ICU

you never really ever want to be in an ICU unit for whatever reason - whether you're actually in there yourself or visiting someone - and for the first few hours all you do is stare at the monitors and think 167, 48%, 34/56 - is that good or bad? and then a bong goes off and a yellow light flashes and you think well that must be bad, but then a nurse comes over presses a button and wanders off so you think oh well maybe thats ok. then a bong goes off in another monitor and you panic again. A red light flashes on another one whilst an alarm goes off and a nurse with a slightly quicker pace comes over and presses something. It goes off. And so does she. And you panic. And you worry. And frankly you have no idea whats going on. They tell you not to stare at the monitors but i think thats just so you don't panic. or worry. or panic. if they didn't need them they'd turn them off so the idea that you looking at them is a bad thing worries you even more. And then you think what are they protecting me from. And so you worry. And you panic. And so it goes on..... and then a bong goes off.