Aftermath

by Joanne Clancy

  “Hello! Hello!” New voices suddenly broke through the old cries.

  Kerry's heart soared. These weren't calls for help; they were calls offering help! The others around her began screaming. “Here! We're over here! Please help!”

  “I'm here too!” Kerry shouted for the first time in hours. Finally, she was going to escape from this living nightmare. She saw too Japanese men in the distance, pushing their way through the chest-high water towards her. “I'm here! I'm here!” she kept crying out to them. When they reached her she burst into tears of relief and happiness. “Thank you. Thank you for coming,” she stuttered through her tears.

  The men bowed and smiled. They didn't speak English, but Kerry didn't care. They were the kindest faces she had ever seen and they had come to save her, to help her escape her misery. One man opened a bottle of water and offered it to her. It had been hours since she'd had anything to drink so she gratefully took the bottle from him. She was lying flat out at this stage and couldn't sit up, so he held her while she took a few gulps. It was the best, most refreshing drink she'd ever had. The other man took off his shirt and tried to wrap it around her naked body. Kerry had completely forgotten her nakedness in all the mayhem.

  “I can't put it on,” she tried to explain to him. “I can't move my arm or my legs.”

  He still tried valiantly to cover her, but Kerry really didn't care. Nakedness was the least of her worries at that point. Eventually, he gave up and simply laid the shirt over her lap. “Broken, broken,” she said, pointing to her legs.

  Both men nodded their heads, their kind faces full of compassion for her. Later, when she'd had a chance to digest, somewhat, the enormity of what had happened, Kerry would realise how very brave these two men were to put the safety and well-being of others above their own and to battle through the ever-threatening danger. Again, the men tried to lift her up but her piercing screams quickly stopped them.

  “I can't sit up,” she moaned.

  One of them motioned with his hands, suggesting that he could carry her on his back.

  “No!” she cried. “It’s not possible. It's much too painful.”

  They glanced at each other and then back at Kerry. Something silent passed between them. Kerry understood that they could do no more. They would have to go and bring back more help; at least, she hoped they would. She motioned to the man who had tried to cover her with his shirt and immediately he tried to help her put it on.

  “No, no,” she shook her head. She didn't want to wear it, she wanted to use it. The water levels had decreased so much that she couldn't reach it with her arm anymore. She removed the shirt from her legs, let it fall into the putrid water, and drew the soaking material up to her face. It felt so good, so refreshing, that dirty, rancid water. The men bowed and left her alone. She dropped the shirt in the water again, pulled it up, and wiped the dripping cloth over her neck, her breasts and her arms.

  The emerald green stone in her gold Claddagh ring caught her eye and she remembered the day she had given her daughters a matching one each. The Claddagh signifies eternal friendship and love and she fervently hoped that Saoirse's ring was bringing her strength and courage now. She closed her eyes for a moment and focused all her energy and love on her beloved daughter, willing her to fight.

  She lay back, put the wet, dirty shirt over her face and chest and closed her eyes. Years ago, she’d read that when people are dying, their whole life flashes before them. She wasn't so sure that she was dying, but while she waited and prayed for help to return, for both herself and all the other victims of the deadly wave, she began to think about her daughters first, then Conor, her sister, her friends, her work...Her spiritual studies had taught her that there was a pattern to life, and lying there, cradled in the refuge of the tree, she could see how what had happened previously in her life was making it possible for her to survive now.

  “Hello, hello, how are you, miss?”

  Kerry pulled the damp shirt off her tired face. She had no idea how long it had been since her two rescuers had left. Her last memory was of praying for everyone to be safe.

  “I must have fallen asleep,” she croaked. Her throat was sore and her mouth was parched dry. It was a huge effort to even speak those few words. She just wanted to lie down somewhere, anywhere and sleep until the nightmare was over.

  The two Japanese men had returned with four helpers. One of the men wore a neon green, fluorescent vest which hurt Kerry's eyes. He had an authoritative manner about him and she vaguely wondered if he was a policeman.

  “Thank you for coming back to me. Thank you.” She smiled up at the men and they all smiled back at her. Their faces were so beautiful to her, like the faces of angels, radiating compassion and sympathy for her in her terribly wounded state.

  The man in the bright vest signalled to the others. They'd brought a plastic water mattress with them, and quickly they surrounded her; one stood at her head, one at her feet and two on either side of her. They began to lift her carefully on to the mattress.

  “No! No!” she screamed in agony as the searing pain shot through her entire body.

  They relented for a few moments, giving her time to gather her strength as best she could. It would be painful, but she realised that the mattress was her only option, her only way out of there. There was no other method to transport her, and once she was on the raft, her body would be cushioned by the water. She took some deep breaths, focused her mind and through clenched teeth she nodded for the men to go ahead.

  They slid her battered body on to the mattress as gently as possible. She lay flat on her back with her knees drawn up at an awkward angle to her chest. It was impossible for her to put her legs out straight, no matter how much she tried. The men covered her with the blankets they'd brought with them and began pushing the mattress carefully through the water.

  One of the men went ahead and shoved aside the rubbish and debris that got in their path. Kerry couldn't help crying out whenever they hit any kind of bump as shockwaves of pain ran through her. Finally, they reached the hotel; it had been badly damaged by the tsunami. The men attempted to lift the mattress out of the water and slide it over a huge mud pile. Kerry screamed for them to stop, but she had to endure the pain as it was the only way forward. She grit her teeth and motioned for them to go ahead. How she wished she could have just passed out until it was all over.

  The men carried her to the third floor of the hotel and put her down on the floor on top of a blue blanket. The hotel was filled with men, women and children; some were lying flat on the floor, while others were slumped listlessly against the walls. Many wandered aimlessly around the room; they were clearly in shock. Another group was searching for their loved ones. Her mind wandered to Saoirse and Conor as she scanned the room, keeping her eyes locked on the door, hoping that at any moment they would appear.

  There were no doctors or nurses. Everyone was trying to help, but nothing was organised. Some people offered medicine, mostly paracetamol. They were not medical people, just survivors who were giving anything they had to ease the pain of others' less fortunate than them.

  She scanned the room and her heart soared with joy when she saw a young boy wandering around. She recognised him as the Irish child who had been staying in the room next door to hers. He stood out because he had a thick shock of bright red curly hair and a very mischievous smile. His parents had said that wherever there was trouble he was sure to be in the middle of it. It was a huge relief to see him because the last time she'd spotted him was when she'd glanced out the balcony at the commotion unfolding before her. She'd caught a brief glimpse of him leaping into the hotel's swimming pool and miraculously he'd survived the onslaught of the killer wave. This gave her renewed hope that Conor and Saoirse were safe too. They had to be somewhere, possibly searching for her, or maybe they were injured and in need of care. She was sure they were alive and that they'd find each other soon.

  There were lots of people walking around asking questions about t
heir loved ones, wondering if anyone had seen them. Whenever anyone approached Kerry, she asked them if they'd seen or heard anything of Conor and Saoirse. A man said that he'd seen a girl matching Saoirse's description in another hotel, but he couldn't be certain. Nobody had seen Conor. Kerry became more and more convinced that they would be reunited soon, especially when she saw how many people had actually survived the tsunami. She seemed to be in the worst condition of most people in the room. Little did she yet realise the devastating destruction and injuries that the killer wave had wrought.

  An American woman came by and asked her how she was feeling. “I'm searching for my husband and my son,” she told Kerry, her face and voice full of despair.

  Kerry didn't know what to say to the poor woman. She was in the same situation and knew that there were no words of comfort or consolation.

  “We'll find them. We'll find them all,” Kerry said eventually, squeezing the other woman's hand in solidarity.

  “I hope so.” Then she gave Kerry a plastic flotation ring that children wear when they first learn to swim. “Please, take this. It was my little boy's. You can use it as a cushion.”

  She was so kind and brave. Kerry gratefully took the ring and smiled through the tears that suddenly filled her eyes.

  Everyone was being so caring and helpful, in spite of their own worries and problems. People like the American woman were paying more attention to the fate of others than to themselves. Kerry desperately wanted to do more to help, but she still couldn't move. The only thing she could do was give those people who stopped to talk to her as much information as she knew.

  It was sunset when they began moving people to the local hospital. When it was Kerry's turn to be transported she started shaking her head at the men who came to lift her. She begged them not to move her; even the thought of the searing pain was unbearable. One man, seeing the state she was in, cut a door out from its frame and brought it back. He and three other men took hold of each corner of the blanket that she was lying on and in one steady movement they lifted her. She was cradled in the blanket, her legs pulled up to her chest and her good arm clutched the plastic ring as they placed her on the door.

  Then they carried her gently down the stairs and out onto a path that was covered with mud so slick they were in danger of sliding at any moment. A few places were so slimy they had to put down planks as a makeshift path through the sludge.

  Many people walked around them. Some were going to the hospital. Others were just walking away from the ocean. The injured victims, like Kerry, who were incapable of walking to the hospital, were driven.

  Eventually, they reached a small white van which had two seats in the front. The men carefully slid the wooden door onto the back of the van. There were lots of people crowded into the van around Kerry. It was difficult to believe but some people had to be stopped from bringing their suitcases! How could they even consider taking up precious room like that? It was such a terrible time for so many and all they were worried about was their clothes and shoes!

  Kerry lay in the middle of the van, with her legs drawn up close to her chest. She couldn't move her legs even a centimetre. Ordinarily, she was a very brave person with a high pain threshold but she was completely undone. Any movement was sheer agony. Vaguely she wondered if she would ever be able to walk again, but when those thoughts came, she would dismiss them quickly. She was alive. Her life would change, there was no doubt about that, but she was alive, and that was all that mattered.

  The little makeshift ambulance began to move. Kerry glanced back toward the ocean and saw the huge crimson ball of sun sinking into the water. She had never seen such a blood red sunset. The image and all that it symbolised would be forever engrained in her memory.

  Chapter 3

  The trip to the hospital over the bumpy remains of the road was like a death ride. Kerry pleaded with the other patients sitting near her to hold her knees together. They did their best to help her, but sometimes they had to let go when they were thrown by a particularly bad bump in the road and when that happened, her screams came involuntarily.

  Finally, they arrived at the hospital and the medical attendants came to help them. They carried Kerry in her blanket into a large room. It reminded her of the war hospital she'd seen on one of the many war movies that Conor enjoyed so much. There were no beds. The tsunami had wreaked havoc in the hospital too. It seemed that nowhere had escaped its destructive force. People, battered and bleeding, were lying next to each other on the floor. There was blood everywhere and the screaming never stopped. Kerry was placed on the floor and a doctor came to check her. He examined her broken body.

  “What's your name? Where are you from?” he asked matter-of-factly.

  Kerry told him and he wrote down the information on a card and placed the card on her wrist. It seemed more like a suitcase tag than a hospital bracelet.

  “Please,” Kerry begged him. “Please can I have some painkillers?”

  He injected her with morphine which quickly helped to alleviate her excruciating agony. Morphine usually lasts for several hours in the system but during those first days, Kerry was lucky to get relief for an hour. The doctor advised her that they would soon take her to be X-rayed. There were so many injured people waiting to be seen that the doctors and nurses simply couldn't keep up.

  Kerry lay on the floor for a long time, drifting in and out of sleep. A young woman sat next to her and started chatting to her. Her name was Ada and she was from The Netherlands. Ada had been on holidays with her boyfriend, Peter. The two of them were in a taxi when the tsunami struck. Luckily, they were able to break a window and swim to safety, but they didn't know if the taxi driver had made it out alive. Miraculously, Ada and Peter were unhurt. They could have left the resort but decided to stay and help the injured.

  “Is there anything I can do for you?” Ada asked gently. “Is there anything at all?”

  Kerry hesitated for a moment. She felt guilty accepting Ada's help when there were many more people who needed help just as much, if not more, than her. Ada assured her that she'd already helped quite a few people and had plenty of time to help others later but now it was Kerry's turn. She agreed to accept her kind offer.

  “Well, I've been lying here for hours,” she explained. “Maybe you could ask if a nurse can bring me to be X-rayed.”

  Ada jumped up and soon came back with two nurses who were wheeling a gurney.

  “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Ada asked. Her pretty face was full of kindness and sympathy.

  “I would be very grateful if you could keep my legs together while they move me.”

  “Of course,” Ada immediately went to assist her.

  Again, Kerry was lifted onto her blanket and placed on the gurney. The pain was overwhelming. Ada held her knees together and walked alongside her as they rolled her to the X-ray room. There was chaos all around, but the doctors and nurses were smiling and bowing and saying things like; “don't worry. We're going to take good care of you.”

  They had to do quite a bit of manoeuvring before they could X-ray Kerry. The nurses lifted her butt and placed a plate underneath her for support. Then they slipped another plate under her back so that they could take a picture of her lungs.

  “Please, hold my legs. I can't move them. Please help me,” she pleaded over and over again, petrified at the thought of the pain overwhelming her.

  The nurses took a sheet and tied it around her legs to prevent them from separating. It made a difference. They wheeled her out of X-ray and then into a room where there were beds. Her blanket was still tucked under her and once again she had to endure the awful process of being lifted and put down.

  Nurses came to attend to her. First, they removed the now shredded, filthy shirt that her original Japanese rescuer had given her. She wanted to keep the shirt because she hoped that she could find him and thank him one day. Then they cleaned her with damp cloths. Kerry was shocked at the state of her body. Her stomach was so swolle
n that it resembled a football which the nurses explained was due to the fact that she had some internal bleeding. They catheterised her and dressed her in a pristine clean, white hospital gown. When they finished, they smiled, bowed and left the room.

  There was a Japanese man in the bed next to hers who had lots of tubes running in and out of his body. He spoke some English and asked her name and where she was from. They were both in terrible pain, but so thankful to be in a safe place. He told her that he had lost everything and he didn't know what had happened to his family. He feared the worst. She told him what had happened to her and that although she was worried she was certain that Saoirse and Conor were safe. We chatted for a while and then he reached out for her hand. He took a chain from his neck and slipped it into her palm. It was a small figure of Jesus on the Cross.

  “Take this,” he said, wrapping her fingers around the gold necklace. “He will protect you now.”

  Kerry knew that the necklace was probably the last material object that the man had left, and he gave it to her. “Thank you,” she whispered, overcome with emotion. “I will treasure it always.”

  He smiled and lay back on his pillows, an expression of serenity on his bruised face.

  Kerry couldn't believe how many times she'd witnessed such acts of generosity from complete strangers. Many of them had lost so much but put their own sorrows aside to help others. She believed that for every deed of goodness she witnessed, there were many more happening all over the world. People were reacting the same way; they just wanted to help. The tsunami was a tragedy of epic proportions but out of it came a triumph of humanity.

  A doctor approached her bed, shaking her from her thoughts. She was worried about the results of her X-ray.

  “Do I need an operation?” she asked, afraid to hear his answer.