“Wake Up Call”

Started out of the house about 6pm or so
Walking to the door, scanner voices screaming and I slow
Ambulance needs blankets for a victim just up the road
Grabbed a blanket from the bed and off I go
Saw the lights flashing, ready to help when another ambulance shows
Blanket, not needed, by my side, along the snow-covered road I go
Lightly snowing still, made it to the turn ½ mile up the road
Black Ice they called it, I say total loss of control
Frantically, heart pounding, trying everything and anything
Sliding across that yellow line, whole body tense – headlights
Slow motion, still trying, wishing, hoping, praying for something
Boom, Crash, metal on metal, watch as the windshield crack
Staring as their headlights slowly dim and go out, darkness
Voices – open my eyes, see and hear people, sirens and flashing lights
Can’t open my door, grabbed the handle and pulled with all my might
I roll down the window; “Hey” I scream in shock, a kind stranger appears beside me
“Are they OK?” I ask, he holds my hand, says, “They’re fine and you’ll be alright”
More and more people show, my fellow dispatcher-an EMT and Fireman,
He calls over the radio, “Unit 14 will not be in to work, find someone for midnight”
“Missy” I hear, my father is there, was only three cars back
“Where’s the baby?” he asked, me I can’t breathe, can not speak
They begin to search and somehow learn she’s not there but with her dad
Firemen arrive and begin to work, their tools cut metal, and my doors begin to creak
“Your ankle is broken, tell me what hurts”
My chest, I can’t catch my breath was my only discomfort
“We’re going to get you out”, the pain unbearable as they move me
Sirens blaring to the ER, They rush in and everyone is there to see
Can’t move all strapped down to that board, feeling the pain now
People rushing all around, “My foot fell off,” I say with tremendous pain
Not knowing it was only barely attached, all gasped and it hit me - POW
I only meant it fell off the board, but now I know, more shots for the pain
Back to the ambulance, transported to a Trauma ER
Excruciating pain, more shots, and we arrive in a hurry, everyone rushes to see
Amputation was the order for my foot, unknown to me
In and out of consciousness, morphine they give me, then out for surgery
I wake to see – ICU, trying to remember what that means
All bruised cut and broken, friends and family stop by to see
Three weeks in the hospital and more surgeries planned for me
Doctors say it’s a miracle, for me the end was too near
“Impact like that should have destroyed your lungs and heart”
“You’ll walk with a bit of a limp, just be glad you are here”
Recovery from the crash slowly became somewhat easy
God had reasons, I suppose, unknown to me,
Perhaps a wake up call for what I could not or would not see
Recovery of life was a little more difficult you see…