What to do after date got injured.

REPOSTING FROM DATING_ADVICE

I (27F) matched with this guy in bumble (32M) about a week ago. We talked on the app, exchanged numbers, texted, and he asked me to go out together. He had tickets he had previously gotten to this haunted forrest attraction that was only open for 2 more nights as it the end of spooky season.

We got dinner first and it was fine. I like his stance on things and the conversations were okay but not like I was like "wow I'm really connecting with this person". After dinner we went to the haunted forrest and I thought it was a really cool attraction this area has. The gimmick for last weekend it was open is that all the lights are turned off. The forrest attraction had multiple indoor areas that were either very dark, pitch black, or only lit by glow lights. Did it up the creep factor, yeah I guess, was I truly concerned I was gonna miss a step and eat shit the whole time, also yes. After you went through one indoor area you would have to walk outside to get to the next one. As we're walking through, I was thinking this guy was okay but I didn't feel that much chemistry so I was thinking I wouldn't go on a second date.

There was one fear actor ahead who we saw slam a huge blade into the wooden wall in front of some guests and in general slamming the knife on other surfaces randomly to make some loud sounds. We continued forward and this guy jumped out and made full contact with my date. It was super dark so I all I saw were 2 figures collide. The actor while still in character asked if he was okay and he said he was bleeding. The actor was like "are you serious" and he said he was. He took us aside to call for medical to come get us but his walkie talkie wasn't working. He told us to keep going forward and he would meet us out of there. I turned on my phone's flashlight cause obviously. One of the actors in character told me to stop breaking the rules but he obviously didn't know our situation. We eventually got out of there and I finally saw him and he was bleeding all over the place, all over his clothes, it looked really bad. The actor who hit him felt super bad and apologized profusely and told other actors "well it's so dark in there. I can't see anything. I hit him with my knife" over and over again. As guests walked by they were like "was that blood real, it was still wet?" and then saw his face like "holy shit". Eventually security came and got us out of there and told all the other guests to make way for us and people were like "is this apart of the show?" which in hindsight, is a little funny I guess.

We finally got out of there, EMS took us aside and assessed the wound. It was a pretty wide gash down his forehead. They cleaned his wound, wrapped him up and told him that we needed to go to the ER for stitches/antibiotics. They also refunded his tickets and told us we could come back for free either for this theme or their other future forrest themes. Everyone was super apologetic and they also recommended a 24/7 urgent care to go to that they thought would see us faster than the ER. My date was the one who drove so I made sure multiple times he was okay to drive and he assured me that he was good to do so. He also told me many times that I didn't have to go with him and he fully understands if I wanted to leave but this guy just got slashed across the face with a knife in the dark so no I wasn't gonna leave him. We went to urgent care and when he told the intake lady at the front what happened he just said "I got hit in head with a machete" so I specified that the haunted forrest actor hit him and everyone in the waiting room was outraged for us. He was honestly way too chill throughout this like "nahh he was sorry. I don't wanna sue or anything. I'll be fine" which is great for him but damn I'm not that cool of a person.

We got called back pretty quickly and the triage nurse was pretty funny and got a kick out this being a first date. Eventually the PA who was gonna stitch him up came in and said she was gonna use lidocaine and unfortunately, he is allergic to lidocaine. She said he had to go the ER and he said he was 100% fine doing it without anesthetic but she hard refused and apologized but turned us away for the ER. The shitty side of me was like "fuuuccckkkk why is this night still going on!!!" but still, he's the one who got randomly hit in the face in the dark with a blade.

He kept telling me I can go home but I would feel really shitty if I did that so looked it up and the nearest ER is the ER attached to the hospital I work at 🙃. We went there and same situation with the intake nurse but she ended up asking us what is my relationship to him and I had to be like "we're on a first date" which she also got a kick out of so I do wonder what she wrote in his chart. We waited for around 2 hours until we got a bed in the hallway and the nurse told us they were gonna use lidocaine which obv he can't do. She said they would figure something out and left to treat other patients.

As we're waiting, other ER staff were asking us about what happened. They were like "why do they use a real knife?" and we were like "idk seems dangerous, especially in the dark" and they kept asking us and we told them we were just guests and they were floored. They were under the impression that we worked there and it was a freak workers accident, not that he was a guest who got attacked by someone that works there (accidentally but still). Throughout our wait in the waiting room and in the hallway bed, he told me many times I could leave and although a piece of me was ready to just leave and go to bed, I already came this far. About 3 hours after he got the bed (5 hours after we got to the ER) the nurse and PA came back to us and the PA asked if it would be okay to do this without anesthetic. He said it was fine and the nurse was like "if at any point this is too much, tell us". He got stitched up right there and didn't make any fuss at all (ouch) and they gave instructions to help reduce scarring after the stitches come out. I do think the urgent care should have just stitched him up and not wasted 5 hours of our time because they didn't actually have any other types of anesthetic at the ER anyway but oh well. Luckily, I didn't see anyone I know (I don't work in the ER but I thought if they called a doctor on call in the department I do work in, that would be an interesting conversation to have)

I will say, his attitude throughout this whole situation was admirable. Idk many people who would have been so calm throughout this situation. I also feel somewhat obligated to see him again. He took me out and ended up with a gash down his head and maybe a facial scar for life. Throughout the whole evening/night, I spent about 8 hours with him and it was fine. I don't really feel that spark and under different circumstances, I wouldn't go on a 2nd date. I don't want to lead him on either. I just think this was such a crazy situation and idk how to move forward from this. I also don't wanna blindside him cause what if he thinks "I told her to leave so many times and she stayed until super late at the ER, she must really like me" so idk what to do moving forward.