Safe Exit

I sat up and wondered where I was. At least it was warm and dry .
Strange unfamiliar noises surrounded me.
Trolleys wheeling past. Electronic beeping sounds. There was a program on television. There were babies crying, people coughing, some screaming in pain. A few angry voices now and them pierced through it all and other voices that supported their demands for attention.
I pulled the bandage from the eye that wasn’t injured and after my eye adjusted and refocused to the light, I could see I was in some large room and on a hospital bed. It was standing room, there were casualties everywhere.
Luckily I was still able to see through one eye. As far as I could make out I still had all my limbs attached to my body. I breathed a sigh of relief.

Then some of what had happened started to come back.
It was our presentation night at the sports club. We had just received our trophies and the party was just beginning. About hundred of us were on the dance floor in the upstairs party room.
Suddenly the mobile DJ guru stopped the music and quietly asked everyone to vacate the premises. We thought it was a joke at first. The announcement was made.

“It might be a hoax but we need to vacate the building immediately. Please leave in an orderly way.”

Then somebody started screaming,
“Get out. There’s a bomb. Everyone get out.”

It was like a stampede. Everybody ran for the stairs. In the panic some
people pushed others out of the way while others trampled over those who had fallen. I could see the staircase was going to be a problem and looked around for another exit. Then I saw the fire escape. I ran to the door and the next thing I was a blinding flash of light and that’s all I could remember.

Now here I was in some emergency part of the hospital.
It was jammed packed full of casualties.
The doctors and nurses were doing everything they could.
I looked around at the injured and dying and thought to myself what monster could have done such a terrible thing.
Some people had already died on trolley beds and still lay there covered in blood stained sheets. Nurses had covered their heads and pushed them to one side of the large emergency room.

A well-dressed man in a suit and tie came over and asked.

“What do you think of our current tax system?”

I was stunned and replied.

“What...tell me are for real. What is your name?”

He pulled out a card from his pocket and placed it beside my right hand and said.

“Norman is my name. I am a journalist for. ”

Before he went any further I interrupted him,

“Listen I’m not giving interviews at this stage. I’m like still in deep trauma and if you don’t get that notepad out of my face.”

One of the nurses passing called over a doctor who gave me a shot of something to settle me down.
When I came to I opened my eyes to find myself in a small hospital ward.
Six people were sitting on chairs all around my bed. They all had notepads and pens .One by one they started to ask me questions.

“Who is the current prime minister?”
I lay there speechless.

“What year are we in?”

I softly spoke ,
“I don’t even know what day it is.”

“What is this countries currency called?”
I spoke again .

“What country am I in?
I replied.

They all wrote down what I said.

What drugs have you been taking?”
I answered,

“LSD, cannabis, heroin, ice, ecstasy, microdots, crack cocaine, speed uppers, downers, you know all the usual stuff.”

They were all writing everything I said.

“How much and how often did you use these drugs?”

“At least once everyday, sometimes three of four times a day.”

“Can you describe the experience? What did it do to you?”

This man wearing a white dustcoat approached and asked the six to leave me. Then he sat down beside me on one of the chairs,

“Bloody uni -students.”
He said.

On his name badge was Frank.

“What the hell is going on?”
I asked.

“Sorry I must apologise for that. Those were some medical students who came into the wrong ward. They should have been in mental health section not recovery ward?”

“I don’t get it ’
I answered.

“ Well this is a very big complex here and there is an adjoining wing to the lock down psychiatry facility. Unfortunately now and then there is a mix up with who comes and goes.’
Frank said.

‘I’m listening.”
I replied and Frank lifted my medical chart and read it through before saying ,

“Well Doctor , the thing is those students who spoke to you are part of a group who are conducting a study on the effects that certain narcotics have on the mind.”

“Well that makes perfect sense. I though for a moment I was either mad or in the hands of some terrorist organization who were holding me for ransom .”

He smiled and put back the patient report at the foot of the bed .
“So then Doctor , have you really tried all those drugs you told them.”

“Knock it off Frank. What do you think I am . Get me out of here will you before I call my solicitor.”

Frank picked up the patient record again from the end of my bed and started to read through all the details and said ,

“Well Doctor , it seems you’re one of the lucky few to have walked away without a scratch from last nights tragic carnage.”

As he signed at the foot of my medical records, I asked,

“So Frank, exactly what happened?”

Frank stood and leaned a little closer and said softly,

“Well Doctor, last night a large bomb was left near the staircase sin the sports club. Most of the people who were on or near the staircase were killed when the bomb exploded. The fire escape you were on collapsed and you fell into a rubbish skip that broke your fall. Apart from some minor burns to your face and some dust in your eye you were not hurt.”

I looked at him for a few moments and said ,

“Well Doctor.”
He interrupted me and said.

“No , call me Frank, that’s ok.”

“Frank I’ve never been in a hospital bed before and find myself strangely very critical about everything.”

“Like what Doctor ”
He asked.

“Like my vocation for one.”
I replied .

“How do you mean ?”
He replied nas I said ,

“You know Frank for a long time I’ve been treating wounds and operating on people with injuries. Last night as I lay there in emergency I was helpless to do anything for all those who needed my help .”

“So what point are you trying to make Doctor ?”
He asked .

“Well ,like in my abilities to help for instance .”
I answered .

“I think you are taking this too personal Doctor.”
He said .

I nodded but inside realised how fragile I was. Something had changed inside and I was not as confident about myself , not as a doctor but as a human being. I started to ask my many questions like, what kind of person could do this to fellow human beings and how can we ever stop global terrorism and can I ever be the same again after this ordeal . Will the recovery begin after I walk out the door or will the after effects linger on . Can I trust others again.

Frank looked at me and said.

“Life goes on Doctor . We all do what we can .”

“I guess so .
I said .

“So how are you feeling ?”

He asked .

“I’m fine . Never felt better .”
I replied but inside I was crumbling down like a sandcastle to the incoming tide . I just wanted to be swept away out into the deep and never to return again to the shore .

Frank placed his hand on my shoulder and said ,

“As soon as I sign your discharge papers , you can leave. Take it easy Doctor and if you want my advice take your time returning back to work Doctor ”

“Thank you.”

I replied.
Later in the day as I walked out of recovery. I passed through the emergency section. It was still mayhem in there. I rang a taxi and as we drove away from the hospital I wondered if I could ever be the same again .

The End

By Paul McCann