heal

I have stories to tell and I see them dervish twirling in my sensorium nonstop. Why should you give any thought to this; no response?

Many years ago in another life I was on call for high risk case input for a certain far-away hospital. All was well the crier sounded and off to the rack went I only to be shuddered awake to the emergency for a little kid. Well, this was no ordinary call. I could hear it in the voice of the nurse on the line. It was barely a whisper.

A young man of the household was on his way to second shift, leaving his loved brood at the homestead. Backing the family car out a bump was there. It was his son. The cruel wheel passed over the little one's head. It was a tragedy from the beginning to the end. I learned much of this.

The boy was in extremis; I and he arrived together to the wide eyed staff and crew of the rig. Fear was wafting everywhere. All the technology was done in the field and afterwards. I didn't bring that here to tell about all that...

Soon came the aforementioned family car bearing the terrified. All came to see what could not be seen. The youngster was in desparation territory. Brain matter emerged; things were beyond all the king's men.

I was useless...we were all useless. I focused on the family; then on the organ donor hierarchy. For big people, all would have gone smoothly; for little people, and to a great extent still today, there were many to receive, many to give, and no highway betwixt. All night could not bring those people the little I could do to bring them a tiny thread of peace...nothing could be recovered but for the corneas.

I watched the people of greatest courage and forbearance I have ever known. I saw a wife pick her husband up and hold him still beyond any imaginable best one could summon. There is no forgetting the lessons taught that night. The boy went slowly away, the team struggled, the mother stepped into our role as healer.