About 3 years ago, in 1999, a group of us were at the appartment of L for 'music', which essentially was us sitting around, playing truth or dare and smoking and talking.

Anyway, this one night, S was living with L, and them, E and myself were being very lazy and just hanging out.

Then S's knee went ka-plooey. I have no other term for it. One minute we were sitting around, the next minute, S was rolling around in agony.

Insert Operation Medico. Yes, folks, when push comes to shove, we can fix any ailment in the known universe.

E held S up, L yanked down his trousers and I applied pressure to his knee. Picture, if you will, two men standing, one with his pants down around his ankles, one girl kneeling, and the other sitting on the floor, hugging S's knee.

From there, we assisted him to the bathroom, where he kept his leg immersed in warm water while we ran around getting various bits and pieces.

No heat pack? Not a problem. I suggested a pillow case full of rice, heated in the microwave. L was on pillow case detail. No room to stretch out and elevate the leg? Not a problem. E made a nice little ledge on L's bed for S to rest his leg, complete with fan heater under the quilt so that there would be hot air on the sore limb. Your patient too tall for the half bath? Not a problem! I poured hot water over his leg with a saucepan while sitting on the cold, bathroom floor. I'm telling you, we are more efficient than the cast of "ER".

So we're doing our particular tasks, and there is a knock at the door. I exchange glances with S as I hear L, very surprised saying, "Um, hi, what are you doing here?"

Then we hear N's voice, and some other unidentified male voice. Now, S is sitting on the bath, wearing a face washer on his groin to 'protect' his dignity. He is in incredible pain. I'm sitting on a wet bathroom floor with a saucepan in hand, pouring water over his leg. E is holding a pillow case full of rice, waiting for us to move S to the bed and apply our makeshift heat pack. L is making a cup of tea and calling the night doctor.

Into the bathroom walks N. "Hi guys," he says cheerfully, taking in the scene of sodden chaos, "this is my cousin. He wanted to talk about swords to S." L, E and I all look at each other in complete surprise. S's reply? "Um, sure, what do you want to know?" So the cousin converses with S about swords, while S covers his modesty with a facewasher, and we rush about preparing L's bed for him.

L politely suggests N and cousin leave. They do, after a cup of coffee which N helps himself to. We are still looking at each other with varying expressions of "what the fuck?" E and I help S out of the bath. I towel him down. L applies the heat pack to his knee. N and cousin look on with polite interest.

E and L then assist S to L's bed, where he collapses. We arrange him with the bad leg propped up and the fan heater blowing heat on the sore knee. The heat pack is on the knee too. We cover him up with three quilts and two blankets.

L and E leave the room, leaving me alone with S, who gets very emotional b.c he is in a fuck lot of pain. I hear L suggesting to N and cousin that now would really be a good time to leave. They do. L calls the local doctor again. She and E sit in the loungeroom, waiting for me to come out with a progress report.

I come out. They look at me. "He wants a cig," I say. L tosses me a packet, I light one for him, go back into the bedroom. This is the routine for the next several hours.

About 2am, the local doctor shows up. This is after 4 calls to find out what the hell is going on. We have waited for 5 hours. He checks out S's knee and says there is cartilege damage. L and I exchange looks - we know what that means. The doc gives S panadeine forte, and leaves.

L and E return to the loungeroom where S's double bed mattress is, leaving S and I to share the single bed. I'm lying there and am suddenly hit with a realisation. Why are we, the older two, in a single bed?

I get up to get a glass of water, and see E, covered by a mere sliver of quilt, arm trapped beneath L, gazing up at me, shivering with cold. L is soundly asleep. And smiling in her sleep. For she has wrapped herself into a cocoon with the quilt. All I can see of L is her sleeping, smiling face. I ask E if he would like a blanket. He says no, it's all right. At that point, L rolls over and takes the last bit of quilt off of E. He looks at me mournfully. I try not to laugh.

Go back to bed. Sleep. Sort of.

So, the moral of this post? We are good friends who will do anything to help our sick and wounded friends in times of need.

Questions? Comments? Wanna stroke my ego? Then e-mail me.