story6151.xml

story6151.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

September 11. 2001, was my first day on the job at West Virginia University Hospital Ruby Mememorial. I was so excited and nervous that day wondering if I would be able to remember all the different phone numbers for the different departments and whether or not I would be able to ever understand the call schedule for the residents and attending doctors.Some of the nurses were sitting in the break room and turned on the TV (which we aren't supposed have on) to see what the weather was going to be and see what was going on. I was on the phone paging a doctor when I heard from the break room, "Oh My God a plane has hit the World Trade Center. I remember thinking what in the world, did the engines fail? How could this have happened? The nurses and I stood glued to the TV wondering what was going on, what happened, and looked on in shock then here comes the second plane. That was the moment I realized that we were under attack and I said this is not the end they are going to be going Washington DC next. I remember at that moment calling my best Friend Tammy Dalton telling her to turn on her TV that we are under attack. I was scared at that moment for my children, my family, and my friends. I turned to look back in the break room and my heart broke cause while I was worried about my family I couldn't imagine the pain that the families of the victims in the planes, in the World Trade Center were going through at that moment. I couldn't concentrate on my job I wanted to stayed glued to the TV, praying that the people inside would get out safe and still wondering who, what, and why did this happen? Then the third plane hit the Pentagon and I am saying to myself " My God get the planes out of the air" and knowing that no one can know what I am saying to myself and I want to leave and go home and get my kids to feel safe at my house, but I know that I can't leave this is my first day on my new job. Then you could hear every TV in the SICU unit on. Though we were in shock and we were worried about what was going to happen next, we had patients and work to do. With working on the Surgical and Medical Intensive CAre Units, most of our patients are intubated and sedated, so they were not able to know what was happening in our world that day, some of them never lived long enough to know what happened on that horrific day that made history forever. And I wonder if that was a blessing for them or they will never know that what our country has stood for was now being under attack by someone that had a cause that none of us knew what it was. Throughtout the morning we are trying to do our jobs and watch what is going on in our country. Then it came that another plane has gone down in Pennslyvania, about 70 miles from Morgantown, so close to home and I am mortified that there are planes still in the air knowing what is going on and that we are going to be hit next. We have the TV on and turn on the radio at the desk, it's like we can't tear ourselves away from the news no matter how it was coming across to us. On the radio it is annouced that there is a bomb threat at the Wharf District, a new building that just opened up on the riverfront. I call my mother and tell her to please go get my children from school, I tell her that I love her and for her to tell my kids I love them because knot knowing what is going to happen next I want them to know how much I love them and that they are my life. I am wanting to go home, only a few more hours and I can. I continue with the rest of the day, knowing that I didn't retain very much of what my new duties were going to be. My mom called me back at work and said that the boys would be fine at school since it was safe there. When is this day going to be over kept going through my head, it's a bad dream and I will wake up and everything will be different. "How could this happen in our country? We are the symbol of freedom and hope and refuge. Why are we being attacked? This happens in other countries, it's an everyday way of life for them not here not in our country." These thoughts just kept going over and over in my mind. Finally it was time to go home, I needed to be at home and see my kids to hug them and tell them that I loved them and tell them that our freedom was being attacked, something that they wouldn't understand at the time since they have never had a reason too. I get home and they aren't here which is usually normal for them since they like to talk to their friends before coming to the house. It was now 4 pm and they weren't home yet. I am wondering where in the heck are they? I go outside and look down the road to see if I see them walking up the road, they are no where in site. I go and call a friend of thier's named Ben and ask him if he seen the boys, he tells me that they were not on the bus. So am I thinking that they are at the school and didn't get on the bus in time. I call the school and they tell me that they are not there, my heart drops, where are my boys? I call Ben again to confirm that they were not on the bus he tells me that he didn't see them. At this point I am frantic, I call the school back and ask them where are my children, that they didn't come home and they weren't on the bus. They don't know, they are going to contact the bus driver. I call the police and tell them that my children are missing, that they haven't come home from school. Ben's dad beeps in on my call waiting and ask me if I found the boys, I tell him no and that I have the police on the other line. I tell the police what they are wearing and what they look like, they tell me they are coming over. I then call my mom and ask her if she picked the boys up and she says no. I tell her they are missing and I don't know where they are at. AT this point I am hysterical and for a moment I know how the families of the WTC, the pentagon, and Flight 93 are feeling. The police offiecer shows up at the house to get a picture of the boys and ask me if I had any idea where they would be. AT that moment the phone rings and it is Stephanie with Kelidoscope asking me if I was going to pick up the boys are were they going to ride the bus home? I remember screaming in the phone " Where are my boys?" and she tells me that they are at Riverside Kelidoscope after school program. I had signed them up for it but didn't know that they were accepted into the program. I go outside and tell the officer where they are and she tells me " Go and get your boys and hug them". I sat down and cried, I cried for the the my children and I cried for what was going on in our great country and I cried for the families and how they must be feeling at this moment. The rest of the evening was me and the kids glued in front of the TV watching and hoping and praying that there are survivors of this horrific acts on our country. They say that crying is good for the soul, well I am not sure if that is true or not but I know that if it is then our country's soul wept and still weeps. One year later and my heart still weeps for the victims or rather for the heros that gave their life for the freedom that this country has stood on for all the years that I have been here. We will never forget September 11, 2001, the day that our world stood still.