DAY 78: The Waiting Room

Tyree was in the wrong wing of the hospital, I thought.  I usually saw him on alternating Thursdays at the PT clinic, working on his walking.  So I was surprised to find him flipping through TV channels in the waiting area outside the maternity ward.  Not the flipping part; his family gave him a universal TV remote last christmas, and became fascinated with the "universal" part, figuring out how to take over whatever TV's in whatever clinic he's in.

"Tyree!  What are you doing here?  You got an appointment today?"

He turned to me, studying my face.  "Hi, Carl. Got a baby coming."  He returned to the TV.

An anxious man in his work clothes approached me.  "Hey, are you a nurse here, or whatever?  I need to check on how my girlfriend's doing."

"Well, I don't actually work at this wing, but I'll try to help.  You want to see about getting you in?"

He shook his head.  "No, that ain't happening.  I just want to get an idea of what's going on."

"Okay.  I know one of the girls here, I'll find out how far along she is-"

"-Look, be cool about it. I got a little heated earlier, trying to find out what's going on.  I've calmed down now, but they're busy, they're not hearing me yet.  They're worried about the baby, that's fine, that's their job, I'm sorry about getting in the way of that, I want them to know.  Her mom's in there, she got problems with me, I don't want that in the way, but they're in the way, so I'm staying out, but I gotta know what's going on.  You know Tyree's mom?"

"Not really; I haven't met her yet.  Tyree usually comes by himself.  I didn't even know he had a sister."

"Yeah, and it's not like there's a family resemblance, amiright?"  He moved on.  "Moms wouldn't want me here, if she could.  But it's not for her to say  She don't want me in that room, I'm fine with that, I can't do anything in there, I don't even know what she's doing in there.  But I just need the car keys right now."

"The car-?"

"I know.  They got too many things going on, it's not important with everything they got going, but listen-  There's stuff to take care, I gotta get back to the house.  I should probably be bringing Cece's brothers and sisters up here, although this could take a while, right?  I mean, they could've waited until I got done with work to take them in the car.  Or, if it was such an emergency, take an ambulance!  That's what they're for!"

The TV flipped to the middle of one of the local ads by the "Legal Eagles" (whose names escape me, at the moment.)  When the computer-generated eagle let out a screech, Tyree stopped to let out a screech, just as loud.

Babydaddy snapped, "Cool it!"  He changed his tune when he returned his attention to me.  "Look, man, you can tell I don't belong here.  I need to get out of here!  Just ask them for the keys, and I'll be on my way."

"I believe you, sir.  But I don't know if I can do what you're asking, because this isn't my ward, and your girl's family doesn't know me.  But I know who might be able to.  Why don't you ask Tyree to get the keys?"

Babydaddy looked at Tyree, looked at me, and sat the f down.

inspired by Discover Magazine article, "Shutting Off the Down Syndrome Chromosome"