So this happened.
There weren’t a lot of people taking dinner at the albergue this evening. Rather than sitting by myself, I decided to sit at a table with a German guy who was sitting by himself. He apologized that his English wasn’t better, while I said, in German, that my German is shit, getting a bit of a laugh from him.
After dessert, he excused himself promptly, saying he was ready for bed. He’s a cyclist and had covered three times as much distance as I had today, so I wished him a good night. Shortly after, I inserted myself at a nearby table with a Canadian-American couple and chatted with them for a while.
Several minutes later, the server came by with Google Translate open on her phone. The English was, “Your friend just fainted.”
Apparently, while attempting to pay for dinner, my new acquaintance collapsed. Minutes later, a half-dozen medics and another half-dozen guardia civil arrived. I seemed to be the only one who spoke a little German and a little Spanish, and since I was the last one seen with this guy, whose name I don’t even know, I was inserted into the situation.
Long story short, his vitals looked good, but they were going to transport him to a hospital in León for observation. They gave him an IV to hydrate him, while the albergue host and I ransacked his belongings to find a few things he didn’t want to leave behind. I wished him viel Glück in the ambulance just before they drove off.
It could’ve been me.
