The phone rang at 3:30 a.m. An airline pilot at the Costa Mesa Hilton needed a doctor, explained the caller. Could I go?
That Hilton is 46 miles away, but I drive there
regularly for an agency that provides medical care to foreign airline crew when
they lay over (American crew are on their own). It’s an easy drive at this
hour. I accepted for several seconds until I woke up and remembered that the
405 freeway closes at the Orange County border during the wee hours for major
construction. Despite the hour, closing the freeway produces an immense backup,
and the detour through city streets is slow and tedious. Forced to go, I take a
different freeway which is ten miles longer and only slightly less tedious.
I was in luck. Wee-hour patients usually suffer intense
symptoms such as vomiting; they don’t like to wait. This guest had a cold and
didn’t object to a visit later that morning.
I breathed a sigh of relief and went back to sleep. The
delay would cost me $150 because the agency pays less for daytime housecalls,
but it was worth it.
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