Thank You Dog !

One moment i was on my bike, the next moment brakes screeching,
with my helmet slamming on the ground, i was on the road.. flat.

I was angry, then I was in pain.
Someone lifted me up, took off my helmet, sat me on the footpath.
Someone gave me a glass of water, someone picked up my bike.

I knew my helmet saved my head from being smashed,
I knew my back was not broken when i could stand,
I knew my legs were fine when i could walk,
I knew my thick jacket saved my skin when i saw no blood,
I knew my left hand was fine when i could lift it,
I knew my right hand was not, when i could not lift it.

I looked at my right hand, the arm was fine.. my fingers werent.
They were not in the state they were meant to be, not even close.

I knew it was a fracture, a bad one at that.
I knew i had to remove my ring before my finger got really bad,
I also knew that wont happen, the finger was too crooked.

I didnt look at anyone directly, i just said "I need to go to a hospital"
Joseph, i later came to know his name, came forward with utmost urgency,
took my helmet, my bag, took me to his auto & drove as fast and as safely
towards the hospital.

I had to call a friend, and only one name came to my mind.
I called him. "I need help."

Now i was in agony.

I walked in to the emergency, the nurses came forward, gave me 2 injections.
A doc came, said we need an x-ray. said need to take off ur ring.
We both knew we had to cut it, i asked "can we not?".

He left, came back with 3 injections. Said "This might pain."
I was already in agony, how much more could it pain.
3 injections on my wrist, my hand was still not as numb.

He put lubricant on my finger and tried to pull out the ring. We knew it wasnt coming out.
I called her up, said "I love you, but i am sorry".

20 mins later, with a set of huge clippers, in a snap, they cut the ring.
Tears.. not of pain !

The X-ray room in the emergency was locked. Wheeled out to another one.
Snap Snap.. 2 xrays.

Another 20 mins later, i got to know really how bad a state my fingers were in.
The docs here were really slow, n i was in pain.

"Surgery!" he said.
"Later!" I said

She, He and i moved to another better hospital. The Doc had a look, said we'll fix it
right away , no surgery & damn.. no anesthesia.

He pulled my fingers, my palm, my joint, forced it in place and put a plaster.
Pain... it numbs you!

Back home, i manage some sleep thru the night. Morning i need a second opinion.
She, took me there. Second opinion says "Surgery, right away"

I need a third opinion. "Surgery, right away"

Surgery it is then. Doc said "Thursday morning, u'll be fixed".
"Fixed?"
"Yea, we gonna have 3 rods in the finger bones"
I didnt say anything.

I hadnt met her in a long time, but when she got to know of me,
She was besides me within no time. Her husband, one gem of a man,with her.

They helped me Wednesday night to get admitted into the hospital.

Being all alone in a hospital room is eerie. I just sat there on the bed.
It was quiet, and the only noise was the wall clock "tick-tock tick-tock".
I hadnt met anyone in the past 2 days, only she n her husband were there with me.
They were the only ones helping me now.
I began to wonder how, why ? I knew a lot more people in this city.
Friends, with whom i had spend so much time together, had fun,had good times,had bad times.
And yet, it was just her, her husband.

Thursday morning, 5 am the nurse woke me up, prepped me for surgery.
My right hand was out of action anyways, and now a huge syringe on
my left wrist , rendered my left hand out of action too.
I knew i couldnt be alone after the surgery.
I knew i wouldnt be able to a thing.
I knew i would need attention coming out of a general anesthesia.

Everyone knew i was gonna have a surgery today.

When the general anesthesia lost its effect and i became conscious,
I was in pain like never before.
I was cold like never before.
My body was in a state of post-surgery shock.
"Its hurting, Its hurting" was all i could say.

They strechered me out of the Operation Theatre.
She and her husband were the only people there.

When i needed my friends the most, i opened my eyes to her and her hubby.

An irony, i cannot explain.

They had missed 3 days of work straight cause of me, and yet they were there.
Cause i needed a friend, i needed attention.

Only i know how i spent the day after the surgery,
and only i know what she and her hubby did for me.

Later that evening, i was surprised, and unequivocally thankful to a new friend
of mine who said he would be there to help me through the night.

That night i thought again, and again "Of everyone i know, who are my real friends?".
I realized i was blinded... blinded by wat i wasnt sure, but blinded.
I couldnt see who my real friends were, until now.
The sheet in front of my eyes made me believe the ones i saw are my friends
and will be there for me.

"It can happen that the ones you dont see in front of your eyes are your true friends,
and they ones you see are really not".

A lot of things happened later, that made me even more sure that i am not wrong.

Had that dog not come in front of my bike, i wouldnt have known the truth.
I wouldnt have known who my real friends are.

"Thank You! Dog"