Edwin's emergency journeys

Swan attacks in Clare

Walking the dogs in Clare, we passed a pair of swans guarding their new brood. They reared and hissed as we passed, but the dogs were good and walked calmly to heel past them. Back at the house, Ann’s swollen face remains very sore from her dental surgery and seems red and hot. Edwin took her back to the dentist this morning and she has been started on antibiotics for infection. 

Later, hurrying back to the house from the studio through torrential rain, I missed my footing and tumbled forward onto the wheelbarrow. I have cut my head open to a gaping scalp wound so Ann insisted I go to A&E (or ED as it is now called) to get it dressed and assessed. She has been drinking to ease the tooth pain, so she phoned Edwin to take me. He was in Bury taking Andre through his driving test but came back to take me to hospital. He was delayed by a road traffic accident. A car was on its side in a ditch so the road was closed, but he diverted and finally I am at the hospital following Edwin's second emergency dash in one day.

Because of COVID no one can stay with me, so I’ve been sitting alone in Waiting Room A for 2 hours. More people keep arriving and ambulances are drawing up but none of us are called. Eventually though, I am taken through for triage. The nurse straps a wet dressing to the scalp then sends me back to the waiting room for the doctor to see. 

It’s all happening here. A young man has staggered in after skidding and going over his handlebars in the rain. He says he heard the bone snap and now can’t move his arm. A woman has tired of waiting and is sobbing at the reception counter saying she can’t wait any longer and must go home. A young couple sit opposite, scantily dressed. The girl is shivering with grazed bare arms and a low-cut dress. Now an alarm has gone off and six people have rushed into the night through the door to see goodness knows what. 

Grandad John with new bonnet

I downloaded Tetris to pass some time but after two goes it has switched to Candy Crush and will let me play Tetris no more. Now my head is throbbing and Its so late I just want to sleep. Some people are signing themselves out saying they can wait no longer. I am persevering. I am a few feet from the double doors. Both are wedged open to the night and it is getting cold. I need to walk to keep warm but I’m too tired. I have moved to a different waiting area to stretch my legs. There is a trail of fresh blood across the floor. A cleaner is loading a fresh mop to tackle it. 

Two policewomen came in to interview the young couple sitting opposite. They had been in the crashed car that delayed Edwin. The driver said he’d hit a patch of water and the car started to aquaplane; it rode on a sea of water “like ice” and skidded off the road. Luckily both were well but shaken and bruised and in for check-ups. 

At last I see the doctor, a lively young man training to be a GP. He says the skin flap is already dead and cannot be stitched, but the wound is not deep. He cleans the dried blood and old leaves from my hair and wound, and rebandages it with a simple patch. I text Edwin who arrives with Ann in the car, both glad to have their concern eased. We finally get home at one a.m. just five hours later.