KAREN: So before you had the phone if there was an emergency in town how would they let you know?

TRUDY: They would come. Somebody would come to get me. There was no way else they could do it. Normally they would get somebody with a car to come and get me. Because of the emergency.

And we hardly had any at night. It was mostly in the daytime. Oh, you should have saw that one guy. He was a state worker that worked out the road. They were making a road by the airport and the blast went off and a big rock came down and hit him --

KAREN: In the head?

TRUDY: -- and he went kind of goofy. He was a white man and his wife was Eskimo and they were living downtown, Front Street.

I was just on my way home and: “They need you up at the airport.” Maxine Savland was the Magistrate, she came down, says: “They need you up at the airport. The blast went off too soon and hit a guy on the head with the rocks, so we need you to come up.” So, she took me up. Her and I went up there. And that guy was just acting so natural. And he said: “I'm gonna go home. I'm having a headache real bad.”

And Maxine said: “Yeah I think -- you want me to ride you home?” He said: “No, I have my car.” So we followed him. And I told him: “We'll go to your house with you and let your wife know that you were hit. You need to go to bed.”

And he said: “Ok.” So, we went there. She looked -- her eyes were just big. I guess they must have called her before.

And she just run out: “Are you ok? Are you ok?” And I said: “Don't get him excited. He is bad enough as it is.” And she said: “What happened, what happened?” I said: “You go in the kitchen and I'll come in there and let you know.”

So I put him to bed and I went out there to tell her and I said: “I'm just living up here. So, if you need me before the plane comes call me. Because I am going to go home and cook for the kids, and I'll be right down.” So, I went home. I wasn't there long and Maxine came riding up real fast.

She says: “That guy took off. And there is an airplane down at the float. We don't know who it is, but we saw him -- look like he was getting aboard.”

So, we rushed down there and the plane had already taken off. Here he chartered the plane to go to Angoon. And I asked his wife: “What is he going to Angoon for?” “He knows some guys there.” I said: “For Heaven's sake!” I said: “Did you know he was gonna go there?” She said: “No.”

She said: “What really happened to him?” And Maxine told her. “Oh, he is going crazy.” She said: “You guys better watch out. He's mean when he is out of his mind.”

Then Maxine and I went to look for a telephone and called Angoon. Told them to be on the look out for him and get him back to Hoonah on a chartered plane. Whether he pays it or not, we'll pay for it here.

So, they got a hold of him and he fought with them. He didn't want to go back to Hoonah. He said: “I don't want to go back to the place I got hurt.”

Then his buddy said: “I'll go with you. We'll go pack up your things and get your wife.”“Am I married?” It was so funny. I laughed and laughed. I said: “Didn't he know he was married?” She said: “I don't think so.” He just said: “Am I married?”

And the guy brought him back to Hoonah. And I told them: “I think you just better get him to Juneau hospital right away. I think, he's worse off than you folks think. I think he needs help right away. He doesn't need to wait around. I think you need to get him in there.” So, they took him right in. An hour later he died.

KAREN: Wow. Holy cow.

TRUDY: If he had been in Hoonah, I would have been there, responsible for him, for his death. I think about that. God.

KAREN: Wow.

TRUDY: But his friend called me from Juneau, said: “He died just a little while ago.” And I said: “It's not even an hour yet.” He said: “I know, but he died.”

He said: “I'm just calling from the room. He's here. He's in the room. The nurse is by him. They called for a doctor but he hasn't come yet. But he died.”

KAREN: He must have had internal bleeding in his brain or something?

TRUDY: I don't know. But, I told him: “Thank you very much for taking him in.” I said: “I don't know him, I really don't know him.” He said: “Well, his wife is here.” And she was with him when he died.

All those awful things we saw. We saw a guy almost drowned. A boat tipped over and the other health aide and I were caring for them at that time. I didn't have a real bad guy, he was pretty stable. But having to be introduced to a guy that's really hurt, you know, wow.

That was before I knew anything about being a health aide. Then I requested to quit and they wouldn't answer my request. I thought, well, I'll just stick it out.