One of the news stories out of Memphis today is how inmate #2 has escaped from The Med this week. For those not from around these parts, The Med is one of our local hospitals and is known for their trauma unit. Whenever anything bad happens in the Mid-South, the victims are sent straight to The Med.
Jeff, his parents, and I had an enjoyable stay at The Med about 2 months ago. I use the term "enjoyable" loosely. Most of you know Jeff was in a bad car wreck and because he had head injuries with lots of blood, he was transported to the lovely Med. The area he was in (Elvis Presley Trauma Unit) houses those that aren't as serious as, say, your gunshot-to-the-head victim, but, it is where they bring prisoners, which we didn't find out until a few hours into our stay. From what we were told later that night, our jail system will not accept ANYONE with any medical problem, right down to a minor cut on his or her hand.
Visitors are allowed for 30 minutes on the even hour, with the only exception being if the patient is a minor, a parent can stay at all times. I had probably passed this guy in the area 3 times. Each time, he spoke as I was walking by, and I'm thinking he's with his child. Nope...3rd time around I realized he's shackled to the chair.
Now, I've lived in Memphis all my life, but let's face it: I'm quite sheltered. I'm not afraid to go in many areas of town, but I figure it's all about knowing when it's okay to visit these parts (case in point, one should only visit mine and Jeff's favorite BBQ restaurant, Payne's, during daylight hours). It's with this belief that seeing prisoners right next to my sweet husband and realizing that I've been trading pleasantries with someone chained to their chair stun me slightly. Not as much as hearing the drive-by shooting victim next to Jeff talk colorfully about retaliating, but stunned nonetheless.
I could speak for days on what I truly think of The Med. However, one thing I will say is that I'm really not sure how these jailbirds escaped. There were deputies all over the place, normally 2 posted with each prisoner and many roaming around. All were shackled (hands, legs, and to the beds). They must have really wanted to be out of there because I have to imagine it was a chore to get themselves ready to bolt. With 2 escaping within days of each other, not to mention how silly it is to transport them every time there's a medical issue, you have to wonder why there isn't a clinic at the jail. Maybe they've all realized going to The Med is not only a change of scenery, but also a good opportunity to hit the ground running. Jeff's dad and my brother said they could write a book about what they had seen during our time there...maybe they can figure this out!
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