Spirited Away

Some years ago I was doing my rounds when I saw this new patient admitted into the ward at bed 24. One of my senior doctors kindly asked me and my registrar to continue with the round and took the medical officer to go and clerk the case.

We were happily proceeding with the round when suddenly, a nurse came to us to ask for help, claiming that the new patient had "collapsed".

“Suay man!” I thought to myself as I briskly walked to that patient. (please see previous entry about why doctors do not always run!)

To cut the long story short, the resuscitation was a success and the patient was sent to the ICU.

A few days passed by…

I was asked to review the patient when she returned to the ward from the ICU.

I proceeded to ask her how she was feeling and she started to describe to me what happened.

She claimed she left her body that morning and was actually hovering on top of us as we were trying to “save her”.

“…must be hallucinations…” I thought to myself as I smiled at her and continued to ask some routine questions.

The patient did not answer me but actually went on to describe what she saw that day.

It felt weird that she was able to remember what we were wearing that day even though technically, she never saw me and my registrar.

What was weirder what that she told me about an envelope behind the bedside locker/cabinet addressed to a certain Mr Tan X X. (NOT XiaXue, please!) Well… there was no way she could have seen it when she came into the ward. From what I understand, she was slightly drowsy and was lying on the bed all this while.

Being the kaypoh me, I decided to go and check if the envelope was still there… slowly, I walked towards that bed she was previously at just a few days ago.

There was nothing there. (Efficient hospital cleaners!)

I walked towards the nursing counter, smiling, thinking about what that old lady said when I overheard a woman asking for an envelope addressed to Mr Tan X X who was discharged a few days ago from bed 24.