Code Red

SPOILER ALERT: It all ended happily ever after.

Visiting Gregory around 3:30, in his room, watching South Pacific, again.

Fire alarm sounds, fire alarm flashes, all doors in the hall and rooms (magnetically held open) slam shut.

Voice on PA system announces: "Code RED, seventh floor, Wing B. Code RED, seventh floor, wing B."

My "school teacher trained self" goes on the alert. I leave Gregory in the room with Manny and go out into the hall to see if my help is needed. Sounding, flashing, slamming, announcing continues as adrenalin pumps.

Two Resident Care Assistants come through the wing (by the way we are in Wing B where two floors above the code RED had been announced) carrying fire extinguishers, exit through the exit stairwell after punching in the door's security code, and head upward towards the trouble.

Another RCA sticks her head through the closed double doors of our Wing B, I say, "I'll watch this area." She thanks me.

I begin going from room to room, knock, open the door, check to see if anyone is in there. I make mental note: Muriel in bed, Eva in her wheel chair, Betty in a side chair, Gregory in the room with Manny, Ben in his adult walker walking, Meriam pacing back and forth a little more agitated than usual.

Here is the hard part. Is it a drill? Did someone pull the alarm accidentally? Is it a real fire on the seventh floor in Wing B? Even if it is a drill, no one is informed so the efficaciousness of the drill is not diminished.

Now that I have made note of people who are still in the wing, if this is a real fire, and if smoke spreads ... what does one do? How does one help all these people who cannot help themselves.

I think "go out onto the balcony in the fresh air if need be while at the same time knowing the doors to the balcony are locked."

I know even with Manny's help, we couldn't get Gregory down five flights of stairs to safety. And even if we could, how could I leave the others behind. And then there is the question of flee and safe myself or stay with my honey and die together.

So instead of thinking about all of this, I make the rounds again to make sure everyone is OK and staying calm. They are.

Then we get the notice to move everyone to the center area. So Manny moves Gregory past the double doors and comes back for another. I get Muriel into her chair and wheel her to "safety." Next I push Ben in his adult walker and finally help Martha.

Then the all clear is announced: "Code Red is now all clear. Code Red is now all clear. Return to your usual activities. Return to your usual activities."

So what do I do with the release of tension? I begin to quietly sob, cover my mouth to muffle the noise, and cry a little. I recognize that my reaction is the result of my emotions releasing the "what could have been."

We begin to more everyone to the dining room as it is time for dinner. One of the RCA's, Mary, thanks me for helping. "Welcome," I reply, "what else could I have done?"

The other staff are not frazzled as I am but I am sure that they have gone through this many times. The good part is that everyone remained calm, everyone knew what to do, and another drill proved that being ready for all possibilities is a good thing.