The First Friday Back

Hedy stands at the door of ward four. Her badge is new. Her coat is old. Six months is a long break.

Hedy berdiri di pintu bangsal empat. Tanda pengenalnya baru. Jas kerjanya lama. Enam bulan adalah jeda yang panjang.

The hall smells of soap. A phone rings at the desk. Nobody looks at her. She takes a deep breath and walks in.

Lorong itu berbau sabun. Telepon berdering di meja jaga. Tidak ada yang menoleh kepadanya. Dia menarik napas dalam-dalam dan melangkah masuk.

Dilan, the head nurse, waves from the desk. "Hedy! You are back!"

Dilan, kepala perawat, melambai dari meja jaga. "Hedy! Kamu sudah kembali!"

"Yes, I am back," Hedy says. "I am a little slow today."

"Ya, aku sudah kembali," kata Hedy. "Hari ini aku agak lambat."

"Slow is fine," Dilan says. "Here is your list."

"Lambat tidak apa-apa," kata Dilan. "Ini daftarmu."

Hedy reads the list. She has three patients. Room two needs a clean bandage. Room five needs a short walk in the hall. Room six needs water and a quiet voice.

Hedy membaca daftar itu. Dia punya tiga pasien. Kamar dua perlu perban bersih. Kamar lima perlu jalan-jalan sebentar di lorong. Kamar enam perlu air dan suara yang tenang.

She works all morning. The ward is busy and loud. A cart rolls past her door. A bell rings twice. Hedy moves slowly at first. Her hands remember everything. She checks a pulse. She writes a note. She smiles at a small boy in room two. He shows her his toy truck. It has a broken wheel. "Can you fix it?" he asks. Hedy smiles and says, "I can try after lunch."

Dia bekerja sepanjang pagi. Bangsal itu sibuk dan ramai. Sebuah kereta dorong lewat di depan pintunya. Bel berbunyi dua kali. Awalnya Hedy bergerak lambat. Tangannya masih ingat semuanya. Dia memeriksa denyut nadi. Dia menulis catatan. Dia tersenyum kepada seorang anak laki-laki kecil di kamar dua. Anak itu menunjukkan truk mainannya. Salah satu rodanya patah. "Ibu bisa memperbaikinya?" tanyanya. Hedy tersenyum dan berkata, "Ibu coba nanti setelah makan siang."

At noon, Hedy sits in the break room. She opens her lunch box. Her phone buzzes on the table.

Pada tengah hari, Hedy duduk di ruang istirahat. Dia membuka kotak makan siangnya. Ponselnya bergetar di atas meja.

The message is from Gael. He is a night nurse. He writes, "Welcome back, Hedy! Can you work my shift on Friday? I need one night off. Please say yes."

Pesan itu dari Gael. Dia perawat shift malam. Dia menulis, "Selamat datang kembali, Hedy! Bisakah kamu menggantikan shift-ku hari Jumat? Aku perlu libur satu malam. Tolong bilang iya."

Hedy looks at the message for a long time. She reads it again. She knows the night shift is hard. Gael is always there when the ward needs help. Her lunch gets cold. Friday night is special for her. Her daughter has a school show at seven. Hedy always says she will come.

Hedy menatap pesan itu lama sekali. Dia membacanya lagi. Dia tahu shift malam itu berat. Gael selalu ada saat bangsal butuh bantuan. Makan siangnya jadi dingin. Jumat malam itu istimewa baginya. Putrinya punya pertunjukan sekolah pukul tujuh. Hedy selalu berkata dia akan datang.

She wants to help Gael. He is kind. He is a good friend to her. But she also wants to see the show. Her thumb waits over the screen.

Dia ingin membantu Gael. Gael baik. Dia teman yang baik bagi Hedy. Tetapi dia juga ingin menonton pertunjukan itu. Jempolnya menunggu di atas layar.

Dilan comes in and sits down. She has a cup of water. "You are very quiet," she says. "Is something wrong?"

Dilan masuk dan duduk. Dia membawa segelas air. "Kamu diam sekali," katanya. "Ada apa?"

"Gael wants my Friday shift," Hedy says. "I do not know what to say."

"Gael minta aku menggantikan shift Jumat-nya," kata Hedy. "Aku tidak tahu harus bilang apa."

"What do you want?" Dilan asks.

"Kamu sendiri maunya bagaimana?" tanya Dilan.

"I want to see my daughter's show."

"Aku ingin menonton pertunjukan putriku."

"Then tell him that," Dilan says. "A short, clear no is kind."

"Kalau begitu bilang saja begitu," kata Dilan. "Penolakan yang singkat dan jelas itu baik."

"He will be sad," Hedy says.

"Dia pasti sedih," kata Hedy.

"Maybe for a minute," Dilan says. "Then he will ask someone else. I have the night list. I can help him."

"Mungkin semenit," kata Dilan. "Lalu dia akan minta tolong orang lain. Aku punya daftar shift malam. Aku bisa membantunya."

Hedy thinks about it. Her daughter has a paper star on the fridge. The star says, "Mom, please come." Hedy thinks of that star. Her first day back is long. She does not want a week full of yeses. She wants a Friday night with her daughter.

Hedy memikirkannya. Di kulkas rumahnya ada bintang kertas buatan putrinya. Bintang itu bertuliskan, "Bu, tolong datang." Hedy memikirkan bintang itu. Hari pertamanya kembali bekerja terasa panjang. Dia tidak mau seminggu penuh jawaban iya. Dia ingin Jumat malam bersama putrinya.

She picks up the phone. She types slowly. "Sorry, Gael. I cannot work on Friday. My daughter has a show. Please ask Dilan for the night list."

Dia mengambil ponselnya. Dia mengetik pelan-pelan. "Maaf, Gael. Aku tidak bisa kerja hari Jumat. Putriku ada pertunjukan. Tolong minta daftar shift malam ke Dilan."

She reads the words two times. They are short and clear. Her hand is not shaking now. She presses send.

Dia membaca kata-kata itu dua kali. Kalimatnya pendek dan jelas. Tangannya sudah tidak gemetar. Dia menekan kirim.

Dilan smiles and goes back to the desk. Hedy eats a little cold rice. The phone is quiet for one minute. Then it buzzes again.

Dilan tersenyum dan kembali ke meja jaga. Hedy makan sedikit nasi dingin. Ponselnya diam selama satu menit. Lalu bergetar lagi.

"No problem!" Gael writes. "Have fun at the show. See you on Monday."

"Tidak masalah!" tulis Gael. "Selamat bersenang-senang di pertunjukannya. Sampai jumpa hari Senin."

Hedy puts the phone in her pocket. Her shoulders feel light. She straightens her badge. Then she walks back to room six. The patient there needs water and a quiet voice.

Hedy memasukkan ponsel ke dalam saku. Bahunya terasa ringan. Dia merapikan tanda pengenalnya. Lalu dia berjalan kembali ke kamar enam. Pasien di sana membutuhkan air dan suara yang tenang.