Bed 14

They arrived in a storm of sorrow. All four of them came through the doors with tears and sobbing.

Someone had died.

I don't know if it was their relative or a friend. It could have been a parent a brother or a sister. I will most likely never know. They are here in the ICU area with us. They might be here because of the results of an accident or a trauma. We are here for a transplant. The ICU, I think, is for those that need the closest of care.

They sat on both sides of the aisle. The hospital is normally a little dark. The offwhite walls are scarred by black scuff marks of guerney's and brown smudges from a long history of family and friends leaning on the walls. I exited out the waiting room as two women were embracing......comforting.....I couldn't stop. It would have been uncomfortable. Standing wanting to pass by them. I turned sideways and slowly made my way by them. Her hand was on the back of the other and I reached out.......touching her to offer some sort of support.

There wasn't any eye contect but I saw her hand. I hoped it helped. I wanted to help.

I walked down the hallway into an admissions area to inquire about validating our parking. It seemed so insignificant. I knew someone feet away has passed. On the other side of hte glass brick walls are people that have no idea about the event that have just recently transpired.

I know death happens every day. Few of us are privy to the events. But seeing the pain on their faces and knowing the sadness they are enduring was difficult. I returned to the waiting area and had to walk through this small group again. One woman was slumped down on the wall in near complete despair. He face was wracked with misery. Her eyes were red, her face was tear stained. Her eyes darted back and forth never completely looking above the two or so feet that she was at while slumped in a ball at the corner of the hallway.

She was, litterally and figuratively......at an intersection in her life.