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You could not make it up !! After breakfast today, I spent time on my laptop extending a database structure and adding data. About noon I went down 2 floors to a bar to get a litre of still water. My favourite bar-tend is Jambo Grace, actually she is just Grace but from Kenya so we say 'Jambo Grace'. During the transaction, I am about to sign my chitty when I notice paramedics attending a lady in a wheelchair. Grace, I said, what is going on ? - that looks like my wife in the wheelchair. Panic sets in and she yells at me to rush to join the wheelchair being taken to first aid, but I want to complete the transaction and get my water so I can forget about it. I stop the chair at the exit door and realise Jan is conscious, so ask what has happened. She was playng ping-pong and slipped and fell hitting her head against a stanchion. Witnesses say she was out cold for about 2 minutes. The scalp wound was bleeding profusely and had a large wad of bloodstained white pad held in place by a nurse. We proceeded to the medical centre and over the next 90 minutes, Jan has her wound shaved, then washed in disinfectant and stiched up. All she can do is moan that she has missed her hair appointment. Actually she can't wash her hair until the wound seals so it is going to stay red with blood for a few days. I am then tasked with an interview by a very dedicated ship's safety officer who fortunately speaks English, but has no sense of humour. Another 2-ringer lady, same rank as the doctor, consoles me in heavily accented English. I thinkn she just came for a nose but she was very friendly. Next the stitching doctor sighs and says I need to help him with a wodge of paperwork. I give up at the bit where I describe what happened (as I was not there !) and we wheel Jan to the desk and she writes 'I fell and it was noone's fault' using several sentences. The doctor mutters something about playing ping-pong in flip flops !! After all is done, we get told that if she gets through then next 4 hours, she should be OK. We wheel her up to my room as that is the declared cabin no and the doctor may visit. I go to Sylvia's and get Jan's book. I feed her 2 panadol and say I will return hourly as she wants to be left alone. Downstairs at lunch I can't find any of the family so have lunch, as I am finishing John walks by and I follow him to the group table of the moment with my beer. I then discover that brother and sister have called the Medical Centre for news - the number does not work. John calls reception who transfer him to the Medical Centre where he is told enquiries about patients are allowed between 3-4pm each day ... Brother and sister push for data and get told she is OK and is back in her cabin. Sylvia goes up and discovers Jan is not there ... My cabin is too cold and noisy and she has wandered back to Sylvia's. One of the 4 hours has passed and she is moaning so I guess she is getting better. I go to my cabin and check the Briggs account - the damage is £425 for hospital care. I fetch her 'labelled-so-and-pretending-to-be-earl-grey' tea and leave her to let me know if she is rising for supper as she now declares at 4pm that she is 'OK'. It is probably so, she is sitting up in bed ordering Sylvia around. Tomorrow we are in Muscat for a self planned shore trip. Hopefully, we find free wifi and catch up with banks/emails and have a few beers over lunch. |
| no pictures today |