New Partner... Three days in.

EMS is not your typical type of job. You work long hours, in sometimes deplorable conditions.... With one person.

Your partner.

That person you rely on to watch your back. (Sometimes literally. More on that in a second.) The person who keeps you awake when you're exhausted and driving. The person who teases you incessantly, the partner who reminds you to keep your shoulders back when you lift, the partner who tells you that you have "Shit on your back" (LITERALLY watching your back). The partner who makes sure you get breakfast, lunch, and a bolus of caffeine prn. The partner who understands when you scream at the dispatchers (before keying up the mic of course), the partner who understands when you scream at stupid drivers. The partner who forgives you for temporarily blinding him, and is just as depressed as you are when your unit is called to pick up the bariatric cot.

And most importantly (Yes, Epi's priorities suck)... The partner who gets your attention (in a professional way of course!) to let you know there are firefighters in turnout gear washing a firetruck just ahead and to the left of us. Even if I'm with a patient.

New Partner: Epi... Up here.
Epi: Huh?
NP: EPI. Come up here.

I'm sitting in the captains chair filling out the run report. I lean forward and look towards the front of the ambulance. I catch New Partner's eye in the rear view mirror.

NP: Look to your left and thank me later.

I lean even farther forward, (we're sitting at a red light) and look out his drivers side window.

There in front of me (well, to the left...) are male firefighters, washing the firetruck.

*SWOOOOOOON*

NP: Like I said... thank me later.

THANK YOU NEW PARTNER.

Thank you... SO much.

Edited to add: Let me add that he's straight. He's built like a frickin' brick wall, he can lift like there's no tomorrow (Extremely important when you are primarily a transport unit), and he's straight. And cute. And single. And he still knew me well enough to know that I'd REALLY appreciate guys in turnout gear washing a fire truck.

Yes. I'm THAT lucky. Don't hate me.