The Transfusion 2005
“You need to come into hospital for a small transfusion,” said the petite and heavily pregnant nurse. “You need to get three units,”
I looked vacantly at her. Surely I wasn’t that bad.
“We’ll call you as soon as we get a bed for you,” she said, and with that, she walked away.
As the initial shock dissipated, my mind wondered who to ask for a donation of blood. Decision made, I ambled after the nurse to discover the procedure I should follow.
“No!” she said decisively, “You need the blood now. We haven’t time to screen your family. Anyway, it isn’t hospital policy.” With a dismissive nod she moved away again.
I gathered myself together and slowly walked to my car. I didn’t want blood from strangers. I removed my scratchy hat and the tears began to flow. There was no stopping them. I drove home through a blur of mist and salt. Ingesting human blood would make a cannibal of me. People I didn’t know would be racing around inside me. I wouldn’t be me any longer; I’d be a conglomerate of other people.
I reached Fermoy. Ahead of me the lights turned green. Heedless to the on coming traffic, a gang of teenagers swarmed across the road, chatting animatedly. I pressed the brakes and waited. The endless tears continued unabated. Next minute, the entire gang stopped en masse, all eyes on my baldhead, my streaming eyes, and me. Then, in silence they all respectfully stepped back. I passed by, replaced my hat and stopped crying.
The call came. I packed my bags and went into hospital to receive the blood my body needed.
Night time came and I was hooked up to the dark, red blood….other people’s dark, red blood. I fell into a sleep, a sleep of dreams. And as the blood dripped slowly into my system, I saw my three donors. The first donor was a tall, handsome man from Poland. He wore a duffle coat and he had a straight eye. He looked at me directly, but he didn’t speak or smile. The second donor was a small woman in her sixties. She had short, brown hair. Under the pressed hair peeped little bright birdie eyes and she wore a black and white check coat drawn together with a tie in the centre. The third donor was a young woman, a pretty student with shoulder length blonde hair flung loosely over her shoulder. She was walking away from me and as she walked she cast a backward glance at me and I knew that her blood was a gift to me, given with generosity and kindness.
The night progressed and the lethargy I’d felt was replaced with boundless energy. A great lightness filled my entire being. My mind wondered unshackled, and I thought of Jesus. I saw him, bearded with an inner stillness, in the upper room giving thanks to God and distributing bread and wine.
“This is my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
There was a quietness in me and a cleansing. I felt the love of Jesus embracing me and I felt the goodness of my three donors reflecting the light of his love. I was suffused by a great sense of gratitude towards these people. Then I slept.
In the morning I woke refreshed. The aliens I had feared in my body had become my friends and I enjoyed the strength and vitality I received from them. My leaden legs were rejuvenated and I sauntered nonchalantly to the car and my waiting family.
I looked vacantly at her. Surely I wasn’t that bad.
“We’ll call you as soon as we get a bed for you,” she said, and with that, she walked away.
As the initial shock dissipated, my mind wondered who to ask for a donation of blood. Decision made, I ambled after the nurse to discover the procedure I should follow.
“No!” she said decisively, “You need the blood now. We haven’t time to screen your family. Anyway, it isn’t hospital policy.” With a dismissive nod she moved away again.
I gathered myself together and slowly walked to my car. I didn’t want blood from strangers. I removed my scratchy hat and the tears began to flow. There was no stopping them. I drove home through a blur of mist and salt. Ingesting human blood would make a cannibal of me. People I didn’t know would be racing around inside me. I wouldn’t be me any longer; I’d be a conglomerate of other people.
I reached Fermoy. Ahead of me the lights turned green. Heedless to the on coming traffic, a gang of teenagers swarmed across the road, chatting animatedly. I pressed the brakes and waited. The endless tears continued unabated. Next minute, the entire gang stopped en masse, all eyes on my baldhead, my streaming eyes, and me. Then, in silence they all respectfully stepped back. I passed by, replaced my hat and stopped crying.
The call came. I packed my bags and went into hospital to receive the blood my body needed.
Night time came and I was hooked up to the dark, red blood….other people’s dark, red blood. I fell into a sleep, a sleep of dreams. And as the blood dripped slowly into my system, I saw my three donors. The first donor was a tall, handsome man from Poland. He wore a duffle coat and he had a straight eye. He looked at me directly, but he didn’t speak or smile. The second donor was a small woman in her sixties. She had short, brown hair. Under the pressed hair peeped little bright birdie eyes and she wore a black and white check coat drawn together with a tie in the centre. The third donor was a young woman, a pretty student with shoulder length blonde hair flung loosely over her shoulder. She was walking away from me and as she walked she cast a backward glance at me and I knew that her blood was a gift to me, given with generosity and kindness.
The night progressed and the lethargy I’d felt was replaced with boundless energy. A great lightness filled my entire being. My mind wondered unshackled, and I thought of Jesus. I saw him, bearded with an inner stillness, in the upper room giving thanks to God and distributing bread and wine.
“This is my blood poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
There was a quietness in me and a cleansing. I felt the love of Jesus embracing me and I felt the goodness of my three donors reflecting the light of his love. I was suffused by a great sense of gratitude towards these people. Then I slept.
In the morning I woke refreshed. The aliens I had feared in my body had become my friends and I enjoyed the strength and vitality I received from them. My leaden legs were rejuvenated and I sauntered nonchalantly to the car and my waiting family.