# Off-duty EMT at scene of accident (need medical info for novel) **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 5, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-duty-emt-at-scene-of-accident-need-medical-info-for-novel/776397 "2017-01-05T16:45:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-duty-emt-at-scene-of-accident-need-medical-info-for-novel/776397/21 "2017-01-07T21:40:19Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > This is kind of huge, IMHO. You are proposing an all-powerful being. The peripherals don’t matter. ( Inexperienced, etc. ) The Mage can heal anything, yes? You will have to someone establish parameters for the powers of this creature or one of several rather dystopian realities will be expected to emerge in the book and if they don’t readers may ask “Why not??”. > > 1. EMT keeps Mage’s powers hidden. Becomes Healer Of The Planet. > 2. Mage becomes a known entity. Becomes Healer Of The Planet. > 3. Mage’s powers are recognized but Mage cannot be controlled and chooses not to heal everyone who is injured or dying on the planet. Boy THAT’LL piss people off. Maybe. > 4. EMT cannot figure out HOW she healed Kelvin, nor can the hospital staff. > > I know this is speculative/ fantasy fiction and one gets to make up the rules. That’s one of the most enjoyable thing about writing stories. I’m not trying to dissuade you here, just asking very pointed questions about the framework- because others will ask them as they read or as they help you flesh the bigger story out. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, here. 🙂 This isn’t a new project. This is book 10 in an ongoing series. I’ve been setting some of this stuff up for a long time. The mage isn’t the main character (her master is). She and her brother (non-magical) are the two main supporting characters. And she’s by no means all-powerful. She can’t heal everything. She has to make choices (and in any case, she can’t do anything about diseases or sickness. Just injury). And that’s one of the things that’s going to weigh heavily on her mind: she has the ability to do this thing, but it’s not _all_ she can do, and she doesn’t want to be defined by it. Also, she wants to keep her magic abilities as much of a secret as she can. She would cause trouble for a lot of people if she revealed them to the world, and she’s not the kind who wants to draw a lot of attention to herself anyway. > [@](#): > > Let’s go back to Kelvin. He’s pretty fucked but not completely fucked. Paramedics please do check me on this but from the internal injuries the OP’er has hinted at, our dear hero Kelvin won’t make it to the Emergency Department, correct? If that’s the case, then the EMT- green as she may be- likely knows that her efforts will be in vain. ( That should never stop someone doing EMS work, by the way. ) She’s not green. She’s an experienced EMT, just not at paramedic level yet (she’s working toward that). And yeah, I want her to be convinced the guy won’t live long enough to make it to the hospital (which is actually only a few minutes away). The healing the mage does isn’t super obvious (she doesn’t chant or make flashing lights or anything–just concentrates hard) so the EMT will catch on that _something_ happened, but she won’t know exactly what. > [@](#): > > You’re actually channeling my inner 25-year old female. Thanks !! Hope I’m a redhead 😃 Sorry, nope–you’re a blonde, athletic Southern California surfer-girl type. 🙂 ETA: If anybody wants to follow along at home, [here’s a link to the series](https://www.amazon.com/R.-L.-King/e/B0084QBKYC/). We’re up to Book 8 right now, published. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-duty-emt-at-scene-of-accident-need-medical-info-for-novel/776397/22 "2017-01-07T21:45:02Z")
Femur fracture. Incredibly painful & whether open (broken skin) or closed; _could_ cause enough loss of blood to be fatal. An EMT, w/o any gear could hold traction to at least reduce the pain. The mage could heal the nicked artery thereby saving victim’s life. > [@Infovore](#): > > Sorry, nope–you’re a blonde, athletic Southern California surfer-girl type. 🙂 [Joey Tribbiani voice]How’s _she_ doin’?[/JTv] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-duty-emt-at-scene-of-accident-need-medical-info-for-novel/776397/23 "2017-01-07T21:47:15Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Sorry, nope–you’re a blonde, athletic Southern California surfer-girl type. 🙂 > > ETA: If anybody wants to follow along at home, [here’s a link to the series](https://www.amazon.com/R.-L.-King/e/B0084QBKYC/). We’re up to Book 8 right now, published. Thanks for the clarification AND the link- can’t wait to start reading !! ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-duty-emt-at-scene-of-accident-need-medical-info-for-novel/776397/24 "2017-01-07T22:33:43Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > ETA: If anybody wants to follow along at home, [here’s a link to the series](https://www.amazon.com/R.-L.-King/e/B0084QBKYC/). We’re up to Book 8 right now, published. Thanks for that. I’m about to finish up the Nightside again and was seriously looking for something else to start on. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-duty-emt-at-scene-of-accident-need-medical-info-for-novel/776397/25 "2017-01-07T23:53:11Z")
Great, I hope you both enjoy it if you pick it up! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Emergency911](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/43a26b/32.png) [@Emergency911](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emergency911)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2017, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-duty-emt-at-scene-of-accident-need-medical-info-for-novel/776397/26 "2017-01-09T19:48:42Z")
It seems you have enough suggestions on injuries and such, but I just wanted to mention that EMT laws differ from state to state. In my state, you are obligated to stop if no emergency personnel are on the scene yet. While it’s highly unlikely that you would be turned in if you didn’t, I never want to take the chance, and like others have said, I got into this line of work to help people, why would I not stop? ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2017, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-duty-emt-at-scene-of-accident-need-medical-info-for-novel/776397/27 "2017-01-10T18:05:01Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Ideally, I’d like the EMT to do at least _something_ so she appears competent, but I don’t have this kind of knowledge. So, my questions are: > > 1. What kind of mortal injuries would a kid who ran off the road on his sportbike and crashed into a tree likely have? He’s wearing a helmet. I want him to be injured badly enough that even if the ambulance arrives in minutes, he’d be dead if he doesn’t get help immediately. > > 2. What could trained a EMT/paramedic do without any gear, after calling 911? > > 3. What would be a good imminently-fatal injury for the victim to have that my mage character could heal and thus stabilize him enough that he lives until the ambulance arrives and he can get better care? I don’t want her to heal him completely, just deal with whatever’s going to kill him before he gets help. I’m thinking of some kind of catastrophic internal bleeding–would that work? I want something with outward signs the EMT can identify but can’t do anything about (so she’ll know something’s fishy when her friend suddenly concentrates hard and the problem fixes itself). > > Thanks! Former EMT here. FWIW, I always had a box in the car. It was one that I put together, so it wasn’t as complete as the one on the bus, but close. Having said that, let’s take your EMT scenario. I forgot my box today, and I roll up and the wheel is still spinning on the cycle and the driver is lying there next to it. The first rule is ABC: Airway, Breathing, Circulation. Once those are found to exist, I then look for immediate visible trauma. Because it’s a motorcycle, I’m going to assume head/spine injury to hedge my bets, and try like hell to not move him unless it is critically necessary. Let’s assume that he’s bleeding out from a massive cut to his thigh. I’m thinking femoral artery. I try to suppress with direct pressure. Your mage might “take a look” and repair the femoral damage enough to increase his chances. I wouldn’t have the mage do a complete fix, though. Perhaps, in addition to doing the partial repair, the mage stops the blood flow. I would assume that my direct pressure is doing the trick. Then once the ambulance shows up and I release the pressure, the mage might let the lessened flow resume, so that no one suspects his/her tinkering. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/off-duty-emt-at-scene-of-accident-need-medical-info-for-novel/776397.md?page=1)