Well the plan was
that I'd be at the meeting about the future of the Maison de la Bible from 10 till about 11:40, then scuttle off back to Pessac where Pat would take the car and Catrin home for lunch and I'd do my stint in the chapelle ("Our Father" - the giving and forgiving father in Luke 15).
What actually happened was that at 11:30 I got a phone call from Pat saying that the hip which she fell on last Friday was extremely painful, that she could no longer walk or support her weight, and that an ambulance had been called. I skedaddled to get Catrin and got home to find that a doctor was on the way. He arrived, examined Pat and said that he thought her femur may be broken and an x-ray would confirm or deny it. Then, if so, it would mean an operation with pins. He called the ambulance and left.
When the ambulance arrived it was driven by two very cheerful ambulancières. Catrin was taken back to school by our friend Rhian. I helped them get Pat onto the surgical trolley and into the ambulance and accompanied her to Pellegrin (the doctor had written up to take Pat to Haut Léveque, which is literally just next door to us, but they only do cardiac emergencies there - so it had to be Pellegrin.)
We went. We arrived. They explained that Pat would go through to the examination area, but I was not allowed to accompany her. Instead firstly I'd have to fill in the forms, then wait. So I filled in forms then waited.
Two eastern European gentlemen entertained us, the one placing and removing a bandage from the head of the other, who was sat in a wheelchair and gently bleeding down the back of his neck.
I emailed and facebooked people to let them know what was happening.
I sometimes wish I were more effusive. Instead I plan.
I had the week all planned out with hospital visits and FAC and Sunday preaching all sorted out in my head.
I had lots of time to plan.
Stretchers arrived and left.
A manacled youth came escorted by some police officers.
A woman asked if any of us worked in Carrefour Caudéran.
None of us did.
I was just planning extra shopping lists when here came Pat with a doctor and a big brown envelope.
The femur is not broken. She has a big bad haematoma.
Phew !
The relief is heady. And we're back on plan 'A' for the rest of the week. Or almost, anyway...
What actually happened was that at 11:30 I got a phone call from Pat saying that the hip which she fell on last Friday was extremely painful, that she could no longer walk or support her weight, and that an ambulance had been called. I skedaddled to get Catrin and got home to find that a doctor was on the way. He arrived, examined Pat and said that he thought her femur may be broken and an x-ray would confirm or deny it. Then, if so, it would mean an operation with pins. He called the ambulance and left.
When the ambulance arrived it was driven by two very cheerful ambulancières. Catrin was taken back to school by our friend Rhian. I helped them get Pat onto the surgical trolley and into the ambulance and accompanied her to Pellegrin (the doctor had written up to take Pat to Haut Léveque, which is literally just next door to us, but they only do cardiac emergencies there - so it had to be Pellegrin.)
We went. We arrived. They explained that Pat would go through to the examination area, but I was not allowed to accompany her. Instead firstly I'd have to fill in the forms, then wait. So I filled in forms then waited.
Two eastern European gentlemen entertained us, the one placing and removing a bandage from the head of the other, who was sat in a wheelchair and gently bleeding down the back of his neck.
I emailed and facebooked people to let them know what was happening.
I sometimes wish I were more effusive. Instead I plan.
I had the week all planned out with hospital visits and FAC and Sunday preaching all sorted out in my head.
I had lots of time to plan.
Stretchers arrived and left.
A manacled youth came escorted by some police officers.
A woman asked if any of us worked in Carrefour Caudéran.
None of us did.
I was just planning extra shopping lists when here came Pat with a doctor and a big brown envelope.
The femur is not broken. She has a big bad haematoma.
Phew !
The relief is heady. And we're back on plan 'A' for the rest of the week. Or almost, anyway...
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God bless