Sometimes your eyes play tricks...

So being new to this blogging thing I've been reading through alot of different EMS professionals blogs of stories of the streets...calls they've gone on etc...Now for those of you that know me, I don't work in no big urban inner city but the place has its fair share of action and adventure being that is has a population of over 180,000 people and a pretty steady call volume. So while sitting at an EMS standby the other day with my salty "OLDER" partner we began telling stories of different calls we've been on and his time he did in NYC back in the day. So as we sat there and watched 3 different movies and wrote 2 RMA's in a grueling 12hr shift. My mind began to look back on some of the most memorable calls I've been on. This one particularly came to mind... It was a warm summer day and I had about 9 hours left in my shift. As the crews started to ponder on the most important decision of the day (lunch) both crews were dispatched to two different calls. We were assigned to reported call for help unknown medical these calls I always hate going on because you never know what your walking into. While we pulled up on scene in the quiet neighborhood I observed a small somewhat well kept ranch home with a car in the driveway. Dispatch now advised us that they are starting ALS for a possible unresponsive. The police showed up at the same time we did which we always don't get alot of times he tells us that somehow a bed confined couple managed to call 911 to report that there daughter who also is their caretaker is in the other room and when they woke up this morning she is not answering them. Myself and my partner grab our bags and head for the front door which is locked. We head around to the backyard trying windows and doors and to no avail nothing... The police departments road supervisor now showed up so we can force entry along with 2 other officers for back up. FINALLY! The officers gained entry to a bedroom window and started talking to the elderly couple. He hopped up on a chair and slowly slid through the window. In a matter of 10 seconds of being inside the officer bursts through the back door startling everyone in the yard and starts gagging and dry heaving severely. Many thoughts shot through my head at this point and I thought oh no...this is not good. I looked at my partner with dread and as we exchanged glances of who's going in there first I headed for the door. I asked the now sick officer what is going on and all I heard was sounds of vomiting...That not being the answer I would like... I hesitantly walked inside the home. About a foot inside the door a strong odor of cat urine and feces hit me instantly like a brick wall. The house was very dark and dingy. I pulled out my flashlight and cautiously proceeded through the garbage covered floors carefully planning each step not to step on any landmines the multiple cats whom reside here placed on the floor for us. My partner who still had not made it through the door could be heard passing comments to the other police officer brave enough to enter with us. I called out to the elderly couple and went straight to the back of the house where two elderly people stayed. Another garbage filled room with empty medicine bottles strewn across the dressers and boxes of medical supplies. The woman stated that she had woken up and her daughter who usually takes care of them was not answering her. I asked where would she be in the house and it was in the adjoining room right behind me. I turned around and looked inside the room...this was the darkest of the rooms in the house and the most cluttered with garbage . I looked onto the couch and shined my flashlight due to no working light switches present in the room. I observed the body of a female slumped over the side of the couch in the corner. I called out to my partner and said I think I got something she was with the police officer in the other room now looking around also. I slowly approached the body and called out in case they had maybe fallen asleep. No response...I took a deep breath and reached out to grab the shoulder to turn over the body while still holding my flashlight in my other hand. I quickly grabbed the shirt and turned the body over and no sooner did I turn it over and shine my light on its face.....I let out the loudest shrieking noise I didn't even know I could make...I jumped back and yelled quickly running out of the room...the body that I observed was not a human but a manikin and when I turned it over it revealed to me that it had no face. My partner and the cop ran towards me and asked me what had happened...now laughing like the idiot I am I told them. The cop then said to me I didn't think you could make that high pitched of a noise...I said I didn't even realize I made a noise...all I know is that scared the hell out of me! 2 minutes later the daughter came running through the door wondering what all the commotion was about and asking if her parents were OK. She had stated she just went out to the store and did not want to wake her parents...So all was well and in the end there was no real emergency present...just another story for the books and another blow to my ego....