I'm a Regular

Lately I feel as regular as ol' Dennis at the Lloydminster hospital. All the nurses and receptionists know who I am. My 8 a.m., 6:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. daily visits go a little something like this:

"Here for another IV?" A receptionist smiles at me in recognition.

ME: "Yep."

"Still have your wristband?"

ME: "Yep."

I head back to the emergency waiting area where a nurse smiles at me in recognition and calls dibs on the teacher she gave an IV to that morning.

NURSE: "How was your class today?" and other small talk as me connects me to my meds. Then, "You know what to do."

The IV-on-wheels clatters noisily and sways precariously as I slowly wander to the reception area to sit next to Matt. I wait 10 minutes for the antibiotics to drain. And begin the familiar trek back to the emergency room chair.

The nurse quickly unhooks me and inserts a saline rinse into the plastic tube which has called my vein home these past 48 hours.

NURSE: "There you go sunshine/hun/dear (depending on the nurse). I'll see you on my next shift."

ME: "Yep."