Since the hospital I am in is one of the biggest hospitals, a lot of terminally ill patients arrive. Over a day, a handful of patients pass away. Yet, the hospital keeps running, everyone busy with work. Only the family members and relatives are left behind.
One of my jobs is to remove catheters and IV lines within dead patients. As I walk into the sullen room, I quietly do my work and try my best to leave unnoticed. Of course, my first few times, I had blood spilling everywhere, despite my best efforts in showing the highest respect for the patient.
Another patient passed away today. A nice old lady, growing thin each day. She started twitching, her pupils moving further up, only responding mechanically to our questions. I was trying to find her radial artery pulse, but with each beat, it grew weaker. I looked up to see her gasping few breaths, and soon she passed away. Life just slipped out of her as I was watching.
Yet, my phone kept ringing. I was again busy running from ward to ward. Everyone else was too. Life comes and goes, fading in and out.
