Where There is No Doctor

As Jess and I walked back from CH, we saw a vehicle stop at the Health Post. Which was curious, because it's closed for the night, and really, there's not much stocks there to be of use. That's the thing about being isolated, you tend to notice all motors passing through, near or over the village. We assumed it was CH returning from their afternoon away. Mary went that way, maybe to look for the Health Worker or something, and then she comes pedalling back to us as we walk to her house, saying how Miss Eleanor was in an accident on the road and CH vehicle found her and her leg is all messed up and blood....

Jess has some experience in first aid and injuries, being a former gymnast and gymnastics coach, and decided to go check out Eleanor while I went to Novellena's. When Franzea and I left Nova's, we went to the Health Post, which had a gaggle of spectators and Jess, the CHW and Alice surrounding Eleanor on a mattress on the floor. She'd dislocated her hipbone when she fell upon her Dad's motorbike, going home from the phone booth. CH vehicle just happened to pass her right after it happened and carried her back to the Health Post. There wouldn't be much traffic at night time on the road. Her leg was forced up and out of socket and she had an abrasion on one leg. Alice gave her some codeine which slowly kicked in, and at Jess's encouraging, the CHW attempted to pop the hip back in, though Eleanor was screaming...

They tried to get a hold of RAM - Remote Area Medical - to see if a small airplane could be flown in to carry her to the hospital in Lethem, but they couldn't be called. So, the vehicle that did the hired carry for CH got commissioned to carry in Eleanor. And if the car's already going, why not Novellena, too? Two mattresses were slid into the bed of the truck, 3 pillows and two blankets were gathered from around. The CHW went, Jess went, Mike went and Rhomayne drove, at the speed of probably 20 mph over the bumpy terrain, as to not overly jar Eleanor's propped up, popped out leg.

The trip took almost 4 hours, double the normal time to Lethem, which is probably doubly as long as it'd take to drive there if the road was paved. According to Jess, when they got there, the doctor wasn't around, yadda yadda. In the morning, they popped Eleanor's leg back into place and said they wanted to keep her for two weeks. According to Novellena, who came back Sunday afternoon, she needs to go back for surgery, though she doesn't know what for. We're not all that sure that the doctors said she could be released, either.

And apparently, Eleanor's gone MIA from the hospital, as well. Lord just hope she hasn't come back to the village upon motorbike.