Remember what I said in that last post about the ebb and flow of the night shift of the ER? Forget I said anything. We got destroyed last night. All night. By the end of our shift, the three of us (myself and the two attendings) were staggering around like that cow in "Old Yeller" that they had to shoot. All this and some sort of subway malfunction that caused my homebound train to be completely packed with surly commuters who started picking fights with each other just to express their surliness.
LADY
(Standing just inside the door of the packed train, screaming generally to the throng pushing to get in)
Ain't no more room on the train! No one's getting in here!
OTHER LADY
(Gesturing to the side)
Move in more! There's room there!
LADY
Can't move no more! There's a bike there!
ASSHOLE WITH BIKE
(Nonplussed, blocking not one but three seats with his stupid mountain bike)
OTHER LADY
Since when do you make the call of who gets in and who doesn't get in?
LADY
Since now!
OTHER LADY
(Sarcastically)
Oh, you have so much power! You make the rules!
LADY
That's right, bitch!
OTHER LADY
(Trying ineffectively to shove into train)
MICHELLE'S INNER MONOLOGUE
OK now, the one cubic centimeter that was left in this train for my lung expansion has now been taken up by a giant pushing shoulder.
LADY
Told you ain't no room on this train!
CONDUCTOR
Standclearuddaclosindoorsplease.
(Doors close)
LADY
(Shouting through the door)
And if you can't handle it, leave New York!
So needless to say, I was standing for my of the ride home. Or propped up against a wall of other passengers, to be more precise about it. Which is fine, except that my back was killing me. Damn this uterus and its assorted contents, it's like wearing a giant heavy backpack 24/7, except on the front. By the end of the night, I feel like an old lady, with my panoply of back and joint complaints. It's the rheumatiz, I tells ya. Now where's my walker and my lumbar support pillow?
Currently watching: "Felicity," which is back on syndication at We, the Women's Entertainment Network. Yay! Not to be embarrassing, but I love "Felicity." This was my fourth year of med school vice, after I had finished all my hard rotations and committed myself to a semester of sloth. And (AND) they're playing two episodes back to back every day! Sweet! I can watch both episodes now, since I'm working the night shift, but I probably won't be able to catch any of them next week when I'm back on days. I wish I had TiVo.
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