Twenty-four little hours...

It was the longest day of the year (and no, I'm not referring to June 21st)...

I've had an interesting and eventful day... Having mentioned the probability of a birthday party photo, that as you can see, didn't happen. Said party passed well in to midnight, concluded with a drunken, blurry, fail at singing Guitar Hero on I's Xbox, sleep over at his, the birthday boy's house. Wake up, watch it bounce down with rain - being stranded me and his brother played more Xbox - then a few hours later a '999' call.

The girlfriend of I, K, an asthmatic was shallowly breathing, barely conscious and very incoherent - had she been drinking I'd have thought it were a hangover, she barely did so, and it definitely wasn't! I's mum rang the ambulance, K having gradually gotten worse; I in the meanwhile to get her legs raised and head flat on the sofa, a modified recovery position.

The rapid response car EMT turned up. Followed by the ambulance whom after doing ECG and oxygen level tests went to A&E. We then had a five hours wait. I'm on first name terms with one of the receptionist (who unfortunately was off duty at the time) - not because I'm always there... She also is a part-time support teacher at a local primary school, having been at A&E with I and K thrice, the latter twice! I keep saying it's my turn next, I just hope that isn't the case.

K was booked in and had a surprisingly short wait (it actually took longer getting her prescription signed for analgesia in med-speak). Whilst waiting I was in and outside (more out) from the cubicle due to my aversion for hospitals... photographing the entrance, the glass of the children's A&E waiting area, the sun. Seeing many patients arrive, a few leave and one smoke infront of a do not smoke sign (you're not meant to smoke in the grounds, including K's mother, did - she pointed out the fact they have an ashtray on the bin. Such irony...)

Eventually got a taxi home (via the shop for some apple sauce - don't ask!) to a domestic at K's mum's house to a friend and her boyfriend rowing over nothing about his paranoia over an unknown friend who was sat next to her... I stopped until it calmed down, had a sandwich then straight home to get some well needed sleep. (K's doing well now... All concious, even cracking a smile! Just needs an appointment at her GP's)

All those poorly people I saw arriving for care... Makes me uncomfortable to be there. I was talking to the receptionist on one of my previous 'visits' with I, when she'd just clocked off, I discovered that a new mother, early 20s had that night passed away due to a heart attack (having previously had heart problems, knowing it'd eventually kill her). The saddest part is had just weeks before given birth to the cutest baby I've seen - I saw her outside later in the arms of the deceased's grandmother, I could tell by the crying and the fact a baby was being cradled... I overheard her ringing up relatives checking they had received the news). It was a sad week, I'd only just attended a funeral that week of Tony, another victim to a myocardial infarction - rushed to the same A&E. He was eighty. A great life lived. He even read the entire dictionary! Thirteen years almost to the day since my granddad died there too...

Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero

[Names edited for privacy reasons.]