Completely shocked, I just stared at the poor woman laying on the ground.
Finally I came to myself and called, “Are you all right??!!”
She just laid there.
Completely silent.
And completely still.
My heart lurched.
Why isn’t she answering me??!!
I felt glued to the sidewalk as I stared at her still form.
“Are you all right?!” I called again.
Again, she didn’t answer.
Leaving Bubbers sitting happily in his stroller, I ran to her side and knelt down on the sidewalk.
What do I do?! What do I do?! I screamed inside.
I looked around at the parked cars, but they were no help.
Then my instincts suddenly screamed, CPR! Do CPR!!
CPR?….. CPR! That’s it!!
I looked down into her face.
Her eyes were open and she was looking straight up into the sky.
I paused, eyeing her more closely.
She was clinging to her purse and holding stark still.
This doesn’t look right, I thought, She’s still breathing and has a heartbeat!
If I hadn’t had a camera in my hands, I would have wrung them desperately.
Oh great–this is terrible, I cried out inside, That means I can’t do CPR–so now what??!!
Back to square one.
“Are you all right?” I asked yet again, having no earthly clue of what else to do.
I stared at her.
Please say something, I pleaded inside.
“I hit my tail bone,” she said softly, holding completely still and not taking her eyes off the sky.
I breathed a huge sigh of relief.
“What can I do?” I asked, “Can I help you up?”
She didn’t answer, so I took that as a ‘no.’
“Can I get someone to help?” I tried again.
“Yes,” she said, “Go inside and tell Bob to get Bill.”
I was immediately on my feet and heading towards the door when I stopped and looked back.
“What’s your name??” I called.
“Sue,” she answered.
“And do you work here?”
“Yes.”
I grabbed Bubbers’ stroller and raced him up the ramp.
“What’s wrong??” a man on the ramp asked me as I passed him with lightning speed.
“Sue fell and hit her tail bone and I’m telling Bob to get Bill!!” I called back to him as I yanked the bank’s door open and ran inside.
To be continued…..