today has been the weirdest day.

it's not like it started that badly. morning, 5 am to 9 am, lifeguarded. quiet morning. 9 am to 10 am, worked out. took a shower, went to lunch at 11. took a nap from noon to 1. went to class, ready for a 2210 review. more or less.

i was fooling around on the computers. i don't know what made me look, i had my earphones on and i sure didn't hear anything. but the next thing i knew, i saw a fellow on the ground, blood all over the floor.

seizing.

it took a moment for it to hit. and at first, there was indecision. there were two guys already on the scene, but no one had moved. so i ran up to the first floor where i could get signal, and called gatech police. after i realized somebody had already done that, i ran back down to see if there was anything else i could do. i looked for the first aid kit, an AED, and i sorely wished i had my pocket mask. nobody knew where any of those were and it was chaos as we ran around, looking. i felt so helpless and weak. if it was the pool, i'd had known where to go. after what seemed like an eternity, people found gloves. without thinking, i gloved up, and i took the place of the guy holding the fallen's head, holding a paper towel to stop the bleeding. it was the only thing they had until three people rushed three different first aid kits.

after that, we had gauze, and he eventually (slowly but surely) regained consciousness. he was confused for awhile, and we had to talk him into lying there. it was forever until EMS arrived. and all i could do was make sure he was breathing and conscious. i wanted to keep actually have him sit up so blood wasn't pooling, but after talking to everyone else, we had him still laying there, on his side. was the best idea, in case he started seizing again, which was possible. EMS eventually took over, and i was relieved. i went back to class.

there were a few things i learned from the event.

1. i could react if duty called. even while i was a trained lifeguard, i had never experienced that before, and i never really knew how i would react. i didn't freeze up though, and i acted. you never really know i guess, until it actually happens. it was like -- looking back -- remembering my dad rushing to any sort of accident that he passed. he was always there to help, not really aware of the situation around him (whether it be a ghetto somewhere, or by the side of the road). and i began to accept my likeness to him, despite the fact we're not related by blood. i guess i am his son.
2. it brought back my faith in my job as a lifeguard. to be vigilant, to now really know that you never know when shit's going to hit the fan. i talked to my boss afterward, and he approved of what i did. i told him how i wished we weren't so dependant on our pocket mask, and if it was smaller and less clunky i would have taken it around in a heartbeat. that next time (or from this day forth) i would have it with me. he gave me a better alternative -- a TINY pocket-sized resuscitation mask. it was nice to talk to him about it, and he approved of what i did. it's also nice to know i'm a little more prepared -- mentally, physically.
   
3. not that i can blame them, and yet. it was frustrating to have people just looking. watching. people continued to walk right by to the computer lab (the accident occurred right in front of the computer lab) so that they could get work done. i could accept people walking away, out of the basement and continuing on their way. but to go into the computer lab and continue to goggle. i was so frustrated. it was shocking, unbelievable that i had initially missed it. imagine if i was unaware of the whole thing. imagine. good grief.
   

i was shaking after the incident, and continued to do so for a good three hours. i replayed everything over in my head, and wondered if there was anything more i could do. i learned a lot from the experience. what i wouldn't do. i felt for the most part, i did my job. the guy was carted off without further problems. i hope he'll be alright for exams. i hope, actually, that he can just wait till later on after exam week to complete it. i think he deserves it.

it's storming now. thunder, lightining, weird weather. it'd be beautiful if it wasn't for what happened today. it just seems like a reflection of my mood, and just horribly, and darkly fits with today.