Numbers Increase With Age

(I am a switchboard operator on the evening shift at a large hospital. I get a call from an 88-year-old female patient’s room phone.)

Me: “This is [My Name]. How can I help you?”

Patient: “Where exactly am I?”

Me: “You are a patient at [Hospital]. Do you need your nurse?”

Patient: “No, but, I need you to explain some strange numbers someone has written on the wall of my room!”

Me: *getting paper and pen to write down the numbers* “What numbers are on your wall?”

Patient: “I see one, one, one, one, two, zero, one, six, then 415, then 4602 and a girls name!”

Me: “Oh, I see what it says. It is the date, 1/1/2016, your room number is 415, and if you want to call your nurse on the phone, you just dial 4602. The name is the name of your nurse for the night.”

Patient: “Well, thank you. I didn’t understand this at all.”

Me: “You’re welcome. Now, do you know where you are?”

Patient: “Why do you need to know what I weigh?”

Me: “No, ma’am, I just want to be sure you understand you are in the hospital.”

Patient: “Yes, she did! And, she will probably come back any minute.”

Me: “Thanks, ma’am. Call me anytime.”

(I called her nurse and asked her just to look in on her.)