Cheeseburgers in the Hospital
On last week’s episode of NBC’s Parenthood, Adam asks his wife Christina what she wants when she gets out of surgery.
“Burger.” she says, definitively. “Big fat juicy… cheeseburger. With cheese.”
“OK, cheeseburger.” he says as Christina is wheeled away.
I hit pause on my TiVo and cried for 15 minutes.
***
I was in a hospital once, for hours. I wasn’t allowed to leave and was scared and hungry. When Rob finally got out of work, he called on his way and asked what he should bring me.
“Cheeseburger!” I said. “With fries.”
He showed up with the cheesiest, greasiest, loveliest medium-rare burger I’d ever seen (shout out to Bareburger in Park Slope!) and this small bit of TV shook something loose in me. I cried not really because I miss anyone, but because who, exactly, is going to bring me cheeseburgers if I’m stuck in a hospital now?
This is the part that scares me.
image of a burger from Bareburger from Zest’d
Amy
30 Oct 12 at 12:18 am
When I got divorced, I had this moment when I was coming home from the gym about 5 months after we split and I picked up my phone to call and tell my ex I wanted my usual salad as was our normal routine. When I realized that he wouldn’t answer and wouldn’t bring me a salad, something broke inside me because I realized that no one in the entire world knew exactly what I liked on a salad. It made me profoundly sad, because it seemed like there was no real intimacy or familiarity in my life.
But here’s what I know now. Your friends will bring your burgers, people you never expected to step up totally will and I’d put money on you having someone who won’t just bring you a burger, but will sit with you at the hospital the whole damn time.
It just takes time. I promise. xoxo
Abby
30 Oct 12 at 12:33 am
Girl. I know it’s not the same, but you’re the sort who has built network–a family–and I bet those mofos all know where to find a cheeseburger. xo.
Elly
30 Oct 12 at 5:54 am
Oh lady. It’s hard not having a person, that one someone whose got your back. I found that the role my ex used to fulfil as my person? The guy who knew how I liked my g+ts, or be that person I could tell dumb silly stuff to? Turns out that when I needed a someone, my friends stepped up and between them became my people. And they do a better job of it than he did. Happy thoughts, hey. If you seriously get desperate for a cheeseburger while you’re in hospital, put the word out on the internet, and I’ll get one delivered
Meg
30 Oct 12 at 6:43 pm
Lots of us. I mean, I’m a flight away, but you’ve got people everywhere. FACT. We’ll make sure you get a cheeseburger.