Scrapes

A scrape is not a deep wound. It does not penetrate to the inner layers, it punctures nothing, it destroys nothing vital. And yet it hurts in a particular, burning way. The outermost layer of skin has been abraded, the sensitive nerve endings lie exposed, every touch, every breath of air becomes too much. It is as if life has taken a strip of your protection — not much, but enough to hurt.

Medicine sees this as a mechanical matter. You fell, slipped, caught on something. Friction wore away tissue. The wound is disinfected, a crust forms, after a few days everything has healed. Often not even a scar remains.