Crash on the Memorial Bridge

What happened is I was riding my new bke to work across the Memorial Bridge into Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Every day I ride across the steel grating that keeps us from falling into the Piscatiqua river. Of course I walk across on the wooden walkway if the roads are wet. It is well known and accepted that the transparent gift of moisture transforms the quarter inch thick coarse steel webbing into super slick meat grinder.
This particular day, June twenty third it had rained an hour before my approach to the grating. OK. Maybe it had been fourty five minutes. I looked at the road - dry save for the wet stripe left under the car tires. The decision was made as my tire hit the steel. I went down about two thirds of the way across, just over the New Hampshire state line. In a daze I put my bloody bike in the back of a man's pick up and crawled in behind it. I was watching my blood dripping down all over my Bailey bag. I was seeing the town go by, watching people moving along sidewalks and inside of stores, going about their regular days.

I remember feeling grateful for the cool damp breeze that soothed my skin as we drove towards the hospital.  I saw the square, Cafe Kilim.  We drove past the bike shop and I saw my co workers bringing bikes outside, getting ready to have a regular day, one I was supposed to be a part of.  Instead I was headed for Portsmouth General.
   I fished my phone out of my bag and managed to call the shop.  It took me a minute or so to remember the number, not even sure I'd dialed it right until Nat's voice greeted me through the tiny speaker.  Strange to think now that calling work took precidence over calling Eli, who I called next, and explained the situation as we approached the Emergency Room entrance.
   Over 8 hours I was tested, questioned, observed, x-rayed, cat-scanned, braced, stitched and patched. Besides the obvious deep lascerations on my left knee, right index finger, and face, I had a fracture on my right index finger, and one underneath my left eye.  Thirty nine stitches, an immobilizing cast, splint. 
   This was a stupid, any day type of crash that could happen to anyone.  The nursess in the ER were saying they treat cyclists who go down on the steel grating all the time.  So if you ride, I really hope you will wear a helmet.  Once again it was the difference between writing this story now, and risking far more than a pound of flesh.  You can also look at it from a financial perspective.  My treatment and recovery is going to cost a hell of a lot less because I was wearing a $70 helmet.