Not a way to finish off your night shift!

We're waiting at triage for a spot to be readied for our pt.
I'm just sitting in one of the plastic seats, not really thinking about anything, as you do at this time other than getting home and into bed.

During the night we had heard a job with a person in the water somewhere in our patch.

The Ambulance entry to triage has two doors that are opened from the inside by buttons, each in a different location (you can always pick the out of area crews because they don't know this).

A cleaning staff member has opened the inner door to clean the floor in that area when a pt dressed in a hospital gown and blanket walks up behind them and opens the outer door.

This does not appear to be right to me somewhere in the fog of thoughts of home and something makes me get up and follow.

Outside in the Ambulance Bay is a Nursing staff member standing Gob Smacked pointing to the driveway and the pt disappearing around the corner.

I ask 'Are they supposed to be here?', 'Yes their scheduled' (Mental Health Act). There are none of the hospitals Security Staff about, so off I go!

How the hell do the Cops run with all that stuff on their belts??????
This is the first time when I have fully regretted my 'Bat Belt'.

Out onto the road they go, up to the traffic lights and around the corner away from the heavier traffic luckily, I think am I making any ground up yet, they don't have any shoes on?

Another hundred metres or so and they head off over a bridge.

I've been at work for eleven and a half hours without sleep,
I have size 9-1/2 Swat Boots on,
I have a belt that holds my portable radio one side and my main gear pouch the other as well as the six or so other bits that hold other stuff weighing 2.6kg,
I'm 20mm short on my left leg due to hip surgery when I was Thirteen,
I don't run!

Yes I am catching up but will my legs keep going?

I shout, in my most Commanding, Breathless voice to 'STOP', they falter and look over their shoulder (that's got to be worth at least another ten metres to me).

I've now closed the gap to that 'just out of arms reach', my knees are hurting but I lunge and get a handful of blanket that they don't let go of allowing me to get a better hold and stop them without a struggle.

Stuff me!

We start walking back to the A&E past the bemused looks of motorists, still on the bridge, the footpath is on the other side over a tall hand rail and I can't be bothered trying to get them and me over that.

Back up at the traffic lights I spot the first of the Security Guards who had been directed back that way by the same bemused motorists because the pursuit had taken us around the back of the hospital into the surrounding streets.

He soon joins us and takes charge of my catch and we are soon joined by another two and return to the A&E where my pt has now been unloaded.

In my favour;
The pt was small and female so I didn't entertain any ideas that I may have been in any physical danger from them.
Bare footed and holding the blanket with both hands so they were not running as fast as they possibly could.

I also wonder if I had gained some ground while they looked and considered going over the side of the bridge (twenty metre drop to lower road) ultimately allowing me to catch them?

So that's my 'One that didn't get away' story.

My legs were not happy about riding home later and I still was tender in the knees this morning. I must be getting old!


Be careful out there and I'll see you at the Big One.

Taz