Tongue Tied

Being the youngest and newest Admissions Clerk at a Catholic Hospital, I was determined to prove my worthiness as both an efficient and compassionate co-worker. 

Unfortunately, one such opportunity proved to leave my peers in an alarmed state of surprise and disbelief, not to mention myself! 

I was admitting an exceptionally polite, yet timid teenage boy accompanied by his particularly well mannered father.  As I opened his admission pack to begin the registration process, he excitedly pulled out an old wristband from a previous admission, from his shirt pocket.

“Here,” he said enthusiastically.” I saved this from my last admission so you don’t have to go to the trouble of making me a new one.” Catching me unprepared, I hesitated just long enough for him to proceed with convincing me to use it.

“I’ve kept it clean, and was able to slip it off my wrist so I didn’t have to cut it off. I’ve also kept it inside of a book so it wouldn’t get bent.”

By this time, it was obvious to me that this eager to please young man, went through a lot of work to help me, so I replied with as much gratefulness as I possibly could.

 “Oh, thank you so very much. That was extremely thoughtful of you and if I could use it, I certainly would. Unfortunately, the date, along with your room number is different now, so I have to give you a new one.” 

Immediately hanging his blushing face toward the floor, he quietly apologized. “Oh, yeah, that makes sense. That was pretty stupid of me.”

I was speechless while my heart sank at his obvious dejection and embarrassment, so I went into overdrive in an attempt to make him feel as though he had in fact, done me a favor.

Reaching for his old wristband now sitting crumpled inside both of his closed hands, I fervently replied. “Actually, it will help me find your old chart.”  However, I got tongue-tied, replaced the ch in chart with the f in file, and blurted out the unthinkable!

Horror-struck, I immediately apologized, but with an uncontrolled giggle. “Um, I’m so sorry about that, I guess I really got tongue tied on that one.”  

Continuing to smile at what I obviously found to be somewhat amusing, I was Horror-struck yet once again when I looked around at my co-workers, the patient, and his father and realized that I was the only one smiling!