Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Puppies

Working night shift,taking calls from cocaine addict, drunks and pot smokers.Night life as a worker in Detox.Its dark outside its deathly quiet on  the inside all have settled into their beds finally,Its like day care with no training..Adult children are up until the first light vomiting and crying in remorse and sadness at the cruelty they have endured.The dope dot work any more to shut off the head and warp the heart.
A call comes in my night nurse is on the call Im standing just between her and the staff bathroom."How many of them are there"?"What is he throwing them with"? "Are you safe do you need protection:? The call takes about 10 minutes.
We have learned that a man is throwing his 4day old puppies up against the wall in hi house while he is tripping out of his mind on cocaine!!We document this in our staff log book and decide to meet  back at the hospital early to place a report in with the director asap.We do so.
We enter the directors office together and then proceed to inform her of the event the night before and what we learned on the phone.We are expecting to be asked to fill out an incident report and then for a call to be made to animal rights or the SPCA.
"Oh we cannot get involved in any thing like that", is what I hear come out of the directors mouth!!Im thinking to myself NO YOU! cannot get involved in anything like this!!!
I made the report from home the next day.

My Date Vomits

Its Christmas 1988,the hotel is booked for pre-dinning drinks and ordurves `set to start at 7:pm sharp.Dinner is to be served at The Clipper Cay 's top floor at 8 pm, reserved for the Board of Directors to Halifax Housing Development where I have served two terms on said board.We look over the maintainable applications of a two million dollar public housing project.I used to live in the project.My date is a professor at one of the local Universities.Lets call him Vincent.
We arrive at the cot-tail party just exactly on cue; we are both in a great mood or so I thought.We are mixing well and enjoying each other immensely as we usually have over our thirty year friendship.Then Vincent asks one of the very pretty red headed elderly women where her daughter is.The lady had bragged that she was attending with her son-in law. Vincent's tone implies "does she know of the arrangement"?? I'm very subtly aware of an off coloured undertone in his manner but not to be concerned as he is somewhat high strung at times and as if on cue I joke us along out of target and off to the bar.We resume our party tet a tet.
I did notice he had a few shots of Irish whiskey his favourite drink especially when they're on the house.We then proceeded through the courtyard to the Clipper Cay for dinner.Upon arrival there was a band playing and so we flowed out over the dance floor. Vincent floats when he dances I swear he took lessons he says no. Vincent is very warm charming and a delight to be with and I adore him. Folks from the dining room up stairs are calling us to come eat.They had begun the five course Christmas Annual Board of Directors meal.
When we arrive at the table there are only two huge arm chairs at the head of the table left.So we as King and Queen seat ourselves there.The wine is served and Vincent has a glass.I opt for a cup of tea. Vincent is wearing a woolen worsted tailored suit a beautifully Irish tweed jacket,he has long flowing curls and I very well structured face, equidistantly handsome, his skin has a natural glow from a well tuned body he keeps in top shape playing squash.
The waiter comes again for the second time to fill our glasses with red wine.
I finish my soup and notice from the corner of my eye that Vincent was falling asleep just as the steaks are arriving.So i politely lean in to him on my left  and suggest he eat up.As I pulled away his head came up and followed me as if to kiss me then passing me  it reached table level his mouth opened in WHOOSH FLUSH BARFF!!!VOMIT hit the table!!!Red and clear!!
HOLY  SHIT!!! To say I was astonished or shocked is an understatement. DENIAL is a clever animal in us all, the women all leaned out to say "is he alright"? The men all raised their heads to the ceiling becoming very still, then all looking at the women for a lead mood!!
I stood slowly and very carefully put him on my arm and said we are going to be going home ""Vincent is not well".We were red faced in tearfull fits of laughter when we hit the cold outdoors.It was hilarious for me!However Old Vincent was to far gone to be in any sense of humor for long, he vomited for what seemed like hours out the car on the way home.I felt so sorry for him..He apologized the next day proficiently.I assured him all was well,and the incident was left alone for eternity.Today he is one of my best friends whom I love very much.Now in fond memory I reflect on the night my date up chucked his whiskey and,Irish at that he is!!!