my 27 year old patient - the one who is afraid of saline and who i have grown much to attached to - asked me point blank this morning, "do people die here?"
considering we have the most deaths in the entire hospital and considering i frequently (well, certainly more than most people i know) wrap up bodies in plastic body bags, i didn't quite know how to respond. sometimes i speak before i think...
this time i said, "well, this is a hospital. of course people die here." and then i quickly followed it up with, "but people i like don't get to think about dying. they have to stay positive and do well."
suddenly, i felt unsupportive. like maybe i had shut up my patient, just when she needed me the most. so i sat down and asked, "why are you asking me?"
what proceeded was a very candid conversation followed by some tears.
and now, i only like her more.
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