The Other Side of the Glass

At work, my desk is situated so that I can look out into the hall at a door. The door is partly made of glass so I can see what’s on the other side. I’m sure most people would find this distracting because the temptation to peek out at others is something we all do. What’s made this all the more interesting for me is that on the other side of the door is a ward of post-op patients. So every time I start to let my mind wander and look up, I’m reminded of my own time in hospital. And if I really think about it, it hasn’t been very long at all – my operation was in May but it feels a lifetime away.

Things have changed so much and I’m reminded about this every time I see one of the nurses patrolling the neighbouring ward with one of those damn machine-on-wheels saying “blood-pressure and pulse time...”. Even the rattling of the wheels is enough to remind me of those sleepless nights waiting to get disturbed by the nurse! And then there’s the visit from the families. I know I should be giving the patients some privacy, but as they can’t see me, I can’t help but watch as loved ones come over and read the paper beside them or try to cheer them up. The one thing I am glad about however is the fact that I can’t smell that hospital food when it’s brought around to the patients!