hospital

beep beep
morning to night to morning
beep beep roll
this will only hurt a bit

here - take this
it is for the pain
and this - so that won't eat away your stomach

beep
beep
prod push pull
the hospital

RN
CP
CN
where is the doctor?

the PLAN
pain control and activity a must
therapy do
it today
no wait
a bath
maybe tomorrow
or next

read the numbers
read the levels
take a little blood
be sure to cough

where is the hammer
then nothing


did you have the procedure ?

why are you asking me - you are the doctor
aren't you the doctor
shouldn't YOU know

well did it work?
because sometimes this procedure does not work
is the pain now
a different pain
do you still feel the same pain
No? good
then you should be able to go home
when your numbers are right
read the numbers
and then there is that
shadow in your right lung
just a little shadow
be sure to breathe

the doctor exits
with a wave
 
beep
beep

morning
into a long long night
 no
twist
no turn
be still
so the iv
will stay in
and the beeping will not begin

rn
cp
cn
where is the doctor?

is anyone concerned
that the doctor did not touch me
I am not sure he knew it was me
when he came into the room
the bed
gave me away
I am sure

and this iv
beep beep
oh where is that nurse
beep beep
beep

I am thinking I will be glad when
the next couple of days are
over

the hospital

the hospital

another day

another night

the hospital

Reviews

[Cicera]

Well, I just like it! Now anything I try to add to that would sound critically inane. Except maybe that I had in mind a hospital when I came in, and I think I just saw a hospital while I'm coming out. Beep beep. there are visitors in the waiting room. Turn over the page.

[bob, small b. aka invs]

been there. done that. you did a good job describing the hospital experience. the world through a medicinal haze. the infernal beeping of i.v. machines when they become blocked or empty. the confusion over so many people coming and going. wondering where the doctor may be in all of this. for anyone who's experienced it, this is a wonderful piece of writing