“Let me radio the ambulance.  Can you tell me your name?”

She nods..”Tina…Tina Kennard” and was happy she at least knew her name when everything else was not the least bit clear to her or was even making sense.   Especially this man who said his name was Melvin Porter.  She stared at him as he turned away from her talking through his radio.

“….Yes…East corner near the Gazebo”

“ETA….5 mins” was the reply heard as Melvin turned his attention back to Tina

“Is there someone we can call for you to meet you at the ER?”

“My uh…my friend Crystal” Tina replies feeling of her pockets “I uh..I don’t have my cellphone”

Melvin reached into his shirt pocket pulling out his phone handing it to Tina

“No worries..You can use mine..I forget I have the thing half of  the time since I use my hand radio for everything” he chuckles slightly watching Tina start dialing a number and put the phone to her ear

“Hello?”

Tina was relived hearing Crystal’s voice

“Oh Crystal..Thank God”

“Uhmm..Who is this?”

“This is Tina…I’m call—” she began and was immediately cut off

“Who?”

Tina sighed not amused after the morning she was having and the last thing she needed was Crystal playing with her

“Crystal please..I need you to meet—“ she began only to be cut off once again

“Look..I don’t know who you are or how you got my number but I don’t know you”

“Crystal..It’s me Tina..Your best friend..Stop playing with me” she said with a little agitation in her voice

Melvin folded his arms intrigued

“I don’t know anyone named Tina ok..” she said firmly as the call ended

Tina was beyond shocked and hurt. Her best friend in the entire world acted like she didn’t even exist..What the hell was going on. She lowered the phone from her ear and looked at Melvin

“Can I uh…Try one more person?” Tina asked with pleading eyes

“Of course” Melvin replied feeling sorry for the young woman as she dialed another number and put the phone up to her ear

“Hello?”

“Megan?” Tina replied hesitantly

“Tina?..Is that you? ”

Relief flooded across her body “Oh thank God you know who I am”

Megan chuckled “Of course I do silly.  You are my favorite cousin after all….But why are calling from a different phone?”

“I uh don’t have time to explain right now but I had some kind of accident and  hit my head”

“Oh my God..Are you ok?” Megan asks frantically

“I uh..I really don’t know Megan..I am going to the ER..Can you meet me there?”

“Yes..Of course..Which hospital?”

Tina looks at Melvin “What uh..What hospital will I be going to?”

“The closet ER is Palisades”

Tina nodded “Palisades”

“Alright I’m heading there now” she says hanging up before Tina could reply.

She sighs handing the phone back to Melvin just as the paramedics were heading toward them with a stretcher.  Melvin stepped  back to let the paramedics tend to Tina as his cellphone suddenly rang.  He answers it without looking to see who was calling.

“Hello….Hey…As far as I know she is….Of course….”  Melvin was busy talking to the other person on the phone as the paramedics put Tina on the stretcher “Bette..Let me call you back ok…Love you too” he says ending the call

Tina gasped sitting up quickly on the stretcher before the paramedics could strap her in turning her head toward Melvin. 

“Bette?” She says feeling darkness taking over her body

“Uh..Yeah….My daughter” Melvin replied seeing the paleness wash over Tina’s face “Are you ok   Ms Kennard?”

“Bette?…That’s uhh…That’s…” was all Tina could manage to say before fainting directly into one of the waiting paramedics arms.

******