Friday, April 18, 2014

Emergency room

We are spending the night in the Emergency Room. Life! You might like to know all the exciting stories behind it, but that's not what I'm here for. 

If I were you I would be curious.

But I'm not you. I'm in an Emergency Room writing to you. And that is different. It lets me imagine whatever I like. What I imagine is that you have a series of questions. But don't worry! I am going to answer all the questions I am going to imagine you having.

1. What is it like at the Emergency Room?

It is very loud and busy, and yet seems wholly populated by tons of people who work here, and hardly anyone else.

2. Is this what you pictured for an Emergency Room?

No! I pictured all the loudness and busyness, but all of that busyness surrounding people whose arms were just torn off, or who are bleeding from their dazed heads, or who are being wheeled on a gurney IN A GREAT HURRY by a group of very focused people.

3. Does the Emergency Room remind you of the library.

Yes.

4. Could you elaborate?

Practically everything is like my library.

5. How so IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE?

Are you still mad I'm not telling you the exciting stories behind my visit here?

6. No. How so in this particular case?

There are computers and monitors of various sorts making strange noises and displaying inscrutable information all of which probably quickly becomes mundanely intelligible when you work here or have been here for a bit. The staff seems to be mostly socializing, yet seems to basically get the job done. Those who can communicate well and understand others are like gods, those who can't... aren't. I read and write here in my spare time too. Everyone looks like one of my former co-workers. There are way too many workers for the job at hand, except, just in the time I've been writing this, there are way too few, and no one can ever fix that problem. You can overhear a lot. All the answers and things to be done are on the computers. The staff all sort of complain about each other.

7. What's your room like?

Aside from all the hospital stuff it's a theme room, like one of those hotels with theme rooms that I always think I might like to stay at but never get around to because they never seem quite nice enough.

8. What's the theme?

Underwater world, with wall to ceiling murals on all walls, all of being underwater. There are a few sea plants, a few fish, a few bubbles, and the sandy ocean floor. It's pretty nice.

9. How are you doing?

It's not for me, but I've been better.

4 comments:

  1. I hope you are ok. Who is sick or injured???

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your concern. I'm okay (see number 9, though I guess that is a bit ambiguous!). A family member is ill.

      Delete
  2. Are you home yet? Is said family member home yet? Are you allowed to answer?

    ReplyDelete

If you were wondering, yes, you should comment. Not only does it remind me that I must write in intelligible English because someone is actually reading what I write, but it is also a pleasure for me since I am interested in anything you have to say.

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