Sadly, the trapped inside were unaware of what was going on outside, there was no way for them to know. Every doorway and window and possible escape route was blocked by a searing wall of fire or concentrated black smoke or even piles of rubble that a had broken loose from the sheer force of the fire.
As the explosions ripped the hospital to pieces that day, not many people were expected to even make it out. Bystanders on the outside have described the noises from the building as 'horrific' and 'heart wrenching' to hear, especially when they could do nothing to help. All they could do was stand and watch in terror as the floors of the building slowly began to collapse, the smoke and flames escaping from the windows and gaps in the walls. They could only but hope and pray for the souls inside the building, with no way out and no way for help. Minutes went by like years, but finally with one last falling motion, the brick and concrete walls of Holby A&E collapsed, sending a cloud of deadly black dust and smoke into the clean air. There were the chilling noises of metal twisting and lass shattering before everything went silent. Nothing moved. Nothing stirred. Nothing made a noise. But the ghostly calmness was soon forgotten and paramedics, emergency workers and the public alike rushed through the dust clouds to the rubble and debris to look for any signs of life.
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48 people lost their lives that day. The sheer suddenness of the attack made it impossible for anyone to survive. The emergency workers couldn't get to the victims quick enough and the panic inside, well, we can barely imagine. Amongst the dead were 14 of the doctors and nurses that a hospital could want. Every one of them had something to live for, a family, a husband, a friend. Their deaths were not just to those who knew them, but to the community of Holby as a whole. They've been sorely missed.
the hospital was reduced to rubble. The once grand building lay in pieces to a broken public. Questions filled the press over how they were going to cope, who was among the dead and why it had happened in the first place. So many questions, the answers to which lay in the shards of glass and dusty bricks. Experts tests showed that no malfunctions had occurred in any of the electrical systems, or heating so they were at a loss to what happened. But that wasn't for long. As forensics combed through the remains, they found evidence that shocked the nation. 14 fragments of different bomb qualities were found. This could only suggest one thing. Intentional Attack. No one could believe their findings, how could such an innocent place be targeted. Holby A&E had done nothing to anyone, yet it was raised to the ground be people who no one knew existed. Innocent lives were wasted just for a proof of a meaningless point, all they ever did in their lives was to save those of others, and for their lives to be so crudely taken, is destroying.
Even now, to this day, no one has been found responsible for the death and destruction that the nation witnessed that crisp December morning, this in itself is a crime. The families and relatives of those lost haven't been given the piece of mind they are well over-due. Over the past years dozens of flowers have been placed outside the padlocked gates to the deteriorating shell of the hospital, each bunch with its own special message.
The rebuilding of Holby A&E was decided against, not after what memories remained on the premises, so a new hospital was built on the other side of Holby, not a patch on the earlier one. But probably the greatest part of the building is in the reception area of the hospital. A pane of glass in the vast windows has been transformed into a living memory, the past staffs familiar smiling faces etched beautifully into a large pane of glass, taken from a single snapshot found in the remains of the other hospital. Underneath the image are the words, "Yesterday, Today, Forever More.." The words summing up everyone's feelings. That day is as engraved in the publics eye as the photograph is on the glass, not a day goes by without someone somewhere stopping and thinking about one of them, remembering a fond memory or a moment they shared. They will never be forgotten.
As glittering tinsel danced in the wind, calm and peacefulness ended that day. Tears were shed, from many a pair of eyes. No amount of words could begin to describe then with justice, it's a thing left only for our imaginations and memories alike.