Hospital Ramblings

As I parked my car in the parking garage at Children's Hospital yesterday, I glanced to my left and saw that the car parked next to me had a small cat bouncing around inside. She was really still a kitten...not quite grown into a cat. As I got out of my car it appeared that the kitten was lonely and wanted to play. The windows were shut, so I couldn't pet her, but I tapped my fingers on the glass and played with her for a couple of minutes. It was sad to me to peer inside and see the contents of the car. The owner was either homeless, or temporarily "hospital homeless". It was piled with clothes, kitten crate, and tons of other things. I wondered if the owner dropped everything to stay with her child in the hospital. Maybe this had been going on for weeks or even months. Today if the car is still parked in the same place, I'll see if it has Washington plates...and I'll check on the kitten and make sure she is alright. Like Kellen...I bet she just wants to go home.

When I got up to Kellen's room I looked through the blinds and saw that he was getting dressed. Most of his clothes were in the hospital's washing machine, but he was making do with what he had...and packing up his bag to go home. Again.

Even though he had recently gotten up, he looked so tired. He did seem happy to see me. I went with him to another room where he had "school". He was too tired to really get into the memory games the teacher wanted to play with him. Afterwards, he picked up his bag and yelled "LEAVE!" Now I realize that when he kept saying that the other night, he wasn't insisting that I leave, he was demanding to go home. The inside doors of the unit can all either be pushed open or opened with a quick swipe of an employee's badge. The woman assigned to Kellen and I followed him around the unit for about an hour while he tried every door. We were going around and around in a circle and Kellen was getting more and more upset when he realized that he was not going to be able to open the one door that leads off the unit. That one would remain locked to him.

After awhile I was able to calm him down and we found a bench in a sunny window to sit in. I gave him my cell phone and asked him who he wanted to call. First was a friend I used to work with who Kellen calls "Gloria Hallelujah." She didn't pick up, but Kellen left her a Kellen-type voicemail message which consisted of some fun noises, grunts, and a few words. I'm sure she will know who it's from.

Then he said he wanted to call Bob Hoskins. This is an actor who is in the movie Son of the Mask which Kellen obsesses over with fear. I dialed home and had him talk to D.Q. who told him Bob Hoskins was not there because he was just pretend. No...Scary...Movies. After this call Kellen said he wanted to talk to Shania Twain. I had to pause to think for a moment. How am I going to make this happen? I got a great idea to call one of my good friends who knows Kellen is in the hospital and has been game to talk to him on the phone in the past when Kellen has gotten ahold of my cell phone and randomly pressed the right button on my speed dial.

By this time, there were about four of us hanging out with Kellen waiting to see what would happen, including a man who worked as a hospital volunteer and had just walked onto the unit with bags full of Dick's burgers for the staff. We could only really listen to Kellen's side of the conversation, but I could hear that "Shania" was animatedly talking to him from the other end (probably about meatloaf). Kellen...loved...it.

While Kellen was on the phone I shared with the volunteer that Kellen also had a thing for Dick's burgers and coincidentally his dad was going to be bringing Kellen dinner from Dick's later that afternoon. The volunteer had an idead and quietly asked me what my cell phone number was. When K finished the Shania call, the phone rang. It was "Dick's" calling to take Kellen's order. The volunteer was so perfect. I think he was one of those angels in disguise that we hear about. He asked Kellen if he wanted a cheeseburger and Kellen confirmed that he did...indeed...want a cheeseburger. He asked if Kellen wanted some fries. Confirmed. He asked if Kellen wanted a strawberry shake. Yes. Then he confirmed the order. Then he confirmed it again. Then he told Kellen that his dad would be bringing by the order later that afternoon. Kellen was so content and mesmerised that he was almost lulled to sleep during the call. It was a perfect. Thank God for people like that.