New Moon Day

Empathy

The small, round disk with a down arrow inside illuminated as she pressed it absent-mindedly.

She wondered if she would be one of the 10% who'd beat the odds...

"Ouch!" the little boy exclaimed behind her.

Startled, the woman grabbed her faux pearls. She turned to apologize for stepping on his size 5 New Balance sneakers.

" 'so'k" he sniffed. "I'll live." He whiped the bottom of his nose unceremoniously. "If only my dad..." he mumbled to himself before gazing off and rubbing his dirty hand onto his jeans. When the bell sounded, he walked into the newly-arrived lift as the silver-panelled doors widened.

As he entered, a hunched man, wearing a tweed jeff cap and a checkered, flannel overcoat, stepped out. His unbathed skin left a lingering odor behind in his wake.

The man shuffled down the hall.

Martha was waiting for his call. Her hysterectomy had been yesterday. They were both hopeful of the pending biopsy results.

A young, blond nurse was fiddling with a blood pressure cup, it's gray tubing dangling almost to the floor. She looked up and smiled.

She was hiding her nerves behind that air of pleasantry. "Would her ex-husband return tonight like she expected?" The nurse thought to herself, worrying the equipment.

The query was driving her to distraction, which is why she ended up tripping into the case manager beside her.

As a nearby bedpan rattled onto the floor from the mishap, a passing orderly caught it.

He nodded at them both, and wondered if anyone saw him and the case worker sneak off last night after dinner had been served to the patient of 4B.

The case worker laughed nervously at the collision, wondering how many days into her cycle she was as she made eye contact with her accomplice.

Have a care.

We're all going through something.