The probies watch it over and over during their first three months. They need the mindless laughter to calm their nerves. The radio sounds out the tones at 3:10 a.m. Powell, a probie who has the haircut of a marine and the skinny frame of a geek, pops up from the couch like a jack-in-the-box. “Attention, Hartstone. We need a crew at 35 High Street. Fifty-one-year-old female, difficulty breathing and severe chest pain.” Webster responds: “602 and 704 in the building. Any other info?” “Patient made the call. Appears to be alone.” “You drive,” he tells Powell as they run to the rig. It’s Webster’s first shift with the kid, and he needs to monitor him as well as take care of the patient. Webster glances at the speedometer. “You want to push it as high as you can without danger of causing an accident. Almost all rig accidents take place in intersections.”
