People watching in the emergency room

I sat in the emergency room for nine hours yesterday (don't ask, it's hopefully not a big deal) attempting to read a novel to kill a few hours of boredom. Reading was next to impossible, but the people watching was sensational. No, I'm not a sadist. I just find people infinitely interesting.

I ended up writing down bits of description and snippets of dialogue...

Her sobs barely made themselves heard over the emergency room din. "I thought I was dreaming," the words escaped in short puffs of air.

Or this...

Middle-aged woman from the middle east, wearing a blue Toronto Maple Leafs toque. Seems to have symptoms of flu. She sits in a red, faux-leather, reclining chair provided by the hospital for the comfort of patients. The woman whimpers and moans, the sounds interspersed between stretches of lucid and strong speech. This was a cultural expression of her discomfort that left her family completely unfazed. It was expected. Her husband asks if he can fetch her any refreshment. She declines. He leaves to get it anyway. Tim's coffee and donuts. He brings it back to her. She declines. He entreats. She declines with a sour face, shoving the offered cup away from her. Finally, the man forces the food onto his daughter and takes some himself. Someone must eat.

People watching is a great way to pass time.

Colleen