Hick got a call from former Backcreek Neighbors Nick and Bev on Thursday, asking him to come out for a consultation on their broken lawnmower. He agreed to go that evening, leaving here at 4:10 to get there around 5:00. They're certainly not just over the creek now.
Hick got home at 7:15, limping through the kitchen door.
"I was leaving there, walking to my truck, and I FELL ON MY FACE! My right knee give out."
"Did you step in a hole?"
"No. I was just walking, and it give out. Nick said, 'Are you okay?' He asked if I stepped in a hole, but I didn't."
"I hope you didn't mess something up."
"I'm about half mad. I drove all the way out there, using $15 worth of gas, and they was eatin' supper. So they didn't come out until they was done. Oh, and Nick had forgot to set out his tools. So he had to gather them up. And Bev says, 'What else were we going to ask him to do? Oh. Change that light bulb.'"
"At least they always pay you. They DID pay you, didn't they?"
"They give me a tote."
"No money?"
"Nope. I haven't looked in the tote yet. They usually give me stuff I can sell."
Friday morning, Hick could barely walk out of the bedroom. I had heard him up and down all night. He said something was wrong with the back of his right knee. He couldn't go down in the basement to reset my internet. He had to get his cane so he could walk out to SilverRedO.
Hick gets a shot every Friday, and was planning to ask to see an actual doctor while he was there. He said the pain made him sick to his stomach. I told him he could go to the ER, because a doctor would just send him for tests anyway. Hick said he didn't want to wait for 10 hours to be seen. Turns out no doctors work on Fridays at his doctor's office. So nothing was diagnosed.
Anyhoo... Hick didn't go to his Friday afternoon bull-shooting session at his buddy's shop, because the heat index was 110. He came home to cool off, after being too late to play bingo, but having chicken-fried chicken for his Senior Center lunch. He had planned to go pick up Chinese food for us for supper.
"If your knee hurts, I can make something here. It's too hot to sit in the drive-thru."
"I go inside to order, and wait. I can walk. I'm slow, not crippled."
[Hick really likes his Chinese food!]
When he got home, Hick said, "Guess who was there picking up Chinese food! NICK!"
"Huh. Did you ask him if he has homeowner's insurance to pay for your knee surgery?"
"Nah. I didn't say nothin'."
Anyhoo... on Saturday morning at his SUS2 (Storage Unit Store 2), Hick had some buddies carry in that tote given to him by Nick and Bev.
"I didn't have time to look in it yet, and some woman came carrying a soft-side cooler. Camouflage. Looked like it would hold a 12-pack. She said, 'How much is this?' I just told her $10. Then she said there was two, and what was my price if she took both of them. I told her still $10 each. And she bought them. I got to looking, and there's some other smaller soft coolers in there. Or maybe a purse. I'm sure I can get $30 out of that stuff."
Well. I guess if that's all Hick thinks his services and travel time and possible laming are worth, then his good deed was justified. I tend to think he should agree upon a monetary fee before he helps Nick and Bev again.
Oh, and Hick was able to walk without cane on Saturday afternoon, and said his knee didn't hurt as much, but stiffens up when he sits.
It sounds like Hick may get a total of $50.00 out of that tote, right? The $20.00 he's already gotten and then maybe $30.00 for the rest? It's unfortunate about Hick's fall and I hope his knee continues to recover from the fall. Falls are more scary when we are older aren't they? You never know what's going to get injured and it takes longer to mend.
ReplyDeleteHick didn't clarify if he was counting the $20 he already got. And he still hadn't looked at everything in the tote, just glanced at it. I suppose he could also sell the tote itself.
DeleteAt least he was on grass when he fell. He says it feels better now, four days later. He started down the basement steps to connect my internet this morning, but I told him NO. Everything definitely takes longer to mend!
Falling for no reason is always worrisome, I had a similar fall many years ago, maybe about 35 years, I was crossing a road and right in the middle my leg just dropped out from under me and I landed on that knee, thankfully there wasn't much traffic and I got up and hopped across the rest of the road on my good leg. It got better over a few days and it hasn't happened since, but I'm careful now. I hope Hick has no more trouble from his knee.
ReplyDeleteHick has said before, when he fell coming out of the auction, that he was taking a step, but his leg didn't move. I think that was due to his back issues. This time, he said his knee just gave out.
DeleteGood that you've been careful for 35 years! I sometimes get a catch in my knee, I'm sure due to shifting chips of cartilage. So I am also careful.
We have walk-in doctors here that can xray right there. If a knee gives way once, I would fear it would do so again. Has he had trouble with this knee before?
ReplyDeleteThe urgent care can do that, but usually a knee needs an MRI unless the kneecap is cracked, because of the cartilage, ligaments, and tendons being soft tissue. Way back when I had my first knee surgery, they did an x-ray, but only after shooting my knee with radioactive dye at the hospital lab.
DeleteHick had torn cartilage removed from both knees years ago. As far as I know, he's not been having trouble with it.
I have had my knee do that, too! Of course, the first thing I did was look to see if anyone saw me! You would think Bev and Nick would have been more concerned about someone being injured on their property, Beyond that, he was there at their request and they made him wait while they ate! Who does that besides very self-centered people? I would get the MRI and present the part you had to pay to them. This is Judge Judy approved and she would just look at them and say, "You are an idiot!"
ReplyDeleteNick DID ask if Hick stepped in a hole. I guess when the answer was NO, he figured he was off the hook. Nick and Bev are odd ducks. Odd ducks who like to eat, I guess!
DeleteHick is walking okay now, so I don't think he's going to pursue any tests on his knee. He's having too much fun working on the flip house, where he can now POOP to his rumpus's content! Got the water hooked up, and has already painted one bathroom.