sharonbn
06-13-2003, 09:39 AM
St. Elsewhere: Scenes from hospital after terror attack
I arrived at the hospital at 19:30, following a phone call from a mutual friend: Orly, my long time friend was injured in the terror attack in Jerusalem. She suffered a concussion, broke her arm along with some surface wounds and was unconscious. She was laying in ICU in Sha’arey Tzedek hospital.
Orly and I met in the Air Force. Both of us graduates of the military school of computer science. We served in the IAF Logistics center between 86-92. She has the most amazing deep blue eyes one’s ever saw. We used to go together to lunches and discuss current events. We argued over who should get our votes in the elections and compared views on movies, plays and dance shows. She was part of Tel Aviv “in crowd” and let me in all the cool parties where celebrities roamed free. After our release from the army we kept in more-or-less touch through mutual friends.
I picked up a mutual friend in Tel Aviv and we drove to Jerusalem. The hospital was, as can be expected, overcrowded and chaotic. Worried family members, friends and lots of ordinary people walked the long corridors hastily, shouting to distant doctors or mumbling to themselves. I tried to ask around about Orly’s whereabouts but could get no one to answer. The phone was not working inside the hospital, so we joined the trend of roaming the corridors, peeking into rooms, stopping nurses only to get frowned at.
After a while of trial and error, we found ICU. They would not let us in the ward, as it was strictly for closest family only. We sat on the floor outside the heavy metal doors, waiting for someone to come out and update us on Orly’s condition. All around us were other people, waiting for news on their close ones. The place was erringly quiet. Every person was wrapped in one’s own thoughts, fears and hopes. Every few minutes, the door was opened and someone with worried look came out. Some people would rise to meet him/her. They would stand in a corner, quietly conversing while the rest of us looked at them in a mixture of hope and anxiety, trying to read from their faces and tone of voice if it was good or bad news.
Next to me sat an elderly lady. Her formal wear told she was interrupted during some evening event. Was it a birthday party? Wedding? Charity dinner? I looked into her eyes. Her mind seemed to be a million miles away from here. Suddenly she noticed my stare and smiled a weary smile at me. I smiled back and lowered my eyes. She asked for whom was I waiting. I told her and asked the same question. She told me the sister of her husband was in ICU with a fractured chest bone and internal injuries. She was sitting in the bus and was thrown out some 20 meters away at the time of the explosion She was conscious the whole time and even told how she felt while was flying in the air. The lady spoke in a low, calm voice, her eyes kept smiling.
After a short while, Her husband came out. As she rose to meet him I grabbed her hand and asked her to ask him to tell Orly’s family we’re waiting outside. She smiled and said “of course”. They stood in the corner for what seemed like a long time. I saw the lady’s eyes widened in horror and her husband attempts to calm her down. After a while they went and sat down in a distant corner.
I felt Orit’s hand on my knee, “what do you think happened?” she asked. I took her hand in mine and did not answer.
Then Orly’s partner-for-life, Arie, came out of ICU. He immediately saw us and smiled at us. We stood up and came towards him. He took us down the corridor where we found a vacant bench. We sat down and looked at him with a silent question. ”Orly’s fine” Arie finally said. I felt like a stone was lifted from my chest and I saw Orit felt the same. Arie continued: "She was sitting in a car that went pass the bus when it exploded. The driver sufferred only mild injuries. Orly's carseat was ripped away from the chassie and she hit her head hard on the window. She passed out immediately. The doctors took x rays and scans of her head and could find no critical damage. She's still unconscious but her vital signs are stable." Arie thanked us for coming. He said there is no point of us staying and he promised to phone when Orly wakes up. A short while after, we went back home.
Incidentally, the bench we sat on was opposite the bench where the Lady and her husband were sitting. I looked at them and saw the lady had cried. She smiled a faint smile at me. “I’m glad Orly is alright” she said. I thanked her in a shameful voice. I didn’t dare ask her about Her husband’s sister. Later, on the way home, I bit myself for my crowdedness
I arrived at the hospital at 19:30, following a phone call from a mutual friend: Orly, my long time friend was injured in the terror attack in Jerusalem. She suffered a concussion, broke her arm along with some surface wounds and was unconscious. She was laying in ICU in Sha’arey Tzedek hospital.
Orly and I met in the Air Force. Both of us graduates of the military school of computer science. We served in the IAF Logistics center between 86-92. She has the most amazing deep blue eyes one’s ever saw. We used to go together to lunches and discuss current events. We argued over who should get our votes in the elections and compared views on movies, plays and dance shows. She was part of Tel Aviv “in crowd” and let me in all the cool parties where celebrities roamed free. After our release from the army we kept in more-or-less touch through mutual friends.
I picked up a mutual friend in Tel Aviv and we drove to Jerusalem. The hospital was, as can be expected, overcrowded and chaotic. Worried family members, friends and lots of ordinary people walked the long corridors hastily, shouting to distant doctors or mumbling to themselves. I tried to ask around about Orly’s whereabouts but could get no one to answer. The phone was not working inside the hospital, so we joined the trend of roaming the corridors, peeking into rooms, stopping nurses only to get frowned at.
After a while of trial and error, we found ICU. They would not let us in the ward, as it was strictly for closest family only. We sat on the floor outside the heavy metal doors, waiting for someone to come out and update us on Orly’s condition. All around us were other people, waiting for news on their close ones. The place was erringly quiet. Every person was wrapped in one’s own thoughts, fears and hopes. Every few minutes, the door was opened and someone with worried look came out. Some people would rise to meet him/her. They would stand in a corner, quietly conversing while the rest of us looked at them in a mixture of hope and anxiety, trying to read from their faces and tone of voice if it was good or bad news.
Next to me sat an elderly lady. Her formal wear told she was interrupted during some evening event. Was it a birthday party? Wedding? Charity dinner? I looked into her eyes. Her mind seemed to be a million miles away from here. Suddenly she noticed my stare and smiled a weary smile at me. I smiled back and lowered my eyes. She asked for whom was I waiting. I told her and asked the same question. She told me the sister of her husband was in ICU with a fractured chest bone and internal injuries. She was sitting in the bus and was thrown out some 20 meters away at the time of the explosion She was conscious the whole time and even told how she felt while was flying in the air. The lady spoke in a low, calm voice, her eyes kept smiling.
After a short while, Her husband came out. As she rose to meet him I grabbed her hand and asked her to ask him to tell Orly’s family we’re waiting outside. She smiled and said “of course”. They stood in the corner for what seemed like a long time. I saw the lady’s eyes widened in horror and her husband attempts to calm her down. After a while they went and sat down in a distant corner.
I felt Orit’s hand on my knee, “what do you think happened?” she asked. I took her hand in mine and did not answer.
Then Orly’s partner-for-life, Arie, came out of ICU. He immediately saw us and smiled at us. We stood up and came towards him. He took us down the corridor where we found a vacant bench. We sat down and looked at him with a silent question. ”Orly’s fine” Arie finally said. I felt like a stone was lifted from my chest and I saw Orit felt the same. Arie continued: "She was sitting in a car that went pass the bus when it exploded. The driver sufferred only mild injuries. Orly's carseat was ripped away from the chassie and she hit her head hard on the window. She passed out immediately. The doctors took x rays and scans of her head and could find no critical damage. She's still unconscious but her vital signs are stable." Arie thanked us for coming. He said there is no point of us staying and he promised to phone when Orly wakes up. A short while after, we went back home.
Incidentally, the bench we sat on was opposite the bench where the Lady and her husband were sitting. I looked at them and saw the lady had cried. She smiled a faint smile at me. “I’m glad Orly is alright” she said. I thanked her in a shameful voice. I didn’t dare ask her about Her husband’s sister. Later, on the way home, I bit myself for my crowdedness