The Kindness of Strangers

I am back in the Orthodontic Appointment at Whipps Cross Hospital cycle.

We have been free of hospital appointments for daughter for a long time, both orthodontic and orthopaedic, but now, we're back in the system for Son (fourteen and a bit) . He needs braces, no two ways about it.

There is an element of reduced stress in that it's not entirely new to me at least (although I know Son is uncharacteristically concerned about it all) .

We were seen promptly by a lovely young orthodontist, taken good care of, casts taken, and then sent down to Junction 8 for dental X rays.
We sat there for a while, getting bored , and just as Son was about to switch his 3DS on- as he predicted, he was called for his X ray, so I waved him off on his own ...

Anyway I waited with his next appointment details on an A4 bit of paper in one hand and beta reading a friend's prospective novel on my Kindle in the other.

As I sat there an elderly lady came in, sat on the far side of the pink sofa, and then three women - a nan, a mum & a daughter ( who as it happened had Downs Syndrome) so I thought, ooh , they should sit together so I moved one seat along to the furthest seat on the edge of the sofas.
We sat there for a few minutes in silence then I realised my A4 Next Appointment bit of paper had disappeared suddenly between my seat and the wall !

Son is away having his X-Ray on his teeth at this point. I get on my knees and I'm peering at the tiny gap tp try and see where the paper is. I can just about see it. I try to fish it out with my arm, but can't.

Nana Patient offers her daughter's assistance. "She 's got skinny arms, she'll get it ! "
Her arms weren't much if anything smaller than mine so she doesn't retrieve it.

"Here!" says older lady in the corner. "Try to get it out with this pen - it belongs to them!"

It didn't work.

I get a 2010 copy of Country Life which is the only magazine there, and poke around with that and yes!!! I retrieve something.

"She's GOT IT!" says Mum, all excitedly!
"No," I announce, "But I do have someone's lost orthodontic advice leaflet..."
There is disappointment.

"USE YOUR SANDAL!" says elderly lady in pink.
"But then I might lose it as well and I'll only have one shoe..." I say, and the waiting room , full of strangers , nod and agree.

So then Son returns and is given his dental X-rays and it is time for us to be sent on our way back to the orthodontic department.

The Nana says to my son - and we don't know each other, never spoken til 30 minutes before... 

"Eh Tom- I wouldn't trust those X rays with your Mum , she might lose them down the side of a sofa!"

We all fell about-strangers the lot of of us - and I passed the document wallet to Son to much merriment.

And so passed what would have otherwise been a very dull minutes in a waiting room.
People are lovely, people are funny, strangers are fab, I Like to think that tonight a lady has gone home and told a story of how a nutty mum lost her hospital form and how everyone tried to help her retrieve it.

All these little things X