Chapter 11 — The First Heartbeat

Part III — Community First Aid Day

November opened with an extraordinary meeting of the Red Cross Club, convened by Ms. Hoa right after school on a Monday afternoon — something that rarely happened because meetings usually only took place on Tuesdays and Thursdays on a fixed schedule.

"I have some bad news, but it's not really bad news," Ms. Hoa began, her voice a bit deeper than usual, making the entire medical room immediately pay attention. "The school has just announced that due to cuts in this year's extracurricular activities budget, the Red Cross Club is at risk of not being given enough funding to maintain weekend practice sessions, and the upcoming certification exam may also have to be postponed if additional funding cannot be found."

That news made the whole room stir. Thien Kim felt a wave of anxiety rising in her heart - the certification exam, which she had been preparing for the past two months, was now in danger of not being able to take place as planned.

"But what you said is not necessarily bad news," Minh Vu spoke up, his eyes still maintaining the familiar calm even though his voice was a bit more serious. "So is there any solution?"

"Yes," Ms. Hoa nodded, a ray of hope flashing in her eyes. "The school board proposed that if the club could organize a meaningful community event that demonstrated the practical value of the program, they would consider providing additional budget, and could even find an outside sponsor through the city's Red Cross Association. She contacted the Association office in advance, and they proposed that we organize a Community First Aid Day, combining a humanitarian blood donation drive with free first aid training sessions for parents and people in the area."

The whole room was once again buzzing, but this time it was a buzz of excitement instead of anxiety. Such a large-scale event will be an unprecedented challenge for the club, but also an opportunity to demonstrate that what they have learned is not limited to the small medical room.

"The event will take place at the end of the month, November twenty-ninth, a Saturday," Ms. Hoa continued. "We have nearly four weeks to prepare. This will be a large amount of work, so you need to choose a core organizing committee to divide responsibilities."

Minh Vu, as the chairman, will naturally head the organizing committee. But what surprised Thien Kim was that when Ms. Hoa continued the assignment list, her name was announced for the position in charge of the community first aid instruction area - one of the three main areas of the event, along with the blood donation area and information booth area.

"You... you want me to be in charge of an entire area?" Thien Kim asked again, her voice unable to hide her surprise mixed with worry. "But you've only been in the club for two months."

"That's right," Ms. Hoa nodded, her eyes determined. "But I've been observing you for the past two months, Thien Kim. You're one of the members with the most technical grasp, the most careful in making sure every step is done correctly, and more importantly, you have the ability to explain clearly and be patient when instructing others — I saw that in the way you helped Duc and Hanh during recent practice sessions."

Thien Kim felt a stream of complex emotions rising - both proud to be trusted and frightened at the huge responsibility she had never taken on. Being in charge of an area in a community-scale event, having to guide dozens, even hundreds of strangers, is completely different from practicing within the safety of the club.

"I'm not sure I can handle such a big responsibility," she said, her voice trailing off.

Minh Vu, sitting nearby, spoke up immediately. “You don't have to do it alone,” he said, his voice firm. "I will support you throughout the preparation process, and the day of the event too. But I think, Ms. Hoa is right — you are capable of doing this. I have seen how much you have improved in the past two months, and I believe in you."

That affirmation, combined with the trusting eyes of both Ms. Hoa and Minh Vu, made something in Thien Kim's heart gradually soften. She recalls everything she learned — not just about first aid techniques, but about accepting that she doesn't have to be perfect from the start, that mistakes are a natural part of learning and growing.

"I'll try," she said finally, her voice still shaking but clearly determined. "But I need everyone's help a lot."

"Of course," Ms. Hoa smiled warmly. "This is the work of the whole team, not just one person."

The meeting continued with the division of other small groups: the group in charge of the blood donation area was led by another 12th grade student named Trang with direct support from the city hospital's medical staff, the information and communication booth group was led by Phong, and the logistics group was led by Duc.

After the meeting, when everyone gradually left, Thien Kim stayed with Minh Vu to begin drafting a detailed plan for the community first aid instruction area. They sat next to each other at a long table in the infirmary, papers and pens spread across the table.

"I need to decide what skills to teach people in a short training session," Minh Vu said, opening the discussion. "It's impossible to teach everything we've learned in a few hours, so we need to select the most practical, easiest-to-absorb skills."

"I think we should focus on basic CPR, how to handle foreign object choking in young children, and how to stop bleeding from common wounds," Thien Kim suggested, her voice regaining confidence as she discussed what she knew. "These are the most common situations parents may encounter in everyday life."

She paused for a moment before adding, her voice somewhat low. "Especially the part about handling foreign object choking in young children. I think, if more parents knew how to properly handle that situation, there would be fewer cases of people experiencing fear like... like what I experienced."

Minh Vu looked at her and realized that this was the first time Thien Kim indirectly mentioned his old story without him asking first. He didn't ask further questions, just nodded in agreement. "That's a very good and meaningful idea," he said softly. "I will design a separate station specializing in handling foreign body choking in children, and I think you should be the person in charge of that station."

"Me?" Thien Kim was surprised.

"That's right," Minh Vu nodded firmly. "No one in this club understands the importance of that skill better than you, and I believe you will convey its urgency to parents in the most authentic way, not just as a dry technique in a book."

Thien Kim felt an emotion rising in her heart. This is the first time that her painful story, instead of just a scar she tries to hide, is seen as a source of strength, a legitimate reason for her to contribute something meaningful to the community.

"Thank you," she said, her voice choked up. "I will try my best."

They continued to discuss late into the evening, outlining the details of the program: three rotating instruction stations — basic CPR, foreign object treatment, and wound bleeding — each station would have one or two club members in charge of direct instruction, using mannequins and practice tools borrowed from the school and from the city's Red Cross.

When they finally finished the first sketch, they both felt exhausted but excited. Minh Vu offered to take Thien Kim home because it was already dark, and on the way, the atmosphere between them became more comfortable and closer than ever — no longer a simple teacher-student relationship, nor necessarily something clearly defined, but a special bond built through each practice session, each shared story, each moment of trust in each other.

"You know," Minh Vu said as they neared Thien Kim's house, "I think this event will be a big turning point, not only for the club, but for you as well. I have a hunch that, after November twenty-ninth, you will see yourself in a completely different way."

"I hope you're right," Thien Kim replied, smiling, even though she was still a little worried about the amount of work ahead. "But no matter what, I'm grateful to have you and the whole club accompanying me in this."

That evening, when she got home, Thien Kim sat down at her desk immediately, not to do homework, but to start drafting detailed content for the foreign object choking training session - for the first time, she wrote down baby Bin's entire story in detail, not to hide it in a private notebook anymore, but as a prelude to the lecture she would present to dozens of unfamiliar parents.

Writing that story, this time with the purpose of helping others instead of just tormenting herself, brought Thien Kim a strange sense of relief. She realized that perhaps this was the way for her to turn her pain into something meaningful, just like what Minh Vu did with his own story.

Before going to bed, she opened her notebook and wrote a new line: "Today I was given the responsibility of teaching others exactly what I couldn't do three years ago. I'm scared, but I also think, maybe this is the way for me to turn the old scar into something better — not to erase it, but to give it a new meaning."