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Tuesday, September 20, 2011

September 20, 2011

It's amazing how a sudden instant can play in slow motion; even though its merely a second, it seems to be an eternity. You've had bad dreams before and this just seems like another nightmare. But it actually happens. I got a text message from my best friends mom this morning at 2:17 AM:

"Bad news... There's been a car accident.... We are at the hospital with her right now."

and another one exactly one hour later:

"She has stitches in her lip... fractured pelvis and hips... cuts in her spleen and liver... and bruising on her lungs... she is going to be fine.... but she can't dance for a while."

My heart literally stopped and I couldn't breathe. I lost all control. I threw off my covers jumped down off my bed, onto my desk, and onto the floor and didn't know what to do. I just sat there bawling. Hysterically. I couldn't believe that I had literally seen her 5 days ago. We skyped 10 hours ago. She texted me 2 hours ago. And now she's in the hospital. You learn who you really are in these situations, and you learn your priorities because everything you do from that point on is instinct. 

I called her mom right away to get a full story. That was all that was known and that was all she could share. As soon as I hung up, I called my parents. I didn't know what to do. I was sitting there helpless on the floor with my roommate hovered over me trying to calm me down. I still couldn't breathe. What would I have done if my best friend in the whole world hadn't made it. Why wasn't I with her. Why couldn't that be me in the car and not her. Why did she have to have her passion taken away from her. She's a dance major on her college's dance team. And now she can't dance until January. It really isn't fair.

Time always seems to pass so slowly when you are waiting for an expected phone call. I just wanted to see her. I didn't want to go to class. But sitting in my room moping on the floor wasn't going to do anybody any good. So I cried through English. But at least I was there. I depleted my phone battery from checking it so many times to see if I had a missed call or a text waiting for me saying that she is coming home and she will be okay. But that didn't come.

A few hours later I got a text from her from her mom's phone:

"Hiiii it's Kawee! I'm okay! I think I'm at Santa Ana Hospital..."

Tears streamed down my face in the middle of our dining hall, this time tears of joy: she was okay. I ran back to my room and grabbed the things I needed for the night and headed over to the hospital right away.

Time and Traffic seem to have a lot in common- they both move slowly when you want them to move quickly. I sat in traffic for 2 hours trying to get somewhere that's only 40 miles away. I wanted to just drive through all the traffic and get there as fast as possible, but seeing as my best friend was in a car accident, it would be a little too ironic if her best friend ended up in the bed next to her. So I sat there helpless and impatient and concerned. I finally got there and headed up to the top floor where her room was. She was surrounded by her amazing new friends. It was so refreshing to know that she was still in good hands at school, and it's nice to know that she has amazing people taking care of her. I breathed a sigh of relief and took a second to just breathe. Unfortunately it was gross, sicky hospital air. But it was air none the less.

And that's where I am now. Sitting in breathing icky hospital air while she sleeps. She's conscious and breathing, but stuck in bed. She can't walk. But she will be able to. She can't eat much. But I know she will. She's a tough cookie. The strongest girl I know. And she will get through it. With everyone by her side.

I learned a few important things today: bad things happen to good people- but it's because God knows they are strong enough to handle it; my friends and family are my world and I would literally do anything for them whenever they need it and I hope they know that; and hospital air is gross.