Ambulance or Rideshare, A Violent Act or Accidental Shooting?

The Jury is Still Out on This One

 

I could hear the animal-like cries of pain even before my car door was opened.

“Hurry! We’ve got to get this man to the emergency room. He’s losing blood.”

The man who was shouting urgent instructions to rush to the hospital was simultaneously spreading out a paint tarp across my back seat.

He then loaded the injured person face down on top of the tarp.

The wounded man in the back was screaming uncontrollably. His left leg was wrapped thickly with cloth and tape.

A combination of loud cussing and repeated exclamations, “We’re gonna get that motherf******!”

The other guy hopped in my front seat and shouted, “Let’s go, driver. I don’t want my friend to die. Go! Hurry, Go!”

I asked if an ambulance would be a better option. I told him that in most cases, an ambulance ride to the emergency room could ensure the injured person would be seen much quicker. They typically wouldn’t be sitting around waiting in the crowded room.

“No! No! No! Move the car. We need to go now! The hospital is only ten minutes away. We will be there before the ambulance arrives.”

I activated the GPS and we began our race to the hospital.

Both men were constantly shouting out during the short ride.

In pain-filled, shaky spurts, the wounded man continued his cursing, vengeance declarations, and tearful appeals for God’s mercy.

“S***, I’m hurting. Help me! Someone is gonna pay for this. God help me. Lord, help me. I’m sorry. Oh, God, Oh, God. I don’t wanna die.”

All the while, his friend in the front seat was shouting into the back seat and at me.

“Calm down, man, we’re almost there! Hold on, hold on! Calm down!”

“Can’t you drive any faster? F*** the traffic lights! This is a medical emergency!”

I was quite “liberal” with my driving under these conditions.

With less than five minutes to the hospital emergency entrance, I asked the man in the front seat what happened to his friend.

“Uh, he accidentally shot himself. He grabbed his gun in the apartment to move it to another room, and it went off. Accident. Period!”

I inquired further, “Where was he shot?”

“In the back of his leg. Hey man, just drive!  Stop asking me these questions. It’s none of your business, got it?”

He then shouted, “Up ahead. That’s the hospital building. Hurry up!”

When I pulled up to the emergency drop-off area, I jumped out of the car and immediately ran inside to the check-in desk.

I asked for a wheelchair and assistance.

“I have a man who has been shot in my backseat. We need help!”

Several staff members rushed into action. They ran outside with the wheelchair and got him out of the car.

His friend rolled up the bloody cloth from the back seat and ran inside. He paused for a brief second and yelled back to me, “Thanks, man!”

The ride was over.

The end.

But not quite.

I checked my back seat for any blood stains. All clear.

I closed the two passenger-side doors and walked around to my front seat.

I sat down, closed out the ride on the app, and wondered.

Self-inflicted gunshot wound to the back of his left leg? Well, maybe for a contortionist or a very limber Yoga person.

But, one never knows, do they?

 

*********************

 

My “Rideshare by Robert” blog continues with new stories, poems, and musings based on my published book, “Rideshare by Robert: Every Ride’s a Short Story.”

 

The book and the blog are short fiction and creative non-fiction stories about actual rides, observations, revelations, and reflections on the rideshare experience.

 

I hope you find the writings informational, humorous, thought-provoking, and filled with compassion for the human family.

My second “Rideshare by Robert” book will include selected blogs published in the Baltimore Post-Examiner, pictures, and new stories.

So, climb in, buckle up, and enjoy the ride.

Welcome to “Rideshare by Robert.”

A place where anything can happen and usually does.

 

Disclaimer

I have tried to provide anonymity to all individuals portrayed in my writings while maintaining the story’s integrity. The names have been changed to protect the innocent. And, in some cases, the not-so-innocent. I have substituted the characteristics of individuals in my writings to further my attempt to maintain anonymity. Conversations and other details are based on my best recollection and notes. Although I have spent time driving with many celebrities and public figures over the years, I’ve intentionally omitted their names in my writings. I’ve also modified actual locales along with other details, such as when and where the rides occurred, to maintain my objective of rider privacy and anonymity.