It’s not early in the morning but neither is it that late, I’m just here a little earlier than I was told to be, But I’m still here alone. Another fine mess I seem to have gotten myself into again, I think. Still even now I have to say that I am not in pain, nothing is broken, and to the best of my knowledge I’m still not dying any more than I was before. But it’s still going to be a long day, I figure I’ll be here for another seven hours before I’m released on my own recognizance.
This time however I am not in a small back room of the ER, this is an organized and sanctioned visit into one of the myriad hidden departments that make up this hospital, oncology. It’s all new to me and somewhat frightening this morning. Here, where I am currently standing they put various medicines and such into a body to try to heal rather than removing things to try to do the same.
Then, there is light, and I’m told to sit by a nurse that I didn’t know was there. I sat. I am in a room full of comfortable chairs and light and windows. I know that there are walls somewhere but I don’t notice them because now there are bodies seemingly coming out of nowhere to fill this room, people that are here to give and those like myself, to receive. There is a hustle without any bustle everything and everyone has a place to be, a job to do, and it all gets done somehow. During all of this, familiar names are called as if they are family, jokes exchanged and other familial news or plans are given to those that are willing to listen. I feel like I’m sitting on the edge of some kind of oddly extended family gathering, hoping deep down that I might fit in somehow, or at least not do something that I might regret.
Everyone here that I can see seems unafraid to look at or talk to another person; if your eyes are open you will probably be part of some conversation somewhere.
Whether it’s the staff of nurses or the patients, everyone there is looking at the people, or talking to the people or listening to the people, rather than looking at, talking at or listening to the diseases that might be found among them.
It has been a long day sitting in my chair, and having eaten the supplied hospital lunch I am more than ready to depart, but I have to admit the people here have almost made it worth my while because of what I experience among these individuals. People are people and as such should be treated as such, not looked at and treated as diseases.
