A George Clooney moment

Last night I spent about three hours in the Emergency Department of the hospital where I am a volunteer. The very Emergency Department and hospital glimpsed in this picture except that I was there in the dead of night.

It was my infected hand. Last night at bridge the hand started to tingle and throb, the sensation becoming more insistent as the night continued although not especially painful. I returned home from bridge but found after going to bed that I couldn't sleep. The tingling continued persistently and seemed to spread to my other hand and both feet.

I felt silly about going to Emergency but kept remembering my doctor had told me to go there in the event that the infection spread. Three times I dressed with the intention of driving to the hospital and three times I returned to bed instead thinking I was overreacting. The fourth time I went through with it.

When I arrived at the hospital it appeared that the Emergency Department was not too busy but the lack of activity in the Triage and Reception area masked a hectic night in the Department itself. I briefly told the Triage Nurse why I was there and she told me it did not sound as though my infection was the reason for the tingling. She explained that there were numerous critically injured patients under care at the time and that it would be at least fifteen minutes before she could attend to me.

She placed me in an area where I could be observed and I quietly merged with the background as activity raged all around me. There were ambulance and police officers in abundance. Evidently the night had been a violent one in the city and the victims of criminal activity and some of the alleged criminals were scattered around the cubicles as well as in wheel chairs and on hospital gurneys. Handcuffed suspects lay alongside dazed victims.

For the next hour I was a front row witness to police questioning of victims and watched on as evidence was taken, labelled and bagged and photographs were snapped of victims and their injuries.

Meantime various drug and/or alcohol affected patients and accompanying individuals meandered around the Department shouting, slurring and singing their thoughts as the mood took them.

I could see a particularly handsome young medical officer across the ward. My eye took in a very tanned and obviously fit body evident through his tight jeans and a close fitting top. At first I thought that he was a nurse but then realised the nurses were all in uniform and that he was a doctor. He looked very young and exuded a sexiness as he maintained a busy routine. I think that men who seem quite unaware of their sex appeal to be amongst the most attractive of men. This doctor was an excellent example of one.

Time ticked on and more than hour after my arrival the nurse returned to diagnose my situation but we didn't get far and she again set me aside to wait for the duty doctor to check me. I attempted to leave several times and felt foolish that I was taking up their time when so many far more seriously injured individuals needed attention. Each time the nurse assured me it was important for me to remain and be assessed.

Although it was tempting to remain and possibly be seen and touched by this gorgeous young doctor I did finally leave at 3.30am, hands still tingling but no longer guilty about clogging up the Emergency system. I was reassured that my discomfort was not due to an emergency situation. Furthermore, it was now approaching dawn and by then I could just as easily make arrangements to see my doctor during the approaching day.

I returned home and to my bed at about 4am, by then sufficiently tired to overcome any tingling or throbbing of limbs. I was soon asleep.

Today, my discomfort was largely gone.