Monday, December 19, 2011

Edith and Ben - Bloodtyping

[Originally posted at Ana Mardoll's Ramblings.]

"I'm not going to class today," she said, looking at the bottlecap.

"Why not?"

"Blood typing," Edith said. And suddenly I flashed back to outside the van. Edith taking charge as soon as she saw the crowd, making sure that people didn't move Tricia until EMTs who could safely move her arrived, and then, after she took one look at Tricia, having to spend the rest of the time several feet away looking in the opposite direction while she talked me through basic first aid.

I shook the uncomfortable images from my head, and focused on the only part of it that mattered: Edith does not do well with blood. "Yeah. I ... I forgot. It's too bad you know, you'd make a good doctor."

"I just picked up some stuff from my mother." I hadn't even thought of that. "You'd better go or you'll be late."

-

Ms. Banner mentioned that a blood drive would be happening soon, she called the mobile blood getting station a bloodmobile, which is an interesting name if ever there was one. She demonstrated what we'd be doing on herself, and soon it was time to do it. I was ready, until the smell hit me.

I've never been bothered by the smell of blood before. Hell, I don't eve know if I've ever noticed it before, but once I did I was having flashbacks to finding Tricia in the van. The most vivid memory I'd ever had. It was like what happened at lunch but a thousand times worse. All I could think of was seeing her there scraped up and covered in blood.

I couldn't get it out of my head. I put my head in my hands and ... and I didn't have a plan for what to do next. I just stayed there. I'm not sure how long I was there, but then there was a hand on my shoulder and I heard my name said. I looked up to see Ms. Banner.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

I considered all kinds of answers, as I often do. I considered trying to say that I was feeling sick for unrelated reasons, I considered explaining that this had never happened before and that's what I hadn't opted out of the class, I considered claiming I was fine but I was just tired, I considered any number of lies and half truths and various true things as well. Finally I said, "No." And then, for no apparent reason, I started to cry. I mentioned Tricia and the van. Ms. Banner said that it was ok. She asked me if I could walk, I could, she sent me to the nurse.

Before I left she called Angel over and told him to walk with me. I think she was afraid he might make fun of me, though by this time I'd dried my eyes and I thought I looked fine, because she warned him that if he wasn't nice that would make her angry, "And you wouldn't like me when I'm angry," I smiled, it was the first Incredible Hulk joke I'd ever heard her make. She said, "That's better," in response to my smile, and then sent us off.

-

1 comment:

  1. And you continue your streak of vastly improving on the original. It makes sense! It's got a sense of humor! The people are likable! Win! :)

    ReplyDelete