When I was a little kid, I was in the hospital. It was serious, and I kinda understood that. I was just glad that doctors and nurses were trying to help. I always thanked them.
One day, a new kid was put into my shared room. He nonstop bragged about how he knew all about hospitals and all about doctors and this was all no problem for him and he wasn’t afraid of anything.
Now, I gotta note: I wasn’t “afraid,” either. I just wanted to be better and go home. All medical procedures being done to me were interesting to me, even though I didn’t understand them. I knew they were helping me.
So this kid goes on and on and on and he sounds like he’s all super on top of things. Not afraid, not afraid, not afraid… like it was a spell.
Then, the nurse arrived to draw blood, etc. as a normal routine every day.
He refused. He kept refusing harder and harder and started fighting and screaming and kicking. Eventually, four adults had to hold him down while one frazzled nurse drew blood. It was terrifying to see someone who has been all full of bravado and “not afraid” kick up so much of a fuss that instead of one nurse for five minutes, he took up four nurses for fifteen minutes.
Next day, he did it again. Same thing happened.
Third day, they took him away. I presume to a private room. He kept protesting and complaining as they wheeled his bed out. Always protesting and complaining, now. I’d seen him break his thin shell, so he no longer has anything to hide.
I watched him with a mixture of confusion and mostly pity. How could someone so deeply not understand how hard people wanted to help, how could someone fight so hard against people helping him? And most importantly, it cemented into my head the reminder that I must never ever ever act like this child.
And so far, so good.
I was seven years old when this happened.
Seven years old and I saw this foolishness for what it was.
I had almost forgotten this whole experience, except I suddenly find myself seeing people who were this child. Full of fake bravado, full of bullshit, full of anger or fear or whatever snake is wrapped around their neck. And hating on nurses, hating on doctors.
I read a story about one doctor who was punched in the face by an anti-vaxxer family for breaking the news to them that their anti-vaxxer father had died. He had, in fact, died begging to be vaccinated at the last minute (wouldn’t help, and would just be a waste, guy). He had, in fact, died alone because his family refused to put masks on to visit him in the hospital. And for this, his new widow, who had already aggressively refused to wear even one simple mask to visit her dying husband, punched the attending physician, breaking his nose.
And this is not the only story of medical professionals being assaulted and abused that I have read. All at the hands of anti-vaxxers.
A child fought so hard that four adult nurses had to hold him down. Someone else needed those nurses, but that goddamn fucking baby took those resources up because he had to throw a goddamn fit.
Every person who fights to keep prolonging this pandemic is that child.
Wear a mask.
Get vaccinated.
Wash your hands.
Keep social distance.
Stay home if you can.
Pay some fucking attention and respect to medical professionals.
We are where we are now because so many people have decided that anti-vaccination is some sort of “stance”, and we are where we are also because we let those fucking dumbasses keep rattling off their narrative as if it’s worth listening to. As if it has value.
It doesn’t.
At this point, I’m starting to think that it might not be a bad idea to offer bounties for anti-vaxxers. And then just dart them like feral pigs.