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: