Moving Forward

ten || divaricate

"I have asthma, and I have allergic reactions to citruses, but all I ate was turkey, mashed potatoes, and some corn." She explained as Cass put an oxygen mask over her mouth.

"Oh God, ma! I put the turkey in a honey lime marinade." A man who they assumed to be a son shouted out. She looked from the son and back to his mother, whose face had started to swell.

"Alright, Judy, you're having an allergic reaction and you're going into anaphylactic shock. We got here in time to stop it, but you're going to have to keep breathing deeply, okay?" Jacobson informed her. "Get an IV going, I'll head out to the rig to get the gurney ready." She said, and she quickly rose to her feet and jogged out to the back of the ambulance and opened the doors. She pulled the gurney out and set it on the icy street, then shut the doors and rolled the gurney inside. She put it out of the way and met Cass back over by the chair.

"Push ten of epi." He instructed, and she went into the bag and got the epinephrine, locating the IV and injecting the medication into the line.

"Judy, you're doing great. We're going to get you on this gurney and take you to LDS Hospital. They're going to keep you for observations, but I'm sure you will be home soon." She assured as her breathing started to improve. She gave a nod, and she and her partner started getting her ready to transport. They packed up and rolled her out to the ambulance, pulling the blanket up close to her chin so she would remain warm. Cass got into the back with her, the husband hopping in as well, and Jacobson slammed the doors and hopped into the front seat, turning the lights and sirens back on as she went around the block and headed for LDS Hospital, which was a seven minute drive from their location.

Seven minutes later she was pulling into the emergency bay, met by Dr. Turner, Rachel, Christina, and the rest of his team were waiting for them. She put the ambulance in park and hopped out as they opened the doors.

"Judy Finley, sixty-nine years old. Allergic reaction to a marinade the son made with lime in it, went into anaphylactic shock on the scene, pushed ten of epi, it helped but she's still going through the reaction." Cass reported as they all went into the emergency room.

"Bay five." Dr. Turner instructed, and they wheeled the gurney. "Thanks guys, we've got it from here." He said with a firm nod, and the two of them went to go fill out the paperwork while they waited to get their gurney back.

"You're one of the most closed off people I know, yet you're so good with patients. I will never figure you out." Cass observed frustratedly, and she just laughed.

"You may think you know me, but you never will. Not even when you're sixty and retired and we're still going to get coffee." She shot back as they went back out to the ambulance and got going back to the firehouse. "So, I think I'm going to go public with my double life as a paramedic." She blurted out as they got on the road, and he looked over to her with shock.

"I thought you liked being a double agent?" He asked, and she chuckled.

"I do, but this is a part of my life that I want to be able to share with the community. I mean, people who watch soccer and I have responded to calls have recognized me, I'm kind of surprised it hasn't spilled and it's been a year." She explained, making the turn to get back to the firehouse.

"I think it's really cool that you're able to do this. I don't know where you get the kind of energy to do all you do." Robert exasperated with a chuckle.

"Don't worry, with all the time I'm getting off, I'm going to come back like the Energizer Bunny." She joked, the both of them laughing as she backed into their spot in the firehouse. She shut down the engine and hopped out, landing on the floor with a small thud beneath her feet. She hoped her coffee was still a little warm, but as she walked into the firehouse, that was the least of her worries. She walked into the dining area to her crewmates standing around the table with a cake to wish her a speedy recovery, and Robert had followed her with a gift from the crew.

"To Georgia Jacobson, the most badass paramedic we've ever had, in hopes of a quick ass recovery." Lieutenant Reyes shouted as she neared the table. The firehouse started to cheer, and she grinned.

"I don't know what to say, thank you." She responded with a wave of her hands.

"And on behalf of the firehouse." Robert said, setting the gift on the table. She looked to him, then the rest of them as she peered over the edge of the bag. "A little something to do while you're laid up in a hospital bed and we're not there to bother you." He continued with a wink, and she took out the tissue paper. She took out four books, all by her favorite author, Tess Gerritsen. Life Support, Bloodstream, Playing with Fire, and The Bone Garden. She looked to all of them with her mouth agape.

"You guys didn't have to do this." She commented.

"I mean, we can take them back." Harrison piped in, which got a laugh from the group of firehouse employees.

"Thank you all so much." She said with a sincere smile. With that, they dug into the cake, Georgia opting for a small piece. They took pictures together, and she got her picture with Robert, a small group photo with Reyes, Cruz, Hawthorne, and Harrison, and a huge group picture of all fourteen firehouse members who had been her third family for the past year or so. She was so lucky to have these men in her life, for they would do anything for her and she would do the same for them.

They went a solid two hours before they had been called out for another call in the area, this time to have medical assistance after a police bust. When they got back to the firehouse, Georgia decided to take some downtime and head to the bunker, laying down on one of the uncomfortable beds and pulling her phone out. She found the three pictures she wanted to post, and made a new Instagram post. She was nervous to share this part of her life, but, she felt it was time.

Last shift until after the trial, sure going to miss this fools♡

••

As a professional soccer player in the NWSL and at the national level, I have had the wonderful privilege of playing at such a competitive level. But, as it is widely known, women do not get paid enough, and most if not all of us have to pick up another job. About a year ago, I went through the Salt Lake City Fire Department Academy and became a certified EMT. Being in the spotlight, it isn't my favorite thing, which is why I have kept this to myself, my colleagues, and my teammates. It is time that I share this part of my life with you.

This is my other family, the family that I have hid away from the media since day one almost a year ago. This family has supported me through so much, they're one of the reasons I can keep doing what I am doing. The man in the first picture is my partner who lets me drive around with the sirens on, and he is the one who encouraged me to go fully through with the academy. He took me under his wing since day one, and he has become like a father to me. When my father passed away three months ago, he was there for me, and he was the one who walked me down the aisle at my wedding a week ago. He is such a badass human being, I don't know where I would be right now without him.

Now, my life as a paramedic and as a professional soccer player are two completely different animals, and as much as I love my fans, I do ask not to try and find out where I work and visit me. I do not have the time to stop what I am doing to sign autographs and take pictures.

These next six months are going to be tough, but I know your constant support is going to help me a lot through my recovery process. These guys have been there for me since the accident, and I don't know where I would be without them, without Antonio, my teammates, and of course, all of your constant love and support. It's going to be heartbreaking not to be out with my girls this season, but I will still have a presence until I am cleared to play. Don't count me out yet! Much love♡

She hit post to both Instagram and Twitter and locked her phone, closing her eyes and setting her phone on her chest. It continuously vibrated, and she knew it was not going to stop. Likes, comments, retweets, tags, mentions, were going to keep coming. She wanted to look, but she knew if she did, she would go into a rabbit hole of tapping hashtags and reading posts that had been made up. The sirens started going off again, and she put her phone in her inside pocket and got up off the bed and ran out to the apparatus floor, ready for the night crawlers, a nickname that her and Cass had made up for the calls they went on to assist with those who were mentally checked out. This was probably one of her last calls for a few months, and it was going to be awful just sitting and watching.

But it was for the best, and she would be back better than ever.