Medicine, Coupons, And Gas, Oh My!

(My husband comes home from a hospital stay after nearly dying. He is still very tired and weak. I am with him most of that time, except when I am at work, so I am pretty exhausted myself. I am walking through the store, talking to him on the phone about what we can afford.)

Me: “Okay, I checked at the pharmacy. If we hold off on buying [Medicine #1] until our paychecks hit tomorrow, we can afford to get some fast food so I don’t have to cook. The kitchen is still messy from the other day, anyway. They can’t fill [Medicine #2] until tomorrow because of insurance, and they only had a little of [Medicine #3]. They will get more of that on Tuesday, but they only had enough in stock to last until Sunday. I’ll have to head into [Bigger City 40 min away] sometime tomorrow to get some at the [Store] there. Crap, that means I need to get gas; well, I’ll cook after all tonight. It’s not that big a deal.”

(I am also type 1 diabetic, and as I get to my car, I realize my blood glucose level is low. I have to eat some sugar and wait until my glucose comes up to be able to drive. As I’m staring into space, barely awake, there’s a tap at my window. A scruffy, dirty, tired looking man in his late 20s is standing there with a gas can.)

Man: *with a heavy backwoods accent* “I heard you on the phone earlier, and I seen you sitting here eatin’ them sugar pills, so I figured I had a minute. I got some extra [Medicine #3] from when my blood levels was low, and I just won $50 on scratch offs when I was thinkin’ about that, so here. Y’all can have these.”

(He hands me a prescription bottle with just enough of the exact right dosage of the right medicine to make it to Tuesday and starts to put gas from the one-gallon gas can into my car.)

Man: “I know how much hospitals’ll charge you, and sounds like you just need a little help to get through till tomorrow. This ain’t much gas, but it’ll get you home and this way you won’t have to drive to [City]. Oh, and here’s some coupons for [Christian fast food chain] if y’all wanna get dinner from there. Have a blessed day!”

(Stunned, I could barely stammer out a “You too, sir,” before he got in his dented 80’s pickup and left. Thank you, sir, for helping a stranger out in time of need! I hope to pay it forward someday!)