Missed Call

I can't remember the name of the film, or if it was even a film, it could have been a drama or something but I once watched something about a major disaster. It was a plane or train crash. As someone walked through the makeshift mortuary, a mobile phone started ringing. Everyone stopped and stared at the place the ring was coming from. I don't even remember if they answered it. I think one guy did.

Today it happened to me.

No major disaster but an unknown patient. Found collapsed in the street. As we were doing a lumbar puncture a loud ring radiated from the bag close to me with his property in.

There were 5 of us behind the curtains. One holding the tubes, 3 of us holding him in position and the dcotor working the needle into his back.

We all froze.

I was nearest to the bag. Answer it I was told, find out who he is. I hunted through the bag and found the phone. The ringing stopped as I tried to work out the unfamiliar phone in my hand.

1 missed call. 5 missed messages. Someone missed him.

Call the number back.

I wandered out of the curtains and out into the corridor, my mind racing. I sought sanctuary in one of the offices. I sat for a moment and stared at the caller's name. The name of the woman I was about to randomly call and say - say what?....

1 missed call. I pressed yes to call and it was answered immediately.

Um hi, did you just ring this mobile?

yes, did I get a wrong number?

No, well, I dont honestly know. Im Lisa, I'm a staff nurse on the Intensive Care Unit at the ______ _______ Hospital. We've admitted an unknown male and this is his phone.

I won't blog the rest of the conversation. I think you can guess how it went.

When I finished the call I felt drained, numb, shitty and guilty. Guilty for just sending someones world crashing down.

My job sucks sometimes