The Nurse

“Sister Sini, you have to attend to the patient in 103. Right leg fracture. All reports normal.” the doctor at City Hospital told the nurse. “Mr. Ashok Patki” said the file name of the patient.

That was long ago. When Mr. Patki was admitted to the hospital after an accident with his scooter. During the stay at the hospital, Ashok’s health had deteriorated. Lots of complications had come up due to negligence. Sister Sini had been a pillar right through, and it was because of her care that Mr. Ashok had recovered to normalcy so that he could be back home with his family that comprised of his wife, his daughter Megha and his parents. Ashok’s wife wanted to tip Sister Sini extra, for being so caring, but sister Sini refused.

As a nurse, Sister Sini had got much more respect than usual from the Patki family. She had heard Mrs. Patki tell Megha the story of Florence Nightingale, the nurse who took care of the wounded soldiers during the war. Sister Sini was touched. The nobleness of her profession was lost in today’s world. She was touched that at least someone in today’s world remembered the story.

Many years passed. As Megha grew up, her memories of the accident, her father’s stay at the hospital, and about Sister Sini faded. But Sister Sini still had a special place in her heart.

One day, when Megha came home from college, she found there was no one at home. She knew her parents would be at work. Her grandfather had passed away a few years ago. But she did not find her grandmother in the kitchen as usual. She peeped into her grand ma’s bedroom and found her unconscious.   She was shocked since her grandma had no major illnesses to speak of. Megha panicked. She tried to contact her family physician, but he could not be approached. She tried approaching a few other physicians that practiced in the nearby area. But none of them were willing for a home visit to an unknown and unconscious patient at seven o clock in the evening. Here family physician could still not be contacted.

Megha was in tears. She knew her neighbors very well. They were not a very helpful lot either. What kind of a world are we living in ..she thought.

Suddenly Megha remembered Sister Sini. She called up City Hospital and asked for Sister Sini. She gave a fake reason why she wanted to speak to Sister Sini in particular. She knew by now that the real reason was not reason enough to get medical attention. When Sister Sini came to the phone and recognized Megha Patki, Megha was in tears again. She explained to Sister Sini what had happened. Sister Sini spoke to her gently and assured her that she would reach Megha’s home with a doctor as soon as possible.

Sister Sini and the doctor reached within half an hour. The doctor checked grandma’s pulse and breathing, asked about her health in general, and put grandma on saline. He discussed something about the case with Sister Sini and left. Sister Sini offered to stay back till Megha’s parents came back from work. Megha realized that she had entirely forgotten to inform her parents about it all.

“Your parents will be proud of you. You have been a very brave girl.’ Sister Sini said to Megha.

Megha wiped her tears and thanked Sister Sini for her help. “You are an angel,” Megha said. Sister Sini explained to Megha the oath she had taken when she became a nurse. The patient’s health and in critical cases the patient’s survival is the priority of the nurse.” She confided in Megha when she heard Mrs. Patki tell Megha the story of Florence Nightingale, and how nursing is a noble profession, this family still had a special place in her heart. She told Megha “in today’s corrupt world, you are lucky to have parents who teach you to respect others.” Megha agreed.