I've stayed at work far later than I had planned, but I wanted to get my patients squared away with their prescriptions before the weekend and it's not like anyone else is going to take care of it.It's Friday. I'm about to TURN UP! On my couch with a glass of merlot or Grand Marnier. Ha!
I finally leave the office, after five, satisfied that the patients are taken care of and I won't have extra work on Monday which is always an extremely busy day.
It's the first day of spring and it's snowing. A LOT. It's a blizzard! (Not really.) It feels like it's been winter for a year. I arrive at the train station and the platform is beyond crowded. I'm kicking myself for staying late when three trains come and go before I'm able to get on.
I refuse to get upset.
It's Friday.
I won't have to do this for another two days.
I take solace in this thought.
I take the train one stop and transfer to the express which is moving at a pace that is anything BUT express; stopping in between stops and sitting at stations longer than it should.
Still...I refuse to get upset.
When the train takes a different route and then the announcement, "This is the last stop" halfway through my commute, the stream begins to slowly leak from my ears. Everyone steps off of the train onto an already crowded platform. Apparently many trains have gone out of service. I wait to see what happens as another train pulls into the station a couple seconds later but it too goes out of service. I walk downstairs to the platform where my train was supposed to have pulled in. I don't get excited that a train is already in the station and it isn't crowded because something feels off.
Wait...
It's dark and I don't hear the rumble of the AC. It's eerily quiet. This is not a good sign.
There is announcement about police activity or something. A sick passenger? Sure. I stand on the train for 10 minutes as people keep piling in, no doubt, after being told their train upstairs is out of service. Another announcement. "Loss of power at the next station...held in the station"
Reluctantly, I push through people to get off of the train and out of the train station.
I surface above ground to chaos.
Everyone is trying to catch a cab. The station is betwixt a junior college and a high school. Madness. Too many bodies. I'm about to snap. Did I mention there is a blizzard? I walk quickly across the street to the bus stop and wait for the express. I take a few deep breaths.
I'm calm.
The wind blows and the flakes slap me in the face.
The streets are covered in ice.
I listen to my music.
The bus comes and I sit in a seat, cringing at the dirt and grime on the wall in front of me. I quickly move when a single seat becomes available.
The windows are foggy and I keep wiping them to see where I am.
The bus has stopped but the light is green.
Flashing lights.
Sirens.
FML!
The police direct the bus pas the service lane and everyone looks out the windows on the opposite side of the bus...they gasp collectively. "It's a little girl." "Oh my God."
Murmurs.
I see an ambulance but I can't bring myself to get up to look out the window. I just want to get home to my bed and some alcohol. (I will later learn a child and a man were killed by a cab that jumped the sidewalk.)
I finally arrive at the stop where I need to transfer to another bus.
It's now after seven.
I feel the hint of a stress headache.
I do some deep breathing and try to relax. Everything just seems crazy. It feels like everyone that passed me is trying to bump me. Every person is going to attack me.
The bus arrives and I stand at the door. Am I having a panic attack?
I want to snap someone's neck.
Breathing is not helping I want to kill.
Before I know it the bus stops at my stop and I get off.
Back to civilization.
I'm home.
I'm pretty sure a single tear escapes as I kick off my shoes and strip, throwing all my clothes on the floor.
Finally.
*ding dong*
Thank you for riding the MTA
