Symphony of Lilacs

09. Whore Ward

The ward bustles with energy and grimness, as I make my routine rounds with a senior doctor.
Doctor Jennings only nods as I inspect the patients and scarcely remarks under his breath.

"All patients seem to be in good condition. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to attend to some in my own office." Giving a curt nod, Doctor Jennings disappears into the crowd of patients, nurses and sweepers.

"He looks in a good mood, today," Sister Greta says as she shoves a thermometer into a child's mouth, not giving him the chance to let out a wail. The child folds his arms across his chest, thermometer in mouth.

"Really, I couldn't tell." I say, checking the temperature.

37.5°C
Not too bad.
Won't die.

"That's the best compliment you can get, lad." She looks up-- smiling-- cleaning sweat from her forehead with her collar.

"I know. One can only have limited expectations from a man like that." The patient beside me sleeps soundly as I check his clipboard out.

Meanwhile, Sister Greta sighs at the asleep male patient beside her.

My brows furrow.
"I don't think I saw him yesterday."

Sister Greta shakes her head.
"Oh no, he only came in today." She lets out a chuckle.
"Poor lad fainted when his wife gave birth."

Fainted?

At seeing me blinking, Sister Greta waves a head.
"That happens, dearie.
Besides, this one wasn't even that big of a scare as compared to his girl!"

She moves around the bed, turning to the next one.
"The infant had a misplaced tooth stuck in her throat and couldn't breathe. Poor lass. Some are born like that. Gave the entire ward quite the scare."

The Sister turns around.
"But then I whipped it out in one swift flick and the babe was as healthy as any other."
Sister Greta demonstrates the flick as if it were as easy as riding one's nose clean of snot.

"Seems like quite the adventure I missed today." I smile, as the Sister looks at the table next to the new father.

She rubs her chin.
"I swear I put the poor soul's watch here after he fainted. Oh my memory these days..."

From the view of the door ahead, a person with a peacock blue cloak walks around the patients' beds. But then someone with a patched cap also threads with his head bowed, something glimmering in his back pocket.

"Please excuse me, Sister."

With her blinking, I place my pen back into my pocket and stride over to the next ward. The only visible difference between the wards is the numbering on them and the sex of the patients.

My position is only a few steps away from the boy.

The boy strolls about till he turns at seeing me.

At that, he breaks into a run.

"Where do you think you're going?"
I catch him by the back of his collar by taking a few quick steps ahead.

He flicks his arms about, but to no avail.
"How did you even catch me?" he asks, after giving one last and futile lurch.

"My legs are longer than yours, lad." My eyes roll.

"Now will you give back the watch?"

"Can' me have a watch too? It ain't like there's proof." He grits his teeth and looks at my face for the first time.