**Chapter Seven: The Hospital's Hidden Army**
The Royal Women's Hospital, an institution etched into my own history as my birthplace, stands connected by a walkway to the towering cancer ward. Seven floors separate them, each floor a world of its own. These parallel narratives, one of birth and another of survival, now weave together in a tapestry of life's enigmatic cycles.
The hospital's intricate machinery goes beyond the bustling kitchen I've come to know so well. It extends to the unseen heroes who keep its cogs turning. I've had the privilege of meeting some of them, the orderlies who tread the linoleum floors, ensuring that every part of this medical labyrinth remains functional.
One of the orderlies hails from East Timor, a world away from the bustling streets of Melbourne. He has become my unofficial guide, offering tips on navigating the intricacies of the hospital's inner workings. "Keep the bin steady with the pole before the machine grips it," he advises, his words carrying the weight of experience. I listened attentively, my chest tightening at the thought of what could go wrong. "Put the wheels diagonally," Ricardo suggests, his wisdom born from countless hours spent ensuring that the bins make their journey smoothly.
The hospital's orderlies are the unsung heroes who traverse the labyrinthine corridors of the Royal Women's Hospital, day in and day out. They pick up full bins, empty them, and replace them, their actions a silent but essential symphony that keeps this healthcare behemoth functioning.
As we delve deeper into this narrative, we'll continue to explore the lives and stories of these individuals who, in their unassuming roles, play a crucial part in the hospital's daily operation. The symbolism of my birthplace connected to the cancer ward, the three months I spent here as a child until the state deemed me a ward of Victoria—these elements are threads that will be woven into the fabric of this story.
If you have any specific details or characters you'd like to add or modify in this chapter, please let me know, and we'll delve further into the lives of the hospital's hidden army.