The day started off badly and just got worse. My husband wakes at the crack of dawn no matter what time zone we're in, and I get my best and deepest sleep in the morning. Since I hadn't asked him to wake me at a specific time, he kindly let the girls and me sleep in - until 10am!
Both girls needed showers, as did I, so it would take us an hour or so to eat, wash, and be ready to go. My husband had been up for hours and was eager to get started, so I sent him ahead with his Copenhagen Card, and we made plans to meet at the sandcastle exhibit we'd seen near the Play House (theater) along the waterfront, at 12:30. He'd take that boat ride we'd missed last night, and after looking at the sandcastles, we'd head to the Zoo or Tivoli. My plan had been to do the zoo in the morning, and Tivoli in the afternoon, but the morning was now gone.
Getting the girls out the door was trying. They were both in bad moods and constantly at each other, pushing and shoving over using the sink, throwing clothes at each other that they were supposed to be putting away, etc. We finally had all the dishes washed, water bottles filled, and sunhats located, and were out the door. I had my green bag with camera, iPad, and my things, and instead of each girl carrying a pack, I put the 3 water bottles into one pack and would have the girls take turns carrying it.
We caught a 2A bus toward the city and had to stand because it was full of baby carriages and another group of adorable school children. We were squished into a corner and again, the girls were at each other... "Get your elbow off of me! You're leaning into me, stop it! Don't push me!"
We took a moment to switch the backpack from Aubrietta to Kelsey, and I took this photo, the last one of Kelsey before the accident...
I was ready to slip out the back door of the bus and let them find their own way to the Play House, their behavior was so bad I didn't want people to know they were mine. We finally got to our stop and had to push our way to the door to get out before the doors closed. I couldn't believe that the driver kept letting people on. Out on the street we found our way to the connecting bus stop, the 11A, and learned that it ran every 20 minutes, and we had just missed one. We were within a 15 minute walk of the Play House, so we started walking. There was foot dragging and complaining. It was nearing 12:30 and Daddy hated it when we were late.

Finally we were able to see the sandcastles, and I paused for a moment to take this photo. They were set up on a pier beside the Play House, and as we approached I suddenly saw, out of the side of my eye, Kelsey tripping on the cobblestone sidewalk we were on. She had turned to look up and say something to me and stumbled. It didn't help that we had been walking at a brisk pace. She tried to catch herself, but we had just switched the backpack onto her about 5 minutes before, Aubrietta having carried it until then. The weight of the backpack seemed to propel her forward with even more force, and I heard a terrible crack as she hit the cobblestones face first, followed by a blood-curdling scream.
I wonder through the ages how many people have lost teeth and broken bones because of these.
I picked her up and could see immediately that it was bad. Big chunks of her front teeth were missing, with little flecks of the white enamel washing down her chin in the blood and saliva. Her lip, chin, knees, and palms of her hands were scraped and bleeding. The skin around her cheekbone, eye socket, and forehead was swelling, which meant she might have a concussion in addition to the tooth injury.
Kelsey is very, very squeamish and the sight of blood, hers or anyone else's, induces hysteria. She screamed and screamed, and Aubrietta looked panicked, and asked if she should go get Daddy. We were within sight of the entrance to the Sandcastles, so I said yes, partly just to get her out of there before she passed out from the sight of all the blood.
People streamed by us but no one stopped to help, which surprised me. I picked Kelsey up and was helping her walk toward the Sandcastles and Play House, which was only about 50 meters away. The sun was shining and Kelsey was starting to collapse, so instead of continuing in the direction of the pier, I turned and headed toward the Play House, hoping to get to a bathroom where I could wash Kelsey's wounds, or at least get us out of the hot sun. We made it as far as the wooden decking in front of the revolving door entering the north end of the Play House, which was not the main entrance, but more of a way to get to the pier. Kelsey collapsed, still conscious thankfully, but too weak to go on. I lay her on her side and poured water from a half-frozen water bottle over her face, trying to wash the grit from her swelling lip. I then asked her to hold the icy bottle against her lip while I pulled out my iPad and sent an email to my husband telling him where we were and to come find us. I didn't have a cell phone, but thank goodness I had gotten that internet chip for my iPad the night before.
A few minutes passed and people stared as they walked by, and then finally a man and his wife came forward to help us. I got Kelsey to her feet somewhat, wrapping my arms under her armpits to support her, and we went in the revolving door to the Play House where an employee at a bar came rushing over to us, asking if we needed plaster (band aids), and then looking again, and asking, "ambulance?". The man and hs wife who led us into the building disappeared before I could thank them.
I explained that my husband and other daughter were at the sandcastles, and the employee went off to get plaster and a blanket for Kelsey, while I sat on the floor and held her, looking out the big glass wall of windows toward the sandcastles on the pier, hoping to catch a glimpse of Aubrietta and Daddy. In my confusion I'd emailed him that I was at the Opera House, which was across the water, and not the Play House, so I quickly emailed back to him where I actually was. Finally, I saw them walking toward us, and I told the employee to go ahead and call an ambulance.

The response time for an ambulance was not like it is in the US. Although I'd seen a lot of ambulances on the roads, apparently they are very busy, probably with lots of vehicle-bicycle collisions. Since Kelsey's was a "minor" injury, the wait was 20 minutes. Once they arrived, though, the care and attention they gave Kelsey was fantastic. She got loaded onto a gurney, they took her vitals, and inspected her injuries, all the while being very gentle toward her.
One of the medics rode in the back with Kelsey, while Daddy and Aubrietta sat in jumpseats beside them. I sat up front with the other medic, who drove. As we wound through the city at the speed of traffic (no need for lights or sirens), he pointed out the famous buildings and told me about the city's history. I never anticipated getting a city tour from the front seat of an ambulance.
We were taken to the main hospital, Rigshsopitalet, which is the largest hospital in Denmark, and the major trauma center. It is equivalent to Harborview Hospital in Seattle, where all the top surgeons and specialists work. Kelsey needed to be seen by a dental surgeon, so that is why we were there.

The trauma center (Emergency) was located in the basement, and as we were led down the corridor rows of beds were on either side of us, with patients in various states of distress lying there, only a few shielded by drawn curtains. Aubrietta's head was whipping back and forth at the sight, and I could tell she was getting faint. For some reason we scored an enclosed, windowless private room, and after the medics briefed the male nurse in Danish, Kelsey was transferred from the gurney to the bed and they left. The large, Middle-Eastern nurse asked Daddy and me questions, assured us all medical care from the hospital was free, and spoke reassuringly to Kelsey and said he'd be back shortly to clean Kelsey's wounds. An hour passed before we saw him again.
Kelsey lay in the bed completely deflated, but not crying or hysterical anymore. My husband gave her his cell phone to play a game on. There was only one hard, modern design chair in the room, which my husband sat in, and Aubrietta slumped against the wall on the floor, feeling ill. While waiting for the nurse to return to clean Kelsey's wounds I decided to take Aubrietta our for a few hours, returning by 16:00 so Daddy could leave by bus to pick up the rental car we had ordered for our weekend travels. First I took Aubrietta to the hospital cafeteria to get her something to eat. It was 14:00 and she hadn't eaten since breakfast, which contributed to her light-headedness.
The hospital cafeteria offered fransk hot dogs (hot dog in a hollowed out baguette) or a large variety of smorbrod (open face sandwiches on grainy rye bread). Next to the cafeteria was a 7-11 convenience store selling junk food as well as fruits and veg and sandwiches. I bought 2 bananas, 2 fruit juices, and a roll of mentos mints to perk up Aubrietta, who was lying down on a bench seat at a table in the cafe waiting for me. At the table together neither of us felt like eating. We each ate half a banana and had a few sips of juice, then instead of venturing out, we returned to Kelsey's room in the basement.
The nurse was just finishing up cleaning Kelsey's wounds. Daddy ate the remaining banana and juice drinks, and then I stayed with Kelsey while Aubrietta went with Daddy to get the rental car. The rental outlet closed at 18:00, so they couldn't be late. I let Kelsey play on my iPad a little bit, but then had to take it away to preserve the battery life. Since I didn't have a cell phone, using it to send email was my only means of communication with Daddy's cell phone. The nurse brought a pitcher of apple juice for Kelsey and encouraged her to drink, and two yogurts for her to eat, though she barely touched them. He also brought 2 prepacked sandwiches for Daddy and me, and I ate one, and Aubrietta ate the other when she returned with Daddy in the rental car an hour and a half later.

After a 4 hour wait the orthopedic doctor came in to inspect Kelsey's knee and head. The examination was thorough and gentle. Kelsey appeared to have escaped without a concussion, but I knew the drill about waiting and watching for signs, just in case. Kelsey was relatively content in the hospital bed, although bored. There was no TV, no books or toys for kids, just 4 blank walls with a couple of glass fronted cabinets filled with scary looking surgical supplies. I walked the halls and found a small table with a few children's books (all in Danish, of course) and some half-filled coloring books. There appeared to be no waiting room, and nothing other than that for children. I'd asked the medics, and emailed our accommodation host, asking if there was a Children's Hospital we could be taken to, but apparently there wasn't one in Copenhagen. I wished there was.

It was 17:00 and the day was passing, although very slowly. It was a gloriously sunny day outside, but down in the bowels of the hospital, it could have been snowing outside for all we knew. I looked over at Aubrietta, sitting on the floor, and suggested I take her out to Tivoli, so at least we could get some use out of our Copenhagen Cards. When we first arrived at the hospital I was hopeful they could clean Kelsey up, patch her teeth if needed, and if she felt like it, we could go on to the zoo, which she really wanted to do. That obviously wasn't going to happen for Kelsey, but perhaps the day could still be saved somewhat for Aubrietta.
The hospital is immense.
Aubrietta in the maze that is the basement of the hospital, where the trauma center was.
Daddy stayed with Kelsey, who was OK with us leaving (we still held hope that she would be seen soon and could join us), and Aubrietta and I emerged out into the sunshine. We stopped first by the rental car, where I had to take note of the license number and email it to the ferry company that we had a reservation with the next day. They required a license plate number, and said if I didn't notify them of it as soon as we got our car, they wouldn't be obligated to hold our reservation. Crazy! Aubrietta played briefly in the big playground opposite the hospital while I sent the email from the hood of the car using my iPad.
At 17:30 we boarded the 6A bus and soon arrived at Tivoli. We just got in the gate when Aubrietta's appetite made itself known, so first we shared a licorice ice cream and an elderflower sorbet, then we hit a hot dog stand for Franske Hot Dogs. They had these strange hanging bottles of condiments that you squeezed like milking a cow.
We wandered for a while through the park, but both of us were in a funk. I didn't feel like spending any money for Aubrietta to go on any of the rides, and she felt guilty for wanting to ride them when Kelsey couldn't enjoy them, too. In fact, Aubrietta had been crying on most of the bus ride toward Tivoli because she felt so badly for her sister. I tried to comfort her by reminding her that last weekend when we were in Iceland and she was throwing up sick, Kelsey had been able to go out and do things when Aubrietta couldn't. Life wasn't fair, illness and accidents interrupt our best plans, and we just have to make the best of situations. I reminded Aubrietta that Kelsey felt just as bad about ruining Aubrietta's day, as ruining her own, and she would feel even worse if we didn't make the most of what was left of our visit to Copenhagen.
Aubrietta enjoyed this jazz band. Thursdays are for Jazz at Tivoli.
I had to break the gloom we were in, so I finally caved and bought Aubrietta a wristband to go on the rides. It cost about 40 dollars, but was unlimited. Away she went, in the fun house, on the carousel, up the ferris wheel (one of the oldest in the world), and on most of the kiddie rides. She wasn't into the whiplash rides with the long lines of teenagers. Since it was now after 19:00, most of the families with young kids had gone home, so there were no lines for the kiddie rides. Sometimes Aubrietta was the only one riding!
Aubrietta's favorite ride was the "flying trunk," and animatronic ride much like Disney's "Small World," that took you slowly past scenes from Hans Christian Anderson's Fairy tales. Although I didn't have a ticket, the attendant waved me on anyway, so I enjoyed it, too.
I looked on at Aubrietta's increasing joy, and I felt relief for her, but no happiness of my own. I had been to Tivoli in 1997 with my brother. It was an interesting place, but I could have passed on it. I knew my husband would not enjoy it, with the crowds of rowdy teenagers, every other person smoking, and general chaos.
I tried to admire the garden part of Tivoli Garden. I loved the sod-roofed buildings planted with blooming pansies, but even beautiful flowers didn't bring relief from my sadness for Kelsey. I tried to be cheerful for Aubrietta's benefit, but my feeble attempt at enthusiasm was very forced.
I wished Kelsey was with us, and every 15 minutes or so I'd find a quiet corner to pull out my iPad and see if Daddy had emailed an update. From his journal, this is what was happening back at the hospital:
"Shortly before 18:00 we were taken upstairs for a pano xray of Kelsey's mouth. She had to stand for the xray and for unknown reasons the machine had a mirror right in front of her face. At seeing her face, she felt weak and collapsed on the floor, which necessitated another xray. After she laid down for awhile and was able to regain her composure I told her to close her eyes and not look in the mirror. At the conclusion I asked for a copy of the xray to take home to our dentist. They had some trouble making a copy. We waited and waited, and were finally ushered downstairs without it. I went back up to inquire and although some people tried to be helpful, the radiologist who has been with us was nowhere to be found. Back in the room we waited and waited again.
"At about 18:30 we were told that the dentist was in surgery working on a boy with a broken jaw from a car accident, and that she would come to see Kelsey in 1 to 2 hours. No nurses ever came to check on us or give us an update of what was going on. If you wanted anything, you had to summon them. At one point I asked if Kelsey could have a popsicle or some ice cream. We were told that they had none, but that we could purchase some one floor up. I took Kelsey by the hand to walk her up there, but as we went through an automatic door out of the trauma center, it slid shut quite forcefully, striking Kelsey in the side of the head and knocking her to the floor. I took her back to the room and went for the ice cream myself. I summoned a nurse who seemed rather blasé, despite the fact that kelsey had developed a welt on the side of her head where the door had hit her. The nurse asked only if Kelsey had lost consciousness or was nauseous, and when I said no, she left. No offer of ice for the swelling.
"The waiting was almost unbearable. At 20:45 we were told the dentist was out of surgery and reviewing Kelsey's xray and would be there shortly. When the dentist came she checked Kelsey and said the xray did not indicate any breakage at the roots, or other problem with the roots. The front teeth were not loosened too much, and in her opinion a temporary patch to the chipped teeth wasn't needed, unless the sensitivity to heat and cold, or pain, was unbearable after 4 to 5 days. Then, we should see a dentist to consider a temporary filling placed over the chipped areas. Kelsey was to eat only soft foods for 2 weeks, and take care not to bump her teeth. We received copies of the xrays, some painkiller if Kelsey needs it, and were discharged after being at the hospital for 8 hours."
Aubrietta and I left Tivoli at 21:00 and made our way back to the hospital. When we arrived at the trauma center Kelsey was gone, discharged moments before. We rushed out to where the car had been parked and found Daddy and Kelsey about to pull away. To add insult to injury (literally), a parking ticket was on our dash. Oh well, another mess to deal with, for another day. This longest day of the year needed to come to an end.
NEXT: Day 9 From Copenhagen to the Island of Ærø, Danmark - Friday, June 22
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