Azariah

Today Bob was on standby for work, so he was picked to meet a new guy off the bus from the airport, to take him and his wife to their hotel, some 20+ miles from the base. He didn't have maintenance work, so he was home till about lunch time, when he left to meet the guy.

We ate lunch, and as I was clearing up, and Taryn was starting to make a cake for Chris and Lorella (my cousin who will be here tomorrow night), the boys started jumping around on the couch. I told them to stop, so they switched to jumping OFF the couch. There was a thud and a yell, and Riah was crouched on the floor holding his head. I started the lecture as I lifted him up onto the couch to get a good look at his injury, but when I did, he moved his hands and I saw the blood. Breathing a quick prayer, I ran to the kitchen for a bleached rag and the ice pack.

I pressed the rag (wrapped around the ice pack) against the cut on his forehead. After a minute I lifted it to see how it was, and blood was running out of a cut about 1 inch long, and not TOO deep looking. More pressure, still bleeding. So I called Taryn to hold the rag while I got the phone to call Bob. Only I couldn't find his cell phone number. I looked in a couple of places, and then remembered that it was programed into my cell phone. Only, I couldn't find it. It's still in my coat pocket from last Saturday in London, and the coat is in the back of the van, with Bob.

So I called 999 (England's version of 911) and requested an ambulance. I kept holding the rag/ice pack on Riah's head, and Taryn looked for the phone numbers. She found it, so I called Bob, too. Riah wanted Daddy to be here, not "soon," but "now." So he said he'd come home. A little bit later the ambulance showed up, finding us somewhat calmer now than we had been, and the children all very interested to see what sort of ambulance would come, and whether the people would be men or women, etc. I pulled back the rag and they saw the gash, and said it would need glue or stitches, which they couldn't give. They cleaned it and applied a bandage, wrapping Riah's head up so he looked like he'd just come home from war. One guy was calling the hospital in Newmarket to see if they were in, but no one answered. So they were suggesting the hospital in Bury St Edmunds when Bob showed up. We figured we'd better take him to the base hospital, since we know we are covered there, and it might be complicated otherwise. We called to make sure they had the proper gear to take care of it. So the guy filled out some paperwork and they went on their way.

Bob looked around and said, "Are we all going?" May as well - I needed some groceries anyway. So as we hunted socks and shoes (Ella ended up with unmatched socks, because I wasn't willing to put in the time looking for a pair) Bob called someone from work to meet his guy for him. Then the new guy called, having just arrived, and Bob explained things to him. Then we were off.

Naysha chatted with Riah on the way so that he didn't fall asleep, and then I took him in to the hospital while Bob went over to meet his guy and see that he was all right. The emergency room was empty, so as I walked up to the check-in window the nurse said "You called earlier."
I said, "My son scratched his head." They all looked up and saw the bandages wrapped around his head and said it looked serious. It was about 30 seconds and we were checked in and headed to the room. Operating room sounds too serious, but I guess that's what it is. It was big and bare and in need of paint.

The doctor and nurses were pretty rude - talking more to each other than to Riah or me, and when they did talk to Riah they were very condescending. But they got the bandage off, saying the wrapping technique was "textbook." The doctor pulled on the cut a little, to see if glue would do, or if it needed stitches. He opted for stitches. Riah cried, the cut oozed a bit. So onward! First an injection to numb the cut, then some serious scrubbing and rinsing to clean it. Bob came in about this time to let me know he was there and offer to stay with Riah (Riah wanted me). As they swabbed him he complained about the pain, so the doctor gave him another injection of numbing whatever. Riah got to thinking he'd rather have Daddy with him after all, but we were already getting started. Then they put a towel over his head, leaving only the cut exposed, and stitched him up. Just 3 stitches with thin string, and it isn't puckered or anything.
They brought me some penicillin to give him (never said why), and we were free to go. Riah wanted his bandage back on, but we made do with a band-aid.

Then we met the family in the waiting room where Bob expressed a desire for some lunch (it was about 2:30). So we ate and then went to the commissary for a few items.

Home at 5, and Riah is full speed again, with the occasional gripe about pain. Of course, if it wasn't stitches in is forehead, he'd complain about a scrape or a long toenail or something. :-)

What a day! Taryn finished the cake and we are about ready for bed now. (I've had 5 hours of sleep the last two nights.)

Looking forward to better things tomorrow.