d.: Here are some more of my thoughts on the unfairness of life taken from the first book I published entitled THE MAGRUDER MYSTERIES PRECISION: A CRIME OF PASSION. The passage from this chapter is based on a personal experience.
CHAPTER SIX: THE WORLD’S LEADING HOSPITAL FOR CANCER RESEARCH
If anyone believes his or her life is unfair; one only must visit the eighth floor of M.D. Anderson Hospital in the Texas Medical Center (located just south of downtown Houston, Texas) to get an “attitude adjustment.” This is the “juvenile floor” of “The World’s Leading Hospital for Cancer Research.” This is where children who have cancer and are too sick to stay with their families are housed. These children, who haven’t had the chance to make the same mistakes adults have made, are subject to the same awful disease that adults are subject to. They are some of the sweetest, most innocent beings on the face of the earth.
However many times you’ve had your heart broken; be prepared to multiply that number by infinity when you visit this floor of M.D. Anderson Hospital. Sadly, for John and Helen, they’re about to learn this firsthand…..
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For those who aren’t familiar with the Texas Medical Center, it can be a frightening and confusing experience. John did remember which garage to park in. Helen took her parking ticket and some pictures of the surroundings where she parked with her cell phone as John dialed the number that Aubrey had given him. The receptionist took John’s call and paged Dr. Smith. “We’re on the ninth floor,” the receptionist said, without being asked. She knew from experience that people who were coming to see her doctor were too distracted with other things to concern themselves with getting off the elevator on the correct floor.
John and Helen got on the elevator. John accidentally pushed eight (instead of nine) for the correct floor. Unfortunately for John, he didn’t catch his error, so he and Helen got off the elevator on the eighth floor. And John and Helen’s hearts broke at the same time. Several bald children were running around playing duck, duck, goose. The nurse in charge stopped them before they got too close to the children whose immune systems were compromised too much by radiation and chemotherapy to be around strangers. “I think you may be on the wrong floor,” he said, trying not to be rude. “Which office are you looking for?”
“Dr. Smith’s office is on the ninth floor,” Randy informed them of their miscue.
“Okay, sorry,” John said weakly. Helen took a tissue from her purse and wiped away tears as she walked to the elevator. John looked at the elevator floor, not wanting to meet Helen’s gaze. He knew that looking at Helen crying would bring tears to his eyes as well. He barely knew her, so he couldn’t let her see him crying, he thought, fighting back tears. Helen blew her nose as the elevator opened to the ninth floor.