"Help! Hey! We need help over here!" Our group leader shouted frantically, running towards the fire fighters who had just arrived on the scene. "They're all over the place! We need help! Hey! Can't you see them!?!?!" he demanded frantically but the firefighters took their time.
I lay on the gravel, moaning and gasping for air. Why couldn't I breathe? My stomach hurt and I didn't feel good at all. I'd collapsed on the ground by my three friends who were also laying on the gravel, in the dust with me, and they were all having difficulty breathing too, by the sound of it. I couldn't remember what had happened -- everything had happened so fast! One minute we were on the way back from a field trip and suddenly it was like the earth was turned upside down. The bus driver tried to get us all out to safety but I'd fallen on the ground. I could feel the blood on my face but I couldn't feel the pain. Probably too much adrenaline rushing through me, yet I wasn't feeling well and I didn't want to get up and walk around. I was shaking violently with fear. What was going on?!
I could hear the men walking around and talking on the radios, I could see their bright yellow suits as they passed us by.
"Please help us!" I moaned "We need help!"
But they walked right on by.
I don't know how long we were laying there, maybe an hour before someone finally stopped to talk to us.
"Hey Buddy, how're you doing?" the tall yellow figure loomed over me.
"I'm scared and I dont feel well! i dont know what happened!" I sobbed.
"Where does it hurt?" His voice was slightly distorted by his gas mask.
Was that a bad sign?
"My stomach" I gasped, forgetting to mention that I couldn't breathe very well. But I was wheezing and panting for air, that had to be a giveaway right?
"Its okay, hang in there, help's comin'" He said and moved on to the next girl.
Help did not come any time soon.
I could hear people running around and yelling and I could hear the radios but no one seemed to notice us.
Finally a woman came by in her yellow body-suit and gas mask. I could tell she was a woman by her voice.
"Can you walk?" she asked.
"I think so" i said uncertainly and took her hand.
"I want you to follow them over there" And she pointed.
I weakly followed my friends over to a small group of other kids whom I recognized as some of the kids from the bus. The bus.
I turned around and stared in shock at what I saw.
The bus was on it's side! There were people everywhere! No one was coming near us without gas masks and body suits.
It looked like a scene out of a movie almost, it was amazing in a frightening sort of way.
I stood huddled with my friends and finally our chaperon from earlier started panicking again. Our breathing was getting worse.
"Hey!" he yelled, running towards some yellow-clad people doing nothing. "I have a bunch of kids over here and I don't know what to do with them! You HAVE to do something!"
We were lined up and escorted to a tent. First we stepped into a hoop and they sprayed us down with water, then we entered the tent and they scrubbed us really well. After we stepped outside There were people waiting for us on the other side, handing out tags and writing things down on paper.
"Do you remember what happened sweetie?" a lady asked.
"I-I think so..." I said shakily.
"What day is it?" she asked.
I faltered for a minute, my mind racing. What day was it?
I finally remembered it was Saturday and told her so. She smiled kindly and let me move on to the next person.
The man asked me what was wrong.
"I-I cant breathe and... m-my stomach hurts" I wheezed.
He led me over to a stretcher and I lay down on it and two medics strapped me on. Then they rolled me to the ambulance, picked me up and locked the stretcher in place inside. One of my other friends came too and they turned the couch type thing into a makeshift stretcher.
We were given oxygen right away and taken to the hospital. We'll be fine now.
Most of us anyways. They couldn't get one kid out of the bus... he was unconscious already and he died. There may have been more but I'm not positive.
Apparently there was a guy delivering some barrels of a toxic chemical and the driver had a heart attack and swerved into the road. His buddy in the truck with him was thrown out of the vehicle. Then our school bus hit the truck and it rolled over, smashing a car behind us.
The whole area was a hot zone, thats why the firemen and medics and whatnot took so long. They had to figure out exactly what the chemical was, and then they had to call the hazmat team and get suited up and get their equipment
---------------------
And all my clothes are dusty from laying in the dusty gravel for an hour and a half or so :PI lay on the gravel, moaning and gasping for air. Why couldn't I breathe? My stomach hurt and I didn't feel good at all. I'd collapsed on the ground by my three friends who were also laying on the gravel, in the dust with me, and they were all having difficulty breathing too, by the sound of it. I couldn't remember what had happened -- everything had happened so fast! One minute we were on the way back from a field trip and suddenly it was like the earth was turned upside down. The bus driver tried to get us all out to safety but I'd fallen on the ground. I could feel the blood on my face but I couldn't feel the pain. Probably too much adrenaline rushing through me, yet I wasn't feeling well and I didn't want to get up and walk around. I was shaking violently with fear. What was going on?!
I could hear the men walking around and talking on the radios, I could see their bright yellow suits as they passed us by.
"Please help us!" I moaned "We need help!"
But they walked right on by.
I don't know how long we were laying there, maybe an hour before someone finally stopped to talk to us.
"Hey Buddy, how're you doing?" the tall yellow figure loomed over me.
"I'm scared and I dont feel well! i dont know what happened!" I sobbed.
"Where does it hurt?" His voice was slightly distorted by his gas mask.
Was that a bad sign?
"My stomach" I gasped, forgetting to mention that I couldn't breathe very well. But I was wheezing and panting for air, that had to be a giveaway right?
"Its okay, hang in there, help's comin'" He said and moved on to the next girl.
Help did not come any time soon.
I could hear people running around and yelling and I could hear the radios but no one seemed to notice us.
Finally a woman came by in her yellow body-suit and gas mask. I could tell she was a woman by her voice.
"Can you walk?" she asked.
"I think so" i said uncertainly and took her hand.
"I want you to follow them over there" And she pointed.
I weakly followed my friends over to a small group of other kids whom I recognized as some of the kids from the bus. The bus.
I turned around and stared in shock at what I saw.
The bus was on it's side! There were people everywhere! No one was coming near us without gas masks and body suits.
It looked like a scene out of a movie almost, it was amazing in a frightening sort of way.
I stood huddled with my friends and finally our chaperon from earlier started panicking again. Our breathing was getting worse.
"Hey!" he yelled, running towards some yellow-clad people doing nothing. "I have a bunch of kids over here and I don't know what to do with them! You HAVE to do something!"
We were lined up and escorted to a tent. First we stepped into a hoop and they sprayed us down with water, then we entered the tent and they scrubbed us really well. After we stepped outside There were people waiting for us on the other side, handing out tags and writing things down on paper.
"Do you remember what happened sweetie?" a lady asked.
"I-I think so..." I said shakily.
"What day is it?" she asked.
I faltered for a minute, my mind racing. What day was it?
I finally remembered it was Saturday and told her so. She smiled kindly and let me move on to the next person.
The man asked me what was wrong.
"I-I cant breathe and... m-my stomach hurts" I wheezed.
He led me over to a stretcher and I lay down on it and two medics strapped me on. Then they rolled me to the ambulance, picked me up and locked the stretcher in place inside. One of my other friends came too and they turned the couch type thing into a makeshift stretcher.
We were given oxygen right away and taken to the hospital. We'll be fine now.
Most of us anyways. They couldn't get one kid out of the bus... he was unconscious already and he died. There may have been more but I'm not positive.
Apparently there was a guy delivering some barrels of a toxic chemical and the driver had a heart attack and swerved into the road. His buddy in the truck with him was thrown out of the vehicle. Then our school bus hit the truck and it rolled over, smashing a car behind us.
The whole area was a hot zone, thats why the firemen and medics and whatnot took so long. They had to figure out exactly what the chemical was, and then they had to call the hazmat team and get suited up and get their equipment
---------------------
Yeah it actually happened believe it or not.
Only not really. :)
My friend invited me over to her house Saturday and I was going to sleep over and then go home with my family after church on sunday.
After we got to their house we went to the fire station and saw the back hoe, two junk cars and an old school bus.
Her dad is a firefighter and sells rescue equipment so he was one of the instructors. They were having a training scenario and needed victims so my friend, her brother and I, plus the local boyscout troup and some other relatives of fire fighter's came to be victims.
They moulaged us up and put wounds and painted blood on us and told us what to do and what was going on.
It was SO much fun! And so awesome. I told my friend to let me know when they do another one.
It took them a LONG time... someone said that if it was a real life accident we would've been dead by then. :P So thats bad.
But it was a huge learning opportunity for all the firefighters and EMTs and whatever. They had like five or six different stations there, it was awesome. When it got too dark they broke out the huge lights from the firetrucks and stuff. It was cool to see all the different equipment and gear and what it was like to be in a situation like that.
And I really got to ride in the ambulance.
And I saved my body tag. :P
And the one kid really did "die" because they couldnt lift him...
Only not really. :)
My friend invited me over to her house Saturday and I was going to sleep over and then go home with my family after church on sunday.
After we got to their house we went to the fire station and saw the back hoe, two junk cars and an old school bus.
Her dad is a firefighter and sells rescue equipment so he was one of the instructors. They were having a training scenario and needed victims so my friend, her brother and I, plus the local boyscout troup and some other relatives of fire fighter's came to be victims.
They moulaged us up and put wounds and painted blood on us and told us what to do and what was going on.
It was SO much fun! And so awesome. I told my friend to let me know when they do another one.
It took them a LONG time... someone said that if it was a real life accident we would've been dead by then. :P So thats bad.
But it was a huge learning opportunity for all the firefighters and EMTs and whatever. They had like five or six different stations there, it was awesome. When it got too dark they broke out the huge lights from the firetrucks and stuff. It was cool to see all the different equipment and gear and what it was like to be in a situation like that.
And I really got to ride in the ambulance.
And I saved my body tag. :P
And the one kid really did "die" because they couldnt lift him...
I wonder if that counts as educational... o.o
1 comment:
You write a GREAT story!
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