The Call
Nora
Since the rescue team left, we have been getting glimpses of what has been happening. In an apparent failure of the brakes, the car struck one of the safety barriers on the mountain's edge. Due to the impact of the car hitting a barrier, it completely flipped over, leaving the car hanging from the edge.
To ensure that the vehicle does not finish falling, harnesses have already been attached to it. We still have to rescue two more people. This is a critical situation that requires the expertise and care, only our rescuers can provide.
There is a reason why we are the most recognized in the city, and it is not for nothing. Besides, Patty and a few clerks were the only ones in the building. During this time, we worked on paperwork and dealt with other pending issues.
When we heard the radio, we entered the communication room, Patty ran over to where the radio was and got the call.
“Central, I'm Gabriel, there was an accident. Two of our team members are seriously injured. Something went wrong, and we still don't know what happened. In the meantime, we will take them to the intensive care unit of the centre.”
“WHO? WHERE?” I screamed without caring about anything. All I wanted to know was that my Edward was fine.
Patty turned to see me with desperation evident on her face.
“Tell me who they were.” I walked over to her and was about to take the radio from her hand when Gabriel said the thing I least wanted to hear in the world.
“Edward and Roco. I'm deeply sorry, Nora. We're doing everything we can to save them both. Send the helicopter immediately, you heard me? Send the helicopter immediately.”
I ran to the office and contacted the pilot. My heart was about to jump out of my chest. A terrible emptiness was forming in me because despair and hopelessness was the only thing I felt. No, no, no, Edward, not him.
Calling the pilot through the radio at speed, I said. “The rescue team needed a helicopter in the incident immediately. Two of us are seriously injured, hurry, I want you to be on your way now. They need you immediately.”
“On the way, Nora. We'll be there less than expected.”
The pilot ended the call and I stared at the ground with my head down. I put both of my hands on the desk and started shaking. My world was falling apart and there was nothing I could do to stop what was happening.
“Nora, Nora.” I heard Patty in the distance, while my mind was trying to get to where Edward was. I wanted to be with him.
“Nora, Nora,” I felt a hand on my shoulder, and that's when I reacted. I raised my head and saw Patty's eyes, she was crying. This rescue team was so close, that if one suffered, the others suffered too.
I threw myself into her arms and she hugged me tightly. Then, I cried and cried because my love was at risk and suffering, and I was not there to take care of him or accompany him. I did not know the seriousness of this matter, and that is what was consuming me with anguish.
“Nora,” Patty pulled away from me and took my shoulders tightly. She squeezed me lightly and said, “You must be strong, Edward needs you now more than ever. You can't break down.”
Her eyes shone with the conviction that her words wanted to convey. What she said hit me in the face. She was right, I have to steady myself and think. Edward needs me and I have to be there to help him, he needs me.
I looked at Patty and nodded, letting her know that I understood and heard her.
“Grab your things, we are going to go straight to the hospital and wait for them to arrive with Edward and Roco.”
“Yes.”
I grabbed my bag that was on the coat rack in the office. Patty and I hurried out, heading to the hospital. Anthony, one of the administrative guys, was already waiting for us at the exit with the car ready. We got in without wasting any more time and set off.
It took us thirty minutes to get there. We drove too fast but couldn't slow down. I am sure it must have been the longest drive of my life. As soon as we arrived at the hospital, we ran out and went to the reception. We identified ourselves and the receptionist looked at her screen.
“There have recently been two emergency patients brought in. They are in the operating room right now, about ten minutes ago. But if you want further information, you should speak with the doctor, since he is the one who knows their condition better. Go to the second floor and wait in the main reception. Someone from our staff will contact you if there is news about your case.”
“Patty, I am afraid of knowing, I don't want to know.”
“Remember what we discussed, Nora. You have to be strong for him and for yourself. Let's see if we can find someone from our team to explain to us what happened. Edward is an experienced man, so this is something that most had been out of their hands.” I nodded and followed her into the waiting room.
When we arrived, we saw the entire team waiting. Everyone was tired and with worried faces. We were so close that we seemed like a family. Diana saw us and ran towards us. She is one of the mission leaders. She has worked at the rescue centre for over ten years and knows everything anyone should know about rescue missions.
“Patty, Nora.” Diana hugged Patty first, and then me. “I'm truly sorry, Nora, something happened. We are not certain, but it appears that one of the harnesses that held Edward and Roco, was damaged. When they were descending to retrieve the last victim, it broke. The two of them fell to the bottom, and their bodies were badly injured. No one could do anything to prevent this. It was too late to try to do anything. Our only chance to reach them was when the helicopter arrived.”
I nodded, but I could only understand something of what she told me. “The two of them fell to the bottom, their bodies were badly injured. No one could do anything to prevent this.” Then I threw myself to the floor, holding my head.
“NO, NO, NO, NO, OOOOO!” I cried out, It was as though the world was moving at a glacial pace. The surrounding people were saying something to me, but I only saw shadows. I heard noises, but I could not understand anything. It was only when someone put under my nose something that I began to react from my emotional shock. To adjust my vision, I instinctively leaned back and blinked several times. Everyone was watching me, as Diana approached me, she helped me to stand up. I slowly walked to an armchair and sat down, looking straight ahead.
∞∞∞
I stayed in the same spot, not moving, staring into nothingness. As the minutes passed, I was surrounded by colleagues who wanted to console me, but nothing worked. Edward's life was in danger, and he could leave me at any moment.
“Edward, darling, you can't leave me now that I've found you. It's not fair. Why, why?”
My eyes were closed, and tears were streaming down my cheeks. For me, there would be no consolation. I would not rest until the doctor told us that he would be okay. But the more time passed, the deeper I sank into despair. The hole in my chest grew and grew, and I didn't know how to stop it.
My hands instinctively reached for my abdomen without realizing what I was doing. My eyes were drawn to my hands at that moment, and I realized that Edward's baby and mine were forming in me.
“My baby!” I exclaimed in surprise, because of the pain of knowing that Edward was seriously injured, I lost track of the fruit of our love. I massage my belly in small circles until I calm down. The mere presence of my baby gave me the strength to face this monstrosity of a situation.
As I reflected on this, I remembered that I hadn't eaten since the morning. I must take care of my baby, as it is defenseless and has only me. There can be no failure on my part.
I went to the hospital restaurant and ordered cereal with yoghurt and fruit, which will keep my stomach busy for a bit. I went back to the waiting room with my food, and I sat down to wait.
After a while, the doctor came out to speak with us, two hours later.
“Who is Edward's relative?” I approached and with a trembling voice, I answered him, “Edward is my partner, but his mom lives in another state, she is not present right now.” Then, I turned to see everyone and looked back at the doctor.
“We are all his family.” The doctor looked at us and sighed, “Well, Edward, he suffered a lot of damage from the fall. His arm and femur are broken. One of the ribs when breaking punctured a lung, so he will have to be on artificial respiration all this time. But the most difficult thing was the blow to the head. His skull was fractured, and his brain is inflamed. Before anything, we needed to fix the swelling, so we had to put him into an induced coma.”
Every one of the doctor's words was a lash to my heart. My tears were unleashed freely, and I couldn't stop them. Patty, who was next to me, took my hand and I responded with a light squeeze.
Silence, no one said a word. The shock was evident. It took a while for the words of the doctor to sink in. Roco had been with us for years, and I was not the only one crying. Roco walked in at the same time as me. With Edward's guidance, he grew up to be one of the best rescuers. Together, they made a formidable team.
This was a devastating blow for all of us, we were down. We would now have to inform Roco's family; however, that is not a task I can handle now. Imagine the pain of the parents when they learn of this, It is however my responsibility to talk to Ruth and inform her of this. And I would have to do it as soon as possible.
I wish Edward were awake right now. I already miss seeing his eyes and hearing his voice telling me how much he loves me. In a low voice, while caressing my belly, I said, “Your daddy will be fine. He is strong and for nothing in this world, he would miss the opportunity to meet you.”
∞∞∞
As soon as Roco's death was reported, Diana and Patty handled the paperwork at the hospital. In addition, they spoke to Roco's parents, telling them what had happened. While we waited in the waiting room, Roco's relatives arrived.
Diana and Patty came by to offer their condolences. I, as well as the other members of the team, also offered our condolences.
Mary, Roco's mother, asked no one in particular, “What happened? Why did this happen? Despite all the experience and preparation, I cannot understand how my son is dead. How did this happen?”
When I heard her questions, something clicked in me. My pain was so great when I found out about this accident that I couldn't think of anything else.
My attention was drawn to Diana, waiting for her to say something. Gabriel was present when all this happened, so Diana looked at him. Looking back at her, he lowered his head and gazed at the floor. His face turned into one of desolation. The pain was evident on his face. It was imperative that he tell us about the accident and why it happened.
“There was something wrong, and it wasn't Edward's or Roco's fault. Always following protocol, they never went outside what was expected of them. I just watched as they fell, helpless. Roco and Edward were descending to retrieve the latest victim. They helped her out and restrained her with the harness, so she could get up with no problem. Things were fine until that point. Upon receiving her, I had her untied and gave her to the paramedics to work on. Within seconds, I had taken my eyes off them, and when I heard Edward scream, he said, “Roco, watch out,” I leaned out to see what was happening, and that is when I saw Roco and Edward fall. I did not hear or see anything else, but this vision of the two of them falling and hitting their bodies against the rocks. That can't be erased from my mind, as well, listening to their screams of despair is impossible to forget.”
By closing my eyes, I blocked out those images, and I put my hand on my chest to comfort myself. There was no way I could imagine what they went through. Despite all of my efforts to stop crying, I simply couldn't do it; my heart ached.
Gabriel continued through tears, “Afterwards, Diana and I descended to help them. However, it was impossible, so I called for the helicopter. It all seemed very strange. I remember thinking that it could not be happening. We always adhered to protocol, regardless of where we were. This had never happened before, let alone with two people like them. Clearly, something went wrong with the equipment. I have no other explanation.”
The equipment? It couldn't be, I was responsible for buying the best for the rescue centre and changing it periodically to avoid this. But Patty spoke after, “We need to investigate the causes of the accident with a forensic team and the police. We can't risk it like this. Next time, we need to check everything.”
The whole team agreed to this. Whatever they need, I will be there to assist them.
“The police have already spoken to the doctors, and the clothes and equipment they were wearing have already been seized. We will be contacted individually as part of the process. The death of Roco and the injuries sustained by Edward must be punished. We must find out what happened.”
My stomach sank because of this. What would have happened?
What matters most is that my love recovers.
When I walked to the reception desk, I told the nurse, “I am Nora Matthew, the partner of Edward Matthew. I would like to know where he is and when I can see him?”
As the nurse typed on the computer, she looked at the screen.
“Mrs Matthew, your husband is in intensive care. Our staff cannot allow him any visit. His situation is still delicate. The hospital allows visitors from Monday through Saturday from 3 to 5 pm. He is on the 4th floor. But you will only be able to see him through the glass window from outside his room.”
Having nodded, I walked towards Edward. I took the elevator to the fourth floor and walked shakily to his room. I was afraid to see him, my mind couldn't conceive of a situation like that.
He was always so strong and intelligent, always solving the problem at hand. The one I looked up to for guidance and support.
I took a deep breath and held the air in my lungs for a few seconds before releasing it. It's now my turn to be his rock and support. I must be strong for the three of us. Edward and my baby need me. There is no way I will fail them.
I walked resolutely to where he was, and just as I was reaching the door, I saw number 12 and approached slowly until I was able to see my love.
I was stunned, with my brain blank. Edward lay in bed with his eyes closed. One side of his head was shaved, and bandages were wrapped around it. Beaten and swollen, his beautiful face was hard to recognize.
His hip was supported with a metal plate, one leg was immobilized up to the knee, and his left arm was in a sling. An oxygen mask helped him breathe, and a bag with a tube drained his urine hanging from the bed. He was surrounded by machines.
Suddenly, my stomach churned, and I vomited on the floor. As soon as I had regained my composure, I placed my hands on the glass, and whispered, “Edward.”
