All I can hear is the sirens from the ambulance outside, rushing her through the door.
As I ran through the door to see what was happening. All you can see is blood everywhere just dripping down the stretcher to the floor, and you hear a mothers cry out for help. she asked;
“Is my baby going to make it doctor?”
“Where are you taking my baby”?
“Oh Lord, why me!!!!”
“It was just a few drinks”
The Doctor asked, “Ma’am were you drinking and driving and were you wearing a seatbelt?”
All she did was just cry, because she knew what she had done…
The doctors said, “We’re not quite sure yet, but just sit tight. We are trying our best”
As she sat and waited for answers, all you can see is her eyes bloodshot red crying a river telling herself she’s never going to make it…
”Why did I tell myself it was only 3 drinks…it wasn’t going to hurt anyone…“
Clock is ticking and still no answers from the doctors. Kids playing in the waiting room yelling and screaming…
Now she’s frustrated yelling and screaming at me to give her answers, but I couldn’t. My lips were tied. I couldn’t say a word. It felt like a cat had my tongue and I couldn’t bear to tell her the bad news that her child has a 50 percent chance on making it. It wasn’t my job to do so…I just gave her a hug and said ma’am everything is going to be okay. Just pray with me. As I held her hand… I prayed;
“ And the Lord said… so do not fear, for I am with you; do not be
Dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Lord father God, as this lady’s daughter is fighting for her life. I ask for you to please be with her and give her strength and heal her lord. I don’t always understand your ways but I ask that you look with mercy and grace towards this lady. Cover your child with your sovereign hands; bring restoration and healing to her daughter’s body. Let this lady know you are with her through this difficult time. In Jesus name we pray, Amen”
All she could do is just cry those big dark brown eyes out and say, “thank you, you were God’s sent”
This is definitely not a happy story or an easy story to tell. You really brought to life the raw emotions of everyone who was involved in the scene. You as the narrator found yourself in the middle of a dire, stressful situation, and you knew too much but could not tell the woman. It is very easy although not pleasant for the reader to feel like he is in your shoes. The reader is left wondering if the woman got in trouble for drunk driving and especially if the baby survived the accident, but maybe it is better to let the reader wonder.
Hi Christine,
What a fascinating take on the assignment. Instead of depicting your own physical journey, you wrote about how someone else’s (terrible, devastating) journey intersected with your life. Like Patrick, I found the piece emotionally accessible, and heart-rending; as I read, I felt both for the grief- and guilt-stricken mother, and for the first-person narrator.
Well done.
Prof Kolb