the patient in bed 6

Hey you!
I’ve got a confession to make.
“Actually, I am a princess”


Yeah. I’m sure that you’ll find it’s hard to believe.
Well, I AM lying. Ahaks!
But, I’m sure that you’ll agree with my next sentence.
LIFE AIN’T A FAIRYTALE
Right????
Life ain’t a fairytale… that’s for sure.
It isn’t a fairytale for Mr. S today, because he had just lost his wife.
It isn’t a fairytale for us, as the patient in bed 6 died.
And it’s absolutely ain’t a fairytale story with happily ever after ending for Miss F, as her beloved mother had just leave this very world, FOREVER.
On this 1st of Ramadan, where all the Muslim celebrate the beginning of this holy month, an old woman died in front of my eyes.
As I wrote this, I can hear her family crying, some even shouting, making other patients in distress.
Imagine being sick, lying at the hospital bed, and the patient beside your bed died.
I’m sure you can’t think of nothing else other than “What if I die too?”

Earlier this morning, I think I can smell the delicious Rendang that grandma always cook during Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Ehe~
And now, I can only think of this family.
This year, their Hari Raya will be very different without Mrs. M.
I can imagine the scenery.......
Innocent kids were fighting for duit raya and fancy looking kuih raya, while their elders tried hard not to cry, as one of their beloved had passed away.
This is not the first time I saw people died.
Yet I think this is the most heartbreaking of all.

“Dear Mrs. M, may Allah bless your soul.”
AMIN.

Makassar,
22nd of August 2009, 10.00 a.m.

Other story..
Again, in the same bed, two weeks ago….
A patient came with SVT (supraventricular tachycardia).
He was a big man, weight almost 80 kg, with tanned skin.
When he entered the hospital, he was unconscious.
His friends are the one who brought him to the place, as he was a Navy in training.
He is what we call a freshman, a new student who is still in Orientation.
His senior called his cousin, and the medical team tried hard to stabilize him, and succeeded.
Few hours then, he suddenly become apnea (breathless) and we began to ventilate him.
His parents weren’t around, as they live in different island, and the fastest time they could reach Makassar is 12 hours.
There was no one who cried for him.
It’s kinda awkward, as usually people here will call the whole village if somebody wanna die.
And then his auntie came.
But that was when a male nurse was whispering “Laailahaillallah” at the patient’s ear.
The woman cried so loud! The family had even threatened to sue his college, and asked for explanation from the doctor in charge.
They want to know why the boy died. (I think I haven’t told you that he is only 18 years old. Yup, he’s very YOUNG!)
A member of his family asked us, “Can I know what exactly happened to L?”
We look at each other (me and the doctor in charge)
“You meant patient in bed 6, right? His name in the status is G, not L,” said the doctor.
The woman became confused.
At first we thought that maybe the administration made a mistake.
So, we asked the guy who registered the patient at the Emergency Ward.
He said that they all know the guy as G, just as stated in the status. (The patient didn’t bring any identification. All we found with him is a plastic bag containing a toothbrush, and energy drinks).
Thus the family went back to the bed, and tried to look at the corpse closely. To their relief, it is NOT their family! Somebody made a mistake by calling the wrong family! (It is a coincidence, as L and G look almost similar that even his family didn’t realize it at the first time)
So the right family had been contacted.
But the patient had already died two hours ago.
No last words. No goodbyes. No last wish.
When they had arrived, all they saw is just a lifeless body who had once so vulgar and full of live, with heaps of medical bills awaiting to be cleared.

Life ain’t a fairytale, right?

Please don’t think that bed 6 is cursed. I think it is just a twist of fate. But one thing for sure, both of them leave a very deep mark inside my heart.


Farewell wicked world! Let me rest peacefully, forever……….