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alynwaLindafishes8, bless her heart, messaged me to ask if I was okay because I hadn't posted short stories on Wednesday and I told her the truth: I had put the post together, but forgot to click on the "Post to Short Stories" button. I didn't however, tell her the whole truth. I still haven't completely wrapped my head around it, but I'm at the point that I can talk about it.
Wednesday morning, I awoke at my usual time, around 5AM, to get ready to go swimming. I have friends literally around the world, so I'm in the habit of checking my phone for messages, texts, etc. at that time. The first message I read said, "You don't know me, but my name is XXX and I believe David (the son of a deceased close friend whom I consider like a son) is commiting suicide. Do you have an address for him?"
David lives in Hawaii, I'm in Nevada and the friend who messaged lives in Colorado. I immediately messaged back that I didn't have his new address (he had just moved into a new place outside Honolulu), but call the Honolulu police department, explain the situation and tell them to ping his phone. I then checked my texts and saw that he had sent me a goodbye text. I tried to call, but it went straight to voicemail.
There was nothing else I could do, so I went swimming. When I checked my phone an hour later, XXX had messaged me to say that he had done what I said and the police had made contact, but that was all he knew. I figured if that's all they said, he must be alive, so I Googled and called local hospitals until I found him. They wouldn't tell me much as I'm not a blood relative beyond that he was a patient there. I gave them my contact information and told them to tell him I called if he woke up and if any family called, to give my info to them. David is my friend's only child, but I knew his father had other children whom I don't know and have never seen.
Fortunately, some of his friends did know how to contact these half-siblings. One of his sisters called me after calling the hospital and told me the doctors expect him to make a physical full recovery. Thank God.
Wednesday morning, I awoke at my usual time, around 5AM, to get ready to go swimming. I have friends literally around the world, so I'm in the habit of checking my phone for messages, texts, etc. at that time. The first message I read said, "You don't know me, but my name is XXX and I believe David (the son of a deceased close friend whom I consider like a son) is commiting suicide. Do you have an address for him?"
David lives in Hawaii, I'm in Nevada and the friend who messaged lives in Colorado. I immediately messaged back that I didn't have his new address (he had just moved into a new place outside Honolulu), but call the Honolulu police department, explain the situation and tell them to ping his phone. I then checked my texts and saw that he had sent me a goodbye text. I tried to call, but it went straight to voicemail.
There was nothing else I could do, so I went swimming. When I checked my phone an hour later, XXX had messaged me to say that he had done what I said and the police had made contact, but that was all he knew. I figured if that's all they said, he must be alive, so I Googled and called local hospitals until I found him. They wouldn't tell me much as I'm not a blood relative beyond that he was a patient there. I gave them my contact information and told them to tell him I called if he woke up and if any family called, to give my info to them. David is my friend's only child, but I knew his father had other children whom I don't know and have never seen.
Fortunately, some of his friends did know how to contact these half-siblings. One of his sisters called me after calling the hospital and told me the doctors expect him to make a physical full recovery. Thank God.
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Date: 2021-06-25 05:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-06-25 06:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2021-06-26 11:33 am (UTC)That must have been quite a shock, it's easy to dismiss your own feelings in the light of the trauma someone else is going through, but don't forget to find time to look after yourself now the crisis has been averted.
And I respect that you ended your post that the person concerned is physically okay, because he must be a long way from mentally okay and not everyone would recognise that, although he may be out of immediate danger, he's still in serious pain.
And you did well to make sure that he knew you were about and that his family knew, it sounds as if you went straight into 'get this sorted mode', which is why I say take time for yourself now - because that mode is very efficient, and life saving in a crisis - as you have proved - but it's a survival gear and not very self-nurturing.
I feel privileged that you chose to share this, and my heartfelt thoughts go out to the person in crisis and all his loved ones.