transport and arrival.

A portable gurney was wheeled into the room.  The crew of two was typical:  male and female, slightly overweight, young, and pleasant enough.  The woman smelled of cigarettes.  'Are you able to move yourself onto the cart?' the man asked.  "No problem,' I replied, and began to get off the cart I had been on for the last 12 hours. Immediately, four hands reached out to steady me.  'Whoa, take it easy, go slow,' the woman said.  'I'm fine,' I replied, but slowed down enough to not worry them.  I laid down on the gurney.  'We have to buckle you in, but we won't make it too tight.'  Again, safety first.  They cinched up the straps and out of the room I went, feet first.  The ambulance was right outside.  'You're gonna feel a bump when we put you in, so be ready for it.'  I readied myself, and, as usual, felt no bump.  The man got in the front; the woman stayed in back with me.  She was nice.  'Would you like some warm blankets?  Sorry about the light, I'll turn it down once we get moving.  Are the straps too tight?'  I liked her.  'No, everything is fine,' I said.  Maybe I'll try to nap.  'Good idea', she replied. 'We have about an hour to go'.  The ambulance began to roll, and for the first time in three days, I fell asleep.

The next thing I knew, the back door was open and they were lifting me out.  'We're here,' I was told.  I was cold now, and feeling a little tense.  The meds were wearing off. I figured that the nurse on duty would hook me up right away with some more Librium, because that's what the VA does.  They wheeled me inside and lowered the gurney, and I got out and sat in a red plastic chair.  'Thanks, guys, see you later,' I said.  I hoped not.

My vitals were taken, I held out my hands, I stuck out my tongue.  When asked how I felt, I replied with the standard 'horrible.' Two more green and white capsules were handed to me, along with a glass of water.  I tossed those down quickly and handed the water back.  'Would you like something else to drink?  I have some diet ginger ale,' the nurse asked.  'No thanks,' I replied.  To me, diet ginger ale tastes like homelessness.  They gave me a set of burgundy pajamas to change into, along with those socks with the rubber soles.  I was glad to get burgundy - brown were for very thin people, then burgundy, then blue, then yellow, if you were large.  It was good to know that I was wearing the same color as last time, keeping the weight off.  It made me feel a little better about myself.