transient.

chapter 2: boredom

Turns out, being hospitalised was boring as hell. He looked around and saw all the other patients who looked almost twice his age, and twice as sick. He tried to scroll through his Instagram and watch some YouTube videos on his phone, but he was bored. So he naturally walked to Eddy, who was typing furiously away on the computer for the past half an hour, hoping he'd entertain him.

Eddy saw Brett approaching in his peripheral vision, and slowed down his typing as he looked towards Brett. "Hey - you need anything?" Eddy could almost hear it coming - the complain of every patient who was conscious in the hospital - "I'm bored out of my mind, Eddy."

Eddy laughed, it was something he'd gotten used to. He wished that he could entertain Brett, but he was simply swamped with documentation after the flurry of nursing tasks that morning. So, he did what he could and kept up some small, mindless conversation with Brett by the nursing counter.

Brett appreciated the effort of his newfound friend trying to multitask - were they friends? Nonetheless, Brett admired his effort Eddy put into talking to him despite being obviously busy.

"Do all nurses have the ability to multitask like you?" Brett asked.

"Well, if they want to go for their break on time, then they will, eventually." Eddy supplied.

"Then, will you be going for break on time today?"

"Fortunately, yes, because if not i'm gonna collapse."

"OOOOH DOES THAT MEAN I CAN USE THE ZAPPY THING ON YOU???" Brett's sudden excitement caused Eddy to stifle his laughter.

"I think you need some sleep, man." Eddy countered.

"Nah, don't think I will be able to - crippling depression yaknow." Brett tried to say it in a lighthearted, meme-y tone. Internally, he worried what Eddy would think - dark things weren't exactly something everyone he met fancied.

Eddy landed his last, decisive tap on the keyboard and saved the documents. Of course he knew. Eddy had read through Brett's history this morning. He'd seen all his past medical history - which also included some psychiatric issues, from when he got rejected by the orchestra for the first time since he graduated from university. It was creepy to Eddy, how as healthcare personnel, they knew so much about their patients, but he was aware that it was necessary as well. Eddy looked at the time - 11am. Time for his break.

Eddy had an idea. He looked towards Brett - who had been looking at his face nervously for the past minute for any clue of judgement, and asked "You want to get a snack? We could go for a walk downstairs to ease your boredom - plus, it's my break now." Brett smiled and nodded enthusiastically like a kid. Eddy got up and ensured that the staff nurse who would be covering for his cubicle was back from break, before telling her the essentials for each patient, in case anything were to happen while he was gone. All the while, Brett followed behind like a puppy.

"What about him?" The staff nurse pointed to Brett, who was behind Eddy.

Eddy laughed - "He wants to die from boredom so my nursing intervention would be to sign him out of the ward and take him on my break I guess." He shrugged. They laughed and then made Brett sign the needed documents.

Transient. It would only be once or twice before he was discharged.

Once they walked out of the ward, Brett dramatically inhaled, "What a breath of fresh air!", which only made Eddy laugh and comment "drama queen". They laughed as they walked into a lift to bring them downstairs to the hospital lobby.

"I'll be going to the cafeteria and then loitering around - you don't mind right?" Eddy asked.

"Can I get a coffee then?" Brett asked as they joined the queue at the drinks stall.

"No."

"But why not?????? I have coffee all the time!" Brett protested.

"No. The pain relief drugs have a side effect of stomach upset, and coffee could increase the risk of it happening. So no, not in my house." Eddy firmly answered.

"Okay moooooom." Brett dragged out the last syllable, mimicking a teenager.

"How about some hot chocolate?" Eddy suggested, hoping it'll comfort Brett.

"Fine."

Eddy ordered for Brett and himself, and paid for the both of them. Brett had forgotten his wallet upstairs and would pay him back later. They headed to the back of the hospital building, and suddenly Brett realised that the hustle and bustle of the hospital grew further and further away. They sat in comfortable silence, taking in the morning sun. 

"Do you always come here during break?" Brett started off the conversation.

"Yeah, it's quiet and I like it. I'm not that extroverted actually."

"Quite the different story upstairs though."

"It comes with the job."

Transient. This person was transient.

Eddy quickly learns about how Brett was also an introvert, and struggled to make friends, and how music was literally all he cared about. He was a first violinist, and he was passionate about the art. Brett quickly learns that Eddy has been working for 3 years now, takes no shit from anyone, but is actually probably terrified inside. He used to play the violin and the piano when he was younger - because it is apparently an Asian mom thing, but gave it up soon after when he had to build a stable career. Also, they both were terrified of cockroaches.

What was it again? Cat-?

"Katsaridaphobia."

"Very helpful, Eddy. That was 10 syllables of 'I-don't-know-how-to-pronounce-this'."

"Yet you can say 'Tchaikovsky' without a hitch."

"Hey! I'll have you know I practice it 40 hours a day under my mom's supervision okay!" Brett jokingly quipped.

As quickly as it had started, it was time for Eddy to return to work. Transient.