Jay was riding on the Box last night and while we were waiting to pick him up (his shift was over at 8), Em started complaining that she felt nauseous, etc. Fifteen minutes before we were supposed to get Jay, he called to say that they'd just been called out on another call and didn't know when they would be back. We occupied our time by playing Dutch Blitz (Daniel and I), working on paperwork (mom and dad) and feeling sick (Emily). Finally, the little kids went to bed because it had been over an hour since they'd run the call, and Jay still hadn't called. At about 9:45 dad and I went to the Station to pick Jay up, and discussed some very lively things from Life Purpose Planning on the way there. One of the things we discussed (ironically) was that if there was one thing I couldn't imagine doing, it was nursing. I hate the needles, seeing people in pain, etc. My dad said, "Oh, but if someone needs it you can do it. I've seen you......remember when the LeMasters all got sick and you stayed up with them all night playing 'Clara Barfton'? You can be motivated, but it has to be by necessity in a situation like that." I agreed, little knowing what the night would hold.

When we got back, Jay started to tell us about his day (we always like to hear about every call, his meals at the firehouse, and any other pertinent details) when Emily said that she really wasn't feeling well and said that she was going to go to bed. That's not like her. Anyway, Jay started regaling us with his usual interesting stories; they'd had 9 calls and went out on 7 of them yesterday (a heavy call load for a typical day) although they had only transported two or three times. Apparently, Jay's most memorable call was when dispatch called them out to a "Person Down on Main and Maple." That usually means a TC (traffic collision) so they were a little bewildered that there was no TC followup call. After getting to the corner of Main and Maple, and looking around, they saw no one, and no unusual activity. They radioed back to dispatch saying that they didn't find anything, but then they saw two cars, and one of the occupants was waving them down. They updated dispatch that they had arrived "on scene". The people in the car(s) had been the one(s) to call, because there was apparently a lady laying in the middle of Main Street and almost being hit by oncoming cars. Both cars had pulled over and advised her to move, but she had complained that her knees hurt, and then had taken off on foot. The paramedics spotted her across a field; and went over to her. The woman was clearly inebriated. What ensued was very comical for the paramedics; they had to wait for a sheriff to come and arrest the lady for being drunk in public (her only "medical problem" was that she'd had a few too many drinks). Meanwhile, they carried on a rather interesting "conversation" with her. After they asked what her name was, the woman earnestly handed them a notebook with a bunch of blank sheets in it, and one address/name on one of the pages. "This will tell you all about me," she told them. She was frustrated that they wouldn't let her "walk home", (although she would say that she knew exactly where her house was, they weren't so sure that was the case). They invited her to fulfill a lifelong dream (:D) by "sitting on a firetruck!" while she "waited for her ride." When her "ride" finally showed up, the sheriff was frowning as he got out of the vehicle. "Ma'am, you have a warrant out for your arrest. Please put your hands behind your back!" Her "ride" that night was probably straight to jail. :-D

After Jay finished telling us about all of his calls, and his meals, in depth, Dad, Jay, Mom and I went to bed at about 11, amazed with how late it had gotten. I was trying to get to sleep, and simultaneously trying to quote the verses in Matthew 6 that I learned this week; the two were not a good combination. I kept getting frustrated because I was too tired to think of what came next..........

I jerked awake to realize that Em hadn't been joking about her illness. Yep; she had the flu. No, it wasn't pretty. I felt like I was all thumbs as I tried to get her cleaned up, get the sheets changed, the barf bucket washed out, and other sundry things that I need not elaborate on here. Finally I decided that it would be a good idea to relocate our sleeping quarters to the living room for the night. (Genius, I know.) The rest of the house was still sleeping (despite the racket and lights on), and Em was, by this time, in the shower so I went valiantly in search of some blankets (and pillows) to be used to sleep on in the living room. The problem was, I was still slightly disoriented (well, maybe a little more than slightly) and I couldn't seem to find what I wanted. I did manage to get one blanket down, and a very fine selection of crib sheets and fitted (tiny) twin sheets. Altogether, they would have maybe covered us up to our knees. By this time, mom and dad were stirring so I went in to ask their advice (on what, I don't really know entirely).
They never went beyond the stirring stage, although we did carry on a conversation that went something like this:
Dad: Mhfhmmmm?
Me: Em....threw up....she's got the flu.......I changed the sheets......should I bring Mally to the living room?
Dad: Mhfhmmmm?
Me: Em has the flu. Should I bring Mally to the living room with us? Em's in the shower.
Mom: Mhfhmmmm?
Dad: Em is in the shower? Why?!
Mom (slurred): She has the flu.
Dad: Mhfmmm.
Me: Should I?
Dad: Should you what?
Me: Bring Mally into the living room.
Dad: Yeah.
Me: Okay. I can't find any blankets.
Mom: They should be in the hall cupboard.
Me: I can't find them. I found sheets.
Mom: Mhfmmmm.

Eventually I left the room and did manage to find two crocheted blankets, which I felt sure would have us roasting (for some reason, the fact that it's the middle of December didn't occur to me, and later I woke up in the middle of the night, freezing). Em emerged from the shower, I brought Mally out, got the washing machine going, and other like things. We went to bed. The washing machine (from the living room) was so loud that I couldn't sleep, so finally I covered my ears and started to drift off when a thought occurred to my sleep-deprived brain: what if Em gets sick again in the night and I have my ears covered and can't hear her?

Dutifully, I uncovered my ears and went back to sleep.