Accidents Can Happen

It was definitely one of the hottest days in the long winter. There was not a gust if wind, and the sun shone over the sparkling white snow. I had taken off my jacket and sweat shirt in the chalet and only wore an orange tee-shirt, jeans, snow pants, gloves and a helmet. It had to be at least on the plus side today.

"I'm going to be going home now," said my mother. "Katherine better look after you. I don't want any injuries."

"Don't worry Mum," I said. If anything it'll be me who prevents her from harm," I laughed.

My mother chuckled and she turned towards the parking lot. She waved goodbye. "I'll pick you up at five," she said and she turned and headed towards our car.

I turned back to the hill and picked up my snowboard. Was Katie already on the hill? She must've been because I hadn't seen her in the chalet. I walked up the short distance it took to get to the big hill and sure enough there was my sister Katie.

"Hey Katie!" I shouted.

I had to laugh. She looked funny. She had no jacket and one of my brown sweat shirts and snow pants. She looked hysterical with her pink helmet and goggles. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"Just what are you wearing?" I asked.

"I'm just wearing what feels comfortable," she replied and she lifted her goggles up to look at me. "You're going to freeze," she said.

"Are you kidding me? It's like plus 10 today!"

"I doubt that, but it is quite warm out," she said and she dug her ski poles into the snow. "But it is February... it is starting to warm up," she said and she slid her gloves on.

I looked at the hill. I was looking forward to a whole day of snow boarding.

"Hey Tristan! Let's race!" laughed my sister and she punched my arm.

My sister had been skiing since she was two and was a very good racer... as was I. But the was my first year snowboarding.. There was no way I was going to win.

"Um.. no thanks," I said.

"Come on! There's only a few people here!"

I looked over the hill. One snowboarder and one skier. I thought about it. If I really was going to be forced into total humiliation, it would be best to do so now instead of later.

"Fine.." I said.

"Yay!" she giggled and she prepared herself. "If I make it down at least 30 seconds more than you, I'm not waiting for you at the chairlift," she said and she grinned.

"You're on sis!" I smirked. "On your marks. Get set... GO!!"

I hadn't even seen her pass me. By the time I took off, she was basically already down at the bottom of the hill. I had actually done worse than I had expected. Sure enough she hadn't waited for me. She got on the chair lift and she stuck her tongue out at me.

"Oh hohoho! I won!" she bragged and she beamed. "I'll wait for you at the chairlift next time. I'm going to do the mogles," she said and she points towards the rather large snow bumps on the hill. Had she ever done mogles? I couldn't remember.

I had sat on the chair right behind her and I watched as she made her way to the mogles. I smiled and went in the opposite direction. I snowboarded down and I waited. It ha already been a minute... What was taking her so long.

"What the hell...?" I said and I sat down in the snow. "She's usually down before me..." I sighed. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a ski patrol vehicle speed across the top of the hill.

"The fuck?!" I shouted and I quickly grabbed the rope-tow, which brought me to the top of the hill. I saw my sister lying on the hill, her body not moving, her skies dispersed and hidden amongst the deep snow. Horrified, I kicked off my snowboard, almost ripping the bindings off and ran to her.

"Katie!" I shouted.

"Hey, stand back please," said the ski patrol.

"Hey! That's my sister!" I shouted.

The ski patrol examined me. "Hey I recognize you... Are you Gord and Karen Shute's son...?"

"Yeah I am!"

"Richard Douglas. I worked with your parents when they were on the ski patrol back at Aggesiz!"

Aggesiz? Oh right... I remembered. My parents use to be part of the ski patrol... That's why our whole family were big into skiing.

"Is she alright?" I asked.

"Katie? Hello? Katie?" asked Richard.

Katie still didn't move. She was breathing... but she wasn't conscious. I quickly whipped out my phone and called my mother.

"Hey Mum it's me... I-I don't know what to do..." I whispered.

"Tristan? What's wrong? Are you... crying?"

"What?! No?! But Katie... I don't know. I didn't see..."

"See what? What happened?!" she shouted, her voice filling with panic. "What happened to your sister?!"

It had already been an hour... She still wasn't responding. My mother had arrived and was beginning to become impatient. She had even slapped Katie, trying to wake her up. I remained silent. I didn't know what to do... How long was she going to stay like this.

Ambulance sirens screamed in the distance and I stood with my mother as they arrived. We were asked to come into the ambulance... I was to sit in the front with the driver, my mother in the back.

"Randy!" shouted a voice.

"Sir just use this. It will help."

I could hear my mother crying and I didn't dare look back.

Over the duration of the drive there was one more incident where they were panicked and my mother crying. What was happening? As we reached the hospital my sister was let out on a stretcher and wheeled into the emergency room. My mother and I followed and as we got to the room we were asked to wait in the waiting room.

I watched as my mother went to go sign the papers and things for billing. Her hand was shaking and I heard her mutter a few things.

"T-Tristan?"

"Yes Mum?"

"What is our phone number?"

Was she going delusional? No.. she was just frightened. I looked at her and I told her. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"It's okay Mum," I said. "I'll phone Dad," I said taking out my phone. My father himself was a paramedic. He was on the day shift this morning so it wouldn't be easy getting a hold of him. When he answered I told him everything. He said he'd be right there... as calm as could be.

Suddenly there was a scream from the ER. It was Katie. I could recognize it from anywhere... all those screams I had caused her when I'd scare her or something. She had awaken. After three and a half hours she had finally gained consciousness.

"MOM!! MOMMY!!" she screamed.

I plugged my ears. I didn't want to listen.

"She needs you!" shouted a nurse to my mother.

My mother, who was now trembling and could barely walk, grabbed my arm and squeezed as hard as she could. I guess this meant she wanted me to come.

As we entered the ER, we had walked in just as one of the doctors was removing my sisters pants. Embarrassed, I looked away and didn't look at my sister.

She was still screaming for my mother and my mother released me and went to her.

"I'm here baby," cooed my mother. "Mother is right here," she said.

As soon as my sister had calmed down and her hospital dress was on and the covers over top of her, I went to her as well. I could see a few gauzes taped to her arm from the needles they had stuck in her as well as an IV that was placed in her right arm.

I didn't say anything and instead I went back to the waiting room. Just as I had sat down my father burst through the doors. Many of the nurses, paramedics and doctors greeted him. He eyed me and ran to me.

"Where..."

"There," I said pointing towards the door.

He quickly kissed my forehead and ran into the ER.

I sighed and leaned my head back. I looked towards the clock. Two-forty. It had already been nearly four hours...

A few minutes later my parents came out. "We're going to go get something for Katie to drink, would you like to come?" they asked.

I shook my head. They nodded and walked towards the cafeteria. When they were out of sight I quickly went into the ER.

"Tristan!" she said and she lightened up.

"You're arm..." I said noticing that her left arm was in a sling.

"Yeah... I dislocated it haha... I didn't feel them put it back in though because I was in the ambulance..."

"That's good," I said and I sat in a chair. "Hey I'm sorry."

She laughed. "What for?"

"I don't know... I mean I was there. I mean I couldn't have prevented it, but it makes me feel bad about everything."

"Moron," she said. "Don't apologize you loser!"

I looked at her.

"Apologizing to me just makes you look weak," she teased. "What would Shay think?"

"Leave my girlfriend out of this!" I shouted. I was embarrassed to admit that I had been really worried. "Never mind," I said and I stood up to leave.

"Tristan."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks haha! And I won't tell Shay!"

"You better not," I said grinning and I left the ER.

An hour later my sister was wheeled out in a wheelchair by a nurse. She was beaming. It was her first time in a wheelchair and she probably felt special.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"For some x-rays and tests," she said.

"But it's kind of late..."

"Haha! I get to spend the night!" she grinned and she gave me the peace sign.

"What?! Staying the night?!"

"Bye Tristan," she said as she was wheeled around the corner.

"Tristan."

"Yes Dad?" I asked, turning around.

"Your mother will be staying over night with Katie. We're going to go home okay. So get your things."

"Okay," I said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had heard the next day that my sister had dislocated her left shoulder, broke her right leg, broke three ribs, and was unconscious for three and a half hours all due to a little skiing accident on a little hill.

My sister hadn't skied for the rest of the winter...

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LOL!!!! If you haven't realized this is based on a true story lmao!! This was my skiing accident that occurred on February 2nd. It both rocked and sucked It rocked cause I got special treatment at home but it sucked because I missed exam week at school

Anyways... I do not take credit for this story... I came up with the idea to post it, but it was from the way my brother described the incident. He brought me the story in "story-form" and I just added little details and punctuation. Otherwise, this is a story by Tristan Shute.

Also, after this incident, my brother and I are back to usual brother/sister "friendliness" AKA: We hate each other LMAO



THANK YOU

Tristan Shute (14) and Katie Shute (16)

 

Also if you're wondering why I was screaming... How would you feel if you woke up in a strange place, with weird people hovering over you, stripping you naked and sticking needles in you?

Holy fuck I was scared shitless! I hate hospitals!!!