Nina Lewis

Archive for February 2nd, 2010

Friday during lunch time, a co-worker stood in my office door.  Pale.  Trembling.  “I think I’ve broken my fingers,” she said.

I immediately sat her down.  I rushed to our office fridge to get ice to control the swelling.  No ice.  I used a Ziplock bag full of sugar peas.

I cleaned and bandaged her scraped knee.  I took her to the university’s health center.  I sat with her in the waiting room.  (I wasn’t in the room when they had to re-locate one finger two times.  I’m glad.)

I sat with her as the doctor explained the options of what to do next.  After spending the whole afternoon at the health center, I drove her home. I sent an e-mail the next day asking how she was.

When she came to work yesterday, I asked how things went over the week-end.  Were you able to sleep at nights?  Was it too painful?  How was she able to manage doing things one-handed?

Mid-morning, she had an appointment with a hand specialist.  When she came back to work, she had different bandages around her hand.  She had broken all three fingers!  However, the doctor didn’t think that surgery was necessary.  Great news!

I was busily working away at my desk in the early afternoon when once again she stood in my doorway.  This time, she held a flower in her hand.  (Her good hand.)  “Thank you for all of your support,” she said.

A flower!  I was very touched.  I didn’t think I had done anything special.  I was touched by her thoughtfulness.

I thought back to the girl throwing up on the bus that I helped.  And the sick girl on the bathroom floor.  And now the co-worker with the broken fingers.  I must be in the right time at the right place to provide assistance to those in need.

And I’m glad!