Welcome to ER, Episode one.

I wasn’t really interested to begin with. But then thought, oh what the hell, it may be worth a sight.

Welcome to ER. Welcome to a different world altogether. There is a front and a back. A back is called back because its behind front. Front is called front because its in front of back. Logic.

Filled with a different lot. Us medicine residents are supposed to be in front. A space for eight beds but can accomodate sixteen. Sixteen sick patients. Chest pains, shortness of breath, palpitations.

A young patient comes in. He has been bitten by a snake. His friend gave him the snake as a gift. As he was playing with it the snake recoiled and gave him a jab. “You were playing with the snake? Didn’t the snake give you jitters?”, I asked him. He just smiled away. Pleased to be bitten, now that amazed me. Rashid, our ER resident was more interested in the snake. He told me that he only watched National Geographic upon going home and had seen many a snakes. He asked the attendant if they had bought the snake with them. The reply came in affirmative.

I wasn’t really interested to begin with. But then thought, oh what the hell, it may be worth a sight.

Twenty minutes later Rashid asks me, “Did you see the snake? Everybody else has”. We head towards the attendant. Its there in a large transparent bottle. Creepy little thing. Rashid looks at it with amazement as I remind him to make sure the top of the bottle is tightly sealed. “Pit viper”, comes his spot diagnosis. For the next few hours everyone spreads their pearls of wisdom about all they know about snakes. My knowledge only expands to the memories of all the nagan dances we did in our childhood!

P.S. The patient is fine.