Emergency!

About 1074 words





















         CRASH!  The whole house shook and the sound of shattering glass filled the air.  Stacy's eyes flew open and she bolted upright. 

         "Mama!” she called.  "Mama!"  She waited a moment but there was no answer.  A painful lump grew in her chest as she remembered.  Mama was still in the hospital.  She hadn’t even brought the new baby home, but he was already interfering!  A hot tear of resentment slid down her cheek.

         A frightening roar of wind broke into her thoughts.  Shivers ran up her back at the sound of the storm’s fury.  Where was Daddy?  He knew she was afraid of storms.  Why didn't he come?  Her fists clenched in anger.  He was ignoring her.  He was tired because they had been up late with her mother and the baby.  Her new brother was keeping Daddy away from her too!

        "Daddy," she called.  Again there was no answer.  She flipped the light switch by her bed, but nothing happened.  The electricity must be out, she decided.  Suddenly the dark threatened to swallow her.  Panic stricken she grabbed her flashlight.  Its welcome beam reassured her.

         Stacy put her slippers on, crossly padded over to the door, and yanked it open.  The unexpected cold made her gasp.  Wind shrieked angrily.  Heart pounding, she raced to her parents’ room and knocked.

         "Daddy," she called frantically.  "Are you awake?"

         Howling wind was the only answer as even colder air rushed out from under the door.  Fear held her in its icy grip as she heard what sounded like a groan.  She opened the door.  A freezing gust of wind blasted out, almost knocking her down.

         "Daddy," she cried.  "Daddy, are you all right?"

         Branches of a large tree seemed to fill the room and stars glittered through a jagged break in the roof.  Broken glass and other debris were everywhere.

         "Stacy, is that you?"  Daddy's voice was only a weak whisper.

         Stacy ducked under a branch and gasped at what her flashlight revealed.  Daddy’s face was the color of ashes, except on his forehead, where there was a frightening purple lump!

         “Oh, Daddy!  Are you all right?”  Stacy’s voice trembled.  For an agonizing moment she waited for his answer. 

"I'm stuck," he finally whispered.  "My legs..." His voice trailed off and his eyes closed.

         "Daddy!  Daddy, wake up!"  Stacy had a sudden urge to run back into her room and hide under the covers.  She struggled to overcome her fear and reached out to shake him gently.  He didn't respond.

         A sob caught in Stacy's throat.  She had been busy feeling sorry for herself while Daddy needed help.  She needed to call for an ambulance!  Quickly she scrambled under the limb and raced to the phone.  What if it wasn’t working?

         Stacy held her breath as she lifted the receiver and listened.  The comforting hum of the dial tone greeted her.  She breathed a sigh of relief and dialed 911.

         "My Daddy," she sobbed into the mouthpiece as soon as someone answered.  "He's hurt bad." 

         "Calm down honey," soothed the unruffled voice on the other end.  "I need your name and address, and can you tell me what happened?"

         Stacy managed to regain control.  "I'm Stacy Bernard and we live at 217 North Shamrock Lane.  A tree fell on my house and Daddy’s stuck under it in bed.  He has a big bump on his head."  Stacy's voice broke.  "Please hurry," she begged. "I can't wake him up."

         The emergency operator continued to calm Stacy, asking questions and giving instructions.  Finally she told Stacy to leave the phone off the hook and see what she could do to keep her father warm.

         Stacy flashed her light onto the thermometer outside the kitchen window.  Twenty-one degrees Fahrenheit, she read with a shiver.  And Daddy said the wind makes it even colder.

         She rushed into her room and grabbed her quilt.  Going to the hall closet she grabbed her winter coat and Daddy's red stocking cap. 

I can't help Daddy if I'm frozen, she reasoned, tugging her coat on over her pajamas and pushing long blond hair into the hood before fastening it snugly.

         A piece of wood crackled and popped, reminding Stacy that there was a kettle of water steaming on the wood stove.  She hurriedly found the hot-water bottle and carefully filled it.

         Daddy was awake again as she slipped the hot-water bottle under the covers and onto his chest.  "Here, Daddy," she said, fishing his stocking cap out of her pocket and carefully pushing it onto his head.  "I called the emergency number and help will be here soon."  She smoothed the quilt over as much of him as she could. 

         "Thanks," Daddy whispered.  "That's my girl."  He drifted away again.

         Stacy felt small and alone as she sat waiting.  Once in a while a soft moan escaped her father.  She shivered fearfully.  It seemed like hours since the phone call.  She checked her watch.  Only a few minutes had passed. 

         The wind howled mournfully, accenting Stacy's worry.  She looked at Daddy.  His eyes were still closed.  She fought back tears as she kept her lonely vigil. The minutes continued to crawl by.  Stacy strained to hear over the wailing of the wind.  Was that a siren?  Forgetting her fear she scrambled out of the bedroom and rushed outside, waving the flashlight. 

         The fire engine turned into her driveway and stopped.  An ambulance followed.  Tears streamed down Stacy's face as she ran to meet them.

         Four hours later Stacy was sitting in the hospital waiting room, sipping hot chocolate.  It had taken over two hours to get the tree off Daddy's legs.  The firemen had used air bags to lift it.  One of them had explained that air bags were used when rescuing people who were trapped under cars after a roll-over accident.          

Stacy was glad Daddy's only injuries were a broken leg and a mild concussion.  The doctor had assured her he would soon be as good as ever.  She thought of her mother and baby brother and smiled. They would be proud of her.  Everyone had praised her for her quick thinking.  But the best praise of all had come from her father, as he was lifted into the ambulance.

         "If I ever need help again I hope Stacy's around.  She's my number one right hand girl."   



http://www.meridianms.org/firerescue.htm

http://skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Potwin/firerescue.htm

http://www.adventure.howstuffworks.com/search-and-rescue.htm/printable  Air bags are specifically mentioned in this article.