Wow, so many replies thank-you.
To those of you saying the walk wouldn't be dangerous, you can't possibly know, any more than you can know whether there will be a car accident on a 20mph road. In my teens and twenties I used to take a lot of risks walking places alone, but what on earth would I do if some psycho decided to start, and I couldn't protect my toddler from them? I was always taught lonely places are the most dangerous - fewer people yes, but it's just them and you... I did once have a guy come up and start ranting at me when I had a baby in arms (he was mentally unwell, with a dog). This in the daytime after Bounce and Rhyme. It was the worst feeling - I couldn't get the baby in the car, safe, quickly enough if he started getting physical. I couldn't outrun him, and certainly not the dog. I wouldn't have been able to get my baby away from him or the dog. The only saving grace was that I could see other parents in their cars, babies safely stowed, waiting to see if I needed help. Luckily the situation diffused itself.
The hospital kept messing up the medication (actually I was at a GPs and two separate hospitals over the course of last night and this morning), so the whole course of steriods / whatever else they ended up giving him wasn't finished until 3pm.
So different, equally horrible dilemma;
- Wait at the hospital indefinitely, having been up since 6am the previous day, and drive home with toddler after being awake for what would have been 33 hours. Presumably weaving past Christmas shoppers whilst trying desperately not to fall asleep.
- Discharge the toddler against medical advice, still poorly.
- Get partner to come to hospital, with baby in Uber and no car seat. Then give me the baby, and stay with the toddler. I could then drive back in my own car, with baby in car seat.
I ended up doing the last one, at 8am. So still 26 hours without sleep, but at least the roads were really quiet.
Toddler much better, although my partner brought him home in a buggy, on the bus, which I'm baffled by as toddler was in hospital with serious cough / wheeze / laboured breathing. Literally the thing that sets him off most is cold air.
I feel horribly guilty about the whole thing, especially the baby having had to travel (albeit legally and on 20pmh roads) without a car seat. Sure I will get flamed for this but it was a real "Sophie's Choice". At least it was light and quiet roads when he did. And I'm generally upset and rattled by the experience too, although I know that's just how it is these days. We're also £120 worse off, as partner couldn't work today, and money very tight atm.
We were offered a bed "so I could sleep", but not until 6am (12.5 hours after the beginning of the whole fiasco), however toddler was wide awake by this time (he'd managed to sleep in his pram), as 6am is his usual waking up time. He was demanding I play games with him, read to him etc - the chance of him sitting quietly whilst I slept were exactly 0.
Very long and whingy post! Tomorrow will be better.