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Ray’s wife hurt her leg
the car door closed on it
I arrived when Ray was standing in the parking lot telling Allan about it.
Ray was describing the doctor's advice:
"wrap it in gauze and it’ll be okay".
When Ray unwrapped it in the morning it had blisters
little blisters he described on the phone to the doctor’s office
they were't worried
"wrap it up and let it heal".
When I asked Ray what happened he said
"she hurt her leg
the car door closed on it".
On Sunday Ray went to Mass
the same church more than 30 years
he was talking with Dr. Voelker a surgeon whom he’s known for 30 years.
Dr. Voelker offered to discuss the leg and Coumidan
if the other doctor was okay with it.
Ray went into it pretty well about the coincidence of
meeting Dr. Voelker in church and discussing the leg.
When Ray unwrapped the bandage Monday morning
there was a huge water bag where the little blisters were.
Ray took his wife to Dr. Voelker’s hospital and Dr. Voelker
operated without delay
he performed the operation himself and told Ray
she’d have lost some of her leg if another day had passed
as it is Dr. Voelker cut away most of the muscle
much of the tissue was dead gangrene
now there’s a huge whole in her leg
she’ll need months of physical therapy to recover.
Allan brings oranges and grapefruits to the office
he sells them for a charity to fund his choir
he meets us in the parking lot after work
the past couple of years we stand around and chat sociably
last time Ray was saying he needed a hobby
that story is potentially bigger than a wife’s leg
Ray’s wasting away now that he’s retired.