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

We had a rather calm man come into reception yesterday, saying someone had had a bit of a fall and could we go and help?

My cousin and I went out to find he'd fallen from the bottom step of the hotel, not having seen it through his new varifocal lenses. And 'a bit of a fall' was an understatement; he'd clearly landed full on his face. His whole forehead was leaking blood at an alarming rate, and he'd split his nose so badly you could almost have lifted the skin clean off the bottom half of his nose if you'd been a bit twisted. He was covered in thick, congealed blood, and so was I by the time the ambulance arrived.

When he got back several hours later, bandaged up like a mummy, I made him and his wife a cream tea on the house. I couldn't help but hope someone would be nice to my Grandad if he'd been in the same position. Tomorrow, I'm taking them to the clinic for a check-up. Poor fella.

Today, my cousin had a call from his ex to say she was moving to Hampshire in an hour, taking his daughter with him. He was desperately upset and picked up his fiancee from work, but through his tears he couldn't see the car in front of him stopping, ran into the back of it, and wrote his car off. He's ok physically, but I can only guess at his emotional state right now.

Finally, as I was about to finish work, a woman came down and said 'my friend is choking!' My colleague and I ran up to the third floor to help. I've only ever seen someone choking once, and in the time it took me to cross the restaurant, she was blue in the face, goggle-eyed and panicking, stumbling and flailing and faint. Probably the scariest thing I've ever seen. We arrived at the room and found that she'd managed to remove the offending bit of phlegm, and were bloody grateful - more for ourselves than for her, it has to be said.

Time we all did a first aid refresher, I reckon.

My mum has been a nurse for a long time and she has some horror stories, but the first guy sounds really nasty! Sounds like you did a lot for the poor guy! And that poor choking woman! I'd hope that I'd handle the situation a fraction as well. But likewise I do think I could probably do with going on some sort of first aid course if I get the chance!

Yeah, the ambulance guy basically turned up, undid everything I'd done, then spent twenty minutes doing it all over again, but with saline.

Bloody hell 'rich One of the perils of working in hospitality is that sooner or later you're going to need some first aid skills.

I did mine only a few months ago, but it's kind of different when someone is peeing blood from a head wound in front of you or turning purple before your eyes...

People *are* fragile we don't always think *we* are, though. I've not felt myself since my accident on King's Cross in May. I kind of withdrew from everything, as I got a big dose of "this time it was me" and was feeling extremely sorry for myself. However, I knew how lucky I was that I turned my head a moment before I hit the deck full-face, as I'd have ended up with a broken nose, and I was alone. My black eyes, bruised cheek, shoulder, knee - all mended now. Just the memory to erase and I'll be right as rain.

to the people involved in your tale, especially you, Rich. That's an awesome responsibility you have there

PS Don't get me started on exes. I am relatively calm right now and still in the middle of wedding arrangements for my son with my ex- and his wife presenting a horrifying sceptre

Good idea. I've not done a first aid course since I started driving lessons five years ago.

ah first aid been there done that but it lapses over so long and then you need to do a new one

Sounds like you handled it all pretty well, Rich. Scary stuff, though!

Oddly enough i was browsing through my Firts Aid book whilst on the loo tonight, i don't think i've forgotten much, but in an emergency, it can go out the window.

As to blood, well, all i can say is if you added up the pints i seem to have managed to lose through various nasties, plus the fact i've been declared 'clinically dead' more than once...maybe most folks have an inbuilt system to deal with such stuff, maybe a few don't, maybe they are the ones who need help from someone like you who isn't panicking.

Well done Skanky for coping & hope they are all OK now.

zdt