Fui's Hospital Shift

      The Grey JubJub was in the Bazaar and passing by Unis Clothing, remembering when her friend Ellia was the first to change to Grey. Ellia had closed her shop early that day and came to Fui’s house crying and wasn’t sure how to cope. Fui had listened and did her best to comfort the sad Uni. She had felt a small bit of happiness at knowing she was been able to provide Ellia with some relief.

      Fui made it to the Plaza in Neopia Central and reached her destination – the hospital. She was recently attacked by some purple monsters that have been ravaging the lands, and ever since then she found herself to be crying almost constantly. Which, to be fair, seemed normal given her Grey state, but even she realised that this was a bit more than usual. She walked through the front doors and found that the lobby was crowded and busy, filled with a mix of sick or hurt Neopians and the employees and volunteers running around trying to help everyone. The Grey JubJub didn’t want to make the hospital staff even busier, so she made her way over to the pharmacy. They had made helpful posters that showed common illnesses, what those symptoms were, and their remedies. Made it easy to self-diagnose and find the cure easily without having to bother anyone.

      The Pharmacy was just as busy as the hospital lobby, but Fui found a poster that didn’t have as many Neopians gathered around it. Her eyes darted across the printed page as she looked at what matched her symptoms. Fui was surprised by the long list and didn’t realise how many diseases plagued Neopia. She began to read through the list under her breath. “Neogitus, no… Achy Head, no… Fuzzitus, not this time, but definitely was a terrible experience the last time I had it… oh, Watery Eyes! This sounds right.” She looked across and found that Onion Balm was the medicine she was looking for.

      Fui made her way to the pharmacy counter and found a Blue Elephante sitting there with all the treatments stocked neatly behind her. The badge on her hospital coat read “Nurse Glee”.

      “Welcome! How can I assist you today?” Nurse Glee said brightly with a smile. Even with so much pain going around, she was able to stay cheerful and positive for her patients.

      “Hello… I believe I’m looking for Onion Balm. Do you have any in stock?”

     “Certainly dear! Give me just a moment to get that ready for you and I’ll ring you up.” Nurse Glee said as she turned around to grab the medicine.

      Fui stood there looking at the other flyers posted by the counter. “Volunteers Needed!” stuck out to her and she read the rest of the printed advertisement. “Do you have a want to help Neopians in need? Join us at our Volunteer Centre at the hospital today! Ask a staff member for more information.” The JubJub thought about the crowded lobby and the overworked staff running around trying to care for them.

      Nurse Glee returned with the Onion Balm placed in a bag. “Here you go, sweetie. Just rub some of that around your eyes and that should do the trick. That’ll be 1,000 Neopoints.”

      “Thank you so much,” Fui said quietly as made her purchase. She quickly applied some of the balm to help soothe her symptoms, and immediately started to feel relief. The JubJub paused before leaving the counter, as she debated with herself about putting herself out there to ask about the Volunteer Centre. “Before I go, I did want to ask if you could provide me with more information about volunteering,” she asked as she nodded to the flyer hanging by them.

      The Elephante’s eyes lit up. “Honey, that would be a wonderful service you could help with! We’re always looking for kind and helpful Neopians to help those in need. There’s plenty of ways to help, like stocking rooms, helping transport patients, delivering flowers, even just talking and providing company to those hurting is extremely beneficial! I can take you to see Dr. G if you’re interested; he’s the lead coordinator for our volunteer program. What was your name, dear?”

      Fui mulled it over for a moment and nodded. “I’m Fui. Yeah, I’d like to help, although I’m not sure how much help I can be…”

      “Oh nonsense! All help given is highly appreciated, and I’m sure you will be fantastic. Here, I’ll take you to Dr. G right away,” Nurse Glee said as she stepped from behind the counter, beckoning Fui to follow her.

      The nurse easily guided them through the hospital. Fui already felt lost with all the long corridors and doorways. Eventually they came upon an office and Nurse Glee opened the door. Inside was a Green Gelert sitting at his desk, going through papers. He looked up as the pair entered the room.

      “Good afternoon, Dr. G! I have Fui here who is looking to help volunteer. I hope I’m not interrupting your hard work!” Nurse Glee said as she ushered Fui into the room.

      Dr. G stood up to greet them. “Getting more volunteers is always a welcome interruption. Thank you Nurse Glee, I’ll take it from here,” he said with a smile as Nurse Glee left. “Hi Fui, I’m Dr. G. It’s nice to meet you. I’m the head of the hospital, but I also play a big part in our volunteer centre. Hospitals tend to be busy, especially as of late. Tell me, is there a certain role you see yourself filling?”

      Fui shook her head. “I’m not entirely sure. I see the need for volunteers, but I’m also uncertain of my abilities to help. I realise I don’t have quite the same positivity as Nurse Glee…”

      “Do you mean since you are Grey? I see how you could think that would be a hindrance, but there’s still plenty of areas to help, so long as you are willing. Have you turned Grey from the recent events?” the Gelert asked with sincerity.

      “No, I was Grey well before all of this started.” Fui said as she looked down at her feet.

      “Well then, I think I have the perfect job for you. You already have a lot of experience with the feelings that come from being Grey. We have many Neopians who are staying here at the hospital who have only recently turned Grey. Because we don’t know when or if they will change colours, we want to do our best to help them cope with these new changes. I think you would be a great person for someone to talk to about their emotions and any concerns they may have. Do you think you would be okay with visiting patients and just chatting with them?”

      The JubJub knew exactly how these Neopians felt, so she felt she could use her personal experiences to help comfort them. “I think that sounds like a great idea, Dr. G. When would I start?”

      “I can take you over to a patient now, if you’re willing. Follow me,” he said as he led Fui out of his office door. They went down the hallway towards patients’ rooms and he knocked on one of the doors. “Knock knock, it’s Dr. G. I also have a volunteer here with me, Fui. May we come in?” They paused before entering until they heard the Neopian mutter “yes” and then walked in.

      A Grey Usul lay curled up in her hospital bed. Her eyes were red and droopy, her fur was unkempt, and all colour that was once there was sapped away. A look that Fui was all too familiar with.

     “Good afternoon Mae. As I said, this is Fui. She’s here to help today. Let me check your vitals before I let you two get acquainted.” The Gelert moved around the patient as he did his routine check. “Alright, everything is looking good. I’ll be at the nearby station outside the room if you need me, but otherwise you two can start chatting,” Dr. G said as he made his way out of the room.

      Fui sat on a chair near the patient’s hospital bed. “Hi Mae, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Fui. I’m here to help talk with you today. We can talk about how you’ve been feeling, maybe some questions you have, or anything really. Or if you’d like just a fun conversation, that’s okay too. Whatever you think might help you feel a bit better.”

      Mae sniffled and propped herself up to sit in bed. “I haven’t seen other hospital staff yet who have been Grey. How do you have the energy to work?”

      “I’ve been Grey for a long time. I do still have my hard days, but I have a lot of coping mechanisms that help me to keep pushing on when I find that I’m struggling. I think having someone to talk to is a big help. You can share your feelings with family or friends, or sometimes it may be easier to talk to someone new, like me. But expression is good. If you just bottle everything up, the weight just starts to feel heavier and heavier. Personally, I have a support group that I regularly attend. We meet up together weekly just to check in on each other and talk about our week. How we struggled. What we’re proud of that we accomplished. What goals we may be working towards. I find comfort in knowing I’m not alone and there’s others who share the same struggles that I do, but if we work together, we can help make our lives just a little bit easier.” Fui looked at Mae, hoping that she didn’t overwhelm the patient by giving too much information at once.

      The Usul looked back at Fui and gave a small smile. “I think a support group sounds like a great idea. Could you give me their information, so I have it handy once I leave the hospital?”

      “Of course! Here, I’ll write it down for you.” Fui grabbed a nearby notepad and wrote down the meeting place and times that the support group would gather over the next month. She also wrote down a couple other resources that she had remembered being advertised at her support group. “Here you go. I look forward to seeing you come by!”

      The two continued to talk, sharing life experiences and answering questions. By the end of their visit, both were feeling elated. Mae had a better understanding of her new feelings, and Fui felt accomplished in being able to help a Neopian in need. Fui said her goodbyes and made her way out of the patient’s room to see Dr. G.

      Fui spotted the Gelert as she approached the station. “Hey Dr. G! We finished our talk. I think it went well! I feel so much better being able to provide her with some relief. Do you have more patients who need someone to talk to? I’m available for the rest of the day.”

      Dr. G smiled. “That’s great news, Fui. I’m glad you’re able to find joy in helping others. Let me get you a list of patients you can see. And thank you for your service to the hospital, especially during these hard times.”

      Fui continued to volunteer her time at the hospital, picking up shifts where she could. Being able to help others through her personal experiences helped give her a purpose. She may still be Grey, but she was feeling more hope than ever before, and she wanted to help spread that to others as much as she could.

     The End.