"911. What is your emergency?"

I was feeling fairly calm, happy, and confident. I had the morning off, so I had been able to sleep in and read old WWII letters written by relatives.

So when I sat down at work to call some patients, I never dreamed of the embarrassment that was in my future.

I dialed a 7 digit number.

It rang twice.

Then I heard, "911. What is your emergency?"

I panicked.

I slammed that phone back down with wide-eyed horror.

I had called 911.

When dialing a 7 digit number. Whaaaaaat????

Then the true horror settled in: I just hung up on a 911 dispatcher.

Without saying there wasn't an emergency.

Omigosh, they were going to come arrest me for prank calling 911!!!

I sat, staring at the phone.

I shakily confided in my coworker. "I, uh, just called 911 and then hung up on them..."

"You WHAT???," she laughed. "Why?"

"I have NO idea." I really didn't. I stared at the number I had dialed. There were 7 digits. There was a 911 in the number, but not only a 911.

About 30 seconds later, my phone rang. It was the Sheriff.

"Uh, hi."
"Hello, ma'am. We just received an emergency call from this number. Is everything alright?"
"Uh, yes. That was... I don't know what happened... I was calling a patient... and then... I don't know. I'm so, so, so sorry I hung up on you."
*10 second pause while the sheriff laughs at me*
"It's ok. Glad everyone is ok. Have a nice day, ma'am."
"Yes. I mean, thank you."

I made my coworker call that patient next. I wasn't willing to risk calling 911 again.

Yes. This is my life. It's really real.