Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Cara, Sarah, Brody and I decided to try out the City College track on Wednesday. Sarah to start a running program, Cara to run 2 miles straight (show off) and Brody & I to 'stroll' the beast. A mile into it (ok...3/4 mile) Brody is fussy so we decide to crawl around on the lush green grass among the two playing squirrels. Minutes after I release Brody, a girl falls down in the nearby bathroom. Weird. I assumed she slipped. I call out, "Are you ok?". No response. I pick up B and walk quickly into the bathroom to find her - maybe 10 seconds after she fell - coming out of one of the stalls. You guys....remember the movie Carrie? There was an inch-deep hole in her head and dark, thick blood running in various streams down her face. From her forehead and from her nose/lip - couldn't really tell. Brody and I stare at her in horror. "We need to get you to the hospital", I say. She sways, "I think I hit my head." Oh hell. I realize quickly that getting her into the car and to the hospital is not an option and grab my phone. Thankfully, Sarah is jogging up at that very moment. Phone to my ear, I tell her to go help the girl in the bathroom. The second Sarah enters the b.room, 'Carrie' passes out against the bathroom wall. Sarah, servant that she is, recognizes that she's overheated and starts pouring her water on the girl.
I'm explaining the situation to the 911 operator and realize that there might be a hero in the midst. I yell, "Is there a doctor or medical person on the track?!!!?!". Most people passed me by without a glance. One guy comes forward - a cop. While I was tracking down Cara so that she could meet the ambulance at the gate, Sarah was is talking to Carrie. Turns out she's passed out before; she's also extremely concerned about money to pay for hospital. Ultimately, her two cousins appear (two girls I know heard me call for medical help earlier) about the same time the fire department arrive. Turns out her sunglasses, which were on her head, had cut the square-shapped groove out of her forehead. I'm literally shocked that we weren't looking directly at Carrie's skull.
We leave. Dazed and confused and for the first time I realize that Brody is still in my arms and had seen the whole thing. He was so calm and good the whole time. It made me feel good to know that I could handle something dramatic like this and not flip . I'm sure I would have reacted differently if it had been someone I knew....but I like to think that I would remain cool and level-headed in crisis. Hopefully - prayerfully - I'll never have to find out.
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