Two Points for Trying...

So, I don't have a son in the actual army...well, actually I do today, as Elie is in the reserves, but that's the abnormal, not the normal. What I have a lot of this summer is a son in the ambulance squad. David is volunteering at least twice a week for 8 hour shifts. He was on yesterday - and again today. He's a teenager - that means he loves to sleep. Getting up and out of the house and to the ambulance station by 7:00 a.m. is quite an accomplishment for him - and he's been doing it most of the summer. What he doesn't seem to accomplish is taking food along. So, somewhere along the way, when I can, I'll bring him a sandwich (or the makings of it), some chocolate milk or ice tea.

So, on my way home, I offered to bring him dinner. I got busy doing this and that and just called to offer to take over the spaghetti and meat (soy meat, actually) mixture I made for dinner.

He didn't answer his phone - not a good sign because that probably means he is on a run and someone needs attention. Or, it could mean he went to the bathroom and left his phone around...it could mean that. So, after a few minutes, having worked myself up to believe he was there and just didn't get to the phone, I decided to call again. This time he answered in a harried voice, "I"m on a mikreh [a call or happening]; I'll call you in an hour and a half."

I let him get off the phone quickly and then thought - an hour an a half...what that means is that it just started, whatever has happened - or that the mikreh is far away.  Maale Adumim's station has several ambulances here - and we cover from all the way down near the Dead Sea up to the edge of Jerusalem - including many of the Arab areas. The hour and a half includes his time to get to the hospital, drop off the patient, fill out forms and return. There are several hospitals in Jerusalem - four, I think.

Really, there are three that they might go to - depending on the injury and the patient's request. Yesterday, a pregnant woman was hit by a large vehicle - that meant Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem - it's the most serious, the most well known - no fooling around.

I don't know what is happening but seconds ago and now in the distance, I can hear a siren. It's a strange feeling to know my son is in that ambulance. I guess his dinner will get cold and I'll have to warm it and take it to him later...I wonder if in the great scoreboard in the sky, I get two points for trying...