Black Flies, Post #4

In the fourth section of Shannon Burke’s novel, Black Flies, Ollie Cross is truly beginning to feel the prolonged exhaustion of his job. As a paramedic, he deals with a huge number of patients each day, and now the weight of all that work is beginning to creep into Cross’ head. Ollie Cross describes his workload at one point, giving the rough estimate of patients treated. He relates, “When the really hot weather began the average number of medical emergency jobs in the city went from 2,300 a day to around 3,600 and sometimes up above 4,000”(90). The continued physical and mental strain has added a new layer to Cross’ characterization, and plays out through the following sections of the book. Later, Ollie and other paramedics make an effort to have fun. One particular instance of this is with a homeless man named Rolly. This homeless man would make emergency calls all the time for no reason other than to get a free ride to the hospital. The paramedics were familiar with him, and they looked at him as a local friend. One night, Rolly made the excuse that he had a headache. As a joke, one medic gave him a full head bandage that had been dipped in hydrogen peroxide. Cross explains, “For the next month Rolly wandered up and down Lenox Avenue, the only homeless man in Harlem with Brilliant orange hair” (99). This shows how characters in the novel deal with their pent up fatigue. Surrounded by a morose city, the paramedics still found fun and life in the world around them.

Later, Ollie Cross begins to learn more about his partner. His partner, Rutkovsky, is fairly distant toward Cross up until this part of the book. However, this character begins to reveal more about himself. At one point, both Cross and Rutkovsky meet near a beach for fun. Talking with each other, Rutkovsky talks about his time in Vietnam. When Cross says how he must have been a good soldier, Rutvovsky initially denies it but then he opens up a little. Burke writes, “After a moment he took something from his shoe and tossed in on my towel. It was a chain that he wore around his neck-his dog tags, and around the tags a Silver Star Medal fashioned into a necklace” (103). Each individual in this novel has a background, and this is what makes this novel extremely involving and active. By showing part of Rutkovsky’s past, we the reader can make assumptions, predictions and realizations about him. At one point, Rutkovsky explains that his ex-wife has moved away with his young daughter after getting remarried. Rutkovsky says, “Sylvia gets out of this city. That’s what’s important. Probably better if she doesn’t see me. She’ll have a better life” (104-105). Ollie Cross is beginning to see his partner recede from the world a little. Life as a paramedic has weakened Rutkovsky, and this clarifies the corrosive effects of Cross’ job.