You won't remember me but I will never forget you. The sights, the sounds, the smells of that day burned into my mind as a hot iron to flesh. A beautiful summer day wrought with pain. A young mother and a precious child engulfed by fire, in an instant their worlds ripped apart. I can still see you naked and terrified, knees tucked to chest waiting in agony as the dust clouds roll across green grass. Lights flashing and sirens wail as tears roll down my cheek. I lift you from the ground. Your burned flesh coming off in sheets. nothing spared. The look of terror on your face still haunts me. Your blonde hair burned, melted to your flesh like wax. I roll you into the box and close the doors. Your screams of agony still pierce my ears. I compose my senses. I open my jump bag and quickly gather supplies. There is no way to get access and I have to start a line. "Baby this is going to hurt And I have to do it. You just squeeze my partners hand and scream if you need to." I drill through flesh and bone and you wail a guttural scream of agony "OH MY GOD IT HURTS PLEASE MAKE IT STOP WHERES MY BABY HOW IS MY BABY?" "He's with the flight crew. I promise he's in good hands and they're doing everything they can." I can hear the whine of the turbines spooling as the blades chop through the air like thunder. "Ok the needle is in; I need you to be strong again, this is going to hurt even more." I push the lidocaine to numb the bone but it doesn't seem to help. You let out a long torturous scream "PLEASE MAKE IT STOP OH GOD IT HURTS." "Ok momma it's in, it shouldn't hurt as much now. I've got some pain medicine and I'm going to give you a bunch of it. It's going to hurt going in." I push the fentanyl slow trying to ease the pain but I know nothing will. I've never seen anyone burned like this. My partner gathers fluids and spikes the bag. As the bp cuff inflates it slips away what skin was left intact on your arm. You don't so much as wince. Beads of fluid pour from your burned body with no skin to hold it back. "Baby I need you to open your mouth again I've got to make sure you don't have burns in your mouth or throat. If there are, I'm going to have to put a tube down your throat to help you breathe ok. I just need you to keep being strong. You're doing so good just stay with me." It's a miracle that the flames spared your airway if anything is going to save you, that's going to be it. "She's getting tachycardic, she's going into shock. Where is the other helicopter? Get on the radio and get me an ETA. She needs a central line and I can't push the fluids fast enough." My partner radios dispatch. The bird is 2 minutes out. I can hear it now. "Alright momma the helicopter is almost here they're flying you to a burn hospital. I'm giving you the last of this medicine right now and I need you to hang in there. There are doctors waiting for you right now. you're in good hands I promise. I just need you to keep being strong."
© Tanmoy
©lostlove00
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