Sunday, December 20, 2009

Urgent Care and Ugly Clothes

Paul had been shoveling snow this morning since about 10 a.m., Sarah since 10:30. Ben joined them at 11. At around 11:45, when they had about five more minutes of shoveling left, Paul slipped on a patch of ice, fell, and sliced his thumb open on the rusty old shovel's blade.

It was his left thumb, in the crease, and he wondered how deep it was. To the tendon? It was bleeding pretty badly when he came in saying he had to go to the hospital or Urgent Care or something for stitches. He was hoping aloud he hadn't severed a tendon. He was saying he hoped he could play guitar again, and he hadn't eaten anything all morning, and was getting nauseated.

All this followed an argument Sarah picked with me last night. She was asking me why I give the impression I'm Martha Stewart, and part of that (according to her) means I always have to leave the house looking nice, never in sweats, always with at least some make-up on and my hair fixed.
At the very least, I put on jeans. I just hate to see people in sweats in public except at the gym. It brings me down to look at people who don't seem to care that other people have to look at them, too.

But when Paul came in holding his thumb skin together with pressure, I only whipped a brush through my hair and tossed on a sweatshirt of his. Fighting Irish, grey, boxy, do-nothing-for-ya kind of shirt. And I had been doing laundry in purple sweatpants.

Out the door I headed with Paul, (after taking a picture of his gross thumb, that is!) as Sarah shut the door behind me complaining, "Oh, MOM! I can't believe you're going out in public like that!"

I called back, "Your dad's bleeding and no one looks good at the ER. Not even Martha Stewart."

True to my hunch, no one did (except the receptionists, nurses, and doctors who had planned to be there).

Anyway, Paul got five stitches, but even he razzed me while waiting for the doctor. "Seriously, I can't get over how you're dressed. I had to walk behind you."

I threatened to do surgery on him myself if he didn't apologize. He just smiled.

3 comments:

Danielle said...

Cute story. Glad Paul's okay!

Laurie said...

When I'm in my most comfy hubby- shirt and hang-out p.j. pants (p.j. pants are my "sweats") and the house is at its worst, I often think, "This is the day I'll get some unexpected visitor (or an emergency call)! Your story goes to show that it's true!
Ha! I've even been chided (by a daughter as well) for trying to be Martha Stewart-ish which translated means something like opening a box of crackers and putting them in a nice dish instead of serving out of the box... that type of thing.
Forget making my own crackers. I'm not THAT M. Stewart-ish!
I'm so glad Paul didn't fare worse from the fall, though he may fare worse from the razzing!~
Also, isn't it interesting the ways in which we're humbled by not being "dressed up" when that emergency call comes (or even finding the crackers a bit stale when the unexpected visitor comes)?!
I pray that if my hubby needs stitches, I'll go as I am as you did... and have the camera ready for a picture! ;)

Laurie said...

PS I have never gone out in public in my p.j. pants and slippers as I have seen some do! (I'm not sure I get it,) but maybe instead of judging I should wonder if they had an emergency with no time to change?!!