Accidental Conversations

Buffy's story about her husband's accident reminds me of when WS had an accident, the conversation between us was a lot different.

To set up the scenario; Cop Car and HH were here on vacation and I had taken the time off but WS still had to work. He worked 2nd shift at the time so he and a buddy had gone for the first bike ride of the spring before WS was to go to work. Cop Car, HH and I were in our livingroom talking when the phone rang:

WS: Call work and tell them I won't be in tonight, I laid the bike down and we're taking it back over to Jimmy's house.

Me: Okay. Do you want to join us for dinner (CC, HH and I were going out for dinner later)

WS: Yep, that's fine, I'm too pissed off to work on the bike long anyway.

After hanging up I told Cop Car and HH what had happened.

Cop Car: Is he alright?

Me: I guess so, I assume he would tell me if he needed a doctor or something.

By the looks on their faces, I figured Cop Car and HH must have thought I was the most uncaring and insensitive person alive not to have asked WS if he was okay. I, on the other hand, trust that if there is a reason for concern, that someone will let me know. I mean, look, if Jimmy had been concerned, he would have grabbed the phone and told me that WS needed attention and to come make him go to the hospital - and yes, I have had friends call me before for the express purpose of getting WS to go to minor emergency for an injury (I went and took him in myself).

I called WS's place of employment to let them know he wouldn't be in that night, WS came home with a wicked case of road rash (he had his leathers on so it wasn't as bad as it could have been), and we had a lovely dinner.

Comments

[Matty]

Bogie,
Women don't need to ask,,,,,we have what is called 'intuition', and it kicks in when needed.
Or,,,,if the other person is crying, hyper-ventilating, well,I think thats a clue too.
Happy New Year.

[buffy]

Bogie, Dear Husband has done some horrible things to his body in the name of Accidents, and he never, ever calls to let me know what he's done. Usually, I find out about them piecemeal, over an extended period of time. I suppose that's why I start asking questions as soon as I get an inkling that something has gone wrong.

There was the time he tried to set himself on fire lighting a fire tube on the job during the winter....

And the time when he tore the ligaments in his hand trying to unhook a trailer from the truck...

And the time when a brick fell from a scaffold and he had to have stitches in his head.

In all fairness, those are the only really bad things that come to mind over the quarter of a century I've known him. He's agile, a good driver and smart about jobsite safety. But, when something goes wrong, he's not gonna ask for help, and that's the part of the story that bothers me.

[bogie]

Buffy, I wasn't trying to put you down for asking questions or reacting the wasy you did. Everyone responds differently - which is neither good nor bad. I was more pointing out how uncaring I can seem to outsiders looking in.

WS has also done things which I later find out about (a somewhat similar list: stitches in head, severly sprained ankle which need a cast for 8 weeks - no fire though, that I know of anyway).