Working in a public high school is never an easy job, especially if you’re a security guard. You always have to be on the lookout for mischief or crime.
Failure to do so can result in a student getting harmed, or even worse, losing his or her life. Therefore, when one officer spotted a girl in distress walking down the hallway, his safety and protection senses were on high alert. However, it took him a minute to understand that she was in a lot more grave danger than he had initially thought.
For 24 years, Officer Roger dedicated his life to the police force. He knew that it was his calling: he had always wanted to help people and protect them against any injustice.
Even as a child, he felt this strong inclination towards the need to safeguard others from harm. Therefore, to his family, it was only natural that he become a police officer. As an adult, he would soon find out how challenging his dream profession would be…
With decades worth of experience as a law enforcer, Officer Roger had seen it all and had pretty much mastered the art of detecting foul play whenever it was looming around the corner. He could almost smell when something was off - it was a sense that he had acquired over the years for knowing how to spot when someone was breaking the rules in just the nick of time.
But that wasn’t the only thing that he had developed a great skill for…
Officer Roger had developed a knack for knowing how to read people’s faces and their emotions. He could spot a liar from a mile away, and he could also easily tell when someone was covering up something that they had said or done. He viewed himself as ‘The Truth Machine’, and that before him, there was no way that he couldn’t see the real motives behind someone’s actions.
He would later find out how his skills would be put to the test in one of the tensest scenes he’s ever encountered as an officer …
Needless to say, because of the nature of his job, Officer Roger was always on the lookout for crime. It didn’t matter whether he was on duty or off duty, he always had his wits about him. He was the type of officer who was always aware of his surroundings and always wanted to do the right thing, no matter whether he was in uniform or not.
For that reason, he became lauded and respected among his co-workers as an officer who exhibited exemplary skills and embodied the true definition of what it meant to be a law enforcer. How did he do it?
To Officer Roger, the secret to his ability to remain so vigilant lay in a principle that few of his peers took as seriously as he did: the need to expect the unexpected. To Officer Roger, you had to constantly be on your guard and to be conscious of what is happening around you.
In situations where you least expect it, that is where some of the worst criminals tend to strike. Therefore, you must do your duty as an officer to respect how sudden crime can occur and consequently always ready yourself to react in such instances. Soon, he would discover just how crucial it is to have that motto on your mind…
On the day that Officer Roger was tested to the core, he could feel that something was amiss - he could almost sense it, that the air was heavy and that he had to be on the alert for the slightest thing. He wondered, “What’s going on?
Why do I feel so weird today?”
Initially, Officer Roger thought that he was just having a bad day. After all, that does happen sometimes, right?
Still, he couldn’t quite wrap his head around it - he just had this feeling of foreboding, as if something just wasn’t right. However, his mind did run across one possibility, one that landed him the very job that he was in…
For 24 years, Officer Roger roamed the streets of New York as the on-duty police officer that the entire department could depend on. However, all great things must come to an end. Therefore, after decades worth of service to the force, Roger decided that it was time to retire.
However, little did he know that his patrolling days weren’t over. Where was he headed to next?
As Officer Roger hung up his uniform, he had no clue that the call to return to duty would be coming a lot sooner than he had expected. That said, he saw the tell-tale signs all over the news, so it didn’t come as a complete shock.
What was it that had gotten his attention?
During the time of Officer Roger’s stint in retirement, the U.S had a major issue at hand in the form of gun violence, particularly at schools. There were no two ways about it - things had gotten out of hand and there were too many innocent civilians losing their lives because of the actions of irresponsible students and their parents.
Officer Roger himself was particularly saddened by the news…
Unsurprisingly, Officer Roger was enraged by the news that was being carried about gun violence in schools.
As a law enforcer himself, he couldn’t fathom the thought that innocent children's’ lives were being snatched from them by some lunatic who had been given a dangerous weapon. So, when he heard what some schools were doing, he couldn’t help but stand in solidarity …
Desperate times called for desperate measures, and some schools in New York were fed up of their students living in fear every time they entered their grounds. What’s more, some parents were even considering keeping their kids at home. School boards had to take action to protect their schools.
They had no choice …
In an effort to curb the crime rate in schools, some educators elected to implement an initiative within the education system that called upon the support of retired police officials.
In a nutshell, they wanted to outsource retired law enforcers as an additional security system on school grounds. The logic centered around the need to have more seasoned and experienced security personnel on-site to reduce the occurrences of crimes.
As a result, Officer Roger was one of those law enforcers who was contacted and asked to come out of retirement to assist in the crisis that the nation was facing. When the school board reached out to him, he gladly accepted the offer. Those around him thought that he was doing it all for the extra cash flow.
However, to Officer Roger, there was something more important at play.
To Officer Roger, accepting the offer had nothing to do with the money. He did it because, as a law enforcer, he genuinely felt concerned by what was happening in his country and, consequently, wanted to lend a helping hand to put an end to it. He was concerned as a law enforcer that things were clearly getting out of hand, and he had to do something about it.
The only question remained: where would he be sent?
Officer Roger was lucky enough to get stationed at a high school relatively close to his home. Therefore, any thoughts or fears about having to relocate were quickly dispelled.
In no time, he integrated into the school and assumed his duties. However, he had concerns that would stay on his mind for a long time …
In as much as Officer Roger was in favor of the initiative, he had to admit that there were school officials and parents alike who were opposed to it. Considering that the atmosphere within schools was already tense, there was no telling whether his deployment to one school would have been the trigger that set off a bomb. Yet, he went to work and made himself a visible presence within the school.
How would the students treat him?
After some time mingling with the students, it was clear that Officer Roger was not going to have any challenges at the high school he was stationed at. The students respected him and loved him. Everyone understood the role that he played in maintaining law and order, and no one crossed the line in his presence.
However, he would soon understand that he had to spring into action like never before: someone’s life was on the line.
The day that dread struck, Officer Roger was gearing up for another round of checks. It was what he called ‘rush hour’ - the end of lunch break for students at school. As the bell chimed letting the students know that it was time to head to class, they all busied themselves and got out of the cafeteria.
In a frenzy, students were crisscrossing in and out of the hallway. This was the scene that Officer Roger was faced with, one which would prove to be lethal …
As Officer Roger took note of the scene that was unfolding before his eyes, he knew that he had to be particularly vigilant. Now, more than ever, the chances of any sort of mishap were at an all-time high. Obviously, an increase in traffic meant an increase in risk, so he was on high alert.
Good thing, too, as through the thicket of students, he spotted something that immediately caught his eye.
As Officer Roger scanned the students as they piled into the hallway, his eyes landed on one student who stood out to him. Her name was Sarah, a high schooler who was in distress. However, to Officer Roger, that wasn’t quite obvious - all he saw was her walking with a slight stumble.
What could this mean?
As Officer Roger slowly turned to Sarah to give her his full attention, he was able to see that something was amiss. While she was walking bristling, there was something off about her moments. She was walking almost as if she were thumping on the ground.
Then, when he saw her lips, he knew that she needed desperate help…
Quickening the pace, Officer Roger knew that he had to act as fast as humanly possible because something wasn’t right with this girl. As he approached her, he got a closer look at her face, namely her lips.
From afar, he knew that something was amiss, but as he got closer, he understood just how serious things were…
As Sarah stared down the hallway, she saw Officer Roger coming towards her. Through her blurry vision, she trudged on, feeling increasingly fatigued with each clobbering step, but pressing onward nonetheless.
With thoughts whirling around her mind, she couldn’t help but revisit something that had happened just a few minutes before that landed her in the hot water she found herself in…
Sarah, like some of her classmates, was a diligent student who never missed class. Not only that, but she also had a knack for punctuality - she hated to arrive late to class.
Therefore, when she heard the bell that showed that recess was over, she found herself in a predicament: what was going on with her?
When Sarah heard the bell, she was just about wrapping up her burger and fries. Being the punctual student that she is, her instincts took over as her body automatically reacted to her need to finish eating so she could move on to class.
However, things didn’t quite turn out as she had planned.
Pressed for time, Sarah packed up her things, got up from the cafeteria, and made her way out to the hallway: of course, not after shoving the last fry she had in her mouth. After all, she didn’t want to waste food.
Sadly, this was a decision that she would come to regret for the rest of her life …
With the hustle and bustle of the lunch and the expectancy of a long day ahead, Sarah walked out of the cafeteria, blissfully aware of the need to ensure that she digested her food properly. As fate would have it, she munched briefly on the fry before unconsciously swallowing it.
That would prove to be fatal …
As the fry made its way down Sarah’s throat, her body inadvertently reacted violently. The muscles in her throat tensed up and immediately did the natural thing, which was to expel the foreign object which had been wholly inserted in it. However, despite the choking sounds that Sarah made, the object would not dislodge. She walked on, hoping that it would slide down her throat and everything would return to normalcy.
Yet, with each step, her choking became all the more violent. Then, it happened ...
As she walked through the sea of students unsuccessfully attempting to dislodge the item from her throat, Sarah’s body could not receive the intake of oxygen needed to function optimally. Each passing second was becoming more and more fatal as her body used up its reserves to fight up the violent reaction to the fry stuck in her throat.
It was at this moment that Officer Roger saw what Sarah couldn’t see …
At this point, Officer Roger could see that Sarah’s lips were turning blue. She was choking right before his eyes. He had to do something, and he had to do it quickly.
Would he make it in time?
Realizing the severity of the issue at hand, Officer Roger sprinted towards Sarah and grabbed her from behind. He knew that he had to act quickly because this was literally a matter of life or death.
What was he going to do?
With 24 years of experience as an officer, Roger was trained in several medical techniques that he had to be able to perform should the need arise. While he had never had cause to use it until now, the Heimlich Maneuver was one that he had been taught to dislodge foreign items stuck in someone’s throat so that they could breathe freely.
However, just as he was about to put it into practice, a doubt sped across his mind and caused him to flinch for a second …
Officer Roger recalled that there were different schools of thought on the Heimlich Maneuver.
While some doctors supported its use, others claimed that improper application of the maneuver can worsen the obstruction in the victim’s throat and quicken asphyxiation.
What was the best thing to do?
In a flash, Roger snapped to his senses, recognizing that he didn’t have the time to weigh options and determine what was best. He had to act quickly.
So, in one sweeping motion, he grabbed her from behind and squeezed her tightly in her abdominal region. Did it work?
Despite the vigor of his efforts, Roger watched in horror as Sarah continued to try to gasp for air, her lips turning a darker shade of blue with each passing second. He acted quickly again, squeezing her abdomen yet again, this time, even more forcibly than the first time.
Would he have more luck this time?
It happened so quickly: thanks to the power of his final thrust, with a great heaving cough, Sarah expelled out the offending fry from her throat, landing squarely a few feet in front of her. They had managed to get it out!
The seconds that followed remain a bit of a blur to Sarah. She recalls that she had felt as if she were going to faint. For a few seconds, her body went numb.
Officer Roger, sensing that she was going weak, knew that the battle wasn’t over. He hoisted her firmly while she regained her balance.
Having got a solid footing, Sarah became fully conscious of her surroundings. She turned around to look at the man who had saved her life, but she couldn’t even form the words to thank him for what he had done: her body had expended all of its energy. Meanwhile, Roger was thankful that he had managed to save a life.
However, it was still to be seen where Sarah was back to normal yet …
After a brief check-up with the campus doctor, Sarah was advised that she was 100% healthy, and that for the next couple of days, all she had to do was to increase her consumption of water and sugar to replenish the energy that she’d expended and she’d be back to normal. Needless to say, to both Sarah and Officer Roger, this was a newfound relief.
Little did they know that that day, Sarah’s life wouldn’t have been the only thing she would have gained.
After the event, Sarah and Officer Roger became friends. Thanks to him, not only was she alive and well, but she had also gotten a friend that she could count on to save her if she were ever in any danger. For Officer Roger, he developed a friendship that he could have never expected.
He, a retired police officer, was now hanging out with a high school girl.
However, he didn’t see her in any other way than a friend. To him, she will always be the vulnerable girl that he helped when she was most in need, and that is a memory that he will always treasure.
Now, it goes without saying that Sarah has understood how important it is to take her time.
She no longer rushes anything, as she knows what can happen when she moves in a frenzy. Luckily, she knows that if any harm were to befall her, she has a real friend in Officer Roger that she can rely on to save the day.