To The Hospital ...

I thought I was free this morning, and was looking forward to finish off some work in the office, when suddenly ....

"Teacher!!! GD is sick.... " the kiddies called me.

I rushed to the canteen, where GD was ... He was in the midst of eating his breakfast when he had a bout of asthma attack. I looked at his pale face and his laboured breathing, and sprung into action.

"To the hospital," I instructed. I got 2 of his classmates to help him to my car. He could hardly walk, trying to catch his breath. I quickly grabbed my stuff and ran to the car. I did not even have time to inform Boss. I'd have to send him a text message when I got to the hospital.

He sat in the front passenger seat, bent, breathing heavily and occasionally coughing up phlegm. "Hang in there," I told him from time to time, and tried to drive as fast as I dared, to the hospital. Unfortunately, traffic was heavy before 8.00 a.m. with officer commuters. The rain made the traffic worse, it seemed. Furthermore, there was road construction along the way. It was about 15 minutes later that we reached the hospital.

I drove straight to the A&E, and I was glad that it wasn't busy. GD was attended to immediately. They put him on the neb. "For how long?" I asked the attendant. Depends on the condition, he said. GD was in a bad shape when he arrived, I was told. And so, I sat waiting for him while he was administered the medicine. Only after that did we call his mother.

After the neb, we waited as the attendant checked him. We were then sent outside to wait for a doctor to check him. Finally, he was issued medicine, which we would have to collect at the pharmacy. By then, GD's mother had arrived but it was already 10.00 a.m. She thanked me profusely for bringing her son to the hospital. But actually, it is just part of my responsibility as a teacher.

My work was all delayed and undone, and I was thrown out of focus for the entire day, but of course, I was just glad that GD was alright in the end. I guess that is all that matters.