I woke up on one of those ambulance gurneys, the sun beating down on my face. I felt like a dog with one of those cones around its neck as I realized I had a neck brace on. I laid there for a moment, feeling stunned, until an EMT with brooding eyebrows stood over me, shining a flashlight in my eyes.
“I’m not going to the hospital.”
“Sir, I need you to stay still and calm. You’ve suffered a bump to the head. Can you tell me your name?”
“William Nicholas Martens Jr. But don’t call me Junior. And I can’t afford an ambulance ride.”
He asked me a few other questions. I felt around my head. I could feel a bump and possible scab. My right knee really hurt. I tried to move it and cried out in pain.
“Sir, please don’t move. We’re going to get you to the hospital.”
“Is my leg broken? Hey, wher
