I'm a mess. I woke up to a text from my coworker (really a friend) informing me of our other coworker who is suddenly fighting for his life. We work as basically EMT's for the Navy. Tuesday after work our coworker (let's call him Benson) collapsed while playing basketball with his cousins. He was without oxygen for 30 min before EMS arrived. His situation, I am told, worsened as of yesterday. He fell into a coma and so he has been medivacced to a more specialized hospital in Baltimore. No one had told me because everyone assumed I knew already. I had no idea until this morning.

This guy was what I consider to be my brother. I am nearly 3 wks post partum, so I have been on maternity leave. I just visited work last week to check emails and see everyone. Benson was just fine. When I was pregnant and overloaded with work, this guy would go and pick up lunch for me and many times he drove me to get lunch together because I was so hugely pregnant and he said I shouln't have to drive. We were off to a rocky start in the beginning of our work relationship, but we grew really close and he's really one of my only friends since moving to the east coast. I sent a meme to him yesterday and he never responded. He usually does. Our thing is to text back and forth ridiculous memes. Now I know he didn't get the meme.

I am exhausted on little sleep and my heart just hurts because Benson is such a good guy and I don't understand this. If he had collapsed at work vs. at home, we are all BLS or ACLS certified so we could have sustained him until EMS arrived and he wouldn't be basically dying. I was told "things are not looking good" and our Chief is visiting him and his family at the hospital as I write this.

Benson has a huge family, his mom, sisters and cousins that he provides for. He's kind and funny. He would give you his last dollar and share his lunch so you won't be hungry.

I never pray. But I could use prayers today.

Thank you.