What Was That???

Yesterday afternoon I got a call from Robert just as I was getting ready to leave the house to go buy groceries, and he was leaving the office to come home. He wanted to know if I was still at the store --- it was at this point in our conversation that I heard a really strange sound. It was a scratching, static sound that didn't make sense. I asked, "What was that," but got no reply.

The next thing I heard was moaning mixed with pain, "Ohhh, ohhh, ohhh." My heart sank because I knew what I had just heard.

I began to ask over and over, "Robert can you hear me? Are you alright." I also remember saying several times, "I'm coming, I'll be right there."

Then I heard him say, "I've just been run over by a truck." Now my heart really was racing and I tried to calm myself as I grabbed my purse and headed out the door.

"Robert is talking, Praise God, he's not dead," was my thought, but my mouth was saying, "Where are you?" As he told me the garage door was going up and I couldn't hear him.

I asked again, but he hurriedly replied, "I've got to go," and the line went dead. I began driving the route I knew he would be taking coming home. I called Donna because I needed to talk to help keep my mind focused on driving sanely and I knew if I talked to her I would be okay. Just before getting to his office and not having seen anything that looked like an accident I called Robert's cell phone again. I was surprised when he answered and in a very calm clear voice told me he was at the Exxon station across from his office. I repeated that I'd be right there and hung up. When I turned the corner onto Avenue C, I saw the Walmart truck with it's hood open blocking the intersection, the ambulance with lights flashing in the drive of the service station, people standing around, a city policeman directing traffic and finally Robert's pick-up sitting at the curb about 10 feet from the intersection facing the Walmart truck . It didn't look too bad because I was looking at the driver's side --- the side not hit by that truck. But I didn't see Robert --- I went then to the ambulance and timidly opened the door where he was on a stretcher hooked up to a heart monitor. The EMT told me he was doing fine and everything was looking good. I could tell Robert was doing good because he began to call himself a dumb-ass and had that sheepish grin he gets when he knows he has done something really stupid and embarrassing.

The ambulance took Robert off to the hospital and I stayed around at the scene of the accident until the wrecker came for his pick-up. While waiting for the wrecker, I had to give the police his driver's license, the company insurance card and personal information. I also looked for his glasses. They had come off his face and he couldn't find them and neither could I. I got the information from the wrecker driver about were the truck would be and left for the hospital. About 30 minutes has elapsed since I first heard "that sound." I had a general idea where the Matagorda General Hospital is, but had never actually been to it. Thank goodness for those blue H's that point the way to hospitals, otherwise I would have driven right past were I needed to go. :)

At the hospital I found Robert sitting up on a exam table, waiting to go to x-ray. Fortunately the x-ray didn't show any damage. The doctor found some sore spots from the seat belt doing its job but said he seemed to be in good shape. She did suggest he get a tetanus shot though because he had an abrasion on his left elbow and for him to take ibuprofen for pain and soreness. We left the hospital together some 45 minutes after I arrived to go get some supper and then to go get stuff out of the pick-up. The wrecker driver had found Robert's glasses; they were under the pick-up if I understood correctly. We figure that when he stepped out they fell and were kicked under --- but who know. We were home between 7:00 and 7:30.

I finally made it to the store and home with the goodies we needed and watched the end of the football game as if nothing unusual had happened in our life.

Robert went to work today, insisting that he didn't hurt and was fine. Still embarrassed, but fine. I am fine too. Mostly I am glad that my husband is still with me. I know that we are very blessed people and I thank God for being with us.

This picture isn't really so random, but I hope to have many more random moments like this with Robert. We were at the Myan ruins in Progresso, Mexico.