Interruption

            During today’s meeting we went over an itinerary for our week in Belize. Laid out on one sheet of paper was our entire week. Skip began to explain in detail each activity that was planned. “Because our first day there is Baron Bliss Day and all stores will be closed, a local woman named Ms. Babsy will be making us food. For breakfast we will be having a burrito with egg, bean, and cheese and either an orange or banana. For lunch we will,” and he was cut off by a “buzz” that caught my attention. I must have forgotten to turn off my phone before the meeting. I reach into my pocket to pull out my phone. I meant to just turn it off, but my fingers instinctively pushed ok to read the message instead.

            It was from my roommate, Chelsey, and read, “Hey I’m at the hospital I got in an accident. I’m fine tho. Don’t worry.” As I read this message, any hope of paying attention flew right out the window and was lost forever. “I’m at the hospital” should not ever be followed by “don’t worry.” The hospital involves worrying and they are inseparable. I haven’t ever visited someone in the hospital that did not need worried about.

            Chelsey and I live about a half hour away from each other and she had requested the previous week that I go home with her. I told her that I had a lot of homework and just wanted to stay at school. All last year I had drove her back home whenever I went, but this year she had her own car. As I read this message, I was flooded with guilt. I should have been with her. Maybe if I had gone she wouldn’t have wrecked.

            I attempted to collect myself. What might have happened if I was there was irrelevant; so I asked her. “What happened? What hospital are you at? And can I come get you.” I know that because she is sending texts out that she is alive, but I also know that fine does not actually mean “fine.” In my experiences fine is misused at least ninety percent of the time. Chelsey responds, “No ur fine I called my parents. St. Claire. Its rlly bad out I lost control hit the guard rail and spun in front of another car and they hit me. Car is totaled the people in the other car I guess aren’t in good shape. I just hurt my left knee.”

            Skips voice cuts back into my train of thought, “Does everyone have a piece of paper? I need you to respond to a few questions.”

            Oh crap, I don’t know what kind of a test we would be getting. I didn’t even know mission trips involved tests. I jot down a few words for each question without knowing if I was even answering the question, and then got up and left. I will email Skip later to explain.

            I text Chelsey back, “Are you sure you are ok?”

            “Well as good as anyone can be after thrown around in a car.”

            “Did you roll the car?”  I ask, not knowing what “thrown around” meant.

            “No I didn’t roll it. Btw. Totally cute doctor. Haha”

            The doctor comment was all the reassurance I needed. Chelsey was really fine. She probably is still hurt, but my worry was able to drift away enough to allow me to submit this blog on time and study for my exam.