A couple months after the first orders of the Ministry of Health.
A broken leg, that's what it took to force Nathan to the hospital, and the stubborn old coot would have avoided going if his family didn't force him to. The last time he needed treatment there was a couple of years ago when he needed a tumor cut out of his arm, he was not pleased to see the murderous looking knife wielded by his doctor plunge into his arm, neither did he like the spot of plague that came after it. The hospital has long become a source of trepidation for Nathan, and he did not relish the chance of another visit.
So, while he was carried towards the doors of the institution, a sort of fear grew on him. Fear over what's on the other side of the doors. Being so engrossed in his emotions, he failed to spot the differences between his current and last visit. First of all, the building looked a lot cleaner, with less stains all over the place and cleaners busy at work on clear floors. Secondly, waste bins and sinks were a lot more plentiful with a mandatory hand-washing requirment for all employees and noncritical patients, Nathan didn't even realize he had to wash his hands until remined to do so. Thirdly, the workers themselves looked very clean, especially compared to their previous looks of blood/grime splattered lunatics. There were naturally more, perhaps subtler, differences than this but suffice to say the hospital no longer found its place among Gothic novels, it would be a wonder if this is what all african hospitals looked like.
But for Nathan the hospital was the same as always, a realm of fear and uncertainty. The first Nathan knew of the changes was when he was on the operating table. Those doctors, white doctors he might add, who usually looked like demons fresh out of the deepest pits of hell, looked positively angelic in their perfectly white uniforms and utilizing utensils that positively gleamed. Nathan was stunned to say the least. He simply had to check if he still lived or if he went to heaven, pinching himself produced pain but he found that woefully unconvincing.
"This isn't heaven is it?" He asked.
"I am afraid not." The doctor replied. "Now, settle down for me will you."
What followed was a rather serious examination where the doctor pressed on various points of his leg to test where the bones moved and how exactly they were broken. It was eventually determined that the bone was merely cracked and not fully broken, so a splint and advise to avoid putting stress on the leg was all that was needed. Nathan even got a cane as a bonus.
With some assistance he managed to stand up and start walking using his new cane. A bit of practice later and he was practically an expert on cane walking, though that was the opinion of Nathan himself. Making his way out of the hospital with his much relieved children, he couldn't help but imagine how much worse this visit could have been, "Thank God for the fellow who made this happen."
