I was deep in enemy territory ...

and i pulled the pin, cocked my arm, and right as i launched my arm forward -

- the grenade exploded in my hand.

the ear-deafening explosion, the eye-searing flash of white, white light, and the pain.

my hand was on fire. i couldn't hear out of my right ear - in fact all i could hear was someone screaming like a lunatic, and in my complete disorientation it took me a while to realize that the screams were coming from me. i was on the floor, rolling around and screaming, "oh God! my hand!"

they came running to check. "is my hand OK?" i asked, too blinded and too afraid to see for myself.

"yeah, there's some bleeding," he responded. "we need to get you to a doctor right away."

went to the clinic, was seen right away by the doctor and nurse on duty, and was released that night, so apparently the damage wasn't too bad.

as i write this post the following day, i have been treated for burns and lacerations on my right hand, and my hearing in my right ear is spotty at best. it will take time for me to recover, but let's take stock: i have all 5 fingers, so that's good. and although i've sustained hearing loss in my right ear, it is neither total nor permanent, which means that eventually i'll make a healthy recovery.

by the way, this entire story is true, except you substitute "crappy Indian fireworks" - or, more accurately, "Rhino Bomb" - for the word "grenade."

apparently there's video of the whole thing. can't wait to see that.