When the snowmobile finally did come to a stop, a flurry of girls came running out, and they had blonde hair, tied in braids, and they were wearing Ugg boots, fuzzy tights and felt skirts. Embroidered, of course. And the first thing they said was, “We will get you some hot tea, how does that sound?” And there were dogs! They were wearing red vests, just like the medics. They were rescue dogs, just like in the cartoons from when I was a little girl! I was so, so happy to see them, and they licked my hands. No more wisecracks, no more treating me like I simply tripped… It was like arriving way off in the Swiss Alps somewhere…
No one believes this part of my story. They think I was hallucinating. But I wasn’t. I can still remember those cable knit tights like it was yesterday. It was real…
The hospital at the ski resort was so warm. Except that, I couldn’t hold my cup of ginger tea, because it seemed as if my thumbs were broken because I could not move them. But soon, it became apparent that the cold air was so fierce that it broke through my professional ski gloves and just about froze my fingers off. From holding that tarp.
Somehow, I managed to get on the bed, and I was happy that I was able to toss from side to side, so my knee must of been fine. I was tossing from side to side because I was still so nauseous and sick from the pain. Or the shock. Whatever was broken, or torn, was still a mystery to me. All I knew was that I was sick from whatever happened. But the warmth, and lying in that warm bed, with the heated flannel blanket, did much to lift my spirits. I had the shakes… I was shaking so much that I was almost comical.
It took a very long time to find the rest of my family. But Ruddy, who stood with me through the entire event, and took care of contacting everyone, was a man you would be proud to have at your side at such a time as this. I’m sorry he was so worried… and cautious, and fearful.
I remember I stopped drinking the tea, because I was afraid I would have to go to the bathroom, and I couldn’t imagine, in my condition, which was yet to be determined, how I would go. In fact, I told a friend later, I wonder how I managed to get through the entire ordeal, and back to the rental house without having to go pee once. And she suggested that maybe I already did, and didn’t know it. I don’t think so…
There was a little girl right next to me on the bed, and I can remember the doctor telling her she had a sprain, and wouldn’t need a cast after all. And the little girl cried because she thought a cast would be so cool.
The door kept opening, and it wasn’t my family. So I had to stop looking whenever I heard the door squeak. But, when they did arrive, and they came and stood by my bed? That was like walking into heaven… I was so happy to see them.
And when they learned about the option of narcotics as pain management, they were all completely against it. Until they found out it was a truth serum. Then they all wanted me to take it so they could finally, once and for all, put to rest that age old question: Which one of us is your favorite?