She opened her eyes and found herself to be in the hospital room, in Chennai Apollo hospital. She was 10 years old, and didn't understand why she was there. Her parents looked at her with sympathy and felt helpless.
"Why am I here? I don't like this place can we go out of here?"
Her mother said," Just for few days you have to be here, some medical checkups have to performed. Nothing has happened to you."
"Why cannot we come to the hospital everyday and get the check-up done instead of staying here? Also, I heard the food is not good in the hospital."
"Just few days more my dear child, the doctor want to keep you under observation for some days so that's why you are here"
A nurse came up to her with a big injection and a girl screamed out ,"I cannot take this injection,it so big". Her mother said,"You will not realize the pain lets the say devi mantra together". Everyday she had few tests and some injections followed by the rounds of mantra.Every few hours the doctor came up to her and asked how is she doing.
A week passed by with so many injections and medicines, and everyday she heard from her mother,"Just few more days then we can go home."
One early morning, around 4:00 she was awaken up by her mother. As she opened her eyes she found the nurse, doctor, her father, and a few relatives. The nurse was putting the medicine on her chest and the girl wondered what happened as everybody looked grim , and she asked her mother"What happened, why everybody is here so early ?"
"Just a X-Ray to be performed, nothing at all"
The girl was not at all satisfied with an answer. She thought to herself that she had so many x-rays done but nothing happened like this in all these days. For a moment she felt she is not being told the truth. But nobody spoke anything at all.
As, she was made to sit on the wheelchair everybody gave her a very serious look . She was made to wait outside the room for a long while on a bed with wheels. She had all the weird thoughts going on in her mind which made no sense but somehow a huge fear creeped into her.
After a long while a nurse came and took her to the room. On seeing the room she got scared and frightened, because to her it looked like an operation theatre. The same operation theatre which she had seen in the movies on television. As she was made to lie on the bed , four doctors surrounded her. One of the doctor had an injection in the hand, she remembered of her mother and chanted the mantra which she was taught all these while.Everything went black in front of her and she went in an unconscious state.
The moment she opened her eyes she wanted to cry out for her mother but she could not as she had the oxygen mask on and the tube was into her mouth. Several hours later she asked the nurse"Why am I here, I want to see my mother,Please take me to her"
The nurse replied,"You are in the ICU, so we cannot bring in your mother but she is outside the ICU room. You are here because you had undergone a open heart surgery, but don't worry you are fine now"
"How many more days I have to be here before I can see my mother?"
"Three more days then I will myself take you out of the ICU room to her.
Three days seemed such a long while for her, most of the time she was awake, thinking and was confused why her mother lied to her, why didn't she tell the truth.
After three days went by, she was taken out of the ICU in the wheelchair. As soon she went out she saw her parents, relatives waiting outside. On seeing her mother she felt overwhelmed, happy and wanted to cry. At the same time she gave an questioning look to her mother why she said a lie to her. But, then she realized they all were in the bad situation than her they all looked so tired and worried.
She spent another 15 days in the hospital , the doctors used to come to her everyday and tell her that she was the bravest patient of all and was proud of her. She made new friends in the hospital who were patient like her. Together they talked about their experiences and was taught by everyone that one should be cheerful under all circumstances as no problems are big. The stay in the hospital made her to be more humble than before and compassionate as ever. She made a small promise to herself that she would be kind to her fellow beings and be as compassionate as possible to relieve the people from their pain.
"Why am I here? I don't like this place can we go out of here?"
Her mother said," Just for few days you have to be here, some medical checkups have to performed. Nothing has happened to you."
"Why cannot we come to the hospital everyday and get the check-up done instead of staying here? Also, I heard the food is not good in the hospital."
"Just few days more my dear child, the doctor want to keep you under observation for some days so that's why you are here"
A nurse came up to her with a big injection and a girl screamed out ,"I cannot take this injection,it so big". Her mother said,"You will not realize the pain lets the say devi mantra together". Everyday she had few tests and some injections followed by the rounds of mantra.Every few hours the doctor came up to her and asked how is she doing.
A week passed by with so many injections and medicines, and everyday she heard from her mother,"Just few more days then we can go home."
One early morning, around 4:00 she was awaken up by her mother. As she opened her eyes she found the nurse, doctor, her father, and a few relatives. The nurse was putting the medicine on her chest and the girl wondered what happened as everybody looked grim , and she asked her mother"What happened, why everybody is here so early ?"
"Just a X-Ray to be performed, nothing at all"
The girl was not at all satisfied with an answer. She thought to herself that she had so many x-rays done but nothing happened like this in all these days. For a moment she felt she is not being told the truth. But nobody spoke anything at all.
As, she was made to sit on the wheelchair everybody gave her a very serious look . She was made to wait outside the room for a long while on a bed with wheels. She had all the weird thoughts going on in her mind which made no sense but somehow a huge fear creeped into her.
After a long while a nurse came and took her to the room. On seeing the room she got scared and frightened, because to her it looked like an operation theatre. The same operation theatre which she had seen in the movies on television. As she was made to lie on the bed , four doctors surrounded her. One of the doctor had an injection in the hand, she remembered of her mother and chanted the mantra which she was taught all these while.Everything went black in front of her and she went in an unconscious state.
The moment she opened her eyes she wanted to cry out for her mother but she could not as she had the oxygen mask on and the tube was into her mouth. Several hours later she asked the nurse"Why am I here, I want to see my mother,Please take me to her"
The nurse replied,"You are in the ICU, so we cannot bring in your mother but she is outside the ICU room. You are here because you had undergone a open heart surgery, but don't worry you are fine now"
"How many more days I have to be here before I can see my mother?"
"Three more days then I will myself take you out of the ICU room to her.
Three days seemed such a long while for her, most of the time she was awake, thinking and was confused why her mother lied to her, why didn't she tell the truth.
After three days went by, she was taken out of the ICU in the wheelchair. As soon she went out she saw her parents, relatives waiting outside. On seeing her mother she felt overwhelmed, happy and wanted to cry. At the same time she gave an questioning look to her mother why she said a lie to her. But, then she realized they all were in the bad situation than her they all looked so tired and worried.
She spent another 15 days in the hospital , the doctors used to come to her everyday and tell her that she was the bravest patient of all and was proud of her. She made new friends in the hospital who were patient like her. Together they talked about their experiences and was taught by everyone that one should be cheerful under all circumstances as no problems are big. The stay in the hospital made her to be more humble than before and compassionate as ever. She made a small promise to herself that she would be kind to her fellow beings and be as compassionate as possible to relieve the people from their pain.
Comments
I agree fear kills. Just a thought of an event brings more fear than an actual event. But kids are better off fighting it. Its maturity that makes a person more incapable of fighting fear. Again hats off to your work. Realistic and worthwile!
-Vijay.