It’s hot, it’s sunny, the airshow practice apparently broke windows here in the city, and yesterday was quite a day.
My dad and I were walking to one of our favorite restaurants, and he tripped and fell. It was as quick as anything and nothing I could do, he was falling and then he was on the ground.
Strangers gathered immediately to check if he was OK; two women in particular made sure he went into the nearby store, got him a chair, bought him some water. I cannot confirm but I sensed that one or both were healthcare professionals and it was all they could do not to check him out.
His nose was scraped and bleeding, his arm hurt, but still I had to tell him, firmly, that I would be calling an ambulance.
They took him, I had to go get my car, and when I arrived at the hospital, he was sitting in the waiting room, not yet triaged. Which is actually a good sign, overall.
Though the waiting room didn’t feel packed, per se, it was wildly busy, people under the bright lights, all various shades of pale. One man was grunting and yelling and appeared to be in agony, though it’s not clear if he really was or if it was a show. Eventually he was taken to the back, and the woman across and I locked eyes, a shrug, a smile.
The hours dragged on, he was taken for scans and X-rays and I fought with the reality that I was in another emergency room, again.
In the end it turned out he’d broken his arm near the elbow, which, honestly, could have happened to anyone in a fall like that. After five hours or so, once they’d cleaned up the scrapes, ensured there was no other serious damage, we were released into the night, left to scrounge food for ourselves as the restaurants were closed.
He was wearing a baseball hat when he fell, and I think the brim prevented him from hitting his head on the concrete. Chalk one up for baseball hats.
This morning he said he had no pain, he paced the apartment in place of his stationary bike, and he didn’t sleep terribly considering.
I, on the other hand, am on my third cup of coffee.
I’d been reluctant to go, I was feeling lazy, and if I hadn’t been talked into it, he would be fine. I didn’t see him as he started to fall; only much too late to do anything about it. Round and round it went in my head.
I was, however, incredibly relieved that I’d taken that offer on my place, that I’d moved in here, that wasn’t going to have to go home to worry all night or figure out how I would be here for the duration of his cast. “In case” was one of my motivations for moving, but I hadn’t expected it, not so soon.
Anyway, this was not how I wanted to finish out the week, but here we are. I wish you a safe and lovely weekend.
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