� Stories... � 2003-06-24 � 7:07 p.m. �
Last week, on her way home from work, Amanda noticed a woman laying between a car and the side walk, somewhere Montreal... she said this lady kept trying to pull herself up with no successs and with every effort was panicing about the situation... people standing around her - silent, watching and waiting...
Amanda approached the woman wearily... hesitant altogether of doing anything but reassure the woman that everything would be fine, that the paramedics were on their way and she should just stay laying... relaxed.
The woman asked Amanda for the glasses laying not far away. Needing glasses herself, Amanda understands how it is to be disoriented without them, so she handed them to the bloody girl by one of the arms.
The lady instantly grabbed on to Amanda, and covered her with blood.
Now I couldn't help but laugh at seeing myself in that situation. I would have puked on the spot... I who is weak with raw meat... and passes out at the sight of others bleeding... I probably wouldn't have had the stomach to get so close. I think that is on the top of my list of nightmares. A stranger's blood all over me.
Amanda freaked... and quickly thought of running upstairs and washing with antibacterial soap... and when she heard the paramedics arrive she went downstairs to get examined... she had her nails done a few days before and the likelyhood of her having small cuts around her nails is great.
The paramedics thought her a little strange... being that most people wouldn't even think about getting infected by anthing ... being that most people don't even assume that an injured person might be communicable... but knowing that she is the manicure queen they took her concern seriously. They advised her to contact the local CLSC (clinic for non-Qu�becers) for a blood test.
In some degree she should be worried... though the EMT told her she didn't have any visible cuts to contract anything through, and she acted quickly in disinfecting herself, she's probably just FINE and scared for nothing.... scared to the point her hair is falling out in clumps.
But what angers Amanda is that there is NO way of her ever knowing if this woman is sick. No one ever took Amanda's name or phone number and she's right... the professionals onsite should get the names and phone numbers of anybody in contact with a bleeding victim....
What if Amanda tests negative for the next 6 years and 7 years from now finds out she has HIV. She never knew for years and has since forgotten about this incident.... everyone she has sex with from now on, is essentially at some risk.
It's a valid point... a valid anger... many diseases... viruses take a long time to show.
Her attitude makes me laugh. "I am never helping anyone again. Why would I put myself at risk? Next time I am just going to say 'Are you breathing? Yes? Good... now stay the fuck over there."
The spin side is it was her legal obligation to help the woman. She called the ambulance... and everyone around was in the wrong for doing nothing. Had the woman died on the side of the street... EVERY ONE of them would be legally liable for her death whether they knew first aid or not. You MUST (beyond a moral obligation) offer assistance to anyone who seems like they need it. If they deny help, that's one thing... if you can't help them, that's another but you are obligated to try.
As Amanda is now obligated to mention to anyone she sleeps with, until she she knows for sure, that there is a REMOTE possibility that she is communicable. What a pain in the ass... but she has to. It goes for all things contagious... Personally I couldn't not say anything. I would die of guilt.
Chances are she's FINE... and if she isn't the damage is done.... she'll just have to find a way to overcome. And she will...
I told her that if she hasn't caught anything from her cheating whore of a boyfriend, it's likely she CAN'T catch anything at all... so no worries. Great, comforting advice from a best friend.
And her line beeps...
"Speaking of HIV carrying m*ther f**kers, that was mine, now... I have to go. I love you."
And I love her as well... the only person I can laugh with in the face of fear and adversity...
I'll send her a card this week to make her smile... she needs it.
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