In our schooling days, as it is now, examinations were naturally an integral part of learning process. The system of examinations was somewhat different then than what it is today. It was a fixed date and time business, unlike today's round the clock affairs. It was paper and pen system and not pick and click systems of present times. In the lower classes, we had to carry our own paper as well for writing answers. Hence there was the spectre of answer papers of different sizes, colours, and plain white sheets as well as ruled sheets. Students carried their own simple gadgets like pen, pencil, eraser, scales, instruments box, and so on. A family's economic status could be easily gauged by looking at the nature of items their children carried to the examination hall.
At higher levels, referred to as public examinations, a student would pay a prescribed fee to write the examination. The recognised body conducting such examinations would supply the standard answer books, and additional sheets in case the candidates needed more paper. There were indeed some brilliant students (as at all times) who could write more lengthy answers than others. They naturally needed more paper. They were not examinations with multiple-choice answer questions with given answers and the student picks one of them and ticks the answer. This system came in much later.
After the time of examination is done, and the candidates are out of examination halls, there would be the usual small groups of candidates discussing the events of the examination rooms. "Who took the maximum number of additional sheets?" was a popular question asked in these groups. "What was there so much to write? He might have written all irrelevant things!" would be the exclaim of those who could not fill even the given main booklet.
To discourage candidates from writing irrelevant and unnecessary lengthy answers, question papers carried a warning at the top of the paper. "Answer to the Point" was the popular phrase giving expression to these sentiments. Even when oral questions were asked in the regular classes, students attempting to digress or beat around the bush would be warned by the teacher. "What is it that I asked? What is your answer? Answer to the point!", the teacher would admonish.
"Answer to the point" remained the essence of the learning process. Even with all these, there were many students who never understood this simple rule. For some of them, it needed more than mere schooling to understand this very valuable principle!
*****
The patient was lying in the Intensive and Critical Care unit (ICCU) of the big hospital. His hands and legs were tied to the bed and their movement was restricted to a few inches at the most. This was for his own protection as otherwise he might have pulled out any of the many wires and tubes that were attached to his body. He knew there were many nerves and blood vessels in his body, though he did not know the count. There were so many wires and tubes attached to his body from the outside, but he could not count them as well. There were computer monitors around showing so many numbers and graphs all the time. He could not make any sense out of those numbers. The graphs they presented looked similar to some of the graphs he studied in his Mathematics classes. But it was long long ago.
Now and then, the monitor would beep. The sound would draw the attention of a nurse. While he could not understand the reason for beeping, she knew exactly why it was so beeping. Her adjusting or moving a wire would stop the beep. She would also add some liquid to the bottle in the stand. The tube linking the bottle and the blood vessel on his hand would do its job and ensure that the liquid slowly but steadily reached his veins or arteries. When this happened, sometimes he would get agitated, while at other times a soothing feeling engulfed him.
The lights in the room were always on. It was difficult to know whether it was day or night, or what time of the day or night it was. Initially he did not understand anything, but as days passed he realised that a shift had changed when a different nurse was moving around. There was no question of eating or drinking as the bottles in the stand and tubes connecting them to his veins did the needful. At times it would seem as if it was unfathomable bliss. A team of strong young men would come from time to time, and move him from one position to another, for whatever reasons they deemed fit.
*****
He opened his eyes after another spell of drowsiness, or sleep, or whatever it was. A different nurse was staring down at him. Another shift has changed, he reasoned. Hers was a familiar face, as seen in earlier shifts. She had a syringe in her hand. Why does she need a syringe? The bottle is already there. She could as well drop the medicines in it, he thought.
"Good morning!", she said.
Oh! it is morning now, he understood. He tried to smile. With all the tubes around, she might not have understood that he was smiling.
"I have to draw some blood for the lab. Can I draw, please"
"What difference will it make to a person who is already wet, standing in neck deep water, if it rains a little?"
"Can I draw some blood, Sir?"
"So many times blood has been drawn. What difference one more time will make?"
"Can I draw some blood, Sir?"
"If any blood is still left in the body, you are welcome to take it"
"Can I draw some blood, Sir?'
"You can do whatever you want"
"Is it a "Yes" Sir?"
He realised it was no time for a humorous or implied answer. Nor a round about answer. "Answer to the point! You silly", he felt his primary school teacher was shouting in his ears.
"Yes", he replied meekly. Answer to the point, at last. Needful was done.
An individual's privacy is highly respected in some societies. Touching another person's body without permission is not acceptable. Not even by a doctor or a surgeon, while conducting an examination. They show the courtesy of asking whether it can be done. The answer should be a straightforward "Yes". Not an implied or round about permission. Express and unambiguous permission is required.
*****
Many teachers over several years had failed repeatedly to teach him the importance of "Answer to the point". Many superiors in his work life had also failed miserable to bring home its importance.
The smiling nurse in ICCU achieved this in a single instance!
