tenpenynail said:
I've worked in ER's and its hectic, open, and assumptions are made.
But even BEFORE that---is there a paramedic team that works on her? An ambulance that picks them up? Because girl could have a suicide note around her neck [permanent ink, of course]. "Tell my parents I'm sorry. Emily" Then he'd know her 1st name and could act like he knew her to hospital personal.
Well here's the timeline from the standpoint of the rescue personnel:
911 gets a call from a store clerk that someone has just told him that another person had jumped off a nearby bridge, it's late and he doesn't trust the situation enough to leave the store, so he can't give them any further info as the scene is not visible from his vantage point. I'm assuming that what would be deployed is one or two police cars, the fire department and one ambulance, with the police probably being the first ones the scene.
What they find when they get there is an extremely hypothermic (and very drunk) female whom is at best semi-conscious and a male whom is quite confused and hypothermic himself, both slumped together against the chainlink fence bordering a parking lot.
When they arrive at the emergency room they are taken to separate stalls to be worked on. He get's placed under one of those forced-warm air "Bear Hugger" warming blankets and has his core temp watched closely while she, being in more serious condition, is given oxygen, warmed intravenious fluids and placed under a warmer as well.
Eventually when they are stabilized they are taken to rooms, he is released by noon the next day after giving a statement to police. She on the other hand is kept for a 72 hour evaluation, eventually being released after making a commitment to see a local psychiatrist and being deemed not to be an immediate threat to herself, although I doubt I'll cover any of this in the story.
I'm not sure about her having any actual ID, I would like to show the reader that she is not in such terrible shape that when she tries to return to work a little over week later (she's a work-aholic type) that it isn't credible, and having her talk at least a little to the hospital staff by giving her name might be a good way to show that. She doesn't leave a note as it was a very spur of the moment, alcoholic lubricated-kind of act, and in any case with her being very introverted leaving a note wouldn't be her style.
He never makes any bones about the fact that he doesn't know her and is not desperate enough to find out as to lie or try to manipulate anyone, he's just completely stunned by the whole situation. But still he might probe a little while he's there and maybe charm some basic info out of people, he 's got some personal history that makes this situation rather ironic and naturally he's curious to know what she's all about.
When all is said and done all he walks away with is her first name, that fact that she was very drunk, that she will physically be ok and is going to be kept for a while to make sure she is not a danger to herself.
All this brings up a couple of other good questions, like would they try to take them both in one ambulance or would they take the time with the male to call another for him? He blacks out about the time they arrive so while he never needs CPR they certainly wouldn't want to waste time getting him to the hospital either.
Also when it comes to soaking wet, dangerously hypothermic people is it standard practice for paramedics to just cut off their clothes or would they try to work them off intact? And if they do have to destroy their clothes, what would they give such individuals to wear upon their release assuming they had nobody to bring them new clothes? That wouldn't be an issue for my female protag but it would be for him since he doesn't know anyone in that area.
I don't plan to give a blow-by-blow description of what happens to them on the way to the hospital or their treatment, in fact I don't think either he or the reader will hear from the female again until this episode is at least a week or two old, but still I want to know the details just in case I need to work some of them in.
Oh and by the way,
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!