It was a calmer and quieter environment than one might imagine walking into Central Texas Medical Center at 3:30 on a Monday afternoon. The number of people there was constantly fluctuating as people came and went, but it tended to stay at about 10 or 15 people at a time. The people ranged in age from an elderly woman in a bright pink floral dress waiting in a wheel chair to two teenaged girls and several younger boys patiently waiting their turns. It had what could only be described as that typical sterile hospital smell and the waiting room was arranged in a green, tan and beige color scheme. There was a refreshment alcove with soda, coffee and snack machines that people came and went from constantly. On the main wall was a large rather impressive statue of Jesus with a bible verse that read “Fear not. For I am with you…Isaiah 41:10” There were two flat screen televisions playing NCIS with low volume for the people to watch while they were waiting. The people in the waiting room were mostly quiet though some talked to each other, some on cell phones and others in hushed tones to their young children to keep them calm. Hospital personnel came and went pushing carts and patients back and forth with uninterested looks on their faces. A large part of that could be of course that they were unfortunate enough to have to work on a holiday most people get to take off from work. Obviously they cannot completely close down a hospital no matter what day it is. As time passed, various people’s names were called though often they were called twice just for forms before they got the call to go back to an examining room. There seemed to be an abundance of stories to tell in that waiting room. Some people looked like they were in more pain than others though all of them looked as though they would be glad to be done with the place. Everyone needs hospitals but most people do not enjoy having to use them. There are countless stories there just waiting to be told.
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