The Biggest Emergency Here Is His Ambivalence To It

I am a server. A couple comes in. The guy is kind of a jacka**, and the lady is very ditzy and seems very out of it. I’m taking care of some other tables, and all of a sudden, I hear a guy screaming.

Male Customer: “Help! Someone help!”

The hostess and I run over to find the lady sinking down in her seat and she’s shaking. The hostess and I look at each other and then at the couple. Immediately, he tells the hostess to get under the table and help pull her out, because she’s having a seizure. I pull my phone out.

Me: “Sir, I’m going to call 911; she needs more help than we can give her.”

Male Customer: “Don’t you dare call 911! We don’t need them. Now, quit playing on that phone and help me get her on the ground.”

Hostess: “Sir, I’m trying to help you, but she’s stuck and your server can’t help because she’s not able to get past us.”

Me: “Sir, I’d really like to call the emergency line; if you refuse again I’m going to have to grab my manager.”

He scoffs and continues pushing his wife under the table so they can pull her to the ground. I run to the office and grab my manager.

Me: “Hey, we have a customer out there having a seizure and her husband isn’t letting me call 911.”

We both run out.

Manager: “Sir, I’m calling 911. I know you think you can handle this but this is a safety hazard. She’s in the middle of our floor and our dining room is full.”

Male Customer: “FINE!”

An ambulance arrives and they try to calm the seizure. They get her back up on a chair and sitting up. They ask her questions and make sure she’s conscious and whatnot. They finally leave, and the couple gets to-go boxes.

Me: “Here’s your bill, sir, and ma’am, I hope you feel better soon.”

Male Customer: “Whatever.”

Female Customer: *Nods slowly*

I start bussing my other tables and getting checks out to everyone. One of my tables stops me.

Customer: “Is she okay?”

Me: “I think so, ma’am. I’m so sorry for the scare.”

Customer: “I felt bad that I didn’t help her. I’m a nurse, but he didn’t want any help!”

Me: “You’re not obligated to help, especially when you had no clue what was going on. Besides, that man probably would’ve chewed you out, anyway. He was mad that we even called 911. He didn’t want anyone’s help except ours, for some reason.”

Customer: “I wonder, maybe he was hoping she’d get hurt so he could try to sue y’all or something?”

Me: “Who knows.”

I look over at the couple’s table as they are headed up to the register. Well, he is. He left her sitting there struggling to get up from the chair, so I run over and help her stand up. She slowly follows behind him.

I go to clear off the rest of their dishes off of the table to find a PENNY. ONE PENNY. I finish the table up and walk up to the host.

Me: “Did they tip on the card?”

Hostess: “Nope. They paid in cash. They gave me a $100 bill and took the change with them.”