The Bench Racers Journal

[Terry Bentley]

Chapter 18

Steve stood there quietly in the pits watching the tail lights fade into the night. Then heads back to that mock ambulance to check on his best friend patient. He sees Terry is sitting up alert, but with somewhat of a blank stare. Looking around like he is lost. He is holding an ice bag over his left eye. Both of his wrists have ace bandages wrapped around them.

Hey Terry, I see you are still among the living. Steve, man what have I done? Did you see Mr Cates kart? Is it alright? I sure hope its not too banged up. Man is he going to kill me! I cant believe what has happened tonight. How am I going to pay for everything? Man am I screwed. I need to talk to Mr Cates right now. As I start to stand up, everything goes black, and I fall back down in the chair. Man where did all those stars come from? Oh crap, that cant be good. Maybe I should stay sitting down for right now. Steve then mentions thats exactly what the doctor insisted.

Isnt that what Mr Dowis told you to do? Absolutely no exception, or he would strap you down to the gurney, if I remember his exact words. And with an exclamation mark to add! I didnt know he is a paramedic. Is that why he is here at the races doing this? I think we should start referring to him as Dr Mikey. Sounds more official dont you think?

Sure, whatever you say Steve, but I just gotta talk to Mr Cates. I need to find out what shape the kart is in. Man this is so bad tonight. I should have stayed home. I will be working for the whole summer trying to make enough money to do whatever it takes to get his kart fixed. What if it is totaled? Oh crap, I dont want to think about it right now. Just giving me a bigger headache.

Well, dont worry Terry. Mr Cates has already loaded up and just left a little while ago. I will tell you tho. He was really pissed. Well more upset than anything. Oh about the kart.....You may want to wait until you are feeling a little better before knowing what happened to the kart.

Dude dont mess with me Steve. Is it that bad, really bad? Is the axle bent or did I break a wheel? You know those wheels are magnesium, dont you? I bet they are not cheap either. So how bad is it? Please tell me.

Are you sure you want to know right now? I mean it could give you a relapse. Might just pass out right here all over again. Oh by the way, I aint never seen a guy faint from a simple scrape up with another kart. Would expect it from a girl tho. I didnt think you were that big of a sissy.

Gee Steve, did I actually faint. I dont have a clue what happened. Just remember the kart and me spinning. Then found myself here wrapped up in a blanket like a mummy and this bump on my head. I am scared to death Mr Cates kart is messed up tho. Cant see it not having damage of some sort.

I am thinking it is really bad for some reason. What happened anyway. Nobody has said much of anything. I dont even know how bad I messed up to cause the wreck. Oh what happened to David? Did I cause anything to happen to him or his kart? This is too much I cant take it. Hope it isnt bad as I fear right now.

Man, calm down Terry. I was just messing with your head. Well somebody already beat me to that. You really dont remember anything? I mean it keeps replaying in my head over and over. All I have to do is shut my eyes and I see you and that kart going air born and spinning up like a helicopter and flying way off the track. And I mean WAY OFF the track.

Hey Terry, did Dr Mikey say its alright for you to have a pop? Or just keep with the water? I will ask him to make sure. Be back in a few with some drinks. So stay put and I will give you the whole spill. Just chill out. Its not really bad as you think. Well it is but not in the sense you are thinking.

While Steve is gone I am trying to jog my memory from about the accident. Did I cause it? What did I do wrong to have made such a mess? Looking over across the table in concession stands, there is a pile of saw dust and the remnants of that helmet I was wearing earlier. It was split in two on the top. The leather sides are totally ripped apart. That sawdust stuffing is splayed all over the ground. I feel my head and there is still sawdust in my hair. Man this feels yucky.........

Alright do you want RC Cola or Orange Crush? I know, you hate RC. Its really not that bad. Orange Crush is too sweet for me anyway. Take these, they are that new Tylenol stuff that came out last year. Dr Mikey said take these two here, both of them, and not anymore for the night. He also told me under no circumstance were you to move your butt from that chair. Or I would answer for it. Great I get punished for you not obeying the doctor. Whats up with that?

Please tell me what happened. Everything is a complete blur. Whats Tylenol anyway? I havent ever heard of it before. Is it prescription or something? Its not a relaxative or something and make me go all soft in the head is it? Will it knock me out? Or just turn me in to a zombie?

Man whats with all the questions? Maybe you did get hit too hard on the head. I dont think you mean laxative. It will make things go soft, but not what you are thinking. But you mean a tranquilizer. Like you see in the Hollywood movies where all those rich people rely on to stay sane. Legal prescription drug abuse is what I see.

The pills are just Tylenol. You havent heard of it before? Just like asprin but supposed to work a lot better. Was available over the counter last year. Before that I think it was still prescription tho. Actually I didnt know either. That is what the doc just clued me in on when I talked to him.

Oh by the way, I told Mr Dowis his official title at the track is now Dr Mikey. He gave me cross between a smirk and scowl. I think he is ok with the new nick tho.

Hand me the ice bag while you choke down the pills. Dude you got one helluva of a shiner on that eye. Cool. It is already turning. Starts up here at just a darker yellow, brown, really cool crimson, maroon, and deep red. Now starting starting to go black over here. Looks like someone got the best of you. Ha, you tangled with a kart and lost.

Screw you man! My head is killing me, and all you are doing is giving me crap! What happened. Quit playing around and please tell me what is going on. Right now if I could stand up, you would be the one getting a black eye. Then both of us can sit here in pain.

Man, I dont know about you. Get in to one little scuff and all titty baby about everything. OK here goes the long version, since you are stuck there for a while. First thing David is fine. No real major damage. He really isnt that mad at you for anything. Well he is mad. I mean really hot about everything. Just not you.

Steve enough with the babbling and going in circles. Please tell me what happened. How bad did I mess things up? My head feels like its is going to explode. Tell me whats going on above my eye too.

Alright maybe you should take a chill pill. Lift up the ice bag. Yea you need to calm down. Those butterfly bandages look like might be working loose. That cut isnt too deep, but you sure bled like a stuck pig for a while.

I was sort of freaking out there at first. Thought you might have actually managed to get yourself killed. That sure would eliminate any chance of me ever racing during the rest of my natural life. Man I am sorry, being so selfish. Here you get the beating of your life and I am worried about getting to race. You must think I am a real heel right now.

I remember one episode of Perry Mason. He said dead men dont bleed. I know you aint any where close to being a real man yet, but thought the same must still apply. You were bleeding profusely, so must still be alive. Wow, I never thought about actually using that word. It was on last weeks test. Profusely, has a nice serious sound to it. Dont you think so?

Steve go away and quit messing with me. Now I find out there is a gash on my head, and a black eye according to you. I am not feeling so good. You keep going on and wont tell me anything. Stomach is not doing so well either now. All my joints really are hurting. Why are my wrists wrapped up? I am starting to feel like crap.

Oh the doctor said you might start feeling sick after the adrenaline rush. I think he said you would like start crashing. Wait....you already did that earlier. Well an adrenaline crash and start feeling really tired and sick. Guess he is right. Try drinking some more Orange Crush to get some real sugar in your veins. You might have slightly sprained your wrists too. Or hyper extended your ligaments. Something to that affect, I think thats how Dr Mikey explained it.

I am guessing you didnt notice all the bruises on your arms yet? You sure look like a trainwreck. Hopefully the Tyenol will start working soon enough. Otherwise I will be stuck here babysitting and listen to your complaining all night.