Saving the Dead

Chapter Five: Chest Pain in the Ass

"I'm going to have that fucking song stuck in my head all night."

Ramirez smiled at his partner. "Whatever you need to say to make yourself feel tough again, big guy."

"What the hell are you talking about, Leo?"

"You just gave that 'bum' one of your best flashlights."

"So what! He's a vet of the outbreak. You of all people should know how much I respect those guys."

"Roger's a veteran too," Ramirez countered.

Drifts rolled his eyes. "Oh, don't give me that horseshit, Leo. Roger was a company clerk for the Air Force. The closest that dude ever got to combat was on his fucking TV." He keyed the mic "Unit Triple-Three available on a Refusal."

"Standby, Triple-Three."

"I hope they give us a post. Man, I could go for some grub. I'm starving!"

"Post?" asked Justin.

"Oh yeah, you haven't seen one tonight with all the running we're doing. A post is a predesignated strategic location, usually by a convenience store or the like, so we can get snacks or use their facilities. It's just how our particular EMS system works."

"Oh, okay."

Drifts shook his head. "I can actually hear the gears grinding in his head when he processes new information."

"At least he produces something when he thinks," said Ramirez.

"Hey! You know what . . ."

At that moment, dispatched decided to interrupt. "Triple-Three set a course for Post Twenty-

Five."

"Hot damn!" shouted Drifts. "We can get some grub at Brook's Burgers." He gunned the engine, and the tires screeched as he took a sharp U-turn.

There was a thump in the back of the rig. To which Drifts shouted, "Hold on!"

Justin climbed back up in his seat and secured his seatbelt. "Wow, you want to get to this place in a hurry."

"Hell yeah," said Drifts. "Brook's got the best burgers in town, and it's about to close for the night."

"They must be some burgers," commented Justin.

Drifts glanced at him in his rearview mirror. "Look, kid, there isn't a whole lot of places that make what you call high-quality food at this time of night. So unless you want to discuss the motherfucking merits of convenience food cuisine, you should trust me. Brook's is awesome!"

Drifts looked at his partner. "Tell him, Leo."

"It's pretty good," said Ramirez.

Drifts looked at his partner as if he insulted his mother. "Pretty good? Pretty good, is the best that you have? You can't explain to the kid the culinary phenomenon that we are about to partake. What the hell, Leo. Stating that a Brook's Burger is nothing short of an orgasm of flavor in your mouth is sacrilegious. That's like saying that Abraham Lincoln was just some government employee, or a Jaws is some movie about a little fish!"

Ramirez shrugged. "I always found their burgers to be a little too greasy for my taste."

Drifts shook his head. "You think you know a guy."

"Damn!" the tattooed EMT snapped.

"What is it?" asked Justin.

"We hit a red light," Ramirez answered calmly.