Her wounds were almost completely healed. She woke up staring at the wall. The hospital always looked like this. It always stared back at who was visiting. The walls were always bright and the beds always uncomfortable. The food wasn’t worth eating, and this was where you were sent when you were sick.
A nurse entered wearing the usual drab uniform. The voice was nasal and disinterested.
“Happy Monday morning. How are we feeling?”
She sat up in her bed and faced the nurse square on who hadn’t look at her yet “When am I getting out of here? Spare the chit-chat woman”
The nurse replied robotically “Well that’s good to hear, I’m ok too thank you. Would you like me to bring you some breakfast? The doctor will be here soon. I’m just here to help.”
“It would help if you answered my bloody question. When. Am. I. Getting. Out. Of. Here?!”
The nurse looked at her finally; “Sorry Miss..” she checks the clipboard at the end of the bed, “…Wright, right. What was that? I believe I misheard you”
“You didn’t mishear shit, you haven’t listened to a word I’ve said since you came in you disinterested tart. When am I getting out of here? I’ve been here for weeks and none of you lot have said a word to me other than what you’re required to do. For fucks sake.” Miss Wright took a deep breath; the nurse was flabbergasted. “And I don’t want no fucking breakfast, it tastes like shit”
“Right. Thanks very much. The doctor will be here shortly.” The nurse left the room as quick as she could, slamming the door as she went out.
An hour later, the doctor entered. Miss Wright had just been trying to stay awake as the machines around her whizzed and buzzed in the rhythmic manner which they do. The doctor was young, tall, handsome with thick curly brown hair and eyes, something you’d see on TV almost.
“Oh, they sent you again. What do you want Dr Khan? Good news yet?”
“Miss Wright, thank you for your patience,” he took another look at the chart at the end of the bed, “we’ve given you two surgeries and we’ve discovered now that the latter surgery wasn’t necessary for you. You’ve been here for a few weeks longer than needed. You are free to go. Do you have any family that could pick you up?”
“You wot…. Are you kidding me? That 2nd operation was for fuck all?”
“Yes it was. I’ll call your next of kin and give you the bill later today. We have to have your room cleaned asap as we have other patients paying to use this room specifically”
“Bill? What do you mean bill? And what’s this about paying for my room? What the fuck is all this doctor honestly. And I’m not excusing my language.”
The doctor was close to the door now ready to leave, he turned around and said: “You slept for 2 weeks after the second operation Miss Wright and the government announced that the NHS would be privatised immediately, it was a state of national emergency due to the economy. We were bought overnight and now all legislation for us has gone out the window. You will be charged a bill at the reception once we’ve got you cleaned up. It will be due in a maximum of 28 days. Have a great day!” He stormed out as quick as he could
Miss Wright in disbelief, fell back asleep. Her old age couldn’t take to hear these words.
She was later removed from her room, quicker than she would’ve enjoyed and she threw the cronies in the hospital off her as much as she could. Her screams of ‘I’m hurrying, I’m hurrying’ were met with deep breaths and more shouts for her to move along before she finally reached the reception. The nurse gave her her bill of £10,000 for the bed she had used in her time there and the 2 operations.
“This is at a discount due to how quick we were bought.” The young man at the reception explained. “Please sign here and here.” She signed them without thinking a second thought. She was still staring at the overall bill. “Great, thanks very much. Have a great day!”
“How the fuck am I supposed to pay for this?”
The tall man behind her interrupted: “You should’ve thought about that when you got sick. Now hurry up”
She walked out in disbelief as the NHS signs near the exit doors were being removed and replaced with a corporation logo.