The next few weeks passed quickly with much of the mundane business of life and unlife that had come to bore James over the years. The bright spot in that boredom came in his efforts to reward the paramedics of the Station U program for their work. Doctor Spirelli was ecstatic that James wanted to expand the program. He had already mapped out where he wanted the program to go some day, and James could see that there would be instant value to his community by helping hurry that expansion along. The vampire lord of Elk City met with several local Unusual and human leaders to smooth things over and grease the wheels of progress. He was not without financial resources, one of the many benefits of his centuries of life. His assets were substantial, and he was known as an active business leader and philanthropist to the local civic community. It was merely a matter of making a planned bequest to the Elk City Fire Department, targeted at one specific station of paramedics. The rest took care of itself. Doctor Spirelli’s plans mapped out what was purchased and the layout of the new station.
James owned a small collection of industrial buildings on the outskirts of town, and he donated, rent free, one section of one of those buildings to become the new home of Station U. He wanted it to be a model of what a group of specialized paramedics could want, with all the latest in technology and creature comforts. The Doctor and other members of the leadership reined him in a little bit, but he was able to get most of his wishes satisfied.
The station would have new office furniture, men’s and women’s bunk rooms with full bathrooms and showers for each. There would be high-speed internet access and a small satellite dish on the roof offering full TV including premium channels. Some of his Unusual friends thought he was going a bit overboard and wondered why, but James merely thought of this as something that any responsible overlord would do to provide for some of his most valued subjects. They deserved the best medical care available. These paramedics were part of that process and deserved to be rewarded.
There had never been an opportunity for Unusuals to seek medical care openly from the human community around them. Often they were limited to house calls from a human doctor who knew of their unique needs, or in other cases, their own healers or magical powers. This project was something that James wanted to succeed. It was not going to fail because of lack of comfort or resources for the paramedics, doctors and nurses who served them.
The crowning achievement for them was the purchase of a brand-new ambulance for use by the Station U paramedics. This had been one of the top items on the Doctor’s wish list. The current system of paramedics driving around in chase cars and then transporting Unusuals in a standard ambulance risked detection of the Unusuals. With a dedicated ambulance, this risk was mitigated. The other thing he did was arrange for a U.S. Department of Health grant for the additional crew to staff an additional ambulance for Elk City’s fire department. His contacts in the Federal government were paying close attention to the pilot program in Elk City. They were watching to see if similar programs could be implemented elsewhere for Unusuals in other, larger cities. His leadership supported the measure and expansion as well, and the wheels at higher levels turned quickly to come up with an appropriate grant for expansion in local community medical care from public health funding.
His only regret was that he was unable to participate in the Grand Opening of the station with the other officials there. Rudy, newly healed following the accident, would have to stand in for him since the event would take place mostly outside in full daylight. While he could survive for a few minutes in direct sunlight, it was painful, and he would never last in the full sun for the hour or so of dedications and speeches. He watched the festivities from his new car in a parking lot nearby. The tinted windows protected him from the sun’s harmful rays. He could see the dignitaries and uniformed fire department brass gather together for speeches and the eventual ribbon cutting with giant scissors in front of the ambulance garage bay doors. He caught a few glimpses of Brynne Garvey during the event as she mingled with the small crowd in her uniform as one of the paramedics who would use the station.
Eventually, everyone left and, as the festivities died down, James started his car and drove away. He still had to pull together a special thank-you for Miss Garvey. She deserved individual thanks for what she had done. His honor demanded nothing less. He resolved to find out when she worked next in the evening. That was when he would stop by to reward her. He was sure she would be suitably impressed. Most women were. He continued back to his penthouse apartment downtown as he thought about his plans, a pleased smile on his face.
——
It turned out that Brynne worked night shift two days later, and James set his plans in motion. He was meticulous in his planning, as he was in everything he did. Everything had to be planned just so to get the desired response from the person being rewarded. Over the years, he had rewarded many subordinates and knew what to expect in the way of gratitude and appropriate deference.
James made all the arrangements through his subordinates and arrived at Station U just after sundown two days later in his new Lexus sedan. He went over to the nondescript door in the side of the building and was surprised to find it locked. He was sure he could have gotten himself a key but hadn’t realized that he’d need one. As he thought about it, though, it made sense. There were expensive items, medications and equipment inside. It wasn’t like this was a place of retail business where the public would expect to have access. Still, the delay put him out of sorts. He pressed the doorbell buzzer and waited. A few moments later, an unfamiliar woman answered the door.
“Can I help you?” She asked. She was in a paramedic’s uniform shirt and navy blue cargo pants just like those worn by Brynne and the other paramedics.
“Uh, I’m James Lee,” he began, irritated that he was unprepared and didn’t know the other woman’s name. He’d known that the Station U paramedics now had a full ambulance crew of two, but he had just expected Brynne to answer the door. “I’m here to see Miss Brynne Garvey?”
“Oh, sure,” the paramedic said looking him over. She seemed impressed with him and his stylish clothes, but then most women were. “Come on in. I’m Tammy McGrath, Brynne’s partner tonight. She’s in checking the supplies in the ambulance bay. Wait here, I’ll get her.”
James stood, looking around at the interior of the station he had funded as the paramedic went through the door on the other side of the squad room to get Brynne. This was not going the way he had envisioned it, and he bit down on his tongue with his sharp canines until he tasted the acrid sting of his own blood. Losing his temper was not going to achieve anything, he knew. Looking around, James saw two recliners and a small sofa or loveseat situated in front of a large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. There was a bookshelf beneath it that was mostly empty, just a few binders laying on the shelves. On the other side of the room was a U-shaped workstation with two chairs and computers where paramedics could complete their paperwork. He knew, from perusing the plans for the station, that the hallway to the right went down to the two bunkrooms and bathrooms.
The door to the ambulance bay opened, and Brynne entered, calling over her shoulder. “You just need to check the medication bags. I did everything else.” She turned and saw James standing there. “I wondered if it was you. The way Tammy described you, I didn’t think it could be anyone else. How are you, Mr. Lee?” She crossed the room and gave him a firm handshake.
“I’m well, and please, call me James,” He said.
“Well, James, I understand that we have your generosity to thank for our new digs.”
“I wanted to see the program expanded after I saw your work in action with my companion.”
“How is he?” She asked. “We don’t usually hear back about our patients after we drop them off at the ER. Did that hand heal up alright? It was pretty messed up.”
“Unfortunately, there will be some permanent disability,” James said. “Still he has his life, and his secret was kept, thanks in no small part to you.”
“I’m sorry to hear about the outcome of his hand. I was hoping that his healing ability would regenerate the damage. I don’t know as much as I’d like about Lycans and their specific abilities, but I had hoped he would have a full recovery.”
“He’ll survive,” James said. “It will be a minor disability at best, and most importantly, I will not lose a key asset to our community because of your quick actions.”
“I was just doing my job, but thank you for your recognition of what we do here.” Brynne gestured around the room. “This expansion is thanks enough. I assure you.”
“Still, there is a small token of my appreciation I’d like to share with you.” James said, turning towards the door. “May I show you something outside? It’ll take just a moment, I assure you.”
“O-kaaaay?” Brynne said and followed him to the door that he opened and held for her to exit ahead of him. Parked right in front of her, nearly blocking the door was a new Jeep Wrangler. It was red and had a large white bow resting on the hood. She turned to look at him as he triumphantly pulled a set of keys from the pocket of his black sports coat.
“What is this?” She demanded.
“It’s for you,” James said, offering her the keys. “A thank you for saving my friend’s life.”
“I can’t take this,” she said, her voice rising in alarm. “Are you insane? You can’t just go around buying people things like this just for doing their jobs. Especially city employees! I can’t take a gift like that from a citizen. It would be seen as bribery.”
“I’m not trying to bribe you!” James said, his voice rising in volume. “I’m trying to thank you.”
“Well, I don’t know what you usually expect from the people you deal with. I am not someone you can just throw money at and impress me,” Brynne said. “Besides, I already told you that the new station was awesome and much appreciated. That’s an appropriate way to thank someone for doing their job in my line of work.”
She stopped talking, seeming to James to take hold of her emotions. She took a deep breath and continued in a more measured tone. “Look, I appreciate the gesture but I cannot accept this. Thank you for all you’ve done for expanding our service and getting our station here. That is enough I assure you.” She placed a hand on his shoulder. “I do appreciate it. Really.”
She turned and went back inside, leaving James standing there, the keys to the Jeep still dangling in his fingers, wondering what went wrong.
James stood for a long time before Rudy’s chuckle in the shadows behind him shook him back to his senses.
“It’s been a long time since anyone said ‘no’ to you, eh, my friend?” Rudy said, resting a hand on his shoulder from behind. “Why don’t you give me those keys and I’ll take the Jeep back to the dealership?”
“No,” James said turning to look at his friend and tossing him the keys. “Drive it back to the garage at the apartment building. I like it, and perhaps I can persuade her to change her mind.”
“I haven’t been around women for nearly as long as you, James, but that girl meant what she said.”
“I can change her mind,” James said through gritted teeth.
Rudy let out a loud, barking laugh. “Want to lay some money on that?”
“If I can’t change her mind in a month, you can have the Jeep,” James said. “If I can, you pay for it.”
“I can live with that,” Rudy said showing his teeth with a broad grin. “I can use a new ride.” He climbed in the Jeep, started it up and drove away laughing.
CHAPTER FOUR