The day started normally albeit a little later. Despite starting later I compressed the same amount of activity into a shorter time. I’d prepared my breakfast and was about to eat it when I discovered there was no Internet. The switch can sometimes fail to connect so I went to the storeroom to investigate. The shelf with all the gubbins is quite high so I climbed onto the stack of palm leaves to reach it. Coming down, I slipped and impaled the thumb of my right hand on a sharp metal spike. I removed my hand and could see it was going to need more than Elastoplast and a couple of aspirins. I grabbed my Polo shirt and put it on before going to the reception to find Maria.
Maria got one of the lads to drive me to the clinic in Kandanos where they saw to me immediately whilst I waited for the doctor. She inspected the wound to discover a severed tendon which required repair and was beyond the scope of the clinic. They’d covered my hand with anaesthetic and bandaged it up so there was no pain. As we had no money and not enough petrol to get to Chania we turned back to go to Grammeno. Meanwhile, Maria and Georgia separately phoned a friend in Kandanos who came to the petrol station to give me €50 and some petrol to get to Chania and back.
We arrived at the A&E and were seen immediately as Kandanos had phoned ahead and Maria arranged for her friend who works in the hospital to meet me. A couple of interns, one from Italy and one Greek/Italian who is studying medicine in Plovdiv in Bulgaria. They were interested and chatted to me whilst I was being examined. I needed an operation so was admitted until the following day. They took blood and I had hand and chest X-rays then went up to room two on the fifth floor just in time for some food. I was sharing the room with two elderly men both with breathing problems. One was being looked after by his daughter, the other I’m not sure. The daughter seemed to be there all the time and would attend to both men at times. She told me she’d lived in Australia but had come back to Crete as her husband didn’t like it there.
I spent my time wandering the hospital for exercise and to pass the time. I had only what I stood up in so no communication with the outside world other than Maria’s number written on a scrap of paper.
The hospital admitted me with no ID, health card or means of payment. My previous visit and Maria’s phone calls may have helped. Between them, Maria and Georgia seem to know everyone between Paleochora and Chania.
Afternoon turned to evening then night where I watched the moon rise from my window. I went to bed and it wasn’t long before I fell asleep.
Leave a Reply