Quote:
Originally Posted by BossMark
(Post 2334045)
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Back when I was a medic, We got called to a house where a hospice patient was in distress. When we arrived, we found she had already passed, as she was a DNR, we did our best to help comfort the family, called hospice and did other things to just help them out in the short term. There was maybe a dozen family and friends present. My partner had pretty much taken point on the call, so I was trying to stand quietly off to the side.
But this sign was hanging on the wall next to me. I noticed it on the way in, but didn't pay much attention to it, as we had other priorities at the time. But now, I'm looking at this thing. It's hanging by some twine. I glance around, nobodies looking at me, so I start looking closer. It's just a board, I can see it's not connected to the wall, there's no way it's wired to anything.
So I check again, nobodies paying any attention to me. I gently lift the board up, and see what's on the other side. When I read the second part, I tried, and failed, to hold in the loud laugh that escaped.
The room is now silent. Everybody is staring at me. I can feel the daggers from my partner piercing my soul. Nobody says a word for about 20 seconds. Felt like an eternity.
Then the husband, who is still leaning over the bed, holding his deceased wife's hand, says "You lifted the sign didn't you?"
I can only nod sheepishly.
The whole family then erupts in laughter. While I was still embarrassed, I was glad I was unwittingly able to help lighten the mood.
I still remember the stare that man gave me for a few seconds as he tried to figure out why I had laughed, then the grin that crept onto his face as he figured it out.