All I Want for Christmas - Marina

Chapter 1: Maya

"Don't worry ma'am we will be at the hospital in two minutes," I say trying to calm the screaming woman down.

"TWO MINUTES? I HAVE A HUMAN COMING OUT OF ME RIGHT NOW!" I would do anything to be driving this ambulance right now instead of being back here.

"One more minute and we are there," I add to comfort myself more than her. Why do people even like having babies? I could never push a 6 pound tiny human out of me.

"AHHHH," her scream brings my attention back to her.

"Okay we are here!" I say as Travis and Vic hop out of the front of the ambulance to open the back door.

"35 year old female, water broke approximately 30 minutes ago, contractions are 8 minutes apart, and she is complaining of severe pain... everywhere," I say looking at the patient as I get ready to remove her from the ambulance.

"And she has been the worst person to be stuck with DURING THESE PAST THIRTY MINUTES!" The woman laying on the gurney yells.

"Don't worry! You're here now and we will take great care of you," I hear a woman say with a thick Italian accent. I turn around to see a woman in pink scrubs waiting anxiously for me to get the patient out of the ambulance. She looks from the patient to me and her smile becomes tight. I get out of the ambulance and hear her instruct another woman in pink scrubs to transport the patient. She then turns to face me once the other woman leaves and says, "What did you do?"

"What do you mean?" I ask confused.

"A woman is in labor and is complaining how horrible you were to be with. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Well, maybe that's the problem."

"Excuse me? You don't even know me." I see Vic and Travis from the corner of my eye watching the argument grow.

"Look," the Italian woman says scanning my uniform for my name, "Captain Maya Bishop. When women are in labor, being warm and comforting them is important. They shouldn't be in so much distress on the way here. That's all I'm saying. I'm sick of pregnant women being brought here and complaining about how horrible the journey here is."

"So you're just implying that all first responders are the same and automatically rude when a woman in labor is being brought in? Yeah I'm gonna pass on taking advice from you."

"Ma-"

"Go attend to your patient. My work here is done," I say furious and shaking my head. Who does she think she is lecturing me on bedside manner?

"Wow you're rude," she says as she storms off. Vic and Travis slowly make their way over to me.

"Who does she think she is? I wasn't mean at all to that woman."

"No you weren't!" Travis says. "But you're also not the warmest when it comes to comforting others."

"Emotions are for the weak anyways," I say walking to the driver's seat.

"Hey! It's my turn to drive," Vic says. I glare at her and she backs off. The ride back to the station in silence is therapeutic. As soon as I park, I see Andy.

"Do you want to go for a run?" I ask her.

"I wouldn't say yes to that," Vic chimes in.

"Why?" Andy asks laughing.

"She got told off by a hot Italian doctor and is angry."

"I didn't get told off. I told her off."

"Mmhmm," Vic and Travis say together walking away.