Princess and the Pauper

So, There I am, on the floor of the Boston airport, in the common area at the front of Delta Airlines.  My flight is boarding, the attendant is droning on with instructions to different groups, the line is moving, and I see my wife in line, with her two bags, a carry on and personal.  She saw my fall and turned from the Delta passenger gathering towards me and ran to join the gathering crowd surrounding me.

So, on the floor, propped up by the pack on my left shoulder I was in pain from the attention from the airport EMT.  He was re-positioning my leg to get a better look, and secure any possible break.  Thanks to a physically hard child hood, a considerable amount of physical labor, and multiple surgeries, I have a fairly high tolerance to pain.  But, when he moved my leg to a more symmetrical line with the rest of my body, I had a new appreciation for Paul Sheldon when Annie Wilkes broke his ankle with a sledge hammer in the movie, Misery.  I felt that at the top of my head.

After he positioned my leg and immobilized the foot, it all went calm, and I could talk to those around me.  The first one to merit my attention was my wife who exclaimed "What Happened".  To which I replied, "A stupid old person trick, I fell"  She took my hand and I started to respond to those around me.  I remember a conversation with the security guy who told me not to feel bad, he watches seniors fall all the time, and at least once per day one or two leave in an ambulance.  I wondered if I was to be today's ambulance victim.  The EMT guy then informed me that I would not be allowed to board the plane without an exam by a physician and an ambulance was on the way.  My response was more dread and the thought that I would not be going home today.

Then the crowd parted and I heard the rattle of tools, carts and bags associated with the first responders, the real Emergency Medical Technicians.  This the group who serve both as medics and fire fighters.  They are the elite of the business and the ones who carry the wounded from the location of the event to medical help.  This team consisted of two young women, in their late twenties? dressed in impressive gear with pockets of scissors, gauze pads, knives, wraps, and more.  They took charge.  Everyone backed up and went quiet.  One went to my foot and the other stayed at my head.

So many things happened, fast, that I do not remember much.  I did notice the one at my head had a dime store Tiara in her hair.  I asked about and learned, from her partner that she had been "Haughty Taughty" with her co-workers and they dubbed her "The Princess" and had to wear the crown until her disposition improved.  The princess retorted with an announcement that her co-worker was the pauper and paupers bow to royalty, and furthermore, the pauper has to drive.  The banter continued which served to distract me from my situation.  I told them to take this show to comedy central.  Very quickly I was loaded on the geurney, my wife came to my side and we were off to Massachusetts General Hospital.  

In reflection, I was so impressed with the professionalism of those who served me.  The Security guy was, I am told, on his way to help me get my ticket and card when I fell.  The airline executive gave my wife his cell phone number and promised he would personally see that we get to our destination without hassle and without extra charge.  The airport EMT rounded up the three bags and made sure they were in the ambulance.  And, they all were so nice.
 

"No good can come from this" I thought as I fell towards the beautifully shined floor of the airport in Boston MA.  We had just concluded a wonderful Fall color tour of the northeastern USA and Canada.  The trees were green which made it the only color of the north east foliage we saw, but the places we visited, the people we met, the food we sampled and the fun we enjoyed more than made up for the loss of color.

I was only steps away from the airline gate where people were boarding our flight for the first leg of the journey home.  I dropped the boarding pass and identification card and stopped to retrieve them.  I was carrying a pack weighing thirty pounds and decided the best way was to kneel on the right knee and leave the pack draped over my left shoulder while I pick up the papers.  As I rose to a standing position, the pack shifted, throwing me off balance and back to the floor leaving my left foot flat on the floor making the pivot point an area just above the left ankle bone.  I heard a "Pop Pop" and resumed my fall to the floor.

There I lay, on the floor, cushioned by the pack, shocked that this happened, and worried that I would miss the flight.   My wife was in line for boarding and watched the whole thing happen.  A security officer and a nearby patron were immediately by my side, holding me still so I wouldn't do any more damage to the foot.  By then it was apparent the foot was broken, not just from the immediate pain, but the odd angle of the ankle bone in proximity to the rest of the foot.

Then a circle of people gathered, my wife, an airline officer, (He was in a uniform but not a pilot), an EMT from the airport, and curious onlookers.  "Help me up, I have a flight to catch" I said to whoever would listen.  I then tried to move the left leg and it would not move.  It was as if the leg was paralyzed and knew not to allow me any more motion until it is fixed.  I took my arm and tried to roll to a position for mobility.  A shot of pain went up my leg, convincing me that I was at the mercy of the health care system.  I relaxed and waited.  I was broken.