We're Inherently Selfish, But Re-Contextualization Can Work Magic!

[Mesopotamian]

I am attempting to relocate to another country than Iraq, and i ended up in a nearby country, residing in a shared apartment. 

One month passed after I arrived, and we had a roommate got hit by a motorcycle while legally crossing the street, and the motorcycle hit him at his leg, just bellow his left knee and ran away, never stopped. 

The guy was accompanied by another roommate, and they called the police, and an ambulance has dispatched which took him to the ER. Then at the Er, with his friend, they did nothing to him as he wasn't bleeding, and I didn't know what happened exactly, but they just got a taxi and came back to the flat after the police gave them a document to state the details of the accident.

Second day arrived, and the police called him, stating that they have arrested the motorcycle driver, and asked him to go to police station. He had no money to even get there, so I offered to take him there by taxi. He was barely able to be walking, Upon arrival, he talked to an officer, and they basically told him that he has 3 days to decide if he wants to drop charges. I then proceeded to purchase him a dinner that night too.

The guy wasn't complaining, but he was keeping high spirit, and he didn't even lose his sense of humor, and was even telling me that he might drop charges because he thinks that it might not be fair that the guy get departed from the country.

Then another two days, and they guy still barely being able to walk to bathroom and to kitchen. And then I found out that until that time, his leg hasn't even been looked at by a doctor! 

And knowing that going to a doctor and a hospital isn't free, I basically couldn't stand the thought that somebody been hit by a motorcycle, can barely walk, but yet don't know how bad his injury is, just because being unable to be seen by a doctor! 

Therefore, I told him that I am offering to take him to the doctor. We went to the first hospital, whom he thought would help, but then they asked for a sum of money that I didn't even have on me, so I offered to take him to another place I knew it's going to be affordable because I had my teeth cleaned at the place upon arrival to that country. 

I paid the equivalent of 10 days of rent for the place I've been renting, for doctor and x-rays, but still turned out much cheaper than the first hospital, probably 5 times cheaper. 

My reasoning behind why I was able to take him is that I am a free guy, unmarried, no children, and just have to manage myself. My family are good in Iraq and need no care, but I imagined if my brother was with me and he got sick, wouldn't I go and take him to the doctor and hospital? but knowing my brother is well and fine, I can accommodate to care for another person..and that by spending money to treat him, I would be able to enable the medical center to give him service, and that medical center wasn't running on free energy, but they need money to function.

To our surprise, the x-ray showed no damage in bone of both ankle and knee, but the injury was with the muscle tissue that connects it to the bone or something. 

The doctor also gave him an injection, and we then bought some vitamines, pain killers, and knee support, and after we got out from the medical center, he started walking faster than before and he said the he feels well! and later at that night, he even told me that he went and took a walk around the lake that evening, which was crazy and unthinkable that morning when he was barely able to walk.

Throughout those challenging days, he maintained a resilient sense of humor and high spirits. As we journeyed between clinics, he began sharing his personal narrative. Revealing that he serves as a police officer in his home country, he emphasized the toughness associated with his profession and family. In military training, he learned to carry his injured leg on his shoulder and advance, trusting that support would eventually arrive, be it within a week, a month, or even a year.

He went on to recount a poignant chapter of his life as a father of 4 or 5 children, eagerly awaiting the birth of another child in Turkey with his wife. Tragically, the newborn suffered from a heart disorder, succumbing to it after just two weeks in the hospital. He showed me a staggering bill of approximately $20,000. Desperate, he reached out to someone back home for financial assistance, which he received. However, when the family attempted to return to their home country, they discovered they had overstayed their entry visa due to the complications surrounding the child's birth.

Consequently, he was arrested and imprisoned for four months, separated from his grieving family. To compound matters, the individual who had lent him money back home accused him of absconding with the funds, prompting the issuance of an arrest warrant in his home country. Fortunately, a benevolent individual intervened, securing his release from the Turkish prison and providing him with a ticket to our current location. This tumultuous journey has left him bankrupt, unable to afford even basic necessities.

Despite his dire circumstances, the flat's occupants, including the landlords, have shown compassion by not forcing him onto the streets. Additionally, another roommate who is a doctor has pledged to visit him today, aiming to offer some relief, possibly through a cream to alleviate his physical discomfort.

It's worth noting that even at the second hospital we visited, the staff exhibited kindness by providing a 20% discount on the X-rays, further contributing to the overall support extended during this challenging time.