How to write hospital scenesĀ
From someone whoās definitely been in too many and would very much like a refund...ć
ā¹ Waiting rooms are emotional purgatory.Ā Theyāre too bright, too quiet, and weirdly timeless. Fluorescent lights buzzing, TVs playing muted news no one watches, coffee that tastes like burnt stress. People arenātĀ relaxingĀ in there, theyāre justĀ existing, awkwardly pretending their phones are interesting while dissociating at 40% battery.
ā¹ Everyone talks in a whisper,Ā but not because itās respectful, no, it justĀ feelsĀ wrong to speak normally. Like the walls might be listening, like if you talk too loud, something worse might happen, even the loud people get quiet in hospitals.
ā¹ Overnight stays are hell.Ā hospital chairs? medieval torture devices with upholstery. even if someoneās trying to nap next to a patient, theyāre notĀ sleeping. Theyāre half-listening to the symphony of beeping machines, nurse shoes squeaking, the occasional cough, and distant Code Something crackling over the intercom. itās anxiety with a blanket.
ā¹ The smell is unforgettable, likeĀ itās not just antiseptic. itās plastic and cafeteria meatloaf and sweat and fear and the smell of a place where people are very muchĀ not okay.Ā the first time your character walks in, itāll hit them like a wall. later, they might not even notice, or maybe itās the only thing they can smell for days after.
ā¹ Talking to doctors is a weird performance.Ā You're trying to be calm, theyāre trying to be calm. But no one is calm, your character wants to ask 47 questions and not sound desperate. The doctor explains things like theyāre narrating a science video, and when they leave, someone willĀ immediatelyĀ go āwait... we forgot to askā every. single. time.
ā¹ Monitors beep constantly.Ā half the time, itās nothing. A wire got loose, someone rolled over. But the second itĀ is something, the vibe shiftsĀ fast. Nurses appear like ghosts, machines start going off, and everyone starts moving. And your character? they might freeze, or panic, or forget they have lungs. Go with whatever makes sense forĀ them, but make it visceral.
ā¹ Time goes full funhouse mirror.Ā Ten minutes waiting for test results feels like a year. A full hour stretches into eternity, meanwhile, three hours can pass without anyone realizing it. You can use this in your pacing, make itĀ dragĀ when the waiting is unbearable.
ā¹ Hospital cafeteria food: Garbage.Ā Itās either offensively bland or stupidly overpriced. The grilled cheese is six dollars and tastes like regret, and someone will 100% cry into a cold sandwich at 3am, because grief doesnāt care where you are.
ā¹ People start fixating on tiny, random things.Ā They canāt control the big stuff, so their brain zeroes in on a sock slipping off, a crooked IV pole, the repetitive drip-drip-drip of medication. Let them obsess over something small, itās how the brain copes with being completely powerless...
