There are a lot more ill people on this day. As I walk in I notice many people in sweats and jackets. It is freshly cold outside, yet the sun is shining. It is around 10am and I notice on the number monitor 52 is being displayed. The room is filled with cough noises and sneezing. As the weather is changing and it is getting colder people are becoming ill possibly the flu and or the common cold. Two sets of adults have what we call the "nuclear family". There are two anglo people, a wife and her husband, and their kids are accompanying them. I am able to come to the conclusion that they are married because they are wearing wedding rings. Aside from these two sets of couples I see three african americans. One lady and two men and they are all sitting in separate rows, I doubt that they are together. Even though the room is crowded with people who do not feel well every one seems to be in happy spirits. I notice a lot of smiles. The popcorn has already been popped and it smells so fresh. They have the heater on in the building because I can feel the warmth coming from the vent on the ceiling. One of the volunteers is sitting in the normal desk. I notice the man who calls the number aloud over the intercom. I waive and polity smile. Today I see that there is a medium size tree near a window in the corner of the room. I have never seen this tree during any of the times I have visited.
Two of the employees are flipping through papers as the janitor is using a drill to put up an information board. At least I think it will be an information board. There used to be a board that was noticeably taken down and this might be the new one they are setting up.
A nurse or a doctor comes out of the door and two anglo ladies walk near her. They are both dressed in warm clothes. They are wearing jeans nice boats and jackets. They have brown hair and both are wearing scarves. I wonder if they discussed they would match today in their attire because they are defiantly matching. The televisions are showing Fox News and the History Chanel. This is the same every time I come to this location. I hear more coughs and sneezing. I see that there are kleenex out on the table for the people.The Hispanic man who was drilling in some board on the wall finished. He is walking towards his office. I see two male employees walking into the staff lounge. They are carrying lunch boxes.
I take a walk outside to see if there is a bike rack or anything I have never noticed. There is indeed a bike rack, however, it is on the west side of the building and not very noticeable when you are walking up to the front entrance. I see two Hispanic males wearing Army jackets and hats sitting on a bench in the smoking area smoking cigarettes. An older lady pulls up to the front doors and gets out walks to the passenger side of her vehicle and opens the door. She helps a younger Anglo man exit the vehicle. She grabs a cane from the back of her SUV and I hear her call the man son. She helps her sharply dressed son walk into the building. He is limping and using a wooden cane. He too has a shirt on the is displaying 82nd airborne. He has short cut hair and only one shoe on. He is wearing slacks and a polo shirt with 82nd airborne on the left side of the shirt near the heart area. They walk inside and I can still see them she signs him in helps him to a seat and walk outside to get in her SUV. I watch her while she parks and walks back inside the building.
The people appear to be calm and happy. I walk back inside and see a nurse posting information of the cork board. I walk near the board, so I am able to read what is being posted. I see some information on post traumatic brain injury, PTSD, there are meetings being held three times this week on the 2nd floor. The nurse then posts information on a can food drive for thanksgiving to help a church. First Presbyterian Church in El Paso Texas is gathering items for a can food drive. They will be picking up the cans left at this business on Wednesdays.
I turn my attention the the number monitor, which displays what number the people are taking to help in the back area. They are now on the number 59. I count all the people in the room and I get a headcount of 17. I also see two nurses wearing curbs and the man who calls out the numbers, two lady volunteers and I have now noticed two doctors. one doctor is a male and one is a female.
I see two younger adolescents walk up to the popcorn machine and gather some popcorn. They scooped the popcorn into a bag and went and sat down to enjoy the popcorn. The employees at this place are very nice and generous. I notice a lady going around asking if anyone would like some hot chocolate. She stops to me and says that she has noticed me here before. I do not remember this lady. Anyways she says that there is hot chocolate in the other room and if I would like some go ahead and get some. This lady is tall and Hispanic. She sounds very calm and again she is smiling. She must enjoy her job. In fact I do not see any aggressive behaviors when I look around the room. For a room full of people who do not feel good, mentally or physically, the people are quite happy. Just as I am thinking this one African American man starts hollering and then pukes. This puke was projectile puke and he puked on the back of a chair and the floor. I feel bad for him. He looks embarrassed and keeps saying he is sorry. The volunteer lady with the red vest on rushes to the janitor and lets him know the situation, I assume, I am unable to hear. She then disappears behind a door and comes out the door rather quickly. She takes the man a trash can and a towel and has paper napkins in her pocket. She talks to him and he just keeps saying he is sorry. She assures him that he doesn't need to worry about that and she needs to know if he feels relieved or if he feels he has to continue to puke. He takes some napkins from the lady and walks off to the restroom. The janitor comes and cleans the mess.
I begin to not feel so hot. So I leave. and as I leave I just hope that man will be okay.
No comments:
Post a Comment