The Virginian Pilot’s Corinne Reilly won the Ernie Pyle Award last week for a five-part series called A Chance In Hell.
Here’s Part I: KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN
The doctors can hear the wailing before their patient is even in sight.
A second later, a flight medic bursts through the trauma department doors. His face is serious. He’s short of breath. Outside, corpsmen rush to unload a soldier from a military ambulance that carried him here from a Black Hawk. Two dozen doctors, nurses and surgeons have been awaiting their arrival.
“Who am I talking to?” the medic shouts.
“Here!” blurts Lt. Cmdr. Ron Bolen, the head of the hospital’s trauma department. He points to the Navy doctor leading the team that will examine the soldier first.
“OK, you’ve got tourniquets on both legs,” the medic gulps. “The right one is totally gone to at least the knee. He lost a lot of blood.”
The doctor hurriedly inquires about vital signs, fluids administered in the field, and the weapon that caused the explosion that did all this.
The next question would usually be whether the patient is conscious, but this time no one has to ask.
Outside, the wailing is getting louder.
(thanks, Mark)
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