Last week my boss got hospitalized. I was surprised when she called me and told me I had to be at the hospital because she got hospitalized the night before. When I entered her room, there she was lying on the hospital bed with dextrose hanging on a peg, with her partner stroking her hand for comfort.
I asked her what happened, and she replied, she got pneumonia. I don’t say the normal things people say when friends and relatives or co-employees get sick most people don’t mean it. I prefer a simple touch on the sleeve or even a single flower. Though it’s another matter entirely if it’s a communicable disease.
So, we proceeded to discuss matters regarding her various businesses. And the tasks she wanted get done while she is ingesting loads of antibiotics. Since, she needs to sign a lot of documents, I went up and down the sixth floor of that hospital for two days after the initial visit. After that, we communicated through cellphone, which is fine by me.
On the fourth day she called me again for a meeting concerning another business venture which she wanted me to set up. When I opened the door of her hospital room, she said, “thank god, you’re here, my mother and sister who promised to be with me 24/7 hastily left when I said I have TB.” For a few seconds I just stood there on the doorway, unsure of what to say.
I asked her, “You sure? Is your doctor sure? (silly question, at this point I was thinking of going back down the length of the six floors without looking back!) She said, “yes”. So I said, feigning nonchalance, “well, they say it’s treatable now, are you taking your medicines religiously?” She said yes and proceeded to discuss things with me.
How can I listen to anything, anything at all after she dropped that bomb on me? Thoughts like, “darn this woman for not telling me two days ago!” Tuberculosis is a deadly highly infectious disease for starters.
After the meeting, I went down the lobby so concerned for my health. When I came back in the afternoon for another meeting, I couldn’t help asking the hospital pharmacist for her opinion. I was advised to wear a mask at all times in her presence. (err.. too late). I went back up to the sixth floor carrying the mask, but before I went in, I thought to better ask the nurse station which is just 4 meters away from her room, if I was being told the truth.
Me: “Miss may I ask..err..if Ms……. On room 605, does she have TB?”
Nurse: “How are you related to her?”
Me: “She’s my boss.. I know it’s against hospital policies, but she told me she has TB
so, if you can just help me verify if it is true because I was exposed to her, and she
only told me like three days after.” “and I brought a mask with me, I’m also hesitant to
wear this in front of her…so pls I need to now.” (literally begging)
Nurse: flipping my boss’ chart…”hmmm..no…she’s clean..there are no TB meds…X-
rays are clean.”
Me: “You sure?” “Because I will go back in there without any protection whatsoever,
and if she has TB for real, I’m getting back with you on this.” (sounding ominous and
laughable).
Nurse: “Yes she is clean, you can relax now.” (laughing good-naturedly)
Epilogue
Me: “You said you have TB, I asked the nurse she said you don’t have it”. “why would you lie
to me?”
Wicked *****: hahahahahaha!
Me: “I even bought a mask! Grrr.”
Wicked *****: hahahahahaha!
Oh great.
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