Ummm ... An Accident

Gray was out of town, and had left his truck (the Tundra) home ... much to Landon's delight. Landon enjoys driving it SO much in fact, that he actually volunteered to pick up Keaton from school. If only I had picked up Keaton as planned. If only Landon hadn't been in the Tundra (higher and more difficult to climb into).  If Landon hadn't been running late, and Keaton hadn't been waiting on the side of the road rather than in the church parking lot as usual. If there hadn't been a break in traffic, causing Landon to quickly make a u-turn before cars were coming again, before Keaton was actually safely in the truck. If only ...

I got a phone call from Landon ...

#1 son: Mom, ummm, there's been an accident (wailing in the background).

Me: WHAT?

#1 son: It's ok, the truck is fine and Keaton is ok ... but he kind of fell out of the truck.

Me: WHAT?

#1: I guess I took off before he was in, and he fell out. He is scraped up pretty bad. Maybe a sprain.

Me: But he's ok? Let me talk to him (some sobbing from #3 son and "I don't want to talk about it"). 

#1: You don't need to come. I'll bring him home.

Call#2: Ma'm, this is the paramedic on scene. We'd like to transport your son to the hospital.

Please don't think me callous, but I did want to check out the scene before committing to an ambulance ride and visit to the ER (recalling the expense and time involved with Cooper's broken arm several years ago). I quickly made arrangements for another mom to pick up the elementary kids (as I had been about to walk out the door for that carpool) and rushed to the school. There were several emergency vehicles, lights flashing and Keaton was trundled on a stretcher, in the ambulance, neck brace on ... playing bejeweled on his ipod. He was scraped up, but otherwise ok. He hadn't hit his head. He had not been run over by the truck or hit by any other cars (although witnesses seeing a 13-year boy flying from a moving vehicle into the middle of the street had been the ones to call 911). After another review of Keaton's vitals and such, the paramedics were ok simply releasing him to me with a list of signs to watch for (nausea, hip pain, etc.). 

We got him home and cleaned up and resting. He actually played in his basketball game the next night. We've had to keep him pretty bandaged up (especially during activity) but then the wounds get all goopy. I told Keaton whenever he was home, we should try to leave it unbandaged, so that it could air out and start to scab up. Although that would present "picking" issues (Keaton can't leave scabs alone) and it would easily crack and bleed as it dried out. We'd cover it up, then air it out ... and repeat. 

Here's the leg over a few weeks ...

Almost all better!

So just a caution to the driving kids out there! Make sure your passengers are IN,  and seatbelted up before you take off! We're very relieved it didn't turn out worse (another "if" we don't really like to think about!)