9 - Guarded

Every time I opened my eyes there was a police officer standing over me.
He stayed there all night and into the next day.
I never saw him sit down or eat or go to the bathroom.

Not that you would want to use the bathrooms in this hospital. I don’t know why I was surprised that not even the bathrooms in a hospital would have toilet paper or be clean.
The ambulance took me to a public hospital because I didn’t have health insurance. The hospital had few resources, and I’m sure I had a cot behind a drawn curtain only because I was a foreigner.



When I staggered out toward the Ladies Room, leaning on the policeman, the many sick folks crammed into hard plastic chairs lining the hall looked up at me and started whispering to one another.

Only then did I start to remember what the embassy lady told me, and realize that this polite police officer was there to guard me, as a prisoner.

I tried to throw up, but there was nothing in my stomach.

What’s in this IV? I’m not sick, I mean, I don’t need medicine. Are you sedating me?
No, no te preocupes, no es nada..
My heavy lids fell shut again and I was lost.