Chapter 2. ER

Ten long minutes passed before the ambulance finally arrived, its blaring sirens and flashing lights piercing the air. Ace's body continued to writhe in agony as he was carefully lifted onto the stretcher and loaded into the vehicle.

Two paramedics stepped out of the ambulance carrying a file of documents. However, from the outset, they were suspicious because they were picking up a patient in such a narrow alley. The VIP patients they usually picked up were in luxurious and well-known places, but not this time.

A man who appeared to be of Italian descent was still confused about everything around him. "Is this the place?" one of the paramedics asked. "I thought we were picking up someone at a big house or an office!" he added.

"Exactly. I think there's something strange about the pick-up location. Let me check the documents we brought again!" his colleague replied.

They looked confused as they saw a ragged young man lying in the middle of the road. His dirty clothes made him groan softly. Based on his appearance, they concluded that they had brought the wrong patient this time.

The Italian man asked his colleague doubtfully, "Are you sure this is the patient we're supposed to take?"

"I think so!" answered his colleague, scratching his head even though it wasn't itchy.

"This can't be. Did you see for yourself? This man looks very ragged. He looks like a beggar. I think the hospital is joking with us," said the paramedic, evading the situation.

The two paramedics then questioned the authenticity of the documents they had obtained, making Ace angry when he heard it. They didn't believe that a man like Ace, who looked ragged and filthy, was a VIP patient.

Ace tried to sit up while holding back the pain. "This is strange! Are you debating my status? Shouldn't you be doing something?" He added.

Ace tried to calm down the two paramedics. "If only I knew that Brooklyn Hospital's service was like this, I'm sure there would be a lot of deaths!"

With a casual and indifferent attitude, the young paramedic approached Ace. "Are you wrestling with a bull or something, huh? Or maybe you're just a thief dreaming of becoming rich?"

The other paramedic felt depressed looking at this situation behind. He took a deep breath and said, "I think he's just fooling around with our hospital! What a useless man! What does this young man think by calling himself a VIP patient?" he muttered again.

"Why don't you answer? Earlier, you were cursing us loudly!"

Ace gritted his teeth, struggling to keep his anger in check. Every muscle in his body tensed as he glared at the man in front of him, his blood boiling with frustration. The unfair treatment he was constantly subjected to had become all too familiar.

It seemed that no matter where he went, he was always met with disdain and contempt. No matter how hard he tried, he was always looked down upon and treated as if he was less than human. It was like a constant reminder of his place in society, a reminder that he was nothing more than a lowly, worthless peasant.

But Ace refused to accept this. He knew that he was worth more than the way he was being treated. He had dreams and ambitions, and he was determined to see them through no matter what. He would not let anyone bring him down or make him feel small. So, he took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, even though every fiber of his being screamed out for justice.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to speak calmly, "Do you really think you can accuse me like this just because I'm different from you? Because I didn't come from money or privilege? Let me tell you something. I'm more than what you think."

"Who do you think you are? A big shot? A wealthy entrepreneur? Daring to boss us around?" the young and arrogant paramedic taunted.

Ace took a deep breath. Despite the pain, he had to answer such a disgusting question. "In case you forgot, I'm the patient here. Is there anything else besides that to help me?" Ace replied hesitantly, feeling the excruciating pain in his leg. He felt like shouting or punching this weird paramedic.

"Enough! Just give him a painkiller shot and let's get out of here.”

"You bet? Such a hassle! Damn beggars!"

Before long, a car pulled up that made Ace furrow his brow. The black car stopped not far from the ambulance. Ace even thought for a moment that Megan was coming back to apologize to him. But he was dead wrong. A woman wearing a white coat like a doctor got out of the car.

Seeing Ace stay silent and observant, Aileen realized something was not right with the current situation. "Hey, I'm the hospital manager, my name's Aileen. I'll be in charge while you're staying at our hospital!" said the woman, who Ace thought was naturally beautiful. Plus, Aileen's smile as they locked eyes made one simple conclusion that the woman in front of Ace was indeed friendly.

The woman asked the two paramedics who were just standing by Ace. "What are you guys doing just standing there? Is something wrong here? Why hasn't Mr. Ace been treated yet?" Aileen asked again, getting impatient.

The two paramedics got nervous and quickly grabbed a stretcher to help Ace, who was already in a lot of pain.

While looking down, the woman said, "Sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Ace. They're new paramedics!"

"It's no problem. But can you guys act more professional?" Ace said with an annoyed grimace.

Aileen felt anger inside because of her team. At that time, she thought that she needed to make amends. "Forgive our negligence, sir!" said Aileen again with her low voice. “I'll be taking care of your emergency situation right now. I hope you stay calm until our medical team can do further examinations!" Aileen said softly.

The two paramedics immediately bowed in fear. "We're sorry, sir!" said the two paramedics, stuttering. Once they found out that Ace was a VIP patient, they quickly got their act together and handled Ace with care as they loaded him into the ambulance.

After the ambulance door closed, the manager immediately confronted the two paramedics, "Get ready to receive a pay cut for your stupidity, and pray that Mr. Ace won't file a complaint against your dumb actions!" the manager said again as she got into her car.

Ace's ambulance sped towards the Emergency Department of Brooklyn Hospital. The paramedics quickly informed the ER to get ready for the VIP patient they were bringing in.

With trembling hands and a pale face, the man looked resigned and could only silently hope that this VIP patient wouldn't report their incompetence to the higher-ups. Meanwhile, Ace just stayed quiet, holding onto his chest. It made the paramedics suspect that something was wrong with his chest. "Does your chest hurt, sir?" the dark-haired man asked when he saw Ace not letting go of his chest, his veins tensing.

Ace nodded and continued to keep his right hand on his chest, trying to endure the pain from the kicks and punches he had taken. "I'll check you out first!" said the paramedic, using scissors to cut Ace's shirt and hoodie.

An older paramedic who appeared experienced noticed that Ace had a serious issue with his chest. "Your whole body is covered in bruises. What the hell happened, sir?" he asked. Ace could only cough and spit out fresh blood from his mouth.

Remaining calm, the paramedic gave Ace a shot of painkillers. "Take it easy... we'll be at the hospital in a minute!" said the paramedic.

The loud ambulance sliced through the dark night of Brooklyn. "I should have been at home helping my mom and younger brother," Ace thought.

Soon after, Ace felt a tightness in his chest, had difficulty breathing, and was spitting out a lot of blood. The paramedics, who had been checking his blood pressure just moments before, called Dr. Aileen who was on duty. Ace heard some instructions and the paramedics sprang into action on his body.

"Hang on. Keep looking at me!"