Seriously,though, my guess is that he stumbled and scraped his knuckles reaching for something to keep from falling.
I’m not on drugs, and I stumble while walking (due to a back injury). When I get that ‘kink’ (caused by vertebrae grinding against swollen nerves), the pain is overwhelming. Good thing it only lasts a few seconds or I’d carry a gun just so I could shoot myself.
Stumbling and bloody knuckles...
FWIW, I’ve been digging post holes for corral fencing. The ground is like concrete, and I’m in my 50s. If I walked into a store right now, there would be blood on my hands, I’d be stooped over and doing well to stay vertical. But my judgment would not be impaired, I would retain the right of self defense, and I’d have a S&W with me.
And I don’t deserve to die because of it.