Christmas Eve

It’s that time again. Night shift. I take the slip road off the M8 and see the GRI loom in front of me. It looks so gothic against the moon and black sky. It truly is a place of the night. I am a vampire, coming to life at night, going from patient to patient with empty vials ready to fill with blood. The darkness hangs over the old hospital’s turrets like a black shroud. Lights shine from windows as workers remain unseen beyond. As I drive up alongside, I feel I am entering a dark abyss. It envelopes and sucks me in. Ok I am exaggerating and getting carried away but the place at night does look like its come straight out Mary Shelly’s imagination.

I am sitting waiting for the blood porter to answer his page. I’ve got three bottle of blood that need to be sent off urgently. What makes this blood extra precious is that it has come form a patient with extremely poor access and the senior team have just put a venflon in her neck-an orange one-that’s a big one to you and me. To get blood out otherwise would have had me there for hours. It would have been awful for the patient as I would have continued to have to keep trying to access a vein. The needle is not without pain. Thankfully the senior team where around for me to ask at handover time. So glad the day JHO told me about her at our informal little handover rather than it being a case of the nurses phoning me at midnight to tell me the small blue she had already in her hand had tissued. I am going to try another phone. The porter has not called back. I think gremlins are at work. And its only just 10pm. That’s early.

Apparently when you do night shift you have breakfast at about 4pm or whenever it is you wake up. I still cannot get used to having Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, as I peep from out of the duvet watching the Simpsons. I eat far too much far too early. Dinner time is about midnight for the night staff and that’s when amazing culinary affairs emerge. Or a take away from the local Chinese or curry house is ordered. Today I have brought a salad. But also cakes. I was at the gym today before ‘breakfast’ and found myself walking into Sainbury’s. I figured it was my turn to turn up with the goodies. Over the last few nights, I have been invited to eat all sorts of food laid out in various parts of the hospital. The Surgical High Dependency Unit has got a great thing going on. It looks like an all night buffet, complete with chocolate fountain. I select two cakes, some cheese and crackers. I have thought about cooking but then quickly moved on from that thought. I am getting fatter though.

It’s been a bit like the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe here. Remember the bit when the witches spell starts to fail and the good people of Narnia start having little Christmas parties in the woods. It had always been winter and never Christmas, but now they could all get the Christmas crackers out and celebrate. Well that’s what it was like on Christmas Eve here. Every ward I walk into, hushed excited tones gather round tables stacked with food, soft drinks and plenty of nibbles. Presents are being exchanged from various Secret Santas.

I am going over to SHDU to see what’s going on there. Blood is now arranged to be whisked away by the porter. The first call of the night. Besides my first cup of tea of the night is sitting there and has gone cold.