Episode 11 : The Curious Incident Of A Dog On The Road - Cont'd

Previously on The Edward Hyde Show...

Edwina stayed back at the hospital to look after me. She would go home only to freshen up, which was when Mama Hyde would take her place. Mama Hyde came in every morning with a bag of sweet lime. My breakfast, lunch and dinner. A packet of straws were already procured from our friendly department store that stood right next to the hospital.

The owner was curious to see Mama Hyde in the vicinity very often and wanted to know why. On hearing about the accident, he was dismissive of the injury.

'You just wait and see. Nothing serious happens to a rider on a Royal Enfield. The bike always takes the blow. Your son will be alright soon.'

'He swore by the bike, and said a lot of things similar to what you said', Mama Hyde later told me. The old man asked about my progress every time she walked into the store.

Uncle Charlie came in the evening with his wife. Tired and grumpy, I was in no mood to talk. The tube continued to cut into my throat. I did not want to take anything through the tube and make things worse. The antibiotics slowly worked me to sleep. Uncle and aunt made polite conversation and did not venture to give advice. I was extremely thankful for that. Mama Hyde later told me that on their way out, Uncle Charlie tried to get my attention by waving the get-well card at me. But I had fallen asleep by then.

Like all other times, I had no idea how long I slept. I vaguely recall being woken up to take my next set of shots. And pleading with the duty nurse, Rose, to use an anaesthesia so that I would not know the pain! The only way out was to inject through the right hand.

Cut knees, cut right knuckles, slightly swollen veins in my left hand, a broken jaw, a tube through my nose and now a needle in my right hand. Life after surgery is worse than life before!

The mornings would start with the usual germicide gargle and cleaning of the cuts, followed by a blood pressure check. I began to enjoy the blood pressure check though each time it gave me the feeling that blood would pop out of the cuts on my hand. Every morning I would look to see who is on duty. Any nurse other than Rose would mean a happier day. I dreaded getting injected by Rose.

The nasal tube was also bothering me. I must have asked Mama Hyde at least a dozen times as to when the dentist will allow me to take it off.

'Not until you take enough into your stomach. You are looking tired because you haven't taken anything. The longer you deny yourself any food, the longer the tube will stay within you.'

I weighed the two options. Staying hungry seemed preferable, but I wanted to get back to work as soon as possible. Nurse July was on duty, and so I struck a deal.

'I will take the juice through the tube. But you must promise me you will inject it very slowly. I don't want the tube to wriggle inside.' Imagine a scene out of The Negotiator, but with me sitting on a hospital bed with all sort of tubes running into me.

A glass of sweet lime juice was hastily prepared. I did not see what syringe was used, but I could feel something cool flow through my nose, down my gullet and into my stomach. A full glass of juice went in, and everybody was happy. I felt super-cool inside!

The dentist was expected the next evening. That meant another 24 hours to go. I began drinking fruit juice more often. The moment I felt hungry, I asked for juice.

All the drinking had a downside too. It meant regular visits to the loo, and I was in no mood to move around. Others probably thought I was weak; I was unwilling. Why should I, when there is a jug nearby I can pee into?

The first time I used it, I was surprised at how much went in. When considering that I had not eaten or drunk anything for 18 hours. Then on, every time I filled up nearly or more than half the jug. The nurses seemed satisfied, and I wasn't complaining. Anything to get the tube out of me.

I was in a better mood the next morning. The dentist was expected that evening. I was not tired and had gotten a little used to the nasal tube. While making juice for me, Mama Hyde commented on the latest patient to enter the hospital. The man was astride his bike at the signal when a bus (or a truck, I do not quite remember) hit him and he went sprawling. The result was a broken elbow.

Mama Hyde and he got talking and he came to know about my accident. Mama Hyde came to know that he doesn't wear a helmet. Using my case as an example, she extolled the virtues of wearing a helmet. 'It would have been different if he wasn't wearing a helmet. You have a family to take care of.'

Mama Hyde should have been on TV.

I had another uncle visiting me that evening, Uncle Bob and his wife. I was in a more sociable frame of mind, possibly with the knowledge that nobody was going to advise me. After the usual round of questions, Uncle Bob narrated an incident that occurred in Baroda. The road he took, was dug up and not covered properly. Having seen in a good condition when he used it, he did not expect to see a badly-covered trench in his path. A fall ensued, and with nobody to help him, he had to see a doctor by himself. The doctor did not see anything that required medical supervision, but suggested he take a bath with salt water to know if he had cuts anywhere on him that the doctor missed.

Ouch!

I waited all evening for the good event to happen, but the dentist never arrived. He had some urgent cases to handle, the nurses said. And I could not help wondering what urgent cases would a dentist have that late in the night.

My reading of The Lord Of The Rings was not as satisfactory as I wanted. Three days in the hospital and Frodo Baggins just met Aragorn. I had no idea that the pages ahead would, in a way, solve my problem.

Cont'd.