For nearly four years I have been volunteering at the Memorial Hospital near Pearl Harbor. I assist the doctors and I am the head of the nurses. It was a regular day as I walked into the hall of the hospital, or so I had thought. I heard the rumble of planes overhead as I checked on my first patient of the day. I was curious to see if the men were running drills but when I reached the window what I saw will haunt me forever.
The vibrant blood red sun symbols on the side of the planes told me their identity. Japanese planes were dropping bombs everywhere; men were being thrown in the air by the force of the explosions. What seemed like hours passed by while I stood watching unable to move. At that moment the alarm broke my transfixed state. I turn around facing the patient to see people running about with horrid expressions on their faces. Unknowing to me, my body had taken me toward the rush of bloody and injured people.
Standing before them I cannot seem to move. Someone I know is calling my name. I look up to see the eyes of a slightly older doctor. He's calling my name over the large crowd of men and women. My mind can think of no answer to speak. And again my body seems to have taken me toward the doctor, against the commands of my mind. From the close distance between me and the doctor I can see blood covering the entire left side of his face. I reach to tend the wound but my hand stops in midair to realize that it is not his blood. I stand next to him as he checks the man lying on the bed.
Both the injured man and doctor are covered in blood. I finally look down at the bloody man and my heart stops. My eyes see a single arm, single leg man covered from head to toe in blood. At this moment two things happen. First, my heart starts. Second, my mind and body become one again. Waking from my catatonic state I give orders to two young men standing nearby to help stop the bleeding. My hands work on saving this mans life when I at last come to the realization I cannot freeze again, for I have lives to save.