Last day of 7th grade a.k.a.- first day of summer!
I was just sitting down to eat my lunch in the faculty room at Elk Meadows Elementary when I noticed an incoming call on my cell from Julie Hill. Being the last day of 7th grade for AJ, I thought she may be calling considering him so I answered immediately. Her distress wasn't masked nearly as well as she was attempting and her panic pierced my heart.
"Can you go pick up AJ from the skate- park? Braden fell and is unconscious". "I am on my way there right now".
I threw my lunch into my bag, apologized to my team and after a quick explanation, they rushed me out the door encouraging, "everything will be alright".
When I arrived, AJ was at the entrance and then in the car before I came to a complete stop. And he was chalk white. I asked if he wanted to talk about what happened and he slightly shook his head and barely breathed out, "not yet".
After a few deep breaths, AJ said, "I just want to cry, that was the scariest thing I have ever seen or done in my life". Here is his brief explanation of what took place just 20 minutes earlier: (he dictated the following to me as I typed)
"We were dropping in to the small bowl and something happened as Braden was going over, his scooter seemed to catch the edge or his wheel was out of alignment and he just tipped over his handlebars and he just fell over and landed on his face. I thought he was just stunned but when he didn't move I jumped in and as I got to him blood was pooling out of his mouth and started spreading more and more. I screamed, "CALL 9-1-1!" and tried to call from my phone but it was on airplane mode so I grabbed Braden's phone. As I was starting to call, there was a lady there who said she was on the phone with them so I called his mom. When she didn't answer I left a message, kind of freaking out, and said, "Braden fell and got knocked out", then called his dad. He didn't answer either so I left the same message. Braden seemed to be waking up but I knew he shouldn't move so I told him he fell and he needed to hold still. He groaned and his eyes rolled back in his head and he passed out again. About a minute later the ambulance showed up and the paramedics started checking him out and strapping him to a backboard. Julie showed up a minute later and stood, shocked, at the top of the bowl watching what was happening. She looked like she was about to cry. I was too. I thought he was going to die, or be paralyzed. His mom was probably thinking the same thing. Before the paramedics took him, they asked me a bunch of questions and said I did a good job. I could never be a firefighter/paramedic".
At this point in our conversation, I could tell AJ was still really scared and concerned for his friend. I asked him if he wanted to go to the hospital and see if he was doing ok. He hesitated, saying, "What if he is dead?" then decided regardless, it would be better to know than spend the rest of the day freaking out.
We arrived at the Riverton Hospital shortly after Braden and his Mom (who followed the ambulance). As we were talking to the registrar, we saw Mike pull up and come running in. I almost lost it right there. I couldn't imagine what he and Julie were feeling. It the matter of minutes their lives could have turned upside down. I controlled my emotions and as Mike came in, the nurse showed the three of us, Mike, Aj and I, back to the room they were holding Braden in.
The first thing I noticed was the neck brace. Then I noticed how still he was. Julie was leaning over Braden softly stroking his hand and at that moment every emotion that had been stewing in my chest was about to come barreling out so I had to turn around and distract myself. If Julie wasn't crying, there was no way I would. Julie greeted us and thanked AJ for his actions, and told Braden, who had opened his eyes, started talking. I didn't dare ask what was happening, but let them know that Aj was really concerned and needed to see him. AJ stepped closer to assess the damage. He looked pretty beat-up. Braden chatted with AJ, asking him questions about what AJ saw, what other people saw, evaluating whether or not he should be embarrassed. "Oh man", he said... a lot. "Oh man" is right. The doctor came in after a minute and asked AJ some questions before he took off the neck brace (he had a CT right after arriving, if I remember correctly). There was a round of audible sighs when the doctor declared him un-broken.
Aj's coloring had returned to normal, but the incident had shaken him and he declared his scooter would be taking a break for the summer. Braden was released later that evening with direction to get a little R&R with a good dose of pain killer.
I was so proud of AJ and his ability to think clearly in the face of an emergency. Not many people have to respond in those kind of situations in their lifetime, and it pains my heart to think of how scared he was, and how terrified Braden's parents were, but am glad it turned out the way it did. Aj will remember this day forever, as will Mike and Julie, but looking back on it with relief isn't a bad thing at all. When I think of the alternative outcomes... Oh Man. Still... Not the best way to start off the summer.
