Day 129: 5 Minute Freewrite: Sunday - Prompt: fingernail

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When stationed onboard a Fast Attack Nuclear Submarine I often worked with heavy equipment and tools. One day I was doing a job and managed to smash one of my fingers, the top of a fingernail taking most of the blow. It did not break the skin or break any bones it just hurt really bad. I was able to finish working my shift, then I went forward to birthing, took a quick shower and tried to get some sleep. It was not long before I woke up with my finger throbbing with pain. Looking it over I couldn't find anything wrong with it except a bruise under the nail, so I tried to go back to sleep. Soon I was back up and it was really hurting badly now, so I went to find the Corpsman that was stationed on the Sub. Most of the Corpsman that I had met were strange characters, even stranger than me which was saying something, so I never really trusted them all that much and never went to visit one unless the need was great. It might seem like a little thing and a bit silly, but every time my heart would beat that pain was getting worse. By the time that I found the doc I was getting desperate, so he walked me back to his office and shut the door.

For a young sailor what happened next was simply amazing. Doc pulled a paperclip out of a desk drawer along with a cigarette lighter. He put an absorbent pad on a stainless steel table top and told me to rest my finger on it nail up, then he bent a prong out on the paperclip and proceeded heat it up red hot with the lighter. As he brought the now glowing end of the paperclip over the top of the bruise on my nail he said, this will make it feel a lot better. The hot tip burned a neat little hole through my nail which shot out a burst of blood, then it was over. I never even felt the heat and with the pressure released there was no more pain. It was amazing that such a big problem for me could be cured with such simple surgery. Needless to say that I gained a new respect for the doc and Corpsman in general, although I still preferred making my own repairs when possible.

Over the years I have used this trick several times, and every time that I do I remember that kid getting worked on by those often unsung heroes. U.S. Navy Corpsman, you hope that you never need one but when you do you sure are glad that they are around. God bless every one of them!

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**Disclaimer: I often use the freewrite prompt to tell a story instead of doing a pure freewrite, so they sometimes take longer than 5 minutes and usually have some editing. But I try to do my story straight through at one sitting without any unnecessary breaks.
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Public Domain photo By Lance Cpl. Joseph Sorci

Over 20 Club Graphic by the ever so talented @fireawaymarmot and personalized for me by @snook
Old' Steem by the most wonderful @snook
Footer by the truly fabulous: @topkpop
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Prompt: fingernail

Set your timer for 5 minutes.
Start writing
Use the hashtag #freewrite
Publish your piece (include a link to this post if you wish)
Copy and paste your URL into the comment section of the prompt post.
Or, if you don't want to publish your freewrite, just copy and paste as a comment under the prompt post.
If you don't know what a freewrite is, here is a link to the introduction post.

Introduction to freewrite

Thank you @mariannewest