The Wake Up Call
- Locked due to inactivity on Aug 4, '16 4:15pm
Thread Topic: The Wake Up Call
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The Wake Up Call
I woke up with a start to the sound of wailing sirens. Something was terribly wrong. I slapped on my sweatshirt and rushed down the stairs. I slipped on my sneakers and ran outside to see Abby, my four-year-old sister, being rushed into an ambulance. My parents climbed in quickly after her. I tried to see what was going on, but the ambulance doors had shut as quickly as they had opened. I sprinted inside, snatched my keys from the hook just inside the door, hurriedly grabbed my baseball cap, and headed out to my car. I threw myself into the driver’s seat, slamming the door behind me. In a split second I thrust the key into the ignition and took off, following the ambulance carrying my sister to the hospital.
On the ride to the hospital I couldn’t help but panic. What if this was the last time I would ever see her again? I remembered when she was born. I didn’t like the fact of having a little sister. I was twelve at the time. Through the years I’ve become very close to her. She’s like the sweet, innocent, kind little brother I never had. Just then my cell phone rang loudly in my pocket, ringing out my favorite song. I quickly picked it up. “Hello?†I said, hoping I didn’t sound as nervous and wrecked as I felt.
“Joshua?†my dad’s voice came through the receiver. “Your sister’s been rushed to the hospital. We’re in the ICU.â€
“Oh god Dad, what happened to her?†I asked. I was breathing heavily and my heart was pounding erratically.
“We found her unconscious when we checked on her this morning. She’s still unconscious now…†he was cut off. “Josh. I have to go now. I’ll call you back later with any news.†With that, the other line went dead, and I just sat there. Tears in my eyes, I clicked my phone off. It took all of my strength not to cry.
I pulled into the hospital parking lot and hopped out of my car. I arrived at the reception desk and received Abby’s floor and room number. I quickly ran up the stairs to the third floor. I knocked on the door to room 375 and entered. I stood in the doorway for a second and proceeded into the room.
The hospital room gave me an uneasy feel. My steps echoed as I walked on the white tile floor. The walls were just as white, and they glimmered with the light from the bright lights overhead. As I made my way to Abby’s bed I could hear the heart monitor. It held a steady beat as its shrill sound filled the room. I lowered myself onto the hard stool by her bed. Abby’s body seemed so small and helpless lying on the large hospital bed. I could hear the low gasp of oxygen being transferred through the mask and into her unconscious body. The IV line was pumping a clear liquid through the tubes into Abby’s wrist. The silence in the room only made my heart beat faster. My parents sat in the corner, quietly watching her. The sight of my sister lying on that bed unconscious made me wonder if I would ever see her awake again.
We stayed the night in Abby’s room, my mother and father sleeping in their chairs and me sleeping slouched against the wall. The next morning doctors rushed in to collect data about Abby. They said she’d been unconscious for over 24 hours. I could hear the worry in their voices as they rushed to replace the empty bag on her IV stand. A couple hours passed, and we all sat in Abby’s room, picking at hospital cafeteria food. I wasn’t interested in eating the unidentifiable food on my tray. All I wanted to do was watch her, hoping and praying that she’d make it.
That’s when there was a sudden knock on the door. It broke through the silence that had wrapped itself around us. My father called out for them to come in. A tall man in a white coat carrying a clipboard strolled into the room, an apologetic expression on his face. He beckoned for us to come closer, and began speaking.
“Abby has been unconscious for over 24 hours. We’re… we’re starting to wonder,†he stopped to clear his throat and fumble around with his papers. He bowed his head and met my eyes with his. “I’ll leave you to say your goodbyes.†With that he nodded once, turned on his heel and left, closing the door softly behind him. My mother and father stood completely still, staring into nothingness. I motioned for my father to follow me out into the hall so my mom could say her goodbyes first. We stood watching each other for about seven minutes. Then the door opened, and my mother swapped places with my dad. She was crying now, and I hugged her as an attempt to tell her everything would be okay. I knew it wouldn’t be. We would lose her. No amount of praying, hoping, or wishing could ever win this battle.
The door opened once again. It was my turn. I walked into the room, closing the door loudly after me. I walked over to her bedside and sat down next to Abby’s limp body. Tears filling my eyes and my voice cracking I pleaded for her to wake up. “You can’t do this to me, Abby. You can’t leave me. Don’t you dare slip away. I can’t live without you, none of us can.†I reached for her small, fragile hand and held it gently in mine. “I need you. You have to wake up. Please… Wake up, Abby.†Talking was a struggle. I couldn’t take it anymore. I burst out crying, tears running down my face and dripping onto the floor. I closed my eyes trying to stop the tears but they just kept coming. To my horror, the heart monitor slowly started to slow down. “No, no, no, no, no!†I said between sobs.
It flat lined.
It flatlined...The heart monitor flat lined. My sister was gone. It was finished. I turned away closing my eyes tightly, telling myself to wake up. Wake up! This was real. It wasn’t a dream. I’d lost my sister.
“No!†I shouted, sobbing harder. I heard the door open, and I felt my father’s hand on my shoulder. I turned around to see that he was crying too. Everybody was. I couldn’t take it anymore. I quickly stood up from the stool, thrusting it backwards onto the floor with a loud clang. I ran out into the hall, tears blurring my vision. Wake up. Wake up, Joshua.
I could hear my parents calling my name. I abruptly stopped running and turned to face them.
“What? What now? It’s all over… She’s gone. We can’t do anything about it,†I spat the words out bitterly. Tears were still pouring from my eyes.
Just then a doctor strolled out to greet us. He was smiling. Anger boiled up inside of me. How could he smile when my little sister just died!? He ushered us into the room. To our disbelief, Abby’s heart monitor had started up again.
I felt a smile sweep its way across my face. For once, the shrill sound of that monitor was comforting.
I was very confused. I didn’t know that heart monitors could flat line and then pick back up where they’d left off. Didn’t that type of thing only happened in those television medical dramas? I felt like I was glowing. I was so close to losing her, but I didn’t. Counting my blessings, I walked over to her bed and held her small, fragile hand in mine.
“Thank you,†I said smiling. “Thanks for not bailing out on us.†I brushed her hair out of her face and smiled. My parents were smiling and crying. They were so close to losing their little girl; we all were.
That night Abby woke up. She was a bit confused, but we helped her through it all. The following morning we had her checked out of the hospital. With me driving, my dad in the front seat next to me, and my mother and Abby in the back, we drove home. Within a few days Abby was back to her usual bubbly self.
“Josh?†Abby pushed my bedroom door open gently and walked in. I put down my guitar and turned towards my door. She was holding her pink stuffed unicorn in one arm her teddy bear in another.
“Will you play house with me?†her innocent smile enhanced her words as she hopped -
onto my bed and sat down next to me.
I smiled and replied, “Sure, Abby.†She handed me her teddy bear and we started, making fake voices for the stuffed toys. My usual answer would’ve been no, but the whole hospital incident really changed me. When I thought I’d lost her, I realized how little time I spent with her. It made me regret all of those times I’d refused to play house with her or help her pick flowers from the little garden we planted for her.
Seeing Abby on the brink of life and death changed me. From then forward I would cherish my time with her and spend as much time with family as possible.
The future is unpredictable. Somebody you truly care about could be here one day and be gone the next. Don’t wait until they’re gone to admit how you truly feel about them. Cherish every second you get with these special people. My name is Joshua Bradley, and this the story that has changed my life forever. I’ve learned my lesson, and now I’ll leave you to learn yours.
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This is a short story I wrote for English class. What do you think? The paragraphs got all messed up... sowwy bout dat. :) -
wow
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:) do you like it?
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Woah. That's just what happened with my grandpa. Except he didnt wake up *starts crying*
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omg... i'm so sorry, raven. *hugz*
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