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maria4penfold-blog · 8 years

Text

We are not afraid

I looked out of my Nan’s window on the 9th floor of north wing facing Westminster bridge from St Thomas’s hospital. There were several emergency services in the middle of the bridge. I turned away and went back to my Nan who was just handed anti sickness tablets from her nurse, I thought it was an accident on the bridge nothing big, there are always accidents there. I was wrong, it was in fact the scene of a terrorist attack on the city i live in and the city i love.

The news came through on my phone about what was happening in the area, i was getting messages from family and friends asking if i was safe, i quickly replied and sent my own concerned messages to loved ones. I went back over to the window and stood with the nurses looking down on to the bridge, it was horrible, there were nurses, doctors, surgeons in their scrubs running out from the hospital and on to the bridge. They didn’t know what they were running in to, they risked their lives to help save others. As we looked down we could see several bodies laying on the floor, groups of emergency services spread out on the bridge attending to the injured. There were nurses running with trolleys full of blankets and other medical supplies.

Police helicopters were up in the air as was an air ambulance, we had the news on the small over head hospital TV, it was then that i saw how bad things really were. The person who had hit all the people on the bridge had also driven straight into the gates of Westminster, he had then got out and stabbed a policeman. What on Earth was happening? It was chaotic. I sat down beside my Nan’s hospital bed, listening to her asking when she was going home, I quietly thanked god she wasn’t until the next morning due to her sickness being more severe. I know she hated being in the hospital but right now she was in the safest place.

For about the third time, i made the usual trip downstairs to the coffee place, the scene on the ground floor of St Thomas’s hospital was shocking. Everyone down there was panicked. Again the amazing nurses and doctors were running in and out of the hospital. Them along with security and other emergency services were the only ones who were allowed in or out. We were on lock down. Nobody knew what to do, i made the decision that the safest place to be was up on the 9th floor with my Nan. So i pushed my mum back up in her wheelchair and that was where we stayed until gone 7 when visiting time was over and we somehow had to get home.

No busses, no Taxi’s and no way through for my brother to come and collect us. He had already tried earlier on during the day but was turned away by police. There was only one option. Walk.

It was cold, dark and quiet. The roads were empty, the only sounds were the helicopters above us, sirens echoing and the voices of people on their phones, most explaining to loved ones that they were safe and were on their way home. As we walked along we had to walk past a long line of ambulances which were parked up along the road. i mentioned to my mum that it feels horrible to walk past these ambulances knowing the reason that had caused them to be parked there and the types of casualties that the paramedics had had to deal with throughout the day.

We had made it to Lambeth Bridge, it was all taped off, policemen and women everywhere, traffic was so bad around the roundabout but police were doing their best to direct everyone. There were so many officers in vans, cars, motor bikes everything. One policeman saw me struggling with my mum’s wheelchair and helped me across the road. He apologised to us for the inconvenience, and thanked us for cooperating he also told us to stay safe for the rest of our journey home and that he understood the situation to be quite scary. Sorry? he had nothing to be sorry for, it wasn’t his fault and it certainly wasn’t an inconvenience, so what if we had to walk, we were safe and together that was all that mattered. It may have been strange seeing all the police and hearing all the helicopters above but oddly, scared was one emotion i was not feeling. I felt protected, knowing we were surrounded by so many officers.

I am glad to be a Londoner, I am thankful for the emergency services and i am proud of the way our city has stood strong, helped each other and not allowed this horrible terrorist attack to pull us down.

We are not afraid.

#london westminster wearenotafraid

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maria4penfold-blog · 8 years

Text

We are not afraid

I looked out of my Nan's window on the 9th floor of north wing facing Westminster bridge from St Thomas’s hospital. There were several emergency services in the middle of the bridge. I turned away and went back to my Nan who was just handed anti sickness tablets from her nurse, I thought it was an accident on the bridge nothing big, there are always accidents there. I was wrong, it was in fact the scene of a terrorist attack on the city i live in and the city i love.

Police helicopters were up in the air as was an air ambulance, we had the news on the small over head hospital TV, it was then that i saw how bad things really were. The person who had hit all the people on the bridge had also driven straight into the gates of Westminster, he had then got out and stabbed a policeman. What on Earth was happening? It was chaotic. I sat down beside my Nan's hospital bed, listening to her asking when she was going home, I quietly thanked god she wasn’t until the next morning due to her sickness being more severe. I know she hated being in the hospital but right now she was in the safest place.

No busses, no Taxi’s and no way through for my brother to come and collect us. He had already tried earlier on during the day but was turned away by police. There was only one option. Walk.

We are not afraid.

#london westminster #wearenotafraid

1 note · View note