07-11-2025, 06:12 PM
Chissi
Yeeeha, so that was it, the final exam. So now we're newly minted high school graduates. And an ultimatum is imminent. On Monday, our year group will meet to finalize the organizational details for our "final party." My sweetheart and I have planned to make our coming out official for this very meeting.
And in three weeks, we'll hopefully be living in our own beautifully furnished apartment in the heart of Cologne, ready to start our studies full of energy... Cologne, THE city par excellence! Cool people, a fantastic city, the opportunity to study and have fun, the water as a neighbor, and not to forget, this city is much more open-minded than many others. Our apartment is also a dream. We can now call five bright rooms our own. A spacious bathroom, a large kitchen (very important!) and a "wow" bedroom, a cozy living room with a window front and a balcony. And we've planned a smaller room as a study and computer room.
We'll soon realize that we have to start studying for our studies again, pack the last boxes, and drive the first load to Cologne tomorrow.
Ben
Man, where is that guy? His exam should have ended half an hour ago. I'm still going in here! Why doesn't he finally call and tell me how it went? Luckily, my last exam was two days ago. The little guy nearly drove himself (and everyone around him) crazy yesterday with all the exam stress!
And here are the moving boxes. Our parents and my little brother have been busy helping with the packing. Besides our group, they are the only ones who know anything about Chrissi and me. Chrissi, actually Christian Hamberg, has been my boyfriend for over two years. I'm Ben, Benni, or Benjamin Klerker. We've been in the same class since high school. In the first few years, we had practically nothing to do with each other, but eventually we became friends, partly through the emergency services and the volunteer fire department. And this, thankfully, has now developed into a pretty harmonious relationship. We often complement each other, and arguments are extremely rare.
Now that my dear friend has finally settled down to go home, we'll have the chance to finally toast our exams. The parents have set up a small buffet among the packed boxes, with a few candles scattered around and colorful lanterns decorating the living room.
So we’re just waiting for Chrissi…
Chrissi
Oh dear, first the exam takes forever, then the teachers keep talking my head off, and now this headwind is coming uphill. Luckily, the man who caused my sleepless nights is waiting for me at home, and we can finally put all the stress of the final exams behind us.
Um, Benni already has the car here? We weren't supposed to bring the first boxes into the apartment until tomorrow. That guy's always good for a surprise, but that's practical, so we can load up today and leave first thing tomorrow morning.
Ben
"Hello, my darling! Welcome home!" I greet the visibly bewildered Chrissi, who looks extremely cute with his windblown hair.
"Um, hi Ben!" The newly graduated high school student throws his arms around me and then notices our parents and my little brother in the background. "All of you gathered here? Hey! This is awesome!"
"Hello son, congratulations! You've finally made it." "Chrissi, Chrissi! You're so old now!" comes a prompt comment from my cheeky brother. My parents also congratulate their "son-in-law" on passing his last exam.
Everyone is given orange juice or champagne and we toast our graduation and a new phase of life that will soon begin.
Then Chrissi tells us what his topic was, how he heroically mastered it perfectly, and so on.
Chrissi
I barely have time to dig out my front door key before the door is flung open, and behind my sweetheart are our parents and Niko. Ben, grinning in the doorway, the very embodiment of sunshine, greets me with a congratulatory hug.
There's champagne—CHAMPAGNE!!!—to celebrate the day, and a small buffet is set up among the boxes. Colorful lanterns hang from the walls and ceiling, and candles are on the table. Amazing!
Those six are truly brilliant. They really put in a lot of effort!
I'm bombarded with questions and tell them how I did in the final exam: the topic, the assignment, and so on. "And that's the only reason you've driven everyone around you crazy over the past few days? Chrissi, don't do that again!" Niko laughs at me. "Hey, little one, just get to that age! You'll feel the same way!" I grinned back. The little guy is pretty cheeky.
Ben
Yesterday was a really nice day, sitting with the family, toasting and just chatting.
"Honey?" I cooed. "Yes, Benni?" "Just move on, this box is so damn heavy!" I bleated at him, putting on my most innocent face. He knows what I mean.
"Oh come on, don't be such a baby. It's the last one anyway, let's get in the car and off to our new home!" "This is going to be sooo awesome! I'm really looking forward to the city, the people, our own apartment. Funnily enough, even to university, if you ignore the studying." "Biology and sports. Your mix isn't exactly clear..." "Chris! What are you thinking about again! Wasn't the night enough for you, huh?" I grin mischievously at the person opposite me. "You naughty piece of shit! So, who's driving?" "Me, of course! I can't be responsible for a woman behind the wheel!" With that, I quickly retreated a few steps. "Watch out!" I heard Chrissi gasp, but by then I was already lying on my backside on the sidewalk one floor below, fighting a fit of laughter.
“Oh no, that’s what they call punishment on the heels.”
Chrissi
It's just too wonderful to see Ben lying there in the middle of the sidewalk, his car keys in one hand... HA! Not long now! I pounce on him, pin him down in public, and steal the keys from him. Then I'm nice as usual and help Ben back to his feet – like a true gentleman. Then, looking innocent, I get behind the wheel and wait for my passenger.
Ben
Five intersections and six kilometers, a song we sang along to, and another 13 minutes later, we're flying down the highway, and Chris is making full use of the power under the hood. "Chris, slow down, there's a roadwork ahead." Chris drives well and safely, but I hate it when he speeds like that. Besides, he can see that someone in front of him is already braking.
I'm thrilled! At least he slows down a bit, and his hand wanders to my knee. I smile and realize once again, quite intensely, that I love him.
We're currently on our way to our first apartment in the coolest city ever. I can't believe it!
Chrissi
The man of my dreams is sitting next to me and has been warning me to slow down before the construction zone for ages. I shift down a gear and let my hand wander from the gearshift to his knee. I glance sideways at him and see his happy face, but there's something wrong with his expression. There's this...
“CHRIS! BREMS!“
My body reacts as if by itself, gripping the steering wheel tightly, and slams on the brakes with full force. The ABS kicks in immediately, and the brakes rattle and squeal, my gaze fixed straight ahead.
Then silence.
Ben
"CHRIS! BRAKE!" I yell at him. The force of the braking forces me into my seatbelt, I grit my teeth, tense my neck muscles, and can't tear my eyes away from the scene. The car slides on forever. Then we finally stop.
Quiet.
I exhale and only now realize I've been holding my breath. I look to my left with a touch of panic, but Chrissi is fine. He's okay. Kudos to his quick reaction. Our eyes meet and we realize what just happened.
At that moment, the switches in our brains switch and we know exactly what we have to do.
I look around as I jump out and tell Chris my next steps.
A Mercedes E320 is slammed into the driver's side of a dark Mondeo. The rear of the star-studded car is completely dented, and a red object, which appears to have once been a small car, adorns the spot where the rear used to be. A truck driver who was driving behind us has already parked his truck across the road, leaving only space on the right and left for emergency vehicles, and the vehicles behind him have no visibility.
Now our training and the education of the fire brigade and rescue services are definitely paying off.
“I’ll get my vest and triangle out of the car and check the truck driver!”
"Drive the car over and do a first inspection! Alert will follow!"
So I quickly grab my safety vest and triangle from the trunk and sprint to the truck driver. He's already notified the first vehicles and is trying to find a small traffic lane. There's also a triangle and flashing lights at a suitable distance. Great!
Chrissi
Ben and I look at each other and know exactly what we have to do. We share the next steps. He gets his things from the trunk. The moment he closes the trunk, I back the car out of the danger zone, grab my high-vis jacket, and get an overview of the accident scene. Three cars involved, five people. Four conscious, two trapped, one unconscious. The emergency services are alerted via 112.
And now Ben is standing next to me with another person. "Marko, paramedic, I have an emergency backpack in the car. Any more details about who was involved?"
I share my knowledge with him, and we split up so that measures can be taken as effectively as possible. We work seamlessly; everyone knows the steps and what to do. We call out information and further procedures to each other from time to time, without placing any additional strain on the injured.
As far as I can see, four people are conscious. I'm talking to the person in the one vehicle who's still conscious and trying to treat the wounds with a minimum of supplies.
Ben
While I'm still talking to the truck driver about the next steps, a man carrying an emergency backpack approaches us. He appears to be another paramedic. "Hi, I'm Marko. Paramedic, what happened?" I briefly introduce myself, explain the situation, and we head back to the scene of the accident. There, Chris gives us information and instructions. So we split up so the injured can be treated as quickly as possible.
I grab some makeshift bandages and run with Chris and Marko to the vehicles.
A woman was able to get out on her own, and we helped her little daughter out of the crushed car by offering encouragement and helping her out. The driver of the Mercedes sits visibly shocked in the driver's seat and is unable to utter a coherent sentence.
Marko and I briefly take care of the three while Chris is already hanging in the small car, checking on the passengers. I concentrate only on the three in front of me – they don't seem to have sustained any major external injuries. A few lacerations or bruises here and there, but nothing that could cause any other external problems.
So Marko grabs the backpack and helps the trapped people.
I blow up a gloved animal for the little girl to distract her from what's happening and at the same time be able to assess her motor skills. But apart from a cut and bruises on her upper body, I can't find anything wrong, so I check on her mother.
"Hello, I'm Benjamin Klerker, paramedic," I extend my hand. Her grip is firm and coordinated. "Hi, Karin Huber. How is Amelie?" "Your daughter seems to be doing well so far," I answer her, and while doing a body check, I ask a few more questions for the emergency services, who will hopefully arrive soon. She seems to have been hit harder than her daughter. Her left arm is broken, she has a laceration on her head, bruises, and her head is immobile are my initial assessment. But she is surprisingly lucid and calm. Hopefully, she stays that way until the emergency services arrive.
Finally, I see the first emergency vehicles arriving. I briefly explain the next steps to Karin Huber and try to be as calm as possible.
My gaze wanders from the arriving vehicles to Chris.
Chrissi
Marko calls out his approach to me. He seems to be a full-time officer, his approach to the situation is so routine. He'll take care of the unconscious person and will take over the bulk of the backpack. I turn my attention to the passenger. A boy, no older than 16, I guess. I try to build trust, giving him friendly but firm instructions to determine how tightly he's trapped, how much control he has, and what his motor skills are saying.
I find out his name is Tom.
"Okay, Tom, do you know what exactly happened?" I ask, continuing to try to remove the remaining glass from the window frame so I can work better and avoid hurting myself.
In the back of my mind, I'm still aware that the engine compartment is dangerously damaged. I hope there's no fire!
“Tom, can you move your arms and fingers?” I don’t get a really good answer, just sobs and a few indefinable scraps of words.
I finally manage to break out the remaining window and can take better care of the boy. His head wound and the scratch on his cheek seem to be the least of his worries.
As far as possible, I get a first body check. Meanwhile, he stops sobbing, but he continues to depress me. Oh fuck, the little guy desperately needs proper medical care!
"Tom, tell me something! Where were you going?"
Unequal pupils, delayed reaction. Why can't the paramedic beam himself here?
I look over my protégé into the back seat of the car… and recognize the cause of Tom’s misery.
A box of groceries and water bottles everywhere! Oh shit! They must have been thrown forward in the crash. In the worst case, right into Tom's neck. Hence the massive bump on the back of his head and the clouding. I'm slowly losing my ability to see his vital signs.
I send a quick prayer to heaven, directly into God's ear, that the emergency services and fire department will finally arrive.
And lo and behold, my prayer was answered! Finally!
While I'm checking Tom's results again, an ambulance crew arrives. I leave the field to them by briefly and precisely describing what happened.
The fire department is already starting to take the car apart with a scissor spreader in order to free the two.
After I'm sure I'm not needed here at the moment, I run over to Chris—I've spontaneously forgotten how to walk. His patients have already been picked up by the emergency services. Three ambulances are already on their way to the hospital. We explain what we know to two police officers approaching us, give them our personal details, and leave them to their work.
So, after they knew everything and their hunger for information had been satisfied, the other people involved in the accident were on their way to the hospital, and the fire department was still hard at work, Ben and I were finally able to continue our journey to Cologne.
“Let’s keep going,” I mumbled to him.
“Yeah… how far do we go?”
“I think about 20km, then off the highway.”
We didn't manage to talk any further for the time being. Everyone was probably lost in their own thoughts. Ben's phone interrupted our thoughts:
Ben
Finally back in the car, the conversation wasn't particularly productive. That only changed after the phone call with my mom:
"Ben here, hi Mom!" "Benni, my God, I'm so glad to hear from you! How are you? Did you hear about the accident on the highway? Are you still stuck in traffic? How lucky you weren't involved!"
"Mommy, it's okay. We're not stuck in traffic, the accident was right in front of us, we were the first to arrive." "WHAT?" a voice practically screamed through the receiver. "Oh God, guys! You're killing me!"
"Mooohoooom! Nothing happened to us! Everyone involved is in the hospital, the fire department is still dealing with the wreckage, and we're back in the car on the way to Cologne."
"Then I'm relieved. Your father is still asking when he can start assembling the furniture. Do you have a plan yet?"
“Um, no, I don’t know, I’ll talk to Chrissi, we’ll get back to you this evening!”
"Okay, sweetheart, see you later and say hello to my son-in-law!" "Bye, Mom," I practically grinned into the receiver. Ever since our coming out in front of the entire parents' group, the ladies of the Hamberg and Klerker houses have absolutely loved calling their son-in-law that very title...
"How did your mom know that again?" Chrissi interrupted my thoughts. "Absolutely no idea, probably from traffic reports with additional information, or she sent us a helicopter..." "HELI, the flying thing is called HELI, honey!" "Or she sent a bumblebee after us, is that better? To monitor us and make sure we're good while driving..." "My darling, I'd love to have your confused mind games!"
Finally, the mood was lifted and with the rest of the journey, the conversations returned for funny exchanges and, above all, our anticipation of our new home.
Chrissi
"Please turn right in 500m." "Yes, thank you, you best navigation friend in the world." "Please turn right now." "Let me guess: You've reached your destination?" "Exactly! Where did you get that from?!"
Well then, let's go! Welcome to our new home!
Yeeeha, so that was it, the final exam. So now we're newly minted high school graduates. And an ultimatum is imminent. On Monday, our year group will meet to finalize the organizational details for our "final party." My sweetheart and I have planned to make our coming out official for this very meeting.
And in three weeks, we'll hopefully be living in our own beautifully furnished apartment in the heart of Cologne, ready to start our studies full of energy... Cologne, THE city par excellence! Cool people, a fantastic city, the opportunity to study and have fun, the water as a neighbor, and not to forget, this city is much more open-minded than many others. Our apartment is also a dream. We can now call five bright rooms our own. A spacious bathroom, a large kitchen (very important!) and a "wow" bedroom, a cozy living room with a window front and a balcony. And we've planned a smaller room as a study and computer room.
We'll soon realize that we have to start studying for our studies again, pack the last boxes, and drive the first load to Cologne tomorrow.
Ben
Man, where is that guy? His exam should have ended half an hour ago. I'm still going in here! Why doesn't he finally call and tell me how it went? Luckily, my last exam was two days ago. The little guy nearly drove himself (and everyone around him) crazy yesterday with all the exam stress!
And here are the moving boxes. Our parents and my little brother have been busy helping with the packing. Besides our group, they are the only ones who know anything about Chrissi and me. Chrissi, actually Christian Hamberg, has been my boyfriend for over two years. I'm Ben, Benni, or Benjamin Klerker. We've been in the same class since high school. In the first few years, we had practically nothing to do with each other, but eventually we became friends, partly through the emergency services and the volunteer fire department. And this, thankfully, has now developed into a pretty harmonious relationship. We often complement each other, and arguments are extremely rare.
Now that my dear friend has finally settled down to go home, we'll have the chance to finally toast our exams. The parents have set up a small buffet among the packed boxes, with a few candles scattered around and colorful lanterns decorating the living room.
So we’re just waiting for Chrissi…
Chrissi
Oh dear, first the exam takes forever, then the teachers keep talking my head off, and now this headwind is coming uphill. Luckily, the man who caused my sleepless nights is waiting for me at home, and we can finally put all the stress of the final exams behind us.
Um, Benni already has the car here? We weren't supposed to bring the first boxes into the apartment until tomorrow. That guy's always good for a surprise, but that's practical, so we can load up today and leave first thing tomorrow morning.
Ben
"Hello, my darling! Welcome home!" I greet the visibly bewildered Chrissi, who looks extremely cute with his windblown hair.
"Um, hi Ben!" The newly graduated high school student throws his arms around me and then notices our parents and my little brother in the background. "All of you gathered here? Hey! This is awesome!"
"Hello son, congratulations! You've finally made it." "Chrissi, Chrissi! You're so old now!" comes a prompt comment from my cheeky brother. My parents also congratulate their "son-in-law" on passing his last exam.
Everyone is given orange juice or champagne and we toast our graduation and a new phase of life that will soon begin.
Then Chrissi tells us what his topic was, how he heroically mastered it perfectly, and so on.
Chrissi
I barely have time to dig out my front door key before the door is flung open, and behind my sweetheart are our parents and Niko. Ben, grinning in the doorway, the very embodiment of sunshine, greets me with a congratulatory hug.
There's champagne—CHAMPAGNE!!!—to celebrate the day, and a small buffet is set up among the boxes. Colorful lanterns hang from the walls and ceiling, and candles are on the table. Amazing!
Those six are truly brilliant. They really put in a lot of effort!
I'm bombarded with questions and tell them how I did in the final exam: the topic, the assignment, and so on. "And that's the only reason you've driven everyone around you crazy over the past few days? Chrissi, don't do that again!" Niko laughs at me. "Hey, little one, just get to that age! You'll feel the same way!" I grinned back. The little guy is pretty cheeky.
Ben
Yesterday was a really nice day, sitting with the family, toasting and just chatting.
"Honey?" I cooed. "Yes, Benni?" "Just move on, this box is so damn heavy!" I bleated at him, putting on my most innocent face. He knows what I mean.
"Oh come on, don't be such a baby. It's the last one anyway, let's get in the car and off to our new home!" "This is going to be sooo awesome! I'm really looking forward to the city, the people, our own apartment. Funnily enough, even to university, if you ignore the studying." "Biology and sports. Your mix isn't exactly clear..." "Chris! What are you thinking about again! Wasn't the night enough for you, huh?" I grin mischievously at the person opposite me. "You naughty piece of shit! So, who's driving?" "Me, of course! I can't be responsible for a woman behind the wheel!" With that, I quickly retreated a few steps. "Watch out!" I heard Chrissi gasp, but by then I was already lying on my backside on the sidewalk one floor below, fighting a fit of laughter.
“Oh no, that’s what they call punishment on the heels.”
Chrissi
It's just too wonderful to see Ben lying there in the middle of the sidewalk, his car keys in one hand... HA! Not long now! I pounce on him, pin him down in public, and steal the keys from him. Then I'm nice as usual and help Ben back to his feet – like a true gentleman. Then, looking innocent, I get behind the wheel and wait for my passenger.
Ben
Five intersections and six kilometers, a song we sang along to, and another 13 minutes later, we're flying down the highway, and Chris is making full use of the power under the hood. "Chris, slow down, there's a roadwork ahead." Chris drives well and safely, but I hate it when he speeds like that. Besides, he can see that someone in front of him is already braking.
I'm thrilled! At least he slows down a bit, and his hand wanders to my knee. I smile and realize once again, quite intensely, that I love him.
We're currently on our way to our first apartment in the coolest city ever. I can't believe it!
Chrissi
The man of my dreams is sitting next to me and has been warning me to slow down before the construction zone for ages. I shift down a gear and let my hand wander from the gearshift to his knee. I glance sideways at him and see his happy face, but there's something wrong with his expression. There's this...
“CHRIS! BREMS!“
My body reacts as if by itself, gripping the steering wheel tightly, and slams on the brakes with full force. The ABS kicks in immediately, and the brakes rattle and squeal, my gaze fixed straight ahead.
Then silence.
Ben
"CHRIS! BRAKE!" I yell at him. The force of the braking forces me into my seatbelt, I grit my teeth, tense my neck muscles, and can't tear my eyes away from the scene. The car slides on forever. Then we finally stop.
Quiet.
I exhale and only now realize I've been holding my breath. I look to my left with a touch of panic, but Chrissi is fine. He's okay. Kudos to his quick reaction. Our eyes meet and we realize what just happened.
At that moment, the switches in our brains switch and we know exactly what we have to do.
I look around as I jump out and tell Chris my next steps.
A Mercedes E320 is slammed into the driver's side of a dark Mondeo. The rear of the star-studded car is completely dented, and a red object, which appears to have once been a small car, adorns the spot where the rear used to be. A truck driver who was driving behind us has already parked his truck across the road, leaving only space on the right and left for emergency vehicles, and the vehicles behind him have no visibility.
Now our training and the education of the fire brigade and rescue services are definitely paying off.
“I’ll get my vest and triangle out of the car and check the truck driver!”
"Drive the car over and do a first inspection! Alert will follow!"
So I quickly grab my safety vest and triangle from the trunk and sprint to the truck driver. He's already notified the first vehicles and is trying to find a small traffic lane. There's also a triangle and flashing lights at a suitable distance. Great!
Chrissi
Ben and I look at each other and know exactly what we have to do. We share the next steps. He gets his things from the trunk. The moment he closes the trunk, I back the car out of the danger zone, grab my high-vis jacket, and get an overview of the accident scene. Three cars involved, five people. Four conscious, two trapped, one unconscious. The emergency services are alerted via 112.
And now Ben is standing next to me with another person. "Marko, paramedic, I have an emergency backpack in the car. Any more details about who was involved?"
I share my knowledge with him, and we split up so that measures can be taken as effectively as possible. We work seamlessly; everyone knows the steps and what to do. We call out information and further procedures to each other from time to time, without placing any additional strain on the injured.
As far as I can see, four people are conscious. I'm talking to the person in the one vehicle who's still conscious and trying to treat the wounds with a minimum of supplies.
Ben
While I'm still talking to the truck driver about the next steps, a man carrying an emergency backpack approaches us. He appears to be another paramedic. "Hi, I'm Marko. Paramedic, what happened?" I briefly introduce myself, explain the situation, and we head back to the scene of the accident. There, Chris gives us information and instructions. So we split up so the injured can be treated as quickly as possible.
I grab some makeshift bandages and run with Chris and Marko to the vehicles.
A woman was able to get out on her own, and we helped her little daughter out of the crushed car by offering encouragement and helping her out. The driver of the Mercedes sits visibly shocked in the driver's seat and is unable to utter a coherent sentence.
Marko and I briefly take care of the three while Chris is already hanging in the small car, checking on the passengers. I concentrate only on the three in front of me – they don't seem to have sustained any major external injuries. A few lacerations or bruises here and there, but nothing that could cause any other external problems.
So Marko grabs the backpack and helps the trapped people.
I blow up a gloved animal for the little girl to distract her from what's happening and at the same time be able to assess her motor skills. But apart from a cut and bruises on her upper body, I can't find anything wrong, so I check on her mother.
"Hello, I'm Benjamin Klerker, paramedic," I extend my hand. Her grip is firm and coordinated. "Hi, Karin Huber. How is Amelie?" "Your daughter seems to be doing well so far," I answer her, and while doing a body check, I ask a few more questions for the emergency services, who will hopefully arrive soon. She seems to have been hit harder than her daughter. Her left arm is broken, she has a laceration on her head, bruises, and her head is immobile are my initial assessment. But she is surprisingly lucid and calm. Hopefully, she stays that way until the emergency services arrive.
Finally, I see the first emergency vehicles arriving. I briefly explain the next steps to Karin Huber and try to be as calm as possible.
My gaze wanders from the arriving vehicles to Chris.
Chrissi
Marko calls out his approach to me. He seems to be a full-time officer, his approach to the situation is so routine. He'll take care of the unconscious person and will take over the bulk of the backpack. I turn my attention to the passenger. A boy, no older than 16, I guess. I try to build trust, giving him friendly but firm instructions to determine how tightly he's trapped, how much control he has, and what his motor skills are saying.
I find out his name is Tom.
"Okay, Tom, do you know what exactly happened?" I ask, continuing to try to remove the remaining glass from the window frame so I can work better and avoid hurting myself.
In the back of my mind, I'm still aware that the engine compartment is dangerously damaged. I hope there's no fire!
“Tom, can you move your arms and fingers?” I don’t get a really good answer, just sobs and a few indefinable scraps of words.
I finally manage to break out the remaining window and can take better care of the boy. His head wound and the scratch on his cheek seem to be the least of his worries.
As far as possible, I get a first body check. Meanwhile, he stops sobbing, but he continues to depress me. Oh fuck, the little guy desperately needs proper medical care!
"Tom, tell me something! Where were you going?"
Unequal pupils, delayed reaction. Why can't the paramedic beam himself here?
I look over my protégé into the back seat of the car… and recognize the cause of Tom’s misery.
A box of groceries and water bottles everywhere! Oh shit! They must have been thrown forward in the crash. In the worst case, right into Tom's neck. Hence the massive bump on the back of his head and the clouding. I'm slowly losing my ability to see his vital signs.
I send a quick prayer to heaven, directly into God's ear, that the emergency services and fire department will finally arrive.
And lo and behold, my prayer was answered! Finally!
While I'm checking Tom's results again, an ambulance crew arrives. I leave the field to them by briefly and precisely describing what happened.
The fire department is already starting to take the car apart with a scissor spreader in order to free the two.
After I'm sure I'm not needed here at the moment, I run over to Chris—I've spontaneously forgotten how to walk. His patients have already been picked up by the emergency services. Three ambulances are already on their way to the hospital. We explain what we know to two police officers approaching us, give them our personal details, and leave them to their work.
So, after they knew everything and their hunger for information had been satisfied, the other people involved in the accident were on their way to the hospital, and the fire department was still hard at work, Ben and I were finally able to continue our journey to Cologne.
“Let’s keep going,” I mumbled to him.
“Yeah… how far do we go?”
“I think about 20km, then off the highway.”
We didn't manage to talk any further for the time being. Everyone was probably lost in their own thoughts. Ben's phone interrupted our thoughts:
Ben
Finally back in the car, the conversation wasn't particularly productive. That only changed after the phone call with my mom:
"Ben here, hi Mom!" "Benni, my God, I'm so glad to hear from you! How are you? Did you hear about the accident on the highway? Are you still stuck in traffic? How lucky you weren't involved!"
"Mommy, it's okay. We're not stuck in traffic, the accident was right in front of us, we were the first to arrive." "WHAT?" a voice practically screamed through the receiver. "Oh God, guys! You're killing me!"
"Mooohoooom! Nothing happened to us! Everyone involved is in the hospital, the fire department is still dealing with the wreckage, and we're back in the car on the way to Cologne."
"Then I'm relieved. Your father is still asking when he can start assembling the furniture. Do you have a plan yet?"
“Um, no, I don’t know, I’ll talk to Chrissi, we’ll get back to you this evening!”
"Okay, sweetheart, see you later and say hello to my son-in-law!" "Bye, Mom," I practically grinned into the receiver. Ever since our coming out in front of the entire parents' group, the ladies of the Hamberg and Klerker houses have absolutely loved calling their son-in-law that very title...
"How did your mom know that again?" Chrissi interrupted my thoughts. "Absolutely no idea, probably from traffic reports with additional information, or she sent us a helicopter..." "HELI, the flying thing is called HELI, honey!" "Or she sent a bumblebee after us, is that better? To monitor us and make sure we're good while driving..." "My darling, I'd love to have your confused mind games!"
Finally, the mood was lifted and with the rest of the journey, the conversations returned for funny exchanges and, above all, our anticipation of our new home.
Chrissi
"Please turn right in 500m." "Yes, thank you, you best navigation friend in the world." "Please turn right now." "Let me guess: You've reached your destination?" "Exactly! Where did you get that from?!"
Well then, let's go! Welcome to our new home!