Poor Sandy Poor Sandy

Poor Sandy Poor Sandy

by: harcyMill

     In a gloomy grey hospital on the second floor in the South hallway in room 213, the first bed you would see is surrounded with plenty of balloons and cards full of "get well soon", "we miss you" and "we love you". Little mementos of glee and on the center of the bed, a big stuffed teddy bear holding a bright red heart that reads, "with love". However, turn your gaze to the second bed in the room, it has no teddy bear, no balloons, no cards of any kind. The bed is plain and bare.

     That particular bed was currently being inhabited by Mr. Linking. Mr. Linking was a curious man. Curious as is in strange. Most of the time, he possessed a bitter attitude toward everyone, for reasons unknown. But out of the blue, now and then, he would smile and that smile would be the highlight of any nurse's day. Sad to say, they didn't know he was still bitter inside.

     Mr. Linking seems to prefer to not have attention, he is very to himself. The nurses have tried to make small talk, but Mr. Linking despising conversation, always says, "Quit the small talking!" even when he was smiling. Mr. Linking's wife, Sandy resembles her husband a little, but she is more open. Many of the nurse would agree that she was once a very happy person. Maybe this ordeal took away her joy, but not all of it. She still had hope, at least just enough to end the day with, and then restock by breakfast. 

     The chemistry between them is limited some might say. They can't really kiss, that would require Mr. Linking to sit up straight and everyone knows his excuse, "Shut up, boy, I'm 87. I should have been dead by 84, but no, so back off!" What a wonderfully lame reason. Despite his ghastly temper, every Tuesday, you will find Sandy with Mr. Linking together. It's either Sandy reading a book and Mr. Linking sleeping or the other way around.

     The first bed, smothered with ornaments expressing love, belongs to Danny Hews for the time being. Danny Hews in a word: chatterbox. He never stops talking. He always has to tell a joke every ten minutes. He hums this little tune, louder than necessary, all the time. The first time you meet him, he's a great, funny guy. Second time, he's kind of loud. Third time, plain out annoying. Most of the nurses are convinced that the only reason he talks non-stop is to get attention. This tends to be consistently true. 

     Today was a special day indeed. Mr. Linking was leaving, not to another hospital, but he was really leaving. He would be going home.

    "Hey! Linking, you lucky dog, you! Leaving super early and stuff. And you even sit right!" said Danny in a booming voice. Although the sitting upright part was not true at all.

     "Yes. It's been... long over due," replied Sandy letting out a sigh of relief, "But not so loud, Danny. Mr. Linking is still sleeping.

     "Oh, hey, that reminds me of a joke. Okay, so what did the eye doctor say to the foot ball? No, wait that's not how it goes...that's right it was a golf ball... or maybe it was a foot doctor."

     "Well, which one is it?" asked Sandy, even though Danny said this joke six times already. Maybe she was just trying to be polite, or perhaps she was too shy to interrupt.

     "It was a dentist or...something like that." answered Danny with his head lowered, embarrassed that he had forgotten. Things went silent. The kind of uneasy, tense silents. Something didn't feel right. It was a happy occasion was it not? Tonight, instead of Mr. Linking going to bed in a hospital, he would go to bed in his house. Sandy was very grateful indeed. The doctors told her last night, they felt confident enough to send Mr. Linking home at last. So many days in the same room, seeing the same people walk in and out over and over. Months of checking in hospitals and checking out. Maybe this time this will be Mr. Linking's final stop. Sandy was counting on that.

     Life wasn't always like this for Mr. Linking. It just that his heart got too weak to support his body. No one knows what caused his heart to become so feeble. He never smoked. He was a heavy drinker, but he had been sober for 23 years. That's a long time for anyone. No high blood pressure, who knows.

     "Sandy, I heard the good news!" Sandy twist her head round and instantly smiled. It was one of her friends of the book club.

     "Doris, yes it's good news isn't?"

     "Why is Mr. Linking asleep? You two should celebrating!" said Doris with an excited voice.

     "Shh. Not so loud. We will, maybe tomorrow night."

     "Hey Sandy! Better introduce me!" That was Danny being loud again.

     "Sorry. Danny this is Doris. Doris this is Danny."

     "You poor thing, how long before your leg is better? Danny was in the hospital because of a broken leg.

     "Won't be long now. I'll be out in one week." said Danny with a triumphant grin. They talked on and on about all sorts of things. First it was about common subjects, the weather, daily news. The topics changed into sports, ping-pong, rugby just to name a few. They even discuss knitting and cooking. Their conversation lasted for quite some time. It took Doris a good 15 minutes just to say her farewells.

     "I really must be going. We must have been talking for well over an hour. What confuses me, is that Mr. Linking is still sleeping," Doris waited for someone to say something, but no one said a word, not even Danny, "Well, don't you think it's rather odd?"

    "I think he is just tired, that's all." answered Sandy softly. 

    "I'm not so sure...well, good-bye, I'll see you Thursday, Sandy."

     Sandy looked at Mr. Linking still asleep. He didn't even make his usual snore noises. Ever since breakfast which he had finished by 7:30 in the morning, it was no 12:05. His chest was still going up and down, just making sure he's breathing. Sandy didn't wanted to seem worried, but she was. By this time, he would want to see his show then after that, eat his usual sandwich for lunch. No mayo, ham, lettuce, tomato and provolone on wheat. He prefers mustard. Ewww. Who cares what he eats? Sleeping this long is not normal, right? Sand was no doctor, for heaven's sake she was retired, but she couldn't shake this feeling.

     Finally, a nurse came into the room, but just to pick up a file, Sandy informed the nurse on everything. The nurse said that there's nothing wrong with an extra long nap. Even his heart monitor read normal levels. But Sandy insisted to the nurse, that the doctor should come right away. The nurse gave a sigh and said, she'll what she can do about it.

     30 minutes gone by, no T.V show, no lunch and no doctor. Sandy gazed at Mr. Linking with a small sense of relief, maybe she was over reacting. Then suddenly, with horror in her eyes she saw Mr. Linking turn all at once pale as white as the walls of the hospital. Danny wouldn't notice he had fallen into a deep slumber. Mr. Linking looked so pale, almost transparent, but if that wasn't enough, purple veins started to appear on his face, his arms, his hands, his legs, everywhere. Sandy didn't know what to do. The purple veins began to grow darker and darker, until they were black, then they started to bulge outward. It was most disgusting.

     Sandy's mouth was hanging wide open, she could not believe her eyes. Then, she realized that Danny was going through the exact same thing! He too was covered with purple, bulging veins. Sandy was terrified. Before she could shed a tear, she saw Mr.Linking's hear monitor go crazy, he was shaking uncontrollably, like he was having a convulsion. It was 50 the 55, hen it jumped to 67, went to down 42 leaped to 85, 100, then sunk to 12, 49, 32, 66, 89, over and over. It would not relent! Sandy didn't want to wait another second doctor or no doctor, she was going to do something, but she couldn't even find the courage to even move her feet!
     Then with horror in her eyes she gazed upon her hands, how they were went extremely pale, and cold. Seconds after, purple veins started to appear growing on her hand and on her face, her legs collapse on her, she tumbled over like a house of cards. The veins darkened and they began to bulge out. She clasp her hands over her face, she could feel the bulges pulsing, it was a horrific feeling.
     Her heart started pounding uncontrollably. Her body was shaking left and right. She couldn't see anything, all she was able to see were strange reoccurring shapes of purple veins. Her mouth started to foam and in the midst of all of this, she heard a voice saying, "Sandy, Sandy wake up. Wake up, Sandy!"
     In a flash, she opened her eyes and saw her regular nurse, holding onto her shoulder tightly, "You were having another nightmare."
     A dream? It felt so real...
     "Mr. Linking, he's...he died....dead!" sobbed Sandy with relentless bitter tears.
     "Oh, dear, Dr. Hews, she's talking about that Mr. Linking guy again." said the nurse aloud.
     Then a doctor entered the room with name on his right side chest that read: Dr. Danny Hews.
     "That's not good. Okay," he began releasing a big sigh, "Just giver more medication tomorrow."
     "Yes, doctor." replied the nurse, her name tag read Doris, "When will she accept the fact that there is no Mr. Linking, there never was?"
     Where was Sandy? Mentally, she was ensnared with visions of this man known as "Mr.Linking". Physically, she was trapped in an asylum, she has been for five long years and counting. With no possible way for to escape. Poor Sandy. Poor Sandy.

The End