back at the station Corey was lost in his own mind. He started as if pinched when Ezra's voice cut through the silence and turned to look at his younger partner. "Huh?" Corey's brow furrowed before he shook his head. "Yeah. Yeah. I'm alright. Bad memories is all." Slowly he slipped out of the truck's cab and donned the bio-hazard gear needed to clean out the back of the ambulance. They needed to work quickly as they still had a number of hours to cover before they were set to finish their shift and it was crucial they got back on the road as soon as possible.
"You wanna grab the hose?" Corey asked as he eyed the blood that had pooled on the metal floor of the ambulance.
Post by Ezra Cooper on Nov 17, 2015 3:41:18 GMT -6
Corey's simple answer had Ezra staring at the older man for a second or two longer than was appropriate before he accepted the answer. He knew Corey was a soldier but they never spoke about his time as one. Come to think of it, Ezra knew close to nothing about Corey other than the stoic display he had always put up since they met when Ezra first arrived at Bellefonte.
Nodding at the question, Ezra walked over to the rolled up hose, turning the faucet on and walking over, unraveling the hose as he did so. He started hosing down the back of the truck, watching as it diluted the blood.
"Are you going over to the hospital again after our shift?" Ezra asked.
Post by Corey Spencer on Nov 17, 2015 4:20:11 GMT -6
Corey nodded slowly as Ezra seem to accept the simple, curt answer. He never felt it prudent to discuss his persona life much, hadn't since he was a child and hid the fact that his parents were poor, abusive druggies. Part of the fear of being seen as 'that' kid in school had lingered and evolved into not wanting to be 'that' soldier who couldn't let go of his past or tried to shove his sacrifices down everyone's throat. Corey had continued to tell himself he was merely a man doing a job, serving a purpose, and nothing else. It was times like these he wasn't so sure if that was such a good idea.
The red water that poured from the back of the ambulance onto the concrete floor of the washing station splashed against the rubber boots the big man wore. He'd hardly heard Ezra question as his mind, once again, drifted back to another time and place. It was only a few seconds but more than enough to attract the attention of his much younger counterpart. There was no denying he'd been rattled and it wasn't fair to continue shutting Ezra out. They were partners, allies in all this. Surely after all these years Ezra was now closer to understanding what Corey had kept bottled up inside for so long than most others who'd never known blood and sacrifice.
"We were in Iraq in twenty-eleven." Corey started suddenly as he snapped back to reality and started about helping with the cleaning. It was a job they'd done a thousand times before and could do it in his sleep. "A civil affairs company was building a school for this town. They'd built it twice before and each time it got blown up. Suicide bombers each time. We decided to stop by and lend our support, see if we could help find out who was doing it. One day we were heading to the site and there was this... explosion." Corey paused his scrubbing of the locking mechanism that kept the gurney in place and glanced to Ezra. "It was the kind of boom that you felt in your guts. Someone had planted a box truck, and entire fucking box truck of explosives and set it off near the site. By the time we got there there was this huge crater, you'd swear the dinosaurs just went extinct by the size of this hole."
With a grunt, Corey turned and went back to scrubbing the disinfectant into the narrow nooks and pieces of the mechanism. "The site was right in the middle of the damn town. There were bodies everywhere but hardly anything you could recognize. Only a bit of something that looked like it was human here and there. A bit of a leg, a hand. I still don't know how many people died that day but the townspeople were stunned, just walking around looking for their dead like zombies. Until he showed up." There was a faint trace of contempt in Corey's voice as he climbed into the back of the truck to continue his deep clean.
"He was a fat fucker we found out later was working for Al Qaeda. He was a plant to raise tension and turn the town against us. He started yelling to the crowd that he saw an Army vehicle drive away just before the bomb went off. He was convincing too. The entire damn town turned on us. I'll tell you I've been in a lot of bad spots but few scared the shit out of me like seeing two hundred hurt, scared and pissed off people who are an inch away from tearing your entire team apart."
Undaunted, Corey moved further into the rear of the truck, now plucking up the remnants of the work they'd done on their most recent case for proper disposal. "Then out of nowhere, this fucking reserve sergeant gets up and starts opposing the Al Qaeda mole. This guy must have been a lawyer on the civilian side because I've never seen anyone stare down two hundred people like that and be as calm. He started going back and forth, slowly getting the crowd to settle. Then, like it was a goddamn movie the people part and this old man walks forward, a boy in his arms, couldn't be older than ten. The boy's gone, all messed up, blood everywhere, the sergeant turns, catches sight of this and you can see his heart break. He faces the crowd and says, 'Your enemy is mine. The men who did this, who killed your friends, your family, are less than animals. We will hunt them down and bring them to justice.'. And just like that, the crowd turns."
Corey's head shook as he recounted the story. Slowly he climbed out of the ambulance and tossed the sponge he'd been using in the bio-hazard bin. "The crowd starts getting hostile toward the fat guy, telling him to shut up and kicking him in the ass until he takes off running. Once we get back to the FOB, we find out he's on MI's most wanted list. Next day that same C.A. sergeant goes out with an infantry platoon and within three hours the townspeople had drug this guy out into the streets and handed him over. He lasts ten minutes with our HUMINT guys before he turns over and leads us to the people who'd been bombing the school." Corey shrugged as he tugged the large rubber gloves off his hands. "But I'll never forget the image of that man and his boy. I don't know." He glanced away and tossed the gloves aside. "Anyway. We've got to get back out on the road."