I work with terminally ill people.
I have to do my rounds at odd times of the day or night and I am always on call – no exception.
I don’t get chance to befriend the people I work with. They aren’t around long enough, but I do sometimes get to pass a few minutes with them, if they want to chat.
Of course, because the people are so desperately ill, I’m quiet and respectful at all times. Also, when they call to me, I listen rather than chatter about myself because they may not have another opportunity – sometimes I think they realise this and that’s why they talk to me, a complete stranger, not even one of their usual nurses.
Last night, a lady called out to me as I passed her room.
“I’ll be back in a sec, one patient to see, then I’ll be right with you,” I said.
She nodded and leaned back into the hollow of the pillow.
She was dozing when I went back to see if she still wanted me. She woke up as though she knew I was there. She nodded for me to come in and I went to her bedside, on the opposite side to her machines monitoring her.
“You know,” she said in a slow, patient manner. “These nurses work so hard.”
I nodded and she reached for my hand. I clasped hers in mine and she looked at me, smiling.
It makes a nice change for someone to smile at you when you’re used to annoyance because they’re scared or in pain, so I stood and waited beside her.
“They work so hard,” she said again and I was beginning to think she’d lost her marbles, but she looked up at me and smiled.
“Don’t let them work too hard on me, will you?” she said and her hand slipped from mine, she closed her eyes and the machines went NUTS!
Two nurses ran in and one started to perform CPR on the old lady that had been speaking to me.
I watched the old lady rise from her frail, worn-out body. She was like a faded version of her former self. She did look young though. The pain had dropped from her expression and she looked positively sprightly.
She looked at the nurse trying hard to bring her back and then she winked at me!
She tapped the nurse on the shoulder and shook her head when the young woman looked at her. The old lady knew the nurse wouldn’t hear her, but she was determined that she should see her and she didn’t want that nurse to work so hard on a lost cause.
The nurse saw the lady and her mouth dropped open and she stepped back, away from the mortal remains.
“I’m ready now,” the old lady said. “Will you take me to see my husband now?”
“Yes,” I said. “He’s been waiting for you.”
I work with the terminally ill. Sometimes they’re pleased to see me, but mostly they aren’t.
I forgot to mention... pictures are from Google.