Sunday, June 11, 2006
Hospitals
Hospitals are therapeutic in more ways than one.
The acutely ill get admitted and hopefully come out cured.
The chronically ill get recurrent admissions with hope of symptomatic control.
Though not all are stories of success, the hospital just gives people hope...
On a drizzling Sunday afternoon, a Queensway shopping trip with my parents was the plan. But in the car, a certain name was mentioned and things turned sour. On arrival, I emerged from the car, tears streaming down my face, and just kept walking, ipod blasting in my ears, I just wanted to get away, away from it all. But no... she came after me, she kept hounding, her voice was blasting louder than my ipod, the name just kept appearing...much clearer than guang liang's voice through the earphones...
Why can't you just let me go? let me be? get that name away!!!!
I screamed frantically. There was a band of tightness around my head and chest, my heart was pounding, I felt shortness of breath, I just couldn't take it anymore... and I started to run, just run...just get away...
I eventually reached the gate of Alexandra Hospital, and I just stood outside and looked in. The rain probably prevented anyone from taking walks for the gardens were empty. But somehow, there was this tranquility to the whole place. The serenity of the whole place calmed me down, the peach coloured walls looked warm and assuring and I found myself entering the hospital compounds...
I treaded along the garden and up the slopes, rain drizzling down, I felt more at peace. I looked at the carpark, the front porch and my mind started to relax bringing back nice memories of my surgical elective.
A man in a white shirt hurridly walked past... the only other human being in that rainy garden. Something struck me about him, something about the way he walked and his build... then I suddenly realized who he was. I felt my head lifting up, my mood elevated, and I quickly cleared my throat and shouted out: "Dr R!" He turned back, and that brought a smile to my face. We talked for a while, oblivious to the drizzle. He knew my situation, and his words were comforting and consoling. We bid farewell as I wished him good luck with his mugging. With a smile on my face, I turned back towards Queensway.
See, hospitals are therapeutic :) Thanks Dr R :) I wish you all the best too...
~ underneath the same big sky ~ 1:21 AM
