A Dose of Drama

Yesterday morning was cold and damp. (What else is new? This is fast becoming our new norm where weather is concerned.)

My bones were aching and I just did not want to get out of bed. I beat the bus to the station and was treated to a strong dose of alcohol and body odor – with a glaze of rain thrown in – courtesy of one of the passengers waiting for the bus going in the opposite direction. (Thank God for small favors.)

Pelted by rain, the acrid smell of the passenger still burning my nose, I lumbered onto the bus. It was warm for a change. This is good, I thought. My mood began to lift as I settled into my seat. It didn’t last long.

Instead of going across our detour bridge, which is essentially a straight shot, we had to divert even farther from our regular route to get ditched at the train station. Usually, I don’t mind the train. But, having this sprung on me, on a day when everybody and their brother was taking it, too, because of the closed bridge we normally use.

Sardines come to mind. We were jammed so tight just inside the door that standing up, I could barely get enough of a bar to grab a hold of. Like a Weeble, I wobbled – but I didn’t fall down.
At the second stop, a young black girl boarded. Hugely pregnant, she had poured herself into a bomber jacket. She did not look well. There were no seats. Oh, except the one where some bonehead had his bag sitting. On a train. Crowded to capacity. JERK! (Had I been able to reach him through the crowd, I so wanted to tell him this personally.)

Someone finally did give up their seat as the train lurched into motion. She half sat, half fell into it. Within seconds, she was writhing and moaning, clearly in the throes of a labor pain. She nearly fell into the floor. I heard someone ask, “Should we stop the train?” The response: “We’re beyond that. Get an ambulance.”

A woman standing next to her and just in front of the callbox began frantically pushing the button. The plan: have an ambulance dispatched to the next stop. My stop. I heard the woman introduce herself to the young girl and say she’d be there to help her. I assumed she was a nurse. (I later learned she actually works at a bank with one of my fellow bus passengers! I may even get to find out what the baby was.) Apparently, the young woman had been to the doctor the day before. Only 5 cm dilated, he sent her home. She decided that yesterday things were worse so she was taking the train to the hospital. Poor thing!

As I made my way back to the surface, I passed the young woman and her new entourage of women who were helping get her above where an ambulance would ultimately arrive. Man! There could have been an extra passenger on that train.

Once at work, my morning evolved into a cyberdrama leftover from Wednesday’s power outage. I was still unable to get email or use the Internet. I was among a dozen or so who had something on our computer docks that got fried. Luckily, I had a temporary connection until the part could be replaced late in the afternoon. Luckier still, it ended up being a productive day in spite of it all!

And, that gets us to Friday … YYYYIIIIPPPPPEEEEE! I groaned when the alarm went off but before I could even switch if off, one word drifted across my mind: Friday. *smiles*