I was working at theCrisisIntervention Center at the hospital. Anotherworkerwas with me in the office, and another worker was down in the ER with a patient.

It was early and we were catching up on the paperwork from the day before. We had a tv in the office, but hadn’t turned it on. Then the husband of the worker in the ER called to say we should turn on the tv,becausea plane had gone into one of the towers of the World Trade Center and it was reported that there was more going on, that this had not been an accident.

We turned the tv on and watched for a few minutes, transfixed. We saw the second plane go into the other tower. Surreal was not a word I ever really understood until that moment. We watched for a few minutes, silent. Then I said to the other worker: This…