Whilst waiting in a hospital A&E waiting room in a post covid world, we observe the best and worst of humanity. The room is full; with mask wearers are define by age. The younger age group wear their masks as though they were a fashion accessory adorning their chins, whilst the older patients have their masks smartly covering their faces in the correct manner. I fall into the double jabbed latter.

The room is peppered with elderly men and women in obvious distress. Unable to lift their head from their frail chests to acknowledge the triage nurse, as she booms out the roll call of the next batch of patients to be seen. Restlessly sat in amongst them are patients who are here because of the refusal to change their lifestyle. They have one eye fixed on the entrance and the other on the nurses station as they plan their next cigarette mission, not caring if they are called to be seen as they need that nicotine fix. One guy has just returned from such a mission, he glances a triumphant look towards the nurses station. He has beat the system yet again in his mind, however he is playing roulette with the waiting room.