"Sometimes Eric" Needs Help

Earlier today in Tokyo I felt equal parts of humanity and shame, and in the end, humility. After 25 days of being away from home, I was singularly focused: HOME, and how badly I wanted to get there. So at about 12:40pm, I purchased my Narita Express train ticket, to take me from Tokyo to the airport, to head home. My train departed at 1:03pm. So at about 12:45pm, as I was one-track-mindedly (if that's a valid expression) dashing to the platform to catch my train, the scene only briefly caught my eye...

I brushed it off. "Wanna get home!" I thought. But as I passed the scene and looked back, I stopped. I was tempted to go on. Even took a step in advance. Then stopped again. So I backtracked and did what I was ashamed I hadn't done from the start.

The scene was a mid-to-late-20s white guy, sitting (more like laying) on his luggage on the station floor at the bottom of the escalator, a Tokyo Station Security guy trying to communicate with him. As I approached, in Japanese then English, I said, "Everything OK?" The Security guy looked at me like, "Thank you!" As I looked in to the white guy's eyes, from what little first aid training I've had, I could tell he was in shock.

Come to find out, while riding down the escalator, somebody had apparently pushed him, and he had gone end-over-end down the escalator. He was wincing in pain from his left shoulder, and as I pulled the guy's collared shirt away, his shoulder and chest had HUGE scratch marks on them, some of them bleeding slightly, and his shoulder was already swelling. More Security personnel showed up, trying to help the guy. They were trying to get him to the station's first aid center, and here the Security folks and I, with me as interpreter, are trying to negotiate with the guy, to get him to seek help.

As it turns out, he was singularly focused, too: he wanted to get home (boy... I've been that way before: sick and just wanting to get home!). I had the guy lay back a bit, and I could tell that he was coming out of shock. He looked at me with out-of-focus eyes and kept asking, "Where did you come from? What are you doing?" He was blown away that somebody was helping.

I told the Security folks, "Go get a wheel chair, and as we start moving, maybe I can negotiate with him to get help at the first aid center." They did, but as we were waiting for it, although the guy was in intense pain, I could see that he was coming out of shock, and becoming more coherent. He started pleading with me that he just wanted to get home. And I found out that he was on the same train I was on, to head to the airport. So I asked the Security personnel to get his luggage, and wheel him down to the platform, that I'd look after him on the train. He was in car #4; my seat was in car #6. I asked the Security personnel to call ahead to the airport, and arrange for a wheel chair and assistance there. They said they would do that.

I had to get off at Terminal Two for my flight, he was getting off at Terminal One, the next stop after mine. I went back to his car to check on him before I got off the train, and although he was in a great deal of pain, he was no longer in shock; he was even alert enough to crack jokes. He told me, "Dude... you were like an angel sent to me; I can't thank you enough." I told him not to worry about it; I was just doing what I would want done to me if I were in the same position.

Through it all, I found out he was heading home to Atlanta. When I asked him his name, he said, "Sometimes they call me Eric." A somewhat strange response, but I'll go with it.

But in the end I was greatly humbled, and shocked at my first reaction to just walk past a guy in need. So I guess what I'm saying is, be on the lookout for "Sometimes Eric" - he may need your help. So now matter how busy you are, help "Sometimes Eric" and don't pass him by. I'll do my best to take my own advice.

I hope you made it home safely, Sometimes Eric!!!