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Okay so last night at about 2 AM, the building's fire alarm went off, and while this has happened several times since we move in, most of the time it turns out to be nothing.
Not this time.
We could actually smell smoke, and as the elevators were out of service mom and I carefully made our way down the stairs to the lobby.
By the time we got there, the firefighters had gotten out the fire, and were taking someone to the hospital, possibly due to smoke inhalation.
Unfortunately, they were having trouble clearing out the smoke, and the elevators wouldn't go back into service, leaving us stranded in the lobby.
And that's when I had a bit of a breakdown.
The pain from climbing down the steps plus being forced to stand for more than an hour got to me, and I went out the back door, found a raised spot I could sit on, and started to shake.
I didn't cry, but I was close.
Eventually we got the all clear and went back upstairs via the one elevator that was working and tried to get some sleep.
But to be honest, I'm still a little shaky, so hugs appreciated.
Comments
I'd not call it a breakdown, but a very reasonable reaction ...
You had a 'close call', you did the right thing, evacuate immediately.
Just about everybody would have some kind of reaction. (I'd worry about people who do not ...)
You just had proof that not alarms are "false".
I'd very much prefer you & Mom to be in pain, and sitting and crying the parking lot, than seeing those "Whatever happened to Dorothy" postings ... and then finding out ...
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And for fire alarms - >Absolutely Stay Out, Get the F0rk Out of Elevators<.
Fire can scramble the elevator's controls and make them do stupid things. Most of them fatal.
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Time to Strongly Request that Management gives you the next available ground-level apartment.
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Have some tea & a few biscuits/cookies.
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As for hugs ... I had a totally Wonderous meeting with my Humanist group, and Happy Tears keep leaking out my eyes - so "I gots a boatload of hugs", ready for you to "pluck from the aether".
{{{warm hugs}}}
I think I'd probably be reacting like that too. Even if you didn't lose your house, just having to stand there, wondering what was going to happen, sounds pretty scary. I'm glad you and your mom got out of there when ya's did. I hope ya start feeling better again soon.
{{{more hugs}}}
Heather Rose