Urgent trip to New Zealand

Simon has to go on an unexpected trip to New Zealand. His daughter in Christchurch is doing rather badly after the big earthquake they had there early last year, and her fiance has to go away for a couple of weeks. They want Simon to just be there with her for that time. So he's stressed out at the moment, having to organise a return plan ticket, and getting his passport here from Lightning Ridge which is cut off from the floods. The guy he's got there looking after the place mailed it today and said it would be here in about 3 days. Australia Post must be flying mail in and out at the little airport there. 

Sounds to me like Post Traumatic Stress from the earthquake. His daughter is a school teacher, and when the earthquake struck she rushed them all out into the footy field there. But then the ground started opening up and water coming out with that liquefaction thing that happens. All the kids were screaming. Sounds pretty bad. 

I said to just go there and be with her. That's all it sounds like she wants right now. Mental illness isn't something that's going to go in a month or two, me being a prime example. In a way it's a good thing Simon has been around me , me so fucked up in the head. At least he's had some experience of such things and now's in a better position to perhaps understand his daughter's plight. I imagine there'd be a lot of New Zealander's dealing with Post Traumatic Stress after the earthquake, particularly with the amount of strong aftershocks they've had over the last year there.

My Shingles are improving a lot, all scabbed over now. Still hugely painful. Be seeing my doctor tomorrow.