Heard In the Hallways

Every Thursday, I volunteer at St. Mary's Hospital for about an hour and a half.


It may sound weird to others, but this is definitely one of the highlights of my week. I'm stationed in the hospital library where I do pickups and deliveries from and to various patients around the building. This gives me a chance to see all kinds of situations and people and no day is ever the same.

Today for instance... it was a pretty normal session for me. I was sent out to deliver some DVDs and books when I came by an interesting scene. There were 4 or 5 doctors huddled around a computer, intently staring at some sort of spreadsheet on the screen.

As I walked by in my black slacks and blue volunteer vest, I overheard this:

Nurse 1: Dammit. Karen Thomas must have locked the information!

Nurse 2: Why would she do that? She knows this is important.

Nurse 3: Gawd, we need this.

Nurse 4: I've gotta go find Rich. [runs off]

Maybe you just had to be there... but the whole scene felt like something right out of some kind of medical/mystery show. I almost laughed.

Anywho, after walking a TV to the Mary Brigh building I realized that the quickest way back to the library was through the 28 Days Later hallway.

... It's really not called that. It's actually called Joseph 7, but the 28 Days Later Hallway suits it much more well.

You know that scene in the beginning of the movie? When Jim wakes up in the hospital and it's completely silent and empty, but with bright, sterile hallways?

Yeah, this hallways is exactly like that. The lights are on, the computers are merely on sleep mode, rooms are fully stocked... looking like every other hallway in the hospital, except for people.

I always manage to get the heebie-jeebies when walking through. Every second, I look over my shoulder, expecting to see some blood thirsty zombie limping after me. And it doesn't help that the soda machine at the end of the corridor makes a huge bangbangbang noise every few seconds.

And then a couple strides later, and I'm in the Mary Brigh building... back into society.