"Visiting hours are now over. Our patients need the rest. Please visit during our visiting hours from 12 pm to 2pm and from 5pm to 8pm, daily" 

​

I was sitting on the bed dreaming into blank space when the PA system sounded with this announcement. It was past 8. Another day had gone by. I was feeling a bit dazed. It sucked to be alone with no one to talk to. The bed across me was empty. I wondered to myself who the next patient would be. Then it dawned on me, I needed to pee. Peeing was always a challenge when you are physically impaired. Especially with that crucial finger ,all banged up. But you manage, somehow, nonetheless.

​

When I exited the Little Boy’s and returned to my bed, the bed across me was now no longer empty. A man sat silently on the side, his backpack placed on the counter top of his bed-side table. He had his hand wrapped up quite hastily in gauze. The nurse then came and handed him a plastic bag. Inside was the all too familiar garments that distinctively identified you as a person of sickness. 

​

"Can you change into these?" 

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The man just acknowledged in the usual "Ah". The nurse then closed the curtains surrounding his bed for some privacy as he changed into the ugly looking hospital garments. Once done, the man continued to sit silently there on the bed, staring at his wrapped-up hand. As he was looking intently, with his other free hand, he fidgeted with the wrappings. He peeled off the layering of tape and slowly unwrapped the gauze that was protecting his hand from the external elements. He stared now at this unwrapped hand. A look of concern seemed to flood his expression. I could not tell the condition of his hand. The lighting was pretty bad. After some time, the man pressed the little red button that had powers to summon the nurse almost instantaneously. Magic.

​

"Are you sure this looks alright to you?" he asked the nurse.

​

"Sir, I not doctor. The doctor wrap up for you just leave it. You going surgery soon Sir." came the reply. 

"Sir, I wrap up for you again. Don't take out anymore." 

​

The man cocked his head back and forth in a sort of an agreement to whatever the nurse said.

 

With the hand now re-wrapped, he got up from his bed and went to relive himself. He came out and walked towards the window and stared into the night sky.

​

I was kind of sitting on my bed. Just chilling. Or maybe thinking about something else, as I usually do.  An empty chair was near the foot of the bed, positioned near the window. The man turned around. He caught a quick glimpse of my own wrapping, diverted his eyes towards the empty chair and the back at me. 

​

"Brother, what happened?" He motioned his head towards my wrapping. 

​

I was kind of caught off guard at first but recovered. 

​

"Surgery. Kena cut or bitten by something lor. Then infected. So need to get rid of all the don't know what is inside" I replied in the most local of ways. 

​

"You don't mind I sit?"

​

"Sure sure, sit"

​

"How did it get until you needed to go for surgery?" The man asked as he sat down on that empty chair.

​

"Aiya, act hero lor. This kind of thing not new to me. Get a couple of time. I think can heal by itself so tahan lor. But then this time tahan until cannot tahan already. Swollen. Like never heal like that also. Then some more got things coming out. So quickly go see the doctor. A and E, then the doctor admit me to do Op. So now just wait lor. See how now. That day tried to patch up, don’t know what they do also"

 

The man nodded in acknowledgement. He seemed to ease up a little.

 

"At least you surgery already. I still waiting."

 

"Oh? What happened?" I asked.

 

"I kena bitten by my cat."

 

I cringed my face up to replicate the perceived pain. 

 

"I kena bite don't want to get medicine. I lie to doctor say nothing serious, just get mc. No antibiotics. Last time my cat bite here, scratch here, I ok. This time don't know why so jialat."

​

I managed a smile. I felt his sentiments exactly. At least for me, I totally understood. 

​

"So your surgery when?" I asked.

​

"Don't know la. Must wait. I here since 2pm, waiting. Must fast some more. Now hungry also. I don't feel like sleeping. My mind keep think. You don't mind I talk? Helps me worry less and the pain."

​

"Nope, don't mind"

​

So we talked a bit. I learned a bit about this chap. A cat lover, a night guard, lives with his mother and does not want to tell anybody he was admitted. Simple fact that he did not want his friends to be sarcastic and criticise him for keeping his cat that scratched him that he loved so much. iI was a simple chat, each with our differences of race, religion, culture and background all stripped away. And well, united over a common cause, an injury and the thought of surgery.

​

"Ok la bro, I think better sleep. Quite tired. But hard to sleep with the pain"

​

"Yea, the pain throbs" 

​

He acknowledge profusely with my reply.

​

"Cannot even move. Move a little bit pain"

​

I smiled again. A half smile. It was indeed painful.

​

He got up from the seat and trudged back to his bed opposite mine. He sat on the edge of the bed, took of his glasses and placed them on the bedside counter top. I leaned back on my propped up bed and just observed him a while. I could feel his agony. His pain, his frustrations and also that loneliness that comes with staying at the ward with no one familiar around. I could feel that in my bones. I laid back, trying to ease up and catch some shut eye as well.

​

It was a restless night for the man in the opposite bed. I could hear him and see him tossing in his bed through the dim light that shone from outside the window. Halfway through the night, some admin lady or possibly a female doctor came to his bed and discussed with him some private details. Stuff that are too sensitive to relate. Or rather not sure how to explain with all the medical terms. I closed my eyes and attempted to sleep, which I naturally was able to do so.

​

Morning came, I got awoken by metal clangs and some commotion. coming from the opposite bed. Some porter was holding a file together with a person clad in green overalls. Instinctively, I knew it was someone from the surgical department. He was going in for surgery. Finally.

​

Somewhere inside of me, I just kept silent. Just wishing him all the best, and praying.

*Disclaimer – from the last I know, the man had a successful op. But another follow up procedure was required. How that went? That remains a mystery*

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                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Jonah Teoh (October - 2019)