FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1967 (PART 2)

After the ambulance delivered me to the emergency room, I was put into a 20-foot by 20-foot room that was lined with beds and a lot of people screaming in agony, including a little baby. Doctors and ER people were running about and the atmosphere felt like a M.A.S.H. unit in crisis.

The baby was not going to stop crying any time soon. Someone said: “Who’s next?” My friend Tom said right here, but looking at the Baby I said: “the baby is next. ”I was assured that the baby was being cared for, when all of a sudden about 4 men came in, walked right up to me, never saying a word and held me down while someone grabbed my foot and reset the ankle.

I know women talk about child birth, and the pain it can cause, and believe me I am not only sympathetic to them, but think we should all be grateful for what they go through, but this pain from the resetting and cleaning of the fracture was indeed excruciating to say the least. My eyes focused on a white sheet of pain that turned to red, a deep, deep red that blocked my vision, took away my ability to even scream and left me with all my life energy spent, a gnawing ache at the base of my leg, that stayed with me for a few days.

I was put in a full leg and foot cast, and wheeled into this large circular room filled with about six beds all facing toward the center of the room.

The next morning my best friend Phil came up to visit me. Like he does every time I see him my spirits go way up. Every crisis I ever faced, Phil would show up, like a brother that he is to me. Being how I was still a country bumpkin, I hadn’t gone to the toilet since I was admitted the night before. I knew I couldn’t get out of the bed, so I asked Phil what I should do. He said “Don’t you have a bed pan?” “No!” “Why not??” “I don’t know”

I thought about this and decided that I didn’t want to embarrass myself by asking for one with four or five other patients and their guests sitting there. But Phil had the answer. Very loudly, so the nurse at the far end of the large room yells: “Hey nurse, my friend needs a bed pan.” It was at that point that I realized why I had blankets on my bed, it was to hide under.

Tomorrow, Part 3 (OH WHAT A RIDE.)