Its four in the morning and i reek of burnt flesh and melted linoleum. A grease fire broke out in our kitchen as my housemate was trying to fry chicken. No one was in the kitchen when the fire started, but it didn’t take long before another housemate, gee, saw the hallway walls glowing red. When he rushed in to put out the flames, the pan tipped and poured down the left side of his body, tearing the flesh off his hand and foot. Numbed and full of adrenaline, he grabbed the pan and threw it outside. With it, he took the majority of the fire, saving the house and those of us in it. I heard the shouts, swearing, and what sounded like the walls falling down and i ran upstairs. I was greeted by charred walls, the sound of “fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck…” and a small fire just outside the door (which yet another housemate, dee, managed to put out with a broom). I turned the porch light on and found gee’s skin peeling away from the muscle. The fire was hot enough that it cauterized most of the blood vessels, so there was no bleeding yet. And the copious amounts of adrenaline pumping through his body meant that he was still unable to feel most of the pain and he remained very cognizant and alert. He asked if he should put water on it. I said no, but spared him the details that doing so could pull all the flesh off. “We need to get to the hospital,” i told him. “Don’t wrap it, don’t touch it and and don’t let it touch anything else.”
“i’ll call an ambulance,” said jay.
“no, no ambulance. we’ll fucking drive there. no ambulance.” I think it was partly gee not wanting to make a big deal out of it and partly him knowing that none of us could afford an ambulance. Hell, we couldn’t afford a trip to the emergency room, but it was better than having to amputate a limb.
Being the only sober one in the house, i took jay’s keys while he helped gee into the truck. The three of us went to the hospital together. Driving there, i thought about my EMT training and how much i had forgotten. In my head, i ran through the steps of taking vitals, but i couldn’t remember what was a normal blood pressure rate. The mind occupies itself with the strangest things.
It was shortly before our arrival that something had burst and blood started gushing out of gee’s foot. He was starting to tremble. I pulled up, grabbed a wheelchair and rolled him in while jay ran ahead and informed them we were coming. They rushed us immediately into a room and put gee on a table. He kept repeating “fuck fuck fuck.” And as the doctor and nurses asked the same questions over and over again, gee’s adrenaline began diminishing and he went beyond trembling and started shaking uncontrollably. They cleaned the wounds, put in an IV, pumped him full of a synthetic morphine, and then a doctor came in and removed the skin. The morphine calmed him down but it also caused him to start throwing up. They cleaned the wounds, gave a Tetanus shot, and then dressed the wounds. They tried to convince him to stay overnight, but, again, gee knew he couldn’t afford that. A nurse told him to come back in the morning to make sure they didn’t have to amputate. I couldn’t tell if she was serious or if it was a grossly improper attempt at humor. After a last attempt to get gee to stay, another nurse told us we had to come back in the morning. Gee threw up in front of her. Jay and i assured her we’d be back.
Sitting in the waiting room, jay turned to me and said “i can’t help but think of money.” I thought about when i got second degree burns on my legs. I fought going to the hospital because i knew i couldn’t afford it. But when i almost passed out, some good friends took it upon themselves to take me anyway. I never paid that bill and my credit suffered for it. Apparently Christain hospitals are able to forgive sins, but not debts. Then my hand found its way to my flesh. I thought about a conversation i had with a fellow teacher earlier in the day. I have four lumps (it started as one but they are multiplying and growing). They start out the size of a bb, but the oldest one is now about the size of a marble. I told her i was getting concerned but that i wasn’t going to worry about it (yeah, it doesn’t make sense). What i didn’t want to worry about was more medical bills. I can’t afford to go to a doctor and i can’t afford to take a day off work so i can sit at the health department waiting for them to schedule me for an appointment the day after i leave the state. Besides, the last time i went to the health department i passed out. I have a problem with people poking my genitals. She said i should worry about it and just take the day off to go to the health department. She’s probably right.
Gee is going to be alright, i think. The damage to the house is just aesthetic. And no one else was harmed. I feel a little better now. I just had to get some of this out.
