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My next door neighbor is having work done in her Unit so I have been hearing all kinds of construction-like noises for the last couple of days. Sometimes the banging, drilling etc. is so loud that I am fairly certain that the construction workers are trying to break through the wall dividing me and my neighbor or fear that they just tore down some crucial beam and now the building's integrity has been compromised so the ceiling will soon fall on me.

The current construction sounds reminded me of the construction at Good Samaritan Hospital, the hospital I went to after a few weeks in John Hopkins back in the Summer of 1991. I was in my hospital bed fading in and out of sleep-like delirious state when I first heard all the noise. I sat bolt upright and looked around as if looking around was going to help in any way. At first I thought it was some extremely harsh reaction time test. A measure of how long it would it take me to notice the noise and then react to it. I heard all the sirens and then thought that this was no reaction time test, the hospital was being bombed and there I was not even knowing where I could find the closest exit. I started to panic.

Eventually, a nurse came in my room and told me that she was very sorry but the hospital was replacing the Emergency entrance and not to worry, it should only take a couple of days. I was already not feeling so great and adding construction to my recovery did not seem all that helpful so, I wouldn't have called the string of my rather un-lady-like thoughts worry.

A few nights later, I was in my hospital bed trying to fall asleep. I started to feel the sensation that my bed was moving. I figured it was just another one of the strange sensations I had been feeling since surgery but when I opened my eyes, I saw this dark haired woman that I had never seen before rolling me in my wheeled hospital bed toward the door of my hospital room. I thought I was being abducted and decided that, despite the high potential for injury, my best bet was to pencil roll off the side of my bed. Before I had a chance to execute my plan, me and my hospital bed were through the door and had come to an abrupt stop in the middle of the hall.

The dark haired woman I had never seen before patted me on the shoulder, told me that the construction was going to be louder than usual and I would be able to get better rest out here, patted me again and then left.

The construction was quieter but I got no rest.

Learn more about this author, Erin Mahoney.
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