It was Thursday. I was scheduled to work only a 4 hour shift, which is a bit annoying to drive 40 miles to work 4 hours. What made it even more annoying is that I had to deal with the psycho woman the day before...read the post before this one to catch up.
His name was Rick. I know I don't usually use names, but this is one time I will. He deserves to be remembered. His name was Rick, and he was brought into the ER. Rick was an alcoholic, in the very last stages of the disease. This fucking disease. Rick was alone, no family by his side. There was no death tray of cookies, and coffee delivered to his room. There was no death tray, because there was no family, or friends to deliver it to.
I know why I went to work on Thursday. I went there because Rick needed someone to hold his hand. I initially went to draw his blood. I saw the condition he was in, I also saw no one else there except a nurse in the room. Nurses in an ER room around the clock is never a good sign. His body was shaking uncontrollably, his eyes could barely focus, his breathing was labored.
It was a rather slow night on Thursday. I kept going back to Rick's room. I held his hand, and stroked his head. His eyes would lock onto mine every so often. He KNEW someone was there. His shaking seemed to steady, but only a bit when I held his hand. He KNEW someone was there.
I feel like I should have stayed until the end. I didn't. I went home. I cried all the way home, and most of the next day. This man...this shell of a man, was some one's child, possibly some one's husband, and father. A man now so very alone.
I wonder, if his disease was cancer, or diabetes....would he have died alone? Would there have been a death tray of coffee, and cookies.
I wish I would have stayed.
His name was Rick. I know I don't usually use names, but this is one time I will. He deserves to be remembered. His name was Rick, and he was brought into the ER. Rick was an alcoholic, in the very last stages of the disease. This fucking disease. Rick was alone, no family by his side. There was no death tray of cookies, and coffee delivered to his room. There was no death tray, because there was no family, or friends to deliver it to.
I know why I went to work on Thursday. I went there because Rick needed someone to hold his hand. I initially went to draw his blood. I saw the condition he was in, I also saw no one else there except a nurse in the room. Nurses in an ER room around the clock is never a good sign. His body was shaking uncontrollably, his eyes could barely focus, his breathing was labored.
It was a rather slow night on Thursday. I kept going back to Rick's room. I held his hand, and stroked his head. His eyes would lock onto mine every so often. He KNEW someone was there. His shaking seemed to steady, but only a bit when I held his hand. He KNEW someone was there.
I feel like I should have stayed until the end. I didn't. I went home. I cried all the way home, and most of the next day. This man...this shell of a man, was some one's child, possibly some one's husband, and father. A man now so very alone.
I wonder, if his disease was cancer, or diabetes....would he have died alone? Would there have been a death tray of coffee, and cookies.
I wish I would have stayed.
2 comments:
I did make up this name...I did it intentially. Think of him as a person, not a patient.
I alos need to protect Hippa Rules
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