Chapter 27 — The First Heartbeat

At the end of April, the day for the City Level First Aid Skills Assessment Competition finally arrived. The event was held at a large convention center in the city, bringing together five representative teams from five different high schools, along with a large number of judges who were doctors, nurses, and emergency specialists from across the city.

Phan Dinh Phung school's team, including Thien Kim as captain, along with Minh Vu, Duc, Trang, and Phong, arrived early to mentally prepare before the event officially started. The atmosphere at the conference center was both solemn and tense, with competing teams wearing separate school uniforms, gathering in small groups to review one last time before the exam.

"Remember to stay calm, everyone," Thien Kim told the team while waiting, her voice trying to convey confidence even though inside she couldn't help but feel nervous. "We have practiced very well over the past six weeks. Regardless of the result, I believe we did our best."

"The captain sounds so mature," Duc teased, making the whole team laugh lightly, somewhat relieving the tension.

The team theory test went smoothly in the morning, with Phan Dinh Phung's team correctly answering the majority of questions thanks to the solid knowledge base that Ms. Hoa and the emergency physician had diligently imparted during six weeks of intensive practice. The advanced individual skills competition in the middle of the session also went relatively well, although Thien Kim noticed a few small errors in handling Duc's multiple injuries, making the team a bit worried about the overall score.

In the afternoon, the final and most important part of the competition — the large-scale real-life scenario rehearsal — began. The organizers simulated a complex scenario: a simulated traffic collision with five different "victims", each with a different level of injury, placed in a large space simulating a real-life scene with broken down vehicles, simulated sirens, and even panicked "witnesses" played by volunteers.

Each team will have fifteen minutes to assess the scene, prioritize victims according to the triage principle, and proceed in accordance with the determined order of priority, all under the direct observation and scoring of the jury.

When it was team Phan Dinh Phung's turn, Thien Kim entered the simulation area with the whole team, her heart beating fast but her mind alert and highly focused. She quickly scanned the entire scene: a "victim" lying motionless and unresponsive near the broken car, another person screaming from pain in his leg, a person sitting dazed with a bleeding head wound, a person partially trapped in the car with signs of difficulty breathing, and a person who appeared to have only minor scratches but was in extreme panic.

"Duc, Phong, check the immobilized person first, assess breathing and circulation immediately," Thien Kim ordered, his voice decisive and clear. "Trang, handle the person having difficulty breathing trapped in the car, be careful about the possibility of spinal injury. Mr. Vu, I will work with you to handle the person with a bleeding head and the person with leg pain, in order of priority."

The whole team quickly dispersed to carry out their assigned tasks, coordinating smoothly like a machine that had been thoroughly practiced through dozens of practice sessions. Thien Kim, while treating his "victim"'s head injury, continued to observe the overall situation, ready to adjust the assignment if necessary.

Midway through, a small incident happened outside of the expected scenario - the "victim" trapped in the car, due to acting too absorbed or perhaps part of an intentional challenge from the organizers, started screaming more intensely than usual, causing Trang, who was handling it, to show signs of confusion and momentarily lose her composure.

Thien Kim, although busy with her duties, quickly noticed the situation out of the corner of her eye. "Trang, focus on her breathing first, don't let the screaming distract you," she shouted without taking her eyes off her work. "Remember the principle: assess the airway, breathing, and circulation first, the rest later."

That timely reminder helped Trang quickly regain composure and continue handling the process properly. This is the moment when six weeks of thorough practice, and more than that, an eight-month journey of learning and growing for Thien Kim, most clearly demonstrated - not only her ability to handle personal situations, but also her ability to observe and support her teammates, maintaining the group's overall spirit even when she herself was under considerable pressure.

When the fifteen minutes were up, the team had finished handling all five "victims" in the correct order of priority, with the technical steps carried out precisely, although not without a few tense moments, a few seconds of slight hesitation on the part of some members.

"Stop!" The chief judge shouted loudly, marking the end of the competition. The team stood up, breathing a sigh of relief, sweat beading on their foreheads from the stress and physical exertion of the past fifteen minutes.

"Good job, everyone," Thien Kim said, her voice still a bit breathless but filled with pride, looking around at her team. "Regardless of the result, I think we showed exactly what we practiced."

Minh Vu, standing next to her, nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with admiration. "You've led the team well," he said softly, just loud enough for her to hear. "Especially when Trang encountered difficulties, the way he intervened promptly without interrupting his own work — that is a true leadership skill, not everyone can do it."

Thien Kim smiled, clearly feeling a deep sense of pride spread throughout her body — not pride for doing everything absolutely perfectly, but because she was able to express herself in the most honest way, with all the skills, confidence, and human limitations that she had learned to accept during her long journey.

That evening, while waiting for the results to be announced the next day, the whole team celebrated together simply at a restaurant near the convention center, reviewing memorable moments during the past six weeks of arduous practice and the challenging test day.

"No matter the outcome, I think this is one of my most memorable experiences during my high school years," Trang shared, her voice filled with emotion.

"I agree," Duc commented. "And I think, mostly thanks to Thien Kim leading me. You're such a great captain."

Thien Kim felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment at that compliment, but was also filled with a deep happiness, realizing how long her journey, from a girl who always doubted herself to someone who could lead a team in high-pressure situations, had come.

"Do you remember your first CPR practice?" Minh Vu asked, sitting next to her, his voice full of nostalgia as the group gradually turned to lighter gossip. "When you completely froze in front of the dummy, your hands shaking so much that you couldn't count the compressions?"

"Don't mention that again," Thien Kim laughed, lightly punching his shoulder. "That sounds so embarrassing."

"I didn't say that to tease you," Minh Vu quickly explained, his voice sincere. "I just want to say, looking at you today, standing there commanding an entire team to handle five hypothetical victims at the same time, not flinching even when unexpected situations arise, I see the distance you've traveled is truly amazing. Not everyone can go from that starting point to here in eight months."

"It's thanks to you, the whole team, and Ms. Hoa," Thien Kim replied, her voice softening. "I don't think I can do it alone."

"No one can do it alone," Minh Vu said, smiling. "That is also one of the most important lessons I learned from this club — no matter how good I am, I still need a team, I need people who are willing to stand next to me when needed."

Phong, hearing the last part of the story, interjected with a mischievous smile. "Are you two like this all the time? You keep looking at each other like that. Duc and I are sitting here watching movies for free."

The whole table burst into laughter, making Thien Kim blush, while Minh Vu just laughed and did not deny it. The atmosphere that evening, although everyone was still anxiously waiting for the results, was still filled with laughter and the warm bond of a group that had gone through many challenges together to reach this moment.

As the meal gradually ended, Ms. Hoa, who had been quietly observing all evening from the head of the table, stood up and raised her glass of water. "I want to say something to all five of you," she said, her voice formal but warm. "No matter what the outcome is tomorrow, I am very proud to have accompanied you throughout this journey. Not only have you learned first aid skills, but more importantly, you have learned how to trust each other, how to stand firm under pressure, and how to become a true team. That is something that no exam can fully evaluate."

The whole table was silent for a moment, touched by those sincere words, then raised their glasses of orange juice in response, a simple but meaningful gesture, ending a long day full of challenges and pride.