“No, no, no, no. That’s not how it happened. Look, I know – I was there!” Eddy says while cradling
his coffee and glancing out to the night-lit streets.
“Well then how about you tell the story wit-a-little-bit-of-truth,
huh? Stop making stuff up.” Paul comments.
“How many times do I have to tell the story while yous can’t
keep ya mouth shut, huh? Seriously, who invited dis guy?” Eddy shouts for
everyone to hear.
“Eddy, Eddy. It’s just dat we’ve heard it so many times that
it’s kind of like white noise at this point, you know? No disrespect, but I think I could rehearse it better than you can, in fact, I think I’ll tell it at the wedding of my third wife.” Paul finishes
while giving Eddy a pat on the back with the rest laughing around the booth at
the diner.
“Who’s the kid?” Eddy questions while taking another sip of
his coffee.
“Oh uh, this here’s Kevin. I thought I’d let him on our
little spot here at George’s, you know being new to the PM shift, that’s all. I
figured he’d be with us until he’s ready to leave the nest, besides a little
bit of the night life would do him good, huh?”
“Hey kid, which responder did you transfer from?” Eddy asks
“Brooklyn College EMS.” Kevin finishes before taking a bite
out of his tuna sandwich.
The dispatches comes over their radios, “ Calling nearby
units, traffic incident - corner of Eastern Parkway and New York Ave, please respond.”
Everyone checks their watches and motions to get out of their booth until Eddy
waves them to resume sitting, “Listen, listen” The dispatch continues, “ This is truck
335 in pursuit, ready to respond, en route via Atlantic,”
The paramedics take their seats again.
“So Eddy, Kevin is a
little new to your, uh, predicament of a story. Why dontchu share what happened
exactly? The real version, Eddy.” Paul suggests with the rest snickering.
“Ok, ok, ha-ha very funny. But I know what I saw.” Eddy points
to every single one of them.
“Alright kid, so we are in the business of saving lives,
right?” Eddy asks Kevin as he responds with a nod.
“Well who do you think is trying to take them away from us?” A few cars with their taillights swish past on Coney Island
Ave outside of the diner storefront windows.
“Who?” Kevin asks at the edge of his seat.
“Death, my friend. He is real and I saw him take one of my
patients – right in front of me.”
“I’m sorry, did you say Death,
like the Grim Reaper?”
“Oh yes, it was ten years ago. I was just like you, taking
on every shift they gave me. It was in Gowanus off of 3rd and Union.
I was giving a man CPR with my buddy in the other room calling in the vitals
and dat’s when it happened.”
“What? What happened?”
Eddy leans in closer, “A very handsome man in a three piece
walks around the co’ner – smiles at me and apologizes. He says, ‘Sorry I was
late, I didn’t think you’d get here so soon.’ I then says to him, ‘hey mister
you need to let me do my job.’ And then he replies back, ‘No, you need to let
me do mine.’ I had the defibrillator ready to go and then his hands go on his
chest and he said something that I will never forget…”
Suddenly dispatch comes on over their radios again causing
everyone to flinch,
“All nearby units, multiple collision located at Interstate
278 – mile marker 23 – northbound. Be advised engine 3 already en route.”
This time everyone gets up, “That’s our queue!”
Kevin hurries with his coat while trying to get close to
Eddy, “Wait, wait, what did he say to you though?”
Eddy throws cash at the table and turns to look at
Kevin, “He says, ‘You’re a very good man. You’ve saved many, but not tonight –
it’s his time.’ And just like that, he left and I couldn't find him in the apartment building, the streets, he was gone.”
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