Ninety Seconds

By Dr. Maurit Beeri

Translated by Dr. Eliezer Be'eri 

At ALYN Pediatric Rehabilitation Hospital in Jerusalem, when the rocket siren sounds, we have ninety seconds to reach shelter before impact.

Panicked parents scramble their children towards the bomb shelter.

Terrified, all wide-eyed, hearts racing.

Ninety seconds.

Wake the sleeping child. Grab the baby.

Ninety seconds.

And also the walker, the wheelchair, the drip stand.

Ninety seconds.

Sprint, with a small child, dangling tubes connected to a ventilator.

Ninety seconds.

The heavy steel door thuds shut, keeping evil away

For ten minutes.

A mother in a hijab.

A father with a large kippah.

Doctors.

Nurses.

And in that sudden silence,

The tiny voice of a little girl:

"Mommy, did you see?

I ran all the way,

By myself!"

Written in October 2023 

Visit www.alyn.org