When the hotel became a hospital

First Published Oct 11, 2011.

When I woke up I was confused –confused as to why the door to the hotel room was open, confused as to why I was so cold, why I could not find my glasses, and confused as to the location of my girl friend Anya. I got out of the bed (strangely shaped, with rails) and thought that I would look around for an extra blanket. I went out the open door trying to orient myself in search of a blanket. I had the spins. The hallway was unusually wide and the floors were surprisingly uncarpeted, industrial, stark and sanitized.

It was a strange and unfamiliar hotel. I did not remember checking in. (Must have been really drunk?) I saw a woman, all dressed in white (hotel housekeeper?) and approached her, asking if I could have another blanket, “I was cold.” Before she could answer I asked her if she knew where my girlfriend Anya was. I told her that I had left her at a local bar and that bar was within walking distance of the hotel. I had gotten pretty drunk and decided to turn in early and walked back to the hotel by myself. We were driving up from SF you know. We had a VW wagon. My head ached. I told her, and joked that the hangover had already begun. I had the spins and could barely walk straight, if at all.

She looked at me cautiously, carefully. Did I know where I was?

Yeah…(why?) at some hotel (in Oregon or California?).  Where is my girlfriend? Is she ok…? I have to find her…Where’s the bar?

“You are in a hospital.” “You had a head injury.” “Come with me…” she says.

No that can’t be…I look around…it does look like a hospital…

She picks up a clipboard from somewhere, yes, your name is Deepak Sarma and you had a rock climbing accident at Smith Rock…

What? My head hurts…I feel the bandages on the back of my head…

She takes me by the elbow and walks me back to my room and gives me another blanket. I go to the bathroom and find my glasses and there is blood on them…maybe she is telling the truth…”the doctor will explain more in the morning…” I reluctantly, anxiously, and skeptically go back to sleep ready to wake up from this nightmare, dream, illusion…

I wake up and look around. I seem to be in a hospital…a male physician comes in…”Hi there Deepak, my name is Dr. …you fell while you were climbing at Smith and had a head injury…you’ve been in the hospital since…

I try standing up but my balance is off, I can barely walk…my head hurts…I lay back on the bed…my head is pounding now and I can feel the dried blood in my ears…I go back to sleep…maybe he is right…maybe there is something wrong…