Now this is no ordinary story, it actually began with a wayward squirrel that came into the ER in Colorado. Dr. Head was seeing patients that day so it was up to him to tend to the rodent. He gloved up in leather gloves because, well, squirrels bite. He reached his hand in and the little bugger ran right out and kept on going. Onto the floor it leapt and ran as fast as it could behind a counter. Now, this counter happened to be connected to a sink where there was a space just big enough to scurry behind. Well that little guy ran all the way to the other end of the bank of cabinets 10 feet long and decide to stay put. This was a problem since obviously squirrels living in your cabinets is not the best thing, we needed a plan. Now, Dr. Head is very clever and always up for a challenge so he, and the other nurse on that night, Tom, devised a way to suck the squirrel out of the space with our central vacuum cleaner. The only problem they had was no one fit under the sink. Well like all problems a solution usually presents its self often in the form of an unsuspecting victim.
Enter the new girl, me. It was my first day and while I was ready to be in on the action, I had no intention of being the action. Dr. Head turned to me and said “do you mind enclosed spaces?” “ No,” I said. “Great! Climb on in there, and we will feed this vacuum hose into you. When you’re ready we will turn it on and you can help us suck the squirrel out.” It sounded so simple, and it was. Actually it worked perfectly. I climbed into the cabinet and with my hands and arms wedged above my head they fed this hose through the opening and when I felt like we were ready they turned on the vacuum and whoomp! Mission accomplished. Now, they pulled the hose back pretty fast so they could turn it off and not hurt the little guy, “do you have him” they said. “Yep, I think so” I replied. They turned off the suction and that furry rodent started to fight me and made a break for it and ran directly down the front of my scrub top, because the hose and my hands were above my head that was the only way for the little guy to go. Well, lets just say, he promptly set up camp.
The boys were excited that their idea had been brilliant and worked perfectly, I, however, was not so sure. With a squirrel in my scrub top and my hands stuck above my head all I could do was yell “Jenny!”Now, Jenny was the hospital administrator and the only other girl on that night. Since I did not know these boys, I most certainly was not going to have one of them go spelunking in search of the squirrel camping somewhere in the rocky mountains of my scrub top. I yelled for Jenny again and realized she was not there. Unfortunately for me, Jenny seeing things were under control had gone up front to help a client check out. Naturally concerned both boys peered into the opening and said “Are you ok? Can we help you?” “NO, I replied!!!!
Clearly seeing my situation was one only a girl was going to be able to fix, Dr. Head had Jenny come back and help a sister out. I lay there with this rodent in my top terrified I was going to end up scratched or worse with a piercing thanks to the squirrel in my scrub top. Jenny arrived just before true panic set in and apologized for what we both knew was going to be more action then either of us had come prepared for that night. Thankfully the squirrel who was resting comfortably or near death from his adventures went with out a struggle. While they got him back into the enclosure I climbed out of the cabinet.
The boys roared with laughter at the events of the evening replaying it over and over, as clearly this would be a story repeated numerous times over the next few days, weeks months and years. I stopped being upset and started seeing the humor in it. I think not sporting any physical damage helped me be able to laugh with them. Dr. Head told Jenny later that night that I passed the test and he thought they should keep me on. Little did he know 2 years later he would marry me. Everyone has their own special love story. Whenever people ask how me met, we reply with a grin, “Well, you see, there was this squirrel”....
Happy Valentines Day to everyone.
