Chinese medicine

My friend Tim was climbing mountains in south-west China with his wife and two sons. His elder son was ahead. "Rock!" came the cry of the boy, meaning that a rock was falling. Tim watched and waited but no rock appeared. Maybe his son had been injured by a rock? Suddenly a rock the size of two cannon balls came hurtling through the air towards him and crashed into his thigh. He collapsed and passed out. A few minutes later he came round and his first thought was, "Phew, I don't think my leg's broken!" His leg was a mess and he was in agony so he told his Mandarin-speaking elder son to climb down quickly to the road and to find transport to the nearest hospital. Meanwhile, Tim, his wife and younger son climbed down very slowly.

The nearest hospital was 30 minutes drive away. Many people, those who were sick and their relations, were waiting in the entrance hall. The method for seeing a doctor seemed to be who could shout the loudest. Tim's son shouted very loud and managed to get Tim second in the queue behind a man who'd been so badly beaten up that his bones were showing. He couldn't have an x-ray until he'd paid for it. He son rushed off to find out whom to pay. He had to use the same trolley as the man before him and there were no staff to wash it clean from that man's blood. He had the x-ray and saw the doctor. "No bones broken: you can go!" was the diagnosis. Tim asked for some pain killers and was given a prescription.

They then tried to find a taxi to take them back to their hotel. However, no taxis would stop for an injured person. Eventually they managed to persuade a hospital visitor to give them a lift. Nightmare!