My neighbor called this morning in a panic and asked if I could please drive her and her teen-aged daughter to the hospital. She didn’t want to call an ambulance, but she had no transportation until her husband got home late tonight with the family car. Of course I agreed to drive her. Her daughter looked very pale and sweaty and I was very concerned for her health. I suspected heat exhaustion – but it could have been something even worse.
We got o the hospital quickly and without incident and I helped them get in the ER entrance. She asked me to not bother staying at the hospital – she just need the ride to get there. That is not the way I was raised – I felt a duty to go inside and make sure she would be treated and taken care of – not just drop someone off and drive away. I don’t care how many white lab coat doctors, med students and nurses were milling about – I needed to know that she would be seen.
It has been a couple of years since I’ve even seen a lab coat or pair of scrubs anywhere. Thankfully I’ve been healthy and not been around hospitals much. In fact, the last time I saw anyone in scrubs is when I went online and ordered a Halloween costume for my nephew, who wanted to go trick or treating dressed as a med student flunky, with fake blood smeared all over his shirt and gloves.