"Do you mind if I'm sarcastic?"

Wow, I really thought that someone else would have finished up this story by now, but since nobody else is going to do it I guess it's up to me to conclude Steve's story.

When we got to the ER for the first time since the accident I headed in a different direction than the injured party. I had to wait in the waiting room while they got Steve admitted, but a nurse assured me that she would come and get me as soon as he was all checked in.
While I was standing there in the middle of the room the Trials Dude and my dad walked in, looking very concerned and all business. It was at this point that I was asked how I was doing and lied.

Since I don't know what Roadie Steve was up to during this time I'm going to take you on a scary journey through my head during the next few hours of excitement.

I lied, Trials Dude asked me how I was doing and I said I was fine, physically this was true, I couldn't have told you about any of my injuries at this point other than my scraped knee, so I didn't really think that I was lying. Emotionally at this point though I was a complete wreck. I couldn't get over the fact that Steve had gotten a disfiguring injury doing something that we do almost every day. Trials dude went to make a phone call and my dad asked me how I was doing.
I came within an inch of loosing it. My friend had just cut his finger off, lost his best bike, I didn't know how mine was, one of my favorite parts of our rides had just become more dangerous than all that crazy descending I do... I wanted to cry. For the first time since junior high I wanted to break down into tears and have somebody tell me that everything would be OK.

Lucky for me before I lost face (I guess I should have admitted my weakness here) the nurse came in to say that one of us could go back. Since I had been next to him when it happened, I got to go be with him while the Dr. tried to figure out how to fix it.

I got back to Roadie Steve right before they injected the stub. I guess I always knew that Steve was afraid of needles, but this was insane, they don't really hurt Steve.

Apparently whatever they were injecting was pretty painful though, because he squeezed the heck out of my hand as they did it, then he apologized for putting me through that.

I had to try not to laugh. I'm sure that Steve will read this as some point so let me say now what I wanted to then, but was interruped by a nurses arrival, and you asking if she minded you being sarcastic.

Idiot, you showed me how dangerous my favorite activity is. You made me crash my favorite (at the time) bike. You cost me a rotor and my favorite gloves. You showed me how dangerous my favorite activity is. You broke a bike so pretty that even with a big C on it I still though it was amazing. You CUT OFF YOUR FINGER, and you're apologizing for leaning on me for a little support in the ER. You need to seriously evaluate what you need to appologise for, cause it's certainly not that.

Anyway, we were in the ER for a long time after that. Lots of phone calls were made, none of them went particularly well. Nurses switched out, docs switched out, the orthopod made an apperarance and announced that he would have to finish the amputation to make it clean. It was all a bit of a blur. All I really rember clearly was every time someone new would introduce themselves to Steve he asked very politely, "do you mind if I'm sarcastic." None of them did.


I have to thank some people for making my most traumatic vacation every more berable.
Johney and Kendra for not believing us when we said we didn't need anything.
Trials Dude for telling me to stop being an asshole when I said I was find, I was physically.
Anastasia for driving 3 hours just to sit on the couch for a while and talk, I promis that next time you're in town we will make it to Shadowbox
The staff at McCulla-Hyde hospital
My mom for trying to make us all comfortable in the after effects
My dad for once again coming to the hospital with a friend of mine after a biking accident and thinking more clearly than any of us were through this, making the call to Steve's parents, and generally being amazing- I'm not sure we would have made it through without you.


PS... I joust bought a new bike, details when it arrives.