23. "The Incident" where I inadvertantly whack a soldier

I know that I'm very lucky to still have my job - between the precarious beginning of this saga which saw me in handcuffs, and the "chemo brain" which normally means I have to ask the same questions twice before I write it down - my company has been AH-MAZ-ING and I am super grateful.  SUPER. GRATEFUL.

So imagine now I'm sitting here running through how I'm going to tell my boss that I just basically walloped a soldier.   (No, this is not steroid or testosterone based - let me explain and set the scenario.)

I'm walking from work to my barracks room - I need to get something to eat because my stomach is feeling a bit nauseous and the only MRE I still have at work is that tuna one that I can't bring myself to open.  Also, since all the local nationals have been sent home - there's nobody doing cleaning around base and it's important we get the trash out before we have a rodent problem.  AND, I haven't left my office in seven hours and I really need some steps.

As I'm walking down the long staircase down the hill, I notice a soldier walking up the other way - not a big deal, of course - but I also notice he's not wearing a mask.  Never seen him before, don't know why he's being so blatant (maybe he's one of the folks signing a petition to remove the mask restriction or maybe he legitimately just forgot to put it on) - but I pull my rain slicker farther over my face, tighten my mask and walk on without a word.

Upon reaching me, he stops and says how are you and GRABS MY ARM.

I hit him with the umbrella in my right hand so hard it broke the umbrella and screamed, "HOW DARE YOU FUCKING TOUCH ME!" like some crazed rape victim.  I honestly have no idea why it came out that way - this is not some repressed PTSD memory coming out, just complete SHOCK that someone I don't know who is NOT covered in a mask would actually put his hands on me when I'm doing EVERYTHING I CAN POSSIBLY DO TO NOT DIE HERE.

Walking on at a double pace, I didn't even look back at him or think to get his name so I could proactively report it to my boss.  Double timed it back to my room, had a wee cry, and headed back to work to tell my boss.

I'm sure the young man meant nothing - I'm just so used to NOT being within six feet of everyone, and to be touched so forcefully was a bit disarming.

I think I might rename this blog:  "Breast Cancer - the path to my Criminal Record"

Oh SIDE NOTE - my hair started falling out today.  It caught me off guard.  I've been preparing for it, I just thought it would be on my head or my face - I just didn't think about ALL the places on your body where your hair can fall out and it was a little distressing......