A&E

 Last night I went for a re-union meal with Francesca and Milly (fyi, 40% off Pizza Express for students on Mondays and Tuesdays). Took a few scrambled attempts to nail down what Franji wanted to eat, much to the delight of the waitress, but we got there in the end. I think she liked it. She said at the end 'We should come here every Monday!' Followed by 'We should try Tampons'. After we'd stopped laughing we realised she'd been trying to say the name of a restaurant but neither of us could figure out which one she meant. I still don't know.

 Anyway, after that Milly and I went back to Milly's room to watch Made In Chelsea and at around 10:30 we were both thinking of going to sleep. Then Milly checked her phone and Charlie had texted to say he was in A&E and could she bring some food for him. Much groaning - and £6 for a taxi about 3 minutes!!! - we came into the hospital in pyjamas. 

 He'd been knocked out in a rugby game and has a slight cut on his massively swollen right eye. He could barely see. Already having spent 2 and a half hours waiting to be seen, Milly and I must have been there for another couple while the doctor examined him. Turns out he has concussion, but no eye damage luckily.

 But the waiting room entertainment is priceless. There was a woman in with a young lad who'd locked himself in the toilet and despite her yelling at him through the door wouldn't come out. She then went up to the desk and burst into tears and eventually they had to bring a stretcher out with a nurse and doctor and get this guy out. Turned out he'd been injecting himself with heroin in the toilet... The people around us started saying things like 'They should just chuck him back out on the street' and 'that's one way to get seen faster.'

 Then another woman told us she was waiting for her son who'd ridden his bicycle into a wall. The woman next to me had been having, prior to her arrival, a huge nose bleed that filled four tea towels. She said 'The dogs thought it was a game! I was trying to stop my nose and they were jumping up.' She laughed, 'It's probably nothing, I wished I hadn't bothered now.' I doubted that last statement but said nothing.

 Then there was a woman I noticed in the centre of the room, sat on the edge of her seat, gaze cast onto the floor the whole time looking worried. I felt bad for her. And a couple of women who we called in by a surgeon which isn't a good sign either. As we left there were wheelchairs by the doors full of people open mouthed and snoring. Empty coffee cups all round the room.

 It's odd how many people come together at once. I always think the variety looks fascinating when you gather a hand full of strangers. There we were, three university students, with two farmers and people on drugs and people from far away wearing wellies thick in mud. It was interesting. Especially when they played the Apprentice with sign language. That was wicked. I learnt lots. It was a great couple of hours.