In the spirit of mentor march I decided to ask my nanna for some words. She is the fastest reader on the planet, and loves stories. She gave me “essential existence.”
The boy’s racking cough echoed through the ward. Pamela tried to hide her shaking hands as she hooked him up to an air mask. Her first week at the hospital was not proving easy. Tears were welling in the mother’s eyes.
“Is he going to be alright?”
“Yes, 90% of our patients are pollution sufferers.” Pam replied trying to sound reassuring. “Most people just need a few hours break in the air bar.”
“I should have worked that overtime,” the mother said. “I could have gotten him more bottles of essential existence.”
“Mum, we needed the money for food,” said the boy. “Please don’t cry.”
Pam watched the two embrace, and thought about her own family. Her parents had paid for an in-home Essential Existence air system. But working in the emergency ward she could see most people were not so lucky.
Pam looked out the window. The smog was fairly sparse today, she could almost see the Essential Existence office in the next street.
“I’l be right back,” Pam said.
She hurried to the staff room, flung open her locker and emptied it of bottled Essential Existence. They deserved it more than she did. It wasn’t a smart solution but it was the only thing that would make this day bearable.
freyawrightbrough 