"I Should Be Dead" by Peter Jenkins
In the beginning, it was my every intention to keep this a secret since very few people knew about it. I am embarrassed to disclose something I have worked so hard to prevent. But the scars on my hand and arm are a sinister reminder of a mistake that nearly ended my life. I am further moved to tell my tale in light of a recent death in White County, Georgia of a man bitten by a timber rattlesnake Crotalus horridus - the same local that put me in the hospital August 12, 2007. For the sake of brevity and entertainment I will refrain from quoting my medical record and mind numbing stats.
Expletives flowed from my clenched teeth the likes of which haven't been uttered since my time in the Navy behind the backs of division officers and power hungry third class petty officers. Like still-frame images, I remember looking at my hand after feeling an unusual and slightly painful sensation. The sight of two holes oozing blood and urine colored venom sent my heart well into my throat where it prevented me from calling to my wife or my visiting friend, Blake. The angry, black timber rattlesnake hung out of the cage flicking its tongue rapidly and literally staring at me. I took the handle of my snake hook and gently pushed her back inside her enclosure and walked slowly and methodically toward my outdoor water spigot. I could already feel a numbing in my lips, head, and arms and each step I took got clumsier and clumsier. “I've been bit” I muttered calmly to Blake as I passed by him. He knew by my demeanor that I wasn't joking: I'd never joke about being bitten. READ THE REST AT THE LINK ABOVE
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