Breaking From the Past

Memory

I stand outside the nurse's office, worry written on my face. I slump over my knees, bending at my stomach, trying catch my breath before going in. 'I hope he's not here...' I say to myself, hoping he truly is not inside. Slowly, I pull open the dark brown fake wood, door toward me. Looking around I don't see him, all I see in the room is 3 empty spring beds and a long white curtain pulled across one bed in the back of the small, well lit room.

"Are you, perhaps, Rina?" The gorgeous blonde nurse looks at me with a questioning glare.

"Y-yeah." I answer, my nerves obviously showing through my cracking voice. My eyes dart around the room trying to escape the inevitable. The nurse, saying what she did, led me to believe he's in this small room.

The nurse, Miss Peters, points her long bony index finger over to the same drawn curtain in the back corner. As I look closer, it appears that it's positioned right next to a window.

He must've been well enough to ask for a window... I giggle at the thought.

"Your friend is over there, he couldn't really speak at the time, but he was able to tell me through his brief gasps of air, that a friend called 'Rina' would come looking for him. I guessed that was you since you are the only one that actually came down here all day. He's been sleeping for a while now, but you can go over to him." She spun around in her black computer chair, getting back to her furious typing on the laptop.

The blonde nurse turns her head, smiles warmly at me then turns back around. I force a smile and make my way over to where Conrad is sleeping so peacefully. Walking around the silky curtain, I look at his serene complexion as the tendrils of slumber held his consciousness.

When I see him like this, I can't help but remember what took place 11 years ago, when I had been witness to one of his attacks. Before then, I had only heard from his mom about them, but never actually saw what happens to him when he goes through it. My thoughts run rampant as I remember every bit of that past event, every emotion that took hold of me back then, came swirling back in a pool of emotions. Fear, sadness, anger, and more, consume me like a high speed wind as if I am back to that time, seeing the memory unfold before my eyes, all over again.
~Memory~

I am left in a frantic state to somehow help my friend, who can not speak and barely move. My five year old body has a cold sweat dripping from my pores. My limbs are numb, watching my friend trying as he tries to grasp the little bit of air he can manage. I may only be 5 years old, but I have the capacity and knowledge to know when someone can not breathe.

I remember Conrad was given an emergency cell phone so in case something would ever happen, he can call someone for help. I reach into the right pocket of his worn blue jeans to retrieve the small blue flip phone, placing it in my hand, since it seems he is incapacitated at the moment. Frantically, I dial the number 9-1-1. Within 10 minutes I am able hear the whoop of the sirens belonging to a speeding ambulance coming toward us. Fast. Each second that passes, the sirens get louder and louder and the lights from the vehicle got brighter as well.

Conrad had already passed out about two minutes ago from lack of oxygen. By the time the ambulance arrived, I had already started crying, not knowing what to do or how to make my friend breathe again. I have my small child-like hands, covering my face while I wept over Conrad's unmoving body.

One of the two men that had originated from the cabin of the white and red vehicle, came bounding in Conrad's direction. They move with such speed, it is almost like they are performing a beautiful ballet. Their movements are a blur, I barely see them pulling a long bed with metal crossover bars below the hard looking bed, which is covered in pure white sheets. Sitting atop the bed, is a yellow and blue colored neck brace with white velcro straps to secure it around the patients neck. It is placed around his small neck so fluidly, it was like the men are still dancing along to music that isn't even there. The brace placed around his neck, is a precautionary measure, so if something had happened to his neck when he passed out, they won't make it worse when they move him around.