I took a friend to the emergency room this morning. She called here, hysterical, I couldn't understand her. So I went over and she was on the phone again, crying and her hand was bleeding. (Recap - she was outside, trying to take down a bamboo blind that had been flapping in our strong winds. The blind slipped, she fell, and as she fell she caught her hand on a hook - AND hit her head on the cement. Luckily, no concussion.)

One look and I knew it was emergency room time.

Watching her get stitched up was weird. Seeing the fine needle jerk her skin up as she pulled her hand away from it as the anasthetic went in...how she cried, wailed at the pain as the liquid went into her hand. And everywhere he pulled the needle out of, blood appeared...so much blood.

Getting her finger stitched up was weird to watch. I couldn't as he did the fine stuff with the artery...too much blood for my delicate head...but I know now why you must have blood on hand for surgery. Even this minor surgery, she lost blood. Not a lot, but it seemed to get everywhere and oh was it a bright red. The quote from MacBeth came into my brain - "Who'd have thought the old man to have so much blood in him..."

By the way, did you know that fingers have two arteries each? So when one gets cut, they just tie it off rather than reattach such a small, fine one. If both get cut, then yeah, they'll repair. Luckily only one got cut, and the tendon itself was spared.

The doctor worked away for at least twenty minutes, stitching her up, and he was so nice. Funny, too. And a cutie pie, to boot! But watching as he snipped away at tissue that was just in his way was weird. And he said as he worked, that blood gets sticky after exposed to the air for awhile - something the movies never mention. Nor TV from what I can remember...the blood always stays slippery on the docs hands on TV. And her hand, and the surgical sheet around it, was sticky with blood as were his gloved hands.

Real life is weird.

After taking her home some five hours later and having a small glass of restorative wine (at her insistence!), I picked up our kids from both middle school and high school - how convenient that they ride together! - and took everyone home.

And then I collapsed.

I didn't feel tired, too much adrenalin while in the hospital (when I wasn't bored and trying to keep my friend's spirits up, that is), but once home with no other pressing duties, I just felt drained of all energy. And surprisingly, not too hungry.

But I've got my second wind, hubby will be home from Back to School night at the high school by 8:30, and there'll be a hot steak and a cold salad waiting.

Not to mention a bit of red wine.