Excitement on board

The kids were excited to be on a plane.

"We are flying above the clouds," announced S1 cheerfully, "we are above the earth."

"That's right," I said, "we are flying above the weather."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said, "we are not getting wet."

"If it's raining," asked S2, "do the people have umbrellas?" (she's into umbrellas).

An hour into the flight, it got even more interesting. Two rows behind us, the passenger in the middle seat started to have a fit.

"Is there a doctor or nurse on board?," went the call.

A nurse, an orthopedist, a pediatrician and a cardiologist made their way to the seat. The flight attendants broke out all the first aid kits. A stethoscope came out, then glucose. The people to either side of him were dispersed. The nurse stayed to administer the glucose. I was asked to keep S2 in my lap, so that the cardiologist could sit by us. When we landed in Chicago, the paramedics met our flight and carted the sick man off.

The children now think that airline flights are very exciting.

"When you go to New York," asked S2, "do you always fly above the clouds?"

"Yes," I told him, "long distance flights fly above the weather." I didn't tell him any thing about the frequency of medical emergencies. Why disappoint him? There are two more flights to go before we reach India.