Memory Lane, Serena Part Two

I grasp the windowsill and force myself to look down to the ground below. Even that small action seemed to take forever when it was only seconds since I had walked into the room. I look down and more minutes go by as my brain comprehends what it sees. My baby laying face down on the ground. 3 floors down on the ground in the dirt. 3 floors down face down on the ground in the dirt not moving.

I sucked in the breath I didn't know I had been holding and began screaming, "My baby, my baby, OMG my baby!" as I threw open the door and flew down the stairs. I am lucky I didn't fall and break my neck. It was a blur in time to me. There was only one thought in my head, it was please don't let my baby be dead, no no no no no no, oh god no!

I didn't realize how loud I was screaming, but everyone came running. When I burst into the courtyard I see her sitting up, wobbling a bit like a weeble wobble. Weird thought to have at the time, they weeble and they wobble but they don't fall down. I fell to my knees beside her wondering how badly she's broken. There are so many people now yelling at other people to get stuff, call 911, people talking to me at once. A thousand voices that sounded like the buzzing of bees.

I haven't not shed a tear yet. I remain calm and in control as my dad taught me to. I grasp the back of her neck and with someone elses help, layed her flat on the ground all without moving her neck. The only part of her that unbent were her knees. A blink later and there are the paramedics. My sweet serene child had not shed a tear but took one look at them and began to scream her bloody head off! She does not like strangers at all. I raised my voice telling her to calm down, she's ok, they won't hurt her. One of the paramedic guys looks at me and says, "Calm down, don't get upset, it'll only make her more upset." I look at him through dry eyes and inform him I am not upset, I'm trying to tone down her screaming before we all go deaf.

We literally lived across the street from the hospital so it took about a minute to get to the ER doors. My son had somehow appeared at my side as I climbed into the ambulance. Rushed into the back, her screams ringing in our ears. The hustle and bustle of ER personnel as they begin to assess the damage done to my girl.

I finally get her to calm down and stop screaming. *phew* I may never hear again but that's ok, screaming was good. It was a sound at that moment in time I cherished. Really broken kids don't scream like that. It meant she had to be ok, didn't it? Then came time for the x-rays. Hear we go again! Despite my assurances it won't hurt, no one is going to torture here, the screaming begins again. I am partly amused, mostly deaf.

That done, we can only wait for them to take a hard look at the x-rays to see how many broken bones she has. It seemed like forever to me. Then the doc walks in with this funny look on his face. I felt a sense of dread and thought, "OMG, it's worse than bad and how long will it take her to mend? Will she be rushed into emergency surgery?" The doc opens his mouth to speak and said, "She's going to be fine. There nothing wrong except for the dirt on her skin and a couple of scrapes."

I know my mouth was hanging open as my brain processed the info. There was nothing wrong? Not one broken, shattered, crushed or pulverized bone in her body? The look on his face had been one of shock! I was there with him and the whole freaking ER!

We did end up back in the ER at 10 pm that night. I realized they only took x-rays from her waist up, they never x-rayed her legs! Her right ankle swelled up like a balloon and I said, "Her ankle is broken!" I was right. Another set of x-rays later, she had broken the growth bone in her right ankle. Six weeks in a cast from mid thigh to toes and she was healed. I'm thankful it hasn't given her any trouble since then.