Losing Air

On March 17th I drove to the bank.

When I came back out to the parking lot I saw my car leaning.

I had a flat tire.

My mom and dad were both out of town, so the only person I could think to call to come help me was Tom. He was working as a mechanic at the local airport.

I called him. He left work and came to the bank and fixed my tire.

My "shining knight."

How could I tell him I wasn't interested in a relationship now?

It would have to wait.

Instead I told him I'd meet him at the bar across the street from where I was working that night and buy him a St. Patty's Day beer as a thank you.

That night while at work, Tom came in. I told him I was almost done and he could go ahead to the bar and I'd meet him there.

Soon after he left I started feeling a somewhat familiar pain in my chest. I had had 2 spontaneous lung collapses the year before. One on each side. I sat down and told a friend to go across the street to the bar and get Tom for me.

She did.

They came back and I told Tom I thought that my lung had collapsed. I got up and walked around. The pain was not getting any better so Tom insisted on taking me to the ER.

When we got to the ER I went in and told the lady at the desk that I thought I had a collapsed lung.

She asked me why I would think that and gave me a look like I was crazy.

I guess it probably seemed odd - plus it was St. Patricks Day. I'm sure they had dealt with a few people who had alcohol in their systems.

Anyways, she had me fill out a form and wait. Soon I was called back into a room and handed a robe. They wanted to do an x-ray.

After the x-ray, I was in a room with Tom. A doctor and nurse came rushing in.

My lung was 80% collapsed.