Not even twelve hours ago I was a first responder to an overdose. He was a middle aged man with beard and glasses. Average attire for the weather. Found him nearly face down on the corner under the Northgate TLink Station. Unresponsive. Another woman (medically trained) got out of her car, joined me and proceeded to check his vitals and help open his airway. I administered four doses of narcan in what felt like hours of time. About fifteen minutes later help arrived from the fire department. Before they arrived, he stopped breathing several times and his eyes rolled back. His life was disappearing in front of my eyes. Limp and lifeless I pleaded with him to breathe and not fucking die. Please not tonight. I can’t start the year holding a dead person. As soon as we transferred his care to the medics, he stirred and suddenly sat up. […]