I’ll never forget the sound of the incessant cooing and crying coming from Baby 2.
I had fed him and changed his diapers; I had burped him; what more did he want? I was literally on the verge of busting into tears, and on top of it all, I had skipped my morning coffee😭.
Why would they float me to the NICU today out of all days?
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The day started like a normal work day for me. I got up at 5 AM, thanked God for the gift of life, and strolled into the bathroom with my toothbrush. I took one look at the mirror and instantly recalled the conversation I’d had with a friend of mine before falling asleep the night before.
We both found out our shifts coincided, so we would be working together that morning. The thought made me feel warm and fuzzy inside; she was my work bestie and an incredible nurse. With her, I knew my shift was going to be much more tolerable.
Still looking at my reflection in the mirror, but now with a smirk, I hastily brushed my teeth and took a shower. After I was ready, the clock read 5:50 AM. I rushed to the kitchen and whipped myself up a quick breakfast of bread and tea.
I skipped my morning cup of coffee because Tara (my work bestie) offered to get me some on her way to work that morning. After taking the last bite of breakfast, I got my things together, and by 6:30AM, I was out the door and en route to the train station.
I was so sluggish that morning; I just felt heavy. My un-caffeinated body couldn’t move from point A to B without grumbling. I also had a short fuse; the slightest thing was going to piss me off, so I decided to stay out of everyone’s way and mind my business.
While on the line to tap my card, the man in front of me literally stepped on my feet with his large shoe! Not only did it leave a huge dirt stain on it, it was also painful as hell. My nostril immediately flared up, and I was about to let that man have a large piece of my mind.
It took the strength of God for me to not blow up at that man’s face. I chose to keep quiet and dust off the dirt. He also apologized for it, so there was no need to hold a grudge.
I eventually got to work at 8AM and went to go change into my scrubs. At this point I was fed up and ready to have some coffee in my system. Tara hadn’t made it to work yet, and I couldn’t leave to go get some because work was about to start.
That morning, I realized that my unit was less busy and fully staffed, so they floated some of us to busier units. And guess who made it on the list of floatees, me😏. And out of all the wards, I was taken to the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).
The NICU is a ward where they provide care for preterm/premature babies; we nurse them until they are able to live safely without further medical intervention.
Now, on any normal day I would not have minded working there. But on this morning, I hadn’t had my coffee; Tara was nowhere to be seen. I kept looking out for her; I felt like a child on stage searching the crowd for their parent.
I tried to stall a little while waiting for her, but they were already calling me from the NICU, so I had to leave. As I got to the ward, it was a nightmare; all 11 babies were fussy. The atmosphere was filled with cries and the smell of breastmilk.
On top of it all, I got assigned to an extra special baby. He basically cried every 30 minutes, so throughout the day, I had to stand up and carry him. In between trying to pacify him, I would make his food, change his diapers, and burp him.
And guess what? Tara eventually showed, and I was so happy and relieved. But as she approached me, she sported a guilty expression on her face. Her hands were bare and did not hold any coffee cups.
“It better not be what I’m thinking." I said cautiously
“I’m really sorry, I left very late, and between leaving the house and rushing to get work on time, I completely forgot about the coffee.” She rattled out.
If looks could kill, that babe would have been six feet under with the way I was glaring her. I was so disappointed but also very tired. At that point, I just accepted my fate and pushed through the remainder of the 11 hours on sheer willpower and God’s grace.
At least she was around, so we chatted during the shift, and all was well.
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