Member-only story
An Unwelcome Memory
Dealing with death
I checked my mail this morning and had an envelope meant for my neighbor. Walking down the sidewalk to their door, I was overwhelmed by an unwelcome memory.
Almost two months after Ben was ill and hospitalized for nine days in 2022, he checked our mail in the early evening. He was doing well — almost back to normal. The previous day, he had walked a mile. An envelope meant for our neighbor was in our mail. Like me today, he walked down the sidewalk to their unit, gave them the envelope, and was walking back to our unit when he fell.
I don’t know how long he was there, but he had hit his head. Confused, he kept trying to stand and kept falling, causing multiple injuries. He called feebly for help. Another neighbor, Chris, was walking his dogs when he heard Ben’s weak pleas.
Chris found Ben in a puddle of blood and came to get me. I could not believe what I saw — blood everywhere, Ben’s face already swelling from injuries, the little finger of his left hand sticking out at a right angle, no skin on the top of his left hand, and blood dripping from his hand and his legs.
Chris helped me get Ben to his feet and into our house. I wanted to call 911 emergency, but Ben begged me not to. Instead, he asked me to drive him to the freestanding emergency center two miles away. His…
