When a loved one gets severely hurt while you are in a different area and all you get is a phone call from your father giving you a brief but descriptive explanation of what has just occurred is a terrifying experience. I was watching TV when my dad called the house phone. He said Lucas has fallen out of the truck because of our dog, he’s hurt and needs to go to the hospital. The moment I heard he needed to go to the hospital, everything around me stopped. I knew it was serious. I could feel my pulse pounding in my head. My mom was trying to tell me something but all I heard were muffled sounds escaping her mouth and traveling the opposite direction. The thought that something bad happened to a loved one could have killed me.

A couple of minutes later, my mom and I were in the car driving towards the hospital at incredible speeds. We still didn’t know everything that has happened or the damage my brother has taken. There were hundreds of thoughts that were going through my mind at that point, “Is he okay?” “Is it serious enough to leave a noticeable scar?” “Did he get burned, bit, break an arm?” But the worst question that I needed to be answered right then and there was “Is he going to make it?” This question paralyzed me in my seat. My hands became sweaty and arms began to shake. I look at my life now and notice how much of a joy it is to be around him and to even think that he could have left right there is devastating.

We arrived at the hospital sprinting through the doors and looking for the rest of our family. After a couple of minutes of looking, we found them on the second floor. My older brother, Cory, was waiting for us next to the door where Lucas and my dad were in. I walk in ready for anything at that point. I see Lucas sitting on the bed crying. He only had two cuts, one on the right side of his head and on his right shoulder. He was holding a cloth against the cuts absorbing the little blood that was exuding out from both wounds. Relief shot through my veins calming me down knowing that he was going to make it. In this short while, I have learned to love and treasure the people close to me because you will never know when something horrific will happen to them.

The doctor that was taking care of Lucas was our uncle. He said, “Lucas will be fine, but we will need to clean him up because there are rocks under his skin and then staple his cuts.” When they were finished, Lucas said the scars he will get from the cuts will be a memory of our dog when she passes away. For me, those scars will resemble a moment in my life that I never want repeated again.

I look back at that moment thinking it could’ve been worse. But now that he’s okay, he lights up my world every day. Ever since that day had occurred, I love everybody that is close to me even more.