[Wednesday, 20 September, 2006]

When I was left alone on the bed, I seemed like a worthless corpse. The worst thing I would ever want to do was to bother the nurses and thus I did dare to drink water. I did not even move my leg in case the wound would worsen. The greatest fear was the needle on the back of my left palm that left me with only a moveable right hand and leg.

Suddenly it became interesting when a nurse came over to take my heartbeat. This cute girl took much longer time than usual nurses and even after she left my wrist alone, she was using her fingers to count something. I realised she was a trainee from Ngee Ann Polytechnic from her name tag. Her name was Yixin.

Since movement was restricted, I did not get my notebook or PHP book out to study. I stared into space most of the time and also looking at the other five patients, which was quite interesting as well. The patient opposite me, Mr Lim, was friendly and smiled at me a few times. His relatives talked to me as well to find out about the reason I was there.

The patient besides Mr Lim was however a weirdo. He had contacted diabetic and already had a leg removed. He was quite a problematic guy who gave lots of problems to the nurses and he urged the doctors to remove his only leg in quite a funny manner.

As I got to know more about the problems of the patients, I became so disheartened and sad. I could not stay in the ward any longer with the aching in my heart though I was left helpless. Also, I feared of getting old and problematic like them, feeling the pains they were going through.

After a few hourly routines, I began to ask Yixin questions like if there was any way to watch television at night. She showed an emotionless face sometimes but she was in fact the most observance and careful nurse.

There was once when Jielin joined in to take my pulse rate and Mingfa called at the same time, I moved about. After she removed the equipment from my elbow, she told me she could not hear anything when I was talking and moving about. I could not help but laugh.

Soon, they were leaving and since the doctor said I would be hospitalised for only one night, I thought I would never see them again.

I dozed off at around eleven but soon woke up again. The nurse in charge of night duties was quite short and pretty but certainly capable as I witnessed her entertain that guy besides Mr Lim so many times. She even held the plastic bag for him to vomit, which was a tough job for me and certainly to most girls.

I had so little sleep that night.