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From the Next Generations Short Story Winner of "Khalil's Wall"
A fascinating and darkly funny novel giving readers front-row access to the world of EMS and other first responders — and the stink, sweat, and sex that accompanies long days caring for others at their most vulnerable.
Following in the footsteps of their beloved Boston cop father, Alex Flynn trains as an EMT, and spends years chasing emergencies in an ambulance. But the person Alex becomes is a far cry from the hero they signed up to be.
Over four decades in public safety, Alex encounters a changing America, where veterans are left to rot on streets, women are welcome in dangerous fields but abusers still walk free, and service providers are subjected to intense public scrutiny while being denied the resources they need. After moving from bustling Boston to small town Vermont, Alex discovers an escalating feud between emergency operators and must decide which to protect: their community, or their legacy.
"The Little Ambulance War of Winchester County opens readers' eyes to the human beings and too-often troubled systems we rely on to rescue us. An important and unforgettable saga of the people who race toward danger to save strangers like you." – James Grady, author of Six Days of the Condor and The Smoke in Our Eyes
I.M. Aiken worked on ambulances off and on since the 1980s, starting in the Boston area where she was born and raised. She served one tour in Iraq as a civilian member of the US Army's 4th Infantry Division, and now lives in Vermont. Aiken is the 2026 Next Generations Short Story Winner of "Khalil's Wall."