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Toys are usually very nervous about going to the hospital. Research shows that as soon as toys see a white coat, they start to feel uneasy and worried.
Many toys have to stay in the hospital for several weeks. It takes time to recover – and sometimes it takes a long time before a donor or just the right spare parts are found.
For example: The other day, Eddie, a small, beloved blue teddy bear, lost one of his eyes. His owner cried and cried out in the reception area when he was told that Eddie would have to be admitted for surgery. This is completely normal – it hurts to be separated from a dear toy.
Eddie was put on a strict diet, placed in a hospital bed with a thermometer in his mouth and a bandage over the missing eye. Now he just had to wait – and wait a long time – for a donor to appear. In the meantime, Eddie thought about how he had actually ended up in this unfortunate situation.
It all began when his owner, Simon, had an earache. He grabbed Eddie a little too tightly – and then the little brown eye fell out.
The doctor was kind and full of compassion. Eddie was examined from head to tail to make sure he wasn’t in shock. The staff reassured him: Brown eyes are luckily easy to find, and he just had to lie still and rest until they had one ready.
In the bed next to him lay Laura – a beautiful doll. She told how one day she had been knocked off the shelf by the family cat. The cat was clearly jealous of all the attention Laura was getting – and did everything it could to make life miserable for her.
Laura had her arm in a sling, painful bruises – and a black eye. But she was strong and determined. Eddie really felt sorry for her.
The hospital was busy. The nurses were running around trying to help all the patients, but it was hard to keep up. The corridors smelled wonderfully of fresh flowers, and at every bed there was a bowl of fruit. The air was full of the scent of freshly washed bed linen, and the food selection was delicious – lemon pudding was a favorite!
One afternoon, Laura overheard one of the nurses talking about a serious accident: A van full of toys, on its way to be delivered to a well-known toy store, had overturned in the middle of the road. The toys had been thrown out and were now lying scattered – and very upset.
Fortunately, the hospital’s accident ward was empty, so extra beds, wheelchairs, and staff could be brought in quickly. They feared the worst.
Much of the toy cargo was treated quickly and could continue its journey to the shop. But some had to be admitted. Luckily, there were no fatalities.
A train set had one of its carriages badly damaged, and a Barbie doll had suffered a severe concussion. The doctors were fantastic – Barbie was placed in a bed, given something to drink, and told to rest in silence.
The train set wasn’t doing well either. It was given calming medicine right away, and everyone around was relieved.
It took some time, but eventually the doctors managed to find a new eye for Eddie. And then he was ready to go home again.
The train set also recovered quickly, and its carriages were repaired so it could be sent home the next day.
Laura seemed brighter and was looking forward to going home. Everyone thought the same thing: She probably couldn’t wait to teach that cat a lesson!
After all the drama, calm returned to the ward. Doctors and nurses were relieved that there had been no more serious accidents and that everything was peaceful again.
Today, children are fortunately better at taking care of their toys – especially because new toys have become more expensive. Let’s hope it stays that way, so fewer need to visit the toy hospital.
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