Capricorn Christmas

Elevator Runway

The location had changed but the pain hadn't. Luckily Saskatoon is a relatively small city, but the conditions of the roads forced our driver to crawl along cursing the snow as he switched between putting his windshield wipers on full speed or complete turning the off. It was less than a fifteen minute drive, but Les was already dozing off.

Pulling into to emergency bay, I "lightly" gave him a shove and he didn't exactly snap to attention. "Hey you got this?" I think he was assuming that since puking outside the bar had made him feel better, me puking in the street probably had had the same effect. I wasn't ok. My ankle was swelling to the point that I had already taken off my shoe to relieve some of the pressure, but since I wasn't outright crying and to be fair I did have a good barf, I must have seemed better than I was. "Yeah, I'm fine." I slid out of the backseat hopping myself into the glowing lights of the ER.

Wincing with pain with every hop I made my way to the reception desk. Without lifting her head she stuck out her hand, "Health card." Balancing on one leg like a flamingo, I rummaged for a second through my purse almost losing my balance before producing my card. She scanned it, "Ohhh Christmas baby.  That's gotta suck!" "Yeah I guess," I nodded agreeably. "What are you in for tonight?" She was now turned to the side typing into a computer and I wondered what kind of peripheral vision she might have. "I broke my ankle," pointing to the pain. I felt that straight and to the point would be appreciated. "No need to point. Everyone's ankles are in the same place." "Right." I stayed silent until she told me to take a seat.

Pivoting on my good foot, I surveyed the waiting room. There was blood and snot coming out all all kinds of people and places. I could smell the acrid smell of blood and vomit and alcohol. I settled on a chair beside an older lady with wild grey hair. We sat in silence for a few minutes. I never knew what to look at in these situations, so I chose the tiles on the floor in front of me for the time being. I accidently looked up once by mistake noticing that the guy sitting directly across from me was staring right at me. "Uggggh," I made the slightest of groans as I diverted my eyes back to my tiles.

"Don't worry dear," the old lady slightly shifted in her seat, "he's just trying to figure you out."  "Not much to figure out," I said not wanting to ignore an old lady.  "Oh there's lots there," she said smiling, "you're just not showing it."  I nodded silently even though I didn't know what she meant and  wasn't looking to continue to the conversation. 

I checked the clock on the wall and tried to use that peripheral vision to see if the guy across the room was still staring me down, but he was already being ushered through the double doors to see a doctor. "He got zapped," the old lady's voice said and she continued even though I hadn't asked. "Home renovations," she nodded knowingly. "He was swapping out light fixtures and electrocuted himself," she laughed softly. "He'll be fine, just a bit of a shock." At this I finally cracked and chucked to myself.

"Sometimes when people get electrocuted they see things normal people don't," she was now turned in her chair looking directly at me. I really had no choice now to engage. I nodded again because I wasn't really sure how to respond. "and some people just end up with curly hair." I politely left out a puff of air to let her know that was mildly amusing. "It doesn't always last though, after being electrocuted. Most of the time it fades quite quickly, but every now and then it sticks." "Hmmm," I nodded again. My neck was getting a work out tonight.

It was about then I started wonder if she was waiting for a psych nurse. I chastised myself for being so judgemental and went back to looking at the floor. "You're a girl of few words aren't you?" I squirmed in my seat a bit uncomfortably and readjusted my ankle or try and ebb the throbbing pain that I was somehow getting used to. "Well,"
I gestured to my ankle which was now the size of a cantaloupe, "I'm in pain."

It was her turn to nod silently and I couldn't help but worry she was judging me. I'd been accused of being closed off, cool, aloof, reserved. If there was a synonym for quiet I'd definitely heard it over the years. I liked to think that I could open around my friends though, well four of them. "My friend in high school thought ER stood for elevator runway." I shrugged and offered the old lady a smile.

"How did you come to end up in this elevator runway by yourself tonight?" She spread her hands out as she said this. "Well I was with friends, but I slipped so some are still out and I caught a cab with one of them but they went home." Her eyes got big, "Oooh you don't need any help do you?" A door open and her name was called. She stood up but before she left turned to say, "Capricorns. Too stubborn for your own good."