Memories

What an eventful week!

Had four nights of crazily busy 10-hour shifts, with the waiting board perpetually filled to the brim up to 6am in the morning, as we dutifully sacrificed our breaks to attend to them. A few were nonsensical cases, what with a usual UTI (urinary tract infection) seeking antibiotics at 2am or anxiety attacks while trying to sleep! Most of the patients, however, did require acute medical attention, like a resuscitation of an acute exacerbation of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) at the brink of death and pleuritic chest pain in a heavily pregnant lady warranting investigations to exclude the life-threatening pulmonary embolism. There was a fair share of team work and amusement, when SIX of us (doctors and nurses) had to reduce a dislocated prosthetic hip in an elderly man with BRUTE force: 2 stabilising the pelvis, me pulling at the axilla, my 2 more muscular male colleagues tugging at the thigh and leg each with their utmost physical strength (their weight-lifting training at the gyms was finally paying off), and the team leader trying to keep a straight face while supervising us with our pathetic positions. We were deadbeat at the end of each shift and practically slept through the living daylights. By 10pm, we were charged up like the Energizer batteries/bunnies, ready for the unpredictable challenges and excitement ahead.

I was glad when Friday arrived. A colleague phoned at 6pm just as I finished studying my eyelids, inviting me for a last minute outing with other medics. I had 30 minutes to prepare myself (I felt ER spilling into real life) before rushing to the nearest cinema to catch "The Notebook" with them. That was all worth it. It was one of the most beautiful and romantic shows I had ever watched. The setting was in the 1940s and the casts were aesthetically pleasant and endearing. It was a tearjerker no doubt, with our lacrimal glands flooded at the end of the story. I wished I could have watched it with my loved one but was nevertheless grateful to my colleague for organising it.

We had dinner at the Goldberg later. I have always enjoyed group outings and functions, whether with close friends or mere acquaintances. Every interaction reveals a tinge of personality and degree of maturity about the other individual. I was not exactly most comfortable with this group, maybe because we were colleagues and hence tended to be more guarded and careful in our conversations. Being medics, there were also limited scopes of life that we could explore and share, thus adding to the boredom and lack of mystery. Despite these, it was admittedly a more interesting fashion to spend a Friday evening than staying in my coccoon.

I looked so much forward to the weekend. I hitched a ride from a colleague and together we charged down to Sydney where I caught up with my dear friends and spent 3 memorable days with them. We had Korean dinner this time and talked about everything under the sun: our relationships, views of life, jobs......everyone is so unique and special in his or her own way. I was able to be my old self and free of any inhibition I would have had when I was with the medics. I am thankful to God that our paths cross and would relish every minute I spent with them with fondness.

Interestingly, I watched "Bridget Jones' Diary: The Edge of Reason" with a male acquaintance on Sunday. It was a light comedy and the casts exuded great charm and charisma (The ever quaint British Colin Firth never fails to make my heart flutter). The show was entirely distinct from "The Notebook" and being a diehard romantic, I give my thumbs-up for the latter, though I would admit that the Diary was the apt choice with this particular companion. I would have reserved The Notebook for my significant other anytime.

After some Christmas shopping and quality time spent with my good friend, it was with a lingering heart that I boarded the train back to my abode, back to reality, the mundane work. Nothing is eternal but our friendship and memories would last.