It was almost midnight on an idle Tuesday and the hospital hallways were unusually calm. I had just finished reading an old issue of Sports Illustrated from cover to cover. “I need something better to read,” I thought to myself. “Why didn’t I bring a book?”
As I sat quietly with my eyes closed, I could vaguely hear the soft mumbles of a verbal plea going on in the hospital room beside me. “You’ve kept him waiting long enough! My grandson is here! Oh please, let him in.” More mumbling… “Please, please… nurse, bring him to me.”
A moment later the nurse stormed out of the room and looked startled to see me waiting in the hall. “Oh, you’re here!” he yelped. “I’m sorry. I’m a hospice nurse and I’ve only been watching over your grandmother for the past 24 hours. She insisted that you were coming to visit her last night too, but the phone numbers she gave me to reach you were all disconnected. So, she had me scouring the hospital hallways looking for you to no avail. And then when she said you were coming again this evening, I just assumed her dementia was getting the best of her.”
“Well, I…”
He interrupted me. “But I’m really glad you’re here. I think she’s been holding on just so she can say goodbye to you. It’s actually miraculous that she’s still able to speak, because her body is rapidly shutting down. The doctor gave her 24 hours to live exactly 24 hours ago.”
“My goodness, that’s…”
He interrupted again. “Sir, once more, I’m truly sorry. I had no idea you were out here waiting. And time is up. These are her final few moments. Please follow me.”
I stood up and [Read more…]