~Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Crash

"Sarah, I got in an accident. A bad one," Scott garbled into the phone.

My initial reaction wasn't worry, after all we've been through this before. And the last time he said he wasn't okay, he really was.

The other end of the line became muffled and I heard a man shout, "Sir, don't get up!" The same voice became clearer in the phone," Ma'am, we're in front of City Hall. You need to come down here."

I slipped on my discarded work heels and ran out the door. Thankfully, City Hall is about 1.2 miles away. It's the way you would go if you were picking up sandwiches for dinner, like Scott was. I pulled out of our building and praised myself for transferring the first aid kit to the new car and storing it in the glove box. I tapped my heel impatiently at lights and made a right turn to approach City Hall from the opposite side.

As soon as I turned on the main road, I felt foolish for thinking about my first aid kit. In the distance I saw two fire trucks, an ambulance, four police officers on motorcycle and one squad car. We were fortunate that the police station is inside City Hall. I pulled up and parked behind a firetruck and left my car running in the middle of the road. I got out and ran to the intersection in my work heels, which results in a prissy trot, but I didn't care.

Scott's shoes were scattered in the intersection; it was obvious they had flown off his feet. His sunglasses lay with a missing lens in between the two shoes. Next to the sunglasses, Scott's clothes lay in a bloody pile where they had been cut off by the paramedics. Five feet to right was a dark, wet stain on the street, several feet in width. Scott himself was strapped to a gurney being loaded in the ambulance. The neck brace inhibited him from seeing my arrival and the back board looked uncomfortable.

"Are you his wife?" asked a fireman.

"Yes." Now was not the time to argue semantics.

The firemen and policemen surrounded me asking for his information. I shook as I listed our address, his birth date, medical allergies, if any. I nervously looked over to the side of the road where two men in plain clothes picked up his motorcycle and moved it to the side of the road. The front end of the bike is gone. They were picking up the side mirrors off the road.

I ignored the firemen and the paramedics. "Scott, are you okay? I'm here!"

He stared straight ahead, not acknowledging me, his eyes glassing over. "Scott, I'm here. Can you hear me?"

He nodded slightly and they slid the stretcher into the back of the ambulance.

I looked back to the fireman, letting the worry and the panic wash over me. "What happened!?" I choked.

"We don't know; we're investigating the scene now. But it looked like the car made a left-hand turn in front of him."

A woman paramedic reached her hand down to me from the back of the ambulance. "Come you should ride with us," she gestured.

I looked down. Scott's things were still scattered along the intersection. "He doesn't have his shoes. He needs shoes," I mumbled as I picked up every broken object of his off the road, including the torn, blood soaked shirt.

"Ma'am, come with us, please," she gestured again.

"No... I drove here. My car is in the middle of the road," I stammered.

"Well, park your car and ride with us."

"No... I need it. I'll just follow you to the emergency room."

By this time, I was shaking so badly that Scott's belongings were falling out of my arms. They wanted to inspect me and make sure I was okay, but I declined. Scott was the one that needed help.

"Ma'am, you can't drive in this condition," a fireman warned. Police officers began to crowd around me out of concern. I stepped back.

"I'm going to follow," I said firmly, trying to regain control of myself.

"Okay, but don't run any lights," she warned.

At the hospital they ushered me through triage and placed me in the family room. A pastor came and introduced himself to me. The last time I went to the ER with Scott, I was able to sit in the room with him, but this time things were different. They collected my ID and wouldn't give it back to me. They sent a pastor. They said he was in Trauma 1. Trauma.

"Why can't I see him?"

"He's awake and asking for you."

***

I'll get to the rest of the details later, but please keep Scott in your prayers. He is home, but things are bad. Because he's a chef, he was fired this morning because he couldn't go to work and use his hands. Furthermore, his last job is refusing to pay over two weeks of pay they owe him. He has no medical insurance. His motorcycle is totaled and he now has no mode of transportation. The details are still fuzzy about the accident, but they are faulting him, making him financially responsible for both parties. He's pissing blood and may need surgery for a punctured bladder.

This isn't something I would normally do, but I can't see a way out of this. How do you believe in good when you do all the right things, like work out your two weeks notice, only to have his employers refuse to pay him. We are taking all the necessary legal avenues, like filing complaints with the department of labor, and filing a claim in small claims court, but it could be months before we see any money, if any. I'm still getting my pay sorted out at the new job, which means I'm in the middle of a 6-week pay freeze. We have no money coming in. I am officially in over my head. It's a full-blown emergency.

I came home from the drug store this morning with $30 in three things: an arm sling, gauze, and neosporin. Scott's refusing to use them and wants me to take them back to save on the money. I am ashamed of myself for making him think that money is more important than getting better and I was able to talk him into using the items.

This is a long-winded way for me to say I am asking for donations. I don't know if I am breaking some blog code by putting up a donation button: if I have offended you, I am sorry and please forgive me. I do not expect anyone to give, but anything would be largely appreciated. He's refusing a follow-up appointment at the free clinic because he doesn't want to pay the $35. I think he needs to go.

I'll write more later. Thank you, blog world, for listening.






36 comments:

AmyB said...

Oh God...this is so bad, Sarah! I'll be praying for you both. As for the donate button, you aren't breaking any rules or codes. We want to help you, and a little goes a long way in situations like this. Hang in there and take things one minute and hour at a time. (((HUGS)))

Breeza said...

I'm so sorry! I'll be praying for you both. Hang in there.

Peach said...

shit, i'm beginning to think scott has a bad luck charm secretly sewn under his skin or something... seriously though, hope he's ok and you two pull through yet another crisis ok.... sending strength and love to you both XXX

Tilly said...

Whoa. I am so sorry to hear this. I will be keeping you both in my thoughts and prayers.

Sask Mom said...

This is horrible! I hope....well, I was going to say I hope Scott is okay, but obviously he isn't. I will be thinking of both of you. Be strong, Sarah!

Anonymous said...

I only wish there was more i could afford to give. love to you both

J said...

You and Scott are in my thoughts. Take care of yourself. Hugs!

Anonymous said...

Honestly - I only read your blog because of the train wreck that is your life and it makes me feel so much better about my own. It is, quite honestly, the most pathetic account of 'me, me, me...' and 'my boyfriend is a complete loser but I love him (which is a point I'm sure the world wide web shares'. Get rid of him and his lying, pathetic excuse of a life. Every week it's a new drama (always, I've noted, something to do with him not being able to contribute financially or upsetting you). Get a backbone already!! The man is a complete waste of space and you write about these almost weekly incidents like this is NORMAL. Take a reality check darling - the man is USING you (and using god knows what else). Pathetic.

Anonymous said...

P.s. DONATE?!!???!?!?! to your pathetic excuse of a life and your pathetic excuse of a boyfriend? Get a life! The rest of us don't live on handouts! GROW UP! How much of your blog is real life anyway?

Colleen said...

Anonymous you should rot in hell.

Sarah, I don't know you, and can't afford to help, but I will pray for you. And sometimes, that goes a long way.

WingWoman said...

Sarah...I'll be saying my prayers for you and Scott...

hugs,

Meg

WingWoman said...

Sarah...I'll be saying my prayers for you and Scott...

hugs,

Meg

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear about his accident! I'm praying for you both and hope things work out in the end.

brea

Anonymous said...

And I am NOT the other anonymous poster, just wanted to clear that up, I think that troll should go crawl back in the hole they came from and rot because they don't deserve to exist.

The end.

(brea again)

CC said...

I'm so very sorry to hear about the accident! I can't afford to help right now, but you will be in my prayers! I know God will get you through this!

I'm so sorry that some cowardly annonymous jerk (grow a pair and leave your name if you're going to be an a#*) felt the need to lecture you during a trying time. It doesn't matter what his/her feelings are toward you or your life, this is a hard time and you don't deserve that. The absolute lack of compassion and the utter disregard for your feelings is completely uncalled for and disrespectful. All I have to say to Annonymous is KARMA.

20 yr old girl said...

hello, i read ur blog quite a bit, im really sorry this has happened to u!
i tried to donate money, but i dont have a credit card, so i dont think i can.
i hope everything gets better.
xxxx

dont eat the token said...

God bless you Scott !! Healing takes time, but he has to help the healing process! xo

Doll Face said...

All the well wishes in the world Sarah, I truly hope it works out for the best and Scott has the most speedy recovery.

Lots of love

Natalie

Anonymous said...

I cant afford to donate anything but my prayers and thoughts are with you!

Sonri

Lpeg said...

I'm so sorry, Sarah! Hang in there. And I'm keeping Scott in my prayers...

Anonymous said...

Dean Anonymous #1,
We live in the greatest country in the world, which protects our right to write anything we want. It also protects your right to READ A DIFFERENT F*CKING BLOG! You are a jerk. No one cares what you think. This isn't YOUR space...it's Sarah's. MANY people read her blog and feel the same struggles she feels.
I actually wish there was a way for her to BLOCK you from ever reading her blog again...and more so - a way to BLOCK you from commenting.

You suck.

Sarah - please don't let one jerk's comments deter you from writing one of the best, most honest blogs on the internet. I love reading...and just wish you would write more!

I really hope Scott gets well soon...
*Hugs*

NicoleC said...

Is he not protected by FMLA?

You guys are in my thoughts. Keep us posted.

MC said...

Anonymous 4:41 and 4:54 (same person)...please post a link to your blog so we can all laugh at you when kharma bites you in your ass you sorry piece of crap.

Megan said...

sarah... i'm so sorry to hear about this. unfortunately i can't afford to donate anything at this time, but maybe in a couple weeks, as we're going through a bit of a rough patch financially ourselves. but you two will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

and as for a certain anonymous commenter, don't pay them any attention. they certainly don't deserve it.

Ariel said...

Sarah, goodness... I'm so sorry to read this, compounded by the shithead comment right above mine. Can you e-mail me your postal address?

Anonymous said...

Sarah, Found you through martininsfortwo, so sorry about the bike accident, have been there one to many times. You guys can make it through, just try to think positive. I'm sending some good thoughts your way....and there is no shame in asking for a little help...as the song goes "i get by with a little help from my friends"

Anonymous said...

Me again, not that you need to worry about it right now, but try to get any witnesses to the accident and statements etc in my experience they LOVE to blame the biker when 9 out of 10 times it's the car driver that was actually at fault.

"Look twice save a life motorcycles are everywhere!"

Trixie said...

Oh God Sarah, I'm so sorry to here this. Hope he gets better soon. x

Trixie said...

I've donated $20 sweety, it's all I can really afford. I wasn't sure about donating but saw it was paypal, and I trust that. I hope this helps.

xxx

Anonymous said...

Hi Sarah,

I've donated but i wish it could have been more. I'm sending best wishes and positive thoughts from the UK in abundance...

Miss C x

Enny said...

This is so terrible!

I hope there are some returns for the both of you... keeping you in my thoughts.

Anonymous said...

So sorry to hear about the accident.

My thoughts are with both you and Scott.

Soup said...

Hi hun, I am so sorry to hear about Scott, particularly as a bike user myself. One of my biggest fears is getting a call to tell me that The Mechanic has been knocked off his Gixer and I am even more uptight now that he's riding my new K6 because it's faster and more powerful and I am terrified that he'll come a cropper on it.

Hope my donation helps a little.

Thinking of you both and sending lots of positive vibes xxxx

Cara said...

Sarah, I don't know you but I have read your blog for a while and always rooted for you. I have prayed for you and Scott and donated (never feel bad asking for donations from the blogging community. It is afterall a form of social interaction, and sometimes needing financial assistance is part of life).

I was shocked and dismayed to come here hoping for an update on your new job only to find out about the crash.

My thoughts and prayers remain with you and Scott.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE keep the donate button up and activated. I could only donate a little bit now but I am hoping to get some money soon and would love to be able to come back and donate some more.

x

Cara

Debra said...

I love reading your blog Sarah.

I made a donation, hope it helps.

Hang in there!

Anonymous said...

OMG Sarah! This is the most horrible thing that could happen! You are in my prayers and thoughts. And eff off to those who commented hatefully. It's a fucking free world and if you don't like what you read go elsewhere!

 

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