running in sagebrush

Sometimes hiking with your grandpa takes a turn for the worst. After playing at the sand dunes, you take off running after your brother through the sagebrush and don't see the barbed wire fence strung across the path in front of your face. WARNING: Graphic image coming up!


The Wayne County Health Clinic doctor advises your mother that if it was his daughter he would have it stitched up by a plastic surgeon... in Utah County (a 3 hours drive). So you jump into the car in your sweaty, bloody hiking clothes and speed to the fancy plastic surgeons office (your mom spends most of the drive fighting with the insurance company about out of network coverage and anticipating a long appeal process). You get to the plastic surgeons office and the nurse questions your mom seriously on the topic of herbal medicines, but I think what she really wanted to ask is if my mom ever wears deodorant or makeup and if I attend public school.
Getting stitches right by your lip hurts really bad, but Dr. Jones was nice and he did a good job, but the V shaped cut is a tough one to stitch no matter what your credentials are. Now you just cross your fingers and hope that the drive/plastic surgeon visit was worth all the trouble and you don't end up with a puffy, weird scar on your cute little face anyway. Then you stop into your real not-on-vacation-any-more house, because you live in Utah County... to shower. (aahhh- finally) You climb back into the car for the 3 hour drive back to grandma and grandpas house because you are afraid you be missing out on some fun, and your mom might be tempted to clean the house if you stick around any longer. Whew... what a crazy day that would be.