Debriefing over, I walk around some more and socialize a little. Jesus, still hard to breathe. Jump again maybe? Still plenty of time. No, best not try it. Everybody watches me for half an hour and we can all see I'm fine. Time to go.

I slip quietly out, back hurts, get in the car, and start to drive home. Get some aspirin, lots of aspirin, lay flat in bed as soon as you get there and stay there, you'll be okay, boy it's going to hurt in the morning, hope I can go to work, hope they won't think I'm slacking off if I call in, yarg it's hard to breathe.

It's a 45 minute drive home. After about ten minutes I get dizzy because I'm having to breathe shallow. It hurts too much to breathe deeply and I can't get myself positioned comfortably in the car. I stop and get out and walk a bit, which eases the pain and makes breathing easier.

I get back in and start back toward home. Man this sucks, I can't breathe. Oh shut up and keep driving, you're fine. I keep going, shifting uncomfortably, trying stubbornly to keep breathing even though it hurts every time I suck air. But finally I have to stop again. I put my seat back and lay flat for a while, then get out and try to catch my breath some more. Man this sucks. It isn't getting any better. I lean against the car for a while longer, then get back in. Okay, this isn't working. I decide to go to the hospital.

Eventually my car swerves into an empty parking lot alongside Doctor's Hospital in downtown Shreveport, a half-mile from my apartment. A lady walking by says something about reserved parking. I ask where the emergency room is. She tells me I'm on the wrong side of the hospital, that this lot is reserved for doctors, and I need to drive around to the other side of the building.

I look at the car. I look at her. I look at the car. I look at her. I'm not getting back in that thing.

She sees my look of pain and uncertainty, and takes pity on me. She takes me into the building and points me to the emergency room. I arrive to find it completely empty except for a guy wiping the floor. Great, no one here! No waiting I guess.

Silence. Oh. There's no one here. Silence. Ho, wonderful.