Ollie and the other EMTs continue to see and get used to seeing extremely disgusting things. I'm not talking about a broken arm, a single gun shot or anything like that. I'm talking about seeing eyeballs laying on the ground while still attached to someones body. Or even intestines falling out of people's bodies and into their own hands. Horror movie kinds of things. But they are used to it. Ollie's everyday routine is filled with these kinds of situations. Ollie describes the normalcies of his day by saying it is filled, "Of seeing the skull beneath the scalp, the brain beneath the skull"(91). He continues, "Of seeing the chest open and the heart still beating with an unreal, spastic sort of motion, like a separate living thing"(91). Those kinds of images are things normal people would never ever EVER forget seeing. But this is an everyday occurence for them. To them, these types of occurences are forgettable.
So far, this book has truly opened my eyes to the world of EMTs and doctors. These people save the lives of others and sacrifice a part of them to do it. It is an incredible burden for people to have to see these types of things everyday of their lives. I couldn't do it. My dad used to be an EMT. I don't even think he made it a year before he quit. He told me it was just too much. I'm sure he saw things he wish he hadn't. This type of job clearly isn't for everyone. I know, like my dad, that I couldn't take it. I have to run out of a room and stick my fingers in my ears if someone throws up. I can't even imagine being stuck in an ambulence with someone who is severly injured and needs my help - I just couldn't do it. I admire all of the EMTs and doctors out there. This book has really made me appreciate what they do.
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