Twas the Night Before Christmas
By: Carrie Verkman
carebear1025@juno.com



'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the ER,
Not a patient was bleeding, no patients by far.
The charts read nothing, no names written there,
No elderly needing intensive care. 

The pedes patients slept, all snug in their beds,
While visions of high-priced toys danced in their heads.
And Mark in his scrubs, and I with my crutch,
Finally sat down to a late, late lunch.

When outside the building arose such a clatter,
I limped from the lounge to see what was the matter.
Away to the doors I flew like a flash,
Put on sterile gloves, a surgical sash. 
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave luster to Doc Magoo's down below. 
When what to my wondering, I should have guessed,
An ambulance with a patient in distress. 

With a little paramedic, so lively and quick,
He shouted out vitals, lickety split.
I needed more doctors and I called them by name,
And one by one they finally came. 
Now Luka, now Carter, Now Malucci and Chen,
On Cleo, on Carol, Greene and Benton!
Into the trauma room, our work began,
Working our hardest to save a young man. 

"Pulse ox is falling!"  "Intubate!" 
I shouted out orders, never too late. 
Soon the man was finally stable,
And was brought to the OR as fast as the doctors were able. 

And then no relief, as I heard above me,
The Medivac Chopper landing quickly. 
As I grabbed Dr. Carter, we ran up there right away,
One old man in an M. V. A. 

He was covered in blood from his head to his toes,
There were many lacerations and he had a broken nose. 
Such severe injuries, we had to act quick,
When we realized the man was Jolly Saint Nick!

He was driving a car that looked like a sleigh,
He hit a tree and flew all different ways. 
Dr. Carter spoke up; his voice held no fear,
"I'm glad we're not treating eight little reindeer!"

The end of an air tube stuck out of his teeth. 
And a neck brace encircled his neck like a wreath. 
An unfortunate accident for a sweet old man,
We worked very hard, as fast as we can. 
However we saved him, and that was our goal,
And we knew Saint Nick would bring us no coal. 
Later at a party, we spread good cheer. 
Happy to work with such sweet people here. 

Luka dressed as Santa, yelling "Ho ho ho!"
While Dr. Dave waited under mistletoe. 
We happily exchanged gifts with our friends,
With parties in the ER, the fun never ends!

But a trauma came in, the party was done. 
Everyone was upset; they longed for more fun.
But I said to the doctors, "You should know,"
"It may be Christmas in ER, but it never gets slow!"

The End!