Sudden Response (EMS 1)

Oh, he still had an ass kicking coming and she fully planned on giving it to him, but she knew she wouldn't be able to stay mad at him even for breaking her heart. He'd move on and so would she.

"If you want the results of your test you can call the office Tuesday," Brian, the instructor from hell, said, catching her attention.

It was over? Finally, she thought as she got to her feet and grabbed the notebook she'd filled up with doodles. That reminded her that she'd have to swing by a store and pick up two more if she had any hopes of staying mildly entertained during the next two days. Of course if Eric was here she'd just draw on his arm to keep herself entertained, but he wasn't so she'd just have to learn to deal.

She headed for the door and quickened her pace when she spotted Alex, a brand spanking new EMT that decided to take the class, following her. Normally she was patient with new EMTs, well she tried to be anyway, and she understood it was an exciting job and that some of them got a little wrapped up in it, but she really didn't think she could take another minute with him.

During her breaks when she just wanted to relax and enjoy the fresh air he'd talked and wouldn't stop talking until Brian announced that the break was over. She could have probably handled a chatter box, but this guy decided that he had to share every single detail of every single call he'd ever been on. He'd been an EMT for all of six months and was sure that he'd seen it all.

She had to laugh at that. She'd been on the job for twelve years and knew damn well that she hadn't seen everything. No two days were alike and that's what she loved about the job. She could probably do this job for a hundred years and still see new things that surprised and shocked her. Alex didn't see it that way. He told her that he was already growing bored with the job and was looking into becoming a paramedic or a fireman.

When she made the mistake of encouraging him, mostly to end the conversation, he listed all the reasons why he should be a fireman. Her only escape had been the woman's room, but it was a short lived escape. He waited for her outside the restroom and jumped right back into his little spiel as though he'd never stopped. He did the same thing during their lunch break, making it impossible for her to get a bite to eat.

Now she was hungry, cranky and in no mood for another minute of listening to another "Whacker" story. She just wanted to go to her hotel room, shower, change and go out for the night. Of course with her luck she'd run into him wherever she went.

When he called her name she pretended that she didn't hear him and jumped into her car. Thank god she'd come straight here otherwise she would have had to walk the quarter mile back to the hotel room and he'd catch up with her. She really hoped he wasn't staying at the same hotel that she was.

Two minutes later she was groaning when she spotted his beat up green pickup truck pulling into the hotel parking lot right behind her. Would this day never end? she wondered. She shut down the engine, grabbed her bag and made a mad dash for the hotel lobby, hoping it would be a quick check-in so that she could escape to her room. Then again the way her luck was going he'd probably end up being her neighbor. She sent up a silent prayer that that wasn't the case as she opened the hotel lobby door and nearly tripped over her own feet.

Nathan and Eric were sitting in dainty chairs that looked really uncomfortable as they were forced to watch some daytime talk show. She ran her eyes quickly over their faces and noted a few bruises and cuts and wondered about that, but just as quickly pushed her curiosity aside.

"Hey, Joe! Wait up," Alex called, drawing Nathan and Eric's attention.

Nathan looked relieved to see her and Eric looked pissed as his eyes shifted from her to the guy trying to get her attention. She was just about to ask them why they were there when Nathan walked over and put his arm around her and gave her a gentle tug in the direction of the hotel clerk.

"Let's check in, shall we?" Nathan asked cheerfully. When she tried to look back at Eric he gave her another gentle tug in the direction of the hotel clerk.

"What's going on?" she asked as she pulled out her license and the credit card she used to hold the room.

"Nothing much," Nathan said, shrugging. "We thought we'd come up and see how the fish were biting."

"Okay," she said slowly, sneaking a peek to find Eric leaning against the wall near the elevators as he glared at something behind her. Frowning, she looked back to find Alex standing behind her and looking eager to continue where they left off.

Silently groaning, she signed her slip, bit her lip when Nathan asked for two key passes to her room and once again wondered when this nightmare would end. She didn't think Eric would bring Nathan up here if he wanted to be with her, which meant he brought Nathan up here for moral support.....for her.

That kind of pissed her off since she'd already figured things out for herself. She didn't need him coming up here and wrecking her already boring weekend with this drama. He didn't want her? That was fine with her. He could tell her and then go on his merry way and she'd work him out of her system starting tonight.

"Let me carry that for you, Joe," Alex said smoothly as he picked up her bag and gestured towards the elevator. He either didn't notice that Nathan was standing next to her or was cocky enough to have already dismissed Nathan, probably the latter.

"No need. I've got it," Eric said coldly as he grabbed the bag away from Alex.

"Who the hell are you?" Alex demanded, crossing his large arms over his chest as he tried to glare up at Eric.

"Her boyfriend, ass**le, so move along," Eric said, shocking the hell out of her.

Alex turned accusing eyes on her. "You didn't say anything about a boyfriend."

She opened her mouth to inform the man that he'd never asked. Hell, he never let her get a word in edgewise. Not that she would have claimed Eric was her boyfriend when he'd made it more than obvious that there would never be anything more between them. But before she could say anything Nathan smoothly stepped in.

"She doesn't talk about him because she's ashamed of him."

Joe couldn't help but nod in agreement. "It's true. I am."

Eric snorted at that as he gave her hand a gentle tug towards the elevator. She couldn't help but feel a little awkward when Nathan and a pouting Alex joined them and Eric still didn't let her hand go. She dared a glance at Nathan to see how he was taking all of this only to catch the man grinning hugely.

She didn't know what was going on, but right then she didn't care. As soon as she got into her room she was taking a hot soothing bath and then she was going out. Whatever brought Eric and Nathan up here could damn well wait until tomorrow, she decided as the elevator doors slid open and Alex practically stomped off.