Saturday 29 February 2020

Hospital log #7 The Last Day


THURSDAY 20TH FEBRUARY
Little things hurt a lot
Sorting stuff ready to go home, I laid out my nightie, yesterday’s blouse and undies, Ferretfingers’ jarmies and the socks he was wearing the day of his accident.
Then I noticed one had a long tear down the front.
They had had to cut his sock off.
What he had gone through hit me and I could barely hold myself together.
All that in the midst of relative strangers...
I shut the cubicle door, put my hankie over my mouth and went to the window so no one could see me sob.

13.40
Just been down to X-Ray for a picture of his ankle before discharge.
The porter put us next to an elderly lady.
She was plucking at and pulling back her bedlinen 
saying weakly “Oh I can’t find my key.  I’ve lost the key.”
“That’s ok love” I said “They’ll have your key.”
“My front door key?”
“Yes love, they’ll have it safe somewhere for you”
She seemed reassured and smiled at me.
I asked if I could put her bedclothes back for her.
A tiny bruised kneed confused little bird of a woman.
She started talking to me 
about where she’d been living 
and what she’d been doing 
and how she liked Marks & Sparks food.
At least I think that’s what she said.
I couldn’t quite follow.
But I smiled and nodded 
because sometimes you just need someone to listen.
Her name was Audrey.

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