A Different Voice

January 13th, 2025

I know a young person who is currently in a hospital. She does not have access to her own phone, but she can call out from the hospital phone once or twice a day for brief periods of time. I’ve come to expect her daily calls. I am not surprised to hear from her.

A few days ago, I got a call from the hospital. I picked up the phone and heard the cheery voice of a nurse announcing to me that I had a call from So-and-so. That struck me as a bit odd since the person who usually calls me does not go through anyone else. She calls straight through to our house. The nurse made the connection and I said,

“Hello.”

There were a few seconds of silence on the other end of the line. Then I heard a quiet voice ask,

“Who are you?”

I told the person who I was. There was another pause and then the individual said,

“Oh, yeah, well, hey, so when do you think I will get out of here.”

I said, “I don’t know.” I was confused. If this was the young woman I knew, she was on some heavy-duty meds. I wasn’t sure. 

The young lady replied, “Well, maybe soon. You know, yesterday I got funny looks from a couple people here, both male and female. Maybe it’s because I can’t poop. I have to take a stool softener. Who is going to pick me up?”

This was feeling creepy. The voice was wrong. Once again, I said, “I don’t know.”

She went on in a sedated monotone, “Yeah, will it be Grandma Lynn?”

Now I was certain. This was not the person I knew. Maybe there was some kind of a mix up at the hospital. I was talking with a total stranger who appeared to be feeling no pain.

Then she said, “Hey, I’m homeless and poor, but those aren’t the same things. They are just two aspects of the same reality. I think I will skip lunch. I don’t want people looking at me funny. I have to take a stool softener.”

I hung up. 

Now, days later, that call still freaks me out. Who was this woman? Who did she think she was talking to? Did she even care who I was? Did she just want to talk somebody, anybody, and she convinced the nurse to put in a call to my number? Should I have kept listening?

What would you do?