We killed the next hour by playing pool under the shade of a straw canopy and ordering cool fruity drinks. I couldn't take it anymore. I already had my bathing suit under my dress, so I threw it off and ran towards the ocean. The water was pretty warm too, but it still felt good. I may have been imagining it, but it felt . . . saltier. My skin stung a little when I got out.
Then we took our bags to our rooms and headed to the pool. Someone was renting mopeds out right by the resort, so we each picked one for 300 Baht ($9)for 24 hours. I picked a red and black one.
We'd visited this same island last year, and it was my favorite part of the trip. I loved exploring the island and all the different beaches, resorts, and jungle areas on the moped. I wondered how well I'd remember to ride, but I took off just fine.
We stopped to eat lunch at a restaurant on the beach. The huge exotic trees decorated with bright Chinese laterns reminded me of the teacups ride at Disneyland. A ton of seafood, as usual, so delicious.
Then we took off to explore the island. Most of the boys went on ahead, but they'd stop and wait every so often. I didn't care how fast I was going because Kop and Rose were behind me. I wanted to take my time and enjoy the scenery. But we kept passing a lot of the beaches, and I wondered what the plan was.
Gop was in front, though and I figured he knew what he was doing. Because it was just narrow dirt roads littered with sharp rocks, you had to be careful. Cracks made by the rain posed the worst prolems; except, of course, the off-road taxis that took up the entire road and flew around corners at scary speeds.
I got to the top of another steep dirt hill. But this time, I found myself automatically in a rain crack. I tried to turn out of it, I was going pretty slow . . . but I felt myself falling. I don't remember if I screamed before or after I hit the ground. I just remember screaming as loud as I could so someone would know I fell. I knew I wasn't going to be ok.
The bike fell on me as I slid over jagged rocks downhill. My foot was the first thing I saw. The top of my right foot had been split open. It's an eerie feeling looking at your own flesh and muscle. I could see down to the bone. I glanced at the rest of my body to find that the whole right side had been shredded, especially my right forearm. I prayed that God would take care of me. I was in His hands now. We found out later one of the brakes didn't work.
I thought about what a small island it was. We'd probably have to go back to the beach, take a boat back to the main land and find a hospital. I didn't know how it was going to work out. Could I last that long?
I heard Kop and Rose
ride up asking if I was ok. I tried to sit myself up so they wouln't freak ot too much, but I couldn't. They saw the minor cuts first. "you're ok" they said. I shook my head and pointed to my foot. Gop had reached us by this time. "Oh my God, Oh my God, we have to get her to a hospital," he said. He picked me up and carried me out of the road.They poured a water bottle over my gash to wash off the dirt that covered my whole body. The blood washed down over my rainbow sandals, turning the leather red. That's when I started passing out. I knew I was in shock. I knew I should be feeling more than I was. I knew that it would hurt more later.
But for the time being, I was feeling warm all over. Their voices started fading out like someone was putting a blanket over my ears, or like I was hearing them from under water. I didn't want to open my eyes anyway. I didn't want to see it. But Josh kept saying "keep her awake!" I didn't want to be awake.
They shook me gently. "Serena! Stay awake." "No!" I snapped. I just wanted them to let me fade out, it would be easier that way. It was a pretty deserted road, but by then a passerby had stopped and they had carried me to the front seat. I remember thinking "this guy probably doesn't want a bunch of blood in his car."
But as soon as they set me down a taxi pulled up. "Ok, I'm sorry we're going to have to move you again," Gop said. I groaned as he handed me to Kop and Rose who were sitting on the benches in the bed of the off-road taxi. Kop held my legs and Rose held my head and arms.
I tried to support myself as much as I could, because when they tried to keep me upright over the bumps and jolts they'd inadvertantly grab my cuts. It was a struggle to stay on their laps. Rose, a typical Asian woman, weighs about 100 lbs. Every time we flew over a rock or bump and slammed back down I felt like I was crushing her.I kept saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I was probably bleeding on them.
Every time I'd cringe or moan they say "We're almost there . . ." But we weren't. They actually had no idea where we were going. Thank God there was a clinic on the island for accidents just like that. We finally pulled into a gated courtyard that looked like a cross between a junkyard and an apartment complex.
To the right was what looked like a little office. There were signs in elementary English instructing us to remove our shoes. Kop slipped his off as he carried me like a baby into the room.
I looked around, thank God- it looked clean. The man at the front desk stood up and motioned us into a side room with a hospital bed.He put my foot on somethin that looked like a Bar-B-Q grate. He washed my wounds with water, which felt good. Then he told me he was going to inject the anisthetic. I was scared, because I heard that hurts the most. He held up a long, thin needle. I asked how far it would go in.
Rose translated and they both looked down at me. "He says you don't need to know," she said. Dear Lord, not what I wanted to hear. Oh well, can't change things now. I turned my head so I couldn't see and bit my finger. I must have still been in shock because I was completely calm. I didn't even cry the whole time. The doctor kept telling (Rose to tell) me it was ok to scream.
I'll never forget that: "Scream! It's ok to scream, just scream!" they said as the needle went deep into my open wound about four times. I didn't. What's the point? It wouldn't make it feel better.
That's when Kop walked out. He couldn't watch anymore. He later told me how deep the needle went in, and when he injected it- blood squirted out everywhere. Then the skinny doctor touched my ankle. "Pain?" he asked. Damn it. "Yes," I said. He had to inject me twice more.
Then he roughly stitched me up. The thread felt really thick. The boys had arrived by then. They asked if they could watch. I told them they better take pictures becuse I better at least get a good story out of this. They said they felt wrong taking pictures. "Do it!" I said, "I want you to!"
But then the doctor pointed to my shredded right arm, and Rose said "he thinks you might need stitches there too." That was my breaking point. I was trying to be brave but I didn't think I'd have to do it twice. But Josh shook his head "I don't think you need them there."
I don't even know how that'd be possible. My arm was shredded. Can you stitch broken skin? But he examined it and said it wasn't necessary. Thank God. He finished bandaging me up. When I looked close enough to a mummy they carried me out to the office to get medicine and pay the bill.
That's when the shock wore off. I was sitting at the desk chair, and it happened again. Like a wave washingover me I got extremely hot and everything seemed fuzzy. I felt like I was floating and I didn't know how to steady myself. Every thing they were saying felt like distant dream. I put my head down on the desk and grabbed onto the bottom of the chair. "I'm going to pass out," I whispered.
They got me some water and I sat for a minute. Everything gradually came back into focus. Then Josh carried me out to the waiting taxi. When we got to the resort and Gop carried me to the room, the staff greeted us with the most wide-eyed, open-mouthed looks of horor I've ever seen outside a movie.
The guy who rented the bikes looked mortified. Maybe he knew the brake didn't work. But who knew if that was even the problem. It was just a complete accident. When we got to the air conditioned room they laid me on the clean, white bed.
Rose kicked the boys out and got a wet wash cloth. She gently wiped me down and helped me change into pajamas. I still felt filthy.
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