Our favorite paramedics play their own particular partners' version of Twenty Questions...

"That’s What Friends Are For"

"What’s wrong? Your hand bothering you?"

"No. Remember those two girls in that last car?"

"Miss Haley and Miss Vandorsen?"

"No. Not that last car. The other last car."

"Oh-Oh. You mean, that last last car. Don’t tell me. Let me guess. You asked Angelique for a date…and she turned you down."

"No-o. I asked Vanessa if she’d consider going out with me sometime."

"I take it she said no?"

"No. She said yes."

"That’s great!…Isn’t it?"

"No. That was great. Yah see, I asked her if she’d like to go bowling tomorrow night."

"She doesn’t like bowling?"

"No. She loves to bowl."

"She’s a better bowler than you are?"

"No. She told me to call her to find out when—and where—to pick her up."

"You forgot to get her phone number?"

"No. She wrote her unlisted number down right here—on my bandage."

"You’re not having second thoughts about calling her?"

"No. My cut must a’ opened back up while I was driving in."

"And you need both hands to bowl?"

"No. The blood made the magic marker run. Now I can’t make out the numbers."

"Really? We-ell…I wouldn’t worry too much about that if I were you."

"No? We-ell…you’re not me."

"Johnny, you can still call her."

"No, Roy. I can’t. I just told yah, her number’s unlisted…and I lost it. I don’t have it anymore."

"Relax. All is not lost."

"No? When I don’t call, she’s gonna think I stood her up."

"I’m sure it won’t come to that."

"Oh no? What makes you so sure?"

"Because you have her phone number."

"No. I had her phone number." Gage quickly corrected and held his bloody, black ink-smeared palm up in front of his partner’s smiling face, as proof.

"Have," DeSoto stubbornly repeated. "It was pretty obvious that you were ‘interested’. So I had her write it down, while she was signing the release form."

"No-o? You didn’t?"

"Ye-es. I did."

"No. You didn’t."

"What? You don’t believe me?"

"No. I don’t."

"See for yourself…" Roy invited and pulled a folded slip of paper from his front shirt pocket.

John snatched the note, opened it up and stared down at the phone number—in both relief and disbelief. He flashed his thoughtful, old buddy a grateful grin. His partner knew him soooo well! "Thanks! I—I don’t know what to say…"

"Eh. What are friends for?" his best pal simply prompted. "By the way, I got Angelique’s number, too.  Just in case it doesn’t work out with you and Vanessa…"

John’s right eyebrow suddenly raised...somewhat. Perhaps his partner knew him a little too well?

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