Waiting Alone in a Crowd

 

I hear the crowd around me as I sit in an unoccupied area of the surgery waiting area. I am in a crowd, but alone.

My husband is having surgery on his neck today. It is not a great day for crowds.

We were nervous this morning when we woke at 3:45 a.m. His surgery scheduled for 7:30 in the morning. He had a slight cough.

He didn’t want a big crowd here. He preferred his children remained at home because he worries about them driving long distances. We did not use our local hospital but came to a larger hospital about an hour away from our rural home.

Now, I wait to hear news from the operating room. The nurse gave me a pager. His patient number is in the green on the surgery information board.

It is a minor/major surgery if that makes sense. It is not on the heart or brain, but on his neck.  He may be in a lot pain afterwards.

For now, I wait in the surgery waiting area, hearing the crowd of people around me talking in a rush of mumbles not able to pick up specific conversations. My cell phone rings.

“Mrs. Hill? This is the nurse with your husband. The surgery started 10 minutes ago and everything is going great.
The surgery will last about another two hours, and we will give you a call to let you know when he is in recovery,” the nurse said.

I hang up; squeeze my eyes shut and pray all will go well. I see my husband’s smile; his eyes. I am tired and want to just rest, but the crowd of people around me continues with conversations in a low rumble of activity.

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I am joining the Five Minute Writing Community today where the word is “Crowd.”

 

Also joining other linkups listed on my Linkup Parties page.