It was like a scene from a movie. We’ve all seen it. Someone is sick in a public place and you
hear “Is there a doctor in the house?”
Happens all the time on tv, in movies.
I was flying home from Boston the other day, on the last leg, after lunch and a couple of beers during the Baltimore layover. Quietly dozing in my window seat, I startled
when a flight attendant came over the speaker asking, “Is there anyone on the
plane with medical training?...a doctor or a nurse?... please come to the rear
of the plane.” Several people got up and
hurriedly walked to the back. I was seated
mid-plane. I turned my head to look, but
from the window seat I couldn’t see anything except for the flight attendants
walking back and forth, looking worried.
One of them finally came back on the speaker and announced that there
was a sick passenger in the rear lavatory and asked that no one go back
there. We were instructed to use the
front lavatory only.
Looking around at my fellow flyers, I was relieved and a
little surprised that folks were so calm.
With the media inundating us with Ebola fear, I wouldn’t have been
surprised to see more panic on the faces around me. Luckily, most everyone looked to be taking it
in stride. They looked curious but not
scared. I wondered if we would have to
land early, depending on just how sick the person was. But other than a lot of hubbub in the rear of
the plane, nothing more happened and we continued on our way.
Later, when the flight attendant announced that we were approaching
Ft. Lauderdale and would be landing soon, she said that there was a very sick
passenger on board. She asked that
everyone stay seated once we landed so the sick person could get off the plane
quickly. Upon landing, once again everyone
was asked to stay seated for a moment and they actually did! An older couple walked quickly from the rear
to the front and exited the plane; the lady was wearing a mask. As soon as they were off, everyone jumped up
and the normal circus began. Not another
word was said about it.
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