One morning years ago the phone was ringing. On the other end of the line I heard somebody whisper with a very weak voice, and I heard "Can you come, help me please", suddenly I recognized the voice of my best friend Jeanine. I didn't ask anything, because we knew each other so well, no words were needed. I quickly dressed with whatever I just found, jumped in my car, opened the front door of her house with my spare key and found her laying half on the sofa and half on the floor, the telephone besides her.
I knew that she had chronically asthma and sometimes terrible attacks where her spray was not sufficient.I don't remember how I managed to carry her to my car and put her on the seat. In emergency situations you develop special strength. I drove as quickly as I could to the emergency service of our hospital. I managed to get a stretcher and she was pushed into a little room with a curtain and one seat for me and a nurse told me the doctor would come immediately.
My friend's face looked worse and worse and I could see her efforts to breath, I kept my eyes on my watch and realized that "immediately" was apparently a word you could stretch for hours. After 10 min I had enough. I went outside looking for a doctor or at least somebody who would take care of her. Nobody was visible. Suddenly I heard laughter and followed the noise and there they were all, the doctors and nurses, drinking their coffee, while my friend fought for her life. I saw red like a bull, stormed in the room and asked if somebody could come after all this was not a café but an emergency service. An angry nurse throw me out and said the doctor would come "immediately" yes I said, I know this word. The nurse went away and I sat down and suddenly I had an idea. I saw the sign "non smoking" looked in my purse and took out a cigarette which I lightened and blow the smoke out the little cabin as far as I could. Not one min later they all came in a hurry shouting and screaming that smoking was not allowed. Now I had them all the doctors and the nurses and other personal. Yes I said, I know but this is the only mean I found to get your attention, and as you can see my friend really needs help.
And then I got what I wanted thanks to a cigarette. One nurse threw the cigarette away and the doctor came and ordered to bring my friend for medical examination.
I waited outside for the results and then the doctor finally arrived and told me that it had been about time to bring her to the hospital I That was the summit ! I told him to watch the ER series on TV where he could see that everybody was running around and safe lives, while here they make coffee breaks and let people die and I had to lit a cigarette to get some attention ! In fact I told him smoking doesn't kill, but saves lives. The doctor had humour, he laughed and told me that now I shouldn't worry anymore about my friend and that he would watch the ER series, with a twinkle in his eyes.
Conclusion, if you need attention in a hospital just light a cigarette, even if you are not smoking !
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