Got back Finally - Event Two

It wasn't too long a wait before the boarding gate opened. Sitting in the crowded waiting lounge catching my breath, the flight seems to be fully booked. This time I'm really going back. Relief!

20 minutes later, I was in a flight seat ready for a nap. Unlike MAS's stewardesses that generally look the long and thin kind, SIA stewardesses mostly have wide shoulders that makes them look 'bigger' and 'wider'.

As usual, Captain went on with his speech..seatbelt fasten...remain seated.... Before he finished, exhausted I quickly felt asleep.

Then, vaguely in my dream, I heard this announcement,

'Please could any medical personnels on plane identify yourself as we have an emergency case over here. Thanks for your cooperation....'

The next minute, one chinese man with big specs and knowledgable look walked pass me making his way to the front. Must be the doctor.

This situation reminded me the first lecture in med school...

' don't simply identify yourself in any public emergency case... '

' you are not a doctor yet. there might be lots of things u haven't been taught....'

Being an obedient student, I quickly resume to fully-asleep state again thinking maybe it was just fever or diarrhoea case.

Then again not long afterwards, another announcement was made...

' due to an emergency medical case on the plane, we need to make an emergency landing in Istanbul. Please remain seated as we will be arriving in Istanbul in one hour time....'

This time, I'm awake. Fully.

Istanbul? Where is it? I know Jay Chou song got mention it before lah but his lyrics didn't say in which country it's located. So I asked this Belgium guy next to me who was concentrating on Economist with his Blackberry on.

With his wise look, he said,

'It's in Turkey. A wonderful city to go for sightseeing but phew... their hosp is horrible!'

Surroundings soon became noisy as could see everyone head start popping out from the seats towards the direction where the doctor and a few stewardesses stood with someone holding high up an iv drip. *Din know plane has an iv drip on it.*

Okie. We finally landed in Istanbul. But weirdly, no one seems to move in or out the plane. Maybe like my neighbour said, their medical services isn't that good so perhaps need to wait a while more.

... 5...10....15....20....25....30 minutes.

That's getting a bit long already isn't it? Still, no one come in. I thought it's an emergency case. How come no ambulance... no medical equipments... no doctors.... no strectcher...

Basically, no one is doing anything. What's everyone waiting for?

Finally, someone appeared. A few bulky men who don't look like doctors but security guards instead came in. I can't catch a glimpse of what exactly they were doing but presumably some medical assistances been given. Thank God he's being rescued finally.

Then 5 minutes later... I saw the few big men
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carrying a big white plastic bag with something like a

HUMAN BODY inside.

The man died.

What? Died just like that? I can't believe it!!!

Air stewardess next to us said the man was certified dead a few minutes before we arrive in Istanbul. Apparently this man was diabetic and had been vomitting all along the journey.

This is the first time I felt a death being so close to me. Can't imagine while I was happily in dreamland someone so near to me was struggling hard battling for life... and apparently he didn't make it. Can't imagine his family expecting his arrival in the airport receive a deadbody instead.

His body was placed at the backseat of the plane. Everyone stared in disbelief when the body was carried pass them.

Then captain went on...

'We are now ready for take off. We estimate to arrive in London with 3 hours of schedule delay. Please remain seated and have your seatbelt fasten....'