h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So anyway, I'd just finished off my journal for yesterday. Then I scribbled away at my submission for this week's post in a failed attempt to have it ready before deadline day. Then I turned of my netbook and packed it away and headed downstairs to the toilet before returning to the shopfloor. I was halfway down the stairs when the phone rang and my boss called to say it was for me. It was a paramedic to tell me my wife had fallen over in iceland and cut her head. They were going to take her to the hospital in about ten minutes and could I tell them her address because she couldn't remember it at the moment.

I told my boss. I looked at him, he looked at me, finally he spoke first and asked me if I wanted to go. I wanted to go. He said that was fine by him, and the nice new chap who was here doing lunch cover was available for the rest of the day so I was able to dash off with conciense clear. Fortunately R had fallen just round the corner from me, so I was able to get to the ambulance with a couple of minutes to spare. The two ladies were very kind and sat me down in a chair at the back. R was still somewhat confused so I filled in details here and there and helped her remember what she'd been doing this morning by prompting her with things I knew she'd done or been going to do.

It didn't take long to get to the hospital although I was slightly surprised to discover a queue of paramedics with their charges waiting in a corridor. One elerly lady struggling to breath and looking quite grey arrived after us but was fairly promptly rushed through to resus. In due course a lady arrived and dispatched all the patients off in various directions. We ended up in a cubicle where a sister (they have sisters in hospitals again!) came and looked at Raven and scribbled some notes. It is on these occasions that I am required to remember ALL of her medications. Other than that I am afraid I wasn't much use. I felt a bit tired and was consious that I had little to say that could help or reassure her. Everyone was very nice. One lady came in and cleaned our cubicle, another came and offered Raven food (which she declined) and brought us both cups of tea. An orderly attended to Raven whenever she needed anything and answered our questions as best he could.

Aftee a long while (during which, it turned out, they had been keeping an eye on R to see if she developed signs of concussion or any other head injury- no danger of brain damage) a very pleasant doctor came to see her. He listened to her heart and washed all of the gunk and blood out of her hair with bottles of pure water. He glue her wound and told her that he was going to write to her doctor for follow-up treatment regarding why she fell in the first place. To her considerable relief he was happy to let her go home with some advice about how to procede with her care.

He told her not to have any alcohol that evening. Still, at least he didn't keep her in. Hey ho.

[Amy P]

Sorry to hear about R's accident. I hope she's feeling a little better now.

Did she trip over anything in Iceland, or hit her head on any of their fittings? They could be liable. I'm sure you know these things.

A&E can be such a dire place. It sounds like you were treated fairly well.

I do hope Raven is feeling better and the fall wasn't the result of anything worrying.

Deb

I'm glad she was able to go home and I'm glad you were able to get off work to go be with her. I hope she feels better and has no ill effects from her fall.

Thanks all. No fault of Iceland's, she passed out at the checkout. Suggestion it may be an aortic valve prob, not as bad as it sounds, but we don't know yet.

Patient is recovering ok, thanks, sleeping plenty and eating reasonably well.