馬德裏曆險記（上）- 我上了救護車

兩年前，我和我丈夫泰迪去西班牙馬德裏遊玩，留下了難忘、美好的記憶。其中最為驚奇的是兩次曆險：我平生第一次上了救護車，還與西班牙秘密警察有一次危險的接觸。

那是六月初的時候，夏天剛剛開始，馬德裏以她獨特的魅力歡迎我們。我提議先去坐坐紅色的雙層旅遊巴士，了解一下這個城市。一早起來，酒店外廣場上有一個西班牙軍隊的官方儀式，是慶祝什麽節日的彩排，我們去看熱鬧。遊行儀式結束後，泰迪發現路口上停了一輛雙層巴士，我們趕緊跑過去。

旅遊巴士由司機和導遊運行，上麵坐滿了遊客，正要離開。導遊示意泰迪先坐下，一會兒再買票。我爬上雙層巴士狹窄的金屬階梯，上了二層。那兒還有幾個露天座位，景色真的很棒，我轉過身去招呼泰迪。突然，巴士開始驅動，我感到一陣強烈的顛簸，試圖抓住樓梯的扶手，但是沒抓住，倒了下去。我好像感覺到一些震動，聽到撞擊的聲音，然後降落在巴士的底層。

幾秒鍾過去了，我沒有動彈。等我睜開眼睛的時候，看到了泰迪和導遊。泰迪扶我起來，問我怎麽樣。除了頭部右上角好像刀割了一樣疼痛，右臂和臀部也有些痛。我活動了一下四肢，感覺還行，就回答說：“沒事兒。”泰迪把手放在我的頭上，皺著眉頭說：“不對，你可不是沒事！”我把手放在頭上，在右後上方發現了一個高爾夫球大小的鼓包，像個犄角。哇，現在我明白為什麽頭疼了。還好，沒流血。

泰迪扶著我坐了下來，導遊叫了救護車，我對巴士上的遊友們感到很抱歉。還好，導遊給旅遊公司打了電話，遊友們很快就都上了另一輛巴士。我們等了好久，終於，遠處響起了一個悅耳的哨聲，救護車到了。

救護車上有兩名護理人員，年輕友善。他們詢問、檢查了我的傷勢，讓我躺在救護車內的擔架上。然後，救護車又吹起悅耳的哨子，推開中午時分的交通，把我送往醫院。泰迪坐在駕駛室乘客座位上跟著來了。

救護人員繼續監測我的血壓和脈搏。那個微笑的護理員會說一點兒英語。我告訴他，這是我第二次來馬德裏，很喜歡這個城市，他很開心。我又告訴他，我在中國出生長大。他說：“你應該學西班牙語，因為西班牙語是世界上最流行的語言。”這是我第一次聽說，最流行的語言既不是英文，也不是中文，而是西班牙語。的確，眼下我最需要學習的就是西班牙語了。

救護車好像走了20多分鍾，最後抵達了Gregorio Maranon 醫院。救護員把我用輪椅推到醫院值班室，跟我說醫護人員會好好地照顧我的，就離開了。接下來，我和泰迪走到一個大廳，醫生在裏麵工作，病人坐在周圍的塑料椅子上等待。30分鍾過去了，沒人點我的名字，也沒人跟我們打招呼。泰迪起身去找護士，她告訴我們耐心等待，也熱心地為我的高爾夫球準備了一個冰袋。看來，我的VIP待遇結束了。

又過了30分鍾左右，一個年輕、高挑的女醫生接待了我。她穿著醫院的綠色衣褲，腳上蹬著紫色的塑料拖鞋。醫生用英文問我怎麽樣，我稱讚她英語真流利。醫生說她媽媽來自美國，然後問我哪裏感到疼痛，我告訴她，高爾夫球、手臂和臀部。好像記得臀部右側撞上了巴士階梯。那時候我還不知道最嚴重的疼痛即將來臨，而且都不是這幾個地方。醫生檢查了我的頭部，幸運的是沒有看到任何血跡。她還檢查了我的眼睛，讓我按時針方向旋轉眼球，又檢查了我的四肢，做了幾個動作。最後，女醫生給了我診斷結果 - 沒有任何嚴重創傷，醫囑是接下來的三天內，每隔一小時頭部敷冰一次。應我的請求，她用西語和英語給我寫了一份醫療記錄。泰迪跟旅遊公司和醫院議員辦理了保險手續。終於出院了，短短的馬德裏醫院之遊也至此結束。

回到酒店後，我跟餐廳要了幾個朔料袋，自治了一個冰袋敷在頭上，沒敢再出去。睡覺前，我的頭不疼了，高爾夫球也差不多消失了。謝天謝地，我想明天可以繼續旅遊計劃了。第二天早上，我感到腰下尾骨附近有劇烈的疼痛，比高爾夫球造成的疼痛嚴重多了，簡直難以把自己裝進褲子裏。回來後看醫生才知道，那是剪切挫傷，臀部受擊造成韌帶拉傷，也是後話。

無論如何，馬德裏旅遊當時仍然是我們的首要任務。所以，泰迪借給我一隻手，算是手杖。我拄著手杖和泰迪開始了下一個冒險。

以下是我從巴士曆險得到的教訓：

（1）出門在外，安全第一

（2）學習當地語言

（3）有傷治傷，回來後務必檢查

Adventures in Madrid (Part I) – My First Ambulance Ride

Two years ago, I had an amazing trip in Madrid, Spain with my husband, Ted. Two adventures, my first ambulance ride and an encounter with Spanish secret police, made this trip fascinating and unforgettable.

It was early June and summer just started. Madrid welcomed us with unique charm, exotic food, and excellent tourist spots. I suggested we take a Red Bus tour to learn the city. It was Saturday morning and there was a rehearsal for a military ceremony outside the hotel. We joined the spectators to watch this unique parade. Finally, the ceremony was over. We spotted a Red Bus and rushed to get on.

The bus was operated by a driver and a tour guide. It was full of tourists and about to leave. While the guide instructed Ted to get a seat and pay later, I climbed the narrow stairs of the double-decker to find an open-air seat. The view was great on the second floor, of course. I then turned around to get Ted. Suddenly the bus began to move and I felt a strong jolt. I tried to grab the handles of the stairs, but failed. I fell. I heard a loud noise and felt a few bumps before landing on the first floor. My memory went blank for a moment, too.

A few seconds passed while I remained stationary. When I opened my eyes, I saw Ted and the guide. Ted helped me get up and asked if I was okay. I moved my arms around and felt alright except a pain in my head and some dull pain on my right arm and bottom. I replied, “I am okay.” Ted put his hand on my head, frowned, and said: “No, you are not okay!” I then placed my hand over my head and found a golf-ball size pump. Wow, now I understood why I had a sharp pain in my head!

While I was helped to sit down, the guide called an ambulance. I felt sorry for my fellow tourists. Fortunately, the guide called another bus and transferred them before the ambulance arrived. We waited, waited quite a while, and I heard a pleasant sound of a whistle from far away. Finally an ambulance arrived.

There were two paramedics on the ambulance, both young and friendly. They checked my motion, stability, and put me on the stretcher. Then the ambulance rushed me to a hospital while Ted sat in the passenger seat next to the driver.

 

While driving to the hospital, they continued to monitor my blood pressure and pulse. It seemed to be a long ride. The smiling paramedic struck a talk with me as he could speak some English. I told him that this was second time in Madrid and I really like it. He was quite happy. After I told him that I was originally from China. He replied, “You should learn Spanish, because Spanish is the most popular language in the world.” This is the first time ever I heard about it. The most popular language is not English, not Chinese, or Arabic. It is Spanish, great. Indeed, I needed to learn Spanish, especially now!

 

Finally we arrived in Hospital Gregorio Maranon. The paramedic promised that the hospital staff would take good care of me and left. I was then transferred to the hospital clerk. Ted and I walked to a large hall with doctors working in a covered area in the middle and patients sitting on plastic chairs around it. Ted and I sat down and waited. 30 minutes passed, my name was not called, and nobody talked to us. Ted stood up and talked to a nurse. She told us to wait but prepared an ice bag for my golf ball. My VIP treatment seemed to be over.

 

It was another 30-minute wait before a young, tall doctor received me. She was dressed in a green shirt and pants and stepped in a pair of purple plastic slippers. She and her assistant asked me what happened. I praised her excellent English. She said that her mom came from America. She checked my golf ball and did not find any trace of bleeding. She asked me where else I felt pain. I told her my right arm and bottom. I remembered that my right bottom bumped on the stairs. That time I did not know the worst pain was about to come but not at these places. She checked my eyes and asked me to roll my eyes around. She then checked my arms and legs to make a few movements. Finally the doctor gave me her diagnostics – nothing serious and prescribed ice pad every the other hour for the next three days. She also gave me a hand-written note in both Spanish and English, in case to check it out later back home. Ted took care of my insurance claim with the bus company and hospital. I was discharged.  So did my short tour of the Madrid hospital.

 

After we went back to the hotel, I got a few plastic bags from a hotel restaurant to make a home-made ice pad. I remained inside the room with the ice pad on my head from time to time. I hoped it would be over by the end of the day and go on our tour. The next morning I felt my lower back had such a sharp pain and so severe that it was difficult for me to put myself into my pants. Later I learned that was a shear injury on my lower back due to the bumps on the bus stairs.

 

Nevertheless, tour Madrid was still our highest priority. So, Ted lent me a hand as if it was a walking stick. I went on to my next adventure. 

 

Lessons learned:

(1) Safety first, always
(2) Learn the local language
(3) Check injury before continuing on tour and follow up back home

 

[唐西]

不收你一分錢，這就是西班牙的好。