Too Busy

Sorry I've been very negligent, but I've been busy with school as well as being pretty uninspired. Unfortunately, I'll be out of town (just north of Boston) for the weekend, so I doubt I'll be able to update until sometime afterwards. I appreciate those of you who stop by and leave comments, I will appease and end this little story as soon as I can.

Otherwise, good wishes for a great weekend. I hope Mass. will be a wickid pissah.

The Name's Bond, Johnny5 Bond (Part VI + Epilogue)

Well, considering how long I've let this go, I think I'll just wrap it all up here. Sorry about the delay everyone.

Part VI

My memory of that night in the hospital is hazy and vague at best, but I can piece together certain interesting parts. When I was pulled in on the board and taken off, for instance, they had to strip me down to my boxers, something that (unfortunately) the male nurse, Steve, was assigned to do. The funny part was that I had a pair of boxers on that were somewhat inappropriate for the situation. I saw them one day, thought they were funny, and bought 'em. Sue me.

Steve, finding humor in my attire, fully laughed out loud. When he left, I turned to my parents.

"You don't think he got any bright ideas, do you?"

I was having a decent amount of trouble staying awake, and the doctors were worried it was due to a concussion. They sent me in for a CAT scan. The radiologist handed me some liquid contrast to drink. I asked him if I was supposed to drink it all. He said yes. I tipped it back and pounded it down. He looked at me like I was utterly out of my mind. I guess I sort of was.

I have hazy memories of people coming in to see me. I remember Flirting Girl coming in the room in a histrionic flare. I remember my ex coming in and whispering, "I love you" in my ear, and that I laughed with a yeah, right attitude. It was mean, but I was hurt and still playing defense. I remember have a case of "Liar Liar" syndrome, and telling a lot of people what I thought in sometimes hardly coherent babble.

But the thing I remember most is feeling carefree, like I was removed and happy. I could still feel a lot of pain, but it just didn't seem to matter. In that feeling and with no concern, I wondered if I was dying. I didn't really know, so I said what I thought I needed to in order to make peace.

Boy, am I a wimp or what?

I woke up the next day with a sore head and body. My face was sore and a bit raw from the airbag. My head hurt, and to this day I think it's because I broke the passenger window with it. I was at the hospital three days, and there are stories in there, but I just don't feel like telling them, and they don't really serve the purpose of this story... well... at all.

Epilogue

I wound up with a bruised lung, and a possible (though never confirmed) slight concussion. The doctor at the hospital told me that I was "in good enough shape" to head back to college in Maine. I was inclined to disagree, but with the doctor's orders, I found myself traveling back to school with some decent painkillers. Once there, however, my symptoms were getting worse, as was the pain. I went to one of the campus sports doctors and was told that I had microtears in every major muscle of my upper torso. Think of my muscles as tissues, and then pulling that tissue apart and you'll get the same visual that the doctor gave me. I was down for a whole month at college where I couldn't get out of bed for classes, and my dorm hallway friends had to bring me food. But I survived. I also got back together with that ex, who cared enough to come up and take care of me in that time period. In the long run, however, that relationship didn't work out.

Although the aches and pains leftover from the accident have diminished greatly, for awhile and occasionally now, I have to hold my head up during finals because the pain in my neck is so bad. I also have to do some stretching in the morning to get all of those muscles ready to go.

But I can breathe fine, and I'm alive and happy to be here, especially after being in this car:

The Name's Bond, Johnny5 Bond (Part V)

Flashlights arrived in my face and I felt like I was at the bottom of a copper huddle. I couldn't really tell you what the landscape looked like, but I imagine it was pretty chaotic. It felt chaotic. GD was so tweaked out at this point, she was barely capable of proper communication. Maybe that was for the better at this point anyway.

"Can you get up, son?" one of the boys in blue asked.

"Not really, I'm kind of in pain. It hurts down here, and I'd rather just hold still if you don't mind."

"Not a problem. What happened here?"

"We crested the hill, slid out, and here we are. I also want to let you know I've been drinking tonight."

"Were you driving?"

"No, officer, I wasn't. My friend GD was driving, and she hasn't had anything to drink this evening. It looks like we just had a fluke accident."

Cop 2 decides he wants to exercise some authority. "Are you sure you weren't driving?"

"Yes, I'm quite sure."

Cop 3 leans down a little bit. He looked familiar to me, so being in a state lacking typical inhibition, I spoke up.

"Don't I know you? You're Well Know Cop, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's me. Have we met before?"

"No, but I saw you in pursuit of a suspect a few years ago. You're a good driver."

He laughed. "Thanks kid. Are you ok?"

"I'm having some pain, but I think I'll manage."

"Well," WKC said, "the paramedics are on their way. Sit tight."

"GD, do you think I can have a cig? I could use one right now."

Kindly, and with some semblance of recognition, she replied.

"Sh ..sh... sure," and handed one over. After giving me a light, I reveled in the wonderful feeling of pulling the smoke across my lips and feeling it roll into my lungs. At that point, I started to realize that I was going to spend some time in the hospital, and I knew this might be the last butt I'd be able to have for awhile. I was also starting to feel more and more detached, which I thought was really nice but also pretty odd.

Cop 2 interrupted my serenity again. "Are you sure you weren't driving?"

"Do you think I'd freely and quickly admit to drinking if I was?"

WKC interrupted our discourse. "He's already been asked that three times now. Leave the guy alone." He was the definitely the cool cop. A cool cop is a great cop in my book. There are always a few assholes in any group, and the force is no exception.

The paramedics finally arrived, and GD's father also arrived on the scene. The paramedics were ready to board me up and put me in their joyride, but I had yet to finish my cig.

"Can you guys just let me finish this? I know I'm not going to be able to have one for awhile, so I'd really like to enjoy the last one for awhile."

"Uhhhh.....yeah, I guess that's ok."

Everyone looked at me like I was crazy. Maybe I was, who knows, but all I wanted was to enjoy it, and people kept interrupting me. It seemed as if my request had paused the entire scene, perhaps because my audacity in light of the situation was significant. Cops, GD, and the paramedics are all standing around, waiting for me to finish. I was like the Godfather, except not at all.

"Alright," I said as I put my butt out, "I'm ready to roll."

"You're tough, ain't ya kid?"

"Nah, I just have needs."

Out came the board. With some maneuvering, they got me on, strapped down and stabilized. Up into the ambulance I went. I think the paramedic messed up my IV and GD's father popped his head in, but I was really starting to get foggy at this point. It's still just a jumble of images in my mind until I wound up at the hospital.

Apparently, the whole party had pretty much come to the hospital. People started crying and freaking out when they pulled me out on the stretcher, strapped to the board. I was trying to tell everyone it was just procedure, but that didn't seem to be much consolation. I guess people thought that the accident really was very minor, and it was a little shocking. My parents apparently arrived afterwards and saw everyone crying and started to really panic and freak out when they heard I was on the board.

They wheeled me into the E.R. to find out exactly what happened. The night was merely young.

The Name's Bond, Johnny5 Bond (Part IV)

I don't really know what told me to do it.

GD claimed that she screamed out, but I never heard her. I never heard anything. My eyes were closed, and I was still getting over trying to catch my breath. I had no indication whatsoever, just a feeling, like something telling me it needed to be done. So I did it.

I jumped.

Not a skip, not a hop, not even a test of my vertical ability, but a full out, James Bond style head first, dive-roll jump. I jumped for my life. And why would I do this? What would compel me to do something so ridiculous after an accident like that?

It turns out we weren't far enough down the hill for the next driver to be able to stop in time. The assumption was that he was speeding to, but who really knows. All I know, from what I've been told, is that the car went under me as I dove out of the way, smacking into the back of the car we had just been in, the one I had collapsed behind, and in jumping, I had avoided letting that driver make a J5 sandwich between two tons of steel.

And I never even opened my eyes.

As I hit the ground, I did another roll out and found myself on the other side of the road, laying in the grass, where I didn't move. I was a little tired and busted up. I had just looked death in the face twice, sneered, and said a big f*#@ you, but the battle had messed me up a bit.

GD came running over in a panic. "Are you ok? Ohmygod, are you ok, J5?"

"I'm fine, but it hurts a little. I've got this pain in my side," I said, also noticing that my breathing was still a little labored.

"That wasn't my fault, your car was IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!!" Dude Driving screamed from the road. GD was getting freaked out, I could notice her voice shaking and would swear she was too. I had to step up, even though I was sprawled out on the floor.

"Who is that?" I yelled, having a feeling I knew the person.

"It's DD. Who are you?"

"I'm J5 man."

"Oh, shit, dude. That accident totally wasn't my fault."

"Dude, listen. We're all alive, you didn't kill me, and I think that's something to be thankful for. I don't really care about blame, I'm just glad we're all ok. Can we just be cool with that?"

And with that statement, DD comes over and plants one on me.

"Dude, I'm glad you're ok," he says, and walks away.

"Was he trying to pick me up? Does he expect a commitment now?" I said to GD, trying to lighten the situation. Laughing distractedly, I could hear she was a mess. I couldn't really see so well, as the shock and all other environmental situations had sort of given me a tunnel vision.

"Oh god, what do I do?" GD said.

"Alright," I said realizing I had to dictate at this point, "call the party. Let them know what happened. Be fast about it, don't get in a long discussion. Tell them we'll probably be heading to Norwalk hospital. Tell them to call my parents and let them know what's happening and that we're banged up but ok."

She hopped on her cell and did as instructed. I felt almost mean, but she really needed the guidance. A girl who typically was pretty tough was in a bad way, so I was just trying to make it simple and fast. I figured the cops would be there soon, and with Q&A on the horizon, we didn't have much time.

"Ok, I called the party. What happens now? Do I call the insurance company? Do I call my Dad? Oh god, I don't know what to do, I can't believe thisishappeningwhydidthis..."

"GD you need to chill out. Get a grip. You have to call your Dad now and let him know what happened. He's going to be upset, maybe even mad, but just try to be brief and let him know we're alive and ok."

"Ok. Ok."

As she hung up the phone, I thought about my situation. I figured I would was in for a long night, and I also was afraid that perhaps I was in worse form than I had admitted. The pain was getting worse, and cutting through whatever haze I had. I knew I was in for some hospital time, and I was getting concerned that maybe I had some internal injuries that weren't so mild. Somewhere in all of this, blue and red flashbulbs showed up, and the police rolled in.

"Here we go, GD. Keep calm, don't talk to much, and we'll get through this. It wasn't your fault."

I took a deep breath, winced, and prepared for what was to come.