"Late July" by Norma C.

June 26,2013 10:30 pm

            It was just a normal summer night at my house with my boyfriend. When we hear the sirens and red and blue lights of an ambulance. A few seconds later my boyfriend got a text from his mom asking, “Where are you?” After that, a call to my dad from my uncle was made asking “ Is Norma home?”  A reply after “ Yeah, What happened?” Uncle: “ Okay, good cause there is a big accident one street from my house and four streets up your house.” Dad: “ No, everything is fine. Hopefully everything is okay.” Uncle:” Okay, Bye.” Moments after my boyfriend went home and everyone was getting ready for bed.

June 26,2013 11:30 pm

            I was slowly climbing in bed when I heard a ding coming from my phone. As I grabbed it I saw that it was a message from my best friends older sister. I thought to my self “ Well this is weird, why does she need me?” As I open the message the very first thing I read was “she got in a car accident along with three others and all I know is that she has a broken leg…” The first thing that came into mind was, the sirens, the red and blue flashing lights, the text message, and the phone call form my uncle. I quickly run out of my room and tell my parents the news of the accident. Once I told them, I called my best friends mom to make sure this was not a joke and find out if she is okay and what hospital the ambulance has transported her to.

June 26,2013 12:30 pm

            As I gathered the information to go see her, I quickly get dressed and head out the door with my dad. As we drive to the hospital in the pitch-black freeway, I start to pray that hopefully nothing critical has happened. As I arrived to the hospitals emergency entrance, I encounter her family outside waiting to go see her. As I waited outside to go in, I hear that she is okay. Nothing was to be worried about except for her fractured femur. Shortly after that it was turn to go in. as I walk into the very cold hospital, I walked by many other patients. I finally reached her; she was all covered in a pink hospital blanket, talking about how she wanted her “Starbucks coffee” and “Chap stick” for her chapped lips. Then out of nowhere she said, “I’m going to sue the hospital for cutting up my favorite white shorts! How dare they!” she was a ok, back to her normal self. By then my time was up with her, cause some of her family members were next.

June 27,2013 4:00 am

             Things took a twist. She fell into a coma in a matter of couple of hours when I left her side. Early that morning they have moved her to ICU (Intense Care Unit). Shortly after she had surgery on her brain to limit the pressure between the brain and the skull. When everything was done only two people at a time were able to go in the room and see her. While her mom was crying in the hallway a friend and I went in. at the first look I couldn’t believe it, this was not her. I was not used to seeing her in such a fatigue stage. I tried to hold the tears back, but was hard with my friend breaking down as I comfort her and calmed her down. Tears fell down my face and we left the room. We couldn’t handle it anymore as we walked into the waiting room we cried even more. This was not my best friend lying on that hospital bed. I wanted her back; I never understood why did she have to get the worst end of it all. 

            As days and weeks went by remained the same. Some day she got worst and some days she would improve. Slowly and steady she would show signs of improvement like moving her arm or reactions when the doctors pinch her. She never liked it when they would do that. The improvement became more consistent, the doctors decided to move her into a children’s hospital in Los Angeles. Now from visiting her everyday it become to once a week or when ever I have the change to drive myself there. And every time I would go she was in a better state than before, but she still would not wake up. The doctors even told us that if she wakes up, she would be lucky if she can even brush her teeth. But I did not believe that cause I know she is a very smart young woman that always finds a way out of everything. As the continuous days and hours passed doctors, nurses, and therapist walked in and out. A nurse noticed how a brutal therapist treated her very harshly, she would respond more. Which meant the chances of her waking up were even sooner than on her own. Sooner than we expected, she slowly started to wake up and more movement was progressed. Even though the chances of her to being 100% normal were way off the chart, she proved the doctors wrong each time. That was the best friend I knew all along, always proving wrong and finding a way out.

            It was not until late July that she was fully awake and was aware of her surroundings. At this point she was moved to another hospital in orange. Only this time I was able to go two-three times a week. I would talk to her about everything still even though she couldn’t talk. The smile or the look she would give was enough for me.

            Now, till this day she is recovering and improving back to her normal self. She is even still proving doctors wrong till this very day I have never doubted her one bit since day one. I knew that she was capable of, from the night of the accident the police officer said” It is a true Miracle that she made it out of the truck alive.” One thing that I learned from this one experience was to be aware with who you get in a car with and your surroundings. She is a very blessed individual and as we all say, “This is one race that God gave you and that every race you have raced you’ve managed to finish strong. Now you got to finish this one even stronger than before.”

            -“Even miracles take a little time.”